Codename: TABASCO (CC,M/M,TEEN) [WIP]

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Island Breeze
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Post by Island Breeze »

Thanks so much for staying with this everyone! I've been very busy lately, but I have a new chapter finally. I really appreciate you all hanging in there!
Thanks especially to FaithfulAngel24, Timelord31, xmag, tequathisy, Flamehair, Suicide Eagle Rath, nibbles2... and thanks, too, for the bump, Flamehair! :D Here's the next part.

Codename: TABASCO
(The Awesome Background And Secret Chronicles Of Michael Guerin)



Episode 108

Burning For You (Heat Wave)




December 2nd, 1999. That was the date. Definitely! I remember it like it was yesterday. There was this weird December heat wave. Okay, I admit it. I do have some pretty good reasons to remember it… that was the day Maria and I started to get, uh, close.

Maria was cleaning up downstairs in the CrashDown, and I looked in through the window at her. She was kind of dancing around and sweating from the heat, and that got me feeling the heat, too, you know what I mean? Anyway, Maria opened the door for me and I came in. We started kissing and I guess maybe the windows got a little steamed up. I think Liz was studying upstairs or something. She got thirsty from the heat and came downstairs looking for something to drink, and she hears noises, so she peeks into the restaurant and sees Maria and me on the counter…

What’s that, Zorel? I was helping your mama reach some boxes… of cereal… or something. I don’t remember. Anyway, as I was saying…

What? Yeah, what else would I be doin’ on the counter… with your mama!? Are you gonna listen to the story or sit there grinning and letting your imagination run away? They all know what I was doing… helping your mama reach… something. I don’t remember what. Anyway, it was like 90 degrees outside… in the shade, and we were… trying to reach something… whatever… up on the counter.

The next day, at school, Maria and I got together again in the janitor’s closet…

We were looking for chalk, Zorel! For Pete’s sake, go swimming or something! Yes, on earth they do keep chalk in the janitor’s closet… I think.

Where was I? Oh! There was this girl that Kyle had started dating, Vicky Delaney, and she invited Liz to this, uh… party… at the old soap factory. Kyle tried to tell Liz that she shouldn’t go, but Liz said she wanted to. Then Liz told Maria about it and Maria told me about it. In the end, even Max was there… and Isabel… and Alex! And that was kind of a miracle itself, because Alex wasn’t talking to Liz or Maria after giving his blood and all and then nobody would tell him what was going on. But as I was saying before… There was this weird heat wave, and it seemed like the whole town just got… hot… in more ways than one. Amy was even talking to Sheriff Valenti again. She showed up at school because Topolsky had wanted to talk to her, then Topolsky blew the town after she got outted and Amy was ticked off because she had taken time off to come in and then Topolsky wasn’t there. But she found Valenti there and they talked a little and he made this joke about was she stayin’ out of the slammer lately…

Oh, very amusing.

Then later, Valenti came into the CrashDown and found Amy there trying to sell Jeff Parker these alien head cocktail stirrers. And they started talkin’ again…

Sheriff! Uh…

Hi! I stopped by your shop. They told me you were here.

Oh! Nothing's wrong?

No, nothing's wrong. It's just, uh… Amy, listen, about what happened. It's just, uh… I realize it was a long time ago, and I just want to make sure that you know that… I was just doing my job.

Oh, yeah. Well, I appreciate the sentiment, Sheriff, but it did scar me for life and all, so…

You were breaking the law. You were stopping honest, hard-working people from doing their jobs.

Those honest, hard-working people were destroying a 200-year-old piece of native American architecture… raping our town of its history.

Amy, the native Americans wanted that thing torn down more than anybody.

That's not the point.

Well, it is kind of the point.

There were more than twenty of us out there that day. I was eighteen, naïve, clueless. Why did you pick on me?

‘Cause you were cute.

Cute?

You were wearing cowboy boots and a little skirt. Well, I had to arrest somebody, so…

Well, I don't know what to say. I'm outraged. I am now outraged. You are looking at an outraged woman. Sorry… it must be the heat.

I just, uh… I just wanted to apologize. It's good to see you again, Amy.


Yeah, I know, it wasn’t me and Maria, but hey! We’re talkin’ the sheriff here… Valenti. You have to take everything in perspective. For him, that was ssssizzlin’. Ow! Watch it, Jim! That almost hit me!

There was one place in Roswell, though, where there was no heat wave. In fact, more of a cold front. Alex Whitman. Alex wasn’t talking to Liz or Maria, as I said before…

Alex! Alex please wait. Will you just give me a chance?

What, Liz?

Let's just try and talk.

What do you want from me? More blood? A urine sample? How about my kidney?


Then Isabel decided to dream walk him, and she found out that he thought of her as, like, his dream girl or something, so she sweet talked him into goin’ to the rave at the soap factory with her… to try to warm him up a little.

Meanwhile, Liz saw Maria in the girl’s bathroom wearing a turtleneck sweater.

Maria, it's 105 degrees outside, and you're wearing a turtleneck! …What is going on here? You and Michael. Kyle and Vicky. Ms. Hardy and Mr. Krewlick.

And Max was on my case about being with Maria… But I wasn’t backing down this time…

I hate to tell you this, Max, but when I have urges, you're not exactly the first person I think about.

Yeah, I realize that, but the point is, we can't let things spin out of control. I mean, sure, it starts as a kiss…

It's more than that.

How much more?

I don't know, Max. It feels so wrong, but it feels so good.


I set Max up… then Liz gave him the double whammy. Because he was feelin’ hot for her, too, but he’d been trying to act cool and all. So Liz hit him with me and Maria…

Max, you know when you said before that we couldn't be together… that we were different? I just sort of accepted it, you know? Because I thought that it was, like, physically impossible… that it… that it couldn't be. But when I saw Maria with Michael… the truth is that… I was hurt, Max. Why is it okay for them, but it's not okay for us?

Yeah, see? Everybody thinks Max and Liz hit it off first, but it was me and Maria… well, except for him saving Liz’s life after she got shot. But Maria and I got into the… uh, the heat wave… before they did. I know, Maria and I had our little differences at the time. She wanted us to talk and have this visible relationship, and I wanted… a more private relationship. But we both agreed on one thing… we had the passion… in the janitor’s closet, the eraser room, empty class rooms…

Passion… that’s a… a classic novel, Zorel. We, uh, we had to read it… together… for an assignment.

So, anyway, moving along here, the rave at the soap factory ended with the sheriff bustin’ up the party and arresting some people for trespassing. These two jerks that were workin’ the sound system handed Liz and Alex each a bottle of liquor when the sheriff showed up and said here, hold this. So Liz and Alex got busted holdin’ a bottle of liquor in their hands before they knew what had happened. That got Alex pretty hot… not in the same way as the rest of us. In jail, he threatened to tell Valenti everything, and Liz knew he was dead serious this time…

…I'm done. I'm done protecting you… or her, or anyone else you're associated with. ‘Cause I'm telling Sheriff Valenti everything… verbatim… about replacing Max's blood at the hospital, discovering Topolsky was FBI… Everything!

No, look, look, Alex… look… listen to me. You had just… you should just know all of the facts before you do something like this.

Well, I thought you said it wasn't your secret to tell.

Alex, the reason that Isabel did whatever it is that she did is not that she's low, she's just… she's scared.

Scared.

Yes.

Scared of what?

She… she's scared of being different.

Oh, come on. Save it.

Alex… Max and Michael and Isabel, they’re different from us. They're different from us in a way that, if the wrong people found out, they would be in a lot of trouble.

I know the whole drugs thing is a load of crap, Liz. I mean, why would the FBI be so interested in three kids into drugs?

No, Alex, listen to me. This doesn't have anything to do with drugs. Alex… Max, Michael, and Isabel… they aren't from around here.

Where are they from? …What? Like, Wyoming? …Oh… okay, fine. Canada. They're Canucks. So what… you're saying the FBI is all over them because they're like… illegal aliens?

Yeah, sort of. Listen, Alex… they're from somewhere else.

Liz, what are you talking about?

God, there isn't any way for me to say this, but to just… but to just say this, okay? Look, Alex… they think they were in the 1947 crash. Okay, they were like in these incubation pods for a really long time… like forty years, and they came out in, like, the form of humans… and now all of these people suspect them. That's why Topolsky's here… and that's why Valenti arrested us… and that's why we're here… because he knows that I'm involved. I'm really sorry, Alex, but… you're involved, too.

Liz, are you okay?

Alex… you don't even understand. The past few months have been like absolute torture lying to you. I will never, ever, lie to you again, I promise.


Fortunately, by the time Valenti came to get Alex to interrogate him, Liz had convinced him of her sincerity… if not that we were aliens…

Whitman! Sleep all right? What say we go down to my office?

No… Right here. I'm ready to talk.

Alright. I want to know what your involvement is with Liz, Max, Michael, and Isabel. And I want to know what happened with Ms. Topolsky.

I'm ready to talk about the fact that I'm a kid. I'm sixteen years old. I'm a sophomore in high school, so what could I possibly have to do with a teacher leaving? What does any of this have to do with you, anyway?

I'm just doing my job, son.

I was at a party! And my only wish was that, while I was there, I engaged in some sort of depraved activity, like drinking or sex, but I didn't. I didn't break any laws.

Everybody who was at that party was trespassing on private property, and both of you were minors in possession of alcohol.

This has nothing to do with that party, does it? Sheriff, I want out of here… right now. I demand it, or I'm going to get a lawyer and I'm going to sue for abusive treatment of a minor. I may be sixteen, but I know my rights.


Alex did it. He got them released. Valenti knew he wasn’t going to get anything. He’d have to wait for me to tell him the whole story… if I ever did.

Alex, you were amazing.

Well, yeah… Yeah, I was, Liz.

Uh, so… um, how do you feel? You know, about what I said?

Well, part of me, uh… part of me feels like you've gone insane, and the other part of me feels like I want some of the massive doses of hallucinogens you've obviously been taking. But I don't believe in aliens.

Neither did I… You don't believe me, do you?

I believe that you believe. Leave it at that.

Okay.

Get home safe.

You, too.

See you at school.


And you know what? I was a good influence on Max! Because he went over to see Liz, and they finally got it on… the passion bit… even though the heat wave was over. Well, not the whole heat wave. Just the weather one. All those little fires that got ignited just kept growing… Maria and me… Max and Liz… Isabel and Alex… Kyle… um, well, not all of us maybe. Vicky Delaney didn’t last. But chalk one up for the aliens… and especially for the Avenger and his girl. We were the first!


<center>End of Episode 108

tbc…
</center>


Huh? Yeah, Zorel, I think Max and Liz did finally read the whole book.
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Island Breeze
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Codename: TABASCO

Post by Island Breeze »

Codename: TABASCO
(The Awesome Background And Secret Chronicles Of Michael Guerin)



Episode 109

Wild Fires (The Balance)




Alright, here’s the thing, see. Max and Liz, back then, they had this kind of love that was like a… a gas grill, you might say, with a flame control knob and everything. They were trying to keep it on low simmer and pretend like they could keep it that way. Once they experimented with the heat levels, though, they kind of turned it up on high and left it there. But the point is, in the beginning, they were trying to control their feelings for each other all the time. Me and Maria… we were like a wild fire. We didn’t have any control. Uh… knob… knob, I mean… You know what I mean. We just burned bright and hard. But you see, what happens with wild fires is then someone comes along and dumps a lot of cold water on them. That’s kind of what happened to us. The sad thing is… looking back now with 20/20 hindsight and all that, you know, I guess I’m the one that threw the water on it. But I wasn’t trying to put it out… or even tone it down. I was just trying to keep it under wraps… not out in public. Problem is, wild fires don’t stay under wraps very well. And that was okay with Maria, ‘cause, see, that’s the way she wanted it… out in public for everyone to see. But I was still hung up with this ‘hide the aliens’ mentality. So we had what you call this failure to see eye to… irreconcilable… well, whatever. Anyway, we weren’t getting along really great all of a sudden. I already knew it. I was the one that told Maria that we would be better off apart. But I didn’t mean it. I don’t know what I meant. I was just stubborn, I guess…

Oh, yeah! Now you agree, huh, Maria!

Yeah, well, okay, I admit it. I had a little… tiny… microscopic… trace of a stubborn streak back then. Not now, of course. But Maria, she could be pretty stubborn back then, too. We had both said some things that we didn’t really mean. Anyway, I knew for sure that the train had derailed when Max and I went over to the CrashDown, and Maria was there…

Well, if it isn't Prince Charming and Quasimodo.

Maria seemed aloof as Liz got a drink for Max… Max likes cherry cola. What does Michael like?

Cherry cola with arsenic?

I guess Max kind of figured out that there was a chill in the wind. Maybe Maria’s little alien doll with all the pins stuck in it was a clue. I had to tell Max that we kind of broke up… me and Maria.

What? Why didn't you tell me?

Look, I don't… I'm not sure if we did or didn't. I mean, it's confusing.

Liz brought Max his drink… Cherry cola… on the house.

And Maria brought me mine… Yours is $1.25.

I nodded. Guess it's not really confusing anymore, is it?

Yep! Wild fires! They burn really hot until they get a good dousing. I got up and started to leave and accidentally spilled my drink; then, in all the commotion, our books got knocked onto the floor and I saw this paper with hieroglyphic symbols on it in Max’s notebook… the same symbols I had seen before in my mind.

What's this?

Put that away!

Later, at Max’s house, we talked about the hieroglyphs, and Max said that they were from River Dog’s cave… that he had drawn them from memory. I knew then that I had to see them. So I went to the Mesaliko Reservation… behind Max’s back.

I'm looking for somebody named River Dog… RIVER DOG.

She's not deaf… She's just not answering you. My name's Eddie. Who are you?

Well, Eddie, I'm somebody looking for River Dog.

He's busy… in the tent. It's a sacred ritual. You can't go in unless somebody invites you.

So invite me.

It's a sweat. It's a spiritual cleansing. It's intense.

If that's where he is, then that's where I want to go.


Eddie led me into the tent, and I saw this old man chanting.

Is that River Dog?

Don't worry, he knows you're here. No talking right now. Just follow the chant.


We both drank water from a bowl that was passed around. Then River Dog threw something into the fire that made it crackle and spark like it was alive or something. That was pretty much it. Trouble is, after wasting all that time at the “sweat,” I still hadn’t got to talk to River Dog about what I had come to see him for, and I knew I had to get back to the CrashDown or Max was going to figure out where I was. I didn’t want to have to deal with that right now.

Back in town, meanwhile, Alex was becoming a believer in aliens, thanks to Isabel.

Okay, then let's just say it were possible, alright? Why on earth would… excuse the phrase… Why would you be sent here to begin with? I mean, what purpose could you possibly have?

To wipe out the world, one annoying teenager at a time.

Sorry.

I don't know. When we came out of these pods, we looked just like normal kids. We've never been anything else but what you see. No green skin, no antennas. We have emotions, we feel pain, and we probably have more questions about ourselves than you do. I mean, haven't you ever felt different from everybody else? Like if you tried to reveal your true self to someone, they just would never understand.

Yeah.

Well, that's what it’s like to be us. We're just as human as you are, Alex… only we can manipulate the molecular structure of things.

What?


Isabel illustrated by turning Alex’s catsup into mustard.

I think that’s about when I started to feel ill. It was a feeling I had never felt before, because, see, we didn’t get sick… ever. But my temperature just started going up really high and I started to sweat all over. Maria was the first one to notice. She had been ignoring me, but when I started looking ill, she noticed immediately. She put her hand on mine, and then she freaked…

“Omigod! Omigod! Michael’s burning up!”

Isabel rushed over and put her hand on my forehead. Her look told Maria more than words could have. Quickly, Maria fumbled for her purse then pulled out the little alien doll and began hurriedly removing the pins from it. I have to tell you, it took a while to get them all out… and that girl has a real imagination!

“I’m sorry, Michael! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean it!”

Isabel looked puzzled. “Maria, what are you doing?”

“Taking the curse off. I didn’t think it would really work.”

“That’s not doing it, Maria!”

“How do you know?”

“Because it’s just a stupid doll!”

Isabel took the doll and threw it across the room, and Maria ran out of the CrashDown. When she came back, she had Max and Liz with her. They had gone out for a bite to eat together… kind of a big date. Anyway, Max found me on the floor, with Isabel holding my head in her lap.

Something's wrong, Max. He's really sick.

They gave me some water, and I started to feel better, so of course I insisted that I was okay and said I just wanted to go home. Max offered to drive me.

We're leaving now, Alex. You need a ride? Isabel asked, turning to Alex.

Alex shook his head. What I really need is a sedative.

After we were gone and things seemed to have settled down again, Maria prodded Liz about her big “date” with Max.

I don't think that we should talk about it, Maria.

Are you kidding? We have to talk about it! We're the only two people in this world capable of having this conversation!

That we know of.

Don't complicate things, okay? Who wants to go first? Fine, I'll start, I’ll start. It was… explosive.

Yeah. Uh, that's a really good word.

Right?

Okay.


Maria thought a moment. It was like every cell in my body felt the same cell in his and started heating up,

Liz nodded. And I got really dizzy. Did you get dizzy?

I get dizzy just thinking about it.

Ok, you know, like, all of that time that I spent with Kyle… I didn't have any of those feelings that I did when I was with Max. What about you?

Doug Sohn in the eighth grade?

Yeah?

Amateur. Michael is the real thing.

Okay, now, here is the big question. Do you think that we feel like this just because of the fact that they're like…

Oh, their non-human status?

Right.

What if they've like ruined it for us with anyone else?

Yeah.

Leave it to Michael to just wreak havoc on the rest of my life, even though he wants no part of it.


I wasn’t there at the time to hear their conversation. I only got the details later… a LOT later! But see, the thing about wild fires is that even if you douse them good, they can still pop back up, because they just keep smoldering beneath the surface. It’s hard to really stamp them out. Maria still cared about me!

What Liz and Maria couldn’t have known at the time was that it wasn’t over… the fever, I mean. Well, Maria and me either. Max and I were in the UFO Center when it hit me again… and this time it hit me like a ton of bricks. I started calling for Max…

I'm here, Michael… I'm here.

I looked at Max, and my eyes were cloudy white. As soon as Max saw them, he told me to keep them closed. He didn’t want to draw any more attention than we already had. Someone yelled to call an ambulance, but Max said that I got really bad migraines and that he would take care of me. Then he took me to the CrashDown and sneaked in through the back door. Maria saw Max come in and immediately asked about me…

Michael. Is he okay?

Does he look okay to you?
Isabel asked.

What's wrong with him?

How should I know? Nothing like this has ever happened before.


They took me upstairs and stuck a thermometer in my mouth, but it only went up to 112.

We're gonna need some ice and towels. We need to cool him down, Maria said.

That’s when I started to chant or something.

What's he saying? Isabel asked.

Max shook his head. I don't… I don't know. It's some kind of chant. Michael, can you hear me? What are you saying? What are you trying to tell us? Michael, it's me… Max. Please let me help you.

I stared at Max with white eyes and just whispered, River Dog.

On the Mesaliko Indian reservation, Liz and Max weren’t finding Eddie to be very helpful this time.

You're not welcome here anymore.

We just want to find out what happened.

You told someone what you found here! River Dog is really angry!

It is really important that we talk to him about what he did to Michael.

He tested him. Your friend didn't pass.

What do you mean?

That's all I know.

That's not enough. I want to know exactly what River Dog did to him.

He wants nothing to do with you. You betrayed his trust, and that's something he won't forgive.

I don't want forgiveness. I want answers before my friend dies,
Max said insistently.

Michael's really sick, Eddie, Liz added, And we don't know what to do. We need River Dog.

I'm sorry, but he's gone.

I'm waiting here until he comes back,
Max said flatly.

Back in town, Maria brought Isabel a plate of food and a bottle of Tabasco sauce, as they watched over me…

I care about him, too, you know.

I know you do, Maria. But Max and Michael are all I have… and if I lose them…


At that moment, I started to convulse and began chanting softly. At the same time, on the reservation, Liz and Max heard chanting nearby and went to check it out.

Max! That's what Michael's been saying over and over.

It's coming from that tent.


They peeked into the tent and saw Indians passing a bowl around.

What are they doing, Max?

I'm not sure. But maybe what's happening to Michael isn't natural at all.


That’s when River Dog suddenly appeared. He told them to bring me to him right away… that there wasn’t much time. When Max and Liz got back to the CrashDown, I was covered with this weird webbing. They rushed me to River Dog, and Maria, Isabel, and Alex went along.

Man who lived in this cave when I was a boy was not like us. Some of the elders believed he was an evil spirit, so they decided to test him. He was invited into the sweat, just like I invited your friend. His reaction was quick and severe. Within a minute, his eyes were white, and he developed a fever.

Just like Michael.

Only it took the symptoms longer to show up in your friend. That's why I dismissed him at first. But when you told me he was sick, I knew he was another visitor.

That's an interesting way to put it,
Maria said.

River Dog nodded slightly. That's what he called himself. In my language, the word is “nasedo.” So that's what I called him.

And you knew Nasedo well?
Isabel asked.

I saved his life. After the sweat, he ran out into the desert. And we were told not to follow him. But I was a boy, and I didn't listen. I found him in this cave… dying. He had to trust me with his secret so that I could heal him.

And now you'll do the same thing to heal Michael?

I'll try, but I'll need the help of all of you.


Alex looked up, surprised… Even me?

Healing requires energy. The more we have, the faster we heal. Now everyone take your place in the circle. There's a line for each of you leading to the center. Nasedo gave me these stones. They're from his place, and they carry an energy inside them.

You mean, these are from…
Max asked.

Wherever you are from. He said that his body carried the same energy that's in these stones. He called it the balance. He said that the heat from the sweat disrupted it in some way.

How?

He told me to hold the stones until my energy activated them. And the balance would be restored.

And if you didn't?

He would die…


As they followed River Dog’s lead and began to chant, the energy in the stones began to have its effect on me. First, I woke up in this other place again, and this time they were all there with me… and Maria kissed me. Then I went back to the past and saw Max and Isabel right after we left the pods. I watched them leave me because I couldn’t bring myself to trust anyone enough to go with them. Did you know that it was three years after that before we saw each other again? Max and Isabel trusted each other right away. She held his hand, and they walked together. But I stayed there. After that, I saw something that I’ve never revealed to anyone… ever… until now. I went from the past to the future, and I found myself on this strange planet. It was Antar, but I didn’t even know its name. And there was Maria again… on Antar. I didn’t know what it meant, but she smiled and kissed me. Then she held out her hand… and I took it.

I guess you’ve figured out that I didn’t die, so you know River Dog pulled it off… with a bit of help from everyone there… Well, except Liz. He made her abstain because he sensed her deep concern for Max, and he knew that that wouldn’t work or something. I woke up and pulled the webbing off of me. It was really gross! The webbing, I mean. I liked the kiss! And now I knew what to do with the rocks. I inserted them into various places in the cave wall, and after I had inserted all five rocks, all the rocks started to glow brighter and brighter, revealing a constellation of where we came from. It was a map… a map home… and maybe, just maybe… to something more. If I was willing to hold onto Maria’s hand and never let go.




<center>End of Episode 109

tbc…
</center>
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Island Breeze
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Codename: TABASCO

Post by Island Breeze »

Thanks so much for the great feedback, Flamehair, Timelord31, tequathisy, FaithfulAngel24, Mt Gazer (Rhonda), and paper! :D I hurried back with another chapter, paper, after your feedback! Glad to know you're enjoying it... all of you! Here's the next part...


Codename: TABASCO
(The Awesome Background And Secret Chronicles Of Michael Guerin)



Episode 110

Feeling The Heat (Toy House)




After my experience with the balance, I knew, somewhere deep down inside, that Maria and I were meant to be together. I had seen it… and felt it. But that didn’t make things instantly change. First off, Maria was acting very cool toward me, and I found out it was because I hugged Max and Isabel after coming out of the trance or whatever it was and didn’t hug her. She felt shunned… She said I acted like it was all an “alien” thing, just between the three of us. Actually, it kind of was an alien thing. Max and Isabel and I share a similar biology, so it was something that kind of affected the three of us… or could have. But I understood Maria’s feelings. I never intended to shun her. So I decided to try to make it up to her…

Maria had this woodshop project to do for school, and she was trying to make a napkin holder… only I thought it was a shoe tree. Maria’s good at a lot of things that I can think of, but none of them involve wood… uh… real… uh, you know, the stuff you get from trees… What? I am not blushing, Maria! I don’t blush! It’s the angle of the sun. Maybe I’m getting a little burned. I’ll turn the other way. No, it was not my imagination, I saw the way you smiled. Yes, you did! It wasn’t just a smile, it was one of “those” smiles. That’s why I… Never mind. Let’s move on. Does anyone else think it’s getting a little warm out here?

Where was I? Oh yeah, the wood-working project…

I was trying to compliment Maria for making this great shoe tree, only it was supposed to be a napkin holder, so I tried to help her with it, but it kind of got broken. I really wanted to do this for her, so I built her another one myself and put it in her locker… with a note that said “Handmade by Michael – Thanks.” It was beautiful… It was spring loaded… It redefined the term ‘napkin holder.’ It would have got her an A on the project. But you know what she did? She turned in her original one and got an F. I was floored. But what floored me even more was why she did it…

…I, um, I… I didn't use yours. I kept it. Thank you.

She took an F so she could keep the one I made for her. That just totally blew me away. I couldn’t believe she did that.

I got something to say to you… If anything like that happens to me again, like when I got sick, don't help me. I can't get indebted to anyone, and I can't get entangled. I got to be a stone wall. And when I'm around you… sometimes I don't feel like a stone wall anymore.

Well, what do you feel like?

I don't know. Like confused.


It left me not knowing what to say, which isn’t normal for me. But the thing is, see, then I knew that Maria still liked me. That was pretty cool… especially since I was feeling kind of down after the balance thing. I had become accustomed to thinking of myself as this powerful avenger-type guy, and then the balance knocked me right off my feet. I needed to get my confidence back. Realizing that Maria still liked me was what it took!

Around the same time as this was happening to me, Max had a problem pop up that had the potential to affect us all as much as my experience with the balance did. He was talking to his mom in the kitchen when she spilled some oil. It touched the burner and went up in flames, along with the oil in the skillet. Max yelled, and his mom dropped to the floor, then Max used his powers to put the fire out. He told her that he had poured a pot of water on it, and she believed it.

You saved my life, Max.

Mom, I… I just…

Poured water on it… You told me.

Right.


She believed it… but Valenti didn’t. See, the fire set off the alarm, and the fire department came. That gave Sheriff Valenti an excuse to drop in, too, and do some snooping on Max. Of course, Valenti said he was just making sure everyone was okay. But he was always snooping on Max. When I told him that stuff about me before, I intentionally left Max and Isabel out of the conversation. But he suspected them, too… and he wanted to know everything there was to know… about all three of us. At least there was one bright spot, though. He wasn’t leaning on us and threatening to arrest us all the time anymore like he used to do before I made my deal with him. But he still used every excuse he could to try to get more information… on the sly. So it was no surprise, really, that he showed up.

Heard you had an incident here. Just want to make sure everything's okay.

Oh, we're fine… really. Just a little grease fire, but thank God my son put it out… He just came right in, pulled me out of the way, poured this pot of water on it, and suddenly everything was okay. It was miraculous, really.

Miraculous…


The sheriff thanked Mrs. Evans and left, but he came back later with a brochure on household emergencies. He had highlighted the section on grease fires to make sure she read it. In the brochure, it said that water won’t put out a grease fire, it only spreads it. He also told her that Max was involved in some way in the shooting that went down in the CrashDown, and that according to some witnesses, Liz actually got shot and Max healed her. That made Max’s mom start wondering about a lot of things, and when she was alone, she pulled out some old videos. One of them showed Max picking up a bird that appeared to have a broken wing and then releasing it. When he did, it flew away. She had always wondered about that but had written it off as coincidence or something, but now Valenti had placed a real seed of doubt in her mind, and she was starting to question everything. And that was driving a wedge between her and Max. She even quizzed Isabel about him…

Have you ever noticed anything about your brother? Anything… unusual?

Like what?

Well… I don't know. Anything that… maybe you were unable to explain.

Mom, what's this about?

Oh, forget it. Never mind. I guess I'm… I'm just a bit shaken still from the fire.


But that wasn’t true. She had more questions for Max…

Mom, why are you doing this to me?

I'm not doing anything to you.

…You're supposed to be my mother. You're not supposed to investigate us.


I remember meeting with Isabel and Max in the quarry to talk about what was happening, and I was upset that Max had healed a bird and given himself away like that. I think I may have accused him of trying to be Doctor Doolittle. But he pointed out that he was only six years old at the time and didn’t even know he had powers. He just did it somehow.

Isabel had always hated keeping secrets from her mom, and she wanted to just come out and tell her everything about us. That’s when I decided I had to intervene… well, not me maybe… the Avenger. Somebody had to do it. But first, I had another situation to fix…


<center> <<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>> </center>

Outside Maria’s house, I waited just out of view until her mom left. She had a box under her arms… probably more blow up alien balloons for the gas station to sell to tourists or something. As soon as the Jetta was out of sight, I tossed a small pebble at Maria’s window, and a moment later, she opened the window and looked out…

“Michael?”

“Hey! I thought I’d come over and, uh… you know… uh… maybe… apologize… I guess… or something.”

Maria smiled, then she stuck her head out the window and looked toward the road. Her mom’s Jetta was gone.

“Alright… but you can’t stay too long. Mom will be back in an hour.”

I climbed through Maria’s window and sat down on the chair in front of her computer desk, and Maria looked at me questioningly…

“So…?”

“Huh? Oh! Yeah, uh, look… uh, what I wanted to say, Maria, is that… maybe, you know… maybe I… I should have shown you that I appreciated you more than I did… and, uh… well… I was wrong to… to say what I said about not wanting your help ever again. Even an ali… uh, a person like… me… can’t always be a stone wall. What I’m saying is I don’t want to be a stone wall when I’m with you, Maria. A stone wall can’t feel the things I feel when I’m with you… And there’s one more thing…”

“What’s that?”

“Something I owe you… that I was supposed to give you and kind of… forgot.”

Maria looked puzzled. I got up and walked over to her and put my arms around her. Then I hugged her. I heard her breathe in deeply then let it all out as her arms encircled me and her lips met mine. And I knew I had done the right thing… because I felt good all over.

About five minutes later… maybe it was ten or twenty… I kind of lost track of time while we were kissing… we looked at each other again, and Maria smiled. I smiled back, and she took her arms back from around me and turned around to get something…

“You made that great napkin holder for me, Michael… I wanted to make something for you. Here.”

“What is it?”

“Open the bag and find out.”

I opened the bag and removed something that looked like pajamas… Maria’s pajamas. But they had been… well, I don’t know how to describe it. She had dyed them electric blue and had sewn a gold-colored zigzag lightning stripe down the side of each leg. She had dyed the top fire-red and had sewn something on the back that looked like a… I can’t even say it… Yeah, that’s it… what Maria just said… a cape. A blue cape! On the front of the pajama top, she had sewn a gold letter “A,” for “Avenger.” To say I was in shock might have been an understatement…

“Uh, uh! No! I am not wearing this! No way, no how! Not happening!”

Maria started to look hurt again, and I suddenly saw everything about to crash right into the basement, so I swallowed hard and looked at it again…

“It’s… it’s nice… But I wouldn’t need to wear it all the time, you know. Even Superman looks like Clark Kent most of the time. He wouldn’t go to school in… uniform.”

“Well, of course not! I don’t expect you to wear it to school and everywhere, Michael! I just thought if you had, you know, any more Avenger-type problems to solve… maybe…”

Well, I knew of one problem I had to solve… how to keep from having to wear this and not lose Maria forever, but I couldn’t say that…

“Maybe… maybe I could wear it once… and we’ll see what happens. I’ve got someone I have to talk to right now, and it’s sort of an Avenger matter.”

Maria’s eyes lit up, and I knew I was in real trouble.


<center> <<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>> </center>

I would have walked in the front door like any normal person, but wearing Maria’s pajamas I wasn’t exactly feeling “normal.” The last thing I wanted was to have to explain this to Hansen and a bunch of curious deputies. Valenti was drinking a cup of coffee when I climbed in through his window, which was unfortunate, because it took him ten minutes to get all the grounds out of his nose… after he sprayed the rest of it all over his office.

“I have really got to get… a new filter… for that pot! God, that coffee is strong!” he said, blowing his nose again and mopping some more grounds up as they came out. “Michael… what the hell is that?!”

“Don’t start! It was kind of a gift, and you’d better just say you like it. I could blast you through that wall, you know.”

Valenti snickered and lifted my arm up, sniffing the material.

“What are you doing?”

“Looking for traces… of cedar oil… or cypress oil.”

“Leave her out of this.”

“Oh, I’m not going to arrest her, Michael… though that outfit might be some kind of crime… if I can find out what statute it breaks.”

“Very funny! Remind me to laugh… when you’re hanging from the arm of a light pole.”

“You wouldn’t do that.”

“Don’t be so sure.”

Valenti grinned. “At least they’re not tights… more like… a nifty harem outfit. What’s the “A” for?”

“Avenger.”

Valenti nodded, picking up the rag again and wiping off a few more coffee grounds, which continued to work their way out of his nose.

“This coffee could be declared a deadly weapon… when inhaled. I really need to get Hansen to buy us a new pot.”

“You could clean this one out.”

“What for? Heat kills germs. Hell, this coffee kills germs!”

“Maybe it would taste better when it comes out your nose, though.”

“Good point. So, Michael… why are you here? Did you hope to kill me with my own coffee?”

“No, that was just a lucky bonus.”

“Plotting to kill the sheriff. I could lock you up for life.”

“You could… after they got you down off the lamp post.”

“You know, Michael… I understand you. I do. That’s what you don’t know about me. And it’s a good thing I do, because anyone else wouldn’t be so easy to deal with.”

“I’m just lucky.”

“Yeah, you are. You joke about it, but you really are.”

“How do you figure?”

“Well, you and I, we have a similar past…”

“Which planet did you come from?”

“I don’t mean like that. I mean… we both grew up challenged… challenged to become something that… we didn’t become easily… and to do it without a great amount of help. And because of that, we grew up a little rough around the edges. We understand each other. Well, I understand you anyway.”

“I understand you, Sheriff. That’s why you’re the only person… almost… who knows what you do about me. I know that you’re driven to find out everything you can, but I also know that you, more than almost anyone in Roswell, will keep those secrets… because if you betrayed us… betrayed me… you would be betraying yourself now. That’s why I told you what I told you. It’s why I made the agreement with you.”

“Maybe you do know me better than I thought, Michael. I’m not sure how I feel about that… especially with you standing there in harem jammies.”

“Well, I’m starting to like them.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. They annoy you. They’re also comfortable, in a weird sort of way.”

“They… distract me. They don’t annoy me. Getting back to my question, Michael, why are you here… and dressed like that?”

“I came to ask you to lay off of Max, Sheriff.”

“Why? Is he one of you?”

“Yeah. One of my friends… one of my BEST friends. And I don’t like what’s happening to him. You’re driving a wedge between him and his mom. Max is talking about leaving town because his mom is suspicious of him and asking a lot of questions that he can’t answer. And you know why, Sheriff? Because he doesn’t have the answers. He was abandoned when he was little… him and Isabel both. But they grew up and became something in spite of their early life. Can you see why I feel a kinship with them? Like me, they don’t know who their real parents were… only mine are on some other planet. It takes a lot to overcome some kinds of scars, Sheriff. And in Max’s case, you’re adding to them by making his mom suspicious of him.”

“Listen, Michael… it’s not my intention to drive a wedge between Mrs. Evans and her son. It’s just… good police work. Divide and conquer… It’s… well, it’s… yeah, I guess I see what you’re saying. I didn’t think about it like that. What can I do?”

“Don’t put any more ideas in his mom’s head.”

Valenti nodded pensively. “I’ll, uh, I’ll try to take your advice, Michael. I will.”

“Thank you, Sheriff. And regarding your other question…”

“What was my other question? I forgot now.”

“Why I came dressed like this.”

“Oh, yes! Now I remember! Well…?”

“I thought you might need some help on one of your cases… so I came dressed for the job.”

Valenti smiled. “I could use some help… but God help me if anyone associated you with me… dressed like that. Could you put something else on?”

“You won’t tell… anyone… on me?”

“No. Maria will never know.”

That’s when I had this pang like I’d never had before. It was something I had said to the sheriff earlier… about why he couldn’t betray me now because he would be betraying himself, too. And there was something else… I took a deep breath and looked at the ceiling for a moment…

“I’m sorry, Sheriff. There’s someone who means more to me than my self-respect… apparently. I have to wear this. But, hey, it’s not so bad. It’s comfortable… and it’s not tights, right? Besides, someone took an “F” on a project because something that I gave her meant more to her than a grade. She means that much to me. The PJ’s stay.

Valenti shook his head and grinned. “Michael, if I ever have another son… I would be proud if he were a lot like you. Come on… I’ll show you some cases I’m working on. Lock the door. We wouldn’t want Hansen walking in on us. He might get the wrong idea.”



<center>End of Episode 110

tbc…
</center>
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Island Breeze
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Post by Island Breeze »

Codename: TABASCO
(The Awesome Background And Secret Chronicles Of Michael Guerin)



Episode 111

Things That Go Bump In The Night

(Into The Woods)




Frasier Woods. You remember Frasier Woods, don’t you, Alex? I thought as much. I recall seeing several red marks on you after the, uh, camping trip. You tried to hide them, but…

“Those were mosquito bites.”

No, I know mosquito bites.

“Okay, so I pinched myself… several times… to make sure I was awake. Hey, I was watching the stars with Isabel! I wanted to be sure it wasn’t just another dream. I guess, maybe, I got a little carried away.”

Yeah… SOMEBODY did. Do you always pinch yourself on the neck? Or, uh, under your shirt maybe… or anywhere else?

“She did not! I mean… I did not… not that I would ever tell you about it… if it ever did happen.”

Just checking. So getting back to my story.

“I think I’d like to hear more of their story, Guerin.”

Ask Isabel and Alex about it, Kyle.

(Isabel shook her head, and Kyle let out a melodramatic huff) “If you’re gonna tease me and then leave out all the good parts, Guerin, I’m outta here!”

You’re not going anywhere, Kyle. You still want to know about my secret past. Now where were we? Oh yeah! The incident in Frasier Woods. There was a lot of heat lightning in the sky, but some hikers saw this really bright white light that they suspected wasn’t just heat lightning. The Sheriff was informed, and Milton, the owner of the UFO Museum before Brody Davis bought it, heard it on the police scanner. Milton was always listening in on the police radio, because he knew the Sheriff wasn’t going to tell him about it if anything “alien-related” ever happened. Right away, Milton sensed that the bright light was important. So did Jim. Milton told Max, because Max was working for him in the museum, and Max told me and Isabel. We realized that we had to get there before either Jim or Milton did and find out what it was.

As luck would have it, our school was having a father-son campout in Frasier Woods that weekend, so Max and Isabel decided to go and take their dad… so they’d have an excuse, just in case Jim saw them and asked what they were doing there. Liz then decided to go camping, too… with her dad… because she was following Max; and Maria went, because, well, Liz wanted her to; and Alex went with his dad… to be near Isabel. It was all real cozy. Yeah, you smile, Alex, but don’t tell me you weren’t cozy! Mosquitoes, right! Mosquitoes with mighty big lips!

“Michael, are you calling me a blood-sucking parasite?”

No! No, no no, no no! I wasn’t saying that, Isabel!

“Good! ‘Cause if you were…”

Um… as I was saying, there was this bright light and… and… I forgot what I was saying.

“Love bug bites.”

What, Alex?

“They were love bug bites.”

(Isabel grinned and snuggled closer to Alex, and Michael took a deep breath) Uh, yeah… whatever. The bright light. Frasier Woods. Um. Campout. Sheriff Valenti… Oh yeah! Jim closed off a 4-square-mile area of the forest near the Indian reservation, not far from the cave, and Milton knew for sure then that the sighting was serious. But Milton and the Sheriff weren’t the only ones interested in the sighting. I had a visitor in the night… none other than River dog himself.

“Did you see it? Did any of you see it?”

See what?

“It was real.”

Would you quit talking in riddles? What was? The sighting? How do you know?

“I've seen it before.”


Sheriff Valenti also knew someone else who was probably going to be real interested… the FBI. And he did not want them to close the woods and keep him out, which they would do once they showed up. They would cheat him out of his opportunity to find out what it was himself. And they never shared their information with him. Of course, to be fair, he rarely shared his with them either. He never told them about me… or about his suspicions about Max and Isabel.

“Get Miller on the phone. Tell him to rush the search. I want every inch of that woods combed before Agent Stephens sends his feebee goons out there.”

Valenti was supposed to be camping out with Kyle, but he was actually coordinating the search with his cell phone from the campsite and acting like a guy with two dates who was trying to keep them both from seeing each other. He was suspicious of why Max and Isabel were really there, and he wanted to keep an eye on them, so he pretended he couldn’t get cell phone reception where Kyle wanted to put their tent. Miraculously, the reception turned out to be great right next to Max and Isabel’s tent.

I wasn’t with them, of course… Hank wasn’t exactly the camping type… or the fatherly type either for that matter. But River dog showed up at the trailer to get me when it was time.

During the night, Max and Isabel snuck out of their tent and set out to find the place where the sighting had occurred. Liz saw them and followed them. So did Sheriff Valenti. After a while, Liz wound up stumbling into Max and Isabel, and Max ordered her to go back. Fortunately, she refused. I’ll tell you why I say “fortunately” in a minute. She said if it affected us, it mattered to her, too.

Next, Maria showed up, much to Isabel’s distress.

“Oh, great. That's great. Why don't we just send out a flare?”

And then Liz heard barking in the distance… “Is that coyotes, Max?”

“Search dogs. Come on, we're close. Come on!”


Max and Isabel hurried off with Liz and Maria, but they soon realized that they weren’t going to outrun the dogs. That’s when Liz came up with her brilliant idea… and the reason I said it was fortunate that she didn’t go back before when Max told her to.

“You guys just keep going. Maria and I'll stay here and just let them catch us.”

“Liz, no.”

“No, Max, it's all right. We'll just say that we got lost in the woods. This is too important. Keep going.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. The important thing is, you just find what you're looking for.”

“I will.”

“Alright. Go!”

“We're over here! Help! Come find us! Help us! We're over here! We're here! We're right here!”


Maria groaned… “My mom's gonna love this… really!”

Meanwhile, River dog and I arrived and were searching through the woods together, separately from Max and Isabel. And somewhere out there in the dark, Milton was running around with a metal detector looking for what he assumed was a fallen spaceship. In retrospect, I realize now that there was something odd about that weekend all along. Heat lightning in the sky… but Maria was complaining to Liz that she was freezing and that her aqua bra was turning to ice and her breasts felt like popsicles. What? Oh, nobody’s going to care now, Maria! You were what… fifteen? I’ll vouch that you don’t need an aqua bra anymore!

See, the strange thing is… and besides, I like popsicles… there was heat lightning, but it was cold outside. I’m thinking maybe the heat lightning was caused by whatever made the signal… whatever made the bright light.

Unfortunately for everybody, Agent Stephens had already heard about the sighting, and he and a small group of his men were in the woods almost before we were. Almost… but not quite. River dog heard a noise and stopped me, holding up one hand…

“Listen!”

I don’t hear anything.

“Listen.”

I listened again. All I heard was a tiny pop or snap… like a twig breaking far away.

“Probably just a squirrel… in the trees.”

River dog shook his head and pulled me down to the ground. Moments later, Agent Stephens and four of his goons walked by. They were being really quiet. But River dog heard them. As soon as they were past, River dog motioned to me…

“We have to find it… before they do.”

He was right; I knew he was right! But I had no idea how to keep Stephens’ and his goons from finding it… or how to keep them from discovering Max and Isabel. I just knew I had to come up with something, and fast! That’s when an idea came to me.

I told River dog my plan, and he agreed, cautiously. He always seemed to be cautious. I guess it was something a lifetime of experience had taught him. But he did agree, so we put my plan into play right away. I aimed the palm of my hand at the sky and made several quick flashes of light that should have been pretty obvious. Almost immediately, we heard twigs breaking, as Stephens and his men rushed back in our direction. Okay, Max and Isabel would be safe… for the moment. But Stephens and his men were headed in my direction now. Quickly, River dog hid us under a small bluff and covered the entrance with leaves and twigs. He did a good job. Even I wouldn’t have seen us! And just in time, as Stephens and his men rushed into sight like bulls stampeding through a china shop, forgetting all about stealth in their haste. They stopped close to where we were. Too close, in my opinion. I was afraid to breathe for fear they would hear me. I could have reached out and touched Stephens’ feet. River dog, for his part, appeared to be the epitome of calm. He just blended into the terrain under the bluff, quieter than a mouse. Are mice really quiet? I think that’s a myth. Quieter than an… earthworm… a DEAD earthworm! He just seemed to disappear. It takes practice, I guess.

Next, I aimed my palm at a nearby cloud. I could see it through the twigs. After a moment, the cloud stopped moving and rain started to fall. Agent Stephens looked around and then looked up… as the rain fell on him.

“It’s raining!”

“I see that,” one of the other agents said.

“But it’s raining on me! Only on me!” Agent Stephens said calmly.

“Yes sir. Uh, may I suggest, respectfully, sir, that you move.”

Agent Stephens stepped to one side, but the rain stayed with him.

“Any more suggestions, Johnson?”

“No sir. Maybe move some more. It has to be a fluke, sir.”

Stephens moved again, then jumped, but the rain seemed to follow him.

“Johnson, come here.”

“Me, sir?”

“Do you see anyone else here named Johnson?”

“No, sir. I mean, yes, sir… I’m coming, sir!”

Johnson walked over and stood beside Stephens, and the rain fell on them both.

“Carver! You come over here, too.”

“Sir, maybe if I rushed and pushed you out from under the rain quickly…”

“Just come over here.”

“Yes, sir.”

Carver stood beside Stephens and Johnson, and the rain fell on all three men.

“Now I’m going to step this way, and the two of you stay here,” Stephens said. He stepped to one side, but the rain seemed to merely spread out over a broader area, falling on all three men. The two men who were not under the rain looked flustered and unsure what to do.

“I think it’s this crazy weather, sir,” Agent Perez interjected, looking up at the sky. “The weatherman said something about an inversion in the area over the weekend.”

“Inversion? or invasion?”

“Sir, I don’t think…”

“I do! This is not natural, Perez. But I am not going to die from a little rain… or let it stop me from my goal. Let’s go.”

Stephens turned and started to walk away with Johnson and Carver, all three getting drenched, as Perez and Williams followed at a “safe” --and dry-- distance. But a moment later, there was a clap of thunder, and all five men found themselves suddenly under the downpour. Strangely, it seemed to be localized over them. They could see where it ended but even by walking in different directions, they could not seem to get out from under it. So they finally stopped trying.

“It’s got to be right around here somewhere,” Stephens grumbled. “It can’t be far away. Come on!”

As soon as Stephens and his men disappeared, I crawled out from under the bluff and helped River dog out.

“What do we do now? All I did was slow them down… and get them wet… and mad.”

River dog seemed to think. “If I had the power… I would summon the animals… the bears and the coyotes… to scare them out of the woods. But I do not have such powers.”

I knew what River dog was suggesting. He didn’t have such powers, but I did. Or at least, he thought I did. I wasn’t entirely sure of that myself. It’s not like I had ever done it before. But how do you know if you don’t try… so I concentrated. Nothing.

“It’s not working. I can’t do it. I can’t talk to animals. You should’ve got Doctor Doolittle.”

“I don’t know him. Concentrate, Michael… not with words… with thoughts. Think like a bear… like a coyote.”

“Easy for you to say…”

I sighed and concentrated. After several moments, I actually felt my mind touch another mind… and it didn’t seem human. It was more… brutish. Well, maybe some humans. But no, this was different. This was… denser somehow… yet strong. I don’t know how, but I knew it was a bear. I concentrated, trying to place a mental image of Stephens and his men into the bear’s mind and a sense of danger. I repeated the effort several times and felt two more bears and four coyotes. Then I looked at River dog…

“What if I can’t control them? What if they eat Stephens and his men then come after us… or Max and Isabel?”

River dog shrugged. “You’re asking me? You’re the one with the powers.”

“Powers, yes… but maybe no brains. I should have thought this out first.”

“You will find a way,” River dog said, with much more confidence than I was feeling at the moment. It didn’t take long for something to happen. As we stood there, we heard the greatest crashing and commotion, and moments later, Stephens and his gang ran by us, without slowing down or even seeing us. Close behind them were three angry bears and four coyotes. I guess if there was one bright spot for them, it was that they were no longer being rained on. Once they moved out of my sight, I couldn’t keep the cloud over them anymore.

I looked at River dog and shook my head… “I don’t know why I should be concerned for them. If they captured me or Max or Isabel, there’s no telling what they would do to us. But I can’t just let them get killed.”

“The agents? Or the bears?”

“Good point! Both I guess.”

River dog smiled. “You have the power, Michael. Remember?”

I nodded and concentrated, trying to get the pursuers to fall back a bit… for their own safety as much as that of Stephens and his men. Stephens’ men had guns, and I was sure they would use them if they had to, though it wasn’t clear how much effect their small weapons would have on a large bear… much less on three of them. Fortunately, the fleeing agents seemed to have figured that out for themselves. I would never have guessed that they could run so fast. But I also knew that they would be back. Stephens was nothing if not determined. He would definitely be back. But maybe not in time to find anything… if we hurried.

As we rushed to find the place of the sighting, River dog slipped and hurt his ankle. I healed it for him, but only after convincing myself that he couldn’t heal it himself. I guess I was kind of hoping, you know. I mean, he came to the trailer to get me. He treated me like… You see, Hank was never… I mean… he could never be… But River dog… I could see him being my real dad… our real dad. He knew so much about us, and he could have been. He could’ve…

But he wasn’t.

A short time later, River dog and I walked into a clearing, near the cave, and we found Max and Isabel.

“What are they doing here?”

They came on their own.

“Alright. This is where it will be.”

What are we looking for?


It was Isabel who found the answer… the alien symbol… the same one we had seen before in the cave. It was burned onto the ground. We turned off our flashlights and held out our palms, and it lit up with a light blue glow.

The white light, or whatever the hell that was, caused this, River dog?

“Yes. It's a sign. It was meant for you.”


I looked at it and nodded, understanding… Nasedo’s here.

At that moment, Sheriff Valenti showed up and ordered us to step out of the way so he could see what was there, but Max used his powers to make the symbol disappear while I blocked his view. Valenti looked at the clean-swept sand then back at us…

“Something was here. What were you looking at?

Max just shrugged… “We've been lost for hours here. Thank you for finding us.”

I didn’t know it at the time, but not far from where all this was taking place… not far from where Stephens and his men had been running from bears and coyotes, two people had been sitting together, so absorbed in each other that they hadn’t noticed anything that was going on… Isabel and Alex.

”And then to the right of the Milky Way, that's Orion, Alex.”

“Oh, wow!”

“And see the north star?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay, now look a little to your left… and a little further out… that small group of stars right there, that's the Cygnus Constellation. It's the furthest we can see from here.”

“It's amazing.”

“What is?”

“Staring at the stars with you. I mean, I used to look up there, and stars were just stars. One was just as good as the next one. Somehow with you… I mean… it's so wondrous, you know? I mean… each star is… is a mystery, you know, and so full of possibility. This is so much better than seeing a movie.”

“Thanks, Alex!”


“I’m so glad you came on this trip, Isabel! Without you… it would just be boring out here in the woods.”





<center>End of Episode 111

tbc…
</center>
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Island Breeze
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Codename: TABASCO

Post by Island Breeze »

Codename: TABASCO
(The Awesome Background And Secret Chronicles Of Michael Guerin)



Episode 112

The Measures Of Dignity

(The Convention)




A week after the incident in Frasier Woods the ripples were still being felt in Roswell. Of course, a lot of those "ripples" were UFO freaks, who came running every time there was a flash of lightning thinking ET was landing. The last time a lunar eclipse was visible in Roswell, while we were still there, at least a dozen alien seekers showed up thinking that a huge mother ship was blocking out the moon. But the only invasion was the invasion of the pinheaded morons. If they had just thought to check and see if an eclipse was expected before phoning all their friends…

Hey! What’s 500 feet long, has a total IQ of 6, and will never get sex? Give up? The line of pinheads waiting to get inside the UFO Center during a UFO convention.

The ironic thing was that the Frasier Woods incident was the real thing, not that those pinheads would ever know it. To them, everything in Roswell was alien related. They couldn’t sort out what was real from what wasn’t. Even Liz’s doctored picture of a bloated alien baby doll fooled them! And you wonder why Amy did such a brisk business with her glow-in-the-dark blow up dolls?

I never told Jim the truth about the lights in Frasier Woods or about the mysterious symbol on the ground… the one Max erased… and he never asked about them again. I think he knew that I knew something, but he knew that I would never admit that I knew what he knew I knew. Um… you know what I mean, right? Jim seemed to understand that I wasn’t ready to open up about some things yet. Sometimes his intuitiveness surprised me. But then he would turn around and surprise me again by trying to find out the answers on his own, behind my back. That caught me by surprise the first time he did it. Okay, maybe the first couple of times. But then I learned to expect it. After all, it was his job, I guess, to be in the know about whatever stuff was going on in Roswell. Now that I think about it, it must have driven him crazy back then trying to figure us out.

But like I said, it was a few days after the Frasier Woods incident, and the UFO convention was starting, the one they have every year in Roswell. Jim ordered his deputies to tell anyone who asked that the Frasier Woods sighting had just been dry lightning. That was his official response, but it wasn’t what he believed. And there were others who didn’t believe it either. One of them was sitting in Jim's chair when he walked back into his office… Everett Hubble.

Jim was unamused to find Hubble sitting in his chair, in his office, which had been locked.

How'd you get past the front desk? …You're not welcome here, Hub.

Oh, Junior, I expect more from you than dumb-ass, small-town threats. Well, just wanted to stop by. Regards to your dad. From what I hear, you're starting to come around to his way of thinking. See ya, Junior.


Hubble walked out the door with a smirk on his face. He had just come to let Jim know that he was wise to him. Jim got the hint. He also got the reference to his father's old obsession. And he was less than amused by the comparison.

Okay, so there were pinheaded morons, then there were the dangerous types, like the FBI guys, and then there was Everett Hubble. I wasn't sure yet which category he fell into. But with everybody acting like it was a full moon, I figured I might as well at least find out if the pinheads really knew anything. I shouldn't have wasted my time.

I've concluded, Mr. Guerin, that yes, these aliens do exist. Yes, they're among us today. And yes, they're brutal, dangerous killers and must be stopped at any cost.

Yep, that's what he said. Worse, Isabel overheard it. She pulled me aside and glared at me as though I had been collaborating with the enemy to wipe out my race or something. She said the convention was "psychologically damaging" and she wanted to leave. But then a character in an alien disguise walked up acting weird and saying, "Save me. Save me. I'm a human trapped in an alien body."

It turned out it was Max. Did I say there was a full moon? Isabel looked like she wanted to hurl. I actually felt sorry for her… a little bit. She said we'd just lost our last shred of dignity. Isabel thought even less of these alien conventions and self-proclaimed alien "experts" than I did, and that was saying something. But at least Maxie here seemed to be enjoying himself. He was even handing out flyers for Milton, the owner of the UFO Center. But I guess he had to; he worked for him. And that wasn't really a bad thing, actually, because it gave us an inside edge. There was a lot of stuff in there, and some of it, we thought, might help us find out where we were from… or about our people. Not all of it, of course. A lot of it was just freak show stuff for the pinheads to gawk at. For instance, Maria's mom was busy setting up this display that she called the "Alien Takedown."

I have to hand it to Liz, though. When the freaks would come into the CrashDown to eat, she would humor them… with a totally straight face.

Can I get you guys anything else?

I am Zinaplox from the planet Zedagon. I come to destroy humanity and return to my home planet.

Well, then, it's really great that you're starting out with a nice hearty breakfast.


Now see, that was cool. I don't think I could have said that with a straight face. I would have dumped the eggs over Zinaplox's pointy head… with a smile, of course. After all, you do have to be professional when you're dealing with customers. That's what sets me apart from Isabel. She wouldn't have smiled when she dumped the eggs on his head.

The UFO Convention was always a big groan for us, but this year's crowd wasn't entirely the usual convention year crowd. Well, the pinheads were the usual. But the sighting in Frasier Woods had brought out others this time. The media were there asking about the sighting. Even Jonathan Frakes showed up. Okay, he was invited. Milton wanted to get his handprints in cement; you know, like that place in Hollywood where they have all the stars' handprints. Frakes' handprints were going to be a first for the UFO center. Patrick Stewart and William Shatner were supposed to come, too. They had suites reserved at the Tumbleweed Motel, but they never showed up.

Then there were the FBI guys. They were trying to blend in with the crowd, wearing alien masks and the same freak-o-geek-o crap that the pinheads were wearing. But it wasn't hard to spot them. They stood out… like pit bulls in poodle hair cuts. Maybe it was because they were the ones who didn't pick their noses or snort when they laughed…

Maybe it was because they never laughed.

To be honest, I guess I have to admit that I was a little naïve about some things back then. I really did believe that some of these kooks in alien masks might know something. Big joke, huh! The ones I talked to were clueless eunuchs. But I figured that there had to be at least a few real experts out there in that whole big crowd, and Max would know who they were because he was working at the UFO center and had inside information. But when I asked him he said it was all only a big freak show. Then I overheard Milton trying to get that Hubble guy to host a discussion panel and telling Max that Hubble was probably one of the few humans who really had had direct contact with aliens. And I could tell that Hubble wasn't like the others. He had an air of… I don't know… self-importance… ego… or something. He did seem like he knew something. He wasn't a player, though. Maybe that's another reason I was intrigued by him, actually. It added to his mysterious… enigmatic… whatever.

Milton was clearly excited about this Hubble guy being there. And Milton was one person who did know who the experts were. But Hubble wasn't biting. I'm just passing through. Nice little souvenir shop you got going here, Miltie.

And Milton turned to Max imploringly…

Max, you want to do more? Get Hubble to do the roundtable. Disappeared almost thirty years ago, nobody's seen him since. The man's an enigma.

Okay, so now I knew who to keep an eye on. Everett Hubble. I couldn't care less whether he did Milton's roundtable or not, but I knew that sooner or later, this was the guy I was going to have to talk to. Sooner or later. But not now. For now, I would keep an eye on him and see if I could find out why he was in Roswell. He definitely wasn't the convention type. Outside, I saw Hubble lean against a car and look around like he was looking for something. I wondered what. Then I saw Valenti headed in Hubble's direction, and he didn't look like he was going to invite him to a tea party. I stepped out of sight in the shadows and watched, as Hubble looked up and spotted him…

Looking for someone, Jimmy?

What did you come back here for, Hubble?

Well, I've been tracking what's been going on around here for the last few months. The shooting in September at the CrashDown… What happened over there?

You got to my father when he was at his weakest, and you pushed him over the edge. Because of you, I had to have him committed.

Well, now you're giving me more credit than I deserve.


I guess I got caught up in what Hubble was saying and stepped out of the shadows for a moment. It was only for a nanosecond, and I jumped back quickly, but Hubble glanced my way. I don't think he saw me well… at least not well enough to know who I was, but he stopped talking and started to walk toward me. I needed a distraction. I didn't want him to know I was following him. Uh… Max… We're like bros, right? I mean… you wouldn't hurt your brother… your best friend in the world… would you?

…What do you mean, that depends!

…Okay, yeah, I know you could fix any damage you did, but I'd rather it didn't get done in the first place. I'm kind of attached to my bones the way they are. Come on, Max, it was a long time ago! Forgiving is divine and all that… Promise me!

…Okay, well, you see, here's the thing, like I was saying, I needed a distraction, and I didn't have time to be choosy. Remember that before you kill me. I looked around, and Frakes was about to put his hands on that mold of cement you had mixed up so carefully to just the right consistency. I kind of… made it soupy. I figured… Frakes falls into cement… big distraction, right? But hey! He didn't fall in! His hands just sank to the bottom, so no biggie, right? No harm done? And it worked! Hubble looked at Milton, who was screaming hysterically at you and apologizing all over the place to Frakes, and I took advantage of the distraction and took off. He never saw me. Max! Max! Sit down, Max! Come on, it was a long time ago! Stop, Max! I'm your friend, remember? Your best friend! You can't… GAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! I'll never get all that sand out of my pants! …Stop laughing! You're all sadists! All of you! Wait… what was that? Max? What was in that sand?! Is that a… Don't tell me that was the sand out of Alyyx's pail… the one that had the family of nettle crabs in it! God, Max! I can't take my pants off here in front of everyone! OWWW! GEEZ! OWWW! SHHEEEEEEZ! Wait a minute… I've got to go… take a swim… or something… AYYYYYYYY YI… YOUCH!

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Five minutes later, I climbed out of the water, and Max grinned smugly…

"Did you get rid of your crabs, Michael? I'll have to promote the Golden Sea's newly discovered therapeutic values in our next intergalactic tourist ad! It'll be a great draw! You could give a testimonial!"

Oh, yeah! Yuk it up, Max! The rest of you sadists, too! And yes, they're gone, thank you. Sorry, Alyyx… We'll find you some more stinging nettle crabs. I did what I had to do, Max. I needed a distraction… fast. That's all. So I made one. It was nothing personal.

"And I want you to know you're forgiven, Michael."

Hmph! Yeah, well. I'm still itching. And stop laughing, you guys! It's really not that, snyxxx… it's not that, snyyxxx… Okay, not from my perspective, it's not. Sadists. So I'm forgiven now? So I can sit down and go on with my story and not worry about getting any more unwanted… crabs… or whatever? Okay, well…

OW! Wait a minute! I think I missed one! There it is. As I was saying… there was someone else who was back in town for the convention that year. Larry… and his girlfriend… what was her name? Jen, I think. You know, the two who were in the CrashDown the day Liz got shot who tried to convince Jim that Max had done something to her to heal her. Jen seemed upset this time, though. She spent the whole day over at the CrashDown talking to Liz and just drinking lots of coffee. Larry spent the day at the UFO center. He got himself penciled in on the list of speakers who claimed to have had direct contact with aliens. And when it was his turn to speak, I was there…

Okay, um… it happened right here… right in Roswell, New Mexico. September 17th. I was in the CrashDown Cafe. Now, that's right across the street. So I'm sitting there. Two guys come in. Boom! They start having an argument. Boom! A gun is pulled.

I knew where Larry was going with his story, and I couldn't let it happen, so I "accidentally" touched him on the chest and gave him a nasty itch like I did that time to that jock that was messing with Max. It pretty much ended his speech, but he looked like an idiot, scratching and stammering. What am I saying? He WAS an idiot!

Frakes chuckled and shook his head, and the "expert" basically accused Larry of making it all up, which irked Larry, and he started to get agitated. Then Frakes called for security and Milton suggested that Max help him take Larry down. It was classic!

You see why I hate UFO conventions! I did get rid of the troublesome Larry Trilling, though. Okay, Max and Milton threw him out… But outside the UFO Center, he found Everett Hubble, who apparently had been listening…

I believe you, kid. Tell me everything. Tell me about Max Evans. Tell me what you saw.

The fact that Larry was scratching as if he had… well… stinging nettle crabs all over… did not deter Hubbard at all. He listened to everything Larry said… for two hours… and believed it all. Hubbard then went back and tried to convince Jim that he was willing to lay all his cards on the table if Jim would do the same. He showed Jim some of the murder photos he had taken, with silver handprints on the victims.

Where'd you get these?

I know you've been investigating, but you're a weekend enthusiast. It's been full-time for me. Jimmy, your father may have made a mistake that night, pulled the trigger on the wrong man… but he wasn't crazy. You already know that, don't you? You knew that when I showed up here. It was in your eyes. All your father wanted to do was to help this world out. And they hung him on a cross for it. This isn't just some happy-go-lucky alien we're lookin' at. This is a killer, Jimmy. If you know something about it, it's our duty to team together now… do something. What about this kid, Max Evans? He have something to do with all this?

Maybe.


"What do you know about Max Evans, Jimmy?"

"You know what, Hub… I was over at the retirement home this morning, and I talked to Dad."

"You're evading the question, Junior."

"He said I shouldn't trust you."

"Did he now! And did he sound coherent to you?"

"Yeah. Well, pretty much… some of the time. Okay, not everything he says these days makes sense. But why would he tell me not to trust you?"

"You tell me."

"I'd like to. Alright. What's your important information, Hub? What do you know about that night… and these… victims in your pictures? How much I tell you depends on what you give me. I want to know the real story about what happened with Dad that night at the silo… in 1972."

Hubble proceeded to lay out a convoluted story of alien serial murders, omitting certain self-incriminating facts in the case that involved Jim's father and the dead drifter at the silo in 1972. But Jim mind was wandering as he listened…

Dad… try to focus. That night of the murder… at the silo… Hubble was there?

Whatever you do, don't trust him, Jimmy.


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Back at the UFO Center, Amy was having her Nineteenth Nervous Breakdown… you know, like that old Rolling Stones song. She was on the phone with one of the wrestlers she had hired for that "Alien Takedown" exhibit she and Maria had set up.

You can't quit now. The Alien Takedown is in an hour! Ernie, you have nothing to be afraid of. Raging Ray is a puppy dog. Look, he's not really gonna do anything really rough. I realize you suffered a broken rib last year… Fine, two! I… did you not receive my gift basket? Look, Ernie, if you don't do this, I'm broke, okay? I'm out of business, okay? I… I have half my annual revenue tied up in this thing! Hello? Hello? Oh!

I guess I should have been happy. That exhibit was not exactly kind to my species, whoever they were, I told myself. It was one of the big frauds that the UFO Convention perpetuated every year… one of the baser tourist gimmicks. Isabel would certainly be happy to find out it wasn't going to happen. Well, anyway, she would be happy if she knew. The UFO Center was not high on her list of entertainment places. She tried to ignore what went on there… and what didn't go on there. So Amy would lose a lot of money. It would be one less fraud perpetuated on the naïve public… and no skin off my nose, right?

Meanwhile, over at the CrashDown, it looked like the sympathy squad was convening. Jen had been drinking coffee and crying all day to Liz about how Larry had proposed to her and then had become so obsessed with all the alien stuff that he had no time to get married. Then Amy joined them with her woes about the Alien Takedown that wasn't. Maria and Liz were giving Jen and Amy comfort and moral support when Milton rushed in…

Amy! Where are you? The match is almost over!

What? Ernie showed up?


Amy rushed to the UFO Center and found a masked wrestler lying in the middle of the ring. He didn't appear to be moving, and Ray made some quip about him needing an ambulance.

Ernie! Oh, my God! Are you okay?

I took off the mask and grinned. "I'm just resting."

I guess Amy hadn't expected to find me there. I can't say I expected to find me there either, so how could she, right? It had been kind of a spontaneous decision.

Oh, you dear, dear, boy! Oh!

I tried to downplay it. I didn't want Maria to think I was getting soft or something. So I just said, It was easy money.

But the truth is, no amount of money could have made me do that. I mean, when Isabel found out… well, I didn't even want to think about that! I wasn't really sure myself why I did it. Then Maria pulled my face to hers and kissed me.

Mud.

What?

Mud. I'm thinking about mud.

Why do I even try?


It was true. I was thinking about mud. It was something I had suggested to Max to keep us from being so attracted to Maria and Liz… because we didn't think it was a good idea for us to be too attracted to them, considering who… or what… we are. The only trouble was, it wasn't working. At least, I knew it wasn't for me. And I could tell it wasn't for Max either… unless mud gave him that deer-in-the-headlights look every time Liz was around. I could say mud all day long and even try to picture it in my mind, and I still saw Maria. And she wasn't mud at all… definitely not mud! But I thought I had to try… for all the good it was doing. It really bothered her back then, but she teases me about it now. One time, several years after we were married, she gave me this picture of her, and it was just a picture of some mud. It was her little joke. Remember that, M'ria?

"Yeah, and I remember what you did. Michael touched the picture, and the mud disappeared, like magic, and my face appeared on the picture instead. He said that's what he really saw all the time. But he was too stubborn back then to admit it!"

True. But Maria was the one who performed the magic, not me. She bewitched me. I tried to see mud. I did. I just couldn't stop seeing her face. She was the magic all the time. When I realized that, that's when I finally found my real happiness.

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Sometimes, a lot of things are happening at the same time, and your emotions get taken on a roller coaster ride. This was one of those times. I guess while I was wrestling in the "Alien Takedown" exhibit, I kind of lost track momentarily of Hubble. I didn't know it, but while I was doing Amy a favor, Hubble was looking for Max. He found him in a back room of the UFO Center…

Evans! Milton said you wanted to talk to me about something.

Yeah, um, Shatner's a no-show.

Oh? Sorry to hear about that.

What do I have to do to convince you to… to do this panel, Mister Hubble?

Well, son, your tenacity has won me over.

Really?

I'm no Captain Kirk, but I'll give it my best shot.

Great! Thank you!

There's only one problem. My slides are back home. I'd go get em, but, uh, I busted a hose on my way up…

Then I'll drive you.

That's what I thought you'd say.


As I walked back out of the UFO Center, I saw Max and Hubble leaving together in Max's Jeep. It was too late to stop them, but I had a sixth-sense sort of reaction when I saw Larry standing nearby. Somehow, I just knew that he knew why they were leaving together. And I was determined he was going to tell me.

What the hell's going on? What's that guy doing with Max?

I don't know.

Tell me what he's doing with Max!


"How the hell do I know? Alright! Alright! Listen, he didn't tell me, okay? I don't know where they're going. Really! We just talked… about the shooting last year… in the café. He wanted to know what I saw, and he asked a lot of questions about Max. I can't tell you any more than that!"

I didn't know where Hubble was going with Max, but I had a good idea who might know. Jim was eating a late lunch at his desk when I climbed in through his office window.

"Don't you ever use doors, Michael?"

"I try not to. People see me when I use the door."

"Is that such a bad thing?"

"It could be. I prefer to be… elusive."

"Oh, yeah! The Avenger and all that!"

"Yeah, well… the fewer the people who know I'm here the better."

"So why are you here, Michael?"

"Why are you eating… broccoli?"

"I asked you first. Besides, there's other stuff on this tray besides broccoli."

"I needed to talk to you… about Hubble."

"Now you just spoiled my appetite."

"I thought the broccoli woulda done that."

"Doesn't Hank ever give you broccoli?"

"Hank's more of a hot dog and beer guy."

"Yeah but what does he give you?"

"Like I said…"

Jim frowned, and I shrugged.

"Hey, it's wet. Besides, I get the healthy stuff at school."

"I've gotta stop in and see Hank some time… soon! You should get juice and water. Coffee. Milk. And regular fruits and vegetables… even a little broccoli on occasion wouldn't hurt you, Michael."

"Me and broccoli have a pact. I don't eat it, and it doesn't eat me. So far it's been faithful to our pact, and I don't intend to be the one who breaks it first."

Jim looked at me and shook his head slowly, but he had a grin on his face. "You're hopeless! Okay, what did you want to know about Hubble?"

"What is he? I mean… is he really some big alien expert like he claims to be? And what does he want here in Roswell… from you? Why is he interested in Max? And where is he going with Max now?"

"All pretty good questions. Okay, let's see. Yes, he is a big alien expert. Yes, he is a bastard…"

"I didn't ask that."

"I threw it in for free. And, as for what he's looking for in Roswell… from me? That's what I'm trying to find out precisely myself. But the bottom line, when all else is said and done, is he's looking for you, Michael. Or someone like you… someone who doesn't have your scruples. Someone who is a killer, who has killed in the past, and who left only a handprint as evidence. As to why he's interested in Max… well, maybe you can tell me that. There's a lot you haven't told me about Max."

"It's not my place. Max is my friend. Just that. I wouldn't want to see any harm come to him. Where is Hubble now?"

"He said something about looking for Max… to talk to him privately. But he didn't say anything about going off anywhere with him."

"Why would he want to talk to Max?"

"I told you, he's an alien hunter… a very elusive one. He totally dropped out of sight for almost thirty years. Not a very sociable man, but a very good detective… of a sort. He's a bulldog for information. I guess he thinks Max has information… or… something."

"It's that something that's worrying me, Sheriff. Would Hubble hurt Max?"

Jim was quiet for several moments then slowly shook his head. "No… no, I don't think so. He's a bastard, but he's not dangerous… that I know of… not like that. You would do well to warn Max to stay away from Hubble, though, Michael. It's in Max's best interest… yours too… to avoid him. Hubble destroys reputations… and souls. His heart is blackened by obsession. He could cause both of you great problems, and he'd have no moral compunction or regrets about it afterwards. But he's not capable of murder… that I know of… I don't think."

"Why do you dislike him so much?"

"Michael, there's a lot I haven't told you… just as there's a lot you haven't told me. You know that my dad is still alive… in the retirement center…"

"Yeah."

"You know that people say that he was… obsessed… with aliens?"

"That's the rumor. It's not a secret."

"Yeah, well. It's true. He was obsessed. And so was Hubble. Hubble did something to Dad. To this day, I still don't know what it was. He did something that sent Dad over the edge. In one day, Dad went from being the sheriff of this town to being what he is now… incapable of even caring for himself. Hubble did that, and so help me God I'm going to find out what he did if it's the last thing I ever do. What Hubble wants from me is information to lead him to the real aliens, or at least to one alien, one who has killed. What I want is Hubble's head on a stick --figuratively speaking; or literally, if necessary-- when I finally find out what he did to Dad. It's a trade… of sorts."

"You would give him me then… to get what you want?"

"No. No, I don't intend to lower myself to his level, Michael. I gave him a little bit of general information, that's all. Nothing about you. It's called bait. I'm waiting to see if he takes the hook."

"What kind of 'general information?'"

"I might have mentioned the time that Max supposedly put out a grease fire with water… or some such stuff. And we discussed the shooting at the CrashDown. But Hubble brought that up himself. He already knew about it. I might have given him Larry's name, though; you know, that guy that insisted that Liz got shot. It was all just publicly available information from closed investigations that never came to anything. I was baiting Hubble with useless information… just to get him to talk about what happened between him and Dad in 1972… what he did that put Dad… where he is now."

"And what if he was dangling a baited hook, too, Sheriff? For you? And you swallowed it whole by giving him the information he wanted? A man like that gives nothing away for free. If he asked for information about Max, even if you don't see any relevance, I'm willing to bet that Hubble does… or thinks he does. And Max could be in trouble. What do you think Hubble, with his warped obsession, will do to Max if he thinks Max really is this dangerous killer alien he's looking for? Where are Hubble and Max now?"

Jim pushed his food away and picked up several pictures Hubble had given him and looked at them with a deeply troubled face. I remember thinking that, suddenly, Jim looked as though he thought he might have traded his soul for those pictures. There was a car in one of them… and a barely-visible license number on the car. Jim punched the number into his computer and took a deep breath.

"Well, now, how about that! The car's registered to Sheila Hubble. So Hubble does have a wife… or at least he did at one time. Dad was right. Michael, you may want to come with me. I have a bad feeling about this. I'm going to find Max, but I'll need to stop somewhere first to verify something… and to find out where Hubble might have gone with him. Otherwise, we may be wasting a lot of precious time searching in all the wrong places!"

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The first stop Jim made was at the retirement home. I admit I was a bit baffled. I wondered what his father could possibly know about where Max and Hubble were. But something was telling me that Jim was onto something, so I didn't question it. Well, okay, I didn't question it MUCH.

"Why are we stopping here?"

"To see Dad."

"Do you really think this is the time for a social visit? Max's life may be in danger! We should be looking for Max!"

"Don't you think I know that, Michael? That's why we HAVE to stop here first. If ANYONE knows where Hubble would take Max… if he intended to do him harm… it would be Dad."

Inside the retirement home, we were quickly passed in to see Jim's dad. It was one of the good things about being the sheriff, I guess. You don't have to go through a lot of crap to get in to see someone. It's just "Yes, sir, Mister Valenti," or "Yes, sir, Sheriff." I remember thinking, just for a nanosecond, that if I weren't a superhero, I might not mind being the sheriff. Okay, it was a fleeting thought. Jim found his dad sitting in a chair staring out the window. He pulled a chair up beside his dad's and sat on it, backwards, resting his arms on the back of the chair as he straddled it.

"Hey, Dad! How ya doin'? I came to see ya. Twice in one week! Some kinda record, I guess, huh? I'm so sorry. I really am. I'm gonna try to make it up to ya… come by to see ya more often from now on. I'm sorting my priorities out. Priorities! You know how those are, right? Things that aren't so important start seeming like they are, and… things that… really are… get lost in the… stars… somewhere… out there. Wait a minute… I think there's something in my eye. Okay, I think I got it. Then reality throws cold water in your face and shows you the things that really matter. Dad, what I'm trying to say is… you're more important to me than a few extra hours a week investigating stuff that always could've waited till there was time. Hey! I brought a friend with me to see ya, Michael Guerin.

Hi!

The senior Mister Valenti seemed to see me but didn't say anything.

Dad, You were right. He had a wife. Hubble came to you, didn't he? He told you someone was trying to steal his car that night… and he found his wife dead. And she had a handprint on her, just like the one that you'd seen on that corpse in 1959. And he saw a man run away from the scene, a drifter. And he thought the drifter was the murderer. Two years after the murder, he came back, didn't he? And he found you. And he persuaded you… seduced you… and you helped him find that drifter. Isn't that right, Dad?

The drifter?

And when you found him, you killed him. You killed an innocent man because of Hubble.

No.

Dad!

No!

Dad, tell me what happened out there, please.


It wasn't going to happen. I could see that. Jim's dad had some mental function still left, but it was emotionally locked away in some kind of deep recess of his mind. It was inaccessible. Maybe this was how he had survived all these years with whatever it was he had had to live with. I'm no Max. When it comes to healing, he can run circles around me. But Max wasn't here, and I had had some minor success healing small scrapes and stuff before… and River Dog's ankle. I touched Mister Valenti's temple with the tips of my fingers, and Jim looked at me…

"What are you doing, Michael?"

"I don't know. I might be able to help him… to open his mind… just a little. I can't heal whatever's wrong, but…"

Jim nodded. "Do it."

I took a deep breath and concentrated. I could feel Mister Valenti's emotions. I couldn't sort them out, though. They were like a train wreck, all piled up on top of each other. I concentrated on separating a few of the "wrecked cars." Then Mister Valenti turned his head and looked at me.

"You!"

I wasn't sure what to say. One part of me was terrified and just wanted to run away… but another part wanted to stay. The elder Valenti looked at his son, the sheriff…

"Jimmy!"

"Dad!"

He looked back at me again and then, oddly, seemed to relax. It wasn't what I had expected at all, and I was prepared for almost anything. He seemed to be collecting his thoughts, then he turned his head back toward Jim…

"Priorities, Jimmy… isn't that what you were talking about?"

"Yeah, Dad, it was."

"I think I… understand."

He looked at me and seemed to smile slightly, but his face was weathered with the grief of years…

"Thank you…"

"S'okay. I didn't do anything."

"I know. And thank you."

He did know. And I knew that he knew. I think he had come to terms with some things. He seemed oddly more at peace with himself than before, and he started to talk again… much more lucidly than in the past.

I did help Hubble. We tracked him. We were just going to get the truth. He told me he wouldn't hurt the man.

This hit Jim like a cannonball, and he recoiled, with a look of disbelief in his eyes.

Hubble shot him! Didn't he?! HE shot the drifter, not you!

Whatever you do, Jimmy, don't trust him.


"Dad, where would Hubble take someone to carry out his 'justice' if he thought they were the one he was looking for?"

The elder Valenti thought, but only for a moment. "Bitter Lake… by Pepper's Café. That's where Sheila was murdered. If he's onto someone, Jimmy…"

"Dad, I'm sorry, but we have to go! I think someone is in a lot more danger than I realized! I promise we'll come back to see you tomorrow, okay? I promise! Michael, let's go!

He might as well have saved his breath. I was already out the door and running.

<center> <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> </center>

Beautiful countryside, don't you think, Evans? Especially at sunset.

Yeah, it's pretty cool. So, Mr. Hubble, you said you were going to answer my questions.

Pull over to the side there. I want to show you something. You recognize it?

I've never been here. …Mr. Hubble, if we're gonna make Bitter Lake and back in time for the panel…


As we were racing to save Max, Hubble was talking Max up about what had happened to his wife, who had been going to break the news to Hubble that she was expecting a baby, the night she was killed in front of Pepper's café. He was convinced that Max was the one who had killed her, and he wanted Max to remember it vividly… before he killed him.

Four innocent people lost their lives startin' that day. My wife, my baby… that drifter, and, uh… and me. Dead man walking. That's what I felt all those years. Only thing kept me alive was you.

Me? But… but I don't know you.

I know you.


Hubble pulled out a handgun and aimed it at Max; that's what I saw as we drove up, and I jumped out of sheriff Valenti's car and yelled. Hubble was so obsessed with the thought of killing Max that he hadn't noticed us drive up, and when I yelled, it distracted him long enough for Max to knock the gun out of his hand. Jim quickly maneuvered his car so that the headlights would shine on the two of them; and Max, who was on the ground and struggling in the dirt with Hubble, used his power to push the gun out of Hubble's reach.

I knew it was you, you bastard! …Don't you see who he is? We have to stop him.

Drop it, Hub.

This son of a bitch is gonna die today, and nothing's gonna stop me, so go ahead! Unload every bullet in your chamber.

It only takes one.

Your father couldn't do it… and neither can you.


Suddenly, all the pieces came together. The elder Valenti had tried to keep Hubble from shooting the drifter but hadn't been able to bring himself to shoot Hubble to stop him. He had held out the belief that Hubble wouldn't do it until it was too late and he had done it. The elder Valenti felt responsible. The guilt consumed him. Hubble, on the other hand, apparently went his way after that, a free man, letting the elder Valenti take all the blame for the shooting. And in his condition, the elder Valenti had never set the record straight. Until now. I looked at my hands. I was no Max Evans. But maybe I had something… just enough something. And apparently, so did Jim…

There was a bang, and Hubble slumped to the ground. Jim turned to Max, apologizing for not having realized how dangerous Hubble was, but Max was angry that Jim had put him in danger.

Get outta here. The both of you. You were never here. Go on!

I urged Max to go with me. The guy was crazy, Max, alright? He didn't know what he was talking about.

I don't think he was crazy, Michael. I think the one we've been looking for has killed people… a lot of people.


As we left in Max's Jeep, we heard Jim placing a call for backup. This is Sheriff Valenti. I've been involved in a code 4. I got one man down. My 10-20 is the abandoned Peppers Café at Bitter Lake.

<center> <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> </center>

Jim was true to his word. The next day he went back to see his dad… and he asked me to go with him.

"Naw… I don't know, Sheriff. You need personal time with your dad. I'd be a fifth wheel."

"You're a lot of things, Michael, but a fifth wheel is not one of them. Come on! There'll be lots of days, God willing, for me to visit with Dad privately. I think this once, we've got something to tell him… together… you and me."

"We keep Max out of it."

Jim nodded. "Just you and me… and Dad."

"Okay."



<center>End of Episode 112

tbc…
</center>
Last edited by Island Breeze on Tue Apr 10, 2007 2:02 am, edited 2 times in total.
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TABASCO

Post by Island Breeze »

Codename: TABASCO
(The Awesome Background And Secret Chronicles Of Michael Guerin)



Hey! Hey! Hey! I'm trying to tell a story over here! What's going on there anyway? Zorel?

"Nothing."

I know "nothing" when I hear it, Zorel. "Nothing" doesn't sound like a two-headed bruggi baying under a full moon… with its tails caught in a kiji stun bush!

"That was Andya."

"Zorel was telling lies, Uncle Michael… about Mama… I had to thump him."

"Twice! She hit me twice!"

Zorel?

"I wasn't looking, Dad. She got in a sucker punch."

Twice? No… Forget that… Never mind! I don't want to know about that. What'd you say to her?

"Ow."

I don't mean after she thumped you. What did you say that started this… little war?

"I wasn't lying, Dad, honest! I just told her that Uncle Max got drunk once, and Aunt Liz went off with a mysterious gigolo, and they hid from everyone somewhere where no one could find them. You told us about it, remember? When she won a radio contest. See, Andya! Smooch, smooch! OW! ANDYA!!!!!

"MICHAEL!"


That's not exactly how I told it, Liz! Honest!

"Dad! She hit me again!"

You deserved it, Zorel! OW! LIZ?!!!

"You deserved it! GIGOLO?! Exactly what DID you tell these kids, Michael?"

It was innocent, Liz, honest. And I didn't say that the mystery guy you dated was a gigolo. Of course… I might have said the DJ was, but… Okay okay… I think it's time I set the record straight about this… episode… for everyone's sake. Damn, Liz, that's some right hook you've got!

"That wasn't a right hook, Dad, she just gave you a whack on the back of the head."

Zorel, unless you want a whack, too… on the fanny… I suggest you make like a Dozjian Xarmet and zip it.

"Ooh! Hey! I saw a Dozjian Xarmet once! They have these real neat things that work like zippers on their lips, noses, and eyelids, and they sleep all zipped up. It keeps the dust out of their mouths and eyes and all… because they live on a desert planet."


Varec, would it be possible to adapt a Xarmet's zippers to, say, a kid… about eleven years old?

"I don't know why not."

"I'm shutting up, Dad."

Okay… Now… If anyone wants to hear this, here's what really happened…



Episode 113

The Mysterious Dark Haired Man (Blind Date)




Goin' north on downtown main street, headed with my entourage… toward the winner of the KROZ blind dream date. An evening of fantasy and romance for one lucky listener that ends in the most exciting concert of the year, an intimate club date with a surprise mystery band that'll put this town on the map for more than just the crash… Right here at one of our finer local establishments, the CrashDown Café! Looking for our new Queen of Hearts, Miss Liz Parker!

Radio station KROZ was having a contest to find itself a "Queen of Hearts," and it seems that Maria decided to enter Liz's name in the contest. To make a long story short, Liz got picked, and she won the intimate date and dinner with the "man of her dreams," as well as tickets to a concert featuring a mystery band that was supposed to "put Roswell on the map for more than just the crash." I think that's how the guy put it. Alex's band wound up playing, and Maria filled in for their singer, who had mono. But how that happened is a whole 'nother story, and we won't go there right now. Anyway, this DJ struts into the CrashDown like he's the papa peacock in the peacock harem, and he says, "Congratulations, Liz Parker, your life is about to change because we're gonna find you that dream man you've been searching for." Then he asks her what's running through her mind right at that moment, and she smiles sweetly and says, 'nothing that I can say on live radio.'

I always loved Liz's retorts. They're subtle and understated and tend to fly right over the heads of the boobs they're aimed at, probably because she has this innocent sort of "Who, me?" look; but to anyone with half a brain and one good ear, I gotta admit, her comebacks are pretty sharp… not altogether unlike her right hook. But I digress. Okay… I didn't hear the DJ, personally. Maria told me about it all later. But Maria does great imitations! It's like being there! Sometimes even better!

The thing about Max being drunk, see, is, well, Kyle had had a bit to drink. He had gone out with Liz a few times before she and Max became an item, and it seems he wasn't taking Liz's date with the mystery man any better than Max was… maybe worse, actually, if that's possible, 'cause up to then Max had been putting up at least a semi-successful front, trying to pretend that he was fine with the whole affair. Not that anyone with eyes couldn't see otherwise. But Kyle spots Max, see, and having had a few drinks already and being kind of mellow and soppy, he starts commiserating with Max, and he convinces Max to take a sip, too, not knowing that our physiology couldn't process alcohol as efficiently as his. Earthlings are eons ahead of us on that score. Drinks on Antar have a very different molecular makeup.

The truth is, Liz wasn't thrilled about the whole blind date contest thing. It was Maria who thought it would be a great opportunity for Liz to date a mystery guy… since Liz and Max were sort of on the outs at the moment…

I don't know what the problem is, Liz. This could be big! Your dream guy! Tailor made! The human version!

Okay, Maria… 'Embarrassing,' 'humiliating,' 'mortifying…' I don't know. Pick your SAT word. I'm not forgiving you for a very, very long time!

What is wrong with a normal date with a normal guy for once? Look, it's not like Max has changed his mind or anything. He dumped you. Think about it. That's all I'm saying.


As far as I was concerned, at the time, Liz could run away with any mystery man she wanted, or even with the fruity DJ himself, and I would have given them my blessing. It would have freed up Max for more profitable pursuits, like looking for "Nasedo." Nasedo was one of us… the fourth alien. Max and Isabel weren't so keen about finding this "Nasedo," though. She kept reminding me that Hubble said he was a killer, and I reminded her that Hubble was a certifiable loony-toon and couldn't be trusted. But I knew more than I was admitting. Jim had told me about the mysterious alien Hubble was looking for. I knew things that, well, if Isabel had known, she would have been impossible to deal with. So I kept some stuff to myself. Maybe there were reasons for what Nasedo did. Maybe he had to do what he did. I didn't want to judge him. I wanted to find out that he was our father. And that brings me to the crux of this little story…

I needed Max to help me find this guy, but Maxwell was all distraught about Liz being matched up with some mystery dude by a fruity DJ. Okay, Max wasn't admitting it, but like I said, it wasn't hard to see. He acted all cool and indifferent when he thought Liz would still be his and his alone at the end of the day, even if he ignored her, but when he thought he might be about to lose her, he freaked out… big time. Yes, you did, Max! I mean, I'm not saying I'm blameless in all of this. See, I told Max… many times… that he should cool it with Liz… for all our sakes. Fine time to start following my advice! But you were acting indifferent, Max! I wouldn't blame Liz if she had run away with the mystery dude. You have to let women know that you care, if you do, Max, like me with Maria; you can't ignore them. MAX? MAX! Don't do that! Put the crabs down. Come on, I wasn't saying that you DIDN'T care about Liz back then! I just meant that you shouldn't have listened to me. Heck, I didn't even listen to me! Now put the crabs down… and step away slowly. Come on… a little more. A little more… That's better.

"Michael, what did YOU do to show me you loved me back then?"

What do you mean? Maria, I did a lot of stuff to let you know I loved you! I… I made that thing for you in shop, remember? I never did that for no other girl. I did a lot of stuff for you that I never did for any other girl. I said a lot of stuff I never said to any other girl… It wasn't easy. I wasn't raised to show affection and sentimentality. Hank's idea of closeness was… mostly the reason I avoided him… or tossing me a beer to pour over my wounds… to kill the germs… after he split my head or lip open. I had no concept of how to accept real love, much less how to show it. Maybe I made some mistakes. But I changed for you, Maria. I changed my life. I came out of a shell that I had sworn never to remove. I did it… 'cause it was you."

"I just like to hear you remind me, Michael… of the NICE things about you, I mean. And remind yourself, 'cause there was a lot that I saw to love about you then, even inside that shell. I just didn't know where to find a hammer big enough to break it. You had to give me a little help."

Yeah… well, I know. I guess Max wasn't the only one who acted cool and aloof sometimes. But I did love you, Maria. You know I did. I DO love you.

"That's all we want to hear. Right, Liz?"

"Right! You hear that, Ma…x… Mmmmph… mmmmmm."

Aw, sheez! Okay, Max, Come on! Max! Get a room! Come up for air, Max, I've still got more of this story to tell. Max! Alright, have it your way. You and Liz can listen while you… whatever…

Where was I? Oh yeah, I was sayin' Ummmmph… Mari- mmmm. Oh, hell… the story… mmmm… can wait!

"Hey, Zorel, I just figured out why our parents always say the water's running upstairs and then disappear when they start kissing at home."

"Why, Maya?"

"Well, look at your dad. He's sweating. But it's not hot."

"I think it is for him."

"Are you up to finishing this story, Guerin?"

"Don't start, Kyle! I can multi-task. I can do a lot of things that baffle the less gifted like yourself."

"Ooh, touchy! Well, if you guys are finished bringing Yasger's farm to the other side of the universe, I for one would like to hear the rest of this story."

You aren't old enough to remember Yasger's farm, Kyle.

"I read about it."

Is that how you learned, uh, everything? Reading about Woodstock?

"I can hold my own, Michael. Trust me! There are things that don't require a book."

Just wondering.

"He can, Michael!"

I'll take your word for it, Jeliya. An investigation won't be necessary. Returning to the story… 'cause I think we got off the track here somewhere. Not that I'm complaining! I like sidetracks… sometimes… when… anyway… Nasedo! I was talking about Nasedo… I think. Yeah, I was. Max and Isabel and I discussed the matter of Nasedo at the CrashDown.

Alright, look, Max… We know the cave painting is a map.

Michael, we don't know anything.

I feel it, okay? I mean, it was clear in my hallucination.

Hallucination would be the key word there.


Max was definitely not interested in looking for Nasedo, and he didn't mince any words about it. Isabel, on the other hand, seemed to understand my need to find him, but she was no more inclined to go looking for him than Max was, which left me pretty much where I started… at first base with no hits… and two strikes. But later I decided to try one more time to convince Isabel. If anyone was going to give in it would be her. I made my way over to the Evanses' house and knocked on Isabel's window…

Come in.

Hey!

What're you doin'?

I think I've figured it out. I can read the map. Come on, I'll show you!

But what about the concert? Alex got us tickets!

Well, it's either the concert or discovering where we come from!

Well, what about Max? Shouldn't we at least…

What ABOUT Max? Last I heard, he didn't seem too interested, remember?

He's just worried, Michael… worried about you.

Yeah, look, the only father I need is the one out there waiting for us to find him. Let's go!


Fortunately, Max wasn't using his jeep, so I borrowed it, and Isabel and I drove to the library.

That means something, Isabel! It's right here on the map. Look. This is the constellation I saw in my dream… Aries the Ram! I looked it up, and this is the symbol Nasedo left us at the cave. If you take a map of Roswell and you position it properly when Aries is directly overhead, which is in April by the way, all the rest of these symbols take on locations. And this one's right here… at the library!

How'd you know how to do that, Michael?

I just knew.

I don't think we should be doing this.

Isabel, he sent us a signal. We've gotta send him one back. This is how we're gonna find him!

Yeah, but what if he's…

What if he's the killer? There's only one way to find out.


I spread some old ropes out on the grass in the shape of the symbol from the cave and poured gasoline on them. I don't know what I expected. That Nasedo would suddenly appear in the center of the burning symbol, like some demon summoned up from hell? Or maybe that he was gonna pop out like a jack-in-the-box when the crank hits the right spot? Anyway, when Nasedo didn't show up I asked Isabel to wipe out the symbol with her powers so nobody would know we'd been there. I felt dejected… disappointed… depressed… dumb… deceived. Pick your dreary "D" word. After all, Nasedo had left that symbol for us so we could find him. He must have. So why didn't he come? I decided to work out my disappointment by going to see Jim to see if he had any cases I could help him with. What a laugh, huh? Here he'd been chasing after me all this time, and I just show up on his doorstep and offer my services to him like I'm one of his deputies coming to work.

Well… not exactly on his doorstep…

"Come in, Michael."

"How did you know it was me? You didn't even turn around."

"Don't need to. Who else climbs in through my window? On the second floor? A window that's locked and bolted from the inside?"

"Somebody might. You never know."

"They might. If they're like you."

"Yeah, well, I'm not the only one 'like me.' There's that guy Hubble was looking for. Did you forget him?"

That thought seemed to unnerve Jim, but only for a second. He recovered quickly.

"Not likely, Michael. He's more interested in staying out of my sights… not placing himself in them. Whoever he is, wherever he is, he's not going to just waltz up and say hello."

"Yeah, so I found out."

"Huh?"

"Nothing. Look, Sheriff, I came here because… because I need to take my mind off some stuff and I thought maybe you might be able to give me one of those assignments you said you could use some help with. Something a little more 'substantial' than the last time. I want to help you solve something that you really want solved… badly. Something big."

Jim swallowed then exhaled a long, drawn-out breath…

"I'm not sayin' I don't want your help, Michael. I do, and you know it. But… if I let you go running around Roswell rounding up bad guys for me people are going to start noticing. And not just any people… City Hall! The mayor! Judge Lewis! You would be very hard to explain, Michael. Especially to Judge Lewis! He's never been my biggest fan, and he'd love to catch me making a misstep."

"I'll keep out of sight, Sheriff… I'll stay under the radar. Nobody else will know about me. I'm sure you must have some case that you really, really want solved… bad enough to think up some explanation for… for how you bagged the perp."

Jim's lips pressed involuntarily into a thin, tight line, and I knew I had him. There was something he wanted, and he wanted it bad enough to accept my help… despite the risks. He knew it. I knew it. I just had to get him to say it.

"Alright. Alright. You asked for it. Remember that, Michael."

Jim walked to his desk and pulled out a thick file. He held it in his hand for a moment, almost as though he was having second thoughts, then dropped it on the desk in front of me. I reached down and opened it cautiously. A photo. It was a middlish-aged man, probably mid thirties. Lots of tattoos. Not that I had anything against tattoos. But this guy's tattoos all seemed angry. You know, knives, snakes, demon heads, dripping blood, stuff like that. I read the name…

"Brad Deakin. What'd he do?"

"Keep reading. It's all there."

I scanned the list of arrests. "Nice guy! Car theft, home invasion, fraud, assault and battery, attempted murder… Is there anything this guy hasn't done?"

"Not much. But none of that is why I'm risking everything to let you go after him."

"Attempted murder seems like a pretty good reason to me."

"Yeah. Look at the next page, Michael."

I flipped the page over, and my heart caught in my throat. My eyes closed involuntarily, and I looked away.

"See, Michael?"

"Who was she?"

"His daughter."

I thought I couldn't be more shocked than I already was, but I was wrong. I glanced at the photo again and quickly covered my mouth. For a moment, I actually thought I was going to lose my lunch in my hand."

"Why?"

Jim shrugged. "Deakin wasn't living with his wife. She had the kids… and a restraining order to keep him away. But sometimes restraining orders aren't worth the paper they're written on, Michael, if the one they're supposed to be restraining feels like he has nothing to lose anymore. Deakin grabbed his daughter on her way home from school one day. Some hikers found the body the next day. Apparently, he beat her… hard. And that's not all, but… we needn't go there. Anyway… afterwards he started thinking about the possible consequences to himself if she ever got away or was rescued. He needed to get rid of the evidence of what he'd done."

"Her."

"Yeah."

"His own daughter!"

"Animals like this act in ways that are incomprehensible to the rest of us, Michael. They don't know love or honor. Just self-preservation. He choked her to death… then he took the body into the woods and poured acid over it. The only reason she was still identifiable at all was that it rained that afternoon… hard."

"Where is he now?"

"I don't know. He went into hiding after the body was identified. But he's still in Roswell, we're pretty sure of that. Probably in the woods… in a cave or somewhere. He's had a lot of survival training. This guy could live in the wild the rest of his life with no problem. But we have a more pressing problem with him than even what you've seen here."

I looked up, and Jim read the surprise on my face.

"Yeah, hard to believe, isn't it, Michael."

"More pressing… how?"

"This animal has a son… about six years old. He got the boy and took him with him into hiding."

"Would this guy… you know… I mean… is he…"

Jim shrugged. "We don't know. We think it's to get back at his ex-wife, because he left a note for her saying he was gonna raise his son to be a "real man." Apparently, he intends to bring his son up in the wild… teach him survival techniques… and raise him to be just like himself. Deakin has a twisted sense of fatherhood. Michael, I really want to get that boy away from him. He's just a child. You'll have to stay under the radar, as you so aptly pointed out yourself. Wherever you go, you'll need to have an alibi for why you're there and what you're doing. You can't ever let on that you're looking for Deakin."

"Maybe I can."

"How do you mean?"

"Well, Deakin is a hardcore bad dude, and he's been in prison before. He must have 'acquaintances' out there who might come looking for him… let's say, to pull the job of a lifetime… something that would guarantee them both enough money so that he could leave Roswell and live anywhere in the world as a rich man and have everything he wanted… live any way he wanted… with enough money to make corrupt local authorities look the other way. Sheriff… if I talk to anyone, I'll be, uh… Griff Jackson… a former cellmate of Deakin's who claims he just wants to find his old buddy."

Jim sighed. "It could work… I guess. Assuming he actually had any old 'buddies' in prison.

"He does now."

"Griff Jackson, huh?"

"That's me… in case you hear the name mentioned."

"I'll remember. I assume you plan to leave the same way you entered?"

"Yeah. Doors are so last year."

Jim smiled and laid a hand on my shoulder. Then he took it away and nodded. "Michael… thanks. And good luck… son."

I nodded back silently. There was nothing to say. Nothing I could say. Then I hopped out the window, after checking to see that there was no one around. Jim closed it back behind me.

A few blocks away, I stopped in the shadows for a moment and watched. The elementary school was just letting out, and kids were pouring out the doors, laughing, talking with each other, happy… kids just like Deakin's daughter… the same age. I rammed my fist into the side of the building and closed my eyes for a moment. What kind of animal…? No, not even an animal… What kind of monster…?

<center> <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> </center>

And now it's time for us to check in with our Valentine's Day dream girl. We're comin' to you live from the CrashDown Café, where it's blind date quiz time with Roswell's most eligible bachelorette, Liz Parker… And may I just say to our listeners that they are missing a sweet soda shop treat by not being here to see what a knockout you really are, Liz. Even with the antennas.

Thank you.

You mean to tell me you don't already have a boyfriend?

Umm, no… not right now.

Well, whoever let you get away is gonna be kickin' himself when you're out with your dream date on Friday night. Now answer some questions for me now, Liz. Do you like blonds or brunets?

Uh, brunets.

Okay… hometown boys or out-of-towners?

Well, umm, hometown boys are okay, but…

I hear the sound of broken hearts all over Roswell. Brainiac or class clown?

Yeah, I'm not into clowns.

Open books or challenges?

Yeah, I guess I'm always up for a challenge.

It sounds like we've gotta find you a serious, dark-haired, mystery man from an exotic place by Friday night! Is Liz Parker's "Mister-Right" listening out there?


Liz wasn't terribly thrilled about it, but her date with the mystery man was on the fast track and she couldn't stop it. I happened to be listening on the radio, in Max's Jeep, and I heard the DJ's comment about finding Liz a "serious, dark-haired, mystery man from an exotic place." I had to chuckle and shake my head. That description had Max written all over it! Max really did have a spell on Liz, and she couldn't see it. That's when I realized that she wouldn't be able to break free of him even if they strutted all the studs of New Mexico in front of her. She was hooked… in a serious way. I can't say I was thrilled about it, but if it had to be someone, I guess Liz was a great choice… for Max, I mean. After all, I had Maria. I was still fighting that, too, back then, but trying to forget Maria was like flapping my arms and trying to fly. It wasn't gonna happen no matter how hard I tried, and deep inside I already knew it. Isn't it funny how you know these things instinctively, even when you're in denial?

And Max, well, Liz's date with a mystery man was like a strong jolt of coffee in the face for him… a wake-up call that stings. And he wasn't taking it lying down. Moping outside Liz's window while she was getting ready for her date, yeah… but not lying down.

What are you doing here, Max?

I couldn't just let you find another guy. I love you, Liz. I'll always love you.


Unfortunately for Max, he got interrupted, and Liz had to leave for her mystery date. But he needed the extra shock. And he got it! Big time!

Doug Shellow! Doug's a freshman at the University of New Mexico who studies ancient languages and hopes one day to be an archeologist… a job, Liz, that will take him to exotic locations all over the globe uncovering mysterious lost civilizations. And just look at that thick, luxurious head of brown hair. Go ahead, Liz. Come on, Liz, I know you want to! Just run your fingers through it, just once! Come on, he won't bite ya… Oh, yeah, that's the stuff. And now it's off for a romantic dinner for two at Chez Pierre, where we leave off and l'amour does the rest.

Max watched from outside the restaurant, with Kyle, who was getting drunker by the second, as Liz and her mystery date ate. The DJ was really playing it up…

I think our new valentines, Liz and Doug, look like they're ready for dessert.

And Kyle… good old Kyle… wasn't helping, though he was trying to be sympathetic… Then the DJ called for Liz and Doug to kiss…

Now usually this doesn't happen till the end of the evening, but how about letting us in on that first kiss, right now? Come on, Doug, just like we practiced.

Just like we practiced? The DJ? and Doug? Practiced… together? I knew there was something weird about that DJ! Anyway, Doug dips Liz back and gives her a soft kiss, then suddenly they both take off through the kitchen and out the back door together and lose the DJ… and Max. Then Kyle offers Max a sip of his booze, but Max says he doesn't drink.

Just one sip! One sip! What's it gonna do, kill you? No. No, it's gonna calm you down, man. It's gonna, just, you know… take the sting away. Just try it… Just trust me, nothin' bad's gonna happen.

That's how Max came to be drunk. He just took one sip. That's all it takes for us. Earth alcohol is not compatible with our physiology! But it did take away Max's inhibitions, and in retrospect, that wasn't such a bad thing at that moment…

We're beaten, Max.

Not unless we give up, Kyle.

Well, in case you haven't noticed, we're here in the gutter while she's off smooching with dog boy.

We're gonna win her back.

We are?

We're gonna show her how we feel about her, and she's gonna forget all about Mr. Shallow and come back to us.

Shellow.

Come on.

Well, how do we split her up, exactly, Max? Every other week? Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays… alternate Saturdays?


Max and Kyle! Commiserating with each other! Talking about sharing Liz! I looked up involuntarily. For a moment, I expected to see pigs flying overhead.

Somehow, Max and Kyle wound up in Liz's room above the CrashDown, where Kyle decided to go diving in Liz's underwear drawer, which is where he was when Liz walked in on them. I wasn't there, but that was one time I wished I could have been. At least, I would've loved to have been a fly on the wall! Liz quickly realized that Max was drunk and started making excuses for him, and that kind of ended her date with Shellow, who was standing behind her. I guess he wasn't into drunken orgies; though from what I heard, he was so confused about what was going on that he probably would have consented to anything… if Kyle hadn't kept him in the living room away from Max and Liz so the two of them could talk. I was still listening on the radio in Max's Jeep, as the freaky DJ was having his own orgy watching what was going on… or what he thought was going on… through Liz's window. You'd've thought he was a regular peeping Tom. And I'm not saying that he wasn't. He did seem to have a lot of experience in that, uh, field. He was enjoying himself way too much!

I knew it, people! Doug's already maneuvered his way into the bedroom with… another guy? This is… this is about the wackiest thing I've seen in a long time! Doug in the bedroom with another guy… while another dark-haired mystery man steals Liz away into the night! Wait a minute, what's this? Ladies and gentlemen, who is M.E., And what has he done with our dream girl?

Max had made his and Liz's initials appear in a heart, in neon lights. And while the DJ was panting and moaning into his microphone, imagining everything that was going on, Liz and Max escaped together and ran down a dark street. It's probably good that the DJ didn't see what happened after that…

Max! Max, please. We have to stop. Please, we have to stop.

Let's just keep running, you and me, away from here, away from everything. I see everything so clearly now. We'll go some place where no one knows us. As long as we're together, nothing else matters.

You're drunk. Nothing that you're saying is true.

It's all true, Liz. It's how I really feel. It's all just magic when I think about you.


Max touched a lamp post and caused the light to shine in a pattern…

Max, turn it off! Anyone can see!

And when I'm not with you… I go crazy.


He touched a car, and its alarm went off.

Max!

When you're here…

Oh, Max, please!

You're my dream girl, Liz.

And what if I believe you tonight?

Then we live happily ever after.

And then what about tomorrow, when you go back to realizing who you really are and all of your fantasies go away?

I'll still have you.

This can never be normal, Max.


Max touched the tops of some parking meters, and they started sparkling.

What's so great about normal?

At the club, later, after Liz called a taxi to take her and Max back, the DJ was waiting… and eager to make the most of the changed social situation. When Liz asked to go home, he stopped her…

Hold on there, dream girl. You're not gonna get off so easy. I mean, look at these guys. You got 'em hanging on by a string, and I think you owe it to them, and the KROZ listeners, to make a choice here and now. Will it be Doug, the dream man we chose for you, the ex-boyfriend, Lyle,

Kyle!

Or Max, who kidnapped you, and vandalized your home? What do you have to say for yourselves, men? Doug?

I thought she just wanted a normal date.

Ok, go for it, Kyle.

Hey, I'm just happy to be nominated… and I think I'm gonna puke.

Alright, well, convince her, Max.


Max stepped forward and put his arms around Liz then gave her a long and very passionate kiss. When he did, they both saw flashbacks of all the good times they had spent together. And for the first time, the DJ said something intelligent…

Well, it looks like we've found our winner.

Unfortunately, Max's uninhibitedness wore off at that moment, and he started apologizing. Then he walked away. Liz ran after him…

Wait, Max! Max! Did you really mean everything that you said when we were alone tonight?

I don't remember. What did I say? I didn't mean to ruin your night.

You didn't.


Ah, Max! Even the DJ could see that you were the one Liz really wanted. I mean, everybody could see it. But you couldn't make yourself say what you really felt in your heart without something to pry loose those kingly inhibitions! Well, don't despair, Liz. I hear there's a little bottle store near the capitol in Washington D.C., not far from Dan Klein's office. He and Diane'll be happy to bring you back a few bottles from time to time to keep Max mellow.

"You don't need to feel sorry for Liz, Michael. She sees my non-kingly person every day these days. And I'm plenty mellow these days… with Liz anyway. I don't need the earth booze, thank you. Keep it for yourself."

I don't need anything but Maria.

"And I don't need anything but Liz… and my kids."

Well, yeah, of course. I meant that I don't need anything else "that way," you know what I meant. Of course, I need my kids, too!

"We've all changed, Michael. We're not crazy teenagers from 'out there somewhere' trying to find our way and feeling insecure and unsure of what we're even supposed to be anymore."

No, you're right. We're crazy parents trying to keep our sanity… when one of our kids repeats something we said and puts his own spin on it.

"But we love 'em."

That we do. But I still think the Dozjian Xarmet zippers could have real promise. Varec could make it work!

"Dad!"

"Just kidding, Zorel!"

<center> <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> </center>

"This looks bad, Michael. What happened?"

"I hit a building."

"Oh! What did it do to you?"

"It got in the way."

"Well, I guess that's a good reason… Look, if you don't want to tell me it's okay."

"Kids."

"Kids?"

"Yeah. What kind of animal kills its own kids, Max?"

"I don't know… None that I know of. At least, not usually. You want to talk about it?"

"No."

"Okay."

"It's nothing, Max. I was just thinking about Hank, I guess."

"Are you in danger, Michael? Is Hank hurting you? I mean, I know he's pretty mean sometimes… when he's drinking. But if you need help, well, Dad's an attorney, you know…"

"No. Forget it, Max. I shouldn't have said anything. I was just… thinking about stuff I've got to do… taking care of a demon."

"Your hand's fine now. I can fix stuff like that, Michael. It's the other stuff that worries me. I hope you crush your demon."

"I will, Max. Believe me! I will… when I find it! Oh! And thanks for taking care of my hand."

"No sweat. I'm sure the building got the worst of it."

"Yeah."




<center>End of Episode 113

tbc
</center>
Last edited by Island Breeze on Fri Aug 24, 2007 2:31 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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Codename: TABASCO MG (Teen, All)

Post by Island Breeze »

Codename: TABASCO: MG
(The Awesome Background And Secret Chronicles Of Michael Guerin)



Episode 114

Into The Morning

(Independence Day)




As Michael continues his story, Maria waves her hand to get his attention…

"Michael, Najiyah has a request."

Who?

"You know… the muse."

Oh! I didn't… well, I guess I didn't know muses had names. Sorry. I should have asked.

Najiyah smiled. "You can just call me Naji. All the other muses do. I would like to hear about how you became emancipated."

Emancipated. Okay, well… you see… that was kind of a hard time in my life for me to talk about. Of course, I'm over it now, though, so I guess it's okay. Actually, that happened right about at this time in my story, so I'll have to tell you about it anyway if you're going to understand the rest of the story.

As I said, the period leading up to and right before my emancipation was the hardest time in my life, emotionally, except for when all the children on Antar disappeared and we thought they were all dead. But that happened much later, after we were on Antar. The day I was emancipated… You know, I still get a kind of… I don't know… something… when I remember it. But it's okay! Yeah! I'll talk about it…

You kids don't know how lucky you are to grow up loved and wanted, with real parents, or at least someone who loves you and cares about you. You already know about Max and Isabel and me… how we were sent to Earth and "reborn" there, in a manner of speaking. And you know about Max and Isabel's adoptive parents, the Evanses, because they're some of your grandparents. Max and Isabel were lucky. The Evanses found them and adopted them and were good parents. I was discovered later and was put into the foster kid system. That works sometimes, 'cause not everybody is like him. But other times you got…

Hank. I can still see him… staggering… drunk… yelling at me to do the wash and cook his dinner. Hank didn't want a child, he wanted a slave, someone he could push around and force to do all the chores for him. Someone he could beat up on all the time and take out his frustrations on. But at the end of the day, he was all I had to go home to, and his dump of an old trailer was where I lived, such as it was…

Until I was emancipated.

We'll get to that in a minute, but let's go back a bit first…

Around the time right before I was emancipated Maria was still trying to get over me. She even got some kind of herbal drops or something from her mother's shop and was taking them as a kind of… what was it you called it, Maria? Grief relief? Yeah, that was it. Grief relief. She gave Liz some, too… to try to get over Max.

(Maria digs down into her bag and pulls out a little bottle. With a smirk, she tosses it to Michael, who looks at it, puzzled.)

What's this?

"My Anti-Michael Grief Relief. It didn't work."

You've still got it? Didn't you say veterinarians used this stuff to calm wild animals?

"Yeah, but you had a way of making my wild heart rip right out of its cage, Michael. It was useless against you."

Why did you keep it?

"I don't know. It's sort of iconic. It reminds me, whenever I need to remember, that no matter how bad things might seem, our love will always pull us through… Our love is indomitable."

Here. Catch. Put it back in your bag.

"Aren't you afraid I'll take some?"

If it brings us another twelve years like the last twelve, I'm all for it… iconically speaking. Besides, your heart and mine are too fierce to be calmed by any common herbal remedy, Maria. The only thing that is good for us is each other.

(Unable to stand any more, Kyle groans. "Let's get on with the story, Michael! Next the two of you will be going on like Romeo and Juliet, saying how much you love each other, and I'll never get to hear the rest of this story!")

I was just getting to that, Kyle… Maria, I love you.

"I love you, too, Michael."

(Amidst a chorus of "Awwwws" from Liz, Isabel, Jeliya, Amy, and the others, Kyle melodramatically drops to the sand and covers his ears, pretending to be in agony. But Jeliya quickly hushes him up… her own way. By the time she is finished, he has momentarily but completely forgotten what Michael was talking about.)

Kyle… you're holding things up, man. I'm telling my story, remember?

"Uh, sorry. What… Um… I mean, uh… Where were you?"

(Michael grins and winks at Maria) Another alien conquest!

Okay everyone, as much as I hate to change the topic here… especially with Maria… I'm going to tell you about my emancipation… if I can take all these ups and downs…

I got home that day… Well, actually, I never liked calling it 'home.' I always called it 'Hank's trailer.' That's what it really was. But like I said before, it was all I had. Anyway, there were some things I had to do on the way back ho-… to Hank's trailer… after school… so I got there later than usual, and Hank was waiting for me. He was drunk. Nothing new there. He wanted to know why I hadn't done the wash, and I told him to do it himself. Then he threw a beer bottle at me, but I dodged it. Bad went to worse, and he became physical, yanking me around and slapping and hitting me like I was a punching bag. I tried to twist loose from him, and the next thing I knew, his fist smashed into my face… hard. I saw stars. But worse than the pain was knowing that I had the means to protect myself and couldn't. I couldn't control my powers, especially when I was upset, so I kept them in check. I couldn't take another life. Not even a lowlife like Hank.

The next morning, Isabel noticed I was avoiding her at school. I didn't want her to see my black eye. I was avoiding Max, too, but Max tricked me by opening the door to the men's room like he was going out and then closing it, and when I came out of the stall he was still standing there. So he saw it. He wasn't very happy about it. I made him promise not to tell anyone, and he healed it so I could go to class.

How did it happen?

He was drunk.

Hank? Has it happened before?

Coupla times. This was the worst though.

Michael…

Don't. I don't want you feeling sorry for me. I don't want anyone feeling sorry for me.


Later that day, I saw Max and Isabel together, and I could tell by the looks on their faces that he had told her. I couldn't really hold it against him, though. Even back then Isabel had ways of picking up on stuff, and I knew she would probably get it out of him. I had just hoped that he would hold out longer than he did.

You told her.

Michael!

What are you gonna do, pretend it didn't happen? You have to do something!

Like what, Isabel?

Tell someone… report him.

Yeah, who? Valenti? Yeah, that'd be a smart idea, wouldn't it?


Max and Isabel didn't know about my "truce" with Valenti, and they were still suspicious of him. I encouraged that, I guess. But the truth is, I didn't tell Jim everything myself, and I certainly wasn't ready to tell him about what Hank was doing to me. I couldn't talk about it. Not to him or anybody. Maybe him most of all. But Isabel wasn't making it easy either…

Max told me this has happened before, Michael.

I'm sorry, but I had to tell her.

Look, you guys, everybody's got problems. If it wasn't this, it'd be another thing. I'm a big boy. I can handle it.

Maybe you could talk to my dad. He's a lawyer. He could help. He once told me about this… this case he had where he helped a minor get permission to live on his own.

Forget it, Iz. The last thing we need is for me to go to the courts and bring all this attention to us.

Well, if he hurts you again, Michael…

He won't.

You could use your powers.

I had to stop myself last night. I can't control my powers like you and Max. You guys know that. Especially in the state of mind I'm in. If I did anything I'd probably kill him.

Well, all I know is you can't go back there. So stay with us… at least until Hank calms down.

Fine… if it's gonna shut you and Max up.


Yeah, I know, it wasn't my finest moment. But I was hurting. Not on the outside… I could handle that. On the inside. That's what I couldn't talk about. I wanted to keep it all… all my emotions, you know… bottled up inside me. Big mistake, but what'd I know? I was just a kid, and I wasn't raised with lots of love and flowery feelings. I grew up with bumps on the head if I wasn't fast enough to duck in time… and then, of course, there was the black eye. Hank used to hit me lots, but he'd never actually left a whole lot of evidence before that, maybe because I always ducked in time. Max and Isabel, see, they grew up loved. I didn't even know what it felt like to be loved… I… What are you doing, Jayyd? You want to sit on my lap? Okay, come on.

(Jayyd crawls over onto Michael's lap and looks up at him adoringly) "I love you, Daddy."

(After a short break… to recompose himself… Michael resumes his story. But now all three of his and Maria's children and several of the others are in his lap or hanging onto him. And Maria is at his side, her head resting on his shoulder. Michael obviously feels comfortable with them in a way that he never could have felt with anyone when he was living with Hank. And he isn't afraid to admit it…)

See, this life I have now… my family… my friends… they mean everything to me. Everything! But I wouldn't have known how to handle this before, when I lived with Hank. It's something I had to learn… or maybe not so much learn as experience. I had to open myself and my heart up to someone first. That was what Maria taught me. She saved my life. Despite all our fighting, we were alike in so many ways… still are. She's the only one who ever could have saved me. She was the only one I ever truly felt comfortable with… besides Max and Isabel, of course.

Max and Isabel did try to pull me into their world. Their parents even gave me a chance and let me stay with them. It just wasn't working. Hank had too much of a hold on me. I didn't know how to live with real people, people who had manners and everything, and I couldn't see the Evanses' generosity as being just that and nothing more. With Hank, everything had a motive. You always had to look for the motive. But the Evanses… I couldn't find their motive, and it made me crazy. I was suspicious of everything they did, and my behavior drove me out of their house and right back to Hank's trailer.

On the way back, I had the feeling that maybe I was the only person in the world like me. Maybe I deserved Hank. Maybe I was really the bad one. I mean, the Evanses were good people and I couldn't make it with them. Hank was my karma or something. He was what I deserved. Then I saw Amy carrying an armload of pies, and I thought, yeah, I'm the only one. Maria's mom loves her. She bakes pies for her… and sometimes for the sheriff, too. Valenti and Maria have Amy. Max and Isabel have their parents. I have Hank. Yeah. It's me. It must be.

But then I remembered the lowlife scum that Jim had showed me the picture of, the one that killed his daughter. She didn't deserve what happened to her. How could any child deserve that? And if she didn't deserve it, maybe I didn't either. Maybe it was Hank who was the bad one after all. But where did that leave me?

When I got back to the trailer, Hank was waiting… again. And he was furious that I hadn't been there to do his chores.

Where the hell have you been?

I tried to just avoid trouble by going to my room and lying down on my bed quietly, but Hank followed me…

I told you to do the wash.

I'll do it later.

Today!

I'm not your maid.

Oh, you're right! You're good for nothing. Do the wash now!

Go to hell, Hank.

No wonder your parents left you out in the desert! Who'd want you?

Who are you, father of the year? You're a man who keeps me around just to collect a monthly check!


The yelling got louder, and Hank walked out of the room momentarily… probably to find something to throw at me. But as luck would have it, Max and Isabel showed up and heard the ruckus. I wasn't exactly expecting company at that moment…

What are you guys doing here?

We heard some yelling.

What's going on?


I tried to get them to go before Hank saw them, but no such luck.

Well, hello, Dolly!

Shut up Hank
, I said, warning him, but he was kind of single minded.

Yeah! Wanna have a drink with me?

She doesn't want a drink!

Who the hell are you, her lawyer?

Leave her alone, Hank, all right?

I asked her a question. I'm waiting for her answer.


I could'a told Hank that you don't mess with Isabel, but it wouldn't'a done any good. Besides, I kind of enjoyed watching her throw his drink in his face… and hearing her tell him off.

If you ever touch Michael again, I will kill you!

Unfortunately, I knew she had ignited a firestorm. Furious, Hank grabbed his gun and pointed it at Max. Max backed up and tried to calm Hank down, but Hank had been humiliated, and now he had to exact a pound of someone's flesh to feel superior again. Something major bad was about to happen. I never really planned it, or even thought it, but my powers just kind of took over and I threw a chair across the room and caused some doors and stuff to slam around. Then I messed with Hank's gun, making it jump around in his hand. That part was intentional. It went off safely, away from Max, and Hank totally freaked…

What the hell! Oh, you little bastard! You're a freak! I always knew it! You're a freak!

Max insisted we go quickly, and Isabel tried to reassure me by saying that Hank was drunk and wouldn't remember anything that had happened in the morning, but I knew I couldn't go back again.

You just don't get it, do ya? I know Hank's a jerk, but that's the only thing I had, and now you guys screwed that up for good.

Look, just come back with us for now.

For how long, Max? I mean… two days… three days? What's that gonna do? I… I don't belong there. I don't belong there, I don't belong here, I don't belong anywhere!

Michael, we understand why…

No, you don't, Isabel! You don't understand!

So you got a raw deal. No one's saying that you didn't. But, God, Michael! You finally have a chance to change it. Would it kill you to ask for help… just once in your life?

Yeah, you know what, it would!

Where are you going?

Doesn't matter.

Michael wait!


I didn't tell Max or Iz, but I had something else on my mind. There wasn't much, really, that I could do to Hank. Technically, all he'd done was be a jerk, a drunk, and a lousy foster father… and he gave me a black eye. But it was me he did it to. I could handle it. There was somebody else who had gotten a much worse deal, someone innocent and helpless, who was dead… and a little boy who still needed to be saved.

At the sheriff's station, Jim was taking it easy, letting all that pie that Amy had baked for him settle on his stomach. Of course, I suspect that the pie wasn't what tired him out. It was what you call the "bait," and the sheriff was the fish. He took the bait… hook, line and sinker, as they say. I know this, because Maria told me later. She took Liz back to her house to study, and the sheriff's hat was sitting there, and Maria accidentally sat on it. Then Liz spotted a half eaten coconut pie, and they put two and two together. Not a hard equation… even for me. But, hey! The sheriff was a free man at the time, and Amy was single, so… I guess they had a right to… eat all the coconut pie they wanted, right?

But what I was going to say is that he was sitting there at his desk, letting his pie settle, when Hansen came in with a bulletin…

"Sheriff, someone's been asking around about that guy you been lookin' for, Brad Deakin… someone by the name of Griff Jackson. Apparently, they were cellmates a while back, and Jackson wants to look him up again… for old times sake. He didn't say much more than that, at least not to my informant. But the word on the street is he really wants Deakin to join him for some kind of big score that's going down soon. Should I find this Jackson guy and bring him in for questioning?"

Jim smiled and shook his head. "No, I don't think so. Let Jackson find him first… if he can. Then we'll see what we want to do."

"Yes, sir."

It didn't take me long to find someone who knew Deakin. Actually, I didn't find him, he found me. Seems news flies fast on the street, and this guy wanted a piece of the action Deakin was supposedly gonna get. I went along with him…

"What's your name?"

"Big D. That's all you need to know. That's what everybody in the pen called me."

"Why? Never mind! Where do you know Deakin from?"

"Come on, where does anyone know Brad from, man? The big house, where else? But I don't remember ever seeing you."

"I kept a low profile. It helps me survive."

Big D looked me over and grinned. "I can imagine."

I didn't like what he was thinking, but I decided to ignore it. He didn't know what I was capable of.

When were you there… in the big house, D?"

"Four years ago. Burglary. Deakin was in for grand theft auto."

"Ah, well… I knew him several years before that. He was in for assault and battery."

"Yeah. Deakin's been up several times for that. He has a control issue."

"I know. Where can I find him?"

"How would I know?"

"Well, if you don't know, then I don't need you. Deakin and I can pull this job off together, just the two of us, once I find him. Twenty-three million split two ways is better than twenty-three million split three ways anyway."

"Twenty-three… MILLION?"

"Keep your voice down!"

"Twenty-three million?"

"That I know of. Could be a lot more."

"Look, I don't know where Brad is… exactly. But I could probably… maybe… if I had a good reason… I might could find him."

"What would be a good reason?"

"A cut of twenty-three million… an equal cut. If I find him for you, you've got to let me in on the job. Otherwise, find him yourself. You never will. The terrain in that area is…"

"In what area?"

"Never mind. I was just surmising. I mean, if Deakin was gonna be hiding out somewhere it'd be somewhere hard to find, right?"

"I imagine so."

"Well, it would. That's all I was sayin'."

"Okay, so sayin' I cut you in for a third… and sayin' Deakin goes along with it…"

"He will."

"Pretty sure, huh?"

"Trust me!"

"I'll trust you when I see Brad in front of me."

"Tomorrow. 2 PM. Here. Meet me and I'll take you to him."

"No deal. Take me right now or forget it."

"No way, man! Out of the question! I gotta make some preparations first."

I knew what Big D meant by "preparations." He would be packing… carrying a gun… in case he found out I wasn't who I said I was. And he was probably going to let Deakin know we were coming. I couldn't let him do that. So I turned and started to walk away.

"Wait! Hey, look, guy, if it's that urgent… Brad's not gonna like it, you understand… but he'd have a bigger fit if he missed out on a cut of twenty-three million. You stay in front of me while we walk, though. I don't trust you."

"I don't trust you either. We'll walk side by side."

With the matter of our mutual distrust settled, we headed off together. I knew Big D was likely to try to double cross me, so I was watching him closely. But after walking for almost two hours, most of it through the desert, he still hadn't tried anything, and for a moment, I began to think I might have been wrong. Maybe he really had bought my story completely. But I wasn't counting on it. Guys like that… you can't turn your back on them or get too relaxed, ever. They're like a snake. They strike when least expected.

I'm not sure how long we walked. I remember thinking that a couple of hours more and we were going to have to spend the night out here. Then he stopped, on the edge of a high bluff. About twenty-five or thirty feet down, I could see a good-sized ledge. It was another fifty feet past that, at least, to the bottom, though that was only a guess. While I was looking down, D whipped out this long rope from behind some big rocks nearby and holds it up ceremoniously.

"What's that?"

"That, sweetheart, is the second fastest way to get down this bluff."

"What's the first fastest way?"

"I give you a push. Unless pretty boy can sprout wings, I don't recommend it."

"I'll take the second fastest way."

Something about this guy, Big D, was annoying me more and more the longer I was with him. Even when he didn't talk he was just… slimy. And when he did talk… He didn't have a clue what I was capable of. "Pretty Boy!" Right! I could've fried his a- uh… steroid… his asteroid… crispier than CrashDown bacon in a grease fire! With a single fireball, or even a mere touch on the shoulder, I could've turned him into something considerably more likeable… ashes. But I decided that this wasn't the time to go proving that. So anyway, he tied the rope around a big rock and we both tested it to make sure it wasn't going to slip, then he motioned to me to slide down it. I figured I'd rather not have him coming down on top of me, so I started looking for an excuse not to go first…

"I never rappelled before. You better show me how to do it."

Hey, the "show me how to do it" routine worked for Gretel when she pushed the witch into the oven, right? I just hoped Big D would fall for it, too.

He grinned one of his oily grins and nodded. "I'll show ya, all right. I'll show ya lots of things you never knew about."

Yeah, just try it… and I'll show you some things you never knew about, I thought to myself silently. See how you like all your parts rearranged and… uh… ping pong balls hanging out your ears.

I watched Big D slide down the rope, a few feet at a time, trying to avoid rope burn. Obviously, rappelling wasn't his area of expertise either, but eventually he made it to the ledge, then he motioned to me. I decided he wouldn't know the difference if I used my powers just a little bit, so I held onto the rope and slid down, a bit more quickly than I had intended to. When I got to the bottom I noticed that D was staring at my hands…

"How did you do that without getting rope burns?"

I shrugged. "I'm light, I guess. And I didn't hold on good. I kind of fell."

"Yeah, well, light or not, you're lucky you didn't kill yourself! Try not to fall off the ledge."

I looked around and immediately noticed that there was a cave in the wall behind us.

"Is that where Deakin is hiding?"

"You'll know soon enough. Come on."

D led the way into the cave. He hadn't brought a light, since I had insisted on coming immediately, without "preparations," so it quickly got rather dark, but he seemed to know the way. I think Max and Isabel and I were given improved vision and hearing, 'cause I could make out my surroundings somewhat; but D was having to feel his way around. We didn't have to go very far into the cave. After about two minutes, we rounded a corner and D moved a big rock out of the way, and suddenly there was light… from a large battery-type lantern… and right in front of me, squatting against a wall like a coiled rattlesnake, trying not to be seen, was the man from Sheriff Valenti's mug shot, Brad Deakin. I had found him. I had actually found him. Now the question was… what was I going to do with him? I didn't have to wonder for long…

As soon as he saw me, Deakin reacted, leaping to his feet, with an AK-47 in his hands… aimed right at my head. I put my hands up and glanced over at D and back. D coughed nervously and made an effort to intervene…

"Brad, don't shoot. He's with me."

"I told you not to bring anyone else here, Dudley. I may decide to shoot you both for this."

"Hear what he has to say first, Brad. There's a lot of money involved… millions! Besides, you do know him. His name is Griff Jackson. He was in stir with you once."

"I don't remember any Griff Jackson."

I swallowed hard and shrugged… "You probably wouldn't remember me. I was in solitary most of the time, and when I wasn't, I kept a low profile. Most of the guys in there wouldn't remember me. But I knew you."

"So what! Everybody there knew who I was. I'm memorable. What do you want with me?"

"I'm looking for someone to… Oh hell, I'll just show you…"

Like lightning, I whipped my hand out, and a fireball ripped Deakin's gun out of his hand. It fell to the ground a short distance away, with a heavy metallic thud. If Deakin was surprised, he didn't spend any time showing it. With the speed of a diving hawk, he dove for his gun, but in mid flight he noticed that it was now a melted piece of slag, useless unless he wanted to beat someone to death with it. Somehow, he actually managed to roll over in mid air and fall to the ground three feet from where he had originally intended. He came up quick, shooting, holding a handgun that had been hidden nearby. I deflected the bullets with an energy field, and they flew off in all directions, causing Big D to dive for cover in hysterics. If Deakin wasn't showing an appropriate sense of shock, "Big D" Dudley was making up for it in spades, crouching by the wall, his head covered, howling like a cornered hyena.

I let Deakin empty the gun in his hand, then another one. I suspected he had more, but he was smart enough to see that they weren't having any effect against me. I have to say, he didn't seem shocked at all. I never saw a man more like a block of ice before. No emotions at all, just pure killing instinct. He stopped momentarily and looked me over, obviously wondering what I was.

"I'm asking you again, what do you want with me? Did the state fuzz send you to find me?"

"You killed your daughter. What kind of monster kills his own daughter?"

Deakin was silent for a moment, but then he started talking. In fact, he was almost bragging. This caused warning bells to go off in my head. He must still think that we aren't going to be leaving here alive… at least not me. He has another Ace up his sleeve.

"Yeah, I killed her. So what? She was supposed to obey me. She didn't. A daughter's supposed to obey her father."

"You raped her."

"What's it to you? You some kind of saint or something?"

"Something. Where's the boy… Where's your son?"

Gears seemed to turn in Deakin's head, then he grinned… "You're working for my wife! She hired you to bring Eddie back. Well, you can tell her forget it. She's too late."

"What do you mean, too late?"

"She's too late. You're too late. The boy's dead."

"You killed your own son? Why?"

"I didn't kill him. You're killing him… right now."

"What do you mean, Deakin? Spit it out!"

"I put Eddie in a different place… just in case something like this ever happened. I see him every day and take him food and water. We go out in the desert together and I teach him things. I'm raising him to be a man… a real man… like me. But I'm not going to tell you where he is. Even if you kill me."

"I believe you."

"Then you'll understand. If his old man is going to die, it's better for him to die, too. I don't want my son growing up to be no sissy. He'll have me to raise him… or he'll have the next best thing… death. When I don't show up in the morning… how long do you think he'll last without water… in the desert? I figure about two days, maybe three tops. But the air where he is will turn stale before that. Unless I let him out, he will die. So you see the problem… Kill me, Eddie dies. Take me in -if you can- Eddie dies. It's all the same. But you will be his killer, not me. I will be innocent."

"Like a rattlesnake with blood on its fangs."

I stood there for what seemed like a very long time, thinking. Deakin wasn't going to talk. I could see that. He was serious about the boy being raised by him or no one. He was pure ice… no feelings at all. I doubted even torture would have got anything out of him… and I did consider it. Of course, I couldn't just let him go. But I had to. I didn't have a choice. I was going to have to let this son of a… a slime monster go free to save that innocent little boy's life. It wasn't an acceptable option. It was just the least unacceptable option. I had to let a little girl's killer get away… let him go scott free. I couldn't even bring myself to say it. I stared at him for what seemed like forever. It was Hank all over again. I had this great power but couldn't use it. What good were alien powers anyway? They had never been anything to me but a frustration. What use was I? I couldn't even bring a killer in for justice… or save a little boy from a life of hell. Avenger? I was useless. I was a joke. I remember thinking that maybe Maria should change the "A" she had so proudly sewn on that suit she made for me to a "W…" for "Weenie Man." Maria could have probably handled this guy. She'd have had him so bluffed he'd have told her anything she…

That's when it hit me. I didn't have to let Deakin go… maybe…

"You really think I would be here now, Deakin, if we hadn't already found Eddie, or if I wasn't wired and all this wasn't being recorded? All we needed was your confession that you killed your daughter and that you were the one who put your son in that place. Now that we've got that, I don't need anything from you. The only thing I have to decide now is whether to take you in alive… or dead. You'd be much less trouble dead. And it would save the state a ton of money… and a trial. I'm inclined to go that way myself."

"You're bluffing."

I held my hand out toward Deakin and waited, hoping that he would say something… anything at all… that might give away where the boy was hidden. He had already seen what I was capable of, so I thought he might at least be a little bit intimidated. Big D was still crouched against the wall, his head covered, whimpering. But Deakin was soulless. He either didn't believe a word I had said or he was utterly unmoved by the thought of dying. It wasn't working. I had to take the bluff deeper to get to this guy, and there was only one thing I could think of. It definitely wasn't my first choice, but I was well past first choices at this point.

I let my hand down, just for a moment, and turned toward Big D. I knew Deakin wouldn't miss a chance, and he didn't. Like the snake he was, he struck, and he struck fast. Pulling out a handgun that was tucked inside an inside pocket, he fired five shots at me. One hit me in the arm and the other four in the chest. I fell to the ground, bleeding, and stopped breathing. Deakin rolled me over with his foot, checking me out carefully. After satisfying himself that I was dead, he turned on Big D.

"You brought the fuzz here! Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you, too!"

"Brad… I… I… I didn't know. I swear! He said he was an old cellmate. He was going to pull a big job, worth millions, and he wanted you to help him. I knew you'd want the money."

"And I'll bet you expected to be right there with your hand out to cash in on the haul, too, didn't you, Dud? You brought him here because you could never resist a buck. I trusted you! You helped me burn Julie's body and hide it, and I paid you well for that, didn't I… even though you had her yourself before we killed her. You told me about that old buried army bunker under this bluff and helped me put Eddie in it. And I paid you again. But it wasn't enough, was it, Dud? It was never enough! I trusted you… enough to let you know where I was. And you put me in danger by bringing an outsider here. Lucky for me he got distracted for a moment!"

"Yeah! Lucky!"

"I said for me. Not for you."

There was one more bullet in Deakin's gun, and he fired it point blank. Big D collapsed to the ground, dead, with a bullet in his head.

At this point, I was only partially aware of what was happening, which was a definite disadvantage. If Deakin found out I wasn't dead I would be totally at his mercy, and he had none. On top of everything, the bullets in my body hurt! Seriously! With my powers, I had kept them from going in deep enough to kill me and had slowed my breathing to an imperceptible rate. But I was bleeding rather badly. And my head was starting to spin. I had to struggle not to lose consciousness. I remember thinking, through the growing fog in my head, that this might have been a very bad plan.

I felt Deakin drag me out of the cave and roll me over, then I felt myself falling, and I realized he had pushed me off the cliff. I think pure survival instinct took over, because I had only seconds to react, and I couldn't even think straight. But somehow I managed to create an energy net. It wasn't a very good one. I still hit the ground fifty feet below hard enough to jar my teeth and give me a major headache. As I lay there, wondering if I was still alive, it started to rain. I didn't care. I was getting soaked, and I didn't care. It actually felt kind of good. It was cool, and my body was hot. At least my head was. It hurt. The rain pounding on it took some of the pain away.

I don't know how long I lay there. I don't think it was long. The cold rain on my face revived me enough that I was able to stand up and stumble away in the darkness. I walked as fast as I could, knowing that when morning came, if I was still in the desert, Deakin would follow my tracks and try to finish the job. I wasn't afraid of him. I could easily kill him. But he'd take the secret of the boy's location with him to the grave. I couldn't let that happen.

I hadn't gone far when I saw headlights, and I waved the driver down. It was Max. He was looking for me, and someone had told him they'd seen me walking into the desert with another man.

"My God, Michael! What happened to you?"

I fell across the seat of the jeep and tried to laugh, but it hurt too bad. "I got shot, Max. Hey, don't faint or anything but… I'm asking for something I never asked you for… before. I need… your help."

Max ripped my shirt off and pressed his hands to one of the wounds. After a moment, the bullet disintegrated and the wound closed.

"It's a good thing these didn't go any deeper, Michael. Two of them are less than a centimeter from your heart. What were you thinking?"

For the first time, I seriously wondered that myself. But then it came back to me…

"There's an old army bunker… at the foot of a bluff near here, Max. Deakin has his 6-year-old son locked up in it."

"Who's Deakin?"

"Nobody. Nobody important. A lowlife who raped and killed his own daughter and kidnapped his son."

"I'm not even going to ask how you got involved in this, Michael."

"Good."

Max shook his head, exasperated.

"Look, Max… I need your help."

"I know, Michael. I'm healing the wounds as fast as I can."

"Not that. Well… that, too, but… I need you to get a message to Valenti for me."

"Valenti? Sheriff Valenti?! We can't tell him about this, Michael… not about you getting shot! If he ever got proof that you're different…"

"Max… there are things you don't know. We need to talk. But first… I have somewhere else I have to go. I need you to let Valenti know where I am… and that Deakin's son is in the old army bunker under the bluff. I'm going back to get him out."

"I'll help you."

"No, Max! You need to let Valenti know! Please!"

"Michael!"

"Max, please!"

Max sighed heavily, obviously unhappy. I don't know what made him do what I asked. I actually hadn't expected him to give in. He always had to be the one in charge and always got his way. But I guess he could see that I was serious. The bullet holes may have been a clue. With my energy renewed, I headed back toward the bluff, and Max tore off toward town as fast as his jeep would go. He would be back… I knew that for a fact… after he gave Valenti my message.

When I reached the foot of the bluff I started looking for some sign of a way in, or under, or whatever. If there was a bunker under there, there had to be an entrance. Deakin said that he took food and water to the boy every morning, so the entrance wasn't buried, it was probably just locked from the outside, or blocked with something. It was hard to see much in the dark, so I was doing a lot of feeling, but after twenty or thirty minutes, I still hadn't found a thing that wasn't part of the bluff itself. I was frustrated, but I refused to be defeated. Not now! I stepped back to look at the bluff, and as I did, I noticed something I hadn't noticed before. The sound of my own feet on the ground was different here than it had been just a few feet away. I stomped on the ground lightly. There was something hollow beneath my feet. Definitely hollow! Carefully, I swept the sand away, using my powers, and there it was… a trap door! It was locked with a padlock, which I easily took care of. Then I pulled the trap door up.

A concrete stairway led down into the bunker. Carefully, I walked down it into the darkness, using an energy pulse from my hand to give me some light. It was larger inside than I had expected. One could easily have put a whole military detachment in here with sleeping quarters and equipment and still had room to spare. It was going to be a lot of area to search. Then I got a break. The boy moved, and something fell. I looked where the sound had come from…

"Who… who are you?"

"My name is Michael. But I know you. You're Eddie, right?"

The boy nodded. "If my dad catches you here, he'll kill you. He'll hurt me, too."

I shook my head. "Not any more, Eddie. I'm here to make sure of that. Hank can't hurt you any more."

"That's not his name."

I cringed. "I know. I… I meant Brad… your father, Brad Deakin. He can't hurt you any more. I won't let him. Come on. I'll take you home, okay?"

Eddie looked unsure, but the idea of going home won out over his fears. He was terrified. Terrified of his own father. It brought tears to my eyes, and I was glad it was dark enough so that he couldn't see them. Hank was bad, but he wasn't my real father. I could walk away from Hank anytime. I wasn't even sure why I hadn't. That was going to change. I knew that now. I could never go back. Too much had changed. And too much would never change.

I led Eddie up the stairs and carefully closed the hatch back up. Then I turned around and took Eddie by the hand. He smiled. I held my finger up to my lips, and Eddie nodded, glancing up at the ledge fifty feet above us. He was a smart kid. Quietly, in the dark, we started to walk away. But we had gone less than thirty feet when a voice like a cannon boomed out behind us. I whirled around to look, and Deakin's massive form rose up from behind a large rocky outcrop like a dark, smothering, deadly fog. Eddie squeezed my hand tightly, in terror.

"Don't worry, Eddie," I said softly. "He can't hurt you now. I promise."

Deakin had a sawed off shotgun in his right hand and something that looked like an automatic pistol, a foreign military make, in his other hand. He pointed the shotgun at my heart…

"Let's see how you do against this."

That was all he said. The words had an icy certainty to them. Then he pulled the trigger. I was prepared, and a hastily cast energy field sent the shot scattering in all directions; but when the gun went off, Eddie dropped my hand and ran, terrified. I can't blame him. It was totally reasonable to think that I would be killed. He didn't know that I was… different.

Deakin didn't waste any time on words. Seeing that the shotgun blast hadn't killed me, he turned to look for the fleeing boy. I yelled, trying to distract him, but he was incredibly purpose driven. He had said it before… he would raise the boy in his own image, or he would kill him. I had no time to consider options or think about the morality of what I was doing. I couldn't put an energy field around Eddie from where I was. So I did the only thing I could do. As Deakin took aim at his son, I threw a fireball. I guess I used more power than I meant to. I didn't have real good control of my powers back then, and I didn't want to be underpowered. It turned out that wasn't a problem. Deakin disappeared in a blazing explosion of pure white light. In fact, the entire bluff and the bunker below it all disappeared, completely vaporized. Eddie stared, wide-eyed, as desert sand and rocks fell back to the ground all around us like rain. The entire sky was lit up and night was turned into day for several minutes before the light finally began to subside.

I held my hand out to Eddie, and he came to me…

"I… I'm sorry I ran. I didn't know you were an angel."

I smiled. "I've been called a lot of things, Eddie, but an angel… yeah, that's… that's good. I kind of like that."

At that moment, I looked up and saw headlights coming. The sheriff pulled up and jumped out of his vehicle, and Max jumped out on the other side.

Trying to dodge some small rocks that were still falling from the sky, Jim looked at the boy then at me. "We saw an explosion. I figured you'd be nearby. What happened?"

I shrugged, but Eddie answered for me. "It was an angel. An angel did it."

Max smiled. I knew that was going to come back at me, but right now I didn't care.

"Sheriff, what time is it?"

Valenti looked at his watch. "Almost ten. Why?"

"There's still time. Can you give me a ride into town?"

"That's kind of what I was hoping to do, Michael. I'll need you to come by and make a statement. You can remain unidentified."

"Can I do it tomorrow? I've got some other stuff I need to talk to you about tomorrow… about me… and Hank."

Jim nodded. "You look distraught, Michael. Is that because of Hank?"

I shook my head but then shrugged. "Kind of… partly… no, not really. It's me. Hank is what he is. I finally realized that. I can't change him. Nobody can. It hurts, but I'm used to it. This is worse. You saw what I did here, Sheriff. I never did that before. I never wanted to do that."

Valenti raised his eyebrows. "You saved a life."

"And took one."

"Yeah. I've been there, Michael. Remember Hubble? He would've killed Max if I hadn't stopped him. It never feels right, Michael, but it was what had to be. Just remember that. If you need me, Michael, I'll be there for you. You know that. Are you going home tonight?"

"Yeah. But not to Hank. I'll show you where to drop me off. I figured something out tonight, Sheriff. Home is not always a place… where you grow up. It's wherever your heart is. And you have to find it."

"Have you found it, Michael?"

"I think so…"

"And if you're wrong?"

I shook my head and wiped away the tears that kept trying to form. "Then there won't be anything left for me here. Not in Roswell. Maybe not anywhere. I think… my whole existence depends on this, Sheriff."

"Michael, you need help. You're emotionally drained. You're distraught. You're barely hanging on. I can find you a place to stay with someone who's not like Hank. Let me help."

I shook my head. "I don't need Hank. I know that now. I can live on my own, or with Max and Isabel. But my home… my real home… is someone else."

"Not a place."

"Not a place. Someone."

Valenti nodded.

I had the sheriff drop me off a couple of blocks from Maria's house, after saying goodbye to Eddie and assuring him that I would be there for him if he ever needed me, and I walked. It was raining, and the rain was cold. Somehow that felt… appropriate. When I got there I saw that the light was on in Maria's room. I wanted to rush to her window and yell to her to let me in. But I couldn't. I got cold feet. Maybe Maria really didn't want me after all. We hadn't been on the best of terms lately. I mean… she was taking "grief relief" pills to try to forget me. But somehow I felt, I don't know, like she was my last hope, my only hope. No, that sounds wrong. She was my everything! My whole reason for existence! As I got closer, I could see her through the window, combing her hair. I wanted to knock on the window. But I couldn't. Too much depended on what happened. So I stood there… in the rain… and just watched.

After a short time, she glanced out the window and saw me standing there. She grabbed her bottle of grief relief pills and took one, and I walked up to the window. I guess that's when she realized that I wasn't just a figment of her imagination. I was really there, standing in the freezing rain.

I think she uttered some kind of vague objections at first, but when she saw that I was wet and shivering… and saw the agony in my face… she opened the window and helped me in.

God, Michael, you could get pneumonia! Here, take your shirt off. Hold on. You're shivering.

She wiped a tear off of my cheek. Come here. Shhh, it's okay. You don't have to tell me. It's okay.

She laid me down and held me close to her, and I started to cry. It just all came out. I couldn't hold it in. It was the stress, it was the relief, it was just… everything. Maria didn't have to ask. She understood. She was my home. She has been ever since. And that's how we stayed… all night.

In the morning, Amy came in to wake Maria up for school and saw me in bed with her. It's a good thing Amy didn't have powers, because if she had had any, she would have made my explosion the night before look like a fizzled firecracker.

Oh, Maria, Honey, you're gonna be late… Oh my God!

Oh! Mom!

Get out! Get out of this bed! Out of this bed! Out!

Take it easy!

Get out've my house!


I was getting bonked on the head mercilessly, so I jumped out the window. But after I got a ways down the road and had time to reflect, I had to smile. Maria loved me! She did! She understood my agony. That was all I needed to know. The bops on the head didn't hurt after that.

Of course, Maria had to endure the "talk." You know, the one about sex and all. But somehow she managed to convince her mother that nothing happened…

We just slept.

Yeah, I know that one. I've used that one!

You act like I have no self-control.

Oh, yes, because teenagers are known for self control, especially teenage boys.

Michael isn't like that, okay? Well, sometimes he is, but…

What?!

But not last night, all right? He was upset about something. I don't know what he was upset about, but sex was the last thing on his mind.

Oh thank you! There IS a God!


Later in the morning, Sheriff Valenti sent someone to get me out of class. I figured it was because I told him I needed to talk with him about Hank… and, of course, to give my statement about Eddie's rescue. But Jim had a few unexpected questions… for me.

Neighbors heard gunshots.

I don't know anything about that.

But you were there last night?

Went home to get some stuff.

What time was that?

Um, does it matter?

You were the last person to see him.

What do you mean I was the "last person to see him?"

I called the plant. He never showed up for work.

Well, maybe he's passed out somewhere. I don't keep track of him.

Neighbors also said they heard an argument. And then, later, more sounds. Screaming… crying… tortured sounds. Like an animal. Almost inhuman, they said.

What are you talking about?

Where were you, son?

Out.


That was the thing about Valenti. One moment he could be almost like a… a father. Then the next he could be, well, the sheriff… all business. Then…

"Okay, now… what was it you wanted to tell me about Hank last night, Michael? Oh, and about the interrogation… it's my job. Hank is missing, and like it or not, you are the only suspect I have right now… though I'm sure there must be others out there, knowing Hank. Besides, it was as good a reason as any to give you a ride over here. And I still need a statement from you about the boy, Eddie Deakin. I need you to tell me everything you saw out there. You won't be identified in the report. And about the explosion… I've already accounted for it. There was an old army bunker under you. I'm alleging that abandoned munitions in the bunker, placed there either by the army or by someone else who used the bunker after it was abandoned, maybe even Deakin himself, went off spontaneously, killing Deakin and destroying the bluff. It would be pretty hard for anyone to prove otherwise, given the evidence at the scene."

"Thanks, Sheriff. There was another casualty… a man known on the street as "Big D." His first name was Dudley. I don't know his last name. He was an ex-con and was in the pen at the same time as Deakin. Deakin was in at the time for grand theft auto. That may help narrow down Dudley's ID for you. Deakin shot him in the head… for bringing me there. His body was undoubtedly vaporized in the explosion, along with Deakin. Oh, and I heard Deakin say that Dudley had helped him burn Julie's body and hide it and that he had found the bunker and helped him hide Eddie in it. He was an accomplice in most of what Deakin did."

I wasn't really upset about the sheriff holding me temporarily. It got me out of school. But when Maria found out he had taken me in as a suspect in Hank's disappearance, she convinced her mother to go down to the station and tell Valenti that I had been with her all night and couldn't have killed Hank. I would've loved to have heard that conversation! Maria's never told me about it. But it must have been good to convince Amy to tell Valenti that her daughter had slept the whole night with his only suspect. Anyway, with Amy vouching for me, Valenti felt compelled to release me. I was no longer a suspect. Well, not officially. I still had to face Max and Isabel, who weren't so sure. But they believed me.

I have to confess that, at this point, I was still confused about my future. I couldn't go back to Hank… if he was even still alive. Valenti promised to find me another foster situation. But he didn't say "home." How could he? Any new foster situation was going to be unacceptable anyway. I had one "home" here, and that was Maria, and one home that I had never seen, Antar. I had no other home on this world. I didn't want to lose Maria, but I was more obsessed now than ever with finding Nasedo and finding out where we came from. So I told Max and Isabel that I was going away… to find Nasedo. They tried to get me to stay and live at their house, but I wouldn't consider it. So they gave me this pouch to take with me, and I hitched a ride out of Roswell with a trucker. On the road, I opened the pouch. It was the stones that River Dog had given us in the cave, the ones Nasedo left behind. I held them in my hands and saw flashes from the healing ceremony. These stones were from our planet. They were all we had of where we came from. But most importantly, they weren't mine; they were ours. It wasn't my heritage; it was our heritage. We belonged together. Max and Isabel tried to tell me that, but it just didn't get through before. I thought about what I told Valenti… about home not being a place but something else, something more important. I had Maria. But I also had Max and Isabel. And they had me. As long as we were together, we had a home wherever we were. I would never stop looking for Nasedo… or Antar. But I couldn't give up the home I had for one I didn't even know how to find. I had to bring us all together… in the proper time.

When Isabel came down to the kitchen in the morning she found me cooking breakfast.

What are you doing?

Making an omelet. What does it look like?

I didn't know you could cook.

Yeah, well, uh, there's a lot you don't know about me.

Yeah. You're full of surprises.

Yup.

Thanks!


Then I saw Mr. Evans coming down… Good Morning.

Hello Michael.

I thought I'd cook breakfast for the family.


Then Mrs. Evans came down…

Ah! Well, well! What's going on here?

Uh, Michael is making breakfast for everyone.

Hmmm. Looks good!


I thought it was time to pop the question I had on my mind to Mr. Evans…

Uh, there's another thing, sir…

Yeah?

Uh… I was wondering if you could help me, uh… I wanna… I wanna find a way to live on my own, and I was told that it could be done.

It's complicated. You'd have to file a petition for emancipation… go before a judge.

You know, I'll do whatever it takes. I've thought about it, and I want to take control of things. And I think I'm ready to do that now, so…

Why don't you come by my office this afternoon and we'll talk. I'd like to know more about your situation.

Yeah. This afternoon then.


Mr. Evans was good for his word. He got me the hearing…

And does the minor, Michael Guerin, pledge to take charge of his life as an adult from here forward?

I do, your honor.

And do you understand that you will be solely responsible for your financial, educational, and medical decisions as they arise?

I do, sir.

And might I add, young man, that you are fortunate in having these folks here today, who have an interest in your future and have shown a confidence in you that is reflected in my decision. I hope you can live up to that faith.

I'll try, your honor.

I hereby grant your petition for emancipation.


Oh! And as for Hank, well, he showed up in Valenti's office and said he had been down in Carlsbad or somewhere, drinking and hustling the women. He said he was selling his trailer and moving to Las Cruces and wasn't taking me along. Wanted to know if he had to sign any papers to leave me behind. Valenti told him it wouldn't be necessary… just to leave Roswell soon… the sooner the better. We didn't know it then, and we didn't find out until much later, but Nasedo killed Hank and assumed his form and ID, so the person who was in Valenti's office could have been Nasedo. We still don't know for sure if it was him or Hank. We only know that right after that, Nasedo was using Hank's form and ID. He told us himself, much later, that he had killed Hank.

And that's it. That's the whole story of my emancipation. I sometimes refer to those days, especially the thing with Deakin in the desert… and my life with Hank… as the long night. And my emancipation was the morning. Maria understands. It was her love that brought me through that long night… and into the morning.

End of Episode 114

tbc
Last edited by Island Breeze on Mon Dec 31, 2007 5:01 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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Re: Codename: TABASCO (M/M, ALL, TEEN) Ch 115 - 8/4/2008

Post by Island Breeze »

Codename: TABASCO: MG
(The Awesome Background And Secret Chronicles Of... Michael Guerin)



Episode 115 (Part 1)

Strong, Dangerous, and Undeniable


(Sexual Healing)




I looked at Najiyah and noticed that she seemed to be bursting to ask something else.

Do you have another question, Najiyah?

"You could tell?"

Yeah. Kind of.

Najiyah grinned and blushed ever so slightly. "I didn't know I was so obvious. But I do have a question… if you don't mind. After you got emancipated, was that when you and Max first realized you were having, you know, an actual physical affect on Maria and Liz?"

I smiled.

Well, Liz had seen stars and stuff with Max before that, I think, but yeah, after my emancipation, things started to really kind of heat up in that respect… for all of us. By 'physical' I assume you mean the glowing and stuff like that…

"Yeah, that and the stars and everything, too."

Liz was the first one to say that she had seen stars, then Maria told me that she had been seeing them, too. Later, she told me that she had made it up, because she wanted us to be close, but by then she really had seen stuff in my mind, and I had seen things in hers. It happened. But like I said, Liz noticed it first. When Max told me about it, my first thought was that if it was true maybe she might see something in that head of his that would lead us to our home planet. I even started to think that maybe it might have been planned for us to find out from Liz and Maria and that maybe we needed them to find our way back home, so I started encouraging Max to go for it, whatever it took. But Max was worried about hurting Liz.

It was about a week after Valentine's Day, February… the 20th! Funny I would remember that! I wonder why that stuck in my mind? Anyway, Liz had been having these weird feelings that she couldn't understand. She said they were, like, chemical… strong, dangerous, and undeniable. That's the way Max told me she said it. Just like that. She said it was like she had no choice. She was feeling all strange inside. Max went to the CrashDown to see her and found her standing over a bowl of spilled strawberries. Maria said that she had found Liz daydreaming about Max and that Liz spilled the strawberries when she interrupted her daydream. Liz went into the kitchen to get some more strawberries, and Max followed her…

What are you doin' here, Max?

Well, I have orders from my planet to take over the Earth.

Besides that.

I want to make sure we can still be friends.

Yeah. I mean, we are.

Good.

Why wouldn't we be?

We really haven't been able to talk since… that night.

Max, people do a lot of dumb things when they're drunk. Anyway, I understand.

And we're friends?

Yeah. We're friends.

Just friends?

Yeah. We're just friends.


Liz started to leave, but Max grabbed her and they began to kiss each other passionately. Then she saw images of something flying through space. That was kind of the real beginning… for Max and me, I mean. That's when we became aware that something was really going on. Not just pretty stars and galaxy thingies. Something more. Something deep in our minds was coming out… or trying to. And we had to figure out what it was.

About that time, as I remember, I got a call from Valenti. Okay, actually, he picked me up from school in a squad car. It wasn't the first time, and I was starting to feel a bit self-conscious about it…

"Couldn't you just shine a bat light thing at the sky at night or something when you need me, Sheriff? Everybody's starting to think I'm a delinquent or something! I mean… I get picked up at school at least once a week by the sheriff! What other guys do you know that that happens to!?"

Jim just grinned and nodded. "Well, I do regret having to pull you away from classes for the rest of the afternoon, Michael."

Okay, so there's an up-side. What do you need this time, Sheriff?

"There's been some things going on that are kind of hard to explain, Michael."

Hey, look, Maria and I were just kissin'! That's all Max and Liz were doing, too! I'm sure Kyle must've done that at least… once or twice himself, Sheriff! It wasn't a crime the last time I checked.

Jim turned and looked at me as though he hadn't quite been expecting that and didn't know how to interpret it.

"Well, Michael, normally, I'd agree that kissin' is kind of innocent… and definitely not a crime… as long as you both agreed to it, though in your case I may reserve judgment until I have more information to go on."

He opened the door to his office and motioned for me to go in, then he followed me in. "But I didn't bring you here just for kissing, Michael. There are other things I have on my mind."

At that moment, Jim noticed Deputy Hansen standing there. The deputy quickly dismissed himself and left the room. Jim started to resume his speech, then his eyes suddenly grew wide and he turned and rushed out the door…

"Hansen! Wait a minute! Come back here!"

"Yes, sir, Sheriff?"

"Hansen, what you heard back there…"

"I didn't hear anything, Sheriff."

"Yes, you did!"

"No, sir, I didn't."

"Well… okay then… are you sure?"

"Nothing that'll ever leave my lips, Sheriff."

Hansen turned and walked away, leaving Jim with his jaw on the floor. But I saw the grin on Hansen's face. He totally knew that what the sheriff had said--or at least what he had heard of it--was out of context and innocent, and he was letting Jim think he thought otherwise. I've got to tell you, I gained a whole new respect for Hansen at that moment. I never realized he was so sly. He pulled that off slicker than a mayonnaise and banana sandwich slick on the lunchroom floor.

"I'll straighten it out with Hansen later, Michael. He'll understand. I'm sure he will."

Jim was sweating. Yep, I definitely had a new respect for Hansen!

"Anyway, Michael, as I was starting to say before… there've been some unusual things going on lately. There's an old radio tower out by Highway 42. Have you ever seen it?"

"Yeah. I know the one."

"Good. Somebody… or something… has been hanging around out near that tower for several days now. And whoever or whatever it is does not seem to want outsiders anywhere near there. I've had reports of ATV's turning over…"

"That's not unusual, Sheriff. People ride around on those uneven hills, hit a rock, and they turn them over."

"True. In and of itself that wouldn't be something that would get my attention, but there are other things. A ranch hand was riding by there on his horse yesterday, and he swears that his horse was knocked over by a force unseen and slid all the way to the bottom of the hill. He said it was damn lucky the horse, which is a purebred, survived with no serious injuries. I convinced him it was probably a gust of wind, but I don't believe that. Two kids, the day before, were chased down the hill by a sudden rock slide."

"All of those things can happen, Sheriff."

"I know. But it's the pattern I'm looking at. Michael… what can make a horse fall over without touching it… or an ATV… or cause an instant rockslide?"

I shrugged. "I might could."

Jim nodded. "Don't think that didn't occur to me. But it wasn't you. You were in school when it happened. I checked. That left me with one other, rather interesting possibility. Now, I admit, it's reaching… and I'm not saying there's no other possibilities, but… we know there's at least one other person like you out there, Michael. The one that killed Hubble's wife."

I guess I must have jumped, and Jim noticed.

"Does that thought scare you, Michael?"

"No! No, not… not really. I was just… surprised that you would think it was him, that's all."

"Yeah, well… you should be afraid… if it is him. He's not like you, Michael. He's cruel… ruthless… absolutely devoid of any compassion or empathy. So my question is, what does he want with you?"

"Me!? Why do you think he wants me?"

"He has your abilities. He's hanging around out there doing something that I can't even guess. And I think he's left just enough clues to lure someone out there… someone he wants to come. Do you know anyone else that might be?"

I shook my head.

"Neither did I."

"You want me to go out there and find him, Sheriff… if it is him?"

Jim winced. "I don't want you to… but I may need you to. I'm not going to hold it against you if you don't want to do this, Michael. I don't have any right to be asking you to do this. It's dangerous."

"So were some of the other things I did for you."

"I know, but this is dangerous in a different way, Michael. I'm dealing with something I don't understand here. You could be killed… or disappear. That would weigh heavy on my conscience."

I started to say something but decided not to. I could see that Jim was telling the truth. He was frightened to death for me. In a way I felt honored. He cared. Hank never cared. No one else ever cared. Well, Max and Isabel, but they were different. We were in this thing together the three of us. It was us against the world… a world that was alien to us in some ways, even if we couldn't say exactly what those ways were. We felt it. But Jim cared. It occurred to me that this was the absolute epitome of irony. The very person who might be sending me to my death was the one person who truly did seem to care about me. He trusted me… believed in me. I couldn't let him down.

I never told him this, but wild horses couldn't have kept me from going, and not just for him. This person, killer though he might be, was one of us… maybe even my real father. He would certainly have all the answers we were seeking. He could tell us about our planet, about our heritage, about our people...

He could take us home.


tbc…
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Re: Codename: TABASCO (M/M, ALL, TEEN) Ep 115b - 8/8/2008

Post by Island Breeze »

Codename: TABASCO: MG
(The Awesome Background And Secret Chronicles Of... Michael Guerin)



Episode 115 (Part 2)

Strong, Dangerous, and Undeniable

(Sexual Healing)




I was anxious to find Nasedo, and I had no doubt that the strange occurrences out on Highway 42 near the old radio tower were his doing. But as much as I was dying to get out there, I knew that I wasn't going to be able to just take off without drawing Max and Isabel's attention, and I didn't want them tagging along this time. Call it a hunch, a suspicion, insight, whatever, but I had a feeling that Nasedo's hanging around out there waiting for us to find him wasn't entirely a philanthropic gesture. There was an element of danger involved, somehow, and I didn't want to expose Max or Isabel to it before I knew what it was. Meanwhile, I continued to encourage Max to listen to his urges and make out with Liz in hopes that she would see something in his head that would tell us something about our planet. But I don't think he needed my encouragement. Something in both of them was drawing them together like two magnets, and every time they touched, there seemed to be sparks. In fact, they were attracting a lot of unwanted attention, especially in school.

Maria and I were feeling something new, too, but we weren't sparking all over the place like broken live electric wires the way Max and Liz were, at least not on the outside, and this caused both of us to start exaggerating what we were seeing when we made out. But if we exaggerated a bit, we weren't being totally untruthful. When we kissed, I saw her trying to tie her red sneakers when she was a little girl. Our sparks were there, they just hadn't started popping out all over the place like Max and Liz's were doing. I guess we had thicker covers to hold them in.

Even though Maria wanted me to believe that she was having the same reactions and seeing the same flashes as Liz, she was actually very concerned for Liz. It was taking a noticeable toll on Liz's life, though she wasn't exactly complaining. Maria was genuinely worried that she might not survive it, and after walking in on them making out and seeing Liz looking like she was 'somewhere else' (that's the best way she could describe it) she had to say something when they were alone again.

"Liz, you did not look normal."

"I didn't feel normal, Maria. I… it was the most amazing, incredible… This was different."

"Different how?"

"Um… like beyond."

"Wait… You guys didn't go… beyond?"

"No, no, no!!!"

"Gonna say… you were only out for five minutes."

"I know. Listen, Maria, if I… when… when… when I actually do it, it is not going to be in between a plate of Kielbasa and a deep fryer."


Okay, like I said, it was getting pretty serious, but this was still just the 'lite' stuff… seeing stars and all. The heavy stuff was about to come. Already they were building up to it… emotionally, you know. In a lot of ways, it was affecting me and Maria, too, seeing what was going on with them. And on top of that we had our own issues, thank you. Okay, maybe I did exaggerate it to Max… just a bit…

"Maxwell, let me assure you, you have not experienced anything I have not experienced many times or caused to be experienced."

But as I said before, Maria couldn't stop worrying about Liz… or talking about what was happening.

"Alex, if they actually do it, she'll probably explode."

"Or maybe she'll explode if they don't do it. So this was like the kiss of the millennium, huh?"

"I have never seen her like this."


Later, in Astrology class, Liz dropped her pencil, and Max picked it up and passed it back to her with a note asking her to meet him in the eraser room during 6th period. When their hands touched, Liz got this really big jolt of alien electricity or something from him and saw a flood of images of a spaceship traveling through space. She kind of moaned when it happened, and Mr. Seligman stopped talking and turned around…

"Ms. Parker! Have you had an insight you wish to share with the rest of the class?"

"No."

"Mister Evans?"

"I was just returning her pencil."

"I'd like to see both of you immediately after last period today in my classroom. The primordial experience known as… detention."


Maria told me about it later, but I already knew… So did just about the whole school… about Liz and Max, I mean, and the moaning. That kind of thing gets around. I knew Liz had had another vision.

Did you hear, Michael?

The Max-Liz thing… with the flashes? She's your friend, what do you think?

That Max and Liz have discovered some new sensation? It seems somewhat unlikely.

Extremely unlikely.


Little did I know, or Maria either, what lay in store for us! I think we were just saving it all up for the real blow out, 'cause when it happened it was like an A-bomb was dropped on us… even for me. I'm surprised she didn't explode, because I thought I might!

But I'm getting ahead of myself. At the moment, it was Liz who was having the freak-outs every time she touched Max, and it was what she was seeing that I was interested in. The two of them finally managed to make it into the eraser room together, and while they were making out, Liz saw the spaceship traveling towards earth again, and this time she saw it crash into the desert. Unfortunately, they made so much noise that someone checked the eraser room, and their moms got called. I remember thinking if they'd just been quieter we might have found out something really useful about our planet. I was actually upset that they got caught, and, for a change, it wasn't because Max was getting 'involved.' I wanted them to make out! I wanted to know what else she could pull out of Max's head while she was in there.

Actually, I'm kind of surprised she didn't get sucked in and disappear forever… black holes and all, you know.

(Michael turned sideways and grinned as a handful of sand pelted him, then he resumed telling his story.)

While all this was going on, I finally managed to sneak away and make a trip out to the old radio tower on Highway 42 for Jim. I don't know what I thought I would do with Nasedo when I found him. I don't think I really thought about it. I was too obsessed with just finding him. I certainly had no intention of turning him over to Jim if I did find him, and I think Jim knew it. He was just hoping I would get a handle on what was going on and maybe this guy would go away again. But I knew it was Nasedo and he wasn't going to just go away. Not until he got what he had come for.

When I got there, everything looked pretty normal around the tower. I didn't see anything unusual or out of place at all. I looked for footprints, but I knew there wouldn't be any. Nasedo didn't leave footprints. He was a professional. Well, a professional something. I wasn't sure what. But I knew instinctively that he was not someone to be toyed with. If I did find him, it wasn't going to be because I was some great tracker, it was going to be because he wanted to be found.

And that, I decided, was the best strategy for finding him!

"Okay, you wanted me… Here I am!"

I waited, but the only sound was the wind blowing through the sagebrush and whispering through the metal braces of the old tower. It was sort of mournful, almost spooky, in a way.

"What are you waiting for? Are you afraid to show yourself?"

Again I waited for an answer, any answer, and again there was only the mournful sound of the wind as it blew over the desert floor and up through the old metal struts of the tower. I took a deep breath and let it back out slowly. If he had been there, he would have showed himself. I was pretty sure of it. I would have to try again later. But if he returned in the meantime I wanted him to know that I had been there…

I held out my hand and carefully burned a figure in the sand… the symbol I kept seeing in my mind… the one from the cave. Then, I started to leave. But before I could turn around, something vise-like gripped my shoulder from behind. Piston-like fingers dug mercilessly into flesh and muscle causing every nerve to scream out in pain. The grip tightened, and I wondered how much my shoulder could withstand without coming apart or the bones breaking, but I was determined not to give him any pleasure. I would bear it, in silence if need be, whatever happened.

~~~~~~~~~~<<<<<>>>>>~~~~~~~~~~


"Ow, hot!"

"You okay?"

"Mm-hmm. Now I have that little piece of skin hanging down from when the pizza's too hot."

"Yeah, well, um, speaking of hot… this whole Liz-Max thing…"

"Mm-hmm?"

"Well, I was just wondering, you know, in the interest of science, kissing being purported to provoke these certain insights, I wanted to, you know, offer myself as a… as a human subject available for experimentation."

"It's not gonna happen, Alex."

"Right… right… right. Thought I'd give it a shot."

"Yeah. You want some pizza?"

"Uh, yeah. Pizza's always good."


~~~~~~~~~~<<<<<>>>>>~~~~~~~~~~

'This can't be good,' I thought to myself. Nasedo had my shoulder in a vise-like grip, and he seemed to actually be enjoying the pain I was experiencing. Of course, it could have just been his way of asserting his dominance… showing who's in control.

"What are you doing out here? Were you hoping that I would tell you where you came from… who you really are?"

"I thought I'd give it a shot."

"Hmm."

He released my shoulder, and the sudden relief that flooded through my body was almost overwhelming. Just for a moment, I became lightheaded, and I guess I staggered, and that brought an odd sort of smile to his face. I couldn't tell if it was sadism or something else.

"You were always the impatient one, Rath… had to have all the answers… and had to have them now."

~~~~~~~~~~<<<<<>>>>>~~~~~~~~~~

"We need answers, Max… and at the moment, Liz seems to be our best hope of getting them!"

Max shrugged. "She said it was as if she was inside the ship looking out… when it came crashing toward Earth."

"Did she see anyone else on the ship? Like our parents?"


Isabel smirked. "Yeah, or Captain Kirk and the Klingons? You got a paper-towel holder, Michael?"

"No! What if what she saw was real?"

"It's not real. What's wrong with you guys? Max?"

"I see things from inside her head. Maybe she's seeing things stored deep inside me."

"What do you see inside her head?"

"I can't tell you, Michael. It's private."

"Since when do we keep secrets from each other, Maxwell? Come on!"

"They're Liz's personal thoughts, Michael… not secrets."

"Maxwell, if this is real… if there's any chance this is real… you owe it to us and to yourself to find out. And in the meantime, I'm gonna pursue my own avenues."


~~~~~~~~~~<<<<<>>>>>~~~~~~~~~~

I looked Nasedo in the eyes, pretending to be unaffected by his bravado.

"I pursue my own avenues. I don't wait for others. That always takes too long. But you seem to know that about me already."

"That's why I knew you'd come, because you most of all want what I know. You need it… and you want it now!"

"Yeah, well, that depends on what you're offering."

"Your lives. Is that enough?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that this meeting is for one purpose only."

"To tell me about our planet? Our people?"

"No. To see if I can let you live… or if you must all die."

(I have to admit, that comment took me by surprise, though I realize now that it shouldn't have.)

"What do you mean?"

"Come on! You're smarter than that! What does your intuition tell you? You've already guessed that I'm one of you. I can tell just by looking at you that you've guessed that much."

"I thought… maybe… you might be our father."

"In a way, I am… or was supposed to be. I'm a protector, but not for you, for someone else. Your protector is dead."

"You killed him?"

"No. They did that. The barbarians that infest this backward rock."

"If your job is to protect us why would you be deciding whether or not to let us live?"

"You still don't get it, do you? You and the others were supposed to return to Antar one day… to rule. Each of you had a protector assigned to you. But the job of the protector was not only to protect, it was to bring back a functional royal family, especially the King… and you, his Chief in Arms."

"I consider myself pretty functional. And I'm pretty sure Max and Isabel do, too."

"The very fact that you cannot recall even the smallest minutia about your former lives or your real selves tells me that you are not ready to rule Antar. You may never be. You don't even know your real names. My duty… if I cannot bring back a functional ruling family… is to destroy you. I cannot allow malfunctioning hybrids to run around the universe."

"Now I think I'm offended."

"That can be remedied."

I stepped back quickly, as he reached out toward me. "Uh, no thank you. I don't think I would like your remedy."

"I doubt you would."

"What would we have to do to convince you that we are… 'functional,' as you put it?"

"I would have to see some evidence that Rath does indeed exist in you… and that the King, Zan, still exists in the one you call Max. If I saw that, I could, perhaps, let you live. As it stands right now, the only one that I know for certain is functional is Ava, and that's because I raised her. It is unfortunate that the other protectors never had a chance to mold the rest of you…"

"This Ava… she's one of us?"

Nasedo nodded. "She is all that you are not."

I don't know what happened, but at that moment, a surge of confidence flooded through me like I had never felt before. Well, that's not exactly true, I had felt it before, but it had always been tinged with a healthy dose of bluff before. Now it was 100% real, and it surprised even me. Maybe me most of all! I'm honestly not sure to this day where it came from. I smirked and started to pace around Nasedo, checking him out…

"No! it is not that you CAN let us live, is it? If you see that we are who you think we may be, you MUST let us live. Not only that, if the other protectors have all perished, then you must continue to protect all of us. You are still bound by your honor to the King, and since I am the King's Chief in Arms, you are bound to me. I command you!"

For the first time, I actually saw his defenses show signs of crumbling. It wasn't a total collapse, not by a long shot, but I had seen what I had seen.

"I'm right, aren't I? Tell me I'm not! Say it if you can!"

"I… I… cannot. You are Zan's General. I must…" Nasedo stammered, before quickly recomposing himself.

"You must obey me!" I said for him, sensing the truth.

"Yes. No! I must first be sure that you're not flawed."

"You've seen enough, Nasedo! Leave us! But be ready. When the time comes, we will need you and your knowledge in order to overcome the odds at home. Do you believe now that I am real?"

Nasedo nodded. "Yes, Rath!"

~~~~~~~~~~<<<<<>>>>>~~~~~~~~~~

"I had to know if something was real, Liz."

"If what was real, Max?"

"Well, just like you seeing things… I've seen things. And… one of those… things…"

"You saw my fantasy?"

"I had to know if… if… what I saw was… really from you or if it was just my imagination, which it definitely… definitely could've been. Except… I've never been in the girls' locker room. And now that I see it, and… well, it… it is the same room… I know I didn't make it up."

"This is really horrible."

"No, Liz. It's incredible, really."

"This is NOT incredible."

"Wait… Please! Listen… Please… Liz! The main thing is… I didn't just see what you saw. I felt… what you felt… when you saw me. And I never thought anyone could really… ever feel that way about me."

"Really?"

"PARKER!"

"It's the coach!" Liz motioned to Max to follow her, and they hid in one of the shower stalls.

"PARKER!"

Not seeing Liz, the coach left.

"Uh… Liz?"

"What?"

"You have a hickey… and it's glowing."


Max touched the glowing hickey and they saw a rush of images of military personnel running towards something that was beeping.

"This is getting really weird, Max."

~~~~~~~~~~<<<<<>>>>>~~~~~~~~~~

I decided not to tell Max or Isabel about my meeting with Nasedo. If they knew, Isabel would be all over me for taking such a risk, and Max would be furious that I went without him. Besides, it had all been kind of weird, and I wasn't entirely sure if Nasedo's acceptance of me extended to Max and Isabel. I didn't want them to go looking for him and, you know, not come back. I would have to tell them, of course… just not yet. At a more appropriate time.

I went back to my apartment and found Isabel there, and we started discussing Liz and Max's visions and how they might have come about…

"That would mean each of us has this information in some part of us we're just not conscious of."

I nodded. "Or she's getting messages from somewhere or someone else."

"Nasedo?"

"I don't know. I mean, why did she see the crash, the soldiers? Maybe it was all planned this way… that this is how we'd find out who we really are… by connecting with humans."

"Connecting?"

"The more they connect, the more we find out!"


As we were speaking, Max came in…

Uh, listen… Liz is on her way over."

"Okay, we'll leave."

"You guys don't have to leave."

"Go for it Maxwell,"
I said, "For the good of all mankind, you lucky undeserving dog!"

"Michael, that's not what this is about for me."

"Don't make me beg you to do what you and Liz obviously want to do anyway. I really don't see a problem with it."

"The problem is treating someone I care about like a thing… to be used."

"What? And that's what I'm about? Is that what you're saying?"

"The words are coming from your mouth, Michael."

"Listen, Maxwell… you are a sensitive guy. And you have available to you one of the top three seduction lines in history with, 'It's gonna help me find my home planet.' And you're refusing to use it. No guy is that sensitive. Use it!"


Isabel turned off the lights and snapped her fingers, making the candles in the room light up to form a romantic atmosphere just as Liz came in.

"Hi!"

"Hi!"

"How's it goin', Liz?"

"Strange."

Isabel smiled. "I'll bet!"

I motioned toward the door. "Alright, we're leaving now, but I got some Chaka Khan cued up in the CD player."

"We're leaving. Bye,"
Isabel said again, moving toward the door.

Liz looked at Max. "So you told 'em, huh."

"Yeah."

"And now everyone's just sort of cheering you on… like at a football game."

"No! No, it's… it's not like that. I mean… yes, they want us to keep going so we can find out where all this leads. But… that's not…"

"Max, I need to find out where all this leads, too. Look…"


Liz showed Max a strange rash that had appeared on her shoulder. Max put his hand over it and it disappeared. Then he moved his hand down Liz's arm, and a glowing light followed his hand.

"Max… do you understand any of this?"

"No."

"Can you take your shirt off?"

"Can I? Yeah."


Liz tried to create a glowing light on Max's body by running her hand over his chest.

"I can't do it."

"I'm glowing everywhere… my toes, my heart… You can't see it, it's on the inside!"

"…Max …you know things… about me that you, um… that you shouldn't know. And my mother… my mother, who I love, is just gonna kill me… if I don't die from this."

"You're right."

"I… can't stop."


As Liz and Max began to make out again, they saw another series of images… soldiers… running towards some beeping object being buried near a radio tower.

But at that moment, Maria walked in, interrupting them…

"My God! I was looking for Michael. Um, something tells me he isn't here."

~~~~~~~~~~<<<<<>>>>>~~~~~~~~~~

"I don't think he's here anymore… in Roswell, I mean."

Jim nodded and seemed to think about it. "Did he say anything to you?"

"Just that he was watching us… me. He was watching me."

"Why?"

"I think he was evaluating me… to see if I was… worthy or something."

"Um… and what was his decision?"

"I'm still alive."

"Oh. He expects high standards, huh?"

"Very."

"Michael, I wouldn't have sent you if I'd thought…"

"I know. Don't worry about it. I've been looking for him, too… for some time now. I would've gone even if you'd told me not to."

"Well, at least you're honest. I'm glad you're back… and okay."

"Yeah. I'm fine."

~~~~~~~~~~<<<<<>>>>>~~~~~~~~~~

"You're not fine! You're burning up, Liz!"

"Mom! Just stop it, okay? This is my body! I don't have to tell you every single thing about it!"


~~~~~~~~~~<<<<<>>>>>~~~~~~~~~~

It was our bodies. These new feelings we were having… especially Liz… were causing us all to seek a greater measure of privacy… and sometimes, to deceive those we cared about the most. Liz couldn't explain what was going on between her and Max to her mother… and didn't want to. Max didn't even like talking to me or to Isabel about it. Maria and I exaggerated what we were seeing when we made out… in the mistaken idea that we had to be like Max and Liz. We were us. We weren't Max and Liz. They had their physiology; we had ours. It wasn't less, just different. It was like there's this cork in two bottles of soda and you shake them both up. One cork blows off quick; the other one holds on until the pressure is greater before it goes off. But they both do in the end. And I deceived Max. I didn't tell him I had met with Nasedo. But that was for his protection.

When she got back home, Liz climbed onto her roof and started sketching something in her journal, something she had seen in her flashes, and Max showed up while she was sketching.

"Liz."

"Hi."

"I couldn't sleep."

"Yeah, neither could I."


Max climbed up onto the roof with her.

"Hey, Max."

"Hey."

"Uh, look, Max, I saw something when we were… it was something being buried, and it felt like it was something… something important. It was here."


She showed him the drawing she was sketching.

"I know this, Liz! This is the old radio tower by Highway 42."

"Max, Highway 42… Isn't that…"

"Yeah. Just a couple miles from the crash."

"Well, there's something buried there."

"I should go there… with Michael."

"Is that what you really want to do, Max?"

"No."

"Look, all I know is… if we're gonna do this… we've got to do it tonight."

"Are we…?"

"Come on, let's go."


Them heading off into the desert together was something I had not counted on. If I had, I would have told Max to stay away, because, to tell the truth, I wasn't sure that Nasedo didn't still want to test Max.

"It should be around here somewhere, Liz…

"I guess we could just start… digging."

"Or, uh…"

"Or, um… we could look for the next clue."

"Yeah. The clue idea seems more, uh…"

"More efficient."

"Yeah. Right this minute… I can't… not touch you…"

"Let's just lie down, Max."


Max unfolded a blanket he had brought with him and spread it out on the ground.

"Are you scared, Liz?"

"Well, I know I'm supposed to be, but… I'm just gonna put myself in your hands."


As they were getting settled onto the blanket, something howled in the distance.

"What's that, Max?"

"It's a coyote."


They began to kiss, and Liz wound up lying down on the blanket. But suddenly, she became aware of a beeping sound.

"Omigod, Max, that's it! …That's the sound I heard in my vision."

They started to dig where Liz had heard the beeping and quickly struck something with the shovel. Instantly, a bright blue light shot upward into the sky. Max dropped the shovel and lifted a glowing rock with an alien symbol on it out of the ground.

It's the symbol from the cave painting.

"Is this from your home?"

"I don't know."

"Maybe it's a signal for…"

"Maybe."


"Whatever it is, Max, it must have been missing all these years… and it's been right here in the ground ever since the crash."

~~~~~~~~~~<<<<<>>>>>~~~~~~~~~~

"Max and Liz are missing."

"Missing… Okay, let me, um… let me get the keys to my car, alright? We can go and find them."

"That's okay, Alex…"


Isabel stood there for a moment, as though waiting for something from Alex…

"Okay."

"Okay… what?"

"Okay… and kiss me."

"K- K- Kiss you?"

"My brother's missing. I need to find him. Maybe we can generate some information."

"Right."

"Maybe I'll get a flash of their location or something, so… go ahead."

"Oh… Yes! Yes, Ma'am!"


Probably wondering if he was dreaming, Alex kissed Isabel. Then she shook her head.

"Nothing."

"Oh."

"Nothing relevant to the current crisis."

"Sorry."

"Okay."


Isabel turned and started to walk away.

"You know, I'm… I'm available for further experiments… you know… when… whenever."

~~~~~~~~~~<<<<<>>>>>~~~~~~~~~~

In the morning, Liz and Max awakened on the blanket to find someone looking at them.

"This is private property. You two better get home."

Max grabbed the alien rock and stuffed it into his bag, then he and Liz left. When they had disappeared from view, Nasedo turned around to leave, too, but found someone standing behind him.

"Where did you come from?"

"Apparently, the same place as you. Isn't that what you told me?"

"That's not what I meant."

"I was staying out of sight… until they left."

Nasedo nodded. "You thought that I might consider the King… flawed. And you were here to defend him. Well, I'm not surprised. You are his General. That was your job on Antar, to protect him… and to protect the royal family. It is still your responsibility, even here."

"He's not flawed."

"I knew that as soon as the stone responded. If he had been flawed… even in the slightest degree… the light would not have shone. He is the King. He is Zan. For now, there is nothing more for us to talk about."

~~~~~~~~~~<<<<<>>>>>~~~~~~~~~~

"…Can we talk about what happened, Michael?"

"Talk on."

"I want you to know that what I said about you being all shut down and that's why I had to fake the flashes, that was… wrong… and very unfair. If something went wrong it was because of me. I'm the one who's scared. I mean, I fake all kinds of things all the time with everybody. It's just you were the first person I actually ever admitted it to."

"Well, thanks for sayin' that, but it's not really true."

"What do you mean?"

"It's not true about you being shut down all the time. I happen to know that for a fact."

"Really? How?"

"Because you let me see you. The red sneakers, Maria… One had a Kermit patch on it, and the shoelaces were blue, and you had your Dalmatian dog with you there, licking off your tears. And I saw a whole bunch of other stuff as well. Was I right?"

"Yeah, um… that dog died when I was like seven, right after my father left."

"Kinda rough?"

"Yeah. I'd say so. I really didn't care about the stupid flashes. I just wanted us to be close."

"Thanks."


I kissed Maria on the forehead and pulled her close. What the future had in store for us, neither of us could have guessed back then. We were surviving… one day at a time. We both had issues to work through. We had feelings… strong feelings… for each other, but we barely understood them. Sometimes we tried to deny them. Then destiny would slap us in the face and bring us back to our senses. When I look at Maria now, I wonder what my life would have been like without her… if things had gone differently back then… if any one of a million little things had happened differently… if we hadn't kept coming back to each other against all the odds… or if I hadn't returned to earth's past to find her after the explosion… I would still be as lost now as I was back then. Without her in my life… I would still be nothing. These beautiful children wouldn't exist. Sometimes I think the sun would have disappeared forever and nothing could have ever brought it back. But it shines now! Oh, yes, it shines!
Look at us now!




End of Episode 115

tbc…
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Codename: TABASCO (M/M, ALL, TEEN) Ep 116 02/22/2009

Post by Island Breeze »

Codename: TABASCO: MG
(The Awesome Background And Secret Chronicles Of... Michael Guerin)


Episode 116

The Huntress And The Prey

(Crazy)




Have you ever had one of those weeks where everything you do just goes the wrong way? You know what I mean, nothing works out like you intended it at all. Well, that happened to me at sometime around this point in my story, so I might as well tell you about it.

I think it's no great secret to those of you who were there at the time, in Roswell, when we were teens, that I, uh, well… wasn't the suave Romeo, you know? It didn't mean I didn't love Maria… or that I didn't want to please her. I did! Max bought Liz bubble bath, and I tried to follow his lead and got Maria a bottle of shampoo… generic. Hey, it cost more than the bubble bath! And it even had conditioner in it! What'd I know? But Max had an advantage. He had a sister, Isabel, and a real family to advise him about such things. If you knew Hank, Maria's lucky I didn't give her a 6-pack of beer. I mean, he was my influence… such as it was… unfortunately.

That's why I asked Max for help and tried really hard to follow his lead. But it wasn't helping. Sorry, Max, you may be a great Romeo, but you're a lousy teacher! And that wasn't all that was going wrong, but we'll get to that in a minute. First, Max's "tutoring."

I remember there was this one day in the CrashDown, I was getting a little behind on the orders, and I told Maria and Liz to push the special. I was tired of flippin' burgers, and everybody wanted a burger. Maria made some comment about other people acting like real couples… kissing… arms around each other's shoulders… actually excited to see each other… stuff like that, and I replied that it was overrated. But it was just her timing. I had hamburger grease on my hands and sweat on my face. I didn't think she really wanted me touching her right then, and my whole mindset back then was "right then." Max didn't explain that to me. I figured it out on my own in time… with Maria's help. Actually, Max was too busy sucking face to be any help most of the time.

What's that, Jayyd? It's just… it's an Earth expression. It's… well… I don't know what it means. Yes, it does sound icky. Some of the terms I may use are… scientific! Earth… scientific. Not meant to be understood by little Antarian girls. You're not making it any easier for me to tell this story! Why don't you and Mareeya and Ceelya go build a sand castle or something.

One comment out of you, Zorel, and you won't be getting a Galactic Milkshake at the CrashDown with the rest of us after the story. I see that smirk on your face!

Now where was I? Oh yeah…

Max and Liz were going to see a movie, and Liz asked Maria to take over at the CrashDown for her. Maria told her, "Go ahead… live the life that I so desperately want," or something to that effect. She knew I was listening. I said what's the big deal? They're just a couple of horndogs looking for a place to make out, and we could do that at my apartment just as well.

Yes, Jayyd? Yes, those were more Earth scientific terms. We learned them in school… on Earth. We were going to study together… in my apartment. You're right, that is more reasonable than trying to study at the movies! I tried to tell Max that, but you know Max. He's the king and all. He's used to doing things his way… even back then.

Anyway, Max and Liz didn't go to the movie in the end. They wound up, uh… studying in his jeep, in a secluded area on a dark deserted road, at Buckley Point.

What? I know you can't study in the dark, Jayyd. I guess he made some light with his hands to study with… or he had a light in the jeep. Yeah, that's it. He had a light in the jeep. Use your imagination!

Not you, Zorel! Wipe that smile off your face.

Anyway, that's when things got really scary for us. While they were, uh, studying, someone ran up to the jeep and banged on the window. It was Topolsky. That's Mrs. Jim Valenti… Aunt Kathleen… now to you kids. She was really upset and scared, and she kept telling them just to act like normal kids and not to trust anyone and that they were in bigger danger than they could ever imagine. Well, that pretty much ended the… studying for the night. She told them she would find them again later and tell them more.

You kids know what happened to us in Roswell and all about the special unit and Pierce and all. That's what she was trying to warn us about. But I didn't trust her. Liz did. Liz said she could tell Topolsky was really scared and was telling the truth. I thought she was trying to lead us into a trap and get us to admit we were aliens. Isabel and Max agreed with me, but Alex agreed with Liz…

"Do you really think she's here to warn us, Liz?"

"She wasn't the same person she was before, Alex. And the way she was talking, she seemed like she was just as scared for herself as she is for us."

"Then I say we listen."


I shook my head and put my foot down… hard.

"I say we don't! All right? It's just a new tactic. She scares us, makes us think we need help, and all we're really doing is admitting who we are, all right? I don't trust her and none of us should."

That was a mistake, and later I changed my mind. It wasn't like I was just going to sit on this information, though. I intended to follow up on it… without the others knowing. I didn't believe Topolsky, but I wasn't born naïve either. Don't trust, but verify, as somebody said. Or was it trust but… Well, it doesn't matter. I didn't trust Topolsky at all at the time, but I fully intended to verify her story… or at least disprove it to my satisfaction.

At about this same time, Tess showed up and introduced herself to everyone. She was the new girl in school. Turned out, she and Isabel were going to have Phys Ed together, and they got kind of chummy. This got my antennas up a bit, too. Topolsky didn't have to tell ME not to trust anyone new. I already didn't.

But let me get back to Maria and me for a minute. Maria said that what we had wasn't enough, and I told Max what she said.

"She wants more, Max."

"You mean like…"

"No. If that's what she wanted would I be here talking to you? She wants the romance thing, the thing that you and Liz got."

"Is that what you want?"

"I just want to make her happy. And you're gonna tell me how to do it."

"It's not like there's a handbook, Michael."

"I'm serious, Max. Things are getting frosty. She went to the French Club meeting today instead of meeting me in the eraser room. The French club! What the hell is that?!"


Max started to offer advice, like treating Maria as though she were the only girl in the room or taking her to a nice restaurant or surprising her with unexpected gifts, like flowers. Then Tess came in with Isabel and wanted to know how Max knew so much about women. That pretty much ended the tutoring session.

But what I'm leading up to here is, Max took his own advice and asked Liz to meet him in the restaurant where they had had their first date… Señor Chow's. At least, that's what Liz thought. But it turned out it wasn't Max who sent the note. When Liz got there, Topolsky slid into the seat across from her, dressed in a disguise.

"Don't draw attention to us. Just stay focused, Liz. It's the only way we're gonna make it through this."

"Why are you following us? We haven't done anything wrong!"

"You can play that game all night, or you can listen to me and maybe save all of our lives. You're smart. I knew you were the one I could get through to. They don't know I'm here. If they did…"

"Who's they?"

"The people I work for."

"The FBI?"

"It's more complicated than that. I've learned things, seen things… that no one would believe. Sometimes I don't even believe them myself."

"Where have you been all of this time?"

"To hell. And I've come out to warn you. There's a hunter… an alien hunter. He's buried deep inside the FBI. Even the president and the director are on a need-to-know basis only. Do you understand what I am saying? He answers to no one, and he will stop at nothing to get what he's looking for."

"What is he looking for?"

"Max Evans… and anyone he thinks is involved with him. All six of your names are on that list. You have to believe me."

"I believe you."

"I knew you would. We can't be seen together, do you understand? Meet me tomorrow night, behind the theater, at eight o'clock. I'll know more by then."


When Liz told Max about the meeting with Topolsky the next day at school, he forbad her to have any contact with Topolsky.

"Look, Max… I really think we should just trust her."

"No. No one is trying to help us. Just stay away from her."

"Max, it's not just about you guys anymore, okay? Maria, Alex, and I… we're on that list, too. I think that we should just all have a say in all of this."

"What list?"


When Liz told him, Max got us all together at the quarry to discuss what we were going to do. That's when we took an actual vote. It was four to two against meeting Topolsky or having any contact with her, so Liz and Alex accepted the result. But I was starting to wonder if I was right.

When Liz didn't show up to meet Topolsky, Topolsky did something desperate. Jim opened the door of his office late at night and found her waiting for him in the dark.

"You left without saying goodbye, Ms. Topolsky. You okay?"

"I'll never be okay again."

"You here to tell me about it?"

"I'm here because they won't listen to me."

"Who?"

"Max… Liz… none of them!"

"You're finally admitting the FBI's investigating these kids?"

"It's much worse than that!"

"You look like you could use a drink, Kathleen. What do you say we go somewhere?"


I've gotta give it to Jim. He never missed an opportunity. But Topolsky wasn't accepting… then. She was genuinely scared about what she had witnessed and wanted to stay under the radar.

"No! No. Look… everything stays a secret now or I will never make it out of this."

"Make it out of what?"

"Did you really think you could kill Everett Hubble and not send up a red flag, Jim?"

"What do you know about Hubble?"

"UFO nut. They all get tracked. He found out about Max, didn't he… at the convention? That's why you had to kill him. You're protecting those kids, too, now, aren't you?"

"All right. Why don't you just tell me what the hell you're talking about!"

"When my cover was blown, I was sent back to Washington. That's when I found out about the special unit. Alien hunters."

"In the FBI?"

"I was the first agent to make direct contact with… with the subject. I spent four weeks being debriefed by the agent in charge. His name is Pierce. And after what he did to me, I'd hate to see how he'd treat the enemy. When it was over, that's when he told me I was theirs for life. Once you know about the unit, you don't get out."

"Sounds elite. So what's the problem?"

"The problem is they kill people, and there is no one to stop them. And that is NOT why I became an agent, Jim."

"So the FBI thinks that Max Evans is an alien. Why don't they swoop in and pick him up?"

"Why haven't you? No solid proof. Fear of what he might do. He's not the only one, you know."

"This is getting a little far-fetched, I think."

"Look, Jim, your name is on that list! And you're not the first person he's destroyed over this. Now, I am trying to save your lives here, but if you don't want my help…"

"Wait, wait. Hold on! Whoa! Whoa! Hold on. Maybe we can get you some help."

"I already told you, it's too late for that. And if you don't believe me why don't you try asking your friend, Agent Stevens, what happened to HIM when he tried to get out. Pierce made an example of him for the rest of us… piece… by piece. Get them to trust me. It's the only way."


After Topolsky left, Valenti did call Agent Stevens' office, and was told that he was no longer an agent. Then he called his home, and his wife told him that Agent Stevens was dead.

The next day, Jim showed up in the UFO Center looking for Max. He told him that he needed to be careful about any crazies that came into the center spouting loony stories about aliens and conspiracies and all… that he never knew who was really his friend and who wasn't. Stuff like that. It was all pretty cryptic. And he told Max that if anybody bothered any of us to let him know.

That same day, Alex was walking home and a strange car pulled up next to him…

"Alex? You're Alex Whitman, aren't you? It's okay, Alex. Topolsky sent me. She knows you'd want to see her… hear what she has to say."

"Why didn't she just come herself?"

"I'll take you to her. She'll explain everything. Don't worry. I'm on your side. Get in the car."


At that moment, Valenti appeared and asked if anything was wrong, and the strange driver drove off in a hurry. Jim was watching out for us. He offered Alex a ride home, and Alex hopped into the cruiser with him. Then I returned home and found my apartment all ransacked. And Topolsky was waiting in the shadows.

"If I give you proof, will you believe me then?"

"Get out of my house!"


She picked up the orb and held it out. "I know what this is."

"That's a paperweight."

"It's a communicator… and there's another one just like it. I took it from the special unit evidence vault back in Washington. Now, I know they only work when they're together, so if I bring you the other one… if I risk my life for you… I need to know that you will take me with you when your people come to get you."

"You're crazy."

"No, Michael. Look, we are all going to die, and it's not going to be pleasant. We only have one chance. I will meet you tomorrow night at Buckley Point with the other communicator. If you ignore me this time… there won't be a next time."


After these incidents, Max called another meeting in the quarry. He still didn't want anyone to talk to Topolsky. But I knew it was time for some kind of intervention on my part. I just didn't want to involve the others. Unfortunately, Maria caught me looking for her car keys in her locker at the CrashDown and wouldn't let it go. She saw I had the orb and figured out where I was going.

"You're going to meet Topolsky, aren't you? After everything you said to the others."

"Yeah, well… just don't tell them, all right? I gotta do this thing, but it's safer if I do it alone."

"I'm going!"

"No!"

"Hello, Sheriff? Hi! My car's been stolen."


Did I say Maria had a way with words? I wasn't thrilled about it, but she did make a very good case. To complicate matters, she started to leave Liz a note telling her where we were going, but Liz walked in and saw us. Then Liz told Max and the others, and they all came after us in Max's jeep. I had intended to do this as the Avenger, but that wasn't an option now. We were going to have to meet with Topolsky… all of us… as ourselves.

I won't go into how Max walloped me and demanded I give him the orb back. In his shoes, I probably would have done the same thing. But it didn't change anything.

"Topolsky says it's a communicator, Max… It does something when it's with another one, and I gotta find out what it is."

Then Valenti showed up; and at the same time, someone else drove up and got out of another car.

"I'm sorry," the other man said, "but Ms. Topolsky won't be meeting you tonight… or any other night."

I nodded. "So she wasn't lying. You killed her, and now you're here to kill us?"

"No, Michael, he's not,"
Valenti said. "This man is from Bethesda, Maryland. His name is Dr. Malcolm Margolin. He stopped by my office this morning… explained a few things about Ms. Topolsky."

Dr. Margolin nodded. "I've been treating Kathleen for the last six weeks… She had a breakdown. She's paranoid delusional. That means that she's desperately afraid of things that don't exist… to the point that she makes up elaborate scenarios to justify the fears that she has… We traced her credit card here to Roswell, and when I caught up with her she was hysterical… talking about meeting you around here… something about an orb. The sheriff said he knew you and that you'd had trouble with her in the past. I didn't want anything to happen to you out here."

I've got to tell you, I was tingling all over from my 'lies radar.' This man didn't know us from Adam and he wanted us to believe that he came all the way up here just to save us some trouble? And he's supposed to be a doctor, but he's telling everybody Kathleen is paranoid delusional. Doctors are supposed to keep patients' records confidential. We were nobody to him. Why was he telling us this? I wasn't buying it. But I went along with it. It was the safest thing to do for everyone. I could do my own checking later… the way I wanted to in the first place.

"I checked it all out," Valenti said, vouching for him. "The doctor is who he says he is, and Topolsky spent the last month in a mental hospital. I think it's safe to disregard anything she's been saying… to any of us."

The doctor smiled. "I'm sorry to have caused you this inconvenience. And don't worry about Kathleen. She should be back in Bethesda by now under the best care available. So please… no more late-night trips to the middle of nowhere. Anything could be out here, and I'd hate to see any harm come to you on our account."

Valenti nodded. "Thank you, Doctor. I'm sure we'll all sleep better. So it's over. You can go home now."

I'm looking at this so-called doctor and at Jim and thinking, is Jim really buying this guy's mumbo-jumbo? I mean, he may be a real psychiatrist, or whatever, but his story was so fishy that I expected to see sea gulls circling overhead! Well, if it wasn't the middle of the night anyway. And that's another thing. What real doctor makes house calls in the middle of the night… much less comes all the way up to Buckley Point just to ease our minds and make sure we're going to be okay? No, he wanted us to forget about Kathleen and stop pursuing this. And I was sure Jim knew it. Jim's smarter than that. But if he was, he was putting up a real good front.

I looked around to see where the orb was. I had dropped it when the place became overcrowded. Unfortunately, Valenti spotted it first and picked it up. Max was none too pleased with me right then, but I knew that there would be time to mend those fences later… after I got the orb back.

When everyone was back home and asleep, I made my own move… the way I had wanted to in the first place… alone. I took Max's keys and jeep, without him knowing it, and headed back to Buckley Point. I parked the jeep a little ways away, over the hill, and walked the rest of the way so no one would hear me coming. When I got there I saw a car drive off… and Kathleen was looking out the back window. She looked positively terrified. So she wasn't back in Maryland after all. She had come to meet us. We were just intercepted by this Dr. Margolin person and sent home before she arrived. If she was crazy, it wasn't because of any breakdown, it was for good cause. She had very good reason to fear for her life. And so did we. I knew that now. What I didn't know… yet… was that it was Agent Pierce driving the car with Topolsky in it. But I was about to find that out.

As I was walking back to the jeep I passed a hiker, and the way he looked at me set off alarms inside me. I could say it was an Avenger tingle… kinda like the Spidey tingle thing… but the truth is there was something about his eyes. Then it hit me. Dr. Margolin had that same intense look in his eyes. But this man was obviously not Dr. Margolin. Or was he? Call it intuition, but I played a hunch…

"Hello, Nasedo."

"Lower your voice. You don't know who could be listening."

"So it was you. You were Dr. Margolin. You shape-shifted. You fooled Valenti and tried to fool us with a story about Topolsky being crazy. What do you have to do with Kathleen Topolsky, Nasedo?"

"Nothing. I was trying to save your sorry asses. All of you. The story about her being in a mental ward was true… and Dr. Margolin is real. He's one of them. So the story checked out when the sheriff checked. Would you expect anything less of me?"

"No."

"You don't know what you're dealing with, Michael. These people are ruthless… and they're connected. They are a serious danger. They would kill you all and sleep like babies afterwards. They have no remorse."

"Mmm. I guess you would understand that. I seem to have heard something about you lacking that particular emotion, Nasedo."

"It's a useless emotion. It gets in the way of what must be done. But I have never killed without reason."

"Whose reason?"

"Mine. The only one that matters. I am supposed to protect you and Max… our king. I can't do that properly if I let useless emotions get in my way."

"I used to think like you once… kind of. Not about killing, but about the emotions thing. I've grown."

"Good for you. It'll get you killed some day. And maybe get our king killed, too. And while we're talking about useless things… what the hell is that you're wearing… under your jacket?"

"Oh… mmm, well. You weren't supposed to see that. It's just… my underclothes."

"Looks more like pajamas… the women's variety."

"Shows how much you know. This is what all the kids in school are wearing these days."

"What does the big A stand for?"

"You wouldn't understand."

Nasedo was silent for a moment then nodded. "It has something to do with sentimentality… an emotion that may get you killed, Michael."

"That's my problem. You know what, Nasedo, I'd rather die than never to have lived."

"Soon enough you may be dead, if you don't listen to me. Then you will have your wish."

"Living is more than just being alive, Nasedo. It's having someone who cares about you… really cares about you. And caring about them."

"Well, from what I've seen, our king is equally as smitten and as useless as you right now. Oh, don't get me wrong. He's our king… he has the sign, and I'm bound to protect him. But the only one of the three of you who has any sense is Isabel. And I've been watching her and that boy… Alex, isn't it? She's one step away from letting emotions take over her life, too. It's a good thing you have me to watch over you all."

"Is it just duty, Nasedo? Do you feel nothing else?"

Nasedo breathed in deeply then exhaled slowly. "What I feel… you would not understand. I do feel a duty to protect you… and something else. But I could not let that get in my way… if it became an impediment."

"Of course. Well, I guess that's something. There's hope for you."

"Not if we're caught with you wearing women's pajamas."

"It's covered up. It's a uniform, not pajamas… You weren't supposed to see it. No one was. It's just… you wouldn't understand."

"Maybe I do."

"We ought to do something to help Topolsky," I said, trying to change the subject. "She risked her life to warn us about the danger we face."

"Forget her. There's nothing you or anyone else can do for her now. She chose the people she associated with and they turned on her. You had nothing to do with her fate. None of you did. It was of her own doing. She's being taken far away from here… to a place you could never get in. That was Agent Pierce himself driving the car that took her away. Forget her. Everything she said about him is true."

"It's hard to forget someone who risked their life for you."

"It's her or you… and Max and Isabel… and maybe Maria, too. Which is more important to you?"

Nasedo did have a way of putting an unpleasant perspective on things. But he had a point. Several of them really. Not the least of which was that I had no idea where they had taken Topolsky. It was, as Nasedo said, probably far away and somewhere where I would not be able to find her, much less save her. I didn't like it, but she was on her own… unless I got a miraculous break. But that didn't seem likely right now. I just hoped she would be all right.

I gave Nasedo a ride to the edge of town and he got out there, then I dropped Max's jeep off in front of his house and walked to Sheriff Valenti's office. I don't know why but I just had a feeling he would be there tonight even though it was already almost 4 A.M. The light was on in his office, so I climbed in through the window. He didn't even bother to turn around.

"Couldn't sleep, Michael?"

"No. Looks like you couldn't either."

"I had some matters to attend to."

"You didn't believe that Dr. Margolin guy, did you, Sheriff?"

"Nope."

"Why'd you bring him up there then?"

"Whoever he really was, Michael, he's dangerous… but he was trying to get you off the trail of someone even more dangerous. That told me that he wanted you to stay alive. That's a sentiment I agree with."

"But Topolsky…"

The mention of Kathleen caused Jim to flinch, and he closed his eyes for a moment.

"There's nothing you can do for her, Michael. Let me do what I can do from here. I have legal contacts. If I can't help her, you certainly can't."

"I just wanted to make sure… someone tried."

Jim nodded. "Yeah."

"Well, it's after 4 in the morning. I guess I better get home and get a little sleep… if you're on the case and all."

"Do Avengers sleep, Michael?" Jim asked with a half grin.

I pulled my jacket back over the big A.

"Yeah. Avengers sleep."



End of Episode 116

tbc…
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