Till we meet again (All CC ) MATURE Part 38 A/N 7.8 [WIP]

[roswck]

Thanks for all the great feedback. Sorry that I don't have a chance to respond right now. RL has been crazy and I wanted to get this part to you guys.

Part 10

Maria groaned when she opened the door. There standing before her were the last three people she wanted to see, Max Isabel and Tess.


“What are you doing here?”

The three of them stood their silently for a few moments. Tess and Isabel felt awkward and nervous. They waited for Max to answer Maria. This had been his idea after all.

Max didn’t respond. He was rooted to the spot he stood his eyes fixed on something beyond Maria’s shoulder.

Max felt as if he was going to be sick. There she was. She hadn’t changed at all. Her hair was shorter but she was still his Liz. Well not his Liz anymore from the looks of things. He watched as the man she was with stroked her hair and whispered in her ear.

His face became pale and he began to sweat. “No! He was screaming in his head as the man pressed his lips against hers.”

As he watched the intimate exchange between the woman he believed was his soul mate and this man, he knew that he was being punished. God had decided that it was time for him to pay for the pain he had caused and as he continued to watch them he knew there was no worse punishment.

“Well?” an impatient Maria said snapping him out of his daze.

“I take it from your reaction that we are right and Michael is here.” Max said his tone showing no emotion.

“So what if he is?”

“We’ve come to get him.” He said Matter-of-factly

“He’s not a dog or a child he’s a grown man. You don’t get to dictate where he goes.”

Maria felt the anger rise up within her, five years of anger. They had taken Michael from her and left her alone to raise a child. It was them, Tess and Max that had screwed everyone’s lives up.

Now they were here and they were going to try and do it again. Only this time it wasn’t only here life, it was her daughters and she would be damned if she was going to allow that to happen.

‘Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.’ Tess thought as she shifted nervously under Maria’s gaze.

Isabel quickly stepped between them.

“Maria we are sorry to bother you. We were worried about Michael and when he didn’t come home we thought he might be with you. Could we just talk to him?”

Maria looked at Isabel her anger diminishing slightly towards her.

Fine she said as she moved to the side to allow them entrance to her home.

“Thank You.” Isabel said smiling at Maria.

When Tess and Isabel entered the home they caught site of what had held Max’s attention only moments earlier.

Liz Parker was wrapped tightly in the arms of a very attractive man, her head pressed against his chest. Her eyes were closed and she appeared oblivious to their arrival.

Max swallowed the bile that had arisen in his throat and fixed his eyes on Liz willing her to see him. As if on cue her eyes opened and met his. He saw a brief flash of emotion before she tore them away from him to look at the man who held her.

Liz pulled away from Ryan. “You better get going.”

She walked him toward the door passing directly in front of Max, Tess and Isabel.

“Call me when the surgery is over and I’ll come by tonight.” She said loud enough for the others to hear.

Max’s Jaw tightened. ‘Did she just say she was going to his house?’

“Ok, bye love.” He leaned down and gave her one last kiss, nodding to Maria and heading out the door.

Ryan was gone that left the five of them in the foyer alone. An awkward silence followed until it was broken by the sound of laughter coming from inside the house.

Isabel would know that laugh anywhere. It was Alex.

“Liz, Maria, your not going to believe this but…”

Alex stopped mid sentence when he saw them or to be more precise her.

There she was after all this time. He had imagined this moment thousands of times but now that it was here he had no idea what to do. He just stared at her. She was as gorgeous as ever. Her blond hair was still as long as the last time he had seen her and she had it pulled back at the sides so that he had a clear view of her beautiful eyes.

Isabel shifted nervously from one foot to the other. She tried to read his expressions but was getting nothing. Did he hate her?

“Hello Alex.” She said when she found her voice again.

“Isabel, it’s good to see you.”

He began to walk towards her when he was stopped by the sound of Kyle’s voice. Alex turned to look at Kyle. His face was full of anger and he was carefully avoiding looking at Tess. Instead he had his gaze fixed on Max.

“Well if it isn’t another meeting of the “I know an alien club”. I thought I left this crap back in High school or at least I hoped I had.”

Tess’s breath caught in her throat as she laid eyes on the man she had left behind. He looked almost exactly as she had remembered him except for his eyes. The eyes that she could get lost in, the ones that were once filled with warmth kindness and love were in this moment filled with anger and disgust. The worst part of it was that he wouldn’t even look at her.

“Listen we don’t want any trouble we just want Michael.” Max said.

“Yeah well you’re a little too late on the trouble part. You already left a shit load behind when you took off for parts unknown.”

“Kyle.” Maria warned.

“What? You don’t want him to know about the mess that he left behind. How his mother cried everyday and begged us to tell her where they went, until finally we broke down and told her the truth.”

Isabel’s head shot up and her eyes locked with Kyle’s, then Liz’s and Maria’s.

“You told them the truth?” She croaked out.

“Yes.” Maria said.

“You had no right.’ Max said shaking his head.

“No right? Are you fucking kidding me Max?” Liz yelled as rage took over her body.

Max took a step back. The Liz he knew would never speak that way. It was then that he realized this wasn’t the Liz he knew. The Liz he remembered was a girl and this Liz was a woman, a pissed off woman.

“Your mother begged me to help her find her children. She thought you had been kidnapped. She imagined Isabel being sold into female slavery and had nightmares of them finding your bodies. Would you have rather she continued to live in fear?”

Isabel was openly sobbing now at the thought of what her parents had gone through.

“Maybe you can live with causing people that kind of pain but I couldn’t so we agreed and told them. We didn’t ever think you would be back. It was the right thing to do.”

She stared him down for a few moments trying to read his emotions. When she got nothing from him she turned to Isabel.

“You were right. All they ever cared about was your safety and well being. They just wanted to know you were safe.”

Isabel wiped away the tears that were steadily running down her face.

“Thank You.” She choked out.

Alex wanted to go over and put his arms around her but he knew it wasn’t the time or the place. He had to stand by his friends and if that meant he couldn’t comfort her now then so be it.

“I guess if he had listened to someone other than himself you could have told them a long time ago.” Kyle said.

He knew the exact reaction he would get from Max and Max did not disappoint.

“Fuck You, Valenti. You’re still bitter because I took Liz from you. Get over it.” He yelled losing his composure.

“You didn’t take me from anyone. I’m not an object to be owned. Maybe we would have been better off if I had stayed with Kyle.”

‘Ouch that hurt!’ It struck him right in the heart and for a brief moment it showed all over his face.

He took a deep breath.

“Like I said we didn’t come here for a confrontation. We just want Michael.”

“That’s your problem Evans, you treat everyone like they are something to be controlled. I guess it’s a King complex but guess what, this is America. No kings or Queens allowed. That’s what the Declaration of Independence says.”

“Hey Kyle paid attention in History class.” Alex said hoping to lighten the mood and avoid any further problems.

It didn’t succeed.

That was it Max had, had it. He walked right up to Kyle and stared at him.

“You want a piece of me Valenti?” Take your best shot.

Kyle was not fazed in the least.

“Powers or no powers?” He said giving him a shove.

Alex went to step between them.

“Did you just say powers?” Tess gasped.

“Yeah, powers. The nice little parting gift your boyfriend here left behind. Or is he your
husband now?”

Kyle never broke the staring match with Max as he spoke to Tess.

“We aren’t married.” She said.

Kyle felt a small ray of hope penetrate his heart but the hatred running through his veins quickly blocked it out.

“So you knocked her up and didn’t even have the decency to make an honest woman out of her.”

That was it. Max swung his fist at Kyle landing a right hook to his face and knocking him backwards.

Kyle put his hand to his lip and felt the blood dripping down.

“Son of a Bitch!”

Kyle yelled before charging Max and sending him flying into the wall. Before anyone knew what was happening the two men were rolling on the ground.

Alex immediately tried to break it up but was unsuccessful. The ladies began yelling.

“Stop this. This is ridiculous.” Isabel yelled.

“Kyle! Max!” Tess screamed.

“Stop Kyle, don’t give him the satisfaction.” Liz said trying to stop them.

“Get him.” Maria yelled.

“Maria!” Alex yelled when he heard her encouraging Kyle.

Maria shrugged her shoulders.

“What?”

Alex shot her a dirty look.

She huffed and mumbled “fine”.

She was about to ream them out for fighting in her house but never got a chance because Michael interrupted her.

“What the hell is going on here?” He hissed

[roswck]

Till we meet again
Part 11

Max and Kyle froze mid-roll on the floor when they heard Michael’s voice. Max released his hold on Kyle’s arm and Kyle released his hold on Max’s neck.

Max got up first and met the gaze of a very angry Michael Guerin.

“What the Fuck do you think you’re doing?” He said his eyes blazing with anger.

“It seems your kind have come for you.” Maria said sarcastically and rolled her eyes.

“Michael you disappeared. We didn’t know where you were. We just wanted to make sure you were ok.” Isabel said.


“I told you I had things that I had to take care of.”

“Well you reconnected with Maria. Great! You’ve taken care of you’re important business. I’m sure that you can see her again tomorrow but now we need you to come home with us.” Max said.

“That’s right us humans aren’t important enough right.” Kyle spat.

Max just glared at him.

“You have no fucking clue what is going on here.” Michael responded quickly to his comment.

“No, your right Michael I don’t have a fucking idea what’s going on here because you have deliberately not filled me in. We came to an agreement and you blatantly broke that agreement.”

“So you’re the reason he didn’t contact me when he first came back. What is wrong with you Max? How could you be the same person I bonded with so many summers ago?”

Max looked at his once close friend. He hated seeing the sadness in her eyes, the pity.

“Maria, you don’t understand. It’s not like that. It’s just…”

“An alien thing and it doesn’t concern us so they figured they would just keep us in the dark as usual.” Liz finished for him.

“It’s always the same thing, humans against the aliens.” She added when he locked eyes with her.

“You know that’s not true.” He said shaking his head sadly.

“So tell us Max. Tell us why you’ve come back to earth after all this time.”

“It’s not that simple.” He said shaking his head.

“It is that simple Max but you and I both know you won’t make it that simple. You’ll act on whatever it is that you’re keeping from us and when it backfires we’ll be the ones that are left to clean up the mess, again.”

Isabel watched as Liz laced into her brother and she didn’t like it. Liz had no idea what they had been through. Who was she to attack him like that?

“You have no idea what you are talking about or what we have been through. How dare you?” Isabel snapped at Liz.

“How dare you? You barge into my home ruining our Christmas with you’re alien shit. You have no idea what we’ve been through.” Maria yelled as she quickly came to her best friend’s defense.

Instantly the foyer was filled with yelling and shouting. Each of them unleashing over five years of pent up emotions. None of them noticed the small girl creep down the stairs and step into the foyer.

Suddenly they were silenced by the scream of a small child.

Maria spun around instantly to find her daughter crouched on the bottom step her hands over her ears and tears coming down her eyes.

“Oh my God Mikayla!” She said as she ran to her daughter followed quickly by Michael.

Isabel, Max and Tess turned to find Maria hovering above a small child.

“Liz!” Maria shouted.

Max watched as Liz ran to the child’s side, placed her hands on the side of her head and closed her eyes.

‘Could this be Liz’s child?’ He thought stunned by the sudden turn of events.

“Maria what’s wrong with her?” Michael said the worry evident in his voice.

Maria looked at him with tears in her eyes.

“It’s her gift Michael.”

“She can feel others emotions. It’s never been this bad before. She’s never reacted this strongly to humans. I don’t know if it’s because you are all aliens or if it’s because of all of the emotion in this room but you have to do something.”

Michael looked at Maria guilt covering his face. His daughter was in pain because of him. He had given her this gift.

“She’s your daughter Michael. You didn’t think she wouldn’t have some gifts did you.” Alex said as if he had read his mind.

“Daughter?” Isabel and Tess gasped.

“You need to leave.” Michael said.

“What do you mean we need to leave?” Isabel said.

Michael had a daughter and she wasn’t going anywhere.

“You heard me. She can feel your emotions.”

“Why do they get to stay?” She asked gesturing toward Alex, Kyle and Liz.

A small whimper escaped Mikayla’s lips at Isabel’s outburst and with in a moment Maria was on her feet and in Isabel’s face.

“They get to stay because they have been here since the day I found out I was pregnant. They have been there since she was born and they spent time learning how to protect her by putting up a block to their emotions. They are her family and all of you are just strangers.”

When she was done with her tirade she returned to her daughter’s side, not waiting for a response from Isabel.

Michael looked at the people that he considered to be his family and let his eyes lock with Tess’s.

“Please, if this was…” He began to plead with her but she held up her hand.

“We need to leave. The child’s in pain because of us. Michael if you need anything let us know, otherwise will see you when you get home.” She said taking his hands in hers.

“When ever that may be.” She added as she shot both Max and Isabel a glare.

“Thank You.” He said as he pulled her into a quick embrace.

Without saying another word Tess opened the door and walked out followed quickly by Max and then hesitantly by Isabel.

When he was sure that they were gone he rushed to Mikayla’s side.

“What is Liz doing?” He asked as he watched her with his daughter.

“She’s connected to her. She is serving as a buffer, taking in some of the emotions she is being bombarded with.” Maria said.

“How can she…”

“You can thank your fearless leader for that one.” Kyle said answering his question before he had finished asking it.

“Liz, can sometimes form a connection with people. I can only do it with Mikayla but I’m her mother and I guess I take on too much and can’t handle it. She knows what she’s doing.” Maria said assuring him.

Liz held Mikayla within their connection. When she had first connected with her she had been bombarded with emotions. Anger, hate, despair, hope, animosity, betrayal, fear and love slammed into her with a tremendous force. No wonder Mikayla was in tears.

She reached for her and helped her carry the burden of the emotions until she felt them slowly dissipate and knew it was only she and Mikayla.

“It’s ok now honey.” She said through her connection.

“I’m scared.” Mikayla said.

“It’s all over now and I’m sure that Mommy and Daddy would really love to see those beautiful eyes right now.”

Slowly Mikayla opened her eyes and saw her mother. Instantly she leaped in to her arms and snuggled into the crook of her neck.

“It’s ok now honey. It’s ok.”

She pulled her head away from her mother and reached out for her father.

“It’s ok. I didn’t know. I promise that will never happen again.”

“Why was everyone so upset?”

“Because my sweet Mikayla grownups are idiots.” Alex said with a smile.

“That’s a bad word Uncle Alex.” Mikayla admonished.

“Yes it is but in this case it’s true.”

“Ok little one it is way passed your bedtime.” Maria said.

“Say goodnight to everyone.”

“Goodnight.” She said as she rubbed her eyes.

“Daddy, will you tuck me in.”

“Of course I will.”

Michael took his daughter in his arms and headed upstairs.

“Well put this Christmas in the books as one of the most eventful.” Alex said as he grabbed his coat.

“I’m beat, literally.” Kyle said following Alex and rubbing his jaw.

“You shpuld put some ice on that.” Liz said.

“See Alex I told you it would pay off having Liz as a Doctor.” He joked.

“It doesn’t take a medical degree to know that Kyle.” She said rolling her eyes at him.

“You need a ride home?” Kyle asked.

“I think I’ll stay with Maria.” Liz said.

“Oh no you don’t. I distinctly heard Ryan say that he would be coming by.”

“But…”

“No buts about it. Don’t worry about me I can deal with space boy.” She said rolling her eyes.

They all laughed at her old name for Michael.

Maria hugged her friends.

“If you need anything…”

“I’ll call.” She said finishing Liz’s sentence and hugging her one more time.

Maria sighed as she closed the door behind. She was alone and she didn’t know if she really could deal with space boy on her own

[roswck]

Hi guys. Sorry it has been so long since the last part but RL has been kicking my ass.lol. Finally the next part is done. It's hard to give backstory in a story like this so I hope that I am doing an ok job of it. Some of the dialogue in this comes from Departure and I take no credit for it. I am just boorowing it to Move my story along. So here it is:

Please check out the bautiful banner Beautiful86 made for this story. It is great!!

Till we meet again.

Part

Maria closed her bedroom door with one hand and held a stack of towels in the other. She walked over to her daughter’s room and peaked in. She was sound asleep.

“Thank God.” She said a silent prayer.

She went to the guest bedroom and placed the towels on the dark blue comforter of the bed. The room was right next to Mikayla’s. When she had decorated it she had done it in a very masculine motif. There was all dark maple furniture and the room was lined with framed photos of cityscapes. The designer had questioned her about her choice and she had brushed it aside by saying “Not everything can be girly.” Deep down she knew though that she was making this room for Michael.

She closed the door behind her and sighed. Her life had been fairly predictable before today but now there was no telling what could happen. That knowledge both scared and excited her. She feared for the safety of her daughter and for the baggage the aliens had most definitely brought back with them but she was excited that Michael was back. She wasn’t ready to admit it yet but she wanted him back.

She walked down the stairs surprised to find that Michael was not in the Great room where she had assumed he would be.

She checked the dining room and then the Kitchen, still no Michael. It was then that she caught the glimpse of her back yard lights. She walked toward the sliding glass doors and poked her head out and found the person she had been searching for.

Michael was sitting at the Gazebo staring out at the pool in deep thought. Maria grabbed a sweater and walked the stone path along the fenced pool a short distance to where the gazebo was.

“Hey.” She said as she pulled the sweater tightly against her trying to keep herself warm from the cool desert night.

Michael looked up at her.

“I hope that you don’t mind me being out here.”

Maria waved her hand.

“No it’s fine.”

“It’s beautiful out here.” He said as he admired the yard.

“I’m glad you like it. It was your idea.”

He quirked his eyebrow at her in confusion.

“My idea?”

Maria walked another small stone path to the pool house and opened the door. She disappeared inside and a few moments later returned to him holding a frame. She sat down beside him and handed it to him.

“I found this when I was going through your things, along with some other drawings.”

“You kept it?”

He was shocked.

Maria nodded her head.

“When I bought this house I knew that I had to do this out here.”

Michael didn’t know what to say. She had created something from one of his drawings he never believed that anything so beautiful could come from him.

“I found many of them, they were beautiful. I never knew you drew like that Michael.”

“I just did it when I had time. I didn’t think anything would come out of it.”

”Right, why do anything in this world when you knew you would be leaving. Your old Mantra.”

Michael sighed. He didn’t want to fight with her and he knew that if he responded that is exactly what would happen. So he chose to say nothing.

Maria watched him surprised that he had no response for her. She hadn’t meant for it to come out the way it did. She didn’t have it in her to fight with him tonight.

They sat there in silence for a few moments until Michael broke it.

“She went right out when I put her down.”

“Using her gift can do that sometimes.”

He shook his head. How had she done it all this time? She had to take care of Mikayla all alone and deal with otherworldly things as well. He was such an ASS. How could he have done this to her?

“I’m sorry Maria.”

“Sorry for what?” She asked. There were so many things he could be sorry for.

“I’m sorry for being so irresponsible and getting you pregnant.”

She turned and faced him directly.

“Don’t you ever be sorry for that Michael Guerin. Mikayla is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I can’t imagine my life with out her. Don’t ever be sorry for helping to create the most special thing in my life.”

Michael was shocked. He had expected her to ream him for leaving her pregnant and alone but she wasn’t, in fact she was insulted he had even suggested it.

“It must have been so hard, going through all of that alone.”

“I won’t lie to you being the first human to carry the child of a hybrid wasn’t the easiest thing in the world. It was hard but I wasn’t alone. I had Liz, Alex, Kyle, my Mom and the sheriff to help me through. Would I change some things if I could? Sure, I would but I would never wish it didn’t happen.”

“The one thing I wish is that you could have been there. I’m sorry Michael. I’m sorry that you missed out on the first four years of your daughters life. They were amazing. She is amazing.”

Again Michael did not say anything he just looked up towards the stars. He knew she was right. He had missed out on so much and all for what?

Maria stared at him as he watched the stars.

Michael slowly brought his head down and his tear filled eyes reflected in her own. He inched toward her closing the space between them. She could feel his breath on her face and smelled his sweet scent. Her body reacted as it always did when Michael was this close to her. It screamed for his touch, his kiss.

She wanted to touch him so badly in that moment but she knew she couldn’t. She had to protect her daughter. She couldn’t get pulled back in. He had made his choice and in the end it hadn’t been her. She couldn’t let that happen again. When Antar came calling would he run again? She couldn’t risk that for her own heart or her daughter’s.

She broke their gaze and pulled the sweater even more tightly around her. It was as if her body could not get warm enough now that it knew it could have the warmth of his touch.

Michael started to move his hand to touch her when she had broken there connection and moved away from him. He needed to tell her what had happened. She needed to know that he had never wanted to leave her. He needed to share with her all that he had been through because he knew she was the only one he could share it with.

He returned his gaze to the stars trying to gather his thoughts together and decide where to begin.

Again Maria watched him stare at the stars. ‘He must miss it.’ She thought to herself and before she could stop herself her thoughts came out in words.

“Do you miss it? Was it everything that he hoped it would be?” She asked choking back over 5 years worth of tears.

He looked at her again and saw the pain in her eyes. It was pain that he had put there.

“Maria, no I don’t miss it. I never wanted to go.”

“But you did you left. You chose your so called obligation to a world you had never seen over earth. You chose Max, Isabel and Tess over me.”

She was no longer able to hide the tears. She had thought she had made her peace with this a long time ago but seeing him again it re-opened the wound and in that moment she could no longer control her emotions.

Michael took a step forward to try and comfort her. His hand reached out and touched her arm. It was the first physical contact that they had since he had come back. She hadn’t realized how much she had missed his touch until that moment. The air filled with electricity as he bent his head towards hers.

Suddenly she jerked away from him breaking the moment. “I can’t do this.”

“Maria, please just listen to me.”

She shook her head. “I can’t Michael, not now.”

Again she pulled the sweater tightly against her.

“I made up the guest room for you. It is the room to the left of Mikayla’s.”

“Stay out here as long as you like. I need to get some sleep Mikayla is an early riser.”

“Maria…” He said trying to get her to stay.

She gave him a weak smile.

“Good Night Michael. I’ll see you in the morning.”

With that statement she turned and walked in the house. When she reached the stairs she ran up them and into her room. She opened the door and threw herself on the bed allowing her emotions to get the best of her.

When she had finished crying and pulled herself together she walked into the bathroom and washed her face.

“So much for not crying over him anymore.” She said to herself in the mirror.

She opened the medicine cabinet and took a sleeping pill. With in a half hour she was fast asleep.

The moment that she fell asleep the dreams came. Everything that she had been trying not to remember came flooding back to her.


Maria arrives at Michael's to find the room lit with candles a dinner made, and the table set.

Michael? I know you like Italian, so... And I know Scooby's your favorite.

What's going on?

"Sit down."

" What's this all about?"

" Sit down please. "

"There's a lot about you Maria. There's a lot about you, but I think what means the most to me is that you're open. You know I can look into your eyes and I can see you. I can see what you're thinking. I can see what you're feeling. How much I mean to you sometimes, how much I piss you off sometimes. But I can always see you."

"I see you too."

" No, no you don't see me. You know when Max and Liz would kiss, and Liz would get the flashes? And when we would kiss you didn't. I know how much that hurt you."

" That doesn't matter to me anymore Michael."

" The reason you didn't get the flashes is because I didn't let you get them. I didn't let you see me. I've never let anyone see me before...because there are things inside of me that I don't want people to see. There are things inside of me that I'm not so proud of. But I've thought about it, and I want you to see me."

" Take my hands."

Maria gets flashes of Michael as a little kid, leaving the pod, fighting with Hank, and flashes of the 2 of them together and then her.

"Michael..."

" There's something I have to tell..."

Maria kisses him passionately stopping him from continuing.

They fumble with each others clothes and without words join together as one.

"I think we just took a huge step in human-alien relations."

"I love you Michael."

" I love you too... but I have to leave. Max, Isabel, and Tess and I are going home."

" Yeah, I know. Like eventually, right?"

"We're leaving in a few hours. We have to, I have no choice. I don't want to leave you. But we both knew someday this would happen."

"How much time do we have?"

"About an hour."

Maria snuggles closer to him.

“I can’t believe this is happening.” She said as she stroked this chest with her hand.

“I tried to tell you before…”

Maria leaned up on her elbows on his chest.

“No don’t Michael. I’m glad this happened. I wanted my first time to be with you.”

“This is a night that I will remember forever.”

He placed his lips on hers and again they kissed passionately. She held on to him tightly memorizing every inch of his body. His scent, his taste, and the way his hands felt on her body. The way it felt as he made love to her for the second time. These memories had to get her through a lifetime.

When they had finished making love Michael got out of bed.

“I have to go.”

The two of them got dressed silently. When they were fully clothed Michael pulled her into an embrace.

“Do you think that you’ll ever be back?” She whispered into his chest.

“I don’t know. I would like to think that after we are finished we could come back. I hope.”

“I can’t believe I’m never going to see you again.”

“He pulled her away from him and looked in to her tear filled eyes.

“Maria I want to come back to you but I can’t promise that.”

“I don’t want you to live in the past. I want you to be happy live your life and if that means finding someone new then so be it.” He forced the last part out not believing he was actually saying it.

“Michael, I’ll always love you.”

“I’ll always love you too. There is no one on this world or any other that I will ever love like I love you.

They kissed one more time.

“It’s time.”

Michael was about to speak when Maria placed her finger over his lips.

“Don’t say Goodbye. It would be too permanent to final.”

He gave her a sad smile.

“What should we say?”

“Till we meet again.” She said wiping the tears from her face.

“Till we meet again Maria.”

He kissed her on the forehead and turned away.

She watched as he got on his bike and drove away.

He was gone and she was alone.

Maria awoke gasping. She hated that dream. She hated reliving that moment. The way it had felt to be alone. No she never wanted to feel that way again and in that moment she swore she never would..

[roswck]

Thanks for the feedback. I can't reply know but will later. Here is the next part.

Till we meet again
Part 13
Kyle panted for breath as he stopped running. He hadn’t been able to sleep and had decided to go for a run around 6 AM, that was two hours ago. When he was running he didn’t have to think about what had happened the night before. He could deny the fact that they were back, that she was back. Finally his body couldn’t take it any longer and he was forced to stop. He couldn’t run forever.

He walked over to one of the park vendors and bought himself a coffee and walked over to a park bench and sat down. With the distraction of running gone he couldn’t stop his mind from wandering to Tess.

He had tried so hard not to look at her last night, to not let himself react to her but when it came down to it he just couldn’t not look at her. She looked almost exactly as he remembered her. Her hair was longer and straighter then he remembered but other than that she was as beautiful as she had been the day she left him. But it was the look in her eyes that haunted him.

For the split second that he had allowed himself to look in those eyes he had seen regret, sorrow and love and he wished he hadn’t. It was easier to hate her when she was on a far off planet and he could think of her as a betrayer, the one who had single handily destroyed their love. Now she was here and he didn’t know how to deal with that.

He couldn’t help but let his mind wander to that fateful day, the day his world had fallen down around him.

Kyle opened the jewelry box he had bought for Tess and admired the contents. It was a heart shaped locket that he had engraved with their initials.

Things had become pretty intense for them since Prom. They had finally given into their feelings for one another. They had taken a long walk in the desert and talked for hours. Tess told him how she had always felt alone until she had met him.

“I was never in love with Max. I was in love with the idea of Max. Until I got close to you and I realized the real thing is so much better then the idea.” She had t old him that night.

They had been together ever since and he couldn’t remember the last time he had been this happy.

He closed the box quickly when he heard the sound of the front door open.

“Tess is that you?” He called out to her.

When he got no response he walked toward the front door and found her staring down at the floor.

“Hey, didn’t you hear me calling you?” He said when he reached her.
When she didn’t look up at him he placed his finger under her chin and raised her face to his.

Startled by her tear stained face he asked the obvious question.
“What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

“Kyle.” She said and started crying.

He led her to the couch and they sat down.

He stroked her back lovingly.

“Tess, what’s wrong?”

“I’m so sorry Kyle. I never meant to hurt you?”

”Hurt me? What are you talking about? You haven’t hurt me.”
“I have and I don’t even know why. I love you Kyle. Why would I do something like this? Why?”

“Tess, I’m a little lost here. You might want to clue me in on what you’re talking about.”

“There is no easy way to say this Kyle. I slept with Max.”

The realization of what she said hit him like a bolt of electricity through his body. He pulled his hand off her back as if it had been burnt by hot coals.

“What?!”

“Kyle please let me explain.”

“Let you explain! Explain What? You told me you loved me.”

He jumped up off the couch and began to pace.

“Fuck and I believed you. What ever game you were playing it worked.”

“Kyle I do love you. I’m not playing any game with you. You are the best thing that ever happened to me.”

“You have a funny way of showing it; love Kyle equals sleep with Max. Hmm…that is interesting Logic.”

“I don’t know why I did it. I don’t love Max and he doesn’t love me. We were just drawn together. It wasn’t planned. I swear.”

“You couldn’t control your alien hormones? That’s bullshit.”

She walked toward him and tried to reach out to him.

“Don’t touch me.”

“Why are you even telling me this? You’ve gotten everything you’ve always wanted. Why aren’t you with Max right now?”

“I came to say goodbye.”

“Goodbye? One night of hot alien sex and the two of you are running off together? Poor Liz she is going to be devastated when she finds this out. God he’s an asshole.”

“We aren’t leaving town we are leaving the planet.”

Kyle’s head shot up at that statement.

“What?!!”

“They’ve come for us.”

“Who?”

“Larek. He said the Granolith is a ship.”

“You’ve known about that thing for months. Why is he just telling you this now?”

She looked at him a mask of sadness on her face and tears in her eyes.

“I’m pregnant with the heir to their throne.”

Kyle felt all the blood drain from his face.

“You’re pregnant?”

Tess nodded.

A million thoughts began running through his mind. She was pregnant
and she said it was Max’s but it could be his. They had made love.

“It could be mine.” He put words to his thoughts.

“God Kyle I wish it was yours. You’re the man I want to have children with.” She said tears streaming down her face.

“How can you be so sure it’s not mine? Don’t hybrids conceive the way humans do?”

“Yes.” She acknowledged.

“So it could be mine and there is no way in hell I’m letting you take my child to another planet!”

She moved towards him.

“Kyle I’m sorry he’s not yours.”

“He?”

Again she nodded her head.

“Max connected with the baby.”

“That doesn’t mean anything. He connected with Liz and she’s not his child. God he connected to me when he healed me. He can do that. It doesn’t mean anything!”

“I know.”

“Then how are you so sure that it’s his and not mine?”

“They knew when he was conceived. The granolith knew and sent them a signal and they contacted Max.”

“I didn’t believe it at first but then Max checked and there was the baby.”
He shook his head in denial.

“The signal would only be sent if the heir had been conceived and this child could only be the heir if it was Max’s.”

“When do you leave?”

“Tomorrow morning.”

He took a deep breath. He would not let her see him cry.

Again she tried to approach him.

“Kyle I’m sorry. This isn’t how I wanted things to end between us.”

He put his hands up to stop her from touching him.

“Yeah have a great life Tess.”

He took the small jewelry box out of his pocket and placed it on the table. Then he walked out the door. It was the last time he saw Tess or that jewelry box.

Kyle placed the tips of his fingers on the bridge of his nose and squeezed. All this dredging up of the past was giving him a headache and the lack of sleep and caffeine weren’t helping either.

He was about to get up and leave when a small child on a bike came flying by him. He was going fairly quickly and couldn’t seem to stop. Before Kyle could react the child had crashed into a park bench and had fallen down.

Quickly he rushed over to see if he was ok. When Kyle reached him he was already getting up.

“Thank God.” Kyle thought as he approached him.

“Hey you ok buddy.” He said when he reached the boy

‘He must be about Luke’s age.’ He thought as he waited for the boy to respond.

Kyle knelt down to the boy’s level. He had sandy brown hair and when he looked up at him there were tears in his big blue eyes. Kyle’s heart broke when he saw the sad expression on his face.

They locked eyes and the boy began to full out cry.

“Hey it’s ok. Are you hurt?”

The little boy shook his head no and wiped at the tears falling down his face but continued to hold Kyle’s gaze. A chill ran down his back. There was something so familiar about those eyes.

“I can’t stop. I can go but I always have trouble stopping.”

“That’s ok we all…” Kyle began to comfort him when he heard the sound of a woman behind him.

“Oh my God are you ok?”

Kyle turned to find a tall woman with long auburn hair and blue eyes standing behind him.

“He’s fine. I think that he just got the wind knocked out of him.”

The woman narrowed her eyes at Kyle as if sizing him up.

“Thank You for helping him. He insists on practicing riding constantly and he has only had the bike for a day.” She said with a small smile.


“No problem. Kids are like that with Christmas presents. I was the same way when I got my first bike.” He said standing up from his kneeling position.

She then turned her attention to the little boy.

“Didn’t we tell you not to talk to strangers?”

He nodded his head.

“But he’s not a stranger I know him.” He said matter-of-factly.

Kyle looked at her and could tell she wasn’t pleased.

“I’m a baseball player sometimes kids think they know me because they see me on TV.” He tried to explain before the kid got in big trouble.

“Well he should know better.” The she looked at the boy again.

“Your mom’s right little buddy. Even though you’ve seen me on TV I’m still a stranger.”

The little boy shrugged his shoulders and picked up his bike.

She put her arms around him and gave him a hug.

“Thank you again. Have a nice morning.”

“You too.”

Kyle watched as she pushed the bike and held the little boy’s hand. For some unknown reason he felt compelled to watch them until they were safely out of the park.

When he couldn’t see them anymore he shook his head to wake him from his daze.

“God I need some sleep.” He said and than began to run home.

[roswck]

Part 14 A

Till we Meet Again

Maria rubbed her eyes and looked at her alarm clock. 11:30 glared back at her in angry red letters.

“What the hell.” She said and grabbed her robe.

“Damn sleeping pills. That’s why I don’t take them.” She huffed.

She slipped on her slippers and grabbed her silk lavender robe tying it tightly around her.

‘I’m surprised that Mikayla didn’t come in and wake me.’ She thought as she walked out into the hall.

As she reached the bottom of the steps she heard the sound of voices coming from the kitchen and she knew immediately why her daughter hadn’t woken her up. She was spending the morning with her father.

“Daddy your funny.” Mikayla giggled.

“I am huh.”

“Yeah. Mommy never puts a smiley face on my pancakes and she never put tamasco in them.” She said continuing to giggle.

“Do you like them?”

“They are yummy.”

“You get that from me kiddo.”

Maria listened to them from the great room. She was amazed that after only one day they could be so at ease with one another.

“Good Morning.” She said finally making her presence known.

“Mommy!” Mikayla yelled and ran over to Maria.

Maria scooped her up and gave her a hug and a kiss.

“Daddy made me pancakes with whip cream.” She said with a satisfied smile.

”He did.” She said turning her attention to Michael who was still behind the stove.

“Morning. Can I get you some pancakes?”

“Not if they have tamasco in them.” She said with a smile and beeped her daughter’s nose with her finger.

This elicited a giggle from Mikayla and a laugh from Michael.

“No, that was just for those of us he have acquired a taste for the stuff.”

“Your dad loves to use Tabasco in his cooking. One time he tried to bake a cake with it.”

She said remembering the cake Michael had made for Isabel.

Michael looked at her with a smirk.

“Hey when Isabel finally got a chance to taste it she loved it.”

“Who’s Isabel?” Mikayla asked as she watched her parents.

“Isabel is like my sister.”

“So that makes her my auntie right?” Mikayla said excited.

“I guess so.” Maria said.

“Do we have to call her Isabel?” Mikayla asked.

Michael looked at his daughter confused.

“I sometimes call her Izzy.” He said with a shrug

“Why you don’t like the name Isabel.”

Mikayla shook her head no.

”That name makes Uncle Alex sad. I had a doll named Isabel and when I told him her name I felt he was sad.”

Maria and Michael shared a brief glance.

“Mikayla you know it’s not nice to tell people about what you feel from other people. Those are private.”

“I know Mommy but you always said that I can always tell you so I can tell Daddy too. I just don’t want Uncle Alex to be sad.”

“That’s ok Mikayla. Your Uncle Alex knows your Auntie Isabel so I’m sure he’ll be ok with her name.”

“When can I meet her are there any other people I can meet?”

“Yep a whole bunch.” Michael said walking over to the two most important people in his life.

“So when do I get to meet them?”

Michael tousled his daughter’s hair and was about to tell her soon when Maria interrupted.

“We will talk about that later. Right now you need to go upstairs and get out of those PJs.”

Maria put her down and Mikayla started to head to her room.

“I’ll be right back.” She said as she ran up the stairs.

“What was that all about?” Michael asked.

“What?” She asked moving away from him and sitting at the kitchen table.

“The will talk about it later.”

”It means exactly what I said.”

“Well why don’t you explain it to me because I’m not quite sure I get it.” He said sarcastically.

“Listen I’m not sure that I want Mikayla exposed to all the crap that comes along with being part alien.”

“So what you don’t want her to meet Max, Isabel and Tess? Why the hell not?” He said angrily.

“I didn’t say I didn’t want her to meet them but I think that the less time she spends with them the better.”

“They are her family too.”

Maria stared at him.

“She’s my daughter it’s my job to keep her safe and whether or not you want to admit it where all of you are danger follows. God we were 16 and running for our lives. I can’t expose her to that. I won’t expose her to that. ”

“I would never let anything happen to her Maria. God you have to know that.”

Maria looked at him sympathy in her eyes.

“Listen right now there is nothing linking Mikayla to anything alien. She’s off the evil alien radar screen so to speak. I would like to keep it that way.”

She crossed her arms in resignation.

“Maria you have got to believe me. I will protect her with my life.”

“I know that you will but you can’t protect her from everything. In this little saga we like to call the alien abyss it is always the innocent bystanders that are hurt the most.”

“What are you talking about you have all been safe. No one’s been hurt. We left and you have all been fine. Your letting your fear lead you here Maria.”

“Maybe no one got hurt physically Michael but don’t fool yourself people were hurt. Liz, Kyle Alex they have all been victims of circumstances. We have all lost things because Max couldn’t keep his dick in his pants!” She yelled.

Michael rubbed his face with his hands and stood silently. There was more going on here than whether or not she would let Mikayla meet and get to know the others. This was much deeper. These were Maria’s feelings of betrayal and while Michael couldn’t blame her for having them he couldn’t allow her to place the blame squarely at the feet of Max and Tess when that just wasn’t the case.

“Maria, you don’t know what you’re talking about. There is a lot more to that story than you know.”

“No, Michael I think it’s quite simple. Max decided that Liz wasn’t enough for him. I guess she was too human. He had to taste a little bit of that forbidden fruit and he was dumb enough not to wear a condom and got her pregnant. I mean what the hell was he thinking? He destroyed Liz and Kyle was never the same. He really loved Tess, though I doubt that she ever felt anything for him.”

“Stop Maria you don’t know what you’re talking about!” He yelled.

Maria saw red. Was he actually going to try and defend their actions?

“I know exactly what I’m talking about! I lived it!”

“Not everything is always so black and white.”

“So explain it to me Michael. How is anything I’ve said untrue? If there is more to the story then tell me what is it?”

“I can’t. You just need to trust me.”

Maria laughed. “You can’t? Why the hell not?”

“It’s not my story to tell.”

“This is exactly what I’m talking about Michael. There you go jumping to their defense and protecting them. You will always choose them over us and I just can’t let her feel that pain.”

She turned to leave but he grabbed her and turned him towards him. She struggled to break free from his grasp.

“Let go of me.”

He stared into her eyes sending a chill down her spine.

“No, not until you listen to me. I chose you.”

She broke their gaze and pulled away from him.

“You went to another fucking planet. If that’s choosing me then what would it have been like if you didn’t choose me?”

Again he grabbed her and pulled her towards him.

“That morning I left you I was so confused. My head was telling me that this was the moment that I had been waiting for. The day I would leave this planet and go Home.”

She had stopped struggling with him but would not look him in the eye. He placed his finger under her chin and lifted her face towards his.

“That wasn’t what my heart was saying. My heart was screaming that my home was here, my home was with you.”

She felt the tears build in her eyes and willed herself not to cry. She closed her eyes willing the tears to go and took a deep breath. She opened her eyes again and found that Michael was still staring at her, willing her to listen.

“If you’re heart was telling you to stay Michael, why did you go?”

She said the words in barely a whisper.

“When we were at the Pod Chamber I told Max that I wanted to stay.”

A look of anguish crossed her face.

“Did he order you to go?”

Michael shook his head quickly not wanting her to again blame Max.

“Max was ok with it and so were the others. In fact I think that each of them wished that they too could stay.”


“When I went to try to get out I couldn’t. We all panicked and began to bang on the rock wall but nothing happened. Nothing happened and in an instant there was a flash of light and we were in the granolith.”

A sob escaped Maria’s lips and the tears she had been trying so desperately to keep from falling were cascading down her cheeks.

Michael caressed her cheek with his thumb as he wiped the tears away.

“I can’t believe that you were going to stay for me. All these years I thought you chose them over me.”

“I love you Maria. I always have I always will. I’m so sorry that you had to raise Mikayla on your own but I’m here now and I promise you I am not going any where so please don’t shut me out.”

Maria looked into the depths of his eyes and all she saw was love. Her Teflon walls began to crumble.

Slowly their bodies became closer and their heads lowered so that their lips were only millimeters apart.

“Mommy, I can’t find my blue sneaker.” Came Mikayla’s voice from the other room.

Maria placed her forehead on Michael’s and smiled.

A few seconds later Mikayla came bouncing into the kitchen wearing a blue and white sweatshirt and a faded pair of jeans. She was oblivious to her parents close proximity and was holding one sneaker in her hand.

Maria reluctantly separated herself from Michael and turned to her daughter.

“Did you look under your bed?” She asked knowing that was where most of her daughter’s shoes ended up.

Mikayla shook her head to show she hadn’t.

“I don’t like to look under there. Dust bunnies live there and they are scary.”

“Dust Bunnies?” Michael asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Uh huh. Melanie told me so and she knows because she gets them with the vacuum.”

Michael looked at Maria for help deciphering what she was talking about.

Maria chuckled at Michael’s look of confusion.

“Melanie is our cleaning woman.”

“Oh. Well dust bunnies don’t bother daddy so let’s go get that sneaker.”

“Mommy is going to take a shower and then we are going to spend the whole day together.” Maria said bending down to her daughter.

“All of us?” Mikayla asked excitedly.

“Yes all of us.” Maria said as she kissed her on the cheek.

Mikayla jumped up and down excitedly and grabbed Michael’s hand. Come on daddy let’s go.

Michael looked back at Maria and mouthed “Will finish that later.”

Maria laughed. Today she thought was going to be a great day.

[roswck]

I know that some of you are frustrated about the secret but things need to be set up for it to be revealed and that is what I am doing now. I promise at least one of the secrets will be coming out in the next few parts.

-Roswck

Part 15

Max pulled the car up in front of his old home. It looked as if time had been stored in a bottle for them. Everything was the same. His mother’s roses grew near the front window and his father’s BMW still in the drive. His old basketball net was in the exact spot he had left it so many years ago.

“It looks like we never left.” Isabel said putting words to his thoughts.

They had decided last night that their parents needed to know that they were back. Isabel had wanted to run right over that night. She had waited so long and she didn’t want to wait any longer. Max had talked her out of it explaining that it would be enough of a shock that they were back; they didn’t need to wake them out of a sound sleep.

In the end she had relented. She hadn’t slept at all and had spent the night organizing what few possessions she had. When finally Max had awoken she had jumped at him to get over to their old home.

“I know. It’s as if I’ve just been away at school and my basketball net is just waiting for me and Michael to have a pick-up game.”

“Yea, but we haven’t been away at school. We’ve been off on another planet fighting an alien war.” She said sadly.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she stared at her childhood home. This was her home, the place where she had always felt safe no matter what was going on in her life. It was where her Dad and Mom were.

Max took her hand and squeezed it. She looked up and met his eyes.

“It’s our home Max. We’re home.”

They got out and walked the long stone path from the driveway to the front door.

When the reached the front door Isabel reached for the doorknob but Max stopped her.

“I think that we should ring the bell.”

“It feels weird ringing our own doorbell Max.”

“I know but I would like to talk to them, not scare them to death.”

“I guess you’re right.”

She leaned over and rang the doorbell. A few seconds passed and then they heard the sound of footsteps.

Isabel gripped her brother’s hand tightly.

What happened next seemed as if it was happening in slow Motion. Their Mother opened the door. Her eyes shot quickly back and forth between the two of them.

“Oh my God, Max, Isabel!”

Her hands flew to her mouth and then she fainted. Max reached out and caught her before she could fall.

He began to carry her over to the couch.

“Oh my God Max. Is she ok? What have we done?”

“Isabel, calm down she’s fine. She just fainted.”

“Mom.” Max said as he Tapped the side of her face gently.
Isabel’s eyes shot to the stairs where she heard footsteps.

“Honey who was at the…”

Philip Evans stopped mid-sentence when he saw who was standing in his living room. He was rooted to the spot he stood. Tears welled in his eyes and he searched to find his voice.

“Hi Daddy.” Isabel managed to say through her tears.

He opened his arms and Isabel went running to him.

He stroked her hair like he had when she was a little girl and pulled her close as she sobbed.

“I can’t believe you’re here.”

Max continued to revive his Mom.

“Mom.” He whispered as she began to come to.

When her eyes came into focus on him again her hand went to her mouth.

“It’s you. It’s really you.”

Tears streamed down her face as she grabbed her son and held him tightly. Her babies were home. It was what she had prayed for.

Isabel heard her mother’s voice and stopped crying.

“Mommy.” She said as if she was again a small child.

Diane looked up and held her other arm out to her daughter. Isabel ran to her.

Diane pulled them both towards her.

“I’ve missed you so much. Through all of this I just wanted my Mom.” She said through her sobs.

Philip came over and embraced Max that left Isabel and her mother sobbing in each others arms. They cried and stared and hugged like that for almost 10 minutes before anyone truly said anything.

“Who wants breakfast?” Diane asked slipping quickly back into mothering mode.

“I do.” Isabel said eagerly.

Only one thing had kept her going all those days that she had spent on Antar and that was the hope that she could return to her normal life. Her Mom making breakfast was normal.

Max hesitated a bit but Diane coaxed him along.

“I’ll make your favorite Pancakes, blueberry chocolate chip.”

That offer was just to good to refuse.

“I’m in.” He said with a smile.

Philip and Max set the table while Isabel and Diane made the pancakes. It had been a Saturday morning ritual for many years and the four of them fell happily back into their old routine.

When the breakfast was ready they sat down to eat and an eerie silence filled the kitchen.

“We never thought we would see you again.” Diane said finding the courage to speak.

Isabel met her mother’s eyes sadly.

“We’re sorry Mom. We never meant to hurt you.” Max said.

“When we found out what you had been through. We couldn’t believe it. I wish you could have told us.” She continued.

Max and Isabel looked at each other and then back at their Mother.

“I just wish you could have trusted us.” She added quietly.

“Diane.” Philip said leaning over to touch his wife’s hand.

Isabel was crying and Max mimicked his father’s action with her.

“It wasn’t that we didn’t trust you. Isabel always wanted to tell you, she knew that you would understand.”

“What about you Max didn’t you think we would understand?”

“It wasn’t that I didn’t trust you it was that I was scared.”

“We love you Max, you are our children no matter where you are from.” Philip spoke up.

“It was so dangerous all the time if you knew you would be in danger as well. I couldn’t let that happen.”

“We are your parents we are supposed to protect you. You went through so much and poor Michael. Had we known he was there we never would have left him alone. When I think about it…” She trailed off shaking her head.

“If I had to do it all over again I would tell you but that is all in the past. I can’t change that but I am here now.”

Diane got up and hugged her son.

“How are Michael Tess and the baby?” She asked when she pulled away.

“I guess he’s not really a baby anymore is he.” She said realizing her mistake.

When ever she had pictured her grandson she always pictured him as an infant but five long years had passed,

He smiled at his mother.

“They are all fine.”

“When Liz finally told us we were a little surprised. We hadn’t known that you even had a relationship with Tess.”

Max couldn’t look his mother in the eye.

Isabel jumped in for her brother.

“A lot was going on back then. Even we didn’t know what was going on half the time.”

“It’s all water under the bridge now.” Philip said

“You’re home safe.” Diane added.

Isabel got an idea.

“”Mom maybe we could go shopping today. I’ve only been back a few days and there are so many things that I need and today is the second biggest shopping day of the year.”

Diane smiled.

“I would love to but I have to go by Maria’s to drop off M…” She began to say when Philip interrupted her.

“More contracts.” He stated.

Three heads shot up to look at him in confusion.

“I’m Maria’s attorney. I don’t know if you know this but she’s a song writer. She was young when she started and asked me for help.”

Diane realized what her husband was doing. They didn’t know about Mikayla and she was just going to blurt it out. What was she thinking?

“She’s quite talented and her songs have even gone to number one.”

Both Isabel and Max knew something was up. While the story was feasible and probably even true there was more to it.

That is when Max spotted a drawing on the refrigerator. It was a crayon drawing of a Christmas tree and at the top it said in adult handwriting: Dear Nana and Poppie Merry Christmas Mikayla.

“You’re not going there to see her about contracts. It’s about Mikayla.” Max said matter-of-factly.

Both Philip and Diane looked at him with surprise.

“You know about Mikayla?”

“We found out about her last night.” Isabel answered.

“Does Michael know?”

“Yes. We all found out yesterday.”

“How is he?” Diane asked her concern for Michael evident in her voice.

”As far as we could tell he was fine but when we arrived it wasn’t exactly a happy homecoming.”

“What happened?” Philip asked.

Isabel sighed.

“We didn’t know about Mikayla. We just thought Michael was with Maria. So we went there and everyone one was there.”

Isabel paused and looked at her parents.

“Let’s just say that not everyone was as happy to see us as you two. Max and Kyle got into an argument and then Michael and Alex tried to break it up. That’s when we met Mikayla.”

Now that she knew about Mikayla’s gift Isabel felt terrible for being so selfish the night before and making things even more difficult.

“She had been sleeping and came downstairs. We were all shocked and then she started crying. We didn’t know what was wrong.”

Diane’s hand shot to her mouth.

“Oh my God she was feeling all of your emotions. They must have over powered her. Is she ok?”

Tears sprang to Isabel’s eyes.

“I think so. We left right away and we haven’t heard from Michael. I… we had no idea that she could feel our emotions. I swear I never would have done anything to hurt her if I had known.”

“I know Isabel. I’m not blaming you. It has taken a long time for those of us who have been around Mikayla since birth to understand her gift. You had no way of knowing.”

“Still I hurt her even if I didn’t know it. She’ll always remember that the first time we met that happened.”

Diane smiled at her daughter.

“You don’t know Mikayla, she is a wonderful child and her heart is so full of love. I know she will love you.”

“I hope so.”

“Why don’t you come with your father and me to see her? We are going to drop off some Christmas presents.”

“I don’t know if that is such a good idea.” Max chimed in.

“Max is right Maria wasn’t that happy to see us.” Isabel added.

Diane waved her hand in front of her face.

“Nonsense, I’ve gotten to know Maria really well over the last five years and trust me she will be fine.”

Isabel hesitated. She weighed her options: meet the niece she never knew she had and a possible confrontation with Maria or stay home alone. The desire to meet Mikayla won out.

“Ok, I’ll go.” She said with a smile.

“Iz, are you sure about this?” Max asked.

“It will be fine Max. You should come along too.” Diane insisted.

Max didn’t want to risk possibly running into Liz and her boyfriend again so he declined.

“No, one uninvited guest is more than enough. Besides, I have a lot of things I have to get done. I want to go check out the hospital about my Job.”

“Job? Will you be working at the hospital?” Philip asked intrigued.

“I received medical training on Antar and our connections on earth have transferred that to a residence position at the hospital.”

“Oh my God Max that’s wonderful.” Diane said and wrapped her arms around her son.

“It’s what I have always wanted to do, help heal people.”

Philip sat quietly. Everything that he wanted in life was finally going to happen. His children were home and if Max’s job was any indication they were staying.

A lump formed in his throat.

“That’s great Max, really great.”

Max could feel the pride and happiness from his Father and it warmed him inside. All he had ever wanted was to make his parents proud and to love Liz Parker. He had made his parents proud and he swore in that moment that he would one day again love Liz Parker.
He would have his dream. They all would.

“Thanks Dad.”

They sat around talking for another few hours and then Max noticed the time.

“I really need to get going.”

He got up and hugged his Mother and Father.

“We are so glad your home.” His Father said patting his back as they hugged.

His Mother hugged him again as she spoke.

“Promise me all of you will come over to dinner this week.”

“I promise.”

“I’ll see you at home Isabel. Good Luck with Maria.”

They walked him to the door and watched him get in. Then Isabel and her Mom went inside and did what all Mom’s and Daughters do after being a part for so long, they talked and Isabel knew that she was home.

[roswck]

Part 16

Maria set a cup of coffee and a bottle of Tabasco sauce down on the table in front of Michael.

They had spent the entire morning and half of the afternoon at the park with Mikayla. It had been a wonderful day and Mikayla had conked out the minute that they had gotten home.

Maria watched as Michael dumped 6 spoonfuls of sugar in his coffee and then doused it with Tabasco sauce.

She scrunched up her nose.

“I still can’t believe you do that.”

“It’s an acquired taste.” He said and then sipped his coffee.

“Even when I was pregnant and eating Tabasco covered Ice cream I couldn’t believe it.”

“I would have liked to have seen that.” He said sadly.

Maria got up and began to tidy up the kitchen.

“You didn’t miss much, just me being the size of a whale.”

“I’m sure you were beautiful.”

She snickered.

“Yeah about as beautiful as shamoo”

“Shamoo?” Michael asked confused.

“That huge whale they had at the aquarium.”

He laughed.

“No really I’ll show you pictures sometime.”

Maria opened the refrigerator and put the milk inside. When she closed it she noticed the calendar on the front.

“Oh shit, I almost forgot.” She mumbled.

Michael heard her and walked over to the island in the center of the kitchen.

“What’s wrong?” He asked.

“The Evans are coming over this afternoon.”

“The Evans? Why would they be coming over?”

“To give Mikayla her Christmas presents.”

Maria saw the confused look on Michael’s face and proceeded to explain.

“After you all left Diane and Philip were devastated. We just couldn’t take seeing them like that. They thought that their children were dead. It wasn’t fair to them. We were pretty sure that you all were not coming back so we told them the truth.”

Maria picked up her coffee off the table and walked back to the center island.

“They took it really well considering they were finding out that their children were on another planet and weren’t coming back. They felt terrible that they had left you out in the desert that day. Diane and I have had so many conversations about that day and she always cries because of that.”

“She cries because of me?”

Michael asked surprised.

“She wishes that you could have been a part of their family. She blames herself for not knowing that you were there.”

“That is ridiculous. She had no way of knowing that I was there.”

“Rationally she knows that but her heart won’t let her forget.”

Maria took another sip of her coffee and then continued.

“When I found out I was pregnant she swore that she and Philip would be Grandparents to our child and they have been. Both of them have been so wonderful. Diane even delivered the baby.”

“She delivered the baby?” Michael said shocked.

“We were afraid to go to a hospital because we had no idea what would happen so she agreed to do it. She studied Midwifery and I don’t know what we would have done if she wasn’t there.”

“Wow.” Was all Michael could think to say.

“They are great people. My mom had just had Luke so she was pretty busy and Diane really helped me out. She even came to Los Angles with me when I signed my writing contract.”

“I’m glad that you had them then.”

“They are her grandparents and she loves them.”

The bell rang before either of them had a chance to say another thing.

“That must be them.” She said getting up.

“You need to go upstairs. They don’t know that your back and I don’t want them to find out like this.”

Michael nodded and took the back staircase in the kitchen upstairs.

Maria placed the coffee cups in the dishwasher and wiped her hands on a dish towel before heading toward the door.

As she approached the door she took a deep breath. She was going to hate not being able to tell them that their children were back. She cursed Max for his stupid no contact pact again all it would do was hurt the people she loved.

She opened the door and found a smiling Diane and Philip waiting patiently.

“Merry Christmas!” They said as they held the packages up.

Maria took the packages and gave them each a kiss hello.

When they were in the door Diane took Maria’s hand.

“We had some visitors today.” She said with a big smile.

Maria perked up a bit. Had Max and Isabel done something right for once?

“You did?” Maria asked hesitantly.

“Yes and I know that you know who we are talking about.” She said her smile getting wider.

Maria let out a sigh of relief.

“Thank God. I didn’t think I would be able to keep this from you.”

Diane embraced her. “I know honey.”

“I hope that you don’t mind but we brought Isabel with us. She is in the car. She didn’t want to just show up again.”

“I guess she told you about last night.”

“She feels terrible.” Philip added.

“She really would like to meet Mikayla but only if it was okay with you.”

She thought about it for a moment. It could be worse. They could have brought Max with them. If she really thought about it Isabel was just as much a victim of the entire situation as the rest of them. She had never wanted to leave but felt that she had to go with her brother. Her resentment toward Isabel was really only because she had been watching the effect that her leaving had on Alex and that wasn’t fair. Maybe her daughters first pod squad encounter should be with Isabel.

“Ok, you can go get her but please tell her to try and not get to emotional. I don’t want Mikayla to get overwhelmed again.”

Diane clasped her hands together.

“Thank You Maria.” Diane she said and headed out the door.

Philip and Maria walked into the Great Room.

“Where is the little Princess?” Philip asked as he took a seat on the couch.

“She was taking a nap but I am sure that she will be up any minute.”

“How are you doing Maria? This must be an awful lot for you to handle. You never thought that you would see Michael again and now he is back.”

Over the past few years they had become very close with Maria and he needed to make sure that she was ok.

“I’m ok. I’m just glad that Mikayla will get a chance to know her father.”

With that statement the door opened and Diane and Isabel came in.

Maria and Philip stood up as they entered.

Isabel gave Maria a weary smile.

“Thank You Maria for allowing me to come.”

“She is your family also but please…”

Isabel held up her hand.

“Don’t worry I promise not to get overly emotional.”

“Thank you.” Maria said.

“You have a lovely home here.”

“Thanks. We like it. It has a big yard for Mikayla and a pool. She loves that. It was the peacefulness of it that really sold me on it though. It helps me write.”

Isabel nodded and an awkward silence befell them. A few moments later that silence was broken by the sound of Mikayla running down the steps. She was wearing a white shirt with a ruffled denim skirt and her sandy brown hair was in a lopsided ponytail.

“Nana! Pop-Pop.” She said as she shot down the stars and threw her arms around Diane and then Philip.

Maria chuckled when she saw her daughter.

“Mikayla, what happened to your hair?”

“Daddy gave me a ponytail.” She said excitedly.

“I see.” She said trying not to burst into hysterics.

Mikayla raised an eyebrow at her Mother.”

“Don’t you like it?”

“Oh, I love it.” Maria said quickly again trying not to laugh.

“It’s beautiful.” Diane added.

“Speaking of your dad…” Maria said and walked over to the steps.

“Hey spaceboy, your secrets out.”

A few moments later Michael walked down the steps.

“You can scratch hairstylist off your list of future job occupations.” She whispered to him as he came down past her.

He smirked at her and headed into the Great room.

“Hello Mr. and Mrs. Evans.” He said and then shot Isabel a confused glance.

Diane walked over to him and threw her arms around him, something he was not expecting. His body stiffened but quickly relaxed as he awkwardly returned the embrace.

“We are so glad that you are back safe. I’m so sorry that we left you there that day in the desert. If I had known I would never…” She said as she began to cry.

“It’s ok Mrs. Evans, It wasn’t your fault.”

Philip walked over to his wife and placed his hand on her shoulder.

“It’s good to see you.” He said and shook Michael’s hand.

“Thanks Mr. Evans. It’s good to be back.”

Michael was a bit uncomfortable. His relationship with the Evans had improved a lot before they were forced to go back to Antar but he was still not used to all the sentimentality.

“Please call us Philip and Diane.”

Michael nodded and then turned his attention to Isabel.

“Iz, What are you doing here?”

“Max and I went to see Mom and Dad and they thought it would be ok if I came along.”

Isabel tried to gauge his reaction. She had been so worried about Maria’s reaction that she hadn’t even thought about how Michael would react.

When she saw that he was not going to blow his top she inwardly relaxed.

Michael turned to his daughter and smiled.

“You remember you wanted to meet my family?”

She nodded enthusiastically.

“Well this is your Aunt Isabel.”

Mikayla grabbed a hold of her fathers hand and studied Isabel.

“Hi Mikayla, I’m so happy to meet you.”

Determining that she was ok Mikayla gave Isabel a small smile.

“I’ve seen pictures of you.” She said.

“You have?” Isabel said surprised.

Maria quickly placed her hand on her daughters shoulder and bent down to her level.

“Mikayla, remember what I said about peoples privacy.” She whispered in her ear. The last thing she wanted was for Mikayla to announce to Isabel that Alex still had pictures of her.

Mikayla smiled at her mother.

“The ones in your album mommy. The one where you and Aunt Liz are wearing the pretty dresses and Uncle Alex and Uncle Kyle look like the penguins.”

Maria smiled; her daughter was smart that was for sure.

Isabel smiled as she remembered the Prom and how the guys had complained that they should be able to wear jeans instead of Penguin suits. Apparently from Mikayla’s comment she had heard that too.

“You are very pretty.” Mikayla added.

“Thank You.” Isabel said as she smiled at her niece.

“Do you like Barbies?”

Maria laughed.

“I love barbies. When I was little I had all of the clothes and shoes and accessories.” Isabel said remembering back to her childhood.

Mikayla squealed and grabbed Isabel’s hand.

“I just got the Barbie dream house lets play.”

Isabel looked at Maria to make sure that it was ok.

You two have fun we will be in the kitchen starting dinner.

Isabel gave her a smile of thanks and was out the door to the playroom in a blink of an eye.

*********************(**********************************************

”Dinner was great Maria.” Isabel said as she placed her napkin on her plate.

“It was nothing. You learn to make quick meals with a child.”

“Can I get anyone more coffee?” She offered.

“No, I’m afraid we have to be going. I have work in the morning.” Philip stated.

“And we still have to take Isabel home.” Diane added.

“I can do that. I have to head over there anyway.”

“No!” Mikayla cried and ran to her father’s side.

“Don’t go!”

Michael wrapped his arms around her.

“Hey, it’s ok. I’m only going to get some things and then I am coming right back.”

“You promise.” She said sadly.

“I promise. I am never leaving you again.”

She hugged him again and then looked at Isabel.

“He can drive you home but he is coming right back because he’s my daddy. Ok?”

“I’ll make sure he gets back here really quickly.” She said with a smile.

Satisfied with her answer she hugged her grandparents and returned to her cake.

The adults exchanged goodbyes and Isabel offered to help clean up.

They were taking the plates off the table when they heard barking coming from the front foyer. Within moments a golden retriever came barreling into the room,”

“Lady!” Mikayla exclaimed.

Isabel watched as the dog licked Mikayla’s face and she laughed hysterically.

“Maria, I didn’t know you had a dog.” She said laughing at the site before her.

“I don’t she belongs to…”

“Alex.” Isabel finished for her.

[roswck]

I know that I promised Max and Liz in this next part but It will be in the next part instead. I didn'y have time to write it and I wanted to get this part out. I'm writing it over the weekend so hopefully it will be ready by the end of the week.

Part 17

Isabel looked up to find Alex standing in the doorway. He hadn’t noticed her yet because he was trying to get the dog to stop jumping all over Mikayla. She of course was being no help, encouraging the dog to lick her face.

For the first time she really got a chance to look at Alex. Gone was the skinny lanky boy who could do tricks with his arms. He had filled out in all of the right places. He was wearing a gray sweater that hugged him in all the right places showing off his now broad chest and muscular arms. She had always been attracted to Alex but she had to admit he had become even more of a hottie.

She was startled from her thoughts by a fifty pound dog jumping on her, licking her face and almost sending her flying backward. She braced herself on the counter.

“Oh!” She exclaimed and began petting the dogs head.

“Isabel.” Alex said shocked.

He hadn’t expected to see her here not after what had happened the night before.

“Lady here!” He yelled and grabbed the dog’s leash. He yanked it hard and pulled the dog off of her.

“Lady sit.”

The dog obliged and came to rest at Alex’s feet.

“I’m really sorry Isabel. She gets super excited when she comes over here.”

“I wonder why?” He said eyeing Mikayla with a wry grin.

Mikayla giggled and began petting the dogs head.

”That’s ok Alex. She’s a beautiful dog.”

“Uncle Alex can I take her in the yard? Please!” Mikayla pleaded.

“As long as you promise me you won’t get her too excited.”

“I pwomise.” She said.

“Ok then.” He said handing her the leash.

She took it excitedly and headed for the yard.

“Mikayla, you need a coat.” Maria said as she grabbed her daughter’s denim jacket and followed her to the yard.

Alex and Isabel were now alone. Both of them were looking anywhere but at each other.

“I really am sorry that she jumped on you like that.”

Isabel began to wipe down the counter.

“Really Alex it is fine.”

“I didn’t expect that you would be here…” He said stating the obvious.

‘God she was still so beautiful.’ He thought as he watched her.

“Not after last night.” She finished for him.

She looked up at him and he smirked showing her that she had hit the nail on the head.

“Last night was a bit of a shock for everyone. I shouldn’t have insisted that we stay but all I knew was that Michael had a daughter and I wanted to know the rest. I wanted to know her.”

“That’s understandable. I’m sure if one of us had a child with one of you that we didn’t know about we might react the same way.”

Isabel quickly averted her gaze at his comment and focused on scrubbing a spot on the counter.

Alex noticed her odd reaction and was about to say something when she began to babble on.

“I came with my parents and Maria was nice enough to give me another chance and I got to spend the day with Mikayla. She really is a special little girl.”

Alex nodded and placed his hand on hers.

“I’ve missed you.”

She looked up and smiled at him.

“Me too.”

“So why did you guys come back?”

Isabel moved her hand from under his and pulled the hair back from her face. She couldn’t tell him why they had come back not yet.

Alex watched her closely, she was hiding something. One thing that he had learned by working with the government was how to read people and she was definitely holding back.

“Isabel?”

She was getting nervous, she didn’t want to lie to him but what could she say?

Before she had a chance to think of something to say or cave and tell him the truth Maria entered the room followed by someone she didn’t recognize.

He was tall with dark brown hair and hazel eyes and was dressed in a dark suit. He smiled at Isabel and nodded toward her.

“Evening miss. I’m Agent William Brady from the FBI.”

Isabel’s entire body stiffened and she felt the blood rush to her face.

“I’ve come for Mr. Whitiman here but now that I’m here I see what’s taking him so long.”

Isabel swallowed the bile that had risen up in her throat.

‘I’m caught. Oh my God they are going to take me to the White Room. What the hell is going on? Why are Maria and Alex so calm and where the hell is Michael?’

She thought as she put her best Ice Princess image up.

“I know you probably don’t want to leave this beautiful lady but we have a plane to catch.” He said the smile never leaving his lips.

Alex could see how tense Isabel was and knew he had to get her alone.

“Give me a few more minutes Bill. I promise we won’t miss the flight.”

“Ok but if you’re not out there in 5 I’m going to have to drag you out, beautiful woman or no beautiful woman.”

The agent gave her another big smile and then headed toward the front door.

Isabel let out a breath she had been holding.

Maria looked between the two of them and sighed. “I’ll let the two of you have a moment. Alex don’t worry Lady is fine with us and have a safe trip.”

She walked over and gave him a kiss on the check and then left the room.

“Who was that?” Isabel demanded.

“Someone I work with.”

“You work for the FBI?” She said astonished.

“So what we left and you hated us so much that you decided you should join them? I can’t believe this.”

“That’s not fair Isabel.” Alex tried to interject.

“Not Fair? Not Fair? No, not fair is what they did to my brother. They tortured him for fun. God, do you know what they did to him? What they wanted to do to all of us? “

“Yes Isabel I was there.” He said getting angry at the tone and attitude that she was giving him.

“I work with the FBI, not for the FBI.”

“I don’t see any difference. You betrayed us, you betrayed me. How could you.”

Alex felt the words stab him like a knife in the gut. She had no idea what she was saying what he had done for them and her. He was hurt and angry. How could she ever believe that he would betray them, her?

Alex rubbed his face with his hands and then looked at his watch.

“I don’t have time for this now. I’m sorry this is the way you feel. You’re wrong but I don’t have time to convince you right now. Five years have passed and my life doesn’t revolve around you.”

With that statement he turned and left the room. He knew it was harsh but she hadn’t cared to listen to him or seemed concerned about his feelings. He wouldn’t let time rewind. He wasn’t a love sick teenager anymore and if Isabel wanted to speak to him she would speak to him as an adult and on his terms.

Isabel gasped as Alex left the room. She felt tears burn the rims of her eyes as they threatened to fall at any moment.

She picked up the silverware and began organizing it in size order. Her defense mechanisms were kicking in full force. If she thought about separating the teaspoons from the tablespoons she didn’t have to think about what had transpired between her and Alex only a few seconds ago.

Her safe organizational bubble was popped no more than 2 minutes later with the sound of Maria’s voice.

Maria heard the whole scene from the other room. Oh who was she kidding she was eavesdropping. It was her house after all. Maria decided that it was time to give Isabel a little history lesson about the last four years.

“You will never learn will you?”

Isabel looked up from her utensils to find Maria shaking her head.

“I don’t want to fight with you Maria.” She said as she picked up the utensils and began placing them in a drawer.

“Oh, no Princess I’m not going to let you off that easy. You can’t come in here and stomp all over Alex and think you aren’t going to hear it from me.”

“Alex is a big boy Maria. I don’t think that FBI agents need their best friends defending them”

“Alex isn’t an FBI agent.”

Isabel waved her hands in the air.

“Works for the FBI or FBI agent it’s all the same thing. How could you have let him do that? You know what kind of people they are.”

“I know what kind of people were in the special unit. Not all of the agents are like that. In fact many of the people that we have come in contact with would have been disgusted by what they did.”

“They have you brainwashed. I can’t believe this. It’s like you don’t remember.”

“No that’s where you are wrong Isabel. We do remember. While you were all off being royalty on your home world, we were the ones left here to pick up the pieces.”

“So you joined the enemy against us. IS that what this is? Did you hate us that much?”

“God Isabel it always comes back to you. Did you ever consider what it must have been like for us? I was alone and pregnant with the first hybrid human alien child and the others lives were shattered. We all handled it differently. I focused on writing, Liz on her studies, Kyle on baseball and Alex on computers.”

“I’m sure it was difficult Maria. I didn’t say it wasn’t.”

Maria ignored her comment and focused on getting her point across.

“Alex spent so much time on his computer that the people at his college called him the next Bill Gates and they were right.”

“What are you talking about Maria? Alex works for the government.”

“No, Alex works for himself. The government employs him. Alex created an impenetrable firewall. It is the best security for computer users. People and companies offered him billions of dollars for that program.”

“So you’re telling me that Alex is a Billionaire?”

Maria shook her head.

“No, I said that he could have been a billionaire.”

Isabel shook her head in confusion.

“You know why he’s not a billionaire Isabel? Because of you.”

Isabel rolled her eyes.

“How exactly am I responsible for Alex not being a Billionaire? I wasn’t even on the planet.”

Maria laughed.

“No you weren’t but that didn’t mean that you weren’t on Alex’s mind. He had so many offers he could have taken. Companies threw cars, money and women at him but only one offer intrigued him, the U.S government. Do you know why?”

Isabel’s eyes locked with Maria’s and she shook her head.

“Because it gave him access to the government’s entire computer system. He had access to everything from Roswell 1947 to the Kennedy assassination. Secret files from the secret unit that no one knew existed, escape for a select few. They were all about the pod squad and the I know an alien club.”

Isabel gulped in anticipation of what she was going to say next.

“There is no trace of you, Max, Tess or Michael in any of the government’s files. They are gone because of Alex. As far as the government is concerned you are the daughter of Philip and Diane Evans and that’s pretty much it.”

“We were gone why would he do that?”

“He did it partly for Mikayla, so that she would never have to live in fear, but there was another reason.”

Again tears burned Isabel’s eyes.

“He did it for you. So that if you ever found your way back home you could have what you always wanted.”

“Normal.” She said in barely a whisper.

Maria nodded her head. She could see that she had made her point. She didn’t want to hurt Isabel; she just wanted to make her see that everything that Alex had done had always on some level been for her.

Tears were flowing freely down her face.

“You see know then?” She asked as she watched the Ice Princesses walls fall.

Isabel nodded. Maria walked over to a draw and pulled out a piece of paper. She jotted down a number and an address.

”This is Alex’s cell and address. I’m hoping that you’ll use them wisely.”

Isabel took the paper from Maria and held it as if it were gold.”

“I will.”

[roswck]

Thanks for all the great feedback. So here is the first Max and Liz interaction. I promise at some point it will get better but for right now Liz is a women scorned and you know what they say about a women scorned...

Part 18

Liz looked at her last chart and made her final notations. She placed the chart in its proper place so the next resident would easily be able to continue the patients care. She marked the patient off on the board and headed to the residents lounge to collect her things.

She was so glad that her shift was over. She had come in at 5 Am and it was now 5pm. She was exhausted. It didn’t help that she had gotten little sleep.

She had gone home to her empty apartment hoping that Ryan would surprise her and come by but no such luck. He had spent the night with his patient making sure everything was as it should be. It was part of why she loved him, his thoughtfulness to his patients.

Instead of lying in his arms thinking about their future she was stuck alone the memories of the past fully haunting her. Damn, Max Evans for coming back and dredging this all up again. She was so sure that she had put this in the past until she had seen his amber eyes and it had all come flooding back to her. She had spent the rest of the night trying to get him out of her head. It had been an impossible effort. Even know as she gathered her things and readied herself to head home and have a date with Ryan she was still thinking about the situation.

Max had actually had the nerve to look hurt when he saw her with Ryan and she had actually felt guilty for a moment. At least the 16 year old Liz buried inside of her had felt guilty. The grown up Liz squashed that girl’s guilt right down because there was no reason for guilt.

Max had made his choice. He had no right to be hurt.

Did he expect that she would stay behind and pine for him? Did he hope that he would be the only one to ever hold her heart? Sure in his neat and tidy world he could have Tess, his son and her but not in the real world.

She had thought about it and concluded that it must be a royal thing, thinking you can have whatever you want. After all isn’t that what England’s Henry the VIII did. Annulling his marriages, divorcing wives, beheading them all so he could have what he wanted and who he wanted. Well she was no Catherine of Aragon or Anne Boleyn and this was not a royal world. In this world she had moved on because in her mind happiness was the best revenge.

And she was happy. She might not see stars when she kissed Ryan but she felt warm and safe and isn’t that what love feels like, real grown up love?

She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t even see Dr. Baker her boss before she bumped into him.

“Dr. Baker, I am so sorry.” She said as she bent down to help him pick up the papers that he had dropped.

“That’s alright Dr. Parker. You have had a long shift.” He said with a genuine smile.

Liz had lucked out by getting Dr. Baker as her boss. He was genuinely kind and cared about his residents.

“I know you have been here a long time today but do you think you could stop by my office for a few moments.”

Liz really just wanted to get home but she knew that she had no choice.

“Sure, that’s not a problem.” She said with a smile.

“I’ll be there in a few moments I just need to drop these papers off at Dr. Sanders office.”

Liz turned around and headed toward Dr. Baker’s office. As she got close she felt a presence that she had once welcomed and knew it meant only one thing. He was here.

Her suspicions were confirmed as she got closer to the office and saw a dark haired figure standing outside the office.

She didn’t even need to make visual contact with his face, she knew it was Max.

She strode confidently up to him and stared him straight in the face.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” She ground out trying to control her anger.

“Hello to you too Liz.” He said no emotion in his voice or on his face.

“Don’t hello me. I asked you a question. This is my job Max. You can’t just show up here. This isn’t the crashdown and I’m not in High School.”

He looked up at her and caught the fire in her eyes. She was as beautiful as ever. He wanted to just reach out and grab her and bring his lips to hers but he couldn’t do that. She wasn’t his any longer

“I never implied it was, you just assumed it was. You know what they say about people who assume Liz.”

“I can see that spending 5 years on another planet hasn’t done much for your sense of humor.”

Max cracked a smile this time.

“Huh, I thought it was funny.”

This statement only proved to infuriate Liz more.

“If you’re not here to see me then what the hell are you here for?” She said doubting he was telling the truth.

Before he could respond Dr. Baker turned the corner and approached his office.

“Oh, good Dr. Parker I see that you have met our newest resident.” He said patting Max on the back.

Another smile formed on Max’s lips.

Liz just stared at the doctor and then at Max in stunned silence.

“Oh, Liz and I go way back Dr. Baker. We went to High School together.”

By the time Max was finished speaking Liz had regained her composure.

“Yes, we were lab partners all thru High School. It’s funny Max after graduation it was as if you left the planet. I had no idea you went to medical school.” Liz aid pointedly.

Max laughed and came right back at her.

“Oh nothing so drastic, just California, though some might call Los Angles another planet. I learned a lot about medicine on that other planet.” He shrugged.

“That’s some science department that they must have there at West Roswell. They have produced two of the top doctors in this residency program and at such early ages. It is remarkable.”

“Well Dr. Baker I think that it’s more genetic. You have to have the potential in your genes to be able to succeed in any environment. Don’t you agree Liz?”

Was he implying that she was able to succeed only because he had changed her? While she wouldn’t deny that it had helped her success, it had nothing to do with him.

“I think it’s more about hard work, Dr. Evans. The classic nature versus Nurture debate I guess.”

“Well I’m glad to see that the two of you already know each other and have worked together before. The two of you will be doing so again.”

“Great.” Liz said a fake smile plastered one her face.

Liz couldn’t believe this. How had he managed to pull this one off? Why couldn’t he just leave her alone?

She just didn’t know if she could handle this. She grabbed her necklace and played with it between her fingers. She needed to get out of here and get to Ryan.

“Is that all that you wanted me for Doctor? I have plans with Dr. Carmichael.” She asked.

‘Ouch that hurt.’ Max thought to himself as the words hit him.

“Yes, tell Ryan I send my regards.’

”I will.” She said with a smile.

She turned her head toward Max.

“Dr. Evans.” She said with a curt nod.

Max watched as she walked away, away from him and towards another man. He didn’t know if he had it in him to get through this but he knew he had too.

He turned back to Dr. Baker.

“When is my first shift?”

“Tomorrow.”

“Thank You, I’ll see you then.”

He shook his hand and headed home.

[roswck]

Hey guys thanks for all the feedback. Before you read this next part I want you all to remember that I am a dreamer. That said this next part talks about the movie and book the notebook. It doesn't give the plot away but the thing you need to know is Noah and Allie were soul mates who were separated at 17. Lon is a man Allie was engaged to marry. OK here it is ducking out before you all throw stones...

Part 19

Liz opened the door to her condo and threw her keys down on the table located in her foyer. She had purchased her home only a year ago. The new hospital and several new businesses had lead to a small building boom in and around Roswell. As soon as she had seen the advertisement for the new condos she had dragged Kyle with her to look at the models.

It was a gated community and within it were located several different condo units. She had purchased the second largest model which consisted of 3 bedrooms two and a half baths, a small yard and a deck. She had fallen in love with it instantly and had painstakingly decorated it when she moved in. Kyle too had fallen in love with the complex and had bought the largest model only two units down from hers. It comforted her that one of her closest friends was so close by, even if he was only there during the late fall and winter.

She placed her coat in the closet and then threw herself dramatically on the couch. She was seething. How had Max managed to secure himself a job at the hospital, her hospital? Why couldn’t he just leave her alone? She had a good life. She was finally happy. Why did he have to try and destroy that?

She rubbed her face with her hands. She was exhausted but was still looking forward to seeing Ryan. She needed him.

Reluctantly she pushed herself up off the couch her tired limbs aching in protest. A hot bath was exactly what she needed. She was about to head over to the bathroom when there was a knock at the door. Slowly she walked over to the door. Her arms and legs again protested with aches and pains.

She opened the door to find Kyle standing on her doorstep.

“You look like shit.” He said.

“Thank You Kyle. Hello to you too.”

She held the door open for him and he strolled in.

“I’m sorry Liz but you look awful. I hope that this isn’t because our little green friends are back.”

“Huh, you have no idea.”

Kyle rubbed his chin with the palm of his hand.

“What happened?” He said the concern clearly evident in his voice.

“Guess who the newest resident at the hospital is? No one other then Maxwell Evans.”

“How the hell did that happen? The man has been on another planet for the last five years. How could he become a doctor?”

“It beats me but he is and guess whose shift he will be on?”

She didn’t wait for him to answer.

“You guessed it, mine.” She said sarcastically.

“Liz, I’m so sorry. Why can’t they just leave us alone? I mean haven’t they done enough?”

Liz sighed. She knew exactly how he felt. She just wanted to be left alone and not reminded of her past all the time and now it would be facing her every single day.

“Yeah it sucks but this is what I have to deal with, so I deal.”

She looked at Kyle and gave him a weak smile. As she did this she got a good look at him. He didn’t look so great himself.

“What’s going on with you?” She asked.

Kyle gave her a small smile. She always knew when something was bothering him.

“I can’t get this kid outta of my head.”

Liz looked at him with confusion.

“What kid?”

“This morning I went running and ended up in the park. There was this little boy on a bike. He must have been a little older than Mikayla. He fell and I helped him.”

Kyle stared into space as he told her of his meeting with the little boy.

“That was nice of you.”

Liz bit her lip this was really bothering him and she was worried.

He nodded and continued.

“When he looked up at me it was as if I knew him. I mean I know that’s stupid but that is how I felt. His eyes they were so blue. I can still see them. For a second I thought he was Tess’s son.”

Liz was holding her breath now, poor Kyle. The aliens showing back up had really thrown them all for a loop.

“How do you know he wasn’t him?” She asked in a hushed tone.

Kyle shook himself from his daze and cursed himself for even mentioning Tess in Liz’s presence.

She has enough to worry about with that asshole showing up at her job she didn’t need to be saddled with his crap.

“Nah, I saw this kid’s mother. She was cute too.”

Liz rolled her eyes.

“If I know anything about them, I know that they would never let the little heir out without one of them.”

“I guess you’re right.”

“It’s just the fact that they are back that is making my mind go crazy.”

“I’m sorry Kyle but think of it this way you only have 2 months till spring training and then you can forget about them for a while.

Kyle smiled and nodded even though he knew even Spring training wasn’t going to make this better.

“Hey, you want to grab some Ice Cream over at the Baskin Robbins? I’ll even let you get plain vanilla.”

Liz smiled. She loved Baskin Robbins.

“As much as I loved to do that I have Ryan coming over tonight. We are going to watch the Notebook.

“You have got to be kidding me. He must really love you if he is going to sit through that chick flick.”

“Yeah I guess he does.” She said with a big smile that pushed thoughts of Max to the back of her mind.

“Well as I have no woman to drown my sorrows with I am going to go get some Ice Cream and wallow in that.” He said good naturedly.

“Kyle I think it will be ok.”

He turned and smiled at her. He wasn’t so sure.

***********************************(************************************

Liz sat sobbing as Ryan rubbed circles on her back. The movie “The Notebook” had ended about five minutes earlier and she was having a difficult time quelling her emotions.

“I’m so sorry. I have no idea why I’m acting like such a crybaby.” She broke through her sobs.

Ryan smiled and continued rubbing small circles on her back.

“I cried when they shot Bambi’s mother.”

Her tear filled eyes looked into his and she smiled.

“You did?”

He nodded and the shrugged.

“Granted I was 5.” He said with a big grin.

She laughed and hit him playfully on the arm.

“I knew I could get you to laugh.”

She leaned over and pressed her lips against his.

“Feeling better are we?”

Her arms encircled his neck and she pressed her body against his.

“Much.”

She settled into his arms. They were like a shield protecting her from the outside world. They sat there in silence for a while just enjoying each others company when Ryan broke the silence.

“Do you believe in soul mates?” He asked her as he leaned up and looked into her eyes.

She shifted uncomfortably and averted her eyes a bit.

‘I did once.’ She thought but that is not what she said.

“What do you mean?”

“You know love like Allie and Noah in the movie. That sort of look into your eyes and see each others souls kind of love.”

Liz thought about Max and how Maria had used almost those same words about them once.

Liz was becoming a little nervous. Thoughts of Max were not supposed to be in her head when she was with Ryan.

“I don’t know that kind of stuff I think you believe in when you’re a teenager. You need to have that drama, the fireworks…Ya know but when you’re an adult you find that mature kind of love.”

“Isn’t it the same thing? Even after everything they went through they found each other again”

“She would have been happy. She found Lon, she loved him.”

“But her heart belonged to Noah.” He said seriously.

She could see he wasn’t going to let this drop.

“She would have been happy with Lon.” She said again and she didn’t know if she was trying to convince him or herself.

He lifted her chin with his finger and met her eyes.

“Someone broke you’re heart terribly Elizabeth Parker. You’ve stopped believing in love but I’m going to fix that. I’m going to show you that you can love again and you will believe in romance again.”

She smiled at him as she allowed a single tear to roll down her cheek. He brushed the tear off of her cheek with his thumb.

Ryan was good man and she could see in his eyes that he was falling in love with her.
He might never be her soul mate but she knew he could make her happy. Max might have been her Noah but Ryan would be her Lon.

She pressed her lips fully against his. Her hands ran through his hair. His hands caressed the delicate skin of her back as he placed her hands over the silk bra. Soon they were in nothing but their underwear. If she thought back to high school Maria would have called this going at it. It made her smile inside. She wouldn’t allow the past to rule her future she would embrace the here and now.

They both broke free to catch their breath.

“You are so beautiful.” He said as he allowed his eyes to roam her body.

“I can’t believe I’m going to say this but I better be going.” He croaked out.

“What?” She asked shocked.

“Elizabeth, I want nothing more than to take you right now but it wouldn’t be right.”

“Then why are you leaving?” She whispered.

He took her face in his hands.

“When we make love for the first time I want it to be just that making love.”

She smiled at him.

“You’re not in love with me yet but trust me you will be.”

He kissed her fully on the lips.

“You’re too good to me.” She said when they broke apart.

“See you’re falling for my charms already.” He teased.

She followed him to the door and watched him leave. A lot had been said that night between them. She knew that she could really care for Ryan but could he ever have her whole heart?

That night her body gave in to the need for sleep. She dreamt of Max and Ryan dueling it out for her heart. The battle was long and fierce. She was bounced back and forth between the two. S he awoke before she found out who won and she knew that the dream was truly an omen for the next few months of her life.