Royal Alliances Chapters 12 (Rated Teen) 11/15/05
Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2005 2:43 am
Prologue:
In the Earth year, 1949, two years after the Antarian Royal Four were sent to Earth, the Ikaydian Royal family, (feeling the oppressive shadow of the Prexoran menace, Kivar, stretch ever closer to Ikaydia [E-Kay-De-Uh]) decided to implement a similar method of preserving the Royal line. However, instead of using the spirit or essence of the Queen or her consort, they decided to create a hybridized heir. Queen Kadiya [cAh-dE-Uh] and the Royal Consort Orgustus [OR-gOO-st-Us] , gave of their flesh, twice, once for the Heir and then for a sibling. The decision was made to send along four other embryos, making six embryos in all, (The Heir, her Consort, two siblings, and two embryos from the most trusted Bodyguard family).
In 1950, (Earth Year) the ship containing the, as yet, un-hybridized embryos, was sent through a local wormhole, to Earth, with Kabo [Caw-bow] , the Queen's most trusted Doctor, to facilitate the hybridization. Unbeknownst to everyone, the wormhole acted not only as a passage through space, but through time, sending the ship to Earth year 1981. Unable to return, as the ship was running low on fuel, and unable to find a way to resupply or to contact Ikaydia, Kabo decided to implement the plan anyway.
Landing in a mostly unpopulated region of Colorado, the San Luis Valley, Kabo moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico and began the process of finding families for his charges. Using the cover of being a fertility doctor, Kabo found six potential families, each in need of help to conceive, the Gregorvich's, the Whitman's, the Badrian's, the Parker's, the Valenti's and the DeLuca-Gossman's. So using the fertilized embryo of the Consort, and a fertilized embryo from the Gregorvich's, Kabo created a perfect hybrid, which he then implanted in Ana Gregorvich.
Seven months later, Sergei Gregorvich was born, and Kabo knew that he could complete his mission. The Heir, was next, using the same methods and was implanted in Safati Badrian, with Beronika Badrian as the happy result. However, Kabo decided that he should wait two years before attempting with the other four embryos. So in 1984, the Heir's two siblings, and the embryos of the Bodyguard, were implanted.
In 1984, the Gregorvich family had to return to the Soviet Union, but Kabo
maintained close contact with them. The other families formed close bonds, some having known each other for years, and some they had just met, but all shared the desire for children. At nearly two years old, Beronika viewed the children of her 'Aunts' with joy and excitement. First was Kyle Valenti, followed by Maria DeLuca-Gossman, then Alexander Whitman, and lastly Elizabeth Parker.
Over the years the five children came to view each other as family, forming tight-knit bonds similar to their parents. However, with the divorce of Anthony Gossman from Amy DeLuca, things shifted, then in 1988, when Beronika was 6 yrs. old, the Badrian family moved to Denver, Colorado. All the families maintained a close friendship with the man who helped them, Dr. Kabo.
Doctor Kabo's true identity was found out in 1991, by Andrea Valenti, when, while visiting him at his lab, she accidentally happened upon him, healing a cut on his right arm. Kabo told Andrea the entire truth, and begged that she would not inform anyone else. Andrea agreed, on the condition that she be allowed to assist him. Kabo consented to her request, but warned her that it would mean leaving her husband and child behind, for the work they would do could put them in danger. Andrea acquiesced, for she knew in her heart that without help, Kabo's hard work and sacrifice, including the creation of the six children would all be destroyed and she could not let that happen. Andrea divorced Jim Valenti, and left Roswell and her young son, Kyle, behind.
The Badrian family, despite distance, (they moved frequently), maintained
close ties to the four Roswell families. At age 10, in 1992, Beronika was the first to discover her powers, and made it known to Dr. Kabo, who took it upon himself (at the urging of his assistant, Andrea) to tell the Badrian's the entire truth. They in turn told the Parker's whom they viewed as family, (Beronika even called Nancy and Jeff, Aunt and Uncle). Jeff and Nancy made the decision not to tell any of the others, unless the children began showing signs of their 'otherworldly' heritage.
Now, nearly 22 years after first arriving upon Earth, Kabo has decided that it is time for the children to know the truth of their origins. Nearing her 21st birthday, Beronika is anxiously awaiting the time when the six children Kabo 'created' are together.
Chapter 1:
Nancy and Jeff Parker moved swiftly through the motions of preparing for the Sunday brunch crowd, as they had for the past 15 yrs. The Crashdown Café wasn't yet opened and the place was calm and quiet, the complete anti-thesis of what it would look like in a scant hour and a half. The quiet was disturbed by the sudden shrill ringing of the telephone, out in the dining area. Jeff glanced up from his prep work, smiling at Nancy as she moved through the swinging doors to answer the phone, before turning back to his work.
In the dining area, Nancy rushed to answer the phone before the noise reached up the stairs to Liz's room, knowing the troubles her daughter had been having sleeping lately, Nancy wanted her to be able to sleep awhile longer.
"Crashdown Café, how may I help you?"
"Aunt Nancy?"
"Nika? Is that you?" Nancy was thrilled to hear from the young woman she thought of as her niece. It had been nearly four months since they had last spoken, and that had been brief, as Beronika was rushing from plane to plane on a trip to the Mediterranean.
"Yes. . .it's me." Beronika hesitated, her voice unsure.
"Well, it's wonderful to hear from you honey!! How was your trip? Did you enjoy Greece?" Nancy didn't wait to hear Beronika's answer, she turned to the swinging doors, calling out loudly."Jeff, Jeff!! Nika is on the phone!!"
Jeff exited the kitchen, wiping his hands on a small white rag, his face wreathed in smiles.
"AUNT NANCY!" The loud bellow from the phone drew Nancy's attention back to the phone, her eyes smiling.
"What dear?"
"Aunt Nancy, it's time."
Nancy looked at the phone in confusion. Jeff cocked his head at her questioningly, wondering what was going on.
"What do you mean, Nika?"
Beronika took a deep breath, exhaling it slowly, knowing that what she said next, it would hurt the woman she thought of as an Aunt. But she knew she had no other choice.
"It is time. I will be in Roswell today, and I have to take Liz with me when I leave."
Nancy's face whitened, her grip nearly crushing the old-fashioned phone, as her terror filled eyes sought out her husbands.
"NO! No! Nika, she can't! YOU CAN'T!!" Nancy's eyes filled with tears as her worst fears and dreams came true.
Jeff responded to the panic in his wife's face and voice by reaching for the
phone and removing it, bringing it to his ear, he grasped Nancy's hand within his own.
"Nika? What happened?" Jeff asked in a calm voice, though he felt anything but.
"Oh, goddess, Uncle Jeff!! I am so sorry. But, but. . .it is time. I am on my way to Roswell now, and I have to take Liz with me, when I leave."
Jeff's eyes closed painfully, understanding his wife's anguish. Pulling Nancy into a quick, hard embrace, he kissed the top of her head briefly, letting himself feel the anger and helplessness of the situation for a moment. Taking a deep breath, in that instant he knew there was nothing he could do to stop the hand of time, that was determined to take his young daughter from him.
"Well," Jeff breathed out the word on a choked sob."Well, then we. . .we will be expecting you."
"Uncle Jeff, I am so, so sorry. I know that it's sudden, but Kabo has told me that it is now or never." Beronika could feel the force of the couple's sadness seep through the phone.
Jeff fervently wished that it could be never, but also knew that was one wish that would never come true.
"I know, sweetie, I know. It's just, well, your Aunt Nancy, and I, we never, well we never told Liz. And we worked pretty hard to ignore the fact that this was going to happen." Jeff said softly, running his hand softly
down the back of his weeping spouse.
"You, you mean, Liz has no idea?" Beronika was shocked. While it had been years since she had last seen the man and woman she called Aunt and Uncle, she had kept in close contact through those years, and she had always assumed that they had told Liz the truth. This was going to be harder than she originally thought.
"No, no Liz doesn't know. But, if you're going to be here, later, I guess it's time for the truth to come out." Jeff said sadly.
"What truth?" asked a wary Liz. She stood on the stairs, leading from the upstairs apartment. Her head was cocked curiously, though her face remained oddly blank of expression.
Nancy's head shot up, her eyes streaming with tears, her body wracked with the force of her contained sobs. Jeff jumped, his heart in his throat, tears leaping to his eyes as he turned to confront his daughter.
On the other end of the line, Beronika heard Liz's voice, her eyes closing as she said a soft prayer for her surrogate family.
Chapter 2:
Without saying goodbye to Nika, Jeff placed the telephone receiver down into its cradle, knowing that she wouldn't blame him at all. His heart twisted at the blank expression on his precious daughters face, something he was seeing more and more often, but which never failed to send chills down his spine. Something bad had happened to change Liz from a cheerful, outgoing and cooperative teenager, of last year, to this secretive and empty, young woman, who stood before him.
Nancy desperately tried to stem her tears, but it was no use. Her utter despair at the thought of losing her only child, to an unknown future, was tearing her apart. Knowing she would at one point be taken from them, and having it actually happen, were two totally separate things.
Liz simply stood silently. She was curious, but couldn't help the listless pose, her patience for the never-ending lies in her life had long since run out, and the knowledge that her parents had kept some"TRUTH" from her, no longer held as much significance as she would have once thought.
"Liz, I think we should all sit down." Jeff said, trying for calm, though it wasn’t working well, his voice cracking and his hand shaking as he ran it through his hair.
Liz walked up the stairs into the small apartment that her family shared, followed by Jeff. Nancy took a quick moment to gather herself together, as well as write a hasty note, simply stating that the Crashdown would not be open today, due to a family emergency, before trailing after her family.
Liz sat, her body somewhat slumped in the overlarge easy chair, she had chosen. Jeff chose to sit upon the couch, Nancy sitting beside him, her and
reaching out blindly to clasp his.
Jeff took a deep breath, steeling himself for whatever Liz's reaction might be.
"Liz, I don't think we, have ever told you about the hard time we had, conceiving you."
Liz's eyes sharpened as her head shot up."What, you gonna tell me I'm adopted?" She asked in a razor-edged tone.
"NO! No, you are our child. I gave birth to you, Liz." Nancy said, her gaze searching Liz's.
"Yes, you are our child, Liz. But before you were conceived, your mom and I, we had to visit a fertility clinic, in Albuquerque. The doctor there, Dr. Kabo, was supposedly an expert in helping the hard to conceive. And he did help us, tremendously, for you were born in 1984, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, just like we always told you."
"During the time we spent at the clinic, we met some interesting folks, and made some friends. We even renewed some old friendships."
Liz met her father's gaze, then. Curiosity finally being shown on her face, she asked him,"What does that mean?"
Jeff hesitated, but seeing his daughters face show more animation than it had for weeks, urged him to continue.
"Well, it appeared that we weren't the only one's having problems conceiving. Sheriff Valenti and his wife, ex-wife, Andrea, had sought out the clinic, so had Amy DeLuca and her husband Anthony Gossman. It was nice seeing faces of old friends, since your mom and I had moved to Albuquerque, we hadn't seen them in years." Jeff paused, remembering the surprise they had all felt at seeing each other in the clinic so many years ago.
"We also made friends with two other couples, the Whitman's, Charles and
Felicia, and the Badrian's, Muttahar and Safati. When we weren't at the clinic or working, us and the other 4 couples, would go out to dinner together or dancing, or maybe to a movie. We talked of our anxiousness to see and hold our children, names we liked, and about the frustration we all had. When in 1982, Safati got pregnant, we all were so happy, one of our own was gonna have a child, which meant that we still had hope."
Liz looked intrigued. She knew Safati, having called the woman Aunt for all her nearly 18 yrs. Last year, when she had left for the summer, she had gone to Safati's home in Florida, and spent time hanging out with Safati's two teenaged children.
"In the winter of 1982, December 31st to be exact, Beronika was born. Muttahar and Safati were thrilled, and they asked your mother and I to act as her godparents. We both agreed." Jeff sighed, his eyes misting slightly as he thought of how honored he had felt.
Nancy took over the telling, then, seeing her husband caught in his memories. "Soon after, Andrea became pregnant, and then Felicia. They were followed by me and Amy. And in 1983 and '84, Kyle, Alex, Maria and you, Liz were all born."
Jeff shook off his pensiveness, and retook the telling of the story."We asked Muttahar and Safati to be your godparents, and they agreed as well. The next year, Grandma Claudia gave us the Crashdown, and we moved back to Roswell. Charles and Felicia moved out here shortly after, when Charlie decided to start his own accounting firm. Amy and Tony were already living here, as was Jim and Andrea. Muttahar and Safati, however, were obligated to stay in Albuquerque, for his job, but they both visited often."
Nancy again took over."In 1987, Tony left Amy, and then Muttahar and Safati were transferred overseas. Then in 1991, Andrea and Jim divorced. The next year, we learned a dangerous secret."
Liz had been listening in fascination as her parents told the story, but her eyes narrowed at the revelation of a dangerous secret.
"In 1992, we were approached by Dr. Kabo, the miracle doctor that had helped us have you. He had been in contact with the Badrian's, who had told him of some unusual things, that Beronika was able to do. Dr. Kabo felt that he should warn us, and tell us the truth about you."
"About me?" asked Liz, her first words since Jeff had started.
Jeff ignored the interruption, knowing that if he didn't get this out soon, he would never be able to."He told us an incredible story, one that seemed to come straight from the pages of a sci-fi novel." Liz's heart nearly stopped at her fathers words.
"He told of us a people, called the Ikaydians, who lived on a planet, in a distant star system. He told us how they were threatened by a terrible man, who sought to control everything. Kabo explained to us that the Royal Family, of Ikaydia, the Queen Kadiya, and her consort, Orgustus, decided to send him, Kabo, to a distant planet, Earth. Along with him, came 6 fertilized embryos, to be hybridized with humans. One of which was the Heir to the throne, one destined to be her consort, 2 of which were the Heir's siblings, and 2 that came from a respected family, who acted as the Royal bodyguards."
Liz was in total shock. Her hands were trembling, so she clenched them tightly in her lap, hiding them from view.
"Kabo, was sent through a wormhole, one that catapulted him not only through space, but apparently time as well. For when he left Ikaydia, it was around 1950, and when he arrived on Earth it was 1977. He set to work immediately, and in 1980, he succeeded in hybridizing one embryo, that of the Heir's Consort, by using a human woman's fertilized embryo, and his alien technology. That woman, Ana Gregorvich, gave birth to a son, Sergei."
Nancy again took over the telling,"The Gregorvich's, Ana and Stefan, returned to the Soviet Union, the next year. In 1982, Kabo, did it again, this time with the Heir, using Safati's embryo. Beronika is the Heir to the throne of Ikaydia. But Kabo didn't stop there, he decided that since the 10 of us were so close, he would use us. Having impregnated me, through in vitro fertilization, he used one of the Heir's sibling embryos and one of my own, and you were the result. He did the same to Andrea, Felicia and Amy."
"He told us that Andrea had been the first to find out, she had gone to work with him. She knew that when the time came, her son would leave, and she wanted him to be safe to do that, but also knew that in order for him to be safe, Kabo needed more help. When Beronika's powers manifested early, Andrea was the one to insist that the Badrian's know as well. We found out about Nika's powers, when we were on vacation with the Badrian's, which is why Kabo told us. We, your mom and I, decided that we wouldn't tell the other families, unless one of you kids started sprouting powers too."
"We had to tell you, now, because Beronika is on her way here. She says that it is time. We're not sure for what, but we made a promise to Kabo, when he came to us, years ago, that we would let you go. Once he explained how important you were, and we saw the proof of Beronika's powers, we knew you would leave us, for your destiny.
Together Nancy and Jeff turned their gazes from the floor to look at their daughter. What they saw surprised and worried them. Instead of shell-shock, Liz was laughing, silently, and so hard that tears were rolling down her face. She abruptly stopped, as she saw that they were regarding her seriously.
"YOU HAVE TO BE FUCKING KIDDING ME!!" Liz shouted. Before Nancy or Jeff could respond, Liz leapt from her seat, running down the stairs.
"Well, that went well." Jeff stated sardonically, his sad gaze meeting his wife's, before looking after Liz's retreating form.
Chapter 3:
Liz ran, her hair flying behind her, like a flag waving in the wind. Tears streamed down her face as she replayed the entire conversation in her head. Replayed the events of the past two years. She paid no attention to the fact that she was clad only in a pair of baby blue sleep shorts and matching tank, or that she wasn't wearing any shoes, she simply ran.
The early Sunday morning was breezy and cool, and it appeared everyone was either in church or in bed, so the streets were empty. Her breath came out in harsh labored pants, that echoed in the silent streets. Her arms pumped, and her legs blurred as she attempted to outrun her own mind.
~@~@~@~
Jeff and Nancy stood at the door of the Crashdown Café, their home and workplace for nearly 16 yrs. They watched as their only child, their daughter ran from them and the truth. And together they prayed, to any and all the Higher Powers, that Liz would someday forgive them, and that she would be kept safe.
~@~@~@~
Liz rounded the corner, her eyes blurring with unshed tears, she darted into the street, trying to put as much distance as possible between herself and her parents. Unheeding of the fact that she was crossing the street, she looked up at the blare of a horn.
~@~@~@~
Beronika had driven the last 20 miles into Roswell at nearly 90mph. Her senses were screaming, and she knew it had something to do with Liz. Sergei, her fiancé, sat beside her, quietly, he could also sense the turmoil that was Liz's mind, and was just as anxious to arrive. Beronika slowed considerably as she reached the small town, following the posted speed limit, but just barely.
All of a sudden, as she was rounding the street corner, a small body darted out into the street, and Beronika leaned heavily on the horn as she nearly stood on the brake. Her eyes were drawn to the person who she had come so close to running over, they widened at the sight of Liz's panting, and grief-stricken face, which stared unseeingly back at her.
~@~@~@~
Liz panted with exertion, and then with fear as she came to the realization that she could have died. Looking up at the driver, she recognized the face, Beronika. Before she could take off running again, strong hands closed around her wrist. She tried desperately to remove them, but they were too strong. Turning to look at who was holding her, she spun too fast and combined with her earlier shock and then exertion, she fell into a dead faint.
~@~@~@~
Across the street, headed to the Crashdown Café for an early breakfast, Isabel Evans, paused to take in the bizarre scene taking place in the middle of the street. Watching as Liz Parker, the love of her brother's life, ran as if the hounds of hell were chasing her, then almost seeing her get run over, to her fainting in the arms of some stranger, Iz dug out her cell phone and placed a call. The person on the other end picked up on the first ring.
"Hey, Max? Something just happened. . . Meet me at Michael's." Without waiting for Max to respond, she hung up and made her way, cautiously, to Michael's apartment.
~@~@~@~
Sergei's strong arms closed around Liz's limp body, preventing her from
crashing to the hard ground. Without breaking his hold on her, he lifted her into his arms, carrying her pliant body to the backseat of the 1999 Chevy Blazer, and placing her on the seat. Sliding her over, he sat down beside her and pulled her back into his arms, protecting her as Beronika started the car again.
Beronika was instantly on the phone, her gaze torn between the road before her, and the rearview mirror, where she watched her fiancé cradle the younger woman. The other end of the phone was picked up instantly, the voice anxious.
"Aunt Nancy-" Before she could complete her sentence, Nancy was telling Beronika what had so recently transpired. Ending with Liz's disbelief and then her panicked flight from the diner.
"Aunt Nancy, I found her. In fact I nearly ran her over! NO! She's fine, a bit out of it," Understating things a bit, Beronika managed to calm her aunt down, before continuing."I think it would be best if we head over to the Sleepytime Inn, and bring Liz back to the Crashdown later on. Maybe she will listen to Sergei and I. . ."
"Sergei's with you?"
"Yeah, he felt it was imperative that he come along."
"Good, I'm glad. Can, can you tell Liz, how very much we love her? And that, we're, we are very sorry?" Nancy's voice broke with the effort to contain her tears.
"Yes, of course. I will do that as soon as she calms down, okay? I just have a quick question, though. . . Has anyone told the other families, the whole truth?"
Nancy was silent for a moment."No, we haven't. Oh, God! How can we possibly tell them, and not sound like raving maniacs?"
"Aunt Nancy! Calm down, Sergei and I discussed this on the way down, we thought it might be best if we got everyone together, for dinner and tell them then. We even thought we would demonstrate our 'differences' for them."
"Really? You would do that?"
"Aunt Nancy, these kids are my family too. I want them safe, and they will be safer if we can get them trained and prepared for the possibility of a Prexoran invasion. You know that, and I know that, and we also know that the other families will too."
"I hope you're right. Okay then I will invite everyone to the diner, we're closed for the day, anyway. And you can explain it all, okay?"
"Okay, and Auntie? It WILL be okay." And then both women said goodbye and hung up. By then the Blazer was parked in the Sleepytime Inn's parking lot, so Beronika got out and paid for a room for the night, while Sergei sat with Liz, who was still out like a light.
~@~@~@~
Fifteen minutes later, Sergei laid Liz upon one of the two queen-sized beds, her body curling into a protective fetal position immediately. Beronika sighed in exhaustion, she had started out from Denver, Colorado at 4am and here it was 9am and she was ready to fall asleep! Sergei obviously felt the same, so in unspoken agreement, they laid upon the other bed and fell into a light slumber, Nika's mind linked with that of Liz's so that she was instantly awakened once Liz began to stir.
~@~@~@~
Over at Michael's apartment, Iz was relating to her increasingly alarmed brother and Michael the events she had witnessed.
"--and then this really big guy, picked her up and put her into the Blazer. He got in after her, and then the car drove away, and they weren't headed to the Crashdown. Plus when I drove by the diner, there was a sign up saying that they were closed due to a family emergency." She said, finishing up quickly, seeing the first signs of panic cross Max's face, surprisingly she also saw it mirrored on Michael's as well.
Before she could say anything to attempt to calm them down, the phone began ringing shrilly. Michael moved quickly to answer it.
"Hello? Mr. Parker? Yes, I was just getting ready for work now." Michael wasn't lying, much, before Isabel had arrived, he had been about to head into work for the day."What? A family emergency? Well, uhm, I hope everything will be okay, sir. . . Okay, thank you, sir, goodbye."
Max simply waited for Michael to explain, and for once Michael didn't make him wait for it.
"Mr. Parker, said that I wouldn't need to come in today, he wouldn't say much about the family emergency, and I understand, but he did say that it was about some bad news they had received. Then he said that it would be about 2 to 3 days, before they would open again, but that I would be paid for it, cause he knows my sitch."
Max cocked his head, his eyes half closed as he processed all the information he had received. Turning to Isabel, he asked,"Can you show me, us, their faces, the people you saw today, the man who picked up Liz and the woman, driving the car?"
Isabel thought about it, it had been awhile since she connected with her brother, but they had done it before, and her vantage point from across the street had afforded her a good look at both the driver and the male passenger. Nodding her head once, she moved to sit across from him, Michael sitting beside her, forming an almost equilateral triangle, as their arms grasped each other.
**FLASH**
Max and Michael stood beside Isabel as she watched Liz run straight into the street. They watched as the dark blue Blazer nearly mowed her down, and saw the panic on both the drivers face and the passenger. They saw the panic on Liz's face as she saw the driver, and watched as she fainted in the arms of the man.
**FLASH**
In an instant they were standing closer, right next to Liz, as the man scooped her into his arms. Time seemed to slow down, as they watched, they had time to take in details. They saw that the man carrying Liz was close to 6'6" tall, with short sandy blonde hair, and hazel eyes, and was tanned. That he was well muscled as he picked up Liz with ease.
Michael was taking in the finer details, checking to see if he wore rings, or a watch that was easily distinguishable, but saw nothing, until he saw the man's upper bicep as he lowered Liz into the car. There an armband tattoo was emblazoned, what looked like two words, and a larger symbol, in the center. The symbol was in deep red, the words in orange and yellow, outlined in black, each seemed familiar to him in some way, surrounded by a tribal design.
**FLASH**
Suddenly they stood on the driver's side of the car, looking at the woman driver, as she nearly stood on the brake to prevent ramming into Liz as she darted unseeingly into the street. Isabel took in the woman's shocked recognition of Liz, and then began to categorize the woman's features. Not able to tell her height as she was sitting, Isabel paid close attention to the woman's other features.
The woman was dusky skinned, not all of it coming from a tan, her eyes were a deep brown color, as was her hair, except two bright purple streaks that framed her face. She had a small silver hoop in her left nostril, and several rings in either ear, the hoops in the left side a literal rainbow, descending to a large purple hoop, the other side in silver. Her hands were devoid of any adornment, even polish, but as the woman raised a shaking hand to her face, Isabel noticed a tattoo on her inner right hand wrist. It was a small fetish-style bear surrounded by a tribal-style sun, with Asian symbols surrounding that. Isabel took a mental snapshot of it.
Max, on the other hand, wasn't noticing the small details, he was memorizing her face. For some reason, it seemed familiar, in more than one way. All of a sudden the woman turned towards them, and looked straight at him.
**FLASH**
And they were sitting back in Michael's apartment, looking at each other in shock. The woman had seemed to see them!
Michael stood, pacing frantically for a moment, running an agitated hand through his already tousled hair, before turning back to the others. "What the HELL was that?! I mean, she SAW US!"
Isabel wasn't paying attention to Michael, instead focusing on Max, who sat upon the couch, silently. His gaze met Isabel's for a moment, his eyes reflecting his puzzlement as well as something she couldn't put her finger on.
Before Michael could continue his rant, Max stood, and said, quietly,"I don't know about her seeing us, but I recognize her. There's a picture of her on Liz's dresser, as well as in the Parker's living room."
Both Isabel and Michael looked at Max in shock.
In the Earth year, 1949, two years after the Antarian Royal Four were sent to Earth, the Ikaydian Royal family, (feeling the oppressive shadow of the Prexoran menace, Kivar, stretch ever closer to Ikaydia [E-Kay-De-Uh]) decided to implement a similar method of preserving the Royal line. However, instead of using the spirit or essence of the Queen or her consort, they decided to create a hybridized heir. Queen Kadiya [cAh-dE-Uh] and the Royal Consort Orgustus [OR-gOO-st-Us] , gave of their flesh, twice, once for the Heir and then for a sibling. The decision was made to send along four other embryos, making six embryos in all, (The Heir, her Consort, two siblings, and two embryos from the most trusted Bodyguard family).
In 1950, (Earth Year) the ship containing the, as yet, un-hybridized embryos, was sent through a local wormhole, to Earth, with Kabo [Caw-bow] , the Queen's most trusted Doctor, to facilitate the hybridization. Unbeknownst to everyone, the wormhole acted not only as a passage through space, but through time, sending the ship to Earth year 1981. Unable to return, as the ship was running low on fuel, and unable to find a way to resupply or to contact Ikaydia, Kabo decided to implement the plan anyway.
Landing in a mostly unpopulated region of Colorado, the San Luis Valley, Kabo moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico and began the process of finding families for his charges. Using the cover of being a fertility doctor, Kabo found six potential families, each in need of help to conceive, the Gregorvich's, the Whitman's, the Badrian's, the Parker's, the Valenti's and the DeLuca-Gossman's. So using the fertilized embryo of the Consort, and a fertilized embryo from the Gregorvich's, Kabo created a perfect hybrid, which he then implanted in Ana Gregorvich.
Seven months later, Sergei Gregorvich was born, and Kabo knew that he could complete his mission. The Heir, was next, using the same methods and was implanted in Safati Badrian, with Beronika Badrian as the happy result. However, Kabo decided that he should wait two years before attempting with the other four embryos. So in 1984, the Heir's two siblings, and the embryos of the Bodyguard, were implanted.
In 1984, the Gregorvich family had to return to the Soviet Union, but Kabo
maintained close contact with them. The other families formed close bonds, some having known each other for years, and some they had just met, but all shared the desire for children. At nearly two years old, Beronika viewed the children of her 'Aunts' with joy and excitement. First was Kyle Valenti, followed by Maria DeLuca-Gossman, then Alexander Whitman, and lastly Elizabeth Parker.
Over the years the five children came to view each other as family, forming tight-knit bonds similar to their parents. However, with the divorce of Anthony Gossman from Amy DeLuca, things shifted, then in 1988, when Beronika was 6 yrs. old, the Badrian family moved to Denver, Colorado. All the families maintained a close friendship with the man who helped them, Dr. Kabo.
Doctor Kabo's true identity was found out in 1991, by Andrea Valenti, when, while visiting him at his lab, she accidentally happened upon him, healing a cut on his right arm. Kabo told Andrea the entire truth, and begged that she would not inform anyone else. Andrea agreed, on the condition that she be allowed to assist him. Kabo consented to her request, but warned her that it would mean leaving her husband and child behind, for the work they would do could put them in danger. Andrea acquiesced, for she knew in her heart that without help, Kabo's hard work and sacrifice, including the creation of the six children would all be destroyed and she could not let that happen. Andrea divorced Jim Valenti, and left Roswell and her young son, Kyle, behind.
The Badrian family, despite distance, (they moved frequently), maintained
close ties to the four Roswell families. At age 10, in 1992, Beronika was the first to discover her powers, and made it known to Dr. Kabo, who took it upon himself (at the urging of his assistant, Andrea) to tell the Badrian's the entire truth. They in turn told the Parker's whom they viewed as family, (Beronika even called Nancy and Jeff, Aunt and Uncle). Jeff and Nancy made the decision not to tell any of the others, unless the children began showing signs of their 'otherworldly' heritage.
Now, nearly 22 years after first arriving upon Earth, Kabo has decided that it is time for the children to know the truth of their origins. Nearing her 21st birthday, Beronika is anxiously awaiting the time when the six children Kabo 'created' are together.
Chapter 1:
Nancy and Jeff Parker moved swiftly through the motions of preparing for the Sunday brunch crowd, as they had for the past 15 yrs. The Crashdown Café wasn't yet opened and the place was calm and quiet, the complete anti-thesis of what it would look like in a scant hour and a half. The quiet was disturbed by the sudden shrill ringing of the telephone, out in the dining area. Jeff glanced up from his prep work, smiling at Nancy as she moved through the swinging doors to answer the phone, before turning back to his work.
In the dining area, Nancy rushed to answer the phone before the noise reached up the stairs to Liz's room, knowing the troubles her daughter had been having sleeping lately, Nancy wanted her to be able to sleep awhile longer.
"Crashdown Café, how may I help you?"
"Aunt Nancy?"
"Nika? Is that you?" Nancy was thrilled to hear from the young woman she thought of as her niece. It had been nearly four months since they had last spoken, and that had been brief, as Beronika was rushing from plane to plane on a trip to the Mediterranean.
"Yes. . .it's me." Beronika hesitated, her voice unsure.
"Well, it's wonderful to hear from you honey!! How was your trip? Did you enjoy Greece?" Nancy didn't wait to hear Beronika's answer, she turned to the swinging doors, calling out loudly."Jeff, Jeff!! Nika is on the phone!!"
Jeff exited the kitchen, wiping his hands on a small white rag, his face wreathed in smiles.
"AUNT NANCY!" The loud bellow from the phone drew Nancy's attention back to the phone, her eyes smiling.
"What dear?"
"Aunt Nancy, it's time."
Nancy looked at the phone in confusion. Jeff cocked his head at her questioningly, wondering what was going on.
"What do you mean, Nika?"
Beronika took a deep breath, exhaling it slowly, knowing that what she said next, it would hurt the woman she thought of as an Aunt. But she knew she had no other choice.
"It is time. I will be in Roswell today, and I have to take Liz with me when I leave."
Nancy's face whitened, her grip nearly crushing the old-fashioned phone, as her terror filled eyes sought out her husbands.
"NO! No! Nika, she can't! YOU CAN'T!!" Nancy's eyes filled with tears as her worst fears and dreams came true.
Jeff responded to the panic in his wife's face and voice by reaching for the
phone and removing it, bringing it to his ear, he grasped Nancy's hand within his own.
"Nika? What happened?" Jeff asked in a calm voice, though he felt anything but.
"Oh, goddess, Uncle Jeff!! I am so sorry. But, but. . .it is time. I am on my way to Roswell now, and I have to take Liz with me, when I leave."
Jeff's eyes closed painfully, understanding his wife's anguish. Pulling Nancy into a quick, hard embrace, he kissed the top of her head briefly, letting himself feel the anger and helplessness of the situation for a moment. Taking a deep breath, in that instant he knew there was nothing he could do to stop the hand of time, that was determined to take his young daughter from him.
"Well," Jeff breathed out the word on a choked sob."Well, then we. . .we will be expecting you."
"Uncle Jeff, I am so, so sorry. I know that it's sudden, but Kabo has told me that it is now or never." Beronika could feel the force of the couple's sadness seep through the phone.
Jeff fervently wished that it could be never, but also knew that was one wish that would never come true.
"I know, sweetie, I know. It's just, well, your Aunt Nancy, and I, we never, well we never told Liz. And we worked pretty hard to ignore the fact that this was going to happen." Jeff said softly, running his hand softly
down the back of his weeping spouse.
"You, you mean, Liz has no idea?" Beronika was shocked. While it had been years since she had last seen the man and woman she called Aunt and Uncle, she had kept in close contact through those years, and she had always assumed that they had told Liz the truth. This was going to be harder than she originally thought.
"No, no Liz doesn't know. But, if you're going to be here, later, I guess it's time for the truth to come out." Jeff said sadly.
"What truth?" asked a wary Liz. She stood on the stairs, leading from the upstairs apartment. Her head was cocked curiously, though her face remained oddly blank of expression.
Nancy's head shot up, her eyes streaming with tears, her body wracked with the force of her contained sobs. Jeff jumped, his heart in his throat, tears leaping to his eyes as he turned to confront his daughter.
On the other end of the line, Beronika heard Liz's voice, her eyes closing as she said a soft prayer for her surrogate family.
Chapter 2:
Without saying goodbye to Nika, Jeff placed the telephone receiver down into its cradle, knowing that she wouldn't blame him at all. His heart twisted at the blank expression on his precious daughters face, something he was seeing more and more often, but which never failed to send chills down his spine. Something bad had happened to change Liz from a cheerful, outgoing and cooperative teenager, of last year, to this secretive and empty, young woman, who stood before him.
Nancy desperately tried to stem her tears, but it was no use. Her utter despair at the thought of losing her only child, to an unknown future, was tearing her apart. Knowing she would at one point be taken from them, and having it actually happen, were two totally separate things.
Liz simply stood silently. She was curious, but couldn't help the listless pose, her patience for the never-ending lies in her life had long since run out, and the knowledge that her parents had kept some"TRUTH" from her, no longer held as much significance as she would have once thought.
"Liz, I think we should all sit down." Jeff said, trying for calm, though it wasn’t working well, his voice cracking and his hand shaking as he ran it through his hair.
Liz walked up the stairs into the small apartment that her family shared, followed by Jeff. Nancy took a quick moment to gather herself together, as well as write a hasty note, simply stating that the Crashdown would not be open today, due to a family emergency, before trailing after her family.
Liz sat, her body somewhat slumped in the overlarge easy chair, she had chosen. Jeff chose to sit upon the couch, Nancy sitting beside him, her and
reaching out blindly to clasp his.
Jeff took a deep breath, steeling himself for whatever Liz's reaction might be.
"Liz, I don't think we, have ever told you about the hard time we had, conceiving you."
Liz's eyes sharpened as her head shot up."What, you gonna tell me I'm adopted?" She asked in a razor-edged tone.
"NO! No, you are our child. I gave birth to you, Liz." Nancy said, her gaze searching Liz's.
"Yes, you are our child, Liz. But before you were conceived, your mom and I, we had to visit a fertility clinic, in Albuquerque. The doctor there, Dr. Kabo, was supposedly an expert in helping the hard to conceive. And he did help us, tremendously, for you were born in 1984, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, just like we always told you."
"During the time we spent at the clinic, we met some interesting folks, and made some friends. We even renewed some old friendships."
Liz met her father's gaze, then. Curiosity finally being shown on her face, she asked him,"What does that mean?"
Jeff hesitated, but seeing his daughters face show more animation than it had for weeks, urged him to continue.
"Well, it appeared that we weren't the only one's having problems conceiving. Sheriff Valenti and his wife, ex-wife, Andrea, had sought out the clinic, so had Amy DeLuca and her husband Anthony Gossman. It was nice seeing faces of old friends, since your mom and I had moved to Albuquerque, we hadn't seen them in years." Jeff paused, remembering the surprise they had all felt at seeing each other in the clinic so many years ago.
"We also made friends with two other couples, the Whitman's, Charles and
Felicia, and the Badrian's, Muttahar and Safati. When we weren't at the clinic or working, us and the other 4 couples, would go out to dinner together or dancing, or maybe to a movie. We talked of our anxiousness to see and hold our children, names we liked, and about the frustration we all had. When in 1982, Safati got pregnant, we all were so happy, one of our own was gonna have a child, which meant that we still had hope."
Liz looked intrigued. She knew Safati, having called the woman Aunt for all her nearly 18 yrs. Last year, when she had left for the summer, she had gone to Safati's home in Florida, and spent time hanging out with Safati's two teenaged children.
"In the winter of 1982, December 31st to be exact, Beronika was born. Muttahar and Safati were thrilled, and they asked your mother and I to act as her godparents. We both agreed." Jeff sighed, his eyes misting slightly as he thought of how honored he had felt.
Nancy took over the telling, then, seeing her husband caught in his memories. "Soon after, Andrea became pregnant, and then Felicia. They were followed by me and Amy. And in 1983 and '84, Kyle, Alex, Maria and you, Liz were all born."
Jeff shook off his pensiveness, and retook the telling of the story."We asked Muttahar and Safati to be your godparents, and they agreed as well. The next year, Grandma Claudia gave us the Crashdown, and we moved back to Roswell. Charles and Felicia moved out here shortly after, when Charlie decided to start his own accounting firm. Amy and Tony were already living here, as was Jim and Andrea. Muttahar and Safati, however, were obligated to stay in Albuquerque, for his job, but they both visited often."
Nancy again took over."In 1987, Tony left Amy, and then Muttahar and Safati were transferred overseas. Then in 1991, Andrea and Jim divorced. The next year, we learned a dangerous secret."
Liz had been listening in fascination as her parents told the story, but her eyes narrowed at the revelation of a dangerous secret.
"In 1992, we were approached by Dr. Kabo, the miracle doctor that had helped us have you. He had been in contact with the Badrian's, who had told him of some unusual things, that Beronika was able to do. Dr. Kabo felt that he should warn us, and tell us the truth about you."
"About me?" asked Liz, her first words since Jeff had started.
Jeff ignored the interruption, knowing that if he didn't get this out soon, he would never be able to."He told us an incredible story, one that seemed to come straight from the pages of a sci-fi novel." Liz's heart nearly stopped at her fathers words.
"He told of us a people, called the Ikaydians, who lived on a planet, in a distant star system. He told us how they were threatened by a terrible man, who sought to control everything. Kabo explained to us that the Royal Family, of Ikaydia, the Queen Kadiya, and her consort, Orgustus, decided to send him, Kabo, to a distant planet, Earth. Along with him, came 6 fertilized embryos, to be hybridized with humans. One of which was the Heir to the throne, one destined to be her consort, 2 of which were the Heir's siblings, and 2 that came from a respected family, who acted as the Royal bodyguards."
Liz was in total shock. Her hands were trembling, so she clenched them tightly in her lap, hiding them from view.
"Kabo, was sent through a wormhole, one that catapulted him not only through space, but apparently time as well. For when he left Ikaydia, it was around 1950, and when he arrived on Earth it was 1977. He set to work immediately, and in 1980, he succeeded in hybridizing one embryo, that of the Heir's Consort, by using a human woman's fertilized embryo, and his alien technology. That woman, Ana Gregorvich, gave birth to a son, Sergei."
Nancy again took over the telling,"The Gregorvich's, Ana and Stefan, returned to the Soviet Union, the next year. In 1982, Kabo, did it again, this time with the Heir, using Safati's embryo. Beronika is the Heir to the throne of Ikaydia. But Kabo didn't stop there, he decided that since the 10 of us were so close, he would use us. Having impregnated me, through in vitro fertilization, he used one of the Heir's sibling embryos and one of my own, and you were the result. He did the same to Andrea, Felicia and Amy."
"He told us that Andrea had been the first to find out, she had gone to work with him. She knew that when the time came, her son would leave, and she wanted him to be safe to do that, but also knew that in order for him to be safe, Kabo needed more help. When Beronika's powers manifested early, Andrea was the one to insist that the Badrian's know as well. We found out about Nika's powers, when we were on vacation with the Badrian's, which is why Kabo told us. We, your mom and I, decided that we wouldn't tell the other families, unless one of you kids started sprouting powers too."
"We had to tell you, now, because Beronika is on her way here. She says that it is time. We're not sure for what, but we made a promise to Kabo, when he came to us, years ago, that we would let you go. Once he explained how important you were, and we saw the proof of Beronika's powers, we knew you would leave us, for your destiny.
Together Nancy and Jeff turned their gazes from the floor to look at their daughter. What they saw surprised and worried them. Instead of shell-shock, Liz was laughing, silently, and so hard that tears were rolling down her face. She abruptly stopped, as she saw that they were regarding her seriously.
"YOU HAVE TO BE FUCKING KIDDING ME!!" Liz shouted. Before Nancy or Jeff could respond, Liz leapt from her seat, running down the stairs.
"Well, that went well." Jeff stated sardonically, his sad gaze meeting his wife's, before looking after Liz's retreating form.
Chapter 3:
Liz ran, her hair flying behind her, like a flag waving in the wind. Tears streamed down her face as she replayed the entire conversation in her head. Replayed the events of the past two years. She paid no attention to the fact that she was clad only in a pair of baby blue sleep shorts and matching tank, or that she wasn't wearing any shoes, she simply ran.
The early Sunday morning was breezy and cool, and it appeared everyone was either in church or in bed, so the streets were empty. Her breath came out in harsh labored pants, that echoed in the silent streets. Her arms pumped, and her legs blurred as she attempted to outrun her own mind.
~@~@~@~
Jeff and Nancy stood at the door of the Crashdown Café, their home and workplace for nearly 16 yrs. They watched as their only child, their daughter ran from them and the truth. And together they prayed, to any and all the Higher Powers, that Liz would someday forgive them, and that she would be kept safe.
~@~@~@~
Liz rounded the corner, her eyes blurring with unshed tears, she darted into the street, trying to put as much distance as possible between herself and her parents. Unheeding of the fact that she was crossing the street, she looked up at the blare of a horn.
~@~@~@~
Beronika had driven the last 20 miles into Roswell at nearly 90mph. Her senses were screaming, and she knew it had something to do with Liz. Sergei, her fiancé, sat beside her, quietly, he could also sense the turmoil that was Liz's mind, and was just as anxious to arrive. Beronika slowed considerably as she reached the small town, following the posted speed limit, but just barely.
All of a sudden, as she was rounding the street corner, a small body darted out into the street, and Beronika leaned heavily on the horn as she nearly stood on the brake. Her eyes were drawn to the person who she had come so close to running over, they widened at the sight of Liz's panting, and grief-stricken face, which stared unseeingly back at her.
~@~@~@~
Liz panted with exertion, and then with fear as she came to the realization that she could have died. Looking up at the driver, she recognized the face, Beronika. Before she could take off running again, strong hands closed around her wrist. She tried desperately to remove them, but they were too strong. Turning to look at who was holding her, she spun too fast and combined with her earlier shock and then exertion, she fell into a dead faint.
~@~@~@~
Across the street, headed to the Crashdown Café for an early breakfast, Isabel Evans, paused to take in the bizarre scene taking place in the middle of the street. Watching as Liz Parker, the love of her brother's life, ran as if the hounds of hell were chasing her, then almost seeing her get run over, to her fainting in the arms of some stranger, Iz dug out her cell phone and placed a call. The person on the other end picked up on the first ring.
"Hey, Max? Something just happened. . . Meet me at Michael's." Without waiting for Max to respond, she hung up and made her way, cautiously, to Michael's apartment.
~@~@~@~
Sergei's strong arms closed around Liz's limp body, preventing her from
crashing to the hard ground. Without breaking his hold on her, he lifted her into his arms, carrying her pliant body to the backseat of the 1999 Chevy Blazer, and placing her on the seat. Sliding her over, he sat down beside her and pulled her back into his arms, protecting her as Beronika started the car again.
Beronika was instantly on the phone, her gaze torn between the road before her, and the rearview mirror, where she watched her fiancé cradle the younger woman. The other end of the phone was picked up instantly, the voice anxious.
"Aunt Nancy-" Before she could complete her sentence, Nancy was telling Beronika what had so recently transpired. Ending with Liz's disbelief and then her panicked flight from the diner.
"Aunt Nancy, I found her. In fact I nearly ran her over! NO! She's fine, a bit out of it," Understating things a bit, Beronika managed to calm her aunt down, before continuing."I think it would be best if we head over to the Sleepytime Inn, and bring Liz back to the Crashdown later on. Maybe she will listen to Sergei and I. . ."
"Sergei's with you?"
"Yeah, he felt it was imperative that he come along."
"Good, I'm glad. Can, can you tell Liz, how very much we love her? And that, we're, we are very sorry?" Nancy's voice broke with the effort to contain her tears.
"Yes, of course. I will do that as soon as she calms down, okay? I just have a quick question, though. . . Has anyone told the other families, the whole truth?"
Nancy was silent for a moment."No, we haven't. Oh, God! How can we possibly tell them, and not sound like raving maniacs?"
"Aunt Nancy! Calm down, Sergei and I discussed this on the way down, we thought it might be best if we got everyone together, for dinner and tell them then. We even thought we would demonstrate our 'differences' for them."
"Really? You would do that?"
"Aunt Nancy, these kids are my family too. I want them safe, and they will be safer if we can get them trained and prepared for the possibility of a Prexoran invasion. You know that, and I know that, and we also know that the other families will too."
"I hope you're right. Okay then I will invite everyone to the diner, we're closed for the day, anyway. And you can explain it all, okay?"
"Okay, and Auntie? It WILL be okay." And then both women said goodbye and hung up. By then the Blazer was parked in the Sleepytime Inn's parking lot, so Beronika got out and paid for a room for the night, while Sergei sat with Liz, who was still out like a light.
~@~@~@~
Fifteen minutes later, Sergei laid Liz upon one of the two queen-sized beds, her body curling into a protective fetal position immediately. Beronika sighed in exhaustion, she had started out from Denver, Colorado at 4am and here it was 9am and she was ready to fall asleep! Sergei obviously felt the same, so in unspoken agreement, they laid upon the other bed and fell into a light slumber, Nika's mind linked with that of Liz's so that she was instantly awakened once Liz began to stir.
~@~@~@~
Over at Michael's apartment, Iz was relating to her increasingly alarmed brother and Michael the events she had witnessed.
"--and then this really big guy, picked her up and put her into the Blazer. He got in after her, and then the car drove away, and they weren't headed to the Crashdown. Plus when I drove by the diner, there was a sign up saying that they were closed due to a family emergency." She said, finishing up quickly, seeing the first signs of panic cross Max's face, surprisingly she also saw it mirrored on Michael's as well.
Before she could say anything to attempt to calm them down, the phone began ringing shrilly. Michael moved quickly to answer it.
"Hello? Mr. Parker? Yes, I was just getting ready for work now." Michael wasn't lying, much, before Isabel had arrived, he had been about to head into work for the day."What? A family emergency? Well, uhm, I hope everything will be okay, sir. . . Okay, thank you, sir, goodbye."
Max simply waited for Michael to explain, and for once Michael didn't make him wait for it.
"Mr. Parker, said that I wouldn't need to come in today, he wouldn't say much about the family emergency, and I understand, but he did say that it was about some bad news they had received. Then he said that it would be about 2 to 3 days, before they would open again, but that I would be paid for it, cause he knows my sitch."
Max cocked his head, his eyes half closed as he processed all the information he had received. Turning to Isabel, he asked,"Can you show me, us, their faces, the people you saw today, the man who picked up Liz and the woman, driving the car?"
Isabel thought about it, it had been awhile since she connected with her brother, but they had done it before, and her vantage point from across the street had afforded her a good look at both the driver and the male passenger. Nodding her head once, she moved to sit across from him, Michael sitting beside her, forming an almost equilateral triangle, as their arms grasped each other.
**FLASH**
Max and Michael stood beside Isabel as she watched Liz run straight into the street. They watched as the dark blue Blazer nearly mowed her down, and saw the panic on both the drivers face and the passenger. They saw the panic on Liz's face as she saw the driver, and watched as she fainted in the arms of the man.
**FLASH**
In an instant they were standing closer, right next to Liz, as the man scooped her into his arms. Time seemed to slow down, as they watched, they had time to take in details. They saw that the man carrying Liz was close to 6'6" tall, with short sandy blonde hair, and hazel eyes, and was tanned. That he was well muscled as he picked up Liz with ease.
Michael was taking in the finer details, checking to see if he wore rings, or a watch that was easily distinguishable, but saw nothing, until he saw the man's upper bicep as he lowered Liz into the car. There an armband tattoo was emblazoned, what looked like two words, and a larger symbol, in the center. The symbol was in deep red, the words in orange and yellow, outlined in black, each seemed familiar to him in some way, surrounded by a tribal design.
**FLASH**
Suddenly they stood on the driver's side of the car, looking at the woman driver, as she nearly stood on the brake to prevent ramming into Liz as she darted unseeingly into the street. Isabel took in the woman's shocked recognition of Liz, and then began to categorize the woman's features. Not able to tell her height as she was sitting, Isabel paid close attention to the woman's other features.
The woman was dusky skinned, not all of it coming from a tan, her eyes were a deep brown color, as was her hair, except two bright purple streaks that framed her face. She had a small silver hoop in her left nostril, and several rings in either ear, the hoops in the left side a literal rainbow, descending to a large purple hoop, the other side in silver. Her hands were devoid of any adornment, even polish, but as the woman raised a shaking hand to her face, Isabel noticed a tattoo on her inner right hand wrist. It was a small fetish-style bear surrounded by a tribal-style sun, with Asian symbols surrounding that. Isabel took a mental snapshot of it.
Max, on the other hand, wasn't noticing the small details, he was memorizing her face. For some reason, it seemed familiar, in more than one way. All of a sudden the woman turned towards them, and looked straight at him.
**FLASH**
And they were sitting back in Michael's apartment, looking at each other in shock. The woman had seemed to see them!
Michael stood, pacing frantically for a moment, running an agitated hand through his already tousled hair, before turning back to the others. "What the HELL was that?! I mean, she SAW US!"
Isabel wasn't paying attention to Michael, instead focusing on Max, who sat upon the couch, silently. His gaze met Isabel's for a moment, his eyes reflecting his puzzlement as well as something she couldn't put her finger on.
Before Michael could continue his rant, Max stood, and said, quietly,"I don't know about her seeing us, but I recognize her. There's a picture of her on Liz's dresser, as well as in the Parker's living room."
Both Isabel and Michael looked at Max in shock.
back 
That went well. Right! 
