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Title: Lethe Pairings: M/L, and general CC going on here. Rating: Mature Summary: Three children wandered out of the desert that day, two girls and a boy. The other was left behind..... Disclaimer: I don't own any of Roswell or any of the following definitions from the Merriam Webster Dictionary.
A/N: From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
"Lethe"
In Classical Greek, Lethe (λήθε; LEE-thee) literally means "forgetfulness" or "concealment". The Greek word for "truth" is a-lethe-ia (αλήθεια), meaning "un- forgetfulness" or "un-concealment".
In Greek mythology, Lethe is one of the several rivers of Hades. Drinking from the river Lethe ("forgetfulness" or "oblivion") caused complete forgetfulness. Some ancient Greeks believed that souls were made to drink from the river before being reincarnated, so they would not remember their past lives.
A/N 2: So... hi. I'm Lydia, and this is my first story. I took a challenge from tequathisy found here, and... that's what this is. Hope you enjoy, and constructive criticism would be nice.
Chapter One - Beginnings
October 25, 1989 - Evans Household
Isabel Evans was at a loss.
It was her birthday, and sitting before her was a large, colorful confectionary of sorts, that was called "cake".
Cake. A breadlike food made from a dough or batter that is usually fried or baked in small flat shapes and is often unleavened.
The big lady, Diane Evans, had spent all day making it in the kitchen, only to have it lit on fire; a thing Isabel had been led to believe was dangerous and generally not good.
So why did the big people seem so excited?
And what did they expect her to do about it?
She glanced over to her left at Tess, who was baring all of her teeth in a poor attempt to smile, as she looked back at Isabel just as bewildered.
Bewildered. To perplex or confuse especially by a complexity, variety, or multitude of objects or considerations.
Looking to her right, Michael made no attempt to seem even vaguely amused, and had his brow furrowed into a decided frown, as he contemplated whether or not the thing laid before them was a threat or not.
With a heavy sigh, Isabel shut her eyes and wished again that she had her brother here to guide her.
Brother. A male who has the same parents as another or one parent in common with another.
One related to another by common ties or interests.
One of a type similar to another.
Kinsman.
She thought of her brother, and the familiar ache began to well in her chest. It always hurt to think about him, the brother she knew was like her in all ways, made her eyes sting and her throat tighten uncomfortably. She knew they had no choice at the time, but it didn't make her feel any better about it. That day she and Michael and Tess had crawled out of their pods and saw that the fourth member of their family had not.
Family. A group of individuals living under one roof and usually under one head.
A group of people united by certain convictions or a common affiliation.
An identifiable strain within a breed.
He was their family, and they had left him, and it had made her cry out in pain to do it, even though she knew it was the right choice. The only choice. Michael was just as afraid as she and Tess, and they didn't want to leave him either, but what could have been done? Staying there was simply not an option, and they somehow knew that the descision had to be made.
That night in the desert, the two big people had found the three of them walking down the road hand in hand in their automobile (a thing Isabel had firmly believed was a large hulking beast of it's own horrible will, and could not believe for a long time that the definition her dictionary gave her implied something else), and took them in. As grateful as she was to have found a new family with these big people who were kind to her and her siblings, she felt even more distinctly a strong sense of guilt that there was one of their own who had not recieved the same luck.
Guilt. The state of one who has committed an offense especially consciously.
Feelings of culpability especially for imagined offenses or from a sense of inadequacy.
That guilt ate at her, and she cried and cried and cried for the long months since that awful night, wondering where he was, if he had gotten out soon after, and what if they had waited and what if... he was dead?
Dead. Having the appearance of death.
Lacking power to move, feel, or respond.
Deprived of life.
No longer alive.
After that word, she had not been able to read her beloved dictionary for some time. The thought that he might have suffered that awful fate was simply too painful to bear, and oh what she wouldn't give...
She felt a gentle squeeze on both of her hands and she was pulled back into reality. Opening her eyes, she could feel more than see Tess and Michael gazing at her with understanding, and she knew, a similar sadness that was in her own eyes. Blinking away the memories, she stared hard at the cake and rummaged carefully for the necessary knowledge to relieve the expectance in her parents eyes.
"Isabel, honey. Make a wish!" her mother said.
"Don't rush her dear, she still needs to blow out the candles." her father, big person Phillip Evans said.
And then, in an instant, it clicked. She looked into the beaming faces behind the camera and smiled a soft smile.
"Candle." she said, and took a deep breath.
**************************
October 26, 1989 - A Desert In Roswell, NM
Empty.
He ran his hands across the withered remains of the empty enclosure, looking for a trace of warmth. There was none. With a frown, he stepped back and looked at the four empty spaces, one belonging to him not very long ago. His was not as cold, or as evidently deserted as the other three, and a sharp sense of loneliness overcame him.
He sank to the floor and sat before the four abandoned pods, staring hard at them and trying to understand.
Where were they?
Who were they?
Why weren't they here?
Why was he alone?
He had no sense of time as he sat there contemplating, and he almost didn't notice the scraping of the boulder against the cave walls behind him. Turning to face the unfamiliar sound, bright light illuminated the darkness and he squinted his eyes to adjust. A darkened figure came into view and quickly he jumped to his feet and backed away from the light as far as he could before bumping into the solid metal that held his former home. The tall shadow stopped, and stood before him in a solemn, quiet manner. Then, it spoke.
"Greetings, your majesty. I am your guardian here on planet Earth."
He blinked and tried to make sense of the strange sounds that this... being was making. This was NOT one of them, and he suddenly longed for his solitude again as long as it meant that IT would just get away and take the light away, too. He swallowed, and watched warily when it started speaking again.
"Welcome, King Zan, to your new destiny."
It held out one of it's hands and he was filled with a sense of commencement, as he stared into cold, blue eyes.
End of Chapter One
Lydia
Last edited by LadyLydia on Tue Jan 22, 2008 4:33 pm, edited 11 times in total.
Liz Parker adjusted her antennae and slipped her pad into her apron. She smoothed her hands down over her electric blue-green uniform and grinned at herself in the mirror.
Today would be her first day working at the Crashdown. And she was so excited.
Liz dreamed of waitressing at the Crashdown Cafe for as long as she could remember. Her father had always explained to her that she was too young and that working at the Crashdown was hard work and she should wait till she was older. But she was older, and now that she had turned nine years old, she was old enough to work in the cafe with her mother, taking orders and wearing the uniform and bringing people their food and making them smile.
Taking a deep breath, her chest swelling proudly, she skipped all the way down the stairs to the back room and was about to walk right through the swinging doors when she heard someone clear their throat. Turning around, she looked up into the eyes of her father, Jeff Parker, owner of the cafe, and her new boss.
"Now Lizzie, I-"
"DADDY."
"Wha-... oh. Of course." he caught himself quickly and resumed his lecture. "Now, Miss Parker, I just wanted to talk to you before you begin your shift."
Your shift. Liz thought dreamily.
Her father bit his lip to keep in his grin as he looked his daughter's beaming face. He knew how important this was to her, practically ever since she was old enough to speak, she had wanted to work in the Crashdown with her mother and Agnes, and watching her face when she had opened the last of her birthday gifts, he knew he would remember the pure, unbidden look of joy that exploded on her face at the sight of her own uniform. Getting back to what he was saying, he set his face into as serious a frown as he could manage.
"It's important that you remember to be very polite to the customers, keep your orders especially neat, and always keep that gorgeous smile on your face for everyone to see!" he finished, leaning down and pinching both of her cheeks.
"Daaad... " she giggled, despite herself. With a quick kiss to his forehead, she pushed open the door and walked out into the restaurant
Immediately, Liz was confronted by the hustle and bustle of the place, separate chattering at the tables, the back and forth wave of waitresses with their orders, and for a moment Liz was overwhelmed. Then, a gentle brush against her leg brought her attention downward, where Midnight, her Flat-Coat Retriever named for his dark fur, looked up at her with pleading eyes.
"Oh, Midnight," she said, running her hair through his thick mane. "You know you can't be out here. Daddy will have a fit!" She looked into the opening that led into the kitchen area and saw that her father was distracted talking to Jose at the stove. Looking back down at Midnight, she sighed, but remained firm. "Now get back inside, you, before somebody catches-"
"Liz!" her mother called, bearing a tray full of drinks. "Leave the dog alone and get your shift started. It's your big day, you know!"
"Coming!" she replied, and pushed the back door open for Midnight to go back inside. "Now scoot!" she said, and with a whine, he relented. Hearing the door sway closed behind her, she turned back to the restaurant and the task before her. Taking a step into the chaos, she walked up to the first table in her section, all of which she had memorized, and put a big smile on her face.
"Welcome to the Crashdown, may I take your order?"
By the time the afternoon shift rolled around, Liz's feet were sore, her mouth was dry, and her cheeks felt like they would fall off her face with all the smiling she had been doing.
She never felt better in her life.
Noting absently the swinging open and close of the back doors, a frequent occurrance she realized, she walked lightly over to the counter to leave Jose another order.
"Jose, table number five needs one Siguorney Weaver Burger, one Will Smith, two UFO fries, and a tossed alien salad, please."
"Coming right up, senorita." he teased, taking her order and pinning it up for him to see while he worked. "Your order for table three will be ready in a minute."
She smiled. "Thank you, Jose."
He smiled back at her. "De nada, querida."
She dragged a chair behind the counter towards the soda machine so she could get the Murphies their Coke and Dr. Pibs when she heard the chiming of the front doors and turned to see who had arrived.
"LIZ!!"
"MARIA!!" Liz jumped down excitedly and ran to meet her friend at the door. They embraced, squealing excitedly and finally stopped spinning to take a look at each other.
"Oh my gosh, Liz, you look SO cool. I can't believe you get to work here now! I'm way jealous!" Maria went on excitedly, with a huge smile lighting up her large green eyes.
"Oh, Maria, it's like a dream. Working here is like-"
There was a large crash outside the front doors, and the sound of metal twisting and scraping silenced the room. Everyone peered out of the windows, and Liz watched as her mother and father ran out the front door.
"Liz, what happened?"
"I don't know..." she replied, walking slowly to the door. "I'll just go out and see what my parents are saying."
"Liz-" Maria started, but she was already out the door.
Outside, Liz was immediately confronted by the smell of gasoline and she looked a little to the left and saw the two cars that had collided, one headfirst into the other, and the other lying on it's back, directly in front of the tables outside the restaurant. She saw her mother soothing the distressed customers with a strained look as her father stood right next to the accident, talking to one of the drivers and surveying the damage with a grim face. She went to go towards her mother when something rolled at her feet. Picking it up, she thought it was a coin, and began wiping off the... "Oil..?" to get a better look.
She read the familiar engraved letter M on the front and looked up with his name on her lips.
"Midnight...?"
She wondered why it was only then that she noticed all the blood.
**************************
September 19, 1992 - Arizona Fleming Elementary School, AZ
Avery giggled happily as she walked arm in arm with her best friend Cassie into the classroom.
"And then, my stupid brother tried to eat the-!" she was cut off abruptly as she was shoved hard against the wall, slamming her elbow painfully into the edge of the chalkboard. She squeezed her eyes shut against the pain and tried hard not to cry.
"ADAM!" Cassie shouted. The room became still. Avery looked up to see Adam standing almost a foot away from her, staring hard at the ground. "Adam, why'd you push her?!" she heard Cassie yell angrily.
"Adam?" Avery whispered brokenly. He pushed her? But why? She didn't do anything to him. She never even talked to him. Why would he be mad at her? At the thought that he wanted to hurt her, the tears pricked her eyes again and threatened to spill over.
Brandon walked up to Adam and pushed him hard. "How do you like being pushed around, huh?" he sneered. An angry murmur of agreement spread across the class, but Adam seemed not to notice as he continued staring at the floor. "Answer me, you stupid jerk!" Brandon yelled, pushing him harder, and Adam stumbled back, but did not react. With a growl, Brandon lifted his fist, aiming for his face just as Miss Brennan walked in.
"Brandon!"
He stopped midair, just as Adam looked up. "What do you think you're doing to a fellow classmate?" she asked him, with her hands on her hips.
Brandon pointed furiously at Adam. "He pushed Avery! We all saw him do it, and he didn't even say sorry!" Miss Brennan looked down at Adam with a sigh building in her chest.
Adam Schuring was new to the class, and had not made a single friend in the week he'd been here. In fact, he'd spoken to nearly no one since the moment he arrived, secluding himself and shying away from the other students. A small sniffle brought her attention to Avery, who was leaning dejectedly against the chalkboard with tears streaming down her face, and blood dripping through her fingers where she held her injured elbow.
"Cassie, take Avery to the Nurse's Office to get her arm fixed up." she said, and watched the girls walk out of the door, Cassie whispering words of comfort to her friend and holding her gingerly. Turning back to the boys, she frowned deeply, and began to speak.
"Brandon, Adam." she admonished. "The both of you need to understand that hurting another person is not okay under any circumstances, and I will not have it in my classroom. You boys are in third grade, not Kindergarten, and respecting one another is something you should already be well-aware of. Now, the both of you shake hands and apologize, so we can put this all behind us and be friends again."
Brandon slouched, almost ready to protest, but turned reluctantly to Adam's form and held out his hand to shake. Adam, still refusing to look up, took a step back.
"He's not my friend. And neither are you." he said quietly, but loud enough for everyone to hear. Miss Brennan's mouth fell open in momentary shock, but quickly regained herself, and pursed her lips together in a tight scowl.
"Adam!" she snapped. "If you're not going to cooperate and abide against school rules, you are forced to have a detention. You will miss recess today, and stay here to contemplate your lack of manners. Now, everyone, return to your seats before the-"
The lunch bell rang loudly, interrupting her speech, and the students shuffled to the front of the room in a single line to be led to the cafeteria. Brandon went over to join them, deliberately bumping his shoulder into Adam's as he walked past him. Adam remained where he was as Miss Brennan ushered the children out of the door. Looking back at him, she opened her mouth to say something, then changed her mind. With a small sigh, she took out her keys and spoke softly. "I'll be locking the door, Adam. Remain seated in your desk and eat your lunch silently. When I come back, I expect everything to be as it should, understood?"
He did not respond.
She closed the door, and with a jingle of her keys, locked it, and went clicking down the hallway in her high heel shoes after her students.
For a moment, he stood there in silence. Then, he took a step forward, and walked very softly towards Miss Brennan's desk. Bending down, he placed his hand on the floor, palm up, right next to the edge.
"It's okay now." he whispered quietly. "Everyone is gone."
Tentatively, a small, thin leg reached out of the shadows, and then another, and soon, the small, delicate creature with all its eight legs crawled onto his palm shakily, still slightly terrified from the near death experience it had almost not survived.
"Don't worry about that." Adam said, lifting her slowly to his face. "Avery didn't mean to step on you. She just didn't see you is all." he crooned, bringing up a finger to delicately stroke her small back. Walking over to the windows, still cradling the long legged creature, he waved a hand to unlock one of the windows and placed her gently on the window sill. She walked tenderly towards the fresh air and light, but still hesitated, hovering closer to the boy as though she was afraid to leave him. He smiled at her. "I'll be fine," he said. "They won't hurt me, and after all, I don't really need to make any new friends."
Turning his golden eyes up towards the sky, he took a deep breath, inhaling the smell of trees and sunlight.
"I'm a king, and I've got friends waiting for me out there."
End of Chapter Two
Lydia
Last edited by LadyLydia on Sun Mar 11, 2007 1:20 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Liz looked up to see Maria barge into her room, banging the door open.
"Hello to you, too." she replied with a wry smile on her face.
Maria looked at Liz with eyes that were wide with a mixture of disbelief, disgust and rage, all rolled into one crazy Maria-Expression.
"Do you know what that.. that-that CRETIN did to me?!"
Liz pushed her homework aside, knowing she would have to do it later and patted the spot on the bed beside her. "Why don't you tell me what happened, Maria."
"HONESTLY, I don't even KNOW how his parents even-"
"Maria, would you calm down? It's not even that big of a deal." Alex interrupted, walking into the room.
"Hi Alex." Liz said.
"Not a big DEAL?! How could you say that it's-"
"Hey Liz." Alex replied with a tired wave.
"IS ANYONE EVEN LISTENING TO ME?!"
Liz bit her lip to hide her smile, and tried not to look at Alex stifling his own laughter behind Maria's back. "We're listening Maria. Who's the cretin?"
"The CRETIN is the brainless, pig-headed Michael Evans." she ground out. "And you would not BELIEVE what he had the gall to say to me today."
"Maria, I really don't think he meant-"
"Like HELL HE DIDN'T, Alex." she cut him off, and began to pace. "I mean what is the DEAL with that guy anyways? How he even SAID that about me is totally-"
"MARIA!" Liz shouted. Maria looked at her with a huff, but otherwise remained silent. "Why don't you tell me what happened. INSIDE voice, Maria." she stated just as Maria opened her mouth.
Alex let out a snort.
Maria glared at him, but turned back to Liz to relay the story. "What happened was, Michael came up to me, COMPLETELY out of the blue and tells me I need to shut my trap more often so that maybe, and I quote, people wouldn't find it so DIFFICULT to be around me. I mean come on. Am I difficult? Of all people, I am the LEAST bit difficult-"
"Maria..."
"-And THEN, just as I was in the middle of telling him just where he could shove all of THAT, he says that my listening skills need some work. I mean are you KIDDING ME?! Me. Maria DeLuca. Have problems with listening. What is he NUTS?! He wouldn't know-"
"Maria, I don't think-"
"-what REAL listening was untill he had to sit with my mother after a Lifetime movie and three cartons of ice cream. Please. I've got AMAZING listening skills if I could sit through that-"
"If you would just stop ranting for a SECOND, maybe I could tell Liz the REAL reason he came up to you in the first place." Alex interrupted.
"You know Alex, I-"
With a roll of his eyes, Alex turned to Liz and said, "Michael asked her to the Spring Dance." Liz gasped, and jumped to her feet, looking at Maria, then back at Alex for confirmation, and when he nodded with a small smirk, her face broke out into a beaming smile.
"-And that jerk has a WHOLE other thing coming to him if he thinks he'll ever get another chance to-"
"Ohmigosh, MARIA!" Liz shouted excitedly.
"I-what?" Maria stared confusedly at Liz.
"Michael asked you to the dance?" she stood up and gripped Maria by the shoulders with an ecstatic grin on her face. "Michael Evans, the boy you've had a major crush on since fourth grade?"
Maria seemed to process what she said as she stared at a spot behind Liz's head, her mouth slightly open. "He... he did." she said, a slow smile spreading across her features. "Lizzie, he asked me to the dance!" she shouted, and they both giggled with sheer pleasure. Alex crossed his arms across his chest and lifted a brow.
"Of course, that was after he asked her to keep her mouth shut for fifteen seconds so he could ask her to the stupid thing."
"Well, you only think it's stupid because Isabel...." Maria stopped mid-sentence, and Liz watched as her friend's face transformed from amused derision to absolute horror.
"OH MY GOSH, LIZ." she said, panic clear in her tone. "I totally ripped into him for calling me a big mouth when he was trying to ask me to the dance!! OH MY GOSH. I TOLD HIM WHERE HE COULD SHOVE IT, WHEN HE ASKED ME TO THE DANCE!!" Maria pressed her palms against her forehead and began taking quick, shallow breaths. "What have I done?!" Liz recognized a Maria-Episode in the making and tried to intervene.
"Okay, Maria, we've just got to-"
"I might've ruined the only chance at happiness I could ever have in this lifetime, and-"
"Maria, look, you just-"
"-now he probably hates me and it's all my fault! God, if only I could just keep my-"
"Listen to me, I-"
"-big mouth SHUT! Why did he even say anything about that anyways, I mean what was he-"
"I'm sure if we just-"
"-THINKING, calling me a loud mouth when he's trying to ask me out? Who DOES that?! Oh, god, why did I have to fall in love with the socially retarded-"
"What? Socially.... Maria, stop it, you're not-"
"-ROCK BOY, who wouldn't know how to ask ask a girl out properly if-.. if... oh, Lizzie, I-"
"MARIA." Liz interjected loudly enough to stop her friend's speech. Maria stopped talking and bit her lip hard, and Liz could see tears building up in her friend's eyes. She sighed, and took her into her arms, as Maria buried her face in Liz's shoulder with a loud sniffle. She rubbed soothing circles on her back and Alex came over to join them in the comforting embrace.
"It's alright, Maria. I mean it's not that bad, right?"
Maria snorted and pulled away from them both. "Actually, Alex, it is that bad." walking to face Liz's floor-length mirror, she sat on the floor and stared at herself, furiously to wiping away her tears. Alex and Liz gave each other a concerned look before turning back to Maria.
"Maria, maybe we can fix this." Liz started, walking over to her friend and placing a hand on her shoulder.
Maria looked up at her reflection. "How?"
"Well... you could call him, right? Sports practice is only a little longer than Band is, so he should be on his way home now." Liz said, trying to figure the most logical time slot for her plan to work. "We could look up his phone number and at... four thirty, we can call his house, and you can explain everything, okay?"
A slow smile spread over Maria's face, and she turned to Liz happily. "Thanks, Liz."
"And the scientist comes through again!" Alex joked, waving his hands in the air in mock awe.
"Alex.." laughed Liz, and Maria got a devious look on her face.
"So, Alex," said Maria. "Now that we've got my love problems out of the way, let's talk about you and Miss Izzie."
Immediately, the amusement left his face and was replaced by a distinct blush as he swallowed hard. "Umm well.." He cleared his throat as his voice cracked and, intrigued, Liz raised an eyebrow.
"Alex..?" she questioned with a smile. "Did you ask Isabel Evans to the dance?"
"Well.."
"HAH!" Maria laughed out loud. "Not even close. The only thing bigshot over here asked her for was the time."
"Shut-up, Maria."
"Hey, it's not my fault somebody's such a wimp."
"MARIA."
Liz watched her two friends argue playfully. Looking at them both, she wondered when exactly they had gotten to this point. It really didn't seem all that long ago that their main concern was trying to avoid cooties. Now, they were flirting, and going to dances and wearing bras. Some needing them more than others, she thought, looking down at her own flat chest. She sighed. It seemed like her friends were growing up without her. Maria, developed and getting asked out by boys. Alex, growing like a weed, and his voice cracking with that awkward transition into manhood.
And there she was, Liz Parker, still trying to get by with as little contact with the opposite sex as possible.
She let out a breath, and let the thought pass from her mind. What did she need to go to a dance for? She was only thirteen. Sixth grade was hardly about how many boys liked you, and she needed to concentrate on her studies. Going back to her bed, she contemplated whether or not to go back to work before her friends left.
Maria, glancing over at Liz while Alex tried to develop a coherent comeback to her comment regarding what Isabel would think of his keyboard suspenders, examined her friend closely, almost knowing just what she was thinking, and decided to say something.
"So, Liz, speaking of the dance..." she started. Liz looked up from her book.
"Hmm?"
"Isn't there someone you wanted to go with? You know.... somebody special you had in mind?"
Liz paused for a moment, looking down with a crease in her brow. "Actually..." she said slowly. "No. I wasn't really even planning on going, to be honest."
Maria looked appalled. "Not go?! Lizzie, you have to come! This is like, the biggest event of the year."
Liz shrugged and said, "I'll probably go alone, then. You know, watch you guys." She already knew Alex was going to the dance anyways, to at least attend the same dance as Isabel.
Maria, seeming to expect that answer, took a moment before she spoke again. "What about Kyle Valenti?"
Liz looked confused. "The sheriff's son?"
"I think he likes you. Don't you agree, Alex?"
Alex looked vaguely nauseous at the comment, a look that wasn't actually all that different from the one he'd been sporting after his blatant verbal defeat.
"No way, Maria. Why would Kyle Valenti ever like.. me?"
Maria was even more displeased.
"Why WOULDN'T he is the right question. I mean Liz, you're smart, funny, cuter than practically all the girls in our grade..."
"Mariaa...."
"It's TRUE. And there's no reason why you shouldn't go with him if he asks. Right Alex?"
Alex, having yet to respond to any of Maria's comments, opened his mouth to respond, before she continued without him.
"Exactly." she said, putting her arms around her in a brief hug, before going back to face her reflection. Alex rolled his eyes, and Liz looked down at her burnt red coverlet, deep in thought.
Kyle Valenti... and Liz Parker.
Maria cocked her head to the side, twirling a lock of her hair and examining it's reflection.
"Hey guys..." she started slowly. "What do you think about cutting my hair?"
**************************
April 29, 1996 - Newton Ave, Roswell
Isabel glared at her brother.
"You did WHAT?" she nearly shouted, her fists white with tension as she clenched her books.
Michael looked uninterested, and maybe even a little agitated as he responded. "You heard me."
Her nostrils flared as she tried in vain to light him on fire with her vision. Tess remained a quiet bystander as she watched the interaction between the two.
"Do you have any idea what you've done, Michael?"
He scoffed, and rolling his eyes he said, "It's just a dance, Isabel."
"Just a dance? JUST a dance? Oh no, it's not JUST anything, Michael. This is the fate of our entire existence on the line, because YOU couldn't have some SELF-CONTROL."
Tess winced at the anger rolling off of Isabel with every word that left her mouth. Surely it couldn't be as bad as all that?
Michael tightened his jaw and looked away. Tess narrowed her eyes. He seemed a little more than upset about being lectured. There was something wrong...
"And you've COMPLETELY gone against our sacred pact, the one that YOU insisted we keep when we realized what we were. How are you gonna explain that to her, huh? That we're not from AROUND here? What's she gonna do then? You know how stable the girl is, she'll probably-"
"She said no, alright? She doesn't want to go with me."
Isabel looked shocked for a moment. "She... she did what?"
Frustrated, Michael turned his eyes angrily towards her and leaned in close. "She. Said. NO." he annunciated slowly, and Tess could feel the heat of every word where she was standing behind him.
"Michael..." she said quietly, placing a hand on his shoulder in comfort, her mouth set into a grim line. He turned to her, and for a moment, the pain was so clear in his eyes, it made her heart lurch in her chest. She began to speak, but Isabel beat her to it.
"I can't believe she said no. I mean it's obvious the girl is-"
"Well it's obvious that she's NOT." he retorted, and the moment was gone. Shrugging off her hand, he turned his back to both of them. "She doesn't feel anything for me, so you don't have to worry. Your precious secret is safe again!" he mocked, and then without another word, stalked angrily ahead, continuing the rest of the way home without them.
Tess watched Isabel watch him in silence. Regret hung heavily in the air. Isabel, scuffing her sneaker across the pavement, looked down, to the side, and back at his retreating form. "It's his secret too." she said quietly. Tess nodded in understanding.
"I know." she murmured in response. Isabel looked up at her with grateful eyes, and then put her mask back up, straightening her back and clearing her face of all emotion.
"Let's go home." she said, and began walking forward. Tess followed suit.
They reached the door in silence, walking in and taking off their shoes, they walked past the opening into the living room. In the kitchen, they saw Michael with his back to them, on the phone.
"Look, Maria, just spit it out already!" they heard him say, and Tess could feel Isabel tense up beside her with slight anxeity.
They watched as Michael's head suddenly lifted and she could almost imagine the smile spreading across his face as he received the news she knew he had been longing for. Suddenly he froze, as if sensing their stare, and turned around slowly to face them. Looking at Isabel, his face fell, and suddenly a stone wall had replaced the happy expression that was there only moments ago.
"Sorry, Maria. I've already made other plans. ...The answer is no." And with that he abruptly hung up the phone and walked out of the kitchen and out of their sight. The unmistakable slamming shut of his door left a thick silence in its wake.
Isabel cleared her throat. "I'll be going to my room now." she said to nobody in particular, and brushed past, staring blankly ahead at nothing as she made her way to her room alone.
With a heavy sigh, Tess wondered if it was as hard growing up for normal kids as it seemed to be for them.
**************************
April 29, 1996 - Austin, Texas
Luke walked into the house quietly, shutting the door behind him and, for security reasons, raised a hand to fuse the lock shut.
"Oh, there'll be no need for that today, son."
His movements froze at the cold endearment, and he turned around slowly to face his "father". The sight before him sent panic coursing through his system. Before him stood a disheveled Charles Goodwin, his guardian and protector on this planet, and at his feet were two bodies lying still on the floor.
"Welcome home." he said, with a sarcastic grin. "You missed all the fun, young sire! Oh, but don't worry. I made sure to save you something." Chuckling with sick glee, he casually flicked a piece of hair out of his blood-flecked face and reached for the body closest to him.
Luke could feel a strong tightening in his chest, and struggled to breathe properly. He had never seen him in such a state, and it frightened him to see his teacher so untidy, when he usually did everything in his power to remain as neat as possible. And as he watched him pull the body upright, a man he could tell, it was all he could do to not jump out of his skin when he heard the low groan.
"Hahaha, yes.. yes, come alive now, agent. Come and face your fate." He purred darkly, holding the man in black up by his neck and forcing him to an upright position. Looking over at Luke, who had not moved from the doorway since entering, he waved impatiently.
"Come on now, hurry up. We don't have time to waste here." he snapped, and Luke walked jerkily over to where Charles was now holding the man up by his hair, and flinched slightly when he slapped the man sharply. "GET UP NOW." he barked and the man let out another groan before blearily opening his eyes.
"N-.. Father, I don't-"
"Oh, you'll understand in a moment, young man. Won't he, agent? You're going to explain everything, aren't you?" The agent, wide awake now, his eyes darting fearfully around the room, began panting heavily.
"Where-.. Where am I?" he spoke with a shaky voice, and Luke could practically drown in his fear.
Charles laughed out loud. "Is this what the FBI has sent for me? Is THIS what their best agents are made of? HA! The idea is ludicrous! Don't you agree?"
Luke looked up from the face of the agent and into the wild eyes of his protector. Cold pooled in his stomach and he tried desperately to understand what was happening. Agent..? Did that mean agents had found them? How had they gotten so close, in their own house? Questions raced through his mind at a frantic pace, just as Charles decided not to wait for an answer.
"Yes, well, I wouldn't expect you to understand anything about the precious Federal Bureau, as this is your first REAL encounter with them, BUT!" he said excitedly, gripping his shoulder tightly with ardor, a manic grin spreading across his face. "THAT's what makes today such a MOMENTOUS DAY!" Nearly bursting with glee, he cackled to himself, and Luke only watched with increasing horror. A small whimper from the man brought him out of his reverie and he cleared his throat to speak.
"What do you mean?" he asked quietly, but Charles' laughter would not be stopped.
"Stand up, agent!" he said, and hoisted the man up to his feet. Luke could see blood leaking down one of his arms, and would not look over at his partner to see the damage on that corpse. Body.
The agent stumbled backwards, holding his bleeding arm, and staring at Charles with unbidden terror in his eyes. Reaching for his gun with his good arm, he pointed it at him, unable to stop the trembling in his hand.
"Ohh, you won't be needing that, agent." Confused, the agent looked nervously from his gun, and back at the sinister man before him. "Besides, am I really the one you should be pointing that at?"
Luke stared at him in bewilderment, and then jerked back to the agent as he suddenly turned the gun on the boy in question.
"I.. what?" Luke asked out loud, and watched warily as Charles made his way right behind him, placing both hands on his shoulders.
"You, are going to undergo a small test, young king." he intoned, the words sliding silkily off of his tongue.
"I'll SHOOT!" the agent suddenly shouted, rising panic evident in his voice, and Charles chuckled darkly.
"And?" he drawled, and the agent's mouth flapped open and close, trying to come up with a response. Luke swallowed, and glanced to the side at his mentor for guidance. "Now, Zaneth, do you remember what we were practicing last in the desert?"
"T-the desert?"
"Yess, in the desert, with the rocks. Do you remember how to concentrate your energy like I told you?"
Luke nodded slowly, keeping his eyes locked on the agent before him, whose eyes bore into his with raw, all-consuming fear. "Good, good. Now, I'm giving you a new target." Charles said, amusement lacing his every word. Raising a hand before him, he slowly pointed straight at the agent, who instinctively stepped back.
Luke's eyes widened in horror. "What?! But I can't-"
"You can." Charles said, a dangerous tone entering his voice.
"I can't-"
"DO IT." he shouted impatiently, his grip on his shoulder tightening painfully. With a sudden clatter, the agent dropped his gun and tried to make a run for it.
"WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING?!" Charles shouted, aiming hand at the agent's back. With a cry, the agent suddenly jerked to an abrupt stop. Bringing his hand to his neck, he choked, and fell to the floor clawing at his throat. Luke gasped with shock as he thought he saw a spot of blood fall on the floor when he was suddenly, violently turned around to face the older man.
"LOOK WHAT YOU MADE ME DO!" Charles screamed in his face, and Luke could feel the tremors take hold of his very bones as his heart hammered wildly in his chest. "Hesitation leads to questioning, questioning leads to doubt, and doubt leads to failure. When I give you a command, you do not hesitate, you do not question, you do not doubt. You ACT." A strangled gurgling sound was heard behind him, and Luke dared to turn his head slightly to see what it was. When Charles turned him all the way to face it, Luke nearly retched at the sight.
The agent, convulsing violently on the floor, had blood gushing from his mouth, nose and ears, and his eyes were bloodshot to the point where the whites of his eyes were totally consumed by red. His face was contorted in what could only be unimaginable pain, and he dragged himself closer to them with his one good arm, and Luke could see his fingernails bending backwards and breaking and bleeding as they dug into the floor tiles beneath him.
"Fix it." Charles muttered angrily to him, and Luke felt completely at a loss as the agent came closer and closer.
"How?!" he managed to choke out, unable to tear his gaze away from the monster approaching them.
"You know how." Charles responded, giving him a slight push forward. "You know the only way how."
The agent let out a harsh hoarse croaking sound and more blood bubbled forth.
"Do not hesitate, Zan."
"But-"
"NOW, ZAN."
With a cry he quickly raised a hand just as the creature had reached his feet, and all the energy that had built up inside of him was released, and sent the agent flying across the room to hit the wall with a resounding crack. Slowly, the body slid down the wall, leaving a dark smear as it went, finally landing on it's back, his face turned to stare straight at the boy, at an angle that was not natural for the neck to turn.
There was a silence.
"Well done, Zan." he finally said, standing up straight and letting go of his shoulders, and they seemed to sag without his grip supporting them. Walking around to face him, he continued. "You did do well, that was a very commendable focus of your energy. However..." he trailed off, and in a quick move, grabbed Luke roughly by the neck and raised him to eye level.
"You disobeyed a direct order, and that is most certainly NOT commendable, and NOT excusable." Squeezing his throat to emphasize his point, he went on, ignoring the boys hands as they scratched against his hold in vain. "Insubordination is a weakness I will not have in my charge, is that clear?" Receiving a choked gasp of air as a response, he let go, dropping him to the floor.
He watched Luke lie on the floor, gasping for breath, and suddenly he became in control again. The wild look was gone, and all that was left was cool indifference, as he ran his hands down his front, and through his hair, as though to tidy himself up.
"I have to go out now, Luke." he said calmly, none of the previous heat in his voice. "I have some important business to attend to. When I return, I expect all your things to be packed and yourself ready to go. We're moving." And with that, he walked towards the front door, stopping once to glance at himself in a broken mirror and wave a hand over anything out of place, then left.
Luke heard the front door slam shut, and for a few moments, the only sounds that filled the room were of his own, labored breathing.
Closing her locker, Liz adjusted the books she held in her hand and turned to walk to the cafeteria when two large arms wrapped around her waist.
"Wh-?" she was interrupted as a pair of warm lips pressed against hers, and as her books fell out of her hands, they were replaced by a strong, hard chest. She murmured softly in protest as the offender pushed her back into the lockers and pressed his solid body against her own. Pulling away from the kiss, she blinked her eyes open and looked up at her attacker. "Kyle," she said breathlessly. "What are you doing here? I thought you had Biology fifth period."
"Well, I figured it wasn't as important as seeing my favorite girl." he said, burying his face in her neck and holding her close.
"Kyle.." she admonished lightly with a little bit of laughter. Bringing his head up to look into her eyes, Kyle let out a small sigh, and gave her a peck on the lips.
"Yeah, I know. I oughta appreciate Bio more like I appreciate Basketball."
Liz nodded with a pointed look and glanced at the clock. "You've got about three minutes before you're late, mister." she said, giving him a slight push in the right direction, careful of any other passing students walking by. "Now get to class!"
Putting his hands up in surrender with a pained expression on his face, he took a few steps back and sighed. "Yes, your majesty." he teased, and turned to walk to class. Liz watched his retreating form with a smile when he turned around suddenly to look at her. "So I'll see you at the Crash Festival, right?"
Liz rolled her eyes. "Yes, Kyle. Now go!"
A slow smile broke out on his face, and he waved dreamily at her, not taking his eyes away from hers as he walked away, bumping into several other students as a result. Liz stood there smiling back at him until he turned the corner and left her sight for good.
It was only then she let the smile drop completely from her face.
The final bell rang, and the hall was emptied of all life except for Liz Parker.
She let out a sigh, and leaned heavily against the lockers behind her. Liz knew that Kyle was a great guy. He was fun to be with, and steady, and loyal, and treated her like the best girl in the world.....
But.
And there was the problem. No matter how many wonderful things she could say in Kyle's defense, a little voice inside her seemed to blow it all away with that one little word. It's not like she didn't like going out with Kyle. After all, what girl wouldn't? Not only was he the aforementioned things, which any girl would be happy to have, he was also good-looking, and charming, and sometimes even romantic, when he tried his best. And he ALWAYS seemed to be trying his best.
So why was she always wondering what it would be like to NOT be Kyle's girlfriend?
Honestly, they had only dated over the summer, and it was supposed to be a casual thing, and it had been... pleasant. And she never thought he'd want to continue into the school year or anything, but...... he did. And she hadn't objected to it, which meant she'd wanted to continue it too, with good reason.
But why didn't kissing him ever feel like... kissing?
Liz sighed, unwilling to pursue the thoughts further and walked herself slowly to the cafeteria for a quick sandwich to eat for the remainder of the lunch period.
She did not see the pair of watchful blue eyes that watched her go.
September 18, 1999 - Springfield, Colorado
Thomas kept his breathing controlled and his eyes focused straight ahead as he counted slowly in his head.
Twenty-three. In. Out.
Twenty-four. In. Out.
Twenty-.......
In the middle of his twenty-fifth pull up, he froze, his eyes darting around the dimly lit room, scanning for any sign of danger. Apparently satisfied, he continued his workout.
Twenty-six. In. Out.
There was a loud bang as his door slammed open, and he let go of the bars to drop to his feet, only to have a figure smash into his back, knocking them into the nearest wall. Thomas turned swiftly and slipped out of the man's grasp as he ran for his dresser. His attacker followed suit, about to grab his target when Thomas maneuvered around him and grabbed him in a headlock. They wrestled around for a moment, but Thomas kept a tight hold on the man.
"Good," the man said panting. "But not good enough."
Suddenly wrenching himself out of his binding grip, the man twisted around and grabbed Thomas's arm, swinging him around and slamming him hard into the full length mirror on the wall, in a tight hold. Thomas struggled in vain, but could not escape.
"Slow." said the man almost tauntingly in Thomas's ear. "Too slow. If I were an agent, you'd probably be-....." he trailed off, catching the reflection of his back in the dresser mirror. There was a long pause. Then, Thomas remained silent as the man began to chuckle, and then laugh wildly.
In the center of his back was a large, palm-sized sticker of an alien head with large black eyes and green skin, wearing a cowboy hat and holding a gun to it's head. Underneath it's face were the words "BANG BANG" in bold lettering.
With a grin, the man released Thomas, who turned to face his former captor with squared shoulders and an expressionless stare.
"Clever. Very clever. And right at the point of fatality." his guardian said, reaching behind his back and pulling the sticker off to take a good look at it. "You made it yourself, of course?" He received a curt nod in response. He hummed softly, and examined his silent charge with a bit of light in his eyes. He glanced back down at the thing, and gave a small snort, handing it back to Thomas, who held out a waiting hand.
"That will be all, sir?" Thomas murmured quietly, and didn't react while his protector looked him over with a sharp eye.
"Yes... you can start preparing for bed now." he replied, still keeping his eyes trained on the boy.
He quickly turned to walk out of the door before stopping and turning back to him. "Get an early start tomorrow. Training will begin earlier as it appears that you need something a little more... rigorous. I think it's time we upped the ante, don't you?" And not waiting for a reply, he walked out, shutting the door behind him.
Thomas remained rooted where he was even after the door was closed for some time. Then he walked over to his bed and slipped his little alien underneath his pillow tenderly. He reached over and turned off his lamp, and the room was filled with darkness. Instead of going to his bed, he walked over to a spot in the center of his room and sat cross-legged, staring blankly ahead.
He sat there, as he did every night until sunrise, and remained completely still, his eyes never closing and his bed cold and unused.
As the first traces of sunlight touched his face, he wondered idly what his dreams would be like if he could ever sleep again.
September 19, 1999 - Crashdown Cafe
With the ringing of the bell, Liz tucked away her pad and walked briskly to the counter to pick up table seven's order. She was, however, intercepted by a slightly frantic Maria, who dragged her to the sink, spinning her so she was facing the Cafe with a confused look.
"Maria, I have an order-"
"Is he looking at me?"
Liz frowned, looking at her friend in confusion, when she caught a glimpse of who was sitting in the booth directly across from them, glaring for all he was worth. Liz smiled, and looked back at Maria. "And if I say no?"
"NO?! Lizzie, how could he-"
"Maria," she interrupted amusedly, placing both hands on her shoulders. "Of course Michael Evans is staring at you." Maria smiled and bit her lip.
"Really?" she asked, pleasure evident in her voice.
"How could he not?" Liz said, placing her hands on either side of her face. "Look at that face, the boy would have to be BLIND." Maria giggled, putting her hands over Liz's and taking them into her own and squeezing them excitedly. "Why don't you look for yourself...?" Liz suggested slyly, and Maria raised her eyebrows with exaggerated intrigue and nodded.
Carefully bringing a hand up to her neck, Maria slowly turned her head to the side, her face carefully devoid of anything but bored indifference. She brought her hand up a little further, casually scratching at her ear and glancing over at his booth.
Michael flinched very slightly, and looked away, deciding that the wallpaper was more interesting than what his sister Isabel had to say.
Maria spun back towards Liz, and an infectious giddiness took hold of them, and they tried hard not to giggle too loudly. Maria opened her mouth to say something else when Tess walked up to them in her uniform.
"Hey, Liz. Table seven is still waiting on their order, and there's a couple that needs to be seated at the front."
Liz's eyes widened, and she smiled back bashfully at her. "Sorry, Tess. I just got a little..."
"Distracted?" she offered gently.
Liz laughed embarrassedly, while Maria failed to look amused.
"If you want, I can seat the couple while you bring table seven their order..." Tess offered, and Liz looked even more embarrassed.
"Oh no, Tess, it's... it's fine, I'll be right on it, okay?" she said hurriedly and walked out from behind the counter, turning back with a grateful wave. "Thanks for reminding me!" and with that, she walked over to the counter to pick up their order with Maria not far behind.
Maria looked over at Tess as she took the order of another table, and leaned over to Liz. "So is it just me, or does it seem like something is up with that girl?" she said quietly, and Liz looked over at the girl in question.
"Tess?" she asked. "What do you mean, Maria?"
"I don't know, it's just... sometimes she seems a little...."
"Maria, Tess is our friend, and she's been working at the Crashdown with us since... you've been working at the Crashdown."
"I know it's just... there's something off about her."
"Maria.."
"She just seems a little... distant, is all. Sure, she's friendly, but... then... is she really a friend?" Maria finished with a final tilt of her head, and went to bring the coffee to the table in her section. Liz frowned, and studied Tess a little longer, before picking up her order and bringing it to the couple sitting at table seven.
"Sorry to keep you waiting. Now, I've got one Siguorney Weaver, that's for you. And one Will Smith. Now, can I get you guys anything else? Great Martian Shake, Blood of Alien Smoothie...?"
"You..?" the man consulted his wife briefly, who shook her head. "Mm.. no, we're good, thanks." he said gratefully, and Liz noticed the look of the two sitting at the table. Tourist flashed in bright neon letters over their heads as she took in their appearance. With a small smile, she decided to test the waters.
"Are you guys here for the Crash Festival?" she asked carefully.
"Yeah, yeah can't wait." the woman said with a smile that suddenly fell from her face. "So. Does your family come from Roswell?"
Bingo.
"Only four generations...."
**************************
Michael glared angrily at the man that had very rudely brushed off Maria's offer of coffee and continued to argue heatedly with the man across from him. "Who does that guy think he is? Seriously, I-"
"MICHAEL." Isabel interrupted impatiently.
"What? Isabel, did you not see-"
"I am trying to talk to you, Michael." she said with a huff. "But of course the only thing you can do is stare at Maria DeLuca. God, I don't even know why I come here with you, when all I do is interrupt your little peepshow."
Michael finally turned to face Isabel with a flabbergasted look, trying to come up with something to say in response. But he did not get the chance to reply, as a loud shout came from across the room.
"You're runnin' out of time!" the large man shouted, smashing his glass with the back of his hand, the shards flying off the table.
"LIZ!!" Maria turned to search for her friend in a panic, but Liz could only watch with growing horror.
"I was here to get the money today, NOT tomorrow!!" he shouted again standing. The man in the hat and flannel across from him stood angrily and grabbed the man in front of him by the front of his ripped black t-shirt.
The man in the hat pulled a gun out of his pocket. "You won't NEED money if you're DEAD."
"GET DOWN!" someone shouted. There was a clamor of banging and thumping and screaming as everyone rushed to get to the floor.
Except for Liz Parker.
She stood there, eyes wide and mouth slightly ajar, never taking her eyes away from the two men grappling for control of the weapon that was slowly turning toward her.
BANG.
A shot rang out in the Cafe, and Liz hit the floor.
"Come on!" The two men rushed out in a panic.
Liz breathed very slowly.
In. Out.
In. Out.
Her heart thumped wildly in her chest and her hands lay splayed across her abdomen, searching for a wound.
There was none.
Blinking away tears that she hadn't felt before, she looked around, taking everything in around her. Looking to her right, her heart stopped.
On the floor was Tess Evans, in her Crashdown uniform, covered in blood.
End of Chapter Four
Lydia
Last edited by LadyLydia on Mon Mar 26, 2007 4:58 am, edited 1 time in total.
A/N: Alright, so again, I've caught myself being a horrible author and haven't updated in a month. I have excuses but... I doubt you want to hear them. So, I'll just say this.
Chapter Five is coming. Despite a small bout of writer's block and a whole lot of other projects to do, it's coming.
And I'm really really really really sorry it's taking so long.
But in a (poor) attempt to make up for it, I've this little tidbit to offer...
**************************
"MICHAEL!"
Liz jumped, and turned quickly to the source of the scream with dread.
Isabel Evans was standing behind the counter, looking down at her bleeding sister in horror. Michael, hearing her shout, followed suit, and the color drained from his face so that he was nearly as pale as Tess.
Liz felt the sharpness of clarity enter her mind as she watched the two and quickly felt her focus shift to the task at hand. She ripped off her apron with now brisk and steady hands and looked up at Isabel first.
"Isabel," she called gently. Isabel's head snapped up to look at Liz. "We're going to need a paramedic," she said, rolling her apron up in a ball and pressing it down on Tess's abdomen. "Get Maria to call an ambulance. Then come back so you can help me." she told her, and with an unsure nod, Isabel followed her orders, walking over to a frantic Maria. Liz then turned to Michael. "Keep an eye on them." she said simply.
Just as she spoke, Liz could see the Tourist Woman from earlier, clasping the alien photograph in her hand and leaning over the edge of the opening of the counter.
Shit.
"Oh my God!" she gasped, and Michael quickly stepped into action.
"Hey! Get BACK!" he yelled, holding his arms out and ushering her away from the sight. Liz breathed a small sigh of relief, and turned back to-
"Liz!" Isabel intoned urgently next to Maria, who was arguing with the phone. Liz looked, and cursed the two men for ever entering her life.
Tess was shaking violently now, and going into small, periodic convulsions on the floor. She was going into shock. Isabel, too, coming to kneel beside her, began shaking beside her, and Liz pressed a comforting hand over hers on the floor.
Sparing no extra time, Liz leaned forward, taking Tess's face into her hands.
"Tess," she whispered. "Tess, I know you can hear me." she said, stroking her face gently. Tess lurched again beneath her, and Liz thought she could hear Isabel cry out, but she paid no mind.
"Tess." she said, fiercer now. "You have to look at me. Open your eyes, Tess."
She saw her eyes move underneath the lids and a fresh wave of hope overcame her. "Tess!" she cried. "Tess, you have to look at me. Please, just-"
Her lids fluttered the barest bit, and Liz held her breath. Then, they slowly lifted and Liz could see the blue of her iris and the dark of her pupil. "Tess, Can you hear me?"
"Liz..." she whispered, and Liz had to lean in to hear her, her voice was so weak.
"Good, Tess, that's.... really good." she said, a smile touching her face, and she could feel Isabel leaning over her slightly, to get a better look at her sister. "You're doing great. Now, I need you to stay with me, Tess, so that-"
Tess's eyes rolled to the back of her head before fluttering shut, and Liz leaned forward in a panic. "Tess! Tess, please, open your-"
Tess opened her eyes.
Liz pulled back with a gasp. Where there was a pupil and iris, was now nothing. Stark white stared back at her, and bore into her soul so that for a second she forgot to breath.
"Tess...?" she murmured softly, fearfully.
Tess gripped her arm tightly, and Liz thought she heard someone call her name before she was sucked in.....
A/N: SO SO SORRY that this took so long. To everyone that has responded, thank you so much for bothering to stick with this. That includes:
Michelle In Yonkers
garcia88
precariousem
katydid
LairaBehr4
C&N214
Flamehair
clueless
And any lurkers who are still reading this.
Lots of love to you ALL.
Lydia (Lagger extroadinaire)
P.S. This is only Part One of Chapter Five, as it's become ridiculously long, but Part Two should be out relatively sooner (Much sooner than Part One, I promise), and then things will start picking up at a much quicker pace. *Buckles seatbelt*
P.P.S. Forgive my awful spanish. It's necessary to the plot, and probably a nuisance to read, but anyone who sees any errors (I don't remember how to include the upside down punctuation at the beginning of each sentence, but I know there are more mistakes than that.), PLEASE let me know.
Chapter Five - Pilot, Part One
September 19, 1999 - Crashdown Cafe
The world was steeped in silence as Liz watched Tess bleeding on the floor before her.
Nothing moved, or made sound, except every scraping breath Tess took into her body, and the pounding of her heart. Liz wasn't sure if it was her heart, or Tess's that was pumping the blood forth with every clamouring constriction that rang in her ears.
"MICHAEL!"
Liz jumped, and turned quickly to the source of the scream with dread.
Isabel Evans was standing behind the counter, looking down at her bleeding sister in horror. Michael, hearing her shout, followed suit, and the color drained from his face so that he was nearly as pale as Tess.
Liz felt the sharpness of clarity enter her mind as she watched the two and quickly felt her focus shift to the task at hand. She ripped off her apron with now brisk and steady hands and looked up at Isabel first.
"Isabel," she called gently. Isabel's head snapped up to look at Liz. "We're going to need a paramedic," she said, rolling her apron up in a ball and pressing it down on Tess's abdomen. "Get Maria to call an ambulance. Then come back so you can help me." she told her, and with an unsure nod, Isabel followed her orders, walking over to a frantic Maria. Liz then turned to Michael. "Keep an eye on them." she said simply.
Just as she spoke, Liz could see the Tourist Woman from earlier, clasping the alien photograph in her hand and leaning over the edge of the opening of the counter.
Shit.
"Oh my God!" she gasped, and Michael quickly stepped into action.
"Hey! Get BACK!" he yelled, holding his arms out and ushering her away from the sight. Liz breathed a small sigh of relief, and turned back to-
"Liz!" Isabel intoned urgently next to Maria, who was arguing with the phone. Liz looked, and cursed the two men for ever entering her life.
Tess began to sweat heavily, was shaking violently and going into small, periodic convulsions on the floor. She was going into shock. Isabel came to kneel beside her only to begin shaking at the sight herself, and Liz pressed a quick, comforting hand over hers on the floor.
Sparing no extra time, Liz leaned forward, taking Tess's face into her hands.
"Tess," she whispered. "Tess, I know you can hear me." she said, stroking her pale face gently. Tess lurched again beneath her, and Liz thought she could hear Isabel cry out, but she paid no mind.
"Tess." she said, fiercer now. "You have to look at me. Open your eyes, Tess."
She saw her eyes move underneath the lids and a fresh wave of hope overcame her. "Tess!" she cried. "Tess, you have to look at me. Please, just-"
Her lids fluttered the barest bit, and Liz held her breath. Then, they slowly lifted and Liz could see the blue of her iris and the dark of her pupil. "Tess, Can you hear me?"
"Liz..." she whispered between shallow breaths, and Liz had to lean in to hear her, her voice was so weak.
"Good, Tess, that's.... really good." she said, a smile touching her face, and she could feel Isabel leaning over her slightly, to get a better look at her sister. "You're doing great. Now, I need you to stay with me, Tess, so that-"
Tess's eyes rolled to the back of her head before fluttering shut, and Liz leaned forward in a panic. "Tess! Tess, please, open your-"
Tess opened her eyes.
Liz pulled back with a gasp. Where there was a pupil and iris was now nothing. Stark white stared back at her, and bore into her soul so that for a second she forgot to breath.
"Tess...?" she murmured softly, fearfully.
Tess gripped her arm tightly, and Liz thought she heard someone call her name before she was sucked in.....
**************************
September 19, 1999 - Springfield, Colorado
Thomas walked down the street with his hands in his pockets, and carefully examining his feet as he walked.
He'd taken this route home everyday since his first day of school here. It wasn't very different from all the other routes he had taken to all his former homes in all the other towns he had formerly lived in.
Long.
Quiet.
Out of the way.
He chalked it up to the lack of constancy in his life. When you moved nearly every six months of your life, finding something familiar for yourself was only natural. Besides which, he liked the quiet. It brought peace to his mind, away from Nacedo, away from duty, and especially away from-
There was a noise. He stopped walking, trying to discern where it was coming from, when a small something running at top speed ran right into him.
…
Humans.
Thomas looked down at the small child that had just slammed into his legs. He frowned.
The girl at his feet looked up at him from underneath dark, tangled hair. She looked up at him with dark eyes that were calm and serene, as though she hadn’t been running like a lunatic when she’d run into him. Her face was dirty, and he could see clean streaks through the patches of dirt where he could tell she had been crying.
There was a silence.
They looked at each other.
Neither spoke.
Neither moved.
Eventually it occurred to Thomas to just walk away from the bizarre staring match and continue with his walk, when another sound in the distance caught both of their attention.
Footsteps were approaching.
Suddenly, the girl beneath him became agitated, tensing up and glancing around fervently.
Looking down at her and then back in the direction of the nearing footfalls (of more than one person, he noted), he felt his frown deepen, as the urge to leave the creature to her own devices and return to his walk increased.
Somehow, he stayed where he was.
Then, crashing through the brush, came what he presumed to be her pursuers. A small faction of boys, maybe twelve or eleven years old, each carrying rocks or sticks and a distinct expression of hostility as they glared at the little girl. Pushing his way through to the front, came the apparent leader of the pack; a blonde haired boy with an angry look. Almost as soon as he was visible, the girl jumped to her feet and hid behind Thomas’s legs, gripping the edge of his shirt with fear.
Thomas was beyond frowning now.
His walk had been officially ruined. He was about to walk away from the entire headache that had assembled before him, when the boy-leader of the pack decided to speak.
“Looks like the alien found a friend.”
Every muscle in his body tensed.
The other boys sneered and laughed with their leader. He stepped forward in their direction, keeping his eyes on his target. His smile fell. "Maybe she wants to help her kind steal some more jobs from us natural citizens."
Thomas felt the hold on his shirt tighten. "My uncle didn't steal any job from your father, Christian!" Christian's eyes narrowed at her as she peered out in her anger. He lifted an arm to throw the rock at her, when Thomas reacted.
Quicker than he had time to think, Thomas snatched the boy up by the front of his shirt so that he looked directly into his hardened eyes.
"Don't." Thomas commanded darkly.
Startled, the rock fell from Christian's hand; one of his lackeys shouted out indignantly and threw a rock aimed for Thomas's head. He caught it in his free hand, never taking his eyes away from Christian's face. Squeezing it, the rock crumpled into dust under the angry pressure and heat in Thomas's hand as the boys looked on, taking a step back in awe.
"Leave." he intoned quietly, throwing the boy to the ground. He quickly scrambled back to his squadrant of boys, who all stood staring in collective intimidation. Then they all scattered in the same general direction, until there was only Thomas and the girl left in the silence of the wood.
It was still again.
Thomas took a shuddering breath as the rage left his body feeling cooler than it was before. He blinked. Then, he looked down at the small girl standing by his side. She was smiling softly at him, and he offered her a small, slightly tense half-smile back. She broke the silence.
"Thank you." she said.
"You're welcome." he replied uncomfortably, looking sideways. Still smiling, she took a step forward.
He resisted the urge to step back.
"What's your name?" she asked.
"Thomas." he answered before thinking. She blinked up at him He blinked back twice. "What's... yours?" he finally asked. Then, she reached out and took his hand, and began to lead him out of the clearing.
"My name is Serena. Come with me."
**************************
September 19, 1999 - Crashdown Cafe
Liz stared out into the space before her, absently fiddling with the red-stained towel on her lap. Her father burst into the cafe.
"Lizzie?!" he called from the door, striding purposefully towards her. "Oh my God!" She blinked out of her stupor, and began the reassurances before he reached the table.
"No, Dad-Dad look at this!" she held up the towel for him to see. "See, I'm fine, I-I just spilled ketchup, I'm really... I'm okay." She threw in her best smile for emphasis.
"Are you sure?" he asked, searching her face for some sort of harm.
She took a breath to answer, but it got caught in her throat as a flash of white-yellow moved from the corner of her eye. Against her will, she glanced over at the Evans family sitting in the booth by the window, at Tess Evans sitting between her parents, smiling and feeding them the same reassurances; the two siblings across from them, playing along admirably... almost as if it had never happened...
"Lizzie?"
Her head snapped back to her father's face. The fearful doubt in his look told her that she had let her smile fall. She felt the pull in her cheeks as she pasted it back on. "Yes, I'm sure, Dad. Really." As she spoke, she could feel a little tendril of nervous fear shiver at the bottom of the emptiness behind her smile.
As Maria tried to give her best description of the two men with the gun to Deputy without getting hysterical over the whole thing (and rightly so, she would argue), Sheriff Valenti walked through the cafe doors to the sight of Maria DeLuca inhaling the scent of her cypress oil.
Liz quickly looked away from the pair after Maria offered her explanation, trying to be soothed by the absent-minded stroking of her hair from her father; it was the only comfort he could give them both. But it didn't seem to quell the sick feeling in Liz's stomach as the sheriff made his way over to the Evans to make sure their daughter was Okay. The Deputy walked over to Valenti to give him the full report, and from the corner of her eye, she could see all faces at the booth turn in her direction.
She stood shakily.
"Lizzie?" her father questioned.
"You know what, Dad, I'm actually not feeling that well. I guess I'm, you know, shaken up. I'll just go upstairs and lay down or something." she rushed through the explanation even as she started for the back, but something intercepted her. Between her and safety stood the tourist couple from table seven, inspecting the back door.
"Hey!" called the Deputy from across the dining room, making Liz jump. "I thought I told you two to stay out of there!" His heavy approaching footfalls created a cacauphony of noise in her ears, clashing with the pounding of her heartbeat. Liz turned around to see the Deputy and Sheriff Valenti arrive to handle the scene.
Liz could not have felt any worse, as his stare seemed to pierce from behind those dark shades.
"A couple of tourists in town for the Crash." Blackwood muttered to the sheriff, who had still not looked away from Liz's face.
"Uhh, Sheriff?" the male tourist walked up to them. "Hi, um, I'm sorry, I really need to talk to you. I think.... something happened here." He spoke slowly, emphasizing his words dramatically.
Liz felt her throat tighten.
"What do you think happened?" Valenti asked.
"The gunman was, was, was standing right over there, right? And the shot was fired into this direction. Now, Jen and I, we searched this entire place up and down and...I mean there's, where's the bullet?" The tourist gave his explanation with all the ease Liz was trying to muster for herself.
"We haven't found a bullet hole yet, sheriff." the Deputy admitted. The tourist nodded smugly, while his wife, Jen, stood behind him a little uneasily. Then his eyes shifted to Liz, and he opened his mouth to say more when he was interrupted.
"It's there."
They all turned to the source of the voice. Tess Evans was standing behind them, looking almost daunted at the attention turned her way. She looked down at the floor and scuffed her foot against the tile, gesturing almost timidly towards the wall. "The bullet hole is there, Sheriff."
"Wha-...?"
They all turned to look at the upper corner where the wall met the doorframe.
"That's... that's not-" male tourist began, but the Sheriff cut him off.
"Well, apparently, it is." Taking off his sunglasses, he walked over to the wall to get a closer look. "There's the bullet hole in plain sight, and we have Miss Evans' sharp eyes to thank for finding it. Now, I think we're done here."
"But... you don't understand... we searched this place up and down, and-"
"And you happened to miss a spot."
"Wait... there's..." suddenly remembering, he reached into his chest pocket and pulled out a folded photograph. "Before the shooting happened, the girl gave me this!"
Slowly taking the photo, Jim looked at it for a moment, and then at Liz, who might have laughed just then if she were capable. "Jeff. I think you should see this." Handing the photo over to him, Jeff took a look, and had to stifle his laughter as he rolled his eyes.
"But... why...?" the tourist began again faultingly, trying to understand, and feebly searching for some sort of argument as though to keep the charade going. Apparently, Jim was having none of that.
"Look, Mr. ...''
"Larry Trilling." he answered bleakly.
"Larry. Look. What happened here was just a bad accident that got out of hand, and we should all just be grateful that everyone made it out alive. Isn't that right?"
"But-"
"Larry."
"...Yeah... yeah, you're right." He stared down past the sheriff's him, looking chastened, as Jen stepped closer behind him to place a comforting hand on his arm.
"Good. Deputy, I want you to finish the report of what happened here, including the location of the bullet hole."
"Yes, Sheriff." Deputy Blackwood said, scribbling notes on a new page as he followed the sheriff towards the door. Offering a final nod to Jeff Parker, and then to the Evans family, he stepped out onto the street, replaced his glasses, and headed to his car.
"Maybe we should just go, Larry..." Jen said softly, looking from his face, still holding the same expression, to Liz's, whose gaze was fixed on Tess's face. After a pause without reply, she picked up her bag, which she had left by the counter when Larry had convinced her to investigate, and took a step towards Liz. "It was nice meeting you. Sorry if we caused any trouble or anything..."
Liz turned her head slowly to them, and offered a small smile. "It's no problem. I guess your trip here got a little too exciting, huh?"
They both laughed quietly and awkwardly, then Jen said a quick goodbye and took Larry by the hand and led him outside, chatting about the UFO in what she would have liked to be an animated tone.
Liz watched them make their way out.
Her father approached her with the photo in hand, and she responded before he had time to comment. "Sorry, Dad. It won't happen again. I'm gonna go lay down now." She turned and walked through the back door, without waiting for his response.
Her feet padded softly against the carpet as she walked up the stairs, staring blankly ahead. As she walked down the hallway, she noted that it was getting dark outside, but didn't bother turning on the light as she entered her room. Quietly, she shut the door.
Liz sat on her bed, with her shoulders slumped, trying to undo the buttons on her uniform. She looked down to see her hands trembling, so she gave up on the task. Taking a few shaky breaths, she tried to concentrate on anything but what she had left behind. Standing again, she walked over to her mirror and looked at herself, long and hard.
The sun set outside, but Liz had remained unmoving, even when her mother had come knocking on her door, murmuring a quick "I'm fine" to send her away half satisfied. Absently, she remembered that she had an English assignment she had been meaning to catch up on, but it didn't matter. Macbeth would have to wait.
And as she continued to stare at herself in the mirror, it wasn't her reflection that she saw.
The only thing Liz could see was blank, unbroken blue wall.
The only thing Liz could see was wall that had not been shot.
There was no bullet hole.
"There was no bullet hole." she said out loud, and a tear slid down her face, the air chilling the trail it left behind.
There was no bullet hole, and Tess Evans, who had been dying in her arms only hours ago, knew that she hadn't seen it.
And Liz had never felt more afraid her entire life.
**************************
September 19, 1999 - Springfield, Colorado
Thomas looked around uncomfortably, trying to remember what exactly had brought him here.
"Come on." Serena tugged on his hand impatiently.
Somehow he had allowed her to lead him deeper into the forest, following a trail he had never come across during his walks in the afternoon. Then, as the trees became scarce and the ground covered in thick green weeds, they came upon a large clearing. Thomas had stopped walking when he saw what was in it.
In the clearing was a small community, that looked to be a modern-day caravan turned trailer park. There were brightly painted trailers, as well as a number of small, squat houses scattered across the open land, with a few elaborately made tents standing here and there among them. Everything lying in the tall grass, building, automobile or otherwise, glittered ruby, sapphire blue, and emerald green in the bright sun.
Looking around in this brightly colored world, it appeared to him that everyone who lived in any of these structures had decided to stay outside. There were people everywhere, all busy with life. One woman collecting her laundry from a line, with a baby on her back. A group of children sat around a man with an eyepatch as he told them some great story that had them raptured. A man walked by singing in a language Thomas couldn't understand, leading his horse into the woods, not even glancing their way as he passed.
Sitting beneath a large willow tree was a large wagon, green and gold, surrounded by blankets covered in trinkets; it was where Serena was currently trying to lead him. With another impatient tug, he followed her, no other option revealing itself.
On one of the blankets sat an old woman, beading a necklace with orange and white beads and humming to herself as she worked in the shade. She glanced up at their approach, and then paused as she looked up at them again. Her eyes found Thomas, and held him, and he shifted under her gaze, but looked back all the same.
"Sorry I'm late, abuela." Serena said, leaning down and kissing the old woman's cheek. She looked back at her companion. "This is Thomas."
He nodded.
"He's really nice." she said, looking back down at her grandmother. "This is my grandma."
The old woman did not respond.
Silence descended upon them. Then the door to the wagon swung open with a bang, and a red haired woman came out of the contraption. She was visibly pregnant, wearing flowy, satiny materials that seemed to be in scheme with everything that existed around here, along with silver beads in her long curled hair, that caught the sunlight, appearing like stars. She looked up at him and smiled.
"Welcome. See anything you like?"
Thomas looked down at the blankets at the objects for sale. Nothing appeared to be of any use to him. He opened his mouth to tell her so, but was startled silent by the gaze the old woman still had fixed on him. He looked at Serena, and she too was now looking into his face with great concentration.
Staring at strangers was obviously a habit the entire family took part in.
"He's not here to buy anything, Lexi." Serena said without turning. The friendly smile immediately fell from her face and her brows came together sharply.
"What does he want, then?" she asked in a less welcoming tone.
"He helped me find my way in the woods. I brought him here to meet abuela."
Thomas blinked. "You were lost?" the pregnant woman asked. "You never get lost, Rena. You need to learn to be more careful. Your mother will think I'm not watching you." Looking back up at the stranger, she frowned, and said, "It's not natural for a man to be hanging around a little girl."
Saying her final word, she turned to walk back up the steps and back inside, when the old woman spoke for the first time.
"Alexia. Tráigame la collar."
"...La collar?" Alexia asked, perplexed.
"En mi-... ay, dios!" She stood, uncrossing her legs and pushing herself up carefully with her cane, hobbling past the young woman impatiently, and hurrying inside.
Thomas stood frowning and Alexia looked on, a little bewildered. Serena beamed up at him.
"She likes you." she said with conviction.
Alexia snorted, and wobbled down the stairs to the blankets, to start putting things away. The sun was lower in the sky, and Thomas had noticed that many of the people he had seen out before were gone now. The man with the eyepatch remained, and held his gaze for a second. Then, the man smiled slowly, and began to chuckle to himself. Thomas watched a little uneasily as he got to his feet, and laughed the entire way to wherever he was going.
"Mira." he turned sharply to the voice that had materialized behind him.
There was the old woman again, holding out her hand, and looking at him expectantly.
"Give her your hand." Serena said next to him.
Glancing at her, he looked again into the dark, crinkled eyes of the woman before him. They were as fathomless as her granddaughter's. Everything about this day, since that moment in the woods when he had met that girl, was entirely surreal, and he couldn't understand how he had let himself get here, when he had never before felt the need to even interact with these creatures. There was nothing keeping him here, no reason for him to remain in this strange place where he just wasn't sure if he really was in control. There was no reason to do as any of them asked.
He held out his hand.
She took it in her right hand, and placed her left fist in his palm, continuing to look deeply into his face. Suddenly, Thomas felt a strange vibration. It was that familiar calling forth of energy, gathering in his palm when he hadn't initiated it.
He tensed.
He tried pulling his hand away, but she held him fast, somehow stronger than him. His hand warmed against his will as he tried to pull his hand back, and he could feel a strange pressure building in his ears. His vision darkened with spots, and he was inexplicably blind for a few terrifying moments.
"St-" he tried telling her to stop, when suddenly, it was all over.
He felt his body return to normal, and quickly snatched his hand away, blinking the spots from his eyes. He blinked the spots out of his eyes dizzily, and for the first time, the old woman's eyes were smiling.
"You passed." Serena said a little breathlessly. He realised that she was holding onto the edge of his shirt again, and stepped out of her grip and away from the both of them.
"Who are you?" he asked, and when the girl moved to take a step towards him, he backed up again, bringing up his palm defensively.
"We aren't your enemy, Thomas." Alexia looked a little worried at the exchange, and spoke up.
"Maria? What's going-?"
"Go inside, Alexia." said Serena, athority hardening her young voice. Alexia complied, closing the door quietly behind her.
Serena took a step closer to him, and he backed away again, ready to use any sort of battle tactic against whatever it was he was he was dealing with, when suddenly the older female kneeled before him.
"El rey!" she said in wonder as she gazed into his face, clasping her hands to her chest. "Encontramos el rey!"
Thomas' hand lowered, and he stared at the woman on the ground as tears began to fall from her eyes.
"She's saying that we've found you." Serena spoke beside her. "She's happy, because we've found you again."
The woman held up her hands, opening her fist to reveal a small engraved stone, attached to a thin leather-looking strap with a clasp at each end. His eyes were drawn to the patterns carved into the small stone. She offered it to him reverently, and Thomas felt his stomach make the smallest movement. He tore his face away from the old woman to look at Serena for clarity.
"She wants you to take it." He looked back down at the woman again, and she held her hands to him again, gesturing for him to take it from her.
"Una ofrenda. Para ella." After another inviting look, he reached slowly to take it from her hand, and she grasped his hand in both of hers, closing it around the pendant. "Tomala, por favor. Para su reina." He looked at Serena again.
"She said it's a gift." Serena said. "She said to take it, please, for her."
"For who?" he asked, looking down into the earnest face again. "Who do I give this to?"
Serena grinned at him.
"The queen."
**************************
September 20, 1999 - Liz's Room, Roswell
Liz lifted her head from the floor, blinking the first rays of light out of her eyes. She had fallen asleep before her reflection last night, without even changing from her uniform. Pushing herself onto her elbows, she peered over her shoulder at her alarm clock.
5:44
More than an hour before she had to leave the house for the bus.
She lifted herself off of the floor with a sigh, and walked into her bathroom to take a long, hot shower.
Opening the door, she went straight for the shower curtain in the dark, pulling it aside and turning the water on. The water ran down the tile wall, and she turned back to the doorway to turn on the light. As brightness filled the room, she looked up at something that had caught her eye in the mirror.
Liz froze.
Staring in shock, her mind couldn't quite process what she was seeing at first. She raised her left hand gingerly to her reflection, her fingers brushing against the cool surface. Then, looking down, she stared at the skin on her forearm in wonder, bringing her hand from the mirror to her arm to touch it, to see if it were real.
She blinked, then blinked again, trying to clear the image in her mind. Then she shut her eyes entirely, counting to five, the sound of the water splashing against the tiles loud in her ears. She opened her eyes.
A large silver handprint glared angrily back.
**************************
Thomas walked quietly through the doorway as the first light of the day spilled gently into the room, giving everything a blue, shadowy hue. He closed the door behind him, and leaned back against it tiredly. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the warmth growing in his left hand with a small thrill of wonder.
"Back so soon?"
Thomas looked up.
In the darkness sat his protector, his eyes glinting at him through the shadow. He swallowed, and stood up straight.
"I was out-I went... walking." he answered hesitantly.
"Walking?" Nacedo repeated.
"Yes."
"Hmm."
Thomas's fist tightened around his small treasure as Nacedo approached him at the door. He stopped. "What about school?"
"What?"
"Today's Monday. You have to go to school in..." He checked his watch. "A little over an hour."
"I'm... sorry." Thomas answered.
Nacedo stared at him for a moment, and Thomas didn't know exactly what to make of the look, so he stood as still as he possibly could, and stared back unblinkingly.
"You should go get ready." he finally said. Thomas blinked. "Unless you're too tired. After all you've had a late night."
He didn't know what to say. After a pause, he settled for, "I'll go get dressed."
Nacedo smiled. "Okay." And he turned to the stairs. "I'll be up in my office. Stop by before you leave to say goodbye." Thomas nodded, and watched him exit in silence. He waited untill he heard the door to the office shut before he let out a releasing sigh. He looked down at his fist for a moment, and then back up at the stairs. He walked up the stairs without making a sound.
He went into the bathroom, headed straight for the shower and turned on the water. Then, he turned back to turn on the light.
He looked at the reflection of his left hand in the mirror. His fist was closed tightly, and he opened it slowly to reveal the small marvel that lie in his hand. A small smile grew on his face. Gently, he placed the necklace down on the counter, and quickly took off his clothes, never taking his eyes off the small amulet next to the sink.
Picking it up again and cradling it in his palm, he stepped into the shower.
Cold water ran down his back, as he leaned his side against the cool tile wall. Thomas stared down at the pendant in his hand with gentle wonder. Closing his fingers around it again, he shut his eyes and let his mind drift back to that place.
And when he got there, she was waiting.
Yellow light illuminated her golden skin, and her lovely dark lashes brushed lightly against her cheek as she dreamt. Warmth emanated from her sleeping form, spreading through his body, leaving him contented, and happier than he had ever been in his life.
She smiled in her sleep, shifting closer to him, and his heart leapt. He breathed in deeply, and reached up to touch the corner of her soft, upturned mouth.
His hand touched cold tile, and he opened his eyes.
Large, icy droplets pierced the skin on his back, and he pressed his temple against the wall. He looked back down at the necklace in his hands, remembering the blissful warmth it had stirred in him.
