Title: A different kind of destiny
Author: Chris Kenworthy
Email: Chris_Kenworthy@yahoo.com
Rating: MATURE
Disclaimer: Of *course* I don't own them!
Spoilers: Up to about two thirds of the way into Crazy.
Feedback: Would be nice. No -- would be *really* great.
Content: Very alternate universe, traditional canon couples. (That's right, CC. I won't be pulling any tricks in this one, I promise!! Well no, I'll be pulling a lot of tricks. But not on the canon couples hehe.)
Summary: What if the gang found a way to trust Topolsky? What if the new faces and changing roles of late season one changed, yet again? What if destiny was more completely, amazingly different than you could possibly imagine??
Section 1: Dreamstruck
(Liz Parker's diary...)
March 25th, 2000:
We met up at the Quarry again this morning. Alex was approached by a mysterious someone outside the Crashdown last night. Apparently, he claimed to be a friend of Topolsky. Personally, I think if she had any friends here in Roswell, she'd have mentioned them. Could that guy from the Crashdown be an *enemy* of hers?
Also, Alex met up with the sheriff, who kinda got rid of scary car-guy. Alex and Max got into a bit of a difference of opinion about whether anyone else could be trusted. I tried to cool things down, pointing out to Alex that we had no idea what part of Topolsky's story might be true. He agreed, and the meeting pretty much broke up then. Max and I were in the middle, between Alex and Isabel, who had left first, and Michael and Maria, who were hanging back.
Until Alex came running back, waving Isabel to return too, calling out, "But we could, Liz! We could know what's going on in her head!"
That caused a bit of an uproar. It was a few minutes before Alex could explain his idea. "What we n-need, is to understand Topolsky's part in this. If she's trying to trap us, we need to know that for sure."
"Even if she wants to help us, she could get us killed," Michael warned. "If she's not lying, she's scared - scared of people that are probably our enemies too. If we try to help her, we could end up leading them right to us."
"Yes, Michael," Alex agreed. "But if we know what Topolsky knows, we might be able to find a way around that danger too."
"Know what she knows..." I repeated. "Alex, what are you thinking ab--" I trailed off.
"Isabel knows, doesn't she?" Alex turned to look at her. Isabel was as pale as a ghost. "You *know.*"
"You... you can't be serious..." she murmured quietly.
"I am," Alex said confidently.
"Isabel is right, Alex," Max said, stepping between the two of them. "There's no way that... that we could do that, right now, to Topolsky of all people. If she *is* still an FBI spy, it would mean confessing everything we need to keep hidden."
"No!!" Alex was almost shouting now. I looked around to make sure that nobody else was anywhere near. "Did you forget that she used it on me? I know what it's like... she won't suspect anything more than an ordinary dream at first. And if she does..." Alex scoffed. "God, what does it matter?? They can't take this to a court... I mean, if anything, it would just frighten them."
"Wait a second," I broke in again. "What... Alex, what the heck are you talking about?"
"Don't you know, Liz?" That was Maria... I hadn't even realized that she had circled around and was standing behind me. "Didn't... didn't I tell you before?"
"Tell me what?" I was really confused by this point.
"Isabel can... can go into people's dreams!!" Maria explained. "She did it to me, way back when the sherriff was nosing around and trying to find out about Max from me... and to Alex, when he was so mad at you about the blood thing." Maria paused a moment, adding things up in her mind. "Hey, Isabel, how come you never visited Liz Parker dreamland?? She never freak you out enough??"
Isabel shrugged, her face a study in mortification by now. "It... it never came up," she said diplomatically.
"Well," Max said, trying to get things back on track, "I believe the proposal on the table is that Isabel try to dreamwalk Topolsky and find out more. Thoughts?" He sighed. "I don't know... I agree with Alex that it wouldn't be as dangerous as going up to her in person and demonstrating our powers..."
"No," Michael scoffed. "Because nothing *could* be."
"It's a good plan," Alex argued. "You're in the dark - so you need information. And the potential benefits outweigh the risks."
"I think I agree," I put in. "I still think Topolsky wants to help us. If this could be a way to persuade you guys of that, to let us help her, without endangering ourselves, I'm for it."
"I can understand that," Max said, stepping next to me. All over, it seemed like my hair stood on end as he got near. "But the big question... is for you, Isabel." He turned to his sister, and I could see the worry and concern in his eyes. "Do you think you can do this? Do you even *want* to??"
"I... I'm not sure." Isabel was looking from Max to Michael... the one of her brothers encouraging, the other frowning. "God, how do I decide??"
"Come on, Isabel," Alex said, stepping up to her, and dropping his voice to give the illusion of privacy, though I could hear what he was saying, and I think some of the others could, too. "I meant what I said, back in the Cafe yesterday. The only thing... that matters to me here, is keeping you safe. I know this might be hard, but I think it's the best way for you to protect yourself. Can you trust me on that?"
"No," Isabel said, and Alex's face fell. "I can't take that on trust alone, but I think I agree with you, Alex. I'll do it." And half of Alex's smile came back.
Michael stood in Isabel's way as she started to head back to her car. "You sure I can't argue you out of this?"
Isabel looked back at us - me, Max, and Alex. The implication was clear... according to the voting precedent we set yesterday afternoon, it was four to one... with one vote as yet uncast. Even if Maria threw her vote behind Michael, like she had yesterday, Alex's motion had carried. "No... I'm sorry Michael, but I'm convinced."
"Then you had better hurry," Michael said, sighing. "I think Topolsky will be doing her sleeping this afternoon, not tonight."
You could have heard a pin drop on the rocks after Michael said that... if anybody had brought a pin to drop. "And... and how do you know this, Michael?" Max said after a lot of seconds.
Michael groaned. "She was at my apartment last night, okay? When I got home after Senor Chows, she had found the orb, but she didn't try to take it out of the room. Yattered some nonsense about it being a communicator, or part of one, that she'd be waiting for us at Buckley point, but it'd be the last chance to make contact with her." A roar of backtalk was growing by now, but Michael drowned it out. "The *reason* I didn't say anything before now was that it didn't matter - we had decided not to fall for her mind games. But if you're going to do this dream thing, I thought you needed to know."
Isabel stepped up to Michael, smiling. "You're right." She reached up and wiped a little smudge off his cheek with her thumb. "Thank you, Michael."
* * * * *
ISABEL:
I looked around my room. My friends, all five of them, were *hovering.* I mean, I appreciate a little support, but this is getting ridiculous.
It's a good thing that Dad had to work this weekend and Mom has her Canasta game on Saturday afternoons. The six of us, coming into their house and immediately bustling up to my bedroom... it would've looked as if we were getting ready for an orgy or something. Oh my god, I can't believe I just thought that...
"Okay," I said aloud to everybody, trying to forget about that stray thought. "A lot of you are gonna have to leave - I'm never even gonna get to sleep myself with all of ya hanging around and watching me."
"Sure," Maria said. We've never been best of galpals close, and I think she was feeling as awkward about all this as I was. "Who do you want to go?"
"Um..." I tried to think. Was this tough choices day or something? "Two of you staying should be enough... Max and -" I *really* expected to hear myself say 'Michael' here, but... "And Alex."
Alex grinned so cutely when I mentioned his name. I'm not sure why I did it... well, I guess I have some ideas. This whole 'dreamwalk Topolsky' brainstorm was his in the first place, and...
And there's something so reassuring about having Alex around when things are getting sticky. I'd rather die than admit that to him, because Alex being Alex, he'd take it the wrong way. Sometimes I think the poor guy is so hot for me that he can't see straight.
Not that I don't like Alex. I've had a lot of guys drool over me in the past year and a half - the evidence is pretty conclusive that I'm a babe. No matter whether it's a macho jock, (mental shudder,) or a shy bookworm, nobody has ever approached me with the same combination of sensitivity and quiet intensity as Alex Charles Whitman. I don't feel the urge to leap into his arms with a great show of passion... (that kiss a few weeks ago notwithstanding,) but Alex... piques me. In a subtle but lasting way.
"Hey, Is? Is??" Max was almost shaking me, and I realized that I had really zoned out, just sitting on my bed and staring off into space like a zombie.
"Sorry." I shuffled up the bed so I was half lying down and half propped up by the pillows. "Give me the picture."
Liz, Maria and Michael had left already, I noticed with some surprise. I had been so lost in thought I hadn't even heard the bedroom door's creaky hinges groan. Alex was sitting over next to my desk, and Max was leaning against my hope chest, right next to the bed.
"Here it is," Max said, passing me an old sheet of glossy paper. Liz had managed to dig up a copy of the school newsletter that announced Miss Topolsky as the new guidance counselor, which was good. Without a decent color photo of her, this whole plan might have never gotten off the ground. I don't know why I need the picture to dreamwalk... I just do, somehow. I can't make the connection without that reinforcing image of who I want to make contact with, no matter how well I know them. That's why I keep last year's high school yearbook under my bed.
"Don't you need to..." Alex started, then trailed off, blushing.
I looked over at him. "What, change into my pj's?" Alex blushed harder, and I think I may have flushed a little harder myself. "It's not necessary. Come a little closer, Alex." I waved at the side of my bed that Max wasn't hovering near. Alex pulled the chair closer, sitting near enough to reach out and grab my hand. If he got up the nerve.
"So..." Alex said, clearing his throat. "What *is* necessary, Isabel? What do you have to do?"
I smiled at him dramatically. "I just touch the picture," I suited action to word, wondering if Alex could see the tingle I always noticed as my powers interacted with the photograph, "And drift off to dreamland..."
We waited. Nothing happened.
"What went wrong??" Max asked, a nervous tone in his voice.
"Relax," I told him. "No connection. She's not asleep yet."
"Are you sure?" Alex asked. He didn't sound like he was doubting me, just curious about the whole procedure.
"Positive," I assured him. "I've done this enough to recognize the busy signal. I can't tell what Miss T. is up to, but dreaming she definitely ain't."
That got a laugh from both of the boys. "So, what next?" Alex asked.
"It is not to worry, I have dream-walker auto redial," I announced. "As long as I stay here, relaxed and at least vaguely aware of the picture, as soon as Kathleen goes to sleep, I will too."
"Cool," Max opined. For a little while, silence swallowed my bedroom whole. "Should we stay quiet, or would it be better to talk?" my brother finally asked.
I laughed. "We can chat, as long as it doesn't turn into a shouting match or anything. So..." Another pause. "Anyone have a topic?"
Everyone thought for a second. "Well, there's, umm..." Max muttered.
"We could... no, that's no good," Alex whispered.
What had he been about to say? "How about that substitute teacher in English Lit??" Max tried vainly.
I was about to ask Alex what he had been thinking of, when it started to happen. A wave of exhaustion hit me, and I knew that Topolsky had fallen asleep... or started to dream, whichever it was. "Wait..." I managed to gasp, and then the bedroom faded into blackness.
* * * *
I 'arrived' in a long dark hallway. It's weird how the dreamwalking often works that way, introducing me out of sight of the dreamer. I mean, if Topolsky isn't in this hallway, why is she dreaming it?
Because it's connected to where her dream self is, I guess. Once, when I was dreamwalking my mom, I went the wrong way, trying to find her dream self, and almost fell out of the dream into blackness. There are limits to this thing, and I can't help the feeling that those limits are dangerous.
Luckily, there were no such problems this time. The second doorway I came to was Topolsky's, I could see part of her face through the little glass window.
I tried the doorknob, fully expecting the door to be locked. It was, but on this side it was just a knob, which I twisted and the door pushed in. I went through, holding the door open.
"Come on, Kathleen," I told her. "I'm here to take you out."
Topolsky looked at me with wild eyes surrounded by dark circles. I hadn't seen her myself since she came back to Roswell, but I remembered what everybody had said about how hurt and scared she looked. I had to agree. "You can't, Isabel," she said suddenly, surprising me when she said my name. I figured she might recognize me, but I hadn't expected it so soon. "The door isn't open for me."
"It isn't?" I asked, confused. As if to demonstrate, Kathleen stood up, walked towards the door, and the door jumped! No, not jumped, but *blinked* - one second it was in my hand, the next second the door was solidly closed again. I rushed to open it again, but there wasn't even a doorknob on this side, much less a way to unlock it again. I was trapped in here with Ms. T.
I turned to her, feeling the first pangs of fear myself. "What happens now?"
"*HE* comes to interrogate us," Topolsky said. Sure enough, the door was opening again, by a dark-haired, tall, broad man in a navy three-piece suit. The way he was holding the door made it absolutely clear that neither of us were getting out. Actually, he didn't give any signs of noticing me, but I still didn't think I could get out of the cell. Not that leaving Topolsky was the point - learning about her through this dream was.
Still, I couldn't fight all of the fear I felt inside me. "Agent Topolsky," the interrogator roared. "We know that you're hiding something from us about Roswell. You know that we're not afraid to kill you!! Why the fuck aren't you getting with the program?"
Topolsky blanched with obvious fear, but she recovered enough to smile a tight-lipped little smile back. I realized that this part of the dream was either a memory or a fear-induced nightmare. So far, it seemed to back up Topolsky's story - and Michael's sensible worries. "Why haven't you put me out of my misery already, Agent Pierce?" she bit back caustically. "Maybe because, for all your bluster, you *don't* dare kill me - until you know what I know, at least."
The Pierce figure stopped to consider that. "And what do you suppose we do once we realize that you're not going to tell us what you know?"
"You still won't kill me," Kathleen continued. "You'll deal first. It's a hell of a trump I've got up my sleeve."
"There are other ways, Kathleen," Pierce remarked with dangerous mildness. He made a quick gesture, and Topolsky gasped in horror. I didn't see it at first - I was looking at Topolsky myself, so I didn't see what she saw. And then there they were - masked and uniformed figures hurrying into the cell, holding Ms. T down, one of them getting a hypodermic out, restraining her arm so that it would be perfectly motionless while the needle broke through her skin...
Suddenly the scene changed. I jumped a little, though this sort of thing wasn't totally unexpected. At first it was just scattered imagery - Topolsky leaving an run-down apartment building in the south side of Roswell, noticing as suspicious characters started to tail her. Then forests surrounded the two of us, and Ms T was scurrying from tree to shrub, doing a great half-drowned rat impression, and talking out loud as she stalked along. I hurried over to walk next to her. "They *knew* what they were doing. No accidental escape. They want me to go find Max... see if I can spook him into blowing cover. But how can I not? If Pierce realizes that I'm really not going to play ball, he'll just have one of his flunkies shoot me in the head, and I'll be dead, and that'll be that."
"Okay, Kathy," I grumbled under my breath as I narrowly missed tripping over an ugly tree root. (Nature is *so* annoying.) "Not really encouraging me about your sanity here."
Suddenly there was a crash, not incredibly loud but easily heard from the woods not that far behind us. "It's *them!!*" Topolsky groaned, grabbing my arm and hurrying me along. "I think I can find a way to outplay them. Warn Max. Maybe... maybe he can protect me. It's my only hope."
Suddenly a face-painted figure in khaki fatigues stepped out of the trees ahead and to the side of us, grabbing for Ms. T. She yelped and ran away, and the guy ended up with a grip around my neck. "Hey, what have we here?" Suddenly there were others like him all around me. "Isabel Evans. Wonder if it's possible to break an aliens' arm??"
I screamed.
* * * * *
MAX:
I watched Alex watch as Isabel slept restlessly, caught in the grip of this dreamwalking thing she did. I didn't really understand the dream walk, and I didn't like that. Who could tell what the dangers might be?
Perhaps aware of my relentless stare, Alex looked up at me. "Do you think she's okay, Max?" He gestured at Isabel, as she tossed and turned, fear on her face. It was easy to see that Alex was as worried as I was.
"I don't know," I admitted. "I've never been here while Isabel did this, so I don't have any basis for comparison. From what I saw of Topolsky the other night though, I'd guess that her dreams will not be fun to visit." Alex's face fell further - this had all been his idea, and apparently he hadn't given enough attention to that detail. "So I'd assume that everything is going about as well as can be expected, until we get a new signal." Almost as if on cue, Isabel shuddered and gave out a wordless cry, which was followed by "Help, help! Let me go!!" Call it a signal to me.
Alex put a hand on Isabel's shoulder closest to him, and I took the shoulder closest to me, and we shook her gently, then not quite as gently, until sis opened her eyes. "Get your hands off me, you... oh, it's you guys."
"What was happening in there?" I asked severely.
"Topolsky's nightmare picked on me a little too," she said quickly. "Nothing to worry about. The point is... I got the dirt."
"Don't worry about that now," I grumbled. "Rest now, we'll talk about it later."
"No, we'll talk about it now," Isabel countered. "We may not have much time." She turned to look at Alex, who was staring at her with radiant interest, and began. "Topolsky's telling the truth. She wants to help us, and the FBI is watching her, trying to get the dirt on us when she makes contact. But I think I might know a way to make contact with *her* and the FBI couldn't watch."
* * * * *
I waited nervously in the dark hallway, too keyed up even to count the seconds as they passed by. How had my darling devil of a sister managed to talk me into *this*?! Well, she had kept riding on that time limit, for one thing. And Alex had been quick to take up the cause. Between the two of them and the ticking clock, I had agreed to play out my role here even though it seemed far from a foolproof plan...
My cell phone vibrated once softly and no more - that was the signal. Taking a deep breath, I stepped over to the door and opened it. At first I couldn't see anything but the bright sunlight. Then things became clear - Topolsky, wearing the ridiculous hat, heading straight past me, no more than six feet away. The menacing men in the dark navy suits were more than a block away. I smiled quickly in the direction of Alex's hideout across the street and waved Topolsky in towards the door.
She was obviously quite startled, but Kathleen didn't hesitate. She hurried quickly past me and into the dark of the abandoned playhouse. I followed, rearranging the molecules of the door unobtrusively as soon as it was shut. By the time I caught up with Katy, she was standing near the middle of the old stage.
"This isn't the plan," she snarked with the twist of an upper lip. "I told your brother Michael - Buckley point. I was just heading there..."
"Right now," I finished for her. "We know, and we were worried that Buckley Point isn't safe - for either of us. So I arranged the meeting here."
"Okay, I guess," Katy muttered in response to that, shrugging carelessly. I waited for her to start talking again, but she didn't.
"Why did you call Michael my brother? He isn't, you know. Just a good friend."
"He's a lot more than that," Katy replied quickly. "You and your sister pretend that your relationship with Michael Guerin is purely casual, but we know better. The people I used to work for and I, that is."
In the silence after she had finished talking, a gunshot rang out!! After only a second and a half, it was followed by another. Then a loud thud - it was from the door that I had let Topolsky in through. Both of us kinduv froze, and you could faintly make out bits of speech from the agents outside.
"...I'm *giving* it the shoulder grease, I'm telling you, this thing won't budge."
"Well, it just opened a minute ago - he must have slid a bar across or something..." A few more gunshots rang out, and I couldn't help but snicker. If they had enough bullets to actually shoot open a hole in the wall, they might get somewhere. I didn't think they'd go that far.
"C'mon... there's gotta be another way into this place," the first voice said again, and I looked around quickly. The front door of the theater was locked, but not 'secured,' and the goons might be able to get in. Once through the foyer, they would be able to see us immediately if we stayed on the stage. Quickly I pointed Topolsky over to the ladder and started climbing up to the catwalk myself.
From that height, it wasn't easy to hear out of the building anymore, so I turned back to Katy. "That's... that's what I wanted to talk to you about," I stuttered, trying to get back to the old thread of conversation. "The people you used to work for. We've decided to help you against them, but I have to say that we -- don't know if some... ship is going to come and save us in the nick of time."
"One way to find out." Katy reached into a bulky pocket and pulled out a heavy metallic orb - obviously the mate of the one Liz and I had found underneath that radio tower, out in the desert. (God, remembering that night still seemed to make my blood flow warmer.) "Where's yours?"
"Umm... I didn't bring mine," I admitted. "Can I look at that one?"
She snatched the orb away. "You can't take it away from me," she snapped. "This may be the only leverage I have, and I'm not going to give it away. Not until you save me."
I thought about that a second. "Save you?"
"I'm under Pierce's magnifying glass right now," she clarified. "I can't get out from underneath it by myself no matter what I do, and one of these days he just might decide to fry me like an ant. If you and your friends can spring me, lose me, get me somewhere safe that his goons can't find me, then the orb is yours."
"Okay," I agreed. "That was the plan anyway. But we can't do it yet. Are you going to be okay, for a few days?"
This time it was Topolsky's turn to consider. "Yeah. They'll know I've made contact with you, and nobody's going to kill the lead - not until Pierce's paranoia gets pretty big, and that shouldn't be for four or five days. But you better not leave me in here to fry, Max Evans."
"I won't," I promised her. "Now, if making it clear that I found you will help..."
I watched as Katy climbed down a different ladder - trying not to be aware that the goons were just around the corner - until they stepped into plain sight, everybody spotted each other, and they pulled her down off of the wooden slats. "Where is he?"
Katy shook her head at first, playing the part.
"Don't make me hurt you, bitch!" As the large, strong man lifted up his fist to strike her, Katy let go a cry of fear and started to babble.
"He... he was so arrogant. He's headed back the way we came in - he knows how to open that door again.
The agents looked at each other, and then by unspoken agreement one of them stayed with Katy and the other hurried over to the side stage door.
Neither of them was watching as I slipped down the small staircase into the foyer and out the front door of the playhouse.
* * * * *
(LPD [Liz Parker's diary] again...)
March 26th, 2000. Just after midnight now.
Well, everything worked out for the best, it seemed. Isabel got into Topolsky's dream, learned what she needed to know, and got out without Ms. Topolsky even realizing she was more than a dream figure herself. Max seems to be none the worse for his meeting with Topolsky plus two special guests, though somehow I felt... worried in retrospect, once I heard about it. Isn't that crazy? I mean, he was fine and everything was done by the time he called me to check in, yet my mind can't help but crank out scenarios of what might have gone wrong. What if those agents had caught him? What if he'd tripped off one of those catwalks and broken his foolish neck? Well, I guess I'm being completely crazy now.
The six of us had a pleasant evening of 'staying under cover.' Nobody really felt like going out and 'pretending we had nothing to hide' again, so we all stayed in at my place. Pizza for dinner and a classic video double feature - "Monty Python and the holy grail" and "Return of the jedi."
By the time the credits had rolled up on the big victory celebration on Endor, Alex and Isabel were sitting *very* close next to each other on the floor between the couch and the tv in the living room. Maria and Michael were sitting on the couch, a little space between them like they weren't sure where they stood with each other yet, but I noticed that they'd each let a hand fall down next to the other one's hand in the space between them. As far as Max and I, he was sitting in the armchair, and I was sitting on one of the arms, with my legs crossing over his and he had wrapped one arm around my waist.
Isabel kind of stretched a little and noticed Michael's hand - the one that *wasn't* next to Maria's. "Why do you have that here Michael? We said we were going to be keeping it at your place."
Michael kinda shrugged a little. "Why the big deal, Iz? It's safer here with me and all of us than it would be in my apartment when nobody's there."
"But if you're carrying that thing with you wherever you go, Michael, somebody's going to notice and start to get curious," Maria pointed out.
"I know that," he replied with a touch of acid in his voice. "I'm not gonna 'take it with me wherever I go.' I just... didn't want to leave it there, tonight okay? Not after what Topolsky said to Max..."
"You still don't trust her, do you?" I put in.
"No, it's not that. If Isabel says she's good, I'm willing to go along with that. It's just... how the hell does she know what these things do when *we* don't?"
"Maybe she's just guessing," Alex said. "These FBI types, they've probably been theorizing a lot about aliens, maybe even going back to the '47 crash, but if they knew all that much, wouldn't it have been easier for them to find you?"
"Thanks so much for *that* comforting thought, Alex," Isabel grumped.
"No, no, I get what he's saying," Max said. "These kinds of alien hypotheses probably get passed from person to person, but when they pass through enough people, sometimes they assume the status of 'facts.' We don't really know *anything* about the orbs, except that the two of them are related. Whether they're meant to work seperately or together, as a communicator, a tool, a weapon - that's for us to figure out."
"Well, have you tried *doing* anything with the one you've got?" Maria pointed out. "I mean -- start figuring, Maxxy boy. Hey Michael." She dug her elbow into Michael's ribs with a grin and a giggle. "Hand it over, spaceboy."
The orb was passed from Michael to Maria to me to Max. Max kind of held it dubiously for a few seconds. "What do I *do* to it?"
Maria sighed loudly. "I dunno, Max, this is your department. Try to connect with it. Use your czechoslovakian powers."
Max concentrated, then closed his eyes and his face somehow assumed an expression of deep meditation for almost a minute. Finally he opened his eyes and was back to his usual self. "I... I couldn't make it do anything," he admitted. "But I *felt* something - like a metaphysical dialtone almost. This thing *is* a link to soneone or something else, and I don't think it needs the other orb to work. We just need to figure out how the hell to use it."
"Hey, let me try," Isabel said, and Max handed the orb over. A lot of playing around with the thing followed. Isabel said she thought she could feel what Max was talking about, but she wasn't sure. Michael couldn't get any of it, (which he was pissed about,) and of course the rest of us couldn't either.
Everyone has gone home now. I should be going to bed. But I can't stop thinking about it all - about the orb, about Topolsky. I know I wanted to believe her from the beginning, to help her out, because she sounded so very frightened. But now that the decision's been made, I can't help but feel afraid myself. She's a dangerous friend to have, especially with this 'Pierce' person watching her.
I'd die if anybody took Max away from me now.
TO BE CONTINUED...
