Til We Meet Again (CC, Mature) - Chapter 84 - Completed - 09/01/2022

[RoswellFan68]

I think Roxy is either Lonnie or Nicholas' kid. She seems a lot like either of the two.

[Parker1947]

Mariah did not know this because she had vanished from the scene. Because up the street Max was still in a state of bliss. A non-substance fueled bliss. Because he was once more seeing the woman he loved. Liz. As he was also fingering out that the gods were finally paying him back for taking so much from him. Aren’t they? As they were allowing him to spend time with the woman he loved. Such a simple thing. He did not care if this went bad, and this has to go bad, because something good cannot be our ending this time, right? Because as long as he got to spend this time with the mother of his child. Which is still something unreal and something I have not even begun to fully process.

Because it still did not seem real.

It had seemed like a dream. This whole day.

Even though it was a day where he spent a part of it with his daughter.

And now he was spending time with the woman who had been in his heart since he first saw her in that playground when he first came to this town. And for so many years, it was just about seeing her in the Crashdown, or being her faceless partner in biology class and then everything changed in one instant.

When a bullet exploded.

And he jumped into the fire and saved the day.

And saved his dream girl.

As he healed the wounds from a bullet, that was going to rob her of her life. He did not think of what it would mean. What he was doing by ripping off the top of a dormant Pandora box, and how bringing her a long on an incredibly painful ride. But a ride that gave them a child together, even though there were still complications in that, but he would take it any day of the week because it meant they had a connection.

As they were very slowly walking down the street. They were still a way from the park. So, they had no idea what was being unleashed. “Whether it was your husband’s idea or not, I am glad you did decide to come back here.”

Liz could only smile.

Because so much was different today it was six months prior, and she did feel happy to be here because she had no idea how she could have handled being back in Chicago if everything had happened in the manner it did, only it might have been in a different manner she murmured to herself.

And yet she did not want to be in this state of unknown, even though she now knew so much more than she once did. While at the same time having Max looking at her as if she was the only one in the world.

Which was something he had once done with her.

And she was feeling like a teenager once more.

When she was not sixteen anymore. I walked away from all that. And I am now in my 30’s, with 40 a few years from now, and I have two kids, who are teenagers. I should not be feeling like this, should I?

Yet I am feeling like a giggling fool with this man. As she did not know what to say as they saw the night’s activity among the street. She could see how much had changed since the early days of the changing millennium. “This town certainly has changed?” she commented as she saw the new stores that were not there back when she was last a resident, and the kids walking around with phones in their hands.

Everything was more immediate. This is a town not stuck in the dark age even though it still has the charm of being so small.

“Yes, it has” Max agreed. “Although I have not been a good judge of how much it has all changed because I moved to get away from this town nightlife,” he muttered. “I wanted to get away from it all because my folks were wanting me to be more together than I was, because I was slowly drowning.”

“Max,” Liz sighed.

“It’s okay,” Max murmured. As he was not expecting anything. Having low expectations is always the best way to operate. “It is the truth. I could not handle it, and I was slowly losing so what did I do? I built a house out by the desert so that I could be out by the caves, so that I did not have to be in the land of the living or join my family. Even though it meant I was stewing in my resentment as a result, and my son paid the price for it.”

It was hard for Liz to hear how hard it was for Max once she left town. Because I had such a different life. Sure, those first months were bad she thought. But I straightened myself up, and meeting Brady allowed me to achieve my dreams. So, to hear what Max went through because of her. “River is a good kid,” Liz murmured. “You did a great job?”

“Thank God,” Max smiled at how responsible his son was. “And I do not take any of the credit for what he became because it was hell not me who was responsible. Mostly it was my parents, or my sister. And he had his friends in Mackenzie, and even Isabel’s daughter, Jessica. So, he was not as isolated as I was…”

Oh god she thought. “You know I did not want that for you,” Liz murmured. “I know I was the one who left…”

“You did it because it was always you, and in this case, it was about you,” Max sighed as Liz flinched at the memory of how Max always did say that it was me, but I never could believe it. “You needed to do it. I have said it before, and I do mean it. I do not blame you Liz because I remember that time. It was scary, overwhelming even for someone who got it, and someone who was who I was, it was all a little much,” No question. “So, for you, you had to think of yourself. I do not blame you for leaving. I always suspected it would not work out for us in the end. It was my greatest fear in the beginning. And why I warned you that if it went bad, he thought. But you gave me the time of day, and I so wanted it to work. So, when we got to senior year, and when I really thought we had crossed that final hurdle. I proposed because I really believed we finally were going to have it all. And when you said yes?”

God, why am I feeling like this? Liz asked herself. As she was hearing Max putting it all on the line. As both would acknowledge that their history for good and for bad, was awfully messy, and both wished it had been all so different. If things were different, they both wished. “It was not only you Max. Because I wanted to believe in it too,” she murmured as she was flung back to those days when everything seemed to have worked out. When our happy ending was right there, for us to enjoy. “I did think it was going to work out, finally. But…”

“I chose to keep River?” Max asked.

“It was like a sign that I needed to get out. That it had become too much. I might not have seen it at the beginning. But I know you needed to do it. For all that it means to your little group. But me, I could not do it. I could not be what you wanted me to be. Before, you accused me of keeping the news of Mariah from you because I was paying you back…”

“I never said that” Max murmured.

“You basically did, and others did too” Liz sighed. “And I did for a moment there saw Tess’s death as a sign that maybe we could make it work. Even with the baby. Yes, Tess was dead. But still, I am not proud to say that that the baby was a reminder of a time we barely made it through, and some of us did not.”

“Alex,” Max asked of her son’s namesake.

“Yes,” Liz sighed. “In seeing the baby. I saw Tess. I could see what I did to us. It was not only you. I am the one who led Alex to his death. If I had not made the choices, I made than he might have lived.”

“You cannot blame yourself,” Max murmured. This is all too much as he wished that real life was interrupting his dream moment, but it was. “You were not the one who did not see Tess for what she was. In fact, you always believed she had an agenda. Even in the beginning. Maybe I did too, in the beginning, but eventually I believed in her, and I did not see it until it was too late, that she had different motivations than the rest of us.”

“Yes, I can.” Liz sighed. “Alex would have lived. If not for my decision. So, it was not just the idea of the baby. Which was a direct result of what I did. Or that I listened to someone I probably should have questioned more, assuming I was thinking, which I was not when I was, how old was I, seventeen?”

“We often do not see a situation for what it really was until we are older and wiser,” Max muttered. “Because back then none of us saw what was coming at us.”

“Are we older and wiser?” Liz asked.

“Hopefully,” Max said with a small smile.

And Liz smiled.

“You had a chance to get out,” Max murmured. “I wanted that for you. If it was not going to work out for me and you, then I wanted you to be happy. And obviously you were, and you were able to raise Mariah to be someone who is strong and normal.”

“I am sorry Max,” Liz sighed.

“Do not feel sorry for me,” Max murmured. “I do not deserve it. We both would have done things differently if we could, but we cannot go back into the past. No matter how much we would have liked, at least I know of Mariah today. I might have missed out on her childhood, but I can know that she exists, and that she’s a warm and inquisitive girl.”

“Who is also moody and unpredictable,” Liz muttered.

“So, were we…” Max said. “It runs in the family.” Who would not be moody given the state of issues that we deal with on a daily basis?

Liz smiled as Max took her hand, and she did not shy away from it, and were looking into their eyes, and seemingly getting closer to a kiss, with neither of them pulling back…

Until they were busted…

By an out of breath, “Mom, come quick,” as they looked behind them and found their daughter out of breath, and yes, looking at them all agitated.

*

Agitation was something Mariah was feeling as she raced up the sidewalk, that would lead to the main area that she and her brother had just left. She was not prepared though to see her parents if you can call them that having a moment she thought. Clearly it was something she was not prepared to see even if she had known her mother was behaving like a teenager that she was well passed, but that was not all she was feeling because yes, she was agitated for another reason. Because she had left her brother near a situation that obviously had gotten out of control. She had raced back here, but was stopped by a broken heel, and she was had raced uncomfortably until she saw her mother and Max.

Having a moment.

Are you kidding me? she was thinking. As she could sworn if she had not said something when she did, her mother might have kissed her biological father, are you crazy Mom? she thought. But she did not dwell on that, of what she might have witnessed because she knew she had to get her mother.

And maybe Max.

Because of the memories of the flash, she had seen in the part. God, she thought. I thought it was going to be an ordinary night she thought. I did not need mayhem on my birthday.

“Mom,” she would say once more. “You have to come quick,” she said as the moment she had busted in on stopped in its tracks, thankfully. As both her mother and her biological father looked at her as recognition hit them.

“Mariah, what is it?” Liz asked at the realization that she was no longer eighteen. But she was a mother, and she had to respond as a mother. “Where is your brother?” she asked of her son. “Did Lex do something to aggravate his injury?” she wondered even though she knew her son had adapted pretty well to his circumstance, and it had rattled her, and Mariah more than it did her son. Obviously being young was allowing him to deal with it and accept it more than someone older might have been able to, yes, that is a nice rationalization she thought.

“By the car, hopefully” Mariah muttered. “He promised me”

“Then why are you here,” Liz asked. Busting in on us she thought but did not say. Because she was almost relieved to see her daughter. Because what I am feeling is something I cannot be feeling, she thought. Not again.

And not so soon after Brady.

So, she elected to concentrate on the challenge her daughter was presenting to her, “Tell me Mariah.”

“I do not know what it is, but something is going on down at the park,” Mariah murmured. “It was not my fault this time,” she promised. “We have to go.”

“Who was there?” Max asked. “There are altercations all the time in the park, at this time of night” he sighed how do I even know he thought. I guess I would be assuming.

“It was Roxy Turner, Sierra Cruise, I think I saw River there, and maybe Jessica,” Mariah murmured. “I do not know for sure, because I froze a little before I came,” she said in state of franticness. “Max, maybe you should be coming too?”

“Why?” Max asked. My son can deal with it.

“It was a fight that was getting explosive,” Mariah murmured. “And I think I saw some abilities being exhibited.”

And with that Max got a sudden sense of doom in his heart, “Shit,” he muttered. “Where?” Max asked softly. River and Jessica know better he thought of his son and niece. Of course, I would have said that at New Years, he thought. But my son was innocent then he thought because he was protecting his sister. “Let us go.”

And with that Max, Liz and Mariah rushed down to the park.

*

Roxy was out like a light. Mac kneeled down to check the troublemakers and fortunately for all of them and especially Lex. Roxy was alive. Jessica was starting to mumble something about wanting to strangle him, which he did not get, but allowed her to go with the emotion if she was waking up, as she heard moans as her eyes started to open up, and as she was trying to figure out her surroundings. Sierra rushed over to where Mac had left, which was River. She kneeled down, “Hey,” she said shaking River. “Wake up,” she muttered as she tried to shake him awake, but he was not waking up.

“Mac, he’s not waking up.” Sierra called over to Mac who was monitoring Jessica whose eyes closed once more, and she did not know what kind of situation they had. “Not even a wince…” she whispered. “Come on River, please wake up.”

“Well, he did take quite the hit in his back and his head,” Mac sighed as he got up from looking over fallen body. Mac did not have the abilities that River’s father did, but he had a feeling that Jessica was going to be fine as he got up and walked over to his fallen friend. “Maybe he just needs a moment,” as he looked over the bodies, still on the ground, and looked over at the frozen teenager who had done the final duty of stopping Roxy in her tracks.

Quite the aim Mac thought. Only a human would use a crutch as a weapon he thought. Why did we not think of something mundane as that he wondered. It would have saved a lot…

“Should we call River’s father?” Sierra asked. She knew some of the back story of this group, but of course she was raised away from it, so she did not know all. But she knew enough that Mac had some healing powers. But even if he did not, well, he was River’s father. “Maybe we should be calling some help?” Before someone notices us, she wanted to add but knew she probably should not.

Mac nodded. “I will do it,” he said as he noticed Lex once more. Still motionless, he took out his phone, and started to dial as he approached the teenager. “Are you okay?” the older teenager asked the younger. “That was some hit, you put some weight on it.”

“Probably from the rehab,” Lex muttered as he did not know he had it in it. All he knew he had to stop it, while at the same time he could not comprehend what he had just seen. “Why call River’s father?” he asked.

Because he might be needed Mac wanted to say, just as he was getting to the last number, he heard sirens. “Fuck,” he said as he looked over at Sierra. “What are we going to do now?”

“How should I know,” Sierra muttered. “Who called them?” Sierra asked

“I did,” Lex admitted. “Before I did what I did.”

“Well,” Mac sighed. Shit. “Okay, that was really stupid,” he muttered as he stopped the call in its progress since he knew they had to keep the kid quiet. We cannot have the cops on our heads. “Do not admit to anything, nothing, and I mean it,” he asked although the kid would skate but still. “I do not know what you think you saw, but if you did see something, well, it was all an illusion,” he said as he did not if the kid had been able to see the abilities Roxy clearly showed.

“Really?” Lex asked. An illusion. “The multicolored one was clearly green…”

“You were not seeing what you think you saw,” Mac warned. “And do not admit anything to anyone okay, that includes anyone of any authority.”

“Fine, whatever,” Lex murmured. Because he knew he was being silenced. But given that he was unsure of what he had seen or how to explain it, sure, I will shut up. Which he was doing as Mac walked over to Sierra who was still monitoring River.

As they would hear “Sherriff Department, stop where you are, and what you were doing” came the capable voice of Deputy Lee as he accessed the scene at hand “What do we have here?” he asked as he saw three unconscious teenagers.

“I do not know what you think you were expecting to find. But we were not doing anything deputy, right Lex” Mac asked as he looked with a stern look at the younger teenager to stay quiet, he murmured. “It was not us.”

“Right,” Lex murmured.

“Then who was it?” Deputy Lee asked as he had clearly an iffy look on his face, as if he did not buy Mac’s story or Lex’s corroboration.

That one Mac wanted to say as they looked at the still unconscious body of Roxy Turner. “It was all innocent,” he muttered. “Self-defense.”

“Do not say anything more,” came a voice from behind them. Sierra who had not said anything looked up and saw River’s father staring at the whole scene. While Liz was next to him and looked dumbfounded. “You were supposed to be at the car,” she muttered to her son.

*

Five minutes later,

Eyes were starting to wake up. The scene was a lot more threatening than it was before. As Lex Anthony was now leaning against his crutches and making it seemed like he was more invalid than he actually was, as Max had rushed to evaluate his son. Whose eyes were still closed. But Jessica was now waking up, and Roxy was starting to twitch. While the deputies on scene were starting to ask questions.

“Are you okay?” Max asked as he helped his niece up from the ground. “Your parents are on the way.”

Why? Jessica wanted to mutter but she looked around and saw Roxy still on the ground and River still out like a light. The paramedics were now on the way. As Max could not exactly say, do not take my unconscious son to the hospital because I can treat him at home he thought. That would bring questions.

Questions that would be hard to answer, even when you have the Sheriff as your ally Max thought. Jim was staring, as he was now on the scene, but was unable to ask the questions he really wanted to answer.

So, it all had to be official. No free passes Max thought.

“Unwanted sexual advances” Jessica murmured. “If you lock anyone of us up, then it should be Roxy.”

“Why do you say that?” Jim asked as he glanced at his niece as Isabel and Kyle came rushing. And Jessica ran into her mother’s arms.

Jaime was also with them and was glancing at the situation with interest. She had been home on the computer when she heard the commotion downstairs, when the phone rang. Figuring it was a call for her parents, she had not thought it might be about her stepsister.

So, she came along.

She was shocked to see Lex on the scene.

“What is going on? Jaime asked.

“Which is what we were going to say,” Isabel muttered as she held her daughter in her arms and looked around and saw her nephew was still unconscious, and Roxy Turner ever noticeable in her pink and green hair was still unconscious but was starting to come around.

“You were saying something unwanted sexual advances?” Jim asked of his granddaughter.

“It’s all Roxy’s fault,” Jessica murmured.

“What happened?” Jim asked as he was unnerved to be in the middle of another set of antics driven by the younger generation of his family. Things have been tame. And then December happened.

And now he did not know what was happening on a given day but supposed the same could be said about the whole family.

“I caught Mac kissing Roxy earlier,” Jessica muttered. “I blamed him, but then River was here with his girlfriend Sierra over there,” she murmured as Sierra was sitting by her fallen boyfriend. Mac was standing guard as his unofficial diagnosis was that his son was just unconscious, and it was not life threatening but they were waiting for the paramedics to show up, but they had been at another location, and was taking its time.

“Right,” Sierra said voicing for Jessica’s version of things.

“I was on my way home after a date, and Mac was with me. We were both at Crashdown. I was with my boyfriend, Alan and Mac was with his neighbor and friend Franny, and were now alone, and taking the route through the park, and we came on my cousin River and Sierra. We were talking. I went to make a phone call. Then Roxy showed up. And she got into it with Mac and River and grabbed River and forced a kiss on my cousin. Something that River did not want so I say it all Roxy’s fault,” Jessica muttered. “Sierra took exception of what happened, and then were all fighting and River, and I became unconscious.”

“How did Ms. Turner become unconscious,” Jim asked.

“It’s unclear,” Mac was quick to lie.

“How is it unclear,” Jim asked as he knew something was up. “Mackenzie?”

“It’s just Mac,” Mackenzie muttered. “I was checking on Jessica and River,” he brazenly lied. “I did not see how it happened, nor did Lex.”

“So, Roxy slipped and hit her head?” Jim asked a little incredulously. “Would I have that right?” he murmured a little dubiously. As Mac’s grandfather, Jim knew his grandson tended to embellish his stories, for a reason, to keep the truth at bay but the idea that Roxy would just slip and be rendered unconscious.

“Maybe,” Mac nodded. “It can be slippery around here if you are not watching yourself. “Right, Sierra?”

“Right,” Sierra agreed.

“Oh, I see,” Jim muttered. Damn these kids.

“What do we do boss?” Deputy Lee asked.

“You should head on back to the office. Type it up,” he murmured as Jim was cognizant of the fact that he needed to get his deputy away from the scene. So that he does not see that cannot be unseen “I will follow the group to the hospital and get any further details. As I assume the hospital will need to check up on what is going on with those who were unconscious, or still are unconscious,” he murmured. “And we will check up on the final facts of the situation.”

“Okay, boss” Deputy Lee nodded as he walked off.

Once his deputy was gone. Jim leveled with the teens. “Are you going to tell me what really happened?”

“What I told you was the truth Grandpa,” Jessica murmured “We were fighting because she was sexually harassing both Mac and River, which is illegal, right?”

“Only if they are bothered by it and want to report it” Jim asked.

“So, you believe me now?” Mac asked of Jessica.

“Maybe I am still pissed that it seemed like you liked it, but it did take what she did to River to see she has this tendency, and I know for a fact that River did not want it,” Jessica muttered.

“I did not want it either,” Mac murmured.

“So, you said, and now I believe it” Jessica muttered as Isabel and Kyle glanced over at Max, who thought, “lovers spat, basically” they would think. All this because of the love lives of our kids.

“Call your parents?” Jim advised of his grandson. “Tell him them to meet you are the hospital,” he muttered as he glanced at Max and Liz. Isabel and Kyle were guarding their daughters. “And come up with a better story for why Roxy became unconscious because slipping and hitting her head is unlikely going to fly once she fully wakes up,” he muttered out loud.

“Yeah, whatever,” Mac muttered as they heard some groans, and saw that it was not River that was waking up, but instead Roxy.

As her eyes opened, and she saw Isabel standing nearby, with Jessica and Jaime standing nearby, as Isabel was holding Kyle’s hand.

Roxy groaned, and her eyes closed and then opened once more as she spotted Isabel.

“Mom,” Roxy asked to the shock of everyone in the room.

[Superman86]

Exciting update can't wait for more. I hope River will be ok. As for Max and Liz, it looks things are trying to heat up again between them. OMG! on Roxy awakening statement

[keepsmiling7]

okay, now we know who Roxie's mom is........
Max and Liz were acting like teenagers again......but then they've missed out on so much with their lives.

[RoswellFan68]

Why did dupes' daughters decide to come to Roswell? Are they looking for something in Roswell? Does Roxy and Lonnie want to cause problems for the Roswell pod squad?

[Parker1947]

She is not my daughter Isabel was thinking an hour later as they were now all gathered at the hospital. As they were waiting for word on River and waiting for clearance of Jessica’s health. Roxy was also being accessed. Behind the curtains of her own gurney. Once she was fully awake. She saw who she had called Mom, and she knew immediately that Isabel Evans was not her mother, and anyone knowing Isabel knew there was no way Isabel would have a secret kid. I do not think so. Not when you stay in your hometown all your life. By doing such a thing. You cannot suddenly have yourself a secret child she thought. I know the children I have had. And its only one, thank you because secret children are my brother’s tendency, not mine.

So, the fact that Roxy herself stated she was not her daughter was reassuring but it opened some windows. As she waited to know more. Although she had her suspicions. Still, she waited for her own daughter to come out of the curtains, “Are you okay?”

“Sure,” Isabel murmured as she glanced over and saw Max was talking with Liz about something, hard to get him away from her these days she thought as she glanced at her boyfriend. Someone she was planning on marrying one of these days if they could narrow down a wedding date.

She wanted to be planning the wedding. I am good at planning. She did not want to be dealing with all this. And the unknown.

Things were going so well she muttered. Now it’s melodrama all the time she thought. “I wish they would clear Jessica already.”

“She will fine,” Kyle murmured. “She was up and talking, so it’s just a formality.”

“Which they are taking sweet little time with,” Isabel murmured as she did worry for Jessica even though the girl was up and walking. As she also thought of Roxy in the other examination curtain. “It has been a weird day.”

“Roxy knew you were not her mother,” Kyle muttered as he remembered how blown they all were at the mere idea. Not that we believed it.

“Although she said the words,” Isabel muttered. “Look Kyle I know I have not had any secret children. Michael either, that is more my brother,” she said with a laugh, and Kyle smiled. “It does make me wonder.”

“You are thinking…” Kyle asked.

“Lonnie, yeah,” Isabel asked. “She’s like my identical twin is she not?” she sighed. “My clone, and I have no idea of how she looks these days.”

“What does it all mean?” Kyle asked.

“Who knows,” Isabel sighed. It is not like they even cared about any of us. “Maybe it all just to tell them that they still exist, and there is a new generation coming from them that we cannot ignore. We tend to think the world revolves around us, and it does not. Because there are indeed others that are out there, and with the kids as young as they are. They are coming in the forefront now…”

“Yeah, maybe” Kyle sighed.

“You are right about that,” Jim murmured as he walked into the picture. “Got some preliminary information on Roxy?” he sighed.

“What did you find out?” Isabel asked.

“If Roxy is Lonnie’s daughter, she did not raise her” Jim murmured. “We have not been able to get access to her birth record as of yet. But we do know that Roxy has been bouncing around the foster system for years until she ran away from her last one and had been living on her own ever since” Jim muttered. “We keep sending her back if we pick her up, but she packs up and leaves after a few days or so, so we are at the point we cannot keep doing it because she is over sixteen now.”

Isabel nodded. Michael eventually went out on his own, but he made it happen on his own she thought. The foster system can be bumpy, and she and Max were one of the very fortunate ones given they were six when we got found she thought. It could have tuned out very different. “Oh,” she sighed.

“If you think you are going to rescue me, you are wasting your time” Roxy muttered as she wheeled out of her curtain of her own power. Forced to be in the wheelchair while the final scans were being processed. Yet she knew from the nurses that there was nothing medically wrong with her, just some aches and pains, and she was used to it.

“What makes you think I would want do that,” Isabel muttered. I have no desire to bring a troubled teenager into my house. Because she had seen it go bad in the past. I have no strength to go through it. Abilities or no abilities.

“Because you are that type,” Roxy muttered. “So, I am not having it. If Mom does not want me, then I am not going to stay with her clone,” she sighed. “I rather live on my own because I am quite able to do it.”

“What do you think you know?” Isabel asked.

“It does not really matter,” Roxy muttered. “The doctors are clearing me, so I might as well as get out of here,” she sighed as she got up. “You people are way too much trouble. Just because my dear old biological mother wanted me to create chaos. I gave it good a run, but I am tired of it, and so I am out of here, and out of this drama.”

“Wait,” Isabel muttered.

“What?” Roxy muttered.

“Is your mother here in town?” Isabel asked.

*

Roxy might have been up and walking around. Being her obnoxious self. But River was still down for the count, or that was what Max feared as he waited for word. Liz was nearby, with her own children. So far, she had not gotten the straight answer out of her son as to what had transpired at the park. The teen was being quiet. Fortunately, Mariah was off the hook since she had come to find her and Max. Thankfully. But Lex had been in the area, and there was an obviously code of silence that had taken over was very reminiscent of her own youth when she was older than her son.

But Liz did not know how to address it because she and Mariah knew too much.

And Lex did not.

Or so they knew because her son was indeed suspecting a ton, but he did not know officially. So, Liz did not even want to deal with the fact her past and present was now infecting her other life. The one she was happy in. The one that did not have aliens. Mystery men with abilities, no, she could be normal. She could raise her kids, and work in a demanding career. Now it was all slipping away.

Slipping away is right Liz muttered to herself. As she watched as Max was waiting for information. None was coming. Sierra was in there with her boyfriend. Waiting for her mother to show up.

Michael and Maria were on the way, as they were in the middle of something when the bat call went out, so it was a manageable few at the hospital. Max was not even thinking of what his sister might be going through. All he could think of was whether his son would be alright. At the scene it had not seem to be life threatening.

But River had not woken up.

And all Max could think of how he suspended into darkness himself once, for an endless period of time. And no one could have explained it, except that it was a head injury, minor but something that had shaken him up, and it had because Liz had been with him, and thankfully she had only some scratches. He had taken the brunt of it. I do not know what I would have done if Liz had been injured more than she was.

Thankfully I took the brunt of it. “Are you okay?” Max said waking up the situation at hand, as he looked over at Liz.

“I should be asking you that,” Liz said softly as she hated being back at the hospital again. Sure, she worked her, but she could deal with that emotion because that was work related. But being here because of the health of one of them, was hard for her because all she could do was remember how it had gone bad for her, once before, only a few months before. And now I am back here. “Waiting for word can be hard.”

“I know,” Max agreed.

“I know it all too well,” Liz sighed as her own recent experience pounded her brain. All she could remember was how she had been waiting for news on her son, who was now standing albeit with his crutches and back then, she had also been waiting for information on her husband. It turned bad, heartbreaking bad.

“I am not used to it,” Max muttered.

“What?” Liz asked.

“Worrying about my son,” Max sighed as he winced. “I know how that must sound?”

“It sounds like it sounds,” Liz murmured as she thanked the diversion from those other memories. She needed this. Because she needed to think of something other than how different her life was, even if it is Max’s life. “I know you and your son have had a complicated relationship?”

“That is quite the understatement,” Max murmured. “But all I can think now is of the lost time, there has been so much lost time, for both of us,” he murmured. “And because we do not know what is going on. I cannot help but also think of you know my own accident. My own time unconscious.”

Oh. “You mean, when were in the beginning,” Liz asked. When everything was fresh and unknown, she thought. Our own accident. “I guess that was indeed a memorable day, when we found danger because I did something, I rarely do. I cut class, and we ended up here in the hospital?”

It all seemed so easy back in the beginning. Max thought. Little did we know. “So, I guess it is natural that the kids pick up the torch of doing the unexpected,” Max said with a laugh. Something that could relieve the tension of the not knowing. “Although so, much was on the line back then, and so much is on the line today,” he asked, and Liz could only smile. I love it when she smiles Max murmured to himself. “I do not know what is going to happen next.”

“Neither do I” Liz agreed.

As nearby Lex had enough of his mother giving Mr. Evans glances he rather not see, so while he had been sitting. Now he got up and pushed forward on his crutches. “Are you okay?” Jaime Valenti asked as she saw how Lex was reacting to his mother and her uncle Max as she walked besides her friend.

“I wish I was at home,” Lex muttered.

“You could always go back to your grandparents you know,” Jaime murmured. “I doubt your mother will care.”

“Not if she’s being a teenager with my sister’s father,” Lex sighed.

“Oh,” Jaime acknowledged. I suppose that cannot be easy. “Can you tell me what happened at the park?”

A movie of the week. “I do not want to talk about it,” Lex muttered because he was unsure of what he had seen or how to make sense of it. Plus, he did not know if he was still going to get in trouble if the authorities found out that he was the one responsible for Roxy hitting the ground. So, Mac’s lie had been holding but it was bound to come back at some point, because slipping was not a reasonable excuse.

“It’s alright,” Jaime murmured. As she could relate although she knew so much more than Lex did. “If you need a friend. I am here if you want to talk. I figure I might be the one you should be talking too…”

“Why is that?” Lex asked.

“Because I live in this clan. So, I know every little dark secret,” she said with a laugh of course I do not know everything. But I know a fair amount.

What do you know? Lex could not help but wonder. But he was not ready to know. “I am beginning to wonder if we should have come to Roswell. Everything would be different if we were still in Chicago.”

“Would it?” Jaime asked.

“At least it would make sense, and I would not be in some sci-fi drama,” he murmured as Michael and Maria ran into the emergency room.

“Where is our son. Where is Mackenzie?” Maria frantically called out.

*

“It is Mac, I wish you would call me that instead of that other name,” Mackenzie Guerin muttered as he walked out the curtain at the mention of his name. As he had been spending his time along with Sierra watching River sleep. Keeping guard if you will so he could hear the worry in his mother’s voice, which is why he had come out. All the while Michael and Maria clearly had no idea what was happening. All they knew was there was a message on the machine at home when they both got home from their individual pursuits, and it was from their son.

Chickening out.

Because he obviously had not wanted to call their cellphones? Telling them they could find him at the hospital.

As he was hopefully hoping to delay what was currently taking place. Not that was truly at fault for any of it, except for setting it off in the first place. Still, it was something he did not want to deal with his parents with.

“You left a message at home?” Maria muttered with disappointment with her son. “You know our numbers, and you could have called us personally,” she muttered. “We had to come home and find out you were here at the hospital.”

“I am not injured this time,” Mac pointed out. “Which is what I told you in that message.”

“That is beside the point,” Maria muttered. “I supposed you are going to tell us what happened?” she asked of her son.

“There would be no point in it,” Mac muttered, and his parents could only shake their heads in their disappointment. “You are not going to believe me.”

“Fine, if you are going to be stubborn, I will go and ask someone else to tell me" Maria murmured as she saw her stepfather as he was talking with Isabel and Kyle. “Good, there is Jim, I am sure he will tell me?” she muttered as she walked off.

Which left Michael with his son.

“What are you up too?” Michael asked of his son. It is never good when Mac will not give up the truth of the situation.

“Nothing,” Mac muttered. “All I am doing is waiting for River to wake up,” he sighed as he thought of his friend. As he knew that River had been asleep too long, and he did not know what that would mean, and it was not like Max could go in and save them all this trouble and heal his son.

Not yet at least.

Oh god, Michael sighed. “What happened to River?” he asked as he spotted his best friend talking to Liz. Naturally he thought. Max does not seem concerned he asked himself. Although it was hard to know if Max is ever concerned or what he could be thinking most days.

Knowing that he had to spill. At least some of it. “Fine, there was a fight at the park. It started with Roxy,” he said pointing the fingers at the vixen who Michael could recognize over with Isabel and Kyle, and Jim, and now his wife. “It escalated with Jessica and Sierra. River got pushed into a tree, and been unconscious since, and we are waiting to know how bad it is” he sighed.

“It was only the girls?” Michael asked, not sure whether to believe this version.

“Yes,” Mac muttered. “Roxy decided to advance on River, and Sierra took exception” he murmured. As he was wanting to forget that it was him earlier in the day. “Which was trouble, but you should know dad Roxy is one of us,” he said softly so that none of the others who might be overhearing could understand what he was saying.

“What do you mean?” Michael asked, confused. Because there were already two new ones in his drama. Mariah, who was all fine and good because it woke Max the hell up, he thought. But now Sierra, which I have not even gotten a handle of and now my son is naming Roxy Turner?

Are you kidding? was what he wanted to be saying. That is impossible. “What are you saying?” Michael asked of his son.

“She has abilities,” Mac muttered. “I do not know what it all means. It’s all confusing. I do not know how it can be, but she called Isabel Mom at the scene.”

“That is impossible,” Michael said. “I know of all the children born into this clan,” he sighed. Or I did until December happened.

But that was simple, we were not asking for any of this other stuff to come out of it he thought. “Isabel is only Jessica’s mother.”

“We know,” Mac muttered. “Roxy knew this, so I do not know if she is playing a game” he asked. “And I know she loves to play games.”

Michael nodded, unsure of how to comprehend any of this.

*

Are you frigging kidding me “So, are you saying you are Lonnie’s kid?” Maria was asking as she had walked over and was hearing Isabel question Roxy about her birth mother. And it was questioning that Roxy were unwilling to submit too, and especially not from someone who looked like her birth mother. When it was clear she was not that woman. So, Roxy became tight lipped only for Maria to arrive, and of course it had now opened a hornet’s nest of possibilities. Maria still did not know what she was walking into, first Rath, and now Lonnie…

And yet they had have not put in any appearance.

This does not make any sense Maria muttered out loud.

“You tell me,” Roxy muttered. “And I am over it, so can I go?” she asked a passing nurse. “I want out of here.”

“You cannot go until a parent comes for you,” a nurse was saying.

“I do not care because I do not have anyone,” Roxy muttered. “And none of these people will sign for me,” she sighed. “I am perfectly fine, the doctors said as much. So, I am out of here,” she muttered as she walked off, in the direction of the doors.

Not caring at all if she had officially been released or not.

“She has a chip on her shoulder?” Mariah commented.

Jim could only sigh as he rushed off to try to stop her, and now it was only Isabel, Kyle, and Maria. “What on earth is happening to this family?” she asked.

“I honestly have no idea,” Isabel murmured. “First Rath’s kid, and now Lonnie’s kid” she asked.” What did we do, to have this happen to us?”

“I wish I knew,” Maria muttered.

*

As inside the room that River was in Sierra was sitting next to her unconscious boyfriend. As she was hoping that he was simply sleeping it off. While she was hoping he would wake up some time now, as a text came in on her phone, and she ignored it. And then another one came in, I do not want to talk to you she wrote back, and finally the phone rang, and she was forced to answer it. “Leave me alone,” she muttered to the person on the other end. “I do not care if the judge says I have to see you, I do not want too, and you cannot make me.”

As she got up as she saw the no phone sign, “I am busy,” she muttered as she waked out of the curtain and saw her mother arrive. “Got to go, Mom wants to see me” she muttered, finally seeing some use for her mother’s appearance even if it could get complicated. “I do not care,” she said hanging up.

“Mom,” she called, and Kate Cruise came rushing to her and took her daughter into her arms for a deep hug, which Sierra was grateful for. “Are you okay?”

“I one of the few that were not injured, I am fine,” Sierra promised.

“You better be,” Kate muttered.

“It was not me, but it is River,” Sierra murmured.

“What is now,” Kate muttered.

“Mom, please” Sierra asked. As she was clearly not in the mood.

“Please, what?” Kate asked.

“I do not want to hear what you think about me and River,” Sierra murmured. “River is a good guy,” she muttered. “We are good together. He is not Dad.”

“I hope not,” Kate muttered.

“I am going in to see River,” Sierra muttered as she turned around and walked back into the room she had just left.

While Kate did not know what was going on all of a sudden. And she was blaming it all on ex-husband. As she turned around and was prepared to find a place to wait out her daughter, with the hope that they could go home soon, but she was stunned when she spotted a man next to River’s father.

The original man was someone she knew, although not that well. Which is fine for me.

But it was the other man. The one next to River’s father that stunned her.

“Randall,” Kate asked as she stared right at Michael. “Rath, is that you?” Kate wondered as she looked at Max, Michael, and Maria with a dumb founded look on her face.

Fuck everyone would think.

And most of Michael.

[Parker1947]

I am in hell, aren’t I? Kate Cruise could not help but think twenty minutes as she was outside the hospital, in the darkness and in the fresh air. Because she could not handle what had just happened. Everyone has a twin in this world, right? she could remember being told throughout her life. But she never believed it. All of us are supposed to be unique. Kate would think. Of course, there twins out there. Genetically linked people who were born at the same time, of the same mother, of the same parents, nine in half times out ten. But this, this did not make any sense, right, I am in some kind of hell she asked of herself.

As she thought back to the ghost like experience of seeing her ex-husband in the eyes of Michael Guerin. She was sure it was him. And she had moved to this town after her divorce because she needed to get away from her old life. Because Randall had still been living in New York when she and Sierra had moved to New Mexico. Why we picked New Mexico, I have no idea she thought because it came up in talking with her daughter.

New York was not panning out. Exhausted from the divorce and the battle with her ex-husband. Randall had not fought the divorce or the custody, but still he made it all more difficult so much so that by the end of it, she needed somewhere to go that did not have her ex-husband constantly in her face, given how confusing he was most days. Because the glow of the rebellious man she had fallen for had fallen off the rose, and she was left with a flowerless stem, so she needed to be away from the complications that he always brought to her and their daughter’s life.

Sierra was the one to suggest New Mexico she thought first. Settling here in Roswell, but first going to Goddard High because it was closer to their house, but it did not go well and again Sierra indicated she wanted to move over to West Roswell.

By then she had gotten her driver’s license so she could drive when Kate did not need the car. Thankfully they lived in Roswell, and it was a small town, and you could walk most of the time. So, they were able to share the car.

Things were going fine and then my daughter meets River Evans and things had been going downhill since then she thought.

River did seem like a good kid, but Kate was distrustful given her situation with Sierra’s father. Randall rarely was seen and definitely not heard, but she knew he sometimes called their daughter, and she was always agitated after the calls. Because there was something in the father/daughter relationship that soured over the years, and especially in the last few years. Kate did not know what had happened. All she knew was that Sierra wanted to take her mother’s name after they moved to Roswell.

Which was fine with me Kate thought as she stood outside the hospital and thought back to the collision, she had inside the hospital. She did not understand how Michael Guerin could look like her ex-husband, and not be the man. Sure, now I see they look differently, but not that much she thought so they could definitely be twins she muttered “I am not your ex-husband,” Michael insisted once more as he came out of hospital with his wife, Maria, and the man whose name she knew as Max Evans. “And we are not long-lost twins, if that is what you are thinking?”

She was, for a split second.

“I can see that for myself,” Kate murmured. “This does not make any sense,” she would think as Sierra came rushing out of the hospital behind the Guerin’s. As Kate was trying to process the news that there was someone exactly like her ex-husband in this town, and she had been completely aware of it because they did not exist in each other’s circle, until we did, she thought, and now blamed her daughter’s relationship with that River kid “Mom,” she said. “Are you alright?” she was wanting to know because she had heard about the mistaken identity that her mother had when she came out of the room where River was, and Isabel had gone in.

“I am fine,” Kate insisted.

“Mr. Guerin is not Dad,” Sierra insisted even though she herself occasionally had to do a double take when looking at Mac’s father because of the resemblance, but she knew enough about her father to know that the men were completely different. “Nor is he his long-lost brother.”

Although they probably be classified as siblings to make it easier, but they were much closer than siblings.

Kate nodded.

“If you want to doubt it, well, I was just talking to him, and he’s not anywhere near here,” Sierra muttered. “He is returning to the city and wanted me to come to New York this summer for a visit.”

“What did you say?” Kate asked as she knew how combative her relationship with her ex-husband had been by the end and had left relations with the man to their daughter. But Sierra had her own issues.

“What else would I say, I said no.” Sierra muttered. “I do not want to see him.”

Kate could only nod, as she understood because she knew her ex-husband.

And was not in the mood to try to repair the father/daughter bond that had never really existed. And it was not going to start now.

“I do not get this, because you look exactly like my ex-husband” Kate asked of Michael as Michael also had come out of the hospital. “Of course, you are not the man, and there are some differences,” she thought. “But it’s almost like you are twins?”

More like duplicates Michael thought clones he thought. Twins have their differences, even if they are linked, he thought. “We are not twins,” he murmured. “I do not know your ex-husband,” Michael muttered. “Okay, I mean I did meet the man once in my life, and that was how it always was, so, we are not family is any sense. I have that with my friends, and especially in my wife and our son.”

“Then, why do you look like you could be twins?” And why do you insist you are not?

“It’s hard to say,” Michael murmured. As they did not know how much Kate knew of her own daughter’s status. Or that of her ex-husbands. Because he questioned how much Rath would have told someone he was married too, if she did not know going in. “We are different people,” he muttered. But of the same creation. Clones are like that.

“I do not get this,” Kate muttered but knew she needed to get out of her, and go home, and get some sleep, and pray for it to all make sense once more. “Let us go home Sierra.”

“I want to stay because River has not woken up yet, and I want to be here when he does,” she insisted of her mother. “I promise I will not stay all night.”

“You better not,” Kate muttered as she did not have the energy to stay and wait with her daughter. “Fine, I will go. But call if you need a ride home,” she asked of her daughter and turned and walked muttering and cursing about her ex-husband.

Once out of sight of the group. “Thank you,” was all Sierra could say. “For keeping it simple with her…”

“What does she know?” Michael asked.

“Not a lot,” Sierra conceded. “Although she knows a bit of it, and she is trying to ignore a lion share of it, and therefore, it has hampered our relationship at times, and it is hard to keep it from her, but you can see how she feels about my father, and most of the time I feel the same about the man.”

“You know…”

“That you are his duplicate?” Sierra asked. “Yes.”

“How?” Michael asked.

“From my father, back when we were talking to each other, and I wanted to see him. He never opened up about his prior life to meeting Mom. So, as far as I can tell, she does not know about my father’s true nature. By the end, my parents had a rocky relationship, but they kept it together because of me, and Mom did not want to leave him, but he was growing discontented you could say, and when it became obvious, I was different, he started to rant to me about this town. How you guys forced him to stay on this planet.”

Oh god Michael and Max thought as they looked at each other. “So, he told me how there was this ship that you guys had control of, and how the only thing he wanted in this world was to get off this planet because life in New York was not treating him well, and he hated it, and his best friend Lonnie found this way in which they could get away from their life, but you guys denied him. Refused to give up the ship, or to take some deal that was being negotiated,” she muttered as flashbacks came instantly to Max of that time. Of a very bad time. When they were beginning to know way too much, and he had almost died because of the man she was describing. And his duplicate had already been killed. I almost took the deal but, in the end, I could not leave Michael and my sister he thought. “And?” he started to say.

“He hated you guys and had a real grudge against you…” Sierra confessed.

“And you?” Michael asked as Mac came out had overheard the last bit, and he was already more suspicious about his best friend’s girl.

“It did not make any difference to me,” Sierra sighed. “But I got turned off by how aggressively my father was trying to turn me into one his pet projects. Trying to make me turn out like him. Trying to turn me against this town.”

“Yet you moved here?” Max asked as he was growing concerned for his son. “You came to our town, and immediately started to date my son. Did you think you could worm in his life, and use him?”

“I like your son Mr. Evans,” Sierra muttered. “I mean I really like him,” she sighed. “Okay, maybe I was conflicted when I first came to this town. New Mexico always stuck in the back of my mind. Even when things went south with my father, and I did not want to see him anymore. Mom wanted to get out of New York, once she came to her senses and decided to divorce my father, so she was all eager to get away, but she did not have any destination in mind because she had been born and raised in New York, and so I thought why not New Mexico?”

“So, you can come to us, with a plan to try to get revenge for your father?” Mac asked.

“No, I promise that never has crossed my mind. All I wanted to do was to know more. When I heard my father’s story, all that stuck out at me was that there were people like me in this world. You do not know how much I wanted to know why I was different. Why I could not be normal. Having my father tell me of people who were just like him, and even the story of how they had sent down two groups of hybrids, and how you guys got separated. You guys came here, and my father went to New York,” she murmured. “I had to know more…’

“We do know something about that,” Max allowed. Knowing that was what they all had been feeling, and what I am seeing currently in Mariah he muttered to himself.

“So, we came to New Mexico, settled within Roswell, but I went to Goddard High initially. If I had been coming on some long-range plan, I would have immediately come to West Roswell.”

“Or you were biding your time because you eventually did,” Mac muttered.

“Yes, but only because Goddard was not what I expected, and I burnt through that school because it was too small, and not what I was used too, and so, I transferred to West Roswell. I did not know what I was expecting. But not to go to that New Year’s dance, and I see River, even before I knew his name, I was attracted to him. I could see he was different, and he was exactly like me,” she murmured. “Even if he was trying to present himself as something different than me. Which suited me fine.”

“You knew who we were?” Michael asked. “Because your father gave you a game plan to follow?”

“Okay, yes, sure, I knew the players,” Sierra murmured. “Because I did my own research when it was clear I was different, and I was coming here. I never really had this grand plan. River was not about worming myself into the group. We are together because I was simply attracted to him, and I grew to like him as a person. I could see how sensitive he was. And how he also had a home life that one would consider difficult,” she muttered, and Max’s glance turned away. “Yes,” she murmured as she focused on Max. “So, you can say that we could relate to each other, but I also saw how you were trying to make up for whatever had come before,” she sighed as she knew that Max was trying, and that was something. “Which is not something I could say about my own father,” since he wants to use me for his purposes. “So, no, it was never about trying to fulfill my father’s wish for revenge,” she sighed. “I would never do it even if that is what he now wants me too. Because that is why he wants to see me because he knows I am in this town. So, he knows he has a way in, but I do not want to see him.”

Max nodded.

“I guess that would be believable,” Maria murmured even though she did not how to describe what she was hearing….

“Not really, it’s all clearly a rehearsed story.” Mac muttered.

“You do not have to trust me,” Sierra muttered. “I am not asking you too, but I do like River, and I am not trying to manipulate him.”

“Whatever,” Mac muttered as he walked away as Jessica came running out. “River is waking up,” she called and whatever talk they were going to have with Sierra ended with a thud, and they all rushed back into the hospital.

“What did I miss?” Jessica asked as she saw Mac was in a worst mood than even, he was in before.

“A lot,” Mac muttered as he was giving Sierra an evil glare.

Okay, Jessica thought. What did I miss?

*

River was floating. Although he was not seeing anyone alive or dead in his dreams. He was feeling a sense of weightlessness but felt finally he felt that his eyes were opening, and he looked up and saw white walls all around him. Perfect, he thought. Where am I? he moaned as he saw a television on the wall but knew he was not at home, or any home that was associated to his family. God, why do I feel so terrible he also thought, and even said it out loud.

“Because you ran into Roxy Turner,” came the voice of someone who was instantly recognizable as he looked over and saw his half-sister staring at him. With her little brother in the back of the room. “Where am I?” River wondered.

“In the hospital,” Mariah murmured. “How do you feel?”

“Oh, God, what happened?” River asked because he did not have any memory of what happened, or at least not yet. “My mind does feel groggy and clouded.”

“You do not remember?” Mariah wondered. “I guess that is to be expected, apparently you took quite the hit?”

Still unable to truly remember, all River felt was tired, and groggy, and his brain did hurt, and he felt the aches and pains in his body, I guess Dad did not try to heal me? “I remember I was with Sierra. We were in the park, but then it is a blur,” River admitted as he looked around, and once again saw his half-sister’s younger brother. “What day is it?”

“Still the 28th, I think, although truthfully, I have lost track of time,” Mariah murmured It been one long day she thought. “All I know it was a fight,” she said. “Which I was not part of.”

“No, you were not,” River said as flashes came to him of the escalation. Oh god Roxy he remembered the troublemaker, but not the kiss. “Roxy, she was there, was she not?” he asked.

“Yes,” Mariah murmured. “Although I do not know if it is my place to really say what was going on. Because Mac and Jessica were also there, although they are only owning up to some of it,” she muttered as she could not help but look over at her other brother, who was also not talking about what had really gone on at the park. She did not need her trusty but unrefined abilities to know that her brother was bothered by something, and he was not talking, and it was not only their mother’s easy rapport with her biological father, which of course made them both uneasy.”

“I think I will go tell them that you are fully awake,” Lex muttered as he walked out of the room. Leaving his older sister alone with her half-brother.

“What did happen?” River asked, once again. “Was there mayhem?”

“Of course,” Mariah admitted. “It is all this town is good for, I am finding” she asked. “You guys do not do tame, do you?”

“Believe it or not, things were relatively easy, and then…” River murmured.

“Then what?” Mariah asked although they both knew what he was meaning, December they both thought, and did not say it, and they just dropped the topic as Max came rushing in, along with Sierra. Mac and Jessica came in seconds later, but it was obvious there was tension in the air, that everyone in the room was conscious of.

“How are you doing?” Max asked of his son.

“Tired,” River muttered.

Max nodded as the doctor moments came in, “I would advise everyone to leave. Only immediate family should stay in here,” the doctor murmured.

“We are all family in here,” Max muttered.

“That might be the case, but I need to be checking on your son, and there should not be all these people,” the doctor would comment.

“I will leave,” Sierra muttered.

“Wait, you should stay” River murmured as he did not want Sierra to leave.

“I am not family,” Sierra sighed as she did not stay, and instead walked right past, and saw the distrust in Mac’s eyes.

Something that River could not help but see, and once the door was closed. “What is going on?” he asked of his best friend. Something is up he thought. Clearly, he muttered.

“Nothing,” Max muttered as they had been warned to keep the agitation for another time because they did not know how River would respond. Which he was fine with because he knew it would do nothing son’s state of mind if he knew what was going on “Doctor…”

“Okay,” the doctor sighed.

“We will go,” Jessica muttered as she grabbed Mac by his arms. “Let us get out of here, because yeah, the room is too small. Things get noticed she thought as once outside in the hallway. “Grow up Mac.”

“You do not know what was going on outside,” Mac muttered.

“Then tell me,” Jessica muttered.

*

Mariah left the room at the same time. She did not want to stay in and watch the examination. So, in the end on Max stayed inside. While Maria and Michael were outside talking to Liz. Mariah saw her brother, Lex off by himself. Jaime was asleep on the couch, by her father, and Isabel was standing up pacing. Waiting to know if there any permanent damage to her nephew, although she knew that if there were, it could be rectified away from the hospital she muttered. But still, she also could help but think of Roxy.

Lex finally had enough. And needed some fresh air. And walked over to his mother, “I am going to get some fresh air.”

“Maybe you should stay inside, it’s late.”

“I cannot stay in here anymore,” Lex muttered as he felt that he had spent more than enough time in a hospital over the last few months, and the more time he was spending here, the memories of the pain he felt was resurfacing. “I promise that I will stay nearby, you will not have to worry about me going anywhere.”

“Maybe we should be heading home?” Liz asked as she knew the night was getting away from them. It had been a day to celebrate Mariah birthday, and yet so much had happened during these hours, but she was hesitant to want to go home before she knew what was going with River.

“All I want is some fresh air,” Lex murmured. “You obviously do not want to leave,” he thought him but did not say it as he hung onto his crutches, even though he knew he probably should be resting his legs, but he did not feel like doing anymore sitting.

“I will go out with him Mom,” Mariah murmured. “We both could use some fresh air,” she asked as she offered her brother a lifeline.

“Can we?” Lex asked.

“Fine, but please be careful,” Liz murmured.

“Let us go,” Mariah sighed as she glanced at her brother, and they both left.

“What is up with Lex?” Maria asked as she was nearby.

“I have no idea,” Liz commented.

*

“I am still not grasping what your problem is?” Jessica asked as they stood near the entrance of the hospital. It seemed like all of the younger generation who was not tied down to a bed needed some fresh air. Because they were not ready to go home. Yet they could not be in the stuffy hospital corridors. So, naturally with Jessica wanting some answers had decided to drag Mackenzie outside and had finally gotten her friend to spill on what was going on. “Just because her father is who he is does not make her a bad person.”

“We cannot trust her,” Mac muttered. Annoyed that Jessica was not seeing the issue. “She is not who she says she is.”

“You are wrong because she is exactly who she says she is,” Jessica muttered on back. “She might have come here under some dubious circumstances, but nothing indicates that she is living up to her father’s mission to cause us trouble. When any of the trouble that has been coming up on us is coming from someone else entirely, who is not even connected to her,” she sighed. “Roxy, remember her, the one you kissed.”

Will you stop it he wanted to curse on his friend. “She is the one who kissed me, I thought you said you believe me?” Mac asked.

“I do,” Jessica muttered although maybe not really. “But I still think you liked it,” she sighed. I know you did. “And you have this history with Roxy that you did not tell me?”

“Do you tell me everything that goes on romantically in your life, or with Alan?” Mac asked.

“Of course not,” Jessica muttered. “Alan is a good guy.”

You are too good for him Mac muttered knowing his thinking was irrational and was not rooted in anything, but then I was right about Sierra, wasn’t I? he asked himself. “Let us get back to Sierra.”

“Yes, lets” Jessica muttered. As she was not wanting to deal with her love life. “I still do not get where you think she has to be her father…” she sighed. “Obviously, they have issues, and they barely see each other.”

“You are not getting it,” Mac muttered. “Because obviously her father raised to think badly of us?”

“We do not always have to be like our parents,” Jessica muttered. “I am not my mother, nor am I my father. River is not his father, and he definitely is not his mother. You are not your own parents. As you have often told us, so why must Sierra automatically be like her father. She can see him for who he is, and not want anything to do with him…” she sighed. “We are our own people.”

“Well, we did not come to town under some disguise,” Mackenzie muttered.

“You are spiraling pal,” Jessica muttered as she was sensing that her friend was making connections that were not there. “So, fine, Sierra might have known about us, but nothing has shown her to want to do anything except get to know River better, and they are good together, because she is not exactly going around causing problems for any of us. That is what Roxy is currently doing which is the one we should be worried about. We both know that River can deal with his own life, and he definitely can handle his own damn love life.”

“I am thinking of us,” Mac sighed.

“You can do that all you want but Sierra is on the level,” Jessica muttered. “I promise you.”

“How do you know that?” Mac asked.

“Because maybe I might have said we are not our parents. But in our case. I am just like my mother in one aspect remember,” Jessica sighed. “I might not be able to go into someone’s dreams, but I have insight on people, and I know we can trust Sierra. So, you should stop thinking the worst of her, and deal with you own life for once.”

“I do not trust her,” Mac muttered.

“You are paranoid for no reason pal,” Jessica muttered.

“And you are too trusting,” Mac shot back.

“You better be glad I am so trusting because you are asking me to trust you about Roxy,” Jessica shot back.

“Enough,” came from behind them as Mariah walked out into the fresh air, along with her little brother. “I have had enough fighting for tonight,” she sighed. “Or a lifetime for that matter,” because that is all I have been doing all these months is fighting… “I do not need to see anymore thank you,” she sighed as she asked as she felt the cool air on this March night.

“Whatever,” Mac muttered.

“Just kiss her already,” Lex muttered. These two are worse than my mother is he thought. “You obviously want to kiss, so do it, and stop arguing” he sighed as he knew enough sighs because of having an older sibling, who had been dating back home. But since life went over the cliff since they arrived in Roswell, she had been single.

But I know the signs. But his comment totally took Jessica and Mac by surprise.

“We are not together,” they both said in unison and Mariah could not help but burst out laughing. She also saw the chemistry she thought. But she also knew friendship was hard to bust if you were feeling something different for your friend.

“Maybe you should be,” Lex muttered. “Jaime told me you dig each other, but you just will not admit it.”

That got them stop fighting Mariah though at dumbfounded expressions on both faces. Priceless she thought.

*

“How are you doing?” was the first question Liz posed as she saw Max come out of River’s room. “How is your son doing?” she asked as she did not know why she was still here, why am I here? she thought. I should be collecting my children and we should be heading home because I have no place in being here, she thought. There is no reason I should be here she asked of herself. “River,” she asked even though she laughed at having to say it a name she knew very well by now.

“The doctors want him to stay overnight,” Max murmured. “He did not want to, but they want to make sure everything is on the up and up,” he sighed. “Thankfully there are no impairments so far from his X-rays, and he does have movement in his legs despite the slam against the tree,” he thought. “It could have been much worse.”

“Yes, it could have,” Liz smiled. “Are you going to be staying?”

“No,” Max shook his head. “River is well enough that I do not have to worry about his condition as they are going to move him up to a room, so I will stay for that, but they said I should go home, and they will call me if anything changes.”

Liz nodded.

“Thank you…” Max murmured.

“Thank you for what?” Liz asked.

“Being here, staying, because it makes it all so much easier. I know you probably want to go. And if you do, feel free too, because you do not have to stay,” Max asked. “But I appreciated that you were here, because you did not have too…”

“I wish I knew more about what happened at the park,” Liz asked.

“Me too, but so far that excuse they gave is holding because Roxy really does not want to rock the boat in this case.”

“Why not?” Isabel asked as she walked up to them as she was finally ready to collect her family, and to head home. “She wants to rock the boat any other time?”

“Who knows, but we should be happy,” Max sighed. “She either does not remember or she is planning to use it for her plans, whatever they are…” he muttered. “We probably should be hoping it’s the former not the latter.”

“Right,” Isabel sighed.

“Do you and the kids need a ride home?” Max asked of Liz who shook her head. “It’s a little late for you to be driving right?”

“No, I am fine, I am probably better than you are” Liz asked. “Maybe you yourself should not be thinking of heading home tonight?” she asked concerned for Max’s state of mind. It was also now officially after midnight, and no longer their daughter’s birthday but she remembered enough of Max to know his mind was not free, and easy on a night like this given how complicated his relationship with his son was.

“I am fine,” Max insisted. “I have been worse than what I am tonight.”

“That does not give me much confidence,” Liz said with a smile.

“Max, you can stay here in town at Mom and Dad, or with us?” Isabel asked. Because while she knew her brother could probably make it home. Still, it was late, and maybe he should not be on the roads.

“It’s too late to go to the house,” Max murmured. “I would not want to burden Mom and Dad.”

“Then stay with us. We are headed home anyways, and it will be an easier drive in the morning than trying to come back into town.”

“Maybe,” Max murmured.

“Do it,” Liz said softly. “You should stay with your sister because we will not have to worry about you.”

“You would worry about me?” Max asked stepping on her words. She is worried about me he thought and was almost jumping for joy at the display of concern.

“Yes, I would.” Liz muttered.

Hopeless, completely hopeless Isabel was left as she could not help but wonder where they were headed next in this adventure.

[keepsmiling7]

Yes Max, Liz would worry!

[Parker1947]

Hopeless Isabel was thinking a short time later as she was in the car with Kyle after collecting both of their children, who were now on way home. Max promised to meet them at the house after taking up the demand of Liz he would do anything that woman tells him to do she would think, although Isabel could not quibble with the nature of Liz’s request that her brother stay in town and not try to head out onto the road, and head out of town when he would be only coming back to town in a number of hours anyways. So, yes, Isabel was glad her brother was agreeing the request, and they made plans for her brother to come to the house when he was finished with the hospital.

Now Isabel was in the car, which was driven by Kyle. With both girls fast asleep in the back seat as they seemed to fall into the depth of their slumbers upon getting into the car. Until they got in, Jessica was grumpy for a reason neither adult knew of, and Jaime did not know what was happening either, instead she had fallen asleep inside the hospital. And now she was back asleep once in the car, not a care in the world. Jessica wished she could be like that because she did not want to think, and so she thankfully had fallen asleep herself once in the family car and headed home.

Now both adults were alone with each other and looking out into the night sky. “River seems like he is going to be fine,” Kyle was saying as Isabel had not been speaking once they were in a car and driving to their home.

“Thankfully,” Isabel murmured.

“What’s up?” Kyle asked. “You are distracted since we got in the car, is it your brother and Liz?” he was asking.

“No,” Isabel shook her head. “Not this time.”

“Then what is it?” Kyle asked because he was certain something was going on with fiancé.

“It’s not very important,” Isabel sighed as she was still trying to work it out in her mind. “I think I am just overtired. I think I just want to get home and go to bed,” she sighed. “It has been a long day.”

“Yes, it has,” Kyle agreed. It was not something he would disagree with her on, because he wanted to get home. But knew his fiancée was distracted for another reason, and it was not about her brother or even the misadventure in the park. “Is it Roxy?”

“Why would you think it was?” Isabel asked even though she knew it was.

“Because I know you were thinking of Lonnie before, and now to find out that Roxy is most likely Lonnie’s daughter,” he asked because there are no other candidates except maybe Ava Kyle thought. But Roxy has all the traits of what they knew of Lonnie. “It must make you wonder about the girl. And to know that she is out there on her own, a product of the system?”

“It’s just so weird,” Isabel muttered. Why all of this, it does not make sense. “Why all of a sudden?” Isabel wondered.

“Who knows,” Kyle sighed. Given that none of our lives makes that much sense. “Trying to figure out something like has never been something that had been that easy given our life,” he sighed. “She does not want any help, you know” he asked. “I mean Roxy.”

I know you meant Roxy Isabel thought. “True, but I also know that Roxy is also a teenager, and that is a hell of a time,” Isabel muttered. I know it well she thought.

“You were different,” Kyle asked as they turned onto their street.

“We also got lucky,” Isabel muttered. “Max and I both know that we got extremely lucky that we were found by Mom and Dad, even if the manner of it is bizarre and that they wanted us, and that we did not have to grow up in the system like Michael did, or from the sounds of it, Roxy did.”

“Everyone is different,” Kyle murmured.

“Yes, they are” Isabel said as they parked in the driveway of their home, and she looked at the house she and Kyle shared with their girls and knew how she had been fortunate in her life. Sure, there are complications. And I cannot be true to myself with the general public but still I have everything I want.

As the girls woke with the stop of the car. They looked up and saw the house, and knew they were home.

Getting out of the car, sleepy and groggy. They walked into the house, once Kyle got it unlocked, as he looked back and expected his girlfriend to be following them. Isabel was still standing by the car.

“Kyle,” Isabel started.

“Go,” Kyle advised. “I will let your brother know when he gets here.”

Isabel smiled, and got back into the car, and moments later, drove off.

“Where is Mom going?” Jessica asked.

“Going after a stray,” Kyle muttered as he walked through the doors. And Jessica only watched the car drove away and knew who it was that her mother was going after, “Hell no.” Jessica muttered.

“She’s reaching out,” was all Kyle willing to say. “It does not mean anything will come from it.”

Nooo, Jessica screamed to herself as she did not like it at all. Not at all.

“Go to bed,” was all Kyle would say as he forced the kids to go to bed, and the girls trudged upstairs, and were soon in the bed. But Jessica was thinking of how life was confusing. And she hated how confusing it was and hated how she was thinking of Mac.

When she should be thinking of Alan.

What had Lex started by recognizing what was going on?

*

Mac was also thinking of Jessica as he walked into his bedroom. The house was dark as his parents were in now in their bedrooms, and he did not know what to think about anything in his world. And he definitely did not want to be thinking of Jessica in that way he thought. Because the one thing he knew that you do not mess up a friendship with anything romantic he thought. As he had seen enough of it at school.

With friends who were not even as close to him as Jessica was to him. And given his commitment to non-commitments, well, the last person who is right for me is Jessica who wants someone at the end of the day.

I am not going to be there for a long long time he thought. Roxy was right about one thing. Jessica is not my type.

So, why was he thinking of Jessica and not Roxy as got into bed, and tried to fall asleep but found sleep elusive?

*

“Is she serious?” Max was asking his brother-in-law as he arrived at the Evans-Valenti household. “She cannot be seriously trying to find Roxy, when we have no idea of where she lives, or what she is up to?” he asked as was sitting with Kyle in the living room. The house was otherwise dark, and both were having a beer as a nightcap before they turned in for the night. Max had checked on his son before arriving, and River was sound asleep.

And all looked good for his release the following day. Nothing so far had come up, and Max was slightly worried about having the medical profession accessing his alien human hybrid son. After all River was much more alien than any of the other new generation kids because he had two parents, while Tess and I are human, still, we have more than a little alien DNA so one could not discount surprises coming up. At least all the others had one parent who was of the normal variety so while they had to worry, still, I am a tad more worried for River.

So, far so good.

Liz had taken the cue and collected her children and was departing before he had seen his son. Which was good because he knew so much had happened on this one day. And they needed some space.

Although Max never wanted to apart from Liz, but he had to think of his son, and his welfare. And knew the idea of being on the road for out of town at this hour was probably not advisable, so he took up his sister’s offer, and now had arrived to find her gone. Of looking for a wondering teenager.

“You know your sister,” Kyle said with a smile. “I knew I could not stop her, so I did not even try” he said softly. “She’s curious about Roxy and has been curious about Lonnie. Why, I do not know, because there was no evidence that Lonnie cared about us, because if Roxy is right, all she wanted her daughter to do, was cause trouble.”

“Yes, I do know my sister” Max sighed. “I just do not know what she wants to accomplish?”

“Me either,” Kyle sighed.

*

Isabel was not sure either what she was looking to accomplish on this mission of hers. All she knew she had to try, why, she did not know. I do not know she thought but she was driving among the streets and looking for the wandering Roxy Turner. Isabel did know that Jim had not reached up to her once she had vacated the hospital. So, she knew that the teen could be anywhere. Because Roxy did not have a fixed address.

Why she could be a student at West Roswell High without an address. Isabel did not know but she supposed the teen could have been at her foster family home when she started freshman year, and the school rarely updates their student’s information unless you go to them and change it with them, she thought.

So, Roxy could still be a student and be of no fixed address. She knew the teen often was seen by the park, or elsewhere, so she thought, why not, and she headed back towards the park. And saw for herself that the teenage was sitting on an out of the sight bench because they all knew the security guards roamed at night, and often did not check the ones out their view sight. All they cared was what was in plain sight, with the streetlights coloring it.

Why would they risk the danger? After all they were not paid by the Sheriff department.

So, Isabel parked, and got out of her car and walked towards the teenager. “Hello, Roxy,” she murmured as she walked up to the teen.

“I do not want to talk to you,” Roxy muttered as she saw her mother’s clone coming her way. I should have gone somewhere else she muttered.

“If you do not want me to call the Sheriff, then you do not have much of a choice, do you?” Isabel asked with a smile. “So, this is where you hang out?”

“It is among the spots,” Roxy conceded. “But I roam around,” she said, and I should have roam around some more.

“No doubt,” Isabel muttered. “So, are you okay?” she could not help but ask given the girl’s recent hospital stay. “You had a nasty fall there…”

“Don’t think I do not know what happened,” Roxy muttered.

“What do you know?” Isabel asked. “Or remember?”

“Enough,” Roxy said.

“Then why not get the others in trouble?” Isabel asked.

“I did not feel like it,” Roxy murmured. “Better to use the information as insurance for later,” she thought as she knew full well it was either Mac or Mariah’s younger brother who were the ones behind her collapse, but it did not serve her well to get them in trouble, and plus if it was Mariah’s brother, the authorities would not do anything.

And the Sheriff was in the back pocket of the Guerin family, and all of them she thought. It will be more problems than it’s worth.

“I guess we should appreciate that of you?” Isabel asked although it never good to know someone has insurance on you. Although we have it on her, although can we really unleash on her…

“It does not bother me if you do or not,” Roxy muttered as she looked at the woman who looked so much like her natural mother, that it was crazy. And downright eerie to be looking at the woman, when she had so many complicated feelings about the other one. Because they might look different. Because Lonnie had kept her New York edgy manner throughout her life. And it was obvious Isabel Evans Ramirez soon to be Valenti was a very different woman. Very down to earth and it annoyed her.

Which why it was such a fun time getting on Jessica’s case. The girl has a great life going and does not have a worry in her pretty little mind Roxy thought. My life has been different. Of course, she knew Jessica’ biological father was dead, but she had a man who was raising as if he was her father.

I have been on my own.

“Why not go back to your foster family?” Isabel asked.

“Even if there is nothing on this planet left would I step back into that house,” Roxy muttered. “I am better out on my own.”

“Why is that?” Isabel asked as if she knew she was treading on some dangerous waters here. There are many reasons.

“My foster father likes me too much,” Roxy muttered. “And his wife refuses to believe me.”

Oh, shit Isabel murmured to herself. “Why not go to the Sheriff and tell him. Or your social worker because I know you have to have one. Because they give one to any child still in the system?” she sighed because she knew the woman who had been Michael’s well by the end. She rarely cared enough to come and check in on her charge, and that left Michael in the house with a man who only cared for the monthly cheques. And Michael as a result had to go through hell before getting out into the world on his own. “Why have you not reported it?”

“I do not feel like anyone will believe me,” Roxy muttered. “And would the Sheriff believe me now that I have gone and messed with his grandson?” she asked because he knew the town Sheriff was Mackenzie Guerin’s de facto grandfather because of his mother, and the Sheriff’s marriage to Mac’s grandmother.

So, it is true? Isabel was asking himself. “Why did you do that to Mac or my nephew, River?” she was forced to ask.

“Because it rained on the parade of your daughter,” Roxy muttered and knew that answer had not gone over well with Jessica’s mother. “And because maybe I was attracted to the guys, even though I tend to go for those older than me” she sighed despite what I told Mac she thought earlier in this long ass day she thought.

“Roxy,” Isabel muttered.

“Don’t sweat it,” Roxy said getting up from the bench. “I know it was stupid. I won’t do it again, because I probably will get a punch if I did anyways, but most of all, I did it to appease my biological mother.”

“Lonnie.”

“She tends to go by Vilondra these days,” Roxy muttered. “She does not even care about me except that it messes with Sierra, and it messed with your family.”

“Roxy…”

“Don’t okay, you might look like the woman, but you are not her, and you I do not even care for her, but she came out of the woodwork and let me stay with her for a while there after I got out of my foster situation,” Roxy sighed. “She did not want to keep me, and she resented me because my father was not the man she wanted, and she got me out of a one-night stand. She abandoned me, and then she came back into my life when I was at my lowest, so she had me, even when I should have known better.”

“I am sorry that happened to you because I know what it means to have been abandoned.” Isabel murmured.

“No, you don’t” Roxy muttered. “You got the family. The happy ending,” she sighed. “You and your brother won the lottery so do not stand there and think you know what it is like to me, because you do not.”

“No, I do not” Isabel allowed. “But I do know how it is to not be wanted, and while you might be right that my brother and I got lucky, and we both know we did. But still, we were left abandoned in this world. And a lot of baggage came from them, even if you were lucky to have a home, and roof over our heads.”

“Whatever,” Roxy muttered as she was prepared to walk away.

“Wait,” Isabel sighed as she was determined for some reason to get through to the teenager.

“What,” Roxy sighed. “Look, why do you not tell your daughter I am sorry for me. Although it was fun to get on her case, and into her mind, and of course she makes it so easy. You have a great family there so do not look at me as their charity case that you are going to rescue.”

“What makes you think I want to help you?” Isabel asked. “I just wanted to see if you were okay, and to tell you that it will get better, and you can seek help you know. Go to the Sheriff, ask for another placement, or go out on your own?”

“I am out on my own, don’t need any official telling me what I can or cannot do” Roxy murmured. “So, excuse me, you go back to your dream world and forget about me. I think I might leave this town because it is not doing me any good,” she sighed.

“You cannot stay out here on your own?” Isabel asked.

“You think this is like the first night I have been on my own, well, you are then some naïve I do not know what you are. But you are not my mother, you might look like her, and you might be her, because of whatever our genetics are but I can deal with my own life. So, screw this because you are giving me a headache, so I am going to be out of here,” she sighed as she walked away.

Of course, Isabel knew she could let the girl get away, or she could…

*

Next morning,

Or Jessica could wake up the next morning and find her house was completely different. As she had a shower, as if it was any other day. And got changed and headed downstairs to the kitchen for her breakfast. Expecting to see Jaime. She did not, instead she was shocked to find someone with multicolored hair sleeping on the couch in the living room because Max was sleeping in the guest bedroom when Isabel got back to the house.

The house was dark. But Kyle now knew of the arrangement for the night, and he had not been thrilled about it, but he accepted it because it probably was the right decision. Jaime just smiled at it, knowing her stepsister would have a massive problem with it. And would probably be right too, but she was out of the house because she had a shopping trip planned with her grandmother, Amy and she had to be back by lunch so that she could have a session with Lex. She almost wished she had stayed, but she had, and Jessica did not see the teenager when she came downstairs and when she saw the girl with multicolored hair, she stormed into the kitchen. “Are you kidding me?” she asked of her mother. “Truly, are you seriously kidding me?”

Isabel had the misfortune to be sitting at the table, despite the late night and barely enough sleep to keep functioning this morning, but she knew her daughter would be taking it badly, so it was what she expected? “Good morning honey.”

“Do not honey me,” Jessica muttered. “I cannot believe you allowed her into the house. Of all people. After what she did?”

“Someone needed to keep an eye on her because she probably should have been in the hospital overnight like River was, because of her head injury,” Isabel murmured. “An incident I am not totally up on, and we both know that Roxy could still make a whole lot of trouble for any of us.”

“Right, River,” Jessica muttered as she stood there with her arms folded as she was furious. “Come on Mom. After what she did to both Mac and River, you are just going to let her stay here, when she has her own home?”

“No, she does not” Isabel murmured, trying to deal with her daughter patiently as Kyle could hear the voices as he walked into the kitchen. And could see mother and daughter battling each other. “She was on the street, and she needed someone to make sure she was okay.”

“It did not have to be you,” Jessica muttered. “We have a Sheriff Department you know, you should have called Grandpa,” she sighed. “He knows how to deal with those kinds of things and if you think otherwise than she has you snowed if you think she is some troubled teenage without a home.”

“Language Jessica,” Kyle said reminding the teenager. “Your mother did a standup thing, and you should be applauding her ability to be so understanding, with her wish to help out someone who is not as fortunate as you and Jaime are, to have a house and roof over your head. As you mother indicated, not everyone does.”

“She accosted both Mac and River, and you are letting their attacker to stay in this house?”

“She’s sorry.” Isabel murmured, although she did wonder if Roxy truly was, but that was for a different conversation.

“Hell, she is,” Jessica demanded.

“Jessica,” Isabel muttered with a frown on her face.

“Screw this, if she’s staying here than I will not stay in this house until she is gone,” Jessica demanded. “I will go to live with Grandma and Grandpa, or better yet, I will transfer and go to live with my grandmother in Arizona,” she said as she stormed out of the kitchen without having breakfast, and moments later, the door the slammed shut.

“She will calm down,” Isabel assured her fiancé.

“You better hope she does, because she has every reason to be upset you know honey,” Kyle sighed. “So, you better hope this works.

“It will…” Isabel muttered.

Would it though?

[Parker1947]

“Are you sure you know what you are doing?” Max was asking his sister as he woke up not long after Jessica stormed through the house, and out the front door. It had made a racket, and of course the teenager woke up, and was startled for a moment to see the home she had woken up. She momentarily worried she was back in her last foster family, but once the grogginess of it all worn off, she realized that it was a completely different place. And then she saw Max coming down the stairs and looking in and seeing her with some surprise on his face. And knew that surprise would be among the conversations. Take this as something to wear Isabel was saying “It’s Jessica’s, and she’s the same size as you are from the looks of it” she was also saying.

I doubt Jessica will be happy Roxy could not but say.

“It’s old, she does not wear it much anymore” Isabel said as a response as Kyle almost wanted to spit out his coffee as Max looked almost amused by the whole notion of what was transpiring. As Roxy nodded, and took the sweatshirt, and departed the kitchen.

Before long, it was on the multi color haired teenager, and she had left the house. And therefore, Isabel had somethings to answer for as she looked at the two men in her life. “Look, I know” she said as she concentrated on both her boyfriend, and her brother.

“Do you?” Max asked. “After all she is capable of?”

“She’s harmless,” Isabel tried, and only got the frown from her brother. “Sure, fine, she is not harmless.”

“Good because I think my son or Mac might have something to say about that matter,” Max said. I do not claim to know exactly what went down but I know if my niece’s version of the day before was even half true than we might have some worries. “You are looking for trouble, and not in only your daughter’s reaction.”

“Jessica will calm down,” Isabel insisting of her daughter.

“Are you sure?” Max asked. “Dad has already called to say that Jessica is already over there asking permission to stay with them,” he murmured. “He has not said if he and Mom have given her the okay, but she’s not okay with your new houseguest.”

“She will calm down,” Isabel muttered.

“You know how close she is to Mac and River,” Max muttered, and Kyle nodded. “They are the three musketeers, and there are days where I am thrilled by that. Because of what your daughter has given my son when I was not paying attention,” he sighed. “She is very close to the boys, and she takes what happens personally, and if what she said about what Roxy did is true?”

“Roxy is sorry about that,” Isabel murmured.

“You should not take her sincerity without a degree of suspicion,” Kyle murmured, and Max could not help but nod. “She’s been on the street. She deals with life by her own rules, and according to her own agenda, and in the past, we have had our share of people who have fooled us.”

“I am wary you know,” Isabel sighed. “She’s not Tess.”

“I hope not,” Kyle murmured. As he did have scars of those times. When it became too personal in the way Tess ended up betraying them.

“Because we all were snowed by her,” Max muttered and me most of all as he would always have regrets about those days. “But I remember how she did con you in the beginning, so that you would bring her into the group,” he said and when all he got was a frown from his sister. “By the end, we were all to blame, but she got passed your radar in the beginning. So, I do not want Roxy to do the same thing to you sis.”

“She’s not Tess,” Isabel said insisting. “I know Tess got through our barriers, and that is why I am always wary, even towards people I do trust, but I can see Roxy as different. When you think of it, Tess was raised by Nascedo to want a different life. To get off our planet and go back to where we were born. But Roxy has not had that influence. All her influences are human, and of the good and most of all, the bad, and even though she had some kind of influence by her biological mother, but we all know that Lonnie has not been a part of her life.”

“Still,” Max murmured as he was not prepared to prescribe to his sister’s view on Roxy’s life prior to the last twenty-four hours. “All I want is for you to be careful.”

“I will,” Isabel promised. “You know I am always careful.”

“Can I ask,” Kyle asked as he was understanding to what his fiancée’s goal was here, but still he had a lot of qualms about it. “What is your goal here?” Kyle asked. “I know we wanted to try maybe for a child once we get married, but I did not ask for a pink and green hair sixteen-year-old you know,” he said with a laugh. “How long to you intend this experiment to continue?”

“I don’t know, I really do not” Isabel muttered. “All I know is she needed help last night,” she sighed. “Maybe I see that our other halves got a raw deal in all this.”

“Why do you say that?” Max asked.

“We got Roswell. We got Mom and Dad,” Isabel murmured. “We got lucky. Even Michael had us. While our other halves got stuck in New York, without anyone. They had to make their way in the world. Yes, we can disagree with their methods which were truly questionable, and the fact Ava was the only one that appeared to have a soul, but we really did not know them or care to know them” she sighed. “We did our own thing, and it was easy to get caught up in our own lives. But we had it better. We had the abilities to make something out of our lives with the other had to deal with it all on their own, and we do have to like them but obviously it has affected their newest generation.”

“Sierra seems like she has a good life,” Max commented.

“Because she had a mother who loves her, despite their issues with each other. Stemming from you know how different Sierra is from her mother. Something she got saddled with because of who her father is, and because of how her father had conducted him, and therefore, he has not even tried to be a part of her life, and Roxy is the other side of the coin. She’s struggling to make it through this life, and we should be watching out for her, because we all know how complicated it is to make it through the day.”

“We did get lucky, but some of us have a life of hard knocks too you know,” Max sighed.

“I know,” Isabel murmured. “But all I mean is that we have to acknowledge them, and to help them if we can.”

“They would not help us if the shoes were on the other foot?” Max asked.

“How do you know that because after all Ava is still out there, and she helped you via Liz” Isabel asked softly.

“Because they killed my other half,” Max muttered. “And Ava had a crisis of conscious. We at some time in our lives have to accept that life that we have made for ourselves?”

“Our children are still too young to be dealing with all our own,” Isabel sighed. “Same goes for Roxy. It might burn us in the end, and we should be cautious but at least look out for her so that she does not meet the fate of Tess, or your half, Zan.”

“I guess,” Max muttered. Unsure of where this was going.

*

Meanwhile, Jessica was spewing spit as she waited for her boyfriend to meet up for a breakfast because she had walked out of her family home without breakfast, and then when her grandparents did not say an immediate yes for her to stay with them for, well, she left there too, and now she was waiting for Alan to show his face.

Because she could not believe how her mother was being snowed by Roxy. My mother is supposed to be smart, so why will she not see Roxy is not who she thinks she is… she muttered to self. After what she did to our own family?

Taking a sip of her tabasco infused milkshake, because she needed something spicy and something with heat on this morning. As she watched as Mariah came through the front door and stop by the table on the way to the back. “Good morning,” she said.

“I am amazed you are already out of the house,” Jessica said with a smile as she looked at the clock on the wall, and knew it was still early enough. “It was a late night?”

“For you too,” Mariah sighed as she looked around at the amasses already gathered in the restaurant, despite the early hour. “Yet you are here. But given that I promised my grandfather I would stop by, and I could not sleep. So, I am taking up his offer to show me the ropes. Because I start working here on Monday, and my grandfather wanted to give me a tour, so I know what to expect,” she sighed. “So, there will be no surprises.”

Well, that is surprising. “What, wait, you are planning on working here?” Jessica asked, surprised.

“I did not have much of a choice because I was forced too by my mother, because she was worried with what I am doing with my life,” Mariah murmured. With some warranted concern “And maybe she is right, anyways, but I am going to give it a go, and maybe it will be right move for me,” she sighed. “And once I am done on this tour, then I am planning on stopping the hospital and see if River is still there?”

Jessica nodded.

“Waiting for Mac?” Mariah asked as she waited for her grandfather to show his face. As back at home, she knew her mother had to deal with work that was piling up because of her troubles, and dealing with her brother in recent weeks, but fortunately her brother was at home, and who knows if she was over her issues. One has hope she thought.

“Nope,” Jessica shook her head. As she was not too anxious to see Mac at the present moment. “Alan.”

“Boyfriend, right?” Mariah asked as she did not know a terrible lot of Jessica’s life. But knew she was dating someone, and they seemed like a good pair, or so it seemed. Although she could not help but think of what her own brother had noticed the night before or was it only hours ago, she thought. It was all blurring together.

“Right,” Jessica nodded.

“Can I sit?” Mariah asked.

“Sure,” Jessica nodded. “Alan is running late. What about your grandfather?”

“He told me to wait out here,” Mariah sighed. “But I have to ask, are you okay?” she asked as she thought of what her own little brother sniffed out. “Sorry about what my brother said to you and Mac at the hospital.”

“Lex?” Jessica asked.

“He is the only brother that matters right now,” Mariah sighed. “I know River is my other one of the half variety but we do not feel like siblings you know. Because I can barely handle the fact I have another father,” she sighed. “Even though we spent some time together yesterday, but today, is another story, and I am still not quite there yet.”

“Just take it easy,” Jessica advised.

“Would you take it easy?” Mariah asked, “If for some reason your own father could come back to your life?”

“Well for one, my father died before I was born so that will not be happening. And I always have been upfront about the fact that Kyle is my other father,” she thought. “My mother did not try to tell me anything else. So, I am lucky. Of course, I never knew my biological father, and I do not know what he would be able to handle things assuming he had lived. You had a different life. You were raised to believe you were one thing, only to find you were another entirely.”

“I felt different…”

“We all feel different, but it always a matter of degrees,” Jessica murmured. “I do not envy you because I mean I have always known Kyle was not my father. He has helped my mother raise me, but we always knew what our roles were like in our lives. You do not, because you now have someone who is your biological father, and who wants to know you, but you have the memory of a man who had raised you for the first fifteen years of your life.”

“That was some nice diversion there…” Mariah said with a smile.

“What do you mean?” Jessica asked.

“I asked about what my brother, Lex referred to you last night. You and Mac both, sorry about that because Lex is only thirteen, so he is still young, and sometimes he cannot help himself.”

“Yes, he is.” Jessica agreed.

“So, you and Mac…” Mariah asked because she was well aware that Jessica, Mac, and River had been livelong friends. And it was hard to change things when you are friends and are so close and things start to twist around on you. Not that I know of that she thought because she and Josh had happened only when Josh had moved to town.

“We are friends, just friends” Jessica asked.

“Friends?” Mariah asked as if she did not believe her.

“Yes, we have been lifelong friends. Born into this strange complex clan that you now find yourself a member of,” Jessica cracked. “My parents did not make it to my birth as you could tell. Their marriage had cracked and would have divorced if he had not died. Although she was attempting to make it work and would have moved away to try and make it work, after they tried a short separation aided by living in two very different states, but because he died, she chose to stay here in town and I was born, and raised under my mother’s maiden name, although I was given my father’s name, in several ways,” she sighed. “Mac was born shortly after me, and River had been born before either of us, in a manner that was slightly more dramatic than either of us.”

“Because of whom his mother is?” Mariah asked. “And what the consequences of his birth would mean to his father?” she asked our father, she muttered herself as was still a lot to comprehend of the fact that she and River did share a mutual father, and therefore, she was constantly have to remind herself of this.

“Yes,” Jessica nodded. Tess Harding definitely is River’s mother. They look alike, if only for the hair, because River’s demeanor is much more his fathers although for the longest time you did not dare tell River this. “His birth was pretty dramatic.”

“Right,” Mariah sighed. The chief reason my mother and Max could not be together.

“You might not know,” Jessica murmured. “But the biggest issue was that in the beginning River’s father was not going to keep him, and in fact had put up him for adoption before he went and changed his mind.”

“Whoa,” Mariah asked. Wow “I do not know if I knew that or not.”

“Anyway, Uncle Mac obviously changed his mind. And as a result, both of their lives were changed in an instant and it was not all so glorious.”

“I figured,” Mariah sighed.

“So, River and his father have a pretty complicated relationship,” Jessica murmured. Which is an understatement.

“I could see that you know, when…” Mariah murmured. “I did not know him long before I could see there was a lot of tension in their relationship.”

“Things have improved somewhat, but it all still tentative,” Jessica allowed.

Mariah nodded.

“So, do not take that as a reason not to embrace you know the family,” Jessica muttered. “I know it cannot be easy?”

“No, it is not” Mariah allowed. “I am trying, but still…”

“Yeah,” Jessica nodded. “Uncle Max is not expecting anything so anything you can give him is something he would take in an instant,” she sighed. “Because he loves your mother, and you are part of her.”

“It’s so weird,” Mariah sighed. “I have a mother and father, and I thought they loved each other, and I know I my dad did,” she muttered. I always believed my mother did too she thought, and it now makes me doubt a whole lot.

“My mom tells me that you can love more than one person in your life, to different degrees of course. Mom loved my birth father, but they did not work out, even if my father did not die when he did, I doubt they would have made it because she loved him, really loved him, but they were too different, and I know my mother has a different love for my stepfather Kyle. They work together, but I have to think their relationship is different than what she had with my father. Which was more real, I do not know? Only my mother knows for sure. I am sure there is some of that in your mother, and Uncle Max, and even the father that you had all these years. She loved Uncle Max when they were so young. Things got extremely intense. And she had something different with your dad, so, it does not mean they did not have something real.”

“You should be a shrink?” Mariah smiled.

“I have too much baggage for that,” Jessica laughed. “Although given who I am, trying to console people might be a good for a laugh if they truly knew who we were…”

“But they do not?” Mariah asked.

“Nope,” Jessica smiled. “And most days of the week, I am perfectly fine with that,” she sighed. Although it would be nice if Alan knew, but then we have plenty of issues at the moment that make the idea of who I am small,” she thought. I did not think we had issues, but maybe we do she told herself as the door to the Crashdown opened, and she winced when she saw Mac walking in, and she looked at her watch, and she thought, just perfect. Why did I come here when he has to work today?

“Oh, I see,” Mariah asked as she checked her phone, and saw that her grandfather was delayed due to a phone call.

“No, you do not” Jessica sighed.

“I will take this every day of the week if I did not have to deal with my own life,” Mariah smiled. “You and Mac?”

“Are friends,” Jessica sighed “Only friends.”

“You tried that one before,” Mariah asked. “So, you might want to try that one again. Look I have not been around so I do not know what you and Mac have together, and whether you are better off as friends, but you should not be trying to hide because it does nothing to hide. And this comes from someone who has been trying to hide who she is, who she wants for the last few months not to have happened, for an entirely different reason of course. You should want to be happy.”

“Mac and me, would be like the worst thing in the world,” Jessica sighed.

“Why?” Mariah asked. “Can I ask?”

“Sure, you can ask, but I might not answer” Jessica smiled. “Mac does not do romance, and his dating life track record is not something to admire, and it would be a mistake for anything to start between the two of us, and if it was not for how he treats those he dates. But it is also the fact our parents are so close, too close. They are like siblings, even though they are not related, so we do not have any blood in common. But still, our little fraternity is way too small for us to mess things up by allowing things to be complicated.”

“As I said, I cannot judge because I do not know you and Mac,” Mariah advised. “As we have learned, you cannot stop love, and forcing yourself to love the wrong person will get you nowhere.”

Jessica only nodded as Nancy Parker came out and grinned when she saw her granddaughter. “I guess I better go,” Mariah smiled.

“Thank you for helping,” Jessica sighed.

“If I did, then that is great” Mariah nodded as she got up from the table. “Truly though Jessica, you, should trust yourself because the only person you can be true to is yourself,” she sighed as she walked away.

Yeah, I do not know about that because there will be too much trouble if we mess this up Jessica sighed.

*

Mac dragged himself out of bed because he had to get to the Crashdown for work. And given his recent drama, it was not like he was going to get permission from his parents to call in sick from work, at either of his jobs. Fortunately, this morning was working at the Crashdown, and the morning shifts always ran hot and cold, and he never knew what he would get in terms of crowds, which was always good for some amusement especially since he rarely did them when school was in session, so it was his chance to do it now that he was in the dying days of his Spring Break.

But he now wished he was at his other job at the Sheriff Department. Even if that one did not provide him money. Because Grandpa cannot be caught having his grandson on the public dime without being an official employee. He wished he was at that other job because he did not want to be seeing a certain blonde, This is so not wand now he was seeing her as he dragged himself into the Crashdown, ready to work his shift. Perfect he thought. This is not what I wanted he thought as he walked past the dying conversation of Jessica and Mariah.

Fortunately for the both of them. He did not overhear what they had been discussing. It was surprising at least a little to see Mariah also in the Crashdown. He figured at least one teenager would be sleeping this morning. I guess not he thought. He wished he was able to go to the hospital to check on his friend.

But making money took precedence, but he almost wished he had played hooky now that he was seeing Jessica. But he dealt with whatever he was feeling, which was something he did not want to be feeling, no thank you he thought.

Like Jessica, he knew there would be too many problems that came with breaching that friendship barrier.

As he looked up through the cubby window that he was supposed to be put the orders, and saw that Jessica looked back at him, and then left the restaurant and met up with Alan outside, and they kissed.

And he frowned.

*

“Are we not going to be going inside and eating?” Alan asked as she saw his girlfriend approach and kiss him, which was something he did respond too, I am not crazy he thought. Fortunately for their relationship, he did not see the frown coming from Mackenzie Guerin through the window of the kitchen. “Was that our plan?”

“I felt like going somewhere else?” Jessica muttered. Because the last thing she wanted to do was sit there in the Crashdown, and look at Mac, while he was working. And especially when she remembered that Roxy was back in her family home. “Is that going to be a problem?”

“Of course not,” Alan smiled as they kissed once more. “We can go the breakfast joint down the street that have the Eggs Benedict that I love so much. But you always want to come here because you find the offerings too bland?”

“Not today,” Jessica smiled as she took Alan by the hand, and smiled, and dragged him away from the Crashdown, and Mac…

Even as her eyes drifted through the window of the establishment, and met the eyes of her lifelong friend, who frowned, and dipped his head and went back to work.

*

“Does Aunt Isabel know what she is doing?” River wondered as he was sat lazily on his hospital bed as he was waiting for the sign off from his doctor. As he did not figure that he would need any more time in the hospital than what he already been forced to deal with… So, he was looking for the all-clear. After all, he was feeling well rested, yet tired because being on concussion protocol meant that the nurses rarely allowed him to sleep, and yet he still was ready to go and now was waiting for the doctor to show up so that his father can sign him out so that he could recover in peace quiet of the family house,

Not that I need to do much recovery.

And now he was forced to ask, what is with our family? River wanted to ask because he could not believe his aunt would actually allow Roxy Turner to stay with her family after all that had transpired the day before. Come on Aunt Isabel he thought. “Does she not know what Roxy did to me, or to Mac?” he could not ask.

“She knows,” Max sighed.

“That is all good and fine,” River muttered. “How can she do such a thing?”

“She thinks Roxy needs support,” Max muttered. I do not disagree he thought. Roxy definitely is troubled, and it was better to head off disaster before it inflicts itself.

“I do know that Roxy is probably is of the troubled variety,” River sighed. “But it does not give her the license to use people and to force herself onto people who might want her affection, or she should ask if they did want, and to take their no as an answer if we were to have given it.”

That is for sure, Max thought. “I am sorry son.”

“I don’t care that it happened, and I definitely will not report Roxy, but Roxy is known to fly right by the sun, and it’s annoying and I am willing to let it flow off, because I know she was only trying to get a rise out of Sierra, and most of all Jessica,” River thought. “But maybe she should be reported, because she does not always give you a choice.”

Max nodded.

“I am missing something?” River asked, as he could sense there was something on his father’s face. And it was not only concern over his health.

“There is probably some stuff you do not know,” Max conceded. “But right here, is not the place to get into it. Just know that there is a reason why Roxy is probably safer at your aunt’s place than out on the street.”

“Oh, great” River muttered. “I might not have a problem with it in the end. Although I do not like it, but I know two people who will have more of an issue. Both Mac and especially Jessica. In fact, Jessica cannot be happy with her new house guest?”

“She is not, and while I do not blame her” Max muttered. “I know she will come around.”

“Jessica can be pretty stubborn if one of us are hurt,” River sighed as the door opened and the doctor came in. “Dr. Reed, am I out of here?”

“All the tests are clear, so if you are feeling no ill effects…” Dr. Reed murmured.

“I am perfectly fine,” River sighed. “I want to go home.”

“If you are fine with making sure your son comes back if he is feeling any effects of the head injury?” Dr. Reed as of Max.

“Of course, I will keep an eye on my son” Max muttered even though he had not been doing such a thing for the last decade or more, until quite recently. “So, he’s able to be released,” he asked, knowing if his son’s condition did deteriorate at home than he could use his special method in aiding his son. But he sensed his son was on the road to recovery. “I’ll leave you to get dressed,” Max said simply once the doctor had left the room.

*

Once he had left his son’s hospital room. Max felt like he was walking in a fog. Not out of worry for his son. Because River was fine. And would be even better once out of these walls. Being in a place like this made him remember how he had the ability to help people, but rarely took it into his hands, out of fear of his secret, and what others might think.

It is not like I can let people in in my little talent Max thought, as he knew he always had this special ability to save people. But if he did, then they potentially developed side effects. Although only Liz has developed them, which makes no sense but that is what it is… And so, he was in the midst of his own thoughts, and did not look where he was going, before, he felt the colliding of another body.

Oops Max thought as they both landed on the floor.

She looked up at the same time that Max did. And she caught her breathe, “Whoa,” they both said.

“Sorry about that,” Max said being the first one to collect himself as he stood up, and lent his hand towards Liz, and pulled her up onto her feet. “Hello.”

“Hello, Max,” said Liz.