Anla - Roswell - Completed

Anla · Post by **Anla** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 10:20 am

Maria woke suddenly. Smiling a little, she stretched her arms above her head. There was none of her usual grogginess upon waking. Her mind was immediately focused and alert. She felt like she could run a marathon or climb a mountain. Almost giggling, she turned and looked over at the other inhabitant of the room. Michael was sitting perched on the open windowsill, watching her silently as she woke up. He raised an eyebrow at the happy look on her face. She certainly hadn't seemed that happy when they went to sleep the previous night. "I waited for you to wake up," he said quietly, not wanting to disturb her mother and face the wrath of the newspaper again. She stretched again, very slowly this time, enjoying the gleam in his eyes as he watched her movements closely. "Good. I would hate to start off the day having to hunt you down for sneaking out on me." She forced the smile off her face, adopting a severe look. "You know I hate that." The smile escaped and formed again. She really felt too good to scold him. Her body was tingling with all this energy, just waiting for an opportunity to come out and be used. It was the strongest she'd felt it yet. Now what to do with all that energy? "Good dreams?" he asked, almost smiling himself. He hadn't seen that twinkle in her eyes in a very long time. He'd missed it. "Yeah. I guess." Maria swung her legs over her bedside and sat up on the edge in one graceful movement, never breaking eye contact with Michael. "I don't really remember them. But they were........" her voice trailed off and she shrugged. She had no words to describe the feelings from the dreams. "Intense?" Michael got up from the windowsill and walked slowly over to the bed, waiting for her to tell him to stop. She didn't. "Intense works." She laughed, leaning back as he came closer. Michael bent down over her, placing his hands on each side of her body. "Passionate?" he whispered, his lips almost touching hers. "Oh, definitely." She moved just a fraction of an inch, barely touching his mouth with hers before retreating. "You were in there somewhere." "Good." His hands were around her waist now. She could feel her heartbeat speeding up. Or was it Michael's? Maybe they were the same now. "I'd be pretty upset if you were having intense, passionate dreams about someone else." "As if," she laughed. Reaching up, she tangled her hands in his hair and briefly closed her eyes when he placed a kiss on her neck. "Michael?" she whispered. "Hmm?" "I feel as if I could run across the desert, swim about a hundred laps. and still manage the energy to clean your apartment." His quiet laugh vibrated through her. She shivered. "All this energy, Spaceboy. It's incredible. You feel it too, don't you?" The fire in his eyes when he looked up at her was all the answer she really needed. At that moment, there was no barrier between them, no distance. The same power was pulsing through them both. It was the closest she'd felt to Michael since before he left Roswell. "Do you like it?" he asked, although he didn't really need to. He could tell that she did from the excitement in her eyes. He'd almost forgotten what it felt like the first few times that one was submerged in the energy. It was like coming to life. Everything was brighter, stronger, louder. More. Maria was obviously enjoying the experience. Moving suddenly, she pulled Michael down to the bed and twisted herself around so that she was on top of him. "Most definitely." Then her mouth was on his in a demanding kiss, sharing this new sensation. The energy intensified when combined with his. She was surprised that things weren't exploding around them. He pulled back reluctantly. "Maria, are you sure?" She stopped him with a finger on his lips. "Don't, Michael. I don't want to think about anything right now. I just want to feel." He nodded, understanding perfectly. Placing his hands on her stomach, he was about to push up the shirt she was wearing when suddenly she froze and looked away, toward the door of her bedroom. "Great." She closed her eyes in frustration. "Mom's up." Well, there went the mood. He sat up, moving slowly away from her, but stopped and looked at her with a frown. "You can hear her?" "Yeah." She shrugged. "Why? Can't you?" "Yes," he answered slowly. And he could. But it was very faint, and he was surprised that Maria could hear Amy moving around. She shouldn't have been able to. Maria could feel the barriers between them going back up again as a faint unease swept over Michael. Before she could question him on what it was that was bothering him now, he interrupted her thoughts. "Do you want me to stay? We can tell her about the baby." He placed his hand over their daughter. Maria gave a small smile. "Wow. Your voice didn't crack at all. I'm impressed. Such bravery." "Hey, don't forget, I've faced enemy armies, alien hunters, and Isabel at Christmas time," he teased. As soon as Isabel's name left his lips, he realized he'd made a mistake. The smile vanished off Maria's face, and she looked away, busying herself with picking up the pillows and blankets from where he'd slept on the floor. "No, I don't think the first day of school is really the best time to deal with Mom on that particular subject," she said, not looking in his direction. "Maria," he reached out to her, but she moved back out of his reach. "Really. I'm not up to it right now, Michael." He nodded reluctantly. "Okay. But whenever you're ready, we'll tell her. Together." He emphasized the last word. She was already feeling alone enough. He didn't want it to be worse than it had to be. "Okay," she said quickly. "You'd better get going." She was still avoiding his eyes. "Okay," he repeated, going over to the window almost against his will. He didn't like leaving her like this. She was upset again, and unlike the day before, this time he didn't know why. Something about Isabel, but what? His eyes widened as a thought popped into his mind. Damn. She couldn't know....... His head swung quickly to the door as he heard Amy in the hallway outside. No time now. Michael jumped out the window and was gone from sight before Amy entered the room and cheerfully wished her daughter a good morning. ---------------------------------------------------------- "Isabel, hurry up!" Max's impatient voice combined with the incessant pounding on the door. She rolled her eyes, even knowing that he couldn't see her. There was plenty of time still to get to school before classes started. Max just couldnt' wait to see Liz. It was sickening, really. "I'm almost ready, Max. Chill, would you?" She could hear him stomping down the hallway, muttering under his breath. Sure, it was easy for him. He was a guy. He didn't have to spend time finding the perfect outfit to make just the right impression onthe first day of school. Isabel carefully examined her reflection in the mirror, giving a small self-satisfied smile. Black skirt, short enough to attract interest but long enough to be classy, and a very tight blue blouse. Simple yet elegant. Waving a hand, she adjusted the color of her lip gloss. Yes, that would do it. She looked good. Definitely ready to dive back into the popularity games of West Roswell High. Well, it was her senior year, after all. She had to hold on to her title of queen of the school. More pounding on the door. "You have five minutes, Iz. Then I'm leaving and you can walk or teleport or whatever to the school," Max barked irritably. She shook her head sadly. "And people think he's such a sweet, patient guy," she said to herself. Still, there was something comforting about the morning ritual. She'd been keeping Max waiting since third grade. Was it wrong that she enjoyed it so much? Smiling a little, Isabel walked over to her closet to grab the matching jacket to her outfit. Reaching towards it, her fingers brushed against a hanger almost hidden in the back. Her smile faded slowly as she realized what it was and brought it out. Blinking back sudden tears, she ran her hands down the soft material. Her prom dress. "Oh," she whispered. Just holding the red dress brought back so many memories. She could remember every single moment of their prom night as if it were yesterday.  She walked down the stairs to where Alex was waiting for her, loving the way his eyes lit up the second he saw her. It happened every time Alex looked at her, but she didn't think she'd ever get used to it. It still took her breath away. She paused theatrically two steps up, posing to let him get a good look at her. "Well?" she asked when he didn't say anything for a minute. Shaking his head, Alex blinked and bowed. She bit her lip to keep from laughing. "You look extremely beguiling this evening, my lady," he said, straightening up. He offered her his arm. "Even more so than usual." "Well, that is the main idea," she replied, taking his arm, loving the way little tingles seemed to run through her body the second they came into contact. "And you, sir, are looking very handsome."  Isabel sank down to her bed, still clutching the dress tightly. They had been so happy that night. Their whole lives ahead of them. If only she'd known. If only there was something she could have done to protect him. "I can't do this, Alex," she whispered, closing her eyes. It was one thing to go through the motions of her life over the summer. But going back to school, walking down those hallways where they had spent so much time together, but not being able to see Alex anywhere - it was more than she could manage. She wasn't strong enough.  "Of course you're strong enough. You're Isabel Evans."  She could imagine Alex's voice talking to her. He had faith that she could do anything. One of the things that Alex always said he loved about her was her strength. But he'd never fully understood how much of her strength came from knowing that he was there, loving her, ready to catch her if she fell. Everybody needed someone - Alex had taught her that. His love became her foundation. Isabel knew that whatever happened, Alex would love her. It wasn't a blind love, either, for which she was fundamentally grateful. Alex saw her clearly, faults and all. He didn't have any illusions about who she was. She gave a small smile, thinking of him. Yes, Alex saw her faults. He just didn't always see them  as faults. Still, it was good to have someone you didn't have to hide from, someone who wouldn't turn from you the moment you made a mistake or screwed up. Goodness knew, she'd messed up plenty. And it had cost them so much time. Taking a deep breath, Isabel stood up and gently replaced the dress in the closet. It was the only bit of red left in her wardrobe. She simply couldn't bear to throw it away. Alex would have wanted her to go on. He would have wanted her to hold her head high and to live life fully. She wasn't sure that she could manage it, but for him she'd try. For him she would do anything. "Wish me luck, Alex." Picking up her jacket, she went out to the Jeep where Max was already waiting. Time to face her public. ----------------------------------------------------- Michael rushed into his apartment. He'd have to hurry if he was going to get changed and get to school on time. He might have no idea of what the future was bringing. He might not even finish the school year - he might be off fighting evil aliens or drop out of school to take care of his daughter. So many maybes these days. But at the moment, he was still in school, and that's where his family would be, so that's where he was going to go. First things first. Frowning, Michael dug through his duffel bag and took out the communicator. He looked around. There had to be a good place to hide it. The rest of their alien artifacts were in the Pod Chamber, but everyone had access to that. Michael didn't feel up to explaining what this orb was or how he'd gotten it. Not yet. He smiled as a thought occurred to him. He walked over to the wall separating the bedroom and living room. Reaching out his free hand, he concentrated on the molecules making up the wall.  Just a little push, nothing big. He nodded in satisfaction as the molecules moved aside, creating a small hollow in the wall, just big enough to store the communicator.  Not bad. His control over his powers had definitely improved over the past year. Not too long ago he would have ended up blasting the entire wall down. He almost laughed at the idea of having to explain to Maria how he'd knocked down half of their apartment. Michael took one last look at the orb. Nope, hadn't changed. Still looked the same.  Necessity, he reminded himself. As much as he might hate it, some things were necessary. He would do anything he had to in order to keep Maria and the baby safe, no matter how unpleasant. He remembered his meeting with Rath the week before. Michael could almost hear his dupe's voice echoing through the quiet apartment.  "You sure you can trust 'em?" Surprisingly enough, Rath's voice didn't sound mocking. He actually sounded sincere. Michael might have been touched by his duplicate's concern, if he wasn't fighting so hard to control his instincts to blast Rath across the park. If he could forget what Rath had done to Zan, what Rath would gladly do to Max if he was allowed. Still Michael forced himself to consider the question. He pictured Max's worried face, eyes full of concern (and frequently exasperation) for his friend. He remembered how Isabel was always there for him when they were growing up, his sister trying to take care of him and teach him how to get along in the world. Not really her fault that he rarely listened. Liz, scared half to death by Hank, but still standing her ground and warning him about Topolsky. True, she did that more for Max than for him personally, but still, Michael had to admire her loyalty. And then there was Maria. He didn't even have to think about her. Trusting Maria was as basic a part of him as breathing. He nodded to Rath as he packed away the communicator. "Yes." That was all. There was nothing more to say. Rath took a second to process the answer, then smirked at him. "Yeah, but the question is, bro - Can they trust  you?"  Michael's attention snapped abruptly back to the present, forcing down the anger Rath's question caused, even almost a week later. He closed his eyes and focused on his breathing, forcing down the fire in his hands until it subsided. He really couldn't afford to lose any more furniture. Besides, what Rath thought didn't matter. In some ways, Rath understood Michael better than anyone, even Maria. Yet in others, he was clueless. When he had himself under control again, Michael put the orb in the hidey-hole, then waved his hand over the wall, moving the molecules back to cover up the space. Perfect. Nobody would know there was anything there. Glancing at the clock, he hurried into the bedroom to change. Better get going. ---------------------------------------------------------- Liz smiled at some of her passing classmates as she and Maria entered the school and walked down the hallway to their lockers together, the way they had on every first day of school since first grade. "Senior year, Maria. This is so great!" Maria made some sort of grunting noise in response, but Liz chose to ignore her. She refused to let Maria's grumpy mood destroy her excitement. "Our last year of high school." She looked around quickly, hoping that Maria wouldn't notice her obvious lookng for Max. From the smug smirk Maria gave her, Liz guessed she hadn't exactly been subtle. Oh, well. So what. It was her senior year, she was actually with the boy she loved, and she refused to feel guilty about being happy over those things. "So, what's with the overalls?" She looked at Maria's outfit. "It's cute, of course, but it's not exactly your style." Maria looked down at herself. She was wearing baggy demin overalls with a smiley face on the front. It looked cute on her, but she knew Liz was right. It was definitely much more conservative than what she would usually be wearing. "Pregnant, Liz. Remember?" Liz let out a loud sight of annoyance. "Yes, Maria, I remember." She was trying very hard to keep calm. "But you're not showing, so I don't think you have to start trying to hide it yet." Maria shrugged, concentrating on opening her locker. "I'll be showing soon. My luck can't hold out forever. And this way, Mom'll be used to my new style and won't be as suspicous." She looked over her shoulder briefly, smiling at her friend. "At least that's the theory." "Or you could try something really drastic, like I don't know, telling her the truth." Hiding this information from Amy DeLuca was  such a bad idea. Maria put her extra notebooks in her locker and slammed it shut before turning to glare at Liz. "Right. This coming from you. You're not exactly the poster child for honesty towards parents, now are you, Lizzie?" Maria's voice was dripping with bitterness. She hardly even sounded like herself. "You know, I am beyond sick of this attitude," Liz hissed at her, trying to keep her voice down so that the few other students walking by wouldn't hear anything. "I'm not the one who went off and disappeared for the past month." "Three weeks," she corrected instantly. "Whatever. Michael's the one you're mad at, so would you just lay off me?" Maria laughed angrily. "No problem. Just as soon as you stop telling me what to do. This is my life, Liz. Mine and Michael's, and we'll deal with it the way that we decide to, not you." Liz turned away, but Maria's hand suddenly shot out, slamming loudly into the locker next to Liz's head and getting her attention. Liz turned back, and almost took a step back at the anger in Maria's eyes. "And you lay off Michael. You have no idea what he's going through." Maria moved closer, lowering her voice even more. "Whatever Michael's been doing, it's been to protect us. All of us. Including you. So stop with the disapproving looks every time his name's mentioned and the snide little comments. Stop judging something you have no clue about." With that, she turned and tried to storm away, but ran into someone. Max. Figured. Where Liz was, Max wasn't far. He put out his hand to steady Maria fter their run-in, but she jerked away. "Just leave me alone!" Maria yelled before rushing off. Max looked at Liz. "Okay, and what was that about?" Liz leaned back against the lockers, closing her eyes for a minute. "She's so angry, Max. It's getting worse." She opened her eyes and looked at him sadly. "I don't even know how to talk to her anymore." "Same with Michael." He joined her against the lockers. "We argued last night," he admitted hesitantly. "What about?" He wasn't sure he wanted to answer that question. But they did have that whole honesty policy going on. "Tess." He could feel her body stiffen next to his, and hurried on. "I just said I wanted to understand why she did it. Michael made it very clear that he doesn't care why. She did it, and that's all he needs to know." "I have to say I agree with Michael on this one," Liz said flatly. "Yeah, I figured," he said dryly. "And I respect that. I do. But I just need to understand........." his voice trailed off. There really was no way he was going to be able to convince them. He just knew that they were missing something, something important about what happened. "I know." Liz smiled and took his hand for a minute, gently squeezing it. They had been through too much to get to where they were. Tess was gone. Liz wasn't going to let her memory tear them apart anymore. She noticed Michael starting to walk down the hallway in their direction, then stop abruptly. "Hey," she said, nudging Max's shoulder. "There's Michael. Go talk to him. Try to work things out." Max started to move away, then looked back at her uncertainly. She smiled encouragingly at him. "Go. Now." She gave him a quick kiss. "I'm going to make sure that Maria gets to her first class on time." "Okay, if you're sure." He gave her that little half-smile that made her heart beat faster. "I love you." Then he turned and headed off in Michael's direction. Silently wishing him luck, Liz left. Michael felt a quick surge of panic at Max's approach, but managed to conceal it perfectly. He was so not in a mood for a continuation of hte previous evening's conversation. Especially not in a public place like the school hallway. Actually, he was thinking that avoiding Max might be a good idea right then. "Maxwell," he said bluntly, nodding his head at his friend. "Hey, Michael." Max seemed to be having a hard time spitting anything else out, and Michael didn't have the patience for waiting, so he decided to try and hurry things along. "Something I can do for you, Maxwell?" Max laughed quickly. "I guess." He finally looked Michael in the eye. There was that look of concern again. Michael idly tried to analyze the emotions he felt because of that look Max was giving him. They were an odd mixture - gratitude that Max cared and annoyance that he seemed to feel Michael was likely to fall apart if he wasn't there to take care of him. Oh, well. Michael tried to be philosophical about it. Two lifetimes' worth of habits were hard to break. Max went on. "I just wanted to make sure that we were okay. You know. After our disagreement last night." Well, well. Maybe some habits did change. Michael was surprised. "Sure. We're fine." He smiled easily, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "It's not like it's the first time we've disagreed on something, right? And probably not going to be the last." Max's laugh was lighter this time. "No, I'm sure it won't be." The smile faded. "I meant what I said, Michael. And I know that you meant what you said. But I'm sorry that I upset you." He shrugged uncomfortably. "Guess I'm still working on that whole diplomacy thing." Michael shook his head. "Not your fault, Max. It's just a sensitive subject." He looked around. Still no sign of Maria. Damn. He was hoping to be able to find her before classes started and check on her. He could sense that she was upset. Again. "Listen, Maxwell, I have to go see if I can con my way into Biology class. If I don't take it this year, I can't graduate." He paused in thought, then continued. "'Course, I might not anyway, but I don't want to cut off all my options yet. So I'll see you later." "Sure." Max turned to go, apparently happier and satisfied that things were fine. Good. As soon as he was gone, Michael ducked around a corner and took his hands out of his pockets, looking with reserved interest at the tight fists he'd formed at discussing this with Max. Slowly, he forced his muscles to relax. Then he went to beg his way into Biology. ---------------------------------------------------------- Isabel entered the school in state, surrounded by her admiring crowd of friends and boys practically jumping at the chance to date her. It was amazing how easy it was to fall back into the old routines. Mandy and Lisa were chattering on, gossiping about everyone they went by, while the boys desperately tried to impress her with their wit or muscles. Isabel didn't even have to pay much attention to them, just smiling and making an occasional comment. After a while, the pasted-on smile became easier to keep, and the protective shell she'd relied on until a year and half ago began to feel more natural.  This wouldn't be such a bad way to go back to living, she mused. At least it would keep her from getting hurt again. "There's Kyle Valenti," Mandy whispered, catching Isabel's full attention. She was looking down the hallway at Kyle. "I wonder what the real story about him and Tess Harding is," Lisa joined in. "What do you mean?" Isabel forced a casusal tone. "Tess left town. End of story." "But, Isabel, that's exactly it," Lisa squealed. "Why did Tess leave town? She and Kyle are doing fine at the end of the school year, going hot and heavy, then all of a sudden she'd just gone. Poof! No good-byes, no nothing. Just missing." Isabel resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Like Lisa would know what was going on with Kyle and Tess. But the girl wasn't one to ever let total ignorance of a subject stop her from gossiping about it. "You were friends with her, weren't you?" Mandy asked Isabel. Isabel's laugh sounded genuine enough to anyone who didn't know better. Kyle looked up at the sound, catching Isabel's eye for a brief second before turning away. Isabel felt like a knife went through her heart at the angry dismissal in his eyes. So much for her protective shell. Mandy was waiting for an answer. "Yeah, for all of about two minutes," she said flippantly. "And didn't Tess move to live with her aunt or something? Let's not be overly-dramatic." Kyle was leaving his locker and walking away. A sudden impulse seized her. "Look, I'll see you later, okay?" Without waiting for an answer, she walked away, waiting to get out of their sight before hurrying up. Kyle pushed his way through one of the side doors, heading outside to the football field. He was going to check in with the coach before classes started. He heard footsteps behind him, but refused to slow down. No way would she follow him. He'd made it perfectly clear to her that he didn't want to have anything to do with them and their Star Wars melodrama anymore. "Kyle!" As soon as they were outside and alone, Isabel called out to him. She saw him hesitate for a minute, then keep walking. "Kyle, stop!" Well, so much for her taking a hint. Kyle stood frozen for a second, then turned around and stalked back towards her furiously. "Or what?" he spat out at her. "You'll use your alien powers on me?" Isabel took a step back from him, and he was glad to see the look of confused pain flitting across her face. He smiled bitterly at her, more of a grimace than anything else. "No, wait. Been there, done that. Got the memories to prove it." Isabel recovered a bit. "What would you have preferred, Kyle?" She let out the anger she'd been feeling for the past month, moving closer to him. "Would you rather that you'd gone on mindwarped, with no idea of what really happened to Alex? I mean, yeah, Tess would have gotten away with killing him, and sure, my brother would be dead by now, too. Then again, you never did like Max, so no big loss there, right?" She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him as she continued, her voice gone very cold and calm. "But you could still be with Tess, so who cares about any of that, right? Is that what you want?" "What I want? You want to know what I want?" Kyle moved more into her personal space. She tried backing up, but found herself against the outer wall. Kyle was shorter than she was, but as angry as he was, he didn't seem it. "What I want is for you alien freaks to have stayed out of our lives. It wasn't bad enough that you messed up things on your own planet. No, you had to come down here and screw us up too." He backed away a bit, a look of total disgust on his face. "But, short of that, I would have settled for not having someone I trusted, someone who I thought was my friend, go tearing through my mind and my memories without asking or telling me what she was doing, and forcing me to relive the most awful moment of my life over and over again." Kyle's voice almost broke, but he got it back under control. "Do you have any idea of how much what you did  hurt, Isabel? You ripped through my memories like they were nothing." "Kyle, I didn't mean to hurt you," she whispered. She'd had no idea. She tried to reach out to him, but he moved back, looking at her hand with mingled loathing and fear. "I had these excrutiating headaches for days later," he went on, not looking at her. "And every night, I see it again. I see her killing Alex........." He shook his head, settling his face into a resolved mask before looking at her again. "As far as I'm concerned, you're no better than Tess. Alex deserved better." Without waiting for a response, Kyle turned and left. This time Isabel let him go. ------------------------------------------------------------ Lunchtime. Finally. Maria was starving. She and Liz had managed to smooth things over, and they were sitting at an outside table, talking about their morning classes. Liz seemed to be practically in heaven over all her advanced science classes. The good mood Maria had awoken with had vanished long before she got to school, but the restless energy remained, making it hard to sit through classes. She kept fidgeting, getting irritated looks from her teachers, but she'd managed to contain it to squirming in her seat and tapping her pencil on the desk top. Now she was swaying back and forth in her seat, drumming her free hand on the table while grabbing french fries with the other. She frowned down at her food. The fries and chicken sandwich just weren't doing it for her. "Hey," Max said, sliding into the seat next to Liz and dropping a quick kiss on her cheek. "How are you two doing?" "I'm doing good, girlfriend," Maria smiled at him as she examined the lunch he spred out in front of him. Apple, sandwich, chips. Nope - nothing there she wanted. Liz beamed at him. "Do you think we can started on that experiment today?" She was practically bouncing out of her seat. Max laughed. Only Liz would be so excited about starting a big lab project on the first day of school. "Sure, if you want to." She opened her mouth to enter, then stopped as a shadow fell over the table. The three of them looked up to see Michael looming over the table, eyes intent on Maria. "Here." Michael tossed down a chocolate bar and a packet of hot sauce in front of her. Maria's eyes lit up as she quickly grabbed them. Chocolate and hot sauce - perfect! That was exactly what she'd been wanting. She looked up to thank Michael, but the words died as their eyes met. The closeness she'd felt that morning was gone. The distance and walls were back up again. Michael watched in pain as the light in Maria's eyes died out and she sighed sadly. Without a word, she packed up her stuff and walked away. He dropped heavily into her abandoned seat. This couldn't go on much longer. It was hurting them both too much. He couldn't bear it. But what would hurt her more? "Okay, what was that all about?" Liz asked tentatively. Michael shook his head. "Me. I screwed up."  Again. Max's quiet voice caught his attention. "You want to talk about it?" Michael almost laughed. Max was the last person he could talk to about this. "Not now," was all he answered. Max simply nodded his head in acknowledgment. Michael appreciated the fact that his brother didn't push it. "Oh, I almost forgot," Liz burst out eagerly. "I found something last night that I wanted to show you guys." She went rummaging through her backpack, looking for something. Michael looked questioningly at Max, who shrugged in response. He had no idea what Liz was talking about. A wave of intense anger suddenly hit Michael, taking his mind completely off whatever it was that Liz wanted to show them. He grasped the table in front of him, trying to ride out the emotional tidal wave.  Okay, where exactly did that come from? Looking up, he saw where. Maria. Maria had stopped moving on the other side of the courtyard, and was standing perfectly still, glaring across the way at the table where Isabel sat with her court. Wow. Isabel hadn't been kidding about the way Maria was feeling towards her these days. There was no mistaking the anger and underlying sense of betrayal. A chill began to go down his spine when he saw Maria start to move in Isabel's direction. Suddenly very concerned, Michael started to stand up. If Maria really was being adversely affected by what he was going through, if she was feeling even a fraction of what he was, then now was not a good time for her to confront Isabel. Before Michael even got to his feet, he saw Maria being intercepted by someone else. Kyle had stepped in front of her, gesturing back towards the school. Michael watched with narrowed eyes as Maria smiled and nodded, turning with Kyle to go inside. Kyle seemed pretty comfortable with the job of being Maria's protector these days.  Get over it, idiot, he told himself.  Just be glad that someone stopped Maria from making a scene with Izzy. Still, he didn't like it. Smothering his possessive tendancies, Michael returned his attention to the table in front of him. "So what did you want to show us?" "This." Liz proudly showed them a photograph. "I found it last night. It's my Grandma Claudia. And........" "Riverdog." Max took the picture from her. "Did you know they knew each other?" He handed it to Michael. "Not that I knew. But Grandma Claudia was an archeologist. Most of her studies dealt with Native American artifacts and legends." "So she could have met Riverdog while doing research?" Michael said, calmly handing her back the photo. "Yeah, that's probably it. Still, I thought it was kind of bizarre, seeing the two of them together. I just wanted to show you." Liz was going to put it away, when she saw the look the two of them exchanged. "What?" Michael gestured for Max to answer. Max turned to Liz. "That's probably what it was. Still, there's another possibility." "A very slim possibility," Michael mumbled. Max gave him a disbelieving look, then glanced upwards. "Is the sky falling?" he muttered. Michael Guerin was actually dismissing the possibility of learning something alien-related? He went on. "Some of the stories about the 1947 crash....." "Most of which are completely wrong," Michael interrupted. Max glared at him. "Talk about a group of archeologists who supposedly stumbled upon the crash site." Liz's eyes grew big. "So maybe my grandmother was a witness to the crash?" "Don't you think she would have said something if that was true?" Max asked gently. Liz thought about it for a minute. "I'm not sure," she finally answered. "Not if she had a reason to keep it a secret." "It was just a rumor, Liz," Max pointed out. "Nothing was ever proven. It could just be a type of urban legend, along with so many others about aliens." Liz frowned, remembering the last time she'd seen her grandmother. "You know, when she came to visit that last time, I had the feeling there was something she wanted to tell me, but she didn't have time." She looked across at Max. "And she seemed almost to recognize you. At the hospital, I mean." Max shrugged uncomfortably. "I didn't notice," he muttered quietly. He'd been rather out of it. It had been hard to form enough of a connection to let Liz say good-bye to her grandmother. "Well, I'll go through the rest of her stuff and see if I can come up with anything," Liz said with determination. Looking down at her watch, she went on urgently. "I didn't realize the time. If we're going to get started on that experiment today, then we'd better get the lab set up." Max was going to join her in cleaning up when Michael caught his eye. "You go on, Liz. I'll be right there." "Okay." Another quick kiss and she was gone, waving to Michael as she went by him. He nodded in response. "You don't think we should look into this?" Max asked quietly. Michael shook his head. "I don't think there's anything to find out, but whatever. Let her look into it as much as she wants to. I don't care." "Okay," Max said slowly. "Then what's the problem?" Michael frowned, trying to put this tactfully. Getting Max all defensive about his girlfriend wouldn't accomplish anything. "Max, Liz doesn't actually grasp the concept of investigating anything subtly." He smiled at Max's look of surprise. "She's actually even worse than I used to be." He went on seriously. "You know what she was like after Alex. Liz might as well have posted a billboard saying 'Aliens killed my friend'." "She was right," Max pointed out quietly. "Yeah, she was," Michael agreed. "But that's not the point. My problem isn't with her finding the truth. My problem is the way she did it. She made a huge big deal, involving and questioning all those outsiders." He remembered the way that Liz ran around in the weeks after Alex's death, telling everyone who would listen (even those who didn't want to) that the offical story about Alex accidentally driving into that oncoming truck didn't make sense. It had been the talk of the school. "Not the best way to stay under the radar, Maxwell. You know that there are lots of kids here who ended up thinking that Alex killed himself. Or was on drugs or something." At least Valenti had refused to waver from the orginal verdict of accidental death. Michael could only hope Alex's parents never heard the other rumors. "It was Liz's way of dealing with her grief." Max's voice was still very calm and quiet. "And her guilt." Guilt was something Michael could understand. Didn't make her actions any less stupid. "I get that. I'm just saying that if she's going all Nancy Drew on us again, keep an eye on her. Don't let things get out of control this time." Max nodded slowly, then looked at Michael closely. "Why aren't you more interested in this, Michael?" Michael stood up. "What can we really learn that we don't already know? And the woman's dead, so we can't exactly ask her any questions. Besides, I've got other stuff to worry about now." --------------------------------------------------------- Kyle peered into the empty Science classroom. "All clear." He moved aside to let Maria enter before him. "Here you go, ma'am. The best lunch spot in the whole school." Maria looked around the classroom, then sat down and unpacked her lunch on the desk in front of her. "You sure know how to treat a girl, Kyle." "Yep. It's the Valenti charm." He was rewarded with a real laugh as he sat down next to her. He picked up his soda and held it in her direction. "Here's to another year of being in the same Science class." Her soda can clanged against his. "Hey, don't knock us. We have been known to kick some serious butt and save the day on occasion." Maria tore open the packet of hot sauce and spread it over the chocolate bar. She took a deep bite, a look of total pleasure on her face. That was what she'd been craving. Kyle watched her with a look of mixed amusement and disgust on his face. "That is amazingly gross. You know that, right?" He shook his head as he dug in to his own sandwich (thankfully tabasco-free). "Yet another sad side-effect of the Martian invasion." Maria swallowed, then shook her finger at him in warning. "No you don't. You are so not going there with me." "Going where?" he asked, eyes wide in innocence. "The whole 'aliens are evil, must save the humans, yadda yadda' nonsense you've been spouting for the last month", she answered in a sing-song voice. "I'm not listening to it. In case you've forgotten, I happen to be carrying a little alien inside me right now, thank you very much." Kyle waved his hand, clearly dismissing this small detail as irrelevant. "Well, she's different." "Is she, Kyle?" Maria asked with a little quiver in her voice. She'd hate to think that any of her friends were going to turn against the baby because of her father. "Of course." Kyle put down his sandwich and looked at her seriously. "No matter how sick I am of her relatives and their tendancy to tear my life into little pieces, that's not her fault." Kyle smiled, and Maria couldn't help smiling in return. Kyle's smile was contagious. "Besides, I can't wait to be Uncle Kyle. I've already bought her a little football." Maria found herself laughing. "Really?" "Yep." "You're crazy. You're probably also planning on teaching her how to line dance." She paused. "Of course, that depends on whether or not what you do on the dance floor can actually be considered dancing." Kyle put his hands over his heart. "Maria, that hurts!" "I'm sure." She threw the empty candy wrapper at him. "You should give Michael and Max a break, you know." "Amazingly enough, can't think of a single reason why." "Because they didn't do anything to you. Blaming them for being the same species isn't really fair," she pointed out reasonably. "Works for me." When she glared at him, he held up his hands in surrender. "What about what Michael did to you?" She shrugged. "Michael and I are having problems, but that's between us." She sighed. "Don't put your abandonment issues on me, okay? I have enough of my own." She could see Kyle tense up. "But no matter what Michael might have done, he didn't abandon me. I told him to go, Kyle. He had business to do, things he needed to do to protect us all. If I had told him to stay, he would have." Deep down, she was starting to wonder if maybe it wouldn't have been better if she had. But she knew that it had never really been an option. She would never try to change Michael's fundamental character, and at his most basic, Michael was a protector. It was one of the things she loved about him. "Michael's going to be a great father." "And what about Isabel? Should I give her a break, too?" Kyle had noticed the way Maria was glaring at Isabel just a few minutes ago. That's why he had quickly stepped in and recommended a change of luncheon spots. Maria looked about two seconds away from starting a huge scene right there in front of the whole school. "No, feel free to hate her." Maria gave him a sickeningly sweet smile. "Man, that's cold." Kyle really wanted to know what Isabel did that pissed Maria off that much. "Whatever." Maria moved to change the subject. "So, speaking of parental figures, how's your dad?" "Not doing too great." Kyle moved to throw out their garbage. Class would be starting soon. "Have you two tried talking about everything that happened?" Kyle gave her a look of shocked surprise. "And destroy the perfectly good Valenti tradition of dysfunctional family relations?" "What was I thinking?" She rolled her eyes at him. "Well, could you at least tell him to give my mom a call? She's missed him." "I'll suggest it." Kyle settled back in at the desk next to her, then glanced at her, in real surprise this time. "Do you realize we're actually trying to set our folks up?" Maria shivered. She was saved from having to think about that anymore as the rest of the class started coming in. "Wow," Kyle breathed, eyes going wide and threatening to pop out. "Buddha is good." Confused, Maria followed his gaze. He was staring at the absolutely gorgeous woman who had just come in to the room and was now standing behind the desk, looking around the room. Red hair hanging loose around her shoudlers, high-collared sleeveless shirt and tight skirt - Maria looked around the room. Yeah, every other male in the room had that same glazed-over look that Kyle had. She looked up at the ceiling in amused disgust, then leaned over to her friend and whispered, "You better clean up the puddle of drool, Romeo." Kyle snapped his mouth shut and shot her a dirty look, which she returned innocently. Then his eyes went right back to the woman in front of the room. "I have never had a teacher who looks like that before," he whispered back. Maria shook her head, almost laughing as she looked back up front. The woman had written something on the board. "Lynn Prentice." As silence fell over the classroom, she smiled warmly at the students. "Good afternoon. I'm afraid that Mr. Kriss is going to be out for a few days. I'm going to be your substitute." Kyle offered up a silent prayer of gratitude. "My name is Lynn Prentice." Ms. Prentice went straight to calling the class roll. Mentally tuning her out, Maria was busily daydreaming when her name was called. "Here," she called out. Ms. Prentice looked directly at her. For a second, Maria couldn't breathe. The teacher's eyes didin't match her smile. There was something in that look, something wrong, something that didn't belong in that classroom. Every instinct Maria had was yelling at her to run, to get herself and her baby out of there.  Beware. Then Ms. Prentice called the next name on the list, and the moment passed. Maria's breathing calmed down. The rest of the class passed in perfectly boring fashion. No more strange panic attacks. Still, she couldn't make herself forget it. On some level, no matter how insane it was, her mind was recognizing the new teacher as a threat. She wondered if it was just her irrational emotional state lately, or if there was something more to it. ---------------------------------------------------------- Maria rushed out of the bathroom and hurried down the hallway. Great. She was going to be late to class. That wouldn't usually bother her too much, but it was the first day of classes, and she generally tried to wait until at least the second day to start her tardiness. Maybe she could convince the teacher that she couldn't find her class. She grimaced. It was her fourth year at the school. Not much chance of that. An instant later, it became a bit of a moot point, as strong arms grabbed her and pulled her into the eraser room, shutting the door behind them. Angrily, she pulled away and pushed Michael back into the wall behind him. "You can't just go around grabbing me and dragging me into empty rooms whenever you want to." She was careful to keep her voice down, but let her irritation seep through. Moving closer, she poked him in the chest with her finger. "There's this little thing we human beings like to call civilized behavior. It involves talking to a person, not grabbing them." She glared at him. Michael frowned at her, his confusion obvious. She almost weakened. He really did look cute when he was all clueless like this. But no. She was not going to give in. She wasn't. No matter how much she wanted to finish what they'd started that morning. "You never seemed to mind before," he finally managed to get out. She raised her eyebrows and waved her arms around wildly. "So that makes it okay? Well, it's not okay. And that was before, anyway." "Before," he repeated flatly. She nodded impatiently. When it was obvious that she wasn't going to explain the difference between Now and Before, he shook his head and decided to just move on. "We need to talk." "Agreed." Before she could say anything else, he placed a finger over her lips, moving closer to her. "Shh......." Michael could hear footsteps out in the hallway. He waited until they passed, then returned his attention to the girl in front of him. "Okay, what were you....." At the look in her eyes, Michael promptly lost any ability to think, much less formulate a sentence. He slowly moved his finger over her lips, raising his other hand to the suspenders of her overalls, really noticing her outfit for the first time. Making a supreme effort, he managed to get out a "Cute". "You think so?" she whispered, moving closer and wrapping her own arms around him, nestling her hands in the back pockets of his tight jeans. Both of his hands were on the suspenders now, moving steadily downwards and making her heart rate speed up. "Yeah." "So even though I'm pregnant I still turn you on?" Michael pulled back and looked at her like she was crazy. "Are you out of your mind?" She shook her head, amused. "Nice answer, Spaceboy." "No, really." His voice lowered. "You are still the most incredibly sexy woman in the entire galaxy." He smirked. "And that's not an exaggerration." She laughed quietly. "I've missed you. I've missed being with you." She gave a little gasp as Michael's hand went under the tiny t-shirt she was wearing under her overalls. He knew exactly where to touch her to make her melt. Maria moved both of her hands to cradle behind his head and pull his lips down to hers. Forget talking. They had better ways to communicate. For a second, everything was perfect. Like always, kissing Michael was the most amazing thing in the world. Their lips just fit together, as if they were made for each other. Then she realized what she was missing. No flashes. Not a one. "No," Michael groaned as she pulled away from him. Moving to the other side of the room, she stared sadly at him. "I can't," she whispered brokenly. "Part of me wants to, Michael. It would be so easy to just give in and let it be something physical." "Don't," he said firmly, almost angrily. "Don't cheapen this. It's not just physical and you know it." "But it's also not what it should be. It's not what it was." She looked away from the pain she could see in his eyes. This was killing him, too. So why was he doing it? "What would cheapen us would be for me to let us be less than we should be." She looked back at him, unable to keep the accusation from her voice. "You made me a promise during the tiasa, Michael. All of you - heart, body, and soul." She could actually hear his sharp intake of breath. "I know that you love me, Michael." She managed a small smile. "I know what that means from you. And it's pretty obvious that I can still have your body. But you're locking your soul away from me." Her voice grew in determination. "I deserve better. We deserve better." "I'll tell you everything, Maria. In time." He looked at her pleadingly. "I promise. Please, just give me a little more time. That's all I'm asking you." "Oh, no, buddy," she said, shaking her head. "I've given you plenty of time. It's been months since I realized you were keeping something from me. But I let it go, because I could see how much it hurt you just to think about it. I figured that when you were able to deal with it yourself, then you'd tell me." She laughed bitterly. "Except that hasn't happened, has it?" She didn't even bother to wipe away the tears that were starting to fall. Why bother? He could feel her pain, so it wasn't like she had the option of pretending to be Teflon anymore. "What I don't get, Michael, what really hurts, is why you don't trust me enough to tell me." "Maria." He started to move towards her, but was stopped by the sharp tone in her voice. "Don't." He crossed his arms in front of his chest to keep from reaching out to her. "It has nothing to do with trust. I trust you more than anyone. You are the one person in either lifetime who has never let me down." She ran her hands through her hair, pushing it back from her face. She could tell that he meant what he was saying. "Then what's the problem?" A sudden though occurred to her. These walls were different from his old stonewall. Before, Michael built walls to keep people out. This barrier was to keep something in, something about him that he didn't want getting out. "Are you afraid that it'll push me away or something? If that's it, then you really are clueless. There's nothing you could tell me that I couldn't accept." Michael looked at her, searching for something in her face. Slowly, he answered. "I know. That's not what I'm afraid of." He paused, trying to think of the words for what was terrifying him. "I'm more worried about the opposite. I think you could accept pretty much anything about me now." He took a deep breath, trying to get his nerves under control. "Maybe some things shouldn't be accepted." Before Maria had been sad and annoyed. Now she could add frightened to the list. "Well, that was melodramatic enough." She tried to hide her fear behind confrontation. "Feel like giving me some actual details to go with that?" For a minute, Michael actually let himself consider it. It would be so easy to just let down the walls and connect with her fully, to let her see everything about both lifetimes. He walked over to her, not being stopped this time. He reached out slowly and placed his hand on her stomach, sensing their daughter's energy. "She's so strong already," he whispered. "Can you feel her?" Maria's hands covered his. "Yeah. It's pretty amazing, huh?" "Totally." Michael was constantly overwhelmed by the immensity of his feelings for the two of them, Maria and their daughter. He had never imagined it was possible to love anyone the way he loved the two of them. He had to protect them, keep them safe and untainted. Even if the danger was from himself and what was lurking inside him. "I can't, Maria," he barely managed to get the words out. Reaching inside himself for all the strength he had, he repeated the words, more firmly this time. "I can't let you in. Not yet." He looked her directly in the eyes, trying desperately to convince her. "Soon. But not yet." Tears were welling up in her eyes again. "Well, looks like we have a problem then, Spaceboy. Because I can't wait." She pulled away and walked over to the door, trying for a dramatic exit. As she started to open the door, the doorknob suddenly flew out of her hand and the door shut again. She turned around to Michael in disbelief. "Oh, you did not just use your powers to keep me in here," she started, but was cut off as Michael rushed over to her, lowering his forehead to hers. "Meet me for dinner," he said desperately. He was terrified that if he let her leave like that, let things between them end on that note, then it might really be the end. He might lose them both, and that was something he refused to even contemplate. She looked at him, stunned. "Are you asking me out on a date?" She would have laughed if the situation wasn't so serious. He nodded eagerly. "Please. We can talk." "Wow. Michael Guerin, actually offering to talk? Of his own free will?" She shook her head. "Guess there's always hope, huh?" She sighed. He looked so scared. It tugged at her heart. Brushing back his hair, she smiled gently. "Okay. When?" Michael thought quickly. "Not tonight. I have to work late, and we need the money. Tomorrow night." "Tomorrow night, then." Maria could feel the relief rushing through him. "This doesn't mean I've changed my mind about anything, though. So don't think it does." She reached for the doorknob again. "I'm leaving this time." Her tone didn't allow for argument, and Michael didn't try. It was enough for him that she'd accepted his invitation. He had a lot of thinking to do before the next night. -------------------------------------------------------- "No sudden moves now," Max said in warning to the army dummy he was approaching. He almost laughed aloud, glad that it was a typically abandoned weekday afternoon in the UFO Center and that nobody was around to hear him talking to the display dummies. He picked up the general and set him aside so that he could work on straightening up the rest of the area. "I mean it. Give me any problems and you can join the Elvis was an Alien display," he threatened before getting to work. The alien autopsy section - his absolute least favorite display at the museum to work on. Still, the fact that he was actually able to do it, to readjust the little grey alien's sprawled limbs without a panic attack forcing him to flee the building, was a definite sign of progress. After all, only a few months ago his heart would start speeding up every time he looked over here, remembering his own experience with Pierce in the White Room and how close he'd come to experience this first hand. So he was healing. Didn't mean he stopped keeping a close eye on the army dummy. Just to be on the safe side. He shook his head. He was starting to develop a strange sense of humor. "Company." He looked up at the sound of footsteps coming down the main stairs. Even UFO crazed tourists would be better than talking to himself and a stuffed little grey alien. He was surprised to see that it wasn't a tourist, though. "Sheriff. Hi. Is something the matter?" "Just thought I'd stop by and see how things are doing here," Valenti said pleasantly, looking around. "Not many visitors today, I see." "Well, you know how it is. People don't really start clamoring to learn the mysteries of the universe until the weekends. That's when we really get to start educating the masses," Max said dryly. "And in case you're wondering, Brody's not around at the moment. Just me and the dummies." Valenti chuckled briefly. "Sounds like a description of my day at the Sheriff's office. If Deputy Owens doesn't get back from his vacation soon........." Valenti shook his head, noticing Max's amused glance. "That's not what I came to talk to you about." "Okay." Max walked over to the crop circle display. A much safe area to talk in. Valenti looked up at the pictures on the wall. "Your people have anything to do with those?" he said, pointing. Max laughed. "I've wondered about that. I don't think so. I mean, I can't come up with a single good reason for them. Unless......." his smile got a little bit mischievous at that point. "Actually, I could imagine Tym wanting to do something like that just to drive humans crazy and mess with their minds." "Yeah. Speaking of Michael." Valenti's serious tone wiped all the humor off Max's face. He turned to face the sheriff. "I wasn't." "Weren't you?" Max  really hated that look on Valenti's fce. It was the look that had him running scared for his entire sophomore year, that "I know you have a secret, I have most of the pieces, and any minute now you're going to let me put them all together" look. It wasn't comfortable being the target of it. Before he could formulate a response, Valenti continued. "I had an interesting conversation with Michael last night. Gotta say, it had me pretty worried."  Wonderful. "Why's that?" Max was proud of the way that he kept his voice level. First Liz, now Valenti. Why exactly did they think he was the expert on understanding Michael? They obviously hadn't been paying much attention over the years.  Don't lie to yourself, he thought sternly.  You do understand. Some at least. "What's wrong with him?" Well, there it was. Typical Valenti bluntness. "Nothing. Well, he's still upset about the whole Alex and Tess thing, but aren't we all?" He deliberately threw Tess's name into the situation, hoping it would distract Valenti. Cruel, yeah. But Michael deserved not to have his every move analyzed and judged. No such luck. Valenti's blue eyes seemed to pierce right through Max's calm facade. "You used to be a much better liar, Max." Max was saved from having to answer by the sound of someone else entering the museum. "Hey, girlfriend," Maria yelled enthusiastically. She paused momentarily when she saw who was with him, but then ca

Anla · Post by **Anla** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 10:24 am

Isabel sat alone at the counter, idly playing with the straw in her soda while she looked around the empty Crashdown. She wondered where everyone was. Oh, well. The solitude suited her. It gave her time to properly brood over her earlier confrontation with Kyle. The thing was, Kyle was right. She had hurt him and never really considered the effects that her actions were going to have. When she went dreamwalking him that night, she'd just been bored and hoping for some fun. Kyle had become her closest friend after Alex died, and it wasn't the first time she'd dreamwalked him. She'd been expecting something amusing, which she could enjoy watching and mocking, or possibly something x-rated, which she would have had to exit quickly. She certainly had never expected to see him dreaming about Tess the way he had been, seeing his girlfriend as something evil and dangerous. Isabel had known something was wrong, and that, combined with other things about Alex's death that just didn't add up, led to her approaching Kyle about it. But when she had broken the mindwarp, Isabel had never meant to hurt him more than he'd already been hurt. She never intended to cause him so much agony. She dropped her head down to the counter. It didn't matter what she'd intended. She'd hurt Kyle more than she would have ever imagined she was capable of hurting anyone. Add that to what Tess had done to him, and small wonder that he hated her and distrusted all aliens. He had reason. "Hey, this seat taken?" Isabel's head jerked up and spun around at the beloved voice. She'd never thought she'd hear it again. "Alex?" The tall boy smiled down at her. "Who else would it be?" "Alex!" Unable to believe her eyes, Isabel jumped out of her seat and hugged him tightly. He was solid, his arms wrapping around her. He felt real. "This isn't possible," she murmured, closing her eyes and relaxing into his hold. It had been months since she'd felt this safe, this complete. "And yet it is." He sounded amused. "I guess this means you missed me a little, huh?" Isabel drew back and raised her hands to his face, tracing his lips with her fingers. "Only constantly." She drew back a little, afraid. "How can you be here?" Alex sat down on the stool next to where she'd been sitting, pulling her down next to him. "Did you really think I'd leave you?" He took both of her hands in his own and smiled at her. Isabel's eyes started to fill up with tears at the familiar look of love in his eyes. She shook her head slowly. "I have missed you so much," she whispered. "It's been so long. But this isn't real." She tried to pull away from him, but he kept a firm hold on her hands. Isabel looked around the empty Crashdown again. "This is just a dream." If anything, his smile grew wider. "Who says what's real, Iz?" He lifted up her hands, gently kissing each palm. She gave a gasp at the tingles running through her body. His touch certainly felt like it always had. He looked up at her, keeping eye contact as his thumbs gently rubbed circles around her wrists. Almost unconsciously, she moved closer to him. "Does this feel real? Or this?" Leaning forward, he kissed her slowly and sweetly. Isabel closed her eyes, allowing the sensations to sweep through her. It felt like Alex. It sounded like Alex. And this kiss was definitely Alex. But it was just a dream. It had to be. Still, she opened her eyes and smiled at him. It was the most realistic dream she'd ever had. "It feels real," she whispered. "Then just believe, Iz." He shook his head slightly as he looked at her. "God, you are even more beautiful." His smile faded, and an almost confused look came over his face, like he was trying to remember something that was just beyond the edges of his memory. "I'm sorry that I've been gone for so long." "It's okay." The tears had started to fall, but she was smiling. So what if it was just a dream? She was going to enjoy it while it lasted. "You're here now. That's what matters." "Yeah, it is." He reached out a hand and brushed away her tears. "So, want to tell Dr. Alex why you were sitting here looking so upset?" She rolled her eyes. "You don't want to hear about that." "Isabel." His voice was firmer now. "If something's bothering you, then yeah, I want to hear about it. We've had this conversation about avoidance before, right?" She laughed. "I seem to recall hearing that lecture a few dozen times, yeah." He was smiling again, and she reached over to give him another kiss. She loved his smile. "Okay, here goes." Taking a deep breath, Isabel went on. "I had a fight with Kyle today. Basically, he said that I'm a terrible, evil alien who doesn't deserve anything good in her life. Including you." She looked away from him. "It doesn't help that basically, he's right." "Don't be stupid," he said instantly, squeezing her hand. She looked back. "As the one in question, I can definitely say that if anything, you deserved better than me." "There isn't anybody better than you," she whispered. Alex looked surprised, then pleased. "Well, I'm not going to argue with you on that one. The point is, you're not evil." He leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. "You're a good person, Isabel. Kyle's hurt and lashing out. He didn't mean it." "You're just saying that." He laughed. "Isabel, I love you more than anything. You know that. But I wouldn't lie to you." He tilted his head consideringly. "Lie for you, definitely. But not to you. If I say something, then I mean it." "Yeah, but what if you're just saying what my subconscious wants to hear?" "Knowing the alien ability to feel guilty and brood, I think your subconscious would be more into burning you at the stake than making you feel better," he said dismissively. "But I did do something awful." She wanted to avoid his look, but couldn't. If she couldn't tell Alex the truth, the whole truth, then who could she tell? "I went into his mind. I invaded his privacy and tore apart his memories. It was just like what Nicholas did to us. I had no right to do that." "No, you didn't," Alex agreed evenly. "Maybe you messed up. Did you have a reason?" "Well, yeah," she answered hesitantly. "I wanted to find out what Tess did. I was scared. But I swear, I never meant to hurt Kyle." She shivered at the memory. "I didn't even know what I was doing. I mean, I didn't know I could do that. It just kind of happened." Alex raised one of her hands to his lips and kissed it. "So you got scared and you made a mistake. You didn't mean to hurt him. Would things have been better if you hadn't done it?" Isabel thought for a minute about Max being dead and Tess getting away with what she did. "No," she answered firmly. "Do you feel badly for what you did?" "Yes." "Would you do it again?" Alex's eyes seemed to pierce through her, right to her soul. Isabel knew he would realize it if she lied. "Honestly? I'm not sure," she answered slowly. "I think that if it happened again, I would take the time to tell him what I was going to do. To be gentler about it." Alex nodded. "So you learned something. Have you told Kyle you're sorry?" Isabel rolled her eyes again. "Right. Just go up to Kyle and say 'Hey, Kyle. Sorry that I ripped through your mind like it was tissue paper. Can we be friends again?' That'll really work." "I would probably work on the phrasing, but yeah. That's about it. It can't hurt, and it might help. Kyle's a good guy, Iz. So are you." Alex laughed at her bewildered look. "Well, not a guy, but you know what I mean. Try talking to him about it. You might just surprise each other." Isabel shook her head. "Did you really come here just to give me advice on dealing with Kyle?" Again, his smile was so bright that it took her breath away. "No, my lady. I actually came for a dance. But I think I'm going to have to wait until the next time for that." "Next time? What do you mean?" Alex's form was starting to fade. She desperately tried to hold on to his hand. "You're not leaving?" "I'll be back as soon as I can." His voice was starting to fade along with his body. "But you need to believe, Iz. Believe." "Believe in what?" she yelled to the empty air. He was gone. Again. "I love you," came his whispered voice through the stillness. ----------------------------------------------------------- "I love you, too," Isabel whispered as she woke up and looked around her dark bedroom. So it really was just a dream. "I need you, Alex." Unable to keep the tears back anymore, Isabel broke down and sobbed, alone in her room. The dream had been so real. For a short time, it was almost like having him back again, like things had been before everything fell to pieces and went so wrong. It was hours before she managed to get herself under control again and stop crying. The dawn's light was starting to creep through the blinds into her room as she curled up on her bed, trying to think about the dream. It had just felt so real. More like a dreamwalk than an ordinary dream. Isabel had certainly done enough dreamwalking in her life to be able to tell the difference. Every little detail had seemed more solid than in a regular dream. Especially Alex. "That's impossible," she told herself sternly. You can't dreamwalk someone who's dead. Or be dreamwalked by them. Which left her back with her confusion. It had definitely been Alex in the dream, not some other alien using his form. Isabel was certain that she would have been able to tell the difference. When they'd touched, when they'd kissed, she had sensed Alex's soul. He's seemed the same as always - strong, solid, caring. Loving. "It was just a dream." Her voice lacked conviction, so she tried again. "Just a dream. Just your subconscious missing him and wanting him back. That's all." But as she finally got up and went to wash her face, Isabel couldn't stop remembering Alex's promise to come back. --------------------------------------------------------- Across town, another member of the I-Know-An-Alien-Club had an abrupt waking. But unlike Isabel, his waking was an escape, not a regret. Kyle sat up abruptly, rubbing his hands across his face, anxiously wiping away the sweat. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had a good night's sleep. Probably not since Alex was killed. Things were much worse since Isabel's intrusion into his mind. It seemed as if the dreams were getting more vivid and upsetting each night. When his heart-rate had slowed down somewhat, Kyle got up and turned on the light. He looked around the room. Despite his best efforts to erase every reminder of Tess, it still seemed as if her ghost was everywhere in the room. Liz and Maria had helped him take out all of Tess's belongings, but it didn't seem to matter. He still saw her everytime he entered the room. "It's over, Valenti," he muttered rougly. "Let it go." Easier said than done. Wasn't it bad enough that he'd lived through it once? Did he have to see it again, over and over, never ending in his nightmares? It had been the worst day of his life, but it had all started off innocently enough. "About time you showed up," he complained good-naturedly as he opened the door for Alex. "I was starting to think I was going to have to try and set up the computer myself." Alex shivered. "Okay, let's get something straight right now. You are never to even think about that. I'm fairly certain you couldn't crash the entire Internet on your own, but let's not give it a try." "Have a little faith. I'm sure I could figure it out. Where were you anyway?" "Over at Michael's. I was surprised that the two of you weren't there." Kyle groaned. "Dad decided that today was going to be a bonding experience." "Sounds like fun." Alex paused in his examination of the new computer. "Not as much as you might think. For Dad, bonding usually means work. We got to clean the garage today." Kyle's eyes went wide as he pretended enthusiasm. Alex chuckled. "Doesn't Buddha teach something about hard work being good for the soul?" "I'll keep that in mind the next time Dad drafts me. I'll give you a call." "Where was Tess through all this hardship?" He picked up the cord and looked at Kyle. "You couldn't even figure out how to plug it in?" Before he could answer, Tess breezed out of her room. "See you later, boys. Have fun." She gave Kyle a quick kiss and went out the door. "I think her disappearances lately have been deliberately planned to get out of work." Kyle's voice trailed off when he looked back over at Alex. "What's the matter?" Alex's face had lost all color, and he was staring in the direction Tess had left, eyes slightly unfocused. "Come on." He stood up, forgetting the computer and pulling out his car keys. Kyle followed, confused. "What's going on, Alex?" Alex still seemed distracted, as if only part of him was focused on what was going on then and there. Kyle wasn't sure where the rest of his attention was, but it was making him very nervous. "Something's wrong with Tess." By the time they opened the door and were outside, Tess's car was already down the road. "What are you talking about?" Kyle trailed behind Alex, who ignored him and got into his own car, starting the engine instantly. Kyle barely got in before Alex drove off. "Alex, you're freaking me out here." Alex looked over at him, then back at the road. "I don't know. I just know something's very wrong with Tess." Tess's car was nowhere to be seen, but Alex didn't hesitate before turning the corner. "What?" Kyle's voice was starting to reflect his irritation. "Where does that come from?" "I don't know!" Alex's voice had a sharp edge, showing his own annoyance. "I just have a feeling that something's wrong. Something bad is going to happen if we don't stop her." He pulled the car over to the side of the road abruptly, and looked over at Kyle. It seemed that he was actually having to make a conscious effort to focus all his attention on his passenger. "Look, I don't know anything more than that. and we don't have time to waste with you asking questions I can't answer." Kyle stared at Alex for a second. It was like looking at a stranger. Alex's voice was hard, determined. He wasn't making any sense, but looking at those eyes, so certain, Kyle couldn't argue. He remembered his father's words from a month ago, commenting on how Alex was different now, changed by his experiences with Kivar. Whatever the cause, Kyle didn't doubt that Alex knew what he was talking about. His confusion changed abruptly to fear. "Then let's go." Aelx simply nodded and pulled back out onto the road, speeding up a bit. The rest of the drive out to the desert passed in silence, only broken by Kyle's attempts to reach any of the others on his cell phone. No answer from Liz or Maria's phones, and then his battery went dead. Perfect. Alex didn't say anything as he pulled his car over and parked next to Tess's empty one. He closed his eyes and sat there in silence, hands clutching the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles went white. "Alex, I thought we were in a rush here," Kyle finally ventured, feeling totally over his head in this situation. His nervousness only got worse when Alex did open his eyes and look at him. Kyle didn't think he'd ever seen anyone look so scared as Alex did in that instance. Later, he wondered if Alex had some idea of what was coming. But the look quickly passed and Alex nodded, getting out of the car without a word. Kyle followed Alex through the desert. Finally, they stopped behind a large boulder and peered around, seeing Tess. Standing there with Lonnie. Not fighting, talking. Kyle's world fell apart on the spot as he listened to the girl he loved talking with one of their enemies, showing her the now decoded Destiny Book, telling her exactly where the Pod Chamber was, and explaining to her how they could make the Granolith work with the proper key. Which Lonnie just happened to have, a sparkling crystal that she held out to the smaller girl with a smile. "So let's do it then," Lonnie said briskly. "I'll take the Granolith back to Kivar." Her smile grew even wider. "And then things are gonna get real interesting down here on Earth." "It's not far from here." Tess's answer was quiet, but they could still hear it from where they were hiding. "It shouldn't take long to power it up and get you going back to Kivar." Alex moved back a little, Kyle following him. He couldn't believe what he'd just heard. "Tess won't really do it," he whispered when they were far enough away not to be overheard. "She'll do it," Alex said in a flat voice. "She's telling the truth. She's going to take Lonnie to the Granolith." He clenched his fists tightly. "Damn. How did we miss this?" "Miss what?" Alex ignored the question. "Go back to town and get the others. I'm going to try and stall them." "No way." Kyle moved to block him. "I'm not leaving you. If Tess really is going through with that........." He couldn't say anymore. It was just too unbelievable. "If we don't stop them, Tess will give the Granolith over to Lonnie," Alex said in as reasonable a voice as he could manage. "You know what will happen if Kivar gets the Granolith. He'll kill every living thing on Earth. And he'll have fun doing it." Kyle almost stepped back from the sudden fire in Alex's eyes. "And that's not even considering what he'll do to Isabel and the others. It can't happen." He gave Kyle a small push. "So go and get the others." When he saw that Kyle was still hesitating, he sighed. "You don't have any chance of stopping them." "And you do?" "Not much of one, but better than you. Now go!" Kyle started moving almost reflexively at the tone of command in Alex's voice. When he looked back, Alex was already gone. Before he had walked for more than a few minutes, Kyle knew that he couldn't do it. He couldn't just go and leave Alex alone there. So he turned and retraced their steps back to where they'd seen Tess and Lonnie. He returned just in time to see Alex step out and confront the surprised girls. If he was still frightened, it didn't show in his determined stance or calm voice. "Planning on going somewhere, Lonnie?" Lonnie smirked at him. "Well, if it ain't Opie. Been hoping to see you again. How's my dupe doin'?" "Isabel's perfect. And a whole lot saner than you are." Alex stopped a few feet away from them. "Are you really stupid enough to think that Kivar is going to welcome you with open arms?" "You don't know anything about Kivar and me." Alex's answering laugh wiped the smirk off her face. Kyle started edging around carefully, trying to get behind them without them noticing. "You'd be surprised." He looked over at Tess, and his voice grew softer. "You don't have to do this, Tess." He held out a hand. "You have a choice. Just come over here." Tess paled, but shook her head. He lowered his hand and looked back at Lonnie. "He doesn't want you, Lonnie. Hasn't that sunk in yet?" "You don't have any clue, Opie." Lonnie started to move closer, threateningly. "So shut your mouth." "I've got plenty of clues, actually." Alex took a step closer to her. "He wants Isabel. The real Vilandra. Not some cheap, deficient copy." His eyes flickered over her dismissively. "I know it's hard for you, but try to think it out. When he had your last month, he was still trying to get Isabel. You bring him the Graonolith, and he'll thank you by killing you. You'll have served your purpose." He shook his head. "Is Kivar worth dying for?" "He does want me." Lonnie was almost close enough for Alex to touch. "Get real. He wants Isabel." Kyle winced at the harsh contempt in Alex's voice. Who would have thought Alex was capable of it? "I've been in his mind, Lonnie. You're just someone stupid enough for him to use. But he wants Isabel." He laughed again, a cruel laugh that made Tess flinch. "Can you really blame him? You're just the throw-away copy, after all." "Shut up!" Lonnie moved that one step closer, hand raised. Before she could do anything, Alex's hand shot out, grabbing the crystal and throwing it through the air. It shattered upon impact with one of the surrounding boulders. "No!" Tess ran over to pick up the pieces. "Maybe we can fix it." Alex and Lonnie ignored her, staring at each other in intense silence. "You know I'm right about Kivar," Alex finally said, almost gently. "Maybe. Maybe it don't matter." Kyle started to move out from the boulders faster at that, still trying to move quietly so that they wouldn't hear him. Something in the way she said that, the way that she was looking at Alex like a cat with a mouse, made him even more terrified than he already had been. Which was saying a lot. Alex started to back away. Tess had rejoined them, standing next to Lonnie. "I'm sorry, Alex," she said quietly, closing her eyes in concentration. Kyle paused, waiting to see what she was doing. Then she opened her eyes, looking at Alex in shock. "Well? What's up?" Lonnie snapped. "The mindwarp didn't work," Tess replied, her voice starting to rise in panic. "It should have worked. He's going to tell everyone about us." "Tess, think about this." Alex was speaking quickly as he started to back away from them. "You can't tell them!" With that, she raised her hand and Alex went flying backwards through the air, hitting a boulder. Kyle could hear the impact as Alex's head hit the rock. "Stop!" Kyle yelled, rushing towards them. Lonnie grabbed him around the neck, holding him in the air as Tess waved her hand again, causing a rock to fall on Alex's body. "Stop," he said again, quieter as he stared at the crumpled body of his friend, tears starting to fill his eyes. "How many of you humans are crawling around out there, anyways?" Lonnie tightened her grip on his throat. "Let him go," Tess said, coming over and pulling on Lonnie's arm. "Him I can mindwarp. We don't need to kill him." "It might be fun." "And how do we cover up two deaths in one day?" Tess glared at her. "Let him go, Lonnie." Very slowly, Lonnie lowered Kyle to the ground. "Fine. You play with your pet human." She sauntered over to Alex's body, pushing the rock off him and kneeling down next to him. Tess stepped in front of Kyle, blocking his view of Alex and Lonnie. Then he didn't remember anything for almost a month. A noise from the kitchen startled Kyle out of his memories. Tess had mindwarped him into forgetting everything. He had actually helped her and Lonnie carry Alex's body out to his car. He'd helped cover up his friend's murder. And it had all been for nothing in the long run. Yeah, Alex had managed to stop Lonnie from taking the Granolith that day. But because he'd come back and been mindwarped, Kyle had been unable to warn the others. Tess still left in the Granolith. He'd been a complete failure in the situation. Alex gave his life and for what? Kyle had no idea. Nothing made any sense anymore. ----------------------------------------------------- When he went out into the kitchen, he was greeted by the sight of his father concentrating as he read a bunch of official-looking papers. "Morning," he greeted his son absently, before returning to his reading. "Hey." Kyle poured himself a glass of orange juice, then walked over and sat down, peering at what his father found so interesting. "You're investigating our new Science teacher?" His look of confusion quickly turned to surprised disappointment. "No. Please don't tell me......." "Maria thinks something's up with Ms. Prentice." Valenti's calm voice broke through Kyle's steadily rising exclamation. "I told you not to tell me that." He sat back. "But she's hot!" Valenti chuckled at his son's plaintive voice. "She's your teacher, Kyle. It's not like you had a chance, regardless." "But at least I could have daydreamed through class. It would have made Science more fun." Kyle was grumpy. This wasn't helping his mood any. "Now I'm going to keep wondering if she's an alien who's going to fry my brain or if she's an FBI agent going to lock me up somwhere. I much prefer the fantasies." "I'm sure. But look on the bright side. Maybe Maria's just being paranoid." "Nope. Way my life's been lately, the cute teacher is going to be out to kill me." Valenti peered up at him, not liking his son's resigned tone. "I mean, they're always gorgeous. Have you noticed that? Just one, I'd like the evil spies to be ugly or something. At least then I wouldn't get all worked up and then be disappointed." "Not that you're superficial or anything." "I'm eighteen, Dad. I'm entitled to a certain amount of superficiality." Valenti laughed and shook his head. That sounded more like his son. "I haven't found anything strange yet. Other than the fact that Lynn Prentice just moved to town a month ago." "And that's strange, why?" "Any newcomers are suspect," Valenti said in all seriousness. "Great way to live," Kyle remarked bitterly. Finishing his drink, he put down the glass and looked at his father seriously. "Dad, why do you do it?" "Do what?" The sheriff was putting away the papers in a file, only half paying attention. His attention sharply returned to Kyle at his son's next words. "Keep putting them first. After everything we've been through, why are they worth it?" Kyle didn't sound angry. He sounded lost and confused. Valenti sighed. He had no idea how to make Kyle understand this if he didn't already. "Because it's the right thing to do." Kyle shook his head sharply. "That's not good enough. Why is it the right thing to do? What have they ever done other than cause us pain? The Valenti household hasn't exactly been helped by its involvement in the great alien conspiracy." "We involved ourselves in this, Kyle." Before Kyle could protest, he went on. "We did, and you know it. Max, Isabel, and Michael never wanted us involved. They tried very hard to keep us out of it." He looked sadly at his son. "If you want to blame someone for this, blame me. I'm the reason you got dragged into things. And I'm sorry for the pain it's caused you, Kyle." Kyle shook his head. "No, Dad. You were trying to protect me, too." He smiled. "I mean, you only told me to stay away from Max Evans about fifty times." "Which I recall only made you want to find out what was going on even more," his father pointed out dryly. "Yeah, well, you tried." Kyle remembered something Maria had said the day before. She'd told him not to put his abandonment issues on her. He'd tried to brush it off, but she had a point. Kyle could make a list of people who had betrayed or abandoned him - his mother, Liz, Tess, Isabel. And on the other side, there was one person who had stayed by him and tried to do his best - his father. He'd made mistakes, yeah, but he'd done his best. So Kyle wasn't going to let his dad take the blame for this. "I don't blame you for getting me sucked in, Dad. So don't go blaming yourself." Valenti reached over and gave Kyle's shoulder a quick squeeze. "I know that things have been bad for you lately. They've sucked." Kyle laughed. "Yeah, that's a pretty accurate way to put it." "You want to talk about it?" Kyle shrugged. "I was just thinking about Alex." "And?" He prompted gently. "And I was thinking that he died for nothing." Kyle picked up the glass and took it over to the sink, not wanting to look at his father. "He died for nothing because I was an idiot. I could have saved him." "Do you really believe that?" Valenti walked over and leaned back against the counter, not looking at his son, but standing near him anyway. "I shouldn't have left him." "Do you honestly believe that you could have made any difference? That you could have stopped Tess and Lonnie? Two aliens with powers?" Valenti's voice was gentle, but there was a tone of steel under the softness, something that demanded Kyle answer honestly. "Maybe not," he admitted. "But I should have tried. I should have done something. I wasn't fast enough. I just stood there and watched Alex try to stop them." He closed his eyes, trying to block out the memories. "If I wasn't going to do anything, I should have at least gone for the others like Alex told me to. Then Tess wouldn't have taken the Granolith. But she did, and now we're just living on borrowed time, waiting for Kivar to come back and wipe out all life on the planet." He laughed, slightly hysterical. "It sounds like something from a bad sci-fi movie, doesn't it?" "I don't think Tess ever left Earth." Valenti still spoke in that same calm voice. This was the first time Kyle had really opened up and talked about what happened with Alex and Tess, and he didn't want to say anything to make him shut up. "Why not?" Kyle's whipped his head around in surprise. "Max used Brody's computers." Valenti shrugged. "Apparently there was no trace of anything leaving Earth's atmosphere at the time Tess took off. He thinks the Granolith was damaged by Isabel's shot, and landed somewhere on the planet." "But he's not sure," Kyle pointed out slowly. Valenti didn't even consider lying. His son had earned the truth. "No, he's not sure." "How do we live like that?" "Sit down." Valenti led his son back to the seats. "We live like that because we have to. What choice do we have? There are no guarantees in anyone's life. We take what we have and try to make things better." "And that's what you've been trying to do, helping Max? Make things better?" Valenti nodded slowly, keeping eye contact with his son. "Honestly, son? There are lots of reasons I wanted to help Max. The most important one is that he gave you back to me. You want to talk about mistakes? I shot you, and you would have died." "That wasn't your fault, Dad," he insisted urgently. He didn't know that his father still carried that around, but he could hear the catch in his father's voice. It obviously still scared him to think about it. "But I did it," Valenti insisted. "And I'm the one who started this whole thing." "What do you mean?" Valenti smiled sadly. "I started this whole mess, as you like to call it. If I had just let the Crashdown situation go, if I hadn't chased Liz and Max around like I did, if I hadn't called in the FBI........" He paused, thinking, then went on. "You see where I'm going with this, Kyle? Pierce never would have come to Roswell. Max wouldn't have been captured and tortured. You wouldn't have been shot. Michael wouldn't have had to kill Pierce. Maybe Nasedo wouldn't have even shown up in town. Who knows? Things might have been very different." "You had no idea that any of that would have happened. You were just trying to do your job." "But I made a mistake. I thought Max was a threat and I acted accordingly. I was wrong." Valenti emphasized the words. "I can't go back in time and change things. All I can do is try to make things better now. That's how life works." He caught Kyle's eye again. "Everyone makes mistakes, Kyle. People hurt each ohter, sometimes without meaning to. So what you've gotta do, is measure their mistake against the rest of what they've give you. Try to figure out if they meant to hurt you, or if it was something that happened becuase they were scared, or didn't know what was going to happen, or were just plain mistaken. Then decide what means more, their mistake or the rest of who they are." "Why do I not think we're talking about you anymore?" Kyle asked suspiciously. His father smiled simply. "You did what you could in a bad situation. Things happened fast, and from what you've told me, there was nothing you could have done to save Alex. You would have if you could." Valenti sighed as he stood up. "I think Alex knew that, too. He knew what he was risking when he went up against them, but he also knew what would happen if he didn't. He was willing to take that risk to save everyone else." "Yeah." Kyle shook his head, still amazed at the memory. "He knew exactly how to piss Lonnie off. He stopped her from using the Granolith." "Which might end up saving the whole planet." "It still doesn't feel worth it," Kyle whispered. "I miss him, Dad." "I know." Valenti rested his hand on Kyle's shoulder supportively. "But the last thing Alex would have wanted is you blaming yourself for something that wasn't your fault. You know that he would tell you to get over it if he was here." Kyle laughed. That was true. "And maybe, he'd tell you to stop being so hard on some other people, too." He squeezed Kyle's shoulder. "I'm proud of you, son. And I love you." "I love you, too, Dad." Then slightly embarassed, Kyle got up. "Even when you're being preachy and sentimental." "Yeah, I'll try not to let it happen too often. Now get to school!" "Yes, sir!" Kyle saluted, then ducked the flying dish towel coming his way. -------------------------------------------------------- Valenti hesitated outside the open classroom door. He didn't really know what he expected to find out from this little trip down to the high school. Probably nothing. If this Ms. Prentice was innocent, then there was nothing to learn. If she was up to something, then she wasn't likely to admit it up front. Still, he wanted to meet her, try and get a feel of the situation. So he knocked on the door. "Come in." Well, the voice certainly sounded pleasant enough. Of course, so had Ms. Topolsky. Valenti went in, politely removing his hat as he entered. The woman behind the desk stood and walked over to him, smiling warmly. "Can I help you?" "I'm Sheriff Valenti." He reached out his hand and took hers in a firm shake. "Just wanted to welcome you to Roswell, Ms. Prentice." "Wow, guess that's part of the whole small-town charm, huh?" She laughed and perched on the edge of the desk, keeping direct eye contact wtih him. "Well, thank you for the welcome, Sheriff. You can call me Lynn. The only people who call me Ms. Prentice are my students." She paused, apparently thinking. "Wait. Are you related to Kyle Valenti?" "Yes, ma'am. That's my son." Valenti relaxed onto one of the desks. "I hope he's doing okay in class so far." She laughed. Valenti was impressed. If she really was up to something, then she was very good at hiding it. Everything about her attitude and body language showed total openness. She seemed completely at east in the situation. "Well, we've only had one day of school, so I guess I can safely say that he's doing fine so far." "That's good to know. But be sure to let me know if there are any problems." The bell rang, and he reluctantly stood up. "Guess that's my cue to leave." She grimaced a little. "Yes. My darling students are going to be showing up any second. But I do appreciate the visit. It was very neighborly of you." Her smile was back full-force as she shook his hand again, holding it a second longer than was strictly necessary. Valenti had to admit that Kyle was right. Lynn Prentice was a very attractive woman. "Give me a call if you have any questions or concerns about settlng in to town." He handed her his business card with a smile and left, tipping his hat to her as he put it back on. "I'll be sure to do that," she murmured, before focusing her attention on her incoming students. ----------------------------------------------------- Kyle stopped by the cemetery after school. He wasn't sure what he hoped to accomplish by this - he hadn't been back there since the funeral. What was the point? Still, maybe visiting Alex's grave would help him find some closure. He wasn't sure if it was the dreams, or his conversation with his father, but Alex had been on his mind all day. He opened the car door and walked slowly through the peaceful cemetery. This was as good a place as any to try and work things out in his mind. There weren't many people there on a weekday afternoon. In fact, Kyle didn't see another person as he walked towards the hill where Alex was buried. When he got there, though, he could see that he wasn't the only one with the urge to visit Alex that day. Isabel. Kyle stopped in his tracks when he saw her kneeling in front of Alex's grave, whispering something. He couldn't make out what she was saying, but he suddenly felt very much an intruder. The gentle way that Isabel was touching the letters on the tombstone made it clear that this was something personal between her and Alex. Kyle had no place there. He turned to leave, but he must have made some noise, because Isabel turned and looked at him. Kyle's heart gave a lurch at the sight of her beautiful face, all covered in tears. And you were really thinking that she wasn't feeling any pain? How had he gotten so wrapped up in his own pain that he'd overlooked hers? Yeah, she put on a good front to the outside world, but he knew her better than that. He knew how much she loved Alex. He cleared his throat awkwardly as she stood up. "I didn't mean to interrupt. I'll leave you alone." He started to walk away, but her voice stopped him. "I'm sorry." He turned back slowly, surprised. She swallowed, and brushed the tears off her face. "For what I did to you, going into your mind like that. I was wrong." She paused, trying to control her sobs. "There is no excuse in the world for what I did. But I swear to you that I never meant to hurt you." Kyle was still just standing there, staring at her, so she went on, speaking a little faster. She wanted to get this out and over with. "When I went into your dreams and saw that you were afraid of Tess, I knew that something was really wrong. And everything Liz had been saying - it just all came tumbling together in my mind. I wasn't thinking straight. I just wanted answers, to know what had happened to Alex." The crying in her voice was making her words more difficult to understand, but Kyle managed. "I don't even know how I did what I did to you. It wasn't something I planned. But that doesn't change the fact that I did it. I can't make up for it." She looked down at the ground, unable to meet his stony face anymore. "You have every right to hate me and to want to stay away from us. You were right about everything you said to me. But I am sorry." When it was clear that she was finished, Kyle walked past her and stood looking down at Alex's grave, his back to her. "You were right about something," he finally got out. "I do wish that you hadn't made me remember. It's selfish, but a part of me wishes I didn't know what I do, because I did love her. Not that I really want Max dead. Gone maybe, yeah, but not dead. So I know it's best that we found out, but I still hate it." He turned to her then. "And I know that there must be something wrong with me, because I'm standing here at Alex's grave, and a part of me still loves her. I hate her for what she did, but another part of me still loves her. How twisted is that?" Isabel shook her head as she walked closer to him. "I don't think love just vanishes like that. It's going to take time for you to adjust to everything." She gestured behind him. "Alex wouldn't hate you for that, Kyle." "You sure of that?" Kyle felt so traitorous to his friend, having any feelings, no matter how confused, for the person who killed him. "Yeah." Isabel managed a shaky smile through her tears. "Alex understands all of us and our idiocies better than anyone else. He knows you never would have wanted him hurt." She nervously twisted her necklace chain. "Listen to me, talking about him like he's still around here. I just can't seem to make myself believe that he's gone." She gave a small shake of her head at Kyle's concerned look. "Oh, I'm not in denial or anything. It's just.......... Never mind," she broke off. "It's okay." He smiled. "I might as well get all my thoughtful conversations out of the way in one day so that I can get back to my superficial life." She looked off into the distance. "I didn't feel him die." She saw his blank look. "I didn't feel anything. I had no idea that there was something wrong with Alex until your father came to tell us about the so-called accident. I would have thought I'd feel something." "Oh!" His eyes got bigger as he made the connection. "You mean you and Alex........." he trailed off, trying to think of a delicate way to phrase it. "Had sex?" she asked bluntly. "No, we didn't. But we would have soon. We were ready for the tiasa. I know that since we never did bond completely, that we weren't as close as Michael and Maria are. Still, I would have expected to know if something like that happened to Alex." She pushed back her hair impatiently. "But I guess not. I'll leave you alone now. I promise not to bother you anymore, Kyle." Kyle watched her walk a few steps away, before he sighed in annoyance. I've got to be out of my mind. "Isabel, wait." She stopped and looked back, frowning in confusion. He smiled ruefully. "Hating you sucks, Iz." She stared at him. "What are you saying?" He walked over to her. "I'm saying that I hate not having you in my life anymore. It doesn't feel right. I miss you." He gave her a crooked grin. "And I guess I can be the bigger person and forgive you." And maybe then I'll be forgiven, too. She tried not to get her hopes up too much. "Are you sure?" "We can't go right back to being best buddies again," he warned her seriously. "But yeah, I think we can try to be friends again, and see where that takes us." Isabel closed her eyes gratefully. "Thank you," she whispered. She wasn't sure if she was talking to Kyle or Alex. Maybe both. Kyle shrugged and took her hand. "Let's get out of here. I haven't had anyone to gossip with in months." Their mingled laughter echoed through the silence as they walked out together, giving some hope, even through their shared grief, that there was a chance to fix some of the shattered pieces.

Anla · Post by **Anla** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 10:26 am

<div style="text-align:center">"I do love nothing in the world so well as you. Is not that strange?" ---- William Shakespeare, "Much Ado About Nothing"</div> Maria was waiting outside her house when Michael pulled up on his bike. He smirked at her. "Trying to keep me away from your mother?" "Avoiding a confrontation seems smarter, don't you think?" When she tried to get on the bike, he shook his head sharply. "Let's take the Jetta." He got off the bike and headed over to the car, holding out his hand for the keys. She tossed them to him and followed him into the car, noticing that there was a mysteriously covered package on the back of the bike. "Close your eyes." "Okay, why?" "You know, someday you're going to learn to just do something because I ask it." "Yeah, you just keep telling yourself that, Spaceboy." She heard a noise, as if something was being put in the car, and when she was told to open her eyes, she saw that the package on the back of his bike was gone. "Why the Jetta?" "It's safer for you right now." Michael started to pull out, using considerably more care than he usually did. Maria fought the urge to laugh. Michael as Mr. Responsible was just too cute. "I'm probably going to have to give up the bike and get a car," he said thoughtfully. "I don't think we can put a baby seat on the back of the bike." "No, I don't think that would work. Although it would be interesting to see - little Baby Guerin in a tiny little helmet along the open road." Michael glanced over at her, enjoying the laughter sparkling in her eyes. Maybe this whole date thing was a good idea. "So, where are we going?" "Wait and see," was all he said, no matter how much she tried to convince him. He wanted to surprise her. The sun was setting when they got to their destination. Michael parked the car in the old rock quarry, near the lake. Maria got out and looked at the sunset on the water. "It's pretty," she commented, before turning around. "But this is where we're having our date?" Michael opened the trunk of the car, and took out a box. "Yeah. I wanted someplace private." He opened up the box, and showed her. "I figured we could have a picnic." "A picnic?" She went over and looked inside. "Fried chicken. Smells good. And pie. Ice cream?" She looked up. "Won't it melt?" "If it does, then I'll just freeze it again." "Okay, can we eat now?" He smiled at her. "You're not hungry yet." "You know, it's still kind of strange that you can do that," she pointed out, ignoring his laughter. "I mean it, Michael. A girl likes to have some mystery." "Don't worry about that. I have no clue what's going on in your mind most of the time." He looked over at the lake, then back at her with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "How about a swim first? Just to build up an appetite?" "A swim? We don't have bathing suits." "Maria, I don't even own a bathing suit," he pointed out patiently. "That's not necessarily something to stop us from going swimming if we want to." He moved closer, teasing her with a slow kiss. "Come on, it'll be fun," he whispered, hands traveling along her body. "Mmm........ No!" She pushed him away. "We undress, hands start wandering, then one thing leads to another, and we have to talk first." She stepped back from him. "I meant it. Talk. Then we'll see." "How about if I promise to keep my hands to myself?" At her disbelieving look, he went on defensively. "I cam capable of some self-control, you know." She snorted. "I am! I'll prove it." With that, Michael pulled his shirt over his head. "What are you doing?" she exclaimed, putting her hand over her mouth. My, he did look good. Very yummy. "Proving that I'm capable of behaving myself." Sitting down, he took off his shoes, then unbuttoned his pants while smirking at her. "Unless you're afraid that you can't control yourself around me. Because if not, that's something else completely. I wouldn't want to make things hard for you, if you're not strong enough to resist me." She laughed. "Oh, you are so full of yourself, aren't you? Fine. But no nudity. Undergarments stay on, buster." Very deliberately, she reached behind her dress and started to unzip it. She'd show him who was weak. By the time her dress fell to the ground, Michael was standing there, a rather dazed expression on his face as he stared at her. "What?" She almost put her arms across her front, defensively, but stopped herself. She wasn't completely naked, after all. Michael had seen her in a lot less. He shook his head, apparently stunned. "I'd almost forgotten how beautiful you are," he whispered. Then his look was replaced with that one of mischievous challenge. "Last one in's a rotten egg!" He dove into the water. She laughed. She wouldn't have expected Michael to even know that expression, much less use it. She jumped in behind him. It was fun. They played together in the water, splashing and racing each other around, mostly managing to keep their hands to themselves. The few forbidden touches added spice to the game. Maria decided they'd have to do it again once they'd lifted the no-touching rule. It was more than half an hour before they decided to get out and dry off. "Come here," Michael said roughly, pulling her over to him before she could put on her dress. She half-expected him to try something, but he simply ran his hand over her body quickly, drying her off with his powers. "I don't want you to get a chill or something," he explained, still with that odd tone in his voice. "Now get dressed before I lose control." She laughed, standing on her tiptoes to give him a quick kiss. "I win." "Usually," he agreed. "Now get dressed." She smirked back at him. Once dressed, Michael started a fire and they had a nice dinner by its light. Michael seemed more relaxed than she'd seen him in a while, and it helped to keep her calm too. Until the inevitable change of conversation to something serious. "I still think you should move in to the apartment," Michael tried to work it in casually and failed miserably. "It's what we planned on doing before. The sooner you move in, the more time we'll have to get things ready before the baby comes." "I can't right now, Michael," she said sadly. "Why not?" "Because there's too much we still have to work out between us," she answered. "As long as you're shutting me out, I can't move in. That won't solve anything. It'll just make things worse. Plus, my mom doesn't even know about the baby yet." "We have to tell your mother soon," Michael pointed out reasonably, avoiding the other issue. "You're starting to show." "Really?" She put down the spoonful of ice cream and looked down at her stomach. "I don't think so." "When you were undressed, I could see it," he went on calmly. "It's not much yet, but it's starting." He scooted closer to her. "We can't keep it a secret forever. Especially not now that Valenti knows." "What?" she burst out. "How does the sheriff know?" Michael shrugged, avoiding her eyes. "Kyle is so dead." He narrowed his eyes at her. "You mean that as a figure of speech, right?" She gave him a look as if he was crazy. "Of course. Kyle's a great guy, even if he can't keep his stupid mouth shut." "Just checking," he murmured. "You're making less and less sense by the day. You know that, don't you?" She gave a small shiver, and he took off his jacket, passing it to her without comment. "Thanks." She put it on, enjoying both the warmth and the Michael-scent to it. "So, we both agree that Mom's going to have to be told soon." "We can tell her tonight when we go back," he offered. "I said soon, not tonight." "Why do you keep putting it off?" He was genuinely curious. He wasn't all thrilled to put his life in danger the way he would the instant he told Amy DeLuca that he'd gotten her daughter pregnant, but he did realize there was no avoiding it. It wasn't something they could hide forever. "You mean besides the part where I have to tell my mom that I've become exactly what she's told me my whole life not to be?" She stretched out on her back, and he quickly followed suit. They reclined on the sand, looking at each other in the starlight. "I guess maybe part of it's because I can't tell her the whole story. I can't let her know about the tiasa, or you and the baby being part alien. There's this whole huge part to my life that I can't tell her about." "Would it make things easier for you if she knew?" he asked quietly. "I don't know. Maybe. Maybe not. Guess I'll never know, huh? Because I know that I can't tell her. It's not an option, so don't worry," she moved to reassure him. "I'm not going to pull a Max or Liz and blurt it out." He smiled briefly. "I didn't think you were." "I guess the other part of it is Alex. Things have just been in this strange sort of limbo since everything happened," she mused. Then she realized how tense his body had become, lying next to her. She turned to look at him again and saw that the earlier relaxation was over. "There you go again," she burst out impatiently. "There I go what?" "Don't evade. Every time Alex is mentioned, you go all stonewall on me." She laughed bitterly. "Well, even more stonewall that you are the rest of the time. That's when this whole problem with you started. When we found out about Tess." She sat up and looked down at him. "Why? Why can't you just mourn him like the rest of us? You were able to talk about him before." "That was before," he got out through clenched teeth. "I really don't want to talk about this." "Tough, buster. We came out here to talk, and we're going to talk." She looked down at him, feeling a mixture of anger and sympathy. "Why are you so determined to take all the blame for what happened on yourself?" "Because it was my fault!" he yelled back at her. She jerked back a little in surprise at the outburst, and Michael tried to keep his volume down, although the intensity in his voice didn't change. "It was my fault. I promised him that I would do everything I could to keep him safe. But it never occurred to me to suspect Tess. I should have known better. I should have know that you can't trust someone just because they act like a friend." That last was said with bitterness. He'd let himself forget too many lessons, and Alex had paid the price. "God, I wish Alex was here so that he could help me drum some sense into that thick skull of yours!" Now it was Maria who was yelling. "Fine, you know what? You want the blame so bad, fine. It is your fault. You screwed up, soldier boy. You didn't recognize the enemy and Alex ended up dead." She stood up, working herself into quite a temper, waving her arms around. If he wasn't so upset himself, Michael would have appreciated the sight. He always liked seeing Maria all worked up about something. "And I guess Valenti messed up, too, huh? Seeing as how he never once suspected that something was going on with Tess." Maria started counting on her fingers. "And then there's the fact that Liz changed the future, a future where Alex was very much alive and well when we graduated. Of course, Alex wouldn't have even been out in the desert that day if Liz hadn't told him about you aliens. Oh, wait. That's probably my fault, since I'm the one who kept telling Liz that we should let Alex in on the secret. So I guess I'm responsible. Or maybe Kyle? I mean, not only was he there, but he helped carry the body." Maria stopped and glared down at him. "Looks like there's plenty of blame to go around, huh?" She dropped to her knees next to him. "Or we could try something really new and different and blame the people who actually did kill him. Tess. Lonnie. Kivar." "You think I don't blame them?" Michael's voice was quiet and harsh, his eyes cold. Maria looked at him, suddenly having very vivid memories of those dreams she had shared with him. She could almost imagine what he wanted for them, and it wasn't pretty. "But you blame yourself, too, and that's just plain wrong," she said gently. She reached out a hand and ran it through his hair. Michael closed his eyes and briefly rested against her hand. "You're going to go insane if you keep this up, Michael. It wasn't your fault. It wasn't any of our faults." He opened his eyes and looked at her. The lethal hate was gone from his eyes, replaced with such sadness and loss. "I know that you loved him, Michael. And Alex knew it too. He would hate what you're doing to yourself." "He'd probably kick my ass," he muttered, a slight hint of a laugh in his voice. "Probably." "It's not that easy, teel-sharan," he said quietly. "I hear what you're saying, and it makes sense. But everything's messed up in here," he pointed to his head. "I can't stop thinking that there must have been something I could have done." "Stubborn alien," she murmured. "At least try to think about what I said, okay?" "Okay." He tilted his head to one side, studying her carefully. "So you don't blame any of us aliens for what happened to Alex?" "You mean you aliens as in the current bunch of Roswell aliens? No." "Isabel thinks you blame her for what happened." "Isabel." Wow, there was a lot of contempt in that one simple word. "She does realize that she's not the center of the universe, right?" Maria snorted. "Never mind. Don't bother answering that. She's Isabel. I'm sure that thought has never occurred to her." "So you don't blame her for Alex?" he persisted. "Were you even listening to me? No." "Then what's going on?" When she looked away, Michael sat up and placed himself directly in her line of sight. "Now it's your turn, Maria. What's up? I can feel how pissed off you are with her. Why?" She looked at him, and he was surprised at the anger glowing in her eyes. "Like you don't know." "I'm not sure I do," he replied, very slowly and carefully. "So why don't you tell me?" "You know, it's bad enough that she comes back to town and acts like nothing happened. I don't think I can handle you pretending it didn't happen either." Maria moved to stand up, but he grabbed her arm and kept her where she was. "Just tell me," he comanced in a quiet voice. For a moment, he had a feeling she was just going to knock his hand aside, but then she settled back and answered him. "Fine. Did you two really think I wouldn't know? We're connected, Michael, remember that? No matter how hard you keep trying to block it, I feel what you feel. Sometimes a whole lot more vividly that I would want to." She jerked her arm away from him. "So I knew when my dear friend Isabel decided to go and try to seduce my boyfriend." He closed his eyes briefly. He'd really hoped that wasn't it. "What? No denials? No defenses of poor little Isabel?" Maria went on angrily. "Then she comes back to town and acts like we're still best friends or something. She's lucky I didn't claw her eyes out." Michael opened his eyes, observing her quickly. He didn't like hearing that tone of voice from her. It became totally un-Maria-like by the end of that sentence. She was still angry, and that anger vibrated through every word, but she wasn't yelling. Instead her voice had gone icy cold. A close examination of her eyes showed that it was as bad as he'd feared. She was about ready to snap and lash out. She wasn't used to dealing with a hatred that intense. He'd better defuse the situation quickly, or Maria really might decide to follow up on her threat and attack Isabel, and alien powers or not, he didn't think Iz would be able to stop her. "Isabel didn't know." His statement at least managed to distract Maria. She glared at him. "Are you honestly trying to defend her?" "Are you honestly jealous?" He needed to distract her from thoughts of Isabel for a minute, until she calmed down just a little. "No." She frowned. "I know that you didn't feel anything when she came on to you. Well, nothing besides shock and a little revulsion." She smiled nastily. "Which is lucky for you. So I'm not afraid that you're going to cheat on me. But what she did was so wrong. You don't betray a friend like that. It goes against all the codes of friendship." Michael breathed an internal sigh of relief. Maria was still furious, but that slightly crazed look was gone from her eyes. "She didn't. Not really." He talked on quickly, preventing her from interrupting. "Isabel was drunk, Maria. She doesn't even remember what happened, and I didn't see any need to mention it. Especially since it wasn't as big a deal as you're making it out to be." "She was drunk?" She looked at him speculatively. "You're not just trying to get her off the hook here? Because I don't see Isabel going off and getting drunk. She knows how dangerous that would be." "It was an accident. At least, that's what I think." He gave a sigh of annoyance. "We were at this bar doing some scouting before we went in to the relay center. Max was watching the center. As close as I could find out, there was a mix-up with the drinks. I couldn't exactly ask many questions at the time. I had to get Izzy out of there pretty fast." Michael could actually feel Maria calming down as she processed his information. "And then what happened?" "I got her back to the hotel room. She was really upset, Maria. Kept talking about Alex." He leaned over and kissed her lightly on the top of her head. "I can't even imagine how I'd manage if something happened to you. Anyway, then she kissed me." "Just like that, huh?" He sighed. "My best guess, she was desperately trying to connect with someone, to fill up the emptiness where Alex was supposed to be. I'm not sure how much she even was aware of at that point. But it doesn't matter. She knew it was a mistake as soon as I pushed her away." He didn't feel the need to go into details, how Isabel had burst into tears the second he pushed her away from him and she fell off the bed. Leave Iz some dignity. "She was so lonely. It wasn't me she wanted. It was Alex." He paused, remembering, before going on. "I don't know how far she and Alex had connected. But I do know that there can be negative effects if the tiasa is interrupted. She must feel so alone." Maria still looked doubtful. "And it had nothing to do with any residual feelings left over from her life as Vilandra?" He felt like hitting his head against a wall or something. "How would I know? I'm having a hard enough time dealing with the stuff in my mind. I guess maybe. But it doesn't matter. If anything, this showed us even more that any feelings like that died in our last lifetimes. Neither of us felt anything at the kiss. It's not important." Maria stared at him for a long moment, long enough to make him nervous, then she smiled slowly. "You were so shocked, Spaceboy." "Well, yeah. It was pretty much the last thing I ever expected." "And I'm supposed to just forgive and forget?" She didn't sound as angry anymore. "She was drunk out of her mind, Maria. And if I hadn't stopped the kiss, she would have. She wasn't trying to betray your friendship or anything." "We're all so screwed up these days." Maria plopped back on the ground. "Yeah." He rejoined her. "Do you think that maybe all this anger towards Isabel was a bit of an ....... " He stopped before he said the word 'overreaction', but she knew what he was going to say. Maria looked over at him with a cynical smile. "And how would you have responded if you knew I had kissed Brody?" Somehow, the idea of Maria reacting like he would have didn't exactly reassure him. "But it was Isabel. You should have known something was up with that." She simply shrugged. "I wish you'd just asked me about it. Could have saved some trouble." "Right. I should have asked you about it during one of your many phone calls home." "Good point." "Which of course, brings us right back to the whole matter of you trying to block me off." Pushing the Isabel situation to the back of her mind, Maria sighed heavily. She was starting to get tired of all this nudging with no result from Michael. She was sure that things would be better once he confided in her, but he was just being annoyingly stubborn. And scared. She could pick up on that much at least, and it was making her scared, too. Which wasn't good for either of them, or the baby. "You know how well keeping things inside does us, Spaceboy. Every time we've had a major crisis in the group, it's been because one of us is keeping things bottled up." She reached over and lightly touched the back of his hand. "Tell me what's bothering you, Michael." Still no response. "Is it about what happened in the relay center? That man who tried to kill Max and Isabel?" He lay perfectly motionless, not looking at her. She frowned. "Are you feeling guilty about that?" "No." His voice was short, but very clear. He turned to look at her. "He was going to kill Isabel. I had to do it." "Okay." At one time, she would have been glad to hear that Michael was getting over his guilt complex. Now, though, it gave her nervous little wiggles in her stomach. He was just a little too calm about it. She went on, hoping that she'd hit it eventually, or that Michael would give her a clue. "Is it the stress of the whole war thing? Having to save your planet and all that? Because I can guess that would get a bit much after a while." She was caught off guard by his burst of bitter laughter. When he finished, Michael went on in a flat voice. "I don't give a damn about the war. Or my planet." He shook his head, mouth curled sarcastically. "This isn't about any grand ideals or heroics. It never was." Maria almost pulled back, but stopped herself. She'd wanted him to talk, so she was going to listen. "I never had any interest in that," he went on, almost speaking to himself. "Zan.... Max," he corrected himself with a sharp shake of his head. "Max thinks about saving Antar, making peace between the factions." Michael stretched out, putting his hands under his head as he gazed up coldly at the stars. "Max cares. For him, it's all about the big ideals." Suddenly, he turned on his side so that she could see his eyes. Maria almost gasped at the strange look in them. They were the eyes of a man who had seen things and done things he should never have had to do. He reached out one hand and held Maria's tightly. "And for you?" She kept her voice quiet and soothing. "What's it about for you?" "Them." His voice was equally quiet. "The war back there was for Zandar. Zandar believed in his dreams, and I believed in him. That simple." He turned back to the sky again, still holding on to her. "I would have done anything for him. He and Vilandra........ they were worth fighting for. Dying for." He closed his eyes tightly, trying to block out the images, trying not to drown in the memories. If he didn't finish this now, he might not ever. "And that's still what it comes down to. I don't care about saving Antar. Let them worry about their own problems. When I came out of the pods, the only thing I cared about was Max and Isabel. That's how it always was - the three of us." His eyes opened and he smiled directly at her. She could recognize the emotion in his eyes clearly now. Love. "Then there came you." "It's gonna be interesting to explain to our daughter someday how we first got together when you abducted me," she said lightly, rewarded by his honest laughter. "We might want to edit that story a little. Don't want her to get the wrong idea or anything." His free hand briefly rested on her stomach, then he went on. "So there you have it. I"m not the noble heroic type. I care about protecting my family. That's all." Maria shook her head slowly. "You would die to protect the people you love. Sounds pretty heroic to me." "Trust me, teel-sharan, there is nothing heroic in me. Never was." He lay back down again. "I knew what I was, even back then. The things I'm capable of........" "You or Tymrath?" Maria asked, sharper than she'd intended. Michael just looked at her silently. "Or doesn't it matter to you anymore?" she whispered. Was that it, then? He was just giving in to his past? Michael shrugged. "Maybe there's not so much difference as we'd like to think. If not for Zandar and Vilandra, I would have been even worse." The expression in his eyes hardened. She shivered at it. So cold, so angry. "I would have done anything for Zandar. Obviously." He jumped up and started smoothly pacing around the fire. "And we all know how that turned out. All of us dead." He paused and looked across at her. She couldn't see his expression through the flickering shadows from the fire. Never had she regretted the barriers he'd thrown between their connection more than she did then. "I'm not doing that much better of a job this time around, either. Alex dead." "We already talked about that." Michael went on as if she hadn't interrupted him. "Max taken and tortured. Twice." So fast that she couldn't even follow the motions, Michael came back and was kneeling in front of her. "Did Liz ever tell you what Pierce did to him?" Maria shook her head silently, staring at his intense eyes. "They had him locked up, helpless. Pierce hurt him." Maria couldn't look away from Michael's burning eyes. "He would have done it to Isabel, or to me. Or.........." He broke off, but not before glancing down at Maria's barely-rounded stomach. "Or to me and the baby." Maria put her hand over her stomach protectively. It was something she'd never really given much thought to. But if any of those alien hunters got their hands on her and the baby - she didn't want to think about what they would to to them both. She looked him steadily in the eyes. "It won't happen." "No, it won't," he said grimly. "I won't let anyone hurt you. Not human, not Antaran." She tried a shaky smile. "Well, at least Nasedo got rid of the Special Unit, right? One less thing to worry about." Michael didn't smile in response. "I understand Nasedo more now." Oh, that wasn't reassuring at all. Maria took a deep breath. "Have you ever talked to Max about this?" He blinked at her in surprise. "No." "Why not?" "Max doesn't need to think about this stuff. That's what I'm here for," Michael answered patiently. "What, Max should be sheltered from all the bad stuff?" Maria couldn't keep the anger out of her voice. No way should Michael have to carry all this stuff alone. "That's not it." Michael's voice was thoughtful as he tried to put into words something that he had never really considered. "Maybe it was at first. I wanted to protect Max and Isabel from things." "Things like Hank." "I guess. But it's not really that now. It's just - Max needs to have his dreams. He needs to believe that one day, the fighting will be over. That he'll figure out a way to save the Antarans and defeat Kivar and still manage to have his happily ever after in a house with a white picket fence with Liz. He can't manage without that." Michael shrugged. "He's always been a dreamer. And he usually finds a way to make those dreams into realities." He absently started drawing in the sand around them with his finger. "But when his dreams are taken away from him, he falls apart. Like when Liz left last summer. If we'd been attacked that summer, Max wouldn't have even fought back." Michael's voice changed subtly, becoming distant. "That's his weak spot. Always has been. Take away his dreams and he breaks." Michael shook his head angrily and looked over at her. "We all have our weak spots." "What do you need, Michael?" She moved closer to him. "You." He smiled as he answered without hesitation. "I could say all types of sappy things right about now, but that's not who we are, is it?" She shook her head, smiling in response. "You start getting all poetic on me, Spaceboy, and I'm going to get nervous about shapeshifters." His eyes lit up mischievously. "You don't want me reciting Shakespeare to you?" "You read Shakespeare?" she asked skeptically. "You kidding? You have any idea of how much fighting there is in his plays? Almost beats 'Braveheart'." He sobered up. "I need you, Maria. At times it scares the hell out of me." "It's overwhelming, isn't it?" She weaved her fingers through his. He nodded. "Everything I loved on Antar, I lost. Everything." He looked down at their hands. "And I never loved anything the way I love you two. I'll do whatever I have to if it'll keep you both safe." "Hey, I'm all in favor of being safe," she said gently. "But there's only so much you can do, Michael. It's a big bad world out there. It will not be your fault if something happens to us." She reached out her free hand to touch his cheek softly. "Sometimes bad things happen, and it's nobody's fault. You can't keep dwelling on this. It's not healthy. It's gonna drive you nuts if this is all you think about. I don't want that. Alex wouldn't have wanted it, either." Without responding, Michael stood up and started to gather up their picnic supplies. Maria watched him pack up in silence, thinking. Finally, she asked. "What is it you're trying to protect us from, Michael?" He froze, back turned to her. "I mean, that's it, right? The reason why you've cut off the connection? What did you do?" She stood up and walked over to him, wrapping her arms around him and resting her head on his back. "Tell me, Michael. I'm strong enough to handle it. Just give me something, please." For a minute, they just stood like that. Then, still without speaking, Michael turned and went over to the Jetta. Maria glanced down at the design he'd made in the sand, frowing in recognition. A broken circle with a dot in the middle of it. It was similar to the design on the back of the necklace he had from his past life, only without the knife going through the center. Following the same protective instinct that had made her hide that necklace from the eyes of the others, Maria erased the design so that no one else could see it. Then, trying to beat down her disappointment, she joined him for the silent drive back to town. ---------------------------------------------------------- They sat outside her house for a few minutes. Finally, Maria turned and looked at Michael's profile. He was staring straight ahead, strain evident in every taut muscle in his body. "That's it, then? Nothing else you'll tell me?" He didn't answer, simply got out of the car and went over to his bike. She watched as he rode away. Determined not to cry anymore, she went into the house. Her mother was waiting on the couch, watching television. Amy pressed the mute button and looked at her daughter. "How did the date go?" "Not that great." "Oh, baby, come here." Amy wrapped her daughter in her arms. "What happened?" "Can we just not talk about it right now? I don't want to think about it anymore tonight." "Okay." Amy brushed back her hair comfortingly. "We'll just watch a movie or something." "Sounds good to me." Maria just wanted to let it all go for a while and be her mother's little girl for an hour or so. She knew it wouldn't last, but it would be a nice change from the stress and turmoil in her life lately. ------------------------------------------------------- When she finally went to her room to go to sleep, Maria was only slightly surprised to see the person waiting for her, perched quietly on her windowsill. Michael looked up from his hands when she entered. "I went to see Rath. Last week. After Max and Isabel left." "Oh." Closing the door carefully, Maria went to sit down on the edge of the bed, facing him. She wasn't sure what to say. He'd actually come back to talk. Was he finally willing to tell her what was going on? "Did you kill him?" Michael's attention had wandered back to his hands, but returned sharply at her question. Even in the darkness, she could see the focused intensity in his gaze as he stared at her. "Do you think I should have?" he asked cautiously. She shrugged in response. "You said you were going to." "Yeah, I did," he said slowly. "As I remember, you were pretty freaked out by the thought then." Another shrug. His point? Michael was still watching her closely. She wasn't sure what he was looking for in her face, but whatever it was, he didn't seem happy about it. She raised her eyebrows and waited for him to continue. Finally, he did. "No, I didn't kill him. He was careful to meet in a public place. Lots of witnesses. Anyway, we reached an....... understanding." From the pause, Maria suspected that he'd found it hard to find a word to describe what he wanted to say. This couldn't be easy for him. Nothing involving Rath ever was. "Okay. And what would that 'understanding'," she made air quotes with her fingers, "be, exactly?" Michael answered, still picking his words carefully. "He's going to leave Max and Isabel to me." Her eyes widened slightly at the strange choice of words. "Which means........." "Which means that as long as I'm around, Rath is going to leave Max and Isabel alone. He's not a threat to them currently." Maria waited, but he didn't seem inclined to go on without more coaxing, so she obliged. "Okay. What else?" He looked surprised, and she sighed. "I know there's more to it, Spaceboy. I'm guessing it's something I'm not going to like, which is why you're trying to put it off. Just spit it out, okay?" "Okay." He mimicked her tone of voice perfectly. "If something happens to me..." "Nothing is going to happen to you." Maria was surprised by the ferocity in her voice as she interrupted. "Yeah, I hope not, but..." "No hopes, it's not going to happen," she went on firmly. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you." She meant it. Anyone wanted to hurt Michael, they would have to get through her first. Michael smiled a little, nodding at her in acknowledgment. "Well, anway, I want Rath to keep an eye on you. Make sure you and the baby are okay." "You want Rath, the guy who murdered at least two people that we know of, and who wants to kill Max, to watch over me and the baby? Michael, have you completely lost your mind?" "No." The matter-of-fact tone of voice rather effectively stopped her tirade. "Someone has to protect you from Kivar and the other Skins. Protect both of you, Maria, so don't start getting all woman power on me, all right?" "Why not Max or Isabel to protect us?" He was right. She could protest the idea of herself needing protection, but the baby would be defenseless. She couldn't argue against having someone watch out for the baby, especially against aliens. Michael lowered his head to his hands, seeming exhausted. "If something happens to me, then I don't expect that Max or Iz will be around long to take care of anyone." "Oh." Her tiny voice barely made it across the room. She really hated thinking about things like this. A little louder, she went on. "And you think you can trust Rath? What does he get out of this?" "You mean, besides his life?" At her look, his smirk faded. "Sorry. But Rath doesn't want war with me. His war is with Kivar. We understand each other. And he has nothing to gain from hurting you or the baby." The smirk returned for a second. "He likes you. Thinks you have spirit." "Great." Michael leaned forward. "Maybe I wouldn't trust Rath on other things. But there's enough of me in him, and vice versa, that he'll want to keep the two of you safe from Kivar." "Because you love us, or because you hate Kivar?" He scratched his eyebrow, a sure sign that he was uncomfortable. "Both." Maria stood and walked closer to him, stopping only a foot away as she stared down at the alien she loved. Even in the dim light, she could see that his eyes still had that lost, tired look that was bothering her so much. "Seeing Rath always messes you up, doesn't it?" she asked gently. "The two of you really shouldn't be let anywhere near each other." "There are only two ways to stop Kivar from going after your girls, and you know it." Rath's parting words echoed through Michael's memory. "Kill Kivar. Or kill Max." "Yeah," he whispered. "It's not exactly high up on my list of fun things to do." Her hand reached out, gently caressing his cheek before withdrawing. "Why don't you want the others to know about you meeting Rath?" "Why do you think?" he asked sharply. "Rath tried to kill Max twice. How do I explain to Max that I'm now all buddy-buddy with the guy who tried to kill him?" "I'm not sure I'd describe your feelings towards him as buddy-buddy." A sullen look was her only response. "That's not all, though, is it? You don't want to explain to Max how you know you can trust Rath." He took a deep breath. "There are things I'd rather not talk about with Max, yeah. Are you going to tell him?" "I should. Secrets do us no good." She put her hand under his chin and tilted his head up so that she could look down into his eyes. "But I won't. You'll tell Max when you're ready." He was humbled by her simple trust in him. "Thanks," he said gruffly. She smiled down at him, but it faded as she asked her next question. "What else?" He looked at her blankly. "What else are you keeping from me? Seeing Rath is bad, but it's not bad enough to explain your total shutdown on me." He tried to move away from her, but she kept her grip. "Tell me," she demanded. "You wanted to know something, I told you something." Both of her hands were holding his head still by now, not letting him look away. "Maria, let it go." She refused, trying to get inside his mind and see what he was hiding from her. "I can't!" he finally cried out, voice full of so much raw pain that it made her let go and take a step back. Maria hoped her mother hadn't heard. "I can't," he repeated brokenly in a quieter voice, lowering his head and starting to shake. "Oh, God," she whispered. She knew that Michael was upset, but for the first time she started to get an idea of just how much on edge he was. He was shaking, and she had seen the agony in his eyes. Maybe her earlier comments had been more correct than she knew. Because for one second, she'd been able to get a flash of his feelings, and they were such a mess that Maria was shocked he was able to function at all. How could anyone manage to keep moving on with so many conflicting emotions running through their minds? She'd sensed so much fear and hate, anger and grief, love and confusion, all mixed together and pulling in different directions. Strongest of all was a feeling of being pulled in two, that a part of him wanted to do something very much, while the other part wouldn't even consider it. If she felt like that all the time, she would stay whimpering in her bed all day. How did Michael manage to keep himself together? She went back to Michael and wrapped her arms around him tightly, holding him as he shook. "It's okay, Michael. It's okay," she murmured soothingly, rubbing his back comfortingly. "We're here, teel-sharan. We're not going anywhere." Michael wrapped his arms around her waist tightly, as if he was afraid that she was going to leave. He rested his head on her stomach. Maria closed her eyes, feeling his tears soaking through her dress. "Don't leave me." She could barely make out his words. "Never," she whispered back to him. "We're going to get through this together. I promise you." Of course, she had no idea what 'this' was, but it didn't matter. She was never going to give up on him. Maria held Michael tightly, safe in her arms, until his shaking stopped.

Anla · Post by **Anla** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 10:28 am

"Are you going to eat those?" Max looked up from his lunch to see Maria's attention focused on his french fries. A very hungry attention. "Um, no, you can have some if you ....." He didn't get a chance to finish the sentence before pulling his fingers back quickly in an effort to keep them in one piece as Maria grabbed the container. "Hungry?" "Starved." She glanced around the table the two of them were sharing, then looked at Max plaintively. "No hot sauce?" With a small smile, he pulled out a small bottle from his backpack. "Here you go." "Thanks." Her face lit up with a smile. Max was glad to see her in such a good mood. They'd been few and far between these last couple of months. "So, how did the date go last night?" She laughed. "You know, girlfriend, you're getting to be quite the gossip." "How else am I going to find out anything about what's going on?" he said calmly. "You're the only one who tells me anything. Did you and Michael have a nice time?" She paused for a second before answering. "It was interesting. We talked about some stuff." She leaned towards Max. "I'm a little worried about Michael, actually." She spoke in a rush, wanting to get it out before she lost her nerve. Talking about Michael with the others made her feel nervous and slightly traitorous these days, although she didn't understand why. There was nothing wrong with expressing concern for him with their friends, after all. She certainly wasn't going to reveal any of his secrets. Max nodded in agreement. "We're all a little worried. There's a lot going on these days. Anything particular?" She bit her lip nervously. "I think Michael's giving up hope." "Hope of what?" "Hope that things are ever going to get better. That there's anything to look forward to in the future except more pain and fighting." "That fits," Max said slowly. "He's been focusing on the daily matter of survival. But he has you and the baby coming." Max smiled gently. "That should give him the hope he needs to keep going." "Not if all he can think about is losing us," Maria said bluntly. "It's just something else to be afraid of." "Michael needs his hope. It's all he has." Max remembered Isabel lecturing him about that years ago, back when Michael was desperately searching for Nasedo, for a home and family. Now that he had found both of those things, what would losing them do to Michael? "Just try to talk to him, okay?" Maria went on. "It helps sometimes just to know that someone's there, that someone's listening. He can't handle everything on his own. He shouldn't have to." That last was said in a faintly challenging tone, as if she was expecting Max to argue with her. "Agreed," he said immediately. "I'll give it a try. But Michael's always opened up more to you than to me or Isabel." "Yeah, and we did talk some last night. Which was good. We're making some progress at least." "Progress with what?" Liz sat down next to Maria, leaning across the table to kiss Max. "What are we talking about?" "Operation Get Michael to Talk," Max offered, noticing Isabel and Kyle enter the cafeteria and sit down on the other side of the room, surrounded by their adoring crowd. From Maria's narrowed eyes, he figured she sat them, too. Liz raised her eyebrows. "Well, that shouldn't be too hard to manage," she said dryly. Maria's attention whirled back to her. "Come on, Maria. Not even you can say that Michael's big into talking about his feelings." "He's trying to do better." She looked down at the empty container. "Is that all the fries?" she asked sadly. Max struggled not to laugh. She looked so disappointed. "Why so hungry?" "Why do you think?" She rolled her eyes at him. "Plus, I overslept and didn't have time to eat breakfast." "Oh, that reminds me," Liz burst out excitedly. "At breakfast this morning, I asked my dad some questions about Grandma Claudia's research." Maria's attention had wandered to observing Isabel and Kyle across the room, but Max looked over at his girlfriend. "What did you find out?" "Not much, unfortunately. But I did find out that she never told my dad anything about the crash. So if she knew something, she was keeping it pretty quiet." "How did you find that out?" he asked, mindful of Michael's earlier comments about Liz's investigative subtlety. "We were talking about the notes and pictures I just got, and then about Grandma Claudia's work. You know, investigating myths and legends? And what bigger legend is there around here than the crash?" Liz looked at him in suspicion. "Why? Did you think I just came out and asked if she knew anything about all those aliens living around town?" "No," he said instantly, wincing. He didn't even sound sincere to himself. "I'm sure that you were very subtle about it." Liz's eyes narrowed even more. Uh, oh. She wasn't buying it. "Look, there's Michael." Liz continued glaring. "Hey, Michael!" Max called out loudly, catching Michael's attention. Maria looked over at Max with amused eyes. "He was coming over here anyway, Max." Max just shrugged uncomfortably. Getting yelled at by Liz was not one of his favorite activities. Michael sat down at the table, pushing over some more french fries to Maria, along with a candy bar and an apple. "Hey," he said shortly. "Why don't you just get yourself more food?" "I never realize how hungry I'm going to be," Maria explained. "I'm still not used to this whole baby thing, I guess." "Plus, it's more fun to have you guys get her food," Liz added, laughing. "It's the least you can do." Maria nodded in agreement. "Hey, how did I get dragged into this?" Max protested. "You're a guy," Maria pointed out with perfect seriousness. Liz nodded. "Does that make some type of sense that I'm not getting?" Max looked at Michael for support. "It's Maria-logic. Don't even try to figure it out. It'll just make your head explode." Michael reached over and managed to grab a Tabasco-covered french fry, nimbly avoiding Maria's hand reaching out to swat at his. "Michael, I wanted to ask you something." He turned to look at Liz. "What?" "Dad wants to order new menus for the Crashdown, but he wants some new designs on them. You know, new cover art, some pictures along the borders of the pages, stuff like that?" Michael nodded, nudging the apple closer to Maria. When she hesitated to pick it up, he glared at her sternly until she stuck out her tongue at him and picked up the apple. For a girl who used to be so into health food, she was getting dangerously fond of junk food now. "And?" "And I was thinking that why should we pay someone else to do the artwork for them if we can pay you to do it? I mean, you're already part of the Crashdown family," Liz pointed out proudly. "The Crashdown family?" Michael started to laugh. "Did I get adopted at some point when I wasn't paying attention?" "Be nice." Maria's foot nudged his under the table. "Don't be rude to the person offering you a paying job." "I think it's a good idea," Max added. "You can do research at the UFO Center if you want. Get lots of ideas of how to draw the perfect alien." He was smiling, too. It was reassuring to see Michael and Maria acting so much more comfortably around each other. The tension in the group had been getting to him. Despite his amusement, Michael really was touched. "Thanks for the offer, Liz. I appreciate it, and you know we could use the extra money. But I can't do it. Thanks anyway." "Why not?" Liz was surprised. "I've seen some of your drawings. They're really good." He scratched his eyebrow. "Not really into drawing these days. I'm having artist's block or something." Maria looked at him sharply, thinking about that design he'd drawn in the sand the night before. "You're not drawing much lately?" He shrugged. "I'm pretty much not drawing anything." At Max and Liz's concerned looks, he went on. "It's not that big a deal. I probably just have too much stuff on my mind." Liz nodded slowly, although Max seemed unconvinced. "Okay, but let me know if you change your mind." "Sure." Michael noticed that Maria was staring over at Isabel again. "What are you thinking about?" "Hmm?" Maria gave a little jump and turned back. "I don't know. Just thinking." "About what?" he repeated. If she could be stubborn and refuse to let him go without answering questions, then so could he. "That night in the desert. The night we met Dagmar," she added, as if there could be any confusion as to what night she was talking about. "What's the Antaran word for 'forever'?" Maria went on, confusing Michael with the change in topic. "Shan'taran'a," Max answered instantly in a gentle voice. Liz looked up at him in surprise. It was rare to hear him speak Antaran. Max's voice sounded musical as he said the Antaran word, inflection going up and down. "That's pretty," Maria said. "I like it." "She likes any word in Antaran," Michael pointed out, eyes focused on her face. "Why do you ask?" "That night, the six of us thought that was how things would be forever." Maria looked at Michael directly. "That we'd be together forever. That nothing could tear us apart." "Things change," Michael said shortly. His face was expressionless, but Maria could see a hint of sadness in his eyes. "And some things don't." Max's quiet words interrupted Maria before she could answer. When all eyes turned to him, he continued. "The way that I felt that night hasn't changed. I still trust all of you, completely. With my life." This last was spoken directly to Michael, who nodded in response. "Love." Liz spoke in an equally quiet voice. "The love we felt for each other hasn't changed." She looked with some hesitation at Maria. "Has it? Things have been awful lately, but can't our friendships be fixed?" "Some things are worth fighting for, right, Michael?" Max added. Michael gave a small smile and started speaking some rapid Antaran. Max grinned in response. "Okay, translation please." Liz put up her hand. "There aren't exactly English-Antaran dictionaries out there, after all." "Basically, anything worth having is worth fighting for." Max laughed softly. "It was practically out motto before." "Maria?" Michael wondered what she was thinking, what she was feeling toward Isabel. At least he wasn't picking up on any great anger through their bond. "Shan'taran'a," she repeated Max's earlier word. "Time to get to class, Spaceboy. Wanna come?" "Why would I want to come to your Science class?" Michael complained good-naturedly as he picked up her bookbag. "So that you can spy on the suspicious substitute teacher, of course," she said matter-of-factly. "See you two later." Max and Liz waved as they walked off. "What do you have in this bag?" Michael complained. "It weighs way too much for you." "Some of us have these things called textbooks that we use in class," she retorted. "And some of us have figured out the fine points of lockers," was the last thing Max and Liz heard from Michael before the two were out of listening range. They smiled at each other. It was nice to see Michael and Maria back to what passed for their normal. When Michael and Maria got to the classroom, Michael was slightly disappointed to find that Ms. Prentice wasn't there. Mr. Kriss was back. Oh, well. He figured that he could track down the woman later if it was necessary. ---------------------------------------------------------- After school, Isabel sat on the bleachers watching Kyle running laps around the field with some of his team-mates. When he finally took a break, he came to sit next to her. She handed him a bottle of water. "Thanks." Kyle poured some of it over his head to cool off. "I wasn't expecting to see you here." "Nothing better to do." Isabel shrugged. Kyle grinned broadly at her. "Gee, thanks. I'm flattered. You Evanses have such a way with words, you know that?" "Whatever." She tried to bite back her grin, but couldn't. "Look over there." She nodded across the field. "Jenny Hammett's staring over here. I think she's interested in you. Can't imagine why." She couldn't resist teasing him. She'd missed it. "It's my magnetic personality and the Valenti good looks," Kyle responded evenly. "It's got all the girls chasing me." He cast her a sideways look. "Well, okay. Not all. But enough." "Don't forget your modesty." Isabel laughed, sitting back and relaxing. "Seriously, though. I think Jenny really likes you. Maybe you should ask her out." "Nah. Not quite ready for that yet. But thanks anyway." His tone was still casual, but more serious than before. "Okay. I'll just keep my eye out for good candidates and you let me know when you're ready." He laughed. "You don't have to act as a match-maker for me, Iz." "Hey, what are friends for?" "Fine, but don't push it." He looked over at her speculatively. "You run, right?" "Most mornings, yeah. Why?" "Maybe we could run together here at the school in the morning," he suggested. Isabel gave him a lofty look. "You mean, let the whole school see me all sweaty and gross from running?" He held up his hands in surrender. "Of course not, your highness. I know what that would do to your reputation. Nobody's around that early." "Okay, then. I'll think about it." She joined in his laughter. "Hey, what are you doing on Saturday?" "Dad and I are going fishing in the morning. I'm free after that. Why do you ask?" "My dad's law firm is having their annual family picnic that afternoon. It's going to be totally boring," she rolled her eyes, "but there will be plenty of food. My sneaky brother already weaselled his way out of it, so I was hoping that you might come along so that I'm not completely bored out of my mind. Did I mention that there would be food?" she repeated, knowing what would interest him. When he didn't answer right away, she went on nervously. "But it's okay if you don't want to come. I know that we said we were going to take the whole being friends again thing slowly, after all." "No, I think that rescuing you from being all alone at a boring family-slash-lawyer function is acceptable at this point in our friendship. Plus, what are friends for?" They heard a whistle from the field, and Kyle reluctantly got back up. "Better go. Talk to you later." "Bye." Isabel sat back, satisfied with the day. Things were almost back to normal with Kyle. Now she just needed to mend fences with Maria. --------------------------------------------------------- Isabel rounded the corner of the building, heading towards the parking lot. Max should be almost finished with whatever it was that he and Liz had been doing in the Science lab since the school day ended (and she didn't even want to think about what that might have been), so they could go home. "First week of school, and I'm already being kept a hostage to lab experiments," she muttered under her breath, not really paying attention to where she was going until she collided with another person. "Sorry," she started, then her voice trailed off when she saw who she ran into. "Brad," she said flatly, taking a step backwards. "What are you doing here? Most people who have graduated actually do leave the high school afterwards." Brad smiled at her. It was a rather disturbing smile, but then Isabel had never really liked Brad, even before she found out he was one of the creeps who beat up her brother. "I was just visiting with Coach and some of the team." He looked her up and down in a manner that she found very insulting. "Looking good, Isabel." "Gee, Brad. Thanks. I was really hoping that you would come back to visit and share your particular brand of insutlingly disgusting compliments." Her voice was dripping with sugary sweetness as she tried to walk by. Brad jumped out in front of her again. She sighed. "Get out of my way, pig." "Come on, Isabel. You never gave me a chance back in school." He moved closer to her. "We could have some fun together. Especially since I've heard you're unattached since the geek died. What was the real story about that, anyway? I heard drugs." Isabel froze and looked at him in shock. This thing actually had the nerve to refer to Alex like that? Nobody had been so rude as to directly bring up the rumors with her, although she knew about them. "Let me make this very clear to you, Brad," she said, icy voice driving her point home. "If you were the only male left on this planet after a catastophic disaster wiped out the population, I still would have no interest in even being in the same continent as you. You are a disgrace to the human race and we are never going to have anything to do with each other." She poked him in the chest with a finger. "No. I am not now, nor will I ever be, interested." "Maybe you just don't know what you want," he started, reaching for her but stopping when a new voice interrupted. "I'm pretty sure she does." Michael rounded the same corner Isabel had just come around. "What part of 'no' is giving you the problem?" His voice was calm, conversational, but he moved quickly closer to the two of them. "None of your business, Guerin." Brad turned to face him, apparently forgetting Isabel for a minute. She resisted the urge to find a 2-by-4 and hit him over the head with it and decided to just watch for a minute and see what happened. "Wrong." Michael walked even closer to Brad. "Last year, it was Maria you were bothering. Now Isabel." His voice dropped even the pretence of civility, humming with anger. "You need to learn to keep your mouth shut." "Or you'll do what?" Brad asked belligerently. "Wrong question," Isabel whispered, irritation giving way to actual worry for the first time during the confrontation. Michael smiled in response, but she recognized that gleam in his eyes. She just hadn't seen it before in this lifetime. Either Brad hadn't seen it, to he was simply too stupid to realize that things were about to get out of his control. Next thing Isabel knew, he was swinging a punch at Michael. Michael was expecting it. Brad was clumsy - his body language communicated clearly when he was about to swing. Michael easily moved out of the way and caught Brad's hand, using it to swing the human boy around and push him into the wall. Michael used his free hand to push Brad's head into the wall, applying all the pressure he could without causing actual damage. He twisted Brad's arm back until he judged it was about to pop out of the socket, causing tears of pain to appear in his attacker's eyes. It was all over in seconds, before Isabel could say or do anything. Michael moved so smoothly that she couldn't even track his motions. One second he was standing in front of Brad, the next he had him pinned against the wall. "That's enough, Michael." She started to grab his arm, but stopped when Michael turned to look at her. He still had that little smile on his face, and as much as she hated to admit it, it scared her. Which just made her angry. "Let him go. He didn't do anything other than annoy me." Michael nodded, then leaned close to whisper in Brad's ear so that Isabel wouldn't hear him. "You bother Isabel again, go anywhere near her, and we'll find out exactly how many of your bones I can break before I let you lose consciousness. Do you understand me?" he hissed. "Yeah," Brad managed to get out. Michael shoved him down on the sidewalk. "Get out of here." Brad didn't argue - he simply scurried away, cradling his arm with the uninjured one. Michael watched him until he was out of sight, then turned back to Isabel. A very angry, glaring Isabel. "You idiot," she shot at him. "What did you think you were doing?" "Defending myself," he said mildly, walking over to the Jeep. "Defending yourself?" she said in exasperation, following him. "You could have just moved out of his way. You didn't have to hurt him." "I didn't hurt him." Michael perched on the top of the Jeep. At her disbelieving look, he went on. "Not much anyway. And nothing broken. He'll be fine. Better than he deserves." "He's just an annoyance, Michael. He wasn't going to do anything to me." She sat down next to him. Michael shook his head shortly. "Don't dismiss him like that. I don't like the look in his eyes. I've seen it before." He smiled grimly. "Hank used to look like that a lot. He's dangerous. Be careful around him." "I can take care of myself." "Believe me, I know." "Then why the rescuer act?" Michael sighed, leaning back. "What's going to seem more normal - me fighting him, or you throwing him across the parking lot?" "It wouldn't have come to that," she answered, still annoyed. "Yeah, it would have. He was too quick to fight. This way, nothing's out of the ordinary." Isabel shook her head. She wasn't going to be able to make Michael budge if he was determined to be protective of her, and Brad had started the fight. Michael had acted in self-defense. But it still worried her. She really hadn't liked that gleam of excitement in his eyes. She noticed that neither of them had mentioned Brad's insult about Alex. She wondered how much that had to do with Michael's actions. "Why are you lurking about the school, anyway?" For the first time, Michael looked uncomfortable. "I was looking for you." He looked down and started fiddling with his ring. "Okay." When he didn't go on, she nudged him in the side with her elbow. "About what?" "I know why Maria's so mad at you," he blurted out quietly. "Oh." Isabel tried to stifle the nervous butterflies in her stomach. What if Maria really did blame her for Alex's death? She would have every right to, after all. "Why?" Mciahel looked off into space, not meeting her eyes. "Because you kissed me." Isabel stared at him for a minute, then started laughing hysterically. Michael looked over at her and scowled. Whatever response he'd been expecting, that wasn't it. Isabel slid off the hood, she was laughing so hard. Michael just watched, stoney-faced. When she finally managed to get herself somewhat under control, Isabel stood next to him. "Your crazy girlfriend thinks that I kissed you? How delusional is she, anyway?" When Michael didn't answer or join in the laugh, her giggles slowly died away. "Michael, Maria's looney. You set her straight, right?" she asked, nervous again. "You did kiss me, Izzy." "You're crazy, too." She backed up a step, pointing at him. "I haven't kissed you kissed you since we were about ten years old. Maria's insanity is obviously spreading." "It was when we were in New York." Isabel opened her mouth to interrupt, but he kept on talking. "That night when you got drunk. You kissed me, and Maria felt it." He shrugged weakly. "She didn't know the details and got a little over-possessive, I guess. Not to mention feeling very betrayed." Isabel stared at him blankly. "I kissed you?" she whispered. He nodded. "And I'm guessing not in a sisterly way, either, or Maria wouldn't be so mad." He nodded again. Isabel went very pale. "I think I'm going to be sick." She sat down on the curb, putting her head between her hands. "That is so gross!" "Thanks, Iz. That's just great." Not that he actually wanted Isabel to kiss him, but he wasn't flattered to know that she found the whole idea nauseating. Isabel waved a hand dismissively. "I think I'm hyperventilating. I can not believe I did that!" Max walked up. "Did what?" He looked from Isabel on the ground to Michael on the car hood. "Why is she on the ground?" Isabel muttered something, but Max couldn't make it out, since she had her head down. "What?" Isabel looked up. "I kissed Michael!" she exclaimed indignantly. Max looked blankly from her to Michael, who nodded in a long-suffering manner. "She kissed you?" He turned back to his sister. "Maria's going to kill you!" Isabel dropped her head back down with another groan as Michael gave a small laugh. "That's kind of the point, Einstein." Max walked over to Michael. "She knows already, huh?" "Yep." Well, that explained the way that Maria had been acting. Isabel got up and walked over to the Jeep, standing directly in front of Michael. "It was just a kiss, right? It wasn't anything like those dreams, was it?" She still looked pale. "It was just a kiss, Iz. You kept talking about Alex," he said gently, voice getting very quiet at the end. "I remember missing him so much," she whispered back. "I know." Michael reached over and gave her hand a supportive squeeze. "It wasn't anything to freak out about, okay? I understand." "I'm not sure I do," she said wryly. "But thanks." Max got into the Jeep. "I think someone will have to explain things to me," he pointed out. "Since it seems that I'm out of the loop here." Michael jumped down. "Isabel can tell you about it on the way home. I have to get to work. See ya." And then he was gone. Isabel slid into the car next to him. "Drive, Max. I'll tell you about what happened. And then maybe you can help me figure out how to get Maria to not want to rip my lungs out." --------------------------------------------------------- "Are you intentionally holding up Brody's order?" Maria asked Michael an hour later at the Crashdown. He looked at her, hurt. "Of course not. Would I do something like that?" When the only answer he got was a pointed look, he went on. "Okay, maybe. But I'm not. Just go do your waitress thing and let me cook in peace." Maria smiled at him. "You have five minutes until I come back here." She practically skipped back out into the eating area. Michael took a minute to watch her. Maria had seemed happy all day. That was a good sign. Seemed that opening up to her the night before had been a good idea after all, even if it hadn't exactly been something he'd planned. But if it made her happy, then Michael was happy too. He even felt calmer himself since then. Not even his encounter with that jerk Brad had caused him too much emotional turmoil. True, there had been the rush of adrenaline he recognized from past battles, and he couldn't deny that his instincts had encouraged him to do much more damage than he'd done. But Michael had been able to let Brad go with a warning. Even more encouraging, he'd managed to remain in complete control of himself. Maybe he was getting the hang of things again. Frowning, he noticed Maria stop by Brody's table, probably to reassure him that her slow-cooking boyfriend would have his food ready soon. Michael's frown slowly turned to a grin. Fine. He looked at the uncooked burger on the grill, then glanced around the kitchen to make sure he was alone. Seeing that the coast was clear, he put out his hand and cooked the burger with his powers. Sure, the burger wouldn't taste that great, but it was cooked and much quicker. Plus, who cared if Brody didn't like the burger? Maybe he'd stop coming in to the Crashdown so often. Maria was leaning down next to Brody when she felt a strange tingling sensation passing through her body, starting at her toes and spreading. It wasn't a bad feeling - in fact, it felt good. But it was something she'd never experienced before. She stood up and looked back towards the kitchen, just in time to see Michael place an order out on the counter and ring the bell. "Excuse me," she interrupted Brody and raced back to the kitchen, ignoring the waiting order. Michael had just turned to put more food on the grill when Maria burst in to the kitchen and grabbed his arm, pulling him with her out through the breakroom and into the employees' bathroom. "What's wrong?" he finally managed to get out as she reached behind him to lock the door. When he got a better look at her, he went on. "Are you okay?" Maria turned to look at him. Her eyes were wide open and bright, and she was practically jumping up and down on her tip-toes. "Did you just use any of your alien magic?" "It's not magic," he answered instantly. She reached up and put her arms around his neck. "Did you just use your powers, Spaceboy?" "Yeah," he answered reluctantly. "Why?" A huge grin spread across her face. "I think I felt you use them," she said excitedly. "What are you talking about?" Maria gave him a quick kiss, then leaned back. "I was just out there talking to Brody, and suddenly there was this feeling. Like a rush of energy or power or something." She kissed him again, harder this time. "Don't frown, Spaceboy. It was a good feeling." "And you think it was because I used my powers?" Michael was caught off-guard. He'd never heard of anyone feeling someone else using powers. He was sure Max would have mentioned it if Liz had ever experienced that. "It was kinda like the way I felt all energetic the other morning," Maria replied slowly, thinking. "Like I had a serious caffeine influx or something." She clasped her hands and jumped up and down in front of him. "Do something with your powers again." "What?" "Do something so that we can see if I feel it," she repeated patiently. When he hesitated, she went on in a coaxing voice. "Please? Pretty please?" She batted her eyelashes at him. He laughed. She was so excited, it was cute. "Okay." What to do? He considered, quickly dismissing the temptation to turn her hair green or something. He wanted to keep her in a good mood, not have to run for his life. Maria simply watched him eagerly as he thought. Finally, he reached over and placed his hand on the wall right about the lightswitch. The lights in the bathroom started to blink on and off. As he watched Maria, Michael changed the frequency of the blinking so that it was erratic and produced a light show for her. Maria closed her eyes, allowing herself to be submerged in the feeling of energy sweeping through her. She could feel it waking and energizing every cell in her body. She opened her eyes, smiling at Michael with simple happiness. "I can feel it, Spaceboy. Thank you." He took his hand away and stared at her. She looked so happy. "Thanks for what?" She moved closer, wrapping her arms around him. "For sharing. For letting me in enough to feel that," she murmured into his chest. Michael ran his hand through her hair, thinking. I was able to make her happy. She likes the rush. Why not? So do I, after all. He frowned down at the top of her head. Putting up all the walls between them was wearing him down. He didn't think he could do it much longer. What if it's not necessary? What if I'm hurting us both for no reason? He was able to control himself that afternoon with Brad. Maybe the worst was over. Can I share this part of who I am with her? Ignoring the part of his mind that was screaming its objections, Michael made his decision. He pulled away, looking down at her. "Come here." He took her hand and placed it on the wall where his had been earlier. "Okay. What's up?" Her voice was still radiating excitement. He smiled down at her. "I want to try something." He placed his hand over hers, and then relaxed the hold he had on his energy, letting a small amount out, through her hand and starting the lights flickering again. Maria gasped. This was even better. She wasn't just feeling the energy - it was actually going through her body, flowing from Michael, through her and into the electricity lines in the wall. It wasn't as good as sex with Michael, but otherwise it was one of the best sensations she'd ever experienced. It even beat chocolate. She giggled at the thought and turned to look up at him. "This is so cool," she managed to get out. Michael's grin widened, and he bent down to kiss her neck right below the ear. She closed her eyes and relaxed back into his hold, enjoying both feelings - the energy running through her and Michael holding her up. "Think of a color," Michael whispered into her ear. Without questioning, she did. Then she felt the energy level increase subtly and opened her eyes again. The room was flooded with blue light. "Wow." Michael laughed. "Yeah, wow." He'd never had so much fun with his powers before. He was glad that his control had improved or he would never have dared this. He noticed Maria's eyes open even wider. "What?" "I think our little girl likes it, too," she said quietly, reaching out and taking his free hand in hers, placing them both over her stomach. "Feel her moving around?" Michael lowered his head to hers, letting himself appreciate this moment of openness with the two of them. Slowly, he took his hand from the wall and stopped the flow of power. Maira turned around in his hold and snuggled closer to him. "Thank you," she repeated. "Thank you," he whispered back. She laughed quietly. "Does it always feel like that for you?" she asked in a hushed tone. She almost felt like they'd experienced something sacred. Talking loudly seemed wrong for some reason. "It does now." His voice was equally quiet. "It's quite a rush," she went on. "Is it stronger the more power you use?" "Yeah." He waited, but she didn't ask him anything else. Instead, she simply nodded. He heard something outside, just at the range of his hearing, and he grinned down at her. "Want to try something else?" She nodded eagerly, and he kissed her forehead gently. "Close your eyes." She did, and he moved so that he was behind her again. Wrapping his arms around her, he closed his own eyes and concentrated. "What do you feel?" "You," was her instant answer. "Besides that," he said, amused. "Concentrate." He let some of the energy flow through the connection again. "What can you sense?" "I can hear all the people out there in the Crashdown," she whispered slowly. "Kim is finally bringing Brody his food." He laughed at that. "And the bell is ringing. Someone's coming inside." "Max," he whispered. "That's Max. Listen to the way he walks." She smiled a little. "He walks pretty sure of himself, doesn't he?" She could hear Max sit down. "But not as smoothly as you do." His laughter echoed through the connection. "I walk smoothly?" "Sometimes. Sometimes you prowl." "Isabel walks much lighter. She's more graceful than Max or me. Liz takes quiet steps, almost hesitant, like she's watching to see what everyone's doing before she comes in to the room." Michael talked on, his voice soothing. "And what about me?" He laughed again. "You bound into a room like you own it. And everyone in it better watch out." Maria opened her eyes and turned around to face him. He was already looking at her. "You can identify us just from our footsteps?" "Yeah." He brushed off his momentary discomfort at sharing too much of himself. "That's pretty cool, too." He was glad to see how calm she was about all this. This further evidence of his alienness didn't bother her at all. "I can tell the difference between aliens and humans. Not sure how that works, exactly." She nodded slowly. "That's how you were able to hunt down the Skins in New York. You could sense them and hunt them down." "Yeah. Get me close enough and I could track them down." "Useful skill. Must come in handy." He had to be sure. "This doesn't scare you or anything, does it?" She shook her head, hooking her fingers into the waist of his pants, pulling him closer to her. "Why would it? It's part of you, Michael. Nothing about you could scare me." Before he could say anything, she reached up and silenced him with a kiss. The kiss quickly grew in intensity, and Michael found himself pushed back against the wall while a very determined Maria tried to pull his shirt off without stopping the kiss. He was in the process of attempting her buttons when there was a banging on the door to the bathroom. "Maria! Michael! Are you two in there?" It was Kim, the other waitress on work that shift. "Listen, sorry to interrupt, but Mr. Parker just came in and he's looking for the two of you. You better get out now." Michael leaned back, but Maria pulled his head back. "Forget them," she whispered, kissing him again. He was tempted, but Michael broke the kiss. "We need the jobs, Maria." Wearing a look of frustration that he suspected was matched on his own face, Maria ran her hands through her hair and sighed. "Fine. Be responsible and all that." But despite the grouchiness in her voice, she was actually happier than she'd been in months. Michael was letting her in again. As long as they were together, she had faith that they could handle everything else that came their way. --------------------------------------------------------- An hour or so later, Maria looked up at the sound of the opening door and saw Isabel walk in and slowly sit down next to Max. Michael's right, she thought. Isabel does almost glide into a room. Part of the princess routine, I guess. She hesitated, then made a decision. As Michael had said, some things were worth fighting for. She glanced at the clock. Good, their shifts were over in a few minutes anyway. Maria walked over to Isabel. Michael was at her side before she even got there, wrapping his arms around her waist. She hoped he hadn't left anything burning on the stove. Mr. Parker hadn't been thrilled at having to hunt for them earlier. Starting a fire in the kitchen probably wouldn't endear them any further to him. "Hey, Iz," Michael said casually. But Maria could feel the energy humming under his skin. "Hello, Michael. Maria." Isabel seemed just a little bit hesitant about looking Maria in the eye, but she did it. Maria had to give the girl credit for having guts. "Michael told you, didn't he?" Maria asked bluntly. Isabel nodded. "Earlier today." "We should probably talk," Maria went on. Isabel looked at Max quickly, then back at the other girl. "Yeah, I guess we should." "We can go up to Liz's room," Maria suggested. Michael interrupted. "Maybe that's not such a good idea." "Be right back." Maria dragged Michael into the back room. Kim sighed as they went by. "Are we going back into the bathroom?" Michael tried to inject some humor into the situation, but he didn't even get a smile in response. "Michael, I need to talk to Isabel if we're ever going to get back to being friends again." "Agreed." "And we need to talk alone." "See, that's the part I think is a bad idea," he disagreed. Maria shook her head. "Even if you had a say in the matter, which you don't, you shouldn't have a problem with it. Do I seem angry to you anymore?" "No," he replied slowly. "No. I'm not angry. I have no desire to cause Isabel any physical injury. But I am confused, and I want to get some things worked out." She hugged him. "It'll be okay, Spaceboy. I promise." Michael looked up at the door as Max and Isabel joined them. "Maria and I are capable of having a conversation without a chaperone to make sure we play nice," Isabel said shortly. "So go away, Michael." She smiled to take some of the sting out of the statement, but the steel in her tone left no doubt that she meant it. Maria pushed Michael towards Max and the door. "You two go out and do some macho man thing. Bond. Watch stupd movies with lots of explosions and ridiculously underdressed women. Watch a hockey game. I don't care. But just go do it somewhere else." Michael was still hesitating, but Max grabbed him by the arm and dragged him out the door. "We'll see you later," he said, almost laughing. Without another word, Maria headed up the stairs. Isabel silently followed. The two didn't speak as they went through the empty apartment and entered Liz's room. Isabel sat down at her desk, looking up at the still-standing Maria. "Liz won't mind us using her room?" "Nope," Maria answered shortly. "She'll be home soon, anyway." Isabel nodded, then took a deep breath. "Is this the part where I'm supposed to apologize for something I don't even remember doing?" she asked, in a much sharper tone than she'd intended. "I don't want your apologies," Maria answered steadily. "That does nothing for me. What I want is an explanation. Why did you come on to Michael?" "Maria, you know that I only care about Michael as a brother," Isabel started, but stopped at the burst of laughter from the other girl. "If that's how you treat your brother, then you and Max have an awfully strange relationship," Maria said nastily. Then she shook herself and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Never mind. Sorry about that. Guess I'm not as over it as I thought I was." She let out a long breath. "I know that you love Michael. And I know that you're not in love with him. Okay. I believe you about that, Isabel. That's not the point. Still, you kissed Michael, and it wasn't a sisterly kiss. That's the part I'm having the problem with." "Yeah, me too," Isabel muttered. "Do you have any idea how long it took me to stop hyperventilating after Michael told me? I mean, the idea of kissing Michael is enough to turn my stomach." "Hey, wait a minute. I'll have you know that kissing Michael isn't disgusting," Maria said, somewhat indignant. "It is to me. It's like the whole dream fiasco all over again." Isabel shuddered. "Then why did you do it?" Maria needed to understand this if she was going to be able to repair her friendship with Isabel. "I don't even remember doing it," Isabel pointed out. "What do you remember?" Isabel thought hard. "How do you feel when Michael isn't around?" Maria frowned at the apparent change in topic. "I don't know. I miss him." "But you know you'll see him later. You can still sense him." "Yeah." "During your tiasa, when you and Michael hadn't bonded yet, what did you feel like?" Maria shivered. "It hurt. I felt like something was missing." Isabel nodded. "That's how I feel. I feel like it all the time. It's like missing a part of myself." Isabel fiddled with her necklace. "Every morning when I wake up, the first thing I do is reach out for Alex." Tears started to form in her eyes. "He was always there for me before. But now there's nothing there." She angrily brushed away the tears. She was tired of crying. "No Alex. It's like being in a dark room, knowing that someone's there with you, but when the light comes on, nobody's there. I know that Alex is gone. But some part of me keeps expecting to find him, keeps looking for him, keeps searching for him." Her voice dropped. Maria had to lean closer to hear her. "And sometimes it almost seems as I can feel him, like he's just out of reach, and if I just try harder........." Her voice broke off. "I know that's not true. My mind knows that Alex is dead. But my heart just doesn't seem to be able to accept it." For a second, she thought about telling Maria about the dream she'd had with Alex in it, but she decided not to. That dream was just too intensely private. It was hers. Hers and Alex's. The last vestiges of Maria's anger were starting to disappear. "I can't even imagine going through that." What would she do if she lost Michael?" Isabel smiled. "You'd manage. I think you humans are a lot stronger in some ways than we are. These bonds make us too vulnerable." "They can also make you stronger," Maria pointed out. Isabel went on as if she hadn't hear her. "I remember that the ache for Alex was stronger than usual that night. I remember missing him, wanting something to make the emptiness go away." Isabel forced herself to meet Maria's eyes. "I'm still connected to Michael. You know that, don't you?" "It's not something I think about much." "Come on, Maria. You and Michael have never been the type to avoid reality. You two look at things the way they are. You might proceed to ignore that knowledge," she smiled briefly, "but you're not into denial." "Fine. Yes, I know that the two of you are still connected on some level. It just doesn't matter." "Exactly." Isabel smiled again. "It doesn't matter to you and Michael, because what you have is so much stronger than what Tym and I had. Michael is family. He's connected to Max and me." "I know all this," Maria repeated, a little annoyed. "Can we get back to the point of you kissing Michael?" "That is the point," Isabel answered patiently. "I've been thinking about it, and the only reason I can come up with for why I would even think about kissing Michael is that the part of my mind that isn't accepting Alex's death was trying to finish the bond. Alex wasn't available, but Michael was right there in front of me." "So you tried to connect with him, but it didn't work," Maria finished. "It never could. Michael and I aren't in love like that in this lifetime. Maybe we never were." She looked at Maria sincerely. "There's nothing else left over from Vilandra. Michael's my brother now. And you're my family, too. I don't want my temporary insanity to cost me your friendship." "How do I know this won't happen again?" "It won't." Isabel answered right away. "If it didn't work the first time, why would I try it again? Michael's not who I want." Maria was touched by the pain in Isabel's last statement. Making an effort, she reached out and held Isabel's hand. "Alex." "Alex." They sat in silence for a minute, both grieving, then Maria went on. "Is this normal? You still trying to connect to Alex, even though he's gone?" "I don't know." "Well, did you know anyone back on Antar whose tiasa was interrupted by someone dying?" Isabel frowned in concentration. "Yes, I think so. I think that just stopped the tiasa." "Then why are you still trying to connect?" It didn't make a whole lot of sense to Maria. "I have no idea. Maybe because I'm part human?" Isabel didn't know how to explain it. She just knew it was. Maria let that go. Maybe she was still having some increased sensitivity from her earlier power experiments with Michael, but she could almost feel Isabel's pain. Her loss. "I can't imagine what I would do if I lost Michael." Isabel looked away. "I'll be okay. Don't worry about me. I promised Alex I would be strong, for his sake." "Don't do that. You aliens and your stupid emotional walls." Maria gave Isabel's hand a squeeze. "It's okay to be sad. And angry. It's okay to cry and scream and throw things around the room because you're just so mad at losing him." Maria's eyes were starting to fill up with tears, too. "But like I keep telling Spaceboy, keeping everything inside isn't healthy. It's gonna drive you even crazier. And the bunch of you have enough issues already, don't you think?" Isabel was shocked into a laugh. "Well, thank you for that motivational and somehow isulting pep talk, Maria." "Anytime." Her smile faded. "I'm sorry." "You're sorry? For what?" Isabel asked in shock. "For not being there. For not asking you about what happened. For assuming the worst. For letting my anger get the better of my friendship." Maria waved her hand. "And so on and so on." "You have nothing to apologize for." "So, friends again?" Maria gave a bright smile and stood up, letting go of Isabel's hand. "I'd like that." "Great. But if you ever do anything like that with Michael again, you'll regret it. Got it?" Maria smiled, obviously meaning it as a joke, but there was a glint in her eyes that was eerily similar to the one Michael had earlier. Isabel just nodded, slightly uncomfortable. "Good. I need your help in picking out some baby stuff. Just let me get the catalogs from my locker." Maria bounded out of the room, and Isabel settled back to make herself more comfortable, trying to push down her last lingering feelings of unease. ----------------------------------------------------- "So, things are doing better between you and Maria?" Max asked as he grabbed the basketball and headed towards the basket, dodging Michael. "Yeah." Michael tried to catch it, but missed. Max frowned. That was an easy catch to make. "You're not paying attention," he accused. "Be glad. It's the only way you'd win." Michael smirked at his friend. "Ha, ha. Very funny." Max shook his head. "Try to relax, would you? Maria and Isabel are going to be fine." "What makes you so sure?" "Maria's the forgiving type. She's not going to hold a grudge long enough to ruin a friendship over something as stupid as a drunken kiss." Max tossed him the ball and grinned. "She forgave you plenty of times, didn't she?" "Yeah." That was before, though. He pushed the thought away. Maria had seemed better today, after all. Plus, she wanted to be able to forgive Isabel, which was important. "So how are you and Liz?" He darted past Max and got a basket. "We're great. Why?" "Well, you two went through a rough time back there. Just wondered if there was any leftover tension or anything." "Nope," Max said easily as he grabbed the ball and bounced it a few times. "She's all excited about it being senior year. She's talking about what college to attend." Micahel stopped moving at the slightly wistful tone in Max's voice. "And that upsets you?" Max tried to grab the ball again, but Michael kept it out of his reach, so he answered. "I want Liz to be able to do anything she wants, to go anywhere she dreams, but I can't leave Roswell. So she'll have to go without me." He tried to keep his voice steady, but Michael could hear the sadness there. Max would miss Liz when she left, but he wouldn't try to stand in her way. "Why can't you leave Roswell?" Michael spoke slowly, but his words sped up as he continued. "Why can't we all?" Max looked at him blankly. "We have to stick together. We agreed." Nodding eagerly, Michael went on, enthusiasm showing. "Yeah, but why do we have to stick together in Roswell? Alien capital of the planet?" An eager smile spread over his face. "Think about it, Maxwell. We might as well have a huge bullseye painted around the town. All our enemies know that we're sitting here. We might as well send out engraved invitations asking them to come and kill us." Max frowned. "Our allies know we're here, too." Michael snorted. "Our allies. Who're they exactly?" He dropped the basketball, focused on convincing Max. "The Granolith is gone. Larek can't come visit us anymore. We made sure of that when I blew up the relay center." Max blinked, slightly surprised at that revelation. Before he could comment, though, Michael went on. "We have to figure Nykal killed Dagmar, or we would have heard from him by now." "You're serious," Max said slowly. "Where would we go?" "Anywhere. Everywhere. What does it matter?" He hesitated, thinking, then went on. "The east coast. There are some good colleges out there, right?" Max nodded. "So Liz can get the education she wants. We can pick up and leave now." "Without a diploma from high school?" Michael rolled his eyes. "We can find a way around that. Forge the papers or something. We'd have to make up new identities anyway." Michael walked closer. "We go now, before anything else happens. We go someplace safe and start over." He grimaced. "Let's just avoid New York. Anywhere else is fine." Max walked over to the bench and sat down, head spinning. "We can't just leave everything behind." "Why not?" Michael sat down next to him. "We would have each other. The five of us. What else would we need?" "Six," Max corrected absently. Michael sighed. "Fine. We can bring Kyle, too, if Isabel wants." "Huh?" Max looked up at him. "No, I was thinking about your daughter." Max was still surprised by the big smile Michael got when he thought of his daughter. He would never have guessed that he would see Michael show such simple love and happiness on his face. He heated to bring down the voice of reality on Michael's dreams, but...... "Would you really want to take Maria away from her mother now? When she's pregnant and needs her mom's support?" The smile faded off Michael's face, replaced with serious conviction. "If it means that Maria survives long enough to see our daughter, then yeah. Which might not happen if we stay here." "And you think Maria will go along with this?" "Yeah." No hesitation. Max envied Michael that certainty. He wasn't sure that Liz's answer would be the same. "How can you be so sure?" Because I would stay if she asked me to. Michael silently shrugged. He knew that Maria would go with him if she knew it was important. "And Isabel?" Max was really considering it. Michael could tell. He tried not to get his hopes up too high, but couldn't help it. Leaving Roswell could buy them some time. "Iz'll come. What does she have to keep her here?" Max laughed bitterly. "I don't know, Michael. Maybe our parents?" "Isabel would have left with us two years ago. And that was before everything went to hell," Michael pointed out levelly. "She'll come with us now." Max stood up, pacing across the court for a few minutes. Michael watched silently, hoping that his king would make the right decision. They needed to get out of Roswell before things got even worse. Before there were more deaths. Finally, Max stopped pacing and looked over at his best friend, shaking his head. Michael's hopes crashed at the expression on Max's face. "We can't leave, Michael." Raising his hand, he stopped his second's objections. "I understand what you're saying, and it makes sense. But my instincts are telling me we need to stay here. Something's coming and we need to be here for it." He gave a tiny, uncomfortable shrug. "That probably doesn't make any sense, but that's what I've decided." "We're making it too damn easy for them!" Michael erupted, standing up and striding over to Max. "I don't know why we're not dead already!" He resisted the urge to grab Max by the shoulders and shake him until he listened to reason. "It would be so damn easy, Maxwell. Don't you get that? You don't have a fortress and an army to hide behind this time, Your Majesty. The enemy's already shown that they can pick us off one at a time. And they don't even need to do that. All it would take is for one assassin to come to the Crashdown some afternoon when we're all there, and bamn!" He clapped his hands together loudly, making Max flinch. "We're dead. I could have....." Michael stopped abruptly, taking a step back. He'd said too much. Shaking, he shoved his fists into his jean pockets. Max didn't get it. "We're too vulnerable here," he whispered. Max stared at Michael for a moment, then smiled. "Good thing you're on our side, huh?" Something he couldn't identify flickered through Michael's eyes, then his friend nodded. "Fine. We stay in Roswell." Michael walked over to gather up their stuff. "Michael, it's not that I don't respect your ideas," Max started, but was interrupted. "I know." Michael didn't turn to look at him. "You're going on your instincts. I get that. Sometimes it's all you have to go on." Then he did turn around, looking at Max seriously. "I just hope that we don't regret this decision." ----------------------------------------------------------- Snap. Maria looked down at the broken pencil in her hand, then quickly to the closed bathroom door. Good - Isabel was still in the bathroom. She closed her eyes, clenching her hands into tight fists until the feelings she was getting through the connection faded. It didn't take long - the flare-up of anger she was getting from Michael was brief this time, and was gone as suddenly as it had started. Very intense but brief. Maria rubbed her hands together quickly in an effort to erase the marks her nails had made when they dug into her palms. She was sure that the anger she'd felt came from Michael. She wondered what had made him so upset, and how he managed to stop being angry just like that. It was like he could flip a switch and stop his anger. She froze as a thought occurred to her. He's not stopping his anger. The anger's still there. All the emotions are still there. He's just burying them deep down. "Oh, Spaceboy," she whispered. "This is so not good." What was going to happen when the dam bursts and those emotions all break out at once? A thrill of mingled fear and excitement ran through her at the thought. Then she shook her head sharply. It wouldn't happen. They'd figure out what was wrong and fix it before things ever got to that point. Might be interesting, though. She frowned. Where had that thought come from? "Did you say something?" Isabel came back into the room. "Which crib do you like better?" Maria pointed to the two catalogs in front of her. Isabel sat down next to her on the bed and carefully studied the two pictures. "That one," she pointed. "But are those really the prices?" She sounded shocked. "Yeah. Baby stuff is insanely expensive." Maria shrugged. "But I'm thinking that we might be able to find something similar in a used furniture store." "Used?" Isabel eyed her friend in disdain. "For my niece?" Maria gave her a friendly nudge in the side. "Hey, some of us are struggling financially, remember? Still, Michael can probably fix it up nice." She grinned wickedly. "He's good with his hands." "Eww! More information than I needed!" Isabel put her hands over her ears and groaned. Giggling, Maria was about to say

Anla · Post by **Anla** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 10:31 am

She ducked quickly around the corner, leaning back against the cold rock of the wall as she examined her arm. It was still sore, but the bleeding had stopped. It wouldn't be much use to her in a fight, though. Closing her eyes, she reached out and listened. She could hear the sounds of her pursuers. They were getting closer. Opening her eyes, she smiled. Time to change the game. Ignoring the pain, she reached out and let down her inner walls, feeling the power rush through her. The power and the excitement of anticipation. When the first tracker came around the corner and into view, she didn't hesitate, grabbing him by the throat and letting the flood free, tearing him into pieces. --------------------------------------------- Gasping, Maria sat up in bed, shivering. Just a dream. One that's way up there on the freaky scale, but still just a dream. Then she looked over at Michael, sleeping on the floor of her room the way he had every night since he came back to town and saw that he was twitching in his sleep. He was dreaming, too. Want to bet he's dreaming about blowing up some evil aliens? Slowly, she got out of bed and went over to Michael. She reached out hesitantly to shake him awake but wasn't really surprised when his eyes opened before she touched him. He was hard to sneak up on these days. Michael's panicked gaze skimmed over the bedroom, just visible in the early dawn's light, calming only when it returned to focus on Maria. She reached out and pushed a stray strand of hair off his face, using it as excuse to touch him. Yeah, just as she suspected. His muscles were tense, ready for action, the hum of energy just under the surface even higher than usual. "Bad dream, Spaceboy?" She kept her voice quiet and soothing, trying not to show her own discomfort. Michael frowned, then shook his head and started to answer. After a few words, Maria moved up her hand to cover his mouth. "Okay, how about we try that again? This time in some Earth language?" The lightness in her voice wasn't able to fully conceal the nervousness she was starting to feel, a nervousness which the confusion in his eyes didn't help at all. Michael reached up and took her hand away from his mouth, holding it while he tried again. "I wasn't speaking English?" His voice was even quieter than hers. "Nope." She forced a smile. "Antaran would be my buess. Unless you've decided to show off those alien brain cells of yours by learning Greek or Chinese or some other language that I don't know." She wagged her finger at him in accusation. "Which is very rude of you, you know." Michael sat up a little. "I didn't............" His voice trailed off as he shrugged. "Whatever. I just said that yeah, I was dreaming. But it wasn't that bad." He smiled. "Really, Maria. I've had much worse." "Not a nightmare, huh? She moved back slightly, watching his face carefully. "Well, it started off pretty bad," he admitted. "But it got better." "Really?" She was starting to feel a little sick to her stomach. "How did it start?" "Maria, why are you..." Michael didn't get to finish his question. "Just tell me, Michael." She took a deep breath. "It wasn't just a dream, was it? It was a memory." He scratched his eyebrow, uncomfortable discussing this. "Yeah. From Tymrath." His eyes grew distant as he remembered. "I was captured once." "By the Skins?" Michael gave her a slightly irritated look. "Yeah, by Skins." There was an odd note in his voice as he answered, but he went on before she could question him further about it. "Anyway, they were very thorough in their questioning. I think they would have approved of Pierce's approach to information gathering. Not that they learned anything from me." He leaned back casually. Maria wondered how hard it was for him to keep up that impression of nonchalance, since she could feel his anger at the memory. "What happened to Tymrath afterwards?" She put emphasis on the name, trying to keep distance between his past life and today. He grinned at her, a cold angry grin. "I got free." "Pronoun problems," she pointed out sharply. Michael blinked in surprise. "And to the Skins who were guarding him?" she insisted. "Fine, he got free," he answered deliberately, still smiling. The smile faded as he stared at her closely. "What does it matter, Maria?" She closed her eyes, remembering. "You - Tymrath - managed to get free, killing the guard who was watching him. They were careless, not taking as many precautions as they should have. That surprised him. Then he ran, getting out of the camp and hiding to see how badly he was hurt." She reached out without looking, lightly touching Michael's chest, then his arm. "He was hurting a lot, but not enough to keep him from being able to move. And not enough to keep him from killing them." Now she opened her eyes. "All of them. He cut them down with his blasts, tearing them into pieces." Michael was staring at her. "He didn't pause for a minute. He didn't stop until they were all dead." Michael stood up slowly, staring at her. She stood up with him, maintaining eye contact. "How?" She smiled sadly. "I had the same dream you did. I experienced what Tymrath did, felt what he felt." She wrapped her arms around herself tightly. "And you were telling the truth about it not being a nightmare, weren't you? Because a nightmare is something that frightens you." "But it frightens you." It wasn't a question. Maria stared at him for a long time, then answered slowly. "Yeah, a little. It should frighten me more." She sat down on the edge of her bed, still looking at him. "I've been sharing your dreams for the last month. But this was the first one I could see in such detail. Before it was just the feelings, not the actual images." She hesitated. "Did you....." Shaking her head, she started again. Why was it getting so hard to remember to keep the distinction? "Did Tymrath like the killing?" "No." Michael knelt down in front of her. "Never. But winning was preferable to being dead. There wasn't much choice. And being the hunter was......." "Better than being the hunted," she finished for him. He nodded, taking her hands in his own. "And now?" "Now I'm different. Everything's different. Different world, different situation," he answered instantly. "I warned you that there was a lot about my past life that wasn't good. You're the one who's always been such a cheerleader on the whole idea of my being a different person now. You and Alex," he managed to get out. It still hurt him just to mention their absent friend. "Are you changing your mind about that now?" "No, but some things are bothering me, Spaceboy." "Like what?" Michael got up and sat next to her on the bed. "Well, the fact that you're starting to speak in tongues without realizing it is something of a concern, don't you think?" She peered at him closely. "In your dreams these days, are you usually Michael or Tymrath?" "I try not to remember my dreams too much." He didn't look her in the face. Maria sighed. "What did you mean when you told Liz that you weren't drawing?" "It wasn't mean to be that confusing a statement, Maria," he answered flatly. "You drew something in the sand the other night," she pointed out. "I did? What?" She stared at him. "You didn't know you were doing it?" He simply shrugged in response. "Okay, that also goes in the Weirdness Column." He rolled his eyes. "People doodle without thinking about it all the time, Maria. I don't think it means a case of alien psychosis." "That's debatable," she muttered. "What did I draw? No, wait," he interrupted before she could answer. "I have an idea." He smiled, almost shyly. "Trust me?" "Of course." Her answer was instant. "Good." He took her hand in his, and the next thing Maria knew she felt his energy flowing through her the way that it had the day before, felt her body start to tingle again. She couldn't stop the smile from spreading across her face and she turned to look up at him. He kissed her lightly, then raised their joined hands. When she looked back at them, she could see that they were glowing with a faint blue light. "Draw what you saw," he instructed her. "Go on," he encouraged when she hesitated. "Okay." Maria frowned in concentration, then started to move their hands, drawing a dot in the sky first and then the broken circle (slightly crooked) surrounding it. As their hands moved as one through the air, they left behind a lingering impression of light. The symbol could be clearly seen in the air in front of them. Maria laughed with delight. "This is so cool. It's like we're human sparklers or something. Or one human and one alien sparkler." The energy in their hands faded as the symbol in the air vanished. Maria twisted around to look at Michael. He didn't look happy. "I drew that?" he asked quietly. "Yeah. What does it mean?" "Nothing." When she just stared at him in disbelief, he sighed and went on. "Nothing important. It's the sign of my... of Kivar's house," he corrected himself. "The sign of the Skins?" Again there was that faintly irritated look. "The sign of the Khavorns. We weren't called Skins back then, remember? No Husks on Antar." "Khavorn." Maria said the word slowly, trying out the sound. "That's what Tymrath was, back then? At least until he joined Zandar." She paused, thinking. "So, the only thing you're drawing is symbols from your life as Tymrath, you're speaking Antaran instinctively, and you're dreaming of yourself as Tymrath." She shook her head, staring at him seriously. "That settles it. We're going to a monster truck rally or something this weekend." She wasn't prepared for Michael to break down in laughter, falling backwards on her bed. "I'm serious," she said, outraged. "That's your solution? A monster truck rally?" he managed to get out between laughs. Her look of outrage just set him off again. "Well, it's something that you, Michael, like to do, for some reason, and I doubt that it was something Tymrath did back on Antar. He didn't, did he?" she asked, suddenly worried. "No, we had no monster truck rallies back on Antar," he said, still laughing. She picked up a pillow and whacked him over the head with it. "Stop laughing at me!" Quickly, Michael wrapped his arms around her and pulled her down next to him. "Don't worry, teel-sharan," he said, suddenly serious. "I'm not going to forget who I am. I have you two to remind me." She kissed him quickly. "I love you, Michael. All of you - the part that's alien warrior, the part that's Grandpa Dupree, the part that's grumpy bad hair guy." "Hey, I don't have bad hair!" he protested. She smiled, running her hand through his hair. "Well, it's certainly unique." She grew serious. "I don't want to lose any part that makes you the guy I love." "You won't. I promise." Scooting up a little, but still keeping a hold of her, Michael tried to change the subject. "So, you and Isabel work things out yesterday?" "Hmm? Oh, that." "Yeah, that," he mimicked her. "I guess." Maria leaned back, relaxing into Michael. It felt nice just to be with him. Already her earlier concerns were fading. "I feel bad for her. Which doesn't mean I won't claw out her eyes if she tries anything with you again." Michael made a non-committal noise. "What about you? What are you mad at Max about?" "I'm not mad at Max," he answered, surprised. "Well, you sure were yesterday. I could feel it. It was Max, wasn't it?" She closed her eyes lazily, enjoying the feel of Michael absent rubbing relaxing circles on her back. "Oh, that. We didn't agree on something. That's all." "You and Max didn't agree on something? I'm shocked, Spaceboy." "Yes, it was a rare event," he agreed. Maria cuddled even closer to him. Michael wondered if it would be possible to convince her just to stay a home in bed with him, cuddling like this all day. Then he smiled. Cuddling? He was becoming way too sensitive. Next thing he knew, he actually was going to be watching 'The View'. "What did you disagree about this time?" "Don't worry about it," he said dismissively. "Max won. He might have even been right. Who knows? It has to happen sometime. Law of averages." "Be nice." "I've never really understood the point of that," he mused thoughtfully. "What's so important about being nice, anyway?" Maria opened her eyes and smiled up at him, moving her body so that she was on top of him. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she leaned down and gave him another kiss, one that was much longer and more thorough than the ones before. When she finally came up for air, she explained in a husky voice, "When you're nice, you get kisses like that." "And if I'm not nice?" His hand moved down her back to hold her securely where she was. Before she could answer, his mouth was on hers, effectively cutting off any higher thinking skills she might have. It was only when she felt his hands moving up under her nightshirt that she pulled away. They were making progress with the whole communication thing, but they weren't ready for that yet. Gathering up all her self-control, Maria moved away from him, to the bottom of her bed. Michael just watched her, such naked lust in his eyes that she almost decided to forget about it and get back to what he had in mind. She raised a hand to her lips, feeling the lingering tingle from their kiss. Whatever had caused his recent boost in energy levels, it was definitely something she was enjoying. Shaking her head to stop that line of thining, she went on, voice only slightly quivering. "Seriously, what did you two disagree about?" "Maria," his voice trailed off at the glare he received. "Fine. I told him we should leave Roswell. You, me, him and Isabel, Liz. Even Kyle if they wanted. Move and start over somewhere else. But Max said no. End of story." He shrugged. He'd already accepted the fact that he was going to have to come up with a different strategy of defense. Maria grew pale, and he silently cursed. He didn't want to worry her more, but he was having a hard time keeping things from her. It was getting more difficult by the day. "Why would you want to leave Roswell?" she managed to ask, timidly. Then her eyes grew wider. "Are we running out of time?" Maria's hands went over her stomach as if to protect their baby. "Are they here?" She wasn't sure who they were exactly, who Kivar would send after them next, but she knew they were out there. They all knew. "No." He wished he could understand why they weren't. It didn't make any sense. "But we haven't exactly been low-profile these last few years, Maria. FBI investigations, giant flying alien jellyfish, arrests for murder, girls buried in the woods - we've attracted too much attention." "Oh." Maria got up and started to walk absently around the room. She looked around - pictures on the mirror, her favorite CDs scatted about, a collection of oils on the table near the window, clothes, her old teddy bear. All the things that she'd gathered in her eighteen years. Her life. No, not her life. Turning back to her teela-mei, Maria said decisively, "Then we leave. With or without Max's permission." He sat up in surprise, staring at her as she sat back down next to him. "I mean it. If this is what you think we have to do to be safe, then we do it. You, me, and the baby. We go somewhere safe. Somewhere better." Michael stared at her in wonder, then reached out to trace her lips gently. "You are amazing," he whispered. "Do you know how much I love you?" "You better, buddy," she teased. "Seeing as how I'm ready to throw away my glamorous life as a Crashdown waitress for you." He laughed quietly. "We can't leave without the others. We stay or go together." He shook his head at her frown. "Don't worry. I'm going to keep you safe, even here in good ol' Roswell. It might be harder, but I can do it." "Promise?" She took his hand and put it over her stomach. Keeping him and their daughter safe was her number one priority. And if it meant blowing off Max, then so be it. He wasn't her king, after all. "I promise. Nothing is ever going to hurt you or our daughter." Michael's voice had a note of quiet ferocity to it. "I believe you," she replied, equally serious. "And I'm not going to let anything hurt you either." "Deal." Then he smiled at her mischievously. "Now, about this monster truck rally idea?" He was cut off by a pillow aimed precisely at his head. -------------------------------------------------- Max and Liz passed Amy on their way in to the DeLuca household, rushing off to work in a typically whirlwind fashion. "Maria?" Liz asked, knocking on the door to her best friend's room before entering. "Hey, girlfriends," Maria said brightly, finishing putting on her earrings. "What's up?" "Figured I'd stop by and give you your check-up," Max answering, smiling at her in return. He was still thrilled to see her happy again. It helped him think that things were going to be okay after all. "Cool." Maria's smile took on what might have been considered a slighly sneaky quality. She headed towards the bed. "I'll just sit down, then." She took a little leap and jumped onto the bed. Right before she landed, a muffled curse could be heard from under the bed and much to Liz's surprise (and Max's amusement), Michael rolled out. "What are you trying to do to me?" he asked her indignantly. Giggles were his only response. "It's not bad enough that there are dust bunnies under that bed big enough to take on life and attack me," he ranted on, looking to Max for support. "You're hiding under beds now?" Liz asked. "Amy DeLuca," Max answered gravely, gaining a nod from Michael. Darn right - Michael wasn't going to be caught in Maria's room again. Liz shook her head, sitting at Maria's desk. "Brave men," she muttered. "Good thing we womenfolk have you to protect us." This just added to Maria's giggles. "Brave, yes. Stupid, no." Ignoring Maria's snort and Liz's rolled eyes, Michael sat on the bed behing Maria, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her backwards to lean on him. "Let's get this check-up out of the way. Make sure they're both okay." Michael suspected that if anything was wrong with Maria or the baby, he would know it. Still, Max was the expert on healing in the group, and it never hurt to double-check. "Sure." Max knelt down in front of Maria, putting out his hands in front of her stomach and concentrating. Michael looked down and frowned at him. "Wouldn't you be able to tell more if you actually touched her?" He could feel Maria tense up at the suggestion and moved one hand to rub her back comfortingly. Max also looked uncomfortable. Avoiding looking at Maria, he shook his head. "This is fine." Being knocked across the room once was enough for him, thanks. "Go on," Michael insisted. "I want you to be able to do as good a job of a check-up as possible, Doc." "Michael....." Maria turned around, unsure of what to say, but knowing that she didn't think this was a good idea. He gave her a small smile. "It's okay," he whispered to her. "Trust me." "That again," she muttered. "Fine." Turning back around to Max, she forced a smile. "Go on, girlfriend. I promise to behave." "All right," Max answered doubtfully. Then he reached out and put his hands on Maria's stomach, trying to form the connection that would allow him to sense the baby more clearly. Maria's muscles tightened up the second Max touched her, but Michael put his hands on her shoulders. "Relax," he whispered in her ear, rubbing her shoulders comfortingly. And surprisingly, she did. It wasn't that bad, not with Michael right there. Then she felt something strange. It was similar to when Michael formed the connection with her to show her flashes, but she could tell it wasn't Michael. Must be Max then. Max had almost formed the connection with Maria when he felt it snap and break. He almost fell backwards with the shock of the intrusion, eyes flying open. They met Michael's, who was watching him closely. "Just the baby, Maxwell," he murmured quietly. Max nodded and returned to scanning for the baby. Liz frowned, confused about what had just happened. But before she could ask, she was distracted by the grin forming on Max's face. Maria laughed. "Hey, that tickles!" Michael gave a small smile, but continued watching closely. After a few minutes, Max broke off, lowering his hands and sitting back. He looked at the expectant parents. "They baby's fine," he reassured them. "Better than fine, actually. She's......." He wasn't sure how to describe it. "She's strong," he finally continued, knowing how insufficient the words were. "And active." He grinned slyly. "Bet she's going to be a handful for the two of you." "Like Maria's daughter would be anything else?" Liz asked, dodging a mock swat from Maria's hand. "No problems?" "None. She's perfect." Perfect. Michael buried his face in Maria's hair for a second, enjoying the moment. His teela-mei and child, both safe in his arms. How did he get so lucky? Maria turned to share a smile with him. Seeing the intimacy of the look, Liz grabbed Max's hand and pulled him to his feet. "We'll just wait for you out front." Maria gave an absent wave of her hand in farewell. "Perfect," Maria whispered. "And a handful. She must get that from you, Spaceboy." "I'm sure," he laughed. Bending down, Michael kissed her stomach tenderly. He was feeling too much to be able to put it into words. Too much love. It scared him a little. Gently tugging at his hair, she forced him to raise his head so that she could look at him. "What was that all about? I could feel something going through me, pushing at Max." Michael shrugged. "Max was trying to connect with you. I just stopped him." He got up and started to gather her things. She watched him, digesting this information. "You stopped him? Why?" He looked at her gravely. "Did you want Max connecting with you? Being able to see into you?" She considered that for a second, imagined someone other than Michael in her mind and memories. "No," she finally answered. Maybe that was why she'd been reluctant to let him touch her before this. Michael nodded. "I know. Still, that's what he does. It's how he heals. So I made sure that he could connect with the baby, but not with you." He smiled at her. "It's no big deal, Maria." "No big deal?" She shook her head in disbelief. "I didn't think you had any real mental powers, Spaceboy." "I don't. But I did learn a few defensive tricks. Before." He held out a hand to help her rise. "Come on. Liz and Max are waiting. I have to swing by my apartment and get changed. I'll meet you at school." ------------------------------------------------------ Isabel looked doubtfully at the green jello in front of her, poking at it with her fork. "I wouldn't, if I were you." Kyle put his tray on the table across from her and sat down. "I'm not completely certan it hadn't developed sentient life. Look at it - doesn't it remind you of a certain alien goo we've encountered?" "Those were blue," she pointed out reasonably. "The change in color's just a disguise," he insisted cheerfully. "Just something to put us off-guard." He lowered his voice spookily. "Trust no one, Isabel. And nothing. The jello is not what it seems." She threw a napkin at him. "You are a very odd person." "Yep," he answered proudly, starting to stuff the food int his mouth. She stared at him in fascination. "How can you do that without, you know, taking time to chew or something?" "I chew," he insisted, lowering his pizza. "I'm just very efficient." "Efficient, huh? And here I just thought you were a pig." She smiled sweetly. Kyle sighed theatrically. "You really need to get more of an open mind, Isabel. Learn to appreciate the talents of others." "Very odd." Pushing aside the jello, she opened up a sugar packet and poured its contents into her soda, swirling it with a straw. She looked over the courtyard. She and Kyle were almost hidden in one corner. After three days of being center stage, she was ready to retreat back again. She was finding that while she was still capable of playing the games, of holding court and gossiping, she didn't really enjoy it anymore. The people she was hanging out with weren't her real friends. Isabel had learned to appreciate the people she could trust and be herself around. She looked back at him, busily tackling a bag of some type of cheese-covered snack food. Including Kyle, bad eating habits and all. Kyle pulled out a bottle of water and took a gulp, making a face as he lowered it. "Ugh - it's warm. Yuck." "Wimp." Isabel reached out her hand. "Give it to me. I'll cool it for you." She wasn't prepared for the look of fear that flickered across Kyle's face as he pulled back, holding the bottle of water tightly, as if he was protecting it. "Uh, no thanks, Iz. It's okay." He forced a shaky smile. Isabel blinked for a second, slowly lowering her hand, not knowing what to say. He's still afraid of me, she thought sadly. He's trying, but he's still scared. And I can't say I really blame him. Not after what I did to him. The awkward silence was interrupted when Max and Liz joined them at their table. "Max and I are going out to the Mesaliko Reservation after school," Liz burst out as soon as they were seated. "Huh?" Isabel took her eyes off Kyle and looked at the newcomers. "We're going to ask River Dog about his relationship with Liz's grandmother," Max explained. "Find out how they knew each other. You two want to come?" "Sure," Kyle agreed easily, grateful for the change in conversation. He was kicking himself inwardly. He hadn't meant to hurt Isabel's feelings. She looked as if she'd been slapped. Isabel had only been trying to do something nice for him, after all. Something friendly. Still, at the idea of her using her alien powers anywhere near him, some basic instinct kicked in. The one that screamed things like Run for your life! Apparently, he still had some progress to make in the whole getting-over-it-thing. "I've got nothing better to do than help track down some creepy old guy." "River Dog's not creepy," Liz said indignantly. "He's nice." Kyle raised his eyebrows skeptically. "Correct me if I'm wrong, Liz, but isn't this the same guy who lured you and Max out in the middle of the night into a secret cave?" "He needed to be sure that I was one of the Visitors." Of course, Max hadn't been that calm about it at the time. He remembered how scared he'd been in the dark, especially when Liz screamed. He wasn't about to admit that to Kyle, though. "Not exactly something he could just come out and ask me." "Michael likes him," Liz pointed out helpfully. "Right. Well, that certainly changes my opinion of him. 'Cause nobody Guerin likes could possibly be creepy." "How about you, Iz?" Max looked at his sister, who shook her head. "Can't, Max. I'm helping Mom go shopping for the picnic this weekend, remember? The picnic which you bailed on?" she reminded him pointedly. "Isabel, don't you think this is a bit more important than helping Mom buy hot dogs and make potato salad?" Isabel frowned dangerously. "No, actually, I don't. And you know it's not about the groceries. Mom and Dad are worried about us. We've been so distant lately." Especially you, she thought, but didn't say. It would just make Max get defensive. He sighed. "We're graduating high school this year, Iz. I don't think Mom or Dad expect us to be hanging around them constantly. We're supposed to have our own lives." "Max, they know that we're keeping things from them. They're not stupid. And they know that we're upset. It hurts them." Isabel took a deep breath. "If me helping her get ready for this stupid picnic makes Mom happy, then I'm going to do it. End of story." "Stupid picnic?" Kyle interjected. "Stupid picnic with much food." Isabel smiled at him, grateful for the break in the tension. Max was frowning at her so much that she was tempted to dump her jello over his head. Sometimes her brother could make her revert back to about six years old. "Remember? Food?" "Ah, yes. Food good." "Maybe you're right," Max said finally. "Goody," she muttered grumpily. Kyle laughed, earning a poke in the ribs from Liz. "If Mom and Dad really are that suspicous, then it's probably a good idea to help calm them down," Max went on, ignoring them. Isabel looked at him in disbelief. "I was talking about their feelings, Max. God, you make it sound like they're FBI agents, intent on uncovering our deep dark secrets. They're our parents, for goodness sake!" Max held up his hands, seeking peace. "Okay, Iz. So, we'll meet you after school?" He turned back to Kyle. "Maria's coming, too. Michael already had plans for the afternoon." "Strange to go on an information gathering trip without Michael," Liz mused, munching thoughtfully on a french fry. "Usually you'd practically have to tie him up to stop him from coming on something like this." "Priorities change," was all Max answered. -------------------------------------------------------- The Jeep pulled up in front of the small crafts store on the reservation, the first place Liz had ever met River Dog. There weren't many other cars in the parking lot, and nobody else was visible outside the store. Still, it was daylight out, which Liz felt was a definite improvement over her last two trips there. "Okay, let's go see if anyone inside knows where we can find River Dog," Max said, turning off the ignition and getting out of the car, closely followed by the others. "Maria, why don't you and Kyle stay out here in case he shows up?" Liz suggested. "He does tend to pop out at you." "And yet he's not creepy," Kyle pointed out seriously. "Jumping out of shadows at people isn't creepy at all." Maria gave him a small shove and smiled at Liz. "No problem, Liz. You and Max go on inside and we'll keep the parking lot under surveillance." Kyle saluted Max. "No problem, Captain. We'll follow orders." Max opened his mouth to say something, then seemed to think twice and closed it, shaking his head. Taking Liz's hand, he went inside. Kyle looked around the quiet parking lot. "And to think, I could be doing my Science homework. Instead, I get to be part of the Great Alien Conspiracy." He grinned at her sarcastically. "This is fun." Maria started to pace, stretching out her muscles. "If you'd like, we can dig a big hole and buy you in it. You know, just to add some excitement." "Nah. But thanks for offering." "No problem." She paused in her pacing, looking at him, stricken. "We have Science homework?" He laughed. "Okay, DeLuca, it's bad when I'm a better student than you. Were you paying any attention in class?" She shook her head. "No, I had other things on my mind." Things like the whole Michael/Tymrath mess. And her growing suspicion that no matter how many Tymrath-traits might pop up, she would love and accept him anyway. Which might not be such a good thing. Not a good thing at all. He's still Michael, argued a little voice. No matter what happens, he's still your teela-mei. Deep down inside, you know him. That won't change. Kyle's voice brought her back to the present. "I guess you might have a few other things to think about." He grinned at her. "Tell your mom yet?" "Ha, ha." She gave him a sour look. "Just wondering." Kyle picked up some pebbles and started throwing them away from the cars. "My dad's avoiding her. He's completely convinced that she'll be able to tell he's hiding something, just by looking at him." He threw the last pebble. "She's got him terrified." "Smart man." A slight sound behind them made Maria spin around. Kyle moved quickly to stand next to her. "Relax. I come in peace." The vaguely familiar figure came into clearer sight. "Too much caffeine?" Now Kyle recognized him. "Eddie, right?" Kyle moved slightly in front of Maria. "From the party at the UFO Center?" "Right." Eddie smiled warmly at them, eyes lingering appreciatively on Maria. "You're two of Liz's friends." "Kyle," he introduced himself. "And this is Maria." "Nice to meet you." Eddie shook hands with Kyle, but when he offered his hand to Maria, she just ignored it. He raised his eyebrows, but otherwise neglected to comment on it. To Kyle, he appeared amused. "What brings you out here to the reservation? Doing some shopping?" He jerked his head in the direction of the store. "What are you doing out here?" Maria asked sharply. Kyle frowned at her. Why was she being so rude? Eddie just laughed. "I live out here, remember?" He gave her a closer look, then took a little step closer. Maria moved back instantly. "Are you feeling okay? You look a little pale." Kyle turned, worried. "He's right, Maria. Do you need to sit down or something?" "I'm fine," she insisted. "We're looking for River Dog. You wouldn't happen to know where he is, would you?" Eddie still looked concerned as he answered. "No. Can't help you on that one. I haven't seen the old man in months." He gave a short laugh. "But hey, if you find him, let me know, would you? I'd love to know where he is." "Yeah," Maria whispered, staring at him, meeting his eyes directly for the first time. She started shaking. "Hey, she really doesn't look good." She could hear Eddie speaking with Kyle, but it sounded as if it was from a distance. Everything was starting to get dark. She wondered if she was about to faint. "Is she sick or something?" "She'll be fine." Maria could feel Kyle's arms around her, leading her back to the Jeep. "Thanks anyway." Maria thought they were moving away from the sound of Eddie's voice, but she wasn't sure. The next thing she knew, Kyle was swinging her up and placing her carefully in the back seat of the Jeep. "Are you okay, Maria? Should I get Max?" "No, I'm okay." And she was. Whatever it was, it was over. Her sight clearing, Maria sat up straight. "I just felt dizzy or something for a minute." She tried to smile and reassure a worried Kyle. "You sure? Michael would kill me if I let anything happen to either of you." "I'm sure." Maria looked over at Eddie, watching them curiously from a little distance away. She waved at him. "I'm fine. Just the heat, probably." Eddie nodded back at her slowly, then walked away. She took a deep breath, then jumped as her cell phone rang. She picked it up. "Hello?" "Are you all right?" Michael's voice sounded frantic. She laughed. "I'm fine, Spaceboy. Just a little dizzy. I'm good now, though." "Just dizzy? It felt like more than that," he replied doubtfully, although slightly calmer. "I don't know, Michael. You let me out of your sight for a few hours, and you still feel the need to check up on me? What are you going to do when the baby gets old enough to go to school?" she teased. "Home schooling works," he replied in kind, starting to calm down. He'd been terrified that something serious had happened. It had been some of the longest few minutes in his life, finding a phone so that he could call her. "Didn't you have that meeting with Valenti today?" she reminded him. "Yeah. I'm on my way." "Okay, let me know what happens." She could see Max and Liz exit the store and head in their direction. "Gotta go, Spaceboy. Talk to ya later." "I love you." "Love you." She hung up, smiling at Kyle, who was making faces at her. "What?" "You are so mushy." He pointed at Max and Liz, still holding hands. "You're going to be worse than those two if you keep this up." "Oh, no. Anything but that." The two of them were laughing as Max and Liz climbed into the car. "Any luck?" "No, nobody's seen River Dog in months." Liz sounded discouraged. She wanted to figure out this relationship between him and her grandmother, learn if there was some type of connection between Grandma Claudia and the '47 Crash. "That's what your friend Eddie said," Maria teased. "He was here." "Was he? We didn't see him." Max started the Jeep. "Well, back to Roswell." Kyle stretched. "You guys really do know how to have fun." "Well, if you're enjoying yourself, you can help us go through those research notes again. In case we missed something the first time," Max suggested. "As much fun as that might be, your royal kingness, some of us have Science homework to do." Kyle laughed at Maria's groan of unhappiness at the reminder. Edited by: <A HREF=http://p199.ezboard.com/bmajiklmoonsrea ... lm>Anla</A> at: 7/4/05 10:36 am

Anla · Post by **Anla** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 10:38 am

When Maria finally got home, she was surprised to find Michael waiting in her room, surrounded by boxes. "What's going on?" He pointed to the boxes, smiling proudly. "I brought boxes." "Yes, Michael. I see that you have boxes." She put her books down on her bed. "And would you like to tell me what all the pretty empty boxes are for?" He looked at her blankly. "So that you can start packing to move." "Move where?" she asked slowly. "Into the apartment," he said in a matter-of-fact voice. "Where else?" "Oh, of course." Maria took a deep breath, determined not to lose her patience. "Michael, have you totally lost your mind?" Okay, that didn't sound too patient. "You can't just break in to my room and start packing up my stuff." Her eyes narrowed as he looked around nervously. "You didn't actually start packing, did you?" She peered into the boxes, thankfully empty. "Not yet," he muttered. He went on louder at her look. "I mean, of course not." He shook his head. "Maria, what's the problem? You're going to move in eventually, right? We both know it. So why don't we just get it done?" "How romantic." He just didn't get it. Maria loved the boy, but he was clueless. "I've told you I'm not moving in with you yet. This," she waved her hand at the boxes, "is not going to make me change my mind. You don't get to make this type of decision for me." "Hold on. You're willing to leave town and vanish somewhere with me, but you're not willing to move into the apartment? Wow, that certainly makes sense," he said sarcastically, starting to get angry. Was he the only one who understood how serious this situation was? That there were lots of people out there who wanted them dead? "Are you willing to tell me everything?" Maria shot back at him. "Complete disclosure, Michael." That stopped him short. She shook her head sadly. "You're not, are you? You still won't let me in completely. I'm not moving in with you until then." She could sense his growing anger, and felt herself responding in kind. No matter how far they came, he kept holding back. At this point, she didn't care that he was doing it to protect her. She just wanted the walls down. "This is stupid," he ground out. "Maxwell wants to pretend that we're safe here in Roswell, fine. He's an idiot, but I can't do anything about that." "And here I thought you weren't angry with him about that anymore," she pointed out sarcastically. "But I need to know that you're safe!" he screamed at her. "Do you have any idea how terrified I was this afternoon? Something was wrong, and I wasn't there to protect you." "God, Michael, it was a dizzy spell! That's all!" Her voice was rising, too. "You can't keep my locked up somewhere until this is over, you know." His burst of laughter caught her off-guard and made her take a step back. It sounded way too close to hysteria. "Over? It's never over." He ran his hand through his hair in frustration. "It just keeps going on and on. More blood, more death, more pain." Maria heard a noise to her side and looked down at the top of her dresser, noticing the way her bottles of nail polish were shaking. "Um, Michael?" He glanced in that direction, then closed his eyes, taking some deep breaths, pushing down his anger, locking it away so that he didn't blow anything up. When he opened his eyes, he spoke in a cold but calm voice. "This won't end as long as Kivar and Max are both alive. There can't be two kings." He laughed again. "No matter how much Max says he doesn't want the throne." He walked closer to her. "I can't lose the two of you, teel-sharan. I just can't." She softened slightly. "I know, Michael. I know." She pulled him into a hug. "We're not going anywhere." "I need you," he whispered, so quietly that she wasn't sure she'd even really heard it. "Shh." She kissed him on the forehead. "It'll be okay. Trust me." "I do." He moved away from her. "So, when are you going to move in?" "AARGH!" Michael winced at her scream of frustration. "You have got to get over this control freak thing you have going on, Michael. I mean it!" She pointed her finger at him. "I will tell you when I'm ready to move in. Which I'm not yet, for the ten millionth time!" She moved closer, poking him in the chest, continuing to advance as he stepped back. "I love you, Michael, but you don't get to plan my life for me. And we still have to work out some things first." Michael tensed, and he tried to interrupt her. "Maria......" "No, I mean it. Not to mention the fact that my mother still doesn't know, which gives us two problems," Maria continued ranting loudly, ignoring Michael's desperate warning movements. "I don't know what?" The new voice managed to cut through her tirade. Maria froze, staring at Michael. "She's right behind me, isn't she?" Michael gave a deep sigh. "I tried to tell you, but you were way too busy yelling at me to listen." "What's going on here?" Amy looked around the room, noticing the boxes strewn about the floor and the very guilty look on Michael's face. Maria wrapped her arms around her stomach instinctively, then turned around with a big smile on her face. She wondered if it looked as fake as it felt. From the frown on her mother's face, she suspected it did. She could feel Michael move up closer behind her. Yeah, hide behind the pregnant girl, she thought bitterly. Mighty alien warrior there. "Mom! You're home early!" "What is it I don't know, Maria?" Amy narrowed her eyes at the two of them. Obviously, something is going on here. What?" "Science test!" Michael picked the textbook up off Maria's bed. "We have this huge Science test tomorrow. I wanted to go out tonight, but Maria thinks we should study." He handed the book to Amy, smiling. He almost managed to pull off the casual look, but the faint sheen of sweat on his brow gave him away. "A Science test? The two of you are having a fight over a Science test?" Amy didn't even look at the book in her hand, staring at Michael. "Why am I having a hard time believing that one?" "It's a really big test," Michael continued lamely. Maria turned to look at him like he was a complete idiot. A Science test? Maybe if they were Max and Liz she'd buy it. "Stop," Amy said sharply. "What's really going on here?" Then her eyes lit on her daughter, the nervousness in her posture, the way that her arms were crossed protectively over her stomach, the wariness in her eyes. Amy looked at the boxes again. "You were saying something about moving in with him?" Realization sparked in her eyees as some things fell into place. She shook her head quickly. "No." "Mom, try not to freak out here." Maria reached out, but Amy stepped away. "No, no, no, no," she said quickly. "Don't even tell me that you're......." She couldn't say the words. Michael watched, fascinated by the similiarities to Maria's initial response. There really was something to genetics. Then Amy seemed to remember his existence, and Michael was busy ducking a flying textbook. "You got my daughter pregnant!" The next thing flying through the air was a notebook. "Did you not listen to what I told you? No sleeping with my daughter!" Michael ducked around behind Maria. "Mom, stop throwing things!" Maria reached out and grabbed her hands. "Just listen to us for a minute." "Fine." Amy looked at her. "Tell me I'm wrong. Tell me you're not pregnant when you're still in high school." Tears filled in Maria's eyes. "I can't, Mom." Amy seemed to lose her strength. She collapsed onto the bed. "A baby?" she whispered. "How could you?" She glared at Michael, who had decided to move forward, very cautiously, now that Amy was out of ammunition. "Weren't you paying any attention to our talks about being careful?" "I was being careful," Maria protested. Amy laughed. "Yeah, I can see that." "The pills didn't work," Maria pointed out weakly. "Maria, are you sure? I mean, absolutely sure? Maybe it's just a false alarm?" Amy asked hopefully. "We're sure." Michael stood next to Maria, holding her hand. "Mrs. DeLuca, I know this is a huge shock to you........." "No. Finding you in bed with my daughter - now, that was a shock. This is beyond a shock. I'm not sure there's a word in English for this." She glared at him angrily. "But I want you to know that I'm not going anywhere. I'm taking responsibility here. Maria's not going to have to go through this alone." "How comforting, Michael. For how long? Until the next time that you decide to run off and leave my daughter alone again?" Amy had a sudden thought. "Wait a minute. Is that what this last month was about? You found out she was pregnant and you ran? That's just great. You couldn't even wait until the baby was born?" Maria could feel Michael flinch at her mother's words. "Mom, that's not fair......." "No, Maria, what's not fair is some boy taking advantage of you and hurting you over and over. You deserve better." Michael couldn't argue with that. Maria did deserve better. She deserved a life where she was safe and happy. A normal, human life. But that wasn't what she had. "I'm not leaving," he said quietly. "What was that?" Amy stood up, glowering at him. "I'm not leaving." He looked at her directly, hating that look of anger and distrust in her eyes even more for knowing he deserved it. He'd hurt her daughter so many times that it was no wonder she hated him. "Not ever. I love Maria, Mrs. DeLuca." He wished he had the words to express all he felt. "You know, Michael, that would be more believable if you hadn't just come back from vanishing for a month." "Okay, that's enough," Maria interrupted. "Stop blaming Michael for this." "Oh, don't worry, young lady." Amy's attention returned to her daughter. "I'm putting plenty of blame for this on you, too." "It wasn't Maria's fault," he protested, wincing at the disbelieving looks both women gave him. "It just happened," he finished lamely. From the look on her face, he suspected Maria's mother was gong to try to hit him again, so he went on quickly. "Listen, there are things you don't understand." Again with the laughter that wasn't anywhere near amused. "Yeah, I seem to recall using that line myself. My parents didn't buy it either." "No, really." Michael took a deep breath. "There are things you don't know, Mrs. DeLuca. Things about me. Ow!" He looked over angrily. Maria had just stepped on his foot. "I'll be right back." Ignoring her mother's angry protests, Maria pulled Michael out of the room and outside. ---------------------------------------------------------- Maria waited until they were securely inside the Jetta, doors closed and locked, some privacy ensured. Then she turned to Michael. "You really have lost your mind, haven't you?" "I don't know what you're talking about," he muttered sulkily. "No? What exactly were you about to tell my mother?" He sighed in annoyance. "What deep dark secret about myself do you think I was going to tell her, Maria?" She shook her head, leaning back and staring at him. "It sounded like you were about to tell her that you're not of this earth." He just stared back at her. "Well? That's your clue to tell me that I'm wrong. Go on." She waved her hands at him. "You're not wrong. I was going to tell your mother that I'm an alien." His voice was even and emotionless. He could have been telling her that he was going down to the grocery store or something. She blinked in surprise. "But you never tell anyone," she whispered. "You didn't even want me to know." He shrugged. "You said it might make things easier for you if your mom knew. So I was going to tell her." A sad, almost wistful note entered his voice. "Maybe once she knows about the tiasa, she'll believe that I'm not going to leave you." He tilted her head back so that she was looking him directly in the eyes. "You believe that, right? You know that I would never leave either of you. Never." "I know." Her brief smile faded as she thought about it. "You can't tell her." "Why not?" His response was so simple. "Um, because it's not just your secret. It involves Max and Isabel, too." Why was she having to point this out to him? Michael, the most paranoid and secretive of the alien group, was actually having to be convinced not to tell someone what they were? "I wasn't going to tell her about Max and Isabel. Just me." "You don't think she could make the connection?" "Why would she?" Michael's mouth twisted sarcastically. "I'm willing to bet she'll have a much easier time believe that I'm an alien than the perfect Evans kids. And it's not like Max bothered to consult Izzy and me before opening his big mouth to Liz." "And do you remember how furious you were with Max over that?" Michael shook his head impatiently. "This is smarter than Max telling Liz." "How do you figure, Spaceboy?" Her tone was sharper than she'd intended. Did he still wish that Max hadn't told Liz? If Max hadn't, then she would never have learned about the aliens herself, and the chances of her being with Michael now were very slim. "Your mother won't turn me in to the authorities." Michael sounded very sure of himself. "No matter how much she hates me, and will probably hate me even more once she knows I'm not even human, she loves you. And once she calms down, she's going to love her granddaughter, too." Michael reached over to sense his daughter for a moment. "She won't turn me in, because it would also mean endangering you two." He smiled. "She might try to shoot me herself, but she won't turn me in." The smile vanished abruptly. "Your mother doesn't really own a gun, does she?" "No, but I'm sure Sheriff Valenti would let her borrow one if she asked nicely," Maria answered sweetly. "Thanks," he answered in a matching tone. Maria moved closer to him. "You would really do that for me, Michael? You'd tell her, just to make things easier for me?" She couldn't believe it. "Yeah." That simple. Of course he would. He'd do anything for her. Why did she even need to ask? Maria raised her hand and gently caressed his cheek. "That is so sweet," she murmured, moving in to kiss him. Before it got too serious, though, Michael pulled back. "Your mother's watching us." He pointed to the front windows of the house. Maria could see the curtains flutter close. "This might not be the best way to calm her down." "Probably not." Maria came to a decision. "No. You can't tell her. I mean it, Michael," she said, stopping his protests. "I remember how mad you were at Max. I won't have you do this for me. You three need to be able to trust each other. I won't have you jeopardize that for me. She's my mother and I'm saying you can't tell her." "Fine." Michael threw his hands up. "Stubborn woman. Tell me if you change your mind." "But I love you for wanting to." She smiled at him, and was glad to see how quickly his answering smile came. "Now go away." She started to get out of the car. "What?" He was confused as he followed her out. "I'm going to talk to my mother, and I don't think your presence is required." She frowned, looking up at the house. "In fact, it might make things worse. So go home." "I don't think that's a good idea," he protested as she pushed him towards his bike. "I'll call you if I need you," she insisted. Setting her shoulders determinedly, she braced herself to walk back into the house. ----------------------------------------------------------- Maria found her mother in the kitchen, muttering to herself as she put away dishes. "My baby's having sex. My baby girl's pregnant." Over and over. This was not a good sign of acceptance. "Mom?" Amy spun around, frying pan in hand. "Where's Michael?" She looked around, apparently expecting to see him behind Maria. "Why? Planning on hitting him with the frying pan?" She pointed. Amy blushed a little and put it down. "He went home." "I thought he wasn't ever going to leave," Amy answered sarcastically. "I told him that we needed to talk together. Alone." Maria sat down at the kitchen table. "Can we talk about this calmly, please?" Amy shook her head, but she did sit down. "I'll try, but I make no promises. You just dropped this on me, while you've known about it for....." She frowned. "How far along are you?" Maria put her hand on her stomach, trying to send reassuring vibes to her baby. It probably wasn't helping much, since she herself was a bundle of nerves. "A little over three months." "Three months?" Amy's voice started rising towards hysteria again, but she determinedly quashed that. "Three months," she repeated. "We need to take you to see a doctor. Make sure you're okay." "We've already done that," Maria answered evenly. "We went to a clinic out of town," she lied calmly. Okay, actually we had an alien king scan me, but the result's the same. "I'm fine and so is the baby." "That's good, at least." Amy started tapping her fingers on the table nervously. "What are your plans?" Maria spread her hands wide. "Michael wants me to move in with him. And I will," she went on quickly, seeing her mother open her mouth. "Eventually. We're still working some of the details out." "Maria, what makes you think you can trust him?" She held up a hand to stop Maria's protests. "No, hear me out. I understand the whole young love thing. Believe me, I do." She smiled wryly. "But Michael doesn't exactly have the best track record where commitment's concerned. How many times have you cried yourself out because of that boy? Did he know you were pregnant when he left town this summer?" Maria nodded slowly. "And he still skipped town? Bad enough that it was so soon after Alex, but if he knew about the baby......" The thought made her blood boil. Michael was nothing but trouble. Charming at times, yes. But still trouble. "It wasn't like that." Maria thought quickly. "He didn't leave because of the baby. Well, maybe in a way." Keep your lies as close to the truth as possible. "You know how Michael's an orphan? Well, he thought he had a lead on some family in New York." Let's leave out the part about the family being homicidal. "With the baby coming, he wanted to try and find some family. Check medical history and stuff." She shrugged. "But it didn't work out." She leaned forward. "I told him it was okay to go, Mom. So it's not like he just up and walked out on me." "Then why all the crying?" Amy wasn't buying it. "And why couldn't he have waited a while, until you were over Alex's death?" "We'll never be over Alex's death," Maria answered angrily. Okay, calm down. She wasn't sure why her heart-rate was starting to speed up so much, or why she was getting so angry. How had she expected her mother to react? "Never," she went on, quieter. "What about school? How are you going to finish getting an education with a baby to take care of? Maria, do you even have any idea of what you're getting yourself into?" "I know it's not going to be easy, Mom." You don't know the half of it, she thought, momentarily regretting the fact that she hadn't let Michael tell. It really would make things easier. "I'm hoping to be able to finish the semester. After that," she shrugged again. "We'll see. Maybe I can finish the year in night school." "And Michael?" "Michael's looking for more work," Maria said slowly. She realized she hadn't asked Michael how is earlier meeting with Valenti about that had gone. "So he's going to drop out." Amy didn't sound surprised, but she didn't sound happy either. Another shrug. "We'll need the money." "Yes, you will. Having a child is expensive. What about insurance? I doubt the Crashdown has medical coverage for its waitresses and part-time cooks." "We haven't figured that out yet," she answered. That was actually the one thing they didn't need to worry about yet, not as long as they had Dr. Max around for check-ups. "I see." Amy stood up and walked around the room, finally exploding. "Damn it, Maria! Weren't you thinking?" She turned around, tears in her eyes. "I wanted you to have everything, education, college, a good life." "I'm still going to have a good life, Mom. Really." Maria stood up. She walked over to look out the window for a second, trying to take deep calming breaths. She was starting to feel trapped and even more panicky. But she couldn't run out of the room. This had to be dealt with. She turned back. "It's not like I'm dead. Okay, so college is out. And I'm going to have to reprioritize. But I'm not alone. It's going to be okay." She hesitated before going on. "Was having me really so bad?" Amy turned to look at her. "Oh, sweetie, you are the best thing in my life." She pulled Maria into a hug. "But it was so hard, baby. And I wanted better for you. You're both so young. I didn't want you to have the same problems I did." "I won't." Amy pulled out of the hug. "I love Michael, Mom. And I trust him. I believe him when he says he's going to be there for me." Amy's mouth twisted angrily. "Why? And for how long?" "Mom, don't........." "No, you listen to me." Amy's voice was rising and she wasn't even trying to stop it. "How can you count on that boy? How many times have I heard you crying because he hurt you? In the last two years......." She shook her head. "In the last two years I've watched you. You've been scared and sad, heartbroken. Because of him," she spat out. "Since he came into your life, you've started lying to me, spending even less attention on school, had problems with your friends. You've almost completely stopped socializing - I can't even remember the last time you went to a party. You've run off on mysterious 'camping' trips with him, disappearing for days at a time, coming back with my poor Jetta full of holes and with pieces falling off it." Amy's voice softened. "You've lost so much of your joy in life, Maria. So much of your innocence. I hate seeing that." The tenderness in her voice vanished, and the anger returned. "And now he's gotten you pregnant." "I was there too, Mom," Maria replied, voice coldly furious. It was bad enough knowing that Michael blamed himself for everything that had happened. It was almost more than she could do to stand there and listen to her own mother saying these things about him. She doesn't know the truth, she reminded herselt. She only knows what she's seen. It didn't help. Her mother didn't seem to notice Maria's growing fury. Either that or she was so angry herself that she didn't care. "And for a boy who's spent more time avoiding you or breaking up with you than he's spent actually with you. And of course, let's not forget his frequent trips to jail. How many times has he been arrested for suspicion of violent crimes again?" "He was released both times. You're the one who got him out the first time, remember?" Maria clenched her fists tightly, struggling to stay calm. "A fact which I'm greatly regretting right now. Somehow, I doubt those were his only problems with the law, considering Jim's very close professional attention to him sophomore year." Amy stood still for a second, a frown growing on her face. Maria knew that look. A thought had just occurred to her mother, and it probably wasn't one that Maria wanted her to continue. Valenti's interest in Michael, both while hunting the aliens and then while protecting them, wasn't something that would really hold up under her mother's close scrutiny. She moved to distract her mother from that line of thought. "Listen, do I wish that this had happened in the future sometime, when we were better prepared? Sure. But it didn't. It happened now, and there is nothing you can do about it. So you better just shut up and deal with it." Maria closed her mouth sharply, but the angry words were already out. She couldn't believe she'd just said that. Amy looked at her silently for a very long moment, staring at her daughter as if she was a stranger. "What has he gotten you into, Maria?" she asked slowly, brow furrowed in thought. "What are you talking about?" Maria asked, exasperated. This conversation was not going well. Big shock. Amy frowned. "I just figured it was typical teen-age rebellion. But now, thinking about it...... Some of those damages to the car were strange. Almost like bullet holes or something. There was all that gossip about his foster father's disappearance, that there were gunshots heard that night. All those trips out of state........" She reached out for her daughter, but Maria pulled back angrily. "What is Michael involved in?" "Great, I'm pregnant and suddenly Michael's what? Some criminal mastermind? A drug smuggler? Or is it guns? What?" Shut up, Maria, she told herself. But she couldn't seem to get herself under control, no matter how hard she tried. Fight or flight, and she was going for the fight part. Crossing her arms, she glared at her mother. "Is that easier for you to deal with?" "I don't know," Amy whispered slowly. "But there are just so many things. I remember when Nancy Parker was worried about Liz's relationship with Max. She was thinking that Max might be a bad influence." Maria's anger was growing exponentially, along with a strong desire to run. Get the hell out of there. That or break something. But she forced herself to laugh. "Right. Max Evans, a bad influence? Come on, Mom. Aren't we getting a little off the topic here?" "That whole group of you for the last couple of years...." A horrified look came over Amy's face. "Maria, how did Alex die?" "What?" Maria retreated, stepping back from her. No, Mom. Please don't. "You know how. There was a car accident." "Was it? Was it just an accident? Roswell's a small town, Maria. I've heard the rumors." Thanks, Liz. "What rumors? That Alex was on drugs? Don't be stupid. You knew Alex. He would never have done drugs." She could hear the panic in her voice, but couldn't seem to stop it. Of all the parents, why did hers have to be the one to actually pay attention to all the weirdness in their lives? Amy shook her head slowly. "He was dating Max's sister, right? And he and Michael got to be friends?" It was clear where she was headed with this. "If Michael is involved with something illegal......." Something in Maria snapped. She grabbed the vase of flowers from the table and threw them across the room. Amy flinched at the noise as the vase shattered against the wall not far from her. "Shut up!" Maria yelled. She had never been so angry before. Staying calm was no longer anywhere near the realm of possibility. "You want to blame Michael for everything bad that's ever happened to me, fine. Blame him for the hole in the ozone layer in you want. But don't ever blame him for what happened to Alex." Maria couldn't even think straight. All she knew was that she needed to get out of there and quick, before she did or said anything even worse. She needed to get to Michael. Backing up, she ran into a chair. She kicked it out of the way, appreciating the solid thud it made when it fell to the ground. Ignoring her mother's cries, Maria ran out the door. ----------------------------------------------------------- The instant he opened the door, Valent knew he was in trouble. Amy pushed past him into the house, ignoring his questioning protests. He saw Kyle peek his head around the corner. "What's the matter, Amy?" She turned to him angrily. "Did you know that Maria was pregnant?" At that, Kyle turned and went back to hide in his room. Coward. Amy crossed her arms and glared at him, impatiently waiting for his answer. He quickly ran a number of options through his mind, but ultimately, he chose the simple truth. "Yeah." "You knew?" Valenti winced as her voice went up in both pitch and volume. "You knew that my daughter was pregnant, and it didn't occur to you that this was information I might want to know? Jim, what were you thinking? I mean, they're kids, so they might have some small miniscule excuse for their stupidity. What's yours?" "I'm guessing they told you?" Valenti gestured towards the couch. "Do you want to sit down?" "No, I don't want to sit down. What I want is an explanation about how you knew my daughter was pregnant when I didn't." Valenti leaned back against the wall, watching the pacing woman carefully. "I just found out a few days ago. Kyle let it slip." Amy hesitated briefly, them returned to her pacing. "Kyle knew? Figures. Let me guess - their whole little gang knew about it, right?" Without waiting for an answer, she strode up to him. "How could you not tell me, Jim?" He sighed. "I'm sorry, Amy. I should have told you right away, but I wanted them to do it. I wanted them to take responsibility for it." She laughed bitterly. "Right. Because responsibility is something Michael's well known for." "Amy, sit down." He grabbed her arm firmly and led her over to the couch. "Listen to me. I realize that Michael's made some mistakes...." "I would call breaking my daughter's heart over and over again to be more than just some mistakes." He went on, ignoring her interruption. "And that this situation isn't exactly putting him in the best possible light, but I've gotten to know Michael over the last few years." "From his many trips to jail?" He winced. "More from his being friends with Kyle. Michael's growing up, Amy. He's had a tough life, but he's trying as hard as he can to make something of himself. And he loves Maria." She shook her head, rejecting that idea. "He does, Amy. I know what you're worried about." He lowered his voice, not wanting Kyle to hear. "Both of us have had to deal with being left alone to raise a child. It's not something I would wish on Maria. You don't have to worry about that. Michael could no more leave them than he could manage to live without breathing. It's impossible." "That sounds very nice and very melodramatic, Jim, but I'm not buying it." "It's the truth, though. Michael would do anything to take care of them." Literally. "I'm not saying they don't have a hard time ahead of them, 'cause they do. But Michael leaving his family isn't something you need to worry about." Amy let out a long breath, staring at the ground in thought. Then she stood up slowly and looked down at him. "You're so determined to defend him," she mused. "Amy." He stood up, but she kept talking. "He was arrested twice, once for suspicion of killing his own foster father, once for that body in the desert." "And was released both times," Valenti pointed out. "At the time, I accepted that," she agreed. "I mean, I have an innate distrust of law enforcement, so I just figured you guys screwed up. But really, think about it. Most people don't get mistakenly arrested for murder even once, much less twice." What was he supposed to say to that? That she was right, that Michael had killed the second man he was arrested for, even if it was self-defense? Somehow he didn't think that would help the situation any. "Last year, when you were suspended, everyone was talking about it," she went on. "Talking about how you were harassing that geologist, the one who was dating Isabel Evans. And all those whispers about what you were doing with the Evans kids. Kids who spend a lot of time with Michael." She tilted her head to one side, looking at him intently. "I figured it was just small town talk, Jim. Nothing really to it. Then Alex died, and Tess just vanished...." "She went to live with her aunt," he protested firmly. "Did she?" She raised her eyebrow questioningly. "You know about my daughter's pregnancy before I do. What pregnant teenager is going to tell one of her friend's fathers about that?" "I explained......." She cut him off. "Right. Kyle told you. No, Jim. There are too many things that don't add up." She took a deep breath. "Jim, you know how much I care about you. But I can't be involved with someone I can't trust, and right now, I'm not sure how much I can trust you. I don't like the possibilities I'm coming up with here. So, I'm asking. What is going on with those kids and you? What are you covering up for?" Valenti didn't hesitate. Keeping eye contact, he answered. "I'm not covering up anything, Amy. They're just friends of Kyle's, that's all. You're making up conspiracies that aren't there." Amy stared at him sadly, then turned and left, closing the door with grim finality behind her. Slowly, Valenti turned around, only to find Kyle standing there looking at him, shocked. "Dad," he started, but was stopped by the look on his father's face. "Not now, Kyle." He walked past him, heading for his room. "Not now." --------------------------------------------- Michael strode back and forth across his apartment. His reslessness had been growing rapidly over the last half hour or so. Nothing seemed able to calm it down. He couldn't even take the edge off it. It was getting worse, not better. The anger was increasing, filling him up until it was the only thing he could feel, and the only thing he wanted was to lash out. At something, anything. The energy pounding through him needed a way out. "No," he whispered with determination. He was not going to let it win. He could control it. He'd managed it before, he would manage it again. Closing his eyes, he tried to force down the rage, but soon gave it up. It wasn't working. This isn't good. He eyed the plates sitting near the sink, considering breaking them, but disregarded the idea. Breaking things isn't exactly healthy anger management. He paced across the room again. What the hell triggered this attack? If this can happen to me out of nowhere, without a trigger........ He stopped that line of thought. He didn't like the implications. Then he realized it. Stupid - he should have figured it out sooner, but the rage was affecting his ability to think clearly. He wasn't able to stop the anger because it wasn't his anger he was feeling. It was Maria's. Obviously, her talk with her mother wasn't going well. Then he felt her. Close. Rushing to the door, he opened it and pulled Maria inside, closing the door behind her to block out the world. Wrapping his arms around her, he held her as close as he could, feeling the shaking in her body. "It's okay, teel-sharan. I'm here," he whispered softly, leading her over to the couch. He sat down, pullng her with him despite the protests of her body. She held herself so stiffly, too tightly, unable to relax. "Everything's going to be okay, now." He pulled back to look at her face, upset at what he saw. She was shaking, worse even than during the tiasa, fists clenched and mouth held in a tight line. She was angrier than he'd ever seen her before, which was saying quite a bit. But this was more than a usual Maria-storm. You're doing this to her. This is because of you. She can't handle it. He pulled her close to him. Maria, I'm so sorry. He had never imagined... Later, he told himself sternly. First things first. "What happened?" He forced his voice to be soft and calming, giving no clue to how upset he was. If he allowed himself to get angry, too, then it might start a spiraling effect that they wouldn't be able to stop. His anger would feed hers, which would then pour back into him. That couldn't be allowed to happen. "Mom was saying awful things about you," Maria managed to get out. He winced at the sound of her voice, so cold and empty, so devoid of anything Maria-like. "She thinks you're some type of drug dealing murderer who's led me into his life of crime." "You must have known she'd be upset," he pointed out reasonably. He ran his hands up and down her arms, concentrating on sending her soothing emotions. The physical contact seemed to be helping some, but she was still shaking too much. "It's understandable." Maria shook her head. "You don't understand. The things she was accusing you of.." She couldn't say it. Michael was still blaming himself for Alex's death. She wasn't about to tell her her mother's suspicions. She gave a shaky laugh. "I threw a vase, Michael." He stilled for a second in shock. "At your mother?" The laugh this time was a little better. "No. I just got so mad that I wanted to throw something... although it did come a little closer to her than I wanted it to." "Well, we need to work on your aim, then," he pointed out, pulling her onto his lap. "What am I? Like four? I'm way too old for temper tantrums like that." She looked at him, so confused and scared. "I don't think I can see her again, Michael. I've never been so angry in my life. I don't want to be anywhere near her. Ever." "I know, teel-sharan. I know." He put one hand on top of her head, keeping the other one around her waist. "We're going to fix it, okay?" "Fix it? How can you fix me being mad at her?" Here goes. "We can fix it because it's not real, Maria. It's not true." "No, believe me, it's real. I'm furious at her. She had no right to say those things." "Furious enough to never want to see her again?" he pointed out. She frowned at the thought. "Try to think it through. Yeah, you're angry, but the extent of it's wrong. It's too much." "Okay," she said, accepting it. "Then what do we do?" "Look at me." She looked into his eyes. "Don't think about anything else. Just look at me. Feel me." He moved his hand down to her throat, feeling her pulse. Much too fast. "Feel us." Maria closed her eyes, concentrating on the connection they shared. Through the coldness of her anger, she could feel him there, reaching out to her. She felt disattached, separate from everything except that bond. "Good." She could hear his voice, but it seemed so far away. The warm sensation of his love surrounding her was a lot stronger. "Now take all that anger and push it down. It's not real. You don't have to let it control you." "I don't understand," she started, but then she felt him helping her. Their spirits mixed and mingled in a way they hadn't since the tiasa, until she wasn't sure anymore which emotions were hers and which were his. Yeah, there was a lot of anger, some of it so intense it made her almost stop breathing, but there was also love, fierce and tender. She could picture the anger in her mind, all red and harsh edges, and watched as it was put down and locked away under mental walls. Finally, some good use for those stupid walls of his. She smiled a little at the thought, feeling much calmer now. "Good girl." She laughed at the tone of his voice. "You sound like you really do think I'm four." She managed to open her eyes, but didn't move from her position on his lap. Michael laughed. "I definitely don't think of you as a four year old." He peered closely at her, noticing that her eyes looked calmer and saner, that her shivers had stopped. "How are you feeling?" She smiled, nuzzling even closer. "Much better. Tired." She wrapped her arms around him. "But good. Very good." The closeness with Michael was still there. Memories were flickering through her mind, some too quick to really examine, like brief glimpses of a movie or something, but she could tell that some of them weren't hers. Michael's. Flashes from Michael. She laughed again. Definitely good. "You need rest." He moved, picking her up so carefully, carrying her into the bedroom. "What are you doing?" She looked at him with wide eyes. "Michael Guerin, are you trying to get me into your bed?" His laughter joined hers. "Always." He put her down, tucking her under the covers gently. "But just for sleep this time." She reached out and took his hand. "Sleep with me?" she asked hopefully. He laughed again, then lay down on the bed next to her, wrapping his arms around her tightly. Drowsy, she let her mind wander. "Was that more of your defensive measures?" she asked finally. "No." He moved aside a strand of her hair and kissed her neck. "That wasn't about anyone else attacking. That was about self-control." "What happened?" Maybe she should have been more upset about all this, but she was feeling too good, too safe, to get upset again. Or maybe she was just too drained emotionally. Whatever the cause, she was only a little curious. She felt him kiss her again, then move his hands down to join hers where they were resting over their daughter. Finally, he answered. "It's the increase in energy levels. It has plenty of benefits...." "I remember." She closed her eyes and smiled, remembering how good it had felt when he shared his power with her the day before. "But it has side effects, too." He paused, trying to think how to put it into words. "Everything's more intense." "And here I thought you didn't like getting intense," she teased. He laughed. "Yeah, well, I've gotten over that particular phobia." His fingers started playing with hers. "Senses are heightened, but so are emotions. So what you already feel........" "Becomes more, too." She opened her eyes and turned in his grip to face him. "So when I got mad at Mom, it got out of control quickly." He nodded. "I'll help you learn how to deal with it," he promised gently. "Who taught you?" "Someone long dead," he answered briefly. "It doesn't matter now." She kept staring at him, eyes piercing. "What?" "Is it the same for you?" He hesitated briefly, then nodded. "Same basic idea, yeah. Don't worry about it right now." "'Kay." She closed her eyes again. "But we're going to have to talk more about this later." "Imagine my surprise," he answered dryly. "Neeyal semar, teel-sharan." "Good night, Spaceboy." And she drifted off to a peaceful sleep. Michael stayed awake for hours, watching her as she slept. Remembering Dagmar's words of warning months ago. Maria was human, not Antaran. She shouldn't have to deal with any of this. It was too much for her. She was too fragile. He smiled. Of course, she was also the strongest-willed person he'd ever met. Finally, he closed his eyes with a final kiss on the top of her head. He let himself relax. They'd figure it out somehow. Together.

Anla · Post by **Anla** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 10:46 am

Valenti peered into the glass in front of him. Almost empty. He looked over to catch the bartender's eye. Fred nodded back before finishing the order he was filling. The sheriff returned his attention to his glass. He wasn't sure how many beers this had been. It's way too early in the night to be losing track of your drinks, he scolded himself, but he couldn't really seem to care. He was basically too busy trying to block out the memory of Amy walking out the door and the voice telling him to go fix things with her, which was an impossibility, since it would take telling her the truth. And that he couldn't do. Not ever. He'd made Max a promise, a promise made over the miraculously saved body of his son. So until he could figure out a way to keep both their secret and Amy..... Valenti was raising his glass to finish it off when he heard a smooth voice next to him. "May I sit down, Sheriff?" Recognizing the voice, he winced and swallowed quickly before turning to look. Just as he expected. Lynn Prentice was standing there, smiling warmly at him. He looked her over closely, enjoying the view even while knowing it was dangerous. Her short black dress, matching silver jacket buttoned all the way up her neck, seemed too fancy and out of place in the bar. Made him feel underdressed in his jeans and blue flannel shirt. She certainly stood out. Focus, he admonished himself, tearing his eyes away. I am nowhere ready to deal with this right now. He looked back at her, recognizing again that she really was a beautiful woman. Aw, what the hell. He smiled back. "Sure. Make yourself comfortable." He moved aside so that she could slide into the seat next to him. "Thank you." As she sat, she crossed her legs so that her skirt rose even further, stopping just short of being truly indecent. Valenti made a point of glancing at her legs, then up at her face, raising an eyebrow as his grin grew wider. If she wanted to try and play games to distract him, fine, but he didn't want her thinking he wasn't aware of exactly what she was doing. She laughed softly in response, but didn't adjust her skirt. Not that he was complaining. He just hoped she wore something a bit more decorous when she was teaching. Kyle had a hard enough time in school. He didn't need any more distractions than he already had. "Here you go, Jim," Fred said, pushing a full glance across the bar. "And what can I get you?" He was practically leering at the woman. Ms. Prentice leaned across so she could be heard over the others in the bar, just happening to come into closer physical contact with the sheriff as she did so. "Just a club soda, thanks." Fred nodded and turned swiftly to fill her order. Which he did, and then appeared unlikely to leave, until Valenti gave him a pointed look. Flushing, the bartender turned away and returned to the other patrons. "Not drinking, Ms. Prentice?" He was wishing he'd had less to drink himself. He had a feeling that this was definitely a woman he should be in control of his full wits around. His checks on her past hadn't shown anything strange, but he trusted Maria's instincts. Not to mention, his own, which were screaming more than they had been when he'd gone up against Kathleen Topolsky. And look how well that turned out. Realizing that she was answering, he blocked out the ghosts of the past and paid attention. "Nope. I'm not a big drinker." She smiled again, maintaining eye contact as she raised the glass and took a sip. "And I thought I'd asked you to call me Lynn." He nodded. "Fine. Lynn. Then I guess you'll have to call me Jim." "Okay." She looked around the dimly lit bar. "Cow Patty's, huh?" Her nose wrinkled delicately for a minute. "Interesting name." He laughed. "Yeah. It's the high point of Roswell night life." He waved expressively. "Drinking, dancing, and sometimes karaoke." Lynn joined in the laugh. "After only a few months here, I really believe that." She put down her glass and leaned closer, lowering her voice conspiratorially. "Don't get me wrong, this is a nice town. But doesn't all the alien stuff get a bit much after a while?" "Nah. Nobody really believes that stuff, anyway. We just use it to get money from the tourists." "So you're not a believer in aliens, huh?" There was an amused twinkle in her eyes now. He was having a hard time deciding if they were blue or green. Maybe somewhere in the middle. Either way, they went well with her red hair. "Come on, Lynn. How often do you think I've arrested an alien in my jail?" "Would you know if you had?" Her voice hadn't changed, still pleasant and laughing, just a woman having fun at a bar, but something in her eyes altered. It was very subtle, and he wouldn't have even noticed if he hadn't been looking. They were more alert suddenly, more probing. He wondered if she could read him at all. He doubted that he was doing half as good a job as she was of controlling herself. "Oh, I think I would." He used taking a deep swallow of his beer as an excuse to turn away. "Does this mean you're a believer?" That look in her eyes was gone again. "Let's just say I'm open to endless possibilites." "Not a bad thing," he agreed. He looked over at the dance floor, not terribly crowded on a week night. "How about the possibility of line dancing?" He stood up, taking her hand and pulling her up. "What? No, I don't think so." She tried to pull back, but he held her hand tightly. "Scared?" he asked, letting just a little of a challenge into his voice. She stopped and looked at him curiously, a slow grin spreading across her face as she studied him. "Not of anything you could think up, Jim," she said with determination. "But you'll have to show me how to do it. I've never line danced before." "Well, you are in for an education, ma'am." He led her over to the dance floor and started showing her the steps. What are you doing? he asked himself. He looked over at the laughing woman next to him. Having fun. And amazingly, he was. He knew that this was crazy. This woman dancing with him was undoubtedly up to something. Maybe she was FBI. Maybe she was an evil alien. He was well aware that she was trying to play him, using her looks and her body to distract him. He didn't know what she wanted, but she wanted something and that made her someone he definitely shouldn't be talking and drinking with. He was still sober enough to know that. But it didn't really seem to matter. Because no matter what his mind was telling him, he was having fun. Stupid, yeah, but it was the truth. Dancing with a pretty woman who laughed at his jokes - definitely not the worst way to spend an evening. And definitely not the worst thing in the world after being dumped, either. By the time last call was announced, Valenti and Lynn were the last two customers in the bar. They'd been dancing and talking for hours, and were still having fun. At least Valenti was. He had no idea what she was really thinking. He held the door politely for her as they left the bar, taking a deep breath of the crisp early morning air. He looked down at his watch. Almost 3 in the morning. He hadn't planned on being out this late. Good thing he didn't have to work the next day. "So, can I give you a ride home, Jim?" Lynn moved closer, lowering her voice in invitation. She twirled her keys in front of him. "I don't think you should be driving." For a minute, he was seriously tempted, for more than one reason. But he really wasn't in any shape to be taking this any further that night, and he was well aware of it. So, regretfully, he shook his head no. "You're right about the driving, but it's okay. Fred's already called me a cab." They were illuminated by the bright headlights of a car turning the corner and approaching the bar. "And there it would be." She looked genuinely disappointed. Why? was the million dollar question, though. She forced a smile. "I didn't know that Roswell even had a taxi company," she said lightly. "Oh, we have one." Valenti waved to the cab, but found himself reluctant to get inside. Maybe he just didn't want to have to go home and deal with the mess his life had steadily become. "One company or one cab?" she teased, looking at the cab, then groaning theatrically. "Green? You guys have little green taxis? This town takes the whole alien thing way too seriously." Valenti laughed. Turning to leave, he had a sudden thought, and paused. "I had fun tonight, Lynn." He leaned over and gave her a quick kiss, running one hand down her arm, pausing momentarily where her sleeved ended at her wrist. "Me, too." She pulled away reluctantly and headed for her car. "Give me a call sometime." "I'll do that," he muttered, looking down at his hand before getting into the cab and heading home. ------------------------------------------------- Lynn walked up the stairs to her apartment deep in thought. That was an interesting evening. An entertaining one, too, which was more than she'd anticipated. Sheriff Valenti was more careful than she might have expected. Of course, he'd have to be, to have maintainted the alien four's secret this long. Still, she had expected to learn something from him over the course of the evening. But while he answered all her questions in a relaxed and open manner, seeming to hide nothing, at the end of the night she didn't know anything more about him than she had when she went in. He was wary of her, suspecting that something was wrong. She smiled at the memory. Good. It had been a while since she'd played with someone who even knew there was a game going on. He knew about the aliens. That was obvious. But she'd already known that. What she didn't know was why he protected them. From everything she'd learned about his family's history, she would have expected Jim Valenti to rush around, letting everyone know that his father had been right all that time. She was missing something, the reason for his loyalty. Was it from fear of the aliens? Or gratitude? She frowned as she reached the door to her apartment. From what she knew of their past selves, it could easily be either one. Didn't matter. He was loyal to them, to Tymrath and the royal brats. What was important was which of them he was more loyal to. She sighed as she entered and cloed the door securely behind her. "I am really not in the mood for this," she muttered under her breath, then went on, louder. "Come out, come out, wherever you are." She flicked on the light as a man came out from the other room. "Biron? What are you doing here?" She glared at irritation at the large man. He wasn't very bright, but even so, he should have known better than to disobey orders and come into town. "Has something happened? Contact from Kivar?" As if she didn't already know the answer to that one. "No." He came closer, stopping nervously a few steps away from her, appearing to take courage. "I wanted to see you about our orders." "What about them?" She went in to the kitchen, filling a glass of water, pausing to look back at him. "Where are my manners? Would you like something to drink?" When he shook his head, she went back to what she was doing, opening the cupboard to take out a bottle of Tabasco. The club soda at the bar had been seriously lacking in taste. "I thought the orders were fairly simple." Simple enough even for you to understand. "You're supposed to be watching the ways into town, to see if the Aveen clone returns." "I understand the orders. What I don't understand is why our orders were changed to observation." His tone never slipped from being respectful, but it was clear that he was upset. She leaned against the counter, reflectively sipping her water as she watched him. "We should just kill them now. They're practically defenseless." "Defenseless?" Her tone was soft and gently, but he flinched at it anyway. "By all means, go up to Tymrath and see how defenseless he is." Placing her glass down, she walked by him, stopping to sit comfortably in the armchair near the window. "If you want to confront the Arkh'ra, go for it." She grinned nastily. "I'll be sure to send your ashes back home." "Don't call him that!" She raised her eyebrow at his outburst, and he visibly paled, speaking more quietly as he went on. "He's not our Battle-leader. He's unworthy of the title." She shrugged casually. "He killed Nykal. Who else deserves the title?" He strode to stand in front of her, looking down. "Not him. He's a traitor. Or have you forgotten that?" "I've forgotten nothing," she answered icily. "Nothing. I'm well aware of who and what Tymrath is." She leaned back. "He's their Arkh'ra, though. And whether we call him that or not, are you willing to face him?" "No." Ah, not quite as stupid as she thought, then. "And I understand that Vilandra isn't to be touched." He knelt down in front of her so that they were on eye level. "But why not kill Zandar? If he's dead, then he can't reclaim the throne." "True," she said thoughtfully. "But you'd have to go through Tymrath to get to him." "And the humans?" he persisted. "We could kill them anytime." "Which would just make the others be on their guard more," she pointed out. "Or frighten them into making a mistake. They're weak," he argued. "When Vilandra's new boyfriend," he sneered at the human term, "was killed, they fell apart. They would have been even easier pickings than they are now. I doubt that Vilandra would have put up a fight if one of us had come for her then." "Perhaps not," she mused. "And killing Zandar's new love," now it as her turn to put a sarcastic twist on her words, "would almost be more fun than killing him directly." Then she shook her head sharply. "No," she said firmly. "You have your orders. You will follow them." She got up and turned to look out the window, fidgeting wtih the ring on her finger. She heard Biron stand up slowly behind her. "I'm sorry," he said regretfully. "But this waiting is not serving Kivar. We can not allow any chance of Zandar living to return to the throne." She turned back and looked at him. "You've obviously given this a great deal of thought," she said slowly. "Yes." "There's no way of changing your mind?" "None." He drew himself up proudly. A pity, really. She could almost admire his loyalty to his king. She smiled at him. "Well, then, I wish you luck. I truly hope that Tymrath doesn't kill you." Her smile grew predatory. "You might want to start with the sheriff, if not Zandar's little waitress. Kill him and they lose a valuable resource." He nodded thoughtfull. "I'll consider it." "Good." She started to walk to the door to see him out, pausing as she went by him. "Oh, one more thing......." Moving so swiftly that he didn't have the time to even try and block it, she raised her hand and ran it along the side of his neck, allowing the now-visible needle in her ring to break the skin there. She stepped back gracefully as he instantly fell to his back on the ground, staring up at her. She knelt down beside him. "You should never refuse to follow one of my orders." She pushed a button hidden in the side of the ring, so that the needle went back inside. Biron was still staring at her, unable to move, paralyzed instantly by the poison. The only signs of life were his shallow breathing and his eyes, staring at her in confusion and pain. It was like his eyes were screaming at her. Lynn reached out to gently push back his hair. "It hurts. I know." She showed him her ring. "Poison cultivated from the khavorn plant back home." She frowned at the lack of comprehension in his eyes. "It's sad, really, the lack of education about our own house symbol. When properly distilled, the thorns of the khavorn produce a very powerful poison." She lowered her voice. "The poison will ultimately paralyze all your systems. Your Husk won't be able to fight this off. I've tested it. You'll be dead in a matter of minutes." She shook her head at him. "You're not one of us. Not really. But if it's any consolation to you at all, I have no more desire to see Zandar back on the throne than you do. Still, there are more important things than stopping that, right now. All in due time." She brushed her hand over his eyelids, closing them, then pulled him by the shoulders to turn him over so that his back was facing up. Pushing up his shirt, she found the Husk's destruct button. No reason for him to suffer more than was necessary. Making a fist, she hit down on the button with all her strength. In a second, all that was left of Biron was some dust. Standing up, Lynn stretched. Looks like the plan's just been sped up. She sighed. Ardan would be amused. "Well, Tym, guess I'm going to have to face you sooner than I wanted." She turned to her bedroom, intending to grab some clothes. She doubted that anyone would come looking for Biron, but just in case, she might as well make herself scarce for a few days. Monday would be soon enough for the big reunion. ----------------------------------------------------- Michael carefully left the bed, trying not to disturb the still-sleeping Maria. She needed as much rest as she could get, especially after what she'd been through the night before. He remembered how hard it could be to fight back and contain the surging flood of emotions that could come with the increased power. And it would be worse for Maria, who'd been totally unprepared for it. After making sure she was tucked in comfortably, he went out to the living room. The dawn's light was just starting to come in through the windows. Things can't go on like this, he told himself angrily as he looked out at the quiet streets. There's no telling what effect this will have on Maria. Or the baby. He closed his eyes tightly, holding on to the windowpane. If what was going on hurt their baby....... Stop. Don't think about that. He opened his eyes and started wandering aimlessly around the apartment, unable to sit still. He found himself in front of the kitchen drawer, and opened it, reaching far into the back to pull out the alien necklace. He held it up to the light, appreciating the way the facets in the black stone twinkled, even as he hated the memories it represented. Things were different now. Now there was Maria. If she ended up paying the price for what was going on with him, then he would lose everything important to me. Giving up everything else would be worth it if it kept Maria and the others safe. But nothing was worth hurting her more. He couldn't let this destroy Maria. "Never gonna happen," he whispered. Putting the necklace back slowly and firmly closing the drawer, he forced himself to happier thoughts. He looked over at the corner of the apartment he had started to think of as the baby's corner. Eventually, they would have to find a bigger apartment, once had had more money, but for now they'd have to manage with what they had. Michael walked over and crouched down in front of a box containing some little items he'd already started buying for the baby - a blanket, a rattle, a few other things. He figured that the baby could sleep in the bedroom with them at first, but there would be times when they'd want to set the crib up out here. He frowned. There needed to be some more privacy, though, some way to give the baby her own space. Maybe he could get some bookshelves and set them up around a perimeter to create the illusion of walls. Movable shelves weren't too expensive. Of course, then he'd have ot worry about setting them firmly into the floor so that they were never pulled over. That could be dangerous for the baby. Or maybe he could get some bricks and actually build some walls. That might work. I'll have to do some research into that. Deep in thought, Michael set the box down on the couch and walked over to the kitchen counter where he kept a large pad with a list of things to do before the baby was born. Underneath getting a crib and researching baby formula, he added "Masonry". He laughed quietly. Maria would like the idea of making a room for the baby, even if it was a very tiny room. Of course, if they were lucky, they'd be able to be in a bigger apartment before the baby was born. Still, Maria always said that he was good with his hands. That thought led to others, and Michael was giving serious thoughts to waking Maria up and indulging in some of their non-verbal communcation, when he heard someone coming down the hall outside his apartment. He listened for a second, then recognized the very determined, rather angry sound of the steps. For one brief moment, he entertained the fantasy of simply pretending to not be home, ignoring the knock on the door that he knew was coming. But this wasn't a woman it was safe to ignore, and there was no way that she would turn around and leave easily. Plus, any loud banging and yelling from the hallway would likely wake up Maria, and she needed her rest. So, instantly regretting it, Michael went over to the door and opened it just as she started to knock. "Good morning, Mrs. DeLuca," he said quietly, releived to hear his voice stay calm and not show any of his mixed feelings of fear, guilt, and fury. It wasn't so much what she thought of him that angered Michael. He wasn't happy about it, but he was resigned. But Maria didn't need the added stress of dealing with this right now. He hoped, for all their sakes, that she didn't upset Maria again. "Maria's still asleep." Amy glared at him until he finally moved aside. She brushed past him without a word, waiting until he'd closed the door behind them to speak. "I figured she'd come here when she left home last night. What a shock." While the angry bitterness in her voice hadn't changed since yesterday, at least she was keeping her voice down so as not to wake her daughter. Michael nodded, gesturing toward the couch. "Do you want to sit down?" He wouldn't have believed it possible, but Amy's look became even colder as she crossed her arms over her chest. He hurried on. "Yeah, she came over last night. But all we did was sleep. Really," he insisted. He leaned back against the counter, keeping a careful eye on her. Amy's hands were empty at the moment, but that could change quickly. He wanted plenty of time to duck if necessary. "Michael, don't you think it's a little late to try convincing me that you're not having sex with my daughter?" she asked impatiently. "I'm not trying. But we didn't last night." He took a deep breath, trying to stay calm, but a hint of anger still leaked through into his voice. "She was very upset about your fight." Amy gave an angry laugh. "She was upset? Well, so was I." Amy started walking around the room, carefully inspecting the apartment. Michael tried to imagine it through her eyes and didn't think it came out too well. The place was clean enough, but pretty bare. Aside from the furniture, some videos and CDs, there really weren't many personal items around. He'd never felt enough of a sense of permanence to both decorating the place. That would have to change, now that he had a child to consider. He had to make it a real home. "I know." Amy turned around at Michael's quiet statement. Seeing that he had her attention, he went on. "Maria loves you, Mrs. DeLuca. I can't even imagine what that must be like for her." For a split second, Amy's expression softened. "Maria mentioned that you didn't have any luck finding family this summer." Well, actually...... He shrugged. "She's going to need you. She'll need your help and advice and your love. I don't want to cause problems between you two." "Too late." He lowerd his head, accepting the rebuke. "I know. But it's not what I wanted." "What do you want, Michael?" "For them to be happy," he answered promptly. "Both of them." He paused, clearly trying to find the words before continuing. "I understand why you're so angry, Mrs. DeLuca. I've hurt Maria before, and you're afraid that I'm going to hurt her more in the future." His eyes changed briefly, showing that gleam she'd seen before, months ago, the one that reminded her of a wild animal, just waiting to be released and hunt. "I know how I would feel if anyone hurt my daughter. So I get it." His eyes warmed up again. She wasn't even sure she'd really seen that look that worried her. "I'll do everything to keep her safe." "Is this the part where you tell me again how you'll never leave my daughter and grandchild?" she asked, her tone more biting and antagonistic than she'd intended. The sudden change in Michael's attitude had caught her off-guard, all the more so because it was so subtle. "No." "No?" Her mouth thinned dangerously. "What changed?" "Words are easy." He shrugged. "We both know that, right? Anyone can say words. The only way to convince you that I'm going to stay is by actually doing it." His mouth twisted into something that was half-smile, half-grimace. "And I have a feeling it's going to take a long time to convince you of that." "Oh, at least twenty or thirty years," she responded quickly. "Okay." Amy stared at him for long moment, observing the calm way that he looked back at her. He wasn't making excuses for what had happened between him and Maria, and he wasn't giving her empty promises that he knew she wouldn't believe. He was simply telling her the facts as he saw them. She could almost appreciate that, if she weren't so frightened of how much power he had to hurt her daughter. Finally, she went over to sit down on the couch. Michael followed cautiously, still standing, on-guard. Once she had gotten comfortable, she went on in a slightly less hostile tone. "Do you plan to marry Maria?" Michael blinked, his calm mask slipping to show total surprise. This obviously wasn't something he'd thought about before. She wasn't sure if she should feel angry or amused by his expression. Unfortunately for her, she felt a little of both. He scratched his eyebrow. "If Maria wants to." "If Maria wants to? What about you?" "Marrying her wouldn't change anything for me," he explained. Of course, he couldn't tell her that as far as he was concerned, they already were married. But if Maria wanted a human ceremony, too, then he had no problems with it. "We're already connected. Partners." Partners in almost everything, he thought. Maria shared almost everything with him now. She could share everything, whispered a treacherous part of his mind. He pushed that thought aside. It was too dangerous. "Do you think Maria would like that?" If she wanted to get married before the baby was born, they'd have to get planning now. "What I think is that you should talk to Maria about that," Amy answered. She shot off the next question quickly. "How are you going to take care of her and the baby?" "I'm looking for more work", he answered promptly. "Legal work," he added pointedly. She didn't look away from his stare. "Maria told you my concerns about that?" He nodded. "Well, I'm not 100% convinced that you're a drug dealer. I have a hard time imagining some of the people in your little conspiracy helping you with that. Especially Alex. Still, you never know for sure about people." This time she was certain. Michael tensed up as soon as Alex's name was mentioned, and his eyes grew as cold as ice. She almost shivered at the look as he watched her. Not just a wild animal, but one ready to pounce at any minute. "Alex?" he asked in a deadly quiet voice. "What does Alex have to do with anything?" She forced herself to answer, voice only slightly uneven. "Maria didn't tell you that part? I know that there's something going on with you kids, Michael. And that it goes back to before Alex's death. Maybe it had something to do with Alex's death." If anything, his look became even more threatening. Not that he did anything. But the look in his eyes... Amy finally had to look away. You're scaring her, idiot, he told himself sternly. Not going to help your situation any. He pushed the guilt and the anger away, leaving it to deal with later. It didn't help that Amy was right. Alex's death was his fault, and it definitely did have something to do with their secret. But he couldn't tell her that. When he thought he could trust his voice, he answered. "Whatever you think is going on, Mrs. DeLuca, it has nothing to do with Alex." When she looked back at him, he nodded in what he hoped was a reassuring manner. "Alex's death was an accident." Time to get back on topic. "And I promise you I'm not involved in drugs or anything illegal." "Maybe not," she answered slowly. "I have a hard time picturing Jim Valenti covering up for something like that. But like I said, you never know." "Sheriff Valenti? What does he have to do with anything?" Michael was confused. "He's been covering for you all," she said with certainty. "I don't know why yet, but I will." "I don't know what you're talking about." Michael sat down in the armchair, leaning towards her. She laughed quietly. "I have to hand it to you, you're good at the whole lying thing. If I didn't know otherwise, I'd believe you." She shook her head. "I talked with Jim last night. I already know that he covered up about Maria's pregnancy. He should have told me." Michael broke in before she could go on. "Don't blame him for that. He just found out about the baby a few days ago. If Maria and I hadn't told you, he would have." He spoke with increasing urgency. "He wouldn't have wanted to keep anything from you. Honest. This isn't his fault." Amy stared at him in amazement. "Wow," she whispered. "You're pretty much the last kid I'd expect to be defending him. You're so anxious to protect him, just like he's determined to protect you. What exactly is it that he knows about you?" Michael leaned back, silently staring at her without expression. Finally, she broke eye contact again, and glanced at the box next to her on the couch. She looked inside, then up at Michael again. "Baby things?" "Uh, yeah." He looked uncomfortable again. "Just a few things. I haven't really started shopping yet." She started looking through the items, a smile coming to her lips against her better wishes. Baby stuff really was cute. Slowly, she took out a set of windchimes from the bottom of the box. She held up the delicate collection of stars and moons, listening to the pretty tingling as they moved gently. "We sell this at my store." "Yeah, I bought it there. I know it's not for the crib or anything, but I thought the baby might like the noise the bells make." He shrugged, clearly embarrassed. "It goes with the ceiling, too." He pointed up. Amy looked up at the ceiling, noticing the stars painted up there for the first time. She stood up, slightly awed. "Did you draw that?" She glanced at him in time to see his nod, then looked back up. "It's beautiful." And it was. The luminous stars shone down on her almost as if she were outside. She would never have expected to find such a word of beauty inside the bare apartment. She looked back at him. "Have you drawn anything else?" Michael looked at her appraisingly, then stood up. He picked up a sketch pad from the counter, glancing through it quickly to make sure that there was nothing terribly incriminating in it (like pictures of a naked Maria), and then, satisfied that it was suitable for her mother's eyes, he silently handed it to her. Amy started to look through it, hands turning the pages very slowly, almost reverently. Uncomfortable, Michael picked the box back up and returned it to its usual corner. The drawings in the book were good. Very good. But it was more than that. There was life in the pictures. Liz and Maria laughing in their Crashdown uniforms. Max and Isabel through the years. Maria lying asleep under a blanket on the couch. Even one of Maria dressed in a long elaborate dress, sitting on top of a rock, gazing out across a strange reddish-ocean. Who would have expected Michael to imagine something so fantastical? Her hands lingered over the page with the drawing of Maria and Alex, as she wiped her eyes clear of tears. Even more than hos realistic and alive the pictures seemed, Amy was impressed by the sheer amount of love evident in every drawing of her daughter. Whether Maria was sleeping, smiling, or scowling up from the pages, she was beautiful and vibrant. Michael had obviously put a lot of effort into these drawings. The fact that Maria was the most important thing in the world to him shone from the pages of the sketch book. She paused at one of the pictures. Maria was sitting on a park swing, a little girl wrapped tightly in her arms. The two of them were looking up, laughter shining in their eyes. "Michael? What's this?" He was beside her in an instant, looking down. She heard him catch his breath before answering. "Maria and our daughter." He'd forgotten that one was in there. Amy loked up at him quizzically. "What I imagine our daughter will look like, I mean." "You think about it often?" She smiled at his awkward shrug before turning back to the picture. The drawings did more to convince her of Michael's sincerity than all the speeches in the world would have. He was right. Words were easy. But these drawings, the care and love he'd put into them - that was something real. Didn't mean she liked the situation any better. Or that she was going to give up on finding out the real story. But maybe when he said he loved Maria, he meant it. That was something. If only it made her feel better. "Mom?" Michael and Amy looked up at the doorway to the bedroom. Maria was standing there, obviously still groggy but waking up much quicker than her mother was used to seeing. It usually took her at least half an hour to even manage coherent speech. "I thought we should talk." "Yeah." Maria nodded, a little nervous, but determined. She couldn't put this off. Maybe things wouldn't have gone as badly if she had just been honest with her mother in the first place. She looked over at Michael. Well, as honest as she could be under the circumstances. Michael gulped nervously as both DeLucas turned to look at him with identical expressions of irritation. Oh. "I'll be in the other room if you need me." He took the sketch pad from Amy's hand, placing it on the counter on his way out. He wondered if his daughter was going to have that same look when annoyed. The idea of seeing it directed at him from three females was enough to make him slightly panicky. Amy noticed the way Michael reached out to touch Maria's hand on his way past her, how natural it seemed. The two of them had certainly come a long way. Once Michael closed the bedroom door behind him to give them some privacy, Maria started to edge closer nervously. "Oh, sit down, Maria." The smile on her face took some of the sting out of the words. "We've had fights before. If things have gotten so bad that we can't talk about it later, then we're in even more trouble than I thought." Maria gave a small smile in return, sitting down next to her mother. "I'm sorry about throwing the vase," she burst out, wanting to get that out of the way first. "I wasn't trying to hit you or anything." "I know," Amy answered. "Please, Maria. How many times did I play catch with you when you were younger? If you had been aiming for me, the vase would have ended up on the other side of the room." The two laughed briefly. It wasn't completely comfortable, but it was a start. When it subsided, Amy went on. "And I'm sorry that I wasn't able to listen to you calmly." "I didn't really expect you to," Maria admitted. "I wasn't exactly calm when we first realized, either." "You freaked out, didn't you?" Amy knew her daughter. "Oh, yeah." Maria smiled at the memory. "Michael was so calm about it, though. I don't think I could have gotten this far without him." You wouldn't have had to, Amy thought, but she bit her tongue. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Maria looked down at her hands. "Why do you think? I was afraid you'd be mad at me. I knew this was pretty much the worst thing you could ever imagine happening to me. I didn't want to disappoint you." Tears started to gather in her eyes. Amy gathered her daughter in her arms and kissed her forehead gently. "I'm not mad at you. I am very proud of the girl you've grown into," she insisted. She pulled back, holding Maria's shoulders and looking down intently at her daughter. "But I am also very worried about you. I can't pretend that I'm not." "I don't want you to pretend, Mom. I just want you to try and accept the situation." Maria smiled. "The timing is way off, but this baby's not a bad thing. I lover her already." She put her hand over her stomach. "I can feel her growing inside me, Mom. Michael and I love her so much." Seeing that her mother was going to interrupt, she went on quickly. "I'm not saying that it's an ideal situation, or that I would have done it on purpose. Because, obviously, no. It would be better if we were older and more settled. I know how hard it's going to be. But she's coming whether we're ready or not. So we might as well be ready. Can't you be a little excited about your granddaughter?" "I'll try," Amy answered slowly. "And I"ll try to accept things without making it any harder for you." She folded her hands in her lap and looked down. "I was younger than you when I got pregnant, and my parents weren't exactly supportive. I had to choose - them or your father." She looked back up. "I never spoke to them again. I don't want to force you into that same choice." Especially since she had a pretty good idea who Maria would pick. "Thanks," Maria answered. "For trying, I mean. That's all I can ask, right?" "Right." Amy brushed back the hair from her daughter's face. "Now, when you come home from school, we need to have a long talk about things. I want to know everything that's been going on with you and Michael and the baby." At her daughter's expression, she laughed, more naturally this time. "Well, everything you feel comfortable telling your mother, that is. I really don't need to know all the details." "Good to know." Impulsively, Maria threw her arms around her mom and gave her a hug. "I love you, Mommy." "I know, baby," she murmured comfortingly as she held on tight. "Now, have you thought about any names for my granddaughter?" ------------------------------------------------ Max was sitting at the kitchen table, studying the map from Claudia Parker's notes when Isabel finally came down for breakfast. He glanced up at his sister. "About time you woke up," he said, half teasing, half concerned. "I was starting to be afraid I would have to actually wake you up. And I remember the last time I tried to wake you up in the morning." He mock-shivered at the memory. Isabel stuck her tongue out at him. So what if she liked her beauty sleep? Pouring herself a glass of orange juice, she sat down next to him and reached for the bottle of Tabasco sauce on the table. Pouring in a liberal amount, she looked at the papers strewn about in front of him. "Still going through the papers from Liz's grandmother?" "Yeah. Not that it's doing any good." He pushed back a bit from the table in frustration. "All I can get for sure is that she knew Riverdog. But since we can't find Riverdog, and Claudia Parker's dead......" "There's nobody to ask about it," Isabel finished for him. She picked up the map drawing. "Well, we also know that she saw the cave map." "Or she was given that by Riverdog," Max pointed out. "But I think you're right. The symbols seem to be in the same handwriting as her other notes. None of which go back as far as the summer of 1947, by the way. Liz isn't sure what she was up to back then, either. Apparently, her grandmother told plenty of stories about after she married John Parker, but not from before it." "Which might mean something and might not. Again we're back to not having enough information." Isabel yawned loudly. Max looked at her sharply, noticing how tired she looked. "Are you okay, Iz?" "Sure. Why?" "You seem really tired lately," he answered seriously. "You're going to bed early, and you're sleeping late, but you're still tired. And considering that we really only need a few hours of sleep a night....." Was it his imagination, or was Isabel blushing? "Yeah, maybe I've been a little tired. Otherwise I'm fine." She had no intention of telling Max that her reason for going to sleep right after dinner was that she wanted as much time in her dreams with Alex as possible. She'd decided to just enjoy the dreams and try to not analyze them too much, but she knew her brother. Max was fundamentally incapable of not over-thinking things. Her time with Alex, even if it was just a dream Alex, was her own. Some times over this last week, she felt it was the only thing that was keeping her going. "Max, why is this so important to you, anyway?" She put down the map. "This is ancient history." Max laughed. "So was the civil war on Antar, and look how much good ignoring that's done us." He nodded toward the papers. "Think about it, iz. We remember our past lives. We know what our lives on Earth have been like. But there are over 40 years that we don't know anything about." "The time between our deaths and our hatching," she murmured. "You think that time period's important to learn about?" "What do we know for sure happened during that time?" Max asked pointedly. Isabel thought for a minute. "The army had possession of our pods for a while. Both Nasedo and Dagmar were captured and eventually escaped." She looked over at Max. "The Special Unit was formed." Max waited, but when she didn't go on, he continued. "And supposedly, Nasedo made his deal with Kivar during that time." Isabel started to stand up, but he reached over and grabbed her hand, continuing to talk in an even voice. "Which led to Tess killing Alex. I know that you don't want to talk about this, Iz, but we have to know why." "Because she was a lying, murdering bitch," Isabel hissed in answer. "And if she ever shows her face around here again, she's going to seriously regret it. Although not for very long." Max sighed. "You and Michael." He shook his head and released her. "If we don't understand why they did it, then how do we make sure it doesn't happen again? We have to go back to Antar and defeat Kivar. But there's no way the three of us can do it ourselves. We're going to need help. How do we know who we can trust? Who won't betray us?" His voice was steady, convincing. "We've been gone more than fifty years. A lot can happen in that much time. Right now, I'm not sure we can trust anyone back there." "The evil within." Isabel took a deep breath and calmed down. Max had a point. Not much of one, but it was still a point. "That's what our other mother said we had to look for in order to know our enemies." "Have you developed any type of x-ray powers recently?" Max smiled. "I trust you and Michael. That's about it as far as aliens go. Then there's Liz, Maria, Kyle, and Valenti. I have no intention of going into this fight with that army." His gaze captured hers. "When we go up against Kivar again, this time we're going to win." Isabel looked at her brother with newly appraising eyes. "You've changed." It was easy sometimes to overlook Max's own dedication to protecting those he loved, because Michael's protective instincts were so much more obvious, not to mention louder. Michael would be more likely to jump into a fight or in the way of danger to protect those he loved, but Isabel had to remember that in their past lifetime, it had been Zandar who decided where Tymrath attacked and when. Now here Max was, starting to gather information so that he could make an effective strategy for their next war. He wasn't the same person he'd been before Pierce captured him and everything got so confusing. This Max wouldn't be as easily taken. This Max might not allow himself to be taken at all. This was the brother she remmbered from Antar, the one who carefully collected facts, but acted with unshakable certainty when he was ready. She shivered at the memory of how ruthless he could be in pursuit of his goals. It made Isabel sad to realize that Max had lost his innocence. Max just smiled, a little sadly, as if he could read her thoughts. "We've all changed, Iz." He started to gather up his papers. "Do you need a ride to school?" "Nope. I've got it covered. Kyle's picking me up in a few minutes. We're going running before school starts." She smiled sweetly. "You and Liz have the Jeep all to yourselves, so you can be as disgustingly sappy as you want." "Thanks, sis," he replied in a matching tone. "Guess I'll see you at lunch, then." "Yep." As Max left the house, Isabel was left to think about their lives, both past and present. She was glad when Kyle pulled up and leaned on his car's horn. Too much focus on their past lives and future duties and she would end up as serious and brooding as her brother. ---------------------------------------------- Michael waited until he heard Amy leave before venturing back out into the living room. Maria was still standing at the door when she heard him walk up behind her. "Hey," she greeted him as he wrapped his arms around her. She relaxed back into his hold, letting him support her for a minute. "Hey," he answered, resting his head on top of hers. "How did things go with your mom?" "Not bad." She turned around in his hold to look at him. "She's still not too thrilled about things, but she's going to try to deal." She smiled at him, a little too brightly. "Not a single reference to you being a criminal mastermind." Michael laughed, pulling her behind him as he headed for the kitchen. "I'm just the muscle. Max would be the criminal mastermind. Or maybe Isabel." Maria giggled. "I'd vote for Isabel. I have a hard time picturing Max in the role." "You don't think he could handle the big black mustache and melodramatic cape to wave around menacingly?" Michael asked, lips twitching at the mental image. She wrinkled her nose at him and shook her head. "Nah. But I can see Isabel in the femme fatale role." "Sit," he ordered, pointing to the chair at the counter. "You need to eat something." He looked through the cabinets, frowning. He hadn't been expecting to have breakfast company. Finally, he found a box of cerreal hidden behind some glasses and turned triumphantly. When he looked around, he saw Maria gazing at him with a strangely amused expression. "What?" "Nothing." There was a hint of laughter in her voice, but she was trying to keep her face serious. Wasn't succeeding too well, but she was trying. "So, how was your day yesterday, honey?" Michael froze in the act of pouring some milk over the cereal. "Honey?" He put the carton down and slowly stalked around the counter. "Did you just call me honey?" Maria broke into laughter. "I'm sorry, I just can't help it. We're getting so domestic! Here you are, making me a healthy breakfast of," she peered at the box, "Lucky Charms?" "Domestic?" Now she really was getting insulting. Actually, deep down, he had no problem with being domesticated by this one particular girl, but he couldn't admit it. He had his image to protect, after all. So, he picked her up in his arms and swept her over to the couch. "Take that back!" "No." She folded her arms and shook her head stubbornly. "I think it's cute. Michael's domestic," she went on in a sing-song voice. "Fine. Then we'll do this the hard way," he growled playfully, dropping her carefully onto the couch and proceeding to attack her with tickles. By now, he knew her body well enough to know her weak spots, and it wasn't long before she was collapsed into giggles on the couch. "Okay, okay. I take it back." She took a breath and tried to regain her composure as he lay down next to her. "You're not at all domestic. Happy now?" "Yeah." He kissed her neck. "Very." Closing his eyes, he pulled her close. He could get used to mornings like this. She stroked his arms lazily. "Seriously, though, how did your meeting with Valenti go yesterday?" "Good." He opened his eyes and moved slightly so that he could see her better. "Turns out he knows this woman who lives on a ranch just outside town. She needs some help around the place a few afternoons a week. Since she trusts the sheriff, she's going to give me a chance." "You're going to be a rancher? Does this mean you'll have a horse to ride?" Maria liked the image of Michael in a cowboy outfit, riding the range like in the old movies. He laughed. "I'm going to be doing repairs and stuff around the place. Fixing fences, reparing holes in the roof. Junk like that." At Maria's look of disappointment, he leaned over to kiss her. "But I could probably get my hands on a cowboy hat if you want." "You do that," she ordered in a voice that was both playful and promising. "If you bring home your Crashdown uniform some night," he bargained, raising his eyebrow suggestively. She laughed happily, but then grew serious. She didn't want to ruin the mood, but it was too easy to just let things go, and she had a feeling that they couldn't really afford to do that anymore. Taking hold of her courage, she decided to just blurt it out. "Michael, about last night....." "We need to talk about it. Yeah, I know." Michael looked over at the clock on the VCR. "Can we talk about it tonight, though? We don't really have time before school." He got up and walked back to the kitchen. "And you still need to eat." The shock of Michael Guerin even knowing what time school started, much less worying about getting there on time, was almost enough to make her forget the rest of what she was going to say. "Okay. We can talk about the past life stuff later. Right now, I'm more woried about this life." Michael looked over at her in curiosity. She hesitated, unsure of how to put what she had sensed the night before into words. "Last night, when we connected, I saw things." He frowned, and she went on quickly. "Not about Tymrath's life, if that's what you're worried about. This lifetime." She got up and walked back over to the counter, leaning closer to him as she spoke. "Some of the memories I got from you went by so fast that I couldn't see them. And some others were very clear. Very vivid." She bit her lip nervously. "One of the clearest memories was of the night that Topolsky was taken. The night we were going to meet her." She looked into Michael's eyes, trying to get an idea of what he was feeling. Nothing. Their connection wasn't telling her anything, either. He was blocking her again, not letting her sense anything he was feeling. "The night that Max......" "Hit me," he interrupted in a totally emotionless voice. "It's ancient history, Maria. I'm not sure what this has to do with any..." "Someone has to knock some sense into you." Now it was Maria's turn to interrupt. "That's what you kept remembering. Max hitting you and then saying that." She reached over to place a hand on his arm. "I could feel your betrayal and pain, Michael. You couldn't believe that Max, of all people, would do that to you. You were so hurt." She had to take another deep breath. "And so angry." Michael moved away. "It's over, Maria. Max and I worked all that out in Vegas." His voice was calm and rational, but she wasn't buying it. If he was really that calm, he wouldn't need to block her the way he was. "Then why is the memory still so vivid?" She watched him as he walked past her, back into the living room. "The pain and the anger - they still felt fresh. It didn't feel like you were over it." She moved so that he had to look at her. "I've gotten flashes of that memory before, you know. And they never came with that much raw fury before." At the time, she'd been too emotionally wiped to worry about it, but now that she was looking back at the flashes, she knew that there was something wrong with that. Why would he be more angry about it now than he had been before? "I don't know what to tell you, Maria." He started to gather up his books for school. "I'm not still mad at Max about it, if that's what you're worried about. We both screwed up. Come on, grab your stuff and we'll swing by your house before school." When she didn't move, he sighed. "I don't know why that memory jumped out at you, Maria. Can we finish this later?" She glared at him, then went to get the rest of her stuff. She knew that Michael couldn't lie to her, but she was well aware that he could evade issues that he didn't want to discuss. She'd just have to wait until that night. If Michael thought she was going to forget about it, he was very mistaken. If any unresolved issues remained between him and Max, then they needed to get them out into the open and deal with it now, before anything else happened. -------------------------------------------- Another exciting afternoon working at the UFO Center. Max waved farewell as the family of tourists walked up the stairs, gaining a wave from the little girl in return. Well, technically, it was a wave from her stuffed alien doll, but if the doll was doing the waving itself, then Max didn't want to know about it. He was pretty sure that working at the UFO Museum wasn't helping his sanity, but he had to admit to a certain perverse humor in it. Today's discussion had centered around whether aliens would be grey or green. The visiting family was split evenly - father and daughter were in favor of little green men, while the mother and son were leaning towards the greys theory. Max had suggested purple, but he didn't think they took him seriously. Too bad. The idea of a little purple Nasedo amused him. He wondered what his therapist would have said about this type of joking. If he was still going to him. If he had been able to tell him anything real anyway. Not that it mattered. Keeping a sense of humor, no matter how bizaree, was sometimes the only way to keep going when you're the reincarnated king of an alien planet, who had to somehow manage to not get discovered by humans or killed by enemy aliens, find a way back to your own planet, deal with the nightmares of your own imprisonment and torture, and think of romantic date plans. Oh, and graduate high school. Max figured he was entitled to find humor in his situation wherever he could. "Okay, what to do now?" Max asked the empty museum. There hadn't been many visitors that day. He really wondered how Brody managed to keep the museum running, at least when it was the off-season. Of course, Brody had enough money that he really didn't need to run the UFO Center at a profit. His interest in owning the museum was more personal than business. Brody wasn't even in his office that day. He was spending the afternoon with his daughter. So it was just Max, the empty museum, and the dummies. He checked his watch. Not long until he could close up. He decided to go work in the small souvenir shop. They were expecting a new order today, so it would be good to have some shelf space cleared. He moved aside a box of alien-head lollipops so that the display of crystals was more evident. Then a thought hit him and he smiled. Max picked up one of the white crystals by its attached cord, letting the light hit it. Then, making sure he was still alone, he wrapped his hand around the crystal, concentrating. When he released it, the crystal was now glowing with a faint pink light. His smile widened. Liz would like that. He'd give it to her when they went out tomorrow. Hearing the heavy doors to the front of the museum open, Max quickly put the crystal necklace into his pocket, and went out to see who was visiting. "Hi, Mrs. DeLuca." He quickly crossed the lobby to take the heavy box from her. "Let me get that." "Thanks, Max." She absently gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Where's Brody?" "Off somewhere with Sidney today." Max set the box down on the counter in the gift shop. "It's just me here for a few hours." Taking a pair of scissors from behing the counter, he opened up the box and started taking out the merchandise. "Oh. Well, we have some new items this month, in addition to our very popular stuffed animals and lollipops." Max held up a t-shirt, noticing the green alien surfing the giant wave in the logo. "Can I ask your professional opinion on something?" "I suppose so," she answered, leaning back to listen. "What is it?" "Do you believe that aliens are grey or green?" Max asked seriously, only the twinkle in his eyes showing that he was kidding. She laughed. "Both sell, so I hedge my bets." She picked up a coffee mug with a big-eyed grey alien in one hand and a little green alien stuffed doll in the other. "I respect alien diversity." "But not purple?" "Purple? No. Not many people would buy anything with little purple aliens on them. It's a bad business investment." Amy's mouth twitched, amused. "Now orange aliens are something totally different." Max shook his head, laughing as he went back to unpacking. Brody Davis was the only business-owner in Roswell who actually believed in aliens. For the rest, it was just a way to make a living. If the only knew......... He was completely caught off-guard when Amy abruptly switched topics. "Do you have an address for Tess Harding that you could give me?" Max blinked up at her, knowing that he had that 'deer caught in headlights' look, but unable to stop it. "Why?" he blurted out. To the casual observer, Amy would appear to be completely focused on unwrapping snow globes showing aliens in Santa outfits, but Max could see the way she was observing him carefully from the corners of her eyes. "Oh, she ordered a print from me a few months ago. It finally came in, and I wanted to send it to her. Since you two were friends, I figured you'd know how to get in contact with her." She set down the snow globe and laughed. "I mean, it's not like she just vanished from the face of the planet or anything, right?" "Right," he answered carefully. "But sorry. I don't have her address. Or phone number," he went on quickly, forstalling her next question. "We were friends, but not all that close, really." "Really? I remember that you spent a lot of time together." "Well, Liz and I were having s

Anla · Post by **Anla** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 10:51 am

As they exited the UFO Center, Max paused as something the sheriff had said finally registered in his brain. The security camera in the gift shop. Sighing in annoyance, he got out his keys and turned to Isabel. "I'll be right back." "Some of us have things to do, you know," she pointed out irritably. "There's something I forgot to do." "What?" Valenti had paused along with the teens and was watching Max. Max shrugged. "Nothing major. I just forgot to pay for something I took from the gift shop." He reached in to his pocket and took out the crystal necklace. "Do you think Liz will like it?" he asked his sister, wanting a female opinion. Isabel took it and held it up. "It's pretty," she finally judged. "Yeah, she should like it." She looked at Max shrewdly. "Presents, Max? Did you mess up and have to apologize?" Smiling evenly, he ignored how close to the mark she was. Everything might seem to be fine with him and Liz, but there was a distance there that he couldn't quite figure out. It wasn't any specific thing that he could point to, but it felt like Liz was drawing away from him, and had been ever since Alex's death. Liz didn't even seem to even be aware of it, and Max had no idea what to do about it. Maybe he needed to do a better job of showing Liz how he felt. "Is there something wrong with getting the girl I love a present?" Valenti was frowning at the crystal. "Is that one of Amy's?" When Max nodded, he continued. "I didn't know they came in any colors other than white." "They don't." Max reached over to retrieve the necklace. "I changed the color. It looks better this way." "You changed the color?" Isabel stared at him in disbelief. "In a place with a security camera? Brilliant move, Max." He rolled his eyes. "I've watched the video footage from that camera, Iz. It's black and white. It won't show that the color's been changed. Even if Brody did choose to inspect that particular part of the tape, it'll just look like I was polishing the crystal or something." He laughed. "However, it will also show that I walked off with merchandise without paying for it. So I better take care of it, just in case." He glanced over at the sheriff. "I'd hate to be arrested for petty theft." "I don't think you'd do well in a jail cell," the older man agreed casually, but there was a wariness in his eyes. "You might want to be more careful, Max. It's the little things that usually end up tripping you up." Satisfied with the teen's answering nod, he said farewell to the two and walked across to the Crashdown. Talk to Michael, run a few quick errands, and then he could go home and rest. He was looking forward to the weekend to recuperate from the week. "Hurry up." Valenti could hear Isabel's bored demand behind him, and grinned. If nothing else kept the alien king from getting an over-inflated ego, then having Isabel as his sister would do it. Valenti winced at the noise volume when he entered the restaurant. Even this early, the Crashdown was pretty full. The headache he'd been fighting all day made its presence known very clearly, and he quickened his step, dodging laughing children, hungry teenagers, and curious tourists. He was just grateful he wasn't in uniform, or he'd undoubtedly have a few of the latter asking him questions about alien activity in town. Now normally, he got a strange sense of amusement from those inquiries (although officially, he had to frown upon things like Liz Parker's old habit of showing "alien" pictures to tourists in order to get bigger tips), but he really wasn't in the mood. Finding a free seat at the counter, he managed to catch Michael's attention through the window into the kitchen. It wasn't hard – Michael had probably sensed his entrance instantly. He certainly didn't seem surprised to see him. Michael frowned slightly, then spoke to Jose. Leaving the grill to the other cook, he vanished from the sheriff's sight for a minute, returning shortly after and walking over to the counter. "You look awful," Michael said bluntly, pushing over a glass of water and a bottle of aspirin. "Here." "Thanks." Valenti's mouth twitched into an almost smile, but he accepted some of the aspirin. "Too much partying last night?" Michael's voice was non-judgmental, but it still made Valenti look up quickly. How many mornings had Michael cared for Hank after a late night of too much drinking? "It's not a hangover, Michael." Well, not anymore. That had passed much earlier in the morning. He grimaced. "Just a headache brought about from a close encounter with Amy DeLuca. And not one of the more pleasant kinds." The look in Michael's eyes changed quickly, going from guarded neutrality to genuine sympathy. "She told me about seeing you. I tried to convince her that everything was my fault, and not to blame you, but I think all I did was make things worse." He scratched his eyebrow nervously. "Sorry." Valenti shook his head (very slowly, as each motion seemed to make his head pound more). "I don't actually think it would be possible to make things worse than they already were, Michael. Don't worry about it." "She broke up with you?" He waited for Valenti's nod. "Sorry, Sheriff." "Yeah, well......" Valenti shrugged, not wanting to talk about it anymore. Michael, of all people, would understand that. He lowered his voice carefully. "Can we talk?" "Sure." Michael stood back. "I'm done with my shift anyway. Come on." He walked around and led Valenti to the back room. When they were safely back there, away from the crowds, he turned back. "What's up?" Valenti filled Michael in about his previous night's encounter with Lynn Prentice. Even though he actually went into slightly more detail than he had with Isabel and Max, the telling took less time, probably because Michael simply listened without interrupting. When he was finished, Michael nodded. "You'll be careful, of course. She wants something from you." For some reason, Michael's quiet comment didn't bother him the way that Isabel's earlier objections had. Probably because of the way Michael said it, like he was just verifying something for his own peace of mind, not implying that the sheriff needed a baby-sitter. "Yeah." "Okay. You have an address for her?" Michael went on briskly. Vacation was over. Time to get back to work. And what would life be like in Roswell if there wasn't at least one newcomer to town requiring investigation? Not understanding the tiny smile on Michael's face, Valenti decided to ignore it and instead pulled out a piece of paper from his jeans pocket. "Here you go." "I'll check it out later," Michael promised, taking the address. "Michael......." "I'll check it out," he repeated firmly. Valenti recognized that tone in Michael's voice. Still, he couldn't just let it go without some warning. "You'll be careful, of course," he repeated back the teen's words. Now the smile became a full-fledged smirk. There was something both worrying and reassuring about Michael's confident attitude. "Don't worry about it, Sheriff. I know what I'm doing." ------------------------------------------------- "I'm coming, I'm coming," Kyle yelled in response to the insistent knocking on the door. And here he had finally been winning at his new video game. Figured. "This better not be some door-to-door salesman or something," he muttered. He was about to open the door, but then hesitated. What if it was Amy DeLuca? The knocking had stopped. Whoever it was knew that he was there. It was too late to pretend not to be home. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door. And blinked in surprise. "Isabel?" He stepped back out of the way as she breezily walked into the house. "What are you doing here?" Noticing Max's Jeep driving away, he closed the door and followed her into the living room. "Did we have plans to meet that I forgot about?" His nerves reappeared. He knew from past experience that Isabel did not like to be forgotten about or kept waiting. Kyle had always envied Alex his good memory for matters Isabel-related. It helped his friend navigate the sometimes tricky waters of a relationship with Isabel. Isabel turned to look back at him and gave him a beautiful smile. Of course, there were definite perks to being around Isabel, too. Kyle just wondered if it had been worth it in the long run. He shook his head, brushing off the morbid thoughts. He had to snap out of this, or he was going to drive himself insane. Besides, he knew how Alex would answer. Of course it was worth it. Apparently unaware of Kyle's wandering attention, Isabel put down her purse before answering. "No. I just dropped by to see how you're doing." She looked around the living room, noticing the books and papers strewn about the floor, along with the piles of socks and jackets. Her smile faded and she looked at him disapprovingly. "You guys used to keep the house neater." "Yeah, well, we used to have someone around who cared about how neat it was," he retorted sharply, instantly regretting it at the sad look that came into Isabel's eyes. Great, way to take out your bad mood on Iz. He forced a smile. "Want a drink?" "Sure. Thanks." She followed Kyle into the kitchen. He poured two glasses of soda, then started rummaging through a cabinet. "I think we still have some..... Here we go!" Turning around to present her with a proud smile, he held up the bottle of Tabasco. "Knew we still had some of this for our Martian visitors." Isabel took the bottle and poured some into her glass. "Thanks." "No problem." Kyle gestured over to the table, sitting down across from her. "So, what brings you to our humble abode? The real reason," he warned, as she opened her mouth. She gave him one of those who me? innocent looks she was so good at. "I wanted to see how you were doing." When he looked at her in confusion, she rolled her eyes and continued. "I heard about your dad and Mrs. DeLuca breaking up." "And the alien conspiracy grapevine kicks into hyperdrive," he said, amused. "I'm okay, Iz. Not like I was the one getting dumped. Not this time, at least." Isabel didn't like the tinge of bitterness that seemed to be a part of her friend these days. "Are you honestly telling me that having your father go through that because of our secret doesn't upset you?" "I'm not jumping with joy, no." He shrugged. "But it's their lives, right? Not much I can do about it." He looked at her closely. "Why don't you ask what you really want to know, Iz? Is this going to push me back into my 'I hate aliens' mode again?" "Fine. Is it?" she retorted directly. "It hasn't changed my feelings one way or another," he answered slowly. "My dad makes his own choices. I have to respect that." He leaned back in his seat. "He has his reasons for putting you guys as his priority." Isabel shook her head at him slowly, smiling gently. "We're not, you know." She reached over and took one of his hands. "We're a priority, but we're not the priority. You are." She looked down, suddenly feeling a bit awkward talking about such personal things with him. "You didn't see the way he acted when you were shot. You mean more to your father than anything, or anyone, ever could." She raised her head and looked him directly in the eye. "Yeah, he'll protect us. But if it came down to it, he would put you first." Her smile widened. "And that's how it should be." Kyle didn't really know what to say in response to that, so he settled for squeezing her hand gently before letting it go. "So," he said, deliberately trying to lighten the mood, "you want to try this awesome new game I got. It'll be right up your alley." He grinned mischievously. "You have to blow up the evil alien invaders." "Gee, thanks, Kyle, but I'll pass." He laughed at her sugary syrupy answer. She looked over at the sink, overflowing with dirty dishes. "You go play. I'll find something to entertain myself." She smiled innocently at his suspicious look. "Trust me, Kyle." ---------------------------------------------------- Michael walked down the street slowly, noticing the Jeep pulling up in front of the Valenti house. What was Max doing here? Growing suspicious, he walked over. "What's up, Maxwell?" Max leaned out the window enough to answer, giving his friend a slightly confused look. "Isabel wanted me to pick her up after an hour at Kyle's. Apparently, I get to play chauffeur this afternoon." "Isabel asked you........." His voice trailing off, Michael shook his head and walked up to the front door, muttering under his breath as he did so. "Cute, Isabel. Real cute." When he reached the door, he started to bang on it impatiently, but it was pulled open before he really managed anything impressive. Isabel smiled at him brightly, reaching out and pulling him into the house, waving to her brother as she did so. "Michael! I was wondering when you would get here." "Exactly what's going on in that devious little mind of yours, Iz?" he demanded, noticing Kyle getting up off the living room sofa and looking at him, apparently as confused as he was himself. Ignoring the human, he went on. "I thought you wanted me to walk you home." She shrugged gracefully. "Change of plans." "Really?" he asked flatly, not believing a word out of her mouth. Kyle walked closer to them. "Really." She sighed. "Turns out Mom wants Max and me to pick up some cookies for the picnic tomorrow." She turned to Kyle. "Don't forget. You're supposed to pick me up at one." She grabbed her purse and headed out the door. "But since you're here anyway, Michael, maybe you can help Kyle master the fine arts of killing aliens in his breath-takingly infantile new video game." She rolled her eyes. "And remember, Kyle. I'm not cleaning your house again. This was a one-time deal. Fron now on, you guys have to pick up after yourself. Bye!" With that, leaving two confused teenage boys behind, Isabel rushed out the door and fled to the safety of the Jeep. Michael was not going to be happy with her about this, but left to their own devices, he and Kyle would probably keep avoiding each other for the rest of senior year. She wanted her family back together. Or at least as back together as possible. When the door closed behind her, Michael looked around the room in confusion. Come to think of it, the place did look cleaner than it had when he'd come by to visit on Sunday. As his gaze landed on Kyle, he was put instantly on-guard by the hostile look he received. Well, that hadn't changed since Sunday. "Guess I'll go then. You have fun blowing up your video aliens," he added with a smirk. "While you're off killing the real ones?" Kyle's quietly angry question stopped him in his tracks. He waited for Michael to turn back before continuing. "Planning on doing another disappearance act? Skipping town again for parts unknown?" Michael narrowed his eyes at him. The waves of hostility Kyle was sending out into the atmosphere were putting Michael on edge, making it harder to remember that Kyle was a friend and easier to just see him as someone perfectly willing to keep Maria from him. "What's your problem, Kyle?" "My problem," he spit out the words, "was watching Maria spend another miserable summer crying over you." He crossed his arms before continuing. "I mean, I get that this wasn't exactly a new event or anything. But I think that must have been a new low, even for you. Leaving her pregnant and grieving. Alone." Michael reached down with one hand and grasped the doorknob tightly. Nothing on his face or in his voice showed how quickly his fury was growing. He forced himself to take deep breaths. "Maria knew where I was. And that's our business, anyway." The icy hardness spreading in Michael's eyes was the first sign to Kyle that maybe picking this fight wasn't the best idea ever, but he was too angry himself to stop. At that moment, Michael seemed the embodiment of everything being a part of the alien conspiracy had cost his family and friends. Michael went on. "Maria's none of your business, Kyle. Stay out of it." Kyle laughed bitterly. "Why? Because she's yours?" He shook his head in amazement. "You're something else. She doesn't belong to you, Michael." Yes, she does. Michael bit back the angry retort, preferring simply to smirk at the other boy. Maria belongs to me. I belong to her. It boggled his mind that anyone could fail to recognize something so essential and simple to him. He tilted his head to one side, studying Kyle carefully, and when he spoke again, it was in a silky smooth voice. "This has nothing to do with protecting Maria, does it? Not really." He went on before Kyle could interrupt. "This all comes down to your obsessive need to blame us for everything bad in your life. Your girlfriend dumps you for another guy? Must be the aliens' fault. Daddy's not paying enough attention to you? Aliens, again. We're the source of all evil, right?" "And of course, I have absolutely no reason to believe that, do I?" In contrast to Michael's icy calm, Kyle's voice raised rapidly as he spoke. "Look at what's happened to all of us over the last two years." "Yeah, and let's forget the fact that you wouldn't even be here to whine about us if Max hadn't saved your life. Your human life." If anything, Michael's smirk grew more pronounced. "Although it's interesting that you seem to be able to get over your alien issues where Isabel is concerned. But I guess I just don't have the same positive attributes that she does, huh?" He noticed the way Kyle's hand clenched into a fist, and raised an eyebrow mockingly. That apparently hit a little too close to the mark. Interesting. All signs of amusement fading abruptly, Michael took a step close to Kyle, forcing the shorter boy to back up nervously. Michael's voice when he went on had a quality to it that Kyle had never heard before, malice sheathed in a smoothly quiet tone. "Has it ever occurred to you that we have more reason to be suspicious of you humans that you do of us? That we've spent our whole lives hiding, being hunted? Look at what happened to Max when Pierce got him. You think you're the only ones whose lives have been torn to pieces?" "It's not my fault what Pierce did," was as far as Kyle got before that quiet voice interrupted him again. "Yet you're blaming us all for what Tess and Lonnie did," he mused. "By that same logic, I should look at you the same way as Pierce." The glint in his eyes truly scared Kyle. "Tell me, Kyle. If you had learned the truth about us before Max saved you, before your father decided to protect us, would you have turned us in?" "Maybe if I did, Al....." he bit off the words, but the meaning was already out there. Maybe Alex would still be alive. Instantly regretting it, Kyle's remorse only grew when he saw the effect they had on Michael. Suddenly, all the anger he'd seen shining in those eyes a minute ago was gone. What he saw instead threw him, and made him feel like kicking himself. What Kyle saw in Michael's expression was guilt. "I didn't mean," he reached out a hand uncertainly, and felt even worse when he saw Michael flinch. "Enough!" A loud voice bellowed across the room. Both boys jumped in surprise and turned as one to stare at the person interrupting them. "That is enough!" Valenti walked fully into the room, glaring at both of them equally. "What the hell is going on with the two of you?" He stopped directly in front of them, crossing his arms and staring angrily. "I've had just about enough of you both, you know. You with your 'evil aliens' attitude," he pointed at Kyle, then turned to Michael, "and you with whatever the hell it is that's going on with you. And no, don't even bother telling me it's nothing," he went on, causing Michael to quickly close his mouth, biting back his protests. "We both know that would be a lie. There's something major going on with you. I just hope you're telling Maria about it, at least. Before you explode or something." He tapped his foot in annoyance. "Listen to the two of you. You're friends, and here you are tearing into each other like you're enemies. I've never heard anything so stupid." He started pacing back and forth in front of them. "So Michael and Maria had a rough patch. If Maria can accept Michael's reasons for doing what he did, then it's none of your business, Kyle. And as for you," he pinned Michael with his gaze, looking for the truth, "going on about all humans being the enemies. I thought you'd come further than that." He paused, apparently waiting for an answer. Michael couldn't speak, so he simply nodded. He was too busy watching Valenti carefully, watching for the hate and disgust he was expecting to appear at any moment. Instead, he saw plenty of anger and annoyance. Not good, but not as bad as he expected. And it seemed to be directed towards both him and Kyle evenly. Valenti sighed loudly. "You're not even mad at each other. I mean, deep down, you're both smart enough to know that." He rubbed his hand over his face, anger rapidly disappearing, leaving behind a resigned weariness. "The person you're really mad at is far away. So, here you are, taking it out on each other." He shook his head. "Unless, of course, you can give me one single reason, one example of something the other has done to you to make you hate him. If so, then I'll walk away and let you fight this out. Without powers," he added sternly. He waited a second, but neither boy answered. "Well? No? Fine, then. Get over it." He paused. "Now, since it's pretty clear that I'm not going to get any rest anytime soon, and I have two strong boys with more energy than sense at the moment, I'm going to put you to work." "Work?" Kyle squeaked. He stopped at his father's glare. "Yes, work. I was going to fix those loose shingles on the roof this weekend, but we might as well do it now. I'm going to get changed and then we'll get working. There's still a few hours of light out." He started off, then hesitated and threw them another piercing look. "And when I get back, I expect you both to be here. Understood?" "Yes, sir," they answered in concert. Valenti nodded, apparently satisfied. When he spoke again, his voice was much gentler. "We've all been through more this year than anyone should have to. Tearing yourselves, and each other, into pieces isn't going to help. True friends are too valuable for that. He left the room. For a second, both of them stared at the floor. Then Michael broke the silence. "Wow." Kyle gave a small laugh. "Yeah, wow." He sat on the armrest of the couch. "You should have heard him go off when we got back from Vegas." He shook his head sadly. "Wouldn't have been so bad if he'd just let me keep the money I won." "What happened?" Michael asked curiously. His earlier anger had vanished. The sheriff was right. Kyle sighed. "College fund." Gathering his courage, he looked directly at Michael. "I'm sorry, man. About what I said." He shrugged. "Don't worry about it." "No, I shouldn't have said it." Kyle went on determinedly. "Dad's right. I'm not mad at you. It's not fair to take things out on you." He couldn't look at Michael any longer, but he kept on talking as he stared at the far wall. "It's Tess I'm really mad at. And myself." "Why you?" Michael could understand hating Tess – it was an emotion that never seemed to leave him completely. But why would Kyle be made at himself? Kyle's voice got quieter. "Because I'm just as responsible for what happened to Alex as anyone." He forced himself to meet Michael's gaze. It was one of the hardest things he'd ever done. "I was there, Michael. Just me and Alex. I should have been able to do something to help him." Michael shook his head quickly in negation. "You against Tess and Lonnie? Nothing you could have done, Kyle." "Nothing you could've done, either," Kyle said quietly. Until a few minutes ago, he'd had no idea of how guilty Michael felt. "It wasn't your fault." Michael gave a twisted grimace. "That's what Maria keeps telling me." "Do you believe her?" Michael frowned. "Sometimes I almost do. The rest of the time........" He shrugged. Kyle nodded. "Yeah. I get the whole confusion thing." After a pause, he went on. "Tess lived with me for a year. I never suspected a thing..........." His voice trailed off, then started again, stronger. "Maybe I just didn't want to have to think about Maria being hurt by the alien abyss anymore, the way that I was." "You love her." Michael's voice had no emotion in it at all now, simply an attempt to gather information. Still, Kyle looked at him sharply. "Yeah, I guess," he answered slowly. "Not in a romantic way or anything. But she's family." He shrugged, uncomfortably aware of how likely it was that this new admission would set Michael off again. Instead, Michael nodded in what seemed like approval. "Good. You keep doing that, then." He smiled. "And let me know when you think I'm being a jerk." He laughed at Kyle's look of disbelief. "Maybe a little gentler than 'Leave Maria alone', but I want to know when I screw up. I'm still working on the whole family and relationship stuff." "Okay......" Kyle answered slowly. "Hey, Michael, what my dad said? About you having something going on?" "It's under control," Michael answered steadily. "Yeah?" Kyle couldn't hide his skepticism. "I get it if you don't want to talk to me about it, but if there's anything I can do, let me know." Michael was barely able to keep from laughing. Ten minutes ago, Kyle didn't want to have anything to do with aliens, and now here he was, offering to help. With a blinding clarity, Michael realized something, something that he'd known intellectually but hadn't really sunk in all the way emotionally until then. As much as Kyle might moan and complain, he was part of the group now, completely and totally. Part of the family. "What is it?" Kyle asked, seeing the amusement on Michael's face, and suspecting that it somehow had to do with him. "Nothing." Michael was unable to keep the smile off his face. He really was a little slow at times. "I trust you, Kyle. There's just nothing we need to talk about. I shouldn't have lost it earlier." He gestured towards the hallway where Valenti had vanished. Michael could hear him returning. "Was your dad serious about us fixing your roof?" "Oh, yeah." Kyle gave a big grin at the look on Michael's face. "This is Dad's idea of family bonding. He puts me to work." Kyle quickly clasped Michael's shoulder. "Welcome to the wonderfully dysfunctional world of the Valenti men." He laughed aloud at the slightly panicked look Michael gave him. "Okay, boys, let's get going." Valenti gave them approving nods before hustling them outside. ---------------------------------------------------- Max sighed dramatically as he pulled up in front of the Valenti house. "Don't get me wrong, Iz. Being your personal driver, taking you to Kyle's house, picking you up from Kyle's, bringing you back to Kyle's – it's tons of fun." He put the Jeep in park and turned to her. "But is this maybe the end of it for the day? Some of us have other stuff to do. Things like planning how to save our home planet. Or starting that paper on Canterbury Tales we have due next week." "Please, Max," she answered dismissively. "Let's be real here. It's Friday evening. All you want is to get over to the Crashdown and make moon eyes at Liz. Right?" "Maybe." He grinned at her. "But only if it's okay with you, of course. Otherwise, I'd be perfectly happy to drive you back and forth some more. 'Cause it's fun." Isabel laughed at him, opening her door to get out. "No, you are officially dismissed from service for the evening. I'll get Michael to walk me back home." "You're sure he's still here?" Isabel concentrated for a minute. "Yeah, he's still here." She smiled and waved. "Have fun." "Thanks." Max put the car into gear and drove off. Isabel started walking up to the house, her pace slowing as she got closer. Getting Michael over to spend some time with Kyle doing the whole male-bonding thing had seemed like a good idea at the time. Putting together the pieces of their group was proving to be a full-time occupation, but it had to be done. She knew how important Valenti was to Michael, even though he'd never admit it. He was the closest thing to a real father that Michael had ever had. Since it was obvious that something was bothering Michael since his return to town, Isabel figured he'd need all the support he could get. And Kyle needed to come to terms with the aliens again, all three of them. But they were both way too stubborn to take any incentive in fixing their friendship. That's where she came in. After all, she was good at arranging things. Only, now she wasn't so sure. Kyle was still pretty twitchy, even around her. And diplomacy was never Michael's thing. Maybe it hadn't been such a bright idea after all. Before she got to the front door, Valenti walked around the side of the house. "Isabel," he said in some surprise. "I wasn't expecting to see you again today." "Hey, Sheriff. I was looking for Michael." Valenti smiled, apparently very pleased with himself about something. "He and Kyle are in the back." He gestured. "Go on around." Then he went inside. "Okay," she answered slowly, shrugging as she walked around the corner. What were they doing back there? "Anyone back here?" she called as she entered the fenced-in back yard, not seeing anybody. Before she'd taken more than a few steps into the yard, she jumped back as something landed to the grass in front of her with a heavy thud. Another shingle quickly followed, this one landing a foot or two from her. She looked up in the direction they were coming from. "Michael!" Michael grinned down at her from his perch on the roof. "Hey, Iz." Deliberately, he shoved another shingle off the roof, using his powers to guide it to the ground near the previous ones. "Here to help?" "What are you doing up there?" She crossed her arms and glared up at him. "Well, seems that since I was here already, you know, picking up a friend," he answered pointedly, swinging his legs over the edge of the roof, "the sheriff figured that I might as well help with fixing his roof." "Be careful," she pointed out automatically. If he didn't take care, he was going to slip. Michael gave her an amused look. "Don't worry, Mother. I'm not going to fall. But I'll come down if it'll make you feel better." He started to move over towards the ladder resting along the wall, when Isabel's attention was caught by a noise. She turned around just in time to see Kyle come sneaking up towards her from the other side of the house. With a hose pointed at her. A hose which directed a spray of cold water at her. "Stop that!" she screamed as she was promptly drenched by a maniacally laughing Kyle. Isabel was pretty sure that she heard Michael laughing along with him. Yeah, Michael and Kyle bonding was definitely a bad idea. The two of them were obviously bad influences on each other. She tried to grab the hose away from him, but Kyle had years of sports practice to draw on for defensive measure. Moving quickly, he managed to keep the hose out of her hands and directed straight at her. Fine, then. Taking a quick peek at the back fence to ensure that nobody could see them, Isabel raised her hand and used her powers to reflect the oncoming water, straight back at Kyle. She wasn't going to be the only one looking like a drowned rat. Then, just for good measure, she sent some in the direction of Michael, who had just finished climbing down the ladder. By the time Valenti returned, the situation in the backyard had become a full-fledged water fight, with the three of them chasing each other around the yard and trying to drench the others. Taking a minute to look at them and hear their laughter, Valenti allowed himself a slight smile. Then, muttering "Kids," he turned and went back inside. He was pretty sure they could keep this under control. Ten minutes later, they were all collapsed on the ground, exhausted, laughing, and wet, but otherwise happy. "I look ridiculous," Isabel commented, then looked at the two boys. "And you two look even worse." Kyle looked over at her. "You don't look too bad," he pointed out, earning a gentle smack on the back of his head from Michael. "Yeah, right," she laughed. Waving her hand, Isabel dried herself off. "That's better," she said with satisfaction. "Hey, no fair," Kyle protested indignantly. "No Martian powers allowed in a water fight!" "A true water fight would have included more than one armed participant," Isabel pointed out evenly. "You started it, now you have to deal with the consequences." Then, feeling very mature, Isabel stuck her tongue out at him. She managed to refrain from going "nah, nah, nah," though. Michael snorted. "Come on, Iz. You don't care about rules as long as you win." She just looked at him. And his point was? Shaking his head in amusement, Michael reached over towards Kyle. "Here." Quickly, he dried Kyle, then himself, before turning his attention back to Isabel. "I assume I'm supposed to walk you home now." He glanced up at the sky, now growing darker as twilight set in. "Let's go. I have some things to do still tonight." "Say hi to Maria for me," Kyle said, settling back down as Michael and Isabel stood up. "See you tomorrow morning, bright and early," he added, with a slightly mischievous smile. Michael groaned. "Thanks for the reminder, Kyle." "No problem." He grinned in response. "Take care, Iz." "Bye." Michael and Isabel walked out of the yard and started towards her house. ----------------------------------------------------- "Tomorrow morning?" Isabel asked as they walked. It wasn't too far from Kyle's house to her own, and it was a pleasant evening. She figured she might as well take advantage of Michael's good mood to try and talk with him. "What are you two doing tomorrow morning?" "Fishing." At her incredulous look, he repeated himself. "We're going fishing. The sheriff and Kyle invited me." "Michael, do you know anything about fishing?" she asked, trying to keep the amusement out of her voice, but failing utterly. "Nope," he answered easily. "But that doesn't seem to matter. Apparently, even if I manage to catch one somehow, Kyle would just let it go anyway." He shrugged. "Humans are strange." "While we're all perfect examples of normalcy." He grinned over at her. A thought occurred to her. "You'd better not get shipwrecked or something, Michael. I am not going to that picnic tomorrow afternoon alone, so don't do anything to make Kyle late." "Nice to know you're concerned about me." At her glare, he held up his hands in surrender. "Fine. I'll be sure that Kyle makes it to the picnic on time. Okay?" She nodded, satisfied. They walked in companionable silence for a while, then Michael broke it. "That was a stupid thing to do, Isabel." She glanced at him quickly, but he was looking straight ahead, avoiding her gaze. "Tricking me to come over there and everything. Lying to me." Now he did turn to look at her. "What were you expecting, anyway?" "What happened," she answered promptly. "For you and Kyle to work things out. I hate having us fighting or mad at each other. It's not right." "Neither are tricks." Isabel simply tossed her head in response. He shook his head at her. "You're awfully proud of yourself, aren't you?" "Pretty much," she replied. "Things are starting to look up for us, don't you think? Maria doesn't hate me anymore, Kyle's back with us where he belongs. You and Maria are back on track." She smiled, satisfied. "Now we just have to get the sheriff and Mrs. DeLuca back together and things will be as good as they can be." "And you probably already have a scheme for that all worked out, don't you?" He wasn't sure if he was more irritated or impressed by her honest manipulations. Still, it had been nice. It felt good to spend time fixing things instead of breaking them. "Maybe an idea or two," she smiled at him, a picture of innocence. "Max and I were talking about it earlier." "Well, leave me out of it." He paused to let some kids go running by, looking after them pensively. "Michael?" She touched his arm lightly, jerking him out of his thoughts. He blinked down at her, then resumed walking. "I mean it. Let them work things out on their own." "Fine." Frowning, she asked slowly, "Things did go okay with you and Kyle, right? You wouldn't be ganging up on innocent bystanders together if you were all mad at each other, would you?" "You're hardly an innocent bystander, Iz." He laughed at the idea. "But you two bonded, right?" She wanted to be sure that she wasn't getting too excited about the healing in the group. Michael gave her a pained look. "Isabel, we're guys. Contrary to what you might think, guys don't sit around bonding. What did you think we were going to do, eat ice cream and gossip?" She rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Michael, for the last time, did you or did you not talk with Kyle?" "Yeah." "And you worked some stuff out?" "Yeah, Iz. We talked." He gave a wry smile. "We also argued, threatened, and yelled." The smile faded, and he got a thoughtful look on his face. "Then the sheriff came in and lectured us on how stupid we were both being." "He was right," she added helpfully. "Thanks." He shoved his hands into his pocket, looking down as he walked. "It was strange," he went on slowly. "Strange how?" she asked gently. Michael shrugged in response. "I don't know. I've been yelled at before. Lots. But this was different." Isabel took care to keep her voice quiet and as non-threatening as before. Michael rarely spoke about things this personal, and she didn't want to scare him off and make him stop. "How was it different?" Michael didn't look up as he answered. It was almost like he was talking to himself, trying to figure something out in his own mind. "It's hard to say. I guess it's just..... with Hank, when he yelled at me, it was because he hated me. Because I was trash." Isabel took a deep breath, forcing back the instinct to interject angrily. Michael never talked about Hank, so she forced herself to stay quiet and listen. "I figured it would be the same with Valenti. I kept waiting for him to get that look in his eyes..." Almost angrily, he shook his head. "But he didn't. He was upset at Kyle and me for the way we were acting, but he didn't hate us." He looked over at her finally, eyebrows drawn with the effort of putting this into words. "He might have hated what we were doing, but not us ourselves." Frustrated with his inability to put things into words, he shook his head and turned away. "Of course he doesn't hate you, Michael," Isabel answered softly. "Being mad at someone doesn't mean you stop caring about them. You know that. How many times have you been mad at Max or me? Or Maria, for that matter?" Michael had to laugh a little at that. "It never meant you stopped caring about us." "I know. But he was yelling at Kyle, too." Michael scratched his eyebrow. "Valenti's a good dad, right?" Isabel nodded agreement. "I thought yelling at your kid was a bad thing to do." "It depends," Isabel answered carefully. "Doing it all the time, and telling them they're worthless trash, like Hank did – yeah, that's bad. But Michael, parents get mad at their kids. They sometimes yell and scold and punish them." She smiled at him. "That's normal. It's necessary. You can't let your kids get away with everything or they become spoiled little brats." "Oh? Is that what happened to you and Max?" He grinned at her, eyes laughing. "Jerk." She aimed a mock punch at his arm, which he easily dodged. "I'm serious." She took a deep breath. "You'll love her more than anything, and you'll probably spoil her rotten. But sometimes you're going to have to discipline your daughter. There's a difference between discipline and abuse." She waited to see how Michael would react to that. This was the most discussion of his childhood that they'd really ever had. Michael frowned. "How will I know?" "You'll know." "What if I don't?" Michael stopped walking and Isabel stopped with him. "Really, Iz. What if I mess this up?" She could see the genuine fear and worry in his eyes, and her heart went out to him. Sometimes it was too easy to forget what he'd gone through all those years, the scars that it must have left. "What if I'm like....." he broke off abruptly, so she finished for him. "Like Hank?" She shook her head, speaking with certainty. "You won't be. You have too much love in you." She looked away, slightly embarrassed. "And if you ever need advice, you can ask Valenti." She suddenly had an amusing mental image of Michael, Valenti, and Kyle all gathered around a crib trying to figure out how to take care of the baby. "Yeah," he agreed slowly. He started walking briskly, putting those concerns aside for now. He still had things to do before going to see Maria. He looked aside at Isabel as she rejoined him. "Thanks, Iz." She put her hand over her heart. "A thank-you from Michael Guerin? Be still, my beating heart," she teased. "What for?" "For caring." He sighed. "Even when you are being a pain in the ass about it." Isabel laughed happily. "You're welcome, Michael. What's family for, after all?" ----------------------------------------------------- Michael didn't encounter anyone on his way to the apartment that Lynn Prentice was supposedly living in. When he reached the apartment, he paused, placing his hand on the door and concentrating. He didn't sense anyone inside, so he used his powers to open the door and entered, closing it carefully behind him. Let's see what we can find here. He hadn't gone more than two steps into the apartment when it hit him. Waves of phantom pain swept over him. Without breaking stride, he kept walking until he reached the point of origin. Bending down, Michael touched one hand to the floor. This was where it had happened. Somebody had been killed here, and recently. Unlike three months earlier at Dagmar's house, Michael wasn't overcome by the sensations of pain and death. Instead of fighting them, he allowed them to sweep past, trying to concentrate on picking up what had caused them. After a few minutes, he sighed in irritation. There was something about the energy signal he was sensing, something familiar, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He was afraid to try absorbing it any deeper. The previous night had let him know that Maria was being affected by his emotional state more than he had imagined. He wasn't going to risk feeling this pain too much, not if it could hurt her, too. Rapidly, Michael searched through the rest of the apartment, not finding anything terribly suspicious or informative. A few bottles of skin lotion, but not enough to scream out "Skin!" No computer or incriminating papers lying around. Finally, frustrated, Michael decided to leave. On his way out, he turned to give the center of the living room one last look. Was Lynn Prentice the one killed here? Or was she the killer? -------------------------------------------------- Maria rubbed her neck as she walked into the back room of the Crashdown. She was exhausted. She just wanted to sit down and rest her feet in quiet for a few minutes. That plan was stopped when she saw Liz and Max sitting and talking on the couch. She found herself smiling at the two of them. Liz was watching Max with a look of happiness in her eyes that Maria realized she hadn't seen there in a while. Max looked very proud of himself, she noticed with amusement. Seems like things were going well in Max-and-Liz-land. "Hey, lovebirds," she called, coming to sit down, Liz scooting over to make her room on the edge of the couch. "What's going on?" Liz gave her a bright smile, showing her the necklace she was wearing. "Max just gave me this. Isn't it beautiful?" She gave her boyfriend an adoring smile. "Yeah." Maria reached over to hold it out a little so that it shone in the light. "Very nice, Max." She smiled approvingly at him. Letting go of the necklace, she went on. "So, any big romantic plans for tonight?" Liz and Max exchanged looks. "Well," Liz started slowly, "We were thinking about going to the movies. But we can wait until after closing." Maria frowned at the sudden dimming of light in Liz's eyes. Poor Liz. Things had been oddly strained with her and Max lately. Maria didn't want to see her best friend's good mood vanish, so she smiled quickly. "No way, Lizzie. You and Max go see your movie now." She stood up, pulling Liz with her. "Have a grand romantic evening. Make him take you to dinner, too." She grinned at Max. "I can take care of closing up." "Are you sure?" Liz asked, also standing. She really wanted to go with Max, but didn't want Maria to get too tired. Maria waved her hand in a widely dismissive manner. "Would I say it if I didn't mean it? Go, have fun." When Liz still hesitated, she laughed. "Trust me, there's going to be plenty of times for you to cover for me after the baby comes. For now, take advantage of my generosity." "Thanks, Maria." Liz made a move towards her, then stopped herself. Maria winced inwardly at seeing the aborted move. Her own best friend was afraid to touch her. Making an effort, Maria reached over and gave Liz a quick hug. It felt better than she'd feared. "Have fun, Liz." Then she pulled back. "You, too, girlfriend," she directed to Max. "We will." With a big smile, Max led his girlfriend out of the restaurant. Maria's good mood lasted for about twenty more minutes, until Jose told her he had a family emergency and needed to go. Not actually believing him, but also not wanting to fight about it, Maria was left alone to clean and close up. Actually, she enjoyed the quiet after everyone left. It had been a long day, and she had a lot to think about. Especially the upcoming conversation with Michael. The one where they were going to talk about these extreme mood shifts they'd been having. She gathered up the garbage bags and opened the back door. As she walked out into the alley, she was suddenly distracted by a wave of emotions from Michael. Pausing after she put the bags in the dumpster, she tried to decipher them. Confusion? Recognition? She couldn't quite figure out what it was. It was like the feeling when you hear a little piece of music, and you know that you know the song, but you can't quite name it. Very strange. Then another feeling came over her, one that wasn't coming from Michael but from her own instincts. Goosebumps rising, Maria turned around to see the figures in the shadows, blocking her way back to the Crashdown door. "Hello there, DeLuca," Brad said, grinning broadly as he stepped out of the shadows. "Been looking for you."

Anla · Post by **Anla** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 11:04 am

<div style="text-align:center">"One you - one me One chance for us to live One heart - one soul One life for us to give One dream - one mind One sky up above One you - one me One love" ~~~ Sister Hazel, "One Love"</div> Maria frowned, trying to silence her growing sense of disquiet. "Brad? What are you doing here?" Brad’s smile did absolutely nothing to reassure her. It was a predator’s smile. It reminded her slightly of the way Lonnie had smiled at Alex that long ago day, right before the dupe attacked. Cautiously, Maria started to move to the side, but the figures waiting in the shadows moved to stop her motion. Two figures, three with Brad, she noted. They had ski masks on, so Maria couldn't tell who they were. Brad’s grin grew wider as he answered. "Well, since you ask," he teased, nodding towards one of the others. "My friend here is going to relieve the restaurant of any excess funds it might have." He moved aside so that the mentioned figure could enter through the door, while the other boy moved closer. Maria was really getting scared now. She didn’t like the way these boys were looking at her. They’d always seemed like bullies at school, but she’d never had much to do with them. Now, here she was, trapped in a dark alley with them. Not good at all. "So you’re here to rob the place?" She was proud of the way she kept her voice steady. "Okay. Go for it." She waved at the door. "Knock yourselves out. Don’t let me stop you." Protecting the evening’s money wasn’t worth getting herself or the baby hurt. Then she realized something – Brad hadn't bothered to put on a mask. He didn't mind her knowing who he was. This was so not a good thing. "Aw, come on, Maria." Brad slowly started to move closer. "I have to admit that I wasn’t expecting anyone to still be here. But since you are," he reached out one hand to run it down her arm, laughing when she jerked away from him, "we might as well spend some time getting to know each other better, don’t you think?" "Don't touch me!" she got out. "Just take the money and go." Desperately, she looked around, but in the darkness, she couldn’t see any further down the alley than Brad and his buddies. She moved back, towards the garbage cans and dumpsters. "Hey, Brad," one of the other boys said nervously from where he'd paused in the doorway. "This is just supposed to be a robbery. No one said anything about hurting anyone." "Shut up, Greg." Brad’s eyes never left Maria’s. "The two of us just have an unfinished conversation. Don't we?" Looking at him, Maria felt the strangest sensation. Her fear didn’t exactly evaporate, but it seemed as thought it was buried under a new emotion, an icy anger. Seeing the malicious intent in his eyes, Maria found something primal and instinctive waking up inside her. A need to defend. "Go to hell," she hissed at him, ignoring the part of her mind still rational enough to realize that making him angrier was a bad idea. His smile vanishing at her comment, Brad reached out to grab her arm again. He never made contact. The second he moved, so did she. Her leg shot out, kicking him hard even as she pushed at him with more strength than she would have believed she had. She could see the one in the doorway, Greg, run away, but the other one moved to back up Brad. "Help!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. The other figure lunged at her, wrapping his arms around her and covering her mouth with his hand. Maria instantly bit his hand, breaking free and grabbing for the lid from one of the garbage cans. Swinging the lid with all her strength, she connected with his throat, hitting him over the head with it as he stumbled back. Then her wrist was grabbed, hard, and Maria found herself pushed back against the wall. "That’s enough." Brad grabbed her hard by the shoulders, fingers digging into her skin. She readied herself to attack again, when he removed one hand and took something out of his pocket. She saw the switchblade in his hand and forced herself to stillness. "You and your freak friends all think you’re so much better than me, don’t you? That you’re special somehow," he sneered the words at her. "But you’re not, and it’s about time you knew it." Reaching up with his free hand, Brad ripped open the first few top buttons of her uniform. She instinctively tried to retreat from the evil glint in his eyes, but there was nowhere to go. "None of your friends," he sneered the word, "are here now." Then he saw Maria’s gaze pass right over his head to something behind him. "What?" Keeping a tight grip on her, he turned around. Just in time to see the other figure thrown across the alley to land in an unmoving pile on the ground, and one very angry Michael Guerin. "Let go of her," Michael growled. Maria took advantage of Brad’s momentary confusion to break free and move aside. That was all Michael needed. It was a very short battle, a matter of minutes really. The outcome was never in doubt. Brad put up quite a struggle, and it was clear that he’d been in plenty of fights like this in the past. But Michael was a born warrior, and there was no way he was going to let the person who hurt Maria go unpunished. He moved with a dangerous grace, easily countering the human boy’s moves. Brad made the first move, lunging towards Michael with the knife. Maria watched, heartbeat pounding even more than it had during her own struggle, as Michael grabbed his wrist, pulling it sharply to one side and forcing him to drop the knife. She thought she could almost hear the snap of broken bones. After that, it was down to fists. Maria could feel the anger boiling inside Michael, finding an outlet as he fought back against the one who wanted to hurt her, punching and punching Brad without pause. Brad managed to get in one punch, and Maria winced, feeling the impact on her own cheek as if she was the one hit, not her teela-mei. But never did she doubt who would be the winner of the battle. And when it was over, when Michael had thrown Brad down against the wall of the alley and stood over him, she found herself hardly able to breathe, waiting for what was going to come. Waiting for Michael to end it. She gasped, feeling the energy rush through her body as it built up rapidly in Michael’s, just waiting for a chance to come out. A chance to be used. Yes. Michael held out his hand, looking down at the bruised and unconscious body in front of him. He had warned him, had told him to leave them alone, but Brad had chosen not to listen. Michael had felt Maria’s fear and pain, knew what Brad did to her, could imagine what he would have done if Michael hadn’t come along. If I had been too late........ No. Brad couldn’t be allowed to get away with it, couldn’t be allowed to remain a threat to Maria and the baby. Looking down with cold determination, Michael felt his hand heating up as his energy prepared itself for release. Even the loud wailing of nearby sirens didn’t register with him. All he could see was the enemy at his feet, an enemy he was going to make sure never threatened Maria again. But right before he could release his energy and kill Brad, Michael felt someone grab his shoulder from behind, pulling his hand away. Angry that one of Brad’s friends would come back and interfere, Michael didn’t even stop to think. He swung around, fist connecting with the intruder’s chin, sending him flying backwards across the alley to where he collided with the wall. Outraged, Michael turned to deal with this obstacle before returning to Brad. Only to meet the pain-filled, frightened, and very confused eyes of Sheriff Jim Valenti. Michael froze, unable to think about anything except the fact that he had hit Valenti. Had hit him so hard that he’d been able to hear the sound the sheriff’s head made when it slammed into the alley wall. Motionless, he was unable to tear his eyes from the sheriff’s face, watching as though from a distance as Valenti slowly stood up, wincing in pain (pain Michael had caused), wary suspicion and distrust taking the place of confusion in his look. "Michael?" Valenti asked uncertainly as he stood, one hand resting on his gun in case it was needed. "What’s going on here?" He could hear the sirens getting louder. They were almost there. "Michael?" he asked again, sharper this time, as the teen didn’t answer, simply standing there like a statue. Was it Michael? Or Rath? With the look in the alien’s eyes when he punched him, Valenti wasn’t sure. Then he noticed movement to the side, and realized Maria was there. Must be Michael, then. Maria would definitely be able to tell the difference. That means Michael’s the one who just knocked you around like.......... Valenti forced the thought away. First things first. Didn’t seem like Michael was going to answer him, so he directed his question to Maria, keeping an eye on Michael even as he focused more on the girl. "Could someone answer me, please?" That’s when he noticed the torn top of Maria’s uniform. "Dear God," he breathed, looking rapidly from Maria, to Michael, to the two unconscious bodies and putting the pieces together. Letting go of his gun, Valenti took off his jacket and moved quickly to Maria’s side. Michael tensed at his motion, but made no move of his own. Valenti wrapped the jacket around Maria’s shoulders, covering up her front. "Are you okay, Maria?" he asked in a gentler tone. "I am now." Maria gave him a small smile, then walked over to Michael. She peered into his face, not liking the unresponsive quality of his gaze at all. She wasn’t getting much in the way of emotions from him through the connection, either. It was like he’d shut down mentally upon realizing he’d hurt Valenti. Turning back to the sheriff, she explained. "They were going to rob the Crashdown. And then Brad........" She took a deep breath. "Brad grabbed me. He tore my top." She shivered at the memory. "Then Michael came and stopped him," she finished simply. "I'd say," Valenti muttered, looking back at the two unconscious boys. Michael stopped them, all right. He glanced over at the alien, but Michael wasn't looking at him. He didn't seem to be looking at much of anything, actually, just staring off vacantly into space. Valenti opened his mouth, but before he could say anything else, he was distracted by the sound of cars pulling up to the entrance of the alley. He ran his hand over his face. "Stay here," he directed, going to meet Deputy Blackwood. Good thing it's him. At least Owen knows how to keep his mouth shut when appropriate. Valenti was grateful for small favors right then. If anything, Michael looked worse in the flashing lights from the police cars. Maria reached out and tentatively touched his hand. "Hey, Spaceboy? Are you okay?" Even with the physical contact, she wasn't getting anything through the bond. This was starting to scare her more than Brad's attack had. Even when his stonewalls were at their strongest, Michael wasn't this unresponsive to her. "Michael?" He blinked and turned to look at her. She wasn't reassured, though, since his eyes had a completely blank expression. She wasn't sure what Michael was seeing, but she didn't think it was the alley as it was. She needed to get him focused. "Michael, you need to listen to me." She took both of his hands, whispering urgently as she kept her eyes on Valenti and his deputy. "I need you to focus here. They're going to ask us what happened. All we have to do is tell the truth." Now there was a novelty. "It's a clear case of defense, but they need to know that. In case Brad......" A flicker of life in Michael's eyes. "He won't die," he stated with an eerie calm. "His injuries aren't fatal." Maria wasn't sure how she felt about that. "Okay." Well, at least Michael wasn't going to be arrested again. She didn't even want to imagine how her mother would have taken a third arrest for suspicion of homicide. Then Valenti and Deputy Blackwood were back in the alley with them. Maria answered the majority of the questions, recognizing instinctively that Michael was in no shape right then to deal with anyone, much less a deputy who had arrested him in the past. Luckily, things were fairly simple. Turned out that someone had heard her screaming and had called the sheriff's station. When they arrived, they'd picked up Greg fleeing the scene (the masked figure running down the street aroused some suspicions), and he confirmed Maria's story, as well as the fact that Brad's little gang had been the ones responsible for the spree of muggings and robberies that had been hitting Roswell the last few weeks. Brad's switchblade was found and bagged for fingerprinting, but there didn't seem to be any doubt concerning Maria's story. The only tense moment came when the paramedic wanted to examine the bruises on Maria's shoulders. The second that he moved to push down the shoulders of her dress, she could see Michael tense up as if he was going to interfere. She understood – she didn't want this stranger touching her, even as innocently as he was, but attacking the poor paramedic for doing his job wouldn't help anything. Before Michael could move, Valenti was at her side, standing behind her and moving down the sleeves just enough so that the paramedic could check out her bruises, all the while keeping a close eye on Michael. As soon as Valenti moved into position, Michael visibly backed down, returning to his prior state. Not good, she thought to herself. When their statements were finished, and they were assured that they weren't in any trouble, Maria turned to Valenti. "Can we go get cleaned up now?" He cast a quick look at Michael, answering in a low voice. "Maybe you should wait till your mom gets here to take you home." "I'll be fine," she assured him, walking over to Michael and taking his hand. "Come on, Spaceboy. Let's go get you cleaned up." Ignoring Valenti's clearly dubious look, she took Michael's hand and led him inside the Crashdown. Michael didn't resist, following her as she led. -------------------------------------------------- "Okay, let's get you cleaned up." Maria forced herself to speak in a calmly reassuring voice, steadfastly pushing aside memories of what she'd just been through. If she thought about it too much, she'd break down, and she couldn't afford that. Not now, not with Michael going all catatonic on her like this. Take care of him first, then break down, she told herself sternly, leading him over to the sink in the bathroom. She turned on the sink and put Michael's hands under the faucet. "I think there's a first aid kit around here someplace," her voice trailed off as the water washed the bloody hands. They were clean. "Never mind," she muttered. Apparently the blood wasn't his, not any of it. Well, seeing how broken Brad was when Michael got finished with him, she couldn't really say that she was surprised. Looking him over carefully, she noticed a tear in his shirt. "Stay here. Let me see if you have another shirt in your locker." But before she could get to the door, Michael made the first move on his own initiative since he hit Valenti, reaching out to grab her around the waist, pulling her closer. Maria relaxed a bit, fully prepared to melt into his hold, but Michael seemed to have other ideas. He only drew her to about a foot away from him, leaning back to look down at her. Gently, ever so gently, Michael pushed back the shoulders of her waitress uniform, staring down at her shoulders. Or more specifically, at the large ugly bruises on her shoulders. After a second of frozen silence, he reached out to put his hands on the bruises. Sensing his intent, Maria moved back quickly. "No." He looked up at her, an expression of surprise and hurt taking the place of the blankness he'd previously shown. "No," she repeated softly. "You can't heal me, Michael. Too many people out there," she waved in the direction of the alley where she knew the police were still congregated, "saw the bruises." She smiled bitterly. "That's why they didn't come down on you for beating Brad to a bloody pulp. Well, the bruises and this," she reached out and lightly caressed the red sore skin on Michael's cheek where he'd been hit during the brief struggle. He was going to have quite a bruise there, himself. "We're going to have to let them heal the old-fashioned way, is all." Maria forced herself to smile again, trying to send out comforting vibes to him. "It's not that bad, really." Could have been much worse, she thought, trying to repress a shiver. From the look in his eyes, she suspected he'd seen it. He saw too much where she was concerned. She moved closer to him again. It felt too cold away from him, too empty. Maria craved the warmth she could sense inside him, even though he was trying to keep it locked tightly inside. He reached out his hands again slowly, almost as if he couldn't stop himself, lightly tracing the skin around her bruises. "He hurt you," Michael said in a low voice. When he looked up at her, Maria's heart sped up in response to the heat in his gaze. His eyes weren't empty anymore. Now they were filled, almost overflowing with emotions too many to count. But she could make out a few of them. Love for her. Anger that anyone could threaten her and the baby. And something else, something more basic than either of these, something she couldn't quite put a label to, but which made her move even closer to him, moving so that their bodies touched. She bit back a gasp at the contact. She could feel the energy flowing through Michael, so strong and so fast, struggling to get loose. No wonder he's been so quiet. It must be taking a lot of concentration to keep that under control. The only thing was, Maria wasn't sure she wanted him to keep it under control. It was tantalizing, the tiny bits of energy she could feel shooting through her body where it touched his, like little sparks of power. She wondered what it would be like to feel it all go rushing through her when Michael did let go. His voice brought her back to her surroundings. "I should have killed him," he went on, still tracing patterns on her bare skin with his thumbs. "I should make sure that he can't hurt you again. Either of you." Maria was finding it hard to concentrate, hard to think about anything except the delicious shivers his touch was causing her and the almost overwhelming desire to feel his hands all over her body. But she managed it, because this was important. "Why didn't you then?" she finally got out. He froze, looking at her in surprise. She leaned up, barely grazing his lips with her own in the barest touch of a kiss. "What's stopping you?" She moved even closer, lowering her voice to a whisper. "Not me." She gave a low laugh. "And it's sure not those deputies. We both know you could take them out without breaking a sweat. I don't even think it's Valenti. So what?" She paused then, waiting to see if he understood. If he realized what it was that was keeping him in check, stopping him from continuing the attack on Brad, even after Valenti was hurt. Michael shook his head slowly. "I don't know," he admitted. She gave a small sigh. "Think about it, Spaceboy. Try to figure it out." A mischievous grin spread over her face. "Think about it later." She grabbed the front of his shirt in her fist. "Much later." Then she pulled him down for a real kiss, closing her eyes as she was overwhelmed by the incredible sensations. The instant their mouths met, it was as if her entire body was being caressed and stimulated by the waves of energy he was radiating. And all this just from a kiss. Maria couldn't wait to find out what it would be like to actually make love with Michael when he was like this. Michael responded instantly, pulling her closer, letting the feel of Maria in his arms momentarily drown out everything else, the sickening fear that he'd felt when he realized she was in danger, the knowledge of what could have happened to her if he hadn't arrived in time, even the horrifying memory of the moment when his fist connected with Valenti's face in a dreadful parody of far too many of his own memories. She made everything better. Putting one hand around her waist, he ran the other one up her leg and under her skirt, loving the noises she made in her throat as he moved ever higher. Oh, yeah. It would be so easy to lose himself in touching her, in loving Maria, to just let everything else go.......... To just let go........ Michael drew back, horrified at what he'd almost been willing to allow to happen. Maria groaned in disappointment as the kiss ended, eyes flying open. "What is it, Spaceboy?" she demanded. "What's wrong?" He took a step back, shaking. "We can't," he whispered hoarsely. "We can't do this. Not now." She moved along with him. "Yeah, we can. We most definitely can." She reached out, but he moved back again, hitting the closed door behind them. "No, we can't." He resolutely avoided her eyes. "I need some time alone. If I stay here, with you..." How to put it in words? "Things are going to get out of control," he finished, well aware of how weak that explanation was. Maria laughed. "I was kind of hoping that." When he continued to avoid looking at her, her eyes narrowed dangerously. "You're worried that you won't be able to keep up your stupid walls, aren't you? That's what this is about? You're pushing me away, keeping your distance again." Michael turned and opened the door, fleeing the room. Maria's temper snapped. She was sick of this – enough already. She couldn't deal with this emotional distance from Michael anymore. It was making her miserable. Angrily, she followed, grabbing Michael's arm to keep him from leaving the Crashdown's back room. He shook off her hand roughly, so she moved in front of him, placing herself squarely between him and the exit door. "That is enough, Michael! Do you understand me? You don't get to do this anymore. You can't make decisions for both of us without any concern for my opinion!" she screamed at him. "I'm not going to be pushed aside anymore!" Clenching his fists, Michael closed his eyes as he took a deep breath. When he opened them again, he glared at Maria angrily. "Fine." He advanced towards her, causing her to back up nervously into the wall behind her. "You want to know what's going on inside me? What's behind the walls?" His voice got lower with each word, vibrating with anger and frustration. "You want to feel everything?" Suddenly she wasn't so sure. But before she could speak, he grabbed her head with one hand and brought it up to his, catching her in a fierce kiss. This time, there were no walls to stop the connection. Maria found herself swept away. ----------------------------------------------------- When Max and Liz pulled into the parking lot, they saw the police car instantly and exchanged worried looks. All Valenti's phone call had said was for them to come back, right away. If there was other police involved, then that meant things were pretty bad. They rapidly climbed out of the Jeep and went around to the alley, getting a nod from Deputy Blackwood, who was talking to a few people at the entrance. They saw the sheriff waiting for them at the far end, standing back from the lights. "Sheriff, what's going on?" Max asked as they rushed over. "There was an attempted robbery. Brad Forster – you two know him, right?" They nodded impatiently. "Brad and some of his friends tried to rob the Crashdown." Liz gasped softly. Max tensed up, remembering that night when Brad and some of his other friends had beat him up not far from there. "They caught Maria out here in the alley, and they...." his voice trailed off. "Is she hurt?" Liz asked anxiously. He shook his head. "Maria's okay. She put up a fight, and then Michael showed up." Max nodded. "Which would pretty much take care of the threat to Maria." "You're sure she's okay?" Liz knew she should have stayed until closing. "And the baby?" "Yeah." Valenti lowered his voice, making doubly sure that nobody could overhear. "She's got a few bruises from where Brad grabbed her, and he ripped her dress open." He got the words out through his clenched jaw. The thought of someone doing that to anyone was sickening to the sheriff, but the fact that it was one of his kids who was endangered ....... "Oh, my God," Liz breathed. "Poor Maria. We'd better see if she's okay." Before she could go inside, the sheriff put a gentle hand on her arm. "Hold on." He stepped out into the light so that they could see his face. The whole side of his face was red. He'd obviously been hit by something, hard. "Did Brad and the others hit you?" Liz asked, confused. He shook his head, looking directly at Max. "I heard the call about someone screaming outside the Crashdown, and I got here before any of my deputies. They were right behind me." Here was the other hard part. "When I got here, Michael was about to power blast Brad, probably right through the wall and across town." Max could guess what came next. "You stopped him?" He was trying very hard to keep his voice level and calm, but he was starting to feel sick. He had a feeling he knew the rest of the explanation. "Yeah. Didn't think that would be an easy thing to explain to the rest of the law when they showed up." He gave a quick glance at Liz, then returned his attention to Max. "Anyway, Michael didn't exactly appreciate me getting in his way." Max nodded slowly as Liz stared in shock. "Michael did that? He hit you?" She couldn't imagine Michael doing that. "Yep. 'Course, I'm not sure he actually knew who he was hitting." He could see that Max understood all the implications of that. If Michael was going around attacking people blindly, without taking the time to know who he was hurting – well, that was bad. Really bad. "Anyway, can you heal it?" Ordinarily, he wouldn't have bothered, but it would be slightly difficult to explain away his injury. So far, with the darkness in the alley, nobody had commented on his face. He thought that Owen Blackwood might have noticed it, but he hadn't said anything, so it was hard to be sure. Anyway, Owen knew how to keep his own counsel. "Of course." Max moved up to the sheriff as Liz looked around them to make sure nobody was paying them any attention. The bruise was nasty, and probably hurt a lot, but was easy to heal. "Check for a concussion, too, if you can," Valenti said softly. "I hit my head on the wall and my vision's a little blurry." Max hesitated for a second, imagining how hard Michael must have hit the older man, before he nodded silently and finished his healing. He spent another minute checking for any other injuries, but that was it. "There. You're finished." "Thanks." Valenti stepped back, glancing towards Owen. "Guess I'd better go down to the station and make sure things are progressing the way they should." No way was Brad getting away with this. "And I need to see Maria," Liz said determinedly, only to find her way blocked again, this time by Max. "Let me talk to them first," he said firmly. Liz stared at him. "She's my best friend, Max. If she needs to talk, I want to be there for her." "I know you do, Liz. You can talk to her in a few minutes." He looked over her head and met the sheriff's understanding glance before looking back at his girlfriend. "But I'm not sure about Michael's frame of mind right now." He took a shaky breath, not liking any of this at all. "If he's upset enough to be hitting Valenti........" "You'd be upset if anything happened to me, too, Max," she pointed out. "Nobody's saying he doesn't have reason to be upset, Liz, but if he is, then I think it's better that I talk to him." Michael had been on edge for months now. If he was on the point of losing control totally, Max didn't want Liz anywhere near when it happened. She shook her head sharply. "Why? Because you're the king and he's your responsibility?" Max frowned. "No, Liz. Because he's my brother." And he was very worried about what his brother was going through right then. --------------------------------------------------- For a brief instant, Maria struggled against the overwhelming invasion of mind and senses. There was too much. It was like being trapped in a hurricane of memories and emotions, none of them her own. All from Michael, things that he'd kept locked away for so long, but which were finally free and available to her. He was open to her in a way that he hadn't been even during the tiasa, because then he'd been hiding things from himself as well. This was a part of Michael that she'd never known completely before, a part that he'd trapped inside him but which had come out to play at last. It was momentarily terrifying and disorienting, quite unlike the sharing of the tiasa. There was nothing gentle about this exchange. It was strong and fierce, threatening to completely submerge the Maria part of their connection. But it was Michael. It might not be the gentler part of him, but it was still a part of who he had been, who he was. Michael could never hurt her, would never want to hurt her. And she couldn't reject any part of him. So she stopped fighting it, relaxing and letting the sensations sweep through her. There were flickers of memories running through her mind. Some were things that she'd seen before in flashes from Michael - his childhood with Hank, his friendship with Max and Isabel, the way his heart filled with love at the sight of her. His feelings of protectiveness for the whole group. But there were others, as well. Images of war and death under an alien sky. A child, left behind and frightened. Desperately trying to please his teachers so that he wouldn't be alone again. Learning how to fight. Meeting Zandar and Vilandra. Learning how to laugh and how to love again. Hating that weakness even as he craved it. Breathe came his voice in her mind, and without conscious thought she obeyed it. She hadn't even realized she was holding her breath. Things were going so fast, it was hard to make out all the details. She was seeing everything, every bit of Tymrath's life as well as Michael's. Most of it went through her consciousness so quickly that she would never be able to fully recall it, but the feelings were very clear and very lasting. Hate, burning and biting, rushing through every inch of his body. Anger making his blood heat up, yearning to be released in fire and pain. Fear of failure, of not being strong enough, of not achieving his goals. The struggle to control those emotions, to keep himself from falling completely over the brink. Love, passionate and intense, gradually coming to exist alongside that hate, overriding it. Choices to make. Pleasure from making love to his teela-mei, to knowing that she loved him in return. The joy of having a family again. The pain of losing part of that family. The anger coming to the surface, too strong to be denied. Not wanting to deny it. The rush of energy flowing through his body, constantly striving for release. Who he loved. Who he hated. And those for whom he felt both. Love and hate, pleasure and pain, yearning for that rush and wishing for peace – all tumbling together to make a whole. It was hard to keep it all straight, much less decide which emotions were stronger than the others. They just were. They were all his, a part of what made him who he was. Who he had been. They were hers now, too. They were one in their connection. No defenses left, no emotional distance. When Michael broke the connection and pulled away from their kiss, she opened her eyes, looking around the room in confusion, half-expecting to be on Antar, not in the back of the Crashdown. For a second, she wasn't even sure who she was. Things were so confused inside her mind. Then she looked into those beautiful brown eyes looking back at her and she remembered who he was and who she was. He looked at her uncertainly, fear evident in his eyes. It was clear that he was worried she was going to reject him now that she had felt everything. A small smile formed on her lips. Idiot. When was he going to learn? "Come here," she ordered, wrapping her hands under his shirt, needing to feel him close to her, to see if he was still vibrating with the unspent energy. At the feel of his skin under hers, Maria's smile grew. "Thanks." She laughed at his look of surprise. "Took you long enough." Then she leaned up and kissed him again. There was nothing holding them back from being together again now, no hesitation. Michael kissed her back without reservation, trying to show her how much he loved her with his touch. Whatever else might have changed inside him, that never would. He pressed her body as close to his as possible with their clothes still on, holding her tight with one hand while the other pushed up her skirt. She moaned slightly in response, trying to move even closer. Maria ran her hands up and down his chest. God, he felt good. She wanted this, needed it. They were already connected as intimately as they could be on an emotional level, but it had been far too long since they were together physically. She'd missed the feel of his body. His lips left hers, moving down to her neck. Maria threw back her head, letting him have easier access. His mouth moved down her throat, all the while his hands were moving up and down the rest of her body, driving her crazy with need. Everywhere he touched, it felt like her nerves were waking up from a long sleep. His energy was spreading through her body, each touch driving her higher with pleasure. Michael's mouth kept moving ever lower, continuing to kiss down the front of her chest, past the torn buttons and then past ones that he undid himself. When he reached her bra, he didn't pause, undoing the front snap. Maria closed her eyes, completely succumbing to the feel of his lips and hands touching her. She did love Michael's hands. His mouth wasn't bad, either. The ache was getting overwhelming now. "Michael," she whispered, not wanting him to stop but thinking that it might be a good idea to relocate to the couch. "Michael," she repeated more insistently, but no response from her teela-mei. Okay, then. "Tym," she tried, turning the alien name into a caress. She liked the way it sounded. "Tym," she repeated, more sure of herself that time. It felt right. At the sound of his old name, he looked up at her, eyes glittering in the light. She thrilled at the look of passion in his eyes, and ran her hand through his hair. Then something changed in his look. Confusion, panic, fear, anger at himself – they all ran through his eyes and through the connection. Maria opened her mouth to protest – she didn't want him to be afraid of this. She wasn't. But before she could say anything, he backed away from her. "I'm sorry," Michael got out brokenly. "I shouldn't have........." Then he did something very much from this lifetime. He turned and ran. Maria watched him open the door and flee. Her legs unable to support her anymore, she collapsed to the floor, lowering her head into her hands and trying to figure out what the hell had just happened. ----------------------------------------------------- Max entered the back room quietly. Valenti had convinced them to wait and allow the couple some time to talk and calm down, but he figured this was long enough. Every minute spent outside served to make Max more and more concerned. He remembered Tymrath so well, the good and the bad. Max had never wanted Michael to feel that was who he had to be again, mostly because he knew how terrified of that possibility his best friend was. Even while he accepted that it was Michael's decision to make, Max kept faith that things would never get out of hand. But now.......... Michael hit Valenti. Regardless of his intent, he had done it. Max didn't think that was something Michael would find easy to accept or forgive himself. He hoped this night's events didn't push Michael completely into something he didn't want. At first, he thought the room he entered was deserted, but then he spotted Maria on the floor near the far wall. She looked up at his entrance, eyes both focused on him and yet oddly dismissive. The cold knot of nerves inside him grew even more. Then he noticed that the front of her dress was hanging open, and she had no bra on. At his startled expression, Maria looked down at herself, a sarcastic smile forming on her lips. "Enjoying the view, Max?" she asked snidely. She made no move to cover up. He tore his eyes away, looking at her with concern. "Are you okay, Maria?" She laughed softly. "Oh, yeah." She stood up slowly, stretching casually before buttoning up her shirt, at least as far as she could. "Never better." She smirked at him, eyes glittering in a manner that frightened him. He'd never seen Maria look like that, so full of brittle malice. "Where's Michael?" He had to keep himself from backing away from the stranger in front of him, looking around for his second. It was obvious that things weren't fine with Maria, so he wanted to know where Michael was. What could possibly keep Michael away from Maria at a time like this?" Maria shrugged, watching him carefully, almost as if she'd never seen him before. "Don't know. He ran off," she waved her hand in the direction of the door. "Why do you ask?" The smile slipped off her face, along with any pretense of good humor. "Have some orders to give him, Your Majesty?" She shook her head. "You can't control him, you know. You never could. Not really." She doubted that Max ever fully understood that. Where was this coming from? "I don't want to control him," Max protested, frowning at the girl. "I just want to make sure he's okay." Taking her hair in her hands and pulling it back from her face, Maria stared at Max for a long, disconcerting minute, finally smiling at him again. "All right, then. Why don't you try his apartment? I'm sure he'll go there eventually." She gave a low laugh. "I'm sure you two boys will have a very interesting conversation." She raised an eyebrow mockingly as Max met her gaze seriously and appraisingly. He almost asked her again if she was all right, but didn't bother. There was no need. It was clear that she wasn't. This woman looking at him with contemptuous amusement glittering in her eyes wasn't the Maria he knew. Something was very off about her. He recognized that look. Fighting the chill going through his body, Max forced himself to nod slowly. "Okay. I'll try there. Thanks." Maria watched Max turn away, and suddenly a sliver of realization knifed through her. What was she doing? This was Max, one of her best friends, not an enemy. What was she thinking? "Max, wait!" she cried urgently, rushing over to block his exit. "Listen, I'm sorry for being such a bitch. Guess I'm more shaken up by everything than I thought." Like that's all. "Don't go over to Michael's. Not tonight." She spoke more rapidly, sensing the urgency. Max couldn't be near Michael right now. She didn't know what she was thinking, encouraging him to go over there. Don't you? She ignored that little voice, concentrating on Max. "He needs some time to calm down. Go see him in the morning." Max's gaze shot straight through her. "Want to tell me why, Maria? Why is it so suddenly important to you that I stay away from him?" She had no idea what to say to that. Before she could even try to answer, the door opened and her mother came rushing in, the sheriff right behind her. "Maria! Are you okay?" The next thing she knew, she was engulfed in her mother's arms, trying to reassure her that yes, she was fine, that Michael showed up before any real harm was done. By the time she was able to look up and over, Max was gone. ---------------------------------------------------- The man waited in the shadows and watched as the excitement died down, the crowds dispersed, and finally even the sheriff and his deputy went home, escorting the DeLuca girl and her mother. Unnoticed, he had observed the entire incident, examining the Arkh'ra's actions. Not exactly what he had expected, but then again, that was the whole point of information gathering, wasn't it? To learn what could be anticipated from the prey in any given situation. In that respect, this evening's show was quite informative. Particularly Tymrath's response to hitting the sheriff. He stepped out under the streetlights, a satisfied smile forming. Interesting. Seems like his teela-mei isn't the only human Tym's gotten overly attached to. He walked off, the black stone around his neck sparkling in the sparse light. Very interesting.

Anla · Post by **Anla** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 11:09 am

<div style="text-align:center">"So maybe I shouldn't have called Was it too soon to tell? Oh what the hell It doesn't really matter How do you redefine something that never really had a name? Has your opinion changed?" Savage Garden, "I Don't Know You Anymore"</div> Isabel stood on the shore, looking pensively off across the red waters of the ocean. It was so quiet here, so peaceful. As Vilandra, she had always loved the privacy it gave her to think and be alone. Or at least as alone as it was possible to be with her ever-present entourage of bodyguards and attendants. She had more privacy now. She closed her eyes, breathing in the sharp scent of the sea, appreciating the simple pleasure of the sand beneath her bare feet and the wind gently tugging at her red dress. There was so much going on back in Roswell, so many things to think about and causes for concern. But here, there was peace. There was comfort. Eyes still closed, she smiled. There was him. She could sense him nearby. Knowing he was watching her, Isabel lifted her arms into the air and started twirling around in the sand. Not caring about how foolish she might look, she started to dance in the breeze, spinning around and around, allowing herself to simply be for a moment, to enjoy the fact that she existed and that he was there with her again. For a brief period of time, she could allow that to be enough. When she stopped spinning, she faced away from the ocean and opened her eyes, looking directly into his smiling gaze. Isabel grinned back, giving a small curtsy when he applauded loudly. "You look beautiful," Alex said, getting up off the rock he was sitting on and offering her his hand. "As always." "You're looking pretty good, yourself." Isabel let him lead her over to sit on the rock with him, looking Alex up and down. Would she ever grow tired of seeing him again? Probably not. She leaned over to unbutton the top of his shirt. "There. Now you're perfect." He laughed, leaning down to kiss her. Then he inclined his head towards the horizon. "Antar, huh?" "Yeah." She snuggled into his arms. "I wanted to show you something from who I was before." "It's pretty." Alex's smile faded as he looked down at her. "Want to tell me what had you looking so thoughtful when I got here?" She shrugged, not really wanting to talk about it. At his insistent frown, she sighed and answered. "Were you always this annoyingly stubborn?" she demanded. "Always." He smiled again, briefly. "Otherwise, I would have given up on you a long time ago, my lady." She had to laugh in agreement. "True." She reached out a hand to touch his cheek gently. "Don't ever leave me, Alex. Promise?" Things were bad enough with him gone. Isabel didn't even want to imagine what her life would be like without even his spirit there to console her. She didn't care if it was selfish. Now that she had accepted it really was him in her dreams, even if only in some type of ghost form, she didn't want to lose him. Not again. He shook his head in amusement, kissing her forehead. "I could never leave you, Iz. Not really. Haven't you figured that out yet?" Then he adopted a stern look. Well, she supposed it was the closest he could come to a stern look. "And this isn't answering my question." "Okay." She took a deep breath, remembering Max's hurried phone call before she went to sleep. "There was an attempted robbery at the Crashdown tonight." She could feel the instant tension running through Alex's body. "Was anyone hurt?" he asked quickly. "Liz? Maria?" Isabel hurried to answer. "Everyone's fine." She looked away from the intent expression on his face. He knew there was more to it than that. Before he could question her further, she went on. "Maria was there. But Michael showed up before she was hurt. He stopped the robbers." Boy, did he, she thought, remembering Max's description of Brad's injuries. Michael must have been right on the verge of losing control. It was frightening to think about what Michael could do when he wanted. She had to fight to resist a shiver. Alex dropped his arms from around her, looking away and out across the vast ocean. "Did Michael ........" his voice trailed off as he frowned, apparently considering how to phrase it. "What happened?" Isabel's voice was very quiet as she answered. "He knocked out one of the robbers. The other one – it was Brad Forster, remember him?" Alex nodded absently. "He tried to hurt Maria. So, Michael ....." She held out her hands. Did she really need to spell it out? "How bad was it?" Alex's voice had a strange quality to it. Isabel frowned at him, wondering what was going on in his mind. "He'll live," she answered shortly. "He would have hurt Maria, Alex. He would have hurt her badly." This time, she couldn't stop the shiver. The idea of one of their group being in that type of danger was something she couldn't deal with easily. They spent so much time focusing on the very real danger posed by Kivar that it was sometimes all too easy to forget that there were more human threats out there. "And Michael wouldn't let that happen. I get it, Iz." Alex sighed, sounding so tired that she put her hand on his arm in support. He looked over at her gratefully, giving a small smile which rapidly faded. "Iz, be careful with Michael right now, okay?" "Why?" she asked sharply. "It's not like he would hurt any of us, after all." She laughed at the thought, but the laughter stopped abruptly when Alex didn't join in. "Alex? You don't actually think Michael's dangerous, do you?" Instead of answering right away, Alex closed his eyes, finally answering in a still, quiet voice. "Michael would never hurt you, Iz. Never." He looked at her again, and she almost cried out at the sorrow in his eyes. "But he's going through stuff right now. Bad stuff." He shook his head. "Really bad stuff. Things that you don't know about. So go careful around him. He doesn't need anything to make it harder for him." "But you know about it, don't you?" There was just the faintest tinge of accusation in her voice. She didn't like the idea of Alex keeping secrets from her. "Yes," he answered simply. "But it's Michael's secret to tell, Iz." His eyes begged her not to ask, not to push it. Isabel nodded slowly. She knew that if she pressed him, Alex would tell her what she wanted to know. He could never say no to her. But she also knew that he would hate himself for it, that he would feel as if he had betrayed Michael. "All right. I'll wait for my clueless brother to open up and tell us what's going on." She laughed bitterly. "Which, the way Michael deals with emotional sharing, should be some time around the turn of the next century." Alex smiled with relief, picking up her hand and kissing her palm. "Don't be so sure. Michael might surprise you." An angry expression spread across his face. "I wish I could be there to help him. To help all of you." Isabel took a quick breath. She had been careful to never mention his death to Alex. She wasn't sure why. She supposed it was a combination of not wanting to speak the words and a superstitious fear that if she did bring it up, then Alex would stop coming to visit her in her dreams. Still, there was something she wanted to know. "Where are you, Alex?" He looked at her blankly. "When you're not here with me, I mean." "I'm always with you, Isabel." He pulled her closer, kissing her gently. "Always." She pushed him back a little. "Don't be sappy, Alex. I want a real answer." What was it like for him? She'd never really thought about the afterlife, but wherever a spirit as pure as Alex went must be beautiful. He looked at her with a wounded expression. "Sappy? Did you just call me sappy?" He put his hand to his chest. "I'm hurt. Deeply, deeply hurt." She chuckled quietly. "Don't be. I love you sappy. But......." His kiss, deeper and more determined this time, broke her train of thought. "Good," he murmured, leaning down over her, running his hands through her hair. Isabel could hardly think straight. The feel of Alex holding her, kissing her, made her whole body hum with desire. With need. She had missed this so much, the sense of completion in his arms. But, because she really wanted to know, she gathered her strength and pulled away. "Focus, Alex," she demanded. "I was focusing," he said, grumpily, sitting up slowly. Seeing the determined expression on her face, he sighed. "I don't know." "What do you mean, you don't know?" She sat up straighter. "I just don't know." Shrugging, he went on. "All I know is when I'm with you, here." He waved a hand at the beach around them. "Wherever here is. There's nothing else." Her brow furrowed as she thought. That didn't make sense. "You have to be somewhere, Alex." He shrugged again. "Try to think harder." He looked at her intently. "It's that important to you?" he asked. "Yes." She wasn't sure why, but suddenly it seemed even more important. "It is." "Okay." He closed his eyes tightly in concentration. "I can't quite........" Then his voice trailed off. For a few minutes there was silence, as Alex tried to remember. The wind started to pick up in strength around them. His expression grew paler as the moments went by. Finally, Isabel grew concerned, and she reached out to touch his hand. "Alex?" His eyes flew open at the gentle touch. Isabel recoiled at the look of horrified panic and sheer pain in them. He scrambled back, away from her, then seemed to recognize her and stopped. "Isabel?" "Who else?" she tried to joke, but couldn't quite make it. She couldn't remember ever seeing that look of terror in Alex's eyes before. Yes, you have, she remembered with cold fear. He looked at Michael like that, that day at the UFO Museum. What could frighten Alex that much now? The wind was really raging strongly around them. Alex stood up shakily, struggling visibly to keep his balance in the growing maelstrom. "You need to go," he said, rushing the words out. "You need to leave now!" "What's wrong?" She had to scream to be heard over the wind. She stumbled as she stood. The ground was starting to shake now. She looked out at the growing waves in the sea. It was like the whole dreamscape was starting to fall apart, to become dangerous. "Leave!" he screamed at her, the panic in his voice only growing. For a split second, she thought she could see blood running down his cheek, but then it was gone. Only the pain in his expression remained. "Do it, Isabel." She shook her head. No way was she leaving him in this storm. He frowned at her angrily, then seized her shoulders and pushed her back, away from him. She gasped in shock as she tripped, but before she reached the ground she was out of the dream. Back in her own bed, awake. Alone. She sat up straight in her bed, listening to her heartbeat pound. What had just happened? What could be hurting and frightening Alex now? Hadn't he already been through enough? He should be at peace now! Isabel lowered her head to her hand and cried. ---------------------------------------------------------- "Here you are." Valenti held open the door for Amy and a very quiet Maria. "Home sweet home." Maria walked by him silently, going to sit on the living room couch. Amy gave Valenti a grateful smile, then sat next to her daughter, pushing Maria's hair back gently. "How about I make you some nice decaffeinated tea? That should make you feel better." Maria looked up at her mother's gentle voice. Making a great effort, she forced a small smile. "Thanks, Mom." She looked over at Valenti, trying to focus on the sheriff instead of the residual memories from her connection with Michael. "And thanks for the escort home, Sheriff." He shook his head. "It was the least I could do." He hesitated, unsure of what to say. Hell, he wasn't even sure of exactly what had happened that night. He still hadn't had time to fully process the fact that Michael had attacked him like that. But that wasn't important right then. What was important was Maria, and the fact that she'd obviously been through an emotional storm that night. "Is there anything I can do?" He wanted so much to make everything all right. It seemed like the whole group was falling apart. It had been for a while, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't seem to keep things together. Amy looked up at him, an uncompromising look in her eyes. "You can make sure that the boys who hurt Maria pay for it," she said flatly. Maria shifted uncomfortably. "Make sure they don't manage to get off on some legal loophole or something." This from the woman who was certain the police were out to get innocent bystanders? Valenti shook off the thought, knowing it wasn't really true. Not completely, at any rate. "I will," he promised solemnly. "They'll have to face the consequences of what they did." Maria looked up and met his eyes briefly, and he saw an answering understanding. Those boys were a lot safer in jail right now then if they were out and anywhere near Michael Guerin. Maria stood up shakily. "I'm just going to take a shower and get changed," she explained quietly. She gestured to the jacket she was once again wearing. "Do you need this back?" Valenti shook his head. "I can get it later, Maria." "Okay." She turned and went to her room, leaving the two older people watching silently until they heard her door close. Valenti turned then to face Amy, hating the awkwardness that now existed between them. "Well, guess I'll be going then. Make sure Brad and the others are being processed right. Well, once Brad gets out of the ER, that is." "Fine." She nodded. "Tell Michael to come over when he gets done there, would you?" Amy had apparently accepted their cover story that Michael had gone down to the police station to answer some more questions. Which was good, because Valenti didn't have any clue where Michael might be in reality. "Sure." He opened the door to leave, but was stopped when she grabbed his arm. "Amy, what is it?" He turned back to look at her in confusion. She bit her lip nervously, finally shaking herself in irritation. "Thank you, Jim. Thanks for taking care of my daughter." He held back the smile that wanted to form at the softening in her eyes. He'd missed having her look at him like that. "It's my job," he pointed out gruffly. Amy laughed softly. "It's more than just your job, and we both know it." He opened his mouth to protest, but didn't say anything as she put her hand over his mouth briefly and continued. "And right now, I don't care why. All that's important right now is that you were there when my daughter needed you." "Okay," he said simply. Her smile widened. "For tonight, that's enough." She reached up and gave him a quick kiss. "Thank you for protecting my daughter, Jim." He nodded, at a loss for words to say, then walked away from the house. Amy stood in the doorway for a few minutes, watching him get into his car and drive away. Finally, she turned inside to take care of her little girl. ---------------------------------------------------------- At the sound of the door opening, Max stood up anxiously. He'd been waiting there in the apartment for over an hour now, each moment seeming to stretch on even further, filled with worry for his friend. More than a few times, Max considered leaving and going out into Roswell in search of Michael, but each time he decided it was better to wait. Max knew that if Michael was hiding, then he wasn't going to be found by anyone, not even his king. Now it seemed that his patience was being rewarded. Michael entered his apartment, holding a brown paper bag in one hand. His eyes flickered over to Max, then looked away quickly. "Get out," he said shortly, putting the bag down on the kitchen counter, carefully not looking at the other boy. "Valenti told me what happened." Max could see Michael's body tense up at that revelation, but he still didn't turn around. Max took a small step in his friend's direction. "Everything that happened." At that, Michael did turn around, looking in Max's direction, but not directly at Max. "Maxwell, get out of here," he repeated slowly, emphasizing each word deliberately. "No," Max said firmly. "We need to talk about what happened......" The lamp on the table next to him suddenly exploded, causing Max to flinch and lose track of what he was saying. Shocked, he looked back at Michael, who was staring him directly in the eye. "Go away," he repeated for the third time. His eyes were stony, showing no expression. Max shook his head stubbornly. "Can't you see what's going on here, Michael?" He closed his eyes briefly. Stupid. Of course he does. That's why he wants you gone. He remembered how Michael wanted to escape to Vegas the previous year when he was afraid that he was about to lose control after the stress of being shot and the nightmares. Michael didn't want any of the others near him when things went out of control. And this was so much worse. "All right. You get it. But now is not the time to push everyone away." He forced a small smile. "Trust me. I know what I'm talking about here, from my own past experience of messing up." Michael didn't say anything in response, but at least he wasn't telling Max to go away again, so the dark-haired alien chose to take that as a good sign. "Do you feel like telling me what happened?" he went on calmly, willing his friend to open up. Something flickered quickly in Michael's eyes, and then was gone. "You know what happened, Maxwell. What is there to talk about?" No anger in the voice. No regret. No anything. Just a simple statement of facts. Michael was shutting himself off emotionally from everything and everyone around him. This was never a good thing, not in this lifetime or their last one. Max was growing more and more concerned by the second. He didn't want to imagine what would happen to his friend if he did disconnect emotionally from everyone else, from everyone who cared about him. Except Maria. He can't disconnect from her. But somehow, considering how Maria had been acting earlier, that thought didn't bring Max much comfort. "Well, we could talk about what happened with Valenti." See what type of reaction that could elicit. Michael glared at him for a second, then turned away, leaning over the kitchen counter. "No." Max's heart was aching for his friend, but he had to think about the good of everyone in the group. Everyone, including Michael. Something was very wrong. "Michael, you're close to the edge. You know that." He walked up closer behind Michael. His voice was concerned, but there was an underlying note of authority. "What happened tonight, you lashing out at Valenti like that, shouldn't have happened." He could see Michael's head raise a little, and knew that he was listening. "You're taking so much on yourself, trying so hard to keep us all safe. I know what it's taking out of you." I wish I could spare you all this fight. If I believed that Kivar would stop hunting you, I'd give myself up to him right now. But we both know that wouldn't work, don't we? "And it's pushing you to the breaking point." "I'm so tired, Max." Michael's voice was so quiet it was hard to hear it, and the weary pain in it went right through Max. "I don't know what to do anymore." He knew how hard it would have been for Michael to admit that to him. "It's going to be okay. I promise." Now for the hard part. "Michael, about Maria...... " He took a deep breath before continuing, remembering the way Maria had looked at him, the mocking laughter that was so unlike her. "This is affecting her, too. Maybe you need to spend a little time away from her. Just until........." That was as far as Max got. So fast that he was hardly aware of how it happened, he found himself across the room, slammed up against the wall, Michael's arm across his neck, barely allowing him to breathe. He looked into Michael's eyes, and for the first time in either life, was frightened of his friend. There was a barely controlled madness in Michael's eyes, and Max was actually afraid that his second was going to hurt him seriously. Or worse. This is insane. One hand was trapped uncomfortably behind his back, so Max tried to raise his other one to put up his force field. But Michael must have guessed what he was going to do, because before Max could move a finger, he used his other hand to seize Max's arm and twist it around painfully until it was facing the wall. Max couldn't get free. Michael's unexpected attack had him completely trapped. "I would have done anything for you," Michael hissed at him quietly. "Anything! I did whatever you asked. I turned my back on everything I had for you." "Michael..." he gasped out the word, finding it harder and harder to breathe as Michael pressed his arm down upon his neck. "Shut up." Michael's voice had a disturbingly calm quality to it. Max was used to Michael yelling and ranting, but not this quiet fury. Not a physical attack. "I was never as good as you, never good enough, but I could deal with that. I let you hit me. I killed for you. I would have died for you. Hell, I killed Vilandra for you. But I will not ever give up Maria for you." "I wasn't going to ask you to," Max managed to get out. "Please, Michael, I can't breathe." Michael drew back suddenly. Max could just make out his face, could see the look of horrified comprehension starting to come into his eyes. He let go of Max. Max bent down double, putting a hand to massage his neck as he coughed. He didn't see Michael start to reach out and help him, then pull back sharply. When he could stop coughing and speak again, Max looked up at him. "What's going on with you, Michael?" This was more than just reverting to old habits. Tymrath would never have done that, would never have reacted to him so violently. And neither would Michael. Once again, Max realized that there was more going on than he knew. "What's wrong?" Despite what had just happened, despite the fact that he was understandably nervous about Michael's next actions, the major emotion Max was feeling was worry. Something was even more fundamentally wrong with Michael than he'd realized. Michael just shook his head, stepping back unsteadily. "Get out." When Max didn't say anything, Michael reached out a hand towards the entrance to his apartment, slamming the door open his powers. "Please, Max." He couldn't keep out the note of pleading in his voice. Max needed to get out of there before he lost control again. For a second, Max considered refusing again, but then he nodded, slowly moving towards the door as he kept a careful eye on the other boy. Whatever was going on, having Max there was just making it worse for Michael. "Okay, I'll leave for now. But I'm not giving up, Michael." He caught Michael's eyes, wanting to make sure he understood. "None of us are giving up on you." Then he left, closing the door behind him. Michael stood motionless for long minutes after Max left, then the full realization of what he'd done, what he'd almost done, really sank in. He started shaking, and collapsed down into a crouch on the floor. You attacked him. You attacked the king. He felt sick to his stomach. That was the first rule he'd made for himself when living in the palace. No, it was worse than that. You hurt Max. Not some abstract concept of the king, but his best friend. He'd lost control, allowed the monster inside him to come out and take over. When he could finally stand, Michael made his way to the shower, wanting to wash away his shame and guilt, even though he knew that was impossible. ---------------------------------------------------------- Maria was out of her own shower, comfortably dressed in a pair of shorts and t-shirt and brushing her damp hair, when it hit her - a sudden surge of energy coursing through her body, making it hard to remain standing. She dropped down to sit on the edge of the bed, closing her eyes to better appreciate the sensations. So much energy rushing through her, striving to find release. To escape. To attack. What's Michael doing? she wondered absently, before the emotions she was feeling through the connection overwhelmed her ability to think rationally. The images from his past came rushing through her mind. Fighting. The feel of victory. The sense of power as he released his energy. A sense of family and companionship – she could make out vague outlines of others training by his side. And then, clearer than anything else, looking up into a pair of alien eyes, trying to hold on to the ever-present anger, but finding it melting away against his will into a form of sympathy. Hating himself for that weakness. Alien eyes. A face she had never seen, but one she knew as well as any of her own friends'. Zandar's eyes, filled with grief and shock after his father's death. Tymrath's first meeting with Zandar. That moment when everything started to change, for better and worse. Then it was suddenly over. She opened her eyes, partly in relief, but more in disappointment. The energy hum was still there, under the surface, as it had been ever since Michael let her fully in earlier. But now it was relatively passive. Michael had pushed it down again, chained it under his control. Maria started to stand, but stopped when she felt a fluttering from the baby inside her. Smiling a little, she pressed her hand to her stomach, feeling the connection with the baby stronger than ever before. "Hey there, little girl," she whispered with love, sensing her daughter moving and reaching out. "You're wondering what's going on, too, aren't you?" Then her smile faded as a thought occurred to her. This was stronger than she'd ever felt her baby before. Their daughter was responding to the energy rush from Michael, too. Whatever was happening with her and Michael, it was also affecting their baby. Did she like it as much as her parents did? She seemed to. What kind of effect could all this power rushing through their bodies have on an unborn baby? So many questions, and no one to ask. Thinking hard, she continued talking in a reassuring voice. "It's okay, baby. Don't worry. Daddy and I are going to figure it out." Reaching a decision, Maria stood up with determination. "Everything's going to be okay." -------------------------------------------------------- Maria looked around the apartment. No Michael. She could sense that he was there, though. She dropped the keys on the kitchen counter, then turned at a noise behind her, and saw Michael standing in the doorway to his bedroom. She took a quick breath at the sight. He was still damp from his shower, and was standing there wearing nothing except his jeans. And in his eyes – oh, boy. His eyes seemed practically to be on fire, reaching out to her and warming her with the need he felt for her. How had she ever thought that Michael was unexpressive? He might not be good with words, but his body spoke very well indeed. Without a word, Michael crossed the short distance to her, reaching out with his hands to cup her face before bending down to kiss her. It wasn't hesitant. Like earlier, this was more primal, more determined. Maria could feel all of his emotional turmoil, but over all of those was the stronger feelings he was experiencing – his love and desire for her. Instantly, she felt herself responding to his passion, to the sensations his kiss was causing in her own body. She buried her hands in his hair, wrapping her legs around his waist as he lowered his own grasp to pick her up around the waist, lifting her to the counter-top. But then she remembered what she'd come here for. "Michael," she managed to get out between kisses. "We need to talk." "No," he said shortly, running his hands up and down her back. Even through her shirt, she could feel the shivers of energy his trail left, and she arched back into his touch, closing her eyes in pleasure. "We don't." "Okay," she whispered, ending in a low moan as one hand came around to start undoing the buttons on her shorts. Almost unaware that she was doing it, her own hands were busily pushing up his shirt. Talk could wait until later. As if he heard her thoughts, Michael murmured into her ear, "Later. I promise. Right now, I just want to touch you." He pulled back and looked at her closely. She felt herself drowning in those eyes. "I need to be with you now, teel-sharan." She nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Apparently that was enough, though, because the next thing she knew, Maria found herself lifted up again and carried into the bedroom. -------------------------------------------------------- Max knocked on the door to his sister's bedroom, trying not to make too much noise. It was very late, and he didn't really feel like a conversation with his parents right then. When there wasn't an answer, he grew concerned, and went to open the door and enter. But just as his hand reached the doorknob, it turned and Isabel stood in front of him. "Iz? What's the matter? You look awful," Max blurted out, concerned. Isabel looked pale and almost sick in the hall's dim light. He'd never seen her look so exhausted. "Gee, thanks, Max. That helps." She moved aside to let him enter, turning on the light as he did. She followed him inside, sitting on the edge of the bed across from where he perched at her desk. "What's up?" "I'm serious, Iz." Thoughts of Michael were momentarily pushed aside in concern for her. He'd never known Isabel to let anyone see her look so imperfect, even him. "Are you feeling okay?" "I'm fine." She brushed aside his concerns. "Just tired. I had a bad dream." A really bad dream, she thought, remembering the way that the dreamscape had fallen apart around them and the pain on Alex's face. She'd tried, and failed, to return and find Alex. The whole situation was extremely disturbing. Max leaned forward. "A bad dream? Is it Kivar again?" She shook her head impatiently. "No. It's not Kivar." When he looked unconvinced, she went on with irritation. "I would know if it was Kivar, Max. Let it go." She narrowed her eyes at him. "What is it?" Max hesitated before replying. "It's Michael." Isabel could see the frustration and worry in his eyes. "There's something really wrong with him, Iz." -------------------------------------------------------- When Maria came back to awareness of her surroundings, she stretched out on the bed, knowing that he was watching her. She could sense his close attention. Slowly, she opened her eyes, green eyes looking directly into brown. Michael was studying her carefully, an unreadable expression on his face. He opened his mouth as if to speak, then closed it abruptly and stood up, going into the bathroom without a word. She noticed that he was already dressed. Frowning, Maria sat up, wrapping the sheet around her as she reached for her own clothes. Had Michael ever not spoken to her afterwards? Noticing the disarray in the room, she almost smiled. They had been a little too busy to worry about niceties like keeping the room neat. She hoped the lamp they'd knocked over wasn't broken – they really couldn't afford to have to keep buying new home furnishings. The t-shirt she'd been wearing earlier was probably beyond salvage – she wasn't sure if it had been her or Michael who had torn it more while trying to get it off earlier. Well, I didn't like that shirt, anyway, she comforted herself, picking up one of Michael's shirts and putting it on. She liked wearing his clothes. It felt as if he was holding her. Carefully, she walked back into the living room. She felt very tired – it had been a long night, and the two of them had been busy these last couple of hours. But it was a satisfying type of exhaustion. Things are going to be okay, she reminded herself. Together, she and Michael could figure things out. Going straight to one of the kitchen drawers, she pulled it open and, without hesitation, reached towards the back, pulling out the necklace she had known was there. Starting with this. Maria held the necklace up to the light, watching the red facets in the black stone seem to sparkle. The stone felt warm to her touch, something which was different from the last time she'd held it, such long months ago. It felt almost as if it was pulsing with an energy of its own. No, not its own, she realized. Michael's. It feels like his energy. And it recognizes me. She tightened her grip around the stone, and suddenly the images came. Blood. Fire. Pain. She closed her eyes in defense, but the flashes kept coming. A bloody hand reaching out to grasp the necklace. His reward for proving himself. She could feel the satisfaction and support of the shadowy figures in his memory. But they were still just beyond her ability to fully understand. Who were they? Eventually, the flashes faded, and what was in her hands was nothing more than a necklace again. She put it into the front pocket of her shorts. Then, Maria's attention was distracted by the brown paper bag on the counter in front of her. Curious, she peered inside, growing cold at the sight of what was inside. Not good. Just then, Michael came into the living room. Maria looked up at him accusingly. "What is this, Spaceboy?" For a second, he looked ashamed as he glanced quickly at the bag. By the time he looked back at her, he had on his familiar stubborn look. This did not help Maria's patience any. "You're not stupid, Maria," he answered bluntly. "What does it look like?" She pulled out the brown glass bottle. "It looks like a bottle of beer." He clapped sarcastically. "Brilliant deduction, detective." "Don't even," she warned him. "Don't you dare get that pissy attitude with me, Michael." She waved the bottle in accusation. "Were you planning on drinking this? 'Cause I know it's not for me." Michael simply shrugged. Her eyebrows raised in shocked anger. "This was a plan? Get drunk? You know you can't drink, you idiot!" Her temper was exploding out of her control, along with her fear. For Michael, of them all, to be planning on deliberately getting drunk, considering his past, knowing the risks........ "One sip, and you're drunk out of your mind. Remember? Did you think that was going to help anything?" He leaned back, deliberately and infuriatingly refusing to raise his voice in response. "Hank always seemed to think so." Oh, God. Reason vanished as Maria acted out of an instinctive mix of anger and fear. She turned suddenly and threw the bottle across the kitchen. It collided with the wall, broken pieces of glass falling to the ground. She could smell the beer and instantly regretted her action. But she couldn't even bear the thought of Michael drinking that, of what was going on inside his mind right then.......... "Great, Maria. Just great." His voice was still mockingly calm. "Now it really feels like home." "Why would you even want to do that?" She hated how tiny her voice sounded, but it hurt. She wasn't sure how much was her own pain, and how much was his. But it was so much. "Come on, Maria." She raised her face to look at him. He smiled coldly at her. "Don't you want to see what the real me is like? If I end up as romantic as Max? Maybe I'll run around town painting giant hearts with our initials in them." He advanced slowly, coming up to the other side of the counter from her. "Don't you have any curiosity about what I'd be like with all the defenses down? I do." "I already know the real you," she said, steadily meeting his eyes. "I don't need any demonstrations. I know everything about who you are, remember?" That wiped all the defensive mockery off his face. He blinked and rubbed his hands over his face. "I know." He turned and walked over to the couch, sitting down while she followed. He looked up at where she stood staring at him. "I wasn't really going to drink it." So much pain in his eyes – how could a person live with so much pain? "I have a pretty good idea of how bad it would be to let go of what few defenses I have left," he continued bitterly. "But I want to make it stop." "Make what stop?" she knelt down in front of him, placing her hands on his knees. He reached out to hold her wrists. "Everything," he whispered. "All the noise in my head." At her surprised look, he gave a short laugh. "I don't mean that I'm hearing voices or anything. But part of me wants to do one thing, and another part........." He trailed off momentarily, then rallied and went on. "Another part won't shut up. And it keeps wanting me to do things that I don't want to do." "It wants you to let go," she said gently. "To release your controls. To be free." He looked at her in surprise. "Yeah." She gave a small smile. "See, told you I knew you." She stood up. "You need to tell me everything, Michael. All about Tymrath." He avoided her eyes, looking down at the floor. "I don't know if I can." "You have to." A thought occurred to her, and she narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "Alex knew, didn't he?" She remembered the way Alex had freaked out at seeing the necklace. She was starting to suspect what he'd seen when looking at that apparently innocent piece of jewelry. Michael nodded, still looking down. She wasn't able to keep the bitterness out of her voice. "So you could tell Alex, but you can't tell me?" She started to take a step back, but he leaped to his feet and grabbed her arms, holding her still. "It wasn't like that." The words came tumbling out of him quickly, before he could stop and hold them back. "I didn't tell Alex anything. I didn't have to." He gave a low laugh. "Kivar showed him." "The dreams." "Yeah. The dreams." He released her arms, stepping back. "The ones that nearly drove Alex crazy. Among other things, Kivar showed him who Tymrath was." "Then tell me." Maria put her hand on Michael's arm, pleadingly. "Fill in the blanks for me, Michael." "I don't know if I can," he repeated. "We weren't allowed to tell outsiders anything." Allowed? She ignored that for now. "I'm not exactly an outsider, though, am I?" She put her free hand over her stomach. "We're connected, all three of us. Is there even a word for what we are?" He looked at her blankly. "Teela-meis." "We're more than that," she insisted. "Unless this level of connection is normal for teela-meis. Is it?" Michael winced, closing his eyes. "Dagmar warned me about connecting with a human. You don't have any natural defenses against our bond. I'm sorry." "Don't be." He opened his eyes at the certainty in her voice. She smiled broadly at him. "I'm not. I could never be sorry for loving you." She wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a long, luxurious kiss before finally releasing him. "But there are some things we need to work out." The twinkle in her eyes faded as she tilted her head to one side to study him. "Would you have killed Brad last night?" "I don't know." "Really?" She shook her head disbelievingly. "Did you want to kill him?" "He hurt you," Michael answered. That was enough. "Yeah." Maria reached out and traced a gentle line down his face. Michael closed his eyes, leaning into her touch. Her heart started to speed up a bit, in time with his. Whatever power Michael had over her, she had just as much over him. It was intoxicating. "I could feel the energy coursing through you, you know," she went on calmly. "I could feel you preparing. And Michael," her voice lowered, forcing him to lean forwards to hear her, "At that moment, I'm not sure I would have tried to stop you." He took her face in his hands. "He attacked you," he went on hoarsely. "We both know what he could have done, if I hadn't gotten there. You can't actually blame yourself for that." "And then I sent Max to see you, knowing your mood," she continued, ignoring his words. "It......." she paused, unsure of the right words to describe it. "It amused me, thinking of him coming over here, all 'I am king, you must obey me', and finding you ready to fight." She pulled back, removing his hands from her face. She could remember, all too clearly, the feelings of contempt and even loathing that had run through her when seeing Max earlier. "Max. One of my best friends. And I was going to send him off into that." She stepped back a few feet, needing some space to find clarity of thought. "I don't recall ever having homicidal urges before." She thought of the increased violence in her thoughts, the anger that had been growing steadily in her for the past month, coming to a crisis at the attack. "I've never felt anything like that before. It wasn't me." She stared at him. "It wasn't you, either. Not you, Michael. And not the Tymrath I felt before, either. He was loyal to his king. This was someone who hated Max." "I don't hate Max," he burst out instantly. "Whatever. So it was Tymrath hating Zandar? 'Cause that defining line is getting pretty blurry these days, Spaceboy." Michael didn't answer, and she sighed. "Don't you get it, Michael? This is affecting me and the baby, too. We deserve to know everything." Michael sat back down on the couch in resignation. He knew she was right. But telling her was going to be so hard. It went against everything in his training. Well, you broke all the other rules. What not this one, too? "What do you want to know?" He looked up at her sharply. "What do you already know?" She sat down next to him. "I know that Tymrath loved Zandar and Vilandra. Completely and totally." She put a hand on his leg. "And I know that before that, he hated them both. Once he wanted them dead." Gathering her courage, she reached into her pocket. "And I know that it all ties in with this, somehow." She held out the necklace. Michael's eyes instantly fastened on the black stone. He reached for it, pulling back right before he would have touched it. "T'onxyl," he whispered. "What does that mean?" she asked sharply. His eyes never left the necklace, watching it sway in her grip. "Heart of stone." He tore his eyes from it to look at her. "Did you see anything about it in my memories?" It made it a little easier to know that she already had some of the pieces. "Your feelings about it." Before he could ask, she went on. "Pain. Pleasure. Power." She smiled a little, running her hand over the warm stone. "Power most of all. The power to not have to be afraid." She looked at him closely. "That must appeal to you a lot, right now." "Being scared all the time gets old quick," he agreed. He reached over, this time touching the stone, his fingers tangling with hers. "You love the power rush, don't you?" Maria ventured, slightly breathless at even that innocent touch. "That moment when it's all running through you, ready to be used, and you know that you can do anything with it. Anything at all." She could almost feel it herself, again. "It's amazing." "Yeah." He took the necklace from her hand, holding it carefully. "But there's a cost." He grimaced bitterly. "There's always a cost." "Was it worth it?" Her voice was so gentle now, sensing that he was finally ready to open up completely. "I thought it was, once. Now?" He shook his head ruefully. "I don't know." He remembered slamming Max up against that wall. "No." "What happened? What happened to Tymrath?" He sighed. He was too tired to fight her anymore. Besides, she would get her way in the end. She always did. "Fine. You want storytime, Maria? Okay." He looked down at the necklace he was holding. She took his free hand in both of hers, squeezing it softly in support. He was grateful for that. "I don't remember much about my parents. Tymrath's parents," he corrected quickly. "I think that for this once, we can let go of the pronoun issues," she suggested quietly. "We're pretty much beyond that, anyway, aren't we?" "Maybe." He shrugged. "You know about the fire they died in. They were scientists. I don't know much about their research. What I do know is that the fire wasn't an accident. They were murdered." He forced his voice to stay level. For things that happened in another lifetime, they seemed very near to today. "I managed to survive the fire, and then I was taken in by a relative." He paused, remembering. "Distant relations, you said," Maria prompted. Were they those shadowy figures in his memories? "Yeah." He had to look at her for this. "A distant cousin, actually. The head of my house. Very rich, very powerful. He offered to take care of me." He grimaced, shaking his head. "I idolized him. Thought he was the smartest person I'd ever met. I would have done anything to make him proud....." He looked away from the realization dawning in Maria's eyes. "Kivar," she breathed out. "Oh, Michael........." He didn't want to know her feelings right then. He just needed to get this over with. "Kivar. He took me somewhere. Gave me to some people to raise, along with others. Other Khavorns." He could remember them, so vivid in his memories. Wise old Laren with his mind tricks. Shas, always rushing in to situations, no matter the risk. Quiet Kaslya, seemingly too gentle to be one of them until her brother was killed. Clever Ardan, always watching, always waiting to see how things would progress before stepping forward. And Shalin – she hurt the most to remember, his closest friend once. Before he walked away from that life. "They took care of me. Taught me. Trained me." "Trained you for what?" She thought she knew, but needed to hear him say it. "Kivar told me who killed my parents," he replied instead. "Royalist forces." He scratched his eyebrow. "Because of their research into the Granolith. The King was afraid they'd find a way to duplicate the Granolith's power." He looked at her, and all the pain she'd seen earlier was gone from his eyes. All that remained now was steely determination and anger. "They trained us to do whatever we had to do." He leaned back from her, but still held on to her grasp. "We were Kivar's elite forces. Assassins, spies, guards, trackers – anything he wanted us to be." He held up the necklace. "This was our token, a symbol that only we would recognize. We were the strongest. We could do anything we were asked. T'onxyl." There was a strange sense of pride coursing through the connection as he remembered. "Emotions weren't allowed to interfere with what we had to do. Nothing was allowed to interfere. And we were loyal. To Kivar and to each other. We always wore the necklaces. It was part of who we were." Except him. He'd stopped wearing it. No one outside the T'onxyl, not even Maria, could possibly understand how hard that had been for him. "Assassins," she repeated flatly. "Zandar's father." It wasn't a question. He nodded slowly. "I was trained very carefully, picked by Kivar for this mission. Nobody knew me; no one knew my family relation to Kivar." He felt pain at the memory. "You see, the problem was getting rid of all three royals at the same time. The king, Zandar, and Vilandra. They were never at the same place at the same time. We could take out one, maybe two, but the third? Always out of reach." Maria almost shuddered at the dispassionate way he spoke of murder. "Someone had to get inside the palace, get close enough to take them out." Absently, he rubbed his side, almost feeling the pain from the blast Tymrath took while saving Zandar's life that day so long ago. "I was told to be there that day, to be sharp and take the opportunity. So I did." He gave a short laugh. "It was almost too easy to convince Zandar to trust me. Vilandra was a little harder, but I did it." "Did you know that they were going to kill the king?" "No. It was need-to-know only." He frowned at her. "But don't use that as an excuse for me, Maria. It wouldn't have mattered it I did know. I hated them for what happened to my parents." "You don't know that," she pointed out. Before he could protest further, she went on. "So you were supposed to kill Zandar and Vilandra. But you didn't. What happened?" "The million dollar question." He shrugged. "I don't know. By the time I was safely in place, I didn't want to do it anymore anymore." "You don't know?" She smiled with gentle mockery. "Right. You may not want to admit it, Spaceboy, because it's goopey," she teased, "but you know why. You started to love them. Both of them." "I guess." He rolled his eyes at her. "Fine. I loved them. Does that make you happy?" She simply smiled at him smugly. He sighed. Annoying girl. "I didn't want to, but I did. I hated them and I loved them, and it was all really confusing. I was totally screwed up. Shocking, huh?" he asked wryly. "I couldn't kill them. In fact, I kept on saving their stupid lives – Zandar was just as clueless about personal safety as Max is." Despite his harsh words, Maria could feel the affection coming from him. "Kivar must not have been happy about that," she pointed out. "You think?" He regretted the sarcastic words as soon as he spoke them, but she just smiled supportively, not taking them personally. "I didn't know what to do. I was T'onxyl. Could I turn my back on everything I'd been trained to do, for them? For Zandar and Vilandra? Who was I without the T'onxyl?" He drew a deep breath. "Then I was captured by one of my fellows." Ardan, with his annoyingly superior smile and his unerring ability to always cut right through to where it hurt most, both with weapons and words. His words were always more dangerous. "I learned some things. Two things." He ran his hand through her hair. "The royals didn't kill my parents. Kivar did." Maria felt a pain knife through her as if it was her own mother they were talking about. "Why?" she exclaimed. "To get me. So that he could raise me in his little pack of killers." The hate was fairly dripping from his voice now. Hate for who he had been and more hate for Kivar, who taught him to be that. "I was strong. He looked for those Khavorns who were the strongest." "I'm so sorry, Michael." More pieces falling into place. Rath's determination to get back to Antar, to kill Kivar, no matter what price he had to pay. Not even Zan was allowed to interfere. He accepted her statement with a nod, going on. "Kivar had betrayed me. I owed him no loyalty." He gave her a small, pained smile. "I tried to convince myself that this knowledge excused my own betrayal. But it was just an excuse. I'd already given my loyalty to Zandar." "And when Kivar figured it out?" "He sent others to finish what I wouldn't. When that didn't work, he went through Vilandra. And we died." There. End of story. "Nobody ever knew? Not any of this?" She couldn't believe he'd managed to hide this from everyone. Although, maybe I shouldn't be so surprised, she thought, remembering the way that he'd managed to mask his potentially deadly anger towards Brody. "What was I supposed to do, Maria? Tell Zandar and Vilandra that I was involved, however on the side, with their father's death? That I was supposed to kill them? That would have been a fun conversation." "No, I suppose not." She had a thought. "But Aveen......" "Distant cousins, Maria. Aveen didn't know about the relationship." He didn't want to remember his gentle cousin now. "So? Are you still so glad to be connected to me, Maria? Knowing what I was?" She blinked at him, picking up his hand to kiss it. "You chose love over hate, Michael. You didn't kill them. I'm proud of Tymrath for that." He looked at her in disbelief. She still didn't get it. "It wasn't that simple," he went on in a serious voice. "Even after I made my choice, I had to fight the urge to kill them. It never went away completely." "I don't understand." She frowned in confusion. "It's the second thing I learned that day," he went on. "Remember when Kivar was trying to get control of Alex's mind?" She nodded. Like she could forget. "Remember how I told you that there were some Skins who could get into a person's mind and nudge it? Make certain emotions stronger?" "Yeah, but you said it was only emotions they already had........." her voice trailed off. "Right. And I had lots of hate and anger for them to work with, Maria." "I thought they had to find a way into your mind, first," she protested weakly. "I let them in, Maria. We all did." He looked down at their joined hands. "They stirred up all that hate and anger I had, directing it at the royals. They encouraged my loyalty." He held up the necklace. "In all the time that I lived in the palace, I could never destroy this. I still can't. I'm not able to do it." He edged closer to her. "I learned how to control it, to build up walls to hold it captive, but it was always there. It was a part of who Tymrath was. Angry. Violent." "Loyal. Loving," she pointed out. "And those could be used to encourage me to more violence," he countered. "Look at what happened when someone threatened you." He frowned at her questioningly. "Why aren't you freaking out more?" "It's my new attempt at maturity," she shrugged. "I'm trying to put off any and all panic attacks until I have time for them." Michael's lips twitched in an almost smile, which quickly faded. He put the hand with the necklace over her stomach. She could feel the baby move at the sudden energy they could both sense from him. "That's what you bonded with, Maria. A monster. A killer." "I bonded with you," she corrected. "And who am I?" He leaned back, speaking in a voice aching with exhaustion. "I don't even know anymore." "What woke all this up again?" she asked, suspecting she already knew the answer. When he didn't respond, she went on. "It was Alex, wasn't it? Losing him?" "I couldn't be weak anymore. I had to make sure nobody else died. I had to be stronger." He frowned. "I wasn't expecting the alien psychosis, though. It was easier before." "If you were able to control it before, you can do it again." "I don't know," he argued. "It's so much harder to control now. What if my human side makes me too weak to control it?" "I don't believe that for a minute. You have a choice, Michael. Kivar doesn't control you. He never did." She put one hand over his mouth. "When are you going to learn to stop arguing with me? I'm always right." "Of course." Despite everything, he couldn't help a small chuckle. "Don't laugh at me." She lightly punched him on the shoulder. "You did it once, you can do it again. No question." She stared at him, so intently he started to squirm a bit, a small smile teasing the corners of her mouth. "If you want to, that is." He tensed up. "What do you mean?" "I mean, you have to decide what you want to do. Who you want to be." Maria moved, climbing into his lap and taking the necklace back from him, holding it up to his face. "Do you want to be Michael Guerin? Or do you want to be Tymrath, completely? Is this what you want?" She held up the black stone, swinging it back and forth in front of him. "All that power. All that freedom." She couldn't keep the excitement out of her own voice. She remembered how it felt, and she yearned for it as much as he did. Then she lowered the necklace, lightly tracing his lips with her thumb. "Either way, the baby and I are with you. No matter what you decide. No matter what you do." There was no question of that. The two of them couldn't separate themselves from Michael completely, even if she had wanted to. He reached out suddenly, pulling her even closer, so that their lips almost touched. "Do you have any idea of what you're saying?" he murmured in a low voice. "Do you know what will happen if I give in to that totally?" "I know that I'll get to spend the rest of my life having amazing energy rushes," sh

Anla · Post by **Anla** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 11:13 am

"Huh," was all the sheriff said as Michael finished his story. Michael raised an eyebrow in surprise, forcing himself to meet Valenti's eyes. If he saw any fear or disgust in the older man's eyes – well, then, he'd know what his next course of action would have to be. He could deal with knowing. He'd have to. Yeah, you keep telling yourself that, and maybe you'll manage to convince yourself that you're not terrified right now, he thought sarcastically. He was scared to death of what Valenti's response would be to knowing the truth about who Tymrath had been, what he'd been trained to do. What still lurked inside Michael. After a long moment of staring in silence, the sheriff got up and left the room. He walked calmly into the kitchen. From where he sat in the living room, Michael could see him pouring a cup of coffee. "Um, Sheriff?" he finally got out. Of all the responses he'd pictured, this wasn't one of them. "Just a sec," he called back. Valenti grabbed a can of soda from the refrigerator to go with his cup of coffee, paused, then added a bottle of Tabasco to the items he was clutching in his arms. He returned to the living room, putting down the drinks carefully. When he saw Michael's confused look, he smiled slightly. "I didn't get much sleep last night. Figured I could use the caffeine." He sat back, taking a deep gulp of the coffee. Actually, after what he'd just heard, he could use something a bit stronger to drink, but it was pretty early, and he probably could use his wits around him. He looked over at Michael, seeing the wary look on the teen's face. Apparently Michael had decided not to say anything else until he knew what Valenti's response was going to be. All right, then. "Anything else I should know?" "No, I think that pretty much covers it." Michael picked up the can of soda, but didn't open it, focusing his attention on it. "I was conditioned and trained to kill Zandar and Vilandra. For Kivar." He grimaced. "Now Kivar expects me to finish the job." "You know that for sure?" Valenti asked softly. He noticed Michael's grip on the can tighten. "Yeah." He forced his eyes up to meet the other man's. "We had a little chat back when he was possessing Hanson." "Ah." A few things clicked into place for the sheriff then – Michael running off to confront Kivar without the others present, the way that he hadn't let Max heal him afterwards. Apparently, he didn't want to take a chance on what Max might see in any connection he would form. Taking a deep breath, Valenti put down his coffee mug. "What are you going to do about all this?" "I'm not going to kill Max," Michael insisted, stopping as Valenti raised his hand. "If you're so sure of that, then why are you here asking for help?" he asked quietly. Michael sat back in defeat. He ran his hand over his face and through his hair. "I don't want to hurt Max," he whispered. "I'd rather die myself." "But?" the sheriff prompted gently. "But what if I can't help myself?" "Can Max heal what's wrong? What they did?" "I wish." Michael shook his head impatiently. "It's not like I'm sick. At least not in a way that Max can fix. It's a part of who I am." Michael looked at Valenti, eyes pleading him to help fix this. "What if I get too angry and lose control?" He could picture it, far too clearly for his own peace of mind. Max, broken and dead. Tymrath's mission finally accomplished. It made Michael sick to think of it, but he was afraid that it could happen. "I didn't want to hurt you, but I did." There. Might as well get it out in the open. He expected Valenti to look upset and angry at the reminder of what had happened the previous night, but again, the sheriff surprised him. Valenti seemed to consider his words calmly before answering. "Yeah, can't say that was a lot of fun." Before Michael could apologize again, Valenti continued. "Hurt like hell, to be honest with you." He turned his piercing eyes on Michael. "Why did you do it?" For a second, Michael was at a loss for words, many thoughts running through his head. "I didn't mean to," he finally got out. "I didn't even know it was you. I thought it was one of Brad's friends, the ones who hurt Maria." His grip on the soda can was tightening alarmingly, and Valenti reached over to rescue the can. He didn't need spilled soda all over the place. Their house was enough of a mess as it was. "But that doesn't excuse what I did." Michael believed that was the truth. He hadn't known who it was he hit. He'd relived that moment over and over again, horrified by the possibility that he had known, that on some level he'd realized it was Valenti and simply hadn't cared. But he didn't think so. Still, it didn't matter. He'd done it, and apologies couldn't erase what had happened. Words couldn't change it. Yet Valenti seemed to accept his explanation. "You can't go around losing your cool like that, Michael," he pointed out. "Especially not in a fight. You're too strong, too powerful. You have to be able to identify friends from foes in that type of situation." Amazingly enough, he didn't sound angry. He was lecturing Michael, yeah, but more as if he was a teacher or a coach. He didn't seem mad. Michael couldn't wrap his mind around this. "Why aren't you more mad at me?" he blurted out. Valenti shook his head. "Oh, don't get me wrong. I was plenty mad at the time. But I was more scared." "Of me." It wasn't a question. "Yeah. And for you." Valenti studied the boy across from him. "I saw the way you looked when you realized who you'd just hit, Michael. You looked........." He shook his head with frustration. He had no words to describe it. "You looked sickened. Horrified." Michael nodded in agreement. "I could have killed you." He didn't deserve to be let off the hook for this. "Then I guess we were both lucky." Valenti fixed a stern look on him. "Don't let it happen again." "Yes, sir." That actually got a laugh from the sheriff. Meek acceptance didn't really fit Michael very well. "What did you need my help for?" Michael scratched his eyebrow nervously. "First, I have a question." He blurted it out quickly, before he lost his nerve. "Do you think I'm dangerous to Max and Isabel?" "No." Valenti smiled again at Michael's surprised look at his fast answer. "If you wanted to hurt them, you would have a long time ago. You managed to overcome whatever programming Kivar did to you in your last lifetime. You can do it again." He spoke in his usual matter-of-fact tone, not acknowledging any room for doubt or uncertainties. "Whatever Kivar's Skins did when they messed with Tymrath's mind, I know you, Michael. You're a protector, not a murderer. It's not in you." "What if you're wrong?" Michael whispered. "I'm not," he countered calmly. "You know that if I thought there was even a chance that you were a threat to Max or Isabel, I wouldn't let you just go around, right? I mean, that is why you came here, isn't it?" "Yeah.." Michael looked down at his hands, grimacing bitterly. "You and Maria – you both have all this faith. But you don't know what it's like. Inside here." He tapped his head. "I'm pretty screwed up." "Imagine my shock," Valenti replied wryly. He shrugged. "With all the trauma you've been through, it's natural for you to have some issues. The things you've seen, the things you've done....... you're going to have to work through it." "I need you to promise me something." There was nobody else to ask, nobody he could trust with this. "What?" Valenti asked warily. Michael gave him a level look. "If it comes to a point where I do become a threat to Max or Isabel, I need you to stop me. Somehow. Don't let me hurt them." "It won't come to that," Valenti replied, almost angrily. He couldn't imagine a situation where he would have to defend the others from Michael, and he didn't much like being put in this position. "What were you planning on doing if I said you were dangerous? Going away and never seeing Max or Isabel again?" Michael didn't answer, looking anywhere but at the sheriff. Of course that's what he was planning. "Get it through your thick skull – you're not dangerous to any of us." Valenti didn't know what went on in his head sometimes. "I've killed people," Michael pointed out softly, looking down. "To defend yourself and others," Valenti responded. "So have I." Michael looked up quickly, meeting his eyes. "That doesn't make it okay or something to be proud of. But would it have been better to let innocent people like Max or Liz get killed? Or Maria?" He paused before his next question. "Michael, I saw you after you killed Pierce, how guilty you felt. Has that changed? Do you like the killing now?" Michael met his glance levelly. "No. I hate it. I'll fight because I have to, to keep them safe. But I hate it." "Okay, then." Valenti refrained from a sigh of relief. He'd been pretty sure of the answer, but it was still good to hear it. "I'll worry when you start to like it. That's when you'll stop being Michael Guerin. Until then, you're still the same person you always were." He reached over to quickly clasp Michael's shoulder, noticing that the boy didn't shirk away from the movement. That was definite progress. "We'll work this out. Don't shut us out again." "I won't." Michael gave a small smirk. "I'm under orders from Maria." "Don't want to go up against her." "No way. I'm not that crazy." He looked over, that lost little boy look on his face again. "That's the other thing I need your help for. Can I......" He stopped. Why was this so hard? "Can I talk to you when I need to?" "Of course," Valenti agreed easily, his calm exterior not showing the pride and excitement he was feeling inside. He knew how hard it was for Michael to open up and ask for help from anyone, especially an authority figure. Maybe something good was coming from this nightmare after all. "And someday I'll tell you about some of my traumatic experiences." His mouth set in a thin line, remembering. "You're not the only one who's gone through a period of being pretty messed up, you know. Although you do go a bit more extreme than most, I'll admit." "Well, I try," Michael answered, keeping his curiosity in check. Then there was a noise from the other side of the room. "What's up?" Kyle said, trying for a light tone of voice, and not quite making it. Looking at Kyle, the way his eyes went to his father instantly for reassurance before hesitantly glancing over at him, Michael knew that Kyle was aware of what had happened the night before. Or at least, he was aware of the basics – Michael suspected he'd be a bit more hostile if he knew the extent of his father's injuries the night before. "Back from the picnic already?" Valenti stood up. "Yeah. We came, we ate, we left." Kyle entered the room slowly. "What's up, Michael? How's Maria?" "She's good," Michael said shortly. Suddenly, he was feeling trapped in the living room. He turned to the sheriff, gesturing to Kyle. "Can you fill him in on everything?" He was going to have to go through the story once more as it was – he didn't think he could do it anymore than that. Barely waiting for Valenti's nod, Michael fled through the back door. -------------------------------------------------------- Isabel collapsed on her bed, closing her eyes in total exhaustion. It had been a long morning. Thank goodness that Kyle had been there, or else she didn't think she would have made it. Inviting him had been a brilliant idea on her part. It was hard to smile and be charming when all you wanted to do was go home and crawl into bed. Between worrying about Michael and spending most of the night desperately trying to find Alex in the dreamscape, Isabel had gotten hardly any real sleep. And since Max, the traitor, was off with Liz Parker that morning, Isabel had to do double duty as the devoted daughter. Ordinarily, she wouldn't have minded. But she was too tired to really work up any enthusiasm for the role. At least Kyle kept her entertained. She wondered absently if anyone else had managed to get some food, or if Kyle's search for the perfectly barbequed hamburger had prevented anyone else from eating. It was a good thing he worked out, or there was no way Kyle would have as good a body as he did, what with all the junk food he ate. Maybe I can find Alex if I try now, she thought to herself, already halfway drifting off to sleep. Only to jump up at the sudden banging on her window. "What the............?" Michael. It had to be Michael. Who else would be banging on the window? Grumbling, she went over to throw open the curtains. "Normal people use this wonderful invention called doors, Michael. Ever heard of them?" She opened the window and moved aside to let him enter. Then she took a good look at him. "Are you okay? Is it Maria?" Her exhaustion and annoyance disappeared as concern took over. Concern and a little nervousness. She suddenly remembered what Max had told her about Michael's behavior the night before. Michael glanced at her sharply, almost seeming to pick up on her attack of nerves. He probably had. He moved away from her, carefully giving her some personal space. "Maria's fine. Where's Max? He wasn't in his room." "He's off with Liz. They were going to this old storage shed that her grandmother rented to keep her papers in. Seems Liz's dad never got around to going through it after she died. They thought maybe they'd find something about her connection to the crash and Riverdog." "Great." Michael dropped down onto the chair at her desk, putting his head in his hands dejectedly. Isabel felt instantly ashamed of her half-formed fears. This was Michael, after all. She knew he would never hurt her. And he was obviously upset about something. She knelt down next to him, putting her hands over his. "He'll be back soon, Michael. What's the matter?" He shook his head, not raising his head to meet her eyes. "When Max gets here. I can only do this one more time." "Do what?" But the only answer she got was another shake of the head. So, knowing full well that nobody (except maybe Maria) could get Michael to talk if he didn't want to, Isabel went over to sit on her bed, taking out her Literature book and trying to do the readings on King Arthur that they'd been assigned for the weekend. It wasn't the first time that Isabel and Michael had been alone in her room, sitting in silence as they did their individual activities. But it felt different this time. The silence, usually easy and companionable, felt strained and tense. Isabel, nerves already taut from lack of sleep and her dream of Alex, was practically on the verge of screaming by the time Max came home and knocked on her door. "Hey." He entered the room, carrying a large box, Liz following right behind him. He took in the room, noticing the unhappy look on Isabel's face and the circles under her eyes, as well as the way that Michael refused to look directly at him. "What's up?" "Beats me." Isabel gestured at Michael impatiently. "The mighty sullen one over there said we had to wait for you to do something. Whatever that something might be." "Oh." Max put the box down on the floor carefully. "How are you doing, Michael?" he asked carefully. Michael gave a low laugh. Max wasn't sure he got the joke. Then Michael shook himself impatiently and looked up at his best friend. "There's something I need to talk to you and Isabel about." For the first time, he seemed to notice Liz's presence, eyes darting briefly in her direction before returning to Max. "About before." Max could have asked 'before what?' but it would have been a waste of breath. He knew what 'before' meant to Michael, what it meant to all three of them. 'Before' was Antar, their past lives. And from the look on Michael's face, this particular bit of Antaran history wasn't something any of them really were going to want to talk about. A part of him wanted to brush Michael aside, to deflect this conversation. But the other part of him remembered the pain on Michael's face, the anger he'd seen in his brother's eyes when he shoved him, the way that Maria had looked when she spoke to him the night before. This wasn't something they could afford to ignore any longer, any of them. So he nodded thoughtfully, then turned to Liz. "Liz, would you mind going home now? I'll come by later." Liz hesitated, and before she could answer, Michael interrupted. "It's okay, Max. She doesn't have to leave." He said the words, but Max could hear the reluctance in his voice. Whatever this was about, Michael didn't really want any more of an audience than necessary. Liz must have heard it, too, because she forced a smile and picked up the box. "That's okay, Michael. I'll just start going through Grandma Claudia's papers." She leaned over to give Max a quick kiss. "I'll see you later." "Definitely." He waited until Liz had left, then turned back to Michael and Isabel. "Okay, what do you need to tell us?" Inwardly, he braced himself for whatever was coming. "You might want to sit down," Michael said. He waited until Max had seated himself carefully on the bed next to Isabel. "There's something about Tymrath you don't know. Something you never knew. It's about Kivar and why Tymrath went to the palace in the first place," Michael began. -------------------------------------------------------- When Liz opened the door to her room, she was surprised to find Maria sitting on her bed waiting for her. Not that Maria waiting for her was such an extraordinary event – over the years, the two of them had popped over to visit each other practically every day. But not lately. Not since Alex..... "Hey," Maria greeted her. Pushing away that line of thought, Liz put down the box of her grandmother's belongings and went over to sit next to Maria. "Hey yourself. How are you doing?" She looked carefully at her best friend. Maria looked okay. A little pale and tired, maybe, but still calmer and more herself than she had in a month or so. But she still had to be shaken from last night. "How's Michael?" Maria gave a small little half-smile. "I'm fine. The baby's fine." She paused. "Michael's better." "I just saw him at Max's house." Maria's smile grew broader. "Good." Then it faded. "They have some stuff to talk about. And so," she went on, gesturing between herself and Liz, "do we, girl." "Okay," Liz replied slowly. "What do we need to talk about?" What else was wrong? Maria twisted her hands nervously. "I wanted to apologize," she blurted out. Liz looked at her in surprise. "Apologize? For what?" "I haven't really been a good friend to you lately." Maria waved her hands through the air impatiently. "No, I haven't, and we both know it. I've been so wrapped up in Michael and the baby and the whole alien teen drama we have going on here that I've been neglecting my best friend. And that is totally not right." She offered Liz a tiny, apologetic smile. "I really am sorry, Lizzie." Liz felt like a weight was being lifted off her. It had been so strange to have Maria so distant from her, so openly hostile at times. With Alex gone, and Maria so weird, it had been lonely. Fighting to keep a straight face, she answered. "Well, I guess it's a good thing that I've never gotten so involved in my alien that I've neglected my friends." She sighed sadly, shaking her head at Maria. "Shame on you, Maria." Maria's mouth opened wide, obviously at a loss of what to say, and Liz broke out into giggles. "I'm kidding, Maria. I think I could be accused of being self-involved and selfish at times, too, so wrapped up in Max that I've ignored you and... you and my other friends." Her giggles died off and she smiled at her friend. "I'm glad to have you back." "Glad to be back, girl." Maria's smile could have lit up the room. She could feel the connection with Michael more open than it had been in a while, maybe ever. On one level, it was rather strange, the constant hum that was Michael's emotions in the back of her mind. But on a stronger level, it was comforting. It calmed her to have him there without any obstacles, helped her to feel normal again. Or as close to normal as any of them got. Impulsively, Maria leaned over and gave Liz a big hug. For the first time in ages, she didn't feel any reluctance to let someone other than Michael close to her, no instinctive drawing back to protect herself and the baby. Definitely better. When Maria drew back, she went on seriously. "We have to make sure that this doesn't happen again, you know. For either of us. Michael and Max might be a fun way to fall into the alien abyss, but best friends are too important to just sweep aside for some guy, no matter how cute." "Agreed." Liz scooted back, crossing her legs under her as she leaned back against the bedrest to get comfortable. She looked at Maria with concern. "Are you really okay?" "I'm fine." She grinned. "What? Don't I look okay?" "You look better than you have in a while," Liz admitted. "You seem more relaxed." "Well, I'm not saying I'm going to be volunteering to work here alone at night for a while, but all things considered, I think I'm coping pretty well." "And Michael?" Liz wasn't sure exactly what had happened between Michael, Max, and Maria the previous night, but from the expression on Max's face when he said good-bye, it hadn't been good. Maria's hesitation was obvious. "Spaceboy has some issues. Surprise!" Her attempt at a smile failed, and she shrugged. "I'll tell you all about it later. Right now, I want to do the whole good friend thing and hear what's going on with you." She looked expectantly at Liz, who was surprised by the sudden scrutiny. "Me? Not much going on here at all." "Don't give me that, Liz." Maria wagged her finger at her sternly. "I may have been totally wrapped up in alien pregnancy and Michael's emotional break-down, but I haven't been completely blind. I can see that there's something going on with you and Max. Now, spill," she ordered. Liz sighed, looking down. 'I'm not really sure what to say." "How about starting with what's the matter?" Liz gave a quick bitter laugh. "That's kind of the problem, Maria. I'm not really sure what the matter is. It's stupid, really, considering everything else that's been going on." Liz got up and walked impatiently across the room, feeling Maria's sympathetic gaze follow her. "I just don't feel as connected to Max as I once did. It's like there's this wall between us that didn't use to be there." Liz turned and looked directly at her friend. "Ever since Alex died. Max really didn't like me investigating it the way I did." "Understatement of the year there," Maria murmured, remembering how furious Max had been at the way Liz went about her investigating, the way she drew so much attention to them all in her questions and insistence to everyone in town that it hadn't been an accident. "Liz, none of us were exactly thrilled about it, if you'll recall," she continued in a gentle voice. No need to get upset over things finished and done with. "I was right. It wasn't an accident," she replied defensively. "Yeah, you were right," Maria replied. "That's not the point. It was the way that you were asking your questions that upset Max. You scared him, Liz. I mean, he didn't want to accept the possibility that Alex might have been killed intentionally, but then add to it the fact that we might be in even more danger from all the attention we were getting....." Maria shook her head. "When even Michael and I think that you should be more subtle, then you know something's up." "I guess." Liz dropped down onto the edge of the bed. "I just needed to know." "I know." Maria reached over and put her hand on top of Liz's. "And you were right, Liz. We would have never known, otherwise." Liz sighed. "Max still doesn't seem able to accept that Tess did it. He wants to talk to her, to figure out what really happened," she went on, voice practically dripping with sarcastic anger. "I bet Michael doesn't want to sit down for a conference with Tess if she shows her face around here again, does he?" "No. Talking to Tess is pretty much the last thing on Michael's to-do list." Maria frowned as a thought occurred to her. "This isn't about Tess, is it? You're not still jealous about her." Liz looked away. "Come on, girl. You know that Max loves you. Max has always loved you. He probably loved you before he even came out of his pod. You're the most important thing in the world to him." "No, Maria. I'm not. I can't be." Liz's voice was very sad. "Okay, rewind. Please explain for those of us in the home audience who are completely lost here." Maria held up her hand for attention. "Are we forgetting how two years ago, Max put himself on the line, totally, when he healed you? And then the whole puppy dog, big eyes, following you around adoringly routine that Max has perfected?" "I know Max loves me, Maria. That's not the question. And I love him." Liz pulled her hair back from her face, thinking. "When he saved my life that day, he risked himself. And Michael. And Isabel." Maria smiled. "You were more important to him." "But I can't be, Maria. Not anymore. Don't you get that?" Liz sighed in exasperation. "Things are different now. Max is different now." She could see it in his eyes, hear it in his voice at times. He'd been through too much. He wasn't that same naïve sixteen year who didn't even really believe that there were alien hunters out there somewhere, that boy who was willing to risk exposure to save the life of the girl he liked. "He has too many other obligations. That's what the whole Tess thing is about. It's not that I'm afraid Max has romantic feelings for Tess. I'm not that insecure. But he's trying to be the good king, trying to look at the big picture. Not letting himself get too emotional." Liz tried to keep her voice from raising too much. "And he should be emotional about it, don't you think? Tess killed Alex. Definitely something to get upset about." "Max is upset about it," Maria answered quietly. "But you know him, Mr. Emotional Control Freak. He's not going to show it." "Not even to me?" Liz raised her eyebrows. "He has to be the king now." She sighed loudly. "I'm not mad at him about it. Well, maybe a little," she corrected herself at Maria's questioning look. "Mostly I'm just tired. Max has all these other obligations, these responsibilities to his people and his home planet. He told me once that he didn't care about his planet or any of that. That I was the only thing he cared about." She looked down. "I don't think he'd say that again." "Would you want him to?" "No. Yes. I don't know." Liz looked at her. "Now there's a straight-forward answer for you, isn't it? Do I want Max to just blow off his responsibilities to Antar? Not really. He wouldn't be the Max I love if he was that irresponsible. But it hurts to know that I can never be the most important thing to him." She noticed the English Lit book on the desk. "Did you do the reading for English class?" "Been a little busy, Liz, what with the alien psychosis and all." At Liz's curious glance, she waved her hand dismissively. "More drama in the life of Michael and Maria. I'll tell you about it later. But no, I haven't had a chance to read about King Arthur yet." She grinned. "I've seen the musical, though." Liz smiled back, shaking her head a little. "At least you know what the assignment was about. That's some progress, huh?" she teased. Maria picked up a pillow and waved it at her threateningly. "I'm not afraid to use this, missy." "I'm sure," Liz's laugh faded as she returned to the topic. "Arthur had to choose. He could save the life of his wife, or he could keep the law of his country. He had to pick Guinevere, or his kingdom. Guess which one he picked?" "But Lancelot saved Guinevere. Arthur counted on that." "Lancelot didn't have the same conflict of duties that Arthur did," Liz agreed. She grinned quickly. "I can't believe that I'm actually comparing Michael Guerin with Lancelot, but it's true. Michael puts you first, unconditionally. It's so obvious." Liz's smile grew sad. "I'm a little jealous of that, actually. Because Max can never, ever, do the same with me. Not and still be the same man I fell in love with. He has to take into consideration the good of his planet, too." "This isn't leading up to you running off to Florida again, is it?" Maria asked cautiously. "No. Don't worry about that. I'm just trying to adjust, to look at things the way that they are, not necessarily the way I'd like them to be. We're not in some fairy tale dream world." "Yeah, the last few months have definitely shown us that, haven't they?" Maria pointed out sadly. "Yeah." Liz shook herself. "But things aren't all bad. I'm not giving up on Max. I still love him. I'm trying to be more mature." She smiled brightly. "Since I'm going to have a niece to be a good example for." "True." Maria smiled back at her. "She's going to need her Aunt Liz around to take care of her." "Always." Tilting her head to the side, Liz changed the subject. "Now, what's this about Michael and alien psychosis?" "Oh, yeah," Maria answered, with a cynical smile. "More angst from the drama that is Michael and my life. You better settle back and make yourself comfortable, Liz. You're not gonna like this." -------------------------------------------------------- "What?" Isabel screeched, standing up and looming over Michael. "You did what?" "Iz," Max tried to interrupt, but she kept on screaming. Max was glad their parents weren't home. "You were going to kill us?" Isabel was shaking. She couldn't believe what she'd just heard. "It was all a lie? All of it? Just some ploy to get close enough to kill us?" Michael had kept his eyes trained on the floor in front of him throughout his explanation, but now he raised them to look at Isabel. "Not all of it. Everything changed once I got to know you." "Isn't that sweet?" Her voice rose even higher, causing Max to wince. "We trusted you!" "Isabel, that's enough!" Max yelled authoritatively. She glared at him, crossing her arms, but at least she stopped screaming. Satisfied with that, Max turned back to Michael. "You should have told us as soon as you remembered, Michael." Michael nodded, unable to look at Max, waiting for Max's rejection, knowing that he really had no possible defense. Not after what he'd done, both as Tymrath and the night before. So Max's next words caught him off guard. "You shouldn't have had to go through any of this by yourself," Max continued calmly, speaking in a sympathetic tone. "You don't have to carry this alone." Michael's head whipped up so fast that it almost hurt, but all he cared about was the look on Max's face. Max didn't look mad or hurt or scared or any of the million other emotions Michael would have expected. Instead, he looked genuinely concerned. Understanding. Which made absolutely no sense. Did Max not understand what Michael had just told them? "What?" Apparently, Isabel had no such trouble comprehending the situation as Michael had outlined it. "That's it? He wanted to kill us, and you feel sorry for him?" "If he wanted to kill us, then we would have been dead a whole lot sooner than we were." While he was speaking to Isabel, Max's eyes never left Michael's face. Michael was pretty good at reading people (he'd had to be to survive), but he didn't read any deceit on his friend's face. Max honestly meant what he was saying. "You know that as well as I do, Iz. Tym chose us over Kivar." "And that's supposed to mean something?" Isabel's voice held disbelief. Max gave a small smile. "It means everything." He turned to look at his sister then. "Tym wasn't our enemy. And Michael certainly isn't. Remember the connection, Iz. Remember how Michael feels about us." "That's how Michael feels," she said, stressing the name. "It's how Tymrath felt that's concerning me a bit more right now." She turned to Michael, anger and betryal evident in every muscle of her body. "Can you say that Tymrath completely got rid of all his anger towards us? That he stopped having any violent thoughts concerning us once we all became best buddies?" Michael winced at the hostility in Isabel's voice, but he forced himself to answer as calmly as he could. "No." "But he didn't act on them," Max pointed out. "So it doesn't matter." "Easy for you to say," Isabel snapped. "In case you've both forgotten, he did act on those thoughts. I'm the one he killed, not you." A strained silence fell on the group at that. Michael honestly couldn't think of a response for that. She was only telling the truth after all. And how could he come up with a defense? He had killed Vilandra. Max stood up slowly, going over to Isabel. "For me, Iz," he replied softly. "Tymrath killed Vilandra because Zandar told him to. Not for Kivar. Not because of some deep-seated training and hatred of her. Because his king ordered him to kill the woman who betrayed them both." Isabel started to speak, but Max shook his head. "No. If you're going to hold Michael accountable for what Tym did, then I have to be held accountable for what Zandar did. I'm just as much to blame for what happened to Vilandra as he is, and you know it." He leaned closer, putting his hand on her arm. "That's not who we are anymore, Isabel. Those people we were before, all those mistakes we made – that's not us. It doesn't have to be us again." At the touch, a connection formed between the two siblings. Isabel could see him remembering that night in the desert when the six of them joined, when their emotions combined to form a whole that was so much more than they were individually. So much more than Isabel, Alex, Michael, Maria, Max, and Liz could ever be on their own. She remembered the love and the safety she'd felt then, knowing that her family would always be there to take care of her. That they would always protect each other. There was no way that Michael could hurt her. It was simply impossible. No matter what demons Tym might have had in his subconscious, it wasn't in Michael Guerin to hurt her or Max. He might not say the words, but he loved them way too much for that. With that realization, Isabel's fear abated. She really, really, didn't like these revelations from their past lives, but that was beside the point. Michael wasn't a threat. Max could see the understanding in Isabel's eyes, feel it through their connection, and he released her arm, glad that had worked. Isabel took a deep calming breath and turned to look at Michael. To really look at him. She saw the way that he was watching the two of them with a scared, sad look on his face, just waiting for them to send him away, to reject him utterly. With a reluctant smile, she walked over to put her hand on his shoulder. "I know." With her other hand, she reached out and grabbed Max's. "I know that's not who we are now. And I know that you wouldn't hurt me." "Never," Michael said gruffly. She squeezed his shoulder. "I know," she repeated. "Guess it's just a knee-jerk instinctive response to learning that your former fiancee was really an assassin sent to kill you. Only natural, I suppose." "I really wouldn't hurt you, Iz," Michael wanted her to believe him. Instead of repeating herself, Isabel let go of Max's hand and dropped to her knees in front of Michael, reaching out and pulling him into a hug. Michael held back stiffly at first, then relaxed into the hug. She tried to pour her love and trust into the touch, knowing that actions always counted more with Michael than words did. When Michael finally pulled back, he looked over her head at Max. "There's more." Isabel gave a bitter laugh. "Of course there is. There's always more," she commented sarcastically. She got up and sat down next to Max on the bed, facing Michael again. "What is it?" Max's voice was still as calm and sympathetic as ever. Isabel realized it hadn't changed all throughout this confrontation. How did he manage to stay so un-freaked by all this? Michael scratched his eyebrow nervously. "After we took care of the relay center, I went to New York. To find Rath," he added, unnecessarily. Why else would he go there? "Great. How's your murderous dupe doing these days?" Isabel asked with sugary sweetness. Max put a warning hand on hers for a second. "I wanted to make sure that he wasn't a threat," Michael went on. "If he was, I was going to take care of it." Max nodded. "And?" "And he's not a threat to us." Michael looked at Isabel. "He has no interest in you at all, Iz. And he's agreed to leave Max alone." "Not to point out the obvious or anything, Michael, but he did try to kill Max. Twice. Why should we believe that he's suddenly decided to give up on that?" Isabel was trying very hard not to freak out again. She thought she was doing a pretty good job of it. "I don't think he can lie to me," Michael explained quietly. "Nice of him to decide not to murder me," Max pointed out dryly. "Any particular reason for the change of heart?" If anything, Michael looked even more uncomfortable. "He kind of expects me to deal with it." "Deal with what, Michael?" Isabel asked in an icily dangerous tone. Oh yeah. She really wasn't liking any of this. But it was Max who answered. "Killing me." Max didn't sound overly concerned. "He kills Zan, you kill me. After all, why make him do all the work?" He shook his head. "Why did they make two sets of us? I'm kind of relieved that I never got to meet my dupe." Then, his voice changed subtly, a new element entering it. "But why would he expect you to do it? If it was just because of some left-over residue from Tymrath's life, you would have both killed your kings a long time ago. There had to be a trigger." Michael could actually see the instant when the understanding hit Max. "Maria." "What about Maria?" Isabel asked intently. "That's it, isn't it?" Max waited for Michael's nod before he went on, explaining to his sister what he'd just figured out. "Kivar wants Michael to kill me, to finish what Tymrath started. So he'll use Maria against him, threaten Maria and the baby unless Michael does what he wants." Isabel gasped in shock. She wished she could deny it, say that wasn't true, but she knew Kivar better than that. She knew too well what he was capable of, and he would be more than willing to use a human girl and baby as pawns to get what he wanted. Max leaned forward. "Michael, listen to me, and listen to me very clearly," he said, voice as firm as Isabel had ever heard her brother use. "If there comes a time when you have to make a choice, when it's a definite decision between me or Maria, if you can only save one of us, then you save her." There was no room for argument in that voice. "I mean it. You save Maria, and you don't dare feel guilty about it. That's an order." "Max," Isabel started, but he continued, talking right over her. "I don't want any more innocent bystanders dying because of us. Do you understand?" "Understood." Michael's voice was quiet, but as firm as Max's. "Good." Then Max smiled. "Of course, I expect you to do everything in your power to keep a situation like that from ever happening. I'm in no rush to get killed. Or to let Kivar win. I'll be very upset with you otherwise." "Okay. As long as this martyr complex of yours doesn't get overboard," Michael said, dryly mocking him. "I'll try to control it," Max agreed. Isabel tried to keep a stern look on her face as the two of them turned to her, Max grinning broadly and Michael with a small smirk, but she couldn't help it. "You're both insane," she said, giving in to the smile. How they could joke about a life and death situation at all was something she'd never understood, not in either lifetime. "Yep," Max agreed easily. "Isn't that why you love us, sis?" Looking at her two brothers, all Isabel could do was laugh. "Idiots," she said affectionately. ------------------------------------------------------ One hour and several bowls of ice cream later, Liz looked up from her reading excitedly. "I think I've found something!" She waved the journal in the air. Maria looked up from her own reading and over to where Liz was sitting at her desk. "Good. You know that I loved Grandma Claudia, but I'm going to lose my mind if I read a description of one more cave formation." Maria shivered dramatically. "What did you find?" Liz beamed at her triumphantly. "I found an entry from the day of the crash." "Whoa." Maria moved over to the edge of the bed to get closer. "So she was there, huh?" "Yep." Liz turned her attention to the small book in front of her. "Listen to this. Ben and I had wandered away from the rest of the group when we heard some unusual noises." "Who's Ben?" "Don't know. Never heard Grandma mention anyone named Ben before." Liz returned to her reading. "I thought about going back for the others, but Ben went on ahead, so of course, I followed him. One of these days his rushing into things is going to get him killed. And of course, I'll probably be there with him, because I don't seem able to stop myself from following right behind him. Oh, well. At least we'll have fun first, right?" "Now that sounds like Grandma Claudia." Maria grinned. "No regrets in her life. But this Ben guy must have been pretty reckless if she thought he needed to be more careful. Not like she ever backed away from a challenge." "Before long, we came onto a huge crowd of people. And here's where my day got strange." Liz frowned. "It was a large group of army personnel, swarming all over. I asked Ben why they would be out there in the middle of the desert, but no answer. When I turned to look at him, I was shocked by the look on his face. I've never seen Ben look so frightened before. I've never seen him look shaken at all, come to think of it, never seen his face lose that look of amusement and self-confidence. "No, that's not quite true. I have seen his mask (because I've started to suspect that he wears a mask most of the time) slip before. That night a few months ago when I heard him screaming in his sleep and went to his tent to wake him. Just a nightmare, he said. And I let it go then. But now........." Liz paused, turning the page. "He had the same look in his eyes now. He looked like a man who was seeing his worst nightmares come true. I followed his line of sight and saw what he was staring at, what the army men were milling about like a swarm of busy little bees." Liz looked over to make sure Maria was paying attention, then returned to her reading. "It was like nothing I'd ever seen before. At first glance, it appeared to be a downed aircraft, but I've never seen anything like that out at the base. I'm not sure how to describe it. It didn't even look like it was made of anything from this planet. I wanted to go closer to see what was going on, maybe ask one of the army men what it was, but as I started to walk forward, Ben caught my arm. "'You can't go down there,' he said urgently, still with that look of terror on his face. 'It's not safe. They're not safe.' For some reason, I don't think he was talking about the army personnel. I asked him what he was talking about, of course, but he wouldn't answer me. Maybe he couldn't answer, because he started shaking, tremors of fear so strong that he could barely stand up. It was hard to keep from going down there anyway – I really wanted to see that plane, or whatever it was, at a closer range. But I was more worried about Ben. He was even worse off than when I found him wandering outside town in January, with that fever he had. Somehow I managed to get him back to the car and we drove back to town. "He wouldn't go to sleep for the longest time, continuing to mutter about 'them'. He grew more frantic if I'd try to leave the room, so finally I climbed into the bed next to him and held him until he fell asleep. So here I am, watching him sleep, and as much as I hate to admit it, a little frightened myself. Something scared Ben badly. I know that I need to find out what it was, and I'll ask him about it when he wakes. But a part of me doesn't really want to know the answer." Liz's voice trailed off. Maria gestured impatiently. "Well? What else?" "That's all." Liz held up the book with a frown of disappointment. "That's the last entry in this book." She looked at the still full box and sighed. "Maybe there's more in another book." "Yeah. Well, we'll find it." Maria smiled. "So, we have quite the mystery, don't we? Not only did Grandma Claudia know Riverdog, but she was at the crash site, and who was this mysterious Ben?" "Somebody who knew about the aliens," Liz pointed out. "He says that they are dangerous. Sounds like he knew who was piloting the ship." "Well enough to be scared of them," Maria agreed. "Or at least he thought he knew who was on the ship." "We'll have to keep looking for the answers." Liz leaned back. "Maria, there are lots of journals in there." "Hey, girl, we'll find it." "Sometime this year would be nice," Liz answered grumpily. "We will. Have faith." "What makes you so sure?" Maria giggled. "Mothers know everything. Didn't you know that?" Liz laughed. "You're not my mother, Maria. And your baby's not even born yet." "Hey, have a little respect," she teased as there was a quick knock and the door opened. "Most people wait to be invited in, you know." "Not a vampire," Kyle retorted, closing the door behind him as he entered and leaning against the wall. "Which is a good thing," Liz laughed. "We have enough on our hands with aliens. Imagine if we added vampires to the mix!" "Oh, my God," Maria was starting to grow pale, eyes large in her face. "Maria, what's wrong?" Liz leaned forward and tried to grab her friend's hands, but Maria was waving them around in the air like crazy. "Is she hyperventilating?" Kyle asked with concern. "I was just kidding." Maria looked at Liz desperately. "About the whole knowing everything because I'm a mother thing. It was a joke." "I know," she said soothingly. It didn't seem to soothe Maria at all. "But the baby's going to expect me to know everything, isn't she?" Maria was working her way up to a good panic attack, gesturing wildly. Kyle was in awe. "She's going to ask me questions about stuff and expect me to know the answer. Like why the sky is blue and why it rains and the difference between boys and girls. I can't answer those things!" "You don't know the difference between boys and girls?" Kyle asked in disbelief. "I was pretty sure you and Guerin had figured that one out." "Shut up, Kyle. You're not helping." Liz shot him a look, but it wasn't as bad as the one Maria gave him. Kyle almost ducked. "I know the answer to that one, Kyle, thanks. I just have no idea how to explain it to her." Maria turned her attention to Liz. "And she's going to come to me when she has nightmares, and when her tummy hurts, she's going to expect me to be able to make her feel better. What if she gets some weird alien disease, like when Michael went into the sweat lodge on the reservation? I have no idea how to do this whole mom thing." Maria's hands were waving more and more widely in the air, causing Liz to back away cautiously. "And babies are so little, Liz. They're so tiny and they need taking care of, and what if I mess it up? And then when she wants to stay up past her bedtime or have chocolate cake for breakfast, I'm gonna have to be the mean one who says no. 'Cause I don't see Michael as being the disciplinarian in the family." "Maria." Liz finally managed to grab Liz's hands. "Maria, you're babbling. Take some deep breaths." "I am not babbling." "Of course not," Kyle sat down next to her, carefully keeping some distance. "You're just doing an amazingly life-like copy of a woman panicking." "I am not panicking!" When she saw Liz wince, Maria lowered her voice. "I'm having perfectly legitimate concerns about my upcoming motherhood." As the word 'motherhood' crossed her lips, Maria's eyes practically popped out and she looked ready to start ranting again, but Liz cut her off. "Which is perfectly natural," Liz said in as calm a voice as she could manage while simultaneously kicking Kyle in the ankle to prevent him from saying whatever it was he'd opened his mouth to say. "But you and Michael are going to do fine. Really, Maria. And you have your mother to help you." "Yeah. That's true." Maria took a few calming breaths. "I am kind of glad that Mom knows about the baby now." "And we're all here to help you." Liz looked over at Kyle. "Right, Kyle?" It wasn't really a question. Kyle had never heard Liz's drill-sergeant voice quite as clearly before. It was rather impressive. "Sure." He smiled winningly at Maria. "In fact, that's why I'm here. To help you two get out and have some fun." "What did you have in mind?" Maria asked suspiciously. "I don't know." Kyle stood up and stretched. "I spent hours at the Evans law firm barbeque with Isabel today, and while watching Isabel play socialite and charm every guy around is always fun, it got sort of boring after a while. Since the aliens seem to be otherwise engaged, I thought we humans might have some quality bonding time." "Doing what?" Liz didn't for one minute believe that Kyle didn't have something specific in mind. Kyle grinned widely at her. "Basketball." At their groans, he went on. "Come on. I have to get back in practice." "Playing against us?" Maria asked with a smile. "We're not exactly on the basketball team, you know. Try Isabel or Max. They actually like that game for some strange reason." "Remember the alien shindig? Come on," he pleaded. "I'll be your best friend." "What are you, eight years old?" But even while she shook her head, Liz knew that she was giving in. Kyle looked so cute, looking at them so pleadingly like that. Like a little puppy dog or something. "Fine. Give me a minute to change into some shorts." She got up and grabbed some shorts from the dresser before entering her bathroom. She could hear Kyle and Maria through the closed door. "Aren't you going to get changed, too?" Kyle asked her. "Nope. Not playing. I'll just be your crowd of spectators." "Why aren't you playing?" Maria pointed to herself, speaking slowly. "Pregnant." She held up her hands as though holding a ball. "Big, moderately heavy basketball being thrown at me. You want to be the one to explain that to Spaceboy? Do you remember his response to pillows coming in my direction?" "True." Kyle had to agree. "But I wouldn't be aiming the basketball to hit you, you know. Of course, I can't speak for Liz's aim." "I heard that." Liz came out of the bathroom. "You never know, Kyle. I might surprise you." "Come on, Parker. Let's see what you got." ------------------------------------------------------- Max walked quietly across the well-kept lawns, grateful for the silence and solitude he found there. When he reached the stone, he stopped, noticing all the flowers surrounding it. Isabel's touch, he was sure. "Hey," he said quietly, not wanting to disturb the peace he found there. "Bet you're surprised to see me here, huh?" He crouched down in front of the stone, looking at the inscription. Alex Charles Whitman. He hadn't been here since the funeral, although he knew Isabel came here at least once a week, often times more. "I'm not completely sure why I'm here, myself. I'm not sure I buy that you can hear me or anything." He closed his eyes and sighed. "I don't know what to believe. I guess I want to believe that you can hear me, that you're watching over us all somehow. Because we definitely need all the help we can get." He opened his eyes and smiled with mild amusement and mockery. "Which I'm sure doesn't come as a surprise to you. None of us are exactly what I'd call emotionally healthy." He lowered himself into a sitting position, crossing his legs and trying to get comfortable. He might be there a while. "I guess I mostly just needed to talk to someone. This isn't something I can really be open about with Michael or Isabel. Maria's out, because of the Michael connection. And Liz........" His voice trailed off thoughtfully. After a moment, he resumed. "I'm not sure what's going on with Liz. She's upset with me over something, that's for sure. But I can't figure out why. I think she's mad at me because she figures I'm on Tess's side because I don't want to lynch her on sight, like Michael and her do. Liz thinks that means I'm taking Tess's side over hers. Over you." Max shook his head in frustration. "That I don't care about what happened to you. Which isn't true. At all. But we're missing something there, something that we need to know.........." He broke off abruptly. "Okay, that's really not what I came here to talk about." He leaned forward, putting his head on his hands and thinking hard. "Michael told us something today," he finally continued. "Something about before. About who Tymrath was. What he was. You already knew, didn't you? You two got so close there at the end." Max smiled grimly. "Isabel freaked out at first. You know how she can get when she's scared. Which was a totally natural response, given what we'd just learned. Maybe it was even a healthy response. Not that we'd know a healthy response if it bit us. And Michael's just sitting there, looking so lost and scared, like he's expecting us to smack him around or something. Which he probably was." Max's mouth twisted bitterly. "So I have to stay focused and rational. Be the reasonable one and calm Isabel down, before she does any more harm to Michael. Before she breaks him more. "It's okay now, though. Isabel did calm down, and I think things are going to be okay there. Might take some time to smooth everything over, but we can do it." He hesitated. "I meant everything I said to Michael, you know. It's not his fault what Tym did. And in the end, Tym choose us. That counts for a lot." He looked down at his hands. Here was what he really needed to get out, to say to someone before it choked him inside, even if the person he was talking to might not really be there to hear him. "But I guess it's starting to really sink in now. He was a part of the group that killed our father." That last came out in an angry hiss. Some of Max's most vivid memories of that past life were from that day. "He was the one person I could hold on to that day, the person who helped me keep it together and get through everything. He was there for me through it all, and now I find out it was all just some ploy to get close enough to kill me. When do I get to freak out?" It all came pouring out now. "When do I get to have a total melt-down? Who's going to tell me that things are going to be okay? Kivar has poisoned everything I've had, in both lifetimes. And you know what? I don't want to be king! I don't. I was perfectly happy just being Max Evans. I don't have any interest in going back there. Kivar's welcome to it." He laughed hollowly. "Now if I could only convince him of that." A long silence followed while Max closed his eyes and listened to the sounds of birds flying nearby. He finally dragged himself out of his thoughts. "It'll be okay," he said, almost sounding like he meant it. "Or as okay as it ever gets for us. None of this changes anything with us and Michael," he continued, voice gaining confidence as he spoke. "And considering everything, I have no real right to complain. I've been lucky, after all. I know that." Max paused. He did feel a little better. It helped to get it out, even if he wasn't really sure the person he was talking to could hear him. Keeping everything inside was hard sometimes. "We'll deal with whatever comes. But you know, we could really use you here, Alex." Max stood up, briefly touching t

Anla · Post by **Anla** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 11:18 am

Ardan heard her footsteps behind him, but didn't look away from the cave drawings. It was so close, right there in front of him. Maybe he was looking at it too hard. "Having fun?" came a soft, gentle voice behind him. A sweet voice, one that people wanted to trust. He smiled. That had proved useful, both on Antar and here on Earth. "Thinking. That's all." He turned from where he was sitting to look back at his visitor. "Took you long enough to get here." Kaslya shrugged, moving forward into the torch light. "I had arrangements to make. Here I am." She held her arms out openly, smiling happily at him. "Ready to go to work. Although I am a little concerned about the idea of you thinking." Her eyes twinkled mischievously. Ardan shook his head as he laughed. Like his own, Kaslya's Husk enabled her to fit into the community on the reservation without attracting any notice from casual observers. As for those who weren't so casual – well, a great deal of work had gone into preparing for their immersion in human society, developing backgrounds or finding situations they could insert themselves into. Neither of them had attracted any undue suspicion in their positions. Nobody suspected anything was unusual about them. Well, except for Riverdog. He gave her an assessing look. She was dressed casually in a long navy skirt and simple white blouse, her long dark hair hanging loose down her back. Her one piece of jewelry, its black stone matching his own, sparkled in the light. Even her body language projected an attitude of demure honesty, hands folded harmlessly in front of her, yet looking him directly in the eye. He smiled with true approval. Yes, she'd do very nicely. "Nothing to worry about, sharlee." She smiled at the endearment, but didn't seem convinced. "When you start thinking, Ardan, it usually ends in some long convoluted plan that the rest of us have to implement." She moved over to kneel next to him. "You do realize you make more work for us than is necessary, don't you?" He put his hand over his chest and gave her a pained look. "That wounds me deeply, Kaslya." "I'm sure." She laughed as she leaned back. "So, what devious plan are you working on this time?" "No plan." He gave her his most winning innocent expression. From her raised eyebrows, he didn't think it worked. "I was simply considering the fact that we haven't heard anything from the other Vilandra clone in months." "The New York duplicate?" Kaslya was surprised. "I would have thought that was a good thing. The less trouble those rejects cause, the better for us all." Ardan shook his head slowly. "Vilandra was never one to simply sit around quietly twiddling her thumbs. It worries me that we have no idea what she's up to." Kaslya laughed. "Please. You don't worry. You never worry. You just don't like having anything out of your control. Anything you don't know about offends you." "True," he agreed easily. "Okay," she went on briskly. "Is that my new mission, then? To track down the other Vilandra?" "No." He stood up and offered her a hand, helping her to her feet. "Kivar wants one of us at the base for back-up. You get to be the lucky volunteer." "Sounds like fun. When do I leave?" "Tonight." Ardan paused, then decided to continue. No reason to keep this a secret. Too much depended on what was coming. "She's going to meet with Michael Guerin on Monday." Kaslya inhaled sharply, clearly surprised by this. "Tymrath? So soon?" She peered at him closely. "Is he ready?" "As ready as he will be." His face great thoughtful. "It's a gamble, but......." "But you think it'll work," she finished for him. "Or else you would never have suggested it in the first place." "I think there's a chance." Ardan gave a small smile. "He is who he is. None of us can escape what we are." "Tym." She spoke with a mixture of sadness and longing. "It's been so long........" "Since he left us?" Now there was mockery in his voice. "Since he tried to turn his back on what he was?" She looked at him sharply, frowning now. "It wasn't us he left," she pointed out. "Smart girl." Her eyes flashed at him with momentary anger, a reminder that, no matter how harmless she might appear, pretty little Kaslya was just as dangerous as any of them. "Don't condescend to me, Ardan," she warned in a low voice. "Don't ever make that mistake." He bowed to her. "You're right. I apologize. I guess this whole situation with Tym has me more on edge than I thought." She continued to frown for a moment, then nodded slowly. "Just don't do it again." Then she smiled, her momentary anger gone, as she took his arm. "Come on. You can tell me all the details of my new assignment." "There are a few complications you should be aware of," he agreed, walking a few steps with her before halting and turning back to look at the drawings again. There. That's it. Leaving Kaslya, he walked back over. There, a space between two of the drawings. A large space, one that would have had enough room for another picture at one time. "What is it?" Kaslya had followed him back over, was standing at his side. He ran his hands over the wall. Yes, he could feel the residue of power. "Someone erased one of the symbols," he murmured. "A long time ago, it feels like." Closing his eyes, he concentrated hard, pouring all his energy and concentration through his hands and into the area of stone where that drawing had been, willing the vision to come. What symbol had once been there? The flash was quick, the symbol dancing behind his eyelids for a mere second before fading. He smiled. It was enough. ------------------------------------------------------ It was late by the time Michael finally came home. It seemed as if he'd walked all over Roswell by that point, desperately trying to work off all his excess energy and restlessness. It hadn't worked, not really, but it had at least let him get the edge off. He intended to head out again, but first he wanted to check up on his teela-mei, see that she was doing okay after the stresses of the day. Maria was on the couch, a blanket wrapped around her as she lay peacefully in the moonlight. He smiled at the picture she made, eyes closed in relaxation as she curled up on her side, one hand positioned protectively over her stomach. Yes, this was definitely worth fighting for. He turned to leave again, but stopped at the sound of her voice. "I'm not sleeping." When he looked back, her eyes were open. "We're just resting. Trying to keep our strength up." "I know." He moved closer, perching on the edge of the couch. "I didn't want to disturb you. You looked cute." He smirked down at her. "Cute?" Her face crinkled in distaste. "You make me sound like a puppy dog. Next thing you know, you'll be calling me sweetie pie or something." "I somehow doubt it." He laughed, feeling a little better just being near her. Maria sat up. "So, how did things go with Max and Isabel?" He answered slowly. "Okay. Better than I expected, actually." He shook his head in amazement. "Max was amazingly calm about everything. He freaked out more when I was drawing pictures of geodesic domes in art class." She gave a soft laugh. "Well, I think we've all grown up a little since then, Spaceboy." She tilted her head to one side and stared at him knowingly. "And Isabel?" "Isabel was Isabel." "Translation – she freaked out at first, and then calmed down and you two ended up hugging?" she asked shrewdly. "And then we sang campfire songs as we bonded. We even did each other's nails," he answered wryly. "Really? Can I see?" She reached over for his hands, but he held them back with a laugh. "You're a lunatic," he said affectionately. "But yeah, there might have been some hugging going on." He looked at Maria carefully. "Is that okay with you?" "Yeah." She leaned back down. "I think I'm over the insanely jealous stage of things. At least where Isabel's concerned." She smiled gently. "I know that the two of you love each other, and I also know that it's not the same type of love you and I have." Maria knew that she had nothing to worry about in that area. Michael was in love with her, and only her. She didn't even need the connection with him to prove that to her – it was clear in everything he did. Of course, their bond didn't hurt matters, either. Michael returned to the main issue. "So, we're all good, I think." He leaned forward, hands swinging loosely in front of him. "One thing, though, that I didn't tell you before. If you see anyone wearing one of those necklaces........" "The ones like Tymrath's?" "Yeah, those. If you see anyone wearing one, get the hell out of there as fast as you can. Grab any of the others if they're with you." Michael's face settled grimly at the thought. Maria near one of the T'onxyl was one of his greatest fears. Any of his family near them was a nightmare that he never wanted to endure. "Do not stop to talk or argue or anything. Maria, I'm serious!" He kept going sharply as she opened her mouth. "If they're here, then they're here for one purpose. Killing Max and Isabel. Following Kivar's orders. It's who they are. Don't take any chances with them." "You think they are here, don't you?" Maria's voice was hushed. "That's why you've been so edgy lately. Well, one of the reasons. Why you wanted us to leave Roswell." Michael looked down at his hands. "I can almost feel them, watching us," he answered slowly. "But I'm not sure. Because if they are here, then we ought to be dead." "You think they could kill us so easily?" Michael's head rose, eyes meeting hers. "I could." He could imagine so many scenarios, so many ways to kill Max and Isabel. The humans would be even easier. They would be easy pickings for the T'onxyl. Maria shivered at the hollow tone in his voice, pulling the blanket tighter around her. "Maybe they're not doing anything because of you. Because they're afraid of you." He laughed bitterly. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, Maria, but if they're all here........." His voice trailed off. No real point in going down this road. He looked at her seriously. "I won't let them hurt you. Either of you." "I know." Maria frowned. "How are you doing, anyway?" "Fine." He shrugged. "Fine," she repeated mockingly. "Emotional connection, remember, Spaceboy?" She reached over to take his hands in her own, fingers twining together, eyes widening at the instant adrenaline surge the contact caused. A little breathlessly, she went on. "You've been on edge all afternoon, getting pushed closer and closer to the brink." It's why she hadn't been asleep yet. Even second hand, the rush was too strong to allow her to fall asleep. Maria had needed to hold on to the connection with her daughter in order to keep from pacing the floors restlessly herself. Michael had started off the day pretty well, but as the hours went on, she'd felt him growing more and more restless. She'd sent as much calming emotions his way as she could, but it obviously hadn't been enough. Well, at least he hadn't lost control yet. So maybe it was helping. "I knew it wasn't going to be easy." Michael could feel the power clawing at his inner walls, wanting desperately to find a way out, to rush free, break something, do something. "I was planning on going out to the desert. Maybe break some rocks." He grinned at her. "You know how dangerous those rocks can be." "You could do that," she agreed. "Or," she pushed aside the blanket and moved closer to him, not breaking eye contact, "we could find some other way to pass the time." Michael's eyes instantly took on a hungry glow, the look that always made Maria's heart beat faster. She wrapped her hands around his head and pulled him closer, kissing him almost urgently. She'd missed him all day. The instant their lips touched, Maria could feel their connection grow more intense. As Michael slipped down on the couch and closer to her, hands traveling up her arms then down to caress her back, Maria could feel the energy that lay dormant inside her wake up and spread, tingling as it coursed through her body. "I'm not sure," Michael got out a broken whisper between kisses, "that this is such a good idea." "I can't think of a better way to work off our excess energy," she countered, moving so that she was practically sitting on his lap. "It's only practical." "Practical, huh?" Michael pulled back from kissing her neck to look at her, eyes glittering mischievously. "How about this?" He dropped a light kiss at the base of her neck. "Is this practical? Or this?" Pushing down the neck of her t-shirt, he kissed her even lower. "Definitely." Her fingers tightened in his hair. "We're nothing if not pragmatic." She could feel his laughter vibrating through her body. But then, much to her dismay, he pulled back, studying her with a solemn look in his eyes. "I mean it. Maybe this isn't such a good idea. My control's not at its best right now." He traced a gentle line down her cheek. "I don't want to be too rough and hurt you or the baby." "Never happen." Maria turned her head enough to kiss his hand. He groaned at the touch, but kept on talking, although a bit huskier than before. "It could. Last night......" "Was great," she cut him off firmly. "And definitely nothing that hurt either of us." She took his hand in hers and placed it over her stomach. "Michael, do you honestly think it's even possible for you to hurt the two of us?" She didn't think he could do it, even if he wanted to, and she knew he didn't want to. "So stop worrying about things that can't ever happen." Michael looked at her for a long moment, feeling their bond, sensing her emotions rushing through him and knowing that he was sending her out his own. Knowing that their emotions mixed and mingled until they couldn't tell one from the other. Feeling how much they both wanted this, needed this. With a wicked grin, Michael relaxed his control and returned to kissing the girl he loved. ------------------------------------------------------ Kyle bravely kept his grin even in the face of Isabel's glare. "And how are you this morning?" he asked, cheerfully sliding into the booth across from her. "You're late," she accused. Ignoring here, he looked around for a waitress. When she noticed this, Isabel swatted his arm with one of the Crashdown menus. "Hey!" he protested, pulling his arm away sharply. "Pay attention when I'm lecturing you." Isabel frowned sternly. "Fine. Whatever. I'm an evil, terrible person who deserves to be whacked repeatedly with a menu for my crime of," he paused and looked at his watch, "being ten minutes late to lunch." He glanced at her questioningly. "But I'm kind of hoping you don't, because then I'd have to scream and run away, and that might ruin my macho reputation." "I thought you were over the whole impressing the school thing," she pointed out. "About as much as you are." Kyle looked up at the waitress who had come to their table, giving her his best smile. "I'll have two Imperial cheeseburgers, a large side order of Saturn rings, and an Alien Blast." "Got it." Kim turned to Isabel, scribbling down Kyle's order. "How about you?" "Oh, and a slice of Men-In-Blackberry-Pie," Kyle added. At Isabel's incredulous look, he protested. "What? I'm a growing boy." She sighed loudly, turning back to the waitress. "I'll just have a Neptune salad, thanks." When Kim had left their table, Isabel's attention returned to Kyle. "How can you eat so much junk?" "It's not junk. It's a perfectly balanced meal." "Right." "So, you want to tell me what's really the matter?" Kyle's voice turned serious. Isabel shot him a quick look, then turned to studying the glass of water in front of her intently. "I don't know what you're talking about." "Uh, huh." He wasn't buying it for a minute. "You look bad, by Isabel Evans standards at least," he added quickly when she raised her head to glare at him. "Which is still better than any other girl at school," that seemed to mollify her a bit, so that the stare fell into the 'maiming' category rather than 'killing', "but you look completely exhausted." Isabel twirled the straw in her water glass, watching it like it was the most fascinating thing in the world. "I haven't been sleeping well the last few nights," she finally answered. "It's no big deal." "Bad dreams?" he asked in a voice suddenly filled with tension. "Like during Spring Break?" She gave a slightly bitter laugh. "No, nothing bad in my dreams." The problem was more what she wasn't finding in her dreams than what she was, but she didn't feel like explaining to Kyle that she couldn't rest because Alex, who was dead, wasn't visiting her anymore in her dreams. As great a friend as Kyle was, he would probably think she was completely insane. "I've just been really tired lately. I don't know why." Which was true, come to think of it. Even before that last disturbing dream of Alex, Isabel had been more tired than usual. None of them really needed that much sleep, not her, Max, or Michael. She wondered if she was coming down with some weird alien sickness, but instantly dismissed the thought. She felt tired, but otherwise okay. "I'm sure that with a little rest, I'll be fine." "That's all?" Kyle sounded doubtful. He leaned forward so that he could talk with her without anyone overhearing. "It's not the whole Michael thing?" She blinked at him in surprise. "You know?" He nodded. "Yeah, Dad filled me in yesterday." He gave a rueful smile. "Don't worry – Michael knows that I know." Kyle really wasn't sure how to deal with this, what to say. Sorry you found out one of your best friends was going to kill you in your past alien life just didn't sound like it worked. Are you worried that he's going to try and finish the job? really didn't sound right either. But this was something pretty major, and Isabel had to be reeling from it. "I'm here if you need to, you know," he gestured to himself with one hand, "talk about it and stuff." "Thanks." She gave him a small smile. "But I'm okay." She rolled her eyes. "I wasn't exactly leaping with joy to find out about Tymrath's past and all," (Kyle suspected that was a bit of an understatement), "but it's not important now. It's not who we are now." She looked over at Kyle's expression of mild surprise. "Really. I trust Michael." She saw Kyle glance towards the kitchen. "He's not here yet." "Okay." Kyle looked at her, all amusement gone from his blue eyes. "Dad said the same thing yesterday. But how can you be so sure that you can trust him?" Kyle wanted to trust Michael. He did. He couldn't imagine Michael ever hurting any of them. Yeah, maybe a year or so ago, Kyle could have pictured Michael as some criminal going around beating people up, but not anymore. Still, he had never thought Tess would betray them ever, and look how that ended up. "I'm not saying this as an anti-you-guys thing," he didn't want to say the 'alien' word in public, "but how can you be certain?" Isabel flexed the straw back and forth absently as she tried to put it into words. "You weren't there that night in the desert. The night we met Dagmar." "Nope. I was left behind from that fun-filled adventure." "Well, the six of us – Alex, me, Max, Liz, Michael, and Maria – we connected." Isabel leaned closer so that their heads were almost touching, lowering her voice to a whisper. "We connected on some type of spiritual level." Kyle should be able to accept that type of thing – he was always going on about how spiritual matters were more important than material goods. "We saw each other's souls, Kyle. Our memories. Our feelings." She leaned back a little, wanting to see the expression in his eyes. "It was amazing. And there's no way that the Michael I saw that night could hurt us." She settled back against her seat. "That simple." Kyle's assessing look almost made her feel uncomfortable – he was staring at her so searchingly. For an instant, he reminded her very much of his father. She'd been on the receiving end of one or two of those stares from the sheriff during his alien-hunting days. "Sounds impressive." "It was." Isabel actually felt a little guilty that Kyle had missed out on it. "Okay, then." He broke their stare as the waitress returned with their food. "Good, I'm starved." He gave Kim a big smile. "Thanks." Isabel waited until the other girl had left. "Okay? That's it?" she asked, incredulous. "What else is there to say?" Kyle paused in the act of raising a hamburger to his mouth. "If I don't learn to practice acceptance when dealing with all the insanity knowing you three brings into my life, I'm going to be a total basket case. So, if you say that you saw Michael's soul," he had to smirk at the thought, "and that he's no danger, then okay. I believe you." He bit into his burger. Isabel opened her mouth to say something, then closed it, choosing to dig into her salad instead. She'd really expected him to make a bigger deal about it, but she wasn't going to argue. Maybe he really has worked out all his alien-related issues, she thought hopefully. At any rate, he wasn't mad at her or at Michael, and that was all for the good. Playing referee between Kyle and Michael was so not on her list of activities she wanted to do. Kyle had finished one of his burgers and they were busily gossiping about the other kids at school when he saw Isabel look over his shoulder. "What's up?" he asked, just as he heard someone walk up to their booth. "Isabel, right?" the well-dressed man asked, giving Isabel a very large smile as he looked down at her. "From the picnic yesterday?" "That's me." Isabel gave him one of her patented Queen Isabel thousand-watt smiles. "You work for my father. Jesse......." "Jesse Ramirez. That's right." He turned briefly to Kyle. "You were there, too, weren't you?" "Kyle." Jesse nodded at him, then returned his attention to Isabel. Kyle picked up a Saturn ring and settled back to watch the show. "So, how do you like living in Roswell?" Isabel tossed back her hair, still smiling brightly. "Dad says that you're the biggest help he's ever had at the firm." Jesse laughed. "Well, I like being close to my mother again. And I've missed New Mexico." "Really?" Isabel leaned closer. Kyle decimated his Saturn rings as he watched Isabel flirt outrageously with the newcomer. Isabel in full charm mode was always fun to watch. True, it was more interesting when you were the guy being charmed, but it was also more hazardous. Kyle had known that Isabel was high-maintenance even before knowing her secret. Not that it ever kept him or any other guy at West Roswell from daydreaming about her. Some things were worth a little work. But that was a long time ago. Now he knew Isabel well enough to recognize how much of her act was for protection, a way of keeping people at a distance while at the same time making them like her so that they would never think of questioning her too much. He knew her well enough to know that the smile she was favoring Jesse with, although undoubtedly beautiful, wasn't real. All an act. He also noticed that Isabel didn't ask Jesse to sit and join them. After a few minutes, Jesse politely said good-bye to them both and left to pick up his order. Isabel's eyes followed him closely as he left the Crashdown. Kyle decided to regain her attention. Balling up a napkin, he threw it at her. As her head spun around to glare at him, he looked up at the ceiling, innocently whistling. "Don't bother, Mr. Innocent." She picked up the ball and tossed it back at him. "What was that for?" "Nothing." He batted his eyelids at her, earning a giggle. "So, Jesse, how do you like it here in our little old town?" he mocked in a high voice. "I didn't sound that ridiculous." She continued to laugh. "And there's nothing wrong with a little recreational flirting. You know, just to keep in practice." She paused. "And he is very good-looking." "I guess," Kyle answered, non-committally. "Not exactly my type, though." She laughed again. "Well, speaking of your type.." "Which we weren't..." Ignoring his interruption, she went on, "I think that you really should ask out Jenny Hammett. She's nice." "She's very nice. Still not interested," he answered levelly. "Kyle, if you would just listen to me........" "Nope. I hear nothing but the wind." He took a bite of his remaining burger. "Whatever." She rolled her eyes at his grin. "You know, I think we should do something fun to get your mind off everything," Kyle suggested, anxious to change the subject. "Something fun like what?" she asked suspiciously. "I don't know. How about basketball?" Kyle had a hopeful look on his face. "Don't think so." Isabel frowned in thought. "I do like the idea of us doing something fun, though. The whole group of us. We definitely deserve a break." "Agreed. What did you have in mind?" Isabel's eyes lit up, and a genuine smile shone on her face. Much better than the phony one she gave what's-his-name. "I know! We didn't do our back-to-school party this year." "Huh?" "Last year, we had a party the night before school started." Isabel was starting to gather her things. "I have to find Liz." She stood up, looking back down at him. "I have to go. Lots of things to organize before tonight." She looked ready for action. "Just be here after closing, okay?" Before he could even answer, she was off and running. Kyle was left alone with his pie, but also a satisfied feeling. Isabel had looked more like herself than when he sat down. She was obviously a woman on a mission, but that made her happy. And Kyle wasn't anywhere in the line of fire, so that made him happy. Not a bad lunch. Not at all. ------------------------------------------------------- Isabel held her hand out over the CD, starting to sway as the music filled the Crashdown. She turned around and smiled at her friends. "Very nice." Maria joined her, dancing to the music. "I like the decorations." Isabel followed Maria's gesture to look around the restaurant. Sparkling silver streamers hung from the ceilings and walls, tiny gold stars glittering from them. It wasn't much, but considering what short notice she'd had, it looked good. Simple and elegant. Max reached up to touch one as he walked by on his way to the counter. A beam of bright light flickered across the streamer. "Show-off." Maria's laughter turned to a screech as Kyle grabbed hold of her hand. "Come on, Maria." Kyle pulled her out into the middle of the restaurant, where they had cleared an empty space. "Time to dance." Liz tried to dodge him on her way back from locking the restaurant door, but he caught her with his other hand. "You, too." "You deal with the dancing fool, Lizzie," Maria laughed as she pulled away. "I am going to check on the refreshments situation." She shook her head as she walked off, listening to Isabel give Kyle helpful hints on his technique as he danced with Liz. Well, she was sure that Isabel meant them to be helpful. From Kyle's comments, he apparently had a different opinion on the matter, but what did he know? Pausing to pat Max's shoulder as she went by his seat, Maria leaned through the window into the kitchen. "Spaceboy!" she called out in a sing-song voice. "I'm busy," he shot back, flipping a burger. "Well, there's no smoke, which is always a reassuring sign," she teased. "It was so nice of you to volunteer to cook us something to eat." Michael snorted. "Volunteer? Remind me to get you a dictionary." He turned and handed her a plate filled with cooked hamburgers. "Volunteering is when you have a choice in the matter." "Are you implying that you were somehow forced into this?" Maria was a picture of wide-eyed innocence. Like he was buying it. "Yeah, I love cooking here so much that I want to do it on my time off." Michael folded his arms and smirked at her. "With you and Isabel both nagging me, I would definitely say I was bullied into it." "Come here." He looked at her suspiciously, but came up closer to the window. Maria grabbed his shirt and pulled him down to her level, giving him a slow kiss. "Hey, chill on the public displays of affection!" Liz teased, grabbing the plate of burgers before Maria dropped it. "Like that will stop them." Max was still amused by the two of them. He shook his head in bemused amazement. Are they ever coming up for air? "Let me help you with that." He took the plate from Liz, freeing her to grab some drinks. Maria finally pulled back, smiling at a dazed Michael. "Wouldn't want you to think that you weren't getting something from all your hard work." She danced off to join the others. Finished with his cooking, Michael made sure the stove was turned off and joined the others in the dining area. He collapsed into the seat next to Max. "How are you doing?" Max asked quietly, watching as Liz and Maria tried to keep a laughing Isabel from intercepting all of Kyle's food. "Fine." Max did turn at that, giving Michael a level look. "Really. I'm doing okay." Yeah, he'd had a few incidents of irrational fury that day, moments when the energy had risen up, seemingly out of nowhere and tried to escape. But each time he'd managed to control it. "Maria and the baby are helping," he added, wanting to alleviate some of Max's concern. "It's easier when I can draw on them for support." Not that he liked admitting it, but they were so intertwined now that trying to keep her separate, even for her own good, only hurt them both. Max nodded, taking a pretzel from the bowl in front of him. "You'll let me know if there's something I can do to help?" Michael looked at him with surprise. "Yeah." Funny – just a few days earlier, the idea of going to Max about this would have had him running in terror. But now, if Max could help, he'd let him. They needed to trust and rely on each other. "How about you? Things okay?" Max smiled, looking over at Liz laughing with their friends. She must have felt his gaze, because she turned and smiled shyly at him before turning back to whatever Isabel was saying. "Yeah. Things are good." Michael was obviously going to say something, but they were interrupted by Maria. "Come on and eat, you two." She grabbed Michael's hand and pulled him up from his seat. "We have a pretty good cook here, you know." "Flattery is not going to let you redecorate the apartment the way you want to, you know," Michael pointed out, allowing her to lead him to where the others were already sitting. "Because your sense of style is so highly developed." Maria turned to Isabel. "You'll back me up here, right?" "Oh, no. Don't even get started." Michael groaned. "Why can't the two of you gang up on someone else for a change?" Max watched them for a minute – the ease with which Kyle sat between two aliens, the friendly way that Maria and Isabel joined forces to tease Michael, the casual manner in which Maria stole fries from Michael's plate. Something relaxed in his heart as he observed them, something tense and painful that had been there for months. Maybe we're going to be okay after all. He thought back a year, to the party before their junior year. Things were so different then. Kyle hadn't been with them, not truly a part of their group yet. Alex had, though, watching Isabel as always. And Tess had been there, too. Liz had been avoiding him. Things hadn't been too great between him and Michael, either. Michael and Maria had been apart, with Michael trying so hard to deny his feelings for her, to harden his heart. Now they were very, very much together, through good and bad, with a baby on the way. So many things had changed, some good and some so painful that it broke your heart. Max fervently hoped that this was a year filled with less heart ache and sacrifice. "You joining us?" Liz stood in front of him, hand reached out. He looked at the group again, laughing and together. So alive. So much love. "Always." Max took her hand and they went to sit down. ------------------------------------------------------ Max closed the door firmly behind Isabel and Kyle. "Looks like we're alone now." Liz shot him a smile, then turned back to the counter in front of her, wiping the towel across it. He moved to stand behind her. "Liz, the place is as clean as alien powers and hard work can get it." He turned her around to face him. "You don't have to keep scrubbing away at that counter." He bent down to her, his mouth turning up in a small smile. "Really. It's clean." Liz sighed, giving in and putting down the towel as she smiled self-consciously. "I know. I just don't want Dad to regret letting us use the restaurant." "Everything's perfect." Isabel had taken home her CD collection, but there was still the radio. Max leaned over and turned it on. "Dance with me." "I don't know," she protested weakly, allowing him to pull her closer. "Relax, Liz," he whispered into her ear. "Trust me. It's safe to lower your guard for a minute." She tensed up at his words, but then forced herself to close her eyes, melting into his hold. It was nice to simply be, with no major problems, to relax with Max and listen to the music. <div style="text-align:center">*You are the light that's leading me To the place where I find peace again. You are the strength that keeps me walking. You are the hope that keeps me trusting.</div> "That's you, Liz," Max whispered. "You're my strength. No matter what happens, you always come through in the end." She shook her head. "No, Max. Believe me, I'm not that strong." She kept her gaze lowered, not wanting him to see the tears that sprang into her eyes. "Yes, you are." One hand moved to her back, moving in gently calming circles. "You don't know it, but you are. You just need to give yourself time." <div style="text-align:center"> And how can I stand here with you And not be moved by you? Would you tell me how could it be Any better than this?</div> "Time?" "To feel. Time to adjust." He moved back a bit, reaching out to tilt her chin up so that he could look into her eyes. "Time to deal with whatever it is that's bothering you." He smiled sadly. "Can you tell me what it is, Liz? What I can do to make it better?" She smiled as she shook her head. "Not yet." When he opened his mouth to speak again, she put her fingers lightly over his lips. "It's not you, Max. It's something I have to figure out for myself. Something I need to define for myself. Give me that time. Please?" He kissed her fingertips softly, then nodded. "Okay, Liz. I'll give you time." Then he reached down and kissed her deeply. <div style="text-align:center"> 'Cause you're all I want You're all I need You're everything Everything</div> Liz found herself clutching Max's shoulders to keep herself standing upright. The force of the kiss had her losing her balance. Every part of her, body and soul, felt like it was waking up from a long sleep, remembering how it was only complete with Max. She could feel his love for her rushing through her, feel her body responding and reaching back, drawing him closer and closer, physically and mentally. Stars rushing past. Standing in the desert, surrounded by the alien symbols. The royal crest of Antar. Liz looking up from a microscope, smiling as she pushed her hair out of her face. A thousand pictures of Liz, all detailed and memorized in Max's mind. How could she have ever doubted Max's love for her, even for a minute? Yes, he had new responsibilities. But he still loved her with every breath he took. By this point, Max had backed them up against one of the booths, hands traveling eagerly up and down her back beneath her shirt. Liz could feel the edge of the table against her legs. "Max," she breathed, about to suggest that they sit down. When they were rather rudely interrupted. "Max," came the flat voice. For a second, Max just looked down at Liz, dazed. She felt some satisfaction at seeing how much the kiss had affected him as well. Then he pulled himself together, and turned to the intruder, trying not to show his discomfort too much. "Mr. Parker." "Hi, Dad." Liz peered around from behind Max's back, trying to make sure her shirt wasn't too wrinkled. "Something wrong?" He gave her a look that clearly said yes, and that she should know what it was. He wasn't too thrilled at what he'd interrupted. "I wanted to see if you needed any help cleaning up." "Nope," she answered as chirpily as she could. "It's all taken care of." "I see." Mr. Parker looked over at Max. "It's getting pretty late, isn't it, Max?" "Yes, sir." Almost eager for the escape, he looked down at Liz. "I better get going home. See you tomorrow." He was halfway down for a good-bye kiss when he thought better of it. Giving her father one more uncomfortable look, he headed towards the door. "Bye." "Good bye, Max." Mr. Parker walked over and locked the door behind him, only then looking back at Liz. Who was almost through the door into the back room by then. "Where are you going, Liz?" "Um, bed?" She turned around. "Like you said, it's late." He narrowed his eyes at her in consideration. "Fine. But tomorrow you and I need to have a talk." Won't that be fun? "Sure, Dad," she smiled, privately resolving to avoid that talk for as long as possible. "Night." ------------------------------------------------------ Kyle unpacked his lunch quickly. He wanted to get as much food into his system before the alien convention began. No telling how it might go – it might be something as innocent as Liz wanting to make sure they were all following her color-coded schedule of their daily events, or it could be a rapid evacuation of the town before evil aliens turned them all into giant green rabbits. No telling with this group. So, he decided to take the approach of eat first, ask questions later. Isabel was perched on the picnic table next to him, one foot swinging casually back and forth as she looked out over the field. Supposedly, she was watching for the others. But Kyle had his own suspicions. He thought that making an attractive picture for all the passer-bys might have more to do with it. He smiled to himself. Being Miss Popularity might not be Isabel's primary focus in life anymore, but that didn't mean she wanted anyone at the school to forget who she was. Like that was going to happen, Kyle thought with affectionate amusement. Then he had to move abruptly to one side to avoid a foot swinging just a bit too far in his direction. "Hey!" He shook his head. "How do you wear those things, anyway?" "What are you talking about?" Isabel pushed her sunglasses up to the top of her head. "My shoes, you mean?" She stretched out a leg and examined the shoe on it. "What's wrong with my shoes?" "Nothing's wrong with them. I just don't get how you manage to walk in things like that without falling." He gestured. "Look at those heels. There is no way those are safe." Isabel laughed. "They're in style," she said patiently, as if explaining something to a child. "And I manage fine on them." Then she gave him a sharp look. "Are you saying you don't like them?" "No, I like them," he hastened to reassure her. He really didn't want Isabel thinking he was criticizing her wardrobe. He wasn't a foolish man. Well, not quite that foolish anyway. "I was just saying." He started to take a bite of his sandwich, then lowered it, a horrified look on his face. "Kyle? What's wrong?" Isabel asked urgently. "I'm having a conversation about shoes," he whispered. He looked at her with panic. "Buddha help me. I'm sitting here having a conversation about shoes." "Which is bad, because........?" "I'm a guy," he pointed out, offended. "I have obviously been hanging out too much with you lately." She laughed at him. "Poor baby," she said without a trace of sympathy. "But you're coming down on the side of comfort and safety, not fashion. Buddha would approve, right?" Without waiting for a response, she went on. "When we're done here you can go hang out with the rest of the jocks and have some truly fascinating intellectual conversation." "Great options," he muttered, then caught sight of someone approaching them. He grinned up at Isabel mischievously. "Time to stop posing for your audience, Iz. Here comes His Majesty." "I wasn't......" she shook her head as she stopped. Why bother? Isabel slid down to sit next to Kyle as Max came up to the table, with Liz and a distracted Michael right behind him. "Hey." "Hi. Sorry we're late." Max sat down, taking out his lunch and some papers. "What are you doing?" Isabel asked sharply as Michael reached for her purse. She grabbed it and held it safely away from him. "I was going to use your cell phone." Michael glowered. My, but isn't he the grumpy alien today? "Then ask first." Isabel refused to back down from his glare. Finally, he gave up and attempted a smile. It didn't look too convincing. "Fine. Isabel, can I please request the honor of using your cell phone so that I can call and check up on Maria?" he got out through gritted teeth. Muttering something about manners, Isabel took out the phone and handed it to Michael, barely managing to pull back her hand in time to prevent her fingers from being squashed. "You're welcome!" she called after him as he paced away a bit to make his call. She turned back to see the others watching her with various amused expressions. "What?" "He's not handling the mandatory separation from Maria too well," Liz pointed out. "Where is she, anyway?" Isabel didn't have any classes with Maria, so this was the first time she'd been aware that her friend wasn't at school today. "She wasn't feeling well this morning." Liz started to unwrap her own lunch. "Is she okay?" Isabel asked Liz urgently. "Oh, yeah." Liz gave her a reassuring smile. "Just some morning sickness, I think. She probably could have come to school eventually. But her mom used it as an excuse to keep her home and have some mother-daughter bonding. I think they were going to start planning what stuff Maria will need for the nursery." "Maria. Nursery. Do those two words in one sentence still seem as strange to the rest of you as they do to me?" Kyle asked rhetorically, slowly reaching towards the slice of cake in front of Liz. Only to get his hand slapped before it was anywhere near its objective. "Ow!" "My food. Keep away." Liz gave him a stern look until he shrugged his shoulders in acceptance. "Good." "Here." Michael tossed the phone back to Isabel. "How's Maria doing?" Kyle asked. "She feeling any better?" "Good enough to give me another lecture on how it's all my fault that she has to deal with the whole morning sickness. I think she's making up for lost time." Michael sat down, drumming his fingers impatiently. Liz reached into her bag and brought out another slice of cake, which she put in front of a surprised Michael. "What's this?" Liz shrugged, ignoring Kyle's wounded look. "I'm not hungry enough to eat them both. You can have it." She wasn't going to tell him that she thought he could use something to help his grumpy mood. He really hated not having Maria there with him, but he was managing, and Liz was proud of him. It couldn't have been easy, but Maria told him to let her have some time with her mother, and Michael was respecting that. He went to school and everything. That deserved a reward. "Thanks," Michael got out, ignoring Isabel's raised eyebrows in surprise. What? I use manners. Sometimes. "Let me guess." Max sounded on the verge of laughing. "You have Valenti checking up on her, right?" Michael smirked back at him. "She doesn't need to know that." "You like to live dangerously, don't you, soldier?" Now Max honestly was laughing. He could afford to. He wasn't the one who Maria would go after if she learned about it. Still, he wouldn't expect Michael to leave her completely unprotected these days. "Hold on. You have my dad checking up on her? At her house? Where her mother is?" Kyle didn't like the sound of this. "Her mother, who thinks Dad is involved in some type of nefarious cover-up with us?" "Nefarious. Impressive word choice," Liz said with approval. "Gee, thanks." Liz simply smiled back at him. Kyle returned his attention to Michael. "That really doesn't sound like a good idea." "Don't worry. He's just driving by to make sure things look quiet. Like he's on patrol. I wouldn't ask your dad to go into the house and see Mrs. DeLuca unless it was necessary." Michael wouldn't do that to to the poor guy. "You learn anything?" He turned to Max. Everyone at the table looked at Max, who nodded slowly. "Yes." He picked up the papers in front of him. "I went before school to use Brody's computers and search the database on UFO sightings. His resources are even better than Milton's were." Glancing around, he saw that he had everyone's attention and continued. "There were only a few mentions of Benjamin Baker." "But there was something?" Isabel picked up the picture from Grandma Claudia's journal and stared at it. Strange to see someone else who looked so much like her brother. "He did have something to do with the whole UFO thing?" "There was a small mention of Ben Baker at the time of the crash." Max referred to the papers. "Apparently, he was a loud voice protesting the official story about what happened. Ben insisted it was an alien ship that crashed. And he was pretty adamant about the aliens being dangerous." That made Max feel sick when he thought about it. What had the aliens on the ship done to make this man feel so threatened by them? Michael's donor had told horror stories about his abduction, too. It had even driven him insane in the end. What had been done to these humans in order to create the Royal Four and their dupes? "Then he stopped making statements and refused to discuss the matter anymore. No reason for his silence was given, although there was plenty of speculation." "Maybe something scared him even more than the crash," Kyle suggested. "Nasedo was running around then, right? He was a pretty scary guy." "Probably not," Liz said softly. "Dagmar told us that Nasedo was captured by the army pretty soon after the crash. That's why he had to take the other set of pods to New York himself. But there was the Special Unit. It was forming then." "There's really no way of knowing for sure what made Ben back off," Max pointed out. "That was it as far as the UFO archives were concerned. But, using more traditional sources, I found one further record of him." He took out another sheet and spread it out on the table in front of him. "About six months after the crash, Ben died in a car accident in the desert. He was being pursued by army personnel, and his Jeep went off a cliff." "A Jeep?" Kyle looked at the records with a slight shiver. "Now that's freaky. Guess there's something in DNA after all." He looked over at Max. "You have any interest in archeology?" Max ignored Kyle. "According to army officials, Ben had broken in to the army base and stolen classified materials. They weren't specific as to what those materials were. They were pursuing him in order to order to retrieve them, when the accident occurred." He leaned back, keeping his voice down. "Maybe they were even telling the truth, at least as far as they knew it. But I somehow doubt that it was military secrets Ben was after." "He knew about the crash. And there must have been something on the base that was worth his risking his life for," Michael agreed. "That's all you learned?" Isabel asked. "Yeah." Max looked over at Liz. "We have to finish going through the rest of your grandmother's journals. She probably knew more about what was really going on." "Agreed." The bell rang. "But not now." "Nope." Kyle gathered his books and stood up. "Back to the wonderful world of learning." Michael grunted at that. "Come on, my alien friend. It's not that bad." Michael gave him a look of disbelief, then headed off in the direction of his next class. Whatever that was – he thought it was Math. Algebra, maybe? It was hard to keep track. Isabel rolled his eyes at Michael's retreating form. "Hey, he's trying," Liz defended him. "He hasn't gotten into any fights or blown anything up. Or gone off in Maria withdrawal. He's doing pretty well, all things considered." Max laughed, wondering how Michael would feel about Liz's defense. Taking her hand, he led the way back to the school building. ----------------------------------------------------- Later, when Liz slid into her seat for English Lit, her final class of the day, she was surprised to see that Michael was already seated next to her, textbook in front of him and everything. "What?" he asked at her surprised look, tapping his pencil on the desk in an impatient rhythm. "Nothing," she stammered out. "It's just........well, you're in class." He looked at her like she was crazy. "Yeah. Can't fool you." "You were in class every day last week, too," she continued, ignoring his expression. "This is like a new record for you, isn't it?" She couldn't stop the small smile that formed as she spoke. Michael looked so disgusted. "I didn't skip every class last year, you know," he protested. "Well, maybe not every class," she teased. "But this is definite improvement. Good for you." He scowled at her. "You're starting to sound dangerously like Isabel, you know." He didn't need someone else on his back about school and work. Maria and Isabel were more than enough, thank you very much. Plus, Liz shouldn't get her hopes up too high for his academic future, since it was pretty much uncertain at the moment. She kept on smiling, though, ignoring his tone. "Did you do the reading?" Michael picked up his book and opened it, scanning the pages as he thumbed through them quickly. He smirked at Liz, dropping his voice so that the other students wouldn't hear him. "Now I have." Her smile finally faded. "That's not fair," she said. "And stop smirking. It's not nearly as charming as you think it is, you know." His answering laugh cut off abruptly as the door opened. Michael's head spun around rapidly, all attention on the person coming in. Liz followed his gaze and sighed. It was that substitute teacher again, the one that all the boys kept drooling over. Liz had to admit she was pretty, and her short skirt and tight shirt were definitely going to catch the attention of the typical male teen, but still. She was a teacher, after all. They were supposed to be paying attention to their work. Shaking her head, she turned back to Michael. At least he wouldn't be drooling over Ms. Prentice. Liz was shocked when she looked at her friend. Michael was staring at Ms. Prentice every bit as intently as any of the other boys in the room, although Liz had to admit that the type of look was very different. He was sitting bolt upright in his chair, no sign of his earlier slouch, staring fixedly at their teacher, eyes taking in every move she made. Liz felt little chills of disquiet work their way up her spine. There was something incredibly unnerving about seeing Michael like that, so focused and still, but with an underlying sense of tension as if he might spring into action at any second. "Michael?" He didn't even look away from their teacher as he gestured at Liz to be quiet, so she gave up. Leaning back a bit, she tried to pay attention to Ms. Prentice while at the same time keeping Michael in the corner of her vision. Something's very wrong here. "Well, I see some familiar faces." The substitute looked around the room with a seemingly genuine smile, apparently not noticing the way Michael was staring at her. Or maybe, Liz thought, she simply doesn't notice anything different about it. "For those who don't know me, my name is Lynn Prentice, and I'm going to be your teacher for today." She picked up a textbook and sat down on the edge of the teacher's desk, looking out over the room. "So, we're reading about King Arthur in this class, right?" There was a handful of nods around the room. "Any thoughts on your weekend's readings?" There was actually a surprising amount of conversation about the reading. Apparently the stories had enough action and adventure to keep the interest of the modern audience. Liz only paid partial attention to the discussion, though. Mostly, she watched Michael out of the corner of her eye, worried about what he was going to do. He was still staring at their teacher with that fixed attention. His hands were spread on his desk, no longer tapping and fidgeting, but Liz noticed that his right hand twitched every time Ms. Prentice moved suddenly. Not a reassuring sight at all. "How about you, Mr.", Ms. Prentice broke off to glance down at the seating chart, "Guerin? What did you think of Arthur's predicament?" Liz didn't expect him to answer. True, he might be physically in the classroom, but that didn't mean he was actually going to be on-task. Michael wasn't really the participating type. So, she practically fell out of her chair when she heard him respond. "Arthur was messed up." Other students laughed at Michael's blunt statement, but it didn't seem to phase the teacher at all. "What do you mean?" she asked with curiosity. "He couldn't figure out where his loyalties were. His kingdom's laws, or his queen." Michael shrugged dismissively. "He was messed up," he repeated. "That's a bit of an oversimplification, perhaps," Ms. Prentice said consideringly, "but you do have a point. Arthur certainly must have had a difficult time choosing between his priorities." Her eyes seemed to sharpen, focusing on Michael to the exclusion of everyone else in the room. "Which would you have done, do you think?" Michael's face darkened as he stared back at her, equally fixated. Liz could see that other students were starting to get confused looks on their faces, ones that she was certain mirrored her own. They could all tell that there was something going on between Michael and the teacher, but nobody could figure what it was. When Michael didn't answer, she went on. "I mean, what's more important in the long run? Personal feelings or duty to your people?" All traces of her friendly smile faded away. Liz didn't think they were talking about King Arthur and Camelot anymore. "What if he never asked for that duty?" Michael shot back. "Don't choices matter just as much as someone's idea of destiny?" His mouth twisted bitterly at that last word. For the first time, Ms. Prentice seemed to hesitate over what to say, but then she glanced up at the clock and her smile quickly reformed. "What's so intriguing about myths and legends like this is that every new generation, and every individual," she nodded in Michael's direction, "h

Anla · Post by **Anla** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 11:25 am

Max finished washing his glass and put it in the dish rack to dry. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, leaning against the counter. Am I doing the right thing? Frowning, Liz paused in the doorway and studied Max. He looked so tired, so worried. She walked up behind him to rub his back comfortingly. "Hey." "Hey." Max smiled at her as he turned around, taking Liz's hand as he faced her. "How are you doing?" "I'm fine. I'm more concerned about you." She squeezed his hand gently before continuing. "How are you holding up?" "Me? I'm okay. I'm not the one out there putting himself at risk for us." Liz frowned again at his bitter anger. "Second thoughts about leaving Michael on his own?" Try as she did to keep her voice neutral, Max's look made it clear she hadn't managed it. "More like sixth or seventh thoughts," he replied dryly. Taking in Liz's confused expression, he shook his head with a tired laugh. "You don't understand why I let him go on his own." "Not really," she admitted. "I'm not completely sure I do myself." Max hesitated, thinking carefully about what he wanted to say. "My first instinct is to jump in, to try and stop whatever is going on. Or since I probably can't stop this, to at least be there to help Michael." "But?" "But what if my being there doesn't help him? What if it's one more thing to push him over the edge?" Liz's expression was still blankly confused. "Liz, what do you think Michael would do if any of us were in danger?" Liz thought about it. Michael would do practically anything to protect Max. And if he really was having as difficult a time maintaining his balance these days as everyone said...... Max nodded as a flicker of understanding popped into Liz's eyes. "I don't want Michael to feel forced into doing something because he has to protect me. He needs to be able to focus clearly." Liz smiled. She understood. Max wasn't afraid for himself. He was afraid of somehow hurting Michael more. Michael and Max each wanted to protect the other. Their ways of going about it differed, a fact that led to so many misunderstandings and fights between them over the years. Maybe they were starting to understand each other better now. "You want to keep him safe, too, don't you?" "Michael needs as many people watching out for him as he can get. He's not too good at doing it for himself." The affection in his voice kept the statement from sounding too harsh. Max's small smile faded as he went on. "You can't imagine what it's like to have two different lives running around in your mind, Liz. No need to make it even harder for him." "Is it that hard for you, too?" Somehow, Liz hadn't really considered that possibility. Max had seemed to take his past life memories so smoothly, especially compared to Michael and Isabel. Did he sometimes find it hard to differentiate between Zandar and Max Evans, between alien and human? "Sometimes," he said briefly. "It's nowhere near as bad for me. I didn't have anyone messing with my mind." Yet another crime to lay at Kivar's feet. There would be a reckoning someday. Liz shifted awkwardly at the sudden steel in his voice. "You don't owe me any explanations," she pointed out softly. Max blinked, focus returning to Liz. "I want you to understand, Liz. Even if you don't agree," he said, his expression a mixture of sadness and compassion. "I do understand, Max." Wrapping her arms around him tightly, Liz enveloped him in a hug. She understood something else, too. She knew that if anything happened to Michael, no matter what his reasons, Max would never forgiven himself. She wondered how any of them would deal if that happened. -------------------------------------------------------- "Here. This should help." Valenti very gently placed the damp facecloth on Maria's forehead. "Try to eat some of these, too." He put the package of saltines on the coffee table next to where he was sitting. Maria managed a weak smile from where she was sitting on the couch. "Thanks. Sorry." "For what? For feeling sick?" Valenti shook his head with a sympathetic smile. "Not exactly your fault, Maria." He inclined his head briefly towards her stomach. "You can blame your daughter for that one." That actually earned a tiny laugh from the expectant mother. "Not even born yet, and she's already causing trouble. Why am I not surprised?" Maria reached for a saltine. "How do you know all these tricks anyway?" Valenti cast a quick look over to where Kyle stood talking with Isabel, then back to Maria. "I remember when Michelle was pregnant with Kyle. She had some pretty bad morning sickness." "Oh." Although the sheriff's tone was strictly matter-of-fact, she felt like she'd intruded on a sensitive subject. Maria wondered if Valenti had as hard a time when his wife left as her own mother did after her father pulled his disappearing act. She imagined he must have. She tried to sit up straighter and say something sympathetic (but not too sympathetic – Valenti liked sappiness about as much as Michael did), but was halted as the movement caused a rush of dizziness to sweep over her. This was not one of her better days. The emotions she was receiving from Michael weren't helping any, either. "Sit back." "I'm okay," she protested. She did sit back, though. "You know, Sheriff, I never did apologize." "For what?" "For giving you and Mom such a hard time when you started dating." There - she got the word out. "It's just that we were all so scared of you finding out the secret," she put a melodramatic emphasis on that word, "and I figured you were just using Mom to get information." Valenti chuckled. "Maria, I assure you that my interest in Amy was never related to information gathering." He readjusted the facecloth." "Don't really need more info," she said, making a face. "Anyway, I'm sorry." "Thank you," Valenti answered gravely. He looked back over at Kyle again, raising his voice slightly. "Kyle, get Maria some milk or ginger ale out of the kitchen, would you?" "Sure." Kyle passed Max on the way, nodding to the alien as he left the kitchen. "What's up?" inquired Liz as Kyle walked over to the refrigerator. "Dad has sent me on a mission – get Maria. something to drink." He continued to talk as he poked his head inside the fridge, looking past boxes of leftovers and half-empty containers. "Guess our favorite hybrid baby is making things unpleasant for her mommy." "Oh. Poor Maria," Liz said sympathetically. "Yeah. Hope we have some in here, seeing as how we can't exactly leave the fortress and run down to the stores." Kyle leaned back out, a triumphant smile on his face as he proudly waved the bottle of ginger ale. "Mission accomplished!" Liz applauded in brief appreciation. She admired Kyle's determination to try and keep things from getting too grim, even with other fears. "Good job." "Thank you." Kyle hesitated, then turned and opened a cabinet. "What do you think?" He held up the bottle of tabasco sauce for her to see. "Ginger ale and tabasco sauce?" Liz wrinkled her nose in distaste. "Isn't the point to make Maria feel less nauseous?" "Alien baby, Liz," Kyle reminded her. "Who knows?" "Okay," she replied doubtfully. "I suppose it couldn't hurt to give her the option." "Come on." Hands full, Kyle led the way back into the living room. -------------------------------------------------------- Michael felt as if he'd been standing frozen there for hours, staring at Shalin as the memories flooded over him. Growing up on Antar. Training. So many battles, his blood racing, thrilling in the rush. Friendship and companionship. Belonging. Or at least, a close copy of it. That brought him back to reality. Not the hills of Antar, but a high school classroom on Earth. Home of Michael Guerin, not Tymrath. Still the king's second, true, but not the same life. Things were different. He chose for them to be different. But why did it have to be so difficult? Gathering his resolve, Michael pulled his hand away from hers. "No tricks, Shalin." He hardened his voice deliberately, refusing to acknowledge that hint of pain in her eyes. "No emotional manipulations. No more." "No manipulations," she agreed. She smiled, a bit uncertainly. "It wouldn't work on you, anyway. I wouldn't bother trying." She raised her hand again, this time resting it gently on his cheek. "We missed you, Tym. All of us." "I'm sure." He beat the hand away from him, taking an angry step backwards. "I bet that you were all heart-broken about it. Probably had a welcome-back party planned out for me and everything." He was almost shaking with suppressed emotions. This was simply too much. He couldn't deal with it, had no concept of how to deal with this. "Let's not pretend with each other. I was a traitor to all of you. I made my choice." "Yes." He remembered her well enough to know that her cool tone was only a cover for her own anger. "You chose them. Zandar. Vilandra." The scorn in her voice almost made him wince. "You chose the Royals over your own people. Over your family." "We were never a family." "Close enough." Shalin studied him with narrowed eyes. "We had two things in our lives that were constant. The mission and each other. And you turned your back on both of them. Just like that." She snapped her fingers. "We couldn't believe you would do that. That any of us could do it." "You think it was an easy choice?" He shook his head in disbelief. "You think I just woke up one morning and decided to betray everything I was raised to believe?" He leaned forward. "It was one of the hardest things I ever had to do. But I did do it. I wanted something better. I wanted to be something better." "By pretending to be someone other than who you were?" Shalin raised a hand to cut him off. "It doesn't matter," she continued. "I won't deny that we were.... conflicted about your decision." She smiled bitterly at her word choice. "There was anger, yes. But ultimately, we realized that we need each other. And how can we blame you for turning on Kivar, when we're doing the same thing?" "Yeah, let's get back to that, shall we?" Michael folded his arms over his chest, trying to maintain an attitude of relaxed detachment that was light years away from the tension he was actually feeling. He still half-expected her to attack. The whole conversation was so surreal. "Are you honestly expecting me to believe that you've turned on Kivar? You of all people?" His laugh was fully of bitter anger, not amusement. "Come on, Shalin. You would never do that. You were the most loyal supporter of Kivar. After all, you are his sister." Shalin turned pale, eyes sparking as her anger showed fully for the first time. "So was Aveen!" she hissed. She strode towards Michael, fury emanating from her in waves. "You stand there, so sure of yourself. So righteous in your denial of who you are, as if you were somehow the only one who was hurt back then. Aveen was my sister, and our brother killed her. For the great sin of falling in love with the wrong man." Michael felt as though he'd been sucker-punched. He remembered how he'd felt when Aveen died, the pain, grief, and guilt almost overwhelming him. Yet he'd never considered how Shalin would have felt at her brother ordering their sister dead. "I didn't think...." he started, only to be cut off. "That I would care? That since she married Zandar I'd figure she deserved what she got?" Shalin shook her head angrily. "I might not have had a high opinion of my sister's choice in men, but that doesn't mean she needed to die. Aveen was supposed to be separate from all that, safe from it...." Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath before opening them again. When she continued, she spoke in a calmer voice, all emotion drained from it. "That's not important now, except for you to understand you weren't the only one Kivar betrayed. Not the only one who wants him destroyed. Almost every one of us had someone we cared about taken from us. All so that my brother could break us down and rebuild us the way he wanted. And that's not even getting into what he did to our minds. What did you think we'd do when we learned the truth?" She took one step closer to him. "You left us, Tym. None of us have forgotten. And I won't lie to you. Some of us had problems accepting that." "In other words, they wanted me dead." She smiled, nodding gracefully. "Of course. But fortunately, we know how to prioritize." Her composure completely restored, she studied Michael intently. "As you knew how to once. After we managed to calm down, and realized everything Kivar had done, we came to the conclusion that we could overlook your error in judgment," Michael grunted at that, but she ignored it, "and accept your leadership." Michael shook his head at her nerve. "That's nice," he shot back. "You seem to be forgetting something." "What would that be?" "I have no interest in leading you. Or being king of Antar." Incredible. "I'm not even the same person you remember. I've changed." He flinched at her laughter. "You don't honestly believe that, do you?" she asked, wonderingly. "Do you think that having human DNA makes some monumental difference in who you are? In what you are?" She walked the last few steps until she was standing right next to him. Her voice lowered and grew more gentle. "Your essence is still the same. Tymrath is still inside you, no matter how human your outside might seem." Michael broke eye contact abruptly. He didn't think he could look at that expression in her eyes for another second. "I'm Michael Guerin now. And I am different." Think of Maria. Think of the others. They're your real family. "Even before I came to Earth. I chose them." "And you think that matters? Really?" Shalin reached out and put her hand on his arm. "You're still the same, Tym. I can feel it. That same energy, that same power – it's all still inside you, aching to find a way out." He looked over at her quickly. There was no anger in her eyes anymore. Simply understanding, so much more unsettling than anything else could be. "How long do you think you can deny what you are?" she continued calmly, speaking in a soothing voice. "The minute you saw me, I could see it in your eyes. You wanted to lash out. It must have been so hard for you to stop it." "But I did," he managed to get out. "I know." She smiled. "We all understand self-control, putting our goals before any momentary desires. But ultimately, you need an outlet." Her smile changed, becoming something predatory. "I got the reports of the destruction at Kivar's relay center. I heard about what happened the other night, when they attacked your teela-mei." Her eyes lit up as Michael's body tensed at the memory. "Ah. See. It's what you were meant for." She moved even closer, capturing Michael's eyes with her own gaze. He didn't look away. "We understand. None of them can." "Maria does," he whispered. The energy in his system, awakened by the threat she posed, seemed to be increasing with every word she said. So many memories were threatening to come back, to overwhelm that delicate balance he'd managed to keep between his past self and his present. "She feels it, too." Why was he even telling her this? "Of course," she replied thoughtfully. "I guess that would make sense." She looked at him quizzically. "Is she strong enough?" That got a genuine smile from him. "She's the strongest person I've ever met." Shalin laughed. "I guess she'd have to be, to handle you." Her laughter faded, but the smile remained. "How does she feel about it? Can she feel all that energy rushing from you? Does she like it?" she asked shrewdly, correctly interpreting the expression on his face. "How can you turn your back on that, Tym? It would be like you weren't really living at all." Michael tried to come up with a response, but he couldn't seem to frame a complete thought. Not with his body agreeing with her – that giving up this rush of power would be like dying. Not with all that intoxicating energy filling him, so close to breaking the last reserves of self-control he had. She was right – he couldn't control this part of him. Not forever. He had to let go, had to do something. Anything. All that power, waiting to be used. And he wanted to use it. Wanted to feel that dizzying roar of excitement. "What makes them worth it?" Shalin sounded genuinely confused. "You left the only people who really understood you, and for what? For them?" She shook her head slowly, still keeping eye contact. "Zandar used you until you were empty, and then he discarded you. He took just as much from you as Kivar ever did." Michael could feel the loathing she still had for Zandar, even under the calm tone she was using. What was worse was that a part of him understood that thinking. "You could never be honest with them. You never really belonged with them." Lowering her voice to a whisper, she went on. "Did the hate ever really go away, Tym? Are they worth losing everything again? Giving your life for? Risking your teela-mei and child?" Michael closed his eyes, not even wondering how she knew about the baby. Was she right? Protecting Maria had to come first. It had to. Maybe Shalin was right. Had he only been deluding himself all this time? Thinking he could change who he was, deep down? "Come back to us, Tym." Her voice sounded so reasonable, so concerned. "We need you. We always did. And you need us. We'll take care of the king for you, if you want. You won't even have to do anything yourself. Then we'll destroy Kivar. Everything will be better then." It sounded so simple when she said it. So easy. Opening his eyes, Michael lowered his inner barriers, letting some of the power that had been steadily growing throughout that conversation flow. Raising his hand, Michael threw Shalin backwards through the air until she collided with the classroom wall, then kept her pinned to the wall, a few feet off the ground. "They are mine," he growled in a low voice, advancing towards her. "Zandar and Vilandra are mine. My targets. My family. Either way, they're mine. If any of you go near them, I will kill you." He paused, looking up at the woman, knowing that he could kill her so easily. Just a little more power, and she'd be dead. "Believe that." Shalin looked at him steadily. He could practically hear her mind working, trying to come to a decision. It would almost be funny, if the situation wasn't so potentially lethal. So he waited. Next move was up to her. ----------------------------------------------------- Maria stood up suddenly, walking out of the living room and down the hallway. Liz made a move as if to follow her, but stopped when Max shook his head, standing up himself. He caught up with Maria easily. "Maria? Are you okay?" She stopped, but didn't turn around to face him. "Sure. I'll be back in a minute." For some reason, Max wasn't convinced. Might have had something to do with the way she had her hands clenched into tight fists. "What's going on?" He walked quickly to stand in front of her. Maria rolled her eyes and gave a very unconvincing laugh. "Can't a girl use the bathroom without having an escort?" She tried to go past him, but he moved swiftly to block her. Her eyes narrowed. "Get out of my way, Max." "First tell me what's the matter." He refused to back down, even hearing the anger in her voice. When she tried to pass him again, he reached out to grab her arm and stop her. "Don't touch me!" Desperately, Maria pulled away from him. Suddenly she couldn't stand the idea of him touching her. Undeterred, Max grabbed her firmly by the shoulders, not letting go of her despite her almost violent movements. "I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what's going on," he repeated in a steady voice. He almost flinched at the look of hate she directed at him, but kept on. "It's Michael, isn't it?" Maria froze. When she spoke, it was in a tone full of more venom than he'd ever heard from her. "Can't you just leave us alone? This is all your fault, Your Majesty." He blinked at the angry sarcasm in the title and relaxed his grip just enough to let her pull back. Maria backed up to the wall, hand flying to her mouth as her eyes widened in horror. "Oh, God, Max. I'm sorry. I didn't mean......" Max fought to keep his voice calm. "It's true that Michael, and you, have been caught in the middle of my war with Kivar. And I know that Michael and I have had our problems in the past." His voice broke, unable to keep the emotions out of it. "But I'm not the one doing this to Michael. You know that. I wish....." Pulling himself together, he moved closer to her. "No matter what, I'm not going to turn my back on him. I believe in him. You need to know that, Maria." Maria's eyes filled with tears as she looked at her friend's sincere expression. Max meant it. Whatever Michael was going through, Max would stand by him and help him. Michael was so afraid of losing his family over this. Max was assuring her that would never happen. She hoped that Michael would be able to believe that. Her anger gone as suddenly as it had come, Maria threw herself into Max's arms, resting her head on his chest as he held her supportively. "I'm sorry, Max," she murmured. "I really am." "I know." Max ran his hand down her back in a soothing gesture. "It's going to be okay, Maria. I promise you that we're going to get through this." He felt her nod. "He's having a hard time, isn't he?" Maria nodded again before pulling back to look at him. It hurt Max to see the tears on her face. They'd all been hurt enough. Any more pain added on was so much more than too much. His heart filled with pride in her as she managed to smile at him, though, however weakly. "Sorry about that. As if the hormones of pregnancy aren't enough, Spaceboy manages to send me even worse mood swings." Max gave her a small smile in return. "Come on. Let's go back to the others." She let Max take her hand and lead her back to the living room to wait for Michael. ------------------------------------------------------- "Do you understand?" Michael spoke slowly, enunciating each word. The energy holding Shalin against the wall crackled in the air around her. It wouldn't take much more to kill. Michael was waiting to see if that would be necessary. Thoughtful blue eyes met Michael's brown ones. Finally, Shalin inclined her head a bit, as much as she could move it. "Understood." She gave a bitter little chuckle. "The royal pair are yours. None of us will make a move to kill them without your order. We won't even hurt the little darlings. You have my word. You're the boss, Michael." The deliberate emphasis placed on his name wasn't lost on Michael. "Don't expect us to send them any birthday presents, but they're safe from us. Until you say otherwise, that is." She raised her eyebrows in challenge. "Is that good enough for you?" Michael fought to control his temper. She wouldn't give up, not until he agreed.... but she had given her word. "Do you have any idea how much I want to kill you right now?" he asked in a deceptively smooth voice. "Probably about as much as I want to fight back and throw you across this room on your ass," she replied calmly. "Luckily for the school board, we both know how to control our desires for the greater goal." She gave him a wide smile. "I'm not sure they have the budget to fix the amount of damage we could do to this room." Giving her a small smirk in response, Michael lowered his hand and allowed her to fall to the ground. He watched her land gracefully on her two feet and straighten up, rubbing her shoulders. "That hurt," she complained in a whiny little voice, giving him a mischievous smile. "Aw, poor baby." He had to force himself not to smile back at her. How he could go from wanting her dead one second and teasing with her the next was something he wouldn't be able to explain to anyone outside the T'onxyl. But their relationships were always rather volatile. Probably because they were all fairly unstable. "Why are you here, Shalin? Really?" All humor drained from her face, leaving behind an expression of the utmost seriousness. "I already told you. We want to get rid of Kivar." She sat down on the edge of her desk, studying him. "Antar's a battlefield, Michael. It's a mess. Kivar was never able to get a firm enough hold on the throne. The resistance has been fighting him every inch of the way, holding on to their dreams of the Royal Four coming back and saving them." "And where does the T'onxyl fit in this?" He sat on a desk facing her. "Couldn't you help Kivar take out the resistance?" A sudden glint in her eyes. "I suppose we could have, if we weren't helping them. By then we'd learned what Kivar had done to us." She smiled grimly. "No way we were going to help him after that." Michael nodded slowly. He could certainly understand that. "Why me?" "We need someone to unify the planet. Someone to lead us and stop the fighting. The nearby planets have been drawn into the war – it's a disaster. We want it to stop," she said simply. "We can't change what we are, that's true. But maybe we can change things for the rest of our world. We need to stop Kivar." "And get revenge on him?" "Of course. The Royalists will follow you – you're one of their precious saviors. And the other Khavorns will follow you, because you're one of them. You can unite our planet. Zandar couldn't do it. He was too weak. You can." Shalin had leaned forward eagerly, hoping to convince him. Now she leaned back. "You know how big a help we can be against Kivar." "Max is the king," Michael pointed out. "Whatever." At his look, Shalin made an irritated noise. "Look, I said we wouldn't hurt him and I meant it. But he's not our king. We'll follow you. Not him. You're the one we'll give our loyalty to, unto death." "But why?" Michael honestly didn't get it. Destroy Kivar, yes. That part he could understand on the most basic fundamental level. But accepting him back? That wasn't something he'd ever considered possible. Shalin hesitated. "We need you. None of us can kill Kivar. We've tried, but too much of our training holds. We can help out the resistance, give misinformation, take out Kivar's other operatives. But we can't go up against him directly. But you," she smiled proudly at him. "Somehow you managed to get past the conditioning enough to become best buddies with Zandar and Vilandra. That has to mean something. You might be our only hope of ultimately defeating Kivar." She laughed. "Pure pragmatism, cousin. We need you. So we're here." Michael stared at her, trying to think of anything in their past or present encounters that would let him know if she was telling the truth or not. "I don't know if I can trust you," he pointed out. She sighed. "I don't know what else I can say to convince you." Standing up, Shalin went to him and took his hand, placing it around her neck. "I'm tired of this. If you're going to kill me, then just do it. Of course, another one of us will show up soon, and then another, until you believe us." She looked him in the eyes. "You're our last chance, Michael. This isn't a game for us." "It's always a game," he corrected automatically, but there was no real spirit in the contradiction. The part of him that wanted to fight was growing smaller and smaller, instincts fading in the face of this outrageous situation. Ultimately, he lowered his hand. "I can't make this decision on my own." Michael stood up decisively. "Come on. I'm taking you to meet the others." ------------------------------------------------------ Maria was over at the window with Valenti, watching for Michael, knowing he was coming long before he actually drove up in the unfamiliar car. She turned to the sheriff triumphantly. "Told you so," she said smugly, before heading towards the door. "Wait a minute," Valenti called to her. "He's not alone." "What do you mean?" Isabel came over to peer out the window. Sure enough, someone else got out of the car with Michael. "Who is that?" Kyle crowded up behind her. "Hey, that's Ms. Prentice." Isabel gave him a little push out of her way, but he stubbornly held his ground. "What's she doing here?" "I guess we're about to find out." Valenti noticed the way they were walking, Michael right behind the woman, hand held to her back right where her destruct button would be located if she was a Skin. One direct energy blast to that part, and her Husk would be dust. Of course, it wouldn't have any better effect on a human. Ignoring them, Maria had already opened the door. "Took you long enough," she complained. Then she noticed the necklace around Ms. Prentice's neck. Her eyes flew up to Michael's as she took a step backwards, arms protectively covering her stomach. "Michael?" "It's okay," he answered, pushing Shalin ahead of him. "What happened to 'run first, ask questions later'?" she asked. "When have any of our plans actually worked out the way we planned?" he replied, giving her a quick smile. Reassured, Maria walked ahead of them back into the living room. Where they were greeted by a raised gun in Valenti's hand, aimed directly at Ms. Prentice. He'd noticed the necklace, too. "Lynn," he said coolly, aim steady. "Hello, Jim," she answered, equally at ease. "Nice to see you again." She looked around the room at the gathered crowd standing there. "Did you ever hear of the concept of secret identities?" she asked Michael. "I could buy you some comic books if it would help explain the idea." Michael gave an exasperated look. "Give it a rest. I told you there would be others here." He looked at Max. "She's a Skin." "Not just any Skin," Max ventured, pointing at her necklace. Isabel noticed it, and gasped. "What is she doing here?" Eyes flashing, Isabel got herself ready to attack. "Have you lost your mind, Michael?" "They do know you pretty well, don't they?" Ms. Prentice inquired, obviously amused. Maria had an urge to smack her. Not only was she a Skin assassin, but Maria didn't like the casual way she was standing near Michael. There was way too much familiarity there for people who just met. And this woman clearly had something to do with Michael's emotional upheaval. She just put Maria's teeth on edge. "Maybe you should sit down," Michael said quietly to Maria. She was about to snap back at him, but stopped upon seeing his concerned look. So, glaring daggers at a still-amused Ms. Prentice, Maria sat down on the couch. "All of you." Michael looked around. "Don't worry. I'll know right away if she's getting ready to do anything, and she's dust." "Manners, manners, Michael," Shalin chided. Her attention centered on Max. "Your Majesty," she mocked. "Don't worry. I'm not here to hurt you. Not any of you." Max stared at her, silently assessing. He didn't like this situation at all, and his first thought was to get them all away from her. But Michael had brought this woman here, and there was no way that Michael would bring anyone he considered dangerous near Maria. So it must be okay. Slowly, Max sat down, the others following suit until only Michael and Ms. Prentice were standing. And Valenti, still aiming his gun at the visitor. "Are you planning on shooting me?" the redhead asked him. "Just curious." At Michael's nod, Valenti lowered his gun. He didn't reholster it though, ready to raise it instantly if needed. He was sure she noticed that. "Why is she here, Michael?" Max asked. "I'm assuming there's a reason." "Yeah." Michael scratched his eyebrow with his free hand. "Shalin here has an offer to make." "Shalin?" Max asked sharply, recognizing the name. He looked at the strange woman, then to Michael for confirmation. "The same Shalin who....." "The same Shalin who was sister to Aveen," she interrupted in a bored voice. "That would be me, brother-in-law. Sister to the girl you got killed." As Max's face paled, Michael tensed up. "If you can't behave," he warned from behind her. "No, that's all right." Max visibly pulled himself together. "I remember Aveen talking about you." "How sweet." Shalin gave him a smile that did nothing to hide the look of pure loathing accompanying it. "Wait a minute," Liz interrupted. "If you're Aveen's sister, then that means you're Kivar's sister, too." "Give the girl a prize. You must be the brains of the group." Liz visibly flinched away as Shalin's angry gaze turned to her. She looked Liz over with obvious contempt, then dismissed her as unworthy of attention before going on. "Here's the basic situation. The T'onxyl has realized that Kivar is a lying, betraying, manipulating monster who needs to be stopped. We want Michael as our king." Everyone in the room cast startled looks at Michael, except Maria, who groaned loudly. "Not more Michael worshippers!" she looked over at Michael. "Didn't we have enough trouble with the last one?" "Michael worshippers? There are Michael worshippers?" Kyle snickered as Shalin turned around quickly to look at Michael. "If you're expecting anything remotely resembling worship from us," she started. "That's just Maria's cute little name for Skins who want me as leader instead of Kivar or Max," Michael explained, casting a glare at Maria, who was exchanging amused glances with Kyle. Nice to know they found the idea so amusing. "Ignore her. Things will be better that way." Maria snorted in response. "I have no idea how you all managed to stay alive this long," Shalin muttered. "Could we maybe get back to the point?" Max asked reasonably. "The point is, we want to help Michael and defeat Kivar. It's pretty simple, actually." Shalin crossed her arms and returned to her staring competition with Max. "And where does killing Max and I come into this?" Isabel wanted to know. Shalin studied Isabel for a second, then looked back at Max. "I won't lie to you. I have no real interest in your continued survival. Quite the opposite, in fact." Liz stiffened at the implied threat. "But when we give our loyalty, we give it completely. We'll follow Michael, and he's made it very clear that we're not to touch you. So, we'll protect you." Maria was almost certain she heard an unspoken 'for now' in that sentence. "We've been doing it already. All summer, we've been patrolling Roswell, keeping any of Kivar's Skins from getting too close." "What about your loyalty to Kivar?" Maria asked. "If you have this whole 'loyal to the death' thing going on, where does that fit in?" Shalin turned to look at her, and while her expression wasn't exactly warm and welcoming, it lacked the contempt she'd previously directed towards Max and Liz. "Kivar betrayed us first. As long as Michael doesn't break faith with us, we won't break faith with him." There was something in the simple sureness of her voice that convinced Maria. She still didn't like the woman, mind you, but she believed her. On that particular matter, at any rate. "How are you prepared to help?" Valenti asked in a matter-of-fact tone. Before making judgment on this situation, he wanted all the facts. Shalin looked at the sheriff. "Right now, Kivar still thinks we're on his side. That gives us an advantage. We can sabotage missions, get information, things like that. Back on Antar, we've been helping support the resistance movement. Here, we've been keeping information from Kivar." "What type of information?" Liz asked. "The fact that you don't have possession of the Granolith anymore." Shalin laughed at the looks on their faces. "Did you honestly think nobody would notice it taking off?" "Where is it? Did it make it back to Antar?" Max asked eagerly. "No." Shalin shook her head. "It didn't even leave your planet. I don't think it got very far, in fact." "I'm thinking that 'far' might be a relative term when we're talking about someone who's traveled from a different solar system," Kyle pointed out. He tried not to focus on the thought that Tess was then probably still on Earth herself. He didn't think he could handle thinking too much about that right then. "True." Shalin smiled at him. She could definitely see the resemblance between father and son. It was more than simply physical. They each had a sense of solid competence and stability to them. They were grounded. "It definitely landed somewhere on this continent. We suspect it didn't get far from New Mexico, in fact, but we're still working on narrowing it down." She shrugged apologetically. "It's hard to do research while giving Kivar totally different information. He thinks you still have it." "You've been using that as your excuse for not attacking us," Michael surmised. "Yes. We needed some reason. So, we say that we're waiting for you to lead us to the Granolith. It won't last forever, but it's managed so far." Her attention returned to Max. "And any of Kivar's Skins who got overly eager to deal with you ... well, we dealt with them instead." "Sounds good, but how do we know you're telling the truth?" Isabel demanded, arms wrapped tightly around herself. Somehow, this woman standing in front of them in the Valenti living room made the T'onxyl threat more real than Michael's confession had. "How do we know this isn't just one of Kivar's mind games?" "Now, now, Princess," she mocked. "Where's the trust?" Kyle stood up abruptly. "You'll have to excuse us, but we have some trust issues," he said in a voice that wiped the grin off the Skin's face. "I'd like an answer to Isabel's question." "I don't know what to tell you. Any of you." She looked around at the whole group, all watching her with impassive faces. "I'm telling you the truth. It's in all of our best interests to work together. We have a common enemy." Max looked thoughtful. "So you're saying your entire group is willing to help me against Kivar?" "Willing to help Michael," she corrected swiftly. "I thought I made that clear. We'll follow Michael." "Looks like you have another army, s'olat," Max said with some amusement. "You know, whatever," Michael said in exasperation. "Let's get this straight. You want to follow me, great. Yippee. But I follow Max. Max is my king. So, by extension, you have to be willing to follow Max's orders. That's what I'm telling you to do." He stared at her. "If you can't accept that, then there's no point in even finishing this conversation." Shalin didn't look anywhere near pleased, Maria noticed. But the alien did nod agreement. "Now that that's settled," Max continued pleasantly, "I'm wondering if you would be willing to prove that you're telling the truth. That you really have relinquished your loyalty to Kivar and are giving it to us now." He smiled at her. It wasn't at all a pleasant smile. "To me, to be more precise." "What did you have in mind?" Shalin's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Nothing too difficult." Max waved his hand at Isabel. "I'm sure you remember that my sister is a very powerful telepath." Isabel gave a small start in surprise at being dragged into the conversation in that way, but otherwise stayed still. "Almost as strong as your brother. Would you be willing to let her go into your mind to see if you mean what you're saying?" For the first time, Shalin seemed genuinely uncomfortable. Maria wasn't sure, but she thought that might actually be fear she saw flickering in the older woman's eyes. "You want me to let her into my mind?" she asked, a trace of panic in her voice. Valenti looked at her closely, intrigued by the fact that this would be the thing that scared her. "What's the matter? Something to hide?" Kyle asked. She cast him a withering look. "Of course. We all do. How would you like it if she went rummaging around in your mind?" When Kyle flinched, Shalin's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "I see. So this is something you do to everyone?" she asked Isabel. "I'll just look to see if you're telling the truth about wanting to help us against Kivar," Isabel followed Max's cue and ignored the reference to her invasion of Kyle's mind. "That's all." Shalin looked wildly at Michael, who reached out and took her hand for a second. Maria frowned. "She can't change anything in there," he said, trying to calm Shalin down. "She won't add anything or influence your thoughts. All she can do is see if you're telling the truth." Maria felt on edge watching the two of them staring at each other for a long moment in wordless communication, Shalin's face radiating terror, and Michael's understanding. But finally, Shalin looked back at Max. Despite the fear that was now clear to them all, she stood tall in front of group. "Fine. Do it." She took a deep breath, obviously bracing herself for the mental invasion. Isabel cast a sideways look at Max, who smiled and held up his hand. "I don't think that will be necessary." Interesting – she was more afraid of having someone read her mind than she was of physical pain. Max filed that fact away. It might be useful someday. He wondered if that was true of all the T'onxyl. "We need to talk about this offer of yours." He frowned, trying to figure the logistics out. He didn't want to talk about it with her there, but didn't want her left alone, either. Valenti offered him a solution. "Come on," he said, gesturing to Shalin. "Let's go wait in the kitchen." "Are you sure, Sheriff?" Liz asked, worried about leaving him alone with a potentially dangerous alien. "Absolutely." He gave her a reassuring grin. "I still have my gun, after all. And there's a really heavy hammer in there, just right for breaking Husks open." "You sure are a sweet talker, Sheriff." Recovered, Shalin leisurely walked into the kitchen. The sheriff followed, closing the infrequently used door behind them. ------------------------------------------------------ Max waited to make sure they were out of the room before continuing. He was beat to being the first to speak again by two voices talking at the same time. "Let's hurry this interplanetary conference along," Kyle muttered. "I don't like the idea of my dad alone with her." "You can't honestly believe her?" Isabel burst out indignantly at the same time. "It'll be fine, Kyle," Liz reassured her friend. "Your father knows how to take care of himself." From the look that Kyle gave her, her voice apparently wasn't as certain as she would have liked. "She did agree to let you scan her mind for the truth, Iz," Max pointed out. He was really surprised that Shalin had agreed to it, actually, but it did make some things simpler for him, even if only a little. Why can't things ever be really simple? "Which I probably couldn't have done even if I tried," Isabel pointed out. "What were you talking about, Max? I have no idea if I can just pop into a trained mind like hers." Max gave her a sudden grin. "But she didn't know that." Maria gave a little laugh. "Nice bluff," Kyle approved. He wasn't going to allow himself to get all caught up in the memories of what Isabel did to him. They were way over that by now. They had to be. "So if she was willing to let Isabel check, then you figure she must be telling the truth," Liz mused. "Or she knew we were bluffing," Isabel countered. Maria shook her head. "I don't think so." All eyes but Michael's turned to her. She shrugged uncomfortably. "Didn't you see the look on her face? The girl was majorly freaked. She thought Isabel could do it." She frowned sharply. "I don't like her, though." "She's not exactly going to win any Miss Congeniality prizes," Liz agreed. Aveen's sister? What memories does that bring back for Max? "Would the T'onxyl be a help to us?" Max asked Michael. "Are they worth having as allies against Kivar?" Michael frowned at the memories. "Definitely," he admitted. "They're well-trained and very determined. They could help us a lot." "If we can trust them," Kyle reminded them. "Which I don't think we can." Isabel stood up, towering over Max. "They want to kill us, remember? That's like their primary purpose in life. Why should we make things easier for them?" "Can we really afford to turn aside any allies?" Max countered in a reasonable voice that made Isabel want to shake him. "I know that you're scared, Iz. I'm not exactly jumping with joy about this either. But what are our options? She's only one of them. We have the whole lot of them to deal with." He turned to Michael. "Can we trust her?" Michael sat for the first time, staring down at his hands. "I think so," he said slowly. "But I've been wrong before." He grimaced slightly. "Enough of that," Max said sharply. Thinking about Tess wouldn't help anything. "Concentrate on the now. Why do you think we can trust her?" Michael looked at his king, mouth still twisting bitterly. "I believe she's serious about wanting Kivar defeated. Loyalty is very important to the T'onxyl. It's something drummed into us, into them," he corrected himself, taking Maria's hand absently, "from a young age. What Kivar did – it's a betrayal on an almost unbearable level. They'll want revenge for that." Much as Tymrath had so long ago. "And they'll follow you because of that?" Maria asked softly. He looked over at her. "Yeah." That was the main reason, anyway. The rest was all a tangle in his mind and emotions, still, and he couldn't put it into words even to himself, much less to anyone else. "I think they'll put everything else, including their hatred of you two, aside in order to accomplish their goal of defeating Kivar. And if they say they'll obey what I say, then they will. Going against that without cause would be going against what they are." He laughed. "Plus, they need me, so they'll want to keep me happy." "But?" Max prompted. "But," Michael continued reluctantly, "I'm worried more about what happens after Kivar is defeated." Max nodded. "I think we can worry about that later." He smiled unexpectedly. "All these people who keep telling you to kill me." Michael smirked back at him. "Getting worried?" Max laughed. "They obviously don't know you. How often do you actually do what anyone tells you?" Then he grew serious. "I don't have any doubts where you're concerned, Michael. I thought I'd made that clear." Michael nodded gratefully. Maria noticed that his grip on her hand had grown tighter, though. "This isn't a joking matter," Isabel pointed out with annoyance. "We have to decide what to do about her." She pointed to the kitchen. "I know." Max looked around at them all. "I think we need to take advantage of this opportunity. But this affects us all. What do you think?" Michael nodded. "Do it." The idea of having any of the T'onxyl around made him feel sick inside, but the possible advantages outweighed his own personal discomfort. Maria sighed. "I really don't like her," she said bluntly. "But I think she's telling the truth. I'm with Michael." Kyle rubbed his neck irritably. "Buddha help us," he answered. "This is probably a mistake, but okay. Yeah. Let's go for it." Liz's turn. "Okay," she said quietly, shivering suddenly. Max leaned over to give her a quick kiss on the top of her head. All eyes turned to Isabel. "I do not even have the words to express how much I don't like this," she complained. "Are you sure?" she turned pleading eyes on Michael. "Yeah, Izzy. You know I wouldn't do anything to put you in more danger." "Fine." Isabel took a steadying breath. "I guess I'm with you all then." Max nodded. The vote went along with his own decision. That was convenient. "Let's tell Shalin our decision, then." He really hoped they were making the right call. ------------------------------------------------------ "Are you honestly intending to shoot me?" Shalin asked from her seat at the kitchen table. She was watching Valenti with amusement, noticing the way he kept himself within easy reach of the hammer on the counter. "I haven't decided yet," he said flatly. He was a little disconcerted by his own response to the revelations concerning Lynn's real identity. Shalin, he reminded himself. The thing was, he didn't feel much differently than he had when he ran into her at the bar the week before. He didn't trust her especially, but then, he hadn't trusted her that night either. He still found her intriguing, though. Not that it would matter if she turned out to be a threat to the kids. "You were a lot more fun at the bar," she sighed theatrically, mirroring his own thoughts in an uncanny fashion. He shrugged. "Yeah, well, I didn't know for sure that you were an enemy alien then." "Now, Sheriff, is that any way to talk to someone who comes here bearing an olive branch of peace?" She gave him a winning smile. "And here I thought that you at least were intelligent enough to understand what I was saying in there." She gestured back towards the living room. "I'm not an enemy. Not yours, at any rate." She studied him thoughtfully, tapping her finger against her lips. "You care about Michael, don't you?" "I care about them all," he answered evenly. "Yeah, but Michael and you are pretty close, right?" She was thinking, putting together some pieces. "I got a report of how upset Michael was after your encounter Friday night." She was impressed by the way he managed to keep his expression calm. If she hadn't been watching for it, she would have missed the almost imperceptible increase in his body tension. He was good at hiding his emotions. "And when Michael thought that they were in danger, he sent his little band of merry men here for safety. He must think very highly of you." "What's your point?" Valenti didn't see what his relationship with any of the kids had to do with this woman. "I'm just trying to figure everything out here." Shalin settled back in her seat. "This isn't exactly a situation I was expecting either, you know. We weren't anticipating Tym to have made any strong connections with you humans." "Michael," came the inevitable correction, delivered in a strong and steady voice. She nodded approval. "You don't have anything to worry about from me, Jim." She doubted he would believe her, but she had to make the effort. "As long as you're helping take care of Michael, then we're on the same side." Valenti stared at the woman. "I don't understand you at all," he admitted. She laughed, genuinely delighted. "Good. A girl likes to have some mystery." Before he could even begin to formulate a response to that, the door opened for Michael. His eyes quickly studied the room, Shalin's casual posture, Valenti standing still on guard. "Come on. We're ready to talk to you now." He turned back to the living room. Shalin stood up smoothly, hesitating briefly before she followed. "You know, I meant it when I said I had fun the other night," she said in a tone of confession. "You exceeded my expectations of a human." "Gee, thanks," he managed to get out, really not sure what was going on here. Was she honestly still flirting with him? That was a bit too surreal, even for the life he'd led since learning the aliens' secret. He motioned towards the door, allowing her to go first. --------------------------------------------------- "Well?" Shalin asked briskly as she entered the living room, ignoring the serious faces surrounding her as looked only at Max. "What's the decision, oh great and mighty leader?" "Are you always like this?" Max couldn't quite figure her out. Or maybe he could. Even with the smile on her face, her dislike of him was obvious. It showed in the sarcasm in her voice, the glint in her eyes. Don't forget, no matter what – she hates you. He would have to be sure to keep that in mind. Of course, it didn't seem that she was going to let him forget it. "I only try to deceive my targets," she said innocently. "If we're all going to be buddies, then I feel that I can be perfectly honest with you." She smiled, all sugary sweetness. "I'm sure that you understand how I feel about you, deep down." "How comforting," Max remarked. "And the verdict is?" she looked from Max to Michael, bypassing the silent observers. "We're accepting your offer of alliance," Michael answered seriously, taking refuge from his own confused emotions in formality. Max looked over at the sheriff, the question written clearly on his face. Are you okay with this? Valenti nodded once. Ultimately, these decisions had to be Max's. The beaming smile on Shalin's face only served to add fuel to Maria's instinctive dislike of her. "Good." She kept her eyes locked on Michael's face, apparently oblivious to all the others in the room. "Now we have a chance. We can beat him." "We will beat him," Michael replied softly. "There's no other option for us, is there?" "So, what's next?" Liz asked. "Keep doing what you have been," Michael ordered Shalin. "Keep Kivar's Skins out of Roswell, and keep an ear out for any news we might need to know." Liz half-expected the Skin to show some defiance at being told what to do, but she simply listened to Michael's directions and nodded, seemingly at ease with taking orders. "And keep looking for the Granolith," Max added. "We were going to do that, anyway." Shalin smiled. "It's a bit too powerful to just leave lying around for any ol' human to find. No offense," she added. She paused. "What should we do if we find the Aveen replacement who was in it?" "Tess." Kyle's voice rang out sharply. "Her name was Tess." He immediately regretted having spoken when Shalin turned to examine him closely. It was like being under a microscope or something. He wondered what she saw. Max moved to divert attention from Kyle. "We want to talk to her," he jumped in, before Michael or Liz had a chance to make their feelings on the Tess situation well known. He was emotionally drained from this afternoon already. Another argument about Tess wouldn't help anything. "There are some questions we need answered." "Fine." Shalin gestured towards the door. "I'm presuming I can go now. I have to contact the others." She gave a tiny grin. "Not to mention the lesson plans I have to prepare for class tomorrow." Maria and Liz exchanged startled glances. No way could they picture sitting through a class she was teaching after this. Shalin must have seen the looks, because the grin turned into a laugh. "Don't worry," she got out. "I'm not going to be back to the school. That job's served its purpose." "Where will you be?" Shalin turned to answer Valenti's question. "Couldn't you track me down if you wanted, sheriff?" She still appeared amused. "Actually, I have a new job working at the library. So I can be found there if you need me." "Michael or I will come to see you," Max interjected. "You don't go near the others." He smiled grimly. "I wouldn't want there to be any misunderstandings this early on in our alliance." "Fine, but if they come to the library, they take their chances. I'm not going to lose my job over this." She waved a finger scoldingly at Max. "I'm not in the no-see category," Valenti added quietly. "Sheriff, I'm not sure that's a good idea," Max said urgently, but was cut off by Valenti's look. "I can take care of myself, Max. Besides, there might come a time when communication is needed, and you all are at sch

Anla · Post by **Anla** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 11:29 am

<div style="text-align:center">"I miss you I miss being overwhelmed by you And I need rescue I think I'm fading away" ------ "Best I'll Ever Be" by Sister Hazel </div> Michael barely had the apartment door shut behind them when Maria had him pressed up against the wall. Wrapping her fingers tightly in his hair, she let the kiss completely overwhelm her, little tingles of pleasure spreading throughout her body as Michael's hands grabbed her hips and pulled her even closer. Every inch of her body was crying out for his, needing him on a level that would have been frightening if it hadn't felt so natural. She moaned into his mouth as his hands pulled her shirt out of her jeans, his strong hands skimming over her stomach. But as much fun as that was, Maria wasn't ready to give up control yet. She had a point to make, a claim to reassert. Michael was theirs. She wasn't ever going to give him up. Pulling back, Maria grasped his shirt in her fists. "Come here," she ordered in a low voice. The look in his darkened eyes made her blood seem to rush hotter. As she led him back into the bedroom, Maria realized how much power she had over him. As much power as he had over her. When they reached their destination, Maria maneuvered them so that Michael was sitting on the edge of the bed while she stood in front of him, gazing down at her teela-mei. She ran her thumb over his lips, gasping slightly as he moved to kiss it. She bent down and kissed him again, even more hungrily than before. Michael's hands grabbed her around the waist, pulling her to sit on top of him. "You're ours," she declared fiercely between kisses. "They can't have you. Not ever." Maria threw her head back as Michael's lips moved down her neck. How had he always known that her neck was so sensitive? "You belong to us." "I know," he murmured, barely moving away from her neck. She could feel the vibrations his words caused travel over her body, causing her to grow even more energized, more focused on him. Soon she wasn't even going to be able to remember her own name, much less continue this discussion. Without any conscious thought, Maria's hands moved to his shirt again, tearing open the top buttons in a need to feel his bare skin under hers. She settled herself even closer on his lap. "Remember that. God, Michael," she burst out suddenly as one hand moved up towards her bra. He knew exactly where to touch her. She could feel his lips curve in a familiar smirk. "I'm trying to talk to you here." "Is that what we're doing?" Arrogant man. She reached out her left hand and took hold of his head, tilting it so that she could look at his eyes directly. The passion in them almost took her breath away. "You're ours," she repeated. "And we're not giving you up. If I have to, I'll fight anyone for you. Anyone." Michael studied the intense expression on her flushed face. "Nobody means more to me than the two of you." He leaned backwards, pulling Maria down with him. "You're everything." Maria let go of any lingering concerns about the outside world. For now, getting the two of them out of their inconvenient clothes was enough of an obstacle. When she was being loved by Michael, nothing else mattered. The two of them together could handle anything that came their way. -------------------------------------------------- Isabel peered into the darkness ahead of her, unable to see anything. Yeah, let's go on into the scary darkness, she thought sarcastically. All I'm missing is high heels and a convenient tree root to trip over. She looked down at her feet to make sure that she wasn't wearing heels. Bare feet. With a long red dress. What was up with that? She shook her head impatiently. Focus, Isabel. She held out her hand, relaxing slightly as it shone with a soft blue light, allowing her to get some idea of her surroundings. Her relief was short-lived, though, as what she saw did absolutely nothing to make her feel better. She was standing in the middle of a narrow passageway through what appeared to be solid rock. A cave of some type, then. She turned around and looked behind her. Same thing – massive stone walls reaching back as far as she could see, with no sign of light other than what she was creating herself. Charming. Turning back to face her original direction, Isabel started walking carefully, hoping she didn't step on anything gross in her bare feet. What am I doing here? She hadn't been walking long when she started to sense something. No, not something. Someone. Someone very familiar. "Alex?" There was no answer to her call, only echoes of her voice bouncing off the rock walls. Still, she knew that she could feel him ahead of her, so she hurried up, rushing down the passageway. Why am I dreaming about Alex in a place like this? It didn't matter. All that mattered was that finally, after too many nights, Alex was back in her dreams. She had to find him. Eventually, the passageway widened, turning into a small circular chamber, just as dark as the way she'd come. But she was able to see a figure lying against the far wall. "Alex?" she repeated, voice dropping into a whisper. She stooped and entered the low-ceiling cavern. He wasn't moving, didn't seem to have even heard her arrival. "Alex? What's the matter?" She dropped down beside him, putting her hands to his head and gently pushing it back so that she could see his face. "Isabel?" Alex looked at her, confusion clear in his eyes. She gasped at the sight of him. He looked so disoriented, blinking up at her as if unsure of what he was actually seeing. There was a nasty bruise covering one cheek, looking extremely painful. "What are you doing here?" He squinted at her in concentration. "I told you to get out, didn't I?" "Yeah, well, I'm back." She looked down at his body and caught her breath. Was that blood on his shirt? She looked closer. "You're hurt," she whispered. One part of her told herself that she was being stupid. This was a dream, only a dream. Alex was already beyond being hurt anymore. He was dead, after all. Yet, what she saw was stronger than any logic she might try to tell herself. She looked back up, meeting his eyes. "What happened?" Alex shook his head, closing his eyes, apparently exhausted. That made up her mind. "Come on." She put her arms around him as gently as she could. "Let's get you out of here." "Do you see any way out?" Alex asked, voice breaking as he laughed slightly. "Don't bother, Iz." He opened his eyes and smiled at her. "At least you're here again." "Alex, what is going on?" she started, but was stopped by his fingers on her lips. The pain was still in his eyes, but they were gaining clarity. Alex was focusing, which was good. And what he was focusing on was her. Isabel felt herself flushing at Alex's intently fixed expression. It was as if Alex was studying her, like he was memorizing every feature of her face. For a moment, it made her forget all about the freaky cave they were in, and even Alex's messed-up condition. But only for a moment. However, before she could try to move him again, Alex further distracted her by leaning forward for a kiss. Any thoughts of trying to leave were instantly erased from Isabel's mind. All she could comprehend at that second was the feel of Alex's lips on her own, blocking out everything except the connection between them. She could feel her spirit reaching out to him. For a second, everything was perfect. When Alex abruptly broke off the kiss, his hands grabbing her were the only things keeping Isabel from falling dizzily to the ground. "Isabel?" Alex's anxious tone reached through her haze. "What's the matter?" She blinked a few times as the dizziness faded as suddenly as it had come. "Nothing. I'm fine." She forced a smile. "Guess your kisses really do make me breathless," she teased. Then she stared at him. "Alex!" "What?" He looked at her with concern. "What is it?" She shook her head in wonder, raising her hand to trace along his cheek. His cheek that wasn't bruised anymore. She ran a quick glance along his body. He looked one-hundred percent better. He was sitting up, alert and aware, no signs of blood or injury. She laughed. "You look better than when I came in." "Do I?" He smiled back at her. "Well, I feel good." He picked up her hand and kissed it chivalrously. "We're together, after all." He looked around the cave. "What do you say we get out of here and find someplace a little more romantic?" "But you said......." her voice trailed off as Alex pointed at the ceiling a few feet away from them. A beam of light from outside was illuminating the floor of the cave. Isabel looked up at the hole in the roof, then over at Alex. "I don't suppose you can dream up a ladder, can you?" Alex laughed, pulling Isabel to her feet. "It's not that high up. I'll give you a boost." "You just want a chance to peek up my dress, don't you?" she teased, walking over to the hole. "Isabel!" Alex said, his tone a mixture of insult and laughter. She simply laughed. She wouldn't even need a boost out – the ceiling was that low. Reaching up, Isabel pulled herself out of the cave and into the waiting sunlight. Alex was right behind her. "Freedom!" he yelled, laughing with joy as he pulled Isabel down to the ground, hugging her as they fell down onto the soft grass. From the way he was holding her tight and smiling, nobody would know that he'd been so injured and timid a few minutes ago. Maybe it was just a trick of the light, Isabel tried to convince herself, wanting to enjoy being with Alex again after all this time. Alex had her pinned down to the ground, lying on top of her and staring down at her with a passionate gleam in his eyes. "I missed you," he murmured. "Don't leave again." When he kissed her again, this time Isabel felt no dizziness or fatigue. On the contrary, she felt very much awake and alert. Running her fingers through his hair, Isabel returned the kiss fervently. This definitely made traipsing through a dingy cave worthwhile. Minutes later, though, Isabel pulled away. "What happened the last time I was here, Alex?" She scooted back on the slope, putting some distance between them. It was impossible to forget how frightening it had been to be expelled from the dream like that. Alex frowned. "What do you mean?" She stared at him in disbelief. "What do you mean, what do I mean?" She shook her head at her own question. "Everything started to get pretty scary, remember?" She shook her head at his continued look of confusion. "Wind blowing all over the place, earthquakes, you yelling at me to go away? Any of this ringing a bell?" Alex took a minute. Isabel could practically see him trying to remember what she was talking about. Finally, he sighed. "I'm sorry, Isabel. I don't remember." When she simply stared at him, mouth open in astonishment, he went on a bit defensively. "I believe you. But I can't remember it." He put his hand to his head. "It's all fuzzy. I remember you. That's about it." "You don't remember," she repeated slowly. "Like you don't remember where you are when you're not with me?" That was the question that had set him off the last time, she recalled. "I want to," he whispered slowly. "I almost can, but........" Isabel felt cold inside as she saw the terror spring into his eyes, the way his body tensed up as if expecting a blow. "That's okay," she interrupted him quickly. "It's not important." She couldn't bear to see him frightened and in pain again. Not to mention the fact that she wasn't in the mood to be thrown out of the dream. Moving closer, she reached out and grabbed the front of his shirt, pulling him closer. "We'll figure it out later. I'm sure we can think of something to do now that's more fun than talking, anyway." To her relief, Alex's eyes were clear and confident again, his face smiling and unafraid. She'd just have to figure out what was going on later. This time, she would somehow manage to protect Alex. ------------------------------------------------------ Maria tried to keep her eyes closed and go back to sleep. Really she did. She felt much too gloriously comfortable lying there in Michael's arms to want to get up. Out there in what was laughingly referred to as the "real world", there were too many problems and potential disasters to worry about. Here, in their bed, she didn't have to worry about possibly evil substitute teachers, alien break-downs, or finishing high school. Things were good. Unfortunately, other considerations interfered with Maria's honest attempt to stay asleep. One was the fact that she was still tingling deliciously from the feel of Michael's touch all over her body. That she could deal with – lying in bed feeling that way was definitely doable. However, there was a factor that made returning to sleep much more difficult. Her demanding alien daughter was hungry and restless. And, being a DeLuca female, she had absolutely no intention of waiting in silence and letting her mommy get some much-deserved rest. Reluctantly, she opened her eyes. As usual, Michael was awake before her, watching her closely. Was that a trace of laughter in his eyes? "Your daughter won't let me sleep," she complained. "I think we might have to ground her." He laughed. "Shouldn't we at least wait for her to be born before we start grounding her?" He reached out a hand, and brushed back a stray strand of her hair, letting his finger linger on her skin. Maria snorted. "Oh, I can see you're going to be a big help, buster. She's going to have you totally wrapped around her little finger, isn't she?" Yeah, like Michael was going to be the disciplinarian in the family. He'd probably let her get away with things like eating tabasco-covered chocolate cake for breakfast. Oh, and let's not even imagine the hair styles he'd allow! Eyes still shining happily, Michael leaned down and kissed her on the forehead, letting one hand gently rub her stomach. He felt miles away from the person who had threatened Shalin a few hours ago. Time with Maria was a good thing. It helped him remember who he was now, what was important. Maria watched Michael appreciatively as he got up and grabbed his jeans off the floor before heading to the bathroom. She stretched, feeling a strange combination of relaxation and energy. She'd noticed lately that after she and Michael made love, her nerves seemed to be more awake than before it, as if they'd been given a shot of adrenaline. No, it was more than that. It was like some of Michael's alien energy was resting inside her, like that afternoon at the Crashdown when he'd allowed her to share in it. She supposed it was because at those moments, the fragile walls separating the two of them into individuals melted away, allowing them to connect even more fully. A growl of her stomach interrupted her thoughts. "Fine, fine. Chill, won't you?" she muttered good-naturedly. "I'm gonna feed you, little girl. I promise." Maria got up, looking around for her shirt before remembering that they'd left it out in the living room. Fine then. She picked up one of Michael's shirts. She kind of liked wearing his shirts anyway. She put on her underwear and the shirt, not bothering with her pants. The shirt practically reached to her knees anyway. "You're just as difficult as your daddy, aren't you?" She went into the dark living room, turned on a light and headed towards the refrigerator when a noise out in the hall caught her attention. Frowning, Maria tilted her head to one side and listened carefully. Nerves still awake from Michael's energy coursing through them, she was able to hear the steps more closely than usual. They were walking steadily down the hall to their apartment, not rushing but filled with even determination. That, combined with the instinctive momentary tensing of her shoulders that identified an alien coming, let Maria know who it was. She didn't even question the certainty, but simply went over to open the door. "Hey, girlfriend." Maria stood back to let Max enter. "What brings you by?" Closing the door behind the alien king, she shook her head. "Why do we even bother having a no wandering alone rule if nobody in this group follows it?" "Don't tell Isabel or Liz, okay?" he whispered conspiratorially, glancing around the living room before returning his attention to the girl in front of him. "I'm not in the mood for any lectures." Seeing her mouth open, he raised his hand quickly. "Any lectures, Maria. Not even from you." She sighed. "Fine. No lectures. But only because you had a hard afternoon, and handled a really bad situation without freaking out. So you deserve a break." "You, too." Max smiled warmly at her. He knew how hard things had been for Maria lately. How she managed to handle things as well as she did was a constant source of amazement and pride for him. "Are you okay?" She smiled a very satisfied grin at him. "Yep. We're all doing just fine here." For the first time, Max noticed what Maria was wearing. Or rather, not wearing. "Oh," he got out, starting to blush. Not that she was really indecent or anything. Some of the dresses and mini-skirts he'd seen her in over the years covered less than the shirt she had on now. But still, Maria wearing Michael's shirt like that kind of drove home what they'd been up to. "Am I interrupting something?" Maria was going to answer, but was beat to it. "Yeah, actually." Michael appeared in the doorway, pulling on a black t-shirt. Maria squashed the tiny bit of regret she felt at seeing him completely dressed. Oh, well. They had a visitor, after all. "What's up, Maxwell?" Michael had a small smile on his face, though, and didn't sound angry. "I just needed to talk to someone about what happened today." Max moved into the apartment and sat down. "He's afraid that we'll tell on him to Isabel," Maria chirped happily. "Blackmail material, huh?" Michael smirked at his friend. "You know, as my second, there is some expectation of loyalty," Max pointed out. "Maybe, but Isabel's much scarier than you are." Max nodded. He couldn't really argue with Michael's logic there. "You boys have a nice discussion of blackmail and such while I get dressed." Maria gave Michael a kiss on the cheek when she walked by on her way back into the bedroom, picking up her shirt on the way. She closed the door behind her. "So," Max began. Michael raised an eyebrow quizzically, leaning against the wall. It occurred to Max that he hadn't been here since Friday night, when Michael had him pushed up against that wall, practically choking the life out of him. Not a happy memory. It seemed much longer than three days. "You and Maria seem to be doing pretty well." "Yeah." Michael sat down in the chair across from Max. "She called the apartment 'home' earlier. I think she'll be willing to move in sooner." "Wow." Max knew how important it was for Michael to have Maria and their child, his family, under one roof with him. "Of course, you still have to deal with her mother." It was almost amusing to see how quickly the mention of Amy DeLuca wiped the smug expression off Michael's face. "Thanks, Max." Max gave him his most innocent expression. "Just keeping an eye on the whole situation, Michael." Growing serious, he went on. "I really did want to talk about Shalin. About our decision." Michael gave a small laugh. "Our decision?" he asked in a quiet voice, hoping Maria wouldn't overhear them. "You had your decision made before we had our little group vote, Max. We both know it." He looked at his king with sincere curiosity. "What would you have done if we hadn't agreed with you?" "I knew you would at least," Max answered calmly. "If you honestly thought she was a threat, you never would have brought her over." "What about the others?" "I would have tried my best to convince them." Max shrugged his shoulders eloquently. "I'd have had to be very persuasive." "With Isabel and Liz, you'd have had to be pretty damn convincing," Michael agreed. "I don't know what I would have done if everyone had been against the alliance," Max admitted. "Does it bother you that I made my decision like that?" Michael shook his head slowly. "No. You're the king." "And you're okay with that?" Max pressed. "With me being Fearless Leader?" "I never wanted anyone else for my leader," Michael admitted, matching Max's honesty. They didn't talk like this very often. But maybe they had to now. Not often, mind you. But sometimes. "I just wanted you to actually lead." "I know." Max gave a little half-smile. "And I wanted it all to just go away." "Not gonna happen, Maxwell." Michael looked at him, a little sadly. "We have to play it to the end now." "I know." Hoping that the past problems between the two of them really were in the past, Max moved on to the present. "Which brings us right back to Shalin." His voice gained a subtle note of authority as he questioned Michael. "Was she really as frightened of Isabel going into her mind as she seemed?" "Yeah." "Why?" When Michael didn't answer, Max asked again. "Why, Michael? This might be important." "Because it hurt, all right?" Michael finally answered. "It hurt when they went in to our minds to condition us. We let them, because it made us better fighters." His voice was twisted with bitterness. "But we had no idea of all the things they were doing to us, the way they focused us on our anger. Our hate." He looked at Max, raw pain in his eyes. "You have no idea what it's like to have someone go into your mind and twist you like that. To change your mind, the most personal part of you." Max realized he had clenched his hand into a tight fist at the thought of what Michael, Tymrath, must have gone through. Nobody should have to endure that. "Kivar's going down," Max promised in a calm voice all the more intimidating for the lack of emotion behind it. No bluster. A simple statement of fact. "For you. For Aveen and Vilandra. For Alex." He half expected Michael to shut down and turn away at the mention of Alex. Alex wasn't a topic Michael was comfortable talking about. But Michael didn't look away. "And for killing you," he answered. "For what he did to all of us." Max nodded. Kivar had more sins to pay for than they could count. And if Max had to take a risk in trusting Shalin and her Skins in order to make Kivar pay – well, there really wasn't any question in Max's mind about it. He only wished Isabel wasn't involved. He had to believe that no matter what happened to him, Michael would keep her safe. "You trust Shalin." "To a point," Michael answered carefully. "Like I said earlier – I think she wants to get rid of Kivar as much as we do. That's not what worries me." He scratched his eyebrow. "It was your call, though." "Yeah." Max studied him closely. "I'm a little surprised that you didn't just kill her on sight." Michael looked uncomfortable. "Yeah, well, the thought occurred to me. Not a real good sign, huh?" "But you didn't. Why not?" Michael sighed. "She wasn't doing anything! She wasn't fighting back. All she was doing was saying that she wanted to help defeat Kivar. I couldn't just kill her." Max smiled, satisfied. "Good." He had some small understanding of what that restraint had cost Michael, and was glad to see it. "And if it turns out that we're wrong?" Michael challenged. "What if she's got something up her sleeve to hurt us?" "Then we'll deal with it. Together," Max replied evenly. "But you're right. We can't just go around killing everyone who might be a danger to us. We're not going to become what we're fighting." "Too late there," Michael pointed out gruffly. "No, it's not," came Maria's quiet voice as she reentered the room. "Which I think is what Max is trying to get through your thick skull, Spaceboy. Good luck there, by the way. I find I have to repeat myself a few dozen times before anything sinks in." "He is a little slow at times," Max agreed cheerfully, standing up. "You're not who you used to be, Michael. And who you were wasn't that bad, either. We all messed up, but we can learn from that." Michael simply grunted. Maria and Max exchanged amused looks. Apparently they had reached Michael's mushy-emotional-talk limit for the day. Michael got up and walked over to his teela-mei, wrapping his arms around Maria and holding her tightly. "You hungry?" he asked Max. "I guess. You cooking?" "Well, Maria sure isn't," Michael laughed, moving away quickly to avoid the fist aimed at his arm. "I'm not that bad," she protested, sticking out her tongue at him when all he did was laugh in response. "What do you want, Max?" "You're not going to ask me what I want?" Maria burst out indignantly before Max could answer. "Hey, eating for two over here! I think I'm definitely entitled to a vote on what we eat." "No, you're not," Michael answered calmly as he opened the refrigerator door. "If I let you pick, it'll be something really fattening and sugary and bad for you." Max instantly backed away as Maria's eyes narrowed. "Are you implying that I'm eating too much and getting fat?" Michael froze, glancing over at Max for help. Max raised his hands, backing away even further. No way was he getting in the middle of that question. "That's not what I meant," he started weakly. "Oh? And what did you mean, then?" Maria asked indignantly, arms crossed as she glared at him. "First you go and get me pregnant. And now you're saying I'm fat?" "I never said you were fat." Michael put down the loaf of bread he'd been holding and walked over to take her in his arms. Leaning down, he whispered in her ear. "I told you that you were the sexiest woman in the galaxy. You know I don't say anything I don't mean." "Hmmph," Maria tried to hold on to her indignation, but it was hard to do when her body was starting to respond to the feel of his hands moving along her back. "You know I want you. All the time," his voice was lower and lower, vibrating through her body, they were so close. Maybe she would forgive him for implying she was eating too much junk food. Of course, he would have to make up for it very nicely. Watching the two of them staring at each other, Max shook his head and sighed. He was starting to gain some understanding of all the comments Michael and Isabel had made over the years at being subjected to watching him stare at Liz. Of course, he was fairly certain he had shown a bit more dignity and self-control than Michael and Maria. While he couldn't quite make out what they were saying, the body language was loud and clear. Max decided a hasty retreat was in order. "Thanks for the offer of dinner." Maria gave a small jump, as if she'd forgotten they had an audience. Michael just looked over at him with a raised eyebrow. "But I think I'll get home. I want to make sure Isabel's okay." "You shouldn't travel alone at night," Michael protested. "Why not?" Max asked philosophically. "What's really changed? We know that there are Skins out there who want me dead. Nothing new there." "Still, we'll follow behind you." Michael looked down at Maria. "Do you have to get home or something?" "Nah. I called Mom on my cell phone and told her I was going to stay here a while." "Great. I'm sure she loved that." "Come on, Spaceboy." Maria led the way to the door. "Let's get Max safely home, and then we can continue our discussion of how you're going to make it up to me for your thoughtless comment." Max and Michael exchanged looks of mingled sympathy and amusement. "Well? Let's move it, boys. Time's a-wasting." ------------------------------------------------------ The six of them gathered for lunch the next day. Another night gone by without an alien attack and another morning of formal education survived. Kyle was equally grateful to have simply gotten through both. Although, observing Max and Liz with their heads bent eagerly over their Science notes, he suspected his feelings were not shared by everyone. "So how is Laurie doing?" Isabel asked, stirring some extra sugar into her yogurt. "Good," Michael grunted between bites. Isabel waited, one eyebrow rising as the pause grew longer. "Good? That's all? Would you perhaps care to elaborate?" Michael swallowed. "No." He returned to his lunch. Kyle laughed, then quickly turned from the icy glare Isabel sent his way. Maria gave a loudly theatrical sigh. "You'll have to forgive him. We're still working on teaching Michael the finer points of social interaction." Michael merely smirked at her. Like she really had a problem with how they interacted. "You have your work cut out for you. Max and I tried for years." Isabel's patented look of death stopped Kyle's hand cold as he reached towards her lunch. "Don't even think about it. Since when do you eat yogurt anyway?" Ignoring both Max's absent "Don't drag me into this" and Kyle's defensive "Hey, I'm just hungry", Maria returned to the subject at hand. "Laurie's having a grand old time on her great tour around Europe. She sent us a postcard from London the other day. She's taken up sculpting." She poked Michael gently in the side. "Guess art runs in the Dupree genes." That managed to drag Max's attention away from the delights of academia. "Rath painted, too." "He did?" Liz asked, growing still as a thought came to her. "Yeah." Max frowned at her, wondering why she looked upset now. "He had some paintings he'd done in their place in New York." "Oh," Liz replied in a tiny voice, giving a small smile when she saw the concern in Max's expression. It wasn't a very convincing smile. "That's interesting." "Both the Dupree aliens are into drawing. I wonder if Zan liked Jeeps." Kyle shook his head. "Does this whole DNA donor thing seem freaky to anyone else?" "You mean the fact that we were created using DNA stolen from poor innocent humans, whose lives were basically destroyed by the process, combined with the essence of dead alien royalty?" Isabel answered. "No. What about that could possibly be considered freaky?" Kyle stared at her for a moment, blinked a few times, then grinned. "Well, when you put it that way......." While Isabel was busy giving him an exasperated stare, Kyle made his move, grabbing her yogurt with one swift move as Michael cheered him on. Before anyone else could move, Isabel and Kyle were busily battling for the yogurt. Max considered intervening, but decided Kyle was on his own. Anyone foolish enough to mess with Isabel was really beyond help. At any rate, he was more concerned with Liz, who was idly playing with her sandwich's cellophane wrapper, the only one at the table not paying attention to the battle. Which, unsurprisingly, ended with Kyle holding a sore hand and Isabel back in possession of her yogurt. Maria, who had been laughing so hard that she collapsed against Michael, tried to regain control of herself. "God, Kyle, you ate more for lunch than I did. And I'm eating for two." "Well, the weird foods little ET has you eating probably count for like two of normal people food." Kyle was unrepentant. "I am not eating weird foods," Maria protested, turning to Michael. "Aren't you going to defend me?" "Maria, you're eating stuff that even I wouldn't touch." He put his hand over her stomach. "I'm almost afraid to think what types of snacks she's going to want to eat when she gets older." Maria wrinkled her nose at him, then decided upon a dignified change of topic. "So girlfriend, have you given any thought to finding out if you have any family on the Baker side?" "I looked it up in the records." Max tore his attention away from Liz. "Ben didn't have any next of kin listed." "Maybe he had some cousins or something?" "Maybe." Max shrugged. "I'm not all that interested, actually." He looked over at Michael, then Isabel. "I have my hands full with with the family I have now." "I think we were just insulted. Isabel, do you think we were insulted?" "I know we were." She looked at her brother. "Careful, Max. I know where you sleep." Max simply smiled back at her. "Still, you probably want to do more research into everything," Kyle pointed out. "Find out what Ben was looking for in the army base. And what Liz's grandma knew about everything." Liz looked up from the shredded cellophane in front of her. "Max and I are going to go through some more of the journals tonight." "I have to work out at the Ortega ranch after my shift at the Crashdown." Michael rolled his eyes. "I think Mrs. Ortega wants me to start working on a new fence or something. But I could probably come over afterwards." "Is it a good idea for you to be going all the way out there on your own?" Kyle wanted to know. Michael smirked. "I can take care of myself, believe me." He gave Max a pointed look. "However, the rest of us shouldn't go off on our own." Max gave him an innocent look in return. "I can come on over to help after I'm done out there if you want." "Actually," Maria piped up, "you can't, Spaceboy." Michael turned slowly to look at her. "And why can't I?" Maria gave her sweetest smile. It did nothing except make Michael more suspicious. "Mom wants us both to come over for dinner tonight." "No way." "Come on, Michael," she pleaded. "Are you out of your mind completely?" he burst out. "I can think of hundreds of things I would rather do than sit across the dinner table from your mother while she interrogates me about my future plans and my current life of crime." "She's trying to make an effort, Michael. Is it really so much to ask that you do the same?" Maria asked sternly. Michael glared at her, gathering his stuff and standing up. Maria scrambled to grab her things and followed him quickly. The others watched the two walk away, Maria gesturing wildly and occasionally reaching out to grab Michael's arm. "What do you think?" Kyle asked absently. "He's going to the dinner," Isabel answered promptly. "Oh, yeah," Max agreed. They looked at each other and burst out laughing. It was funny to see that, no matter how much Michael grumbled and complained, Maria pretty much always got her way. Liz was the only one not laughing, her thoughts far away. ------------------------------------------------ Kyle walked unhappily into the library. Homework. Not just homework. Research papers. It was the second week of school, for Pete's sake. Way too early in the year to have a research paper. What was up with that? It almost made him feel nostalgic for Ms. Prentice as a substitute. Yeah, she turned out to be an evil alien and all, but maybe she was an evil alien on their side. And she didn't give them homework. These things needed to be taken into consideration. He brightened considerably upon seeing a familiar face gathering books from a shelf. Talking with Isabel was definitely a superior choice to doing research on the War of the Roses. Plus, it saved him a trip. Kyle'd meant to check up on her this afternoon, anyway. She'd been perilously close to slipping back into Alien Angst-land at lunch. While Kyle had no objection to putting blame where it was deserved, he didn't like seeing Isabel feel guilty for simply existing. It wasn't her fault that some aliens used humans in their little science experiments. He'd needed to risk his pride and limbs in order to distract her. Kyle chuckled to himself. Considering his feelings towards all aliens only a week earlier, he figured he was making great spiritual progress. Good for him. Not to mention, Isabel was actually pretty good at school. Maybe she could help him with his research. "Hey, Iz. What's up?" Isabel gave a small jump at the sound of his voice, dropping the books in her arms. "Kyle! Don't sneak up on me." She bent down to pick up the volumes, losing her balance and nearly falling. Kyle rushed to help her. "Are you okay?" "Yes." Isabel pushed away his hands, managing to stand up on her own. Kyle examined her more closely. Every time he'd seen her lately, she seemed more and more tired and pale. "Tell me the truth, Isabel." "I'm fine. Just really tired. Don't worry about me." Kyle frowned down at the books he'd picked up. "What are these?" "They're called books, Kyle." She tried to grab them from him. "You know, pieces of paper with marks called words on them? Some people read them and learn things?" Kyle kept one of the books. "Communicating with Those Who Have Crossed Beyond?" He looked at her, mouth twisting in a sarcastic grin. "These are all books about ghosts, Iz. What? Are you planning on starting some type of psychic alien network? Or maybe you and Max can go ghost-busting in your spare time?" "Just give them back to me," she snapped, ripping the book out of his hand. "I don't know why it's any of your business what books I read." The smile on his face slowly faded as he took in the heightened color in Isabel's face. He'd only been teasing her, but from her reaction, apparently something really was going on here. This topic was making her more uncomfortable than it should. "Really, Iz, what's going on?" he asked more gently. "Is something the matter?" Isabel looked at him quickly, gathering the books more securely in her arms. "Can you keep a secret?" she asked quietly. He gave her an 'Are you kidding?' look. She rolled her eyes. "Okay, dumb question. But if I tell you something, can it stay between us?" "Sure." Now he was really getting curious. "Your house isn't haunted or something, is it?" He was trying to imagine Max trying to perform an exorcism. He'd probably just lecture the ghost until it got bored and left. Isabel looked around the library, noticing the small number of other students present, then led him over to a table along the side wall, where nobody could hear them. Regardless of their privacy, she kept her voice down. "You remember when I told you I've been having strange dreams?" "Yeah." "Well, the thing is......." She fiddled with her necklace, not sure how to explain this. "I've been having dreams about Alex." Kyle felt a quick pang of guilt and loss, the way he always did when he thought about their friend, but he quickly suppressed it. Concentrate on Isabel. "That's not too surprising, Iz." He only hoped her dreams about Alex were more pleasant than his own were. She shook her head quickly. "You don't understand. They're not real dreams." He stared at her blankly. "You're having dreams that aren't dreams?" "Exactly." She leaned forwards, lowering her voice even more. "They're too real, Kyle. They're more like dreamwalks than regular dreams." "You think Alex is dreamwalking you?" The blond girl nodded eagerly. Kyle tried to keep his voice even. "Isabel, Alex is dead. He's gone." This was kind of freaky. "I know that," she snapped. "I'm not delusional. I know that Alex is dead." Her voice had started to rise in her irritation, and she forced herself to calm down. "But I know the difference between a dreamwalk and a real dream. And these aren't ordinary dreams." A wistful smile formed on her lips. "It's really Alex. He feels like Alex. Everything about him – the way he holds me, what he says, the way I can feel his spirit – it's Alex." Kyle tried to pull his confused thoughts together, eyes dropping to the pile of books on the table next to them. "So, what? You think that it's Alex's ghost visiting you?" Isabel looked back at him silently. "Oh, Iz." Kyle broke off. This couldn't be a good sign, could it? He would love to believe that Alex could communicate with them somehow, that he'd have a chance to say good-bye to his friend, but ......... Kyle tried to speak in a calm and reassuring voice, sounding more like his father than he knew. "Isabel, I'm sure that if anyone could find a way to come back and visit you, it would be Alex. But I really don't think it works that way." Even before he embarked on his spiritual journey, Kyle didn't believe in ghosts. "Why not? You know, I'm not sure what I believe." She raised one shoulder in a graceful half-shrug. "I always figured there was something after death, that spirits survive somehow. But I never really thought much about it. And now, with everything we've learned about who we used to be... Well, I have no idea if the same rules apply to aliens as they do to humans," she finished sadly. Kyle reached over and took her hand. "Isabel, you and Michael are good people. Even if you're not really human." He paused. "I guess even Max isn't that bad." That got a small chuckle. "And you definitely have souls. So I don't think you have to worry about being left out of whatever the cosmos has in store." Another brief pause. "That said........" "That said, you don't believe in ghosts," Isabel finished for him. "Okay, let's say you're right and that ghosts don't exist in the usual run of things. But what if there were extenuating circumstances? Something to tie a soul to this world and keep them from moving on?" He got where she was heading. "Something like a connection to an alien still alive in this world?" She nodded eagerly. "We have no idea what effects being connected to us can have on a human. Maybe his connection to me is keeping Alex rooted here, allowing him to visit me in my dreams." Kyle let out a breath. "I don't know, Iz." It sounded like wishful thinking to him. "Wouldn't it make more sense that you're just dreaming about Alex because you miss him so much?" "You don't understand. You can't understand." Isabel stood up, pulling her hand away from his. "It's not just a dream representation of Alex. It is Alex." She kept her voice down, but it started to shake angrily. "I should never have told you. I should have known you wouldn't believe me." "Sit down." Kyle grabbed her hand again, and she let him pull her back down to her seat. "If you say that it's really Alex, then I believe you. But give me some time to assimilate all this, okay? It's kind of out-there. Just give me a while to think it over and make some sense of it in my mind." "Okay." "I do believe you, Iz." At least, he believed that she believed it. It was worth it when he saw her smile at him. "Thank you, Kyle." "So, what does Alex say about all this? In the dreams, I mean?" Kyle couldn't believe he was actually having a conversation about Alex's ghost, but he didn't think upsetting Isabel more would actually be helpful right then. She looked worried. "He's not able to talk much about what happened to him. It seems to hurt him to think about it. I don't want to push him too much." She looked at Kyle earnestly. "Kyle, I do know how insane this all sounds. Really. I didn't believe it myself at first. But I know that it's Alex in my dreams. I'm not wrong about this. And since he's gone, what other possibility is there?" "Let me think about this," he repeated. She gave him a brilliant smile, one that made him feel warmer just to see. "Thanks for listening. It's good to know that there are people I can trust." "You can trust me, Isabel." He wondered exactly when Isabel Evans had become his best friend. It had snuck up on him some time in the last few months. But, Kyle guessed that if you could forgive someone for tearing into your memories the way Isabel had, then your friendship had to be pretty strong. "I know." Isabel stood again, gathering her books. She bent down to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Thanks." She walked over to the desk. Kyle watched as she checked out her books and left, his History paper forgotten as his mind reeled with what Isabel had just told him. Ghosts. Great "Isabel Evans? Way to go, Valenti." Kyle sighed at the voice behind him. He didn't even turn around. "Go away, Ted." Yet another one of his old football friends. Not quite as bad as Brad Forster, but definitely not someone he wanted to discuss Isabel with. There were some actually decent guys on the football team. Why was it that none of them ever seemed to show up when Kyle was hanging with the Pod Squad? Just lucky, I guess. "Hey, just commenting on your good luck," Ted pressed on, apparently undeterred by Kyle's tone of voice. "I mean, Isabel Evans! I didn't know she was back on the market. Good for you, man." He slapped Kyle on the back and left. Great. By tomorrow half the school will think that Isabel and I are going out. Whatever. Grand scheme of things, a little gossip was the least of Kyle's problems. First and foremost was his concern about Isabel. What was going on with these dreams of Alex? Kyle was worried. Strange dreams never seemed to bode well for anyone in their group. He'd known that Isabel was grieving and missing Alex desperately. Was her subconscious creating these dreams as a way of holding on to the man she loved? And if so, was this healthy or not? Kyle had no idea. Was there even a chance that she might be right? Could Alex possibly be communicating with her? Kyle sat there, silently pondering, until he noticed the looks the media specialist was giving him. When he finally got up to leave, he was no closer to an answer. All he did know for sure was that he was worried about Isabel. ----------------------------------------------------- Valenti nodded at the librarian on duty. "Afternoon, Janice. How are things going?" She smiled. "Fine, Sheriff. Nothing too terribly exciting here." He chuckled warmly. "Well, that's a good thing. Excitement generally causes more problems than otherwise." "True. We might have a few over-due book offenders to send you after, but otherwise, not much to worry about." Her smile faltered. "There isn't, is there?" He hastened to reassure her. "Not a thing." He looked around, but didn't see who he was looking for. "Could you tell me where to find Lynn Prentice?" "Lynn? She's in the back room, going through some new deliveries." Janice's face showed a mixture of concern and curiosity. "What do you need with her? She's not in any trouble, is she?" Valenti maintained his smile while inwardly groaning at the thought of what gossip might come from this. "Not at all. But you know, she's new in town, and stopped by the station the other day to ask some questions. You can understand, a woman living alone. She wanted to make sure she was living in a safe neighborhood and all." He laughed. "What, did you think you'd employed a dangerous felon or something?" She joined in the laugh. "Of course not. Lynn seems to be a lovely girl." She winked at him. "You just go on back then. She's almost done for the day, anyway." Valenti walked off, wondering what possible spin Janice Wooding would manage to put on his visiting the new librarian. She was a nice lady, but unfortunately an incurable gossip. Still, it was better than the truth. He actually felt a little stab of guilt. The truth was, Lynn was a killer. And Valenti, the sheriff who these townspeople trusted, was not only doing nothing about it, but he was helping her keep her secret. He hated having to make these types of choices with his loyalties. All he could do was hope that Michael and Max were right about this, and that Lynn really wasn't a threat. Shalin, he reminded himself. He might as well start thinking of her by her true name. The alien killer in question was easily found in an empty corner of the library, muttering to herself as she rummaged through a box on the table in front of her. Judging by her expression, she wasn't liking whatever it was that she found inside. Valenti leaned in the doorway to the small room, knocking on the doorframe. Shalin didn't look up. "I was wondering which of you would check up on me today." She glanced up at him, a smile momentarily replacing the irritated expression. "I have to admit, I'm glad it was you." "Why's that?" She laughed. "It's rather complicated to be around Michael right now, and I really can't stand that royal idiot." She looked him up and down assessingly. "You are definitely the best of the options." "I've had better compliments," he complained good-naturedly as he entered the room, sitting on the corner of the table and attempting to look into the box. Other boxes cluttered the floor. "What's all this?" "You won't believe it." She reconsidered. "Okay, maybe you will. You've lived here your whole life, haven't you?" She pulled a shirt out of the box. "Look at this thing. They're for the Crash Festival in a few weeks. Crash Festival. Nothing traumatizing or tacky about that. And we're supposed to wear them." She held it up to her front, giving him a big cheesy smile, all wide-eyed. "What do you think? Is it me?" Valenti burst out into a genuine laugh. The shirt had a picture of a little green alien sitting in a large armchair in an old-fashioned library setting. The walls behind it were lined with bookshelves, and there was a warmly lit fire behind it. In one hand was a book, and in the other it held a pipe. But the finishing touches were the purple smoking jacket and little alien slippers it was wearing. The logo read 'Get Abducted by a Good Book'. Shalin gave him a wounded look. "Sure, you can laugh. You don't have to wear the thing." "It's not that bad. Really," he insisted. "Compared to some of our local merchandise, it's actually tasteful and dignified." She looked at him in frank disbelief. "You are all insane in this town. You know that, don't you?" Valenti heard the person coming up behind him a moment before the familiar voice. "Well, a little alien insanity keeps our local economy up and running, so we learn to deal with the quirks and kooks around here." Valenti turned to face Amy DeLuca. "Jim." She didn't smile. "Hello, Amy." He gestured to the shirt in Shalin's hands. She had a very peculiar little smile on her face as she watched him and Amy closely. "One of yours?" "My shop provided the library with the shirts for the Festival, yes." She held out her hand to Shalin. "My name's Amy DeLuca. Is there a problem with the shirts?" "No. They're actually exactly what I expected." Shalin took her hand. "I'm Lynn Prentice." Her smile widened. "Guess I'm just still adjusting to all the quirks of this town." "Give it a little time, and I'm sure you'll fit right in." Amy turned back to the sheriff, who was at that moment wishing he was anywhere else. "What brings you here, Jim?" Before he could answer, Shalin interjected smoothly. "We were just about to leave." She put down the shirt and picked up her purse. "Jim promised me dinner." The smile she gave Amy this time was definitely laced with challenge. "Do you have any recommendations? We've already been to Cow Patty's, but while I admit the line dancing was a definite experience, I was hoping for something a bit more intimate this time." She ignored the looks Valenti was shooting her from behind Amy's back. "Being so new in town, I'd really appreciate any suggestions from an Roswell old-timer like yourself." Amy wasn't likely to back down, giving the other woman a smile equally lacking in sincerity. "Oh, I'm sure Jim can come up with something. There's not much going on in town that he doesn't know about, and he does get around." She turned to the sheriff. "Don't you, Jim?" "Amy," he started, but was stopped as Shalin took his arm. "You're probably right. We'll find someplace, won't we?" She smiled up at him, starting to walk out of the room. Valenti found himself being pulled along. "Nice meeting you, Amy." Valenti kept silent until they were outside. He pulled his arm free and turned to her angrily. "What the hell was that all about?" he exploded. Shalin gave him an impatient look. "She wanted an explanation for why the town sheriff was visiting me at work. She struck me as the suspicious type. Something about the eyes?" She started walking towards his car. "Or was I wrong about that?" "No." He hurried to catch up with her. "So you made her think we were dating?" "It was the obvious explanation." She frowned slightly. "I could go back inside and tell her the truth if you want. You know, that you were just checking up on me to make sure I wasn't plotting to take over the planet or kill one of the Evans kids. 'Cause that would be much better than her thinking we're going out for dinner." He leaned closer. "I think we might have been able to come up with another option." Shaking her head, Shalin smiled. "Will it really hurt to have her think another woman's interested in you? A little jealousy might help you out." Valenti tensed. "What are you talking about?" Shalin gave him an innocent look. "You mean she's not the reason you were sitting at the bar Wednesday night drinking all by your lonesome?" "How did you............." "I can read body language," she interrupted. "The two of your bodies were practically screaming out for anyone to hear." She reached down for the door handle. "Now, why don't you be a gentleman and take me for that dinner? Then you can tell me all about you and Maria DeLuca's mother." Valenti opened the door even as he shook his head ruefully. How did he get himself into these things? "I'll take you for dinner, but we're not talking about my personal life." "Fine." She slid into the car. "Right now, I'm so hungry that I don't care what we talk about. In fact, we don't even have to talk. I just want to eat and get over the trauma of that shirt." Still uncertain about how this situation arose, Valenti got into the car, barely stopping a laugh. It was almost too bad that there was that rule about keeping Shalin away from the others. He'd like to see her response to the menu at the Crashdown. ----------------------------------------------------- Michael went straight to his bed and collapsed when he got home from the ranch. Two hours of hot sweaty work out there in the fields – he was ready to crash. So he didn't even move when he felt her enter the apartment shortly afterwards and come up to him quietly. Maybe she would take pity on his obviously exhausted state. Maybe she would be merciful and simply let him have his well-earned rest. Maybe she would realize how hard he was working to get extra money to support their daughter and would be inclined to let this one evening go........... Or maybe she would grab the pillow from under him and hit him over the head with it. "Get up!" Maria yelled impatiently. "Mom's expecting us soon, and you really need to get cleaned and ready." "Don't wanna go," he muttered, refusing to open his eyes. He could practically feel her glare boring into his back. "You promised, Michael," she said dangerously. As if. "No, I didn't." He still kept his eyes closed. "Michael is asleep. Leave a message and he'll get back to you later." Studying him closely, Maria decided to change tacks. Sitting down gently on the bed next to him, she reached out a gentle hand to rub his back soothingly. "Poor baby," she murmured. Michael made a quietly appreciative noise as some of the tension faded from his tired back muscles. "You had a long day, didn't you?" "Uh, huh." This was nice. He could get used to this. "First school, then the Crashdown, then the ranch. You must be exhausted." "Uh, huh," he got out again, halfway to sleep. Maria's voice was so soft and calming. It made him let down his defenses and relax. "A home-cooked meal is just what you need, isn't it?" "Uh....." Catching himself in the nick of time, Michael opened one eye to glare balefully at her. "Sneak." She smirked down at him. "Can't imagine where I've picked up these bad habits." She leaned down on her side next to him, maintaining eye contact. "Please, Michael. This dinner is important to my mother." "Maria, I am completely exhausted. I don't have the energy to deal with one of your mother's int

Anla · Post by **Anla** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 11:37 am

Isabel knocked as she opened the door. "What's wrong?" she asked her brother quietly. Max looked up from where he was resting on the bed. "Nothing." "Right." Isabel closed the door behind her, leaning against it. "That's why you're sitting in here in the dark, listening to the Counting Crows." Max shrugged silently. "Come on, Max. I'm your sister. Who knows you better than me? These are not good signs." She walked in and sat next to him. "Is it Liz? Did you two have a fight?" Liz problems were the most likely cause of Max depression. Max frowned, not meeting her eyes. "I don't really want to get into it right now, Iz." He then turned to her, eyes pleading. "Please, Isabel. It has nothing to do with you or the group. Let it go for now." She could see the pain he was trying to hide in his eyes. Whatever it was, this was something big. Still she knew that she wasn't able to do much in the drama that was Max and Liz's relationship. They would have to deal with their own problems. So, Isabel simply leaned over and gave him a hug. "Okay, I'll let it go. For now." She stood up, pausing at the door. "You're wrong about one thing, Max." He looked up at her. "When something hurts you like this, it does affect us. All of us." She smiled gently. "We're all connected, remember? Let me know when you want to talk." Max almost smiled. "Night, Iz." Isabel closed the door quietly, yawning as she headed for her own room. It wasn't really that late, but she was exhausted. Seemed like she simply wasn't able to get enough rest these days. Shaking her hair loose from its ponytail, she smiled happily. Well, at least going to sleep early meant that she had a chance of seeing Alex again that much sooner. But before she could get changed and ready for bed, she heard a knocking on her window. Isabel tensed instinctively at the sound. It had been a while since Michael had come by unannounced at night, and even then, it was Max's window he would pound at, not hers. So who was this? Hand outstretched and ready to attack if necessary, Isabel walked over as silently as she could and pulled open the blinds. "Hey! Don't point that at me!" Kyle protested. She lowered her hand and rolled her eyes. "What do you want, Kyle?" she asked as she opened the window for him. Kyle climbed through the window into her room. "I've been thinking." "And I shudder in fear." "Very funny." Kyle sat down at her desk. "I was thinking about what you told me earlier. About Alex." "Oh." Isabel sat on the bed's edge, suddenly nervous. Had Kyle come to tell her that he thought she was crazy? "Well?" For the first time, Kyle seemed to realize that he was sitting in her bedroom at night. He looked around nervously. "Maybe I should talk to you in the morning." "No." Isabel tried to put on an air of false confidence. "You came all the way over here. So, enlighten me. What conclusion did you reach?" Kyle looked at her directly, blue eyes serious. "I want you to take me into your dreams with you. I want to see Alex again." For a long moment, all Isabel could do was stare at Kyle. He wanted her to what? "I don't even know if I can do that," she protested finally. "You won't know if you don't try," he pointed out calmly. "I want to do this, Isabel. I need to know ....." he trailed off. He needed to know if it was really Alex, if their friend's spirit was reaching out to them. If so, then Kyle needed to explain, to ask his forgiveness. "Please, Isabel," he finished softly. Isabel shook her head, flustered. "It would mean using my creepy alien powers on you," she said, with a nastier edge than she really meant. This was ridiculous. Kyle flinched when she even tried to cool off his water. How could he handle this? "I'd be in your mind again. Are you honestly telling me you want that?" Kyle took a deep breath. "I trust you," he said, voice quiet but steady. He'd given this a lot of thought, and he couldn't say it had been an easy decision to make. But at some point, he was going to have to give up his fear of the aliens. If he was going to continue his friendship with Isabel, he had to learn to believe in her. "You won't hurt me again." Isabel had never expected any of this. For Kyle to have that much faith in her after everything – it was both touching and humbling. "Okay." She could see the relief spark in his eyes. Obviously this was very important to Kyle. "Let's give it a try." She frowned, trying to think out the logistics. "You'll have to be asleep, you know." Kyle smiled for the first time. "I'm a teen-age boy, Isabel. Sleeping is one of the things I do best." She started to laugh, but a yawn interrupted her. "It looks like it's past your bedtime, huh?" "Yeah." She smiled apologetically. "Long day." "I guess." He gestured at the bed. "So, how's this going to work?" Isabel stood up and walked over to the door, locking it. "I really don't want to have to explain to my parents what you're doing in my room at this hour," she offered. "Good idea." Kyle'd always suspected that Isabel had the brains in her family. Isabel got back on the bed. "Lie down." Kyle obediently climbed onto the bed next to her, eyes twinkling with amusement. "Just so we're clear, Iz. This is simply for the purposes of dreamwalking. Sorry to have to tell you, but nothing's going to happen." She hit him over the head with a pillow. "I'm heartbroken," she answered dryly. Lying next to him on the bed, she took his hand in her own and closed her eyes. Kyle did the same. For a few minutes, the only sound in the room was their mingled breathing. Then..... "Kyle?" "Yeah?" "Are you scared?" she asked hesitantly. "Not of you." His answer was instant. "Good." With that, she let herself relax and float away into sleep. Alex........ It wasn't long before Isabel found herself standing in a long passageway. Enough light shone softly from the walls for her to be able to see her surroundings clearly. "Wow." Isabel turned at his voice to see Kyle standing behind her, looking around in wonder. "Nice place." He reached out and touched the pink marble of the walls, admiring the way they glittered in the gentle light. "Fancy. You know how to treat a guy, Iz." Isabel shook her head, both amused and exasperated. "I don't consciously plan where we're going to end up," she tried to explain. In truth, she wasn't sure it was even her subconscious that set the stage for these dreams. Some of them seemed more Alex than her. "So, you come here often?" "No," she answered shortly. At his surprised expression, she felt the need to explain more. "I haven't been here in dreams in a long time." She waved a hand around her. "This is our palace. On Antar." "I didn't think you had a palace back in Roswell," he commented. "So, we're back at the scene of the crime, huh?" Kyle shoved his hands in his pockets, a little uncomfortable. "Why would you want to meet up with Alex here?" "I wouldn't." Isabel tried to pick up any trace of Alex, but came up empty. She didn't sense his presence anywhere in the dream. "Come on." She started walking, knowing he would follow. "Let's see if we can find Alex." It seemed a very long time had passed while the two of them wandered through the echoing hallways of the palace. It was all totally foreign to Kyle, who frequently stopped their progress to examine a particularly magnificent piece of statuary or to admire the view from a window. For Isabel, it was far too familiar. The palace was filled with too many unpleasant memories for her now. Vilandra had betrayed her family and died here herself. This was not a place she would have willingly returned to. She couldn't imagine Alex picking this spot for a romantic dream, either. Something was wrong. Kyle and Isabel finally ended up in the throne room. "This is where I died," Isabel said in an expressionless voice. Kyle glanced at her sharply. "Maybe we should go look outside." He didn't like the look on Isabel's face. Then she tilted her head to one side and studied the front of the room more carefully, stepping away from Kyle and approaching the two thrones. "Two?" she murmured. "Why two?" "One of the king, and one for the queen?" Kyle guessed. He looked around, growing nervous suddenly. He didn't like the shadows in this place. It's just a dream, Kyle. It can't hurt you. Of course, they all knew better than that. "Aveen never had one," Isabel answered absently. "She died too soon." As she leaned down to touch the second throne, a cold chill came over her. Kyle felt it too. "Uh, Isabel?" "We're not alone." Isabel looked around but didn't see anyone. Still, she had the distinct sense of being watched. "Come on." She ran over to Kyle and grabbed his hand. "Let's get out of here." Isabel nodded in agreement, closing her eyes and concentrated. For one second, she felt as if she'd been immersed in icy cold water threatening to pull her down. It was like nothing she'd experienced in a dreamwalk before. Then she was opening her eyes in the safety of her own bed. She sat up and looked over at Kyle. "That wasn't Alex," Kyle said flatly. He looked as upset as she felt. She shook her head. "Someone else was dreamwalking us." Shivering, Isabel wrapped her arms around herself tightly. "There's something else out there." ------------------------------------------------------ Liz hurried down the stairs. She was already running late, and Maria was supposed to pick her up for school any minute now. It had been a long sleepless night, filled with doubts and thoughts that she wished had never occurred to her. Why can't things ever be simple? A nice normal life with Max. That's all I want. She shook her head sadly. Never gonna happen. Well, right now she had to grab the copy of Romeo and Juliet she'd left down in the breakroom, and get going to school. Spotting it easily, Liz grabbed the book and headed towards the door, starting to open it. But then she hesitated, hearing her father out in the dining area speaking with someone. It was too early to have much of a crowd at the diner. ".... grow up so fast." Liz's father sounded wistful. "It seems like only yesterday they were running around with their Barbie dolls and coloring books, doesn't it?" A laugh. "Liz's dolls were always in much better shape than Maria's," Amy DeLuca answered. "She was much neater, even as a child. I remember the hair cuts that Maria would give her poor innocent little dolls." She heard her father join in the fond laughter. "Now they're practically all grown up. Where does the time go?" "I have no idea. Maria thinks she is all grown up now." A touch of bitterness in her voice. Liz remained frozen just out of sight. It wasn't unusual for Maria's mother to stop by to visit. She did lots of business with the Crashdown, and was friends with Liz's parents. Still, considering everything else that was going on, she found Ms. DeLuca's visit to be rather suspicious. "From what I can see around the restaurant, she and Michael are pretty serious," Jeff Parker said sympathetically. "Well, you remember what young love feels like. It'll last forever, nothing will ever change it. All the hearts and flowers, and passions running high." "I remember. That's what makes us nervous, isn't it?" Another laugh, one that was only slightly amused. "You know, when Liz asked me to hire Michael, I have to admit that I wasn't exactly thrilled by the idea. But he's surprised me. He's actually a lot more level-headed and responsible than you'd think." "One can only hope." Liz peeked around the corner and saw Amy sitting across from her father at the counter. "Liz was the one who got Michael his job? That was nice of her." "That's my Lizzie." Her father's voice was filled with pride. "She'd do anything for her friends." "That group is so close. Poor kids - they've been through so much these last months." "Losing Alex like that was quite a blow. He was so young, had his whole life ahead of him." Liz closed her eyes tightly. The sorrow still ran through her like a blade. "And then Tess left so soon afterwards." Liz found herself tensing up at the name. "Tess Harding? I saw her around a few times. She and Liz weren't that close, I don't think." Liz must have made a noise, because her father looked up and saw her. "Morning, honey. Ready to go?" "Had a hard time waking up this morning. Guess it's senioritis or something." She gave her dad a quick hug. "Hi, Ms. DeLuca. Dropping off some things for the restaurant?" "Alien shaped coffee stirrers. Wouldn't want anyone to have to go without." Amy gave Liz a big smile. "Maria's waiting out front for you." "Oh, okay." Liz hesitated before leaving. She wanted to hear what else Ms. DeLuca was going to ask about. These questions put all of Liz's instincts on alert. "Is there something else you need, Liz?" Liz smiled back at her dad. "Nope. See you later." While she didn't like the idea of leaving the two adults alone to talk about this particular subject, but couldn't think of a way out. So, she swung her backpack over her shoulder and headed out toward the front of the restaurant. What was that all about? One thing was obvious. Amy DeLuca was still asking questions about the group. And she'd managed to pick up that something was off about Tess's disappearance. A DeLuca on the trail for something was never easy to throw off and distract. This was very much not a good thing. So what were they going to do about it? -------------------------------------------------------- "And your mom was asking about Tess," Liz explained as Maria drove through the streets of Roswell. "Which might have been just a coincidence." "It wasn't," Maria replied flatly. "I know my mother. She was fishing." Irritated, she grasped the steering wheel tightly. "I knew she was being way too calm and reasonable, inviting Michael over for a family dinner. I knew she wasn't giving up." "What exactly does she think she's going to find out, anyway?" Maria gave a mirthless laugh. "Who knows? Probably that we've all been involved in drug dealing or gangs or something. Which got Alex dead, and she's probably suspicious that Tess is out there dead somewhere, too. She's been watching too much TV." "Does she honestly think that the sheriff is covering something like that up?" "If she was thinking rationally, she wouldn't. But she's not exactly at her calmest right now." Maria looked at her best friend out of the corner of her eye. "She knows that there's some secret we're all keeping from her. Including Sheriff Valenti. So she feels hurt. You know how it is when love's involved. Logical thought doesn't always apply." "Yeah." Liz looked down at her hands. The blond girl frowned. "You going to tell me what's got you so upset? Besides my mother the grand conspirator?" "Nothing," Liz answered too quickly. "Come on, girl. I have known you for like, forever. I definitely know when something's wrong. Let me guess, it's Max." Liz sighed. "I think we might have broken up last night." "What?" Maria stared at Liz. "Would you be careful?" Liz snapped. "Watch the road!" "Yeah, whatever." Thankfully, they were at the school by then and Maria pulled into a parking spot. She turned to face Liz. "What do you mean, you think you might have broken up? Did you or didn't you?" "It's kind of a long story." Liz looked at the school building, seeking an escape. "We have to get to class." "No, I think we have time for this." Maria took off her seatbelt and tried to make herself more comfortable. "So, spill." Resigned, Liz told Maria the whole story. Maria listened in uncharacteristic silence, not interrupting. "And so he said that I had to make up my mind if I really wanted to be with him or not," she finished. "And I have absolutely no idea what to do now. For the last two years, Max has been the most important thing in the world to me. I've done everything I could for him. And now he says that I'm creating problems that don't have to be there. That I'm the reason we're apart emotionally. What does he expect from me? For me to pretend that the last few months never happened?" "That's not what he's asking, and you know it," Maria finally answered, trying to keep her voice non-judgmental and even. Liz stared at her friend in shocked silence for a moment before she finally found her voice. "You think he's right, don't you?" she finally got out in a small, hurt voice. "You think I'm causing problems in our relationship." Maria shook her head sadly. "Liz, I don't think it's a matter of right or wrong. I think you're both hurting and you have to figure out what's really going on here." She took Liz's hand, hoping to express her support through that simple gesture. "I know that you love Max more than anything else. But I can see where Max is coming from, too. Even with everything I've been going through these last months, I could see how unhappy you are. There's no way that Max could miss it." "I want things to be the way they were. I honestly do." Liz looked down at her hands as she whispered. "But I don't know how to get past everything. Alex died. And it's because of us. Because of me." Maria managed to stifle a sigh. "Liz....." "No, listen to me." She went on in a rush, wanting to get the words out before she lost her nerve. "When Future Max came to me and told me about the future, Alex was there. Alive and well. If I hadn't done what I did, if I hadn't tried to push Max and Tess together – then Tess would have left Roswell. She wouldn't have been around to kill Alex." She looked up at Maria, tears in her eyes. "So it is my fault, Maria." "Unbelievable." Maria leaned back in the seat. "You think it's your fault. Michael thinks that it's because he wasn't a good enough protector. Max thinks everything that happens to any of us is his responsibility. Kyle's guilty because he helped cover it up. Valenti's upset because he gave that monster a home and never suspected her. God only knows what's going on in Isabel's mind." Her exasperation grew as she went on. "What good is all this guilt doing? Has it ever occurred to any of you that Alex would be totally pissed if he heard you? That Alex lived, every single day of his life. He was more full of life and love than anyone else I ever knew. He would hate how all any of you think about is his death. His life was way more important." She stopped, watching Liz's eyes grow wide. "Let it go, Liz. None of us can move on while we're holding so tight to our guilt," she finished in a gentler tone. "I want to," she replied. "I know." Maria gave her friend a close look. "But that's not the only problem with you and Max, is it? Is it about that whole king thing you were talking about the other day?" Liz shifted uncomfortably. "I guess. I mean, Max is the king of an entire planet. I'm just Liz Parker from Roswell, New Mexico. I really have no idea where I fit in with his life. I don't know how being together fits in his life." "Maybe that's the problem." "What do you mean?" "Maybe the problem is that you don't know how you fit in with the group anymore," Maria went on slowly, trying to choose her words carefully. Ever since the Future Max incident, she'd noticed that Liz had become more hesitant, seemingly uncertain of whether she still had a place within their odd little group. It had appeared to get better after they learned about the aliens' pasts, but things had gone downhill again since Alex's death. "You're just kind of there, Liz. It's like you're not sure what to do, or what to say. And you shouldn't be." She smiled. "You're a part of us, Liz. We all love you. You're the light in Max's life. Whatever happens, you will always be a part of the group. You have to believe that." "And you don't ever worry about your place?" Liz asked sharply. She didn't particularly like Maria's theory, especially since it sounded uncomfortably like the truth. She wasn't expecting Maria's laugh. "Not anymore." "Because you're Michael's girlfriend?" "Because I'm Michael's partner," Maria corrected. "I know that whatever happens, we're in it together. And I'm Max's friend, Kyle's almost sister, and Isabel's fellow conspirator when it comes to nagging Michael." Maria's smile remained. "I'm not saying that this is all I want from my life. We're only eighteen, Liz. We're supposed to have plans and dreams still ahead of us. Michael and this baby coming are going to change some of those dreams for me. I know that." She put her hand on her stomach. "But I also know that whatever happens, whatever I make of my life, Michael and I are going to do it standing together. That makes it worth it." Liz stared at her. How had that happened? How had Michael and Maria gone from sneaking around and making out in the eraser room to this quiet certainty in each other? "How can you be so sure?" "Don't know. I just am." Maria shrugged, still smiling softly. "Call it my leap of faith. It wasn't easy. There were so many times that Michael was such a jerk that I didn't think it was worth it. And there were other times when I was sure he was going to leave me again. But in the end, we made it." She leaned closer. "What you have to figure out, Liz, is who you are. Who do you want to be? And what is it you want from your life? If it's Max, then go for it and don't let anything get in your way. If it's not Max, if the alien escapades are too much and don't go with what you really want, well....." She gave Liz a warm smile. "You'll still be a part of us. But when you make this decision, be sure that you're considering who Max really is, too. All of him. The shy boy who's been in love with you forever, and the alien king. Because he's both of them." Liz nodded thoughtfully. Maria was right. Liz had to decide if she wanted to be with the real Max, the complicated person he was in reality, not the simple boy they might both wish he was. After all, wasn't that what Max had finally learned to do – see the whole Liz, imperfections and all? No more putting her up on a pedestal and expecting more from her than any person could possibly give. Yet he still loved her. Max deserved the same. The question was, could she do it? Maria watched sympathetically as the emotions raced across Liz's face. In many ways, the hardest part about loving their alien hybrids was truly accepting them. But it was something Liz was going to have to learn to do, or she and Max had no chance of making it. "Come on, girl. We're going to be late for class." Panic crossed Liz's face. "Oh, no." She hurried out of the car, Maria right behind her. She stood in front of the brunette girl. "Whatever you decide, you know I've got your back, right?" Liz smiled at her oldest friend. "Right back atcha, Maria." The two girls hugged, then rushed off to class. After all, alien romantic issues or not, there was still graduation to think of. ----------------------------------------------------- "So where's Liz?" Kyle asked, glancing around at the lunch tables. "I haven't seen her today." A brief, uncomfortable pause followed his innocent question. "Um, she had some work to do in the library," Maria finally offered, carefully restraining herself from looking at Max. Isabel had no such compunctions, and studying her brother's face, she saw the look of resigned sadness on his face deepen. She hated knowing that Max and Liz were so unhappy, especially when she didn't think they needed to be. Unlike her, they had a chance with the person they loved. Her attention returned to Maria as the human girl went on. "But she did want to make sure we knew that my mother is still on the prowl." Michael put down his sandwich. "Great. She was way too nice at dinner." He glared pointedly at Maria. "I knew it." "Before you start going all 'I told you so' on me, Spaceboy, I would seriously consider what result that would have on your living conditions," she warned. Michael scowled at her, but wisely chose not to say anything else. Maria turned back to the others. "She's not giving up on this, guys. I know my mother." She made a face. "Mom's like a dog with a bone when she has an idea in her head." Michael made a suspicious noise. "What?" she snapped at him. "I didn't say anything." Michael's face was a picture of innocence. Max moved to intervene before a full-scale Michael/Maria argument got started. While that would be a sign of normalcy in the group, it wasn't the most productive use of their time. "What exactly is it that your mother's still going on about?" "Same thing as before." Maria sighed. "Specifically, she's asking about Tess. Mom's not going to be satisfied until she knows exactly where Tess is and what she's doing." "Well, that shouldn't be too hard," Kyle remarked bitterly. "Off consorting with evil alien dictators on a planet with jello water. Maybe we should just tell her that." "The water wasn't jello," Michael pointed out. "What have you been telling him?" he asked Isabel. "I never said that the water was jello. I just told him and Alex that it was thicker than water here. Then they started coming up with these ideas about going to the beach and jumping on the water like trampolines." Isabel wrinkled her face in distaste. "At which point I left the room. It was a bit too weird for me." Michael shook his head. "What's going on in your head, girlfriend?" Maria had noticed the thoughtful expression on Max's face. "I might have an idea," he answered slowly. "Do you still have that postcard from Laurie?" "Back at home." Michael gave him a curious look. "What do you have in mind, Maxwell?" Max smiled. "Giving Ms. DeLuca some answers." Isabel glanced at her watch. "Ugh. I better get going." "Hang on." Kyle grabbed his stuff quickly and followed her. When they reached the door to the building, he stopped and pulled Isabel aside. "When are you going to tell them?" he whispered urgently. "Tell them what?" Isabel avoided his eyes. "What do you think? Exactly how much is going on in your life right now that outdoes having something lurking around in your dreams?" Isabel sighed. "I'm not telling them anything yet." She hurried on over his stunned splutters. "Not until I know for sure that there's something to tell." "Isabel, there was someone in that dream last night, watching us." Kyle's voice was firm. "Or something." "Or we were just so freaked out in the dream that we overreacted and imagined something." Isabel tried for a reasonable voice. "Whatever it was, if it was anything, it wasn't Kivar," she tried to comfort him about his number one concern. "I would recognize the touch of his mind. Listen, Kyle, if I sense anything like that in my dreams again, then I'll tell the others. Right now, they have enough on their minds without worrying them about things that might only be our imagination." Kyle looked unconvinced. "I don't know, Iz. Weirdness in your dreams is usually a really bad sign." Isabel clutched at his arm. "You promised, Kyle," she said urgently. "You said I could trust you." "You can." Brown eyes met blue. "Then keep your promise." Kyle gave up. He couldn't resist the plea in her eyes. "Fine." He raised a stern finger. "For now." "Good." Isabel beamed at him. She didn't want to have a conversation about her dreams with her brothers. She was afraid of what Max and Michael would think about her dreams of Alex. They wouldn't believe it was really him, of that she was fairly certain. They would either think she was crazy, or not dealing with the reality of his death or something. They would definitely want her to stop the dream visits. That was something she wasn't prepared to do. Back at the table, Michael and Maria said good-bye to Max and watched as he walked towards the doors Kyle and Isabel had already passed through. "This whole thing with him and Liz is so sad," Maria mused, leaning into Michael. He instinctively wrapped his arms around her. "Hmm." "I mean, they've always had this whole soul-mate love thing going for them," she went on, settling herself even more comfortably into his arms. "Now look at them. They're not even communicating." "Hmm." "Maybe we should try and do something. You know, just give them a nudge in the right direction." She looked over at him. "What do you think?" Michael frowned. "How did we like it when they interfered in our relationship?" "Well, I was hoping that we would be slightly more tactful than they were," she protested. Michael laughed. "Because I'm so tactful." She had to give a small smile at that. "I don't know, Spaceboy. You're constantly surprising me." She reached up and gave him a soft kiss. "After all, look at us. Here we are, cuddling out in the sight of everyone and everything. And you're not running." "Nope, definitely not running." Tightening his arms around her, Michael pressed down for another kiss. A longer one this time. "Not from this," he said, voice husky as he came up for air. "You'd just hunt me down, anyway." "You bet." Maria smiled with satisfaction. "You realize we're the healthy, functional relationship around here, right?" Michael chuckled, dropping a kiss on her forehead before standing and pulling her up. "Who would have thought?" --------------------------------------------- "I'll only be a minute," Max told Maria as they entered his house. "This won't take long." "I'll just be in the little alien hybrid's room." "Down the hall, third door on your left." Max pointed the way with a smile before heading up to his room. Once inside, he sat at his desk and took his yearbook down from the shelf. Time to put Operation Mislead Amy into effect. At the very least, this might buy them some time. He looked down at the postcard from Laurie Dupree. Michael had something to do after school, but Maria had been more than happy to go with Max and retrieve it from the apartment. He studied the postcard. A bright picture showing Big Ben. He turned it over. Stamp and postmark from England. Yes, this should work. Opening his yearbook, Max turned quickly to the page he wanted. Tess Harding stared up at him from the page, smile shining. Wistfully, Max looked down at her picture. He couldn't admit it to anyone, least of all Liz, but he missed Tess. A lot. Oh, not in any romantic way – whatever attraction he'd once felt for her had passed a long time ago. But once she got over the whole Destiny thing, Tess had been a good friend. She was fun. Plus, Max appreciated how she wasn't afraid to stand up to him and tell him when he was being an idiot, and the way that she supported him when he needed it. The way that she made him smile. Tess had been loyal and helped keep him grounded. Which made her betrayal such a shock. Max studied the message she'd written beside her picture, one of the few messages he had in his yearbook. "Max, Try to laugh a little more, fearless leader. <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/smile.gif ALT=":)"> Thanks for helping me learn what family really is, and about the choices we can make. I'll always think of you as a friend." "Why did you do it, Tess?" he whispered. It was all wrong. He would have trusted in Tess's loyalty completely. Yet it almost got him handed over directly to Kivar. That trust got Alex dead. Max wished there was someone, anyone, he could talk with about his doubts, his questions. He wished he could talk to Michael, especially. Michael and Tess were so much alike. Which was the problem, of course. Max now understood better why the subject of Tess was so painful to Michael. The fact that she killed one of the group was reason enough for Michael to hate her. But even more than that, Tess was the traitor that Tymrath was supposed to be. The traitor that Michael was supposed to be. Perhaps Michael understood Tess too well. Max shook his head impatiently. This wasn't helping anything. Hurriedly, he swept his hand over Laurie's message from England, using his powers to wipe the back of the postcard clean. Then, studying Tess's handwriting, he replaced it with a message from 'Tess', telling the Valentis all about the fun trip she and her aunt were having. "Finished?" Maria stood in the doorway. Max looked the finished product over carefully. "Looks like I could have a career in forgery if all my other options fall through," he remarked dryly. He showed the postcard to Maria. Her lips tightened. "Great. Let's go con my mother, shall we?" ----------------------------------------------------- Michael grumbled to himself as he carried yet another box out of the storeroom and placed it out in the display area. Of course, he was careful to keep those grumblings inside his head. He wasn't stupid enough to vent them out loud where Amy DeLuca could hear them. I have a few hours off between school and the Crashdown, and what am I doing with it? Am I sleeping? No. Working on getting the apartment ready for the baby? Nope again. Spending time with Maria? He paused briefly in the act of opening the box, a small smile on his face as he imagined the possible ways he and Maria could be entertaining themselves. The smile faded and his grim look returned. And another no. Instead...... He opened the box and pulled out yet another green alien figurine. Michael and the alien stared back at one another, faces sharing matching stern looks. I need help. Serious help. "How's it going out there, Michael?" Amy's voice drifted out from the back. "It's going fine, Ms. DeLuca," Michael answered instantly, forcing some enthusiasm into his voice. "I'm almost done with the figurines." "Great. When you're done with that, I have some aprons back here for you to put on the mannequins for display." Michael cast a quick glance at the three aliens in the display window, two greens and a grey. Aprons? "I'll be right there, Ms. DeLuca," he said weakly. Then he proceeded to beat his head against the top of the box in front of him, wondering how far he could get before Amy found him and dragged him back to the shop. Not far. She'd probably get Maria to help her. Valenti blinked in surprise as he entered the shop. "Michael?" He wasn't expecting the teen to look up at him with such fervent hope in his eyes. "Something up, Sheriff?" Michael jumped up and walked towards the older man. "Do you need me for something?" Maria couldn't blame him for bailing if it was alien-related. "No." Valenti's confusion only grew as he saw the crest-fallen look on Michael's face. "I can't say I was actually expecting to find you here. I'm here to talk to Amy." He looked around at all the strange and wonderful DeLuca alien merchandise, then back at Michael, the very last alien he would have ever expected to find in this store. "What are you doing here, Michael?" Michael shook his head, a sad expression on his face. "I have no idea," he muttered, hoping she didn't hear him. "I was eating dinner, minding my own business, and the next thing I know, Amy and Maria are going on about how wonderful it was that I said I'd help with organizing the new shipment." He shook his whole body at the horror of it all. "I don't even remember the question. I sure don't remember agreeing to it. But here I am." He waved his hand around the store. "Isabel's right. These types of places are damaging to us psychologically. Although....." A small smirk appeared as he reached over and grabbed one of the alien figurines. "What do you think? See a resemblance to Fearless Leader? I'm thinking of naming them." Valenti chuckled softly. Only the DeLuca women could manage to broadside and manipulate Michael so completely. He could relate. But before he could offer any words of support and sympathy, their attention was distracted by another arrival to the store. Or rather, two arrivals. Kyle held the door open for Maria with one hand, while keeping a tight hold of a bunch of textbooks in his other. Maria had two large ice cream cones in her hand, one of which she was devouring busily. "You brought me ice cream?" Michael asked, going over to give her a welcome kiss. That was nice. "Oh, no, you don't." Kyle moved to grab the second ice cream cone out of Maria's hand. "This is mine." Defensively, he moved a few steps away and towards his father. No way was Michael getting his hands on his chocolate ice cream! "Sorry, Spaceboy." Maria leaned up to whisper in his ears. "I'll make it up to you later. Promise." Valenti, whose hearing was apparently better than Maria thought, decided to ignore that comment. Instead, he turned to his son. "What happened to your book bag?" "Broke," Kyle answered loudly, but didn't meet his eyes. Valenti frowned, but before he could ask anything else, Maria caught his eye. "Later," she mouthed at him, so while he was confused, he let it go. "Are you ready for those aprons now?" Amy asked, balancing a box in her arms as she emerged from the outer room. "Oh." Her eyes flickered around the crowd. "Hey, kids. Jim." Everyone noticed how much cooler her voice was on that last word. "Hey, Mom." Maria smiled brightly. "Just checking up on Michael to make sure he was working his hardest." She turned that smile to Michael, ignoring his scowl. "Aprons, Guerin?" Kyle had his most innocent expression on his face, but it was clear he was about two seconds from bursting into hysterical laughter. "Maybe you could help him, Kyle." Amy unexpectedly came to Michael's defense. Michael smirked at his friend. "Sure thing." Kyle went over to Amy, who was in danger of dropping the large box. "Let me get that." Somehow, while trying to grab the box with his hands full, Kyle managed to drop his books. "Clutz." Maria shook her head and went over to help them pick up Kyle's books. Michael took the box. Valenti, suspecting that something was up, stayed where he was, watching. Amy bent down to help Maria and Kyle. "Here. You lost some papers." She turned over the postcard in her hands. "England? I would love to go there someday." "Oh, that's from Tess," Kyle said casually, picking up the last of his books and helping Maria back to her feet. "She and her aunt are in England now." Amy looked over at him sharply, then back to the postcard. "Really?" "Yeah." Kyle turned to his father. "Sounds like Tess is having a ball. You and I should try the whole travel thing someday." "Maybe someday," Valenti said calmly. "Right now, I think Europe's a little out of our price range." "Yeah, well, when I become a world famous ball player and make tons of money, then we can go." Kyle joked. "Hey, when you do become rich and famous, don't forget us little people," Maria teased, looping her arm through Kyle's. "I wouldn't mind a trip to Europe. England, Italy, Spain........" "I'll consider it." As they joked around, Valenti noticed how Amy quickly turned over the postcard to read the message from 'Tess'. Glancing over, he saw that Michael was observing it, too. They both looked away by the time Amy returned her attention to the group, though. "Well, I'm sure you don't want to lose this." She handed the postcard back to Kyle. "I didn't know that you and Tess were still in touch." Kyle shrugged. "Depends. She and her aunt are traveling around so much right now that I don't hear from her regularly. But every once in a while, she remembers us back in Roswell and writes." "Us little people," Maria left him and went over to Michael. "Of course, none of us rates a postcard. Only you." "She said to say hi to everyone in the gang," Kyle protested, smiling back at her. Valenti wasn't sure how he felt about this. On the one hand, maybe this would help derail the Amy Express from flattening them all in her search to find out what happened to Tess. But on the other hand, there was something extremely disconcerting about hearing the kids lie so smoothly to Amy. Especially Kyle. He had no idea that his son had learned how to be such an accomplished liar. It wasn't something he was really comfortable with knowing. "Well, I'll be in the back. You kids have a nice day. I'll see you at home for dinner, Maria." Amy went into the back. "My job of mocking is done here," Kyle said, dodging the stuffed UFO Michael threw at him. "Hey, watch that. Maria, can't you control him better?" "You deserve it." Maria leaned against the wall, still eating her ice cream cone. "Mocking should be done in a much more subtle manner. The mocker should never admit to the mockee what he's doing. It's a finely tuned skill." "Whatever. Bye, Dad." Kyle backed towards the door, keeping a close eye on Michael. "You two try not to get into too much trouble," Valenti said, gathering his courage and heading towards the back room. Michael and Maria watched him. "Well?" "I don't know." Michael came over to her. Maria moved so that Michael could get behind her and hold her tight. "He wasn't expecting that," Maria pointed out, whispering so quietly that she doubted anyone but Michael could have heard her. Michael bent his head and whispered. "He didn't like it." Maria nodded sadly. She wasn't too thrilled about lying to her mother again, either. But what could they do? In the back, Valenti was cautiously approaching Amy. "Amy? Can we talk?" Amy's back stiffened, but she didn't turn around from where she was going through coffee mugs. "What do we have to talk about, Jim?" she answered, keeping her voice carefully neutral. "Well....." Now that he was here, Jim didn't have the slightest clue of how to start. "About yesterday. At the library." At that, Amy did turn around, keeping her face carefully expressionless. "It wasn't what it looked like. With Lynn." "You don't owe me any explanations for what you do, Jim." Amy folded her arms in front of her. "In fact, the only information you do owe me is if you should happen to find out anything else about my daughter's life that she hasn't bothered to tell me. Like if she's run off to get married in Vegas or something – that I would appreciate being told." His face must have revealed some reaction to her naming Vegas, because her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "She hasn't, has she?" "No," he answered quickly, holding his hands up placatingly. "Not that I know of." "Oh, you'd know," she said, voice much too sweet. "You know everything that's going on with that little group of kids, don't you? Care to share with the rest of us concerned parents?" Jim closed his eyes. "I guess you're right. We don't have anything to talk about." He turned to leave, wishing she would stop him, even though he knew she wouldn't. "Sorry to have bothered you." Jim simply nodded to the kids on his way out, leaving silently. As soon as the door closed behind him, they winced at the sounds of boxes being banged around in the storeroom. "That didn't go well," Michael commented unnecessarily. Great – now he not only had to spend time dealing with tacky alien souvenirs, but now he had a cranky boss thrown in as well. Maria had finished her ice cream by then, and she put both her hands in his, moving them to rest over her stomach. "We have to do something, teel-sharan," she said quietly. "This is hurting them both too much." Michael hesitated, still unsure about interfering in anyone else's relationships. But thinking about the look on the sheriff's face as he left, Michael sighed. He hated seeing Valenti suffer because of them. "Talk to Isabel." Maria turned her head to give him a curious glance. "I think she's already got some ideas." ------------------------------------------------------ Valenti was still in a bad mood the next morning when he got to his office. He wanted to fix things with Amy, but didn't know how to without telling her the kids' secret. And that wasn't an option. Plus, the more time went on, the more annoyed he was getting at her stubbornness. She ought to know him well enough to know that he wouldn't be involved in anything illegal. Well, not without good reason, he corrected himself, thinking of some of the things he'd done over the last few years that stretched, if not out and out broke, the law. Of course, she was right about him keeping something from her. All in all, the mixture of guilt and anger wasn't making his mood any better. And the sight that greeted him when he reached his office didn't improve it any. Deputy Blackwood was standing along one wall, keeping an impassive eye on Lynn Prentice who was sitting, apparently waiting for him to show up. Great. He'd managed one Shalin-free day. "Something I can help you with, Ms. Prentice?" he snapped before he caught himself. As entertaining as she could be, he really didn't need to deal with her games on top of his Amy-confusion. Her eyebrows raised slightly, but otherwise she showed no response to his grumpiness. "I was hoping to talk with you." She looked over at the deputy. "Alone, if possible." Valenti sighed. "Fine." He turned to his deputy. "Anything that needs my attention right away?" He shook his head. "No, things are pretty quiet today." Then, he turned to his own desk and got to work on some papers. No questions. That was one of the things that Valenti appreciated in his deputy. Owen was competent at his job, and knew how to keep his own counsel. Unlike poor Hanson. "Come on, then." Valenti held the door to his office open, waiting for Shalin to enter before following. He went to sit behind his desk. "What's going on, Shalin?" She stood just inside the door, looking at him carefully. "Your deputy doesn't like me," she began. Valenti frowned. He was pretty sure that wasn't what she had come by to talk about. "Owen? He's just cautious about people he doesn't know." "No." She shook her head. "It's more than that. The way he was watching me – he doesn't trust me at all." A small smile appeared on her lips. "Does he know about us, too?" "Not unless you messed up somehow. He's not a member of the club." Valenti leaned back and sighed. "Listen, Shalin. I'm really not having a good couple of days. If there's some new crisis I need to know about, I'd appreciate it if you just spit it out. I don't have the energy for games right now." Something flickered in her eyes, an emotion that was gone too fast for him to put a name to. "Poor sheriff." Shalin walked over to sit on the corner of his desk. At least she was wearing jeans today, instead of those short skirts she seemed so fond of. She put one hand over his. Valenti's heart-rate sped up instantly at the contact. He worked hard to control his breathing, not wanting her to see the effect she had on him physically. "Anything I can do to help?" her voice had lowered, become more intimate. "Shalin," he started, warningly. "Don't pretend you're not attracted to me," she interrupted, leaning closer. "You said no games, after all." She smiled. "I can tell, you know." "Okay." He looked her in the eyes. "Yeah. I'd probably have to be dead not to find you attractive. But I'm not a kid. I can control myself." She was way too dangerous to even think about that way. "Of course you can." She laughed softly. "And you still don't trust me. That's okay. We'll go slow." She removed her hand and pulled back slightly from him. "We're not going anywhere," he pointed out, trying to ignore the fact that what he really wanted was for her to be closer, not farther away. "You still haven't told me what you're doing here." "I have to leave town for a few days. Thought someone should know." That drove the other thoughts away. "Why?" The smile she gave him that time wasn't at all seductive or mischievous. Just bitter. "Family business." She waved a hand dismissively. "Kivar wants to meet with a bunch of us." She continued quickly, seeing his growing agitation. "Don't worry. He's not here. But I have to go listen to a message he's sending." "Could it be a trap?" he asked urgently. "Could he know about you helping Michael?" "Sheriff, I didn't know you cared." She laughed. "No, I'm pretty sure this is just routine. And if not...." She stood up and headed towards the door. "Well, if we're all killed by Kivar, then none of you have to worry about any possible ulterior motives we might have." She continued on, briskly business-like. "My people will still be patrolling the borders of town. None of Kivar's Skins will enter. Any internal threats – well, you're going to have to take care of them yourself, won't you?" With a last smile, Shalin opened the door and left, closing the door behind her. Closing his eyes, Valenti leaned back in his seat and tried to get a handle on what was going on. Amy, Shalin, Skins who were possibly allies – things had been much simpler when all he had to worry about was being a small-town sheriff. A boring life was starting to look better and better all the time. ----------------------------------------------------- Isabel walked carefully down the dark pier towards the gentle light. The only sound she could hear were the waves softly rolling around the wooden walkway. But that was okay. This silence wasn't frightening or oppressive. Instead, it was soothing and gentle. Probably because she could feel what was waiting for her at the end. "I was wondering what was taking you so long." Alex's face lit up at her arrival. He stood at the edge of the pier, surrounded by candles. Isabel laughed, flinging back her hair over her shoulder. "A little anticipation is good for you," she teased. "Don't want you to start thinking that I'm going to come running every time you call." "We definitely don't want that," he agreed with mock seriousness. His eyes ran up and down her body, taking in her tight red dress. "You look good. Of course." He came closer, taking her hand and raising it to his lips. "Thank you for coming." He kissed the back of her hand gallantly, then turned it over, lips lingering on her palm. When she was able to catch her breath, Isabel answered. "So, what's the plan for tonight?" Eyes twinkling, Alex gestured behind him. "I thought we'd go for a boat ride." She could see a small boat floating right off the pier. Taking her hand, he put her arm through his. "Shall we?" "Let's." Her smile matched his. Now this was more like it. Just her and Alex, with no outside threats to distract them. She stubbornly refused to dwell on her doubts and concerns about the dreams. Not now. As Alex walked her closer to the boat, she could see that it was lined with very comfortable looking cushions. "Fitting for my lady," he whispered before climbing down into the boat. He reached up for her, lifting her down into the boat gently. As soon as they were comfortably reclining on the cushions, the boat started moving, drifting on its own across the water. The light of the stars was the only guide they had, but Isabel wasn't worried. She trusted that Alex had things under control. And since Alex started kissing her as soon as the boat moved, that was Isabel's last thought for a while. She relaxed and simply enjoyed the feel of his body near hers, his lips moving on hers. Much later, the two of them rested in each other's arms. Their kissing seemed to have gone on for hours, but who knew how much time passed in the dream world? A stray thought passed into Isabel's mind. She wished she could have this in the real world still. As if he had read her thought, Alex spoke up. "It bothers you that I can't remember, doesn't it?" Isabel twisted to look at him. Alex wasn't looking at her. Instead, he was gazing up at the stars with an unreadable expression on his face. "I worry about things I don't understand," she finally admitted. "I don't want to be separated from you again." She hesitated. "I couldn't find you the other night." Alex nodded. "I'm afraid to remember," he said quietly. "I don't think it would be a good thing." Isabel shivered at the empty tone of his voice. "What are you afraid of, Alex?" She turned herself around completely now. "Let me help you." He looked at her finally, and she saw that lost expression in his eyes again. "Shadows. There are so many shadows out there now, Iz. And I'm afraid they'll eat me up. That I'll be lost in them. You're the only thing I can hold on to." She frowned. "I don't understand, Alex. What shadows?" Alex opened his mouth to reply, then paused and look up abruptly. The stars were starting to dim. "You need to leave now," he said urgently. "Time's up." "Why?" She held on to him tightly. He moved close for one final kiss. "I'll be back. You can't be here. Not when........" Isabel woke up. And sat up in her bed. Can't be there when what? What shadows are Alex afraid of being lost in? So many questions, and she had no way of even knowing where to start looking for answers. Those books on ghosts she read were no help. She didn't even know if she should be looking for answers in alien-related or supernatural areas. Frustrated, Isabel lay back down. Sleep didn't return to her that night. ------------------------------------------------------ The next morning, Isabel was still thinking about Alex when she went to her father's office. To be honest, there hadn't been much time in the last few weeks when she wasn't thinking about Alex, trying to figure out those dreams. More and more, she was certain that Alex's spirit was in trouble. The only problem was, she had absolutely no idea how to help him. "Isabel?" A warm voice interrupted her grim thoughts. "What brings you here?" She looked over into the friendly face of Jesse Ramirez. An automatic smile came to her own face. She held up a wallet. "Dad left so early this morning that he forgot this at home. Mom kind of thought he might need it, so she elected me to bring it by on the way to school." "That was nice of you both. He's on the phone but will be out in a minute." Jesse laughed. "I don't think Phillip's noticed it missing yet, but I'm sure he would have eventually. Probably around the time he tried to order lunch." "Yeah, no money would have definitely been a problem at that point." Isabel looked at her father's new partner. She didn't know much about his abilities as a lawyer, but he definitely would catch the interest of any women in the courtroom. The man was simply gorgeous. And his smile seemed honest, like he was really a nice guy. "So what's up with my dad calling you in to work this early, anyway?" He rolled his eyes. "Big case. We'll be working long hours for the next week or so." "Sounds like fun. You must really be thrilled at relocating here, huh? Who knew my dad would be such a tyrant?" Jesse laughed. "It's not that bad. Life in Roswell has some positive points to it." "Really? You'll have to point them out to me some time." She shook her head, still smiling. "Other than the ever-present alien tourist spots, that is. Because we all love t

Anla · Post by **Anla** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 11:48 am

Valenti nearly collided with Deputy Blackwood on his way into the sheriff's station. "What's the rush?" he asked, holding out his arm to block his deputy. "We got a call from the UFO Center." Valenti went instantly from mild curiosity to total attention. "The UFO Center? What's wrong?" Owen looked at him steadily as he answered. "Brody Davis just called and asked for someone to get out there as soon as possible. I don't know what it's about yet." "I see." Valenti forced a smile. "He probably just wants to ask some more questions about his security system. The man's pretty paranoid about his security. Guess when you have that much money, you have something to worry about. Not that we'd ever know about it, would we?" He chuckled. "Tell you what, I'll head over there and see what's going on." "You want me to go with you? For back-up?" He shook his head. "Nah, I'm sure it's nothing. If it was an emergency, he would have called 911 or told you about it when he did call, right?" Valenti waved off his concern. "I'll radio in once I find out what the story is." He was turning to leave when Owen's voice stopped him. "Jim." Owen moved to stand next to him. "You sure you know what you're doing?" Valenti frowned, confused. "Yeah. It's no big deal, Owen. Hold down the office, would you?" This time, he was able to leave and return to his car without any interruption. Owen Blackwood stood there watching his boss leave. "I hope so," he muttered before turning to return inside. ------------------------------------------------------ Isabel's head jerked upwards at the sound of something hitting the counter beside her. She opened her eyes to see a glass of soda barely an inch from her face. She glared up at Michael. "You look awful," he said bluntly. Isabel blinked at him in disbelief. "Gee, thanks, Michael. It's so nice to have supportive family around," she replied sarcastically. Before she could say anything else, Maria appeared besides Michael, grabbing his apron and pulling him away from Isabel. "Get back to work, Mr. Sensitive." "I'm almost done for the day," he protested, pulling away and scowling at her. Isabel really did admire Maria's ability to put up with Michael's moods. Had his scowls ever had any effect on her? Maria simply folded her arms over her chest and glared up at him. "Then go clean up or something," she ordered. When he didn't start moving fast enough, she pointed off in the direction of the back room. "Go." Michael sighed, then started to walk past her. On his way, though, he paused and turned back, grabbing Maria and pulling her up for a quick, very passionate kiss. Then, smirking, he continued on without saying another word. Maria stared after him, distracted, until she heard Isabel giggle behind her. Then she seemed to come back to where she was, and she walked over to their friend, hoping that none of the other Crashdown customers had noticed that little public display of affection. "Do me a favor and don't blast him or anything, okay?" she said, leaning closer to Isabel and speaking in a quiet voice. "He's insensitive and all, but I've kind of gotten used to him." "Well," Isabel said thoughtfully, "I guess I'll let it go this one time. For the sake of my niece." "Very kind of you." The two girls exchanged smiles briefly, then Maria grew more serious. "Michael might not be tactful, but he was right about something. You do look pretty worn. Are you okay?" Isabel shrugged, suddenly very interested in the cherry coke in front of her. "I'm just tired." "That's all?" Maria wasn't buying it. There was a tension around Isabel's eyes that she hadn't seen before, not even when Max was prisoner. This was more than simple exhaustion. Isabel muttered something too low for her to understand. "What?" "I have a headache," Isabel answered, exasperated. "It's not that big a deal. Don't get all mother hen on me." "A headache?" Maria frowned, avoiding the eyes of a customer who was clearly trying to get her attention. "I didn't think you guys got headaches." "Yeah, well, my head aches. So I'm going with the brilliant conclusion that I have a headache." Isabel's tone was more abrupt than she'd intended. Truth was, she wasn't sure what was going on with her. It seemed that she was more tired by the day. Some mornings it was all she could do to get herself out of bed. She would write that off as wanting more time with her dreams of Alex, but she was feeling weaker during the days too. And now this pounding headache. It wasn't normal for them. "Uh, huh." Maria stood up straight, coming to a decision. "I'll be right there!" she yelled over at the persistent customer. "Michael!" As if he'd been waiting for her call, Michael came back out from the back room, without the apron. Isabel was impressed. Maria certainly had him trained well. "What?" he asked grumpily. "I'm going home, so whatever it is, no." Okay, so maybe she didn't have him that well trained after all. "Isabel's not feeling well." With that, Michael's scowl faded and an expression of concern quickly replaced it. "What's wrong?" "It's not that big of a deal," Isabel hastened to reassure him. "I have this headache is all. A good night's sleep should probably fix it." "Let's go see Max." Michael moved around to Isabel's side. "That's what I was thinking," Maria said with satisfaction. "I have to keep working, but let me know what happens." "This isn't really necessary," Isabel protested as she found herself being led from her seat and towards the door. "Just humor us, then, okay?" Michael's tone did more to worry Isabel than anything else. If he was being that gentle with her, then he must be really worried. So she kept any further protests to herself. At least Michael and Maria would back off once Max checked her out and said that she was fine. ------------------------------------------------- "You're one of them, aren't you?" The gun in Brody's hand never wavered, aimed directly at Max. "I remember seeing you. The others, they deferred to you. What did they call you?" He frowned, deep in concentration. "Zan! That was it. They called you Zan. He said that you were friends........" His voice trailed off. "Who is he?" "Who?" Max was desperately trying to think of a way out of this, preferably one that didn't involve him confirming Brody's suspicions. "Brody, you're not making any sense." "The person in my mind!" he screamed at Max. "The alien! Who is he?" Brody started to pace anxiously, still keeping the gun on Max. "I can hear his thoughts in my head. His memories are in there, too. It's like I'm him." He stopped and looked at Max, confused desperation in his eyes. "I'm not him, am I?" "You're Brody Davis." Max managed to keep his voice calm. "And I'm Max Evans. I'm not Zan." Well, that was true, in a manner of speaking. "Brody, I can help you. But you have to put down the gun." "Put it down?" Brody looked down, studying the gun as if he hadn't noticed it before. For a split second, Max thought that maybe he was going to do it. But then Brody shook his head and looked back at the teen. "No, I don't think so. Not until I get some answers." "I don't have any answers to give you." "I think you do. All this time, all the answers have been right in front of me." Brody barked a quick laugh. "And to think, I thought that the aliens were trying to help us. I actually wanted to reestablish contact. All this time, you've simply been using us. You must have gotten quite a good laugh out of it." "Brody....." He cut Max off. "They don't care about us at all. The things I remember..." Brody's eyes widened at a thought. "You're going to destroy Earth, aren't you?" "No," Max said quickly. Damn, Brody must have shared some of Larek's memories of Kivar's plans for Earth. "Brody, you're not yourself." Brody laughed hysterically. "Well, you're right on that one. I'm not sure who I am. Or who you are." He sobered abruptly. "But I do know that you're one of them. And you're not going anywhere until you give me some answers." He stopped at a noise from the stairs. Michael was keeping a close eye on Isabel as they entered the UFO Center, making sure she was okay and didn't pass out, when hew as distracted by a brief sense of discomfort coming through the bond from Maria. He instantly reached out through their bond, but it passed. He frowned to himself. That had felt different from her usual morning sickness, but Maria felt fine now. "You okay?" Isabel asked. "Yeah." They reached the bottom of the stairs and were greeted by the shocking sight of Brody Davis holding a gun on Max. Michael reached out to grab Isabel and pull her back, but froze at the sound of the gun preparing to fire. "No sudden moves." Brody moved so he could see all three teens clearly, keeping his gun aimed at Max. "We insist." "Brody?" Isabel gasped in shock. "What's going on, Max?" "Is this some kind of employee-management disagreement? 'Cause we can come back later if you want." Michael tried to keep his voice even and steady as he attempted to move slowly and position himself between the others and Brody, but as he started to move, he saw Brody's grip on the gun tighten. "That's close enough." He tilted his head to one side and looked at the other two wildly. "Max's sister. And his anti-social best friend. Why am I not surprised?" His brow furrowed in thought. "The hair is different, but I remember you two. You were there as well." "Where?" Isabel looked at her brother out of the corner of his eye. "What is he talking about?" "Brody thinks we're aliens," Max answered wearily. This situation had gone way beyond the point of being contained. "That we're involved in some type of plot to destroy the planet or something." "Great. You've been working at this looney-bin too long." Michael hoped that he was pulling off the whole 'unconcerned by all this crazy talk' attitude, because inside, he was nowhere near as calm. Someone pointing a gun at Max and Isabel – no, he wasn't feeling calm at all. "I am not crazy!" Brody screamed. "I remember you two. You're part of it. You're aliens, too. Just like Max." He turned his attention to Michael. "And Maria dates you. She lets you......." He shook himself wildly. "Is she one of you, too?" He sounded sick. "Maria's as human as you," Michael said sharply. "Leave her out of your delusions, okay?" Isabel could practically feel the tension radiating from Michael increase as soon as Brody brought Maria into the conversation. Looking at Michael out of the corner of her eyes, she didn't like what she saw. Michael was ready to burst, and when he did, it wasn't going to be good for Brody at all. She wasn't sure what was going on, but somehow, Isabel couldn't see Brody as some dangerous enemy for them to fight, gun or no gun. The quirky guy who always tipped Maria so outrageously simply didn't match up with her idea of a deadly foe. But the frenzy in his eyes said otherwise. Isabel looked at him, concentrating despite the increased pain in her head. If she could just make a connection with him......... "Brody?" she took a tentative step towards him, making sure to keep her hands where he could see them, ignoring the sharp intake of breath her brother made. Max readied himself to act, to protect his sister if necessary. Brody moved the gun to aim directly at her. "Don't come near me, whatever you are," he said harshly. Isabel hesitated, reaching out with her mind. "Brody, let us help you. Please." Almost there. She could feel a whirlwind of emotions swirling through his mind. She gulped, unsure of what she was doing. This was much more intense than a usual connection, such strong emotion clouding her ability to distinguish particular images. "You know that you need help, don't you?" Brody seemed to deflate a little at that. Michael looked over quickly at Max, who simply inclined his head towards Isabel. Let her try. Michael gave a barely noticeable nod, willing to follow Max's lead. For the moment. "I've seen it all," Brody pleaded. "All these alien bodies, dying and killing. Burning everything. They don't care about us. They'll do it to our planet, too." "We care." This time, Brody didn't tell Isabel to stop as she took another tentative step closer. She was in his mind deeper now. The fear he was feeling – it was terrifying for her to experience, even second-hand. Brody simply had no way of knowing what was real and what wasn't anymore. She could see what he'd been going through this past week – how one minute he was completely Brody Davis, then the next overcome with Larek's memories. How he would come back to himself with no knowledge of the preceding minutes or hours. How he didn't know who to trust. "We want to help, Brody. Honestly." She could feel some of his panic subside as she sent him calming thoughts. "Can you help me figure out what's real?" Brody was whispering now. All the threat seemed to be gone from him. "I'll help," Isabel promised. "Just put down the gun." He started to relax his hold on the gun. She wasn't sure how long she could keep the connection. Brody's mind was such a mess of tangled memories and emotions. "You don't want to hurt anybody, Brody. You know you don't. Just put down the gun, and we'll help you get better so you can go back to Sidney." And instantly, without even knowing why precisely, Isabel was aware that she had said the wrong thing. The fear and anger, no, the hatred, all flared back up again in Brody's mind. Even before Brody pulled the trigger, Michael was in action, pulling Isabel back roughly. She could hear him yell and saw Max's green force-field go up, but wasn't able to say anything. All she could focus on was that blast of pure hate that had come from the man shooting at them. "You can't have her!" Brody yelled, continuing to shoot, apparently hoping that the bullets would ultimately get through the force field. "I'll kill you first!" "Are you okay, Iz?" Max asked, keeping his attention on Brody in front of him. She managed to nod, pulling away from Michael and standing straight, if a little shakily. "What is this guy's problem?" Michael asked angrily. He was watching Brody with cold eyes. "He thinks we're scary, dangerous aliens," Isabel got out. "Yeah?" Michael gave a cold smile. "Guess he's not that crazy after all. Max," he went on abruptly, "drop the shield." Brody's gun was apparently out of bullets – not that it was stopping him from pulling on the trigger anyway. "Michael," Max started in a low voice. "M'beran," Michael interrupted. Trust me. Max hesitated briefly, then put down his hand. As soon as the force field dropped, and before Brody could even think of responding, Michael was moving, leaping at the human. Isabel couldn't even make out the motion, but the next thing she knew, Brody was lying unconscious on the floor, victim of a direct punch to the face. Michael turned back to look at the other two aliens. "What the hell is going on here, Maxwell?" Max looked down at his unconscious boss. "We'd better get the others." ----------------------------------------------- "So you're saying he just went all psycho on you guys?" Kyle sat down with a thud. "Complete with trying to shoot you?" "Why would he do that?" Liz pulled her hair back off her face. "Brody doesn't seem like the violent type." "He's not." Maria looked over at the open door to Brody's office, where Isabel and Max were trying to figure out what was wrong with him. "Brody's one of the gentlest guys you'd ever meet." Michael snorted. "Be grateful you weren't here. If he knew you were having a half alien baby, you'd probably have been next on his list for target practice." She frowned. "Michael, that's not fair." "It's not?" Michael leaned against the wall, body tense. "Your best buddy Brody found out that there really are aliens among you here in Roswell, and he tried to kill them for the protection of the human race. What a guy." "There's something wrong with him." Maria's eyes took on a dangerous glint. "Obviously." "Whatever." Liz and Kyle exchanged nervous glances, both wishing that they were someplace else. They had no wish to be caught in the middle of a Michael/Maria fight. "What is your problem, Spaceboy?" Maria put her hands on her hips. "My problem?" he exploded. "That person in there tried to kill Max and Isabel. Because they were aliens." He moved closer to Maria, eyes boring down into hers. "He shot at Isabel. Don't you get that?" Maria could almost picture it in her mind. She wondered if she was seeing it as Michael experienced it, how if he had been a bit slower in pulling Isabel back, she would have been shot. And she could feel what was going on inside Michael right now. "So I don't really need to listen to you tell me what a great guy Brody is." His voice lowered dangerously. "Not now, Maria." He turned and walked a few steps away, trying to get himself under control. It hit her suddenly, that realization of what was going on inside him, and she silently cursed herself for not picking up on it sooner. It was taking everything Michael had to restrain himself. Brody was a threat, a clear and present danger to the king, and everything that had been Tymrath in him called for Michael to eliminate the threat. He'd managed to control those instincts and realize that whatever was going on, Brody was just as much a victim as anyone, maybe more so. Still, it wasn't easy to keep himself in check, and Michael didn't need anything else pushing him in the direction of hurting Brody, especially his feelings of protectiveness and dislike for Maria's friendship with Brody. Maria started to follow Michael, to talk to him, but stopped when he turned back and looked past her to the office door. Following his gaze, she saw Max and an exhausted looking Isabel come out to them. "Door's shut tight," Valenti offered, walking down the stairs and over to them. "Here, sit down." Concerned, he led Isabel to a seat. "Are you okay?" "Yeah." She smiled weakly. "It was a little tiring connecting with Brody's mind, is all." "So?" Kyle's voice was impatient. "Did you do your alien mumbo jumbo and fix Brody?" "I wish you would stop calling it that," Isabel protested absently, exchanging a glance with her brother. "It's not that simple." "What's not simple about it?" Liz's quiet voice drew Max's attention away from Isabel. "Were you able to heal him?" Max frowned. "No." He sighed heavily. "I can't heal him." "Okay, girlfriend, that is so not an option," Maria broke in. "You have to heal him." "Yeah, we can't exactly have a crazy millionaire running around telling everyone you three are space invaders," Kyle added. All three aliens glared at him. "Well, we can't." "No, we can't," Max agreed. "But there's nothing for me to heal. There's nothing physically wrong with Brody." "Back up." Valenti frowned. "What is wrong with him, exactly?" Isabel closed her eyes, wishing she was anywhere but there. "Okay, as close as I can figure out, when Larek possessed Brody, he put up a mental barrier to keep his thoughts from Brody's." She opened her eyes and looked at Kyle, who moved to sit next to her. "Basically, Larek's memories and thoughts are in one part of Brody's mind, while Brody's thoughts are in another part. There can be some interaction, but only on Larek's part." "Larek can see and affect the Brody part of him," Max added. "He's the one who suggested that Brody buy the UFO Center and move to Roswell, in fact. But Brody isn't supposed to be able to access anything from the Larek thoughts." "The human mind can't handle it," Liz said thoughtfully. "That's what happened with Alex...." she trailed off and glanced at Isabel before continuing. "With Kivar last year. He knew that there was another mind in there with him." "And it almost shattered his mind," Isabel agreed. "But Alex was able to fight it. Brody isn't. He's getting to the point where he can't even distinguish between his memories and Larek's." She waved in the direction of the office, where Brody was still lying unconscious. "Earlier we saw the Brody personality, and it tried to kill us because he thought we were a threat. Tomorrow it could just as easily be Larek, and he could try to kill humans because they're dangerous to him. Everyone's an enemy." She laughed shortly, but there was no amusement in it. "This morning he attacked a lamp because he thought it was an alien involved in the imminent invasion. He thought it was plotting against him." "He's losing track of things, having black outs," Max leaned against the wall. "He had to send Sidney away because he was afraid that he might hurt her. It was one of his more rational moves lately." Maria shook her head in denial. "Brody would never hurt Sidney. He adores that little girl." "Which is why he sent her away." Isabel looked at her. "I was in his mind, Maria. It's a mess." She spread her hands out in front of her, trying to describe it in a way to make them understand the seriousness of the situation. "It's like a jigsaw puzzle, with none of the pieces put together. Just a jumble of thoughts and emotions. No, make that half of one puzzle mixed with half the pieces of another. There's no way of putting them together to make an organized whole." "What set this off?" Valenti asked. "Me." All eyes returned to Max. "Brody saw me use my powers, and the shock broke down that mental barrier. Everything came rushing in suddenly, and this break-down is the result." "Poor Brody." Maria hesitated, almost looking at Michael, but turning to Max instead. "I'm going to go check on him." Before anyone could say anything, she went off into the office. Max looked at Michael, surprised that he didn't try to stop her, but Michael merely shook his head. "What are we going to do?" Liz asked. "Can we try reasoning with him? Explain the situation?" "If he was normal Brody, sure." Max shrugged. "But as he is, I don't think he's capable of listening to us." "He thinks we're going to hurt his kid," Michael added. "Why would he think that?" Kyle asked in confusion. "Have you three ever even met his daughter?" "Isabel and I haven't. But the guy isn't exactly operating with a full deck at the moment," Michael pointed out. "Add protectiveness of his daughter to all his other paranoia – well, I don't see us having any deep inter-planetary communication here." "Maybe if he knew that Max was the one who healed Sidney?" Liz suggested. Isabel shook her head. "That would only make things worse. Sidney's healing is why Brody thinks we'll take her." "Because the aliens healed him before they used him," Liz said slowly. "So why not do the same thing with Sidney?" She rubbed her face with exhaustion. "This keeps on getting worse, doesn't it?" "Well, we have to do something," pointed out the sheriff, ever practical. "If you can't heal him, then what can we do? We can't have him going around telling everyone the truth." "Let him," Kyle argued. "If he's really as crazed as you all say, then who's going to believe him when he starts going on about the aliens living in Roswell?" "Someone will listen," Michael said flatly. "There's always some kook willing to listen. Look at Hubble." "I would have listened." Valenti sat down. "Especially when taken along with everything else – the shooting at the Crashdown, the disappearing acts you kids keep pulling, the Dupree kidnapping and Laurie's discovery........." "And all of that will be dragged up again. Brody knows dates and places. He can't prove anything, but he can certainly put a spotlight on us. It'll make the investigation into Laurie's kidnapping look like a walk in the park." Max looked directly at Michael. "Options?" "Well, we could kill him," was the calm response. "If he's dead, he can't talk to anyone." "Not funny, Michael," Liz said sharply. The sheriff's head spun around and he stared hard at Michael. "It wasn't especially meant to be." Michael turned and met Valenti's eyes. "Max asked for options. That's one of them. I didn't say I thought it was a good idea." "That's nice. Because I'm voting against any plans involving murder." Kyle's voice was angry. "We're not the bad guys here. We don't just go around killing people." Michael's mouth twisted bitterly. "Right. I'm not voting for that idea, either, for the record. I don't like Brody, but this isn't his fault. This is something we did to him." Isabel shivered. "Us aliens. Plus, Maria would really not be happy at me if we did kill Brody. Second option is, we lock him up somewhere until we can either calm him down or heal him." "I'm not sure that will ever happen," Isabel said sadly. "Where could we keep him locked up for that long, without anyone being able to talk to him?" "It's not exactly a practical solution," Max agreed. "Could you arrest him?" Kyle asked his father. "I mean, he did try to shoot Isabel and Max. It wouldn't exactly be strange for you to lock him up for that." "I could," Valenti answered thoughtfully. "I might even be able to keep him away from anyone for a while. But not for long. He'd have to talk to lawyers, and psychiatrists – hell, I think he wants to talk. He called for police to be here." "So that if he didn't kill us, he could at least turn us over to the authorities," Max said in a quiet voice. Michael looked over at him with concern. He knew his friend, and that voice he'd used was just a bit too calm, even for Max. He was bottling things up inside, trying not to get overly emotional. Not an easy job to do, when they were discussing the possibility of discovery and imprisonment. "Well, maybe we could find someplace to put him. I mean, it's not like people aren't used to Brody disappearing for a while." "It's a short-term solution," Michael pointed out. "It won't solve the real problem – Brody knowing the truth and being perfectly willing to spill it to anyone who listens." Valenti shifted uncomfortably. "Plus, my deputies know that Brody called in to the station today. So if he disappears right after that, they're going to wonder what happened to him." "Wonderful." Max frowned. "Anyone have another suggestion?" "I think I do." Liz had been thinking hard for a few moments. "You and Isabel can fix him." Isabel stared at her. "Were you not listening, Liz? We already said we couldn't do that." "No, you said Max couldn't heal him." Liz's voice started to gain excitement as she spoke. "Listen, the problem happened when that mental barrier Larek put in Brody's mind broke down, right?" She paused while they nodded, then continued. "So put the barrier back. Fix the damage the shock caused, and put things back the way Larek had them." When everyone kept staring at her, she blushed and looked away. "I mean, I know it won't be that simple, but it's not really that different from what you did in Hanson's mind last year, is it?" "No, it's not." A small smile formed on Max's face. "I think that might work." "Well, if you can get Brody back to what passes for normal for him, that would definitely be a good step," Michael agreed. "Good thinking, Liz." She smiled widely at the praise. Isabel looked around at them with an expression of disbelief. "No way." She stood up. "I'm not going messing around in Brody's head. Look at the damage having aliens in there has done to him already." "We're not suggesting that you do anymore damage," Max said, trying to stay calm and reasonable. "We just want you to put things back the way they were." "The way they were after Larek finished playing mental games and turning Brody into his own personal human puppet," Isabel shot back. "We don't have the right to do these types of things, Max." She looked around at them defiantly. "And I won't do it." She started to stalk off towards the stairs, but was stopped when Max quickly chased after her and grabbed her arm. "Listen to me, Isabel," he said urgently. "This is the best solution we have. Is it perfect? No. If I could, I would love to be able to heal Brody completely, so that we could all sit down and have a reasonable conversation about this. But I can't." Isabel glared back at him sullenly. "You're not hurting Brody more. All you'll be doing is fixing the damage that's already been caused to Brody. And yeah, it was caused by aliens. Larek first, then me. So are you going to just leave him like this, for who knows how long? All because you're in some type of 'powers are evil' mood?" His grip on her arm tightened. "You have to do this." "We're not God, Max." She tried unsuccessfully to wrestle her arm from his grip. "Let go of me," she hissed at him. In the background, she could see Michael move to stand behind Max. Max let go of her arm, but his gaze held hers as firmly as his hand had. He was staring at her intently. "We don't have time to indulge your fears and insecurities right now, Isabel," he said coldly. "Indulge me?" She tore her eyes from his and glared at Michael. "You're backing him up on this?" Michael shrugged. "I think this is the best solution, Iz." When she shook her head in denial, Max moved even closer, speaking in a low menacing voice. "Listen to me, Isabel. If he starts talking to people, giving them dates and locations, it's going to attract too much attention to Roswell. To us. Attention that we spent a lot of time getting rid of is going to be right smack back on us." "The Special Unit's gone," she protested. "You're overreacting." "Overreacting?" Isabel winced at Max's sharp tone. "Are you honestly that naïve, Isabel? The Special Unit was closed down, sure, but they're still out there. Alive. Remember, I told Nasedo not to kill anyone? What do you think they're going to do the minute they hear rumors about aliens in Roswell? Aliens who just happen to be the same teenagers they investigated a few years earlier? You don't think that's going to attract some attention?" "Max," Michael tried to interrupt, but his friend ignored him. "I'm not going back to the White Room," Max said flatly, still staring at his sister. "And I will do whatever I have to do to ensure that you and Michael never have to go there either. You don't know......" He closed his eyes briefly, voice becoming more strained. "I won't let that happen to either of you. And can you imagine what they would do if they got their hands on Maria and the baby?" Behind him, he could sense Michael's added tension. That had to be his worst nightmare. "I'll do anything to make sure Brody doesn't tell anyone what he knows. Do you understand me?" He paused, eyes burning in his otherwise expressionless face. "So I strongly suggest that you go in there and put those mental barriers back in place." Isabel glared back at her brother. "You wouldn't......." she trailed off, suddenly not so sure. She'd never seen Max look like that. She suddenly wasn't so sure what her brother would or wouldn't do. "You really can be a jerk, you know that." She brushed past him and stalked off to the far side of the museum. She needed some distance from the two of them. Max moved to follow, but was stopped by Kyle. "I think you've said enough, Your Majesty." His anger was obvious. "Give her a minute." Kyle walked after her. Max looked over at the others, watching them silently. Valenti looked as if he was about to say something, but Michael moved over to him swiftly and spoke quietly, apparently calming the sheriff down. But the look on Liz's face – Max couldn't bear to look at that expression of shock, so he turned away. Just another reason for Liz to walk away from him. ---------------------------------------------------- "I can't believe that any of you would really murder Brody." Valenti said to Michael. Brody was just some poor innocent who got caught up in the alien mess. "Don't worry," Michael tried to calm him down. "We're not going to. Isabel will do the right thing." He looked over at the sheriff. "Really. Do you honestly think that Max would kill Brody?" "And you?" Valenti asked what was really worrying him. He cared about Michael, more than he would have ever expected. While he took seriously his promise to protect all the kids, Michael was the one he felt the most protective of, the one he worried about the most. He knew how hard everything had been on Michael lately. He trusted Michael, but ws concerned about his emotional state. "You were pretty quick to suggest it." "Relax, Sheriff." Michael looked over to the door where Maria was watching over Brody. "I never actually intended to do it." He turned back to Valenti, eyes honest and open. "I can't say the thought didn't occur to me when he was shooting at us. Tymrath wouldn't have hesitated." "But?" Michael scratched his eyebrow. "But like I said, this isn't Brody's fault. We're not the monsters he thinks we are. We can't just go around killing people like that. That's not who we are. Not who I am. I'm not a murderer." He took a deep breath. "I'm not going back to being him again." Valenti nodded slowly, recognizing the determination in Michael's voice. Good. "No, you're not." He smiled briefly, the looked over at his son and Isabel, wondering what they were saying to each other. -------------------------------------------------------- "Hey, Iz." Kyle offered, coming up behind her. She looked so tired and lost, standing there with her arms wrapped tightly around her. "Don't worry, Kyle," she said, not looking at him. "I'm not going to do it. I won't go messing around in anyone else's minds." She couldn't bear to see him look at her with the revulsion he'd shown after she violated his mind and memories. "Actually, Iz," he took a deep breath. "I think Max might be right." He couldn't believe he'd just said that. Her head spun around so fast her hair nearly hit him. "What?" she asked, shocked. "Well, not the way he said it, obviously," he hastened to explain. "But yeah. I think Max is right about this being the best thing. "How can you, of all people, justify my using my powers to fiddle with someone else's mind? With their thoughts and memories?" "Is that what's bothering you?" Kyle took her hand. "Isabel, this isn't about what you did to me, okay? It's not," he insisted, seeing the disbelief on her face. "You're not the one who did this to Brody. All you can do is fix it the best you can. It's not going to help him to leave him like he is." He went on quickly, before he lost his nerve. "And this doesn't make you like Tess, either." Isabel jerked, almost as if someone had hit her. "Doesn't it?" she asked quietly. "When it comes right down to it, are any of us that different?" She looked at him, a plea in her eyes. "All we do is hurt people." "Not you," his said with conviction. "You make mistakes, sure. It's part of being human. Or semi-human." Well, that got a small smile at least. "But you don't intentionally hurt anyone. And if you leave him like this, you will be hurting him." Closing her eyes, Isabel let out a long sigh. Then, visibly pulling herself together, she stood up straight and opened her eyes. "Fine." She walked back over to the others, heading straight to Max. "I'll do it," she said shortly, before heading towards the office. When Max started to follow, she turned back and glared at him. "I don't want you there." Max stopped short at the anger in her voice, watching as she went into the other room, followed by Kyle. Then, unable to bear the heavy silence anymore, he headed in the other direction. ---------------------------------------------- Max didn't stop until he was in the men's bathroom, thankfully alone. Going straight to the sinks, he stared at himself in the mirror. What the hell were you thinking? His hands were shaking. All those memories of the White Room, the pain and humiliation Pierce put him through, the fear, were rushing back at him from where he'd carefully stored them away. He'd meant what he'd said to Isabel – he wasn't going back there. He wasn't going to take a chance on any of the others going through anything like that. But how far would you go to prevent it? He didn't bother to look when he heard the door open behind him. "Michael." "Maxwell." Michael came and swung up onto the sink next to Max. He sat there in silence for a moment, looking away from Max at the far wall. "It's kind of freaky, how he can just sneak up on you, isn't it?" Max looked over at him quickly. "You know...." He stopped himself. "Of course you do. Is it like that for you, too?" One minute, he was Max Evans. The next, it was like someone else was taking over him. No, that wasn't accurate. He was still Max, but the way that he was thinking, the way he was feeling – it was as thought something else was waking up inside him, something that didn't care much for anything except for accomplishing its goals and protecting the group. Something alien. He shivered. Too detached, too cold. "I don't want to be like that again." "Yeah." Michael leaned forward. "You think I like the fact that the first way I thought of to deal with Brody was to kill him? The old habits are easy to fall back into." Max turned and leaned against the sink next to Michael. "But you didn't. You found another way to deal with Brody." Michael shrugged. "Doesn't mean I wasn't tempted for a minute there." He looked at his friend seriously. "Who we are is still in us somewhere. Tymrath. Zandar. We have to be careful. But we can keep them in check." He smiled slightly. "Maria's teaching me that." His smile faded. "You wouldn't have done it, you know. Even if Isabel didn't change her mind, you wouldn't have killed him." "I wish I was as sure about that." "Believe me. You don't have it in you. You're not a killer." "Too simple an answer," Max disagreed. "Just because I didn't do it with my own hands doesn't make me any less responsible. How many died because of what I ordered you to do?" "Not us, Max." Michael turned completely to face his oldest friend. "I think that's part of the key. We have to keep reminding ourselves that we're not those same people anymore. Otherwise, the memories drown us. We have to hold on to who we are now. And Max Evans isn't a killer. You would have found some other way to keep us safe." He smiled again. "All of us. I trust you with Maria." That was hard for him to say, but it had to be done. He'd been watching Max, reading his body language when he said what he had about Maria and the baby. Max hadn't only been afraid for himself. He'd been afraid for them all. "Thanks for trusting me, by the way," he added. "With Brody, I mean." "That?" Max smiled back. His shaking had subsided some. He was still terrified, both at the threat Brody posed and by his own response to it, but somehow, talking to someone who understood helped. "I trust you, Michael. Completely. How long is it going to take to get that through your thick skull?" "I'm a slow learner." Michael gestured toward the door. "I'd better go and destroy that tape Brody has of you and ask Isabel to make sure that's the only one he made while she's inside his mind." "Isabel." Max grimaced. "She's going to hate me for coming down on her the way I did." "She'll forgive you." Michael grinned. "Of course, she's going to make you pay for it first, but she'll come around." "I hope so." He refused to let himself think too much about Liz. She was always afraid of that alien part of him, and this probably just confirmed her opinion. Well, Max couldn't blame her for that. "Michael?" Michael paused on his way out the door. "Remember when you asked me why I was so scared of being alien? This is why." Michael hesitated, uncertain of how to respond to that. "Yeah. Me too, sometimes." Then he left. -------------------------------------------------------- After finishing his business with the tape and Isabel, Michael found Maria sitting slightly apart from Liz and the sheriff. She was frowning down at the floor, apparently deep in thought. "So, how pissed at me are you?" he asked, crouching down in front of her and taking her hands. She looked up at him, and gave a tiny smile. "Let's just say you're going to have to be very nice to me later to make it up." "Nice, huh?" He traced patterns on her palms with his thumbs. "I think I can manage that." "We do need to talk, though." Maria tried to ignore the delicious shivers his hands were producing throughout her body. Michael groaned. "Why do we always have to talk?" At her look, he released her hands and held up his own in surrender. "Fine. What?" "The whole thing with you and Brody." Michael tensed, and she hurried on. "I mean, I get the whole defensive instincts and him attacking Isabel and all. That's not what I'm talking about." "Okay," he said slowly. "Then what are we talking about?" "He's my friend, Michael," she said softly. "He's been a good friend to me over the last couple of years." "I never told you not to be his friend," he protested. "True," she admitted. "But I know that you don't like me being around him. I don't get why. You say it's not jealousy, so what is it?" Michael took one of her hands in his own again, staring at their interlocked fingers as if they were the most fascinating things he'd ever seen. "I don't trust him," he said finally. "I never have. He's not part of the group. It drives me nuts to think of you spending so much time with someone who I'm not sure won't hurt you." He looked up at her, hoping she could understand. It wasn't a matter of trust in her. Brody was an outside, and every single instinct Michael had wanted to keep her and the baby safe from any outsiders. It had been bad during the tiasa, and the baby had only increased Michael's protective instincts. "Brody's a good man," she pointed out gently. She knew this was hard on him. Michael had come so far in the last four months, but he still had a hard time talking about his deepest emotions. He was so afraid that the love and happiness he'd found could be taken from him. "When he's not having a complete mental break-down, that is." "So you keep telling me," he replied wryly. "Is there some particular reason you don't trust him?" "I don't know," he admitted in frustration. "I can't put my finger on it. Maybe just that he's not part of the group. Maybe it's the whole alien possession thing. That gives me the creeps." Maria made a face. "Tell me about it." "And maybe there is some small part of me that just doesn't like him because he's in love with you," he admitted. "But that's not all of it," he said quickly. "I'll work on it," he promised. He didn't want his over-protectiveness to become a problem with them. He just wanted to keep her and the baby safe. "I know." "How do you feel?" Michael remembered the feelings he got from her earlier. "You weren't doing that good before." "Oh, that." She shrugged. "I don't know what that was. Just felt a little icky. Sick to my stomach - what a shock." She hurried on, seeing his face darken with concern. "No big deal." "We should have Max check you out." "He gave me a clean bill of health this morning," she protested. "We should have him check you and the baby again," he insisted stubbornly. "This isn't something we want to take any chances with." Maria gave up. "Fine." She reached out and cupped his face in her hands. "I'm proud of you, Spaceboy. I know that none of this has been easy for you." She leaned over and kissed him gently. "Who knows? Maybe after you've been nice to me, I'll be very nice to you, too." "How nice?" he asked, smirking. "You'll just have to wait and see, won't you?" Maria's eyes were twinkling with amusement and desire. "First things first." "Right." Michael jumped to his feet. "Let me go see if Isabel's almost finished." "Michael!" she got to her feet, half-laughing. He was so impatient sometimes. Isabel came out of the office, Kyle standing close, ready to catch her if she toppled over. She looked even more exhausted than earlier. Still, her expression was steady when she looked over at Max. "It's done." Then she turned to Valenti. "Can you take me home, please?" "No problem." He turned to the others. "Can you take care of things here?" "Go on." Max nodded. "We'll be fine." "Come on, Iz." Kyle led her towards the stairs. "Let's get you home so you can rest." "Isabel," Max started as she walked past him, but his sister ignored him. Sighing, he stepped back in defeat before looking at Michael. "Give her time," Michael advised. He looked back at Maria. "Guess we'd better start preparing to deal with Brody's latest 'abduction', huh?" "Let's just hope that he doesn't remember much about what happened." Maria squeezed Max's hand as she walked past him. He gave her a small smile in return, then turned to Liz. "You don't need to stay," he said quietly. "I think the three of us can handle things." "No, that's okay." She blinked, apparently dragging herself out of her thoughts. "I want to help." "Okay." Well, at least she wasn't too afraid or disgusted to be in the same room with him. Liz gave a quick, shaky smile, then went after Michael and Maria. Max followed. ------------------------------------------------------- "I can't believe the two of you are making me do this," Kyle complained from the back seat a few days later. Liz and Maria exchanged amused looks. "I could be doing something, oh, I don't know, fun, but here I am with the two of you. Going to shop for baby things." He leaned back against the seat. "Isn't this Guerin's job?" "Quit complaining." Liz reached over the back seat and tried to smack him on the side of the head, but he dodged. "I thought you were looking forward to being Uncle Kyle." "Yeah, but I was talking about the part where I get to be the cool uncle who takes her to baseball games and plays video games with her. Not the part where I have to shop for baby furniture. For a baby that's not mine, I'd like to point out. Which brings me back to the whole 'Where's Michael?' question." "He had to work on the ranch this afternoon." Maria put on the turn signal. "But we really need to get started on the whole shopping thing. This baby's going to be here before you know it." She cast a glance at Liz out of the corner of her eyes. "Be honest, Liz. Am I getting fat?" Liz looked at her carefully. "No," she finally answered. "But I think you are definitely starting to show." "Yeah." Maria sighed. "That's what I think, too. Guess I'm going to have to go public with the whole teen pregnancy thing soon. Joy – I get to deal with all the gossip at school." "Hey, don't worry about that." Kyle moved up to lean closer to the two of them. "Just let Isabel and I deal with any potential gossipers. Between the two of us, we can handle anyone at the school." "Thanks." Maria laughed "So, speaking of Princess Isabel, how are she and Max doing?" Kyle landed back with a thud. "Well, from what I've been told, the last day and a half have been pretty frosty at the Evans household. They're not fighting, but Isabel is spending as little time around her dear brother as possible." "What did the two of you think about Max's behavior Friday?" Liz asked, not sure if she really wanted to hear the answer, but needing to talk about it anyway. She'd been turning it over in her head, and she couldn't seem to come to any clear conclusion. "You mean with Isabel?" Maria turned into the parking lot of the Tiny Martians store. "Yeah." "He was a complete jerk," Kyle said casually. "But considering how freaked out he had to be, I guess it's understandable." Liz turned to stare at him. "What? I'm not allowed to empathize with my fellow man?" He paused. "Okay, so he's not really my fellow man. But you get the point." Maria parked the Jetta. "I think that was probably the closest to a nice thing you've ever said about Max." Kyle frowned. "For the three of us, being captured and locked away somewhere is something to worry about, but it's just an idea. For Max, it's reality. He's been there. Can't really blame him for panicking at the thought of going back." "He was terrified," Liz said softly. "I remember the only time he ever let me get flashes about what happened. They hurt him so badly." "It wasn't just about himself," Maria pointed out. "The Special Unit would love to get their hands on any of us. Have you guys thought about that? Me for the baby, you two to see if being healed changed you at all." "Well, there's a happy thought to start us on our shopping expedition." Kyle shook his head and got out of the car. "Come on, you two. There's a game tonight I want to watch." Maria and Liz exchanged amused glances as they exited the car more slowly. "So, what do you think?" Maria asked, watching Kyle bound ahead of them into the store. "Boys stop growing up around the age of five?" "Mentally?" Liz shook her head, looping her arm through Maria's. "Nope, I'd say they get to at least the age of eight." "Speaking of, anything new on the Max front?" Maria was proud of herself. She'd managed to go the entire car ride without prying into Liz's love life. She was improving. "Nope." Liz looked down, intently studying her feet as they crossed the parking lot. "I haven't seen him since Friday night. Guess he was serious about giving me time to think." "So no Stalker Max this time? Well, what have you decided?" "I'm actually still in the decision mode." Liz gave a little half-shrug. "I love Max. I'm just not sure if being with him is the best thing for either of us." Maria made a little noise. Liz turned to her, stopping in front of the store. "What?" "What, what?" Maria tried to look innocent. "What was that noise?" Liz dropped Maria's arm and put her hands on her hips. "I distinctly heard a noise." "You think too much sometimes, Lizzie. What do you feel? What's your heart telling you?" Liz frowned, twirling her hair nervously. "That time's running out." Her friend frowned. "What do you mean?" "I don't know. It's just that there's this distance between Max and me that didn't use to be there. I mean, Friday – I felt like I was watching a stranger. I had no idea what was going on inside Max." "He's still Max. He hasn't changed. Not really." Liz shook her head. How did Maria manage to deal with the whole past life, personality change thing so easily? Was it something in her personality that allowed her to cope with these insane events, or was it a result of her tiasa with Michael? "He is changing. He's growing apart from me. If I don't make my decision soon, it might be too late." "I thought you said he wasn't pressuring you." "He's not. Max is being great. This is me." Liz sighed sadly. "I'm the one who's the problem here, not Max." Maria gave Liz a quick hug. "Whatever happens, you've got me. No matter what." "I know. Thanks." Liz was so glad to have her close friendship with Maria back. She had no idea what she would do without her. "Now, we better go get a move on it," Maria continued briskly. "We have much to do, and only five months to do it in." "Actually, Maria," Liz stopped abruptly. "Never mind." She tried to walk past, but Maria stood in her way, eyes narrowing suspiciously. "Actually what?" "Nothing." Liz smiled nervously. "We can talk about it later." "No, you don't. You can't just start to say something, then stop like that." Liz knew when she was defeated. Looking anywhere but at Maria, she spoke softly. "Well, I was just wondering if you and Michael had discussed the possibility that you might not have five months left." Maria looked at her blankly. "That this might not be a normal nine month pregnancy. After all, it's not like we have any real idea of what to expect from a human/Antaran hybrid pregnancy. There's never been one before." Maria's stomach felt like it was sinking. "You mean, the baby could come earlier than nine months?" "Maybe." At the look of shock on Maria's face, Liz went on quickly. "But it's just a slight possibility. Michael's mostly human biologically, and you're all human, so the baby is probably going to have a normal human pregnancy." "So, I could like go into labor at any time now?" Maria felt faint. "That's really, really unlikely, Maria." Liz was starting to worry. Maria was turning extremely pale. "Listen, forget it. You know me, I just wonder about these things. I'm sure that everything's going to be perfectly normal." Maria laughed hysterically as she slid down the side wall of the store. "Right. Because everything else in our lives is so perfectly normal." She sat down in a daze. "I was counting on those five more months to get ready, Liz. I need those five months!" She closed her eyes. "I think I'm going to pass out now." "Maria, take deep breaths." Liz sat down next to her friend. "What's the matter with her?" At the sound of Isabel's voice, Liz looked up to see the tall alien come rushing up to her, Max right behind. "Is she okay?" "I'm fine." Maria waved one hand, eyes still closed. "Just suffering a slight panic attack. Nothing to worry about. Move along – nothing to see here." "You're sure?" Max knelt down next to Liz, taking Maria's other hand. "Oh, yeah." Maria opened her eyes to look at him, offering a shaky smile. "So, been reading up on how to deliver babies?" "Huh?" Max looked at Liz nervously. "Never mind." Maria stood up, trying to get herself under control. "I'm fine." A thought occurred to her, and she looked at the Evanses curiously. "What are you two doing here?" "We're here to help you plan," Isabel said, as if stating the clearly obvious. "What else?" She held up a clipboard. "There's a lot to get done. I have a list." Liz laughed. "Me, too." She took a small notepad out of her pocket. Max almost laughed at the expression of horror on Maria's face as she stared at the two of them. "Great," she said weakly. Isabel smiled warmly at her. "Things have gone without preparation for long enough. But we still have your second and third trimesters, and things are going to be much more organized." "Just let us help," Liz added. Maria gulped. "Well, why don't the two of you go inside and see what Kyle's up to?" Liz examined her closely. "Are you sure you're okay?" "Just peachy." Maria winced at the squeak in her voice. "Max and I will be right along." "All right then." Isabel turned to the brunette. "Maybe we should compare lists." "Good idea." Maria watched until they were safely inside, then turned to Max. "Do you think they'll notice if we flee the state now?" Max laughed. "Kyle

Anla · Post by **Anla** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 12:02 pm

Max's vision was starting to blur, but he could definitely make out Shalin as she walked into the room. His attacker turned slightly, watching her move closer. "I have to admit, I'm impressed." Shalin stopped next to the other Skin, tilting her head and studying Max, lying there motionless on the floor, before turning her attention to the other alien. "Very smoothly done. Create a distraction to keep Tym from noticing what's happening until it's too late, grab the king, take him someplace relatively remote to die." She smiled briefly. "Well, I guess you could have taken him farther away, but he doesn't seem to be in much shape to travel, does he? Still, far enough that Tym won't be able to sense you finishing him off." Shalin knelt down next to Max, brushing his hair back in an almost tender gesture. She had a strange, almost eager, expression on her face. Max tried to move away, but his body was refusing to cooperate, too numb to move. She stood back up and faced the other. "As I said, quite impressive, Shas." "Thank you." He watched her warily, never relaxing his grip on the knife. "Shalin." Max winced as the words made it through his lips, slurred and soft. "Michael......" He couldn't say anything else. He wasn't sure what he wanted to say, anyway. It was getting harder and harder to form a complete thought. She waited a moment, then held out her hands "Michael what? Trusted me? Will kill me for this? What?" She laughed. "I'm actually aware of both of those things." She turned back to the man she'd called Shas. "But, professional appreciation aside, I do have to wonder precisely what it is you're doing here." There was an edge to her voice now, and the caution in Shas's eyes increased. "I believe I ordered you to stay in New York, keeping an eye on the Tymrath duplicate. You were most definitely not supposed to be anywhere near the real royals." "The royals." He sneered the word. "Is this what they're fighting for?" He gestured at Max, never breaking eye contact with Shalin. "Is that what we're giving our loyalty to, now?" He shook his head. "He's not worth it, Shalin. You know that as well as I do." "I know," she admitted. "But he's not who we gave our loyalty to. Tymrath is." He didn't respond. "Why are you here, Shas?" she persisted. "You know why," he said quietly. "Let me do what I came for, Shalin. He needs to die." She sighed. "Tymrath gave us very specific directions," she explained patiently. "You know this. We can't kill him. We're supposed to protect him." Her voice grew brisker. "Stabbing him and dragging him off to die definitely doesn't fit any definition of protection. Let it go, Shas." "I can't. You know that." "We don't have to be Kivar's puppets anymore." Shalin's voice was showing anger now. "We don't have to be victims of what he did to us." "I'm not doing this for Kivar." Shas frowned. "They both have to die. It's the only way to end the war. You know that." She hesitated. "No," she finally replied. "I don't know that. What I do know is that Kivar is our primary threat. He's the one who has to be stopped, if our world is ever going to be free. And we need Tym for that. He definitely won't help us if we kill his precious kingling." "I wasn't planning on telling him." Shas smiled. "Come on, Shalin. He doesn't have to know it was one of us." "He'll sense it the moment he gets here. And by the way – your distraction? Involving his teela-mei? He's really not going to be happy about that, either." "All he'll know is that it was a Khavorn who did it. He doesn't have to know it was T'onxyl." Shas took a step closer to Shalin. Neither of them were even paying attention to Max by this point, attention focused on each other. "Just let me do it. Let me end this." Shalin looked down at Max, a thoughtful expression on her face. ---------------------------------------------------- "Where's Max?" Isabel repeated, starting to get frantic. She looked at Michael. "I thought he was with you." "He was. We were separated." Michael looked over at the sheriff, each of them having the same thought. The fight, right outside Amy's booth – it was a perfectly timed distraction. In all the confusion, getting Max away from the others would have been easy. "He can't have gotten far." Valenti had a bad feeling about this. Shalin's absence wasn't at all reassuring. "Let's look for him." "Which way were you coming from?" Liz asked Michael. They needed a place to start looking. "This way." Michael led the others through the crowd. It wasn't as thickly packed as while the fight was going on, but there were still lots of people, and it was slow going. After a few moments, Michael paused, tensing up as waves of phantom pain went through him. "Michael?" Maria could almost feel it, too – a tingle of discomfort going through her body. She put her hand over her side and then looked at it, almost expecting to see blood on her palm. "What is it?" As quickly as it had come, the feeling went away, leaving only a sense of urgency in its place. He glanced over at her, checking that she was okay. His eyes flickered over to Isabel and Liz. "He's hurt," he said shortly. Liz gasped. "How badly?" "I don't know." Michael tried not to let his frustration get in the way of concentrating. "He's still alive." He started to move again, even faster this time, following the emotional trail left by Max's pain. "Come on." Kyle glanced at his father, who simply shrugged and followed the others. Great. But he hurried just as quickly as the rest, as worried about Max as they were. ----------------------------------------------------- "It is tempting," Shalin said slowly. "I can't deny that." Then she shook herself, as if trying to wake herself up. "No," she continued flatly. "We pledged ourselves to Tym. That's important. Our battle is with Kivar. Not with him." She gestured towards Max, who by this point could barely see them, only indistinct figures above him. "And we don't have time for this debate. He doesn't have time, does he?" Shas gave a small smile and said nothing. "Enough." Shalin's body posture changed subtly, body weight balanced in readiness to move. "We had an arrangement. Leave now." Shas met her eyes. "I can't." Then he moved toward her, knife flashing. Shalin waited until he was practically on top of her before moving, ducking underneath his arm and grabbing his wrist, pulling it sharply. Max could hear the snapping sound it made. The knife dropped to the ground. Shas reacted, fist slamming into Shalin's face, but before he could gather his power to use against her, the woman grabbed him and threw him across the room. He hit the far wall hard, and before he could turn around, she raised her hand and aimed at his back. With a blast of energy, it was over. Shalin and Max were the only ones left alive in the room. All that was left of Shas were some flakes, floating through the air. "Crazy fool," she muttered, rubbing her face where he'd hit her. Their Husks were resilient, but Shas had been strong. She crouched down next to Max, picking up the knife and examining it. "Max Evans," she said, with a bitter little laugh. "I really hope that you're worth all this." "Why?" he whispered. Before she could answer, the door slammed open. Shalin was on her feet instantly, turning to face whoever it was. She actually only remained on her feet for a second, though, because the next thing she knew, she was the one flying backwards through the air, away from Max. "Check Max," Michael ordered, keeping his hand up as he approached her, cold menace in his eyes. "I told you what would happen if you hurt them," he said grimly. "You should have listened." Liz and Isabel had both run to Max instantly. Kyle noticed Maria stop as soon as she entered the room and lean against the wall. Concerned at how pale she was, he went over to stand near her. "God, he's so cold," Liz whispered. "Max, can you hear me?" He tried to focus on Liz. "I only see one wound," Isabel said quickly. "Heal him," Liz pleaded. Isabel nodded. "Michael, what do you think you're doing?" Valenti kept his voice calm, trying not to show how rattled he was to find Shalin standing over Max with that bloody knife. He winced at Michael's cold laugh. "Take a guess," the teen said. "Don't." Quiet as Max's voice was, it caught everyone's attention instantly. Using the last reserves of his energy, Max went on. "Not..... Shalin." He closed his eyes, utterly exhausted. "What does that mean? Not Shalin?" Kyle asked, confused. "Calm down, Michael." Valenti walked over to the young man. "Let her talk." Two equally cold sets of eyes met as Michael and Shalin stared at each other. "You have something to say, Shalin?" "Do you think he'd still be breathing if I was the one trying to kill him, you big idiot?" she spat out. By now, Michael could pick up on the other psychic images in the place. Someone else had been there, had been killed there. Slowly, Michael lowered his hand. "Nice to know that your social skills have improved over the last fifty years," he remarked dryly. "And you might want to try not throwing me around like that." She glared at him as she got to her feet. "It's rude. What took you so long, anyway?" "What happened?" This was the first Maria had said since they entered the shed. "Who hurt Max?" Shalin looked at her briefly, then back at Michael. "You might want to get her out of here," she suggested mildly. "I don't think this is exactly the best place for her right now." "I'm fine." Maria brushed off Kyle's concerned hand and walked over to her. "Max is the one you should worry about." "You can take care of him?" Michael asked, looking over at Isabel. He didn't like the way Max was looking. "Yes," Isabel said, putting her hand over the injury to heal her brother. "Okay." Michael gestured to the door. "Outside," he told Shalin. She looked at him quickly, the nodded and walked to the door with him right behind her. As he passed Maria, Michael reached out and grabbed her hand. She nodded supportively, even managing a small smile. He knew full well that he was going to have to tell her everything later. In detail. Not that he minded. Michael wasn't taking Shalin aside for his own sake. He was long past trying to keep secrets from Maria. She always seemed to find them out eventually, and honestly, he didn't have the energy for it anymore. No, this was for Shalin. He could tell that she didn't want to talk about whatever had happened with an audience, and he could understand that. T'onxyl business wasn't for outsiders. Once they were outside the door, Shalin turned around and waited. Michael spoke in a quiet voice. "What happened?" Shalin met his eyes directly. "It was Shas." Despite her level tone, Michael could read the added tension in her body. She wasn't showing it outwardly, but she was badly upset by what had happened. Then what she said sunk in. "Shas?" he asked in surprise. His tone grew harsher. "You said that all the T'onxyl were on your side in this." Shalin shrugged slightly. "Yeah, well, Shas was an aberration." She hurried on before he could say anything. "Every surviving member of the T'onxyl had to agree to certain requirements. We realized that there was a possibility that you would continue in your ridiculous attachment to the royals, and we agreed to accept that. Defeating Kivar is what's important." Michael nodded. "Apparently Shas didn't get the memo." He remembered Shas from before. He was impulsive, rash, likely to rush into situations that even Tymrath considered foolhardy. "Shas didn't pass the test," she said softly. "What?" She gave a sound of annoyance, and continued in a slightly louder voice, still keeping her voice too low to be heard by those in the shed. "I tested everyone. They're all trustworthy, Michael. Shas is the only one who didn't pass. He was ...... unstable." Michael snorted. Yeah, that was the Shas he remembered. "They why did you include him in this mission?" "He has his uses. He was very effective against Kivar's forces." Shalin took a breath. "And I owed him." He looked at her sharply. "For what?" "Do you really need to know?" At his glare, she went on. "Fine. When you came for Aveen all those years ago, didn't you wonder at the lack of T'onxyl security?" "I was a little busy to worry about it too much," he commented dryly. Breaking Aveen out of a highly guarded fortress in order to reunite her with Zandar hadn't exactly been the easiest mission his king had ever given him. "Wait a minute – are you saying you had something to do with that?" "Shas was supposed to be there, guarding Aveen," Shalin explained. "I convinced him not to be." Michael stared at her. "You wanted me to rescue Aveen?" he asked, not really believing it. "Why?" "Aveen might have had lousy luck with her teela-mei, but that didn't mean Kivar had the right to lock her away." Shalin sounded slightly impatient. "I wanted my sister to have the chance we didn't. So, yeah." She smiled slightly. "And I didn't really want any of our people getting in your way." "Kivar couldn't have been too happy with Shas," Michael said slowly. "That's quite an understatement. Kivar was furious. Luckily, he thought it was just Shas's mess-up. He didn't suspect my part in it. Still, you can imagine the punishment Shas was given." Shalin looked at him. "So I owed Shas. I decided to take a chance on him, and thought I could keep him far enough away from Roswell that he could still be useful. I was wrong." "What if you're wrong about the others?" Michael didn't see how he could take that chance with the safety of the group. "I'm not." Shalin's voice was firm. "I told you, I tested all of them. Their loyalty is complete." Michael frowned, not liking the idea that was coming to him, but not seeing any other real choice. "I want to believe you," he admitted quietly. "I want......." He broke off, shaking his head. There was so many things he wanted, so much he wished. It surprised him how much he wanted to be able to believe Shalin, to believe in Shalin. A part of him wanted so much to be able to regain some of what he'd lost back on Antar, the people who had once been so important to him. Another part of him was disgusted that he could even think that way. He should be able to simply walk away from them. But that had been so hard to do before, and now there was a chance ....... "But I can't," he said flatly. "Especially after tonight. I can't just take what you say as being the truth because you say it." Shalin made a noise that was half bitter laughter, half annoyance. "Then what do you suggest?" "Glad you asked," he muttered. "I suggest you let me test you. The way you did the others." He watched her eyes widen in surprise. "You let me connect with you and see if you really are as loyal and dedicated to helping me as you say you are." "I thought that was Vilandra's job." "No." Michael was determined. "I don't want Isabel to have to deal with this. I need to see for myself." Michael knew that his telepathic skills were extremely limited. There was no way that he could pop into people's minds the way that Isabel did when she dreamwalked them. But every member of the T'onxyl had connected at least once. It was a way for them to know each other, to know their individual strengths and weaknesses, a way for them to be able to foresee each other's actions on a mission. It helped make them more effective. If Shalin was willing, she could allow him to reform that bond briefly, long enough for him to know if she was telling the truth or not. "And you're sure you're willing to risk that?" She tilted her head to one side, looking at him as if she was dissecting him with her eyes. "It might bring up a whole lot of things for you that you'd rather not think about. Things you might not feel too comfortable remembering up close and personal." "I already remember them," he pointed out. Still, Michael knew she had a point. He'd had a hard enough time controlling himself lately, pushing down the worst aspects of Tymrath. Connecting with Shalin would undoubtedly bring all that rushing back up again. But Michael didn't see any other real choice. He had to know, for himself and for the others, if Shalin and the T'onxyl could be trusted. Tonight had shown him that. "Fine." Shalin appeared to have already gotten over her own momentary surprise and uncertainty. "Go ahead." "Just like that?" He'd expected more of an argument. "I'm not the one trying to hide from who I am." Shalin laughed softly. "I trust you, old friend." Michael put out his hands and gently placed them on the sides of Shalin's head. Closing his eyes, he concentrated on her. The connection was easy and instantaneous. He was immediately inside Shalin's memories, inside her soul. There was no hiding. He could see the pain and the anger inside her, pain and anger that called out to him with its familiarity. It would be so easy to lose himself in it again. He relived the moment when Shalin learned the truth about Kivar, about what he had done to them, and felt it when she made her decision to bring the T'onxyl over to Tymrath instead. And deep down, at Shalin's core, Michael could feel her anger and her loyalty, the two fires that drove her. He stepped back, taking down his hands and breaking the connection, shaking slightly. He really hated that mind stuff. The connection had taken less than a minute, and many of the details from her life were hazy and indistinct, but he'd seen enough. "So, did I pass?" Shalin was watching him carefully, a slight eagerness in her expression. Michael had to force himself to nod, reminding himself of where he was and what was happening. Of who he was. Michael Guerin, he repeated silently to himself. "Yeah," he got out hoarsely. Then he remembered – Max. Damn. "Come on." He turned to go back inside, trusting that she would follow. -------------------------------------------------------- Inside, Isabel barely registered Michael and Shalin leaving the shed, or Valenti sending Kyle to get the car. All her attention was focused on healing her brother. She wasn't as good of a healer as Max, but the wound didn't seem that deep. She should have been able to heal it. But, hard as she tried, she couldn't manage to connect and heal him. Liz couldn't take the quiet anymore. "What's wrong?" she whispered, holding Max's hand tightly. Isabel's face was showing the strain, but there was no noticeable improvement where Max was concerned. He was still lying there, eyes closed, looking as pale and lifeless as if he was dead. Don't think like that, she told herself sternly. She had to focus all her energy on Max getting through this okay. "Why isn't he healing?" "I don't know. It's not working." Isabel looked at Liz, then grabbed her free hand. "Maybe if we combine our energy, then we can heal him." It had worked when they'd needed to contact Max in New York a year earlier. Maybe it would work today. Both girls focused on Max. And she still couldn't do it. She couldn't heal her brother. Finally, drained, Isabel let go of Liz's hand. She felt like she was going to collapse herself. She closed her eyes in an effort to make the room stop spinning, but they flew back open again when she heard Maria's quiet voice behind her. "It won't work," Maria pointed out. Her voice sounded odd even to her own ears, far away and hollow. She felt oddly disconnected from what was going on, from the sight of one of her best friends bleeding there on the ground. Everyone turned to look at her. Even Max tried to focus blurry eyes in the direction of her voice. "You won't be able to heal him." She narrowed her eyes, looking at Max more closely. She could see faint flickers of light surrounding him, growing weaker by the second. "He's dying." "Don't talk like that!" Liz burst out angrily. "Max is not going to die." She turned back to Isabel. "Try connecting with Michael. Maybe the two of you can heal him if you work together." Isabel nodded, but Maria simply repeated. "It won't work. Can't you see it?" "Maria, what are you talking about?" Valenti reached out a hand, but she walked past him, closer to Max. She felt so cold, probably as cold as Max felt. She was reaching out a hand towards him when someone grabbed her arm and stopped her. "Don't," Michael said in a low voice. He took her chin and turned her to face him. "Look at me, Maria. Concentrate on me, not him." Shalin came and stood behind the two of them, watching with interest. Maria gasped as a sudden shock of energy flowed through Michael's hand into her body, flowing through her and energizing every cell. Suddenly, she felt completely alert and wide-awake. And very aware of Michael standing next to her. "Michael, what?" Then she shook her head. "It's Max. He's....." "I know." Michael could sense it, too. "Heal him," he ordered Shalin, not taking his eyes from Maria. That couldn't have been good for her or the baby. "You can heal?" Isabel asked, glancing up from Max briefly. She was surprised. "I didn't know Skins could do that." Shalin gave a low laugh. "Not the way you mean," she explained, kneeling beside Max and putting a hand on his forehead as if to test his temperature. "Your brother's been poisoned." She looked up, over at Michael. "Shas really wanted him dead. If he wasn't able to finish him off immediately, he wanted to be sure that the king died, regardless." She shrugged. "We do try to be efficient, don't we?" Michael stared back at her stonily, not looking down at his friend. "Heal him," he repeated evenly, before picking up the poisoned knife and melting it into a chunk of metal with his powers. "Where in this costume do you think I had room to keep a vial of antidote?" Shalin's voice was tinged with amused exasperation. Isabel resisted the urge to smack her. Max was dying, and it obviously wasn't bothering this Skin at all. "We have to go back to my apartment." "Will he make it that long?" came Valenti's quiet voice. As her gaze moved to Valenti's concerned face, Shalin's expression changed slightly. For the first time, that look of amused detachment seemed to falter briefly. "He'll make it," she said seriously. "He doesn't have much time, true. But he'll have enough to get there." "All right." As Valenti moved to help pick Max up, Kyle entered the shed. "Got your car, Dad." He looked over the group. "What's going on?" "I couldn't heal him," Isabel explained, voice strained. "Shalin says she has an antidote, so we're all going to her place." Valenti moved to support Max's weight, concerned. "I think I could use someone else to help, here." He noticed how Michael didn't move an inch from where he was standing with Maria. In fact, he didn't even look in their direction. Kyle apparently was confused by that fact as well, but after giving Michael a puzzled glance, he moved over to Max's other side. "Got it," he said, adjusting Max's weight. The alien was obviously not going to be able to help them at all – he felt like dead weight. Kyle brushed the idea away quickly. He wasn't going to watch another one in their group die. When they got outside, Valenti and Kyle carefully put Max in the back of the car. Isabel climbed in beside him, along with Liz. Valenti knew better than to even try and keep the two of them from Max. Shalin paused at the door to the front passenger seat, raising an eyebrow curiously at Michael. "We'll be right behind you." Michael's eyes glanced quickly to Valenti, then back to Shalin. "Right behind you." Shalin sighed. "Yes, sir." She got into the car. Valenti frowned, not liking this separation at all. Sure, the car was crowded, but still..... "You sure about that, Michael?" There was something in Michael's body language that worried him, a certain stoniness in his facial expression. He didn't look nearly as concerned about Max as he should. "Yeah." With a curt nod, Michael took Maria's hand and led her quickly back to where they had parked the Jetta. ------------------------------------------ Michael sped through the town, grateful for the nearly empty Roswell streets. Whatever it might look like on the outside, he was deeply worried about his best friend, and while he believed now that Shalin would do as she said and would heal Max, Michael didn't like the idea of being away from them any longer than necessary. But there was a small part of him, the part he hated, that had been stirred up and awakened by his brief connection with Shalin. A part that simply observed the possible death of the king, not of his friend Max, the part that still retained some of Tymrath's early hatred of the king. Michael needed time to bury that part again, and he felt some distance from Max might be a good idea. As for Maria, she was pretty much as confused emotionally as her teela-mei. Half of her mind was worried about Max, concerned that he wasn't going to be okay. She couldn't imagine her life without Max in it, with his unwavering concern and quiet sense of humor. Another part of her was acutely aware of Michael's presence beside her. That jolt of energy he'd sent through her at the shed hadn't faded completely. She folded her hands tightly in her lap, trying to calm down and keep her body from shaking too noticeably. It was almost like in the tiasa – she felt the need to touch Michael, to be as close as possible to him. This is so not the time, she lectured herself sternly. She glanced over at Michael from the corner of her eye, but stopped herself from asking any questions when she saw the strain on his face. Definitely not the time. Still, she moved so that she was closer to him on the seat. Not touching, but just being closer made her feel better somehow. When they reached the apartment building, Michael was out of the car like a shot, rushing up to Shalin's apartment, Maria right behind him. When they got to the apartment, they ran through the open door. Max was laid out on the couch, Liz kneeling next to him, still holding his hand, with Valenti hovering over them. The bandages they'd placed over Max's wound were starting to soak through with blood. Isabel glanced up from her pacing to glare at the two newcomers. "About time," she muttered, breaking off any further recriminations as Shalin came out from the kitchen. "Here's the antidote." She moved over to Max, but stopped as Liz's voice rang out with authority. "Hold on a minute." Liz looked over at Michael, a look of command on her face. Michael was impressed. It had been a while since he'd seen Liz Parker in a "take control" mood. "Are you sure about this? That we can trust her?" "Yes." That was all he said, but apparently, it was enough for Liz. She nodded and moved back so that Shalin could get closer to Max. Shalin looked at her. "He needs to drink some of this." Liz turned to Max. "Max, you're going to be okay, but you need to swallow some of this antidote," she said, hoping that he could understand. She thought he was trying to follow what was going on, but his expression was so vague that she wasn't sure how much was really sinking in and making sense to him. When he didn't move, her voice grew even more determined. "Max, listen to me! You need to open your mouth and drink it." She reached out and touched his cheek firmly, hoping to get through, that he would hear her. "Trust me, Max." At that, Max opened his mouth and Shalin poured some of the antidote in, then leaned back to watch as he swallowed. "It won't take long to work," she remarked. "This poison – is it the same they used on Max's mother?" Liz asked, attention focused on Max. He was still looking way too pale, but at least his trembling had stopped. Shalin glanced at her. "A variation on the same poison, yes." "Why couldn't I heal him? Or Max heal our mother?" Isabel moved closer. "I couldn't even make a connection with him." "That's the idea. The poison's primary function is to interfere with communication between the brain and the nervous system." She turned to Isabel. "Put simply, it causes such interference in the brain waves that it's impossible to make a connection. If you can't connect, you can't heal. So the target then dies." "You studied how they were able to heal," Valenti pointed out. When Shalin looked at him, he continued in an oddly expressionless voice. "And then devised a way to get around it. Very efficient, Shalin." She frowned. Liz noticed Max opening his eyes again. "Max!" He looked in the direction of her voice, and her heart leaped to see that he was focusing better, thoughts of the poison pushed aside until later. It seemed that he could really see her again. Max attempted a weak smile in Liz's direction. He still felt utterly exhausted, and his side hurt, but at least he was feeling something again. After the icy numbness, that seemed like some sort of improvement. At least he was alive. Then he turned to Shalin. "Why?" he whispered hoarsely. Shalin shrugged. "Michael seems to think you're worth saving." She waved in Michael's direction, and Max turned his head to look at his friend. "Can't say I necessarily agree with him, but I keep my word." "Thank you." Max wasn't sure who he was speaking to. Probably all of them. "You're welcome." Michael nodded in response. "Just try to get through the next month or so without anyone trying to kill you, okay?" "I'll do my best." "Don't talk." Liz smiled down at him. "You're going to need some time to recover." Isabel moved closer and removed the bandages. "Let's see if I can heal this now," she said. Max moved one hand over hers, adding what power he had to hers in an effort to help the process. "Maybe you should check your back in a mirror every once in a while," Kyle suggested helpfully. "Make sure nobody stuck a bullseye on your back or anything." Despite the joking tone, relief could be seen in his eyes. "Real helpful, buddy boy." Maria moved away from Michael and came to stand by the couch. "Feeling better, girlfriend?" "Much." He looked down at the now-healed wound. He would need to wash off all the blood, and he was still tired, but otherwise okay. He was feeling stronger by the minute. Shalin stood up and walked away. Valenti watched her go to stand near Michael. Max looked Maria in the eye. "I was dying, huh?" So he had heard what she said. Maria managed a nod, embarrassed. She didn't ever want to relive an experience like that again. Max gave her a little smile. "Not your fault," he whispered. Before Maria could answer, Isabel laid down the law. "No more talking." She frowned at her brother. "You rest and recover all your strength." He opened his mouth again, but Liz cut him off. "Don't even think of arguing with us, Max." He snapped his mouth shut, his smile widening. He wasn't going to win an argument with both Liz and Isabel. "Shouldn't you be over there, part of the happy reunion?" Shalin murmured as she came to stand next to Michael. "All hugs and happy endings?" "Shut up," he remarked conversationally. She knew perfectly well why he was still keeping his distance from Max. The memories hadn't faded completely yet. She grinned, but before she could turn around, Michael caught her hand. "One thing, though." "What? No more tests, I hope. They're getting a bit annoying." "No more tests." Michael turned around, not wanting the others to hear this. "Leave Valenti alone." Her eyes widened in surprise. "Jim's a grown adult, Michael. He's fully capable of deciding who he wants to spend time with." "I mean it." Michael's voice was uncompromising. "I know what you're doing with him, and I want it to stop. I don't want him hurt." "I wasn't planning on hurting him," she argued. "Quite the opposite, actually." "I know what you were planning. But it stops now." Shalin studied him for a second, then shrugged. "Whatever you say, Tym. I can't speak for what Jim will do on his own, though." She turned and walked over to the group again. Michael was right behind her. "We should get Max home," he suggested. He wanted to get away from Shalin right then. "Good idea." Liz helped Max stand up. "You okay to move?" "Yeah. I feel much better. A good night's sleep is all I need." Max leaned over and gave her a kiss, then turned to Shalin. "Thanks again." "I didn't do it for you," she said bluntly. "Thanks anyway." With both Liz and Isabel standing close by, he started out the door, the others following. Valenti hesitated. "You okay here on your own?" he asked Shalin. She laughed. "I'm used to it, Jim." Aware of Michael and Maria watching them, she gestured towards the door. "Get going. I'm fine." "All right." It had been a long night, and Valenti honestly didn't know what his feelings were about Shalin. They seemed to have run the entire spectrum that night, from disgust and suspicion to amusement and attraction. He sighed. Max wasn't the only one who needed a good night's sleep. Once they were outside and down in the parking lot, Maria asked quietly, "You trust her now, don't you?" All eyes turned to Michael. "Yeah." Michael forced himself to meet Max's eyes. "She doesn't like you, but she'll protect you. She'll be loyal. As long as I say you're off-limits, then you're safe." Max noticed that Michael's eyes had slid away from his own by the end of that sentence. "Go home," he ordered. "You and Maria need some rest, too." "I think we all do," Kyle complained. "Man, can't we have just one normal social event? Just one is all I ask." "Quit complaining." Isabel started walking towards Valenti's vehicle. "When did you ever have things so exciting?" "There's much to be said for a peaceful existence," Kyle pointed out as he walked with her. "A life of meditation and contemplation." "Whine, whine, whine." Valenti rolled his eyes. "You're okay?" he asked Michael. "No problem. One thing, though." Michael paused, then continued. "I think we should let Shalin bring in more T'onxyl to town, now that we know we can trust her. Tonight's shown that we can use more protection. Because Kyle's right about one thing. You do have a big bullseye painted on your back, Max. You were born with one." He knew it better than most of the others. "Tonight wouldn't have happened if one of the T'onxyl hadn't tried to kill Max," Liz argued. "He was an aberration. Unstable under even the best circumstances." Michael brushed off her concern. "The others will be loyal to Shalin." "And Shalin's loyal to you," Max continued slowly, thinking. "And you're loyal to me." He caught Michael's eye steadily. "You sure about this, Michael?" "Yeah." "All right then." Max turned and smiled at Liz, knowing she was worried. "It's okay, Liz." "Time to go," Valenti said firmly. Way past time the kids were in bed after the evening they'd had. "And you two get some rest, too," he told Michael and Maria. "Yes, sir." Maria grinned impishly at him, mock saluting the sheriff. "No respect," Valenti muttered as he turned and walked to his car, but he was smiling as he said it. ----------------------------------------------------- Upstairs, Shalin watched from her window as they all left. Once they were all gone, she turned to a desk drawer and took out a device identical to the pentagon device Brody had. Touching a series of symbols, she sat down and waited, lost in thought. Over an hour went by before she received a reply. A red light shone from the communicator, then she heard a voice from inside it. "I'm here." "Nice of you to answer," she said dryly, sitting up, more alert. "Sorry about that," Ardan replied. "I was having a little chat and was finally starting to make some progress. Had to finish that up first." Shalin shook her head. A little chat with Ardan meant an interrogation, one in which he got the information he wanted one way or another. "Anything I should know about?" She noticed the brief pause before he answered. "Not yet," he answered. "Might be something. Might be nothing. I'm not sure yet." As if he could hear her frown, he continued quickly. "It won't interfere with your plans either way. I promise." "Fine." She decided to let it go. Ardan always had his little side projects, but he wouldn't allow them to interfere with the main plan. "Shas is dead." "What happened?" She could hear the increased tension in his voice. "He decided to kill the king tonight." Shalin couldn't keep the disgust out of her own voice. "I had to deal with him." "I see." "That's all? No 'I told you so's?" Ardan's laugh came over the communicator. "No. Shas was a gamble, but he proved useful in the past. Seems he outlived his usefulness now." His voice grew more serious. "Since we're talking right now, I'm assuming Tym decided not to hold Shas's actions against the rest of us?" "I managed to convince him of the rest of our loyalty. Finally." She sighed. "Took him long enough." "Well, he always could be stubborn," Ardan pointed out. "Especially when it came to one of his missions." "And he's made protecting the royals his mission. It's annoying, but what are you going to do?" "No, Shalin," Ardan corrected quietly. "His mission has never changed. His real mission is to protect his family. The only thing that alters, that can be altered, is who he perceives that family to be." Shalin considered that. Ardan's greatest strength had always been the ability to accurately assess a target's motivation, to figure out what made them tick. She thought back to those moments when she and Michael had been connected, then remembered how he'd avoided close physical contact with Max Evans afterwards. She smiled with contentment. "I think you might have been right." "I usually am. What about in particular?" "About Michael. Tym." She leaned back in her chair. This whole thing had been his plan in the first place, after all. Nice to see that things might work out. "Ah." A pause. "Tell me everything that happened." Still smiling, she did. ----------------------------------------------------- Michael and Maria entered the apartment in silence. Michael turned and looked at her, waiting for the inevitable barrage of questions that he was sure was coming. He was surprised that she'd managed to hold out as long as she did, actually. Instead of shooting out a rapid series of questions, Maria walked over to him and looked into his eyes, seeming to search for something. He met her eyes evenly, wondering what she was looking for. He wasn't trying to hold anything back from her. Finally, Maria nodded slightly. "Max was dying." Her voice was quiet. "And I could see it. I could feel it, Michael. It was........" she paused, trying to find words to describe it. "I felt so cold. So empty." Maria frowned. The words were so inadequate. She'd felt separate from everything going on, as if she was simply observing things that had no real connection to her. But at the same time, she'd felt as if she needed something, anything, to fill in the emptiness growing inside her. It had been terrifying, and she'd had no idea of how to snap out of it, until Michael came and did it for her. "I'm sorry, Maria." Michael hated this. "I got distracted. I usually filter that stuff out better." "You can sense when someone's dying?" She supposed it shouldn't surprise her. She already knew he could pick up psychic traces of pain and violence. This was simply an extension of that. But knowing about it and actually experiencing it were two totally different things. She frowned slightly. "What distracted you? Whatever convinced you that Shalin and the others can be trusted?" "Yeah." Michael wrapped his arms around Maria's waist, leaning down and whispering. He wanted physical contact with her as much as she did with him. "She passed a test," he went on quietly. "She'll follow where I lead." "That scares you a little, doesn't it?" Maria picked up the bottom of his shirt, raising it slightly so that she could run her fingers along his stomach. "I guess. I never actually wanted to be Fearless Leader, you know." He leaned down and kissed the side of her neck. "I know." Maria closed her eyes appreciatively. Her body was still tingling from the energy jolt he gave her earlier, and what he was doing was only making it increase. "Hmmm... that feels good." "Yeah?" She could feel his smug smile against her neck, but decided to postpone swatting him for it until later. "How about this?" His hands were moving upwards, slowly unbuttoning her shirt. "That's nice, too." She pulled him close. "We're alive, Michael." They'd come so close to losing Max. It could have been any of them. But they were still alive. "We are." Michael nodded, smiling. "Did I tell you that you look good in that costume?" he murmured. Maria smiled, pushing back slightly. With everything that had happened, she'd almost forgotten what she was wearing. Acting suddenly, she pulled Michael's shirt up over his head. "Come here," she said, holding his hands and pulling him to her. "Bossy." He smiled as he said it, moving obediently closer to her again. "You better believe it, buster." Michael gave a low laugh. Lucky for him, he liked it when she got all bossy like that. He followed her as she led him to the bedroom. The evening had taken a definite turn for the better. --------------------------------------------------------- "I'm not participating in a Nightmare on Elm Street movie marathon with you," Isabel stated firmly, looking at the videos in Kyle's hands. "Pick something else." "Like what?" Isabel gestured around the video store. "There are many, many movies to be found here, Kyle. Find something else." Kyle frowned, then brightened. "How about I pick one movie, then you pick one?" Isabel was suspicious, but that seemed fair enough. "All right," she said slowly. "But nothing X-rated." He looked hurt. "How can you even suggest such a thing?" Isabel laughed. "I have no idea." She walked away, looking for a good movie to watch. The video night had been Kyle's idea. After last Friday at the Crash Festival, he seemed to be slightly wary of going out in public anywhere with the aliens. Something about needing a break before the next catastrophe. Personally, Isabel suspected that any emergency situation they were going to be involved with could find them at home just as easily as out at the movies, but she kept her silence. No need to stress the poor boy more. She was deciding between 'Titanic' and 'The Wizard of Oz' (it would be fun to see Kyle's reaction to that one) when she heard her friend's laughter. Looking around a shelf of DVDs, Isabel was surprised to see Kyle standing pretty close to one of her friends, Mandy. Isabel's eyes narrowed. Standing much too close for casual conversation, actually. Isabel recognized that look on Mandy's face. She was definitely out boy-hunting. Kyle seemed to be enjoying himself, too, smiling and flirting right back. Isabel wasn't sure what to make of that. On the one hand, she was glad to see Kyle starting to show some interest in socializing again, in dating. But on the other hand, Isabel knew Mandy. Michael's been right when he'd called her a brainless sheep. If Kyle was ready to start dating again, that was great. But he deserved better than Mandy. As soon as she reached that conclusion, Isabel grabbed her selection and swept down on the two of them, tucking her arm through Kyle's companionably. "Ready to go?" she asked, smiling at Mandy sweetly. "Isabel." Mandy tried to hide her disappointment, but failed miserably. "I didn't know you were here." "Yeah, Kyle and I are opting for a Friday evening of videos." She looked down at her watch. "Speaking of which, we really should get going." She started to drag a bewildered Kyle towards the rental desk at the front of the store. "Nice seeing you, Mandy." "See you at school," Kyle managed to get out before being dragged out of earshot. He turned to Isabel. "What was that all about?" Isabel gave him her most innocent look. "What was what all about?" Kyle shook his head, giving up. "Never mind." She smiled back at him triumphantly. -------------------------------------------------------- Isabel was surprised to find her house empty when they got back from the video store. "That's weird," she murmured, trying not to panic prematurely. "Max was supposed to be here to watch the movies with us." "Calm down," Kyle said reassuringly, holding up a paper he'd found on the living room table. "He left a note. Seems that Liz's parents were going out tonight, so he decided to go over there." Kyle grinned. "Wonder what he and Liz are up to." "Not something I want to think about regarding my brother," Isabel objected. She looked at the note. "That's nice for them." They exchanged looks. "Maybe I should call. Just to be on the safe side." "Good idea." Kyle sat down while Isabel made the call. Not that they were being paranoid or anything, but it wasn't beyond the realm of possibility for someone to forge a note from Max. Yes, things in their lives really were that strange. Once contact with Max had been made and they were reassured that yes, he was simply having a nice evening with his girlfriend, and hadn't been kidnapped by evil aliens again, Kyle and Isabel made some popcorn and settled in to watch the movies. It was nice to do normal teen-age stuff again. Despite everything, Kyle had to admit that life had been better since he and Isabel had repaired their friendship. Even Isabel's sarcastic comments about the horror movie he'd selected couldn't bother Kyle. Of course, when he tried to do the same during "The Wizard of Oz", her look of death quickly stopped him. As the movie ended, Isabel flicked off the TV with the remote. "So, you and Mandy looked pretty friendly there at the store," she pointed out, aiming for casual, and not sure how well she succeeded. Kyle looked at her, not sure where she was going with this. "Yeah," he answered slowly. "So?" Isabel shrugged. "Just didn't know you were ready to start dating again," she said lightly. "If so, I can think of some girls who would be much better for you than Mandy." "I told you, I don't need a dating service." "What are friends for?" Isabel turned to face him. "I know Mandy, and she's really not that deep a person. You can do better." "Wasn't really looking for someone to have long meaningful spiritual discussions with, Isabel." Kyle laughed. "She's hot." "You are such a guy, you know that?" She let out an exasperated noise. He grinned at her. "Relax, Isabel. I was just flirting with a cute girl. I have no interest in starting any type of relationship, especially not a serious one." His grin faded. "So you don't have to get all match-maker on me." "Okay." Isabel frowned. "I was just trying to help." "I know." Kyle sighed. "I just don't see the point, you know? Of starting something, when the other person is going to just end up leaving at the end, anyway." "Kyle," she started, but he continued. "It's the Valenti pattern. Despite our good looks and charm, we always end up alone in the end." His mother, Liz, Tess, Amy – they all ended up leaving, one way or another. He tried to smile, pretending not to be bothered by it. "Just the way it is. Guess I'll have to stick to shallow meaningless relationships." Isabel reached over and laid a hand on his arm, squeezing slightly. "Not everyone leaves, Kyle," she said gently. "You'll find someone someday." She smiled impishly. "I'll help." "Great." He groaned, then stood up. "I'd better get going before Dad sends out the entire force looking for me." "All right." She followed him to the door, where he turned back to her briefly. "Thanks for everything, Iz." "That's what friends are for," she repeated firmly. ------------------------------------------------------ Kyle was standing in the desert, hidden behind some boulders as he watched Tess throw Alex through the air. No, he tried to scream, but nothing came out of his mouth. Try as he might, he couldn't make his legs move, couldn't get down there to help his friend. He simply stood there, frozen, watching the girl he loved kill one of his best friends. And there was nothing he could do to stop it. "Come here often?" came a familiar voice behind him. Suddenly able to move, Kyle spun around in the direction of the voice. Isabel was standing there, only a few feet away, dressed in a very low-cut, clingy black dress. "Isabel? What are you doing here?" His heart picked up hopefully. "We have to help Alex......." But when he turned back around, Alex and Tess were gone. "They're not here." Isabel's voice was close behind him now. She went on in a low voice, practically right in his ear. "It's just you and me." He turned back to her, totally confused. "I don't understand." She moved even closer, their bodies almost touching. "You didn't save him then, and you can't save him now," she explained calmly. "He's gone." "I tried," he protested weakly, stopping when he saw the way she raised her eyebrow skeptically, obviously not believing him. "Don't matter." And then Kyle's heart nearly stopped beating as Isabel reached over and wrapped her hands around the back of his neck, closing the distance between them. That's when she kissed him. Kyle's heart started beating again, going about ten times its normal speed. For a minute, he found himself responding to the kiss. It was a good kiss, too. But then reason got control of his body, and Kyle started to pull away. This was Isabel he was kissing, feet away from where Alex died. It was wrong on so many levels, he couldn't even begin to count them. But even as he tried to pull back, Isabel's grip grew stronger. He couldn't seem to stop the kiss. Then he woke up. Feeling more than slightly panicky, Kyle sat up straight in his bed. Where had that come from? Edited by: <A HREF=http://p199.ezboard.com/bmajiklmoonsrea ... lm>Anla</A> at: 7/4/05 12:13 pm

Anla · Post by **Anla** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 12:23 pm

<div style="text-align:center">"Hush little baby, don't say a word And never mind that noise you heard It's just the beasts under your bed, In your closet, in your head Exit: Light Enter: Night Grain of Sand Exit: Light Enter: Night Take my hand We're off to Never Never Land" "Enter Sandman" – Metallica</div> Kyle was sitting at the kitchen table long before dawn, absently stirring the bowl of cereal in front of him. Food was the last thing on his mind, though. Try as he might, he couldn't get the memory of his dream out of his mind. Everytime he'd tried falling back to sleep the night before, the memory of how Isabel's lips had felt, the way her body had pressed into his, came crashing in on him in vivid detail, shocking him back into a state of full consciousness. Even after giving up and realizing that sleep was a lost cause for that night, Kyle was unable to shake the memory of the dream. He couldn't even meditate that morning, with images of Isabel in that tight little dress flitting into his head. He couldn't seem to shake them. The dream had been so vivid, so realistic. This was really disturbing him. Where did that dream come from, anyway? Yeah, the first part was old news, although no less upsetting for its familiarity. While the nightmares about Alex's death had decreased slightly over the last month or so, they still came back at least once a week. But what kind of sick twist of his subconscious had led to Isabel popping up in the dream and kissing him? How could he possibly connect Alex's death with kissing Isabel? Then there was Isabel's attitude towards Kyle, as if she didn't think he'd even wanted to help Alex. As if he'd somehow wanted Alex gone and out of the way. Kyle threw down his spoon in disgust and went into the living room. Maybe some push-ups would help him work out whatever was going on in his subconscious. Or at least make him too tired to think about it anymore. But twenty minutes later, Kyle had to admit it wasn't working. Physical exercise wasn't helping any more than meditation had. All right, then. Let's try to look at it logically. Kyle propped himself up against the couch. First things first. He resolutely ignored the part of the dream about Alex's death. That just hurt too much to think about right then. How do you feel about Isabel? That was the million dollar question, wasn't it? Kyle frowned, deep in thought. There was no real question that he cared about Isabel a lot, more than he'd ever cared for any other girl he'd known (well, other than Tess, but he didn't want to go there right then, either). He trusted Isabel again, more than he trusted anyone except his father, and he knew that she trusted him back. So, yeah, he liked Isabel a lot. And there was no arguing with the fact that she was hot. In fact, this hadn't been the first dream he'd ever had of Isabel Evans, a fact which he was sure that he shared with many of his fellow males at Roswell High. But not in years, not since he got to know her. So, did he want her? Kyle shook his head and lowered it into his hands. He didn't think so. Not like that. He appreciated the fact that Isabel was gorgeous, yeah. But it was a simple observation now, not a source of lustful daydreams. Isabel was his friend. Maybe he did love her, but it wasn't like in that dream. At least he didn't think so. Because if that dream was any indication of the way his subconscious was working, then there was some definite attraction going on. That kiss had definitely been in the amazing category. Kyle wondered absently if Isabel kissed that well in real life. Then he shook his head. What was he thinking? That way lay madness. He would just have to wait for this momentary bout of insanity to pass. "What's up?" Kyle glanced up quickly to see his dad standing in the doorway to the living room, watching him with concerned eyes. "Nothing." "Right." Valenti looked over at the clock. "Unless there's been an alien invasion that nobody bothered to wake me up for, there's no way you would be up this early unless you had something on your mind. So what is it?" Kyle shrugged, trying to seem casual. He really didn't want to have a conversation with his father about that particular dream. "Just thinking. I didn't sleep too well last night." The sheriff came over to sit near his son on the couch. "Nightmares?" "No," he responded instantly. After all, being kissed passionately by an attractive girl couldn't exactly be called a nightmare, could it? But then......"Yeah. Maybe." He tried to smile, then looked away. Valenti nodded slowly. "Well, that certainly cleared up my confusion." He frowned. "You sure you don't want to talk about it?" "It's just....." Kyle paused. "You ever have a really weird dream? One that you couldn't figure out?" "Sure. Dreams don't always mean what they seem on the surface, you know." Valenti smiled. "And mostly, they're just dreams. Don't worry about 'em too much." "Yeah." Something clicked in Kyle's mind. At Isabel's last night, he'd been talking about how everyone left. And in the dream, Isabel had said something about it just being the two of them. The dream was probably just a reflection of Kyle being lonely after being without a girl for so long. Isabel was the only female he was really spending time with, someone he felt he could trust, so no wonder his subconscious picked her for his dreams. It didn't mean he wanted Isabel particularly. Just that he wanted someone. Feeling a bit better, Kyle managed an actual smile at his father. "I guess I'm just over-thinking." "Try not to do that," Valenti joked. "We don't want a Valenti who thinks too much, do we?" "Definitely not." Valenti stood up. "I'm going to make some breakfast. You want some pancakes?" At Kyle's nod, he turned towards the kitchen, then hesitated and turned back. "This dream? It wasn't anything weird in an alien-related way, was it?" "No. Nothing like that." As Kyle watched his father leave, some of his new-found reassurance faded away as another thought occurred to him. He hadn't considered all the alien possibilities there. It had been a very realistic dream. What if it hadn't been just a dream version of Isabel? --------------------------------------------------- Michael looked up from his sketchpad when he heard Maria come out of the bathroom. "How are you?" "How do you think?" Maria walked over to Michael, a trifle unsteadily, and sat down next to him on the couch. "I thought the worst of the morning sickness should have been over a couple of months ago." "Me, too." He looked at Maria closely as he shifted to let her snuggle closer to him, putting one arm around her as he closed his pad. "But it's been getting worse again, hasn't it?" He'd noticed that these last few weeks. Well, it was hard not to. Even if he wasn't picking up the occasional burst of nausea and discomfort through their bond, he would have noticed how often Maria was feeling sick and tired. "Maybe we should have Max come over......" "You already have Max giving me and the baby check-ups every other day," Maria interrupted. "He hasn't found anything wrong with either of us." "Maybe we need to have him give you daily check-ups, then," Michael argued. "We don't know what to expect from a human-alien pregnancy. We can't take chances with either of you." Maria smiled as she lay her head on his chest and closed her eyes. "I appreciate the concern, Spaceboy, but you're probably just overreacting. Lots of women have bad morning sickness all the way through their pregnancy. It doesn't necessarily mean you have to freak out." "Still......" Michael rubbed her back soothingly, frowning to himself. He hated that they couldn't take her to a doctor, get her checked out by a professional. As much as he trusted Max, he really wasn't happy with leaving any options unused where Maria's safety was concerned. But when he broached the subject with her, Maria had shot down the idea instantly, pointing out that not only would she and the baby be at great a risk if examined as he would be, but that a human doctor might not have any better idea of how to deal with this pregnancy than they did. So, they were left with Dr. Max. Michael was distracted from his thoughts by the contented sounds Maria was making as he continued his back rub. "You sound like a cat," he murmured, amused. "Well, that feels good." She looked up at him through lowered eyelashes. "You have very talented hands, Spaceboy." Michael laughed. "What were you doing up so early, anyway?" "Couldn't exactly sleep through you being that sick, could I?" he pointed out. "No, you were up before me." She'd had to shoo Michael away as he rushed over to her in concern as soon as she woke up. She frowned as he looked away. "You haven't been sleeping well all week. Ever since you did whatever you did with Shalin." She started tracing patterns on his arm, waiting for his response. Slowly, he looked back at her. "I told you what I did with Shalin," he answered in a carefully casual tone. She wasn't fooled. "For one very brief moment, she let down her mental defenses and let me see inside her, see what she was feeling. Then it was over." Like that was all. "And that's why you trust her now, because you saw that she's loyal to you and will follow your orders." Maria nodded. "I get that. I'm a bit concerned about the idea of her being able to see into your mind, though." Michael pulled her even closer, kissing the top of her head. "Don't be. Shalin let down her defenses. I didn't. You're the only one who's been able to get past those." He smirked. "Not even Shalin is that stubborn." "Gee, thanks." She punched his arm lightly. "You're sure she couldn't have gotten past them without you knowing? I mean, she's Kivar's sister. Maybe she's some super-mind reader, too." "No. Shalin's better at sensing people's emotions." Michael shifted, uncomfortable with the memories. "She's good at messing with people's emotional responses. It's like a game for her. But in terms of strict telepathy, both Kivar and Vilandra were way stronger than her." "Okay." Well, that was one less worry. Didn't mean there were none left, though. "And the nightmares?" She sighed at his surprised expression. "Michael, we're connected, remember? You have nightmares, and I'm going to know about it." "How much have you seen?" he asked, concerned. "Not much," she admitted. "But enough to know that they're really bad." "Yeah, well, I've had nightmares before. They always pass eventually." Before Maria could say anything else, Michael stood up. "Be right back." He hurried off to the bathroom before she could interrupt. "Coward," Maria muttered as he closed the door behind him. There were things Michael still hated talking about with her. With anyone, actually. She noticed the closed sketch pad, and picked it up idly, opening the cover and glancing through it. She got a chill as she saw what the drawings were of, casual glances turning into horrified ones. Michael came back out of the bathroom shortly, and saw Maria sitting straight on the couch, looking at his pictures. Closing his eyes briefly, he took a deep breath, then walked over to her and took the book. "You are the nosiest person I've ever met," he said, resigned. "In two lifetimes." Maria wrapped her arms around herself and shivered. "Michael........" she shook her head, then started again. "Those pictures – that's what you've been having the nightmares about, isn't it?" The pictures had been horrifying, pictures of death and destruction, all drawn vividly and in detail. The only things that had been left blank had been the faces on the broken alien bodies lying about. "Yeah." Michael sat back down next to her, relieved when she didn't shy away from him. Deep down, he knew that she wasn't going to turn away from him, no matter what, but it was still nice to have reassurance about that. "I didn't know they were that bad," she whispered. "What is it?" she gestured to the book. "They're just dreams, Maria." "Right." "Okay, they're memories. From before." He reached out and ran a hand through her hair. "I don't know. I guess it helps me to get them out, to draw them. Then they're not trapped in my mind anymore." He didn't like that worried look on her face. She spent too much time worrying about him. "I'm okay, Maria. Really. They're getting a little better every night." "Connecting with Shalin brought everything back in detail, didn't it?" God, she really didn't like that woman. Michael shrugged. "Shalin and Tymrath had a lot in common. A lot of common experiences. So yeah. It reminded me of some things." Maria asked the question she'd been avoiding for a week. "And what about you and Max?" "I was wondering how long you were going to wait about that." Michael ran his hand over his face, thinking. "Nothing's changed with Max and me." "But the connection with Shalin – it what? Woke up some of Tymrath's issues with him?" "Maybe a little at first. I've got it under control now. Max and I are going to play basketball later. I'll let him win if it'll make you feel better." Michael smirked, trying to calm Maria down. "Don't worry. I'm not on the verge of another alien melt-down. Things are okay." "All right," she said slowly, relaxing. She trusted Michael. A thought occurred to Michael. "Do you think Max noticed that something was off?" "Probably. Max notices most things." Now it was Maria's turn to smile encouragingly at Michael. "Don't worry. I think Max understands more about what's going on with you than you give him credit for." "Maybe." Shaking his head, Michael switched subjects. "There's something else I wanted to talk to you about." "That doesn't sound too good." Maria looked at him closely. "What? Should I start panicking again?" "No, it's not something requiring DeLuca hysteria. Ouch!" She punched his arm lightly. "I got a job offer." "Really?" She sat up a bit straighter. "Doing what?" "There's this guy who comes by to work for Mrs. McDougal sometimes," Michael explained. "Name's Joe Garza. He's a type of handyman, goes all around the area. He can fix pretty much anything." "I think I remember the name," Maria interrupted. "Mom hired him to fix the pipes in the store a year or so ago when they burst." "Well, he was at the ranch the other day, and he saw the work I did on Mrs. McDougal's barn roof. He said it looked like I knew what I was doing, and he offered me a job. Kind of like an apprenticeship." "Michael, that's great!" Maria hugged him, beaming. She could tell how much that meant to Michael, to have someone recognize his talent at fixing things, something that was totally unrelated to his alien powers or fighting. "It'll be more money than I can make at the ranch," he added. "And I'll still be able to work at the Crashdown." He hesitated. "But?" "I won't be able to do this job and go to school," he said quietly. "There will be a lot more hours than working at the ranch. Which means more money. But I won't be able to do school and both jobs." "Oh." Maria's excitement ebbed away. She wasn't really surprised, but she had hoped they could put this decision off indefinitely. "We need the money." Michael's voice grew even quieter as he put his hand over Maria's stomach. "With the baby coming, we're going to need as much money as we can get. And let's be real – how likely is it that I'll manage to graduate anyway?" "Don't talk like that," she said sharply. "You've been working harder at school lately." He shrugged. "Too little, too late." "That's not true." It wasn't fair that Michael finally decided to take his schooling seriously only to have to drop out. "Maybe if I got a second job, too......" "No," he said seriously. "You're not dropping out." No way was Maria going to have to give up anything else because of her relationship with him. "You're going to graduate. I never figured I'd graduate, anyway." He gave a small smile. "I just expected I'd be going back to my home planet before that." "Not that you'd have a half human baby coming, huh?" "I like this option better," Michael pointed out. She frowned. "This really sucks, Michael." "Yeah, well, it's the situation. We need the money." "I guess." Suddenly, she got a mischievous glint in her eyes. "How are you going to tell Liz?" Michael groaned. "Maybe you can tell her about it for me?" "You really are a wuss sometimes, you know." "Yeah." "I suppose I should see the guidance counselor at school this week," Maria said, all humor gone. "I've been putting it off, but it's getting pretty obvious that I'm pregnant. And I should find out what the situation is for me, with the whole school and graduation thing." "I want you to graduate," Michael repeated seriously. She looked at him curiously. "That's really important to you, isn't it?" He nodded. "I'll see what we can do. Things aren't exactly easy, are they?" "And that's just with the human side of things," he pointed out. Maria sighed and rested against his chest. "Well, we have each other." "Yeah." Michael tightened his arms around her. "We'll make it work." ---------------------------------------------------- "I'm not sure this is such a good idea," Maria muttered quietly. Liz gave her a sharp look. "We went through this at school," she replied, just as softly. "If she's harmless, then we don't have anything to worry about, right?" Maria raised her eyebrows. "I wouldn't exactly call her harmless," she pointed out. "And it's not her hurting us that worries me. I just don't want to be anywhere near her if I don't have to." "We'll be quick," Liz promised, knocking on the apartment door. Shalin answered it quickly, looking at them in surprise. "Now, I certainly didn't expect the two of you to come visiting," she said with a small smile. She looked past them. "And all alone, too. No bodyguards?" Maria gave her a very bright, very fake smile. "Now that we're all friends, what do we need bodyguards for?" "You don't." Shalin moved back to let them in. "I'm just surprised that any of you have figured it out yet." "We trust Michael," Liz said simply, entering with Maria right behind her. "How sweet." Shalin laughed. "What can I do for the two of you?" Liz took a deep breath, taking a piece of paper out of her bookbag. "I'm curious about that poison they used on Max and his mother. I meant to ask you about it earlier, but Max and I have been busy with some other projects. Now I have the time to study it." Shalin nodded, leaning back against a counter. "All right. I don't have any of it on hand, though. I might be able to get my hands on some more of it if you want." "How reassuring," Maria said dryly. Shalin shot her a sharp glance. "I don't want any of the poison," Liz interrupted smoothly. "But I wanted to do some more research on the antidote. If it's going to be used against any of us again, we should be prepared." She handed the paper to Shalin. "Is this the same antidote you used?" The Skin glanced down at the paper. "Basically. There were a few small modifications." She took a pencil off the counter and made some notes. "I'm not sure what good this will do you, though," she said, handing the paper back to Liz. "The ingredients aren't found on this planet." "Maybe we can come up with something similar, using substances found on Earth." Shalin laughed again. "You're going to figure this out?" Liz shrugged, refusing to let Shalin get to her. "Not right away, obviously. But you seem to know your way around poisons, so maybe if we work together, we can find an alternative. In the meantime, it would be helpful if you could get more of that antidote together." "Teamwork, huh?" Shalin grinned. "Sure, why not? Although personally, I'd prefer it if you all managed to not get yourselves poisoned in the first place. Saves me work." "We'll see what we can do." Maria made an annoyed noise, and Shalin turned to her. "Problems?" "Oh, no," Maria said sarcastically. "I love this whole best-buddy thing we have going on." "Maria," Liz started, but Shalin broke in. "I'm not your enemy, Maria." She looked at the blond human seriously. "Not yours or Michael's. You'll figure that out eventually." "We'll see." Maria's doubt was clear as she took Liz's arm. "In the meantime, we'll be on our way." "Thanks for your help." Liz didn't like Shalin anymore than Maria did, but she was determined not to let her emotions get in the way of any potential help. If Max could deal with this woman, then so could she. And after all, Shalin had saved Max's life. That got her some points in Liz's book. Not many, but some. Maria opened the door, wanting to get out of there quickly (and already dreading the scene when Michael found out they'd come here alone), but stopped short in surprise as she nearly ran into someone. "Sheriff Valenti! What are you doing here?" "I could ask the two of you the same thing." He looked over Maria's head. "Hello, Liz." "Um, hi, Sheriff." She gave a small wave. Shalin rolled her eyes behind them. "Wonderful," she muttered, too low for them to hear. Perfect timing. "Hello, Jim," she said louder. "Guess it's my day for visitors." "Can I come in?" He avoided Maria's unhappy glare. "Sure." Shalin gestured him inside. "Why not? I'm starting to think I'm having a party here or something." "Okay," Valenti replied slowly, entering as the two girls walked around him in the other direction. "Anything going on here?" "Nope," Liz answered brightly. "Just talking." "See you later," Maria added as Liz dragged her off down the hallway. The two girls hurried to Maria's car, not saying anything until they got inside. "What does he see in her?" Maria burst out once she started the engine. Liz looked at her in disbelief. "Gee, I don't know. What could a male possibly see in a gorgeous redhead?" Maria looked disgusted. "Yeah, but he's not some stupid teen age boy. The sheriff's old." "He's not that old." Liz was torn between amusement and understanding of what Maria was getting at. "Okay, he's not, but he's certainly old enough to know better," Maria pointed out. "Shouldn't he be able to use his brain and think, not just be a victim of his hormones?" "I guess he sees something in her that we don't," Liz said thoughtfully. "I don't think Sheriff Valenti would be at all interested in someone without some good reason." "She's trouble," Maria said bluntly. "That's all she is." Liz frowned. "Your mom's the one who ended things with him, Maria," she pointed out gently. "It's not like he's cheating on her or something." "I know that. It's just......." Maria sighed loudly. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I actually got used to him and Mom being together. It was almost nice, at times, you know?" "Yeah." Liz smiled sympathetically at her friend. "I just wish she'd go back to her own planet and leave us all alone," Maria burst out angrily. "She upsets Michael, looks at all of us as if we were bugs or something...." "Not you." "What do you mean?" "She doesn't look at you the way she looks at me." Liz frowned. "You didn't notice? She's been very obvious in how little she thinks of me, Max, and Isabel. But not you." She shrugged. "Guess it's because you're important to Michael, so by extension....." "I'm important to Shalin and the rest of their little group," Maria finished grumpily. "Great. Now I get to worry about any ulterior motives in her actions towards me, too." Liz studied her. "You realize you're getting just as paranoid as Michael." "Unfortunately, any paranoia in our lives tends to turn out to be right," Maria pointed out. Liz nodded in acceptance. -------------------------------------------------------- "So what brings you here?" Shalin asked, closing the door as soon as the girls left. She wasn't looking forward to her next conversation with Michael after Maria told him that the sheriff had come by. "Do you want something to drink?" She tried to walk past him into the kitchen, but was stopped as he grabbed her arm. "What I want is to talk," he said seriously. When Shalin stopped and turned to face him, he let go of her arm and moved back a pace. "I haven't exactly seen much of you the last week or so." "We've talked," she protested. Valenti gave a low laugh. "Very briefly. Whenever I try, you run off." "I've been busy," she pointed out. "Now that I'm able to increase security in town and around Michael and the others, I've had a lot of work to do." "Okay," he conceded. "But I figured if I cornered you here, you'd have to talk with me." Shalin sighed, walking across to sit down on the couch. "What about, Jim?" Valenti followed her, hesitating, then chose to sit on the chair across from her rather than next to her on the couch. "I thought what happened at the Crash Festival might be a good place to start." "You mean the attempted murder of his royal majesty?" she asked brightly. "Or was there something more interesting you had in mind?" He frowned. The casual malice she constantly showed towards Max disturbed him. "I don't get that," he admitted. "You hate Max so much, but you risked your own life to save his." "What is there not to get?" Shalin leaned back in her seat. "There are things more important than my own personal feelings towards the king." "Hmm." He decided to let that go for now. He wasn't sure he would ever be able to understand the whole dynamics of the T'onxyl. "I wanted to talk about what happened between the two of us." He looked down at his hands, slightly embarrassed. "You know, when I .........." "Kissed me?" Shalin smiled. "It was a kiss, Jim. A very nice kiss, mind you, and one that I definitely wouldn't have minded continuing. But it's really not quite as big an issue as you seem to think." "Well, I shouldn't have done it," he said. "It wasn't right to just kiss you like that, out of nowhere. I don't know why I did it." "Thanks," she said wryly. "I mean, I do know why I did it," he continued, pretty sure he was simply digging himself in deeper. "I wanted to kiss you. Hell, I've wanted to kiss you pretty much since that night at the bar. But I shouldn't have done it if I wasn't willing to continue our relationship. I don't want to lead you on or anything." Shalin laughed, actually delighted. "You're worried about not being a gentleman? About taking advantage of me?" She leaned forward and placed a hand on his knee. Despite himself, the sheriff felt a purely physical response to the touch. "Jim, trust me. I'm the last person on this planet, or Antar either, who is going to be taken advantage of. Like I said, it was a very nice kiss. I liked it. But I wasn't expecting a declaration of undying love or anything." She gave a warm laugh. "We're two consenting adults who are attracted to each other. It doesn't have to go any further than that." She took away her hand, to Valenti's mixed relief and disappointment. "You decided that you don't want it to go any further. That's fine. I can't actually deal with a distraction right now, anyway." She tilted her head to one side as she studied him carefully. "Is it because of Amy DeLuca?" "No," he answered instantly. She raised one eyebrow, her face a mask of disbelief. "I mean, I care about Amy. You know that." She nodded. "But I don't think I have any chance of getting back with her. She's made that pretty clear," he finished wryly. "She's stupid," Shalin pointed out calmly. "Nah." Valenti had to be fair. "Amy has every right to want a man who will be honest with her." Shalin waved her hand in dismissal. "You were honest with her in the ways that count." Valenti laughed sarcastically. "Well, except for the whole little matter of her daughter's boyfriend being an alien." "There is that," Shalin agreed, sharing a smile with him. "But you were honest with her about your feelings. You cared about her, and you would have been faithful to her. She knows that you're a good man and that you would take care of her and her daughter to the best of your ability. That's what's important." Jim looked at her, shaking his head. Amy didn't really need someone to take care of her. "And the secrets wouldn't matter?" Shalin shrugged. "Everyone has secrets. That's what adds a spice of mystery." "You don't exactly see relationships the same way as most, do you?" "Probably not," she agreed easily. "So, if it's not Amy, then what is it?" She was genuinely curious. She was surprised by Valenti pulling back from the kiss at the Crash Festival the way he had. Shalin hadn't expected it from a human, but Jim Valenti intrigued her. "I like you, Shalin," he admitted. "I like you a lot. And it's not just that you're beautiful and sexy. For some reason that I don't understand, I'm comfortable with you." He gave a large grin. "And you're fun." "But?" she prompted. His grin faded. "But there's the whole problem with you wanting to hurt two of the kids." "Ah." She'd rather thought that might be it. "It shouldn't really be a problem, should it? As long as Michael says they're off-limits, you don't have a problem." Valenti shook his head. "I can't quite reconcile all the parts of who you are, Shalin," he admitted. "And since I can't work out how I feel about you, then I can't start anything." He grimaced slightly. "Guess I'm just not much good at those types of games." "No, I imagine you're not," she said thoughtfully. "Max Evans saved your son's life," she continued. "You feel you owe him a bond of loyalty for that. I understand." She caught his eye. "But he's not your son. He's not all that you think he is." "He's a good kid," Valenti said stubbornly. "He's not who you think he is. He' s not Zandar anymore." "I'm not sure of that," she admitted. "I don't see any use to Max Evans. Do you think he's even committed to fighting Kivar? The Zandar I knew was only interested in what he wanted, what was good for him." "I doubt you ever really knew Zandar," Jim pointed out gently. "Yeah, Max is determined to stop Kivar if at all possible. He doesn't have much choice, does he? Kivar's going to come for him, after all. Our planet is just as much at risk as Antar." "Yes, there is that." Shalin stood up. "Well, I really do have some things to do, Jim. So as much as I enjoy your company, I'm going to have to kick you out now." Her smile took the sting out of her words. "Are we okay?" he asked on his way to the door. "Definitely." At the door, Shalin gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "You don't know what you're missing, though." Jim groaned. "I have an idea. Probably couldn't survive it." Shalin ran her eyes along his body. "Oh, I think you'd manage." She touched his arm, smiling. "I'll see you around, Jim." "Bye." Valenti stood in the hallway for a moment after she closed the door behind him, wondering if he had made the right decision. Then, he turned and went home. -------------------------------------------------------- By Wednesday, Kyle strongly suspected he was on the verge of a complete and total break-down. Every night since Friday, he had a dream with Isabel featuring prominently in it. And with each progressive night, the dream went further, making that first dream look innocent by comparison. He'd tried meditation. He'd tried working out until he collapsed in exhaustion. Yet every night, there Isabel was in his dreams, wearing skimpier and skimpier clothing and driving him crazy. He hated how he was starting to respond in the dreams, actually enjoying the kissing and touching with Isabel. But what Kyle hated even more, what really disturbed him, was the overall tenor of the dreams. They were all physical. He and the Isabel in the dreams never talked. She always initiated the kissing, refusing to let him get in a word and talk. It was all about the making-out. All physical, with no real affection behind it. Which might not have bothered him once, but the genuine caring and respect he had for Isabel seemed to be completely lacking in the dreams. In them, it was like all Isabel cared about was seeing how far she could tempt him before he gave in to her physical advances. Thankfully, he'd always managed to wake up before things went much farther than kissing and some touching that he would rather not ever have Isabel know he was dreaming about. He was having a hard enough time facing her as it was. At least Kyle was fairly convinced that it actually was just his dreams he was dealing with, that Isabel wasn't manipulating them in anyway. After everything they'd been through in the past months, after what happened the last time she went into his mind and memories without his permission, he didn't think she would do anything like that again. Plus, he saw absolutely no indication that Isabel had any feelings like the ones her dream self was showing. So, no. Kyle was fairly certain it was only his own treasonous subconscious he was dealing with. Which was bad enough. So he was sitting there at a lunch table in the school cafeteria, trying to figure out what was going on when he was abruptly wrenched from his thoughts. He looked up as Maria dropped her lunch tray down and sat across from him. "Isabel thinks you're avoiding her," she said without preamble. "Nice to see you, too, Maria," he said, laughing despite himself. "Sure, you can laugh," she replied. "But Isabel's pretty upset. And an upset Isabel is not someone who is fun for any of us to deal with." "I haven't noticed Isabel being upset," Kyle said, buying time. "Of course not," Maria said with exaggerated patience. "That's because you've been avoiding her! What's going on?" "Nothing." Kyle avoided her eyes. "I've just been busy with practice and stuff. I'm not really avoiding her." "I don't believe you," Maria said flatly. "And neither will Isabel. She thinks you're mad at her." "I'm not mad at her." That much, at least, was true. They were briefly interrupted as Max and Liz joined them at their table. "Isabel's looking for you," Max said as he sat. Kyle moaned, dropping his head to the table. "Told you so," Maria put in. "Hey, Kyle," came a female voice from behind his head. Kyle whipped his head up and turned around. "Oh, hey, Vicky," he said, smiling. "How are you?" "Good." She smiled at everyone before continuing on to sit down at a nearby table. Kyle watched her walk away. "She just broke up with Todd," Liz mentioned. "Really? I hadn't heard about that." Maria looked over at Kyle. "Didn't you date Vicky a couple of years ago?" "Yeah, back in sophomore year." He noticed Max and Liz exchange amused glances. "What?" "Nothing," Max said, grinning. "We were just remembering that party at the old soap factory." "Yeah, you and Vicky seemed to be pretty chummy there in the back of that truck," Liz added, also grinning. Maria raised her eyebrows. "The back of a truck, huh, Kyle? Very romantic." He smiled. "Well, you know, I'd planned on a violin concert and a moonlit stroll, but things happen," he joked back. Of course, it had been a while since he'd had anything remotely resembling a date. Which brought him back to his earlier theory concerning the dreams. Maybe the dreams were just his mind's way of telling him that he was ready to start dating again. Isabel was the only girl he'd been around lately, so she was the one in the dreams, but it didn't mean he wanted her in particular. Kyle looked over at Vicky with a new interest. He'd liked Vicky, and she'd certainly seemed to like him back. But there'd been so much going on sophomore year, that things just hadn't worked out. Maybe he should give it another try. "You say that she's single again, huh?" "Yeah." Liz smiled. "Why? You interested?" "Maybe." Kyle gathered his stuff. "See you guys later." Leaving the table quickly, he didn't notice Isabel heading towards them. "Great." Isabel sat down next to Maria. "I show up and Kyle leaves. He really is avoiding me, isn't he?" "That had nothing to do with you, Iz," Max reassured her. "Yep. Kyle is a man on a mission." Maria nodded over to where Kyle was talking animatedly with Vicky. "Really?" Isabel looked over with interest. "You think he's asking Vicky out?" "I think he's trying." Maria looked down at her watch. "Ugh. I've gotta go. Got an appointment with the guidance counselor to figure out if I'm going to be able to graduate with the rest of you or not." She made a face. "What fun." "You need some moral support?" Liz offered. "No, I think I've got it covered." Stealing a fry from Max's lunch, she waved farewell. "Bye." The three of them left at the table passed an uneventful lunch, although Isabel kept glancing over to where Kyle was sitting with Vicky. Max was slightly apprehensive. Isabel was getting that look she had every year at Christmastime, that planning look that made any wise soul run in the other direction. He sincerely hoped that whatever his sister was planning was directed solely at Kyle, and would in no way involve him personally. By the time Max and Liz were ready to leave for class, Vicky was getting up from her table as well. So Isabel had absolutely no qualms about rushing over and ambushing Kyle to find out what was going on. "Hello," she said brightly, pushing Kyle back into his seat and sitting down next to him. "Hey, Isabel." Kyle forced himself to look her in the eyes and was relieved to find that, despite some lingering embarrassment, he didn't feel any differently around her than he usually did. Certainly not the way he felt in those dreams with her. "Hey, sorry about not calling you back last night. I was exhausted after practice and fell asleep as soon as I finished dinner." "Just don't let it happen again." Isabel smiled, relieved that things seemed okay with the two of them. "So, you and Vicky, huh?" Before Kyle could say anything, Isabel hurried on. "That's great. Vicky's cool. Now, I was thinking about where you two could go on your date." Kyle blinked at her a few times. "I mean, dinner and a movie's a classic, but by no means can you take her to one of those horror movies you love so much. This is practically like your first date, and you want to impress her, not scare her into running away. So, we have to find a good date movie for you. And then find something for you to wear." She shook her head as she looked at his clothes. Kyle held up his hands in a 'time-out' signal. "Hold on, Iz," he finally got in. "I didn't ask Vicky out." "What?" Now it was Isabel's turn to be thrown. "But I thought that's what you were doing over here." "Yeah, that was the original idea." Kyle shrugged, slightly uncomfortable. "But I didn't." "Why not?" "I thought maybe I was ready, but I guess not." When it came down to the moment when he should have asked her, Kyle found that he couldn't do it. He liked Vicky, but didn't feel like dating her. He wasn't sure what was going on. "And just for the record, when I am ready to start dating again, I'll be able to plan my own dates." "Fine." "I appreciate it, though." Kyle smiled at Isabel, then looked at her more closely. She had slight shadows around her eyes. "Are you feeling okay? You look tired." She shrugged. "I just didn't sleep that well last night." "You haven't been sleeping well a lot lately," he said slowly. "Are you still having those dreams?" Isabel looked down at the table in front of them, studying it as if it was fascinating. "Sometimes," she admitted. "Not every night, but sometimes." They were coming less and less frequently, though, and when they did, Alex seemed almost distant. "Do you still think that it's," Kyle lowered his voice, "Alex's ghost visiting you?" "I don't know." She looked up at him. "I don't know much of anything anymore." Then she looked away, blinking away the sudden tears before he could see them. "Let's get going to class, okay?" she said, forcing a cheerfulness into her voice that she didn't really feel. "Okay." Kyle was still worried, though. He was starting to suspect that things might not be as calm within the group as they appeared on the surface. He hoped he was worrying about nothing. --------------------------------------------------------- Max paused in the doorway of Brody's office, taking the opportunity to simply watch Liz. He smiled. She was so beautiful, so serious and determined as she read through the book on plants and herbs she had in front of her. After a minute, he went inside and walked over to her. "You know," he teased, still smiling as she looked up at him, "if I didn't love you so much, your newfound obsession with poisons might worry me slightly." She stuck out her tongue at him. "You just wait. Eventually I'm going to find a way to make more of the antidote here on earth." She moved her chair over so that he could sit next to her. "Shalin doesn't have much left, and if any of our enemies use it against us again, I want to make sure we're ready." "Is she being much help?" Max picked up the notebook in front of Liz and looked at the notes she had written down in neat letters. Liz sighed. "I don't know. She seems to be, but I have the feeling she's not exactly sharing everything." "What a shock." Max put the book back down. "Don't get too fixated on this, Liz." He didn't want her to be too disappointed if she couldn't figure it out. She shook her head. "You don't know what it was like, standing there and watching you die," she said softly. Max thought back to the day Liz was shot. "I have some idea," he pointed out gently. "At least you could do something," she shot back. "I don't ever want to be that helpless when you're in danger again." Max didn't know what to say to that. Instead, he picked up the pentagon shaped communicator that was on the table next to Liz's books. "So, any more progress with this?" For the past three weeks since the Crash Festival, he and Liz had been spending a lot of their free time working on the communicator, using Brody's office and equipment after he went home and the UFO Center closed. Liz was certain that they could reconfigure the device to its original purpose, to use it to spy on the Skins' communications. If so, that could be very helpful to them. It would be helpful to have some warning the next time they were going to be attacked. With Liz's ability to break down a scientific problem into its parts and logically work things out, and Max's memories of how they'd adjusted it in the first place, they'd been making surprising progress. Liz's whole face lit up. "I think we've done it," she said, voice shaking with excitement. " I heard something earlier, but I couldn't make it out clearly. Go ahead and try it." Enjoying how cute Liz looked when she was excited like that at a scientific accomplishment, Max pressed a series of symbols on the device. Within seconds, there was a burst of noise that soon resolved itself into the unmistakable sounds of someone talking. Of course, Liz wouldn't be able to understand it, since it was in Antaran. But Max could. "Is it Skins talking?" Liz leaned over closer to Max. He nodded, trying to concentrate on what they were saying. The voices were faint. "We're not getting much of a range on this yet," he said absently. "We'll have to work on that...." His voice trailed off as he started to make out what they were talking about. Liz had no idea what the alien voices were saying, but she could see Max's face darken with anger as he listened. Worried, she put her hand on his arm, feeling his muscles tighten. She hadn't seen him look that angry very often, and it frightened her. Still, she waited until the voices stopped and they were left with only silence in the office before she said anything. "What is it?" Max looked over at Liz, visibly trying to relax the tight set of his jaw. "I'm not sure," he got out. Standing, he went on. "I have to check something out." Liz opened her mouth to protest and he held up his hand. "I'll tell you everything later. I promise. But I have to make sure this means what I think it does first." "All right," Liz said, not happy about it. Max gave her a quick kiss, then was out the door before she could say anything else. Liz wondered where he was going. --------------------------------------------------------- Max got out of his car and walked down the street to the library, looking carefully around the growing darkness to see if there was anyone around. Somehow he didn't think Sheriff Valenti would be thrilled if he got picked up for breaking into the library. Satisfied that the coast was clear, Max walked over to the front door and held his hand over the lock, turning the knob when he heard the click of the lock opening. He locked the door behind him and walked to the back of the library. Shalin looked up from the books she was going through on the desk in front of her. "I thought I locked that door," she commented mildly. "You did." Max closed the door behind him as he entered the small room, trying to hold on to his temper. "I see." She tilted her head quizzically, but otherwise seemed unconcerned. "May I ask what was so important it couldn't wait until I got home?" "We need to talk." "Yeah, I'm hearing that a lot lately," she muttered. "What about?" Max smiled grimly at her. "About the fact that you're not being exactly truthful with us." Shalin frowned angrily, standing up behind the desk. "You know, I am so sick of this! I have done nothing but help you and your little group since coming to this stupid planet, and what do I get in return? My old friend Tym treats me like an enemy, despite the fact that I'm not the one who turned on him back home. And even though I've been watching your back, risking my own life, all of you treat me like I'm some type of monster. Do I have to remind you that I killed one of my own in order to save your pathetic life?" She glared at him. "Yet here you are, accusing me of what exactly?" "Enough." The quiet word cut through Shalin's rant. Max leaned forward, placing his hands on the desk in front of her and facing her. "That's enough. Don't even try making yourself out to be some type of martyr here. We both know that you're only helping us because it suits your own purpose. And that's fine." Shalin leaned closer. Their faces were bare inches apart now. "Then what, exactly, is your problem, your royal highness?" she hissed at him. "Liz and I intercepted a Skin communication tonight." He saw the slight widening of her eyes at that. "It was very enlightening." She shrugged. "I doubt that you would have been able to hear anything terribly important. Anything vital would have been encoded." "I'm sure you're right about that. This message wasn't exactly secret. In fact, from the way that they were talking, it sounds like common knowledge among Skins. Which makes me wonder why you never mentioned it." He paused, waiting for her to respond. She waited a few seconds, then asked. "What is it you heard?" "They were talking about the ongoing development of the new colony on Nakar Gaas." Max smiled coldly. "Only I don't recall ever hearing about that particular colony. I don't remember ever even hearing about that planet, to be exact. It's not within the same solar system as Antar. But it sounds like we have a pretty big colony developing there." Shalin closed her eyes. Max could see her take deep breaths as he went on. "You want to know what I think? I think that Kivar found another planet to move our people to. One that won't go boom when our sun does. In other words, he doesn't need Earth anymore for colonization. I have to wonder why you didn't think this was information we should have, since you're so very anxious to help us out." He paused, waiting for her to say something, but she didn't. "I'm right, aren't I?" The light on the desk started to flicker, but Max didn't back away, even recognizing that as a clue to how strained Shalin's self-control was. He was too angry himself. One way or another, this was getting resolved. Finally, she spoke in a hoarse whisper. "Do you have any idea how hard this is? How much I hate you?" She opened her eyes and Max almost did flinch at the pure loathing and anger in them, but he held himself steady, refusing to break away from her gaze. "I despise everything about you," she continued quickly. He felt as if this was the first time he'd seen Shalin completely stripped of her masks and defenses, showing her true emotions. "Everything you were, everything you did. Selfish, self-indulgent. All you cared about was what you wanted, whether it was good for anyone else or not. You wanted Aveen, so you were determined to get her. You never stopped to think about what might happen to her." The pain he felt at the thought of Aveen was muted, but still there. "I didn't kill Aveen. Your brother did that," he argued. "Because of you," she spat back at him. "And you're still the same. You haven't changed a bit. You drag that human girl into this. Did you think about what might happen to your precious Liz Parker? Being involved with you endangers her. You can't protect her. You're too weak. But nothing matters except what you want." She pushed back from the desk. "You talk about our people, like you care about Antar. You don't. Look at you." She sneered at him. "Human form, human family, human life. I'm fighting for the freedom of my people, my planet. What do you worry about? Prom? Passing English Lit?" "While you, of course, care about everyone on Antar." Max laughed cruelly. "You couldn't care less what happens to the Royals." "Well, that still puts me ahead of you," she countered. "You want to know why I didn't tell you about the new colony?" She didn't wait for him to respond. "Because I figured that once you knew that Earth wasn't necessary for colonization, you wouldn't care about fighting Kivar anymore. If your precious Earth was safe, then what would you care about Antar? And while we don't need you, we do need Tym." Max slammed his hand down hard on the desk, making Shalin flinch. "Michael." He glared at her. "His name is Michael now. It's bad enough that you're just waiting for a chance to kill me and Isabel." He smiled at her blink. "Of course, I realize that. I'm not quite as stupid as you seem to think I am. I know that you're just waiting, hoping that Michael will change his mind and let you kill me. I can tolerate that because I know him better than you do. Better than you ever could. He will never give that order. But I am beyond wearied by the fact that you keep playing these stupid mind games with him. Hasn't he been through enough because of you T'onxyl?" "You think you know him? You can't even begin to know him," she responded heatedly. "The things he did, the way he is – those are things you can't comprehend." "Whatever." He shook his head at her. "Go on with your delusions. But things will never work like this. You go on about your loyalty, about what your word means to you. But you gave your word to follow Michael, and by extension, me." He stood up straight. "You're not keeping that oath." "I saved your worthless life," she said coldly. "Being allies means more than that," he said evenly. "It means that you have to share information that concerns us all." He shook his head. "Maybe I wasn't much of a king back in that past lifetime. I don't know - opinions seem to vary. But one thing I do know is that there's no way that I can improve if I'm not given all the information." He rubbed his neck with one hand. "Shalin, let's be realistic. The fact that he doesn't need Earth anymore isn't going to stop Kivar from coming after me. We both know him better than that. As long as I'm alive, he'll never stop coming for me. For us." Shalin was surprised at the glint of pure hate that flickered in his eyes briefly. "And do you think any of us would just forget about Kivar and go on with our lives after what happened to Alex?" She took a deep breath, forcing her muscles to relax. "You're right," she said softly. Max tilted his head. "I'm sorry. Did you say something?" "I said you were right," she repeated. "If our alliance is going to work, I have to try and trust you just as much as you have to trust me. And I did give you my word." She smiled grimly. "As much as it's going to be hard and painful for us both, we have to learn to get along." Max laughed with some honest amusement, grim though it was. "That really hurt you to say, didn't it?" "You have no idea." Max stared at her for a moment, then nodded decisively. "Is the desert around town secure?" She frowned. "For a few miles in every direction, yes. Why?" "I want to show you something. Come on." He turned and left the room, obviously expecting her to follow. Shalin looked after him for a minute. "Why not?" she finally muttered, then grabbed her purse and went after him. --------------------------------------------------------- The drive out to the desert was silent. Neither driver nor passenger had much to say. Finally, Max stopped and got out of the car, waiting for Shalin before starting up the path. "Okay," Shalin said, following closely behind. "You've brought me out to a really big pile of rocks. I'm terribly impressed. Do you intend to tell me why?" Max stopped in front of a sheer wall and passed his hand over it. A silver handprint appeared instantly. "Ah," Shalin said softly, starting to suspect where they were. Max put his hand over the handprint and a door appeared in the wall. "After you," Max said, standing aside. She went past him and entered the softly lit chamber. "This is where we hatched," Max said unnecessarily as she looked over at the open pods. With the Granolith gone, there didn't seem to be any harm in showing her the Pod Chamber. "Why did you bring me here?" Shalin looked over at him quizzically. He looked at her innocently. "You mean that as a Michael worshipper, you aren't awed and humbled to be standing where he hatched?" he said seriously. She laughed against her will. "I have no idea where any of you got the idea that we worshipped Michael," she complained, looking around. "Courtney," Max explained. "She was slightly disturbing. Had a shrine to Michael in her apartment." "Oh." Shalin looked back at him. "Well, she was a bit eccentric. Even by our standards." Max's expression grew serious. "Actually, what I wanted to show you is back here." He walked over to the back corner of the cave, where a small opening led to a narrow tunnel. He entered the tunnel, and Shalin followed. They found themselves in another chamber, much smaller than the one they'd entered. There was a large rock on the floor in a corner, inscribed with symbols. At Max's gesture, Shalin walked closer and looked at it. There was the whirlwind symbol of Zandar's house, as well as the broken circle of Kivar's. Suspicious, Shalin looked back at the younger man. "Ava's grave," Max said quietly. "After she died – well, I couldn't just leave her out there in the desert." He shrugged. "I didn't know her very well. But I come out her

Anla · Post by **Anla** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 12:34 pm

<div style="text-align:center">"Now that I know what I'm without You can't just leave me Breathe into me and make me real Bring me to life Wake me up inside Wake me up inside Call my name and save me from the dark" "Bring Me to Life" – Evanescence</div> As fascinating as the discussion of turn of the century life was, Max found himself unable to concentrate during the next morning's History class. Instead, his attention kept wandering across the aisle to where Isabel was sitting. Or rather, sleeping. She'd been dragging all morning, and had apparently used up whatever reserves of strength she had just getting to school. She seemed to be sleepwalking through all her classes. Max frowned. He couldn't recall Isabel ever falling asleep in class before. For one thing, it was undignified and didn't fit with her public image at all. And for another, Isabel rarely let down her guard that much. Max noticed Liz's concerned look from behind Isabel's seat and shook his head slightly, indicating his own confusion over what was going on. He'd noticed Isabel's growing tendancy towards appearing tired over the last few months and worried, but wasn't sure what to do about it. It had never been this bad, though. "Miss Evans, is there a problem?" Well, now the teacher had noticed, too, pausing in front of Isabel's desk and speaking in a loud voice. Isabel slowly raised her head and focused on the man in front of her. "I don't feel very well," she said softly. "May I got to the nurse, please?" Mr. Lewis's attitude changed instantly from irritation to concern. "Of course." He went over to his desk and got her a pass. "I hope that it's nothing serious." She gave him a wan smile, gathering her books and leaving the room without even glancing in her brother's direction. Max half-rose from his seat to go after her, but restrained himself when he noticed the time. Class was about to be finished anyway. As soon as the bell rang, he glanced over at Liz. "Go on," she mouthed, making a shooing gesture with her hands. With a quick smile, he started in the direction of the clinic searching for Isabel. It didn't take him long to find her. As it turned out, she hadn't even made it to the clinic. He found her sitting on the floor in the hallway, leaning against the wall with her head on her knees. "Isabel?" he whispered, kneeling beside her and pushing the hair back from her face. "What's wrong?" "I don't know." She looked at him with a lost little girl expression that cut right through to Max's heart. "My head hurts. It's pretty bad." "Okay." If Isabel was actually admitting to it hurting, then it must be bad. He tried to keep calm. They didn't get sick. What was going on? "Let me check it out." He glanced around to make sure that they weren't being observed, then put his hand on her head and closed his own eyes in concentration. He could feel a pressure building up behind her eyes, and worked to alleviate it. But there was nothing he could do about the general sense of exhaustion he picked up from her body. Isabel was on the verge of totally collapsing, her whole body worn out and tired, but he couldn't find any cause for it. If anything, this scan worried him even more. If there wasn't anything physically wrong with Isabel, then what was draining her so much? "You need to rest." Max gently helped her stand up, supporting her with an arm around her waist. She gave a bitter chuckle. "What?" "Nothing," she said shortly, starting to walk down the hall. "We'll just get you to the clinic and get you signed out as being sick," he went on. "Then I'll drive you home." "Mom'll freak if you skip class," she argued. "That's not really important right now," Max argued. "It is," she contradicted him firmly. Max frowned. He knew that any distance or friction between him and his parents really bothered Isabel. He decided to try compromise. "Fine. It's my lunch period, so it's not like I'll be skipping any classes. We'll see how you're feeling before I decide whether or not to come back afterwards." "Okay." She closed her eyes, trusting Max to lead her in the right direction. Max just concentrated on getting his sister home to rest. Then he could try and figure out what was going on with her. --------------------------------------------------- Kyle was surprised to see Michael's bike parked in front of his house when he drove up the next morning. He sincerely hoped that no new alien-related emergency had developed while he was out playing basketball with some of the guys from school, just having a normal, relaxing Saturday morning. It would be typical if an alien invasion popped up while he was out. What he found instead was almost as bad, in its own way. Following the noises, Kyle found a room filled with sawdust, pieces of wood of varying sizes that were strewn about carelessly, power tools. And his father and Michael. This combination made Kyle nervous. "What's wrong?" Kyle blurted out. His dad usually only turned into Mr. Wood-working when he was upset about something. Yeah, it was better than drinking too much, but it still sent all sorts of warning signals through Kyle's brain. His dad and Michael exchanged confused looks. "Nothing's wrong," Valenti said easily. "Why would you think anything's wrong?" Kyle shrugged. "No reason," he muttered. "So what are you doing over here so early?" A mischievous twinkle came into his eyes. "And without Maria, either. I didn't think you were allowed out alone anymore." He merely smiled wider when Michael scowled at him. Please – he was friends with Isabel Evans. It would take more than that to scare him off. "We're making something," Michael said shortly, turning to pick up a piece of lumber from the table in front of him and examining it closely. Kyle had no idea what he was looking for. Each piece of wood looked pretty much the same to him. Sure, some were slightly different colors, but that was about it. "What?" Kyle continued, not put off at all by Michael's grumpy attitude. He knew the alien well enough by now to know when it was real, and when it was just habit. "A toy chest." Valenti stretched, then moved towards the door. "I need to head out to the stores. Clean up when you're done." Michael nodded in agreement. "Wait," Kyle mock protested. "You're leaving him alone with power tools? What if he knocks down the house?" Valenti chuckled, shaking his head as he left. "I could do that without any power tools," Michael muttered darkly, but there was an amused twist to his mouth. The mere fact that Kyle was able to joke about them was a good sign. It helped things get back to normal. "Ooo, I'm so scared." Kyle sat down after first brushing off some sawdust from the chair. "Why not just buy a toy chest? Why make one?" Michael looked over at him. "We're buying the other stuff." Well, they would be as soon as they'd worked out all the financial angles. At the moment, and despite Isabel's protests, he and Maria were planning on buying things at garage sales and second-hand stores. They figured he could use his powers to fix things up as good as new if necessary. Still..... "I wanted to make something for her myself." Kyle snorted. "You're getting all handy-man these days, aren't you? Have you started watching those home improvement shows yet?" Shaking his head, Michael decided not to answer. The simple fact was that he'd learned he really liked fixing or making things. It seemed to give some sort of symmetry to all the destruction he caused. When it became obvious that he wasn't going to get an answer, Kyle switched topics. "How's Isabel doing today?" That got Michael's full attention away from the lumber. "She's still sleeping." He pulled out a chair and sat across from Kyle. "I went over there this morning. Max said she woke up last night and was feeling better. Just still tired." "Yeah, when I called this morning Max told me that, too." Kyle could see his own concern mirrored in Michael's eyes. "You guys don't get sick, do you?" "No." His hesitation was very slight, but Kyle caught it. "I've only been sick twice. Once after I went to the sweat lodge on the reservation and got my balance messed up." He grimaced. "Whatever that means." "That was when you spun a cocoon around yourself, right?" At Michael's look, he shrugged. "Maria told me about it. Seems to have been quite an experience." "Whatever. The other time was during the tiasa. You were there then." "Yeah." Kyle rolled his eyes at the memory. "You and Maria – not something I'll be forgetting in a hurry." Michael smirked quickly. "So you're saying that you think this is something alien, then?" "Maybe." Michael frowned, looking down at the floor. "Max and I were talking about it this morning. Isabel hasn't been really herself since........" "Since Alex died," Kyle finished softly. "But that makes sense, right? I mean, it takes time to deal with something like that." For all of us, he added silently. Still, all things considered, he thought they were managing to heal and put their lives together. Michael hesitated, struggling with himself. He wasn't really comfortable talking about this, and he probably wouldn't have, but this was Kyle. It was clear to everyone just how much Kyle and Isabel's lives had become intertwined over these last months. "We're not human," he said finally. Kyle's eyes grew wide. "Well, I guess that explains the hatching from pods and the whole messing with minds things. Who would have guessed?" "Funny." Michael shook his head shortly. "Our minds – well they don't always work the same way as a human one does." Kyle bit back another sarcastic comment. Michael was clearly getting at something serious here. "You're talking about the connections? The whole teela-mei thing?" "Yeah." Michael looked at him seriously. "It's not that we love more than humans do or anything." Maria had taught him better than that. "But when we connect to someone like we do...." His voice trailed off and he spread his hands helplessly. He had no idea how to explain it to someone who hadn't already experienced it. Kyle thought about the way that Michael and Maria seemed to understand each other now, the way that they were affected by what happened to the other. "Your bond connects you so strongly that you rely on each other," he guessed slowly. "You need each other or something gets messed up in your mind." "Yeah." Michael was relieved that Kyle seemed to get it. "It's that whole balance thing again. When we connect, then what happens to one of us affects the other's balance." "When you were gone over the summer...." "What I was going through affected Maria," Michael finished. "I didn't realize how much until it was almost too late." "So you're saying that Isabel's emotional balance has been thrown off by Alex's death." Michael nodded. "Yeah." "And now you think it's affecting her physically, too?" Kyle shook his head. "No, it's not the same as you and Maria. Alex and Isabel didn't finish their tiasa." "I don't know," Michael admitted. "We're not totally Antaran, either. Who knows what's going on? But something's up, and none of us know what to do about it. Not even Max. Isabel's not talking much about what's going on." His voice grew harsher. "Back in my last lifetime, I never took a teela-mei. We were taught that it was a weakness. Someone was very vulnerable right after the bond was broken." Like Zandar had been, he thought to himself, remembering the insanity that had taken his friend when Aveen died. "Most recovered eventually, though," he said, not wanting to worry Kyle too much. "Maybe you're right about Iz. Maybe she just needs time." Kyle recognized that the fact Michael was even talking about this with him was a sign of his concern. "But some didn't," he guessed. Michael shrugged. "If something happened to Maria......" But he didn't finish the question, breaking off at the look Michael gave him. Michael's eyes grew cold and hard at the thought, remembering how he'd felt when Tess had hurt Maria that day in the Pod Chamber. "It would be bad," he said finally. "Stay away if that happens." That was all, but he hoped Kyle got it. Michael didn't know what would happen to his tentative hold on sanity if anything happened to Maria or the baby. Kyle nodded, then helped Michael clean up in silence. After a few minutes, he suggested they try a new video game he'd bought, and Michael agreed. They spent the next hour laughing and competing to see who could defeat more zombies on the game. But at the back of his mind, Kyle was still worried. He was way over his head with this whole alien thing, and had no idea how to help Isabel. --------------------------------------------------- Liz turned over the sign on the Crashdown door to 'Closed', sighing in relief. "I am so glad this day is over," she muttered, only to hear Michael laugh in the kitchen. "I thought you liked Mondays. Maria said that you get all excited about going back to school after the weekend." He leaned through the window and tossed her a cleaning rag. They were the only ones working that night, so they got the fun job of cleaning up for the night. "Not when there's a huge crowd of tourists in town and I'm the only waitress working," Liz shot back, starting to wipe down the tables. "How's Isabel? I haven't seen her today." "Max says she's okay." "Yes, I know," she replied patiently, gathering up some dishes to take into the kitchen. "I spoke with Max. He told me that she's been feeling better since waking up Saturday evening. But I thought that if you had seen her, you would have some more information to tell." Liz was as concerned about Isabel as everyone else. It was probably driving Isabel crazy. Liz knew that Max could hover when he was worried. "I saw her," Michael answered shortly, concentrating on scrubbing the counter in front of him. "She looked okay." It had been a very brief meeting. Isabel had looked better – physically, at least. She had some color in her face and didn't look as tired as she had lately. But she'd brushed Michael off, apparently preferring to talk with the crowd of admirers surrounding her. It wasn't exactly an unfamilar experience – just not one that had happened lately. Still, Michael knew that there had been lots of time in his life when he really hadn't wanted to deal with any of the others, when there was something going on that he needed to cope with himself. He wished that he knew what it was that Isabel was dealing with. He had suspicions, but unless she talked with someone.... "Maybe you'll get a chance to talk with her tomorrow." Who knows? Maybe Isabel would open up more to another girl. Liz gave him a surprised look. "Maybe." She went over to clean the milkshake machine. Michael cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Liz?" "Yes?" She looked over at the window, almost smiling at the nervous look on Michael's face. Might as well get it over with. "I wanted to say thanks. For not giving me a hard time about everything," he blurted out quickly. "You mean about dropping out of school and not getting a high school education, a decision that could seriously and negatively affect the rest of your life?" A smile threatened to come out at Michael's sigh, no matter how hard she tried. "Relax, Michael. No lectures." She put down the cloth she was using and looked at him, totally serious. "I don't like it. Not at all. You're much too smart to drop out. You should finish your education." He blinked at her in surprise. Liz was saying he was smart? Were they in some strange alternate universe? "But I understand why you did it. I respect that you want to take care of Maria and the baby." She shrugged. "You're trying to do the best you can with your situation." She glanced at him, suddenly shy and unsure. "If you want, I'll help you study for your GED. Later, when you have the time." She wasn't sure how he'd take the offer. "Thanks," Michael answered slowly. Liz was really good with the whole school stuff, so her assistance would probably be useful. But..... "I'd rather you help Maria out, though." Liz nodded slowly. "She mentioned that you were pretty insistent on her graduating this year." "Yeah, well, I don't want her missing out on anything else because we dragged her into the whole alien mess," he answered gruffly, returning to the stove. "She'll graduate," Liz promised. "I'll help her as much as I can with studying for her classes this semester. And with the credits she got from summer school, she'll only be missing one class next semester. The guidance counselor said she can take that in night school." She smiled reassuringly. "We'll get her through it." Michael only nodded. He knew that Maria could graduate. Her grades were nowhere near as good as Max or Liz's, but she managed to pass her classes. Still, the whole pregnancy thing was understandably taking a lot of her attention away from school. A few minutes passed in companionable silence as the two continued cleaning up. Then, Michael interrupted it. "Hey, Liz. Can I ask you a favor?" "If it's anything having to do with talking with my father about your shifts, no," she answered promptly. "Nothing personal, but I'm trying to avoid any mention of you or Maria around my parents. You'll have to talk to him yourself." Michael froze and looked over at her. "Why?" He had no idea that he and Maria had become a forbidden topic around the Parker household. Liz shivered. "Ever since he learned about the baby, Dad feels the need to repeatedly give me a lecture on responsibility and the importance of finishing my education. Over and over again." Michael wasn't sure whether to be amused or insulted. "Does he think that you're going to get pregnant just because Maria is?" She sighed. "Let's just say that Max and I are a lot more chaperoned now than we used to be." Which was really pointless, because as excited as she was to be Aunt Liz, seeing Michael and Maria dealing with everything only made it even clearer to Liz how young and unprepared they were. She and Max were going to wait until they were older and a lot more settled in their lives. "Oh." Michael couldn't think of anything to say to that. "Anyway, no. It's not about work." "All right then. What is it?" She picked up a tray of dirty silverwear to put into the dishwasher. "I was wondering if you could ask Maria if she wanted to marry me?" he asked casually. The next sound he heard was the sound of many forks and spoons hitting the ground. He glanced over to see Liz staring at him, not paying any attention to the fallen silverwear. "What?" she got out. "I'm not proposing for you." Her voice came out in a squeak. Michael rolled his eyes, kneeling down to pick up her mess. "I don't want you to actually propose," he said, almost smiling at the idea of Liz Parker as romantic intermediary. "But Mrs. DeLuca keeps dropping these hints about how we should get married." He grimaced. "She's about as subtle as a really big truck." Liz bent down to help him, recovering slightly. "That's true." Michael scratched his eyebrow. "Thing is, I'm not sure how Maria feels about it. She hasn't said anything, and I don't want to push it. She's got a lot on her mind right now, with school and the baby coming. I don't want to put any more stress on her." "So you want me to just see how she feels about the idea of marriage in general?" "Yeah." Michael smiled, glad that Liz was getting it. "Okay, I can do that," she answered slowly. "Still, I think it's really something that the two of you should talk about yourselves, without an intermediary." Michael sighed. "I know. I just don't want to put more pressure on her or anything." He held up his hands in defense at Liz's skeptical look. "Fine, fine. I'll talk with her. Happy?" "Good." Then she leaned back and looked at Michael seriously. "But what about you? What do you think about getting married?" "We are married." Michael stood up and put the utensils into the dishwasher. "I don't need some human ceremony. But if Maria wants it....." "Then you'll do it?" Liz's eyes danced with amusement. "What if she wants a big ceremony? One with tons of guests and a fancy dinner party afterwards? Or what if..." she lowered her voice dramatically, "she wants Isbabel to help plan it?" Michael grimaced again but said nothing. "You'd do it, wouldn't you?" Liz stood up and studied him, smile still on her face. "You really have changed, you know?" "Whatever." Looking around at the now-clean restaurant, Michael decided to make a quick strategic retreat. "See you." Liz watched him leave as fast as he could, laughing to herself. Yes, he'd changed. But start talking about anything even remotely personal, and he still got uncomfortable and bolted as soon as he could. It was good to know that some things stayed constant. ---------------------------------------------------- Michael returned home the next day in a bad mood. He'd had a hard day's work, and then stopped by the Evans house, only to learn that Max was out, and Isabel was definitely not interested in talking. She'd been quite polite, but distant as she coolly told him that she was on her way out with some friends, so didn't have time to spend with him. He'd been tempted to insist, but decided against it when some of her 'friends' showed up and started giggling. He was worried about Isabel's response if he was too rude to those little idiots she surrounded herself with. She had enough going on, even if she wouldn't talk about it with anyone. So he came home to the apartment already grumpy. The sight of Max sitting on his couch, not looking happy at all, did nothing to make him feel better. "What?" he snapped instantly as he entered the apartment, scowling as Max's head swirled around in surprise. "Maxwell, you have got to start paying more attention to things! It's too easy to sneak up on you. It's going to get you killed." Max frowned, but seemed to think better of what he was going to say. Instead, he stood up. "I was waiting to see you," he said mildly. Michael leaned against the counter, frowning. "What's the matter?" Then he looked around the apartment. "Where's Maria?" He could sense her presence. "She's lying down." Max gestured towards the bedroom. "I came by to check up on her and the baby." Instantly, Michael's crankiness turned to simple fear and concern. "What's wrong?" He walked towards Max. "Are they okay?" "They're all right," Max hastened to reassure his friend. "Sit down." "Max......" "Sit down," Max repeated firmly. He waited for Michael to sit down on the chair before he returned to his own seat on the couch, leaning towards Michael. "When I was scanning them, I noticed something. It was very brief, but for a split second, there was some type of flicker in the baby's energy." He frowned. "I don't know how to describe it any better. Your daughter usually has a very strong energy. It seemed to grow fainter for that second, then was as strong as ever. I checked again, and nothing was wrong." Michael felt his whole body grow cold. "What does that mean?" It didn't sound good, whatever it was. If something was wrong with the baby...... "I don't know." Michael narrowed his eyes. "That's not exactly what I want to hear, Max." "I know." Max closed his eyes briefly. "It could be nothing. Maria says that she's felt fine except for the assorted morning sickness. Maybe it's just stress, or Maria not getting enough rest." "She'll rest more, then," Michael said promptly. He had no idea how he was going to manage it, but if Maria and the baby needed more rest, then somehow he would slow Maria DeLuca down. Even if he had to lock her up in the apartment to do it. "What if it's something more? What if something's wrong?" He hated it, but couldn't keep the fear out of his voice. Max sighed. "I didn't see any evidence of something more serious. But I'll come by even more often to keep track of things." He met Michael's eyes. "The simple truth is, I don't really know anything about Antaran pregnancies. Or human pregnancies, for that matter. I've been reading everything I can get my hands on, but....." He shook his head helplessly. "I don't think I should try delivering the baby alone, Michael. We need some more help. Someone who actually knows what they're doing." "Yeah. I've thought of that too." Michael tried to control his panic and think rationally. "We're going to have to ask Shalin if she knows somebody who can help." "That's what I was thinking," Max agreed. "I'll be there to help if necessary," he added. "It's just so frustrating!" he burst out, sudden impatience in his own voice. "I don't know what's going on with Isabel, either. What good is my healing if I can't help the people who mean the most?" "Isabel isn't talking to you either, then?" Max simply shook his head in answer. "She's pulling away from all of us, then." "Yes. Something's hurting her, but she won't talk to us about it." Max stood up. "You going to be okay?" "Yeah." Michael stood up, too. "Thanks. Sorry about being so......." He waved a hand. "You know." "Grumpy?" Max smiled slightly. "Don't worry about it, Michael." "She needs to talk to someone." Max froze with his hand on the doorknob, looking back at Michael. "You're advocating talking to other people about our feelings?" he teased. Then he grew serious. "I know." He turned back to leave. "See you tomorrow." "Bye." As soon as Max left, Michael turned towards the bedroom, but stopped himself. He could tell that she was okay through their connection, and if she was asleep, he didn't want to wake her up. Especially not while he was still upset. So instead, he turned to the pile of mail on the countertop. "Bills. Bills. And more bills," he muttered, going through the envelopes. Great – like they didn't have enough problems without trying to figure out how to pay for their expenses. Well, the extra money he was bringing in was a start, at least. He kept going through the pile. Some junk mail. Then he came across an already opened envelope addressed to both him and Maria. Shaking out its contents, he headed back towards his seat, relaxing slightly as he started to read the letter from Laurie. "She's so excited that she's going to be an aunt." Michael looked up as he heard Maria's voice from the doorway. She yawned, clearly still waking up. "She's hoping to be able to get back to Roswell in a few months to visit." "You'd like that," he said, returning to the letter. Maria laughed silently as she came over. Without looking up from the letter, Michael moved over to give her room to sit next to him. He would like to see Laurie again even more than she would, but he wouldn't want to admit it. Since she was sitting so close to him, she could feel his body tense up as he came to the end of the letter. "Michael," she started, but didn't get far. "You know about this?" He held out the check he'd found inside the letter. "Yes," she said calmly. "We're not taking it." He stood up again, glowering down at her. "Yes, we are." She stood up resolutely and took the check from him. "Laurie has the money and goodness knows, we can use it." "We're not taking her charity. We're not taking anyone's charity." He couldn't believe that Laurie would actually do this, and that Maria was on her side. "We can do this on our own." Maria let out an exasperated noise. "You are so stubborn!" She pointed at him. "Listen to me, Spaceboy. Wanting to help someone you love is not charity!" "Laurie.." "Laurie is family. Did you even finish reading her letter?" When he didn't reply, she turned and picked up the letter from the floor where it had dropped. "Listen. I'm going to address this part to you, Maria, since Michael is probably going to be stupid and stubborn about it." She paused and looked at him. "Well, she certainly does know her brother, doesn't she?" She smiled sarcastically at his growl. "He's not going to want to take any of my money, even though he has just as much right to my family's money as I do." "Right. Because humans who are abducted and experimented on by aliens usually end up sharing their fortunes with them," Michael interrupted nastily. Maria chose to ignore him. "Plus, I wouldn't have any of this money without the two of you, anyway. I'd still be locked up in a mental institution somewhere, with everyone thinking I was crazy. Or worse." She looked up at Michael, who ignored her glance, looking at the walls instead. "But this isn't about the money. It's about something more important – family." Maria paused. "Sit down," Michael said, more gently than before. "Max said that you need to rest more." "You both worry too much." But she did sit down before continuing. "Michael's the first member of my family who actually made me feel safe and worth something since Grandpa died. Having family is more important than all the money in the world. Although I can't say that the money's not nice." Maria laughed. "Well, at least the girl has some sense of priorities. The two of you didn't have to help me, but you did. Because I was family. Now it's my turn to do something to help you. Please, let me." Michael didn't say anything as Maria put down the letter. "Well?" "I don't want any of their blood money. That's not why I helped her." She was tempted to throw something, but controlled herself. Stubborn alien. "I know that you don't want her money. Laurie knows it, too. But this is about helping out the people you love when you can." She glared at him. "Was it charity when you sat up all night with Max when he had his little alien flash-back and was so freaked? Or when you took care of my mother and I after Alex died?" "That's not the same." "It's the same idea. Helping out in whatever way you can. Laurie can't be here in person right now to help us, so she's doing what she can." She glanced down at the check. "And while this seems like a lot of money to us, let's be real. It's not that big a deal to Laurie." She turned pleading eyes to Michael. "This means a lot to her, Michael. She wants to help. We need to let her." Michael's internal struggle was obvious. Finally, he sat down in front of her. "Fine." Before she could say anything, he held up a hand. "But it's a loan. That's all. We're going to pay her back someday." "Works for me." She beamed, wrapping her hands behind his neck. "I love you, Spaceboy." "Good." He smiled, leaning over for a kiss. When it was done, Maria sat back, beaming. "And now we can go shopping," she yelled, completely thrilled. "There's so much we need to buy. The baby's coming soon, and we still have so much to do to get ready." "Yeah." Maria was a little over five and a half months along now. Not much time left. Looking at Maria's excited face, Michael tried to calm his own doubts. Not about Laurie's money. He didn't like it, but Maria was right. That was about family, and he could live with the loan. No, his worries were about what Max had said. Michael would fight off any enemies he had to in order to keep Maria and the baby safe. But what if something happened to them that he couldn't stop? What if the mere fact of being pregnant with a part-alien baby was endangering Maria? How could he protect her from that? --------------------------------------------------- When Max found Kyle after school the next day, he was deep in conversation with a few guys Max didn't know. He kept his distance, waiting for Kyle to finish. From where he was watching, it was pretty clear that whatever they were discussing, Kyle wasn't enjoying it. Things seemed pretty heated at times, and once Max was almost sure that Kyle was going to hit one of the others. But before he could go over himself to see what was going on, Kyle broke away and walked in his direction. "What's up?" he said shortly, continuing to walk away so that Max had to follow after him. "What was all that about?" Max gestured behind him. "Nothing. They're just jerks." When Max simply looked at him, Kyle exhaled loudly and answered further. "They were all having a blast informing me that Isabel has been reestablishing her social ties this week." At Max's blank look, he grinned humorlessly. "Isabel's back to flirting. Big time." "Isabel flirts," Max pointed out. Except when she was with Alex, he reminded himself. Well, not as much. "I know that." Kyle's voice was impatient. "But with all the rumors going on about the two of us, they think that it's funny to let me know all the details." He scowled. "I didn't like the way they were talking about her." Max looked back over his shoulder, but the other boys were gone. He wasn't sure if he was relieved or disappointed. If they were saying insulting things about his sister – of course, Isabel could take care of herself. Under most circumstances. Which brought him back to the point of why he'd been looking for Kyle. "I actually wanted to talk to you about Isabel." Kyle nodded, coming to rest on one of the outside benches. "She shutting you out, too?" "Yes." He sat down next to Kyle, a little surprised. "You've noticed." Kyle gave a short laugh. "Is it possible to not notice when Queen Isabel is freezing you out?" He shook his head. "Is she sick again or something?" Max spoke slowly, making sure that they were alone. "Physically, she seems to be better than she has been in months. No headaches or exhaustion since Friday." "But?' "But emotionally is something else." Max was getting really tired of feeling so helpless. "She's angry. Totally and completely pissed. But I have no idea at who or what. She won't talk to any of us." "Nobody in the group." Kyle thought hard. Nobody connected to Alex. "She's trying to keep us all out." Max shrugged. "She won't talk with me. I hoped that maybe she would talk with you about whatever's going on." "I'll see what I can do." Kyle stood up. "Guess I'd better find her, then." "Good luck." Max watched the human leave before turning and walking away himself. Finding Isabel wasn't as hard as Kyle had expected. He found her down a deserted corridor in the school, laughing at something Ted Aimes was saying. Great. "Isabel, we need to talk," Kyle said, interrupting them without any concern about manners. Isabel gave him a frosty look. "I was talking with Ted." "Yeah." Ted stepped up to Kyle confrontationally. "Maybe she'll have time to talk with you later, Valenti." Kyle just met his eyes, doing his best impersonation his father's steely gaze. "Get lost, Ted." Much to his surprise, it worked. "Later, Isabel." Ted walked away, none too pleased. When Kyle turned back to Isabel, she was looking at him with annoyance. "Was the whole caveman routine supposed to be impressive?" "What are you doing with him?" Kyle burst out. "Do you have any idea of how he talks about girls?" "I wasn't exactly planning on dating him." She gave him an amused look, but there was something brittle under the humor. "I was just having fun. Aren't I allowed to do that?" "Not with him," he answered instantly. "Careful, Kyle." She was still smiling, but her eyes were cold. "You're not getting jealous, are you?" Kyle gave her a disgusted look, refusing to even dignify that with an answer. "What are you so mad about?" he blurted out, getting right to the point. "Who said I was mad?" She tried to walk away, but Kyle stepped in front of her, tipping his head back to look at her directly (and really wishing she wasn't wearing those stupid heels). "It's pretty obvious to everyone." She stopped when he blocked her way. "Now I'm sure that I haven't been around you enough in the last week to piss you off this much. So do you want to tell me what's going on?" "Nothing's going on. I'm just trying to move on and live my life. Is something wrong with that?" "And in order to live your life you have to try and ignore everyone who cares about you?" He shook his head. "And you know what? Don't even give me that queen bitch look, Iz. I'm not backing off here." She crossed her arms and glared at him. "Just because we all share this secret doesn't mean that we have to spend every single minute of the day together." "But you're not sharing anything with anyone," he argued. "You have Max worried sick. Michael, too, even though he won't say it." She rolled her eyes. "And I thought we shared more than just a secret," he finished, more quietly. That seemed to reach something in her. For a second, he saw something behind the cold anger in her eyes, some regret. "We do," she admitted. "But I need some distance right now. I'm okay, honestly." "No, you're not." The longer he stood there, the more certain of that Kyle was. Even without any alien abilties, Kyle could practically feel Isabel's pain and anger. "What happened?" He took a deep breath and decided to plunge in. "Are you still having those dreams?" Whatever emotion had been there in her eyes vanished instantly. "No." She brushed past him that time. He hurried to follow her, grabbing her arm and spinning her around to face him. "No more Alex dreams?" he pushed, determined to get the truth. "No more dreams at all," she said, quiet voice vibrating with anger. "Happy? I haven't had a single dream since Thursday night." He blinked. "Is that even possible? You probably just aren't remembering them." "I always remember my dreams." She yanked her arm away from him. "I haven't had any. Just......." She stopped herself short. Kyle came to a conclusion. "I think we should tell Max about those dreams," he said, knowing that he was going to get an argument. "I'm not sure what, but I think something's up with them." Isabel froze. "You promised me that you wouldn't tell anyone," she hissed. "You promised me, Kyle!" "I know, but....." "But nothing!" Now he was quite sure that the anger in her gaze was directed at him personally. "Those dreams, or not having them, is connected with what's wrong with you!" he exclaimed. "Don't you get that?" Whatever she was going to answer, she was interrupted by the sound of her cell phone ringing. Somehow she managed to still glare at him as she dug into her purse to bring out her phone. "Hello?" she snapped. But then her voice changed, becoming lighter, charming. "Oh, hi, Jesse. Sorry about that. I thought you were somebody else. There's this boy who keeps bugging me." Her glare almost made Kyle turn and run. "I wanted to know if you were still interested in getting the tour of Roswell from a native." Kyle didn't like the bitter smile that accompanied this. "Friday night? Sounds great. Could you hold on a minute?" She pressed the mute button. "Go away, Kyle. I'm busy." "We're not finished." "Yes, we are." Her tone left no room for argument. "I have nothing else to say to you." With that, she swept past him, continuing to chat with Jesse on the phone. Kyle stood there watching her leave, hands clenched into fists. ----------------------------------------------- "You can't forbid her to date whoever she wants." Liz sat in the Evans living room that Friday, trying to talk some sense into her boyfriend, who was apparently capable of staying calm while dealing with aliens who wanted to kill him, but not with his sister dating someone he didn't approve of. "Haven't you learned that yet?" "She doesn't know this guy." Max didn't even pause in his pacing to look over at Liz. "Who is this Jesse Ramirez, anyway? He's a lawyer, working for my dad." He stopped, a thought occuring to him. "Maybe if I told Dad about this..." "Then Isabel would never speak to you again," Liz pointed out. He scowled at her briefly, then resumed pacing. "She's still in high school. He is way too old for her. Who knows what he wants?" "Isabel can take care of herself. And she's eighteen. She's a legal adult," Liz argued. Max stopped short and stared at her. "Don't even try to pretend you're okay with this." "I may not like it, but it's not my choice to make. Isabel can date whoever she wants to. It's her business. Not yours. Not mine." Max had another idea. "Maybe I should follow her. Just to make sure this guy doesn't try anything." Liz stared at him in disbelief. "You realize you're making Michael look calm and rational, right?" They were interrupted by the front doorbell ringing. Max went to open it, his most threatening expression in place, but it was only Kyle, not Jesse. "Kyle. Good. Come in." He practically dragged Kyle inside, shutting the door firmly behind him. "Hi, Kyle." "Uh, hi." Kyle returned Liz's greeting, then looked back at the alien king. "You wanted me to come over?" "Isabel has a date tonight. Max was just thinking about the logistics of trailing around Roswell behind them and spying on them all night," Liz explained brightly. She looked innocently back as Max frowned at her. "What?" "Yeah, I know. Jesse Ramirez, right?" Kyle frowned. "I'm not sure what you want me to do about it. Iz make it quite clear that she doesn't want to talk to me about it. Or anything else, for that matter." "Try talking to her again." Max grimaced. "She's already threatened me if I say anything else about it to her. And Liz doesn't seem to think that locking her in her room is a good idea." Kyle stared at Max, unsure of whether or not the other boy was serious. It was hard to tell with Max's sense of humor sometimes. "She'd just use her powers to get out." Liz stood up and took Max's arm. "Come on. Isabel is going to do what she wants to." "Try." Max looked at Kyle seriously. "Please." "I'll try." Kyle walked over to the stairs, glancing back at them for a minute. "You sure you don't want to stick around in case I need some healing once she gets done with me?" "You'll be fine." Liz pulled on Max's arm and got him out the door, sighing with relief once they were in the Jeep. She didn't think things would go well if Max was still there when Isabel's date showed up. It wasn't the fact that Isabel was starting to date again that upset Max so much. It was just everything – this on top of the way she'd been acting all week. It was driving Max crazy, knowing that something was hurting his sister and being unable to figure out how to fix it. Meanwhile, Kyle cautiously approached Isabel's room. He knocked on the door. "Max, if that's you again....." "Nope, not Max. It's me." A pause. "Can I come in?" A longer pause. Finally, "All right." It wasn't exactly a gracious invitation, but Kyle decided not to press his luck. He opened the door slowly, not sure what he'd find. What he did see made him stop still and stare for a second. "How do I look?" Isabel said smugly, well aware of how she looked. Kyle stared at the tight, low-cut blue dress, uncomfortably reminded of the outfits she'd worn in those dreams last week. He shook those thoughts away. "You look great." Then he studied the dress more carefully. "You'll be cold, though." Spotting a heavy jacket on a chair, he picked it up and went to put it on her. "You should probably put this on." Isabel laughed, and for a minute it sounded genuine. "You're as bad as Max or Michael." She pushed the jacket away. "No, I think Jesse will prefer it without the jacket, don't you?" She narrowed her eyes at him. "That is what you're here to talk to me about, right?" "Actually, I'd rather talk about us." He tried to lean against the wall and appear casual, but knew he was failing miserably. "I think I hate having you mad at me even more than I hated being mad at you." She turned to the mirror, putting on her earrings. "Did you tell Max about my dreams yet?" Kyle closed his eyes, hating this. "Not yet," he said finally. "But if you don't, I will." He opened his eyes, meeting her coldly furious gaze straight on. "I know what I promised, but something is wrong with those dreams," he repeated, trying to keep his voice calm. He'd been thinking about it a lot these last few days. "I don't know what, or how, but my guess is that it has something to do with why you're so angry." She opened her mouth but he talked over her. "I've been having some weird dreams lately, too. Not about Alex, or anything, but it got me thinking. I know how they can mess you up. Your real life is being affected by what's going on in your dreams, Iz!" His exasperation got the better of him and his voice raised. "They're not real, Isabel. This isn't healthy." Isabel froze. "You think I'm crazy, don't you?" "No, of course........." "Yes, you do." Her voice stayed level, but the coldness in it could have frozen the room. "You don't believe me about the dreams. I should have never told you about them." "Actually, I'm very willing to believe that they're more than just dreams. I'm just not sure they mean what you think they mean." He reached out to her, only to have her step back. "Look at you. You're so angry, Iz. You're not going on this date to have a good time or because you want to. Why are you doing it? To prove something? To who?" "Get out of my way." Her voice was still icy cold and calm. "No." His was just as steady. They weren't done yet. "I'm warning you, Kyle." He laughed. "What are you going to do, Iz? I'm not afraid of you." He was getting good and angry himself. They were just worried about her, and she was acting like they were her enemies. "Who are you really so pissed off at, Iz?" She ignored the question, her face getting a peculiar expression, a strange smile forming on her lips. "You know, Kyle, I'm starting to wonder. Maybe you really are jealous. Is that it?" She reached out her hand and caressed his cheek. "Are you wishing it was you I was going out with tonight, not Jesse?" Kyle refused to let himself flinch back from her touch. "Don't even try playing those stupid games with me, Iz. They won't work." She stared at him in silence for a few seconds, then their frozen tableux was interrupted by the sound of the doorbell. She removed her hand. "That's my date." "So it would seem." Kyle turned, fed up. "Have a nice time. When you feel like actually talking, you know where to find me." He stormed through the front door, pushing past a surprised Jesse. If Isabel didn't want anyone's help, then so be it. Let her deal with things on her own. -------------------------------------------------------- "So, are you going to explain what we're doing here?" Liz asked, following Max into the dimly lit Pod Chamber. Not her favorite place on the planet – it didn't exactly have happy memories in her mind. Still, it was where Max had been born, sort of, so it wasn't all bad. He glanced over his shoulder at her. "I wanted to get something." He went over to a corner and moved his hand over the wall, causing a piece of rock to slide apart and reveal a low shelf. "You think I overreacted to Isabel's date with Jesse, don't you?" Liz shrugged. "I think that you tend to get overprotective when someone you love is concerned. You can't control Isabel, Max." She smiled to soften the reproach. "Not even to protect her. She's going to start dating again." The smile faltered. "Alex wouldn't want her to spend the rest of her life alone." "I know." He brought out a box and sat on the ground to open it. Liz came to sit next to him. "But I don't think Isabel went on this date because she wanted to move on." He looked at Liz. "She wasn't doing it because it was something she wanted to do. And I don't like seeing her unhappy." She took his hand gently, then glanced down at the open box. "Oh." She picked up one of the stones, holding it briefly in her free hand before dropping it back into the box. "The healing stones." She looked at Max sharply. "Why do you want these?" He avoided her glance. "I just thought they might be useful to have around." "In case something goes wrong with Maria's baby, you mean." Liz shook her head at Max's look of surprise. "You're not the only one who pays attention to what's going on, Max. Do you really think that there are going to be complications?" "I think there already are complications," he pointed out dryly. "I don't know. But having these close to hand can't exactly hurt, can it?" Liz looked down into the box. Five healing stones, the two orbs, two necklaces, and one book written in Antaran. All that the aliens had of their other planet, or their other lives. Except for their memories. And each other. Smiling gently, Liz picked up the communicator she and Max had found that night so long ago. So much had happened since then, good and bad. And she and Max were still together. "What?" Max brushed back her hair, smiling to see her smile. "I was just thinking." She shifted around to face him, still holding the orb. "We've had so many obstacles thrown at us, and we're still together. I have to believe that means something." She leaned closer. "I still believe in happy endings." "Good. Because I plan on us having one." Closing the distance, Max kissed her, gently at first but then increasing in passion. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer. Liz closed her eyes, appreciating the way that Max's body felt so perfect next to hers. That's when she saw it. The stars, shining down through the night sky. Running desperately, hearing the footsteps pounding behind her. Her heart pounding as she bent down and dropped the orb into the hole, throwing the dirt over it. Running in the opposite direction, needing to lead them away. Hoping that he'd be waiting where he said. Liz drew away, gasping. "What is it, Liz?" Max's voice was concerned, but she barely heard it. Instead, she was realizing something. She laughed slightly as she looked down at the orb in her hand. "Of course. I get it now." "Get what?" he asked, perplexed. She turned back to him. "Didn't you ever wonder why I was able to get flashes from you of where the orb was when you weren't alive when it was hidden? Zandar was already dead by then, and you hadn't hatched from your pod yet." She giggled. "And I really must be doing better at dealing with the whole alien aspect of our lives, because I just said that without stumbling over the sentence at all." Max grinned back, even though he had no idea what made her eyes sparkle like that. "I didn't really think about it. I had a few other things on my mind that night," he reminded her, his own eyes starting to gleam with the memories. "Yeah, I remember." She stood up, moving around the room with excitement. "It was Grandma Claudia." "Huh?" Now he really was lost. "She was there. She went with Ben Baker to the army base." Liz held out the orb. "This was what they went after. I don't know why, exactly, but they couldn't leave it there. She helped hide it out there in the desert, until someone came for it." "How do you know this?" Max asked slowly, watching her carefully. "I just do." Liz knelt down in front of him, putting down the orb and taking his hands in her own. "I saw it. I think that maybe Grandma Claudia gave me more of a farewell gift than we realized." Her eyes now sparkled with some tears, but she smiled through them. "She must have passed on some of her memories there at the end, a message, when you let us connect." Her smile grew even brighter, voice dropping to a whisper. "She did recognize you, Max. She knew. Somehow, she knew." "So you're saying that you have some of her memories now?" "Basically. But I can't reach them on my own." Liz's voice grew thoughtful, analyzing. "It's like when I was able to appear in New York to warn you. I don't have the ability to do these things on my own. But being connected to an alien gives me some sort of psychic jump-start." "Activating parts of the brain that aren't generally used yet," Max finished. "The potential of the human brain." "Like Nasedo told you." Liz stood up again, this time pulling Max with her. "I think there's more to the memories. We need to go out there and see if I get any more psychic flashbacks." "Go out where?" he asked as he was pulled behind her. "Back to where we found the orb, of course." She looked at him as if he was crazy. "Where else?" "Of course." Max pulled her to a stop. "Liz, it's late. We have to get you home to your parents." She opened her mouth to argue, but he put his hand over her mouth. "They're already keeping us under tight guard. How do you think they'll react if we have another all-nighter in the desert?" He could see that she was weakening. "We'll go out there first thing in the morning. If this knowledge has waited this long, I don't think one more night's going to matter." "All right. But first thing in the morning, Max," she said firmly. "I can't really explain it logically, but I don't think it can wait much longer. I feel like Grandma Claudia's trying to tell me something. Something important." "Agreed." Max went back to pick up the box. "Let's get home before your father calls the sheriff about us." "You know, he just might." Liz laughed as Max opened the door. "I wonder what Sheriff Valenti would do if that happened?" "Probably hunt us down, drag you home, and try to ground me." Max grinned. "He has no respect for royalty." "Imagine that. What is this world coming to?" she teased back, taking his hand as they climbed down the rocks towards the Jeep. -------------------------------------------------------- Kyle was lying on his bed in the dark, trying to relax. It wasn't working. He was still furious after his little encounter with Isabel. Even a few hours of blowing up alien spacecraft in his video games hadn't made him feel any better (now there was one game he didn't play when Michael was around). She was the most stubborn, irritating, self-absorbed girl he'd ever met. Damn. He hated seeing Isabel hurt. She was trying to hide it, to hide behind her Ice Princess facade, but it wasn't fooling any of them. When he heard noises outside his window, Kyle turned to look in that direction and listened closely. At first he thought that he'd simply been imagining things, but then he heard it again. Yes, there was definitely somebody outside there. Or something. He sat up and took a second to debate whether to head out of the room or to rush the window when he heard it slide open. Despite being locked on the inside. Which put the invader into the alien category. "It's me," Isabel said, climbing through the window without waiting for an invitation. Typical. "Change your mind about talking?" he asked, voice full of anger. "It's pretty late, Isabel. Why don't you come back in the morning. And try using the front door like we humans do." Then he noticed the tear marks on her face, and all his indignation melted away. "What is it, Iz?" He was at her side in an instant, helping her over to sit on the bed. "What happened?" Isabel shook her head, crying silently. "Was it Jesse?" Kyle's expression grew hard. &qu

Anla · Post by **Anla** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 12:48 pm

The sun had barely peeked over the horizon when the Jeep pulled up to the lonely desert spot where they'd found the orb over a year earlier. Max looked around curiously as he helped Liz get out of the Jeep. A part of him had almost hoped to find Dagmar there, waiting for them where he'd been that past morning. A foolish hope. If Dagmar had survived Nicholas's attack, they would have surely heard from him by now. He caught Liz looking at him quizzically. "Isabel didn't come home last night," he remarked casually, walking towards the spot where they dug up the orb. "What?" Liz ran in front of him, grabbing the front of his shirt to make him stop in his tracks. "What do you mean, she didn't come home?" Max bit back a smirk. Sure, Liz talked a good game, but she hadn't been quite as calm about Isabel going out with some stranger as she wanted to seem. "Relax," he finally relented. "Kyle called. She went over there last night to talk. Apparently, she fell asleep afterwards, and Kyle didn't have the heart to wake her up." "Oh." Liz let go of him. "That's okay, then." Her eyes narrowed and her hand flew out to smack him on the chest. "You enjoyed scaring me!" Max started laughing, backing up from her. "Don't do that again." "Hey, it's not my fault if you jumped to conclusions," he got out between laughs. "You're the one who said that Isabel could take care of herself, remember?" "Hah, hah. You're so funny." She crossed her arms and glared at him. "I'm not so sure I want to do this now, if that's the way you're going to be." Max instantly wiped the laughter off his face, trying his best to look contrite. Liz really did look so cute when she was being all serious and severe like that. "I'm sorry," he said. "Really." When she showed no signs of relenting, Max went over and leaned close to her face. "Honest, Liz. I won't do it again." "You better not." She turned away, but not quickly enough to stop him from seeing the little grin forming on her own lips. "So, what now?" "You're psychic girl," Max pointed out. "I'm just along for the ride." "Not at all." Liz stood over the exact spot where they'd found the orb. She didn't know how she could be sure it was the place where it had been buried – the dirt looked exactly the same as everything around it. Still, she was certain. "I need you to help me unlock the memories and get the flashes." "I feel so used." Max moved over and took her hand. She gave him a mischievous smile, eyes laughing. "Are you complaining?" "Not really." Max leaned down, barely grazing her lips with his own. "You can use me like this whenever you want." "I'll be sure to keep that in mind." Wrapping her arms around his neck, Liz kissed him. "If all scientific experiments were like this," she got out between kisses, arms tightening around him, "there'd be more interest in Science class." "Let's keep it our secret." Max was starting to lose focus on why they'd come out there. Having Liz in his arms was way more interesting at that moment than unlocking any secrets about Ben Baker. Liz shivered as Max's hands pushed up her shirt in the back and started working their way up, their kiss never breaking. It felt so right to be in his arms. How had she ever doubted that they belonged together? Then it hit her. The Jeep, going over the cliff. Being pulled out and flying through the air to land on the ground. Seeing the flames as the Jeep landed. Running, heart pounding. She pulled back. "What did you see?" Max asked instantly, noticing how pale her face had grown. "Grandma Claudia was in the Jeep with Ben," Liz answered, trying to work out all the images in her mind. "Someone pulled her out at the last minute." "Who?" "I don't know. I couldn't see whoever it was." She frowned, concentrating. "Someone strong. I could feel his hands." She looked up at him. "It was a man. I don't know how I know that, but I do." "Okay, what else?" "She buried the orb, then," Liz started to walk away, "she kept running. She could hear them pursuing her, but she didn't want to bury everything in the same spot." "Wait, hold on a minute." Max moved to stop her, grabbing her hand. "You mean there's something else buried out here in the desert?" "Yes." Liz pointed. "It's in that direction." She started to run, pulling him along after her. The sense of urgency she'd had the previous night was back, only magnified ten-fold. They needed to find whatever it was that her grandmother had hidden out here. "Come on." Recognizing that determined tone, Max knew better than to argue. They ran for quite a while before Liz skidded to a stop, still not letting go of his hand. For whatever reason, physical contact with Max seemed to be what was letting her access these memories. "It's here." She pointed down to the ground. "Whatever it is, she buried it here." She could feel her chest tightening, but it had nothing to do with the distance they'd just run. It was with suppressed tears. She could feel the grief her grandmother had been experiencing, her sorrow for what happened to Ben. And her fear. "It was something important to her." Liz looked at him. "We need to dig it up." Max nodded. "We left the shovels back at the Jeep. I'll just......." Liz interrupted him impatiently. "Use your powers, Max. Don't bother with the shovel." At his surprised look, she laughed. "I don't think anyone's out here to see you." She waved around at the empty desert around them. "Okay." Strange how he still thought of doing things the human way first. Of all three of them, Max had always been the one who tried the hardest to be just like any human. Isabel used her powers for fun, and Michael would have used them more if he'd had better control of them. But for Max, using his powers had been something to be avoided if at all possible. "Here goes, then." Kneeling down where Liz had pointed, Max held out his hand and concentrated. After a second, dirt started flying. Liz gave a little shriek and jumped back. "That better not have been on purpose," she warned. "Sorry." Max gave her that small smile she found so charming, then returned to his work. It wasn't long before he had dug a small hole in the desert ground, revealing a narrow metal box. "Wow." Max sat back a little. He'd believed Liz, of course, but still, it was something else to actually see that something had been buried out there. Liz sat next to him and reached into the hole, bringing out the box. "Open it," she said quietly. He reached out and put his hand over the lock, taking it away when he heard the soft click of the lock opening. Liz opened the lid, frowning. All that rested inside the box was a folded up piece of paper. She took it out and opened it gently. The paper was still in good condition, the marks on it clear and easily recognizable. "It's the cave map," Max said, puzzlement in his voice. "Why would she feel the need to bury that out here?" "And why would I get the sense it was so important?" Liz turned the paper over, but there was nothing on the other side, no other clues. "We already have two copies of this map, one from you and one from Grandma Claudia's notes. Plus we could go to the cave and see it for ourselves whenever we want." She looked over at Max. "I don't understand." Shaking his head, Max was about to answer when he was interrupted by the sound of his cell phone ringing. Reaching into his jacket pocket, Max took out the phone and answered it. "Hello? Kyle? What is it?" As Liz watched him listen, she could see his face set. "We'll be right there," he said shortly, disconnecting the phone and standing up. "What's wrong?" Liz scrambled to her feet, carrying the map and box as she followed him. "We need to get to Kyle's right away." Max didn't break stride even to look at her. "Something's wrong with Isabel. Kyle says she isn't waking up." ---------------------------------------------------------- "What's wrong with her?" Michael asked bluntly as Max came out of the bedroom. "Why won't she wake up?" Kyle's question came right on top of Michael's. Max looked around the Valenti living room at the four pairs of anxious eyes staring at him. "She's exhausted," he managed to get out, keeping his own panic firmly subdued. He had to figure out how to help Isabel, and freaking out was not going to help anything. "What do you mean?" Maria asked from her seat on the couch. Michael frowned from where he was hovering behind her, watching Max closely. "Exactly what I said." Max looked around at them all. "There's nothing physically wrong with Isabel. Nothing," he repeated firmly. "But her body is totally wiped out. Something has exhausted her to the point where she can't wake up." "She's been tired for months," Maria pointed out. "She kept saying it was nothing, but......." She looked up at Michael, worry in her eyes. "We should have pushed things more." "You can't make Isabel talk if she doesn't want to." Max didn't want Maria blaming herself. If anything, this was his fault. He'd known something was wrong with her at school last Friday. He simply hadn't know what to do about it. Kyle cleared his throat uncomfortably. Everyone turned to look at him. "She hasn't been sleeping well," he said quietly. "She's been having dreams." Something in the way he said that made everyone tense up even more. "What type of dreams?" Liz asked sharply. "Dreams about Alex." Kyle avoided their eyes. "Well, that's normal," Liz started, but Kyle cut her off. "I don't think so." Kyle forced himself to look at Max. "She was going to tell you about them today. Isabel thought they were real. That it was Alex's ghost communicating with her through her dreams." He ignored the little gasp Maria made. "The thing is, I don't think the dreams were really so great." "You think they're what's been making her weak and sick," Michael said flatly. "Yeah. Maybe." Kyle didn't look away from Max. "She's convinced they were real. And the last time, she says Alex shut her out. That he did something to keep her from having any dreams at all." "Why didn't you say something about this earlier?" Max asked, voice deceptively calm. Kyle almost shivered at the look in his eyes, though, finally looking away. "You know the trouble we've had with dreams before." "I should have," Kyle admitted. "I didn't make the connection until a while ago. And Isabel made me promise not to tell anyone." Maria spoke up. "Why?" "She was worried that you'd think she was nuts," Kyle explained. "That's not why," Michael's hands were clenched. "She was afraid that we'd stop them somehow." "Maybe," Kyle admitted. "I don't know." He looked at Max again. "Could they have something to do with what's going on with her?" "I don't know." Max looked down at his hands. "Her body energy is so faint," he whispered, then looked back up at them. "Her energy is fading away. I'm afraid that if it continues like this, then........" He looked at Michael, trying to communicate without words. "No." Michael strode past Max into the bedroom. "We're going to wake her up." He looked back to see that all the others had followed him. "If she needs energy, then that's what we give her." He took one of Isabel's hands, looking up at Max. "Will that work?" Max hesitated. "It's worth a try." He sat on the edge of the bed, taking Isabel's other hand. His sister looked like something out of a fairy tale, an enchanted princess sleeping until her love woke her up. But there was no Prince Charming coming to rescue Isabel. He reached out to connect with her again, knowing that Michael was doing the same thing on her other side. The moment he connected with Isabel, he could sense Michael's aura in the connection, too. The two of them concentrated, trying to send some of their own energy to Isabel, trying to make her wake up. "It's not enough," Max got out through gritted teeth. He felt hands on his shoulders. "Then let us help," Liz's soft voice came, and without even reaching out for the connection, he could feel her there with them. "Come on, Iz," Kyle called. "We're right here, all of us," Maria added. Max could feel all of them, their energies connecting with his and Michael's, all going to help Isabel. And it still wasn't enough. Then suddenly, he felt something from Isabel. It was like a giant whirlpool coming from her, grabbing on to their energies and pulling even more from them. Max gasped, feeling as if he'd been punched in the stomach, weak and dizzy. Then it was over, and he fell back to the ground, totally spent himself. It had all taken only a few minutes. When Max could open his eyes and sit back up, he saw that the others had equally dazed looks. They were getting up from where they'd collapsed around the room. Apparently, they'd all gotten caught up in whatever that was. "Is everyone okay?" He heard some responses, but barely paid them any attention. Instead, he focused on the motion he was seeing from the bed. Isabel sat up, apparently wide awake and fine, if a bit confused. She looked around at them all. "What.........." Her question broke off as her eyes fell on Maria. "Maria, are you okay?" Everyone's eyes went from Isabel to the small human girl. Michael was already moving, pushing past Liz to get to her. "I don't know," Maria got out, clenching her jaw tightly shut as she started to shake. Michael grabbed her. "It hurts......" Michael held her tight as her eyes rolled up and she passed out. Isabel scrambled off the bed, joining the others as they gathered around Maria. "Maria!" Michael knew that something was very wrong. "Max, it's the baby!" He turned panicked eyes at his friend. "Something's wrong with the baby." --------------------------------------------------------- "What's going on?" Isabel asked as she helped Kyle move some cushions to the floor of the living room. At Max's direction, they placed Maria in the center of the floor. She really didn't look good at all, body trembling and swear pouring off her face. "What happened to Maria?" Kyle looked at Isabel, but thought twice about answering when he saw the worried look on her face. Whatever was going on with Maria, it had been that connection to wake Isabel up that had sparked it. She didn't need to know that right then. "Later, Iz." Before she could protest, Max spoke up, voice rapid. "Liz, get the healing stones." She nodded, dragging Kyle with her towards the door. "We'll need your car." Kyle didn't argue. "Max, what's wrong with them?" Isabel's attention flickered from Maria to Michael as he spoke. She'd never heard that tone in Michael's voice before, one of complete loss and despair. He wasn't letting go of Maria. "They're going to be okay, Michael." Max spared him a quick glance, then returned his full attention to Maria, placing one hand on her forehead and the other on her stomach over where the baby rested. Maria stopped shaking, seeming to relax a bit, although she didn't open her eyes or regain consciousness. "I've got them," Max said in a gentle voice. "They're going to be fine. I promise." "But what's wrong with them?" Isabel insisted, sitting next to Max, on the other side from where Michael was cradling Maria in his arms. People didn't just start convulsing like that without a reason. Add in the fact that Maria was pregnant – well, no wonder Michael was so panicky. She was right there with him. Max sighed a little, but didn't look up. "Their balance is off." "What does that mean?" Isabel asked, tension causing her voice to become sharp. Michael didn't say anything, simply holding on to Maria. "I'm not a doctor, Isabel. I can't explain it in medical terms." Max's voice was calm, a little absent, as his full attention was focused on the connection he had formed with Maria and the baby. "But human and Antaran DNA don't mix easily. That's why they had to use the Gandarium when we were created, remember?" "The baby's hurting her," Michael said, again with that lost tone in his voice. "My baby is hurting Maria." His grip on her hand tightened. "They just need to get put back in sync with each other again," Max calmed him. "We have different types of energies. Right now, the baby and Maria's energies are out of balance with each other. We just have to fix them back up again." For the first time, Isabel noticed that, despite his calm voice, Max's face was showing signs of strain himself. "You're keeping the balance for them right now, aren't you?" He nodded slightly. "I'm managing to bridge the difference for them for now. But to fix it, we're going to need more help. That's what the healing stones are for." His mouth twisted. "They'll help us focus our energies more safely than what just happened." He silently cursed himself for not using them in the first place. There had been so much energy involved in waking up Isabel, and it had been unfocused, wild. But Max hadn't expected any of the humans to join in the connection with him and Michael. Of course, he also hadn't expected for the connection with Isabel to have the effect it had. What had that been anyway? Well, at least with Maria, he knew what was wrong and had an idea of how to fix it. "What did just happen?" Isabel asked. "I tried to stop her," Michael said quietly. "I tried to keep Maria out of it, but everything happened so fast........" "It's not your fault, Michael." Max gave Isabel a quick look out of the corner of his eyes. "You weren't waking up. We gave you some energy." "Oh." Suddenly, the events of the dream came flooding back to Isabel. Sending out all her own energy through the dream to help heal Alex. No wonder she'd been weak – she'd given Alex everything she had. Alex. But before she could say anything, Max continued. "Now, if you don't mind, I have to concentrate here." This was more than a simple energy exchange. He had to actually concentrate on what he was doing. Obediently, Isabel and Michael sat there, watching Maria with concern that grew with each passing moment. What was taking Liz and Kyle so long? --------------------------------------------------------- Maria stood with her eyes closed, feeling the warmth of the sun shining down on her, completely at ease. It didn't hurt any more. She could just rest for a while. "Come on, lazy bones," a familiar voice called from nearby. "You planning on just standing there all day?" Maria opened her eyes slowly, trying to make out the blurry figure standing in front of her. Slowly, he came into focus. "Alex?" He smiled, a familiar sight even with all the bruises on his face. "Who else?" He looked her over critically. "You've gotten pregnant." The smile didn't quite reach the eyes, though. They seemed haunted somehow. She frowned. "I was pregnant before," she pointed out irritably. "And if you're saying that I'm fat......" her voice trailed off as she realized what she was saying. And who she was saying it to. "Alex!" She ran over and hugged him. Alex's arms wrapped around hers instantly. Slowly, she pulled back. "Am I dead?" To her surprise, Maria didn't feel any fear at the thought. Sadness at leaving Michael and the others, and grief for her daughter, but no fear. Wherever Alex was couldn't be too bad, after all. He laughed. "You guys and your death thing," he muttered. "No, you're not dead, Maria. You're just resting a while." His smile widened. "You and Little ET are awful stubborn, aren't you?" ---------------------------------------------------------- "We're back," Kyle called out as he and Liz ran into the house. Isabel jumped to her feet. "So, how do these things work?" "We each take one." Isabel took a stone from Liz and handed one to Kyle. "Form a circle around her." Max looked up at Michael. "You too, Michael." "I can't let go of her, Maxwell," he protested. Max smiled gently. "You won't, Michael. Do you think you ever could?" Slowly, Michael stood up and took a healing stone from Liz, joining the others in the circle. Max took a deep breath, bracing himself. "Hold on, Maria," he whispered. Then he stood and quickly took the last stone from Liz, completing the circle. "Now concentrate, everyone. Concentrate on Maria and the baby." ----------------------------------------------------- Alex gestured with his head. "Does this look familiar?" Maria looked around for the first time. They were standing out in the middle of the desert, Antaran symbols written on the ground around them. "The healing circle," she said slowly. "When Michael decided to do his caterpillar imitation." "Yeah." Alex winced before going on. "Listen, I don't think I'm going to be able to stay here for long. I'm not really sure how I managed to get here in the first place." His face darkened with irritation. "I'm not sure of a lot at the moment." He backed away from her. "Don't go," Maria tried to move after him, but couldn't seem to narrow the gap. Alex shook his head. "You're both going to be fine, Maria." He stopped and a new symbol appeared on the ground where he was standing, a diamond with a circle overlapping it at its center and what looked like a lightning bolt inside it. "Tell Isabel that what she did was stupid." Then he smiled again, and this time, the smile did reach his eyes, chasing away whatever shadows had been there before. "But it was also very brave. Tell her I love her." He started to fade away. "Oh, and one last thing." His voice grew weaker, but Maria could still make out the words. "Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated." "What?" But by that time, he was gone. "Alex!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, voice echoing off the nearby cliffs. "Alex Whitman!" "Maria." It wasn't Alex's voice that answered her, but Michael's. Blinking, Maria turned and saw him standing behind her, hands cupped around a glowing stone. As she watched, the others flickered into existence around her. Kyle. Liz. Max. Isabel. And for one endless moment, Maria could feel their love all around her, enveloping her and the baby, keeping them safe and protected. She closed her eyes, feeling almost as if she was floating. She remembered this sensation from before, from their connection in the desert on a night almost six months earlier. This time she could feel a new presence in the group bond, a stubbornly loyal and determined essence, one that helped keep the group grounded. Kyle. And oddly enough, she could still sense Alex's aura, fainter than before but still there. Then Maria opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was Michael's beautiful brown eyes, and she smiled instantly, reaching out a hand to touch his cheek and try to chase away the worry in them. "I'm okay. We both are." She looked past him to see that she was on the floor in the Valenti living room, with the others moving to gather around her. "Really." Michael pulled her to him in a tight hug. "Don't you ever do anything like that again," he muttered brokenly into her hair. "You scared me." "Shh," she murmured for his ears only. "It's okay, Spaceboy." Michael pulled back slightly, still keeping a firm hold on her, but letting Max get closer. Max reached out his hand and placed it over her stomach. Then he nodded, smiling tiredly at the two of them. "They're both fine." His eyes sparkled as he looked at her. "Should have known you DeLucas are stronger than you seem." "You betcha." Then Maria's eyes met Isabel's, and she gasped as the full recollection of what she'd seen in the healing circle came back to her. "Alex," she breathed. Isabel's eyes widened in surprise, but then she smiled brightly. "You saw him, too?" Maria nodded. The others looked at them with confusion. "Saw who?" Liz asked for them all. "Alex," Maria repeated, louder this time. Isabel looked levelly at them all. "He's alive. Alex is still alive." --------------------------------------------------- "Let me get this straight," Valenti said an hour later, looking around at the group of teens gathered in his living room. "I leave for a few hours, and in that time, Isabel goes into a coma. Maria loses consciousness. And you have an alien healing ceremony?" "Pretty much, yeah," Isabel agreed. "It wasn't my fault!" Kyle burst out. The others turned to look at him with looks ranging from surprise to (in Isabel's case) amused exasperation. "I just wanted to get that out there. For the record." Sure, they could laugh. There was no way Kyle was taking the blame for this one and getting grounded. Or worse, given extra chores around the house. Valenti shook his head, looking over at where Shalin sat in a corner. "You kids need a 24 hour keeper," he muttered, running a hand over his face. "Okay," he said, taking a deep breath. "Someone run me through exactly what happened." The teens looked around at each other, apparently trying to decide who was going to be the group spokesman. Valenti waited patiently, using this opportunity to study them more carefully. Maria and Isabel were both resting on the couch, apparently none the worse for wear, although Michael didn't seem too convinced of that fact, if the way he was watching Maria from his spot on the arm next to Maria was any indication. Kyle and Liz were sitting on the floor near the couch, while Max stood against the wall across from them. Of them all, Max looked the most worn. Which Valenti supposed made sense, as he'd been doing healing duty. He was still more than a little awed by Max's ability to heal. As the silence lengthened, Isabel sighed and spoke up. "Alex is alive," she said bluntly. "What?" Everyone jumped a little at the volume in Valenti's voice. Well, Isabel could have led up to it a bit more gently. "We'll come back to that in a minute," Max interrupted smoothly. "Trust me." Valenti didn't like it, but let it go for the moment. Isabel glared at her brother, then went on. "But he was dying. So I tried to heal him through a dream." She made it sound so simple. Valenti stared at her. "Of course." He saw Shalin lean forward, apparently paying greater attention, although she still didn't say anything. "Makes perfect sense." What the hell was she talking about? Now it was the sheriff who received Isabel's icy glare of death. "But apparently, it wore me out more than I expected," she went on coolly. No need to explain that she hadn't actually thought things through far enough to have actual expectations. Saving Alex had driven everything else from her mind. "Which led to the coma thingie," Kyle added helpfully. "And Max and Michael were trying to give her an energy boost," Liz piped in. "Like a giant caffeine boost or something," Maria added. "To help wake her up. Only we all joined up, and somehow it took more energy from us than we expected." "Maria's been having some problems with the baby for a while now," Max explained. "I think that the pregnancy reached a point where it needed a little help to keep on track." "The baby's balance was messed up. But at least Maria didn't spin a cocoon. No attempts at turning into a butterfly." Kyle grinned at Michael's glare. "So we used the healing stones to help bring it back to normal," Liz finished. Then they all looked at Valenti expectantly, obviously thinking they'd explained things perfectly. "Everything just sort of snowballed. Like a domino effect." For a minute, Valenti didn't even know what to say. Really, leave them alone for a few hours........ "Are you and the baby all right now?" he asked finally. That was the first priority. Maria looked over at Max, who answered. "She should be fine, as long as she avoids too much stress." He gave her a pointed look. "I mean it, Maria. You need to take things slow and rest more. It's important for the baby's safety." And yours. He'd done his best to not show it to Michael, but sensing the turmoil Maria's body was in earlier had been terrifying for Max. He didn't want a repeat of that experience anytime. "I get it," Maria muttered, noticing Michael's frown out of the corner of her eyes. Great – now Spaceboy was going to be even more overprotective. "Good." Valenti took a deep breath. "Now, what's this about Alex being alive?" he burst out, trying to keep his voice a little lower than before. Despite all logic, he could feel a spark of hope grow. What if Alex really wasn't dead? "He's not," Michael said flatly before Isabel could say anything. Shutting her mouth firmly, Isabel glared at him. "He can't be, Iz. What, you don't think we've all had dreams about being able to save him? But that doesn't mean it's real." Michael's voice was harsh, almost cruel. "He's dead, Iz. Wishing won't make it any less true. You have to accept it." Maria smacked him on his arm, breaking the glaring competition going on between Michael and Isabel. "I saw him, too, Michael," she pointed out. "Or are you going to say I'm delusional, too?" Her look dared him to. "What do you mean, you saw him?" Valenti interrupted, not wanting things to deteriorate into a shouting match. Both Michael and Maria were on edge, and it could easily happen. He'd like to get the facts first. Maria turned to look at the sheriff. "In the healing circle. He was there." She turned back to Michael. "And he said that he wasn't dead." "If that's true," Liz started eagerly, but Kyle interrupted. "It's not." He looked at Isabel apologetically. "Look, Iz, I wish that it was true. But don't forget – I saw Alex die. I was there." "Only you didn't see him die." Isabel tried to keep calm, to not let her eagerness show too clearly, tried to seem reasonable. She had to convince them. Max was just listening, watching her carefully. She couldn't let him think she was just imaging things in her grief. "Think about it, Kyle." "I saw Tess drop one damn big boulder on him," Kyle said, voice tense. "I helped carry his body to the car." She knew this – why was she making him relive it? "Yes, but you didn't actually check him for vital signs or anything." Isabel turned to Liz, hoping for her support. "It's possible that Alex wasn't dead." "The body wasn't able to be positively identified after the car accident." Liz's voice was thoughtful. "Tess and Lonnie could have faked the results of the DNA test." It had never occurred to any of them to double-check, not under the circumstances and especially not after Kyle remembered what he saw that day. "Stop." Michael's voice was loud and blunt. "If Tess didn't kill Alex, then why wouldn't she have told us? When we confronted her in the Granolith Chamber, she admitted to killing him. Why do that if it wasn't true? She had to have known....." his voice trailed off, exchanging glances with Max. "She would have told us if Alex wasn't dead in order to save herself," Max agreed. Tess wasn't stupid – she knew that Michael wasn't going to let her get away with what she did. Her attack on Maria showed that. "Unless she didn't know it herself." There was a brief silence. "You think that Lonnie double-crossed Tess?" Valenti asked finally. Max shrugged. "I don't know. It's possible." Michael opened his mouth to argue again, but Isabel stopped him by standing up to face him. "I never felt Alex die," she said, voice steady. "Never. These months, it's been driving me crazy. I could still feel him, just out of reach. Because he didn't die." She glanced down at Maria, then back at Michael. "Wouldn't you know if something happened to Maria?" Michael was going to argue, point out that it wasn't the same, that Alex and Isabel hadn't finished their tiasa, but Maria put a hand on his arm. When he looked down, she spoke quietly. "Alex is alive, Michael. The connection – it isn't something that can be faked. You know that. Not by Kivar or any of his Skins." "Is that true?" Max directed his question to Shalin, who had been sitting quietly in the back corner, almost forgotten by the others. "Could Kivar be doing this? Messing with their minds in order to make them think that Alex was alive?" Shalin hesitated. "We need to know the truth, Shalin." She frowned. "Kivar's the only one strong enough to get into Vilandra's mind." She gave Isabel a very insincere smile. "Sorry – Isabel. We don't have any other telepaths strong enough." "You're certain?" Max persisted. Shalin stole a glance at Michael. "Yes," she said firmly. "We keep a close eye on our telepaths. Oh, we all have our little tricks," she shrugged, "but nothing on the level of Kivar or Vilandra. Those two are in their own class." Isabel shook her head. She certainly didn't feel that strong anymore, but she was sure of one thing at least. "It's not Kivar. He's been in my dreams before. I'd recognize him." She looked at Max, eyes pleading. "It's Alex, Max. I know it." "If Alex isn't dead," Max said thoughtfully, "then where is he? What happened to him?" "I don't know," she admitted. "He seemed hurt," Maria added slowly. "Yes." Isabel nodded. "He was dying last night." "But you saved him." Maria smiled at her. Michael gave an exasperated noise. "I don't want you two getting your hopes up," he said gruffly. "It's not much evidence to go on." "If there's a chance, we have to investigate," Max argued quietly. Shalin stood up and walked over to them. "Well, then, instead of arguing, why don't we try to find out?" They all turned to look at her. She rolled her eyes. "Why don't we see who, if anyone, is buried in Alex Whitman's grave?" Maria stood up, a trifle unsteadily. "Let's go." "Whoa. Hold on." Valenti held up his hands. "We can't just go to the cemetery and dig up Alex's grave." "Why not?" Maria put her hands on her hips and glared at him. "Because we don't have cause to get an order for it," Valenti pointed out. "We can't exactly go up to a judge and say that we think aliens forged the DNA tests because of some visions you and Isabel had." He looked over at Shalin, eyebrow raised in question. "But maybe we can arrange something a little less official." Shalin smiled. "Give me 24 hours." "No way," Isabel protested immediately. "Try to be smart about this, princess," Shalin said impatiently. "Maybe your boyfriend's dead. Maybe he's not. But you'd have a hard time explaining it if you got caught digging up his grave." She paused. "We can do this. Just let me arrange things." She caught Michael's eye. "I'll find the truth for you," she promised him. "Fine." Max said, closing the matter. "You have 24 hours. But that's all." "That'll be plenty." She smiled. "But I better get moving." "I'll come with you," Valenti offered. "Maybe I can help with the arrangements." Shalin nodded. "The rest of you think you can avoid any more excitement for today?" He looked them all over sternly. "We'll do our best," Liz promised. The others nodded earnestly. Valenti sighed. "All right then." He turned to Kyle. "Call me right away if anyone goes into a coma or has a vision or anything else." "Yes sir." Kyle saluted, grinning when his father rolled his eyes. "Oh, yeah," he muttered as he grabbed his keys and headed out the door. "I feel so secure about you guys now." Michael moved quickly as Shalin followed Valenti out the door, grabbing her arm at the doorway. He spoke in a low voice. "I thought I made myself clear about you and Valenti." "You did." "Then why......." She interrupted. "This is business, Michael. Jim and I can work well together." She narrowed her eyes at him. "He likes me, you know. All on his own, he likes me. So did you, once." Her eyes sparkled mischievously. "Of course, not in quite the same way. Remember, I can only work with what's already there. But you don't have to worry. I've behaved myself." She pulled her arm away from his hold. "Jim can focus on what's important, on the job we're doing. Can you do the same?" "What do you mean?" Shalin moved closer, lowering her own voice even more. "You're allowing your emotions to cloud your judgment," she said seriously. "I understand that these humans are under your protection, but if you let yourself get too emotionally involved, you won't be any good to any of us." She frowned. "What you love, you can lose. Simple fact. You and I both know that. If you were the enemy here, where would you strike first?" She didn't bother to wait for an answer. They both knew it – it had been drilled into them at a young age. "Kivar doesn't just want to kill you. He wants to hurt you. He took Vilandra from you, turned Zandar against you." She looked over Michael's shoulder, back into the living room. "And you're giving him so many more targets this time around." "He won't get them." Michael's voice was cold. "I hope not," Shalin replied. "But you have to be ready to fight him. Don't get too emotional. What you love, you can lose," she repeated again. She turned to go. "Let's hope you don't lose too much." "And you, Shalin?" Michael's question made her pause. "What do you have to lose?" He could hear her soft chuckle, but she didn't turn around. "What do I have left, Tym?" She kept walking down to where Valenti was waiting at the car. Michael turned back, finding Maria standing not a few feet away. "He really is alive, Michael," she insisted, taking his hand. "I know it. Trust me." Michael sighed. He did trust her, more than anyone. But he was afraid to let himself hope. He couldn't go through losing Alex again. Maria seemed to understand, because she didn't push the issue, simply smiling and leading him back to the others. Whatever Michael said, she couldn't get beyond the simple fact that she knew Alex was still alive. She almost felt like singing and dancing. They were going to get him back! "So," she said, smile widening. "Does this whole no stress thing mean that I don't have to take any tests at school?" ----------------------------------------------------- "Time to go," Max said the next night, looking around Michael's living room. "Isabel and Liz are already in the car." Valenti and Shalin were going to meet them there. Michael nodded, then reached out to grab Maria as she headed for the door. "Where do you think you're going?" She twisted out of his hold. "To the car, Spaceboy." She scowled at him. "Where do you think?" "We've been through this. You're not coming." "Right. That's going to happen." Kyle and Max exchanged looks. "We really don't have time for this," Max pointed out. "We're sort of on a schedule here." "Then we'd better get going, right?" Maria tapped her foot impatiently. "You're not going," Michael repeated. "Like hell I'm not." She looked at him in disbelief. "Since when do I ever stay behind? You have any idea of how much trouble you'll get into without me there?" Michael snorted. Right. Half the time, she was the one getting them into trouble. "Remember what Max said? About you avoiding stress?" "So?" So? Michael blinked at her, unbelieving. "We're sneaking into a cemetery in order to dig up Alex's grave," he said bluntly. "This would definitely fit into the category of stress." "He's right," Max said, holding his hands up defensively when Maria whirled around to turn her glare on him. "I'm sorry, Maria, but Michael's right. This once, at least." He grinned slightly, trying to defuse the situation. "Come on, Maria." Kyle put a hand around her shoulders. "I'll stay with you. We'll bond." He looked at Michael nervously. "In a strictly platonic way, of course." Maria shrugged off Kyle's arm. "Fine." She stormed over to the couch and sat down, pointedly ignoring the three guys. They exchanged uncertain glances. "Let's go." Without a backward glance, Michael left the apartment. Max followed. Kyle sighed, not thrilled at being left with the job of trying to calm down Maria. The drive out to the cemetery was silent. What was there to say? Max wondered as he drove. Like Michael, he was afraid to get his hopes up too high. Alex being alive seemed too much a miracle. But he couldn't let the possibility go unexplored either, even if Liz and Isabel had let him. And if Alex was alive, then what had happened to him? What had happened to him these past five months? One thing at a time. They parked the Jeep some distance from the cemetery and walked quietly down the road, not seeing anyone. They stopped when they saw Shalin's car parked alongside the road. She and Valenti got out when they approached. "Any problems?" Michael asked, stepping forward in front of the others. Valenti shook his head. "Nope." "Who's that?" Michael gestured to the shadows next to the car, and for the first time, Max noticed the other man standing there. Michael was right – he was too easy to sneak up on. He'd have to work on that. The little jumps of surprise Isabel and Liz gave didn't make him feel any better. All of them needed to be more careful. "A friend." Shalin smiled. "This is Ross. He's going to help with the investigation." The stranger moved closer so that they could see him more clearly. He was a tall, handsome African-American man with a neatly trimmed beard and a brightly charming smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. No, not a man. Not a human man, at least. The black stone on his necklace labeled him T'onxyl and alien, even to Liz. "A pleasure to meet you all," he said, voice revealing a slight Southern accent. "Especially the Arkh'ra." He inclined his head in Michael's direction. "We never met before, but of course, I've heard of you." "Whatever." Michael looked back at Shalin. "Now what?" She smiled. "There's only one caretaker working tonight, and he's stationed at the gate. Not much security. Apparently, grave robbing isn't a very common occurrence here in Roswell." She put her hand on the hood of her car. "I'll drive up towards the gate, and when I get there, my car is going to have an unfortunate break-down." She raised an eyebrow. "I was hoping that you could help with that, Michael. I imagine you're still rather good at blowing things up." Michael snorted. "Have you been talking to Maria?" He walked over and put his hand alongside hers on the hood. Concentrating, he focused on the engine. "There, that should do it." He picked up his hand. "It won't go more than a few feet." "Wonderful." Shalin grinned with excitement. "While I'm distracting the guard, the rest of you can sneak in over the fence and check out the grave." Ross picked up a large duffel bag from the back of the car. "What's that?" Liz asked, pointing to the bag. He cast Shalin a quick glance, but when he spoke to Liz, it was quite courteous. "Just some equipment we might need. If we do find something in the grave." "Is it safe to get started?" Max asked evenly. He wanted very badly to get this over with. "Yes." Shalin got into her car and started up the engine, driving off. "Are we sure Shalin will be able to keep the guard distracted?" Liz asked. Valenti gave a low chuckle. "Oh, I think Shalin's more than capable of being quite a distraction." "I don't think you need to worry about that," Ross agreed. He turned and headed in the opposite direction. The others exchanged looks, then followed. It wasn't that difficult to climb over the fence and get into the cemetery. Even Liz was able to do it with some help from Max and Valenti. Isabel took the lead and headed straight for Alex's grave. When they reached it, the collection of humans and aliens simply stood there in silence for a moment, looking at the gravestone. What they were about to do, what they were hoping for – it was all starting to sink in on them. They were there to find proof that Alex wasn't dead. It was a rather staggering idea. Ross stood off to the side, allowing them some privacy even as he kept watch for anyone who might interrupt them. Max and Michael exchanged glances, understanding perfectly what the other was thinking. There was something profoundly disturbing about digging up a grave, even if they were hoping there was no body in it. Finally, Isabel gave an irritated sigh and moved over to kneel by the grave. "Let's get to to it," she said, glaring at Max and Michael until they joined her on the grass. Without another word, the three of them held out their hands and concentrated on pushing aside the dirt molecules, uncovering the grave. Liz shivered as she watched them. Ross noticed this and shrugged off his overcoat, handing it to her. "It's a little chilly out tonight," he said, smiling at her. "Thanks." Liz put on the coat, nervous around the alien. He was being very nice and polite, but it felt off. Probably because his eyes didn't match his outward manner at all, cold and watchful. Assessing. She knew that this Skin didn't like her anymore than the others did – he was just being more polite about it. And for the first time, she appreciated Shalin's attitude. At least with Shalin, they knew where they stood. It was slightly reassuring, in a very odd way. Despite the added warmth of the jacket, Liz found herself shivering again. She felt certain that this man would offer her a jacket to keep her warm or slit her throat with the exact same expression in his eyes. In silence, the Skin and two humans watched the hybrids work. ----------------------------------------------------- "Who helped him find out the truth about Uncle and Aunt Evil Dupree? Me!" Maria's rant was really starting to get on Kyle's nerves. "Who carried his sweaty cocoon-covered body out to the Indian Reservation? Me! Who covered for him with the police when he stole my car and kidnapped me? " She paused, looking at Kyle expectantly. "You?" he ventured to guess. "Darn right, it was me." She folded her arms across her front and glared at her baby-sitter. "And now here I am, left behind while he and the aliens go do everything." "Liz and Dad are with them." Kyle really wasn't happy at getting caught in the middle of whatever issues Michael and Maria had to work out. "It's not an alien only thing." Maria's eyes narrowed in anger. Okay, apparently, that wasn't the right thing to say. "So it's just a Maria's pregnant and useless thing?" She hurried on before he could interrupt. "And don't say that you're here too, because we both know that's only because you're supposed to keep me out of trouble." Well, he couldn't exactly argue that point. He'd already had to get between her and the door three times. It hadn't been easy convincing her to stay in the apartment. Kyle was firmly convinced that if she'd had her own car with her that she'd be long gone off to join the others. But as it was, she'd stayed put, although not with good grace. Maria started to move to stand up again, but Kyle put out his arms and grabbed hers, pulling her back down to the couch beside him. "This is exactly what they didn't want to happen," he pointed out sternly. "Do you not get what happened yesterday? You and the baby could have died, Maria." She avoided looking at him. "So yeah, until after Little ET's born, we're going to try and keep you out of danger. Get over it, would you?" She stared at him. "Excuse me?" "You heard me." Some of his own sense of frustration came out into his voice. "I know it's hard for you, but this is how it's going to have to be for a while." He caught her eyes. "We've lost enough, don't you think? We can't lose either of you. Think about the baby." Maria bit her lip, finally nodding in defeat and settling back. "Okay." She looked away. "It's just hard, you know? Being on the sidelines. Not knowing what they're finding out." "Yeah." Kyle understood. He'd been spending just as much time staring at the clock as she had. "He's alive," she said in a very quiet voice. "I know it." Kyle didn't respond. As much as he wanted her to be right, he couldn't get past his own memories of that day. How could Alex have survived? The silence stretched on for what seemed like a small eternity, when Maria suddenly sat up straighter. "They're back," she said eagerly, turning to the door. Frowning, Kyle stood up, and sure enough, the door opened a few minutes later. Michael entered, eyes flying to Maria instantly as if to reassure himself that she was okay. Then he went into the kitchen area and leaned against the counter, head bowed down. Max, Liz and Isabel quickly followed, with his father closing the door as he entered behind them. "Well?" Maria looked from Michael's silent figure to Max, who led Isabel over to sit on the couch near her. "What did you find?" "Was Alex......." Kyle's voice trailed off. "There was a body in the grave," Max said, voice low and steady. "But it wasn't Alex's." He held Isabel's hand. Shock still in her eyes, Isabel looked at Maria. "Because he's not dead." "What body?" Kyle asked. It was Liz who answered. "Apparently, it was an underdeveloped Husk." She sat on the floor in front of Maria. "Shalin had a Skin there who ran some tests." She shuddered again at the memory. Somehow, she didn't think she had a career in forensics in her future. "No Skin could have ever survived in that Husk – it had been harvested too soon." "But it was enough to convince the officers at the scene that a body had been in the accident." Valenti was the only one there who had been present at the scene of the supposed crash, so he would know. "Guess Tess or Lonnie must have faked the results of the DNA test." "Or both." Max looked at his sister. "It's not actually proof that Alex is alive," he pointed out, "but with all the other signs, yes. I believe you." Isabel smiled back at him. "Alex is alive." Legs not able to keep him standing any longer, Kyle collapsed to the ground next to Liz. He blinked, a grin slowly spreading across his face. "This is great!" Maria beamed back at him. "It's a miracle." She reached out and grabbed Liz's hands. "He's alive, Lizzie!" And that seemed to be the catalyst to break through their shock, starting a flood of emotions as they laughed and talked, letting the amazing fact that Alex wasn't dead after all sink in. He was alive! Then Michael's voice cut through the growing noise. "Where is he, then?" All eyes flew over to where he was standing, expression set and serious. "I believe you, Iz," he said. "He's alive. But where is he? What happened to him?" His mouth twisted into a sneer. "Somehow I don't think Lonnie kept him alive just so that he could have a nice tropical vacation somewhere." If it was Lonnie - even that was a guess. But it was their best lead. "Michael," Valenti tried to calm him down, but stopped at the look Michael gave him. "No, Sheriff. We have to think about this." Shalin had been right earlier – he had been allowing his emotions to override his intellect too much lately. He had to try to stay focused. "Isabel and Maria both said that Alex looked hurt." He shut down the pain that thought caused him. Alex, alive and suffering all those months........ "We have to find him," he concluded flatly. "Where do we look?" Liz turned to Maria and Isabel. "Did either of you see anything that might give us a clue of where to start?" Isabel frowned. "The dreams were strange. I'm not sure how much Alex actually knew about what was going on. Whenever I would ask him about it, he'd get scared. It wasn't until the last dream that he started to seem to know what was really going on." She remembered his hysterical response to learning they thought he was dead. "He figured it out," she whispered. "That's when he told me not to come into the dreams anymore. He shut me out." "He must have thought the dreams were hurting you somehow," Max suggested. "You've been tired and sick. Then you felt better once the dreams stopped, right?" Isabel nodded. "There's a connection there." "Whatever's been going on with him, he almost died the other night. For real." Isabel hated saying the words, but they were true. "I think he would have died if I hadn't been able to send him some of my energy." Maria smiled. "He said that was really brave of you. But very stupid." Isabel laughed. "So we don't know if he's out of danger yet." Max looked over at Michael, frowning at the tone in his best friend's voice. "We'll find him, Michael." "Find Lonnie." Michael met his king's eyes. "We find her, and we'll find Alex." Valenti nodded. "Shalin said that she already has someone working on that. She's going to report back later." "We'd better get going." Isabel hugged Maria. "We're going to get him back," she whispered to her friend. Maria hugged her back tightly for a moment. "I know." And she did. There was no other option. Michael was silent as everyone left. Finally, Maria stood up and went over to him. "Why aren't you as thrilled as the rest of us?" He blinked at her in surprise. Of course, he was happy that Alex wasn't dead. But.... "I'll celebrate when we find him. When he's back with us, where he belongs." He went past her into the bedroom. Maria sighed as she looked after his retreating back, deciding not to push him right then. Even after everything they'd been through, he could be so irritating at times. She put her hand on her stomach. "Your Uncle Alex is going to be coming home, little girl," she said quietly. ------------------------------------------------ For the next few days, the gang tended to stay pretty close together. They were all on edge, torn between jubilation at the idea that Alex was alive, and worry about where he might be. Shalin had reported that she had no new information on Lonnie's whereabouts, so that had proved a dead end so far. Michael said that Rath didn't know where she was, either, a fact which caused Max to raise an eyebrow in surprise, but he hadn't pressed the issue. So, the six of them tended to stick together as much as possible. Their heightened emotional states didn't go completely unnoticed by others around them, however. Which was why Amy DeLuca decided to pay Sheriff Valenti a visit. She'd actually called him at home a few times the night before, but Kyle had said his dad wasn't around. So Amy decided to corner him at work. When told that he wasn't there yet, she simply settled down to wait, sitting in the waiting area of the sheriff's station with absolutely no intention of moving. What she hadn't expected was for him to show up with Lynn Prentice in tow. What was that about? Jim's step faltered when he spotted her, and he turned to say something to Lynn. The redhead gave a quick laugh, but nodded, turning to go back outside. Jim went on over to Amy. "Amy. What a pleasant surprise." He took off his hat and gestured to the door of his office. "Why don't we talk in there?" "I'm sure it was a surprise." Amy went through the door he opened for her, sitting in front of his desk. "Is Lynn Prentice working for you now?" The question came out sharper than she'd intended. She never did seem to manage to stay calm where Jim Valenti was concerned. "What? Oh, no." Jim shook his head swiftly, taking a seat at his desk. "We were just coming back from lunch." He hurried to move the conversation on. "What can I do for you, Amy?" "Something's going on with the kids. I want to know what it is." Amy went on the attack instantly. She'd expected some sort of denial,

Fan Fic and More

Anla - Roswell - Completed

Chapter 3 - First Day

Chapter 4 - Dreams and Nightmares

Chapter 5 - Twilight Shadows

Chapter 6 - Glimmers

Chapter 7 - Searching

Chapter 8 - Too Much

Chapter 9 - Family Ties

Chapter 10 - Mending

Chapter 11 - One

Chapter 12 - Redefinition

Chapter 13 - Confessions

Chapter 14 - Reunion

Chapter 15 - Heart of Stone

Chapter 16 - Longing

Chapter 17 - Leaps of Faith

Chapter 18 - Tumbling Down

Chapter 19 - Memories

Chapter 20 - Dreamland

Chapter 21 - Waking Up

Chapter 22 - Sanctuary