Before You Leave (Teen, CC) Complete

[Dreamerlaure]

Before You Leave



Title Before You Leave
Disclaimer This is a work of fiction inspired by the book series and television series Roswell by Melinda Metz and Jason Katims, respectively. No infringement is intended.
Pairings and Category Canon, CC: A/I, M/M, M/L
Rating Teen
Summary Alex finds a way to say goodbye before he leaves.
Author's Note All events up until 'Heart of Mine' (the Prom Episode from Season Two) have transpired - Max saved Liz, Tess came to Roswell, Nasedo has been killed, and Max kissed Tess.


Chapter One
Liz Parker crossed off the bright red headline in her planner reading “Chemistry Project!” and she smiled briefly. It felt good to get some of her homework finished. Not only was it worth twenty percent of her final grade finished, it was also finished before the deadline three weeks from now. She rolled onto her back and let the heavy textbook slide off her lap.

It was rare for even Liz to finish something so early in advance, but she liked being free from it. Her eyes focused on the ceiling and the shadows that the bright lamps in her room hadn’t expelled on it, and slowly she let her eyes drift over to the dresser to the picture and to them.

Max Evans was gazing down at her in wide eyed fascination, like a guy who couldn’t believe his luck. And in that picture Liz looked a prize worth everything.

Liz brushed the hair out of her eyes and frowned, “I was the world to him,” she thought, “and I’m sure of that because he told me everything. And now he’s with…”

The sharp ring of the telephone broke the anger that was beginning to boil inside, and Liz reached over the end table to pick it up.

“Hey, Liz, how are you?”

“Maria? It’s like twelve-ish!” Liz gushed as she glanced at her alarm clock.

“Well, yes! I’m surprised I’m back this early. Michael was just perfect tonight. Apparently that woman was giving him dance lessons, and he was kind of shy about it, but it was so sweet that he took lessons for me! I guess I was jealous over nothing. After we finished dancing, he walked me home under the stars. It was just like a snapshot out of a movie. I kept waiting to wake up, but everything continued perfect like nothing I’ve ever known.”

Liz could almost hear Maria smiling as she replayed the night. But, as excitement wore off, Maria began edging towards the real reason she called.

“So, how was your night, Liz? Did you go back to Max? And by the way, I’m so sorry I ditched …”

“It’s fine, Maria. I’m just…I’m glad you had a good time.” Liz pressed her finger over a tear, wiping it away.

Liz could hear Maria breathing during the pause that ensued before she decidedly said, “I’ll be over in twenty.”

“No! No, it’s fine. Maria, I’ll see you tomorrow. We’ve got the graveyard shift, so I’ll tell you everything then… I just don’t feel like anything right now. I feel …”

“Shattered, confused, furious, and empty?”

“And all at once,” Liz agreed. She loved Maria for always knowing what to say.

“Okay, Lizzie-bee, but tomorrow –“

“Yeah, I promise,” and Liz replaced the phone, and she sank into the folds of her bed.

Helplessness wore off a few minutes later, and angrily Liz punched her pillow. She cried, “Why!” as if she could illicit some response, as if Max could ever give her a good reason to explain why he was kissing someone else.

Liz rubbed her temples vigorously to expel the coming headache. Then, she turned off her lamp and eased under her comforter.

As soon as she closed her eyes, a rush of images washed over her.

“Liz, what would I do without you?” he whispered, hugging her tight.
A playful grin erupting over Liz’s face as he threw a pillow at her, and leaped at her to tickle her hard until she almost couldn’t breathe.
Liz and Maria crooning, “Pinch me, because I’m still” while he rocked back and forth and his hands strummed madly.
A tiny brown haired boy dressed as Peter Pan divvies up the rest of the candy with Liz, but keeps the Kit Kat bars.
Maria at her right, him at her left. They each hold one of Liz’s hands as her grandmother’s body is lowered into the earth.

Liz slowly opened her eyes and she could clearly hear the words “Remember me. Goodbye” as if he was pressed on her into a fierce hug, whispering them in her ear.

[Dreamerlaure]

Chapter Two

Maria frowned. It wasn’t the first time she’d had such a weird talk with Liz before. The last time had been last year when Liz caught Max kissing Tess fervently outside of the Crashdown in the pouring rain moments after he had apologized to her. She remembered how much Lizzie had been resigned, and ready to just let it go.

Maria had the feeling that this time, it wouldn’t be as easy to let it go. It was no secret that Max and Liz wanted each other, and that things were changing between them. It was uncanny though how intense Liz’s connection was with Max and vice-versa.

Several times during their shifts together, Liz would stop cleaning the milkshake machine to watch Max come in. His soulful eyes would lock with hers before he quickly looked away. And she’d drop dishcloths clumsily to make it seem as if she wasn’t dizzy at all from just looking at him.

She’d once told Maria when they were having one of the rare moments of complete honesty with the very personal stuff that Maria had realized how deep it went. They were watching Friends reruns, when Liz stuck a spoonful of Mint Chocolate Chip in her mouth and said, “I wish we had the six-best friends thing going on.”

Maria had sat up staring at her. “Liz, we do though. There are six of us, and we’re –”

“No, but you see we’re not friends.” Maria watched in fascination as the scientist in Liz began to take over, summing up the entire mess succinctly by saying, “We’re lovers first and foremost – three couples fused together by one terrible event.”

And she continued, “There isn’t anything Isabel couldn’t look into Alex’s eyes for and get an immediate ‘yes’. And, if there is ever a crisis, you’d immediately cave into Michael. And, before ... everything, I would have done anything for Max."

Maria didn’t deny it because she knew it was true. So, instead she crawled up onto the couch beside Liz, and promised, “I’ll cave into you first next time, okay?”

Liz had sunk into Maria's strong arms, and between sobs, Liz cried, "I can still feel him - I can feel when he's near, when he's in pain, when he shuts me out! It's not fair!"

For once Maria had no words of comfort to offer Liz; she'd just held her best friend until Liz had cried herself to sleep. That had only been a week ago. Maria had a sinking feeling that going to the prom with Max of all people was not the cure.

She shook her head firmly, and started to take off her corsage and high heels. Her perfect night with Michael now had a bitter aftertaste in her mouth. These Czechs have such a weird effect on us! When will things finally get back to…back to normal?

She smiled. Normal, that was Liz’s word. But it was true. As much as tonight had been perfect, normal was far from anything she’d use to describe yesterday, and much less tomorrow.

Nothing was certain right now. Everything was up in the air, and as sweet as Michael had been, whatever was going with Max and Liz was almost a dangerous foreshadowing of what would inevitably happen to her. And it scared Maria; she didn't want to be hurt by love anymore.

But, Alex… He was lucky. He was in a weird, bizarre, frustrating limbo of the friends-who-want-something-more, and at that moment Maria realized he was safer there. It was safer to want Isabel from afar than to be dangerously tangled in the alien abyss. If anything, she was next in the long pathway of broken hearts.

Maria reached over, and put in her retainer before blowing out the last candles on her night table. She settled into a deep sleep, and began casting aside the weights of her world away one by one.

As soon as Maria started to relax and she subconsciously realized that Michael was not the feature of tonight's film. Maria found herself on a stage before a darkened room. The only way she knew for certain that people were out there watching her was the glow of everyone's cigarettes and the curls of smoke that migrated upwards.

Maria looked down and saw a gorgeous white cocktail dress and light blue high heel pumps. She felt her hair was off of her shoulders and secured tightly at the nape of her neck.

She turned to her right and told Alex, "the key of E-flat please," and he winked back at her.

She listened to the familiar introduction and took a breath before beginning:

When all the world is a hopeless jumble
and the raindrops tumble all around,
heaven opens a magic lane.
When all the clouds darken up the skyway,
there's a rainbow highway to be found,
leading from your window pane
to a place behind the sun,
just a step beyond the rain

Alex began pounding on the keys before she started the chorus:
Somewhere over the rainbow
way up high,
there's a land that I heard of once in a lullaby.

Maria smiled inwardly as the crowd began murmuring appreciatively. She continued the rest of the ballad in her trademark low voice, and she was careful to hit every high note gracefully without pushing.

At the end, the club went wild. People were pounding on the floor with their feet and their chairs. Other people were yelling excitedly, "Yeah, girl", "Wow", and "Amazing".

Maria's eyes quickly darted through the crowd to see if anyone else she knew was here. But, there was no one. It was only until Alex slipped his hand into hers that she realized he was the only one here for her.

The realization of how great they had done sunk in, and she excitedly hugged him tightly. She could feel Alex slowly pulling away after a minute and the deafening cheers of the crowd was muted suddenly as he whispered in her ear, "Now, it's all on you. You're on your own."

As Alex stepped back, she heard the crowd's cheers resume, and she stumbled downstage to look at them. When Maria looked back to her right, Alex was gone.

[Island Breeze]

Great start! So I see you say there is Candy and Stargazer insurance. What? No Dreamer insurance? With a name like Dreamerlaure? Obviously Liz and Max are not a couple at this point in your story because of their past, but I'm wondering what you have planned down the road. I loved the little description of their devotion to each other... all three couples...

And she continued, “There isn’t anything Isabel couldn’t look into Alex’s eyes for and get an immediate ‘yes’. And, if there is ever a crisis, you’d immediately cave into Michael. And, before ... everything, I would have done anything for Max."

[Dreamerlaure]

Author's Note
Hey, everyone! I hope you had a great Christmas day
Feedback
Island Breeze - Lol, aww, you saw that? I feel like out of all of the couples Max and Liz have the most to work on, but I'm trying to make it a Dreamer ending. Later events in the story are going to have an effect on them - we'll see if it's a good one or a bad one! And, I'm glad you liked that part.

Chapter Three
The shrill sound of Liz's alarm clock reaffirmed that she was in fact awake, it was morning, and that everything that had just transpired was a dream, and nothing more. But it felt so real, she thought.

There was no way though that any of that could have been real. She had just seen Alex six, no maybe eight hours ago. In truth, he had swept Isabel off her feet. And, the last time Liz had seen him was before she had gone outside and seen Max ... and Tess.

And with a sinking feeling, Liz felt it all coming back to her...Max kissed Tess, Max KISSED TESS!

But, despite the many times her mind kept reminding her that what happened was true, she didn't want to think about it.

Liz sat up in her bed, and looked across her room at the window. I was wrong, she thought, he isn't here. No apology, no pining.

A little voice from within reminded her, You broke up with him.

Liz silently acknowledged that it was true, but it didn't mean that she didn't love him still. Loving him still was very different from just loving him. Loving him wholly required too much effort; it was all a lie even because before long something or someone else would come to mess it all up.

With a sinking feeling she grimaced at the possibility that he might be downstairs and sitting in her section.

She slowly got up and took a quick shower before jumping into her uniform. As she straightened her ponytail angle and fixed her headband, through the mirror reflection, she could see her black dress from last night thrown across her chair.

She wrinkled her nose as she realized the irony of it all - last night she had been dancing under the fake disco ball with Max, and that was what it had all been - fake. The night had not lasted.

Beside her dress, Liz could also see the pair of white socks from last night. She chuckled at the irony of a gorgeous black dress that cost $90 paired with a cheap pair of rented socks she had inadvertedly taken home.

Her regrets of the night before slowly dispelled as she remembered Sean.
His eyes had been teasing her lightheartedly as he watched her walk towards him in her dress and heels.

"Was it a wreck?" he asked.

"No, it just wasn't for me."

"I have socks for you," he teased.

"Then hand them over," she responded.

Liz bounded down the stairs two at a time. She was opening her locker when Maria swung open the side door.

"Liz," Maria asked, "What's up?"

She looked across at her best friend, "Maria, you look awful."

"Well, thanks, Liz. That's just what a girl wants to hear. “

Liz smiled distractedly. She had forgotten his picture was still in her locker. He was standing behind her and his arms were wrapped tightly around her in a completely natural hug. Anyone who didn't know Max well would doubt it was the same shy guy they saw everyday.

For in that moment, Max didn't look shy at all. He looked like he was completely in love with the girl he was holding. He looked happy.

And, with a pang of regret, on some level, Liz realized he was still happy. Even though she had shattered his heart last night, he was now happy. He had Tess.

Liz didn't even want to think that he and Tess had been together or on some level close before she'd agreed to go to prom with him. That would be too much to bear.

"Liz!" Maria shouted.

She broke out of her reverie, ripped the picture off of her locker door, and turned to Maria.

"What?"

Maria looked down at the picture in Liz's hands. "You know, chica, you can keep that. You don't have to get rid of -"

Liz looked directly at her, and said, "No, I don't want it. I can't...I just can't."

She balled up the picture in her fist, and threw it absentmindedly at the garbage can.

With that Liz turned on her heel, and said sharply, "Deluca, let's go, it's time for our shift."

Outside of the double doors, the Crashdown was buzzing. There were several small groups of their schoolmates sitting at different tables. They were still dressed in their prom clothes. Maria guessed they wanted pancakes to sober them up before they headed home.

She saw Isabel, Michael, and Max in one of their booths. Or, rather she saw the backs of Michael's and Max's heads. She could see Isabel's face, and she saw Isabel's eyes light up as Alex reached their table and slid in beside her.

Maria grabbed Liz's wrist and she gestured towards them. Liz looked up from her order book and saw Isabel and Alex holding hands.

"Weird," they squealed to each other.

"You know what, though," Maria paused as she snuck another glance at Alex and Isabel, "I'm happy for them."

"Yeah, me too," Liz sighed.

"Hey, Maria, I had the strangest dream last night." Liz said, and she dropped her voice to a whisper, "It was about Alex."

"You say that as if you were shocked. Now tell me, do your dreams always happen to feature a certain dark-haired, kind Czech?"

Liz giggled and poked her, "I'm serious. And, to answer your ridiculous question, sometimes my dreams feature other people. Anyway, it was weird. I didn't actually see him. I just had flashes of him, and all the time we spent together, sometimes with you, sometimes just me and him. It's like as if he were making a connection with me and making me remember."

She continued, "The weirdest part is what I remember him saying, you know at the end. He told me to remember him, and he told me goodbye."

For the first time since Liz relived the dream, she looked over at Maria, only to see her own expression of awe reflected in Maria's pure panic. She vaguely realized Maria was still clutching her wrist, and she felt how suddenly Maria's hands had gotten cold.

Liz watched as Maria dropped the plate she had been holding. The kids their age began clapping and cheering. Liz's Dad poked his head out from the order window in the kitchen with a worried expression on his face. Liz could feel Max's eyes on her and the weight of his concern from across the room.

Liz reacted quickly though. She grabbed Maria's hands and raced through the front doors of the Crashdown. She wasn't surprised to hear Maria's footsteps at the same pace as her own or that she could hear Maria wheezing and crying at the same time.

It didn't even matter to her how weird they looked as they ran down Main Street with tears streaming down their cheeks.

[Angie]

This is a good beginning! I like how Alex is getting Maria and Liz's attention and hope that he's okay! I always liked Alex.

I hope that Liz and Max get back together - great beginning!!

[Dreamerlaure]

Author's Note
I'm just pumping out the updates, right? Well, I've got four more chapters and Interlude after this, but I bet if I continue posting what I've got everday, in a couple days I'll have a spanking new chapter, lol. Well, I can dream, right?
Feedback
Angie - Alex is one of my favorite guys too, and he's stronger than we think.

Chapter 4
“Good morning, brother of mine!” Isabel called brightly as she burst into Max's room.

Max was sprawled across the width of his bed, and his legs drooped over the edge of the mattress. The room was very dark because his curtains were drawn, and what little light there was created shadows in the corners. He did not stir, though.

Isabel sauntered towards his window and pushed the curtains to the sides. A ray of the New Mexico sunlight shot out like a laser onto the carpet, piercing the dark gloom of Max Evan’s bedroom.

She spun around when he grunted, “What are you doing, Izzy?” He turned his head to look at his alarm clock, and replied, "It's seven thirty in the morning."

Isabel stood directly in front of him and she beamed, “It’s time to get up!”

“Why?” he snapped.

“Because I told Michael that we could all go to the Crashdown for a light breakfast.”

He groaned, again, and rolled over slowly. Max was just about to disagree because the last place he wanted to be right now was where she worked. However, something inside him melted at the prospect of her changing her mind, so he hid his excitement by shrugging, “I guess I can do that.”

Isabel smiled serenely at his retreating form as he made his way to the bathroom. She knew it was only because a small brunette might be serving their booth that he wanted to go, but she liked having Max Evans wrapped around her finger.

She went back into her room for one final flip of her golden mane. Then she changed the color of her lipgloss from clear to a sheer strawberry by waving her index finger over her mouth.

Then Isabel reached to her shoes, touching the heels, and she concentrated her energy into shortening her heels from two inches to a kitten heel height of one inch.

Alex was only a little bit taller than her, and it was rare to find guys that were within two inches of her height. She liked to be a little shorter than Alex. It made it easier for her to look up and into his eyes.

She couldn't wait to see Alex at the Crashdown this morning; he promised her he'd come, but seeing him now, especially after last night was so much more meaningful than when she had been playing games with him.

It was a new day. A new phase in her life had begun. A shadow of doubt entered quickly into her mind: what if he doesn't like the real me, or what if I can't let him in?

Isabel looked back at her reflection and she could see the uneven mix of doubt and anticipation. One obviously won her heart because just as quickly as those fears had entered her mind, she pushed them away.

A disgruntled Max had started blowing his horn. Isabel poked her head out of her window, and smiled condescendingly at him, "I'll be right there."

She teased her fingers in her hair one more time to make it look as if she had bedhead before smiling nervously, and heading out to the Jeep.

The ride to the Crashdown was quieter than usual. Isabel snuck a few peeks at Max's rigid form. He was watching the road very intently, and his hands didn't slip from the two-ten position for even a moment.

Isabel couldn't figure out what was going on with Max. He was up, he was down, and he was everything in between.

Admittedly, she knew the past few months had been incredibly hard from him. What little information she had extracted from his monosyllabic answers to her questions and the intent glances he threw Liz's way, she knew he had Liz on the brain more often than was probably healthy.

She loved her brother dearly, and she was immensely thankful for all that Liz had done to help them out in crunch times, she wanted him to be happy. . . she wanted both of them to be happy.

"We're here." Max announced tersely. He looked over at Isabel and watched her recover from her thoughts. She looked guiltily at him, and reached over to press his palm briefly, "Thank you," she said.

Max shifted unconfortably and nodded. She slipped out of the jeep and started walking towards Alex.

It hadn't been the first time that he had caught her staring out of the window when she was in his car. He wished he could tell her everything so that they could talk again. He didn't like the awkward silences between them.

But, as he watched her greet Alex, and pull him in for a kiss, he sadly acknowledged he was on his own.

Michael was standing in the shade beside Alex, and he slapped Max's hand as "hello". Max grinned. He was so predictable sometimes.

Alex held Isabel's hand, and released it only to open the door. Max and Michael trailed in behind them. Max had been just about to turn towards Michael to say that it was going to be a long day.

However, uncharacteristically, Michael's eyes were darting around the room, looking for his girl, Maria.

Isabel and Alex were still holding hands when Max slipped in across the table from them. He was whispering something in her ear before he squeezed her palm and walked out of the diner.

"Where's he going?" Max asked curiously.

Isabel was glowing from ear to ear as she replied coyly, "He says he's got something for me."

Michael plumped down on the plastic booth beside Max, and jokingly poked Max, "I don't think it's going to last."

Isabel's face immediately fell, and she balled up a napkin and threw it at Michael. Max couldn't resist laughing because Michael had no idea what pain he might be in.

The one time it had snowed in Roswell almost eight years ago, Max and Isabel had been caught up in the magic of the snow. They'd started a snowfight, and when it seemed no one was winning, Max remembered fondly that Isabel had tampered with her ammo; she'd added heat to the balls or cool air to make them pack more of a punch.

"Ouch!" he whined, "That hurt."

She smiled triumphantly. "You know what, Michael, I am happy. I am so happy right now. For once in a long time things feel right."

His eyes instantly softened though, and he agreed, "I know what you mean. Things are good."

Max stared at Michael as his normally incoherent best friend laced some words together, "I like being with her. I like making her smile. And, it's nice to have something outside of the --"

"Chaos of our lives," Isabel finished. They both locked eyes and started nodding together. She tore her eyes away for a second and witnessed the guilt, then regret, then pain that washed over Max's face.

'What was going on?' she wondered.

She lifted her eyes momentarily and saw Maria and Liz coming out of the backroom chef doors of the kitchen. Maria was glowing just as much as Isabel had been this moments ago, but she saw Liz's face fall as her eyes wandered over to their table.

Isabel didn't have time to really react though, so she pushed the snapshots of Max's hurt and Liz's pain to the back of her mind, because Alex was back. Her guy was back.

She kept her attention on him as he turned to her, and listened intently.

"So, Isabel, you know that restaurant on the corner of Pasadena and South Broadway, the new one that opened."

She looked at him thoughtfully before a giggle burst from her, "You mean that incredibly romantic French one?" she replied, and she lifted her eyebrows playfully.

Michael was gagging from across the table, and reaching for an invisible water glass. Max began pantomizing the act with him, and poured him some relief.

Isabel didn't turn to them though.

"I was wondering if you'd like --"

"Yes," she cut him off.

He smiled. It still fazed him that it remained tough for him to talk to Isabel, but seeing her smile always made it worthwile. "I'll pick you up at sev--"

Alex didn't get a chance to finish because everyone heard a plate break on the floor.

Isabel frowned, and rolled her eyes as everyone began childishly applauding the disruption. She craned her neck to see where the sound had come from. Without being surprised, she saw that it was Maria who had dropped it.

Michael began to get up to rush to her side but before he even got the chance, Liz was pulling her out of the Crashdown.

[Dreamerlaure]

Chapter Five
Both girls were panting when they stopped behind the tea shop on Main Street and Fourth Avenue. The alley they were in was much darker and cooler than where they had been running, and they felt spent.

Maria's hands trailed along the rough wall of the tea shop as she crumpled. She left her feet firmly planted because though she was now sitting and no longer running, her hands were still trembling and she needed to ground herself.

Liz was standing in front of her, and she was beginning to pace. Maria smiled faintly. Only Liz could take charge so quickly in a situation like this.

What did this mean, Liz wondered. Why were she and Maria both having dreams about Alex. Unless Maria didn’t have a dream. She let her eyes rest on her best friend, and she took in the picture of Maria leaning over her legs, her head buried in her lap.

But this wasn’t like all of the times Maria had done the same thing at her house when they were hanging out. The way her bubbly best friend was hunched over did not spell fatigue; Maria was frightened.

"Chica, you must think I'm going crazy, right?" Maria sighed warily.

"No," Liz replied emphatically. She slid into a niche between Maria and a trash can, and put her arm around her best friend, "No, I don't think so at all."

Maria’s breathing subsided to a normal pattern. She lifted her head and combed her fingers through her hair.

Liz carefully asked, “What happened in your dream?”

Maria sighed heavily, “Well, I was on a stage, and I was singing the “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” song – the jazz version of the Wizard of Oz version. And, Alex was playing the piano for me, and I was wearing this gorgeous dress, and my hair was piled up high. It was in this small dark club, and my voice was raspy but sweet. I could just feel this incredible glow run through me while I was singing and it felt good.”

Liz had closed her eyes and was smiling when Maria finished.

Maria continued, “And after it was all done, he gave me this huge hug, and told me ‘Now it’s all on you’ before he, the stage, the crowd, and the lights faded out.”

“Did he say anything else?” Liz asked gently.

Maria was caught off guard by the last question because she knew it would be the right thing to do to tell Liz everything that had happened. But something about Alex’s last words to her felt sacred.

So, she gulped and she did something she had promised never to do to her best friends, she lied: “No, nothing else.”

“Was anyone else in the crowd, like me or Michael?”

This question caught Maria off guard again because it was the second time she realized that the pain of their absences, however ethereal the dream had been, stung a little bit, but not nearly as much as she had thought it would.

Somehow it had been okay that no one had been there for her, that she had been on her own.

Well, Maria thought, one more smaller and connected lie won’t hurt.

“You hugged me as soon as I got backstage.”

Liz beamed, “Really? It sounds like you did a fantastic job, ‘Ria.”

“You know, I think I did.”

The girls sat quietly for a few minutes. Maria was having a double conversation in her mind – one part of her was pushing her to tell Liz everything and another part of her was reminding her that she hadn’t been in the dream. And since that was the case, maybe Liz wasn’t meant to know the dream at all. Maybe the only person was Alex. Maybe he held the answers.

“I think we should talk to Alex.” Liz said, taking the words right from Maria’s mind.

On some level, Maria knew it was the next logical step, but she wanted to talk to Alex on her own. So she replied, “No. I don’t want to see him right now.”

“Why? I’m sure he wouldn’t get weirded out by the dream. But, we did leave the Crashdown really weirdly. I think we should head back to finish our shifts, and then we can go straight to Alex’s…I’m sure he’s not there now. I’ll bet Isabel took him out.”

“No,” Maria shook her head, “He’s there.”

Liz shifted uncomfortably because she knew who Maria was talking about. Her eyes had clouded over from the warm brown to a darker melancoly shade. “Michael?”

“Michael,” she confirmed.

She bit her lip because she knew words would either come off as a measure of attack and bring out an angrier Maria, or would produce no effect. Liz couldn’t decide which was the bettter of the two options and she was surprised when Maria spoke.

“Just say it.”

“I thought everything was…” and she caught Maria’s eyes before she continued, “perfect.”

“So did I, but,” Maria paused. She was trying to sort out her thoughts because everything should be perfect yet Michael hadn’t been in the dream last night. And, the words Alex had said were ringing in her ears. She wasn’t sure what to make of that yet.

“You’re scared it might not be real.” Liz finished hesitantly.

Maria was quiet for a moment before she agreed, “Yeah. Ladies and gentlemen, Maria DeLuca scared of love.”

The statement was too close to the truth, for both girls. Liz was just as scared as Maria was. And though she knew she should help Maria bounce back from this awful time, she let Maria lean on her and she cried along with her best friend.

[Dreamerlaure]

Author's Note
Sorry I didn't update sooner...Enjoy :D Also, there's a gorgeous banner in Chapter 1 now, courtesy of Behrsgirl77 at RoswellFanatics.

Chapter Six
As usual, Michael Guerin was out of the loop. He listened dejectedly to the back-and-forth questions Max and Isabel fired at each other.

Surprisingly, Whitman wasn’t saying anything. If he was having any reaction at all to the weird antics of Liz and Maria, he was doing a good job burying those reactions. His face looked like a blank slate.

When Max finished with, “I’ll bet something’s wrong with Maria,” and pointedly looked at Michael, Michael got up angrily, and growled, “Nothing’s wrong with Maria and me. I’m outta here.”

As Michael flung open the double doors, he heard the first words Whitman had uttered since the incident, “I’ll see you at seven, right?”

The New Mexico sun was raging down on the sidewalks more than usual. Michael could feel the rays rip through his collared shirt and hit his skin.

He made his way to the park in the middle of the town. All through his walk, a certain blond minx stayed with his thoughts, but he wanted to think a little bit before he started looking for her.

Michael sat on top of the bench in the west side of the park. It was a school day for the elementary schools, so he wasn’t too worried about a ball accidentally being kicked in his general direction, and being asked to throw it back. Also, most kids and their parents disliked this end of the park because it was a little woodsy.

It shouldn’t be too hard to find Liz and Maria. Plus, from the way that they had peeled out of the Crashdown, he knew they might be too panicked to run very far.

Panic – that was what he had seen flashing in Maria’s eyes when he began to make his way towards her. And the more and more possibilities entered Michael's mind, the more he wanted to find her.

He was surprised when he saw her. It sometimes felt like magic when he could think of her, and, she would be standing before her.

Her legs were shuffling on the sidewalk, but her upper body looked to Michael as if she were floating. She was so still and composed in her face, and shoulders that Michael blinked twice to check that she was real.

Michael forgot he was near her house. But, she had pulled him here, hadn't she?

He had always shrugged off the sappy words of Maxwell that he could "feel" Liz, that they were "connected".

And, not for the first time, he had moved closer to the magnetic pull of a Miss Maria DeLuca.

He thought, forlornly, that he had thought they were getting closer. Though she bickered with him as much as she had ever since he had pulled her pigtails in the fifth grade, Michael now knew it was just banter - that he could go to her if anything ever went wrong.

He hoped it was true for her too. He hoped Maria would come to him now.

Michael jumped off of the bench and moved towards her.

"Hey," he said.

She didn't slow down, nor did she really look at him. Instead, she monotonously replied, "Hey, yourself."

They didn't speak during the three minutes in which Maria lead the way to her house. He was walking a little bit behind her, and he watched as her hands shook when she lifted the key to the lock.

"Hey, it's okay," he pointed out gruffly, "I can do it."

Michael took the keys from her cool hands, and unlocked the front door.

He was half-expecting an angry Miss DeLuca to come charging out from behind one of the many beaded curtains, waving a pot, or better still a skillet at his head.

The house was eerily quiet, though. Instead of the usual banter that flowed effortlessly between them, Maria hadn't said anything since they came in. She was now sitting on the couch in front of him, her hands clasped in between her anchored feet. Her eyes were round and pensive, but at the same time frozen. He couldn't see any emotions in them.

Michael knew he could sometimes get lost in the pool of her rich brown eyes, but he didn't sense that danger today. She was coolly detached from him, as if he were connected to everything she was scared of.

Was she scared, Michael found himself wondering. She certainly had been at the Crashdown...but, was she scared now?

Michael was feeling some very strange vibes emanating from the girls across from him. She was too unreadable, and Michael didn't like that she was shutting him out.

"Michael, we need to talk." she said.

"Yeah." He agreed. He began rubbing his eyebrow. What could he say to make her stay. He was almost certain that she wanted to leave him.

"I want to take it slower," Maria hesitantly admitted as she lifted her eyes to meet his.

"Slower," Michael echoed.

"Yes. Slower. It's just that we were apart this summer and for the beginnig of the year, that I just don't want to rush into anything again."

"I thought we were taking it slow."

"Really? Because I thought we were moving quickly".

"So, do you want a break?" Michael asked the unbroached topic. He saw her hesitate again, and blink twice to jolt herself back to reality and the crisis at hand.

She nodded with her eyes riveted to a piece of stray thread on the carpet.

What are you not telling me, Michael asked himself, yet again, because when he kissed her cheek her skin felt clammy and cold. And the only vibe he felt as he was leaving was guilt.

[Ti88]

ok ok ok. i so am not feeling candy assured right now. and these weird alex dreams are making me question the stargazing assurance. but i trust you. i have no choice... you're the writer so i'll hang on till it's done.

in case you were wandering great fic. so hooked.

[Dreamerlaure]

Author's Note
Feedback:
Ti88 - Thanks for stopping by...Yeah, there's going to be some hard going for a while, but trust me, it'll work out for the better, just like I've predicted.

Interlude
I walked through my house after he left, my eyes lingering on nothing in particular, but passing over everything. The memory of what has just transpired burns like a touch to the stove, but I want to push it to the back of my mind and discard it - I don't want it to hurt.

If our house has any style, it’s a congenial clash between a hippie rain-dance swaying outdoorsy woman and the speak-out-loud-say-what-you-think girl. Our house has accumulated as much character as you’d ever want one to have. There are beaded curtains from Tijuana, and irridescent fish from an elementary art class that still stick to the wall, years after they were put up.

But seeing the past stitched into the walls isn't lighting up my face right now. I can't even bring myself to laugh at awkward pictures of Liz, Alex, and me from middle school. My heart walked out of that door with Michael.

It’s weird that everytime Michael comes over here, something awful has happened. Something so unpredictable that we both need to recover from it together. Today though, I made the decision.

I remember last week, being in his apartment. We were horizontal on the couch, and I saw something I haven't told him about. I don't even think I want to tell him; he might get scared and close himself off again.

I had a flash. It got really quiet right before it happened, almost like the world slowed. It sounds incredibly cheesy, but that's what it felt like. My breathing started matching his, and the sounds of us, and everything else, fell into a lull.

I got scared, and I opened my eyes, but I didn't see Michael. I saw me. I saw Michael Guerin watching me. Whatever silence that frightened me before was replaced by the heavy pounding of his heart.

I remember when I wore that dress, and when I wore my hair in ponytail. I think I was late for school, and had a bad case of bedhead.

But, the incredible thing was, it was like I was Michael watching me.

From the heavy beating of his heart, and the millions of thoughts I felt washing over me, I felt awed by Michael Guerin. He was watching me at my worst, but he saw it all as my best.

I shouldn't be thinking this now though. People who are broken up move on. So why is it so hard to shake a certain Czech?

I can see it's two hours before my next shift at the Crashdown. My body's craving sleep, and I hope I won't see Alex right now. I've already done everything he's asked, haven't I?

[Dreamerlaure]

Author's Note
This was and is my first fanfic, so please, any feedback is greatly appreciated.

Chapter Seven
Tick, tock. Tick, tock.

Diane Evans lifted her eyes to the clock once more, and she reached her hand across the table. Isabel’s eyes were glistening when she finally made eye contact with her mother. She admitted dryly, “I suppose he’s not coming.”

She couldn’t say anything else because it broke her heart to see her beautiful daughter stood up for a date she had been so excited for. Diane could tell which dates Isabel looked forward to. There were the dates that Diane knew about; the ones that she casually worked into their conversations. For those, Isabel would get ready at her own pace, choosing her clothes and makeup thoughtfully. The boys would come over at eight, and Diane would make small talk with them for twenty minutes. Then, Isabel would come in and she’d leave her date breathless as her heels clacked down the stairs signaling her grand entrance. But, Diane had never seen her daughter get ready for a date of this caliber.

When Isabel came home with Max at four, she lingered in the kitchen like she had something she was nervous about. Diane washed the dishes as she listened to Isabel's review of her day. She filtered some of her daughter’s chatter, clinging to the important details and one happened to be that Isabel mentioned that an Alex was coming over at seven:

“Alex, huh?” Diane said loudly, interrupting Isabel’s tirade on the cholesterol level in pancakes.

“Yeah, Alex. He’s taking me to Della Rorie on South Street.”

“I hope you kids have fun.” Diane pulled off her gloves, and turn to her daughter glowering and with a hint of anticipation in her voice, “Now isn’t this the same Alex that you went to prom with last night?”

Isabel’s cheeks reddened and the color spread across her collarbone as she replied hotly, “Yep. It’s me and Alex again. He wanted to try this new restaurant with me.”

Diane turned to the stove to check on the macaroni, and when she turned back to Isabel to question her relationship with Alex further, Isabel was gliding towards the staircase.

“So, where are you going, honey?”

“I need to get ready,” she called back.

Diane chuckled as her eyes fell over the four, three, and zero on the kitchen timer.


Now, the hands of the clock read 9:55.

“Mom, may I have some macaroni, please?”

“Sure,” Diane replied.

She hesitated before she met Isabel’s eyes, “Do you want to change?”

Isabel choked, “I think I do.”

She scraped her chair on the parquet floor as she stood, and Diane listened to the ticking of the clock again.

When Isabel reached the top of the stairs, her vision felt cloudy. The hallway vibrated as she leaned her hands on the wall to steady herself. Diane had redecorated two weeks before, and she had filled the hallway with “ambience lights”.

Isabel knew that she only needed a few more steps before she reached Max’s room. But when she stood where the door always was, there was a black and white family portrait on the wall instead. She blinked twice as she studied each person’s face. The smiles were familiar, but as she tried to remember how the photographer had gotten her to smile so widely, her mind pushed back at her, reassuring her that it did happen.

After she stared at it for a few moments more, she stepped back from it and walked towards her own room. Her room was on the other side of the hallway, by the stairs and the window. She shivered as she opened her own door, and her eyes snapped to the window. When she walked shakily to it and reached her hands out to it, her eyes refocused again as her cool fingertips touched the closed frame.

The hallway in front of her when she turned her back to the window stretched out to a place she couldn’t see. So, Isabel reached her hands out to her door.

A second after she closed the door, the room shook silently as a wave pulsed through it. The family portrait shook violently before it vanished. The window shook in its frame as the panes slid open. Max’s bedroom door appeared where the portrait was, and so did Tess. She stepped into the light, and smiled triumphantly. That was too easy, she thought.

She tugged at her black sweater, making it longer with each yank until it fell over her belt. Tess cringed at the constriction, but she hoped it was chaste enough for Max. The last thing she wanted was for Max to pull away, especially not after all she had done to get him.

She glanced at Isabel’s door; it was dark and solemn. She pressed her hands against the wall and breathed slowly, filtering out the white noise from what she needed to hear. Then she heard Isabel’s sobs and the creaking of her mattress.

“I’m sorry, Isabel,” she whispered, “It’s for your own good.”

Tess knocked twice on Max’s door before she turned the knob and went inside.

She wasn’t perturbed to see Max sitting expectantly on his bed. He was obviously thinking hard, but at least she hadn’t seen any flickers of doubt when he saw it was her. She saw his familiar smile, and Tess was starting to think that she liked seeing this greeting best of all.

Max was studying her instead. This was the girl he’d chosen. Even if the damage was repairable, he might be seeing her often.

“Hey,” she said.

“Tess, what are you doing here?”

“Your Mom let me in.” she answered. Max nodded, and made space for her to sit on his bed. He stared at the door Tess had closed when he hadn’t noticed. He counted the panels on the door, and he counted the colors of the carpet. He was looking anywhere but at Tess.

She positioned herself close to him to appear a good friend.

“I wanted to –”

“I don’t even know what to say. It all happened so quickly.” Max admitted.

“Max, I wanted to help you remember” Tess shifted so she was facing him more, and she put her hand on his before she continued with, “And, I want you to remember even more.”

He finally lifted his eyes to hers. He wasn’t sure yet if he liked blondes, and he wasn’t sure he could get used to her heart-shaped face. He began counting the flecks of gray and green in her eyes as he slipped into the body of another man, of another time, and of another place.

It was anywhere but here, and Max liked it.

[Angie]

Hey Lauren! Sorry I'm behind catching up - RL! ugh! And story-writing.. I really like how you're going with this story. I love how both Maria and Liz are having dreams about Alex...why not! He's awesome! Great job!!!

[Dreamerlaure]

Author's Note
Angie, thank you for reading, and I'll be on the lookout for some of your stories. Yep, Alex is pretty awesome, but the dreams aren't normal.

Chapter Eight


When Isabel reached her room, she peeled off every layer. She slipped into a pair of jeans, a t-shirt, and her house slippers.

Then she scooped her hair into a messy bun, and she pulled her watch off her wrist because it felt constricting. When she sat down before the mirror at her vanity, she warily stared back at her swollen reflection.

She waved her hand slowly over her surface. The best advantage of her powers, she decided, were the circumstances it could fix.

By waving her hand over her puffy eyes and tear-stained cheeks, her face was flawless once again, an empty canvas that bespoke nothing. And her eyes were vacant too.

Her Mom was still sitting at the table when Isabel rejoined her. Now, though, the table was set for two and there was even a single sunflower sticking out of a small red vase in the center.

A gentle scent tug at Isabel, bringing a wave of memories from her childhood. How, whenever she inhaled the simple scent, she felt her world filled with it. Maybe it could work still; she hadn’t wished upon a sunflower in so long.

She smiled gently at her Mom, and said, “Thank you.”

Diane’s eyes smiled wisely at Isabel when she met her eyes, and replied sincerely, “It was my pleasure. How has school been lately?”

Isabel lifted her eyes from the plate of meatloaf and potatoes, and she smiled gently. It was true – things lately had been so crazy that Isabel hadn’t found much time to tell her Mom what she’d been doing.

Her life wasn’t the same anymore, to simply put it. Nights she used to fill with parties at the quarterback’s house or at the at home games were spent with Michael and Max, chasing a dream that always felt lightyears ahead of their blind steps.

So Isabel answered the only way she could, “It’s good.”

“And, how has Max been lately?” Diane continued. She didn’t want to pry or push, even, but sometimes her children weren’t exactly forthcoming. Max had always been quiet, and if Diane had felt isolated from Isabel lately, the feeling was heightened whenever she saw Max now.

Isabel frowned and admitted, “I’m not sure actually.”

“He’s been so distant lately. You’ve been so distant.”

Isabel chose to ignore the last part, and she agreed lamely, “Something was bothering him before. I thought he was doing better, but now I’m not sure.” Her eyes naturally looked to the staircase leading up to her brother. It was ridiculous that he was so close but ever so far.

“I thought if he went to prom he’d feel better,” Diane added.

“I thought so too.”

Whenever her memories of last night replayed, Isabel could only remember Alex. How he held the small of her back, how for the first time she thought she might be his Ginger Rogers, how she was content to look back at him.

She vaguely remembered seeing Maria and Micahel pressed close to each other on the other side of the room, and later, dancing wildly to a techno song. She remembered seeing Kyle drag Tess from the gym from the corner of her eye. And, Liz Parker. She saw Liz Parker, and she’d seen her with and without Max.

At one point Liz was sitting at one of the small round tables, fiddling with her necklace, and staring at the shadows the table candles threw onto the cloth. Isabel hadn’t thought much of it at the time. Was it possible that it was all because of one girl? It had been in the months before. Did Liz do something else to break her brother’s heart? And why had Liz been so strange this morning? The recent events didn't add up.

“I’ll bet it was a girl,” Diane chuckled.

“Yeah,” Isabel laughed, “I’ll bet.”

“How much do you want to bet that it is?”

“Everything and anything.” Isabel continued and a smile spread across her face again. It had been their tradition since she was small to always answer that way. To meet every bet with all that you had; to meet every question wholeheartedly.

Diane watched as Isabel’s face softened. The careworn lines etched into her forehead were replaced with laughter crinkles that were sprinkled all over her face. Slowly, she realized, she was getting her daughter back.

Phillip came in through the back door in the kitchen and he looked up to see his two girls sitting at the table laughing and smiling. It was a good sight. It might be one that was unfamiliar in this house, but he was relieved to see it.

He reached to his wife and leaned close to brush her cheek with a gentle hello. He turned to Isabel and hugged her. “How are you?” he asked, phrasing his question more to Diane to say how did this happen.

Diane smiled serenly, “We’re fine. How was work?” she asked.

“It was pretty good. There’s a hearing tomorrow morning at nine and I finished writing my rebuttal at the office,” he explained.

Isabel smiled lightly. It was nice to listen to her parents talk about their everyday lives. It felt normal. But, her heart tightened when she saw their embrace, and the way they looked at each other. It felt too familiar and too distant at the same time. It was everything she wanted, but this time the bet had fallen through. Isabel didn’t win the everything and anything that came with love. It had left her as soon as she had known it. With a sinking feeling Isabel realized that even she thought Alex had rejected her. Like he had told her no to a question she hadn’t asked. A question of can you love me.

She realized her Dad was still speaking about the case and when his eyes stopped darting between her and her Mom, and focused on her, she abruptly yawned. “Hey, I’m going to turn in. I’ll see you for breakfast tomorrow, Dad?” she asked. It was routine that they have breakfast together, and Phillip returned her smile, nodding his head.

Isabel erased the lasting memories of the unfulfilled night by letting down her hair. Once she did, she sunk into the welcoming warmth of her comforter, and stubbornly brushed away the tear that was falling down her cheek.

It was very dark in her room, and a sliver of starlight cast a narrow shadow onto the carpet. Isabel stared out at the wall across from her, and she was clutching fistfuls of her sheets when her eyes closed wearily.

[Dreamerlaure]

Chapter Nine

The pulse grew fainter the longer she stayed away. But while Max was dazedly remembering his past, she felt a dull ache inside of her that began in her fingertips. When she looked down at her right hand, it glowed as if a light pulsed underneath her skin. As quickly as the unusual symptoms came they went.

“Wow,” Max breathed, “that was incredible.”

She stood abruptly, “Yeah, it’s like reliving it.”

He looked up at her heatedly, “It was like living everything again. I saw the country streetch before me, the neighboring palaces, the sun, and the two moons. I saw the glow of the moonshine, and the clear night sky. and we were standing on a balcony,” he continued, “and you said you had something to tell me. Do you remember what it was?”

Tess stared back at him, and she frowned. He wasn’t supposed to access all of his memories. Instead she answered cryptically, “Well, now you know how to recall, and the more you work on it, the longer you can stay in it.”

He nodded and she saw him processing. She went to the door and lingered by the frame, “I’ll see you tomorrow, Max.”

“Tess?” She looked at him patiently. “Thanks,” he admitted. “Thanks for everything.”

She nodded and smiled, “I’ve never been thanked for a kiss before.”

When she came into the hallway, Tess made her way to the window at the other side. She passed Isabel’s room as she went to it, and instantaneously, she felt the heat of a fire twisting inside her.

The pulse grew strong for a moment, so Tess paused at the door. And she listened carefully, but all she could hear were the labored breaths of a sleeping Isabel Evans.

*

The house was hers by all legal terms. Nasedo explained to her that years of surviving in this world had taught him how to leave the same footprints the humans did.

It wasn’t homey or familiar, but it was hers still. The foursquare didn’t know she still owned it. Swept up in the events in the wake of Nasedo’s death, Max’s first instinct had been to retaliate, Michael’s to stay away, and Isabel’s to question. So, she played her part and pretended to be lost and hurting. They had only assumed.

The light in the garage is still on, she noticed, so he mustn’t be finished yet. The mindwarping had been intense recently, but she always programmed it to end at specific points.

Tonight’s task had been a meager one, just cataloguing the previous information.

Tess felt something wasn’t right, so she walked even more hurriedly towards the front door. The house was dark inside and the only light was the glow of the moon pouring in throught the opened blinds. Tess made her way confidently towards the basement. The doorknob was cool to the touch, and the stairs creaked as they always had with each step she descended.

She gasped sharply when she saw the outstretched body of Alex on the ground. He looked as if he had collapsed without any warning. He was a few feet away from the computer, so he probably got up before he went down. His body looked spent and exhausted, and Tess felt that it was because he was unaccustomed to the stress of the mind-warps.

His mind is disintegrating, she mused. This was the part that made Antarians wary of anyone with a mind warp power; it had unusual potential to destroy the blocks that were already set up in someone’s mind. After repeated invasions, a mind could fall apart and crumble.

How much longer would his mind wage the battle between perception and actuality?

She could supress the actuality only a little bit longer. In time, the mind wouldn’t close her out for a few hours – it would spin recklessly.

Alex thought it contained a prophecy. That was only partly true though. There were other parts of the book that Tess needed more.

Nasedo told her it contained the map, the location of the key’s crystal, how to create the signature on the key, and how to get home. Nasedo didn’t know what the prophey was though.

Ancient eyes had forseen the destinies of the reincaranted royal four. Copied in the book weren’t just illustrations of the pairings and detailed accounts of how the hybrids were created. There were lines on what was so special about the hybrids, and what their worlds would see. The strange symbols held the key to her future but it was just that to her eyes, they were simply lines and strokes she wanted to make sense of but couldn’t...

Nasedo knew little. He was only a Protector, and he had not been invited into the inner Royal council of the Queen. No, Tess, smiled, the former Queen. Whoever she was, she had designed the book herself, planning for a rebirth admidst chaos.

Nasedo explained the complications to her. Her future had once been to reclaim the throne with the four square and bring peace to a much ravaged war nation. To learn that her future was altered by what was written in a book was frustrating, and of course ironic. How could someone have changed what was intended to be? Nasedo knew though that the prophecy itself didn’t include Tess. It was another reason for her not to stay. She needed to secure her own livelihood.

And the lingering taste of a life she wanted desperately was enough to make Tess continue what she was doing without remorse. This was her chance, no her right, Tess thought vehemently, to get home and claim her throne. Spoiled opportuinities over the past two years had only fueled her though with determination.

So Tess closed her eyes, and scrunched her face in willful concentration.

Reality jerked violently in front of her. She didn’t have to see the revolting process to know its steps – she knew it intimately. Years of practice with Nasedo had placed her on the receiving end also.

She began to reimagine the room before her, setting everything where it ought to have been. The psychic energy of the room was so strong that it dripped from the walls pooling nearest Alex. She brought him here twice a day, but each new day, she increased the dosage. As the room reordered itself, she heard the soft murmur of his voice, Alex’s voice as he let out a steady stream of incoherent coding.

She could see what was confusing him now. He had finished, but it had exhausted him. When she increased the level of the mindwarp and faced what he had seen, everything he was thinking was in the language; he was truly living it. She reordered what he had seen and understood in his mind, using her powers to stretch the threads of sanity and clarity.

Breathing labored and shallow, she opened her eyes to see Alex stirring before her. She went down to him quickly, and helped him up.

“Are you okay?” she asked concernedly.

He nodded and tried to rub his eyes, “I guess I was tired,” he told her.

She teetered back to the computer with him, with her hands holding some of his weight. She eased him back into the chair, and she returned his smile.

“How’s it going?”

“Good,” she said. “How’s the translation going?”

“It’s almost finished,” he answered, and he turned back to watch the river of color coding streaming up and down the screen.

[Dreamerlaure]

Author's Note: I noticed the amount of times this fic is read far precedes any feedback, I hope not doing too terribly This was and still is my first fic, and though it's wrapping up this month, I would really appreciate any thoughts...And, I dedicate this ambiguous and beautiful chapter to my lurkers - you guys have to say something after reading this, right?

Chapter 10

“Alex?” she called softly.

“I’m over here,” he answered.

He was sitting in a swirl of clouds, fingering the wispy boughs of thread in between his fingertips.

She curled up into a cloud opposite from him, and she grabbed a fistful of it, kneading it in her hands. “You didn’t come tonight.”

“I told you I wouldn’t. Were you surprised by how you felt?”

“It hurt a lot more than I expected it to.”

“I’m really sorry. Things aren’t right right now.”

“I know that, but it still hurt that you weren’t there.”

“Were you surprised?”

She paused, “Yes. I think I finally realized…”

“What?”

She stopped holding on to the edge of her cloud and went over to share his cloud, “I think I’m falling for you.”

“I think I fell for you a long time ago.”

“Will I see you tomorrow?”

“What does it matter if I tell you? You won’t –“

“Tell me.”

“It depends on how soon you leave.”

“And you won’t tell me who?”

“And what would be the fun in that? I like seeing you jealous.”

“Well, I don’t like being like this. I get sad, I get mad, and it all makes me red.”

He stopped smiling, “I told you I can’t tell you anything.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I’m not real.”

“You’re right here with me now.”

“But I won’t be much longer.”

“You keep telling me that. But then why do I keep seeing you?”

He didn’t answer.

“How do you know so much but at the same time so little?” she asked.

“Because in some ways, I’ve already passed from this world.”

“I would miss you so much if you did leave,” she admitted softly.

She didn’t have to turn to know that he was gazing at her thoughtfully. He didn’t stop looking at her though until her eyes met his.

“I know you will. But that’s why you have me here now, like this. Isn’t this better?” he asked.

She looked back at him with love shining in her eyes, “Yes it is. Will I still have this, when you…when you…”

She felt the weight of his palm against her cheek, and the way his hand could hold almost her entire face. It was the most wonderful feeling in the world. The warmth of it’s weight was the best comfort. “You can have me anytime.”

His hand cradled the side of her neck and he drew her close to him to lean on his chest. She didn’t hear a soft heartbeat underneath her – it was silent. The entire heaven that they called their haven was silent.

The cloud drifted as if a wind were blowing it. Out beyond them there were only more clouds. Below them the earth swayed like a clock’s pendulum to a beat unbenknowst to Isabel. She stared at it’s slow easy swings.

“It never stops.”

“I think it does.”

“Time stops for no one. But, you have to promise me you won’t stop.”

She sat up, “What do you mean?”

“I don’t want you to stop for me.”

“I can’t make any promises.”

The faint beep of her alarm way down in her little michrochosm of Roswell, of her small room sounded softly, filling the air.

He kissed her hand.

“I’ll miss you.”

“I’m still there.”

She faded in pieces, blending seamlessly into the clouds. He stood up from the bed the cloud had made just for them and proceeded to walk. It was all he did now. He waited until it stopped. Until the whirring inside of his head stopped. The last thing to go were her eyes, and she saw the retreating back of the man she loved most of all but would never get the chance to really love.

Isabel roused herself from her slumber and she groggily rubbed her eyes. She looked over across the room at the shirt she had lovingly chosen the night before, and the palette of eyeshadow she had carefully chosen. I can’t believe he didn’t show, she thought.

[Dreamerlaure]

Author's Note: To my lurkers, *mwaa* I love you guys!


Chapter 11

It was hard for the upperclassmen to jump back into the swing of things after prom. After all, the night had been bittersweet for some, and incredible for everyone else. When Liz and Maria got to school Monday morning, there was a cluster of students around a glitter picture board, pointing at the glossy eight by eleven photographs of them dancing the hours away.

“When does prom fever end?” Maria groaned, “Because I did the math, and it was over forty eight hours ago.” She shoved her textbooks into her locker to fuel the frustration building up inside of her. It was too prevalent. Everywhere she turned there were more reminders of that night: the picture board, the banner by the front door that said “welcome”, and the blue streamers that were put up over the rows of lockers. Besides the physical remnants of it, there were also more smiling faces this morning. She couldn’t think of another time that their class had been happy to be back in school.

When Liz didn’t answer, she glanced at her best friend. Liz was staring dejectedly at the front doors right by the picture board. Her eyes had the faraway look again, and Maria didn’t have to turn around to know Liz was watching Max Evans. She did want to know though what had happened at the prom between them so instead she asked, “Max?”

Liz nodded. He looks good, she thought. He doesn’t look heartbroken at all, when for me, walking away from him was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. She tore her eyes away from him when she saw him looking at the board. There was a picture up there of them that she didn’t want to see his reaction to. It would only open old wounds, and she wanted to forget the past. She looked back at Maria and was relieved to see the understandment in her eyes as she replied, “It’s just hard to adjust.”

Maria continued, “We went in too deep.”

“Yeah, we did. Have you got the cure?”

“For you, always. Don’t forget only one drop to wake you up, two drops to make everything perfectly clear, and three drops to work up your no factor,” Maria instructed. She reached into her locker and took out the small tranquilizer bottle and handed it to Liz. Whenever things got too emotional, it was always helpful to regain some perspective.

Liz nodded, and unscrewed the cap. She turned her back to the students behind them and squeezed four drops out of the pipet.

“You know what Liz, I’ve never seen a reaction to four. Will you let me know how it goes?”

“I’m sure it will kick in soon,” Liz added as she turned her back to the lockers again. She glanced over to the west doors, and she frowned, “though I’m sure you can let me know if the cure works. Michael’s coming.”

Maria sighed. “Liz, I can’t deal with this right now. It’s too much.”

“So, what do you want me to do?” Liz asked.

“Just tell him I couldn’t.” Maria closed her locker door and bringing her books close to her chest, she glided down the hallway to her class, away from Michael Guerin.

Liz held her books close too, and she watched Michael’s eyes darken when Maria turned away from him suddenly. He nodded as he walked by her, and she smiled weakly back. Then she turned to look at Max. She didn’t have to know he was watching her; Liz could always feel him like an ion was suddenly charged to life within her.

The distance between where they stood when they talked was back again; he stood two feet before her. She swallowed hard and slung her knapsack down from her back. She unzipped the front pouch and took out a small gold wristlet.

She broke some of the distance between them as she reached forward to give it back. He stared at the bracelet uncertainly. “I can’t keep this,” she explained.

He looked back at her and said, “It’s yours to keep. It was a gift.”

“A gift I want to return.” This time her eyes did meet his, and he recognized how controlled her voice was. All he had tried to do lately was be understanding, and if this was one more thing she wanted, he should at least try to take it back.

He held it in his hand for a moment before he tucked it in his pocket. This was it, he thought, this was the last thing Liz Parker had of his. He gave it to her on Christmas last year, and even though they had promised not to exchange gifts, it felt automatic. He gave her a bracelet he had bought one of Isabel’s many shopping excursions. Something had stirred within him when he saw it, and he had immediately thought of her and how great it would look against her skin. But that was back when things were good between them. Or at least when they hadn’t known all of the consequences.

“I want to apologize,” he started.

“Apologize?” she repeated.

“Yes,” Max answered. His voice was softer when he continued with, “I want to say sorry for everything. You were right. Knowing me has changed your life, and maybe not for the better. And I think it wasn’t fair. But as much as I’d like to let you walk away, I want you to know I’m always here for you. If you ever need anything, I’m here. And I know things have been weird between us for so long now, but I hope you’ll be happy.”

She sighed deeply. His words always impacted her, and though he hadn’t mentioned Tess, she tried to push the blonde to the back of her mind and to instead focus on them. “Max, I’ve always wanted to be happy. It’s just never seemed possible. Something always came in the way, and it felt like the entire universe didn’t want us to be happy.”

She took a step closer to him, and softened her voice,“And your destiny is so important. I said everything I did that night so that we can find our own happiness. Obviously we can’t be happy together. I really think this is for the best.”

She was watching his face now, waiting to see if he would accept this amicably. She knew he didn’t know that she saw him with Tess. But like Future Max proved, they weren’t meant to be. She had to let him go, and if this was the way to do it, it might really be for the best.

He nodded and accepted what she said. So many things had come between them and maybe it wasn’t worth it to fight so hard to make love possible. It had felt deceiving to pretend it was possible on Prom night that they could take a step back into the relationship they craved. Max found it easy to fill those footsteps for it was always easy for him to love Liz whole-heartedly.

She found herself in his arms after her confession and she slowly imprinted the feel of his beating heart against hers and the warmth of his touch indefinitely, “Max, I’ll always keep a place in my heart for you, and I’m sorry about everything too.”

Over his shoulders she saw Tess standing at the edge of the wall. Liz mustered up a smile for the blonde and though Tess looked surprised, she even raised her palm to Liz. Liz let go of Max and kept her smile on her face for him. It felt right on some level to end everything like this. It was better than she had felt hours ago.

And as she walked away, Tess walked forward; the girl who shared the largest part of his destiny now made her presence known.

*

Her heart was pounding heavily as she walked away, but the familiar weight of the world wasn’t pressing on it. She felt lighter than she had in months. It felt right to end things in understandment than anger. Though she would never fully understand why Max did kiss Tess or if he would ever know that seeing him do so had pushed her from carefree to broken, her heart didn’t ache anymore.

She reached for the chain around her neck when she turned the corner and unhooked the clasp. The ring was still there and as she let the chain spill into her palm, she held it thoughtfully for a few moments. She didn’t need to have the proof of his love burning against her heart, but moving it to her jeans pocket was an improvement.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Isabel exiting the nurse’s office.

“Isabel,” she called.

The blonde stopped in her stride and turned around. “Hi,” she simply said, and she motioned for Liz to keep up.

“Are you okay,” Liz asked.

“Yeah, it’s just I’ve been having awful headaches,” she explained, “And I haven’t been sleeping well lately.”

“Oh that’s unfortuanate. I can never concentrate when I feel sleep deprived.”

A silence sprang up between the girls as they made their way to the other side of the school.

“So, I saw you and Alex at prom,” Liz started. She was gripping the straps of her backpack tightly because Isabel always made her nervous. And she thought it would be easier to bring up the only thing they had in common now.

Isabel didn’t let her off that lightly though, “And I saw you and Max at the prom. Then I saw you alone,” she trailed off. Isabel glanced over at the smaller brunette and watched as her face remained composed and still. A moment passed as they continued walking, and they stopped by Isabel’s locker.

“I had to be honest with him,” Liz explained.

Isabel nodded lightly, “I’m glad you found the strength to, but I’ve never seen him so sad.”

Liz turned away from her words, and let her hand droop to the outside of her pocket and lingered by the ring.

“I was sad too. And then I was angry. I saw him kissing Tess almost right after I told him that I couldn’t do this anymore,” she said. She saw Isabel’s eyes flash questioningly and to answer her questions she continued, “He doesn’t know that I saw him. But we talked this morning, and I think he understands. Anyway, I wanted to say, I saw you and Alex at prom. I’ve never seen that smile on his face before, and I think he’s really happy.”

Liz turned to look over her shoulder at the English room as the bell rang, and she smiled, “I’ll see you around, Isabel.”

“Wait,” Isabel called. “I agree,” she said slowly, “He’s a great guy. By the way, have you seen him in school yet?”

“No, I haven’t,” she replied. When she saw how deflated Isabel was she thoughtfully added, “Well actually, we drove by his house this morning, and Mrs. Whitman said he was spending the night at a friend’s house.”

Isabel’s eyes looked confused again, but Liz shrugged off the observation and waved shyly as she turned into the classroom.

[Dreamerlaure]

Chapter 12

“Max,” she called softly. He turned at the sound of her voice, reluctantly tearing his gaze from Liz as she walked away. She wasn’t going to turn back to look at him, he realized. The days of them being close had slipped by without his knowing it. If she had looked back before, she would only walk away now. Any grasp he had had over her heart had only waned over the past six months. She was no longer his. He turned his eyes to look at Tess, smiled weakly at her as he said, “Hi.”

She stepped forward, keeping eye contact with him, and as she did, she tried to read him. He looked impassive though, and maybe he was trying to hold back his emotions from her, trying in vain to hide it. Tess knew he was hurting. She could tell from the way he kept his eyes on Liz as she walked away. She had seen the hug he gave her. It was a hug only exchanged between parting lovers. And she also knew that love didn’t go away easily, but she was hoping it could be suppressed and replaced.

She smiled back gently, and repeated, “Hi. Max, I have something to show you tonight.”

“Show me?” he asked curiously. She kept eye contact with him as she stepped closer, and her voice lowered, “It’s really important. Can we meet at the pod chamber?”

He nodded, “That’s fine. I have a shift until six, so I could get there by seven. What is it?”

“It’s nothing to worry about.” Then she stepped closer to him and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. “I’ll see you later, Max.”

She walked down towards the end of the hallway, the other side, absolutely opposite from where Liz had gone. Max now found himself looking after the girl headed in the other direction. He did find it strange that she had something to tell him, but refused to give any clues. That she wanted something more didn’t escape his mind, but he had to admits she had been a harmless friend over the past few months.

She turned around at the end of the hallway. It was progress that he was looking back.

It’s getting easier to work her way into his heart. All of her hard efforts, and the waiting, anticipation, and uncertainty that had accompanied it was finally over. She no longer had to play a role. Tonight that was going to end. And to erase any more doubts that Max Evans might still have, she smiled brightly at him before she turned away.

She glanced around the hallway to be sure that all of the classroom doors were closed, and no teachers or students were still on this side of the school. The bell for class changes was broken, so many of the teachers had gotten into the habit of starting class two minutes after the last class ended. She knew they didn’t think that many people had noticed, but Tess had been meticulous about every detail. She knew every part of the system perfectly, and now was not the time for any uncertainties.

She walked over to Mr. Murphy’s math room, and pressed her back against the wall. She took a second quick glance around the hall for extra measure before she squeezed her eyes shut.

It was hard to describe what exactly she loved about her powers because nothing about it was pleasurable. Nothing made her satisfied, nothing felt justified. Sometimes she felt her own senses slip and blur. She felt her hands go limp. She felt her tongue go dry. She could smell the air dry and crack around her. Sometimes it felt like time either stopped or whirred past her; she could never decide which it was. It was just a sensation. Each time the exact changes her body registered weren’t always replicated, but the irregular beat of her heart – anywhere from panicked to patient –persisted. At least that was normal.

The first thing to come was sound. It came in unsteadily too. She heard the dull monotone of Mr. Murphy’s reading of the attendance. As she entered it, his voice was garbled, but the more she focused her breathing, the sharper it became until it felt like she was inside the room.

Then she could see. The scene of the room snapped into focus, like a picture that had been suddenly stuck right in front of her face. It didn’t slide into focus. It was violent. She swallowed hard, and squeezed her eyes tighter.

It was definitely hard to get in and out, but the actually manipulation of people, time, and the room itself wasn’t like a practiced hand she knew how to deal. First she inserted herself in a chair in the back row. She waited for him to call, “Harding, Teresa.” Then, she replied, “Present.”

Nothing unusual happened. None of the students flinched at the sound of her chipper voice. Mr. Murphy even glanced in her direction, and he didn’t look confused. Tess waited for more of the roll call to progress with two more names before she thought it was the right time to slip back out.

As she was leaving it, the first thing to go was the sound, so she didn’t hear Mr. Murphy call, “Guerin, Michael.” Instead it sounded like static. When her sense were split and being moved, the change was more abrupt and heavy. The only way she could really keep track of time was by listening to her heartbeat. Nasedo taught her that it was her only compass.

Next to go was her sight, and the scene broke in pieces, shattering slowly. Once she was back, and all of her senses were back to where they belonged, she let out the breath she didn’t know she was holding. Her hands immediately dropped to her knees, and she was bent over, her head hanging down towards the floor.

Breathing in sharply as she stood, holding her hand to her chest, Tess got up. She got up because she had to. There was still so much more to do before she was free. As she walked away from the math room, she acknowledged it was getting harder; it was getting harder to manipulate reality.

She took one final glance around the hallway before she slipped out of the double doors of the West Entrance. This was not the time to stay at school when everything she needed was within her grasp. He only said a few more hours.

This morning he showed her the progress. The alphabet itself was completely translated now, and his translation even included the compound symbols whose meanings changed when paired in a particular way. All of the pen strokes in the faded pages in the book were deciphered; virtually nothing was unreadable.

But Tess didn’t imagine that she could relish the process of reading the book and its translation side by side. She didn’t want to spend time thumbing through her copy of the translation, cross-referencing every line. She was too impatient. She had waited long enough. She had seen more than enough of this planet to understand that she didn’t belong here. She was raised by a cold-hearted man that had made a deal with Khivar that she would come home with a gift in hand.

That sounded like it was too much work. Now that she had the translation, she felt powerful, like everything was within reach. And the quicker she got every piece of knowledge she needed, the better.

She closed her eyes and tried to feel it. There. It was still beating. A soft humming filled her, reminding her that he was still under it.

[Dreamerlaure]

Chapter 13

8:55 am
“I’m so tired though,” Isabel explained, “and it hasn’t been getting any better.”

After Isabel parted with Liz in the hallway, the prospect of going to class lost its appeal. She didn’t think class and doing other stuff were the solutions to her fatigue. She felt so tired lately that all she wanted was to try to get enough sleep to She felt utterly helpless from the little to no sleep it felt like she was getting.

The nurse nodded sympathetically, and listened to her excuse. Isabel had come in right before first period over the last few months, complaining of severe headaches and exhaustion. She always asked for tylenol to numb the pain, and as Nurse Callaghan looked back at the young woman before her, she had to admit that she looked tired.

Part of the school’s policy allowed students who weren’t feeling well to rest in the nurse’s office, but it was common knowledge that if a student was tired, so long as they could invent a good excuse, the nurse might let open up her office door to allow a quick nap. She had two sets of bunk beads with mattresses that were soft underneath the itchy blankets. There was even a personal heater in the sleeping room, and it was definitely more preferable to falling asleep in class. West Roswell High didn’t have many other places where someone could fall asleep inconspicuously.

Isabel fell asleep in the library, her homeroom, and once even, in Max’s car. It wasn’t like she needed a key, and after all everyone else had been in class. She was just so tired lately, and no matter how much she slept at night, when she awoke in the morning it was like she hadn’t slept at all.

Nurse Callaghan looked thoughtfully back at Isabel. She could tell Isabel was a little different. The girl hadn’t come to her for Tylenol or with mysterious doctor’s notes. In fact she had rarely seen Isabel Evans at all over the past three years.

Now though the girl frequented her office, complaining of severe headaches and sleep deprivation. She leaned back into her chair, and pressed the cap of her pen to her forehead. She said, “Here’s what we’re going to do.”

Isabel waited patiently, listening as Nurse Callaghan relayed the rules to her, and when she realized her request would be met, she felt so releived. She flashed a quick smile and told Nurse Callaghan, “Thank you. I really appreciate it.”

She gave her a quick nod, stood from her chair, and lead Isabel into the back room. “You can choose any bed that you would like,” she told her.

*

9:10 am
Michael thought the Coca Cola from the machine by the West side of the school was the best. He was convinced that it was the coolest at any time throughout the day, and that it also tasted better than those from any of the other machines. The soda machine then was right by his first period precalculus class with Mr. Murphy.

He fed the machine the dollar twenty-five, and punched the button for a can of Coke.

Looking down at his watch, he saw that it was now five minutes into class. He was going to be late, again. He really had to watch his step this semester because otherwise the slim chance that he had of graduating would be even more at risk. He slipped the Coke into his knapsack and started making his way down the hallway to the Precalculus class.

Maria wasn’t speaking to him anymore. Their shift at the Crashdown last night had only confirmed that. She darted around the café, eager to serve the patrons and she only got the food when Michael’s back was to the serving window. It was an old song and dance of theirs, but he felt this that any of their chemistry that usually reunited them was more liquid cold than hot. He just wanted to get her back though.

When he turned the corner, he saw Tess, her back to the wall, her knees slightly bent and standing perfectly still. He surprised to see her outside of class and the question of what she was doing plagued him. He was surprised that she was right there, but he was also curious.

His curiousity increased when he saw her break her repose and nearly fall to the ground, winded and fatigued. She was hunched over, trying to regain her scrambled nerves, before she pulled herself together and stood upright. Her careful eyes didn’t scan the hallway again, so she didn’t suspect anything and she just turned to leave the school.

Michael was sure she had just mind-warped, but he had never seen her end it in that condition before. Usually she just opened her eyes and was ready to move along, but this time she was like a seasoned warrior who needed a few moments to recover.

But he wasn’t sure what it meant. He didn’t know much about her except that she was one of them, one of the Royal Four. Though last year just that knowledge had been enough, he couldn’t help but wonder who was Tess Harding.

*

9:10 am
"Lena, I'm going to need my white shirt for the lunch meeting this afternoon," John told his wife.

She nodded and placed a plate of his favorite breakfast food before him, a Western Omelette with cheddar cheese and hashbrowns. She poured him a cup of coffee, and sat down beside him.

He handed her the real estate section and she took it without even looking up.

They knew each other well.

*

9:20 am
She turned her back to Isabel and the bunk beds area, turning to turn off the computer so the light wouldn’t hinder her sleep.

“I’ll wake you up in time for your...Say what time is your next class, Isabel,” Nurse Callaghan asked as she glanced over her shoulder.

She was taken aback to see Isabel completely knocked out. She hadn’t even taken off her shoes, or curled up underneath the blanket; it looked as if she had just plopped down onto the bed. ‘I guess she really was tired,’ she mused. She quietly left the room after that, closing the door firmly but softly. She didn’t want to disturb her and with a well-written note, Isabel might finally get the sleep she deserved. She sat back down at her desk in the main part of the office and sent an e-mail to the principal’s secretary, excusing Isabel Evans from all of her classes today. Nurse’s orders, of course.

*

9:30
"I'll be home after six, I think," he explained as he pulled on his coat jacket. Instantly her practiced fingertips were picking the lint off the jacket, making him look sharp.

"By the way," he continued, "What time did Alex get home last night? Did you wait up for him?"

"Yes, I did. He actually called me to say he would be at his friend Phil's for the night - something about a new software program he needed to take a look at," Mrs. Whitman relayed, and it sounded so natural that it seemed like those were truly Alex's words.

Mr. John Whitman kissed his wife's cheek, before he left, and said, "Okay, honey. Look, I've got to go, but I'll see you later."

Lena Whitman went back into the kitchen to clean up the plates and stack the dishes in the dishwasher.

She didn't hear the door open when her husband came back in to collect the briefcase that in his haste he accidentally left at the door. So, she didn't know that he would privvy to what would happen next.
Maybe if on some level she had been, the warp wouldn't have broken.

Lena saw the reflection of the kettle on the stove, she saw her hair in it and she froze. As Johnathan walked passed the kitchen he saw her standing still and motionless.

"Lena, what's wrong?"

She didn't answer, but instead she just stared at the reflection until it slowly morphed in front of her eyes to reveal a blonde haired girl. Lena's eyes blurred and her head felt light and airy. She breathed sharply, "What are you doing in my house? Who are you?"

"Lena, what's going on?" Johnathan repeated. Why wasn't his wife responding? She was almost frantic as she whirled around in the kitchen, reaching to grab the spoon on the counter.

"You're not supposed to be here...I think you better go before I call the police," she said, her voice firmer as she held the spoon in front of her.

Johnathan couldn't understand who she was speaking to because he wasn't an intruder. Lena wasn't even looking at him. She was looking into the living room, by the staircase to the second floor. He decided to make her stop her monologue, and stepped over to her, grabbing her wrists, "Lena," he said again, shaking her gently.

Her eyes looked faraway when he first glimpsed them, but in a fraction of a second her eyes were brown again, and she looked up at him, and said, "John, honey, what are you still doing here? You're going to be late."

[Dreamerlaure]

Chapter 14

11:30 am
Tess walked confidently to the front door, and without turning to see if any of the neighbors were watching, she placed her hand over the doorknob until the lock clicked. She pressed the door shut quietly, and looked around the dark house hesitantly; a part of her was worried she might be here again. Tess was almost completely confident that she wasn’t though because the car wasn’t in the driveway, and on Mondays she went to the gym.

Last night had been a close call. If the stairs had creaked, she would have heard Lena walk downstairs for her complementary glass of milk before bed. She could have waited in the shadows of Alex’s room before stealing back down the stairs. But she slipped up, and she slipped up badly.

Not only had she not heard her wake up and go downstairs, she ran into her when she was slipping back out. A woman’s voice had interrupted her inner banter of where the hell is it if it’s not here when she called out, “What are you doing in my house? Who are you?”
And Tess had no choice but to turn around and fix it.

Nasedo taught her that if there was a problem, you had to fix it. And that’s what she did. She had closed her eyes and willed a new picture into the mind of Lena Harding, one in which it was her son who came home unexpectedly. . .Alex who walked down the stairs, a bag slumped over his shoulder, and ready to head through the front door. She made Lena think he was there.

Lena called out, “Alex, what are you doing here?” He stuck his hands in his pocket, rocked back and forth as he hastily explained that his friend, Jared, had a new software program and he wanted to check it out.

Then she sipped her milk thoughtfully and said, “Well, as long as you have your stuff,” and even reached out to kiss her son on the cheek, a brief farewell – she thought she would see him the following afternoon.

She’d been watching this house and knew their schedules so well that it frustrated her that yesterday she slipped up. Even though it wasn’t possible to know every inner working inside a house, she would have liked to have the power induced by anticipation. Without it, everything was at risk.

Alex’s room was the second on the right from the top stair. She walked over and peeked inside the room. It was spotless, and there were no traces of the wreckage she had stumbled upon last night. She had even tripped over three oversized hooded sweatshirts on the floor and stubbed her foot on his guitar. But, it looked like Mrs. Whitman had cleaned up this morning, and Tess was momentarily grateful that the woman had cleaned up for an uninvited guest. Now, she thought, it’s much easier to find it in the light of day.

But the only question she had left on her mind was where was it exactly?

She glanced over at the clock, and saw the time, then turned her attention back to the room. Though the room was immaculate and it would be much easier to find the floppy disk, she needed to hurry because there wasn’t much time left.

*

3:15 pm
Isabel groggily opened her eyes and when she did, she saw the fencing of a boxspring's wire above her. At first she couldn't place exactly where she was because she hadn't slept in a bunk bed since elementary school, and not seeing the flat surface of her bedroom ceiling or the ragged slipcover of Max's jeep threw her off.

Then she wearily rubbed her eyes and sat up. She could feel the plastic of the mattress twist and she heard it shift along with her with each new movement, and slowly it came back to her. The nurse's office. The headaches. The fatigue. She was in a bed in the Nurse’s Office for sleep deprivation. Or that's the term Nurse Callaghan had bounced around when she was trying to sum up how Isabel was feeling. Well at least, she thought, at least I feel better now.

And it was true. She couldn’t remember the last time she had had an uninterrupted sleep. She hadn’t dreamed in months, and sleeping had begun to feel like a short leave of absence, a chance to slip away.

Nurse Callaghan poked her head into the room when she heard the mattress, and she said, “Feeling better?”

“Yeah,” Isabel allowed, “I am feeling much better. What time is it?”

“A quarter past three. You slept the whole day,” she said.

Isabel nodded, and stood up. She straightened her shirt, and scooped her hair off her neck and into a ponytail. Then she walked further into the front part of the office and said, “Thank you so much.”

“Next time though, I will have to wake you up in time for class,” she said. "I called your Mother, and she's waiting to pick you up."

Isabel nodded, “Yeah? Thank you. And, that’d probably be for the best,” and she shared a small smile with the Nurse as she left.

*

3:30 pm
Liz was tired from her shift already and it had only just begun. She was always tired of the customers who dawdled over their plates, and the ones who insisted on her bringing food back to the cook. But, today it was a different kind of fatigue. She was tired of watching Michael Guerin stare at Maria DeLuca.

Though it was partly a nice change to see the symptoms infect another couple, it was distracting from her work too. She had to snap him out of it several times, and he only seemed addicted to seeing her constantly. He watched her fill orders for root beer, and he even watched her wipe down the tables. Every mundane task she did that was only a part of waitressing he was fascinated by. And now, Liz noticed, he was watching her push away the quarterback from their school who had a thing for her.

"Michael!" she shouted.

"Huh?" he asked, and. he turned to look at Liz, and he frowned slightly. "What's wrong?"

"You gave me the wrong order again - are you even listening to me?"

"Oh, man," he said, looking down at the order. Sure enough he had given her salad with the wrong kind of cheese. This was his second time doing the order, and he suspected that now Liz was getting some hostile attention from her customers. "I'll fix it," he promised.

"Wait," she said, and she glanced over her shoulder at the fairly empty cafe, and whispered, "Go to the back counter to do it."

*

4:00 pm
“Hey, honey, do you want something to eat?” Diane called out. She watched as her daughter came into the kitchen and sat at the counter. One of the things she loved most about being a mother was seeing how her kids changed. If Isabel was sad the other night, today she looked more lighthearted and carefree than she had been in months. Diane also knew mothers didn’t always get the information right away, and that sometimes the best details were far below the surface.

Seeing Isabel wasn’t striking up conversation, she continued, “Are you feeling any better?"

"Not really," Isabel answered. She leaned over the counter, her body slumped and fatigued, yet again.

"I don't understand how sleep isn't helping you - is that what you said?" Diane asked chattily. She turned around to busy herself at the counter, pulling down food supplies to make a quick soup broth for Isabel and a sandwich for herself. "I mean, you're getting eight hours of sleep, and this weekend, you got eleven, right?"

"Yeah, but it's just like whenever I sleep, I don't really. It's almost like I'm not sleeping, but I'm not awake either."

"Yeah..." Diane said, nodding sympathetically. She didn't really understand all of it, and it sounded more like it was something Isabel was going through. She did though stop buzzing around the kitchen and come by Isabel's side, reaching her hand over her daughter's shoulders. She kissed the top of her head and said, "You go rest some more honey, and maybe you'll shake it off."

Isabel nodded and stood from her chair. As soon as she did, she felt numb, like her body was aching and weak from just going through the motions, and a heavy weight was pressing down on her.

[Dreamerlaure]

Chapter 15

4:10 pm

“Liz, something’s wrong!” Michael whispered. He hadn’t mastered the effects of subtle whispering and his attempt to be indiscreet was much louder than it should have been. He was about to use his powers to take off the cheese he had added to a salad when he found out it wasn’t working. Nothing happened. No cheese melted into nothing under his wavering hand, and in a panic he called for Liz. It was too strange. He needed to tell someone, and if looks could kill, Maria would have already zapped him into nothing with her eyes. Since their breakup things had been testy – she didn’t even want to see him around. His presence alone irked her.

Liz was at the booth in the corner taking her customer’s orders when she heard his stage whisper, and she glanced over her shoulder to look at him. He looked panicked, and even scared, so she quickly excused herself with, “Let me check the specials for you,” and went through the double doors at the back. Her customer’s call of, “Miss, you’ve already read us the specials,” didn’t permeate because of how quickly Liz was moving.

Maria was at the front of the café ringing up the bill for some of her customers. She heard him too and she watched Liz’s reassuring backward glance as she went through the double doors. She could feel that something was wrong, but she kept her smile plastered on her face as she finished up. Then Maria walked to the double doors too; her curiosity got the better of her.

‘What could possibly be wrong now?’ Liz wondered as she poked her head into the kitchen. Michael was gesticulating wildly at the room at large, and she wore an amused expression on her face when he noticed her at the door, “Michael, is something wrong or are you reenacting your wrestling show?”

Michael swept his hand across the counter, and as he did, the ketchup bottles fell the the ground, smashing.

“Michael,” she scolded, “My Dad is going to be angry. Those were expensive.”

“It’s Heinz,” he snapped.

“Yeah, the more expensive brand.”

He pressed his hands to his temples, and added, “Liz, my powers aren’t working…”

“What? How is that possible?” she asked.

“I don’t know,” he said irritatedly, “but I’m just telling you how it is.”

“Well, can you fix it?”

“No, Liz. It’s not everyday I lose my powers…”

Maria was standing by the doorway listening and she opened the doors, and said, “When did it start?”

Liz stepped back so Maria could step into the room some more if she chose. She wanted to leave it up to Maria.

She took the offer and she walked further into the kitchen.

“Right now,” he explained. “Liz wanted me to get rid of the cheese on a salad, and when I put my hand over it to do the deed,” he continued, lowering his voice, “nothing happened.”

“What do you think it means?” Maria asked, and she moved closer to Michael. When she did, she happened to glance down at his arm. “What’s that?”

Liz and Michael’s eyes flitted to the spot Maria’s eyes were riveted on and they stared at the tiny “v” that was etched into his forearm. It was glowing and it had dots like pixels in its outline.

“What is that?” Maria repeated, and she reached out to touch it.

Michael drew his arm away, and started rubbing it. He said, “Ow, it’s burning.”

Maria’s eyes widened and Liz gasped, bringing her hand to her mouth.

“That’s Max’s,” she exclaimed. “That belongs to Max!”

4:30 pm

“It’s printing,” he announced.

“Finally,” Tess exclaimed. “Now isn’t it weird that only one page printed before? You’d think the entire translation would print all at once…”

She waited and she watched his face for any change, but Alex wasn’t giving anything away. ‘Why is he playing games with me?’ she wondered. ‘Or is it not a game?’

She was really uncertain because the mindwarp was getting layered day after day. Each new time that she warped and muddled his mind, the real Alex, or whatever part of him that might still be conscious of what was happening, got buried. It was a classic lesson on reality – perceptions were shaped by what was on top. She was getting an eerie feeling though that something was happening. He was giving her too many run arounds.

She warped him to believe that there was a prophesy concerning the Royal Four and their connection to their pasts. She included details about the end of the world too, and he ate it up. For the past three months he researched for her, relentlessly. He finished the translation of the book last night, and now the key to make it more readable was finished also.

He needed the floppy disk from his house because it contained the program he would need to set up the book’s guide. Last night he reminded her that he had set up the program at Las Cruces and that the disk was in his room. She hesitated when he told her that but she agreed to go anyway. Then she ran into Lena while she was there and she had to warp her. That morning she got in and out of the Whitman house without hitch and she found the disk. She spent all afternoon reading the book, perusing it for everything she needed to get home. She skipped over the detailed drawings that described their anatomy and genetic construction; she didn’t need that because it wasn’t of much use to her anymore.

She was almost at the end of the book when her translation guide went blank. Alex told her that the computer probably had an error and failed to print it. She was wary of accepting that excuse because since when could Alex assess problems like that? She hadn’t coded autonomy into him so it was definitely strange. She had to accept that excuse because though she had taken many close calls lately that put her at risk, they were worth it - she needed this and unfortuanately, she needed Alex too.

Running her fingers over the raised lettering of the translation to the prophesy, she smiled. She wouldn’t need him much longer. So long as she knew what it said, she could finally go home and be done with this. She could put her curiousity to rest. She had to know what it said because not knowing was like being in the dark. She had come too far to be denied the precious knowledge of what it said, and she was desperate to know. She sat on the couch and opened up the book again and ran her fingers over the key and the translation. She was scanning it into her brain as she read – she needed to inhale every word. This knowledge could only help in the future.

Across the room, Alex was at the computer staring at the screen, where she left him. She didn’t see his eyes flash and she didn’t notice that he’d become still. Whichever layer the real Alex was under, he escaped from, if only for a short time.

4:30 pm
“What am I doing here?”

“I brought you back, one last time.”

Isabel looked down at her feet and she saw that her feet were completely engulfed by layers of fluffy clouds. She couldn’t see anything below it except more bottomless bright blue, pure and shiny like a moonstone. And since she couldn’t feel anything either, she was sure that was no ground, just pure weightless air. “Alex, what’s going on? Why are we here?”

“It’s against the rules, but I wanted to say goodbye.”

“Rules?”

“I want you to know Isabel that knowing you has only made my life better. I’ve loved getting to know the way your smile shines all over your face and seeing how generous your heart is. It’s made my time here better. I see your face and it’s always shining with light, and I’m always happy when I can make that magic happen.”

“Alex? What’s going on, what’s happening?”

“And if you close your eyes, you’ll remember all of the other ways I’ve tried to say goodbye. When you grieve my passing, you’ll remember it. I hope you find comfort in it.”

“Alex?”

“Just listen. Listen to the sound of the clouds humming all around you and to the gentle breeze…you’ve been here before, many times, and I, I want you to remember.”

She closed her eyes thoughtfully, and a smile crept up on her face. She remembered touching the clouds as they floated, and seeing the world from a new height. She remembered being here, and how at least seeing Alex in her dreams sufficed her for not seeing him in person. When she opened her eyes, she was smiling brightly. Every memory was precious, and it felt like a proper goodbye, “I thought you said I wasn’t allowed to remember.”

He smiled too and glided closer to her, “Sometimes rules are meant to be broken.”

“Are you okay?”

“I will be.”

“Then let me help you – can you just tell me where you are?”

“It’s too late. Time moves faster than you ever could. This is all you can do.”

“Can I?”

“Yeah,” he acquiesced, holding his hand out to her, reaching for her with all the love in his heart. She held it firmly, and brought the palm of his hands up to her lips, pressing her love into his knuckles. The knuckles that rubbed her hair, the hands that guided her across many dance floors - it was all she could do, but it was nice enough.

When her lips broke away, she felt him vanishing, pieces at a time: this time he was the first to leave her.