Hey mod friends. I read the guidelines and i think i got it all. If not i'm very sorry. I will get it right next time.
Title: Unraveling the Secrets and Lies (title is curitosy of Cheri)
Author: Roselle
Email: roswellgoddess2001@yahoo.com
Pairing: CC
Rating: YTEEN – if watch the show you can read this
Spoilers: End of the World through Departure.
Summary: Basically a case of rumors and trying to find the truth. I may have the parents find out about our Roswell 8 as they are so wanderfully dubbed in other fanfics (no infringment intended…just like the way it sounded) What if Michael told Tess and Tess confronted Kyle about his sleeping with Liz? I did not like the whole lets be passive about the whole ‘my ex I sleeps with her ex while trying to push me into the arms of my destined’ I know Maria confronted Liz, but nothing else happened, and Max gets mad at Kyle, but Maria found out cause the whole school knew. I expected more than what we got, not that it’d just blow over…I mean the Brody thing caused more than this did. And everyone knew about this…it’s a small town, don’t tell me some adult didn’t hear about it. Plus Tess just doesn’t seem the passive girl type of person. And Maria doesn’t seem to be just ok, sure lets lie to Max…she would have told someone…and I’m guessing Michael.
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Roswell belongs to WB…at least it did when I started this…now its UPN and the writers, producers and all those people. I get no money from this, just a warm fuzzy feeling and a clear head from getting the stuff that’s floating around out of there. And of course as I'm finishing this its over.
Note: Before you start. This story got started on another board, that is no longer around RRR and then moved to another one Silly Girls (Egypt will always be the place for all Roswell fans to meet) I worte under the name Ti88 as my sign on says (I kept it the same so there wouldn't be any confusion) and then added Roselle as my name as I started to post more and more. The first half is wirtten, I will be posting as I get to a computer in chunks. And I have to retype a later part that doesn't seem to have saved on this disk but is printed out. Go figure.
Dedicated to all my dovey sisters and brother throughout the Roswell community near and far. I'm going to finish it this time guys. Well Trude you can it read here if you want. (Oh boy the hardest thing is hitting submit)
Part 1: Gimmie me a break already
Tess walked through the halls of West Roswell High thinking about the strange turn of events that constituted her life and laughed. One minute she was throwing herself at Max because of what she knew, and the next Kyle gets shot, their mother appears confirming ‘Destiny’ and she became the hated one. Then to shake things up a little more, Nacesdo as Pierce dies, leaving her to move in with the man and his son Kyle, who now turned friend and protector, was not too long ago trying to expose them. She found herself smiling at the thought or mention of ‘Buddha Boy’ as she liked to refer to him.
Michael and Isabel gave up on ‘Destiny’ and went back to their humans. Max had gotten Liz back. Everything had seemed fine – in fact her and Kyle had even begun flirting, and then Liz had dropped by to help her get back Max. It didn’t really work at first – then Max came to her. But he wouldn’t say what happened. And it wasn’t like her and him were together or anything, it was just weird. He wasn’t with Liz anymore, but Tess wasn’t sure if she wanted him. There was the whole…
Before Tess could finish her thought and get her locker closed she began to realize people were snickering all around her. She looked up and down the hall and they were all doing it. Oh she could tell they were trying to be inconspicuous about it, but they were doing it all the same.
“What is going on?” She asked. She didn’t really expect an answer. But one would have been nice. “Did I drop something? Do I have something on me?” She started to look back the way she had came, then she started checking her clothes and shoes – nope no toilet paper stuck to her. Oh good, she did step over that…well whatever it was in the girls’ room – women could be so gross sometimes. Tess gave herself one final check and not seeing anything wrong started to get pissed off. “Someone tell me something or so help me…” She was interrupted by a sarcastic reply
“So help me what…you gonna fry them all with your evil alien eyes?” Tess groaned. That reply could have been Kyle –why couldn’t it be from Kyle, he would have gotten then to stop. But no, she knew that tone and voice anywhere – and it was all Michael. She turned to look at him and sure enough it was Michael, trademark smirk and all.
“Michael!” Tess practically screamed. Maybe he could shed some light…well a girl can always hope. “What is going on? I feel like everyone is laughing at me, like they know some great secret I don’t…but involves me none the less.”
The whole time Michael just studied Tess trying to figure out if this really was such a great idea. He knew she had feelings for Valenti and if he didn’t know any better, he’d say Valenti had feelings for her too. What a laugh, both his women had been with Max Evans. But if rumors were true than Valenti had gotten at least one of his women back – but he didn’t believe that for a moment. Liz would never hurt Max like that and with Valenti of all people unless she had a good reason and revenge wasn’t it. Besides they had gotten past that and Liz wasn’t shallow like that. And while Kyle Valenti was not on the top his favorite people list - he knew that if Valenti did sleep with Liz then he wouldn’t have blabbed it around the whole school and… Get a grip Guerin, all that time you spend with the blond hurricane is starting to rub off on you. He had started rambling in his head. Maria was so going to pay for this.
Part 2: Tess gets a clue
Michael just kept looking at her and she couldn’t take it anymore. “Michael I KNOW YOU KNOW SOMETHING…SPILL IT ALREADY!” Tess was furious, scared, and worried. Michael had gotten this very serious look on his face while looking deep in thought. As she thought about it she realized it was not a pretty combination, not that she was trying to be mean or anything, but it didn’t happened often. And when it did…something big always happened. “Tell me, please.” Tess begged…something she would have never done a few months ago. But too much had happened. There was too much at stake.
Michael gave one last thought and then decided. Looking at her he growled and figured why not. It couldn’t get any worse than ‘Destiny’ “Not here…Let's go.”
Tess couldn’t believe it. She didn’t no whether to laugh or cry. Michael was going to help her. From his response though she could tell things were going to get rocky once what ever Pandora’s Box he knew about opened for her. But that was ok. She was starting to feel part of something, and she was determined to protect that at all cost. “Ok, let me get my stuff” There was only one period left in the day and ‘Man of Two Few Words’ had just told her in his cryptic way that whatever was going on didn’t need to be discussed at school and cause there was only one period left, it didn’t matter if they left or not. Although with Michael, Tess reasoned it could’ve been first thing in the morning and the response still would have been the same. Tess re-closed her locker and turned to face her brother, and said with more confidence then she felt “Ok, I’m ready.”
The drive to Michael’s was done in virtual silence. He was glad Maria had loned him the Jetta. This was her crazy idea anyway and walking back to his place would not have happened. The energy coming off of Tess could have lit up Eiffel Tower for a week easily. As soon as they got through the door she leveled him with one of those looks. “We’re here - so spill.”
Michael was a bit out of his depth with this one. This was touchy stuff - he still had to master it with Maria. ‘Come on Guerin. She needs to know and she might as well hear it form one of us then the rumor mill.’ This was Maria’s fault - she sent him after Tess, while she went after Liz. Michael was still lost in his thoughts when Tess’s urgent pleading interrupted him.
“Michael please...I need to know.” He still didn’t say anything, so she decided to switch tactics. “Michael - come on, it didn’t take this long to come out of the pods.” She finished with a smirk and was pleased when she got one out of him in return.
“Cute Tess, real cute.” Michael paused again and looked right at her. “Ok...remember you asked for it.” He took a deep breath and thought here goes nothing. “The reason people were laughing was…because…well…you see before I tell you, you have to understand how rumors are, I mean...”
“Spill it!!” So help me thought Tess, if he doesn’t come out with it, I’m going to… Tess never got to finish her mental threat because as she was coming up a bodily injury she heard Michael say something that sounded an awful lot like…
“LIZANDKYLESLEPTTOGETHER.” Michael said it in a rush and then waited trying to gauge her reaction. He hoped and prayed it wouldn’t be tears. I mean everyone knew they were a bit friendlier to one another. But he couldn’t deal with girls crying - it always made him feel like crap; even those happy ones - he still felt like crap. And since Tess was his sister…little one at that. Oh no, if Michael was going to do the brother thing, he was going to do it right. He was the BIG brother – to Isabel first, then to Liz and now to Tess. Those tears would make him want to do some bodily harm to someone. Maybe it was a good idea Maria went to see Liz. Max had a hand in this he just knew it.
“What. Did. You. Say.?!” Nope tears weren’t coming anytime soon, but he was still scared, cause he thought he saw something like unbelief, then jealousy, and anger play across her face - and it was anger that stayed. “That, that lamp-trimming-Buddha-following did what and after Max healed him, this is how he repays him! I’ll kill him.” And with that she whirled around and went to leave the apartment when Michael grabbed her.
Part 3: Michael goes touchy feely
“Tess I’m not finished...” What in the world was he thinking? Grabbing Tess when she was about to go into a rant that would make Maria proud. Maria! This. Is. All. Her. Fault. If I get fried by Tess, it is going to be her fault…and she’ll probably blame me anyway.
Someone had her arm. Alien or not, she was in the mood to kill, and if Michael didn’t let go of her soon, she might be running for her life from Maria, for the rest of her life and probably eternity too. Count to ten. Deep breaths. He’s your brother. Just got him back, can’t kill him now. “Michael, what’s there to finish? Kyle slept with Liz. That’s all I need to know. How could he...”
“betray Max like that, I know. Believe me I know.” Michael let her go, and walked around the living room, running his hand through his hair. Why was he bothering with this…why did he even care. Maria a little voice said in his head. He knew this was all her fault. He should just stop here. He told Tess what he needed to tell her, there was no need to go on. She could leave and he could…well what could he do. Maria was off tackling Liz and then they would probably have female bonding time…mental shudder. Nope, he couldn’t go after Maria now. Ah! He could sleep. Yep that’s what he would do…sleep. He stopped and turned to Tess to tell her he was done and now he was going to get some sleep before his…before Maria came over to talk…yeah they would get some talking done…right. He opened his mouth to tell her that but instead said: “I think there is more to your anger…” Where the hell had that come from? God Maria will be the death of me yet. Now, I’m going to have to have more feelings conversation…I’ll make her pay.
Tess looked at him and narrowed her eyes “What are you getting at Michael?” If Michael was smart he would have dropped it right then and there, he was not prepared to deal with something like this…but his brain was not connected to his mouth, so he went on to discuss the comment.
“Well, its just funny how you’re all up in arms about KYLE, but you haven’t mentioned a thing about LIZ.” Michael folded his arms and smirked at his little sister and watched her try to get things under control. Her eyes and mouth were moving and opening and closing and there was a slight blush on her cheeks…maybe this is worth losing the nap over. Alien or not she-who-said-we-didn’t-need-humans was furious and hurt by one, and just a bit jealous of another.
“Are you implying that…that I’m jealous of LIZ and have feelings for KYLE BUDDHA-BOY VALENTI?!” Michael shrugged. “I so do not!” Michael smirked and shrugged again. “And besides I am so in love with Max” Michael couldn’t take it anymore and started laughing.
“Yeah right” He paused for a second until he had her attention again. “But that isn’t the point – it takes 2, so they are equally responsible.” Well he went this far, might as well drop the other shoe…it couldn’t get any worse or funny depending on how you saw things. “The thing is I don’t think it happened.”
Part 4: Light bulbs
Tess looked at Michael like he was crazy. Things were going to fast, one minute he says they are sleeping together and the next he’s talking about it not happening. The speed at which his mind worked, only Maria could keep up with him. “What do you mean…I am going to sit down now. This I think is going to take a while and sitting might help the blood get back to my head so I can keep with you.” She sat and looked up at Michael. “You don’t think what happened?”
He had started to pace again. “Just what I said. I don’t think Valenti and Liz did the dirty deed.”
“Why?”
Michael by that time had gone off into his own thoughts and answered her without really paying much attention. “One Liz’s parents were home. Two she completely loves Max and wouldn’t do this too him. Three, its too coincidental with the whole her pushing Max into you. And four even if she was going to sleep with Valenti, she sure as hell would not have done it where Max could discover them.” Tess was watching Michael listing off reasons and found it amazing his bind faith in a love between an alien and a human. He may not want to admit it she smiled to herself, but he wasn’t as ‘stonewall’ as he wanted people to believe. And she gave a slight chuckle cause it was getting worse or better depending on how you look at it because of Maria.
Tess took a deep breath. Things were starting to click into place. “Ok. I think I see what you’re getting at. It does sound…wait a minute. What do you mean she wouldn’t do something like that where he would discover them?”
Great! Max was going to kill him for telling someone else. He figured he could get away with having to tell Maria, or even if he told Isabel, cause that would have been under the threat of death – but he just came out and told Tess. Yep Max was going to kill him…Ah ha its family…can’t keep secrets from the fam. “Max found them. The night of the Gomez concert. He went to surprise Liz, but found them in bed instead.” He stopped looking at her, not really sure what else to say…luckily Tess had more questions.
“OH MY…they weren’t…you know…?”
“NO! Thank God. He just said they were under the covers next to each other obviously with little to no clothes on.” Tess didn’t really know what to say at that point. She just sat there for a while lost in her own thoughts while Michael leaned against the wall lost in his own. Each trying to imagine what it must have been like for Max to see that. Tess was hurt – but she would never admit it. It was probably akin to watching Liz and Max together, but she never actually walked in on them at that level. She could always delude herself into saying she could get him, cause they weren’t serious but if she had seen that…well who knows. Michael was having similar thoughts, wandering if that’s what Maria kind of felt like when she saw him at Courtney’s and Courtney with just a towel on…maybe that is why she is fighting so hard to find out the truth, because she knows the pain Max is going through. I don’t know what I’d do if I saw Maria with some other guy. Its like Isabel and me have it easy in that sense we have never had to watch the person we care for with someone else. But Alex, Maria, Liz, Kyle, Tess, and Max deal with that on a constant basis. And those darn dreams before the Courtney thing, so did not help matters.
Tess had a whole bunch of things going around in her head too, but something didn’t add up. Max, Liz, Kyle, shudder, wait a minute… “Michael how did a whole school of people find out about something like this, when we didn’t know?”
“No one knows. I heard it from Maria – who oddly enough did not hear it from Liz, but instead overheard two girls in the bathroom. When she questioned them they told her they heard it from their brother and boyfriend, who heard it form their sisters, who overheard it while they were at practice, who claim they got the…”
“I get the point. I see why you don’t think its true. But why tell me?” Tess looked really confused and all Michael could do was shake his head and sigh…I guess we really are related. “And if it isn’t true…”
…then why would they do this?” Michael finished for her. And they fully comprehended the extent of the problems they could be facing. Because Liz was like Max, with the whole thinking she could take care of everyone. She walked away form him before, because of the whole destiny thing believing they should do what their mother said. Only something grave could cause her to stage a performance like that. But what was it
Unraveling the Secrets and Lies (CC,ALL,YTEEN) [WIP]
Moderators: Anniepoo98, ISLANDGIRL5, truelovepooh, Forum Moderators
Unraveling the Secrets and Lies (CC,ALL,YTEEN) [WIP]
Last edited by Ti88 on Tue Nov 02, 2010 6:52 am, edited 14 times in total.
parts 5-9
Wow. Thanks for the feedback angeleyes, roswellluver, Eve, Trude, behrstars. Glad you guys are enjoying it. Hope you all like these parts.
Part 5: Liz squirms
“So chica…how are things?” Maria was hoping that Liz would make this easy on her and just tell her…tell her it was all a joke or something. All she had was what Michael said Max told her and what she overheard fifth or sixth hand. She needed to go right to the source and because Liz was her best friend she wasn’t going to kill her for hurting her other best friend - yet; Kyle she couldn’t make promises like that. So she sent Michael after Tess who would go after Kyle and she went after Liz.
She knows. I can see it Liz thought. She knows. “Fine. Everything is fine.” Liz hoped that would take care of Maria, but who was she kidding this was Hurricane Deluca - nothing short of a Michael could put a dent into her when she was on a mission.
Ok. I so do not have time for this. I tried. I really did - ok, maybe I didn’t, but the way Michael said Max looked and brief glimpse I got when Michael touched me. Nope defiantly not the time for kid gloves. “Ok, Liz I tried to give you a chance to volunteer the info, but seeing as you won’t, I have no choice…”
“Maria what are you talking about? Volunteer what information?” Yep she knows. Where is my Dad when you need him? Just like parents, when you want them to want you to do something they are never around, no they wait until, its that final scene where Angelus becomes Angel and him and Buffy kiss and then she runs the sword in him - oh wait you miss that part cause you had to go and wipe tables off that could have waited 10 minutes.
“The information on a rumor that is spreading around school.”
“Well if it’s a rumor, then why do you want to know information, you know how those things are.”
“Well…this one involved my best friend and her ex. And with the way things are going on around here, I can’t be sure it isn’t Checkz related.” Maria paused giving Liz one last chance to fess up. When she saw no such thing happening, she forged on. “Liz. What happened between you and Kyle?”
“Well, we went out for a while, even though I had a small crush on Max. I got shot, Max healed me, and I fell in love. Kyle and I broke up. He got shot, Max healed him, and we all kinda became friends, who share a common secret and experience. Anything else?”
Part 6: Even Buddha can’t help you know
Tess walked into the Valenti house with a mission. Kyle should be home soon and she had a busy evening ahead of her. She wasn’t as mad as she was when she first heard the news, but still. He had much explaining to do. Much. And boy was she going to have fun making him explain.
“Tess! Dad! I’m home!” Kyle sounded pretty cheerful, all that was about to change.
“In here Kyle! Tess called from her bedroom. Jim hasn’t gotten in yet so it’s just you and me!” Kyle made his way to his room now hers and almost passed out. There was Tess in his jersey and not much else cleaning. Tess looked at his expression and smiled. “Oh hi Kyle, do you have the notes for math, I had to leave, I wasn’t feeling well so Michael took me home?” When he didn’t respond she laughed. “Kyle! Earth to Kyle!” She looked around her. “Kyle don’t be concerned. I’m not going to hurt anything, I just thought I’d do some rearranging that’s all.” And with that she lifted another box and moved it over, letting it bounce on the bed. The sound brought Kyle out of his stupor.
“Concerned. Why would you say that Tess?” She looks really really good. Wait you are supposed to have slept with Liz, can’t show interest in Tess. Especially not with the rumor going around.
“You had this look on your face and you were staring.” Tess had come right in front of Kyle by now and was enjoying herself. Placing a finger on his chest she asked. “Kyle, would you be a dear and get that box off the top shelf. I would get it myself, but its so high up and I’m not wearing much. It makes no sense, to kick you out so I can get it and then have you come back in when you can get it yourself.” He was going to die. She was trying to kill him. This must be some form of alien female wiles cause it never worked this fast when Liz or Maria asked for something…Izzy hadn’t so it couldn’t be tested. But look at Alex. Enough said.
“Sure Tess. Box. Shelf. You. No problem.” Tess knew she had him. He would answer anything she wanted. It really paid to be a woman. She couldn’t believe she missed out on this when she was with Nacsedo…I wander if this is something women on our planet do? If not they should. He is so cute when he blushes, nice butt too.
“Here you go Tess.” Kyle placed the box on her bed and whipped the sweat off his face. “I think I am going to take a shower. I didn’t get a really good one after practice. So um yeah me shower you finish whatever it is your doing.”
“Sure Kyle and after your shower, we need to talk. I’ll make us a snack and we’ll talk.” She winked at him.
“Sure Tess talk.” And then he mumbled under his breath. “Put some clothes on please. I don’t think I’ve gotten to that part where Buddha tells how to deal with having a half-dressed alien running around.” Tess heard everything and ducked her head to keep from smiling.
“What was that? Nothing. Nothing at all.” Boy he was really in for it. Maybe he should practice less and mediate more. Tess wanted to talk oh boy. I hope it isn’t about the rumors. He could just deny it, and lie, but Tess could see through a lie. He thought maybe it was alien thing, but Maria could do it too. Why did he have to get the smart blondes. Trying to lie to Tess, Maria, and Isabel was like trying to thread a needle blindfolded. His blondes got all them brain cells the others lacked.
Part 7: Hurricane hits the Crashdown
Maria, just stared at her best friend. It was like she was giving a recap for some TV show. She was not going to make this easy on her. She is being as obtuse as Michael can be sometimes - expect for its kinda cute on him, and as to things. But Liz is my best friend and if I ask her a question she is not supposed to go all boy on me. That’s it. “No. I know all about that. What I want to know… Is why you slept with Kyle.”
Liz just stared at Maria. Why did she come to me? You’re her best friend defuss. What did you think would happen when you two started the rumors? Nope it wasn’t good enough for you have him see you. No you guys had to go and broadcast it all over school. “Slept with Kyle? What are you talking about Maria? You come here accusing me based on some rumors you heard…I thought you were my best friend.”
“Liz I am your best friend. And I’m not accusing you of anything based on rumors. I asked a question and I want an answer.” Maria was trying to keep her cool. Too much was at stake here. For Max. For them all.
“You want an answer.” Liz laughed. How long could she keep this up? As long as she’s going off of rumors, then there wasn’t any proof and she could deny forever. Maria would eventually see the light and in good best friend style start to comfort her…tears wouldn’t be bad either. Wait a minute. When did I become so conniving? Darn you future Max, this is all your fault. “I am not Michael. I gave you an answer. Just because it is not the one you want, do not start demanding I lie to you. You are my best friend and should know better…”
That was it. She tried. I’m sorry Max. “Elizabeth Parker, I have had enough of this. Do not stand there and lecture me on the etiquette of friendship! You have stood here for the past half-hour and not only evaded my questions but you have out right lied to me. What kind of friend - best friend, mind you - is that?” Maria took a breath and hoped Michael and Tess were faring better than she was. “All I want is the truth…”
“but…”
“Don’t but me Liz. I know those rumors are based on truth. Max told Michael. And I got a glimpse of it. How could you?! I thought you loved him! That was low and mean and cruel. And Kyle. Whatever did you say to get him to go along with this? Did he even think of Tess? Oh that’s right. You sent Max back to her. Did you even think of Tess? Or were you just eager to find a way to hurt her for hurting you? Not caring that the rest of us get caught up in the middle anyway!”
“You are right! I slept with Kyle. I was lonely and tired of the whole alien thing. I wanted a human. I wanted someone to make me forget, but didn’t want to get back together. I slept with him, and it is no one’s business but his and mine. I can’t believe Max told everyone he could. That is pathetic. Birds of a feather should flock together. I’m glad that things are working out for you and Alex, but I can’t deal with the drama. I don’t understand why the world cares who Liz Parker sleeps with.”
Who was she kidding, Maria thought. Liz and Kyle…right. Even when they were together, the idea was laughable. And now it’s plain mind boggling. Man oh man, it is good I’m not talking to Kyle cause I’d have hit him by now…although I’m sure that’s what Tess is doing now anyway. But he’ll take it better from her, than me. Just like Michael takes it better form me then Is and form Is better than Max. Ok, different approach. In voice for a two year old. Maria stated again. “Liz. Lizzy, Lizzy, Lizzy. I know you did not sleep with Kyle. I do want to know why you pretended, why you did it so Max could find you, and why the whole school knows? I mean…”
“Maria stop! For the last time I slept with Kyle. I enjoyed it. Get over it. Just because you and Michael haven’t don’t get on my case. There is nothing to pretend about and I didn’t know that Max was going to be there. Teach him a lesson though. I bet he never lurks around my window again. Stalker.” Liz had to pause. She didn’t know if she could take this anymore. All the lying and the fighting. “And if you really are my best friend, then, then you’ll be happy for me and support me, and stop with the third degree.”
Liz looked like she was going to cry. Maria knew the truth. Her and Michael had discussed it and it was the only thing that made sense. Max would never have blabbed it around to draw attention to themselves. He was in many ways as paranoid as Michael. And Liz wasn’t as cruel as she was trying to come off as. It was obvious. “Liz…” Maria pleaded. “Liz come on, just tell…”
“Maria...please just go. I want to be alone. I need some time. You aren’t helping. So just go.”
“Fine Liz, I’m leaving, but this isn’t over. When you are ready to tell me the truth, call me.” She walked over to Liz and gave her a big hug. “And no matter what happens, I will always be your best friend chica. No matter what. Love you.” Maria walked out the Crashdown, and Liz crumpled to the floor wandering if all that she was doing was worth it.
Part 8: So help you Buddha
Kyle was in the shower, wandering what Tess needed to talk to him about. He remembered to put down the toilet seat. He knocked before he went into the bathroom or bedroom. He didn’t make too many alien jokes. Oh man its probably about them rumors. No. No. And no. Ok, lets practice it. No I did not sleep with Liz Parker. No I did not sleep with Liz Parker. Wait maybe I should just be like yes I did and what. Yeah. That’s what I’ll say. I’ll come clean and then…wait there will be questions. She’ll want to know why. And she’ll accuse me of things. I’m not sure what, but she’ll accuse me. And Max saw us, what if what if he told. No Max wouldn’t do that. Liz Parker, why oh why am I caught up in your messes. Why couldn’t you get Alex or Michael to do your dirty work…oh yeah Maria and Isabel would kill her. Well no one thought of Tess killing me.
What is that boy doing in there? He’s a boy. He has less hair and only shaves his face…in the morning. So its like 6 and all he has to do is shower. It shouldn’t take him longer than me. He’s stalling. Tess was in such a rant to herself about the in and outs of male showering vs. female showering that it took her a minute or two to hear the phone ringing. “Hello…Oh hi Maria…No not yet…You did? Michael didn’t tell me that…you’re right I was. No I don’t think they did either…Oh just a little sweat torture. He’s in the shower and I told him we have to talk…I learned all I know from you…It all hasn’t really set in yet. I feel I’m going from one roller coaster to another without getting off…yeah well thanks, give me love to Michael and I’m sorry things didn’t work out when you went and talked to Liz…Bye.” Tess hung up and went determined to yank that boy out of the shower if she had to.
“Kyle James Valenti…come out of that shower now. If you use up all the hot water I swear I will tell the entire football team you are not only into Buddha but I will tell your Buddha friends you put Buddha in-between Biker Babes and Playboy!” She heard the water turn off before she was even finished. I thought so. Stalling for time.
“Coming Tess. I got carried away. I was umm..you know…thinking and when I think I umm…you know…lose track of the time.” Kyle knew she didn’t buy a thing. But he was still new with Buddha and he wasn’t ready for everyone to know, and he definitely didn’t want anyone to know where he kept his book. Kyle had thrown a pair of boxers and tank top and went to face the queen. “Ok Tess where’s the food and what are we talking about?”
Just like a guy…always with the food. But if that bod was the result of food, then she’d feed him until the sky turned green. Business. Business first play later. Tess sat at the table with Kyle, making sure his jersey fell off on one of her shoulders. She saw him swallow and knew she had him. “Well Kyle, we are talking about something I heard at school today…”
“Yep, math notes. I have them, I’ll be right back.” Kyle started to get up and go for them, but Tess was quicker.
“That’s ok Kyle.” She purred “I mean we live together and all, I’m sure you can give them to me tonight and explain everything I missed in detail.” She smiled that smile women do, when they know they have you and they are enjoying it.
“Uh…sure Tess. If that’s what you want.” Kyle knew he was on borrowed time…where was his dad? Darn parents never around when you need them.
Tess thought about it. And decided to up the ante. She had no idea when Jim was coming home and she needed some kind of answer to help her go to sleep. “Well Kyle…what I was is some enlightenment.”
“Well Buddha says…”
“No, Kyle I have something very specific I want to be enlightened about.” She waited a beat. “I want to know if you slept with Liz Parker and if so why?”
Oh man, he couldn’t believe it was going to be this easy. I mean they didn’t have sex, but after Max left she did doze off for a while after crying, so that would qualify kind of. “Yes I slept with Liz and as to why she asked me to.” Kyle had been looking at the table the whole time, and now risked a glance at Tess. Nope, not what she expected to hear. Good, then maybe she’ll leave me alone. I told her what she needed to hear. It doesn’t matter if it isn’t the truth or what I want to tell her. I made a promise.
Tess was going to blow. She knew he was lying. And he did it so easily. That’s ok…wait until karma kicks in…or better yet I’ll get Iz to go into his dreams. Wait a minute… “Kyle…”
“Yes Tess” What was going on? She went from ready to kill to sweet too fast. Oh man. She knows.
“Did. You. Have. Sex. With. Liz Parker. ?”
“Tess I already answered this question. And why do you care anyway? I mean its not there is anything going on between us anyway. You are so after Evans. Why should you care if I screwed the whole female population of Roswell. I mean I would think you would be happy me sleeping with Liz. This means Max is free for you to go and play queen to his king.” By the time Kyle had finished he was almost shouting. He had gone from just answering her questions to being nasty. Parker you so owe me was his only thought.
Tess felt like someone had punched her. He actually did…No! No! You and Michael and Maria decided this was a setup. It had to be. But he had a point. Why should she care? She had to keep going. I know he’s lying. They are covering up something and I am going to find out. “Why?”
“WHY? Um lets see she’s cute, smart, sexy, and she asked me too.” Kyle finished feeling very smug.
At that Tess started laughing. “You were serious the first time. She asked you to.” She could barely get it out. She was laughing so hard. “You know you almost had me going. But Little Lizzy Parker. Miz Perfect, Prim, and Proper, would not ask you to go to bed with her.” Tess finished on a laugh.
“Why wouldn’t she?” Kyle wanted to know. “Just because you don’t find me appealing, doesn’t mean she doesn’t. Maybe she got tired of Evans and wanted a piece of real man.” Kyle knew he should stop, this was going to get ugly and fast, but he couldn’t help himself. “Maybe she didn’t want to play sloppy seconds anymore. Who knows what she could catch, playing with your cast offs. We don’t know what kind of freaky alien STD’s there are, and with the way you were jumping to get a piece of Max, who knows who you’ve been with…Wait it’s not who but what have you been with right?”
*SMACK* “How could you?” Tess didn’t know what to say or even do. She had lost it and smacked Kyle across his face. And didn’t feel sorry about it at all. Those things he said. “How could you say or even think that? I thought…I mean…”
Kyle was rubbing the side of his face. She hit him. He hadn’t been hit like that since Maria nailed him. What was he thinking? He was realizing what he had said to her and cringed. Oh boy. This charade was blowing up in their faces. Did Evans really hurt her that much or is there something else to this? “Tess.” Kyle made a move towards her, but she flinched away. “I’m…”
“Don’t say another thing Kyle. You have said enough. You know. I had this great plan. See cause I knew the rumors had to be a lie, but we didn’t know why. So I figured you… I could get you to tell me. To come clean with whatever you knew. I never expected it or you to turn out like this. Tell me Kyle, does your precious Buddha have anything to say about this?” He made another move towards her. “No Kyle don’t touch me right now. You managed to do something just now that not even Max has managed. I didn’t really feel like I belonged before, but after Christmas I thought…well…I was wrong. I’m going to stop now. Before I say or do anything I may or may not regret later. I’m going to your room to change and then I’m going for a walk. If you come anywhere near me…So help me Bu…so help me I won’t be responsible for anything that happens. Understand?”
Kyle could only nod. She walked past him to get a drink of water to help her calm a bit and noticed Jim had come in during the discussion. She didn’t know how much he heard, but from his face, she knew he heard enough. She just couldn’t deal right now. And she didn’t want to put him in the middle…although he already was, cause she knew he wouldn’t stand for that kind of treatment, but she just couldn’t deal right now. She looked straight at him “Hi Jim. You’re home. Listen, I’m going to crash at either Maria’s or Michael’s for a few days, probably a combo of both. I’ll have them call and let you know where. I just…”
“Tess” Jim had gotten up and stood in front of her. These kids he thought. They went through so much. “Its ok. I didn’t hear it all. But I heard enough. Take as much time as you need.” Tess smiled her thanks and went to get ready before she broke down. She wouldn’t give Kyle the satisfaction or allow herself to feel compassion when he tried to confront her. “And Tess, you are always welcome here. I don’t know all of it, but I know Kyle is wrong…hurting, but wrong.”
It took Tess 10 minutes to get ready to go. As she was leaving she gave Jim a hug at the door and promised to have either Maria or Michael call him. Kyle came up to the door as she walked. “Tess.” She didn’t even turn around. “Tess I’m…” She turned and held up her hand and shook her head no.
Part 9: I’m blond/I grunt…I’m not stupid
Maria drove from the Crashdown to Michael’s on autopilot. Her plan did not work as well as it was supposed to and she had a major fight with Liz over lies, but somehow she came out feeling like she was in the wrong. Michael could cheer her up and she could find out how things went with him and Tess. They made cute siblings. And she had really grown to like Tess.
Michael was wandering how everyone was faring with everything, when he heard the door open. “Hey `Ria.” He took one look at her face and knew things didn’t go anywhere near well. “Come here. I take it Liz didn’t crack the way you thought she was going to?”
“Nope. She even pulled the best friend card. I left feeling like I was the villain and I had betrayed her somehow.” Maria finished as she sat on Michael’s lap. He started rubbing her shoulders. “Why is it that everyone thinks I’m stupid?”
Michael looked at the pixie girl who had jumped off his lap and was now pacing his floor. He didn’t know if he was supposed to say something or not. He chanced it. “Maria. I don’t think you’re stupid…in fact I know you’re not. Liz…well whatever the reason for all of this has to be major. And if Liz feels like that then she goes all Max on us and nothing short of a crowbar is going to get it out of her.
Maria was not hearing any of it. “I’m MARIA. I can get anything out of anyone. This is…” Before she could finish there was a knock at the door. “Who in…”
“Its probably Tess” Michael opened his door to reveal a shaking sobbing alien. “Tess…what happened?”
Maria, who had come up behind him, just shoved him out of the way and pulled the girl into hug and into the apartment. “Tess. Tess. Come on you can tell us. What happened? Did Kyle stick to the rumor? We know its not true.” Maria was rubbing Tess’ back and Michael had just come back with a box of tissues Maria must have left at one point. He sat next to her on the couch feeling out of place. He knew these weren’t the good kind of tears. And Valenti was going to be dead meat.
“Tess I can’t make out what you are saying. Take a deep breath and…”
“Michael get the girl some water. Don’t you know that is the only way to get the tears under control quickly.” Maria rolled her eyes and mumbled men under her breath. Tess gave her a wobbly smile.
“Here”
“Thanks Michael” Tess drank her water took a deep breath and begin to tell her tale. “Um before I start can I stay here and/or at your house Maria. I’m asking both of you cause I’m not sure how long I need to…but its ok with Jim.” She held up a hand to stop the questions. “I’ll tell you both all in a minute, I need to know first.”
Michael looked at his sister and realized he would do anything for her. The same way he would Maria or Iz or Max or Liz or Alex or Amy or Valenti senior…Valenti junior was on his crap list but even him too. “Sure Tess.”
“Of course girl. We can have girl time. Just you and me.” Maria gave her another hug.
Tess looked at the two of them and said thanks, and before she started to cry again she launched into her tale. “Well I wanted to distract him. I put on his jersey and nothing else. He found me cleaning. Boy did it work. I had to threaten to get him out of the shower.” She smiled at the memory of when things were still good. “Then that’s when it went downhill. I asked if he slept with her and he said yes. But I realized I needed to get more specific so I asked him if he had sex with her and he said yes. I asked why and he said because she asked me to. I lost it at that point and started laughing hysterically. Saying no way would Liz Parker ask you to sleep with her. I think I may have bruised his ego, because he went off.” Her breath hitched at this point and Maria started rubbing circles on her back. Michael went for another glass of water and started pacing.
He claimed that just because I didn’t want him didn’t mean no one did and that maybe she got tired of Evans and wanted a real man. He said maybe she didn’t want to play sloppy seconds anymore with my castoffs…”
“That jerk. I am going to pound him when I see him.” Maria was all but foaming at the mouth.
“Take a number and stand in line.” Michael looked livid.
Tess looked back and forth between the two and knew she had found some real friends. “I’m not finished yet it gets worse.”
“Worse!!!” They both yelled at the same time. It was almost enough to make her laugh the way the two of them were fiercely protective of her.
“Yeah” She said in a whisper. “Kyle said maybe Liz realized she didn’t know what she could catch and who knows what kinda of aliens STD’s there are out there and the fact that I was desperate to get Max meant that I could have anything cause you don’t know who no I’m sorry it’s what I’ve been with. At that point I lost it and smacked him so hard it shocked us both. And he tried to apologize, but I don’t want to hear it. I told him he managed to do something Max hadn’t and not to come anywhere near me for I couldn’t be responsible for my actions. I ran into Jim and I know he heard enough and I told him I was going to crash with you guys and he told me that’s ok. He apologized for Kyle and told me I was always wanted. As I was leaving Kyle tried to apologize again but I stopped him before he could. And with that she dissolved into tears again.
Michael looked ready to kill. If had known Kyle could be that cruel he would have never have sent her over there. Maria as if reading Michael’s thoughts ran a hand down his arm. “Killing him isn’t going to solve the problem…although it would make me feel real good right about now.” She turned back to Tess who had finished her second cup of water. “I’m glad you nailed him. It might be the only thing that saves him form getting killed by either Michael or me.”
She sat back down again and sighed. “This is not going how it was supposed to go. What is everyone’s problem? I mean Liz looked shocked that I was comforting her.”
“Kyle did too. Its like he figured we couldn’t figure it out that this was all a sham. I’m betting that’s why he got cruel. This must be some secret.” Tess laughed.
“I don’t care what the reason is. That was uncalled for. He did not need to say those things to you. You and Kyle have some issues you both need to work out. Once we get this mess straighten out…if he lives that long.” Michael gave his sister a rare smile to show her he had her back.
“I’ll get back to you on the killing Kyle thing.”
Maria was in a huff. “Its like they figured since you and me are blondes and Michael is man of too few words we wouldn’t find something fishy and want to get to the bottom of it. I may be blonde but I’m not stupid…Are we Tess?”
“Nope.” And the first real smile came to Tess’ face. She threw a look at Michael.
“Yeah I agree. Just because I’m silent a lot. Answer most questions with one-word responses. Acknowledge comments and other people with a grunt. DOES NOT mean I am…”
“STUPID!!!” The three of them finished together laughing.
Part 5: Liz squirms
“So chica…how are things?” Maria was hoping that Liz would make this easy on her and just tell her…tell her it was all a joke or something. All she had was what Michael said Max told her and what she overheard fifth or sixth hand. She needed to go right to the source and because Liz was her best friend she wasn’t going to kill her for hurting her other best friend - yet; Kyle she couldn’t make promises like that. So she sent Michael after Tess who would go after Kyle and she went after Liz.
She knows. I can see it Liz thought. She knows. “Fine. Everything is fine.” Liz hoped that would take care of Maria, but who was she kidding this was Hurricane Deluca - nothing short of a Michael could put a dent into her when she was on a mission.
Ok. I so do not have time for this. I tried. I really did - ok, maybe I didn’t, but the way Michael said Max looked and brief glimpse I got when Michael touched me. Nope defiantly not the time for kid gloves. “Ok, Liz I tried to give you a chance to volunteer the info, but seeing as you won’t, I have no choice…”
“Maria what are you talking about? Volunteer what information?” Yep she knows. Where is my Dad when you need him? Just like parents, when you want them to want you to do something they are never around, no they wait until, its that final scene where Angelus becomes Angel and him and Buffy kiss and then she runs the sword in him - oh wait you miss that part cause you had to go and wipe tables off that could have waited 10 minutes.
“The information on a rumor that is spreading around school.”
“Well if it’s a rumor, then why do you want to know information, you know how those things are.”
“Well…this one involved my best friend and her ex. And with the way things are going on around here, I can’t be sure it isn’t Checkz related.” Maria paused giving Liz one last chance to fess up. When she saw no such thing happening, she forged on. “Liz. What happened between you and Kyle?”
“Well, we went out for a while, even though I had a small crush on Max. I got shot, Max healed me, and I fell in love. Kyle and I broke up. He got shot, Max healed him, and we all kinda became friends, who share a common secret and experience. Anything else?”
Part 6: Even Buddha can’t help you know
Tess walked into the Valenti house with a mission. Kyle should be home soon and she had a busy evening ahead of her. She wasn’t as mad as she was when she first heard the news, but still. He had much explaining to do. Much. And boy was she going to have fun making him explain.
“Tess! Dad! I’m home!” Kyle sounded pretty cheerful, all that was about to change.
“In here Kyle! Tess called from her bedroom. Jim hasn’t gotten in yet so it’s just you and me!” Kyle made his way to his room now hers and almost passed out. There was Tess in his jersey and not much else cleaning. Tess looked at his expression and smiled. “Oh hi Kyle, do you have the notes for math, I had to leave, I wasn’t feeling well so Michael took me home?” When he didn’t respond she laughed. “Kyle! Earth to Kyle!” She looked around her. “Kyle don’t be concerned. I’m not going to hurt anything, I just thought I’d do some rearranging that’s all.” And with that she lifted another box and moved it over, letting it bounce on the bed. The sound brought Kyle out of his stupor.
“Concerned. Why would you say that Tess?” She looks really really good. Wait you are supposed to have slept with Liz, can’t show interest in Tess. Especially not with the rumor going around.
“You had this look on your face and you were staring.” Tess had come right in front of Kyle by now and was enjoying herself. Placing a finger on his chest she asked. “Kyle, would you be a dear and get that box off the top shelf. I would get it myself, but its so high up and I’m not wearing much. It makes no sense, to kick you out so I can get it and then have you come back in when you can get it yourself.” He was going to die. She was trying to kill him. This must be some form of alien female wiles cause it never worked this fast when Liz or Maria asked for something…Izzy hadn’t so it couldn’t be tested. But look at Alex. Enough said.
“Sure Tess. Box. Shelf. You. No problem.” Tess knew she had him. He would answer anything she wanted. It really paid to be a woman. She couldn’t believe she missed out on this when she was with Nacsedo…I wander if this is something women on our planet do? If not they should. He is so cute when he blushes, nice butt too.
“Here you go Tess.” Kyle placed the box on her bed and whipped the sweat off his face. “I think I am going to take a shower. I didn’t get a really good one after practice. So um yeah me shower you finish whatever it is your doing.”
“Sure Kyle and after your shower, we need to talk. I’ll make us a snack and we’ll talk.” She winked at him.
“Sure Tess talk.” And then he mumbled under his breath. “Put some clothes on please. I don’t think I’ve gotten to that part where Buddha tells how to deal with having a half-dressed alien running around.” Tess heard everything and ducked her head to keep from smiling.
“What was that? Nothing. Nothing at all.” Boy he was really in for it. Maybe he should practice less and mediate more. Tess wanted to talk oh boy. I hope it isn’t about the rumors. He could just deny it, and lie, but Tess could see through a lie. He thought maybe it was alien thing, but Maria could do it too. Why did he have to get the smart blondes. Trying to lie to Tess, Maria, and Isabel was like trying to thread a needle blindfolded. His blondes got all them brain cells the others lacked.
Part 7: Hurricane hits the Crashdown
Maria, just stared at her best friend. It was like she was giving a recap for some TV show. She was not going to make this easy on her. She is being as obtuse as Michael can be sometimes - expect for its kinda cute on him, and as to things. But Liz is my best friend and if I ask her a question she is not supposed to go all boy on me. That’s it. “No. I know all about that. What I want to know… Is why you slept with Kyle.”
Liz just stared at Maria. Why did she come to me? You’re her best friend defuss. What did you think would happen when you two started the rumors? Nope it wasn’t good enough for you have him see you. No you guys had to go and broadcast it all over school. “Slept with Kyle? What are you talking about Maria? You come here accusing me based on some rumors you heard…I thought you were my best friend.”
“Liz I am your best friend. And I’m not accusing you of anything based on rumors. I asked a question and I want an answer.” Maria was trying to keep her cool. Too much was at stake here. For Max. For them all.
“You want an answer.” Liz laughed. How long could she keep this up? As long as she’s going off of rumors, then there wasn’t any proof and she could deny forever. Maria would eventually see the light and in good best friend style start to comfort her…tears wouldn’t be bad either. Wait a minute. When did I become so conniving? Darn you future Max, this is all your fault. “I am not Michael. I gave you an answer. Just because it is not the one you want, do not start demanding I lie to you. You are my best friend and should know better…”
That was it. She tried. I’m sorry Max. “Elizabeth Parker, I have had enough of this. Do not stand there and lecture me on the etiquette of friendship! You have stood here for the past half-hour and not only evaded my questions but you have out right lied to me. What kind of friend - best friend, mind you - is that?” Maria took a breath and hoped Michael and Tess were faring better than she was. “All I want is the truth…”
“but…”
“Don’t but me Liz. I know those rumors are based on truth. Max told Michael. And I got a glimpse of it. How could you?! I thought you loved him! That was low and mean and cruel. And Kyle. Whatever did you say to get him to go along with this? Did he even think of Tess? Oh that’s right. You sent Max back to her. Did you even think of Tess? Or were you just eager to find a way to hurt her for hurting you? Not caring that the rest of us get caught up in the middle anyway!”
“You are right! I slept with Kyle. I was lonely and tired of the whole alien thing. I wanted a human. I wanted someone to make me forget, but didn’t want to get back together. I slept with him, and it is no one’s business but his and mine. I can’t believe Max told everyone he could. That is pathetic. Birds of a feather should flock together. I’m glad that things are working out for you and Alex, but I can’t deal with the drama. I don’t understand why the world cares who Liz Parker sleeps with.”
Who was she kidding, Maria thought. Liz and Kyle…right. Even when they were together, the idea was laughable. And now it’s plain mind boggling. Man oh man, it is good I’m not talking to Kyle cause I’d have hit him by now…although I’m sure that’s what Tess is doing now anyway. But he’ll take it better from her, than me. Just like Michael takes it better form me then Is and form Is better than Max. Ok, different approach. In voice for a two year old. Maria stated again. “Liz. Lizzy, Lizzy, Lizzy. I know you did not sleep with Kyle. I do want to know why you pretended, why you did it so Max could find you, and why the whole school knows? I mean…”
“Maria stop! For the last time I slept with Kyle. I enjoyed it. Get over it. Just because you and Michael haven’t don’t get on my case. There is nothing to pretend about and I didn’t know that Max was going to be there. Teach him a lesson though. I bet he never lurks around my window again. Stalker.” Liz had to pause. She didn’t know if she could take this anymore. All the lying and the fighting. “And if you really are my best friend, then, then you’ll be happy for me and support me, and stop with the third degree.”
Liz looked like she was going to cry. Maria knew the truth. Her and Michael had discussed it and it was the only thing that made sense. Max would never have blabbed it around to draw attention to themselves. He was in many ways as paranoid as Michael. And Liz wasn’t as cruel as she was trying to come off as. It was obvious. “Liz…” Maria pleaded. “Liz come on, just tell…”
“Maria...please just go. I want to be alone. I need some time. You aren’t helping. So just go.”
“Fine Liz, I’m leaving, but this isn’t over. When you are ready to tell me the truth, call me.” She walked over to Liz and gave her a big hug. “And no matter what happens, I will always be your best friend chica. No matter what. Love you.” Maria walked out the Crashdown, and Liz crumpled to the floor wandering if all that she was doing was worth it.
Part 8: So help you Buddha
Kyle was in the shower, wandering what Tess needed to talk to him about. He remembered to put down the toilet seat. He knocked before he went into the bathroom or bedroom. He didn’t make too many alien jokes. Oh man its probably about them rumors. No. No. And no. Ok, lets practice it. No I did not sleep with Liz Parker. No I did not sleep with Liz Parker. Wait maybe I should just be like yes I did and what. Yeah. That’s what I’ll say. I’ll come clean and then…wait there will be questions. She’ll want to know why. And she’ll accuse me of things. I’m not sure what, but she’ll accuse me. And Max saw us, what if what if he told. No Max wouldn’t do that. Liz Parker, why oh why am I caught up in your messes. Why couldn’t you get Alex or Michael to do your dirty work…oh yeah Maria and Isabel would kill her. Well no one thought of Tess killing me.
What is that boy doing in there? He’s a boy. He has less hair and only shaves his face…in the morning. So its like 6 and all he has to do is shower. It shouldn’t take him longer than me. He’s stalling. Tess was in such a rant to herself about the in and outs of male showering vs. female showering that it took her a minute or two to hear the phone ringing. “Hello…Oh hi Maria…No not yet…You did? Michael didn’t tell me that…you’re right I was. No I don’t think they did either…Oh just a little sweat torture. He’s in the shower and I told him we have to talk…I learned all I know from you…It all hasn’t really set in yet. I feel I’m going from one roller coaster to another without getting off…yeah well thanks, give me love to Michael and I’m sorry things didn’t work out when you went and talked to Liz…Bye.” Tess hung up and went determined to yank that boy out of the shower if she had to.
“Kyle James Valenti…come out of that shower now. If you use up all the hot water I swear I will tell the entire football team you are not only into Buddha but I will tell your Buddha friends you put Buddha in-between Biker Babes and Playboy!” She heard the water turn off before she was even finished. I thought so. Stalling for time.
“Coming Tess. I got carried away. I was umm..you know…thinking and when I think I umm…you know…lose track of the time.” Kyle knew she didn’t buy a thing. But he was still new with Buddha and he wasn’t ready for everyone to know, and he definitely didn’t want anyone to know where he kept his book. Kyle had thrown a pair of boxers and tank top and went to face the queen. “Ok Tess where’s the food and what are we talking about?”
Just like a guy…always with the food. But if that bod was the result of food, then she’d feed him until the sky turned green. Business. Business first play later. Tess sat at the table with Kyle, making sure his jersey fell off on one of her shoulders. She saw him swallow and knew she had him. “Well Kyle, we are talking about something I heard at school today…”
“Yep, math notes. I have them, I’ll be right back.” Kyle started to get up and go for them, but Tess was quicker.
“That’s ok Kyle.” She purred “I mean we live together and all, I’m sure you can give them to me tonight and explain everything I missed in detail.” She smiled that smile women do, when they know they have you and they are enjoying it.
“Uh…sure Tess. If that’s what you want.” Kyle knew he was on borrowed time…where was his dad? Darn parents never around when you need them.
Tess thought about it. And decided to up the ante. She had no idea when Jim was coming home and she needed some kind of answer to help her go to sleep. “Well Kyle…what I was is some enlightenment.”
“Well Buddha says…”
“No, Kyle I have something very specific I want to be enlightened about.” She waited a beat. “I want to know if you slept with Liz Parker and if so why?”
Oh man, he couldn’t believe it was going to be this easy. I mean they didn’t have sex, but after Max left she did doze off for a while after crying, so that would qualify kind of. “Yes I slept with Liz and as to why she asked me to.” Kyle had been looking at the table the whole time, and now risked a glance at Tess. Nope, not what she expected to hear. Good, then maybe she’ll leave me alone. I told her what she needed to hear. It doesn’t matter if it isn’t the truth or what I want to tell her. I made a promise.
Tess was going to blow. She knew he was lying. And he did it so easily. That’s ok…wait until karma kicks in…or better yet I’ll get Iz to go into his dreams. Wait a minute… “Kyle…”
“Yes Tess” What was going on? She went from ready to kill to sweet too fast. Oh man. She knows.
“Did. You. Have. Sex. With. Liz Parker. ?”
“Tess I already answered this question. And why do you care anyway? I mean its not there is anything going on between us anyway. You are so after Evans. Why should you care if I screwed the whole female population of Roswell. I mean I would think you would be happy me sleeping with Liz. This means Max is free for you to go and play queen to his king.” By the time Kyle had finished he was almost shouting. He had gone from just answering her questions to being nasty. Parker you so owe me was his only thought.
Tess felt like someone had punched her. He actually did…No! No! You and Michael and Maria decided this was a setup. It had to be. But he had a point. Why should she care? She had to keep going. I know he’s lying. They are covering up something and I am going to find out. “Why?”
“WHY? Um lets see she’s cute, smart, sexy, and she asked me too.” Kyle finished feeling very smug.
At that Tess started laughing. “You were serious the first time. She asked you to.” She could barely get it out. She was laughing so hard. “You know you almost had me going. But Little Lizzy Parker. Miz Perfect, Prim, and Proper, would not ask you to go to bed with her.” Tess finished on a laugh.
“Why wouldn’t she?” Kyle wanted to know. “Just because you don’t find me appealing, doesn’t mean she doesn’t. Maybe she got tired of Evans and wanted a piece of real man.” Kyle knew he should stop, this was going to get ugly and fast, but he couldn’t help himself. “Maybe she didn’t want to play sloppy seconds anymore. Who knows what she could catch, playing with your cast offs. We don’t know what kind of freaky alien STD’s there are, and with the way you were jumping to get a piece of Max, who knows who you’ve been with…Wait it’s not who but what have you been with right?”
*SMACK* “How could you?” Tess didn’t know what to say or even do. She had lost it and smacked Kyle across his face. And didn’t feel sorry about it at all. Those things he said. “How could you say or even think that? I thought…I mean…”
Kyle was rubbing the side of his face. She hit him. He hadn’t been hit like that since Maria nailed him. What was he thinking? He was realizing what he had said to her and cringed. Oh boy. This charade was blowing up in their faces. Did Evans really hurt her that much or is there something else to this? “Tess.” Kyle made a move towards her, but she flinched away. “I’m…”
“Don’t say another thing Kyle. You have said enough. You know. I had this great plan. See cause I knew the rumors had to be a lie, but we didn’t know why. So I figured you… I could get you to tell me. To come clean with whatever you knew. I never expected it or you to turn out like this. Tell me Kyle, does your precious Buddha have anything to say about this?” He made another move towards her. “No Kyle don’t touch me right now. You managed to do something just now that not even Max has managed. I didn’t really feel like I belonged before, but after Christmas I thought…well…I was wrong. I’m going to stop now. Before I say or do anything I may or may not regret later. I’m going to your room to change and then I’m going for a walk. If you come anywhere near me…So help me Bu…so help me I won’t be responsible for anything that happens. Understand?”
Kyle could only nod. She walked past him to get a drink of water to help her calm a bit and noticed Jim had come in during the discussion. She didn’t know how much he heard, but from his face, she knew he heard enough. She just couldn’t deal right now. And she didn’t want to put him in the middle…although he already was, cause she knew he wouldn’t stand for that kind of treatment, but she just couldn’t deal right now. She looked straight at him “Hi Jim. You’re home. Listen, I’m going to crash at either Maria’s or Michael’s for a few days, probably a combo of both. I’ll have them call and let you know where. I just…”
“Tess” Jim had gotten up and stood in front of her. These kids he thought. They went through so much. “Its ok. I didn’t hear it all. But I heard enough. Take as much time as you need.” Tess smiled her thanks and went to get ready before she broke down. She wouldn’t give Kyle the satisfaction or allow herself to feel compassion when he tried to confront her. “And Tess, you are always welcome here. I don’t know all of it, but I know Kyle is wrong…hurting, but wrong.”
It took Tess 10 minutes to get ready to go. As she was leaving she gave Jim a hug at the door and promised to have either Maria or Michael call him. Kyle came up to the door as she walked. “Tess.” She didn’t even turn around. “Tess I’m…” She turned and held up her hand and shook her head no.
Part 9: I’m blond/I grunt…I’m not stupid
Maria drove from the Crashdown to Michael’s on autopilot. Her plan did not work as well as it was supposed to and she had a major fight with Liz over lies, but somehow she came out feeling like she was in the wrong. Michael could cheer her up and she could find out how things went with him and Tess. They made cute siblings. And she had really grown to like Tess.
Michael was wandering how everyone was faring with everything, when he heard the door open. “Hey `Ria.” He took one look at her face and knew things didn’t go anywhere near well. “Come here. I take it Liz didn’t crack the way you thought she was going to?”
“Nope. She even pulled the best friend card. I left feeling like I was the villain and I had betrayed her somehow.” Maria finished as she sat on Michael’s lap. He started rubbing her shoulders. “Why is it that everyone thinks I’m stupid?”
Michael looked at the pixie girl who had jumped off his lap and was now pacing his floor. He didn’t know if he was supposed to say something or not. He chanced it. “Maria. I don’t think you’re stupid…in fact I know you’re not. Liz…well whatever the reason for all of this has to be major. And if Liz feels like that then she goes all Max on us and nothing short of a crowbar is going to get it out of her.
Maria was not hearing any of it. “I’m MARIA. I can get anything out of anyone. This is…” Before she could finish there was a knock at the door. “Who in…”
“Its probably Tess” Michael opened his door to reveal a shaking sobbing alien. “Tess…what happened?”
Maria, who had come up behind him, just shoved him out of the way and pulled the girl into hug and into the apartment. “Tess. Tess. Come on you can tell us. What happened? Did Kyle stick to the rumor? We know its not true.” Maria was rubbing Tess’ back and Michael had just come back with a box of tissues Maria must have left at one point. He sat next to her on the couch feeling out of place. He knew these weren’t the good kind of tears. And Valenti was going to be dead meat.
“Tess I can’t make out what you are saying. Take a deep breath and…”
“Michael get the girl some water. Don’t you know that is the only way to get the tears under control quickly.” Maria rolled her eyes and mumbled men under her breath. Tess gave her a wobbly smile.
“Here”
“Thanks Michael” Tess drank her water took a deep breath and begin to tell her tale. “Um before I start can I stay here and/or at your house Maria. I’m asking both of you cause I’m not sure how long I need to…but its ok with Jim.” She held up a hand to stop the questions. “I’ll tell you both all in a minute, I need to know first.”
Michael looked at his sister and realized he would do anything for her. The same way he would Maria or Iz or Max or Liz or Alex or Amy or Valenti senior…Valenti junior was on his crap list but even him too. “Sure Tess.”
“Of course girl. We can have girl time. Just you and me.” Maria gave her another hug.
Tess looked at the two of them and said thanks, and before she started to cry again she launched into her tale. “Well I wanted to distract him. I put on his jersey and nothing else. He found me cleaning. Boy did it work. I had to threaten to get him out of the shower.” She smiled at the memory of when things were still good. “Then that’s when it went downhill. I asked if he slept with her and he said yes. But I realized I needed to get more specific so I asked him if he had sex with her and he said yes. I asked why and he said because she asked me to. I lost it at that point and started laughing hysterically. Saying no way would Liz Parker ask you to sleep with her. I think I may have bruised his ego, because he went off.” Her breath hitched at this point and Maria started rubbing circles on her back. Michael went for another glass of water and started pacing.
He claimed that just because I didn’t want him didn’t mean no one did and that maybe she got tired of Evans and wanted a real man. He said maybe she didn’t want to play sloppy seconds anymore with my castoffs…”
“That jerk. I am going to pound him when I see him.” Maria was all but foaming at the mouth.
“Take a number and stand in line.” Michael looked livid.
Tess looked back and forth between the two and knew she had found some real friends. “I’m not finished yet it gets worse.”
“Worse!!!” They both yelled at the same time. It was almost enough to make her laugh the way the two of them were fiercely protective of her.
“Yeah” She said in a whisper. “Kyle said maybe Liz realized she didn’t know what she could catch and who knows what kinda of aliens STD’s there are out there and the fact that I was desperate to get Max meant that I could have anything cause you don’t know who no I’m sorry it’s what I’ve been with. At that point I lost it and smacked him so hard it shocked us both. And he tried to apologize, but I don’t want to hear it. I told him he managed to do something Max hadn’t and not to come anywhere near me for I couldn’t be responsible for my actions. I ran into Jim and I know he heard enough and I told him I was going to crash with you guys and he told me that’s ok. He apologized for Kyle and told me I was always wanted. As I was leaving Kyle tried to apologize again but I stopped him before he could. And with that she dissolved into tears again.
Michael looked ready to kill. If had known Kyle could be that cruel he would have never have sent her over there. Maria as if reading Michael’s thoughts ran a hand down his arm. “Killing him isn’t going to solve the problem…although it would make me feel real good right about now.” She turned back to Tess who had finished her second cup of water. “I’m glad you nailed him. It might be the only thing that saves him form getting killed by either Michael or me.”
She sat back down again and sighed. “This is not going how it was supposed to go. What is everyone’s problem? I mean Liz looked shocked that I was comforting her.”
“Kyle did too. Its like he figured we couldn’t figure it out that this was all a sham. I’m betting that’s why he got cruel. This must be some secret.” Tess laughed.
“I don’t care what the reason is. That was uncalled for. He did not need to say those things to you. You and Kyle have some issues you both need to work out. Once we get this mess straighten out…if he lives that long.” Michael gave his sister a rare smile to show her he had her back.
“I’ll get back to you on the killing Kyle thing.”
Maria was in a huff. “Its like they figured since you and me are blondes and Michael is man of too few words we wouldn’t find something fishy and want to get to the bottom of it. I may be blonde but I’m not stupid…Are we Tess?”
“Nope.” And the first real smile came to Tess’ face. She threw a look at Michael.
“Yeah I agree. Just because I’m silent a lot. Answer most questions with one-word responses. Acknowledge comments and other people with a grunt. DOES NOT mean I am…”
“STUPID!!!” The three of them finished together laughing.
Update Parts 10-13
hey guys here's the new parts you've all r/q.
Roswellluver - thankyou for feedbacking
Trude - glad you like Maria and Tess. I've added a couple of parts and took out some stuff.
Roswellian504 - thanks. hope you enjoy these parts.
Part 10: Things that make you go hmmm…
Kyle watched the door close behind Tess. He couldn’t believe the things he had said to her. He didn’t know he even thought those things. How did things get out if hand? That’s it. Liz was going to tell him something more than the fate of the world depends on this. Although my guess is she will go running to Max…who is going to kill me. Well better Max than Michael or Maria…wait no that’s where she’s heading. I’m a dead man…again. Have to talk to her. Kyle went to grab his jacket off the chair and follow her, but his dad’s voice stopped him.
“Haven’t you said enough, Kyle? I think you should leave Tess alone for right now.”
“Leave her alone! Are you crazy? She’s hurt and upset. I have to say something. I mean…”
“She’s hurt and upset because of the stuff you have already said. I don’t think the words I’m sorry is going to cut it this time. Think about how hurt you were when I didn’t go camping just to be with you or when I forgot to pick you up after camp. I’m sorry wasn’t good for you. It isn’t going to be that easy with Tess.” Jim stopped and took a good look at his son. His shoulders were slumped over and he looked as if his best friend had left him…which in a sense she did. What mess have they gotten themselves into now?
Kyle looked defeated and slumped in a chair at the table. A table that now has three chairs. One for each of the family. He had to do something. He realized his dad was talking and part of what he says started to hit home.
“What do you mean ‘cause of the stiff I said? Exactly how much of it did you hear?”
Jim wandered if these kids would ever have a normal thought about any conversation. Instead of conspiracy theories all the time. “Not all of it. I came at the part where you accuse her of having an alien STD cause its not who but what she slept with. Then she slapped you good. Which by the way you deserved. I saw reality come back and you try to make it all better. Which she wasn’t buying. Good. The part that I don’t get that I heard is what rumors. And if they aren’t true why didn’t you just come out and say so. I’m going to go out of a limb and assume this is somehow alien related. Knowing all of that I’m going to guess also that some sort of scheme has been cooked up by oh I don’t know you and Liz. And I’m going to say that no one knows what it is. NOW what I want is to know what these rumors are, the relation to you all, and why this particular scheme.”
Kyle looked like he had swallowed a golf ball. For his dad not having heard much he had figured out just as much as he knew. This wasn’t good. Liz just got added to the list of people that were going to kill him. So far the only people not wanting to do him bodily harm was Alex and Isabel…although Kyle was sure that was going to change. Maybe he could throw his dad off.
“Um well. NO rumors. Classified information. Can’t talk about it. It’s a game we are playing. A sociological experiment on…
“Kyle. I am only going to ask you again and then you start losing privileges, your freedom in general, and finally if that doesn’t work I’ll go around and interrogate random people to find out this rumor. So. TELL. Me. What. The Heck. Is. Going. On. NOW. And no you are not going to be able to weasel your way out of this. One, Tess is out there hurt because of this so I am going to find out one way or the other, I’d rather not find out while Michael and Maria are pounding your face in…which you’d deserve. Two, I help you guys come up with your excuses so I can see through them. So make this easy on us all and just tell me.”
Kyle took a deep breath and realized he wasn’t going to get around this. In about half-an-hour he told his dad what little he knew and his conversation with Tess. It felt good to get it off his chest. But he could have done without the look his dad was giving him. It was somewhere between disbelief and disappointment.
Jim couldn’t believe what he heard. Why it shocked him more than finding out aliens existed he didn’t really know. But it did. “Let me see if I have this straight. Liz came to you and said it was a matter of life and death you pretend to sleep with her to get Max and Tess back together and you just figured he had done something to hurt her and she was just getting revenge. Max catches you guys. No don’t say anything. I’m not done. And then when Tess comes to call your bluff saying they know its not true…I’m guessing Maria and Michael here. You fly off the handle and call her a whore. And just because your ego was hurt. That’s what this whole thing between you two is, isn’t it? You are still a little po’d about Max and Liz and just when you and Tess were about to have something going on - which we’ll discuss the rules for that in this house later - this happens. So you being hurt and trying to keep a promise you lash out and hurt Tess.” Jim just shakes his head. “Nothing is ever easy with you kids is it? I mean on top of all the normal teen angst things there is this. God what I would give to have the worst problem for you guys to be you got busted for staying out passed curfew caused you just wanted too.”
Kyle just stared at his dad. He didn’t know what to say. He knew. And so far no one had died. Well Michael and Maria hadn’t found him yet.
Part 11a: If the cover doesn’t get you grounded for life…
“Thanks for the heads up Kyle.” Liz sighed as she hung up the phone. Talk about something coming back to bite you in the butt. Kyle had just told her his dad now knew what was going on. And he wants some answers. On top of that Kyle ran off Tess. What in the world did that boy say to her? Better not be anything too bad or else he’s going to get to know Michael real well. Liz glanced towards the ceiling and muttered a half-prayer, half-scolding. “Max I hope you knew what you were doing. This idea of yours has more holes in it than Swiss cheese. I just wish those holes were more evident before I decided to do this.” Liz continues sweeping until the phone rings again.
“Crashdown, how may I help you?”
“Liz it’s Tess. I hope your little plan was worth it. You can have them both. If you were trying to get me back for all the trouble I caused then guess what you succeeded. I’m sure by now, Kyle has called you and told you all about it. Were you guys laughing about it? Did you plan together what to say? What can I say…you win.” With that Tess hung up the phone and turned around and cried. It didn’t matter that she knew it didn’t really happen. She never thought Kyle out of all of them could be that cruel. He didn’t say those things out of fear like he did the rest of his alien comments. They were just plain mean. She only had twenty more minutes to wallow before Maria and Michael came back with dinner. She didn’t want them to see just how much this all hurt.
Liz just looked at the phone in her hands. Tess sounded crushed. What did Kyle say to her? Oh boy this has gotten out of control. She had…
“Liz..Liz could you come here a sec.?” That was her dad. What did he want?
“Sure let me lock up and I’ll be right back.” Liz, you have to get a grip. It’s not like he knows. The only person who knows is Jim. Dad just wants to know about payroll or inventory or why Maria and Michael haven’t tried to kill each other lately.
“Liz. I really need to speak with you. Are you almost finish?”
Or maybe not. “Coming Dad.”
Liz walked into the breakroom to find her father sitting on the couch with his head in his hands. He looked up at her as the door swung shut. “Why? Liz why?”
Ok. I can play this two ways. Confess that I know what he is talking about and lie my way out of it that way or just pretend I don’t know a thing and hope he leaves it at that. Liz opened her mouth and decided on whatever came out she would stick with. “Why what dad?” Oh boy. Play dumb. Yeah right she had never been dumb a day in her life…Maria didn’t buy it. Why should her father? Cause he doesn’t know aliens exist.
“Why am I hearing things about you sleeping with Kyle? I thought you two broke up.”
Liz looked at her father. This was so much harder then with Maria. This was going to get bad no matter what. What a minute… “Don’t you even want to know if its true? You just accuse me, without even hearing my side…”
“Liz. It’s not like that. But give me one reason why I shouldn’t think something happened.” Jeff looked at his daughter. She was defensive; ready to fight yet he figured if a strong wind blew through the CD she would topple. What was their life coming to? Two years ago, Liz’s word was gospel.
Liz couldn’t believe her ears. They were not having this conversation. She was going to end this now - at least with her dad. Her parents were not part of the original problem so telling them the truth shouldn’t… “Where did you hear this from?”
Not the answer Jeff wanted, but less confrontational than the start of the conversation. “Diane Evans called. She was at school for a meeting and overheard one of the students mention it. She went home and tried to ask Max but one look at his face and she didn’t have the heart to do it. She figures this must have something to do with it, because anytime your name is mentioned he gets a pained expression and excuses himself. If Kyle is mentioned he gets a bloodthirsty look. Diane was concerned and didn’t feel right asking you herself and so I got stuck with the job.” Jeff watched his daughter and knew she was involved, but didn’t know how much. Sure Kyle was a great guy and all but they weren’t dating and he didn’t want to think of his daughter having sex with anyone especially not a one-night stand. “So Liz, since I’ve answered your question, I would like mine answered.”
Liz looked at her father and knew no matter what answered she gave him it would cause problems. The truth would raise too many questions and a lie would be just as damaging. “Dad rumors are just that, rumors. I am not going to answer because you should know me by now and know the answer to that question. You can call Diane and tell her what you want. There could be a million reasons why Max is acting the way he is. I am so tired of everyone thinking we are joined at the hip. I want a life outside of Max.” Liz looked at her father and saw this wasn’t the answer he wanted but he really didn’t have any other to give to him. “I’m going to bed now. Its been a real long day and I have a lot of work to do.”
Jeff stared at his daughter and wandered exactly what the heck was going on. He could demand to know. He could threaten to ground her for life. He could do a number of harsh things, but in the end all it would really do would be to alienate her. For now he would play it her way…and hope it all works out in the end. “Ok. We’ll play it your way Liz. Just know that no matter what. True or not true, Your mother and I still love you.”
Liz watched her father go upstairs. “Love you to daddy.”
Jim looked up as his son came in the door. Tess still hadn’t come back and she was doing everything to avoid Kyle. He figured it was time to have another talk with Kyle and lay down some ground rules for when she came back…if she ever came back. It was nice having her around. “Kyle can I speak with you.”
Kyle looked over at his dad. He knew it was too good to last. They hadn’t mentioned the incident that ran Tess out of the house and he had hoped it would be forgotten. Who was he kidding, this was the man, who hunted aliens until he knew they existed no matter what. “Yeah Dad.”
“I think we need to have a conversation about some things. And I figured since its only the two of us…now would be a good time.” Jim smiled that Sheriff smiled he smiled when you were up a creak.
“Sure. What things?”
“Well just to ease your mind, I’m not going to grill you anymore about the details of this little charade you have going on. That is something you guys have to work out. What you and I are going to talk about is respect - and I know I haven’t been the best role model with my aliens exist quest so I figured we could talk and come up together with what is acceptable and what isn’t.” There was that smile again.
Respect. Ok. I can deal with that. That’s all he wants to talk to me about. “Respect. Sure lets talk about respect…why don’t you start Dad.” Kyle was smiling to himself. Maybe the smile wasn’t intentional. This doesn’t sound so bad after all.
Jim looked at his son and was impressed with this generation’s inability to know sometimes when they were in for it. If the situation at hand wasn’t so dire, he might even find some amusement from it. “Well Kyle, the first thing about respect is we are going to expand on the general idea that’s been floating around. For starters, when we respect someone, we do not use our fears, insecurities, and general ignorance to make them look or feel bad so as to make ourselves feel or look better.”
Crap. Thought Kyle I am in for it. “Dad I thought we weren’t going to discuss the charade.”
“We aren’t. We are discussing the fall out from the charade. Something no one seemed to think of when they cooked this up. Now Kyle, what do you have to say about what I have just told you? Remember this is a discussion. It takes two and so far you are sitting there looking like you just found Santa wasn’t real.” Jim sat back and looked at his son. Oh man a camera would be nice about now.
“Well Dad. I can see your point. And I see why you are explaining this to me. I screwed up bad. Tess didn’t deserve what I said to her. That was not part of the deal. It was supposed to be about Max and Liz only and then it got more complicated.”
Jim looked thoughtfully at his son. That was one issue down. “Well I’m glad you are starting to see the light. So I have had my say, do you have anything to say?”
“Yeah I do. I don’t think I’m really over the whole ‘you are now paying attention to me cause you know aliens are real and I almost died and was brought back to life by one’. I mean it’s not a constant presence over my head; but every now and then I feel like I’m still the outsider.”
“You know Kyle, this actually comes under respect. Respect and love. And since I feel both for you, I am going to try my best and not leave you out. In fact I’m glad you brought this up. It makes what I have to say next a little easier.”
“Makes what a little easier Dad.” Kyle wasn’t sure he liked this anymore.
“Um…well son see you’re grounded.”
“What!?”
“The next couple of days. School. Practice. Home. Respect. You not only disrespected Tess, you also disrespected me and yourself. I’ll let you figure the last one out on your own. You can disagree, fight, argue, whatever. But I will not tolerate insults and maliciously hurting someone. Especially when it is to make yourself feel better.”
“But Dad…”
“No buts Kyle. Friday you can do whatever it is you have to do.”
“I need to apologize to Tess.”
“Not before you have really thought it through. She’s not going to take you back with open arms just like that. You spend some time really thinking about what you did and why you did it. But more importantly you have to figure out if you thought what you did was wrong. I understand it’s complicated because of this big secret thing. But the parts that I overheard, those are the parts you need to think about.” Jim stood and clasped Kyle on the back. “Its been good talking to you son, we need to do this more often…oh and since you’ll be home early the next couple of days, you can start on the garage like you’ve been saying you were going to do.”
Kyle looked at his father as if he were crazy. Grounded. He couldn’t remember the last time. Maybe his dad was going to pay more attention to him now. But grounded. Liz was so going to pay for this. At least he was free by Friday and then he could go about proving to Tess that although he was a major screw-up, maybe they could start over.
Part 11b: Some seek knowledge and knowledge seeks some…neither have an easy time
“Hello”
“Are you alone?”
“Yeah.”
“Good. I have something to tell you….”
“What! Where did you hear this from?”
“Around.”
“What do you mean around. I haven’t heard about it. “
“That’s why I’m calling you.”
“Why not…”
“Because I don’t need World War 3 to happen right now. I would like to get sleep some more first.”
“Fine I’ll be the messenger.”
“Thanks.”
“Whatever”
“Nite”
“Nite”
“Hi Diane. I talked to her. No she won’t say anything either way. And I didn’t want to push it. If they did sleep together, then my going crazy about it isn’t going to change things. That and I don’t think its true.”
“Neither do I.”
“You don’t?”
“NO. I think if your daughter did it, she would say she did it or at least tell you it wasn’t any of your business. This was total avoidance. Not like Liz.”
“How do you know her so well?”
“She reminds me of Max.”
“So what do we do?”
“We wait and hope they come to us.”
“And if they don’t?”
“Then we stand by them until they do…if that doesn’t work we lock ‘em in their room until they come to their senses and spill their guts. Have you spoken to Jim?”
“I did. He didn’t sound shocked. He just said that there was nothing to worry about. It’s probably just a rumor and the kids will handle it.”
“That man knows more then he’s letting on.”
“That’s our sheriff for you. Sometimes I think the kids trust him more than us.”
“They have to trust someone. At least he’s armed and hopefully will keep them out of trouble.”
“Thanks Diane.”
“Anytime Jeff.”
“Nite.”
“Nite.”
“I can’t do it.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’ll be dead meat.”
“You have to.”
“Why can’t you?”
“We would all be dead by then.”
“But…”
“No. It has to be done. You haven’t had the information for a full 24 hours yet. If you wait any longer, there won’t be any help for any of us. .”
“Fine. You so owe me.”
“Ok.”
“For a long time.”
“It’s not that…”
“Then you do it.”
“Long time…Got it.”
Part 12: The Best Laid Plans
Kyle looked at Guerin’s apartment door. Oh man, I hope he isn’t home. I hope Maria isn’t there either. Trying to explain myself to Tess so we can at least start talking again is going to be hard enough without the well meaning audience of Michael and Maria. All of this is so not good for my karma. Kyle took one last look behind him before knocking on the door. Tess looked up from her math - to wander who was at the door. Michael has his powers and Maria has a key or however else she chooses to get in here.
Kyle was so startled when the door just opened; he totally forgot his practiced speech. “Are you crazy?! You just open a door without asking who it is; looking through the peephole to check identity; using the safety chain to double check identity and finally when you open the door to be ready to attack if need be. I know Guerin taught you guys better than that and probably Nascedo too. So what’s your deal? Are you trying to get captured, tortured, and or killed?” By now he had got Tess back into the apartment and secured the door again. It was a face off.
“Am I crazy?! Why should you care what I do or don’t do? Huh Kyle? Why?!” Tess was livid. Who did Kyle think he was? “You have no right, none. Any and all rights you had to say anything concerning me, you lost three days ago. You made it perfectly clear how you felt about me and my kind. I don’t need anyone who thinks so little of me ‘watching’ out for me. So Kyle you can go back to doing whatever it was before I came into your life. Tell Jim I’ll call him and arrange a time to stop by and talk and get my things. Michael has offered to let me stay here and Maria said when it gets to be too much, I can crash over at her house. As for karma retribution, I’ll make sure to explain to Buddha, that exacting any sort of ‘just desserts’ on someone like you is a waste of valuable cosmic energy.” Tess was standing by the door , opening it as she delivered her last line. “Now please leave you are not wanted.”
Kyle looked at Tess like she was crazy. Man, I come over here to apologize and this is what happens. She never wants to listen. What is it with chicks? And she didn’t have to go there with about Buddha. “Tess look. I didn’t come here to fight. I came here…”
“To what Kyle?” Tess threw up her arms up in the air. Both had forgot the door was open. “Come on. Why don’t you want to fight? Don’t you have anymore insults you want to hurl at me?”
“NO I don’t.” What is her deal? “I just want to apologize.”
Tess looked at Kyle and started laughing. “You came here to apologize and expected what? Me to go over, pet your cheek and say its ok. No harm. No foul. And then we pick right up where we left off?”
“Yes! I mean come on Tess. Things got kinda heated three days ago. You were pushing and I just snapped. I wouldn’t have said those things normally but…”
“But! There is no but Kyle! I refuse to take responsibility for what came out of your mouth. I asked you a question and you proceeded to answer it with BS. I called you on it and you decided to get nasty.”
“Why must you make things difficult?! You girls can never decide what you want. I thought you wanted Max? I sleep with Liz, he’s fair game.”
“Tell me are you that desperate to have that lamp of yours trimmed, that you would sleep with someone who every time they looked at you, you could see them wishing you were someone else? Come on Kyle, what was it like to know every time you touched her, kissed her it wasn’t you she was reacting to, but Max? Did Liz keep it together enough to only call your name that night or she slip and call for the person she was imagining you were - Max?”
“What is going on here? I leave to go get Michael from work and I come back to this? The door is open and you guys can be heard outside. I repeat What Is Going On?” Maria had closed the door and was standing between Tess and Kyle looking at them like they were naughty children.
“I don’t know Maria. I kinda want to know if Kyle was that desperate.” Michael smirked and winked at her before turning to Kyle. “So Kyle tell us. Are you that desperate?” Kyle started turning red. From anger or the stress of the charade, Michael couldn’t tell. “Better yet. I’m curious. Whose name did Liz call out that night?” Maria looked at Michael like he was crazy. “Well Kyle…”
Part 12b: Star Light. Star Bright (This part is dedicated to Trude. U'm trying something new. It wasn't in the original. But I think we needed a little Stargazers. Hope you like)
Alex shook his head as he drove him and Isabel to their date in Fraiser Woods. All he wanted was a nice romantic night of stargazing. No drama. NO life or death discussions. Just him, Isabel, Cassi, BB, the Twins, and a billion other stars. A shooting one and some kissing would be great. Boring really. Alex liked boring. Alex frowned. It was going to be a nice old boring time until that call. Now instead of gazing at Isabel and the stars all night he was going to have to tell her those rumors weren’t rumors.
Pam Troy told Isabel and Isabel had laughed in her face. Well to be truthful she hadn’t given Pam a chance to finish. Iz cut down after ‘I know something juicy about your brother, his ex and her ex.’ She told Pam what she could do and where she could stick her something juicy.
All Alex had heard was whispering. Just snickers. He left it alone. Isabel and him had talked, deciding if something was up, someone would tell them. Boy were they wrong. Its been a week…maybe longer and the information he now had and was going to share with Isabel - ruining his date - came from the sheriff. Not either of his best friends. He tried to suppress the déjà vu feeling he was having. At being the last one or in this case the last 2 to know what was going on…again.
Isabel looked over at Alex and knew something was wrong. They had parked 5 minutes ago and Alex hadn’t said anything or moved to get out. People had been acting real strange all week. Tess at Michael’s and Maria’s. Max more depressed then ever (she didn’t think it was possible. He had burned a hole in his Countin’ Crows collection. Even she thought maybe a shrink would do him some good) She refused however to go into his dreams. He didn’t like it much and she was determined to get through one week without having to get a lecture from his majesty. Kyle…well Kyle was always weird now. And Liz well she hadn’t more than 2 works all week. And she thought her and her brother’s love were friends.
Hmmm a week ago there was some dumb rumor or another. She brushed it off as that. No meeting had been called. So it wasn’t alien and it wasn’t critical. And if neither of those pertained to the situation, then she wasn’t going to bother. She was happy. It was quiet. Isabel was going to take advantage of the reprieve while she had it. She nudged Alex. “We’re here. I’ll get the blanket.”
Alex turned, blinking not realizing they were not only at Frazier Woods but parked. Man he missed an opportunity to make out. Someone was going to pay. He nodded and smiled. “I’ve got the food. It’ll be safe with me.”
“Don’t you mean it’ll be safe in you?” Isabel smiled.
“Funny. Very Funny.” Alex laughed. They all had jokes on his appetite. “Here looks good.” He didn’t care what was going on. It was not going to ruin his date. He and Isabel were going to get their date. They were going to have a wonderful time. Then and only then would he turn the evening serious. If it waited this long to get to him, then another several hours weren’t going to make a difference.
Isabel put the blanket down and looked around. “On Alex, this is perfect.” It was the same spot they were at last year for that school camping trip they all went on for dubious reasons. “I haven’t been here since the trip.” She went and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
“Glad you like it. Its been about a year and so I thought we’d celebrate. You know kinda like an anniversary.” He pointed. “We have fireflies and stars. Pure unalien powered magic. Here its just you and me, Isabel - Isabel the girl. Not the princess, not the alien hiding and pretending. Just Isabel.”
Isabel thought she might cry. No one understood her like Alex. Michael and Max tried, but they didn’t get it. They always seemed to miss something. She didn’t blame them. She never really told them or tried to make them understand. And with Alex, he just knew. Leaning over she kissed him on the cheek. “It’s magical…Thank you.” Alex started blushing. She served the food and they just enjoyed the magic.
Her head was on his shoulder and they were lying down watching the stars and fireflies. Each wandering how they got so lucky. The old nursery rhyme went through their heads. Star Light, Start Bright, I wish I may, I wish I might, Have the wish I wish tonight. Alex thought to himself. He already had one wish answered. Here Isabel was with him. Him. Not out of duty or to protect some secret. No she was with him because she wanted to be. He knew that now. It didn’t matter about anything else. He knew him and Isabel would make it.
Isabel just sighed. She had her wish. Well one of her two most important wishes had come true. She remembered watching Pinochillio as a child and feeling the same way. She always thought he was lucky though. His dad knew he was a wooden boy. She wished every night she could tell her parents and they would love her still. She knew Max was wrong. She just knew. Then as she got older she began to wish for another impossible wish. That she would find someone who would know her. All of her. Love her unconditionally. And somehow make her feel like she was a ‘real girl’. She got a little older and realized that neither of those would probably happen. So she became the ‘Ice Princess’. It was the only way to hide the hurt. But every night she made those wishes. She not only made them for herself but for Max and Michael as well. Max had been in love forever and Michael just wanted what she wanted – to belong and be loved no matter what.
Alex turned his head a little and saw a look of total contentment and happiness of Isabel’s face. It was look he didn’t see to often with everything going on. It was a look he was going to do his best to make sure stayed there. He would tell her tomorrow. Making a wish on a falling star that everything would work itself out and not really believing it. Team Roswell, he just knew was in for something.
She couldn’t take it anymore. It was driving her crazy. She knew he wasn’t going to say anything, until he had to. He would put it off. Just to keep the magic going. Unfortunately the real world invades sometimes. But it didn’t bother her that she was going to have to pull it out of him. She loved a challenge and with Alex it was even more fun. “Alex.”
“Hmmm.” Alex was on cloud nine. He had it all. Right here. Right now.
Isabel laughed to herself. I do this to him. Me and only me. Well I hope he knows he does it to me too. “Alex.”
“Yeah Belle?” She loved it when he called her that. It didn’t sound trite or even cutesy. She knew he meant it – totally. Her brain always went mushy when he did that.
“What’s on your mind Alex? And don’t try to avoid it. I know you. Something’s up. So spill. We can still keep having a great time tonight, unless we have to run.”
Isabel never stopped shocking him. He knew he was attuned to her moods, but it appeared she was attuned to his and he loved it. “Alex you can tell me. I wasn’t going to say anything, because I’ve kept a lot of things from you, so I know I really have no business trying to get you to talk about something you may not want to talk about. But I want you to know you can tell me anything and I won’t run. Or think differently of you.”
Alex looked at her. She was amazing. He had almost given her the exact same speech. Sighing, he realized he had to tell her now, before she begun to think it had to do with her. “Ok Isabel. I got this phone call before I came to get you from the Sheriff. Remember those rumors?”
She looked at him like he was crazy. What did the Sheriff care about some rumors? “Yes. I remember.”
Alex took a deep breath and finally understood why Valenti didn’t want to tell her. He could see the gears moving. This is not going to be good. At least not for our other six friends. “Well see Max saw…” He told her all he knew, which wasn’t much when you think about it.
Isabel just looked at him. A lot of pieces fell into place, but the puzzle also got a heck of whole lot bigger. “So let me get this straight. Max sees Liz and Kyle in bed. Which was a set up. Michael finds out. Tells Maria. They figure out something if fishy. She goes after Liz. Who confirms it. He tells Tess. She goes after Kyle. He confirms it and flips. She moves out. No one is talking to anybody else. AND no one thought to tell us about this?
“Yep. That’s about it.” Alex knew it wasn’t going to be good. Whatever Isabel was going to do, he almost felt sorry for everyone else. Almost.
She sighed. Looked at the time and decided she was going to finish her date. She would fix them. But not tonight. Tonight was for her and Alex. She pushed Alex back down. “What are you doing?” Alex was confused. She didn’t look like she was leaving right now.
“I’m finishing my date. We will deal with them. But not tonight. Tonight is for stargazing and pure unalien magic. It wasn’t important to tell us a week ago; I’m not going to upset my life to deal with it this minute. It will keep. And if it doesn’t, then I’ll go out happy.” With that Isabel placed her head back on its spot on Alex'
13: If at first you don’t succeed…
Kyle looked from Michael and Maria to Tess and threw up his hands. “I give up. I can’t take it anymore. Michael, Maria could you guys give Tess and me sometime alone. I need to say some things to her. And well it’s between her and me.”
Maria was in Kyle’s face. “Now wait just a minute. If you think….” Michael snagged her around her waist, whispered something in her ear and guided her to the door. “You got two hours. And Michael’s place better be in one piece.”
Tess looked at the three of them like they’d lost it. “Wait a minute…”
“Tess? Please. 2 hours. Then I’ll go.”
“Fine.” Maria and Michael nodded and left.
Kyle walked around inspecting Michael’s apartment, noticing the small feminine touches Maria and Tess had given it. He missed those in his house. He missed Tess. This was not part of the bargain. Tess getting hurt is on me. Liz’s whatever was convenient. “You are right. There is no but. I was out of line and I’m sorry. I did come hear thinking it would be simple. It’s not. I said some very crude and uncalled for things. And I said them all for the wrong reasons.”
“The wrong ones.” Tess echoed and glared. He was going to have to do better than that. “There are right reasons for the things that came out of your mouth?” Tess shook her head and threw up her hands in defeat. “I’m going to take a seat. Count to twenty and hopefully I won’t kill you. Blood on the floor is not going to make Maria happy.”
Kyle wanted to throttle her. This was not working. Every other word that came out of his mouth caused a fight. And then Michael and Maria came back. Somehow things are worse. It all seemed so easy before. If only I knew what Tess wanted.
“The truth.”
“What?”
“Tess wants the truth.”
“Huh?”
“I said Tess…I mean I want the truth.” Kyle still looked lost. “You said ‘If I only knew what Tess wanted.’ Well I’m telling you what I want. I want the truth.”
I said that?”
“Yes.”
“Really?”
Tess rolled her eyes. Leave it to Kyle to get hung up on this. “Yes really. Can we move on? Time is ticking.”
“Sorry I didn’t realize I had said that out loud. The truth huh?
“Yeah the truth.”
Kyle walked to the kitchen to get one of Michael’s chairs, sent a plea to Buddha, and sat opposite Tess. “Ok the truth.”
Tess looked at Kyle like he had grown two extra heads. The truth. This was too easy. “You’ll tell me whatever I want to know?”
Thank you Maria. I finally know how to answer this question. “No.”
I knew it. “But you just said…”
“I said I’d tell you the truth. That is different from telling you whatever you want to know.”
“Excuse me?”
“Telling you whatever you want, means whatever you ask me, I have to give answers to. Even if they aren’t mine to give. Telling you the truth, means instead of lying to you, I tell you ‘I don’t know’, ‘You have to ask so-and-so’, I can’t tell you.’ ‘That’s none of you business’…well you get the picture.” Kyle paused to let this sink in. “Is the truth, still what you want Tess?”
Tess looked up and met Kyle’s eyes. She had the choice and the power. Whatever merry-go-round I wanted so bad to get off of, I could get stay on if I wanted. Do I really want the truth? Obviously there is so much more to this than did Liz and Kyle sleep together. The truth may leave me with more questions than answers. But in this world where they only way to survive is keeping secrets, deception, and half-truths - this would be real. “Yes Kyle it is.”
Kyle nodded, understanding her decision. “Ask away. We only have an hour left before your protectors come back.”
“Cute real cute. Why did you say what you said to me the other night?”
Huh? She would ask the hard question. “I wanted to. I wanted to hurt you. No. Not really. It was Max. I wanted to get back at him for so many things. You guys think he’s perfect. And it feels like he’s taken so everything away from me. Liz, my dad, you, even my mom. You were just convenient. I guess you could say I have Max issues.”
Tess couldn’t believe it. He actually answered and not some brush off either. It couldn’t have been easy. “Wow. You know how to throw someone off guard. Of all the reasons - Max never came to mind. Max issues huh.”
“You wanted the truth. Not my fault if it isn’t pretty. I didn’t tell you to excuse it. Just so you might be able to see how. The insecurities and uncertainties came to a head and I just let it rip. It felt good for all of 5 seconds. I didn’t know how to stop or even if I wanted to. I’m sorry.”
Tess looked at Kyle She was glad she decided on truth. Kyle was open and honest. It was an honor. Now if only the rest of the group could be like this. “Apology accepted.”
“Thanks.”
“Did you sleep with Liz?”
“No.”
“Then why did Max say he saw you?
“He saw us.”
“Excuse me?”
“He didn’t actually see us…he saw us in bed.”
“Oh.”
“Why?”
“I can’t tell you that.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t really know.”
“Huh? Can you elaborate?”
“All I can tell you is that nothing improper happened between me and Liz. Anything else you are going to have to get from Liz herself. She has all the answers. But I don’t know if she is going to share them.”
“Why not?”
“Liz made it sound like it was a matter of life and death.”
So Michael, Maria and me we were right. “Kyle it obviously involves us all especially Max and me.”
“Why do you say that?”
“We were the only two really hurt by this and you were the instrument to cause the pain.”
Kyle winced. Ouch. “Never thought about it like that. It makes sense. What happens now?”
“Not really sure. You are the only one giving up any info. Maria couldn’t get Liz to talk.”
This was big. Maria could get anyone to crack. “Well your protectors will be back in a few and I figure that’s soon enough to come up with something. Until then is there anything else you wanted to know?”
“Is this a one shot deal?”
“No. I think we do enough devious activity. I plan to try to do my best to be honest and truthful with you.”
Tess smiled. “Then no I don’t. At least not right now.”
Kyle smiled back at Tess. “So…um…when are you coming home?”
Home. Tess liked the sound of that. Home was with Kyle and the Sheriff. It was here in Roswell with her new friends - her family. This was home. Not a planet millions of miles and who knows how many years away. Here.
“When this is over.”
“But…
“No Kyle.”
“Why?”
“Liz knows I’m mad at her. She knows I’m mad at you. Max is mad at her. Heck everyone is mad at you both. And they all know I’m here because of that. If I go back, I change things, letting everyone know I’m ok. She thinks her plan has worked. Maria is on her case. Your dad knows he might not actually say anything but it’ll hang over her head. This has to be getting to her and it maybe our only way to apply enough pressure to get her to crack.”
“Ok. We play it your way. I’ll tell my dad. Is there anything else you want me to tell him?”
Tess thought about it and leaned over to give Kyle a hug. “Yeah that.”
“Hey in there. Things had better be in one piece or else…”
“Maria open your eyes. The apartment is still standing. In fact I think they made up.”
“Michael Guerin don’t sound so pleased with yourself. The only reason you had any clue as to why Kyle wanted time alone with Tess is because of all the influence I have had on you.”
Tess and Kyle looked to the doorway to see Maria and Michael having one of their famous discussions. And started laughing. “Guys please. We made up. But Tess is staying here until Liz cracks. Keep up appearances and hope the guilt thing will do her in.”
“Yeah guys now that this is over, let’s enjoy the rest of Friday night.”
“We’ll we figured things would be all good when we got back so we got movies and decided to order food when we got back.”
“I even let Michael pick out one movie.”
“What’cha get man?”
“Braveheart.”
“Tess lets go order food while they get an accurate body count for the umpteenth time…in fact we can go out for a walk.”
The shouts of bring back some munchies soon cause the food is going to take 45 min followed them down the stairs.
Roswellluver - thankyou for feedbacking
Trude - glad you like Maria and Tess. I've added a couple of parts and took out some stuff.
Roswellian504 - thanks. hope you enjoy these parts.
Part 10: Things that make you go hmmm…
Kyle watched the door close behind Tess. He couldn’t believe the things he had said to her. He didn’t know he even thought those things. How did things get out if hand? That’s it. Liz was going to tell him something more than the fate of the world depends on this. Although my guess is she will go running to Max…who is going to kill me. Well better Max than Michael or Maria…wait no that’s where she’s heading. I’m a dead man…again. Have to talk to her. Kyle went to grab his jacket off the chair and follow her, but his dad’s voice stopped him.
“Haven’t you said enough, Kyle? I think you should leave Tess alone for right now.”
“Leave her alone! Are you crazy? She’s hurt and upset. I have to say something. I mean…”
“She’s hurt and upset because of the stuff you have already said. I don’t think the words I’m sorry is going to cut it this time. Think about how hurt you were when I didn’t go camping just to be with you or when I forgot to pick you up after camp. I’m sorry wasn’t good for you. It isn’t going to be that easy with Tess.” Jim stopped and took a good look at his son. His shoulders were slumped over and he looked as if his best friend had left him…which in a sense she did. What mess have they gotten themselves into now?
Kyle looked defeated and slumped in a chair at the table. A table that now has three chairs. One for each of the family. He had to do something. He realized his dad was talking and part of what he says started to hit home.
“What do you mean ‘cause of the stiff I said? Exactly how much of it did you hear?”
Jim wandered if these kids would ever have a normal thought about any conversation. Instead of conspiracy theories all the time. “Not all of it. I came at the part where you accuse her of having an alien STD cause its not who but what she slept with. Then she slapped you good. Which by the way you deserved. I saw reality come back and you try to make it all better. Which she wasn’t buying. Good. The part that I don’t get that I heard is what rumors. And if they aren’t true why didn’t you just come out and say so. I’m going to go out of a limb and assume this is somehow alien related. Knowing all of that I’m going to guess also that some sort of scheme has been cooked up by oh I don’t know you and Liz. And I’m going to say that no one knows what it is. NOW what I want is to know what these rumors are, the relation to you all, and why this particular scheme.”
Kyle looked like he had swallowed a golf ball. For his dad not having heard much he had figured out just as much as he knew. This wasn’t good. Liz just got added to the list of people that were going to kill him. So far the only people not wanting to do him bodily harm was Alex and Isabel…although Kyle was sure that was going to change. Maybe he could throw his dad off.
“Um well. NO rumors. Classified information. Can’t talk about it. It’s a game we are playing. A sociological experiment on…
“Kyle. I am only going to ask you again and then you start losing privileges, your freedom in general, and finally if that doesn’t work I’ll go around and interrogate random people to find out this rumor. So. TELL. Me. What. The Heck. Is. Going. On. NOW. And no you are not going to be able to weasel your way out of this. One, Tess is out there hurt because of this so I am going to find out one way or the other, I’d rather not find out while Michael and Maria are pounding your face in…which you’d deserve. Two, I help you guys come up with your excuses so I can see through them. So make this easy on us all and just tell me.”
Kyle took a deep breath and realized he wasn’t going to get around this. In about half-an-hour he told his dad what little he knew and his conversation with Tess. It felt good to get it off his chest. But he could have done without the look his dad was giving him. It was somewhere between disbelief and disappointment.
Jim couldn’t believe what he heard. Why it shocked him more than finding out aliens existed he didn’t really know. But it did. “Let me see if I have this straight. Liz came to you and said it was a matter of life and death you pretend to sleep with her to get Max and Tess back together and you just figured he had done something to hurt her and she was just getting revenge. Max catches you guys. No don’t say anything. I’m not done. And then when Tess comes to call your bluff saying they know its not true…I’m guessing Maria and Michael here. You fly off the handle and call her a whore. And just because your ego was hurt. That’s what this whole thing between you two is, isn’t it? You are still a little po’d about Max and Liz and just when you and Tess were about to have something going on - which we’ll discuss the rules for that in this house later - this happens. So you being hurt and trying to keep a promise you lash out and hurt Tess.” Jim just shakes his head. “Nothing is ever easy with you kids is it? I mean on top of all the normal teen angst things there is this. God what I would give to have the worst problem for you guys to be you got busted for staying out passed curfew caused you just wanted too.”
Kyle just stared at his dad. He didn’t know what to say. He knew. And so far no one had died. Well Michael and Maria hadn’t found him yet.
Part 11a: If the cover doesn’t get you grounded for life…
“Thanks for the heads up Kyle.” Liz sighed as she hung up the phone. Talk about something coming back to bite you in the butt. Kyle had just told her his dad now knew what was going on. And he wants some answers. On top of that Kyle ran off Tess. What in the world did that boy say to her? Better not be anything too bad or else he’s going to get to know Michael real well. Liz glanced towards the ceiling and muttered a half-prayer, half-scolding. “Max I hope you knew what you were doing. This idea of yours has more holes in it than Swiss cheese. I just wish those holes were more evident before I decided to do this.” Liz continues sweeping until the phone rings again.
“Crashdown, how may I help you?”
“Liz it’s Tess. I hope your little plan was worth it. You can have them both. If you were trying to get me back for all the trouble I caused then guess what you succeeded. I’m sure by now, Kyle has called you and told you all about it. Were you guys laughing about it? Did you plan together what to say? What can I say…you win.” With that Tess hung up the phone and turned around and cried. It didn’t matter that she knew it didn’t really happen. She never thought Kyle out of all of them could be that cruel. He didn’t say those things out of fear like he did the rest of his alien comments. They were just plain mean. She only had twenty more minutes to wallow before Maria and Michael came back with dinner. She didn’t want them to see just how much this all hurt.
Liz just looked at the phone in her hands. Tess sounded crushed. What did Kyle say to her? Oh boy this has gotten out of control. She had…
“Liz..Liz could you come here a sec.?” That was her dad. What did he want?
“Sure let me lock up and I’ll be right back.” Liz, you have to get a grip. It’s not like he knows. The only person who knows is Jim. Dad just wants to know about payroll or inventory or why Maria and Michael haven’t tried to kill each other lately.
“Liz. I really need to speak with you. Are you almost finish?”
Or maybe not. “Coming Dad.”
Liz walked into the breakroom to find her father sitting on the couch with his head in his hands. He looked up at her as the door swung shut. “Why? Liz why?”
Ok. I can play this two ways. Confess that I know what he is talking about and lie my way out of it that way or just pretend I don’t know a thing and hope he leaves it at that. Liz opened her mouth and decided on whatever came out she would stick with. “Why what dad?” Oh boy. Play dumb. Yeah right she had never been dumb a day in her life…Maria didn’t buy it. Why should her father? Cause he doesn’t know aliens exist.
“Why am I hearing things about you sleeping with Kyle? I thought you two broke up.”
Liz looked at her father. This was so much harder then with Maria. This was going to get bad no matter what. What a minute… “Don’t you even want to know if its true? You just accuse me, without even hearing my side…”
“Liz. It’s not like that. But give me one reason why I shouldn’t think something happened.” Jeff looked at his daughter. She was defensive; ready to fight yet he figured if a strong wind blew through the CD she would topple. What was their life coming to? Two years ago, Liz’s word was gospel.
Liz couldn’t believe her ears. They were not having this conversation. She was going to end this now - at least with her dad. Her parents were not part of the original problem so telling them the truth shouldn’t… “Where did you hear this from?”
Not the answer Jeff wanted, but less confrontational than the start of the conversation. “Diane Evans called. She was at school for a meeting and overheard one of the students mention it. She went home and tried to ask Max but one look at his face and she didn’t have the heart to do it. She figures this must have something to do with it, because anytime your name is mentioned he gets a pained expression and excuses himself. If Kyle is mentioned he gets a bloodthirsty look. Diane was concerned and didn’t feel right asking you herself and so I got stuck with the job.” Jeff watched his daughter and knew she was involved, but didn’t know how much. Sure Kyle was a great guy and all but they weren’t dating and he didn’t want to think of his daughter having sex with anyone especially not a one-night stand. “So Liz, since I’ve answered your question, I would like mine answered.”
Liz looked at her father and knew no matter what answered she gave him it would cause problems. The truth would raise too many questions and a lie would be just as damaging. “Dad rumors are just that, rumors. I am not going to answer because you should know me by now and know the answer to that question. You can call Diane and tell her what you want. There could be a million reasons why Max is acting the way he is. I am so tired of everyone thinking we are joined at the hip. I want a life outside of Max.” Liz looked at her father and saw this wasn’t the answer he wanted but he really didn’t have any other to give to him. “I’m going to bed now. Its been a real long day and I have a lot of work to do.”
Jeff stared at his daughter and wandered exactly what the heck was going on. He could demand to know. He could threaten to ground her for life. He could do a number of harsh things, but in the end all it would really do would be to alienate her. For now he would play it her way…and hope it all works out in the end. “Ok. We’ll play it your way Liz. Just know that no matter what. True or not true, Your mother and I still love you.”
Liz watched her father go upstairs. “Love you to daddy.”
Jim looked up as his son came in the door. Tess still hadn’t come back and she was doing everything to avoid Kyle. He figured it was time to have another talk with Kyle and lay down some ground rules for when she came back…if she ever came back. It was nice having her around. “Kyle can I speak with you.”
Kyle looked over at his dad. He knew it was too good to last. They hadn’t mentioned the incident that ran Tess out of the house and he had hoped it would be forgotten. Who was he kidding, this was the man, who hunted aliens until he knew they existed no matter what. “Yeah Dad.”
“I think we need to have a conversation about some things. And I figured since its only the two of us…now would be a good time.” Jim smiled that Sheriff smiled he smiled when you were up a creak.
“Sure. What things?”
“Well just to ease your mind, I’m not going to grill you anymore about the details of this little charade you have going on. That is something you guys have to work out. What you and I are going to talk about is respect - and I know I haven’t been the best role model with my aliens exist quest so I figured we could talk and come up together with what is acceptable and what isn’t.” There was that smile again.
Respect. Ok. I can deal with that. That’s all he wants to talk to me about. “Respect. Sure lets talk about respect…why don’t you start Dad.” Kyle was smiling to himself. Maybe the smile wasn’t intentional. This doesn’t sound so bad after all.
Jim looked at his son and was impressed with this generation’s inability to know sometimes when they were in for it. If the situation at hand wasn’t so dire, he might even find some amusement from it. “Well Kyle, the first thing about respect is we are going to expand on the general idea that’s been floating around. For starters, when we respect someone, we do not use our fears, insecurities, and general ignorance to make them look or feel bad so as to make ourselves feel or look better.”
Crap. Thought Kyle I am in for it. “Dad I thought we weren’t going to discuss the charade.”
“We aren’t. We are discussing the fall out from the charade. Something no one seemed to think of when they cooked this up. Now Kyle, what do you have to say about what I have just told you? Remember this is a discussion. It takes two and so far you are sitting there looking like you just found Santa wasn’t real.” Jim sat back and looked at his son. Oh man a camera would be nice about now.
“Well Dad. I can see your point. And I see why you are explaining this to me. I screwed up bad. Tess didn’t deserve what I said to her. That was not part of the deal. It was supposed to be about Max and Liz only and then it got more complicated.”
Jim looked thoughtfully at his son. That was one issue down. “Well I’m glad you are starting to see the light. So I have had my say, do you have anything to say?”
“Yeah I do. I don’t think I’m really over the whole ‘you are now paying attention to me cause you know aliens are real and I almost died and was brought back to life by one’. I mean it’s not a constant presence over my head; but every now and then I feel like I’m still the outsider.”
“You know Kyle, this actually comes under respect. Respect and love. And since I feel both for you, I am going to try my best and not leave you out. In fact I’m glad you brought this up. It makes what I have to say next a little easier.”
“Makes what a little easier Dad.” Kyle wasn’t sure he liked this anymore.
“Um…well son see you’re grounded.”
“What!?”
“The next couple of days. School. Practice. Home. Respect. You not only disrespected Tess, you also disrespected me and yourself. I’ll let you figure the last one out on your own. You can disagree, fight, argue, whatever. But I will not tolerate insults and maliciously hurting someone. Especially when it is to make yourself feel better.”
“But Dad…”
“No buts Kyle. Friday you can do whatever it is you have to do.”
“I need to apologize to Tess.”
“Not before you have really thought it through. She’s not going to take you back with open arms just like that. You spend some time really thinking about what you did and why you did it. But more importantly you have to figure out if you thought what you did was wrong. I understand it’s complicated because of this big secret thing. But the parts that I overheard, those are the parts you need to think about.” Jim stood and clasped Kyle on the back. “Its been good talking to you son, we need to do this more often…oh and since you’ll be home early the next couple of days, you can start on the garage like you’ve been saying you were going to do.”
Kyle looked at his father as if he were crazy. Grounded. He couldn’t remember the last time. Maybe his dad was going to pay more attention to him now. But grounded. Liz was so going to pay for this. At least he was free by Friday and then he could go about proving to Tess that although he was a major screw-up, maybe they could start over.
Part 11b: Some seek knowledge and knowledge seeks some…neither have an easy time
“Hello”
“Are you alone?”
“Yeah.”
“Good. I have something to tell you….”
“What! Where did you hear this from?”
“Around.”
“What do you mean around. I haven’t heard about it. “
“That’s why I’m calling you.”
“Why not…”
“Because I don’t need World War 3 to happen right now. I would like to get sleep some more first.”
“Fine I’ll be the messenger.”
“Thanks.”
“Whatever”
“Nite”
“Nite”
“Hi Diane. I talked to her. No she won’t say anything either way. And I didn’t want to push it. If they did sleep together, then my going crazy about it isn’t going to change things. That and I don’t think its true.”
“Neither do I.”
“You don’t?”
“NO. I think if your daughter did it, she would say she did it or at least tell you it wasn’t any of your business. This was total avoidance. Not like Liz.”
“How do you know her so well?”
“She reminds me of Max.”
“So what do we do?”
“We wait and hope they come to us.”
“And if they don’t?”
“Then we stand by them until they do…if that doesn’t work we lock ‘em in their room until they come to their senses and spill their guts. Have you spoken to Jim?”
“I did. He didn’t sound shocked. He just said that there was nothing to worry about. It’s probably just a rumor and the kids will handle it.”
“That man knows more then he’s letting on.”
“That’s our sheriff for you. Sometimes I think the kids trust him more than us.”
“They have to trust someone. At least he’s armed and hopefully will keep them out of trouble.”
“Thanks Diane.”
“Anytime Jeff.”
“Nite.”
“Nite.”
“I can’t do it.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’ll be dead meat.”
“You have to.”
“Why can’t you?”
“We would all be dead by then.”
“But…”
“No. It has to be done. You haven’t had the information for a full 24 hours yet. If you wait any longer, there won’t be any help for any of us. .”
“Fine. You so owe me.”
“Ok.”
“For a long time.”
“It’s not that…”
“Then you do it.”
“Long time…Got it.”
Part 12: The Best Laid Plans
Kyle looked at Guerin’s apartment door. Oh man, I hope he isn’t home. I hope Maria isn’t there either. Trying to explain myself to Tess so we can at least start talking again is going to be hard enough without the well meaning audience of Michael and Maria. All of this is so not good for my karma. Kyle took one last look behind him before knocking on the door. Tess looked up from her math - to wander who was at the door. Michael has his powers and Maria has a key or however else she chooses to get in here.
Kyle was so startled when the door just opened; he totally forgot his practiced speech. “Are you crazy?! You just open a door without asking who it is; looking through the peephole to check identity; using the safety chain to double check identity and finally when you open the door to be ready to attack if need be. I know Guerin taught you guys better than that and probably Nascedo too. So what’s your deal? Are you trying to get captured, tortured, and or killed?” By now he had got Tess back into the apartment and secured the door again. It was a face off.
“Am I crazy?! Why should you care what I do or don’t do? Huh Kyle? Why?!” Tess was livid. Who did Kyle think he was? “You have no right, none. Any and all rights you had to say anything concerning me, you lost three days ago. You made it perfectly clear how you felt about me and my kind. I don’t need anyone who thinks so little of me ‘watching’ out for me. So Kyle you can go back to doing whatever it was before I came into your life. Tell Jim I’ll call him and arrange a time to stop by and talk and get my things. Michael has offered to let me stay here and Maria said when it gets to be too much, I can crash over at her house. As for karma retribution, I’ll make sure to explain to Buddha, that exacting any sort of ‘just desserts’ on someone like you is a waste of valuable cosmic energy.” Tess was standing by the door , opening it as she delivered her last line. “Now please leave you are not wanted.”
Kyle looked at Tess like she was crazy. Man, I come over here to apologize and this is what happens. She never wants to listen. What is it with chicks? And she didn’t have to go there with about Buddha. “Tess look. I didn’t come here to fight. I came here…”
“To what Kyle?” Tess threw up her arms up in the air. Both had forgot the door was open. “Come on. Why don’t you want to fight? Don’t you have anymore insults you want to hurl at me?”
“NO I don’t.” What is her deal? “I just want to apologize.”
Tess looked at Kyle and started laughing. “You came here to apologize and expected what? Me to go over, pet your cheek and say its ok. No harm. No foul. And then we pick right up where we left off?”
“Yes! I mean come on Tess. Things got kinda heated three days ago. You were pushing and I just snapped. I wouldn’t have said those things normally but…”
“But! There is no but Kyle! I refuse to take responsibility for what came out of your mouth. I asked you a question and you proceeded to answer it with BS. I called you on it and you decided to get nasty.”
“Why must you make things difficult?! You girls can never decide what you want. I thought you wanted Max? I sleep with Liz, he’s fair game.”
“Tell me are you that desperate to have that lamp of yours trimmed, that you would sleep with someone who every time they looked at you, you could see them wishing you were someone else? Come on Kyle, what was it like to know every time you touched her, kissed her it wasn’t you she was reacting to, but Max? Did Liz keep it together enough to only call your name that night or she slip and call for the person she was imagining you were - Max?”
“What is going on here? I leave to go get Michael from work and I come back to this? The door is open and you guys can be heard outside. I repeat What Is Going On?” Maria had closed the door and was standing between Tess and Kyle looking at them like they were naughty children.
“I don’t know Maria. I kinda want to know if Kyle was that desperate.” Michael smirked and winked at her before turning to Kyle. “So Kyle tell us. Are you that desperate?” Kyle started turning red. From anger or the stress of the charade, Michael couldn’t tell. “Better yet. I’m curious. Whose name did Liz call out that night?” Maria looked at Michael like he was crazy. “Well Kyle…”
Part 12b: Star Light. Star Bright (This part is dedicated to Trude. U'm trying something new. It wasn't in the original. But I think we needed a little Stargazers. Hope you like)
Alex shook his head as he drove him and Isabel to their date in Fraiser Woods. All he wanted was a nice romantic night of stargazing. No drama. NO life or death discussions. Just him, Isabel, Cassi, BB, the Twins, and a billion other stars. A shooting one and some kissing would be great. Boring really. Alex liked boring. Alex frowned. It was going to be a nice old boring time until that call. Now instead of gazing at Isabel and the stars all night he was going to have to tell her those rumors weren’t rumors.
Pam Troy told Isabel and Isabel had laughed in her face. Well to be truthful she hadn’t given Pam a chance to finish. Iz cut down after ‘I know something juicy about your brother, his ex and her ex.’ She told Pam what she could do and where she could stick her something juicy.
All Alex had heard was whispering. Just snickers. He left it alone. Isabel and him had talked, deciding if something was up, someone would tell them. Boy were they wrong. Its been a week…maybe longer and the information he now had and was going to share with Isabel - ruining his date - came from the sheriff. Not either of his best friends. He tried to suppress the déjà vu feeling he was having. At being the last one or in this case the last 2 to know what was going on…again.
Isabel looked over at Alex and knew something was wrong. They had parked 5 minutes ago and Alex hadn’t said anything or moved to get out. People had been acting real strange all week. Tess at Michael’s and Maria’s. Max more depressed then ever (she didn’t think it was possible. He had burned a hole in his Countin’ Crows collection. Even she thought maybe a shrink would do him some good) She refused however to go into his dreams. He didn’t like it much and she was determined to get through one week without having to get a lecture from his majesty. Kyle…well Kyle was always weird now. And Liz well she hadn’t more than 2 works all week. And she thought her and her brother’s love were friends.
Hmmm a week ago there was some dumb rumor or another. She brushed it off as that. No meeting had been called. So it wasn’t alien and it wasn’t critical. And if neither of those pertained to the situation, then she wasn’t going to bother. She was happy. It was quiet. Isabel was going to take advantage of the reprieve while she had it. She nudged Alex. “We’re here. I’ll get the blanket.”
Alex turned, blinking not realizing they were not only at Frazier Woods but parked. Man he missed an opportunity to make out. Someone was going to pay. He nodded and smiled. “I’ve got the food. It’ll be safe with me.”
“Don’t you mean it’ll be safe in you?” Isabel smiled.
“Funny. Very Funny.” Alex laughed. They all had jokes on his appetite. “Here looks good.” He didn’t care what was going on. It was not going to ruin his date. He and Isabel were going to get their date. They were going to have a wonderful time. Then and only then would he turn the evening serious. If it waited this long to get to him, then another several hours weren’t going to make a difference.
Isabel put the blanket down and looked around. “On Alex, this is perfect.” It was the same spot they were at last year for that school camping trip they all went on for dubious reasons. “I haven’t been here since the trip.” She went and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
“Glad you like it. Its been about a year and so I thought we’d celebrate. You know kinda like an anniversary.” He pointed. “We have fireflies and stars. Pure unalien powered magic. Here its just you and me, Isabel - Isabel the girl. Not the princess, not the alien hiding and pretending. Just Isabel.”
Isabel thought she might cry. No one understood her like Alex. Michael and Max tried, but they didn’t get it. They always seemed to miss something. She didn’t blame them. She never really told them or tried to make them understand. And with Alex, he just knew. Leaning over she kissed him on the cheek. “It’s magical…Thank you.” Alex started blushing. She served the food and they just enjoyed the magic.
Her head was on his shoulder and they were lying down watching the stars and fireflies. Each wandering how they got so lucky. The old nursery rhyme went through their heads. Star Light, Start Bright, I wish I may, I wish I might, Have the wish I wish tonight. Alex thought to himself. He already had one wish answered. Here Isabel was with him. Him. Not out of duty or to protect some secret. No she was with him because she wanted to be. He knew that now. It didn’t matter about anything else. He knew him and Isabel would make it.
Isabel just sighed. She had her wish. Well one of her two most important wishes had come true. She remembered watching Pinochillio as a child and feeling the same way. She always thought he was lucky though. His dad knew he was a wooden boy. She wished every night she could tell her parents and they would love her still. She knew Max was wrong. She just knew. Then as she got older she began to wish for another impossible wish. That she would find someone who would know her. All of her. Love her unconditionally. And somehow make her feel like she was a ‘real girl’. She got a little older and realized that neither of those would probably happen. So she became the ‘Ice Princess’. It was the only way to hide the hurt. But every night she made those wishes. She not only made them for herself but for Max and Michael as well. Max had been in love forever and Michael just wanted what she wanted – to belong and be loved no matter what.
Alex turned his head a little and saw a look of total contentment and happiness of Isabel’s face. It was look he didn’t see to often with everything going on. It was a look he was going to do his best to make sure stayed there. He would tell her tomorrow. Making a wish on a falling star that everything would work itself out and not really believing it. Team Roswell, he just knew was in for something.
She couldn’t take it anymore. It was driving her crazy. She knew he wasn’t going to say anything, until he had to. He would put it off. Just to keep the magic going. Unfortunately the real world invades sometimes. But it didn’t bother her that she was going to have to pull it out of him. She loved a challenge and with Alex it was even more fun. “Alex.”
“Hmmm.” Alex was on cloud nine. He had it all. Right here. Right now.
Isabel laughed to herself. I do this to him. Me and only me. Well I hope he knows he does it to me too. “Alex.”
“Yeah Belle?” She loved it when he called her that. It didn’t sound trite or even cutesy. She knew he meant it – totally. Her brain always went mushy when he did that.
“What’s on your mind Alex? And don’t try to avoid it. I know you. Something’s up. So spill. We can still keep having a great time tonight, unless we have to run.”
Isabel never stopped shocking him. He knew he was attuned to her moods, but it appeared she was attuned to his and he loved it. “Alex you can tell me. I wasn’t going to say anything, because I’ve kept a lot of things from you, so I know I really have no business trying to get you to talk about something you may not want to talk about. But I want you to know you can tell me anything and I won’t run. Or think differently of you.”
Alex looked at her. She was amazing. He had almost given her the exact same speech. Sighing, he realized he had to tell her now, before she begun to think it had to do with her. “Ok Isabel. I got this phone call before I came to get you from the Sheriff. Remember those rumors?”
She looked at him like he was crazy. What did the Sheriff care about some rumors? “Yes. I remember.”
Alex took a deep breath and finally understood why Valenti didn’t want to tell her. He could see the gears moving. This is not going to be good. At least not for our other six friends. “Well see Max saw…” He told her all he knew, which wasn’t much when you think about it.
Isabel just looked at him. A lot of pieces fell into place, but the puzzle also got a heck of whole lot bigger. “So let me get this straight. Max sees Liz and Kyle in bed. Which was a set up. Michael finds out. Tells Maria. They figure out something if fishy. She goes after Liz. Who confirms it. He tells Tess. She goes after Kyle. He confirms it and flips. She moves out. No one is talking to anybody else. AND no one thought to tell us about this?
“Yep. That’s about it.” Alex knew it wasn’t going to be good. Whatever Isabel was going to do, he almost felt sorry for everyone else. Almost.
She sighed. Looked at the time and decided she was going to finish her date. She would fix them. But not tonight. Tonight was for her and Alex. She pushed Alex back down. “What are you doing?” Alex was confused. She didn’t look like she was leaving right now.
“I’m finishing my date. We will deal with them. But not tonight. Tonight is for stargazing and pure unalien magic. It wasn’t important to tell us a week ago; I’m not going to upset my life to deal with it this minute. It will keep. And if it doesn’t, then I’ll go out happy.” With that Isabel placed her head back on its spot on Alex'
13: If at first you don’t succeed…
Kyle looked from Michael and Maria to Tess and threw up his hands. “I give up. I can’t take it anymore. Michael, Maria could you guys give Tess and me sometime alone. I need to say some things to her. And well it’s between her and me.”
Maria was in Kyle’s face. “Now wait just a minute. If you think….” Michael snagged her around her waist, whispered something in her ear and guided her to the door. “You got two hours. And Michael’s place better be in one piece.”
Tess looked at the three of them like they’d lost it. “Wait a minute…”
“Tess? Please. 2 hours. Then I’ll go.”
“Fine.” Maria and Michael nodded and left.
Kyle walked around inspecting Michael’s apartment, noticing the small feminine touches Maria and Tess had given it. He missed those in his house. He missed Tess. This was not part of the bargain. Tess getting hurt is on me. Liz’s whatever was convenient. “You are right. There is no but. I was out of line and I’m sorry. I did come hear thinking it would be simple. It’s not. I said some very crude and uncalled for things. And I said them all for the wrong reasons.”
“The wrong ones.” Tess echoed and glared. He was going to have to do better than that. “There are right reasons for the things that came out of your mouth?” Tess shook her head and threw up her hands in defeat. “I’m going to take a seat. Count to twenty and hopefully I won’t kill you. Blood on the floor is not going to make Maria happy.”
Kyle wanted to throttle her. This was not working. Every other word that came out of his mouth caused a fight. And then Michael and Maria came back. Somehow things are worse. It all seemed so easy before. If only I knew what Tess wanted.
“The truth.”
“What?”
“Tess wants the truth.”
“Huh?”
“I said Tess…I mean I want the truth.” Kyle still looked lost. “You said ‘If I only knew what Tess wanted.’ Well I’m telling you what I want. I want the truth.”
I said that?”
“Yes.”
“Really?”
Tess rolled her eyes. Leave it to Kyle to get hung up on this. “Yes really. Can we move on? Time is ticking.”
“Sorry I didn’t realize I had said that out loud. The truth huh?
“Yeah the truth.”
Kyle walked to the kitchen to get one of Michael’s chairs, sent a plea to Buddha, and sat opposite Tess. “Ok the truth.”
Tess looked at Kyle like he had grown two extra heads. The truth. This was too easy. “You’ll tell me whatever I want to know?”
Thank you Maria. I finally know how to answer this question. “No.”
I knew it. “But you just said…”
“I said I’d tell you the truth. That is different from telling you whatever you want to know.”
“Excuse me?”
“Telling you whatever you want, means whatever you ask me, I have to give answers to. Even if they aren’t mine to give. Telling you the truth, means instead of lying to you, I tell you ‘I don’t know’, ‘You have to ask so-and-so’, I can’t tell you.’ ‘That’s none of you business’…well you get the picture.” Kyle paused to let this sink in. “Is the truth, still what you want Tess?”
Tess looked up and met Kyle’s eyes. She had the choice and the power. Whatever merry-go-round I wanted so bad to get off of, I could get stay on if I wanted. Do I really want the truth? Obviously there is so much more to this than did Liz and Kyle sleep together. The truth may leave me with more questions than answers. But in this world where they only way to survive is keeping secrets, deception, and half-truths - this would be real. “Yes Kyle it is.”
Kyle nodded, understanding her decision. “Ask away. We only have an hour left before your protectors come back.”
“Cute real cute. Why did you say what you said to me the other night?”
Huh? She would ask the hard question. “I wanted to. I wanted to hurt you. No. Not really. It was Max. I wanted to get back at him for so many things. You guys think he’s perfect. And it feels like he’s taken so everything away from me. Liz, my dad, you, even my mom. You were just convenient. I guess you could say I have Max issues.”
Tess couldn’t believe it. He actually answered and not some brush off either. It couldn’t have been easy. “Wow. You know how to throw someone off guard. Of all the reasons - Max never came to mind. Max issues huh.”
“You wanted the truth. Not my fault if it isn’t pretty. I didn’t tell you to excuse it. Just so you might be able to see how. The insecurities and uncertainties came to a head and I just let it rip. It felt good for all of 5 seconds. I didn’t know how to stop or even if I wanted to. I’m sorry.”
Tess looked at Kyle She was glad she decided on truth. Kyle was open and honest. It was an honor. Now if only the rest of the group could be like this. “Apology accepted.”
“Thanks.”
“Did you sleep with Liz?”
“No.”
“Then why did Max say he saw you?
“He saw us.”
“Excuse me?”
“He didn’t actually see us…he saw us in bed.”
“Oh.”
“Why?”
“I can’t tell you that.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t really know.”
“Huh? Can you elaborate?”
“All I can tell you is that nothing improper happened between me and Liz. Anything else you are going to have to get from Liz herself. She has all the answers. But I don’t know if she is going to share them.”
“Why not?”
“Liz made it sound like it was a matter of life and death.”
So Michael, Maria and me we were right. “Kyle it obviously involves us all especially Max and me.”
“Why do you say that?”
“We were the only two really hurt by this and you were the instrument to cause the pain.”
Kyle winced. Ouch. “Never thought about it like that. It makes sense. What happens now?”
“Not really sure. You are the only one giving up any info. Maria couldn’t get Liz to talk.”
This was big. Maria could get anyone to crack. “Well your protectors will be back in a few and I figure that’s soon enough to come up with something. Until then is there anything else you wanted to know?”
“Is this a one shot deal?”
“No. I think we do enough devious activity. I plan to try to do my best to be honest and truthful with you.”
Tess smiled. “Then no I don’t. At least not right now.”
Kyle smiled back at Tess. “So…um…when are you coming home?”
Home. Tess liked the sound of that. Home was with Kyle and the Sheriff. It was here in Roswell with her new friends - her family. This was home. Not a planet millions of miles and who knows how many years away. Here.
“When this is over.”
“But…
“No Kyle.”
“Why?”
“Liz knows I’m mad at her. She knows I’m mad at you. Max is mad at her. Heck everyone is mad at you both. And they all know I’m here because of that. If I go back, I change things, letting everyone know I’m ok. She thinks her plan has worked. Maria is on her case. Your dad knows he might not actually say anything but it’ll hang over her head. This has to be getting to her and it maybe our only way to apply enough pressure to get her to crack.”
“Ok. We play it your way. I’ll tell my dad. Is there anything else you want me to tell him?”
Tess thought about it and leaned over to give Kyle a hug. “Yeah that.”
“Hey in there. Things had better be in one piece or else…”
“Maria open your eyes. The apartment is still standing. In fact I think they made up.”
“Michael Guerin don’t sound so pleased with yourself. The only reason you had any clue as to why Kyle wanted time alone with Tess is because of all the influence I have had on you.”
Tess and Kyle looked to the doorway to see Maria and Michael having one of their famous discussions. And started laughing. “Guys please. We made up. But Tess is staying here until Liz cracks. Keep up appearances and hope the guilt thing will do her in.”
“Yeah guys now that this is over, let’s enjoy the rest of Friday night.”
“We’ll we figured things would be all good when we got back so we got movies and decided to order food when we got back.”
“I even let Michael pick out one movie.”
“What’cha get man?”
“Braveheart.”
“Tess lets go order food while they get an accurate body count for the umpteenth time…in fact we can go out for a walk.”
The shouts of bring back some munchies soon cause the food is going to take 45 min followed them down the stairs.
Last edited by Ti88 on Thu Jul 01, 2004 8:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.
here are 3 more parts. after this it slows down some cause i am still writiing the story.
Roswellluver - thanks for reading
Part 14: Try…Try…Again
Four aliens, two changlings, a dodgeball king, and a ceder queen were all gathered in the Evan’s living room. A meeting had been called - by Isabel. This couldn’t be good.
“Okay people.” She started looking at each of them. Each gave her their undivided attention. The Ice Princess may have thawed and it wasn’t quite time for the X-MAS Nazi, but everyone present knew the penealty for being out of the will of Isabel Evans. “We are here to discuss a few things. The rumor. The parents, and where we go from here.” She paused giving them a chance to interrupt; but knowing they wouldn’t. “I’m leading this meeting…”
“But Iz I’m the king…” Max interrupted, more out of habit and being a brother than anything.
“…Hey we figured out there was more to this than what it seemed…” chimed in Michael and Tess.
“…Not so fast. I found out about it in the first place.” Maria looked ready to do some bodily harm to Michael. He held up his hands in a you win motion.
“…And there wouldn’t even be a rumor if it wasn’t for us.” Liz and Kyle felt they couldn’t be left out.
“Oh man!” Alex could barely talk, he was laughing hysterically. This is better than T.V.
Six heads turned to look at him like he’d gone mad. “SHUT-UP!!” They all yelled only causing Alex to laugh harder. Isabel couldn’t take it anymore. She had to do something before she started cracking up like Alex.
“Enough.” There was silence. Even Alex had managed to get it down to a snicker. “As I was saying, I’m heading this meeting along with Alex.” She dared them to say something - wisely they choose not to. “I have my reasons. Max Liz, and Kyle are key players so they are out. Sorry little brother senority rules and I’m pulling rank on Earth. Maria you heard this first, told Michael who confronted Tess while you confronted Liz. Tess you and Michael figured out something was amiss and you went after Kyle. Liz and Kyle are the reason behind the rumors, although the cataylist for it all is what we are here today to find out. “ She paused taking a breath and smiling her princess smile. “Alex and I are the only ones not directly involved. And we were the last to find out.” She waited a full minute smiling at each of them with that smile and very calmly stated. “We will deal with that fact later, make no mistake about that.” A collective groan filled the living room as each thought of what those two could have in store for them. “I will keep things moving and Alex will be the voice of reason and comic relief.” NO ONE speaks without our permission.” She gave them a moment to digest that order. Time to begin.
“Maria.”
“Yeah Iz?”
“Tell us how you found out.”
Maria took a deep breath and knowing that once it started Isabel wasn’t going to stop until she knew everything. “Well I was in the girls room and heard these girls talking about Kyle and Liz…you know. When I asked them about it, I got a run down of all the people they had hear it from. I didn’t really know what to do and I should have gone over to Liz’s I guess but all I could think about was if it was true on any level and Liz hadn’t told me yet then Max was the person I should speak with. Of course this was a conversation I was having with myself and ran smack into Michael. Who let me tell you is much more perceptive than any of us give him credit for. He picked up that something was wrong and after badgering him so long about hiding things and opening up, I didn’t have much choice but to tell him. I told him what I knew and that I really didn’t think there was much to it, but I was going over to Max’s in hopes he could shed some light on the situation. I figured him and Liz had a fight and she was muttering something about Max and Kyle and I don’t know.
Well I was in for an even bigger shock than what I had heard in the bathroom. Michael must have been half-sleep or something. All he did was take my arm to lead me to my car and wham I saw a distraught and heart broken Max. Michael must have seen my face because he sighed and got in the drivers sear. He drove and we talked. He had just seen Max and from what…”
Isabel held up her hand to stop her. “Michael continue.”
How in the world did we end up like this? I can’t believe we didn’t tell Isabel. Wait I didn’t tell her, and from the looks of things neither did the others. So how the heck? Oh well not important. We didn’t tell her and that’s all she’s going to remember for a while. “Um well like Maria said we drove around and talked. I had just finished talking to Max about 15 minutes before I ran into Maria so that would explain her catching whatever she caught which wasn’t much. Max told me that he had brought some Gomez tickets for Liz and was on his way to surprise her when…”
“Michael please.” There was a collective gasp and everyone tried to hide in their chairs. “I should tell this part. Its mine to tell” They couldn’t believe it. They hadn’t been here an hour and someone had already broken rules laid down by Isabel.
“Max.” Isabel was not pleased. Oh no. They don’t get to leave Alex and me in the dark and then get to run the meeting how they want to. “I thought…”
“Isabel.” Alex reached over and touched her shoulder. He knew it wasn’t the fact they didn’t tell her, but more the feeling that they didn’t see her as important and valuable enough to tell. Like she couldn’t help. And to think she has them all scared. Even Max and Michael are cowering. They have been with her since forever and two lifetimes and they don’t recognize it is all an act. Not that my Belle is a pushover. She was a force to be reckoned with. “Max needs to tell it and I think we need to hear it from Max.”
Isabel looked at Alex and smiled. “Ok. Max you can speak but don’t any of the rest of you get any funny ideas about speaking out of turn. There will be order while we get to the bottom of this and the bottom we will get too.”
Max tried to meet Liz’s eyes to see if she was going to say anything. Nothing. “Well like Michael said I had these tickets. Really I had the whole thing planned out. First I went with a Mariachi band and we sang to her. I through her up a rose and changed it to white and things were going well or so I thought. Then she tried to push me into Tess but I ignored it. Just figuring Liz was telling me to make sure this is what I want. Her. So I got the tickets and prepared to surprise her at night with them. I…” Max was having trouble going on. He didn’t want to give Liz and Kyle anymore perverse satisfaction than they already had. “I should have known something was up. That she was trying to tell me something other than that. But I well I didn’t think it would ever come to this.” He took another deep breath. “I climbed up her balcony and went to knock on her window and there they were. In bed. Under the covers. Together. How could you? How could either of you? I mean if you guys had gotten back together then you should have told me. You know I come by sometimes and you did that?” Max was losing it. Michael offered him some water.
“Who did you see Max?” Alex didn’t want to. But he knew he had to hear the names for himself. He didn’t get the whole story only enough to call a meeting with Isabel.
“Liz and Kyle. I saw Liz and Kyle.” Silence filled the room. No one really knew what to say. So Liz and Kyle were in bed together. It was close enough to the base of the rumors going around to send shivers down Alex’s back. Maria and Michael had heard it from Max and Tess knew more than any of them because of Kyle, but it didn’t make it any easier to hear. Somehow though this made it real. And it brought the sense of something being really wrong to the surface really fast.
Alex recovered first and saw he had to do something before…well before what he wasn’t sure. He was having mixed feelings about all of this and no matter how distraught Max sounded he knew the key to the mess was in his hands. At the same time knowing that Liz had turned it. She looked as sick as Max did but he doubted it had anything to do with her and Kyle in bed.
Isabel couldn’t really explain it and knew Alex was thinking the same thing because they had spent most of their date talking about it. But in her opinion the only real victim of this mess was Tess. Liz looked as if the world was going to end. And Kyle looked just guilty. She knew him and Tess had some sort of falling out and she’d bet it had something to do with his part in all of this. “I suggest each of you call home and tell them you are spending the night here. We are getting to the bottom of this. And no one is going home until we do.”
*Dong* Dong*
Alex jumped up and got the door thankful for something to do after not only the bomb that dropped but also the announcement made by Isabel. “Food. I took the liberty of ordering it. I didn’t know how long this was going to last and I needed fuel…But there is enough for everyone. Lets eat and then, well then I suggest you guys do what Isabel tells you to do.”
As they were each lost in their own thoughts, there was very little conversation while they ate.
“Pass the Tabasco.”
“Hey leave some cheese for me.”
“If you give me a pepperoni, I’ll give you a sausage.’
“Blue cheese. I think we are out of blue cheese.”
“There’s some in the fridge.”
“That’s for the salad.”
“And?”
“Alex were you really going to eat all of this?”
“I had Isabel to help. Besides I figured this was going to turn into a slumber party.”
“Always prepared.’
Someone had to be. It didn’t sound like anyone was prepared a little over a week ago.”
The light tone that had seeped in vanished in a second. They were only delaying the inevitable. He knew Isabel meant what she said. No one was leaving or going to sleep until she had some answers. And Alex was really sleepy.
14b
“Ok if we are all feed watered and bath roomed, then we need to get back to the business at hand.” Someone was going to pay if she missed her beauty sleep…alien powers are better than makeup true but nothing works like good old-fashioned sleep. “Alex and I discussed in the kitchen where to go from here. Kyle and Liz are the ones who know the most. I expect to get some real answers real soon.” She gave each of them her don’t mess with me or else looks. Kyle cringed.
No one said anything. Kyle and Liz were locked in some weird starring contest. Max was boring a whole in Liz’s head and giving Kyle the evil aye at the same time. Enough was enough. They had been here two and a half hours and all they had come up with was - well nothing really. Big who-hoo that Max saw Liz and Kyle in bed.
“Can I have your attention? Due to the lack of vocalization on your part and a sense of impending doom on mine, I am forced to exercise some human power before my partner exercises some alien power. One…Two…Th…”
“Stop Alex. Stop counting. I’ll tell you all I know…Its not much though.”
“Kyle you can’t! You promised.”
“Liz look around you. A week ago and a half ago we were normal. Well as normal as one can be with aliens and evil government people involved. Now…Now we can’t even all be in the same room together and have a conversation. Alex is right. There is a sense of impending doom. I can only guess at Isabel’s show of power. If what you said to me was true. And what we did was so right, we WOULDNT be here.”
“What you did? I saved your life and you repay me by sleeping with my girlfriend?”
“Max I never said…”
“Yes. You just did…”
Alex didn’t know how much more of this he could take. “Shut-up! Isabel’s rules are still in effect. Max Kyle is speaking. Liz you had your chance. End of discussion.” Alex decided to add one more bit just so they would know this dodge ball king meant business. “And so help me the next argument that occurs the instigators will incur the wrath of Isabel Evans with my blessings.”
With the exception of Michael who remembered the punch and Isabel - how else would they have hooked up if he didn’t know how to mean business- everyone else starred at him in awe. Isabel decided to give someone permission to speak. “Well now that we have that taken care of, I believe Kyle had something he wanted to tell us.”
Part 14: Finally
Kyle looked around. When he got to Liz and saw the look in her eyes go from the world was going to end to resignation to almost relief he knew he was doing the right thing. “Um ok.” He looked at Tess who nodded and squeezed his hand in support. “Well almost two weeks ago Liz came to me and asked for a favor. It was a no questions asked our ears only kinda thing. She told me it was a matter of life and death.” Maria and Michael shared I knew it looks. “I asked her what she needed and she told me she needed my help to make Max fall out of love with her. Somehow I didn’t really pay too much attention to the first part. I figured Evans had screwed up and she wanted to get him back. I didn’t have any problems, cause I have my own Max issues. I asked her plan. Liz wanted us to get caught in bed together by Evans. How she knew he was coming by…well I didn’t think of that either. To me it was the ultimate payback. I mean first he takes Liz, then he gets a jump on Tess without even trying. I agreed. She laid down the law. Underclothes on. Under the covers. Evans showed us as planned. It was written all over his face the betrayal. After he left Liz and I talked. She cried for a few and dozed off.”
Kyle stopped to gather his thoughts. He would talk to Max alone about his other issues. “As for how the rumors got started - um see Liz and I were talking after and I think she said something to the effect of thanks for not leaving right after we finished and then gave me a hug. We didn’t realize there were people around until the whispering started. She thought it would be best to let it alone. It would add credence to anything Max might say or the reason him and I were avoiding each other like the plague. It was all an act. I’m sorry.” Kyle fell silent. He didn’t know what else to say.
Everyone was, once again speechless. It wasn’t that they didn’t believe Max had seen what he said he had seen. It was just they thought he hadn’t quite seen all he claimed to have seen. Now they had it from the horse’s rump. Isabel couldn’t quite get a grip on things. And Liz hadn’t even spoken yet. Kyle has Max issues - who doesn’t? Have to make sure those two talk and with me as the mediator. King Jerk and King Jock.
“Alright. Moving along. Now that we know the rumors aren’t true in the biblical sense, but instead some type of ploy. And Kyle has a thing for Tess - which after this is all over we’ll explore that development. Liz are you going to put an end to this nightmare so we can all begin to move on whatever it is that you are hiding?” She hoped she agreed. Alex said he’d be her anchor for the dream walk that would be the only solution if they didn’t find out the truth. It was a decision that if implemented would forever change the dynamics of the group. It wasn’t one she really wanted to do. Not under these terms…it seemed like something Vilandra would do as an exercise of power over those weaker than her. And Isabel was loath to do anything that would make her more like her past self.
Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Minutes passed and no one said anything. Liz made her decision. “I’ll tell you everything I know. All I ask is that you wait until I finish to ask your questions about it. A lot of what I am going to tell you will be hard for you to understand. Some of it will be very difficult for me to say.” Isabel nodded to Alex. This was what they had been waiting for.
“Liz you have out undivided attention.”
“I’m sorry. To you all. I thought I was doing the right thing.” She looked at Max until he stopped glaring at Kyle enough to look at her. “Max. No matter what, don’t ever ask me to do anything like this again.” When Max started to respond she held up her hand to stop him. It was now or never.
“It was the day you Maria took Alex and myself to see the psychic. We asked about our love lives. I was told I would have everything. The man I would marry had a great purpose. But would choose Love over Destiny. I tried to argue. But she was adamant. Said he was different but it didn’t matter. Love would be the victor. I knew she was talking about Max. I went home and that night I stood in front of the mirror with a lace table cloth, pretending I was becoming Mrs. Max Evans.” She paused caught up in the memory.
“Then there was a bright light and there on the balcony was you Max. You looked different, older, dressed in leather long hair…but still you. I thought it was a skin at first. He told me no. The granolith was powerful. More powerful than we knew and could never fall into the hands of our enemies. It can be used to time travel. He was from 14 years in the future. He had come to change the past. I still didn’t believe Him but He predicated you, the mariachi band, and the flower changing colors. He said I had to make you fall out of love with me. We grew closer together and it pushed Tess away. She leaves. Our enemies come and destroy us. You guys are a unit. Without Tess it was going to be the end of the world. You and Tess needed to be together.
I went to her to try and help set you guys up, but it didn’t work. I told you I didn’t love you. That I wouldn’t die for you. That didn’t work. At first it looked as if it did - he started to fade, but no. He said it had to be done tonight. He told me that the night of Gomez we made love and became inseparable. Two years later we got married in Vegas at the Elvis Chapel. We were all there and we were happy. I told you I couldn’t..” Liz stopped. She didn’t think she could go on, but knew she had to. It was too late to stop talking and sweep it under the rug.
“He said he held a dying Michael in his arms. That Isabel had dies two weeks before. Maria had died rather than give us up and he couldn’t get out how Kyle and Alex perished. What choice did I have really? I had to destroy my dreams, my happiness for the survival of everyone. Our love destroyed a planet? What was I supposed to do? Its what we have to do. This doesn’t change anything…you just know why. Why we can’t be together. There is no choice.”
Liz stopped again. She still had to tell how Kyle got involved in this. “I remembered what Maria told me about how she felt seeing Michael over Courtney’s. Well I decided to up the ante and make it look like I had sex with someone. Kyle was the logical person. It would feed and fuel all your insecurities about us and you being an alien. I asked for his help. It all went as planned. He left. You stepped out of the shadows. I got my wedding dance and as you turned me you disappeared proving the future had been changed.”
No one knew what to say. It seemed the bombs being dropped the night got better and better each time someone spoke. Oh boy. At least it was out and over. Time travel. The granolith. End of the world. A set-up. Death. Max started to say something but Isabel beat him to it
Part 15: IQ=Brains….NOT!!!!
“I don’t get it. How can two of the most intelligent people I know, be so stupid?”
“Isabel that’s uncalled for.” Max was back to his protective - my world revolves around-what have I done-Liz mode.
“Max did what he thought was best. You weren’t there. You don’t know how hard it was.” Liz jumped into ‘I’ll protect and defend no matter what he does or how stupid - even when we are around friends - feel sorry and understand Max mode’
Isabel couldn’t believe she was hearing this. It was like someone coming along and knocking the arch over before the keystone is put in with these two. Although killing them wouldn’t solve anything smacking them both upside their heads would bring some relief. At this rate she was going to need Maria’s oils to calm down. “Sit. Down. And. Shut. Up.” This is not happening. Her king of a brother had come back to change things because they were too ‘happy’. Happy. Only Max and Liz would be unhappy at being happy.
“Do you two enjoy being miserable that much? Michael has done some off the wall things before; but even he wouldn’t do anything this dumb. That’s why you didn’t come back to one of us. You knew what we’d do. You went to Liz. She’s the only one of us dumb enough to not only go along with it, but be cruel about it as well. Because in case you didn’t know, Liz that was cruel. You’re right we were dead when this plan of yours hatched. You think I’m scary now? Imagine what 14 years of practice would have enabled me to do.” Alex just beamed as the others shrank back a little. Growing up with 2 girls as friends you knew where to and where not to step. This was her show now. He was glad to be in her protective inner circle. But he couldn’t muster the strength to fell sorry for anyone. Somethings had to be done with a heavy hand especially with this group.
“You guys are just like Romeo and Juliet. The balls in your court and instead of going for the ace you’re content to volley back and forth. Their story is a tragic one time has romanticized. It wasn’t the love that brought the families together but the pain that was caused. They were married. Married and bound by the laws of man and God. Instead of taking a stand and fighting they decided to cook up a scheme that was as hair brained and water logged as this. There is nothing noble about that. You both always want to take the easy way out. You claim you want to be together, but you want it on your terms. Neither one of you lives in a bubble. There are people around you. And instead of working with that you come up with this? The idea is so we feel sympathy for poor Max and Liz. There are only two people in this room anyone needs to be feeling sympathy for and that’s Maria and Alex. They should have walked but they didn’t. Are you two ever going to stop hiding behind your noble cowardice?” She was fuming now. The only thing that kept her grounded was Alex’s hand on hers. He would apply enough pressure to know he was there and she was not alone. And that she was doing fine.
“Hate to break it to ya, but Tess didn’t leave cause of you two. She left because she had no reason to stay. And while that does not really pose a problem now it could in the future. We can never lose contact. We are all in this together and we are all family. That doesn’t mean we won’t leave Roswell for a time to travel, go to college get married. But in the end this is home and this is where whatever battle is going to take place will happen. We all contributed to the way the future played out. I am very upset that neither of your future selves realized that. This changing things should have been a group effort. I can see the need for a contact person, but if the only thing wrong was Tess left, then it would take all of us to fix it. Where is your common sense?”
Isabel got very quiet. She didn’t realize she had been talking for so long. She was thirsty. As if reading her mind, Alex produced a glass of water. “Thanks.” She glanced around the room. Everyone seemed to be in deep thought - good. Although both Max and Liz had the arrogant martyr thing going on. “I don’t really have anything else to say on the matter expect this. Happiness. We were happy. Before Liz was shot we were just trying to survive. But never happy. You may not want your happiness, but I want mine. I’m happy now and I was going to be happy in the future and you two selfish, self righteous individuals tried to take that away from us and from your selves.I won’t let you do it.” Isabel didn’t have anything else to say. She sat back down and motioned for Alex to say something.
Alex thought about all the things he could say and realized that he couldn’t really add anything to what Isabel had already said. And he didn’t want to take away from it. “Well it’s late. We all have a lot to think about. I think we should get some sleep and tomorrow we’ll…well that’ll be for tomorrow.”
Part 16: Where do we go from here?
She stood in front of the door of house at an hour she never thought she would be standing at. Well at least not going in…leaving maybe, but not going in. But she needed some answers. She didn’t expect to get them all, but she hoped to get the ones that at least would let her know that she hadn’t failed as a parent in certain areas. All she was waiting for now was the door to open.
Who in the world is knocking on my door at this hour? Kyle and Tess are over at the Evans’ for Isabel’s and Alex’s little interrogation. I can’t believe I still owe him. “I’m coming. I’m coming.” Rushing to the door being careful not to hit the coffee table Jim peeked out the window and opened the door to reveal - Amy Deluca. “What are you? Do you know what time it is? Not that I’m not happy to see you, but…”
Great. Just great Valenti. You got a woman standing on your doorstep, the kids are gone, and all you want to do is play 20 questions. Real smart. “I’m sorry where are my manners come in Amy and have a seat. Anything to drink?”
Amy shook her head at Jim and walked in. If the situation wasn’t so…well whatever it was - she promised herself she wouldn’t get worked up before she knew for sure - seeing Jim getting all tongue tied would have been cute. Heck who was she kidding it was cute. “I know you’re wandering why I’m here. It’s about Maria. I’m worried and I need some answers. I’ve been hearing things and all Maria would tell me was it between Max, Liz and Kyle. I’m not really here about the rumors so much as I’m here about Maria. Maria and Michael.”
Jim looked at Amy. And running a hand through his hair and over his face, wandered where to start. What are they all coming out of the woodwork now? How many more parents are going to come to me about information about their kids? “Well Amy what is it exactly you want to know? I mean I don’t really have much I can tell you.”
“Can’t. Or won’t?”
“It’s a little of both. Now before you get mad, why don’t we see what I can answer about Maria and Michael for you.”
“Deal.” Amy thought about it. “Jim I know there are things you can’t tell me. For whatever the reason is the kids have taken you into their confidence. Even so. It is the each other they rely on lock, stock, and barrel.” She paused. “I guess I just need to know I didn’t fail. I didn’t screw up her life. That’s she has a chance and is happy. She’s got so much potential and I don’t want her stuck here by force.”
Jim looked at Amy. He couldn’t tell her it all but he could give her she was asking. He just hoped it would be enough. “Ok. Let me see if I have this right. You want to know if Michael and Maria are having sex. No. How do I know? Believe me those kids aren’t thinking about sex. Is Michael going to break your daughter’s heart? Not if he can help it. Is Maria doing anything illegal? No. Is Michael doing anything illegal? NO. Are they failing out of school? No. And to answer your most important concern - did you fail as a parent? NO” Jim stopped and looked at her. He didn’t know if it helped any.
Amy just thought about what he said. He answered her most pressing concerns. Although she knew there were many things she could have done differently, she accepted that hindsight was 20/20 and you could only learn from them not dwell on it. Unfortunately the things Jim said didn’t really make her feel better. She just knew there was something big on the horizon. She figured she would have to be patient and wait. Patient. Waiting. Two traits the Deluca women weren’t known for. But she couldn’t run her away from her. Her mom did that to her. And while Maria wasn’t pregnant or left by her husband she was obviously involved in something serious.
“Thank you Jim. No. It didn’t really help. But it did give me something to thing to think about. I want to say thank you for being there for them. And for being there for me.” She got up. “I am going to go home now and wait for my daughter. Do me a favor. Tell Maria I love her. And if she ever needs another adult to talk too she can come to me. No matter what it is. Even if its she’s pregnant or into something illegal. Hey I don’t care if its something out of this world to her and she thinks I just can’t handle it. I will stand by her.”
Jim just looked at Amy and decided he would definitely give Maria the message. Although if Amy knew how out of the world things were, he wasn’t sure she be as calm as she claimed. But he knew she would be in the kids’ corner. She was one special woman even if she didn’t always think of herself that way. Jim held the door open for her. “Hey Amy. I want you to know that you are a very special woman.” He gave Her a hug. “Please feel free to drop by anytime - day or night”
“Thanks Jim I will. I wander if the kids realize how lucky they are?” She gave him a kiss on the cheek. “’Night.”
“Philip look.” Diane Evans pointed to what looked liked three additional cars parked in front of the house. It was almost 6 in the morning and it looked like Isabel’s little meeting had turned into a sleep over. Philip took in the extra vehicles and made a decision. Things couldn’t keep going on the way they were going. Those kids haven’t all been right with each other for over a week. Isabel calls a meeting and wham its let have a slumber party. Well we weren’t supposed to know it was a meeting, but how else did she manage to get them all over here? He couldn’t take too much more. The Parkers and the Whitmans and Amy felt the same way. But Valenti - now he just seemed to go with the flow, now that he had stopped harassing the kids. Another puzzle. One day the man was out for blood and the next thing you know he’s everybody's best friend.
“That’s it. I am going in there and finding out exactly what is going on. I have been patient, but I won’t sit on my hands any longer. Those kids have a choice - come clean or…”
“Or what Philip?” Diane knew her husband was just desperate with wanting to know so he could help, but the last time they tried to back Max in a corner he looked as if the world was going to end. She just knew trying to force their hands would be disastrous. “Its not going to work. I want to know as much as you do. And I know that they are hiding something and it isn’t a oh Mom Dad we shop lifted, got tattoos or body piercing in unmentionable places. It not sex related. Its something totally unknown to us. In their eyes us knowing would make us stop loving them. Don’t give them the ultimatium. They’ll take it.”
Philip looked at his wife. She spoke with such conviction. “How do you know?”
“I’ve had a lot of time to think about it. I think about it when they go see that shrink. I think about it when they don’t come home. I think about it when there are rumors going around school. I think about when my daughter decides to close herself off and hid behind two guys. I think about it when the sheriff wants nothing but to get my son. I think about it when I hear my son cry in his sleep. I think about it when I have dreams with my daughter in them that seem real. I think about it when it seems like all our kids belong to some weird exclusive club. I think about it when the only people I see them talk to is the same exact people.” Diane paused to get a grip on herself. Falling apart now would only make things worse. “Philip what else am I supposed to do. I’m their mother. I’ve seen the videotape over and over again. I think about why they were in the desert all alone and naked. I think about that until a shooting Michael was the only person they ever got close to. That’s all I have is my thoughts. At first I worried and I realized that wasn’t helping. It was slowly eating away at me. I decided to be productive about it. I began to think. And I thought about everything. I weighed and I thought and I crossed of my giant list all the things it couldn’t be.” She placed a hand on the side of his head until he looked at her.
“Think about it. Philip our kids tell us just about everything else. Up until the shooting they didn’t do anything out of line. We had two perfect children. Never broke curfew. Never rude. Always did their work and in the case of Max exceeded that. Isabel was involved, giving open. For almost 16 years we had a picture perfect family. And while the other parents can’t say it was picture perfect the problems weren’t on the level they are now. I tell you whatever is going on is big and its probably dangerous. We can’t afford to alienate them. They need us.”
“What if its illegal?”
“I don’t think Jim would be helping all of them if it was illegal. He might protect Kyle, but he has the resources to do that without bringing the others for the ride.”
“Why does he get to be a part of this?”
“I don’t know?” Diane looked at her husband and realized he was jealous. “Philip he isn’t trying to take our places. And I don’t think the children went to him because they wanted to unburden themselves. I think they didn’t have a choice. And I think now he’s as much a part of this as they are.”
Philip realized his wife had a point. If he gave them, especially Max, an ultimatum it could blow up in his face. Max could and would chose the or if he felt it was the right thing to do. What was he supposed to do? His wife had the ‘thinking’ part down pact. Maybe drop a hint or two. “Ok. You win. I won’t march in there and drag them all out of bed, demanding an explanation. But I will drop subtle hints. You know to remind them that I’m a lawyer and I could be useful.”
Diane murmured a prayer of thanks. She knew how much this was costing her husband. It was costing her the same thing. Maybe the kids would tell them. Maybe this would prove to them they could be let in on the secret too. “Good now lets go around back so we don’t wake them. Who knows what time Isabel let them go to sleep. You know how she is when she’s on a mission.
Roswellluver - thanks for reading
Part 14: Try…Try…Again
Four aliens, two changlings, a dodgeball king, and a ceder queen were all gathered in the Evan’s living room. A meeting had been called - by Isabel. This couldn’t be good.
“Okay people.” She started looking at each of them. Each gave her their undivided attention. The Ice Princess may have thawed and it wasn’t quite time for the X-MAS Nazi, but everyone present knew the penealty for being out of the will of Isabel Evans. “We are here to discuss a few things. The rumor. The parents, and where we go from here.” She paused giving them a chance to interrupt; but knowing they wouldn’t. “I’m leading this meeting…”
“But Iz I’m the king…” Max interrupted, more out of habit and being a brother than anything.
“…Hey we figured out there was more to this than what it seemed…” chimed in Michael and Tess.
“…Not so fast. I found out about it in the first place.” Maria looked ready to do some bodily harm to Michael. He held up his hands in a you win motion.
“…And there wouldn’t even be a rumor if it wasn’t for us.” Liz and Kyle felt they couldn’t be left out.
“Oh man!” Alex could barely talk, he was laughing hysterically. This is better than T.V.
Six heads turned to look at him like he’d gone mad. “SHUT-UP!!” They all yelled only causing Alex to laugh harder. Isabel couldn’t take it anymore. She had to do something before she started cracking up like Alex.
“Enough.” There was silence. Even Alex had managed to get it down to a snicker. “As I was saying, I’m heading this meeting along with Alex.” She dared them to say something - wisely they choose not to. “I have my reasons. Max Liz, and Kyle are key players so they are out. Sorry little brother senority rules and I’m pulling rank on Earth. Maria you heard this first, told Michael who confronted Tess while you confronted Liz. Tess you and Michael figured out something was amiss and you went after Kyle. Liz and Kyle are the reason behind the rumors, although the cataylist for it all is what we are here today to find out. “ She paused taking a breath and smiling her princess smile. “Alex and I are the only ones not directly involved. And we were the last to find out.” She waited a full minute smiling at each of them with that smile and very calmly stated. “We will deal with that fact later, make no mistake about that.” A collective groan filled the living room as each thought of what those two could have in store for them. “I will keep things moving and Alex will be the voice of reason and comic relief.” NO ONE speaks without our permission.” She gave them a moment to digest that order. Time to begin.
“Maria.”
“Yeah Iz?”
“Tell us how you found out.”
Maria took a deep breath and knowing that once it started Isabel wasn’t going to stop until she knew everything. “Well I was in the girls room and heard these girls talking about Kyle and Liz…you know. When I asked them about it, I got a run down of all the people they had hear it from. I didn’t really know what to do and I should have gone over to Liz’s I guess but all I could think about was if it was true on any level and Liz hadn’t told me yet then Max was the person I should speak with. Of course this was a conversation I was having with myself and ran smack into Michael. Who let me tell you is much more perceptive than any of us give him credit for. He picked up that something was wrong and after badgering him so long about hiding things and opening up, I didn’t have much choice but to tell him. I told him what I knew and that I really didn’t think there was much to it, but I was going over to Max’s in hopes he could shed some light on the situation. I figured him and Liz had a fight and she was muttering something about Max and Kyle and I don’t know.
Well I was in for an even bigger shock than what I had heard in the bathroom. Michael must have been half-sleep or something. All he did was take my arm to lead me to my car and wham I saw a distraught and heart broken Max. Michael must have seen my face because he sighed and got in the drivers sear. He drove and we talked. He had just seen Max and from what…”
Isabel held up her hand to stop her. “Michael continue.”
How in the world did we end up like this? I can’t believe we didn’t tell Isabel. Wait I didn’t tell her, and from the looks of things neither did the others. So how the heck? Oh well not important. We didn’t tell her and that’s all she’s going to remember for a while. “Um well like Maria said we drove around and talked. I had just finished talking to Max about 15 minutes before I ran into Maria so that would explain her catching whatever she caught which wasn’t much. Max told me that he had brought some Gomez tickets for Liz and was on his way to surprise her when…”
“Michael please.” There was a collective gasp and everyone tried to hide in their chairs. “I should tell this part. Its mine to tell” They couldn’t believe it. They hadn’t been here an hour and someone had already broken rules laid down by Isabel.
“Max.” Isabel was not pleased. Oh no. They don’t get to leave Alex and me in the dark and then get to run the meeting how they want to. “I thought…”
“Isabel.” Alex reached over and touched her shoulder. He knew it wasn’t the fact they didn’t tell her, but more the feeling that they didn’t see her as important and valuable enough to tell. Like she couldn’t help. And to think she has them all scared. Even Max and Michael are cowering. They have been with her since forever and two lifetimes and they don’t recognize it is all an act. Not that my Belle is a pushover. She was a force to be reckoned with. “Max needs to tell it and I think we need to hear it from Max.”
Isabel looked at Alex and smiled. “Ok. Max you can speak but don’t any of the rest of you get any funny ideas about speaking out of turn. There will be order while we get to the bottom of this and the bottom we will get too.”
Max tried to meet Liz’s eyes to see if she was going to say anything. Nothing. “Well like Michael said I had these tickets. Really I had the whole thing planned out. First I went with a Mariachi band and we sang to her. I through her up a rose and changed it to white and things were going well or so I thought. Then she tried to push me into Tess but I ignored it. Just figuring Liz was telling me to make sure this is what I want. Her. So I got the tickets and prepared to surprise her at night with them. I…” Max was having trouble going on. He didn’t want to give Liz and Kyle anymore perverse satisfaction than they already had. “I should have known something was up. That she was trying to tell me something other than that. But I well I didn’t think it would ever come to this.” He took another deep breath. “I climbed up her balcony and went to knock on her window and there they were. In bed. Under the covers. Together. How could you? How could either of you? I mean if you guys had gotten back together then you should have told me. You know I come by sometimes and you did that?” Max was losing it. Michael offered him some water.
“Who did you see Max?” Alex didn’t want to. But he knew he had to hear the names for himself. He didn’t get the whole story only enough to call a meeting with Isabel.
“Liz and Kyle. I saw Liz and Kyle.” Silence filled the room. No one really knew what to say. So Liz and Kyle were in bed together. It was close enough to the base of the rumors going around to send shivers down Alex’s back. Maria and Michael had heard it from Max and Tess knew more than any of them because of Kyle, but it didn’t make it any easier to hear. Somehow though this made it real. And it brought the sense of something being really wrong to the surface really fast.
Alex recovered first and saw he had to do something before…well before what he wasn’t sure. He was having mixed feelings about all of this and no matter how distraught Max sounded he knew the key to the mess was in his hands. At the same time knowing that Liz had turned it. She looked as sick as Max did but he doubted it had anything to do with her and Kyle in bed.
Isabel couldn’t really explain it and knew Alex was thinking the same thing because they had spent most of their date talking about it. But in her opinion the only real victim of this mess was Tess. Liz looked as if the world was going to end. And Kyle looked just guilty. She knew him and Tess had some sort of falling out and she’d bet it had something to do with his part in all of this. “I suggest each of you call home and tell them you are spending the night here. We are getting to the bottom of this. And no one is going home until we do.”
*Dong* Dong*
Alex jumped up and got the door thankful for something to do after not only the bomb that dropped but also the announcement made by Isabel. “Food. I took the liberty of ordering it. I didn’t know how long this was going to last and I needed fuel…But there is enough for everyone. Lets eat and then, well then I suggest you guys do what Isabel tells you to do.”
As they were each lost in their own thoughts, there was very little conversation while they ate.
“Pass the Tabasco.”
“Hey leave some cheese for me.”
“If you give me a pepperoni, I’ll give you a sausage.’
“Blue cheese. I think we are out of blue cheese.”
“There’s some in the fridge.”
“That’s for the salad.”
“And?”
“Alex were you really going to eat all of this?”
“I had Isabel to help. Besides I figured this was going to turn into a slumber party.”
“Always prepared.’
Someone had to be. It didn’t sound like anyone was prepared a little over a week ago.”
The light tone that had seeped in vanished in a second. They were only delaying the inevitable. He knew Isabel meant what she said. No one was leaving or going to sleep until she had some answers. And Alex was really sleepy.
14b
“Ok if we are all feed watered and bath roomed, then we need to get back to the business at hand.” Someone was going to pay if she missed her beauty sleep…alien powers are better than makeup true but nothing works like good old-fashioned sleep. “Alex and I discussed in the kitchen where to go from here. Kyle and Liz are the ones who know the most. I expect to get some real answers real soon.” She gave each of them her don’t mess with me or else looks. Kyle cringed.
No one said anything. Kyle and Liz were locked in some weird starring contest. Max was boring a whole in Liz’s head and giving Kyle the evil aye at the same time. Enough was enough. They had been here two and a half hours and all they had come up with was - well nothing really. Big who-hoo that Max saw Liz and Kyle in bed.
“Can I have your attention? Due to the lack of vocalization on your part and a sense of impending doom on mine, I am forced to exercise some human power before my partner exercises some alien power. One…Two…Th…”
“Stop Alex. Stop counting. I’ll tell you all I know…Its not much though.”
“Kyle you can’t! You promised.”
“Liz look around you. A week ago and a half ago we were normal. Well as normal as one can be with aliens and evil government people involved. Now…Now we can’t even all be in the same room together and have a conversation. Alex is right. There is a sense of impending doom. I can only guess at Isabel’s show of power. If what you said to me was true. And what we did was so right, we WOULDNT be here.”
“What you did? I saved your life and you repay me by sleeping with my girlfriend?”
“Max I never said…”
“Yes. You just did…”
Alex didn’t know how much more of this he could take. “Shut-up! Isabel’s rules are still in effect. Max Kyle is speaking. Liz you had your chance. End of discussion.” Alex decided to add one more bit just so they would know this dodge ball king meant business. “And so help me the next argument that occurs the instigators will incur the wrath of Isabel Evans with my blessings.”
With the exception of Michael who remembered the punch and Isabel - how else would they have hooked up if he didn’t know how to mean business- everyone else starred at him in awe. Isabel decided to give someone permission to speak. “Well now that we have that taken care of, I believe Kyle had something he wanted to tell us.”
Part 14: Finally
Kyle looked around. When he got to Liz and saw the look in her eyes go from the world was going to end to resignation to almost relief he knew he was doing the right thing. “Um ok.” He looked at Tess who nodded and squeezed his hand in support. “Well almost two weeks ago Liz came to me and asked for a favor. It was a no questions asked our ears only kinda thing. She told me it was a matter of life and death.” Maria and Michael shared I knew it looks. “I asked her what she needed and she told me she needed my help to make Max fall out of love with her. Somehow I didn’t really pay too much attention to the first part. I figured Evans had screwed up and she wanted to get him back. I didn’t have any problems, cause I have my own Max issues. I asked her plan. Liz wanted us to get caught in bed together by Evans. How she knew he was coming by…well I didn’t think of that either. To me it was the ultimate payback. I mean first he takes Liz, then he gets a jump on Tess without even trying. I agreed. She laid down the law. Underclothes on. Under the covers. Evans showed us as planned. It was written all over his face the betrayal. After he left Liz and I talked. She cried for a few and dozed off.”
Kyle stopped to gather his thoughts. He would talk to Max alone about his other issues. “As for how the rumors got started - um see Liz and I were talking after and I think she said something to the effect of thanks for not leaving right after we finished and then gave me a hug. We didn’t realize there were people around until the whispering started. She thought it would be best to let it alone. It would add credence to anything Max might say or the reason him and I were avoiding each other like the plague. It was all an act. I’m sorry.” Kyle fell silent. He didn’t know what else to say.
Everyone was, once again speechless. It wasn’t that they didn’t believe Max had seen what he said he had seen. It was just they thought he hadn’t quite seen all he claimed to have seen. Now they had it from the horse’s rump. Isabel couldn’t quite get a grip on things. And Liz hadn’t even spoken yet. Kyle has Max issues - who doesn’t? Have to make sure those two talk and with me as the mediator. King Jerk and King Jock.
“Alright. Moving along. Now that we know the rumors aren’t true in the biblical sense, but instead some type of ploy. And Kyle has a thing for Tess - which after this is all over we’ll explore that development. Liz are you going to put an end to this nightmare so we can all begin to move on whatever it is that you are hiding?” She hoped she agreed. Alex said he’d be her anchor for the dream walk that would be the only solution if they didn’t find out the truth. It was a decision that if implemented would forever change the dynamics of the group. It wasn’t one she really wanted to do. Not under these terms…it seemed like something Vilandra would do as an exercise of power over those weaker than her. And Isabel was loath to do anything that would make her more like her past self.
Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Minutes passed and no one said anything. Liz made her decision. “I’ll tell you everything I know. All I ask is that you wait until I finish to ask your questions about it. A lot of what I am going to tell you will be hard for you to understand. Some of it will be very difficult for me to say.” Isabel nodded to Alex. This was what they had been waiting for.
“Liz you have out undivided attention.”
“I’m sorry. To you all. I thought I was doing the right thing.” She looked at Max until he stopped glaring at Kyle enough to look at her. “Max. No matter what, don’t ever ask me to do anything like this again.” When Max started to respond she held up her hand to stop him. It was now or never.
“It was the day you Maria took Alex and myself to see the psychic. We asked about our love lives. I was told I would have everything. The man I would marry had a great purpose. But would choose Love over Destiny. I tried to argue. But she was adamant. Said he was different but it didn’t matter. Love would be the victor. I knew she was talking about Max. I went home and that night I stood in front of the mirror with a lace table cloth, pretending I was becoming Mrs. Max Evans.” She paused caught up in the memory.
“Then there was a bright light and there on the balcony was you Max. You looked different, older, dressed in leather long hair…but still you. I thought it was a skin at first. He told me no. The granolith was powerful. More powerful than we knew and could never fall into the hands of our enemies. It can be used to time travel. He was from 14 years in the future. He had come to change the past. I still didn’t believe Him but He predicated you, the mariachi band, and the flower changing colors. He said I had to make you fall out of love with me. We grew closer together and it pushed Tess away. She leaves. Our enemies come and destroy us. You guys are a unit. Without Tess it was going to be the end of the world. You and Tess needed to be together.
I went to her to try and help set you guys up, but it didn’t work. I told you I didn’t love you. That I wouldn’t die for you. That didn’t work. At first it looked as if it did - he started to fade, but no. He said it had to be done tonight. He told me that the night of Gomez we made love and became inseparable. Two years later we got married in Vegas at the Elvis Chapel. We were all there and we were happy. I told you I couldn’t..” Liz stopped. She didn’t think she could go on, but knew she had to. It was too late to stop talking and sweep it under the rug.
“He said he held a dying Michael in his arms. That Isabel had dies two weeks before. Maria had died rather than give us up and he couldn’t get out how Kyle and Alex perished. What choice did I have really? I had to destroy my dreams, my happiness for the survival of everyone. Our love destroyed a planet? What was I supposed to do? Its what we have to do. This doesn’t change anything…you just know why. Why we can’t be together. There is no choice.”
Liz stopped again. She still had to tell how Kyle got involved in this. “I remembered what Maria told me about how she felt seeing Michael over Courtney’s. Well I decided to up the ante and make it look like I had sex with someone. Kyle was the logical person. It would feed and fuel all your insecurities about us and you being an alien. I asked for his help. It all went as planned. He left. You stepped out of the shadows. I got my wedding dance and as you turned me you disappeared proving the future had been changed.”
No one knew what to say. It seemed the bombs being dropped the night got better and better each time someone spoke. Oh boy. At least it was out and over. Time travel. The granolith. End of the world. A set-up. Death. Max started to say something but Isabel beat him to it
Part 15: IQ=Brains….NOT!!!!
“I don’t get it. How can two of the most intelligent people I know, be so stupid?”
“Isabel that’s uncalled for.” Max was back to his protective - my world revolves around-what have I done-Liz mode.
“Max did what he thought was best. You weren’t there. You don’t know how hard it was.” Liz jumped into ‘I’ll protect and defend no matter what he does or how stupid - even when we are around friends - feel sorry and understand Max mode’
Isabel couldn’t believe she was hearing this. It was like someone coming along and knocking the arch over before the keystone is put in with these two. Although killing them wouldn’t solve anything smacking them both upside their heads would bring some relief. At this rate she was going to need Maria’s oils to calm down. “Sit. Down. And. Shut. Up.” This is not happening. Her king of a brother had come back to change things because they were too ‘happy’. Happy. Only Max and Liz would be unhappy at being happy.
“Do you two enjoy being miserable that much? Michael has done some off the wall things before; but even he wouldn’t do anything this dumb. That’s why you didn’t come back to one of us. You knew what we’d do. You went to Liz. She’s the only one of us dumb enough to not only go along with it, but be cruel about it as well. Because in case you didn’t know, Liz that was cruel. You’re right we were dead when this plan of yours hatched. You think I’m scary now? Imagine what 14 years of practice would have enabled me to do.” Alex just beamed as the others shrank back a little. Growing up with 2 girls as friends you knew where to and where not to step. This was her show now. He was glad to be in her protective inner circle. But he couldn’t muster the strength to fell sorry for anyone. Somethings had to be done with a heavy hand especially with this group.
“You guys are just like Romeo and Juliet. The balls in your court and instead of going for the ace you’re content to volley back and forth. Their story is a tragic one time has romanticized. It wasn’t the love that brought the families together but the pain that was caused. They were married. Married and bound by the laws of man and God. Instead of taking a stand and fighting they decided to cook up a scheme that was as hair brained and water logged as this. There is nothing noble about that. You both always want to take the easy way out. You claim you want to be together, but you want it on your terms. Neither one of you lives in a bubble. There are people around you. And instead of working with that you come up with this? The idea is so we feel sympathy for poor Max and Liz. There are only two people in this room anyone needs to be feeling sympathy for and that’s Maria and Alex. They should have walked but they didn’t. Are you two ever going to stop hiding behind your noble cowardice?” She was fuming now. The only thing that kept her grounded was Alex’s hand on hers. He would apply enough pressure to know he was there and she was not alone. And that she was doing fine.
“Hate to break it to ya, but Tess didn’t leave cause of you two. She left because she had no reason to stay. And while that does not really pose a problem now it could in the future. We can never lose contact. We are all in this together and we are all family. That doesn’t mean we won’t leave Roswell for a time to travel, go to college get married. But in the end this is home and this is where whatever battle is going to take place will happen. We all contributed to the way the future played out. I am very upset that neither of your future selves realized that. This changing things should have been a group effort. I can see the need for a contact person, but if the only thing wrong was Tess left, then it would take all of us to fix it. Where is your common sense?”
Isabel got very quiet. She didn’t realize she had been talking for so long. She was thirsty. As if reading her mind, Alex produced a glass of water. “Thanks.” She glanced around the room. Everyone seemed to be in deep thought - good. Although both Max and Liz had the arrogant martyr thing going on. “I don’t really have anything else to say on the matter expect this. Happiness. We were happy. Before Liz was shot we were just trying to survive. But never happy. You may not want your happiness, but I want mine. I’m happy now and I was going to be happy in the future and you two selfish, self righteous individuals tried to take that away from us and from your selves.I won’t let you do it.” Isabel didn’t have anything else to say. She sat back down and motioned for Alex to say something.
Alex thought about all the things he could say and realized that he couldn’t really add anything to what Isabel had already said. And he didn’t want to take away from it. “Well it’s late. We all have a lot to think about. I think we should get some sleep and tomorrow we’ll…well that’ll be for tomorrow.”
Part 16: Where do we go from here?
She stood in front of the door of house at an hour she never thought she would be standing at. Well at least not going in…leaving maybe, but not going in. But she needed some answers. She didn’t expect to get them all, but she hoped to get the ones that at least would let her know that she hadn’t failed as a parent in certain areas. All she was waiting for now was the door to open.
Who in the world is knocking on my door at this hour? Kyle and Tess are over at the Evans’ for Isabel’s and Alex’s little interrogation. I can’t believe I still owe him. “I’m coming. I’m coming.” Rushing to the door being careful not to hit the coffee table Jim peeked out the window and opened the door to reveal - Amy Deluca. “What are you? Do you know what time it is? Not that I’m not happy to see you, but…”
Great. Just great Valenti. You got a woman standing on your doorstep, the kids are gone, and all you want to do is play 20 questions. Real smart. “I’m sorry where are my manners come in Amy and have a seat. Anything to drink?”
Amy shook her head at Jim and walked in. If the situation wasn’t so…well whatever it was - she promised herself she wouldn’t get worked up before she knew for sure - seeing Jim getting all tongue tied would have been cute. Heck who was she kidding it was cute. “I know you’re wandering why I’m here. It’s about Maria. I’m worried and I need some answers. I’ve been hearing things and all Maria would tell me was it between Max, Liz and Kyle. I’m not really here about the rumors so much as I’m here about Maria. Maria and Michael.”
Jim looked at Amy. And running a hand through his hair and over his face, wandered where to start. What are they all coming out of the woodwork now? How many more parents are going to come to me about information about their kids? “Well Amy what is it exactly you want to know? I mean I don’t really have much I can tell you.”
“Can’t. Or won’t?”
“It’s a little of both. Now before you get mad, why don’t we see what I can answer about Maria and Michael for you.”
“Deal.” Amy thought about it. “Jim I know there are things you can’t tell me. For whatever the reason is the kids have taken you into their confidence. Even so. It is the each other they rely on lock, stock, and barrel.” She paused. “I guess I just need to know I didn’t fail. I didn’t screw up her life. That’s she has a chance and is happy. She’s got so much potential and I don’t want her stuck here by force.”
Jim looked at Amy. He couldn’t tell her it all but he could give her she was asking. He just hoped it would be enough. “Ok. Let me see if I have this right. You want to know if Michael and Maria are having sex. No. How do I know? Believe me those kids aren’t thinking about sex. Is Michael going to break your daughter’s heart? Not if he can help it. Is Maria doing anything illegal? No. Is Michael doing anything illegal? NO. Are they failing out of school? No. And to answer your most important concern - did you fail as a parent? NO” Jim stopped and looked at her. He didn’t know if it helped any.
Amy just thought about what he said. He answered her most pressing concerns. Although she knew there were many things she could have done differently, she accepted that hindsight was 20/20 and you could only learn from them not dwell on it. Unfortunately the things Jim said didn’t really make her feel better. She just knew there was something big on the horizon. She figured she would have to be patient and wait. Patient. Waiting. Two traits the Deluca women weren’t known for. But she couldn’t run her away from her. Her mom did that to her. And while Maria wasn’t pregnant or left by her husband she was obviously involved in something serious.
“Thank you Jim. No. It didn’t really help. But it did give me something to thing to think about. I want to say thank you for being there for them. And for being there for me.” She got up. “I am going to go home now and wait for my daughter. Do me a favor. Tell Maria I love her. And if she ever needs another adult to talk too she can come to me. No matter what it is. Even if its she’s pregnant or into something illegal. Hey I don’t care if its something out of this world to her and she thinks I just can’t handle it. I will stand by her.”
Jim just looked at Amy and decided he would definitely give Maria the message. Although if Amy knew how out of the world things were, he wasn’t sure she be as calm as she claimed. But he knew she would be in the kids’ corner. She was one special woman even if she didn’t always think of herself that way. Jim held the door open for her. “Hey Amy. I want you to know that you are a very special woman.” He gave Her a hug. “Please feel free to drop by anytime - day or night”
“Thanks Jim I will. I wander if the kids realize how lucky they are?” She gave him a kiss on the cheek. “’Night.”
“Philip look.” Diane Evans pointed to what looked liked three additional cars parked in front of the house. It was almost 6 in the morning and it looked like Isabel’s little meeting had turned into a sleep over. Philip took in the extra vehicles and made a decision. Things couldn’t keep going on the way they were going. Those kids haven’t all been right with each other for over a week. Isabel calls a meeting and wham its let have a slumber party. Well we weren’t supposed to know it was a meeting, but how else did she manage to get them all over here? He couldn’t take too much more. The Parkers and the Whitmans and Amy felt the same way. But Valenti - now he just seemed to go with the flow, now that he had stopped harassing the kids. Another puzzle. One day the man was out for blood and the next thing you know he’s everybody's best friend.
“That’s it. I am going in there and finding out exactly what is going on. I have been patient, but I won’t sit on my hands any longer. Those kids have a choice - come clean or…”
“Or what Philip?” Diane knew her husband was just desperate with wanting to know so he could help, but the last time they tried to back Max in a corner he looked as if the world was going to end. She just knew trying to force their hands would be disastrous. “Its not going to work. I want to know as much as you do. And I know that they are hiding something and it isn’t a oh Mom Dad we shop lifted, got tattoos or body piercing in unmentionable places. It not sex related. Its something totally unknown to us. In their eyes us knowing would make us stop loving them. Don’t give them the ultimatium. They’ll take it.”
Philip looked at his wife. She spoke with such conviction. “How do you know?”
“I’ve had a lot of time to think about it. I think about it when they go see that shrink. I think about it when they don’t come home. I think about it when there are rumors going around school. I think about when my daughter decides to close herself off and hid behind two guys. I think about it when the sheriff wants nothing but to get my son. I think about it when I hear my son cry in his sleep. I think about it when I have dreams with my daughter in them that seem real. I think about it when it seems like all our kids belong to some weird exclusive club. I think about it when the only people I see them talk to is the same exact people.” Diane paused to get a grip on herself. Falling apart now would only make things worse. “Philip what else am I supposed to do. I’m their mother. I’ve seen the videotape over and over again. I think about why they were in the desert all alone and naked. I think about that until a shooting Michael was the only person they ever got close to. That’s all I have is my thoughts. At first I worried and I realized that wasn’t helping. It was slowly eating away at me. I decided to be productive about it. I began to think. And I thought about everything. I weighed and I thought and I crossed of my giant list all the things it couldn’t be.” She placed a hand on the side of his head until he looked at her.
“Think about it. Philip our kids tell us just about everything else. Up until the shooting they didn’t do anything out of line. We had two perfect children. Never broke curfew. Never rude. Always did their work and in the case of Max exceeded that. Isabel was involved, giving open. For almost 16 years we had a picture perfect family. And while the other parents can’t say it was picture perfect the problems weren’t on the level they are now. I tell you whatever is going on is big and its probably dangerous. We can’t afford to alienate them. They need us.”
“What if its illegal?”
“I don’t think Jim would be helping all of them if it was illegal. He might protect Kyle, but he has the resources to do that without bringing the others for the ride.”
“Why does he get to be a part of this?”
“I don’t know?” Diane looked at her husband and realized he was jealous. “Philip he isn’t trying to take our places. And I don’t think the children went to him because they wanted to unburden themselves. I think they didn’t have a choice. And I think now he’s as much a part of this as they are.”
Philip realized his wife had a point. If he gave them, especially Max, an ultimatum it could blow up in his face. Max could and would chose the or if he felt it was the right thing to do. What was he supposed to do? His wife had the ‘thinking’ part down pact. Maybe drop a hint or two. “Ok. You win. I won’t march in there and drag them all out of bed, demanding an explanation. But I will drop subtle hints. You know to remind them that I’m a lawyer and I could be useful.”
Diane murmured a prayer of thanks. She knew how much this was costing her husband. It was costing her the same thing. Maybe the kids would tell them. Maybe this would prove to them they could be let in on the secret too. “Good now lets go around back so we don’t wake them. Who knows what time Isabel let them go to sleep. You know how she is when she’s on a mission.
Parts 17-19 sorry it took so long
I just want to say sorry 
guys it took so long to give you these next three parts. We're in the fresh writing stuff now. All the other part sfor the most part had been written and actually posted elsewhere. I'm not in school so i don't have all that extra time to write...you knwo the time you are susposed to spend doing work you spend getting yourself ready to do work. 
Thanks for being patient wuth me. It means the world.
Roswelliam 504 : Thanks. Glad you like it so much. Isabel is also glad you agree with her.
Damage control. You're right. I din't actually have any in place at first. Then I thought about it and realised you were right. So here's some damage control.
Roswelluver : Thanks for the vote of confidence with the whole Diane and Phillip talk. Sometimes I think our characters on these shows stop having parents.
Roswck : Thank you for reading. Happy you like it. Sorry the update wasn't sooner
Mudshovel 5 : Isabel sends her thanks again. I agree They do tend to forget they are a group don't they. Well I may just have to remind them again. Maybe it'll stick this time. Hey are you the same Mudshovel from RRR?
A*StargazinInTheDay*I : I hope I got that right. Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoy your more.
Part 17: Deep Sleep Thoughts
It was around 10:30 - six hours after they had all gone to bed. The only sounds heard were Michael’s and Alex’s stomach. Initially after being dismissed by Alex they had gone off in-group of two, two, and four, just to end up in the Evans’ family room. The eight of them had even managed in sleep to form a circle - displaying the innate unity of the group. A unity they could not seem to find right now, even though they desperately needed it.
Tess couldn’t take it anymore. She didn’t think anyone had a louder rumble than Kyle but she was wrong. She awoke thinking something had blown up only to find out it was just Michael and Alex and their stomachs. I now longer want to be Maria or Isabel - I don’t care how perky and elegant they are. I will kill Kyle if he ever sounds like that. I am not going to get anymore sleep. I am going to take a bubble bath and hopefully use all the hot water. As she took a deep breath to put her self in the mood she smelled what was causing the ruckus. Breakfast was being cook. Fine Michael is off the hook; but Alex gets a home cooked meal. Doesn’t matter. Kyle will make sure there is some food for me. He will if he wants me to keep cooking.
Diane awoke to an empty bed and did not think much of it. She knew her husband wouldn’t do anything to drive her precious gifts away and break her heart. Going into the shower she could definitely hear part one of his I’ll-drop-a-hint-and-see-if-they’ll-open-up plan. He was cooking breakfast. I hope there is enough in the kitchen. Diane had overheard more than once the girls talking about how much Michael, Kyle and surprisingly Alex ate. By the time she was finished and started down the stairs she could smell the food. Maybe this isn’t such a bad plan. Maybe we left our kids a little too much on their own. Relying a little too much on the fact they always come to us.
Tess was glad no one had come to knock on the door. She needed this time to herself to think. Everyone was shocked at the idea of time travel. She of course wasn’t. That was one of the last things Nascedo told her before…well before. Tess didn’t need to ponder that. I followed through in the future in a plan that I abandoned months ago. I was just so lost when he died. I didn’t expect to be. But I was. And things weren’t really working at Jim and Kyle’s. But we worked through them and I got a family. What changed my mind in that future? It couldn’t have been Max and Liz. Isabelle must have been right. But what changed from now to then? The possible answer made her shiver and she used he powers to heat the water and make more bubbles. Sending the bubbles into the air she slipped back into deep thought. Maybe I went with that other plan. Tess shook her head. No! I said no to that before Nascedo died. In fact it was the only thing I was able to convince he of all those years ago. And it got him killed. My last and only gift received from the man who pretended to be my father. He not only decided to play double agent but he kept me out of it completely. I was no part of his deal with the devil. She changed the floating bubbles to stars and then changed their color. I should tell. But they’ll never believe why I waited. Maybe that’s what happened. I told them and they couldn’t take it. And I couldn’t take them not taking it. Maybe I left because of that. She made some patterns, spelled out Kyle’s name and made a decision. She just hoped it was the right one.
If Tess thought she was having it hard, she should have been in the room, when everyone was waking up. Michael’s and Alex’s stomachs made sure of that. Or more to the point Maria’s elbow and Isabel’s dream walk which resulted in loud yelps from both of them. The yelps woke up Kyle who thinking it was his alarm rolled over and did pushups. The laughter, which resulted from, this woke up Max and Liz. They in turn looked around like the laughter was some enemy out to get them. By this time everyone had realized two things. One, food was being made. Two, Tess had beaten them to the hot water. Things had yet to go back to normal…well what ever was normal for them. With nothing else to say or do they bid each other good morning and raced to the other bathrooms.
Jeff had been looking for his wife. There was a crowd coming in and he needed all the help he could get with his 2 star waitresses and his cook not coming in till later. He stopped in front of Liz’s room. He should’ve checked here first, but figured he would give his wife sometime. Things were getting really crazy and she was starting to climb the walls. She wanted answers and she wanted them now. He shook his head and hoped Diane was having an easier time with Philip. He didn’t think so. Opening Liz door he found the room empty. He walked across to the balcony. Sure enough wrapped in Liz’s favorite swarpi and clutching an old bear was his wife.
Nancy looked up at her husband as approached. “Jeff what is going on with our daughter?” He sighed.
“I don’t really know. I’m guessing last nights study group turned sleepover had something to do with it.”
Nancy shook her head. “That doesn’t answer the question. I tired of the questions. I called Amy this morning to see if Maria had gotten back and she said no. I asked her if she knew anything and she said no. But she sounded different.”
Jeff looked at his wife. “Different how? Did she say something? Hint that she knew something?”
Nancy realized this was getting to him as much as it was getting to her. He just had a better way of dealing with it. Or at least he was projecting he was dealing with it better. Whenever Liz waked through the door, Nancy was tempted to grab her and shove her in her room and board up the balcony, until she told all. But she won’t a little voice kept telling here. She’ll take it with her to her grave if she feels it’s the right thing to do. “No not different like that. Like she has gotten some kind of peace from somewhere. She said right now she was going to concentrate on being there for Maria and her friends – without strings. Just be there and hope that by doing that if they ever need something they’ll know she’s in their corner. ‘Give to her what was never given to me and hope it makes all the difference’, were her exact words.”
Jeff thought about it. She probably had a talk with Valenti too. That was his basic idea. He had seemed let down at first. Even jealous. He knew Valenti knew if not all than most of it. The important stuff. But after talking to Diane he started thinking maybe this was the way to go for now. He was going to talk it over with his wife, but she seemed to have already heard the line from Amy. “And what do you think?”
Nancy looked at her husband and looked around herself. Sometimes you have to have faith. “I think its an excellent idea. A hard one because it’s a need to want to know what’s going on with your children. But I trust Liz. I trust Maria. I trust Max. I trust Michael. I trust Alex. I trust Isabel. I trust Tess. I trust Jim.”
Jeff looked at his wife. “You just trust all of those people? Just like that?”
Nancy looked up and smiled. “Yes.” She paused. “Yes I trust them because I trust my daughter. And I trust my daughter’s judgment. It may not always make sense to us. But that’s what we’ve been educating her for isn’t? To make her own decisions. To take what she knows and make her own choices. She’s not going to get it right all the time. Neither do we. But she’ll never learn and never grow if she never makes them sometimes.”
“What if those choices take her away from us?” Jeff voiced what was on all the parent’s mind. The Whitman’s were in last night and although thrilled Alex seemed to be spending so much time with people his own age as well as the fact his group of friends had finally expanded to include some guys, they were getting a little concerned about the many ‘meetings’.
Nancy stood up, met her husband’s eyes, and with more confidence then she felt said the only thing she could. “If her choices take her away from us, then we will be here waiting with open arms and unconditional love if those choices ever bring her back to us.” Jeff looked at wife and sighed. If he was honest he trusted Liz too. He didn’t understand her anymore and in not understanding here, he didn’t want to trust her. But he did. And two years ago he trusted those kids too.
“OK.” Nancy felt all the air leave her body. It was akin to the roller coaster going over that first drop. She started crying. Jeff didn’t know what to do. “What is wrong? I agree you are right. Why are you crying?” Nancy wiped her face with the blanket and shook her head.
“I thought once I came to peace with the decision I had made it would be easy.” She paused. “It’s isn’t. Now comes the hard part.” Jeff looked confused. Then it hit him.
“You’re right. The impact of what we just agreed to do just hit me.” He sighed and came to another decision. “The kids obviously have some sort of secret club/support group…I thinks its time the parents have one.”
Part 19: The line in the sand.
Alex was getting ready to go downstairs when Max’s voice stopped him. “Something is wrong” He looked back at Max waiting for an explanation.
“Max nothing is wrong. Mom and Dad just want to do something nice for us. I think you are blowing this way out of proportion.”
“Isabel, maybe Max has a point.”
“What? Michael not you too.”
“Isabel, come on think.”
Alex shook his head. He couldn’t believe it. It was like stepping through a time warp. Everything was going back to the way it had been – a year ago. Michael, Isabel, and Max were engaged in s staring, glaring, and eye rolling battle. He tried to diffuse the situation.
But Isabel beat him to it. “Michael, Max will you just…”
Max had enough. “Iz, last night was cute. But lets not loose site of the objective right now. This isn’t the first time we’ve had everybody over. Today though after so much has happened they decided they want to do the ‘Brady Bunch’ thing? No. I don’t think so.”
Isabel wanted to scream. Max was being impossible. Michael was not helping. And last night was cute. Yep she could see Liz and him concocting that stupid scheme of theirs. He’s borderline irrational now. Another decade and forget it. Even if Liz had wanted to argue it would have fallen on deaf ears.
Maria, Kyle, Tess, and Liz decided to stay out of it. Maria did not know how much more us them she could take. Kyle figured it was safest to keep his mouth shut. Tess was still thinking about why she left and then wandered if this right here wasn’t part of the problem. She didn’t agree with Max and Michael, but you could see it was a family fight. And even though she was an alien like them, had lived a past life with them, and been married to one, she in that moment saw what it must be like for Maria, Liz, Alex, and Kyle. It was fleeting. She then realized she belonged to neither group. The only group she belonged to was the one where they were all working together. Liz just stood there and wandered if Maria was thinking the same thing she was. How did we back to the ‘us them’ thing?
Alex looked around and realized this situation was getting out of hand. He and Isabel had worked too hard to let things slip back into us them mode. Especially over the fact someone made them food. As far as Alex was concerned, as long as it tasted good and wasn’t poisonous it could have come from a skin. It was home cooked food. “Stop it! Just. Stop. It. Now.” Everyone looked at Alex in shock. Listen to yourselves. This has to stop. I am not so sure anymore that it’s the things of the future that will be our downfall. The things of the past are just as deadly as the things to come.”
Maria looked at Alex and shook her head. “Alex I think the things of the past are more deadly if not dealt with. Fourteen years from now Max comes back to say what happened in the past caused the ‘end of the world’. More importantly it’s the past of Isabel, Michael, Max, and Tess that have us in the predicament we are in now.”
Alex watched Isabel look between Max and Michael and then at the rest of them. They were waged in silent battle she was losing. Michael did not know what to do. He couldn’t meet either of their eyes for long and just settled on staring at Maria when it became too much. Tess was not even a factor. Alex was tired of that as well. He couldn’t do this anymore right now…at least not on an empty stomach. He was going to eat. “It is FOOD. FOOD. And it was cooked by the parents of the woman I love.” He shook his head. “I thought we made progress last night. It is not over. WE have to – if we want to make it – deal and move on. Get this. The day you –Max – healed Liz- it stopped being you and me, us and them.” Alex stooped. He looked at Isabel and plunged forward, hoping he knew what he was doing.
“I am going downstairs to eat. I hope the rest of you will follow. But do not out of a sense of obligation or pretense. If you follow me down those stairs to breakfast you had better be ready and willing to close the door to the past, work of the present, so we can have a future. If not do not bother. Go Home.”
Isabel looked at Alex. She was shocked. Although she loved take charge Alex, she wasn’t sure if this was the best way to do it. “Alex…maybe…”
Alex grabbed her hand. “NO Belle. The secret is out. The lies are coming undone. We are unraveling along with them. Choices have to be made. We have to stop arguing the same thing over and over. Its how we got to where we are. Heck I’m surprised only Tess left.” With that Alex released Isabel’s hand and went downstairs.
Isabel looked at the door Alex left through and looked at her friends. “Listen I meant what I said last night. I’m happy. I will not give that up.” With that she went out the door to go downstairs.
Michael was looking at Maria. He knew she was going out that door. And he knew he was going with her. “Maxwell. They are right. I am tired of believing the worst. I don’t like the old me. I don’t like the idea fourteen years from now everything falls apart. I don’t like how I am being forced to correct something that happened on a different world to basically a different person. I really don’t like the fact I am trying to correct and prevent disaster 2 from happening here. In fact it seems we screwed up then too. This could be our last chance. I didn’t have a say the other times. I’m having a say now.” He looked at Max and then Tess. He turned and took Maria’s hand. “Come on. I’m hungry.”
Maria did not think it would be that easy. Sure they had come a long way, but she knew where she stood in relationship to the aliens. “Michael are you sure?”
Michael looked at her, the door, and Max. Keeping eye contact with Max while speaking to Maria. “Yeah I’m sure. Probably the first time I’ve ever been completely sure about anything. I’ve tried everything else. It did not work then, now, or in the distance. Maybe we’ve been fighting the wrong thing. I know I have.” With that they walked out, leaving Max staring after them.
He turned and looked at the 3 other people in the room with him. Kyle met his gaze and started to say something but thought better of it. Tess followed her brother’s lead. She walked over to Kyle. “If either of us plan on getting any food from those two we have to leave now. Max, I have been through so much I don’t know how much more I can take. I’m going to have breakfast. I am going to work on closing all doors to the past. I am starting like my present enough to want to have a future. A happy one. A real one.” Kyle offered Tess his arm and they walked out, leaving Max and Liz alone.
Liz walked over to Max. “Max I lied to you. I would die for you. And I would die for us. Can you say the same?”
Max was startled. “Of course Liz. If there is no us I am dead anyway.”
She put her hand on his cheek and looked at him in the eyes. “Then will you fight for us?”
“What do you mean? I have always fought for us.” Liz was starting to scare him a little.
“No Max. WE never really fought for each other. We the time ever came. I left. You left. We always said we would die for each other, but we never said we would fight for each other.” Liz paused until she knew Max wasn’t thinking, but concentrated right on her. “I’m ready to fight for us. Will you fight with me for us, while I fight with you for your planet?”
Max looked at Liz. “Yes.” Liz smiled. Max smiled. He didn’t know what was going to happen. But he knew one thing. Isabel was happy. Michael was…happy. Liz was happy. The three people he loved most in the world were happy. Now he was. “Yes I’ll fight with you for us and fight so everyone can have an us too.”
“Good. Now lets go eat. We let Alex, Michael, and Kyle get to the food before us. I hope there is enough.” Max laughed and escorted Liz out the door.
guys it took so long to give you these next three parts. We're in the fresh writing stuff now. All the other part sfor the most part had been written and actually posted elsewhere. I'm not in school so i don't have all that extra time to write...you knwo the time you are susposed to spend doing work you spend getting yourself ready to do work. Thanks for being patient wuth me. It means the world. Roswelliam 504 : Thanks. Glad you like it so much. Isabel is also glad you agree with her.
Damage control. You're right. I din't actually have any in place at first. Then I thought about it and realised you were right. So here's some damage control. Roswelluver : Thanks for the vote of confidence with the whole Diane and Phillip talk. Sometimes I think our characters on these shows stop having parents.
Roswck : Thank you for reading. Happy you like it. Sorry the update wasn't sooner
Mudshovel 5 : Isabel sends her thanks again. I agree They do tend to forget they are a group don't they. Well I may just have to remind them again. Maybe it'll stick this time. Hey are you the same Mudshovel from RRR?
A*StargazinInTheDay*I : I hope I got that right. Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoy your more.
Part 17: Deep Sleep Thoughts
It was around 10:30 - six hours after they had all gone to bed. The only sounds heard were Michael’s and Alex’s stomach. Initially after being dismissed by Alex they had gone off in-group of two, two, and four, just to end up in the Evans’ family room. The eight of them had even managed in sleep to form a circle - displaying the innate unity of the group. A unity they could not seem to find right now, even though they desperately needed it.
Tess couldn’t take it anymore. She didn’t think anyone had a louder rumble than Kyle but she was wrong. She awoke thinking something had blown up only to find out it was just Michael and Alex and their stomachs. I now longer want to be Maria or Isabel - I don’t care how perky and elegant they are. I will kill Kyle if he ever sounds like that. I am not going to get anymore sleep. I am going to take a bubble bath and hopefully use all the hot water. As she took a deep breath to put her self in the mood she smelled what was causing the ruckus. Breakfast was being cook. Fine Michael is off the hook; but Alex gets a home cooked meal. Doesn’t matter. Kyle will make sure there is some food for me. He will if he wants me to keep cooking.
Diane awoke to an empty bed and did not think much of it. She knew her husband wouldn’t do anything to drive her precious gifts away and break her heart. Going into the shower she could definitely hear part one of his I’ll-drop-a-hint-and-see-if-they’ll-open-up plan. He was cooking breakfast. I hope there is enough in the kitchen. Diane had overheard more than once the girls talking about how much Michael, Kyle and surprisingly Alex ate. By the time she was finished and started down the stairs she could smell the food. Maybe this isn’t such a bad plan. Maybe we left our kids a little too much on their own. Relying a little too much on the fact they always come to us.
Tess was glad no one had come to knock on the door. She needed this time to herself to think. Everyone was shocked at the idea of time travel. She of course wasn’t. That was one of the last things Nascedo told her before…well before. Tess didn’t need to ponder that. I followed through in the future in a plan that I abandoned months ago. I was just so lost when he died. I didn’t expect to be. But I was. And things weren’t really working at Jim and Kyle’s. But we worked through them and I got a family. What changed my mind in that future? It couldn’t have been Max and Liz. Isabelle must have been right. But what changed from now to then? The possible answer made her shiver and she used he powers to heat the water and make more bubbles. Sending the bubbles into the air she slipped back into deep thought. Maybe I went with that other plan. Tess shook her head. No! I said no to that before Nascedo died. In fact it was the only thing I was able to convince he of all those years ago. And it got him killed. My last and only gift received from the man who pretended to be my father. He not only decided to play double agent but he kept me out of it completely. I was no part of his deal with the devil. She changed the floating bubbles to stars and then changed their color. I should tell. But they’ll never believe why I waited. Maybe that’s what happened. I told them and they couldn’t take it. And I couldn’t take them not taking it. Maybe I left because of that. She made some patterns, spelled out Kyle’s name and made a decision. She just hoped it was the right one.
If Tess thought she was having it hard, she should have been in the room, when everyone was waking up. Michael’s and Alex’s stomachs made sure of that. Or more to the point Maria’s elbow and Isabel’s dream walk which resulted in loud yelps from both of them. The yelps woke up Kyle who thinking it was his alarm rolled over and did pushups. The laughter, which resulted from, this woke up Max and Liz. They in turn looked around like the laughter was some enemy out to get them. By this time everyone had realized two things. One, food was being made. Two, Tess had beaten them to the hot water. Things had yet to go back to normal…well what ever was normal for them. With nothing else to say or do they bid each other good morning and raced to the other bathrooms.
Jeff had been looking for his wife. There was a crowd coming in and he needed all the help he could get with his 2 star waitresses and his cook not coming in till later. He stopped in front of Liz’s room. He should’ve checked here first, but figured he would give his wife sometime. Things were getting really crazy and she was starting to climb the walls. She wanted answers and she wanted them now. He shook his head and hoped Diane was having an easier time with Philip. He didn’t think so. Opening Liz door he found the room empty. He walked across to the balcony. Sure enough wrapped in Liz’s favorite swarpi and clutching an old bear was his wife.
Nancy looked up at her husband as approached. “Jeff what is going on with our daughter?” He sighed.
“I don’t really know. I’m guessing last nights study group turned sleepover had something to do with it.”
Nancy shook her head. “That doesn’t answer the question. I tired of the questions. I called Amy this morning to see if Maria had gotten back and she said no. I asked her if she knew anything and she said no. But she sounded different.”
Jeff looked at his wife. “Different how? Did she say something? Hint that she knew something?”
Nancy realized this was getting to him as much as it was getting to her. He just had a better way of dealing with it. Or at least he was projecting he was dealing with it better. Whenever Liz waked through the door, Nancy was tempted to grab her and shove her in her room and board up the balcony, until she told all. But she won’t a little voice kept telling here. She’ll take it with her to her grave if she feels it’s the right thing to do. “No not different like that. Like she has gotten some kind of peace from somewhere. She said right now she was going to concentrate on being there for Maria and her friends – without strings. Just be there and hope that by doing that if they ever need something they’ll know she’s in their corner. ‘Give to her what was never given to me and hope it makes all the difference’, were her exact words.”
Jeff thought about it. She probably had a talk with Valenti too. That was his basic idea. He had seemed let down at first. Even jealous. He knew Valenti knew if not all than most of it. The important stuff. But after talking to Diane he started thinking maybe this was the way to go for now. He was going to talk it over with his wife, but she seemed to have already heard the line from Amy. “And what do you think?”
Nancy looked at her husband and looked around herself. Sometimes you have to have faith. “I think its an excellent idea. A hard one because it’s a need to want to know what’s going on with your children. But I trust Liz. I trust Maria. I trust Max. I trust Michael. I trust Alex. I trust Isabel. I trust Tess. I trust Jim.”
Jeff looked at his wife. “You just trust all of those people? Just like that?”
Nancy looked up and smiled. “Yes.” She paused. “Yes I trust them because I trust my daughter. And I trust my daughter’s judgment. It may not always make sense to us. But that’s what we’ve been educating her for isn’t? To make her own decisions. To take what she knows and make her own choices. She’s not going to get it right all the time. Neither do we. But she’ll never learn and never grow if she never makes them sometimes.”
“What if those choices take her away from us?” Jeff voiced what was on all the parent’s mind. The Whitman’s were in last night and although thrilled Alex seemed to be spending so much time with people his own age as well as the fact his group of friends had finally expanded to include some guys, they were getting a little concerned about the many ‘meetings’.
Nancy stood up, met her husband’s eyes, and with more confidence then she felt said the only thing she could. “If her choices take her away from us, then we will be here waiting with open arms and unconditional love if those choices ever bring her back to us.” Jeff looked at wife and sighed. If he was honest he trusted Liz too. He didn’t understand her anymore and in not understanding here, he didn’t want to trust her. But he did. And two years ago he trusted those kids too.
“OK.” Nancy felt all the air leave her body. It was akin to the roller coaster going over that first drop. She started crying. Jeff didn’t know what to do. “What is wrong? I agree you are right. Why are you crying?” Nancy wiped her face with the blanket and shook her head.
“I thought once I came to peace with the decision I had made it would be easy.” She paused. “It’s isn’t. Now comes the hard part.” Jeff looked confused. Then it hit him.
“You’re right. The impact of what we just agreed to do just hit me.” He sighed and came to another decision. “The kids obviously have some sort of secret club/support group…I thinks its time the parents have one.”
Part 19: The line in the sand.
Alex was getting ready to go downstairs when Max’s voice stopped him. “Something is wrong” He looked back at Max waiting for an explanation.
“Max nothing is wrong. Mom and Dad just want to do something nice for us. I think you are blowing this way out of proportion.”
“Isabel, maybe Max has a point.”
“What? Michael not you too.”
“Isabel, come on think.”
Alex shook his head. He couldn’t believe it. It was like stepping through a time warp. Everything was going back to the way it had been – a year ago. Michael, Isabel, and Max were engaged in s staring, glaring, and eye rolling battle. He tried to diffuse the situation.
But Isabel beat him to it. “Michael, Max will you just…”
Max had enough. “Iz, last night was cute. But lets not loose site of the objective right now. This isn’t the first time we’ve had everybody over. Today though after so much has happened they decided they want to do the ‘Brady Bunch’ thing? No. I don’t think so.”
Isabel wanted to scream. Max was being impossible. Michael was not helping. And last night was cute. Yep she could see Liz and him concocting that stupid scheme of theirs. He’s borderline irrational now. Another decade and forget it. Even if Liz had wanted to argue it would have fallen on deaf ears.
Maria, Kyle, Tess, and Liz decided to stay out of it. Maria did not know how much more us them she could take. Kyle figured it was safest to keep his mouth shut. Tess was still thinking about why she left and then wandered if this right here wasn’t part of the problem. She didn’t agree with Max and Michael, but you could see it was a family fight. And even though she was an alien like them, had lived a past life with them, and been married to one, she in that moment saw what it must be like for Maria, Liz, Alex, and Kyle. It was fleeting. She then realized she belonged to neither group. The only group she belonged to was the one where they were all working together. Liz just stood there and wandered if Maria was thinking the same thing she was. How did we back to the ‘us them’ thing?
Alex looked around and realized this situation was getting out of hand. He and Isabel had worked too hard to let things slip back into us them mode. Especially over the fact someone made them food. As far as Alex was concerned, as long as it tasted good and wasn’t poisonous it could have come from a skin. It was home cooked food. “Stop it! Just. Stop. It. Now.” Everyone looked at Alex in shock. Listen to yourselves. This has to stop. I am not so sure anymore that it’s the things of the future that will be our downfall. The things of the past are just as deadly as the things to come.”
Maria looked at Alex and shook her head. “Alex I think the things of the past are more deadly if not dealt with. Fourteen years from now Max comes back to say what happened in the past caused the ‘end of the world’. More importantly it’s the past of Isabel, Michael, Max, and Tess that have us in the predicament we are in now.”
Alex watched Isabel look between Max and Michael and then at the rest of them. They were waged in silent battle she was losing. Michael did not know what to do. He couldn’t meet either of their eyes for long and just settled on staring at Maria when it became too much. Tess was not even a factor. Alex was tired of that as well. He couldn’t do this anymore right now…at least not on an empty stomach. He was going to eat. “It is FOOD. FOOD. And it was cooked by the parents of the woman I love.” He shook his head. “I thought we made progress last night. It is not over. WE have to – if we want to make it – deal and move on. Get this. The day you –Max – healed Liz- it stopped being you and me, us and them.” Alex stooped. He looked at Isabel and plunged forward, hoping he knew what he was doing.
“I am going downstairs to eat. I hope the rest of you will follow. But do not out of a sense of obligation or pretense. If you follow me down those stairs to breakfast you had better be ready and willing to close the door to the past, work of the present, so we can have a future. If not do not bother. Go Home.”
Isabel looked at Alex. She was shocked. Although she loved take charge Alex, she wasn’t sure if this was the best way to do it. “Alex…maybe…”
Alex grabbed her hand. “NO Belle. The secret is out. The lies are coming undone. We are unraveling along with them. Choices have to be made. We have to stop arguing the same thing over and over. Its how we got to where we are. Heck I’m surprised only Tess left.” With that Alex released Isabel’s hand and went downstairs.
Isabel looked at the door Alex left through and looked at her friends. “Listen I meant what I said last night. I’m happy. I will not give that up.” With that she went out the door to go downstairs.
Michael was looking at Maria. He knew she was going out that door. And he knew he was going with her. “Maxwell. They are right. I am tired of believing the worst. I don’t like the old me. I don’t like the idea fourteen years from now everything falls apart. I don’t like how I am being forced to correct something that happened on a different world to basically a different person. I really don’t like the fact I am trying to correct and prevent disaster 2 from happening here. In fact it seems we screwed up then too. This could be our last chance. I didn’t have a say the other times. I’m having a say now.” He looked at Max and then Tess. He turned and took Maria’s hand. “Come on. I’m hungry.”
Maria did not think it would be that easy. Sure they had come a long way, but she knew where she stood in relationship to the aliens. “Michael are you sure?”
Michael looked at her, the door, and Max. Keeping eye contact with Max while speaking to Maria. “Yeah I’m sure. Probably the first time I’ve ever been completely sure about anything. I’ve tried everything else. It did not work then, now, or in the distance. Maybe we’ve been fighting the wrong thing. I know I have.” With that they walked out, leaving Max staring after them.
He turned and looked at the 3 other people in the room with him. Kyle met his gaze and started to say something but thought better of it. Tess followed her brother’s lead. She walked over to Kyle. “If either of us plan on getting any food from those two we have to leave now. Max, I have been through so much I don’t know how much more I can take. I’m going to have breakfast. I am going to work on closing all doors to the past. I am starting like my present enough to want to have a future. A happy one. A real one.” Kyle offered Tess his arm and they walked out, leaving Max and Liz alone.
Liz walked over to Max. “Max I lied to you. I would die for you. And I would die for us. Can you say the same?”
Max was startled. “Of course Liz. If there is no us I am dead anyway.”
She put her hand on his cheek and looked at him in the eyes. “Then will you fight for us?”
“What do you mean? I have always fought for us.” Liz was starting to scare him a little.
“No Max. WE never really fought for each other. We the time ever came. I left. You left. We always said we would die for each other, but we never said we would fight for each other.” Liz paused until she knew Max wasn’t thinking, but concentrated right on her. “I’m ready to fight for us. Will you fight with me for us, while I fight with you for your planet?”
Max looked at Liz. “Yes.” Liz smiled. Max smiled. He didn’t know what was going to happen. But he knew one thing. Isabel was happy. Michael was…happy. Liz was happy. The three people he loved most in the world were happy. Now he was. “Yes I’ll fight with you for us and fight so everyone can have an us too.”
“Good. Now lets go eat. We let Alex, Michael, and Kyle get to the food before us. I hope there is enough.” Max laughed and escorted Liz out the door.
this is a test. to see if it works. crossing my fingers. coming to edit since i can now post. 
first and foremost before i give the udate i wouldl ike to send out a very big thankyou.
to jen, hiptrendy, the boardello, rhonda, heidi and her son -congrats, and anyone else who helped me, that i didn't mention - THANK YOU!!!!!!!. i wouldn't still be here if it weren't for you guys. i had so much trouble loggin in and then trying to post. i tried the aol thing one more time and bam i was in. but i did have an awesome offer to post the next part here even if i couldn't amke it in. made we want to cry. sometimes i can't get help like that in the outside world from the emials, to the suggestions, to the updates. it meant a lot. thanks again.
for the feedback here are all your real responses. i am so sorry about the length in time bewteen updates. first i had to write it and then typr it. around that time site went down and no one could logg in. thank you all for your patient and your understanding. here is an update.
trude - i'm glad you enjoyed part 12. irs not in the original one. the one posted at ramblinging. i have to go and put it in. but i realized i didn't have a part with just them...and i wanted it, so i dedcided to try it. it my first a/i anything. as for civil. yes the breakfast itself will be civil. me too. i think m/l thinking it was all their fault was over the top.
roswellluver - i promise the gang is going to get their act together. son might even realize what a jerk they've been to those around them...who knows. all the of them the parents and the children. thank you for reading. i wander though maybe we can get them group therpy rates.
roswellian504 - you're right even michael gets in touch with himself....should make things easier for evryone else. as for the parents. they are off forming their own support group. somethings are just better handled in a group and with this bunch having the parents togather bugging out may be safer than having them bug out separtely ah the question of the day...is there or isn't there food?
eve - its ok. i realized have way through maybe posting like that wasn't such a good idea. i think it was susposed to healp me write the next parts...unfortunally all it did was give me more writers block. but the block has moved. no more marathon posting. i have to write it and then typpe it and then post it. so glad you like the story though/
sweep - sorry it took long to bring an update. i was getting really worried esp with the purning about to take place. i am very glad you are enjoying the story.
roswck - i love take charge alex too. the thing tess was talking about will become clear in a few more parts. as for what nascedo gave her. it wasn't anything tangiable. more of what he tried to undo or correct. she saw it was a gift. it'll be more clear later whaen she has a conversation with someone. about it.
gerry carr - thank you for the bump. it was very sweet and brought many a bumping memories back.
ok all here is your next part. i hope you all like it.
Part 19: It’s Just Breakfast
“This is sooo good Mr. Evans.”
“Thank you Alex.” Philip Evans laughed as Alex shoved food into his mouth.
“Yeah.” Kyle threw in. “I haven’t had food like this in like…never.” It earned him a smack from Tess. “Ow! What was that for?” Kyle wanted to know rubbing his head.
Tess looked at him like he was crazy. “I cook. And you like it. You really like it. Don’t make out like no one cooks for poor Kyle.” Tess looked around the table making sure they understood. Sometimes that boy…that’s ok. It’ll be a while before he enjoys his meals, in peace.
“Hey Kyle.” Michael laughed. “Even I didn’t make that mistake.” He turned to the senior Evans. “NO offense Mr. Evans. I mean this is great really great.”
Philip laughed. He hadn’t seen the kids just have fun in a long time. “I understand Michael. Wouldn’t want to upset Maria or Amy.
Maria just beamed. “Told ya it could be done. Michael can think before he speaks.”
Everyone laughed. Laughter was what Max and Liz walked in on. Eight pairs of eyes looked at them. The laughter stopped.
Max looked around. He saw his friends, his mom, his dad, and his sister – his family together. Happy. Max sighed. Maybe it was not such a dirty little five-letter word. He met each pairs of eyes. Hope but determination in Isabel’s. Defiance in Michael’s. Pleading and compassion in his mom’s. Apprehension in Kyle’s. Clarity in Tess’. Calmness in Alex’s. Strength in Maria’s. Openness in his dad’s. He turned to Liz. He saw it all and then some in her eyes.
Diane hadn’t been sure they were coming down. Everyone had trickled in. Alex and Isabel, who had caught up with Alex in the hall, followed by Michael and Maria. Last Kyle and Tess. She waited and waited, but when there was no sign of Max or Liz, Phillip had suggested they start eating. He even tried to make light of it. “We can’t always wait for Max and Liz,” and was confused when he only got a couple of snickers and an ‘Amen’ from Michael. But here they were. She did not know whether to be elated or worried.
What did he have to lose? Michael had a point. Maybe he didn’t have or need to fight anything or anyone in this room. Max took a deep breath. “Good morning Mom, Dad. I take from the laughter we heard, Dad cooked. More laughter. Max walked over and gave his parents a hug and kiss. “NO offense mom its just that…”
“It’s ok Max. The kitchen is not my strong suite.” She got another laugh. Max was feeling good. Maybe it is just breakfast.
“Isabel, remember when Mom and Dad did this every Sunday morning, when we were little?” Isabel smiled at Max. He’s trying. Maybe, just maybe.
“Yes I do. It was the four of us. Family time they called it. Then Michael started coming over.” She smiled at her other brother. “It was still family time.”
Michael smiled at the memories. All his childhood wasn’t bad if he was honest. Maybe if he had reached out, things would have been different. But he liked who he was becoming. He didn’t know if he would be turning into that same person if had grown up in the Evans’ household. He could’ve been another Max. Not there was anything wrong with Max. You just didn’t need two of them. The world needed a Michael. “Of course that’s when ‘Isabel the organizing nazi appeared.” Michael smirked and ducked as Isabel went to hit him.
Max laughed. “So what I was trying to say before those two threw in their two cents was this is nice. Thanks. We haven’t done this in a while and it seemed fitting to have it with our new and expanded family.” Max took his seat and look up.
Liz beat him to it. “Alex, did you, Kyle, and Michael leave food for Max and myself?”
Alex shrugged. “I don’t know Liz. We had a whole twenty-minute start. Plus the girls can eat too. It’s just not me or Kyle or Michael, you know. We are getting the short end of the stick. Alex paused, ate some bacon. “But yes Liz. Best friend of mine, sister to my heart. We left you guys some food.
Kyle shook his head. Him or Michael even hints at it and they would be doing some serious groveling…even though its true. Especially Tess, Maria and Isabel. Only Alex could get away with saying the girls gave the guys competition in eating and not get in trouble. Alex was like the missing link in male female relationships.
Max looked at his friends, his family. Laughing, joking with each other. Oh my goodness. What have I been doing to these people…to my self all these months? And coming back from the future with a plan like that? Michael was right. This was probably the last chance. Could this have been how things went worn back on Antar or 14 years in the future? I don’t know. Probably won’t ever know. But, he’s right we can fix now. “Um guys. I just…I just want to say, I’m sorry.” He stopped and looked at everyone. “To all of you, I’m sorry. I’m sorry and thank you. Thank you for always being there for me, even when I’m not there for you and for putting up with me”
first and foremost before i give the udate i wouldl ike to send out a very big thankyou. to jen, hiptrendy, the boardello, rhonda, heidi and her son -congrats, and anyone else who helped me, that i didn't mention - THANK YOU!!!!!!!. i wouldn't still be here if it weren't for you guys. i had so much trouble loggin in and then trying to post. i tried the aol thing one more time and bam i was in. but i did have an awesome offer to post the next part here even if i couldn't amke it in. made we want to cry. sometimes i can't get help like that in the outside world
from the emials, to the suggestions, to the updates. it meant a lot. thanks again.for the feedback here are all your real responses. i am so sorry about the length in time bewteen updates. first i had to write it and then typr it. around that time site went down and no one could logg in. thank you all for your patient and your understanding. here is an update.
trude - i'm glad you enjoyed part 12. irs not in the original one. the one posted at ramblinging. i have to go and put it in. but i realized i didn't have a part with just them...and i wanted it, so i dedcided to try it. it my first a/i anything. as for civil. yes the breakfast itself will be civil. me too. i think m/l thinking it was all their fault was over the top.
roswellluver - i promise the gang is going to get their act together. son might even realize what a jerk they've been to those around them...who knows. all the of them the parents and the children. thank you for reading. i wander though maybe we can get them group therpy rates.
roswellian504 - you're right even michael gets in touch with himself....should make things easier for evryone else. as for the parents. they are off forming their own support group. somethings are just better handled in a group and with this bunch having the parents togather bugging out may be safer than having them bug out separtely ah the question of the day...is there or isn't there food?
eve - its ok. i realized have way through maybe posting like that wasn't such a good idea. i think it was susposed to healp me write the next parts...unfortunally all it did was give me more writers block. but the block has moved. no more marathon posting. i have to write it and then typpe it and then post it. so glad you like the story though/
sweep - sorry it took long to bring an update. i was getting really worried esp with the purning about to take place. i am very glad you are enjoying the story.
roswck - i love take charge alex too. the thing tess was talking about will become clear in a few more parts. as for what nascedo gave her. it wasn't anything tangiable. more of what he tried to undo or correct. she saw it was a gift. it'll be more clear later whaen she has a conversation with someone. about it.
gerry carr - thank you for the bump. it was very sweet and brought many a bumping memories back.
ok all here is your next part. i hope you all like it.
Part 19: It’s Just Breakfast
“This is sooo good Mr. Evans.”
“Thank you Alex.” Philip Evans laughed as Alex shoved food into his mouth.
“Yeah.” Kyle threw in. “I haven’t had food like this in like…never.” It earned him a smack from Tess. “Ow! What was that for?” Kyle wanted to know rubbing his head.
Tess looked at him like he was crazy. “I cook. And you like it. You really like it. Don’t make out like no one cooks for poor Kyle.” Tess looked around the table making sure they understood. Sometimes that boy…that’s ok. It’ll be a while before he enjoys his meals, in peace.
“Hey Kyle.” Michael laughed. “Even I didn’t make that mistake.” He turned to the senior Evans. “NO offense Mr. Evans. I mean this is great really great.”
Philip laughed. He hadn’t seen the kids just have fun in a long time. “I understand Michael. Wouldn’t want to upset Maria or Amy.
Maria just beamed. “Told ya it could be done. Michael can think before he speaks.”
Everyone laughed. Laughter was what Max and Liz walked in on. Eight pairs of eyes looked at them. The laughter stopped.
Max looked around. He saw his friends, his mom, his dad, and his sister – his family together. Happy. Max sighed. Maybe it was not such a dirty little five-letter word. He met each pairs of eyes. Hope but determination in Isabel’s. Defiance in Michael’s. Pleading and compassion in his mom’s. Apprehension in Kyle’s. Clarity in Tess’. Calmness in Alex’s. Strength in Maria’s. Openness in his dad’s. He turned to Liz. He saw it all and then some in her eyes.
Diane hadn’t been sure they were coming down. Everyone had trickled in. Alex and Isabel, who had caught up with Alex in the hall, followed by Michael and Maria. Last Kyle and Tess. She waited and waited, but when there was no sign of Max or Liz, Phillip had suggested they start eating. He even tried to make light of it. “We can’t always wait for Max and Liz,” and was confused when he only got a couple of snickers and an ‘Amen’ from Michael. But here they were. She did not know whether to be elated or worried.
What did he have to lose? Michael had a point. Maybe he didn’t have or need to fight anything or anyone in this room. Max took a deep breath. “Good morning Mom, Dad. I take from the laughter we heard, Dad cooked. More laughter. Max walked over and gave his parents a hug and kiss. “NO offense mom its just that…”
“It’s ok Max. The kitchen is not my strong suite.” She got another laugh. Max was feeling good. Maybe it is just breakfast.
“Isabel, remember when Mom and Dad did this every Sunday morning, when we were little?” Isabel smiled at Max. He’s trying. Maybe, just maybe.
“Yes I do. It was the four of us. Family time they called it. Then Michael started coming over.” She smiled at her other brother. “It was still family time.”
Michael smiled at the memories. All his childhood wasn’t bad if he was honest. Maybe if he had reached out, things would have been different. But he liked who he was becoming. He didn’t know if he would be turning into that same person if had grown up in the Evans’ household. He could’ve been another Max. Not there was anything wrong with Max. You just didn’t need two of them. The world needed a Michael. “Of course that’s when ‘Isabel the organizing nazi appeared.” Michael smirked and ducked as Isabel went to hit him.
Max laughed. “So what I was trying to say before those two threw in their two cents was this is nice. Thanks. We haven’t done this in a while and it seemed fitting to have it with our new and expanded family.” Max took his seat and look up.
Liz beat him to it. “Alex, did you, Kyle, and Michael leave food for Max and myself?”
Alex shrugged. “I don’t know Liz. We had a whole twenty-minute start. Plus the girls can eat too. It’s just not me or Kyle or Michael, you know. We are getting the short end of the stick. Alex paused, ate some bacon. “But yes Liz. Best friend of mine, sister to my heart. We left you guys some food.
Kyle shook his head. Him or Michael even hints at it and they would be doing some serious groveling…even though its true. Especially Tess, Maria and Isabel. Only Alex could get away with saying the girls gave the guys competition in eating and not get in trouble. Alex was like the missing link in male female relationships.
Max looked at his friends, his family. Laughing, joking with each other. Oh my goodness. What have I been doing to these people…to my self all these months? And coming back from the future with a plan like that? Michael was right. This was probably the last chance. Could this have been how things went worn back on Antar or 14 years in the future? I don’t know. Probably won’t ever know. But, he’s right we can fix now. “Um guys. I just…I just want to say, I’m sorry.” He stopped and looked at everyone. “To all of you, I’m sorry. I’m sorry and thank you. Thank you for always being there for me, even when I’m not there for you and for putting up with me”
Re: Unraveling The Secrets...(CC ALL,YTEEN) Part 20a
Ok. Sorry about that. I thought I had posted part 20...but I didn't found it though. Oh man. Well here is part 20. I know its kinda short, but don't worry...the meeting isn't over and the kids are doing who knows what on this night. Thanks everyone for reading and such. Enjoy!!!!!
Keepsmiling7 - Thanks glad you read and are enjoying it. Yep I thought it was time to give Max and Liz a good smack upside their heads. Yeah for me EOTW was the beginning of the end for the show. Well I know there was other things...but this epie sort of highlighted it all. Enjoy!!!!
Part 20 : First Ever Parent Support Group Meeting – Take 1
Jeff looked around. It was evening. Monday. The kids were off doing who knows what. He had called each of their parents and requested they come to a meeting. A meeting about the comings and goings of their children. No parent could resist that sort of request. And for these Roswell parents it was akin to a lifeline. They were all here including Roswell’s sheriff. He didn’t want to invite Jim. This was supposed to be a meeting - a support group – for the unknowing. Jim was in the know. But what Nancy had said made sense. She figured that maybe having him here would be to the parents advantage. HE would most definitely go back and tell the kids something of the meeting. Maybe it would set into motion their children coming to them. Jeff shook his head and got up. It was now or never.
All the parents looked at him. It was now or never. “Um…Nancy and I would like to think you all for coming. Welcome to the ‘First Ever Parent Support Group Meeting Where You Have No Idea What Is Wrong With Your Child. You Just Know They Need Help. And It Is Outside The Scope Of Normal Teen Problems’. (FEPSGMWYHNIWIWWYC.YJKTNH. AIIOTSONTP.) We will from here on out be known as PSG for short.
Jim shook his head. Wait till the kids get a load of the name. He almost laughed, but didn’t think anyone would appreciate it. He didn’t even feel he should be here. But Michael thought it was a good idea. A spy sort of. He shook his head again. And what about me? There is no parental support group for ‘I know aliens exist. I live with an alien. My son is dating an alien. My son was healed by an alien. I’ve covered up the fact an FBI agent was killed by an alien. Covered up the fact a Congresswoman was an alien and then killed by one. Helped an alien impersonate an FBI agent - that was killed by an alien- to infiltrate the government. Or ANY of the countless other things I’ve helped the kids do to stay alive and will continue to do to keep everyone safe’. If only the parents knew what was really going on. We could all be part of the simply named ‘I know aliens exist and my child is, will be, dating, or is best friends with one club.’
Nancy took over for her husband. "The name is not important. Although with one that long, we may never get to the actual meeting. We have all talked to each other on the phone about our concerns. Our fears. Our hopes. Our wants. We have in our own ways come to conclusions. Some have found peace and some have just accepted. Jeff and I hope that together we can express our feelings completely and come to find some peace. Some acceptance. Together.” She stopped and gave them all a moment to digest what she said. “Please. Dinner is on us. Place your orders and Jeff and I will handle it. Have refreshments and talk.
Keepsmiling7 - Thanks glad you read and are enjoying it. Yep I thought it was time to give Max and Liz a good smack upside their heads. Yeah for me EOTW was the beginning of the end for the show. Well I know there was other things...but this epie sort of highlighted it all. Enjoy!!!!
Part 20 : First Ever Parent Support Group Meeting – Take 1
Jeff looked around. It was evening. Monday. The kids were off doing who knows what. He had called each of their parents and requested they come to a meeting. A meeting about the comings and goings of their children. No parent could resist that sort of request. And for these Roswell parents it was akin to a lifeline. They were all here including Roswell’s sheriff. He didn’t want to invite Jim. This was supposed to be a meeting - a support group – for the unknowing. Jim was in the know. But what Nancy had said made sense. She figured that maybe having him here would be to the parents advantage. HE would most definitely go back and tell the kids something of the meeting. Maybe it would set into motion their children coming to them. Jeff shook his head and got up. It was now or never.
All the parents looked at him. It was now or never. “Um…Nancy and I would like to think you all for coming. Welcome to the ‘First Ever Parent Support Group Meeting Where You Have No Idea What Is Wrong With Your Child. You Just Know They Need Help. And It Is Outside The Scope Of Normal Teen Problems’. (FEPSGMWYHNIWIWWYC.YJKTNH. AIIOTSONTP.) We will from here on out be known as PSG for short.
Jim shook his head. Wait till the kids get a load of the name. He almost laughed, but didn’t think anyone would appreciate it. He didn’t even feel he should be here. But Michael thought it was a good idea. A spy sort of. He shook his head again. And what about me? There is no parental support group for ‘I know aliens exist. I live with an alien. My son is dating an alien. My son was healed by an alien. I’ve covered up the fact an FBI agent was killed by an alien. Covered up the fact a Congresswoman was an alien and then killed by one. Helped an alien impersonate an FBI agent - that was killed by an alien- to infiltrate the government. Or ANY of the countless other things I’ve helped the kids do to stay alive and will continue to do to keep everyone safe’. If only the parents knew what was really going on. We could all be part of the simply named ‘I know aliens exist and my child is, will be, dating, or is best friends with one club.’
Nancy took over for her husband. "The name is not important. Although with one that long, we may never get to the actual meeting. We have all talked to each other on the phone about our concerns. Our fears. Our hopes. Our wants. We have in our own ways come to conclusions. Some have found peace and some have just accepted. Jeff and I hope that together we can express our feelings completely and come to find some peace. Some acceptance. Together.” She stopped and gave them all a moment to digest what she said. “Please. Dinner is on us. Place your orders and Jeff and I will handle it. Have refreshments and talk.
Roselle