Alexandra and Carrie were more than keen to take on the day with the father and get to know him and his life in Roswell. Once they were fully awake and dressed for the days. Beth gave the news and they were downright thrilled at the suggestion and they were quickly on the ball as they and Max were soon off on their adventure and Beth was looking around at her surroundings as she was wondering what she was going to do.
She knew she had asked if it was alright to go visit Grace, and she wanted to. But she felt chicken because that was a giant ball of awkwardness. She didn’t know how to approach it. So much was riding on it, and she didn’t know how to deal with it when there was a knock on the door.
Knowing Max was gone, it was only her, so she went to answer it. “Yes,” she said as she opened the door.
“Hello, good morning” Maria said in a chipper tone.
“Max isn’t home, as he has taken the twins and gone out on some adventure together” Grace said. “If you wanted to speak to him, well, I have no idea when he will be around again.”
“No, it’s
you I came to see” Maria smiled as she walked into the house. “How is it adjusting to being here in this house.”
“It’s definitely weird,” Beth sighed as she thought of it how it felt to be here in this house, a home that obviously carried so many memories for Max and Grace. “I have these brief flashes like I should remember this place and yet it’s not familiar at the same time. It’s hard to explain.”
“You’ve explained it well…” Maria said. “It’s not Max I came to see. It’s you. Max called the house and told us that he would be gone and wanted to summon Michael into his plan, and I gather Isabel will be next on the list.”
“What is he up to?” Beth asked baffled at what Max could be doing.
“I sense he is giving the twins the full alien experience, or at least a tour into what it means to be one of them… My children have experienced it minus Jake of course, and so it is Max and Michael having the chance to impart their wisdom on two newcomers to the clan.”
“Should I be worried,” Beth asked. “Doesn’t it bother you?” Beth asked as they sat in the living room and talked about the past.
“Nah, it’s tame. They just want the twins to know where they come from. I couldn’t even explain it to be able to help them, so I came here… Because like Jake I am a human in all this. You’re the one who was touched by an alien, so to speak” Maria laughed, and it dimmed when she saw the tension in her face. “Hey, it’s okay. Max knows what to say and what not to say and leave until they are older. If Michael tries to impart too much, Isabel is a good guard into what not to say and she will keep them in line.”
“You’re human, I am not?” Beth asked.
“You are very much a human, you don’t have to worry about that,” Maria assured Beth. “It’s just that you have been given something pretty special. We don’t why you were given that special gift when Kyle or his father are perfectly fine.”
“Wait the Sheriff…” Beth asked.
“A very long story,” Maria said as she thought back to that time in their lives and how they got lucky, but it did lead to a very trying time for Max and Liz, and they almost lost any chance of trying again due to Tess’s betrayal
“Kyle’s fine,” Beth asked. “But I am not.”
“You’re special,” Maria assured her friend. “It’s just you have a gift. I am sure your memory loss is masking it for now, and whether it comes back. I don’t know. But you did have a gift to see the future, or events before the happened. It wasn’t all the time, but it did happen but it’s not something that much in your life or marriage once you and Max got married.”
“I see future events?” Beth asked.
“Yup,” Maria nodded.
“Then why didn’t I see my accident… you know…” Beth asked. “What started this all…”
“I don’t know if Liz saw anything or if she didn’t see it. She would have told us if she had forewarning of anything that would pose troublesome for the gang. Of course, we only thought it was bad accident that claimed you. The weather was downright terrible that night, and you had to drive a distance and it was out in the middle of nowhere.”
“How is it to live with you know the knowledge you know?” Beth asked. “I am starting to see how fortunate I was to be in the dark and for the girls to be in the dark from all this…”
“It’s not easy. But the danger level has lessened over time. High school was at hurricane level but after you and Max got married and concentrated on building your careers, and your marriage, well, it did start to lessen some more. Things are starting to build right now, sure, but it has been rare until now.”
“Do you worry about your kids?” Beth asked.
“Maybe I should more than I do and the last week or so has been a wakeup call in terms of Elizabeth. But then on the other side of it is Jake who also has shown he is not immune to life’s pains as well and given he might be the normal one in my stable of children and yet he hasn’t stopped giving me as many nightmares as the ones with gifts.”
“Should I worry about the twins?” Beth asked.
“No, Beth, truly. I promise you that Max can handle it. We are now in on the truth and we will do everything possible to protect those girls, and you from finding harm again. We couldn’t protect you back then, but we can do it now.”
“I hope so…” Beth said and yet the same fears still filled her brain. “Whoever trashed my motel room, on top of the fact Grace was attacked the other night and she came too close to losing her life so I can’t help but wonder that maybe I should be taking the girls back to Connecticut and away of the danger.”
“I admit we have enemies, and that can be daunting but I promise you that we’re do the best to protect you and your girls. And in the meantime, this house is protection. No one would dare come here and hurt you or trash Max’s place. It’s protected.”
“How?” Beth asked.
“You don’t have to worry,” Maria smiled. “Just know it is…”
“I guess,” Beth muttered. “I trust Max, and I know he’s been dealing with a whole lot longer than I have so maybe I should deal with it on my own.”
“It will be fine,” Maria sighed because she knew that it was logical for Beth to have these fears. Heck if she was a normal person or normal mother, she would have the same ones if she was on the outside looking in on their odd group. “Of course, I have been dealing with this since I was fifteen and by the way, you have too, but it may not seem like it right now, as you’re coming at this by a whole different direction this time around. So, it’s going to take some time.”
“It’s just not what I thought my life was going to be, and to know Grace has been dealing with this all her life. And yet the twins are new to this…”
“Grace was great, as she was very much like her father. She might look more like you, but she is very much like Max and is very reserved and knows that blending in is the best defense while my own daughter is very much like her own father which makes her a loose cannon, so it gives me nightmares.”
“I hope it continues,” Beth asked. “Although I am sorry though about Elizabeth, I know how challenging it can be to raise nosy teenagers”
“It will…” Maria assured her friend as she tried to change the subject and away from the danger level “What were you planning to do this morning. With Max gone and the twins not a factor. You must not have much to do…”
“I don’t know, but I was planning on spending some time getting to know Grace. With Max wanting to know more about the twins, I thought I should do my share to get to know the girl is my oldest child. She was only two when she lost me from her life, and I don’t even know where to begin. I am sort have been a chicken,” Beth said honestly to Maria. “She’s been so used to having me not there…”
“But you have a chance to be here now,” Maria smiled. “Take it one step at a time. You have a chance to be here now… I don’t have a relationship with my Dad, as he left when I was young, and he’s never been around so it was always Mom and me until she met Jim. Still, today I wonder what it would be like to have him in my life. You have that chance with Grace, so don’t give it up.”
“You’re right, I have a chance.”
“She’s still young. You might have missed out on thirteen years of her life, but you have the potential to be in so much more of it than what you missed.”
“Thanks for the pep talk…”
“You are welcome,” Maria smiled although a frown appeared. “Why don’t you try reminding me of that will you when sometime Jake wants to meet his biological father…”
“Oh right.”
“Yeah,” Maria laughed. “I am not looking forward to that day.”
“Does he want to?” Beth asked as she liked the mere fact they were talking, and she got a sense how close she might have been in her other life with Maria. She got it with Serena but still this is someone who apparently knew her back when she was a kid. It was a different feeling she was getting, and she liked that feeling.
“Thankfully no, but he knows his name. He’s 18 now so he could decide tomorrow to go and search. He’s always been happy with Michael and I as his parents, but you always have that fear. Here I am advising you to get close to Grace, and for Max to get to know the twins and I worry that my son will go searching for his father.”
“Something tells me if Jake does one day go looking, well, you won’t be losing him. He seems solid as a Guerin and there is no loosening that from his life,” Beth said as she got up. “So, maybe I’ll take you up on that offer.”
“Perfect,” Maria said. “Let’s drive around and I’ll show you Roswell my way. And then we might meet up with Kyle for lunch if he’s available. And then you can head to the hospital and visit with Grace, and I’ll go and search for Michael and make sure all is well on that front.”
“Okay, let’s do it,” Beth nodded as soon they were departing the Evans home.
*
“Why aren’t there any pictures of you when you were a baby?” Carrie asked her father as they sat in the living room of Phillip and Diane’s house. Max after leaving home decided to stop off at his parent’s home as he wanted to give the girls a sense of the life he had when he was still at home. Plus, they needed to get used to their newfound grandparents and Phillip and Diane jumped at having their son and granddaughters for a brunch before Max met up with Michael and Isabel.
“Because my sister and I were adopted when I was six years old and she was seven” Max said honestly as he walked into the living room after checking into on his mother in the kitchen. Diane was working on all of Max’s favorites, and Alexandra and Carrie were looking at old family scrapbooks.
“You were?” Alexandra asked as she looked up at her father. “Why, so old?”
“Six is when we first remember coming to Roswell” Max said softly. “It’s a long story and we’ll get into it later when we meet up with Michael and Isabel. But Isabel and I first showed up in town when we were six, and Mom and Dad were able to adopt us.”
“Right,” Carrie asked. “I remember something Grandma was telling us about when she first met me. About my name.”
“Yeah,” Phillip asked as he came into the conversations. “Max and Isabel’s mother and I weren’t able to have children the natural way and so we wanted to adopt, and we had a rough go of it initially but then we were fortunate to meet your father and aunt, and we brought them into our lives, and we are very glad we did.”
“You don’t remember your biological parents?” Alexandra asked as she looked up at Max.
“A tiny fraction,” Max said carefully. “Again, it’s a long story but we were very fortunate to be adopted by our parents because not everyone has that chance. Michael is proof that sometimes it takes awhile to find his home.”
“Michael’s also adopted?” Carrie asked as she looked at her grandfather and father.
“No, he never had the chance, but he was in the foster system until he was able to get a judge to allow him to live on his own when he was sixteen.”
“Wow, sixteen?” Carrie asked. “That’s crazy.”
“It is,” Max nodded who glanced over at Michael who had arrived and overheard the talk and couldn’t help but wince at the memories of those years with Hank. “Michael was fortunate because living on his own did beat the alternative but know that you girls are very lucky to be able to know your biological parents. Granted you are coming into my life later than we would have wished you to, but still, we have a chance. Not everyone has a chance to know…”
The twins nodded as looked at each other.
“Food is on the table,” Diane said as she came into the living room thrilled to get to know her newest grandchildren. She loved watching her son with his family and prayed it would work out for him. Too much time had been wasted during the previous thirteen years for him and for Grace.
They all walked into the dining room.
*
Grace meanwhile was doing homework in her hospital room. She needed the distraction from thinking of the mess Tommy’s disappearance was having on her and added with being unable to know what was going on at home with her father and mother it made for a complicated day. But she was coping the best she could by doing homework, so she could send it with Elizabeth when she headed back to school the next day.
“Wow, in the hospital and you’re doing homework?” came a voice that was somewhat surprising as Grace stopped her writing and looking up at the sound. “Hello Grace.”
“Camryn what are you doing here?” Grace as she looked at Jake’s ex-girlfriend. “I didn’t expect to see you.”
“I was coming to visit Jake but apparently they were doing some exam or something on his leg and so I came here instead if you don’t mind, or do you?” Camryn asked as she walked into the hospital room. “You certainly look at home.”
“I can’t help not be when I am stuck in here…” Grace said. “Sure, come in. It’s nice to see a friendly face.”
“How are you doing?” Camryn asked. “The rumors around the grapevine was going crazy when Elizabeth didn’t come back to school on Friday and everyone knew you were here…”
“I am starting to get stronger,” Grace acknowledged as she thought of her injuries as she was starting to gain prospective as laying in the hospital lent to a lot of time to think.
“Unfortunately, it’s going to take awhile to get over what happened to me, and the resulting injuries, but I am on the way.”
“What happened?” Camryn asked as it was a shock to see Grace in a hospital room as the rumor mill had made it out to be extremely bad, and that Grace was lucky to have made it to the hospital.
“I was helping a friend and unfortunately became a victim myself…” Grace acknowledged without going into many of the insane details.
“That is crazy,” Camryn asked as she thought of the grapevine “So, is it true that Sue Adams was almost attacked, and you stepped in to stop him and you got stabbed as a result.”
“Yup,” Grace admitted. “I don’t really remember everything about that night. But I do know we got to Sue in time.”
“I am glad it wasn’t more serious…” Camryn asked.
“Me too…” Grace said although she knew it was a heck of a lot more serious than the public at large knew as she hated how she was targeted by the mad man and that it might also lead to her family being targeted so that could finish unfinished business.
“But it was,” came a second voice as they both turned their attention to the door, and she saw smirked when she saw Jake.
“Jake, Camryn said you were in with the doctors” Grace asked as she saw Jake at the doorway in his wheelchair and her mood instantly shifted and got brighter as the friendly face was just what she needed on this day.
“It was a quick check and they gave me my freedom for the moment” Jake said from his wheelchair. “I heard you stopped by Cam,” he asked. “When I didn’t see you around my floor, I figured I would find you here…”
“How’s the leg?” Camryn asked as she saw how Grace sparked at the sight of Jake.
“Almost there…” Jake lied with a smile. “They said I could be out of here in a day or two…”
“When will you be back in school?” Camryn asked. “You’ve been missing a lot lately…”
“Why don’t you crush my buzz” Jake laughed. “This is the perfect excuse to be out of school. Seriously, I won’t know until they give me my freedom.”
“Graduation is approaching…”
“I know,” Jake acknowledged. “Being here is a diversion as I wait to find out where I am headed in the fall. Have you found out anything?”
“I got into Michigan State, my first choice” Camryn revealed. “The journalism school…”
“Wow,” Jake said as he thought back to the talks, they had the previous fall when they were starting the process to apply, and he did know how much she did want to go to Michigan and yet he didn’t have a dream school he wanted to get into. “What about Robert?”
“I don’t know. He’s waiting for more schools to send out their recruitment letters, so I don’t know. I had settled on going to Texas A&M with him, and now I have my shot at my dream school. It’s going to be hard to give up…”
“Don’t give it up,” Jake suggested.
“I like Robert…” Camryn said softly. “A lot…”
“It’s your dream school. I remember you saying while we were together how you wanted to get into that school, and now you have your chance. You shouldn’t give up that shot for someone you have only been with for a few months, and there is a thing called long distance you know. You can test it out if he goes somewhere else.”
“I guess,” Camryn said as he saw the way Jake and Grace was looking at each other and wondered if Jake was thinking about himself when he told her that, as she couldn’t see Jake wanting to be away from Grace if he had a chance to go across the country. “Maybe you should take your own advice.”
Which was what Grace was worried about as she heard Cam and Jake talk as she knew that the days to Graduation was approaching and he didn’t know where he was going to be going come fall. She hated a reminder that they were on different tracks and now that she had a mother back in her life, and youngers sisters. Her life was completely in flux.
“Who knows what the future holds, but unlike you Cam, I don’t have a dream school. So, I am not giving up on anything.”
“So, what about you Grace, would you give up your dream school for a guy?” Camryn asked Grace because she knew it was well known that Grace dreamt of Harvard or Yale one day and she was the one student in their school where Cam was confident that the schools would be falling over themselves to want Grace to be a student.
“Um…” Grace thought as Jake’s heart flipflopped also because he didn’t know how he felt about her going across the country, away from him. Sure, he knew he was a hypocrite due to their weekend rebellion to Connecticut. He had wanted to expose her to the idea of Yale, but he never considered it a reality, and he now wondered what she wanted…