4th of July Valenti Style - T/K - TEEN - Part 3 -11/2/10

[Ti88]

A Roswell Heaven Summer Fic Challenge CC Style

Title: 4th of July Valenti Style

Author: Ti88 aka Roselle

Pairing: T/K CC

Rating: TEEN

Genre: Fluff

Disclaimer: Roswell, its characters, etc do not belong to me. This is my way of having fun and keeping something awesome going. NO infringement intended.

Summary: The Valenti household finally manages to get away from the alien abyss for a whole weekend.

Friday Part 1

Kyle couldn’t contain his grin as he packed the last of the bags into the truck. Four whole days away from the alien abyss.

“Kyle! There had better not be anything on the bag with the purple camels.”

Ok so he wasn’t totally out of the alien abyss for the 4th of July weekend. But Tess didn’t count. They were the outsiders. Odd man. Odd woman. Out! This weekend was just for the Valenti homestead. His dad had actually gotten Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday off. He was leaving his radio at home. His dad had told His Royal Jerkness unless there was an invasion, kidnapping, or murder he was to be left alone. Princess Isabel stated she would keep Max in line.

“Tess I got I got it. Your purple camel bag is right next to dad’s stuff with Amy’s pies and my bag of Buddhist supplies for oneness in nature.”

Tess smiled to herself. This weekend was going to be great. She never thought she would actually want to spend time away for Max. But he was proving to be a bit of a jerk. Maybe it was the way of teenage boys. Kyle was a jerk before she showed up. Michael could be a jerk with the best of them, but he at least gave you a reason. Max on the other hand well it was weird. It was almost like he was worst than she had heard Kyle had been. No matter, she was finding a home for herself on her terms. She didn’t need Max for that.

Jim walked back into the house and gave one last check over. Making sure everything was safe and ready for lockup, he gave last call to his kids. “Kyle hurry up! You too Tess! Bathroom, last minute grabs, whatever. I want to leave in 5! That will put us on the road before dawn. We’ll be at the cave and lake in no time. We can set up camp and have a perfect view for the Roswell Annual Fireworks Festival.” Looking around everyone was at the front door ready to leave. He never thought Tess would be up for camping. Are you kids sure you don’t want to go to the Carnival?”

Kyle and Tess looked at each other. “No Jim we need a weekend away for it all,” was Tess’ only reply.

Jim sighed and looked at the two of them. He had been so proud of the way they decided to stick together the Destiny fallout. Kyle had been thrust into what had become known as the abyss. And after Nascedo was killed, Tess had been adrift. The others had each other and while Kyle and Tess had started out trying to tear them apart; and he himself was hunting them, he felt the rest of the kids cut him a lot of slack they never gave to Tess or Kyle.

Locking up, he threw Kyle the keys. “You can drive the trip there and I’ll drive on the way back. Tess can ride shotgun and I’ll catch some more sleep in the back. “

“Yes!” Punching his fist in the air, Kyle couldn’t believe this was really happening. An honest to God vacation with his dad …he couldn’t remember the last time. The camping trip didn’t count. It looked like this time there would be bonding. Even with Tess there. Heck she was part of the family. She would get in her own bonding time. Who knows what Nascedo thought of as bonding time?

Tess looked over at Kyle as the pulled out begin the journey. He had this look of awe and happiness.
She didn’t think she had ever seen it on him. He always had a sad look…she knew cause it was one she saw in the mirror every night before bed and every morning before she went out.

Friday Part 2

Six hours later – who would have thought there would three oil spills and two jackknifes on the highway – tired, hungry, cranky, and thirsty they pulled into their campsite at the cave.

Tess was the first out. “This is beautiful! We are here! We have arrived!”

Jim got out a bit more slowly. He turned and went to grab Kyle to help him unload and found him twirling a giggling Tess in circles. It looked like they were chasing dust bunnies.

“Hey you two, we have to get this unpacked and set up. I’m ready to drop and I’m sure once the adrenaline wears off you guys will be as well. So leave the dust creatures and get over and grab some things. Plus start thinking what to eat tonight.”

Kyle and Tess looked at each other. “Smore’s!!!!!!”

Jim just shook his head. He might be on vacation with two physical teenagers, but right now they could have passed for six year olds with the care freeness way they were throwing grass at each other, hiding behind him and the truck and pretending the stuff was to heavy to haul. It made him laugh and feel young again himself. He couldn’t remember the last time he saw Kyle this carefree and he would bet his pension that Tess was never this carefree. Good thing he packed the Tums, Mylanta, Alka-Seltzer, Pepto Bismal, and Imodium AD. None of them was five anymore and despite the aliens’ ability to consume odd concoctions he really did not want to be out there and without Max and have an emergency happen. So he packed the first aid kit and tripled everything just in case.

[Ti88]

Part 3 Friday Evening
It took them three hours but they finally managed to erect the six-person tent with shower and eating area. Jim at first figured he would have him and Kyle in a tent, but then Tess would be alone or there was the option of Tess and Kyle sharing a tent and him alone. Both went against the grain. The first as a cop and parent would never leave a female to tent alone, even one with alien powers. The second – well he wasn’t ready for hormone induced grey hair. So he came up with this. The upside – he could really bond with his kids. They had finally settled down and were quietly making smores. He smiled as he thought back over the past few hours.

3 hours earlier

“Dad, I’m telling you. All ya gotta do is look at the photo.” Kyle pointed. “See its clear that this pole slides in here and then the fabric wraps around this way.”

Jim shook his head and rotated the directions 45 degrees again. “No. Kyle. You have part XQ. And it clearly says XQ fits into GB, which wraps around CT. At which point you stand CT in one of the 20 oblong bowls and place on the ground.”

“Fine. But I’m telling you, that this piece isn’t XQ but XO and XO fits into G8 which wraps around C1 then you put it into the oblong thingy.”

Tess couldn’t help it anymore, she started laughing. It sounded like they were talking in code.

“Tess stop laughing and get over here and help hold the poles up.”

“Yes Jim.” She walked over and they somehow got the whole thing standing. “Ok boys lets see if this shower works.” She pulled the handle and nothing happened.

“Um Dad?”

“Yeah Kyle?”

“I think we have a problem.”

“Why’s that son?”

Tess felt something wet in her shoe. Looking down, she saw she was standing in ½ inch of water. “It’s flooding!”

The three of them ran out the tent. A gust blew through and the tent swayed and rocked and then collapsed in on itself. Turning to Tess both men said the first thing that came to mind. “Can your powers fix this?”

Jim was brought out of musings as a marshmallow went zooming past him. “Come on Dad. Stay here. Man you’re zoning out.”

“So what were you thinking so hard about?”

“The way you saved the tent for us.”

“Yeah Tess that was great. Thanks!”

“Self-preservation. I was not sleeping in a soggy tent. Soggy sleep ended when I hatched.” She said as she popped a s’more in her mouth without the Tabasco sauce. Somehow smoky campfire chocolate, marshmallow and graham cracker got ruined with Tabasco sauce.

Kyle and Jim both looked at each other and at Tess. She kept humming and munching. Ever so often muttering about ‘Men and their inability to read and follow instructions – how do earth women survive?’

Taking a chance before Kyle ruined it. “I didn’t know you guys remembered anything from being in the pod chamber.”

“We don’t.” She paused. “Well not really. I remember impressions. Sensations.” She stopped and looked thoughtful. Well in for a penny. In for a pound. I think that’s the earth saying. She took
a deep breath.

“I remember darkness, but not being afraid. I remember hearing fluid. I think I moved or maybe my mind moved. Anyway it was cool and I didn’t know at the time wet. And soggy. Like when your clothes get rained on. I felt safe. I guess it must be like what a baby feels in his mother’s womb. Safe, protected, wanted, even loved.”

Tess grew real quiet. She put down her stick and stood up. Walking for a bit she turned around and walked back.

“Then it all changed. I felt afraid. Something was happening. Someone was reaching out to me. I remember pushing against the fluid and stuff. It went through my fingers like wet bread. Then I was alone. And I was more than afraid. I was more than alone. I no longer felt safe. But the other two feelings didn’t leave until ten years later.”

Jim was afraid to ask. Afraid he already knew the answer. He had to though. If they were going to move forward…he had to. “Tess…Tess. He said a bit stronger. “What were the two feelings that lingered for ten years to only disappear upon coming to Roswell?”

Tess wanted to rant. To stomp off. But she needed this. Needed someone. So she jumped. “Loved and wanted. For the past ten years I have felt loved and wanted just below the surface of my subconscious. Then it vanished. And…And…And…I…I don’t know if I’ll ever feel it again on any level.” She finished on a whisper and a half broken sob. Realizing all she had revealed, she got up and started walking.

“Tess.” Kyle got up to follow her.

“No. Son. Leave her. She’ll be fine.” Jim may not have known before, but he knew now. “She’ll be back. And more importantly, she’ll be fine.”

Kyle looked at his dad. “But shouldn’t we do something?”

Jim sighed. Females in trouble had always been Kyle’s weakness. “We are. We are going to show her we are here no matter what. We aren’t going to leave her. She needs to know that. And she needs her space. She needs to know she can unload and we’ll give her, her space to sort things out and trust her to come to us. “ He paused. “The other problem, well we can build new connections with her, but only the others can give back what they themselves took from her. We can give her something else. Something unique to her and us. But we can’t replace what they had had. Not now. Not yet. And maybe not ever.”