Title: Finding Family, Finding Home
Rating: Adult
Genre: Alien Abyss
Spoilers: None really. Completely AU
Rating: Adult, starts Teen but will get to naughty parts later
Summary: Fall 2012, Liz has just graduated with her PhD and started a job in the remote mountains near Denver. What happens when she crosses paths with a mysterious benefactor?
Disclaimer: This is the first time I'm posting on RF, but I've been an avid Roswell fic writer for nearly a decade. Roswell Characters are not mine, would love to have Michael, but alas, I’m not Melinda Metz. Some borrowed characters from the television show, property of Jason Katims and team. James, Claudio, Scott and the rest of the OCs are all property of my imagination. Images in fanart are property of the photographers. I only took screenshots with my purchased copy of Roswell - the series.
Enjoy!
Chapter 1
Liz sighed as she dropped her messenger bag onto the overstuffed chair in the living room of her two bedroom apartment. It was barely October; but the sky outside was black well before she arrived home tonight. Her eyes ached after hours of looking through the microscope at the lab and she wished for nothing but a few hours of watching shows on her DVR before falling asleep on the couch.
She shambled over to her galley kitchen in search of something to eat, her feet killing her. Having been at the lab since 5:30 that morning, Liz was ready to gorge herself on the half gallon of ice cream still left in her freezer. As she pulled a spoon out of her drawer, a knock resonated through her living room.
Mumbling under her breath, thinking it was her neighbor coming to bitch that once again a package was left at her door, Liz headed back to the front of her apartment.
The knock sounded again, as she reached for the doorknob.
“Yeah, yeah,” she sighed, pulling open the door.
“Chica!”
A blur of color swept into the apartment and before she could register the fact that her best friend had just shown up, Liz saw that she had more visitors.
“Maria!” she replied, feeling rejuvenated already as her friend swept her up in a hug.
“Hey, Liz,” her tall lanky friend said from the doorway. He held up a small red gift bag and waved it in front of her. “We brought house warming gifts!”
“What are you guys doing here?” she asked, still trying to comprehend what was going on.
“We left a day early,” Maria said, pulling away from the hug.
“We wanted to surprise our bestie,” another voice said, walking into the room.
Liz stopped and looked at the newest addition to her childhood clique. Standing proudly, the former star athlete looked good. She hadn’t seen him since she’d called off their engagement nearly six years ago.
“Kyle,” she said, feeling the smile grow on her face.
They’d parted amiably, but she’d always wondered what it would be like to see him again.
“Hey, short-stuff,” he grinned.
She glared.
“I didn’t know you’d be coming with them,” she said, smiling again.
“It was a last minute thing,” her once-fiancé shrugged.
“I wasn’t expecting you guys till tomorrow,” she said, stepping away from the door. “I haven’t even had time to clean.”
Her friends walked in, Alex and Kyle carrying a matching set of luggage. Liz chuckled. The poor guys had to tote all of Maria’s bags while she swept through like the hurricane she sometimes was.
“Looks pretty clean to me,” Alex commented, dropping two duffle bags on the carpet.
“I guess I can clean the bathroom real quick,” she said.
“Don’t worry about it,” Maria said, shushing her friend. “I’m sure it’s fine. You moved in a few weeks ago. How bad could it be?”
“What do you have to eat?” Kyle asked, letting the two carry-on suitcases snap back into their upright position.
“Half gallon of butter pecan?”
“What?” he gasped. “No vanilla?”
“I branched out a bit, since we last hung out.”
He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close. “That’s my Liz,” he said. “Always curious.”
Liz couldn’t help but melt into his touch; they’d been together as a couple for so long. But as they stood there and Maria went through the fridge, Liz knew whatever relationship they had would be platonic from here on out.
“So, what’s there to do in Nederland, Colorado?” Alex asked.
Half an hour later, Liz found herself sitting beside Maria in a booth at the Mud Lake Bar and Grill. Being a few blocks down from her apartment, Liz suggested going there for a bite to eat. The grill wasn’t extremely fancy, but it was a nice inviting bar that the locals seemed to enjoy. Her coworker had recommended the place just a few days ago.
“I’m so glad you could make it,” she smiled, settling in behind Maria. “I’ve been looking forward to this for weeks.”
“It’s too bad you weren’t able to come to Roswell before the job started,” Alex said. “Your parents would love for you to visit.”
“I know,” she sighed. “But an opportunity to work Origins Bio-technologies was too good to pass up.”
“We get it,” Maria smiled, flipping open the small grill menu. “You just haven’t been back since your parents remodeled. The Diner looks amazing.”
“What about you guys?” Liz asked, looking at Alex. “Have you asked Maria to marry you yet?”
Alex blushed on the other side of the booth.
“We’re not in any hurry,” Maria said. “Besides, there’s still so much we want to do before getting tied down.”
Liz watched Kyle roll his eyes at them and smiled. Maria, despite outward appearances, always had some grand plan to accomplish.
“I’m gonna get a drink,” Liz said, eyeing the bar. “Do you need anything?”
“There are waiters,” Maria replied.
“Its fine,” she smiled then raised an eyebrow. “I need to walk a bit anyway.”
“Jack on the rocks,” Kyle replied.
“Gin and tonic,” Alex said.
Maria waved her off, engrossed in the food menu.
Liz walked across the room and stood at the bar. The mahogany top glistened with the shiny finish of wood well tended. Running her fingers over the contoured edge, she looked around at the other guests. Though this place was in a small rural town, it was relatively formal, she was surprised to see more of the white collar type seated in the booths or lounging at the cocktail tables. A baby grand stood on a latticed dance floor, a light shining down and giving the black piano a glow.
“Classy place,” she whispered.
A blast of cold air washed over her, and Liz glanced over her shoulder to see a group enter the bar. A tall handsome man, dressed in a three-piece suit, had entered the bar. Flanked by two shorter, but well –proportioned men, Liz thought immediately that he must be someone special, or at least relatively wealthy. There was no need for guard detail in Nederland, at least from what she’d seen so far.
He glanced around the room, his lips moving slightly, like he was telling his guard where to walk. Liz was about to turn her attention back to the bartender when she locked eyes with him. His caramel-brown eyes brought heat to her face as she stared. Liz felt a lump form at the back of her throat and watched as he walked away, finally breaking eye-contact with her.
“Ma’am?” a voice pulled her away.
“Yes?”
“What can I get you?” the bartender asked, wiping down some condensation from the bar top.
Liz ordered the drinks and waited patiently while the bartender artfully concocted the order. It was clear that he enjoyed his job by the way he took the time to prepare her gin martini, instead of just throwing together the ingredients. Liz noted, with a wry smile, that he immediately used all top shelf liquors and wondered if they allowed the cheap stuff within the walls of this place.
Waiting there for her order, Liz wanted desperately to turn around and look for the man. She’d never felt such immediate desire for a guy before. If she’d been in any other place or been any other girl, Liz knew that she would have strolled across the hardwood floor and jumped him. The image in her mind was almost laughable as she visualized herself sauntering past her friends, pushing that tall man against the wall and running her hands up and down his chest. She couldn’t tell what his physique was under that suit, but her mind ran rampant.
“That’ll be $18.50,” the bartender said, once again pulling her into the present.
“Oh, could you put it on the tab for my table please?”
“No problem, Ms.?”
“Parker,” she replied. “Liz Parker.”
He nodded and turned his back to her, headed towards the computer. With so few people actually eating this late, she guessed he needed no more information. Picking up the three drinks carefully, Liz turned and headed back to her table.
“Do you know what you want?” Liz asked, seeing Maria with her nose still in the menu.
“They serve duck here,” she gasped, looking up at Liz.
“I didn’t realize it was so upscale,” Liz admitted. “Or I would have suggested somewhere else.” Sitting down, she felt completely underdressed. While she wasn’t in yoga pants or her favorite ratty sweatshirt from Harvard, Liz thought she should have showered and put on a cocktail dress just to walk through the door.
“You’re fine,” Kyle smiled. “It’s not like the dress code here is tails and ball gowns.”
“Thanks.”
The waitress came by their table a few minutes later, and Liz and her friends ordered dinner.
Dinner came and went and Liz enjoyed her meal with her friends immensely. It had been too long since she’d relaxed. After getting her degree, she’d gone straight to graduate school and worked hard for her doctorate, barely squeezing in enough time to call her parents on holidays. Now that she’d found a job, relatively close to home, Liz found herself able to imagine some family time once again.
As they got ready to pay their tab, Liz excused herself to go to the bathroom. Maria following behind her.
“Are you sure we can stay at your apartment?” she asked, as they got back to the table.
“Of course,” Liz said. “I’ve got a pull out couch too.”
Rounding the corner, Liz collided with a suit. She let out a squeal, unintentionally, as she reeled back from the body. Looking up, she saw the man who’d caught her eye at the door. He pulled her against his body, steadying her, and Liz felt heat flood through her.
“I am so sorry,” she said, pulling away from him, diverting her eyes. “I wasn’t watching and I,”
“It’s alright,” his baritone voice said, with a chuckle. “I should have sent someone ahead to clear the way.”
Liz looked up at him.
A curve of his lips proved his insincerity.
Liz glanced back and saw Maria staring gape-jawed at the man. This wasn’t good. She reached out and grabbed Maria by the arm.
“We really should be going,” she said, pulling Maria with her and starting towards the guys.
“Who was that?” Maria whispered as they put distance between Liz and the mystery man.
“No idea,” she replied, feeling slightly out-of-breath.
“He’s yummy,” Maria giggled.
Liz could only glare at her friend.
“What? I’m not engaged yet!”
Finally reaching the table, Liz saw the guys ready to go.
“Liz,” Kyle said, holding his arm out for her. “Shall I escort you from the premises?” he asked, faking a haughty, almost British, accent.
Her knees weak from the collision with the Adonis, Liz only smiled and took his arm. She knew she’d have to let Kyle know eventually that she didn’t see them together again; but after her run-in, Liz felt the need to have the support of her friend at her side.
As for the other thing, you'll see...
