chapter 13 may 28
Posted: Mon May 28, 2007 5:46 pm
Stories by ken_r
Begonia 9508 we are just going to have to watch and see what happens
Natalie36 this is the first thing Liz thinks about but we see today that she is really looking for any reason to not run.
Kittens Are you looking over my shoulder as I write or something?
Martine Tess is as a child in a woman’s body. Caring for her is a little like caring for some who is very old. She asks very pointed questions and th group has a hard time answering them.
Timelord31 believe me caring for an adult can wear you down.
Flamehair Aaron is much wiser than his years. Begonia see below is much like Michael can you trust what she will do
Begonia again see answer to flamehair above. This is the problem as Michael sees it.
Chapter 13
Max was just sitting in the living room. He looked up, “Did you find her?” he asked.
“Yes, Maria and I found her in the park. She is pretty freaked out.” Isabel stated. “Maria is staying with her at my house and I wanted to first see you, then I wanted to see if you know what happened?”
“I talked to Tess for a few minutes. She says she was asking Liz questions. She wouldn’t say what the questions were,” Max replied.
“Well, I am going to go up and talk to Tess to see if I can find out what was going on.” Isabel stood up and got ready to walk up the stairs.
“Do you want me to come with you?” Max asked, but Isabel could tell he didn’t really want to come.
“No, Max, I think it will be just between us women. Maybe, I can get her to tell me more of what went on. Liz is really messed up,” Isabel left Max sitting just staring out the darkenrd window.
Isabel knocked on the door to the room where Tess was staying. It was answered by a very soft, “Come in.”
Isabel entered the room. The lights were off and she could see the shadow of Tess sitting beside her bed. “If I was so bad to every one, why are you all working so hard to take care of me? Why didn’t you just leave me at the sanitarium? I must have been horrible to Liz to cause her to break down like that?” Tess was talking while not looking at Isabel, but rather, just staring out the dark window. Isabel thought that both Tess and Max seemed to think there might be answers somewhere out there in the dark.
Tess what were you and Liz talking about?” Isabel asked.
We were just talking. I found a paper that said I must have been married to Max and I was wandering why I do not have any feeling towards him if I was.” Tess mused as she turned toward the sound of Isabel in the dark.
“Tess, I do not think you ever really loved him. You married him because you thought being married would get you something you wanted,” Isabel stated.
Tess, finally, turned on the light beside the bed. “Liz really loves Max and he loves her. I can see it every time they are together. Why aren’t they married? They should be.” Tess said. Then, she added, “Did I do something to keep them apart?”
Isabel had trouble with this question. She didn’t want to talk to Tess about alien powers yet, but, maybe, if this new Tess was able to see a little of what she had done in the past, she could start on a new life. That is, if she didn’t still have deeply buried any of the old alien lore given to her by Nasado. After all, wasn’t that what they were all afraid of, the old Tess sometime coming back and wielding her alien power, not caring who she hit or who saw her. Nasado had always been careless. He had so much disdain for humans. He always wanted to show all humanity that there was a alien on the loose that they had no ability of containing.
They were going together, Tess, and you did everything you could to drive them apart. You finally said something to make Liz leave because she thought she would be hurting Max if she stayed,” Isabel explained.
“Then, why is she helping me? Why does she drive me to the therapist? Why does Liz live here with Max, but she stays in a separate room? Why is she usually so kind to me if I drove them apart?” Tess had so many questions.
Isabel didn’t have answers for everything Tess asked. The two women just sat in the dark. Finally Isabel went over to the door and turned on the ceiling light. Tess blinked at the glare. Then, she looked at Isabel.
“Tess, my brother is essentially a nice person. He doesn’t do well with people who are mean to others. The old you did mean things to everyone. Helping the new you is what everyone hopes will make up for the things you did. Liz was hurt the worst of all. She is trying the hardest to not let her feelings show and hold a life, you have no memory of, against you. It was her idea to take you out of the sanitarium and it was her idea to get you that job at the Crashdown. She is part owner of that restaurant.” When Isabel left, the last thing she saw was Tess getting ready for bed.
Isabel sat down beside Max. “Apparently, Tess figured out she was married to you. She is confused because she has no feelings toward you. She has noticed how much in love you and Liz are. Max, this might be a turning point.”
Max sat looking out the same window even though Isabel had turned his lights own. Isabel saw no reason if Max and his ex-wife wanted to sit in the dark, that she should have to.”
Isabel, with a heavy heart, returned to her home. When she arrived she found Maria still there. At the moment, Alex was in the spare bedroom talking to Liz.
“Alex, I just do not think I can keep this up. I don’t even have the privilege of hating this woman. She is a stranger who does not know as much as we do of what she was. I am sorry I came back, Alex.” Liz was so upset.
Alex in his perfectly calm voice, “Liz, if you hadn’t returned, you know that Tess would probably have the little boy in custody now and be subjecting him to the emissary. She might have done to him what she did to his mother to enhance his alien side to better be assured the emissary would accept him. Liz, no matter what the toll on you has been, you have probably saved Aaron.”
Liz was sitting with her head in her hands. No matter what her feeling was toward Max or what problems she and Max had, she did love Aaron. “Alex, I am not strong enough to keep this up. I need Max or I need to get away from him. I just can’t keep seeing him every day and I don’t think he can keep doing this much longer, either.”
“For tonight, Liz, just lay back down and rest. In the morning, we will try to figure out what can be done,” Alex instructed.
Back at Max’s place, Max was sitting in the kitchen trying to correct papers that were three days over due. Aaron was in bed and the house was totally quiet. With Liz gone, the house seemed very lonesome. Max became aware of Tess entering the room. He looked up. Tess was wearing only a shear nightgown. He looked at her and, for several minutes, he said nothing. She stood there. Yes, she was still a pretty woman, but Max was now and he had always been, in love with Liz. Max remembered the other time Liz had left him. He had been only 16 years old. Then when she was gone, Tess had confronted him almost naked. When she shed her clothes Max, had only the raging hormones of a 16-year-old boy. He had been consumed with lust. He really wanted it to be Liz, but she had run off. His 16-year-old mind had been taunted with visions for several weeks. His body had just been subjected to the trials of the white room. The offering Tess made so long ago was just too tempting. Even after he had consumed what she was offering in place of love, Max had a terrible feeling that he had cheated on Liz. Then he then tried to tell himself, like Maria had continually said. Liz has moved on. All he would ever have of Liz would be a flawed memory. Tess was offering reality, but deep down he never believed that. After Tess had become pregnant, Max had all sorts of guilt feelings, but he also had feelings of responsibility. He had created something and it was his responsibility to care for it. After the daughter came, Max loved her so much that he even for a time forgot her mother. When Tess had brought the emissary to test Felicia Max had stood back and assumed that this was the way his life was destined to go. He would try to be the king of his destiny. When Felicia was rejected, Max simply was prepared to build a life around her and he expected Tess to do likewise. Tess went wild. Max knew that she was cheating on him constantly. He just turned his life into raising Felicia. When Tess notified him she wanted a divorce, Max was num with regard to her.
Now, Max was again being confronted with the almost naked body of Tess. This time he was older. He had slept with Liz that one time just before Tess blew up his house. It wasn’t the body of Liz that he now lusted for as much as the company and comfort of Liz herself. Max wanted again to love Liz, but he also wanted to believe Liz would be with him every time he doubted himself. No, he had no more feeling for what Tess was offering, than he would have looking at the centerfold of a Playboy magazine. Interesting, but not real.
“What do you want, Tess?” Max asked.
Tess shrugged, “I wanted to see if there was any feeling between us. I knew that I didn’t seem to have any and I wanted to see if you did.”
“Tess, that was all in the past. I don’t think either of us ever loved the other. I was confused and you wanted to gain something by being married to me. I do not think that either of us knew love, even momentary love,” Max stated looking right at Tess.
Tess returned to the other room and picked up her robe. “What are you going to do with me?” she asked.
What do you mean, Tess?” Max was perplexed. He had said nothing to her to indicate that he intended to make any changes in her care.
“Max, you are going to loose Liz if you do not figure out how to hold her. I do not think me being here is going to help you,” with that, Tess went back to her room.
The weeks went by. Liz still took Tess to therapy sessions. She did not stay at Max’s house. Liz didn’t stay at the Crashdown much when Tess had a shift either. She was helping Max take care of Tess, but she was not allowing her self to be either with Tess or Max when she could help it. So far, she hadn’t run away from Roswell.
Tess was working the night shift. When Tess wasn’t working Liz many days would sit in the Crashdown and read. She was indulging in this when she felt a tug at her sleeve. She looked up, or rather down, to see Aaron. Behind him was Diane. Aaron slid into the booth opposite Liz and Diane sat beside him. “Liz, we miss you. Grandpa misses you so much and so do I!” Aaron said.
Liz tried to smile. “I know Aaron, but sometimes it is necessary for a person not to be where you want them to be.”
“Liz, Tess misses you, also,” Aaron said softly.
Liz frowned at this. She noticed that Tess had been extraordinarily quiet the last few times she had taken her to therapy. Diane had little to say and after the affirmation of Aaron, they just sat and talked for a short while about nothings.
Liz received a call from Tess’s therapist, “Liz could you come by and talk to me? It involves Tess, you and Max.”
Liz drove to the doctor’s office. “Good morning, Mrs. VanDorne. This is going to be terribly awkward. I have to respect the confidentiality of Miss Harding, but I also have to respect her request. She is convinced that she interfered with the relationship between you and Mr. Evans. You listed yourself as a friend of Mr. Evans when we first talked. I know that you stayed with him while taking care of Miss Harding at first. Now, I need to know more about your situation if I am to treat Miss Harding. She is developing extreme remorse for things she says she must have done. She is also not able to remember what they were. Can you shed any light on what they were and help me so I can form my therapy for her?”
Liz sat there for several minutes. No, she couldn’t tell the therapist that Tess wanted to take Max back to an alien kingdom, maybe to be executed. She couldn’t tell her that all those around Tess were frightened that she might regain her past memories and, again, become a threat. She couldn’t tell her that Tess had stolen away much of the lives of both her and Max. What could she tell her? “Max and I were sweethearts in high school. Of course, at that time, we were very awkward in our feelings for one another. Tess came and deliberately drove a wedge between us. By various means, she made my life uncomfortable enough so that I left Roswell. With me gone, she went to Max. He got her pregnant, but she wasn’t satisfied and, after four years, she left Max and her child. The child was terribly tramatized and she went wild so that neither Max nor his mother could handle her. Max’s daughter got pregnant before she was 16. She was killed a few years later. Tess returned to take the grandson away from Max. We do not know what she did, but she was caught in an explosion that almost killed all of us. That is when she lost her memory. Max is the only relative she has, so he assumed her care. I am still a friend of Max’s, so I agreed to help him as long as I stay in Roswell. Tess’s past history is one of terrible hurts and pain.” Liz wondered did she say anything that would come back to haunt the aliens?
The therapist leaned back. I thought there was a tragedy somewhere. “The best thing we can do for Tess is not to restore her memory, but to help her move on. First, she needs to try to take responsibility for her own care. Then, you and Mr. Evans need to take care of your own relationship and Tess needs to know that you are doing so. She has expressed to me that she wants to live on her own as soon as possible. You might see if that could be arranged.”
Liz stood up. The therapist seemed not to have anything else to say. Driving home, Liz kept thinking, ‘You and Mr. Evans need to take care of your own relationship and Tess needs to know that you are doing so.’ A simple phrase, but to accomplish that would take the effort to move a mountain. Liz was feeling trapped. Leaving Max now would mess everything up. For a while, she would be forced to stay. Liz had a funny thought. Maybe, this is what she wanted, anyhow, an excuse to stop running.
That night Liz called a meeting. She arranged them all to meet at Max’s house. Tess was working the late shift so it would be safe there. Maria wanted to be at the meeting with Michael and Isabel also wanted Alex. They both arranged babysitters. The meeting couldn’t be long because Tess would be off and back to Max’s house by 9:00. Aaron would be playing in his room. Jim also came by. He had a grin on his face. “Kyle wrote me that he will be back in Roswell next week.” Since Maria’s mother, Amy, who was also Jim’s second wife had died, Kyle was all the family he had.
Michael was surly, “As long as Tess is alive, we are all in danger. Someday her memory is going to come back and then, bam!! She is going to hit us all when we least expect it.”
Max listened to Michael, but he still wasn’t ready to talk about murder. Liz had already made it clear she wanted no part of murder, no matter who did it and Jim agreed with her.
It was a meeting called by Liz. She essentially reported what the therapist had said. Liz outlined what she told the therapist and, also, what she had deliberately left out. She mentioned what the therapist said about her and Max, but, except to say that Tess needed to know they had worked out their problems to an agreeable solution, Liz didn’t talk any more about them. She did state that the therapist felt that Tess should, maybe, be given more responsibility for her own care.
Michael stood up and in a loud voice said, “No, no, that is exactly what we do not need! If Tess is allowed to live alone, what is to keep her from returning to her old ways? We will not know anything about it.”
Michael was adamant. He wanted Tess supervised or dead.
A tiny voice was heard, “Uncle Mike, she can’t return. When the blast was reversed, it burned out the center of any power. All of her memories were in her power. That is why she can’t come back or remember anything,” Aaron was sitting on the stair steps. No one had noticed him come down the stairs. It was later when they learned that what he said wasn’t completely correct.
Michael turned angry to look at him, but Michael couldn’t be angry at a child. He also knew that this child was something special. Michael and Alex, alike, had been watching their children to catch any abnormality before it was noticed at school. So far, their children were outwardly all normal. Michael always knew that Max’s grandkid did have powers and he was going to help in the training as soon as Aaron grew up a little more. He sat down.
Maria put her arm around his neck and her head on his shoulder. She could feel the tension leaving his body. Isabel was convinced that, now, the only thing they needed to do was find a way to implement the therapist suggestions. Alex agreed. Jim was quiet. At least the talk of murder had subsided. Max and Liz had their own problems and they knew that it would be up to them alone to find any workable solutions.
Liz stood up. “ I could move back with Max and let Tess take the living quarters of the Crashdown. She could take on more responsibility at her work and we would all be fairly close to monitor her.”
Max was surprised. Liz moving back with him meant that, maybe, he would have another chance. Michael was calming down. The words of Aaron had a lot of effect on him. Max would be the one to talk to Tess. He would suggest the move and see if it would meet with her approval.
They were all gone by the time Tess got home. She was tired, but she was game about keeping up her work.
“The therapist says you need to think about living on your own,” Max started. “What do you think? Tess was a little surprised because she well knew that they didn’t trust her. She just looked at Max.
“Would this be possible?” she inquired.
Liz has suggested that she could let you have the Crashdown living quarters if you want, at least for a while,” Max returned.
“Where would Liz go?” Tess asked.
“She would come here and see if we could start up our relationship,” Max responded.
Tess thought several minutes. “Do you think I am ready?” she asked again.
“I think it would be up to you, Tess. Do you think you are ready to be on your own? We will still help you, but you could start having some time to your self and, maybe, even be thinking about going back to school and getting your education.”
Tess had left school without graduating or getting her General Equivalency Diploma, commonly called the GED. These were things Tess hadn’t allowed herself time to consider. She still wondered why Liz would do this for her. Liz was, essentially, giving up the home where she was raised. Tess, again in her mind, asked, “What did I do to Liz? She doesn’t forgive me, but she is so willing to help me. Why, if I was married to Max, don’t I have some residual of this relationship? Why did he show nothing above a mild interest when I stood before him in my nightgown the other night. Did I do something terrible to him? No one will tell me about my daughter. What did I do to her?” These and other questions were plaguing Tess. She would have to talk to her therapist about them. The therapist had talked to Liz. Tess knew this because the therapist had already had her session with her. There were things that Tess was curious about her former life, but then, reason set in. In her former life, she was hated. and now she was tolerated and even helped. Maybe, just maybe, she should decide to leave some things alone.
Acommidation is a story of two people trying to remake their lives for the sake of their children.
The Young Vampire is a light hearted story about a vampire. This one is strictly for fun.
Begonia 9508 we are just going to have to watch and see what happens
Natalie36 this is the first thing Liz thinks about but we see today that she is really looking for any reason to not run.
Kittens Are you looking over my shoulder as I write or something?
Martine Tess is as a child in a woman’s body. Caring for her is a little like caring for some who is very old. She asks very pointed questions and th group has a hard time answering them.
Timelord31 believe me caring for an adult can wear you down.
Flamehair Aaron is much wiser than his years. Begonia see below is much like Michael can you trust what she will do
Begonia again see answer to flamehair above. This is the problem as Michael sees it.
Chapter 13
Max was just sitting in the living room. He looked up, “Did you find her?” he asked.
“Yes, Maria and I found her in the park. She is pretty freaked out.” Isabel stated. “Maria is staying with her at my house and I wanted to first see you, then I wanted to see if you know what happened?”
“I talked to Tess for a few minutes. She says she was asking Liz questions. She wouldn’t say what the questions were,” Max replied.
“Well, I am going to go up and talk to Tess to see if I can find out what was going on.” Isabel stood up and got ready to walk up the stairs.
“Do you want me to come with you?” Max asked, but Isabel could tell he didn’t really want to come.
“No, Max, I think it will be just between us women. Maybe, I can get her to tell me more of what went on. Liz is really messed up,” Isabel left Max sitting just staring out the darkenrd window.
Isabel knocked on the door to the room where Tess was staying. It was answered by a very soft, “Come in.”
Isabel entered the room. The lights were off and she could see the shadow of Tess sitting beside her bed. “If I was so bad to every one, why are you all working so hard to take care of me? Why didn’t you just leave me at the sanitarium? I must have been horrible to Liz to cause her to break down like that?” Tess was talking while not looking at Isabel, but rather, just staring out the dark window. Isabel thought that both Tess and Max seemed to think there might be answers somewhere out there in the dark.
Tess what were you and Liz talking about?” Isabel asked.
We were just talking. I found a paper that said I must have been married to Max and I was wandering why I do not have any feeling towards him if I was.” Tess mused as she turned toward the sound of Isabel in the dark.
“Tess, I do not think you ever really loved him. You married him because you thought being married would get you something you wanted,” Isabel stated.
Tess, finally, turned on the light beside the bed. “Liz really loves Max and he loves her. I can see it every time they are together. Why aren’t they married? They should be.” Tess said. Then, she added, “Did I do something to keep them apart?”
Isabel had trouble with this question. She didn’t want to talk to Tess about alien powers yet, but, maybe, if this new Tess was able to see a little of what she had done in the past, she could start on a new life. That is, if she didn’t still have deeply buried any of the old alien lore given to her by Nasado. After all, wasn’t that what they were all afraid of, the old Tess sometime coming back and wielding her alien power, not caring who she hit or who saw her. Nasado had always been careless. He had so much disdain for humans. He always wanted to show all humanity that there was a alien on the loose that they had no ability of containing.
They were going together, Tess, and you did everything you could to drive them apart. You finally said something to make Liz leave because she thought she would be hurting Max if she stayed,” Isabel explained.
“Then, why is she helping me? Why does she drive me to the therapist? Why does Liz live here with Max, but she stays in a separate room? Why is she usually so kind to me if I drove them apart?” Tess had so many questions.
Isabel didn’t have answers for everything Tess asked. The two women just sat in the dark. Finally Isabel went over to the door and turned on the ceiling light. Tess blinked at the glare. Then, she looked at Isabel.
“Tess, my brother is essentially a nice person. He doesn’t do well with people who are mean to others. The old you did mean things to everyone. Helping the new you is what everyone hopes will make up for the things you did. Liz was hurt the worst of all. She is trying the hardest to not let her feelings show and hold a life, you have no memory of, against you. It was her idea to take you out of the sanitarium and it was her idea to get you that job at the Crashdown. She is part owner of that restaurant.” When Isabel left, the last thing she saw was Tess getting ready for bed.
Isabel sat down beside Max. “Apparently, Tess figured out she was married to you. She is confused because she has no feelings toward you. She has noticed how much in love you and Liz are. Max, this might be a turning point.”
Max sat looking out the same window even though Isabel had turned his lights own. Isabel saw no reason if Max and his ex-wife wanted to sit in the dark, that she should have to.”
Isabel, with a heavy heart, returned to her home. When she arrived she found Maria still there. At the moment, Alex was in the spare bedroom talking to Liz.
“Alex, I just do not think I can keep this up. I don’t even have the privilege of hating this woman. She is a stranger who does not know as much as we do of what she was. I am sorry I came back, Alex.” Liz was so upset.
Alex in his perfectly calm voice, “Liz, if you hadn’t returned, you know that Tess would probably have the little boy in custody now and be subjecting him to the emissary. She might have done to him what she did to his mother to enhance his alien side to better be assured the emissary would accept him. Liz, no matter what the toll on you has been, you have probably saved Aaron.”
Liz was sitting with her head in her hands. No matter what her feeling was toward Max or what problems she and Max had, she did love Aaron. “Alex, I am not strong enough to keep this up. I need Max or I need to get away from him. I just can’t keep seeing him every day and I don’t think he can keep doing this much longer, either.”
“For tonight, Liz, just lay back down and rest. In the morning, we will try to figure out what can be done,” Alex instructed.
Back at Max’s place, Max was sitting in the kitchen trying to correct papers that were three days over due. Aaron was in bed and the house was totally quiet. With Liz gone, the house seemed very lonesome. Max became aware of Tess entering the room. He looked up. Tess was wearing only a shear nightgown. He looked at her and, for several minutes, he said nothing. She stood there. Yes, she was still a pretty woman, but Max was now and he had always been, in love with Liz. Max remembered the other time Liz had left him. He had been only 16 years old. Then when she was gone, Tess had confronted him almost naked. When she shed her clothes Max, had only the raging hormones of a 16-year-old boy. He had been consumed with lust. He really wanted it to be Liz, but she had run off. His 16-year-old mind had been taunted with visions for several weeks. His body had just been subjected to the trials of the white room. The offering Tess made so long ago was just too tempting. Even after he had consumed what she was offering in place of love, Max had a terrible feeling that he had cheated on Liz. Then he then tried to tell himself, like Maria had continually said. Liz has moved on. All he would ever have of Liz would be a flawed memory. Tess was offering reality, but deep down he never believed that. After Tess had become pregnant, Max had all sorts of guilt feelings, but he also had feelings of responsibility. He had created something and it was his responsibility to care for it. After the daughter came, Max loved her so much that he even for a time forgot her mother. When Tess had brought the emissary to test Felicia Max had stood back and assumed that this was the way his life was destined to go. He would try to be the king of his destiny. When Felicia was rejected, Max simply was prepared to build a life around her and he expected Tess to do likewise. Tess went wild. Max knew that she was cheating on him constantly. He just turned his life into raising Felicia. When Tess notified him she wanted a divorce, Max was num with regard to her.
Now, Max was again being confronted with the almost naked body of Tess. This time he was older. He had slept with Liz that one time just before Tess blew up his house. It wasn’t the body of Liz that he now lusted for as much as the company and comfort of Liz herself. Max wanted again to love Liz, but he also wanted to believe Liz would be with him every time he doubted himself. No, he had no more feeling for what Tess was offering, than he would have looking at the centerfold of a Playboy magazine. Interesting, but not real.
“What do you want, Tess?” Max asked.
Tess shrugged, “I wanted to see if there was any feeling between us. I knew that I didn’t seem to have any and I wanted to see if you did.”
“Tess, that was all in the past. I don’t think either of us ever loved the other. I was confused and you wanted to gain something by being married to me. I do not think that either of us knew love, even momentary love,” Max stated looking right at Tess.
Tess returned to the other room and picked up her robe. “What are you going to do with me?” she asked.
What do you mean, Tess?” Max was perplexed. He had said nothing to her to indicate that he intended to make any changes in her care.
“Max, you are going to loose Liz if you do not figure out how to hold her. I do not think me being here is going to help you,” with that, Tess went back to her room.
The weeks went by. Liz still took Tess to therapy sessions. She did not stay at Max’s house. Liz didn’t stay at the Crashdown much when Tess had a shift either. She was helping Max take care of Tess, but she was not allowing her self to be either with Tess or Max when she could help it. So far, she hadn’t run away from Roswell.
Tess was working the night shift. When Tess wasn’t working Liz many days would sit in the Crashdown and read. She was indulging in this when she felt a tug at her sleeve. She looked up, or rather down, to see Aaron. Behind him was Diane. Aaron slid into the booth opposite Liz and Diane sat beside him. “Liz, we miss you. Grandpa misses you so much and so do I!” Aaron said.
Liz tried to smile. “I know Aaron, but sometimes it is necessary for a person not to be where you want them to be.”
“Liz, Tess misses you, also,” Aaron said softly.
Liz frowned at this. She noticed that Tess had been extraordinarily quiet the last few times she had taken her to therapy. Diane had little to say and after the affirmation of Aaron, they just sat and talked for a short while about nothings.
Liz received a call from Tess’s therapist, “Liz could you come by and talk to me? It involves Tess, you and Max.”
Liz drove to the doctor’s office. “Good morning, Mrs. VanDorne. This is going to be terribly awkward. I have to respect the confidentiality of Miss Harding, but I also have to respect her request. She is convinced that she interfered with the relationship between you and Mr. Evans. You listed yourself as a friend of Mr. Evans when we first talked. I know that you stayed with him while taking care of Miss Harding at first. Now, I need to know more about your situation if I am to treat Miss Harding. She is developing extreme remorse for things she says she must have done. She is also not able to remember what they were. Can you shed any light on what they were and help me so I can form my therapy for her?”
Liz sat there for several minutes. No, she couldn’t tell the therapist that Tess wanted to take Max back to an alien kingdom, maybe to be executed. She couldn’t tell her that all those around Tess were frightened that she might regain her past memories and, again, become a threat. She couldn’t tell her that Tess had stolen away much of the lives of both her and Max. What could she tell her? “Max and I were sweethearts in high school. Of course, at that time, we were very awkward in our feelings for one another. Tess came and deliberately drove a wedge between us. By various means, she made my life uncomfortable enough so that I left Roswell. With me gone, she went to Max. He got her pregnant, but she wasn’t satisfied and, after four years, she left Max and her child. The child was terribly tramatized and she went wild so that neither Max nor his mother could handle her. Max’s daughter got pregnant before she was 16. She was killed a few years later. Tess returned to take the grandson away from Max. We do not know what she did, but she was caught in an explosion that almost killed all of us. That is when she lost her memory. Max is the only relative she has, so he assumed her care. I am still a friend of Max’s, so I agreed to help him as long as I stay in Roswell. Tess’s past history is one of terrible hurts and pain.” Liz wondered did she say anything that would come back to haunt the aliens?
The therapist leaned back. I thought there was a tragedy somewhere. “The best thing we can do for Tess is not to restore her memory, but to help her move on. First, she needs to try to take responsibility for her own care. Then, you and Mr. Evans need to take care of your own relationship and Tess needs to know that you are doing so. She has expressed to me that she wants to live on her own as soon as possible. You might see if that could be arranged.”
Liz stood up. The therapist seemed not to have anything else to say. Driving home, Liz kept thinking, ‘You and Mr. Evans need to take care of your own relationship and Tess needs to know that you are doing so.’ A simple phrase, but to accomplish that would take the effort to move a mountain. Liz was feeling trapped. Leaving Max now would mess everything up. For a while, she would be forced to stay. Liz had a funny thought. Maybe, this is what she wanted, anyhow, an excuse to stop running.
That night Liz called a meeting. She arranged them all to meet at Max’s house. Tess was working the late shift so it would be safe there. Maria wanted to be at the meeting with Michael and Isabel also wanted Alex. They both arranged babysitters. The meeting couldn’t be long because Tess would be off and back to Max’s house by 9:00. Aaron would be playing in his room. Jim also came by. He had a grin on his face. “Kyle wrote me that he will be back in Roswell next week.” Since Maria’s mother, Amy, who was also Jim’s second wife had died, Kyle was all the family he had.
Michael was surly, “As long as Tess is alive, we are all in danger. Someday her memory is going to come back and then, bam!! She is going to hit us all when we least expect it.”
Max listened to Michael, but he still wasn’t ready to talk about murder. Liz had already made it clear she wanted no part of murder, no matter who did it and Jim agreed with her.
It was a meeting called by Liz. She essentially reported what the therapist had said. Liz outlined what she told the therapist and, also, what she had deliberately left out. She mentioned what the therapist said about her and Max, but, except to say that Tess needed to know they had worked out their problems to an agreeable solution, Liz didn’t talk any more about them. She did state that the therapist felt that Tess should, maybe, be given more responsibility for her own care.
Michael stood up and in a loud voice said, “No, no, that is exactly what we do not need! If Tess is allowed to live alone, what is to keep her from returning to her old ways? We will not know anything about it.”
Michael was adamant. He wanted Tess supervised or dead.
A tiny voice was heard, “Uncle Mike, she can’t return. When the blast was reversed, it burned out the center of any power. All of her memories were in her power. That is why she can’t come back or remember anything,” Aaron was sitting on the stair steps. No one had noticed him come down the stairs. It was later when they learned that what he said wasn’t completely correct.
Michael turned angry to look at him, but Michael couldn’t be angry at a child. He also knew that this child was something special. Michael and Alex, alike, had been watching their children to catch any abnormality before it was noticed at school. So far, their children were outwardly all normal. Michael always knew that Max’s grandkid did have powers and he was going to help in the training as soon as Aaron grew up a little more. He sat down.
Maria put her arm around his neck and her head on his shoulder. She could feel the tension leaving his body. Isabel was convinced that, now, the only thing they needed to do was find a way to implement the therapist suggestions. Alex agreed. Jim was quiet. At least the talk of murder had subsided. Max and Liz had their own problems and they knew that it would be up to them alone to find any workable solutions.
Liz stood up. “ I could move back with Max and let Tess take the living quarters of the Crashdown. She could take on more responsibility at her work and we would all be fairly close to monitor her.”
Max was surprised. Liz moving back with him meant that, maybe, he would have another chance. Michael was calming down. The words of Aaron had a lot of effect on him. Max would be the one to talk to Tess. He would suggest the move and see if it would meet with her approval.
They were all gone by the time Tess got home. She was tired, but she was game about keeping up her work.
“The therapist says you need to think about living on your own,” Max started. “What do you think? Tess was a little surprised because she well knew that they didn’t trust her. She just looked at Max.
“Would this be possible?” she inquired.
Liz has suggested that she could let you have the Crashdown living quarters if you want, at least for a while,” Max returned.
“Where would Liz go?” Tess asked.
“She would come here and see if we could start up our relationship,” Max responded.
Tess thought several minutes. “Do you think I am ready?” she asked again.
“I think it would be up to you, Tess. Do you think you are ready to be on your own? We will still help you, but you could start having some time to your self and, maybe, even be thinking about going back to school and getting your education.”
Tess had left school without graduating or getting her General Equivalency Diploma, commonly called the GED. These were things Tess hadn’t allowed herself time to consider. She still wondered why Liz would do this for her. Liz was, essentially, giving up the home where she was raised. Tess, again in her mind, asked, “What did I do to Liz? She doesn’t forgive me, but she is so willing to help me. Why, if I was married to Max, don’t I have some residual of this relationship? Why did he show nothing above a mild interest when I stood before him in my nightgown the other night. Did I do something terrible to him? No one will tell me about my daughter. What did I do to her?” These and other questions were plaguing Tess. She would have to talk to her therapist about them. The therapist had talked to Liz. Tess knew this because the therapist had already had her session with her. There were things that Tess was curious about her former life, but then, reason set in. In her former life, she was hated. and now she was tolerated and even helped. Maybe, just maybe, she should decide to leave some things alone.
Acommidation is a story of two people trying to remake their lives for the sake of their children.
The Young Vampire is a light hearted story about a vampire. This one is strictly for fun.