Thanks to everyone reading this story. Particular thanks to xmag and RhondaAnn for the feedback.
xmag- Tess keeps showing signs of a hidden agenda. Isabel probably likes Tess more than Liz, but at least she knows where she stands with the humans. At this point Isabel is starting to think that her decision after Destiny to have much to do with Liz, Maria, and Alex may have been a mistake. It is not so much that Isabel trusts Liz, as Liz is showing Isabel complete trust. Liz trusts Isabel to find and bring back Maria, as she is too much of a wreck to do so.
Plus Liz answered Isabel's questions, without hedging or lying regarding Future Max. (Liz knows the cat is out of the bag and so has no reason to lie anymore.)
That Vilondra-Future Maria link was not entirely deliberate, but when I thought of how Isabel would try to calm and commiserate with Maria, I saw it in an instant.
Maria and Liz will finally talk in this part.
RhondaAnn- That dark scenario could happen, this whole situation could break Maria. It all depends on how her friends react. Michael's reaction in particular is critical. And you are right, he will know something is wrong, fast.
Liz knows about the Solace stone that Maria took. It should be noted that everything she knows about them comes from Emily's leftover memories. Emily thought they were safe and Liz has one too.
The real question is whether the girls will actually tell the guys what is wrong. The certainly had to have it dragged out of them in canon, which aside from Maria's issues are actually canon plotlines that influenced events but never really got fully resolved.
Brody's part picks up a bit not in this part but in the next one.
Disclaimer- Roswell is not mine, and no infringement is intended.
Eidolon part 10
Isabel-
Isabel was walking back towards the car listening to Maria prattle on about the latest celebrity gossip. Despite her slight annoyance with the smaller girl, she found herself drawn into the conversation. It was just hard to keep focusing on not being lost. “Maria if you don’t quiet down for a minute, we are going to get lost.”
“Oh, please, we’re not lost are we? I mean, I really need to drink something and…”
“Maria we are not lost yet. But if we do, if I am stuck out in this wasteland anymore than I have to; I am going to seal up your mouth, use your shoelaces to tie you to the nearest cactus, and leave you for the coyotes!”
Sure it was extreme, but she just needed a moment to think. Ah the blessed silence. Hmm, I think the road is that way… Isabel looked over to Maria who was still looking at her with a horrified expression.
Maria said in a small voice, “I’m wearing heels, I don’t have shoelaces.”
“I’d think of something. Maria?” Isabel looked at her again, searching for what was wrong. “Maria, you don’t think I would really hurt you, do you?” And Isabel saw the fear and uncertainty that resided in Maria, which she had covered with her bubbly façade. And under the light of the stars and the stone that Maria still held, Isabel could see a new line of tears slowly start.
Maria hugged herself tightly and in a tiny voice, “I don’t know. I just don’t know anything anymore.” She was quiet for a moment before resuming, this time in a much firmer voice. “I used to be afraid of all of you, even Michael. But especially you, I was deathly afraid of you.”
“But why?”
“Because I have never forgotten that you could smoosh me like a bug if you wanted to. It, it was really hard to get to know you people, really hard.” Maria sighed, “But I could see that Liz had fallen for Max, almost right after he healed her. And then after Michael abducted me, well… I have since come to the conclusion that he would never physically hurt me. My heart, yes, but not physically. And I love him. The same is true with Max, this summer we got close. We still sometimes talk. But you, you are always cold and irritable. Not even Alex has managed to fully crack that polished icy veneer that you possess. The only people you truly seem to care for are Max, Michael, and your parents. And, and I know that we aren’t friends and that I annoy you…”
Isabel stood there in shock. They weren’t friends? She cared only about Michael and her family? Her mind searched through her memories, to find something, anything that would prove her wrong. “Why are you saying this to me? I came out here to find you, and how can you say that to me?”
Maria’s eyes glittered green and gold in the light of her Solace Stone, “Because for a moment I thought you were opening up. When you told me about Khivar, when you calmed me down, I thought you were finally going to be a friend. But since we’ve been walking back to the car, I could feel those icy walls begin to rise again. This is what you have done to Alex, isn’t it. You almost let him in, let him see something and then freeze him out. Personally I don’t see how he stands it, how he can still care for you as much as he does.”
Isabel’s mind flashed to all the times she had seen joy on Alex’s face turn to pain at something she had said. How she kept pushing him away. Even of the brief time she had started to bond with Liz, only to completely drop her once Tess came to town. It had seemed so nice to have someone like her, someone she could confide in. Only that never really happened, and while she spent time with Tess, they still were not terribly close. She could feel her emotions begin to run out of check, could feel her powers beg to be used.
She closed her eyes.
It was a calm night, but Isabel reached out her hands to feel the wind. She could feel the weight of the air; she could feel the sand, the stones, and the bushes. She reached deeply within herself and moved them, making sure that the vortex she formed would not hurt Maria. She could feel the power call to her as it raced through her, taking with it her frustration and anger. She could feel so much as the power roared through her body.
And the vortex grew encompassing more and more of the surrounding area.
Vaguely as if from a great distance she could hear someone calling a name. Isabel. Is that who I am? Am I Isabel? She pondered the question, thinking that there was another name, one that she could almost recall. But the voice was insistent, demanding, even familiar.
She ignored it and felt the air. She felt how it moved, how dry it was. She knew that if she reached far enough she would reach moisture…
She heard the voice call another name, this time hesitant. Vilondra.
The name was familiar, felt right and yet… NO! No! I am not her I am not Vilondra. I am… I am…
Isabel. I am Isabel.
She opened her eyes. Her arms were still outstretched, the power still roared through her.
It was so… strong. She had never really let loose like this before, had never felt comfortable to just exert herself. Both she and Maria were in the center of a wall of wind and dust that was thirty feet wide and stretched into the sky.
“Isabel, Vilondra, whoever, you have to stop this. Someone will see. There are all those Air Force guys in town, who knows if any of them are out here. You have to stop.”
Reluctantly Isabel pulled back on the power flowing to the tiny storm system. She was careful to make sure that all the debris landed outside the circle that both of them were in. “That felt good.”
“Is that all you have to say? ‘That felt good.’? No, I’m sorry, Maria for scaring you out of your wits?”
“It was only a dust devil.”
“Right, a dust devil. At night. In calm winds. In November. I would think this is the kind of stuff we want to avoid, even if we are outside of city limits.”
“’We’, I thought we weren’t really friends.”
“Not close friends no, but that doesn’t mean I don’t care, that I don’t like you. That I would not be your friend if you would just let me.”
“I don’t know how much you overheard between Liz and me, but you are not the only one who wishes to change her fate. Mind you, it was not as bad or as dramatic as your future. Come on I will tell you as we walk, it should not be more than a minute or two.”
“I’m sorry if I killed you.”
“I don’t know if you did or not, and that’s not really important. At least to me, I mean you’ve never really tried to hurt me. No in that future I was alone. Outside of family, direct family, and I think I can pretty much call Michael a brother in this regard, I was alone. Completely alone. I never let anyone in, just froze everyone out of my life. That’s why I reacted so strongly. I’m doing it now, and if I keep it up…” Isabel took a deep breath, “I don’t want that to happen. I do not want who I was dictate who I am, and I want to have a life. It is just hard, so very hard to change.”
“Well to start with you have me and Liz. There is Alex, he still cares for you. Kyle, although all of you make him nervous. Even Tess, I suppose.”
“You don’t like Tess do you?”
“No, I don’t. And it’s not all about how she disturbed all of our lives when she came. There is just something about her, something, I don’t know. It’s like she’s got a hidden agenda or something. She’s not as creepy as Nasedo, but I don’t really trust her.”
“Yeah. I do like her myself, but yeah, something is not right.” They cleared a small ridge, over which they saw the road to Vicky’s and the cars. “Well there we are. We should talk sometime, I, I think I would like to be your friend. Yours and Liz’s if either of you will still take me.”
“Sure, all we need to do is talk. Say, Isabel, about that stuff with Khivar, you should talk to Courtney. She was there for some of it. Maybe she knows the truth.”
“Hmm, but do I want to know the truth,” Isabel said softly. “Speaking of which, you should take Liz. Both of you should talk. And that makeover is Wednesday night.”
“Yeah. I’ll be there,” Maria gave a little happy laugh and clapped her hands. “I have so many ideas!”
“Looks like I’m going to get a workout. Just don’t tell anyone about Khivar. I’ll probably tell Liz on Wednesday. And I want to be the one who tells Max and Michael.”
“Okay, but I can’t promise to keep it secret forever.”
Isabel just nodded as they walked back to their friends.
----
Courtney-
Courtney watched as Liz and Maria hugged each other.
Isabel tapped on her shoulder, “Come on, let’s go. They need to talk.”
Courtney walked to the Jeep. Isabel seemed both calm and nervous. I wonder what Maria said to her.
The car was silent on the drive to Courtney’s apartment. Isabel seemed lost in thought, and Courtney waited for the inevitable questions. It was not until they pulled up to her apartment itself that Isabel cleared her throat.
“Courtney, Maria said you know a lot about our past.”
“Yes, I know a bit. I’m kind of tired, it’s been a very long day.”
“Just one question, then I will leave you alone. Did I betray Max? I mean did Vilondra betray Zan. Whitaker told me that I had, right before I killed her. And, and Nicholas said the same thing. Did I, am I responsible for this whole mess?”
Of all the questions, this was the one she had feared most. If she told the truth, Isabel would not be satisfied. But lying to Vilondra, or Isabel for that matter was never safe. She could often tell if someone was hiding something, tell if they were lying. She had been, and perhaps was, one of the closest people to being an actual Telepath that Antar had ever produced.
Courtney sighed, “You know, on Antar I worked for you. Both when you were with Khivar and after. And for most of it, I would say that you put your family first. That you would have never betrayed Zan. But I have heard the rumors and conjectures, particularly after your death. And some of the things you made me do after Zan died, after Rath was killed at that wedding have always made me wonder. But I was not there at the actual event. Those that were told differing accounts.”
Isabel just looked at her.
“I’m sorry Isabel I just don’t know.”
----
Liz-
Liz hugged Maria closely. “Please don’t run away from me like that. I thought I had lost you.”
“It’ll take more than the foreknowledge that I’m going to be the death of you to chase me away Parker. Did I, did I really do that?”
“Yes but its complicated. You both were and were not yourself. You know that woman who brainwashed me this morning?”
“You called her Ana.”
“She was here last timeline too. Only, she never got me. She captured you. I can’t honestly say I know everything, but come on. Drive me home, we’ll snag some of the cookies my mom was baking and some hot chocolate. And I will tell you everything.”
And so for the third time that evening, Liz told someone of Future Max. She held nothing back, telling Maria all that she knew. Maria cried at the confirmation that she had killed both Isabel and Michael, cried at her failed relationship to Michael, cried at all the waste that had been in that life.
But Liz did not whitewash her own actions, telling Maria of their fading friendship, of Maria’s last words, and Liz’s realization that what she had said was true. That when she had Max, she had ignored her other friends, and with the peace and quiet that had settled on Roswell, they had not needed to band together. And so they hadn’t. They had all gone their separate ways.
Liz talked of her conversation with Courtney, and her knowledge of what the Skins might be up to know. Of whom the enemy might be and where they might still be hiding.
Maria told Liz all that Courtney had told her and all that she had seen that day. As she finished, Maria sighed softly and said, “There is one more thing, something that you should know, but it’s something I promised Isabel I would not tell.”
“Is it important?”
“Yes, but she said she would tell you Wednesday, when we do the makeover stuff. You know we should tell the guys this stuff too.”
Liz looked down and bit her lip, “Yeah, but how about after Thanksgiving. We don’t want to ruin it for everyone; we’ll call a meeting for Friday. Um, will you help me, help me tell everyone about this?”
“Sure, Liz, we are in this together. And this time, this time we won’t screw it up.” Maria clasped Liz’s hand before she left.
Liz stared at the wall for a long time after Maria had gone. Her thoughts full of plans to make the future a better place, to win the war against the enemy, whomever it may be, and to keep her friends. For while she still knew that she would lose Max, she wanted to at least maintain the friendships she had let lapse in her last life.
Her mind suddenly made up, Liz grabbed a notebook and jotted down everything she could remember of the future. They would need to use everything they had to ensure victory.
But they would win. There was no other option.
----
Alex-
Alex pulled his car up to the Evans house. It had been a strange but good day for him. While his friends had been forced to fight to defend Roswell he’d been zapped. He’d been ambivalent about that after talking to Max. Max had been forced to heal every single one of his friends, with Maria pulled back from death.
He wished he had been there to help them, but at the same time he was no adrenaline junkie. He was not eager to die. He felt the same ambivalence about his upcoming trip to Sweden. His friends would be stuck here with all the danger and he would not be able to help them. But he would be safe.
It made him feel like a coward.
Part of him told himself that this trip would help his friends, that somehow this would solve some of the mysteries that plagued them. Alex could not for the life of him figure out how, but that part of him insisted that he was furthering the cause. His thoughts were disrupted by his passenger.
“Well, thanks for the ride home, Alex. We should get the gang all together and do something.” Max opened his door and got out.
“Yeah, that would be fun. Even with all the chaos, I will miss you guys.”
“Um, how about Wednesday?”
“Sorry, the family is going to Albuquerque to my grandparents for Thanksgiving. I’m not going to be back until late Thursday. I leave on Friday, so maybe Monday or Tuesday?”
The Jeep pulled up behind Alex’s car. Alex watched as a tired but still stunning Isabel got out. But looking closer he could see some tell tale signs that all was not well.
Isabel had been crying.
Alex got out of the car and followed Max over to Isabel. Alex was not surprised when she engulfed Max in a huge hug. Alex could only smile at how close the two siblings were.
His smile could only grow larger as she shifted the hug from Max to him. God, she felt so good in his arms. He would truly be in heaven if he could just stay here, with her in his arms forever. Unfortunately all good things must end, and he felt as she pulled away.
She looked nervous as she looked down. “So you’re leaving on Friday?”
“Yeah, but I’ll be back after Christmas. Max was talking about a going away party.”
She glanced at her brother and looked back at Alex. “That should be fun. Do you mind spending a little time with me. I mean, you are going to be gone for a while and were such good friends…”
“Uh, sure.”
Max looked at his sister quizzically.
Isabel muttered a little under breath, counting out the days. “Say Tuesday? Tuesday at seven? Get dinner, maybe catch a movie or some dancing?”
“Uh, yeah, that would be great…”
“Okay, I’ll see you then. Oh, and I will see you at school Monday.” Isabel turned to her brother, “Night, Max.”
Both of them watched as she walked into the house.
Alex was the first to speak, “Did your sister just ask me out on a date?”
“I think she did. And Alex, I meant what I said earlier. I think you would be good for her, but if you hurt her…”
“Hurting her is the last thing I would ever want to do.” She was after all, the reason he had agreed to go to Sweden in the first place.
----
Maria-
Maria was lost. Oh, she knew exactly where she was in town. In fact this was the fifth time she had pulled up to Michael’s apartment complex. She wanted to get out of the car, run up to his door, and ask to be let in.
But it was so late. He had to be sleeping, and waking him up just to kiss her fears away just did not seem fair to him. And to be honest, she was not really ready to see him after all she had learned.
When he knew what she had done, how would he react? Would he still love her?
She had gone home at first, but between a still sleeping mother and a very awake Sean she just could not stay at home.
And so she was here. While she could not quite work up the courage to go to his door, she found that if she got close enough she could feel him. She could bask in his presence. It wasn’t nearly as good as Michael himself could be, but for now…
For now she would take what she could get.
IDS Eidolon (CC ALL, Teen/Mature) Epilogue- 11/29/08
Moderators: Anniepoo98, Rowedog, ISLANDGIRL5, Itzstacie, truelovepooh, FSU/MSW-94, Forum Moderators
Re: IDS Eidolon (CC ALL, Teen/Mature) Chapter 10- 11/14/07
Hi, sorry it has been so long. But time finally caught up with the ancient machine I had been writing on. But with luck I will be back for a while. It is strange how important writing has become for me, I really missed it. Anyway I hope all of you had an excellent Christmas and New Year. Thanks to everyone for reading this story, particular thanks to those kind enough to have left feed back.
xmag- Sorry for the wait, thanks ever so much for the bumps. How Maria handles Michael will be key to how well things turn out for them. Michael is not quick to trust and slower to forgive. But he loves Maria, whether he is always willing to admit it, so we will see.
RhondaAnn- Both Liz and Maria derive support from the other. As for why Michael did not come out, it is simple. He is sleeping. And I agree that Michael will do what ever he can to protect Maria, even if he gets mad at her for not sharing important information. But how that turns out remains to be seen.
Liz and her secrets are spilling out rapidly. And her desire to place her thoughts and memories in print may come back to haunt them all. Or not. Another quandry to be faced in the future. As for Isabel, the thought of a future always alone, well that could very well change her perspective on things.
chanks_girl- Thanks
Sternbetrachter- Thanks
Now onto the story
Disclaimer- Roswell is not mine, and bits and pieces of references to episodes are here. There is one large nod to Meet the Dupes, even if the dupes aren't in it yet fully. (Maria and Brody have breakfast) Next part.
Eidolon chapter 11
Michael-
Brigadier Rath Targan stared off into the quiet sea. The sound of the surf calmed him, for a brief moment allowing him to forget why he was here.
The view was blocked as the sky went brilliant red as the headquarters shields kicked in. The enemy did not have enough cannon, but that did not keep them from trying. Rath looked briefly at his helmet’s readouts and decided that the plan was working. No need to change anything yet. And yet the urge to micromanage was there.
It had been easier when he had been the one leading men on the front lines. But now he had to trust his commanders, he could not let himself get bogged down in any one place. His job was to make sure his men had what they needed and to coordinate the attack.
Patience, the hardest thing he ever had to learn.
He glanced again at the reports. They would be moving the headquarters forward soon. He requested his lunch be brought to him. He would enjoy the view as long as he could.
And so it was that he was admiring little Dimaras as she floated serenely amongst the clouds. (If he keyed up his helmet’s magnification he would be able to make out the mines and cities on Antar’s smallest moon, but he contented himself with the view.) He could hear someone grumbling as she walked up the hill
The voice seemed… familiar.
“Okay, one Sigourney Weaver, order of Orbit Rings, and a Cherry Coke. Oh and I tossed in a slice of pie, too.”
Rath turned around to catch a vision of a small girl in a teal waitress outfit. It was an outrage, to place a civilian in harms way was arrant neglect. His voice came out rougher than he wanted, “What are you doing here?”
It was not safe here. He needed to protect her.
Her eyes filled with the green fire he so loved, “So nice of you to care. I am just delivering your lunch to you. You know the Crashdown delivers, Spaceboy!”
“Maria.” The whole night had been like that. A strange mélange of his usual violent nightmares, now mixed with what could only be memories, and Maria would just pop into all of them. Seemingly at random.
It had gotten them killed a couple of times, but there had been one dream… Yeah, he had been disappointed when that one had ended.
Michael looked over at the clock, 1:37 am. Too early to be awake, but while he was still tired, he was not ready for another strange dream. Plus something felt strange. Not bad, just weird.
Oh, the connection, but then Maria is close, very close. Michael carefully walked through the house looking for her. It was not until he walked outside and saw the Jetta parked in front of his apartment that he saw her. She was still seated in the Jetta, a blanket wrapped around her, sleeping.
Why did she stop there? Why not go home or drag me out of bed?
Maria did not feel… right. It was one of the things that had fascinated him about her was that she radiated feelings and emotions. And what he felt… was not right. It was a complex swirl of emotion.
Too complex and somehow wrong. More frustrating emotional crap he was sure. He wondered what he had done wrong now. No matter, he would hear about it in great detail when she woke up.
Michael sighed softly and quickly checked to see if anyone was watching before opening the Jetta door. He gently tried to pick up Maria, but she resisted.
“No, no, please no… I… I don’t want to… to kill you… I don’t want to… not again… please…” Maria mumbled more than half asleep.
“Maria wake up, you’re having a nightmare.” For such a small thing she could hit hard. “Maria, I am not going to let you freeze right outside my apartment…”
Maria’s eyes opened sleepily and she looked blearily at Michael. “Michael?” She perked up a little and looked at him as if trying to read something off of him. Her eyes looked tired, worried, and just a little guarded.
As they blearily stared at each other, another timeless moment with green gazing at brown, Michael watched as the worry faded from her eyes. She reached out to hold him, “Michael”, she said in relief.
Michael held on to her waiting for her to say something else. He was greeted with her soft snores. Maria had fallen back asleep.
Just holding her felt good. There really was choice. He picked her up and carried her to his apartment. He carried her all the way to his bed, planning to sleep on the couch himself. If he could fall back asleep.
But Maria protested every time he tried to leave, reaching out to him and crying for him even in mid dream. And holding her felt so good.
So he crawled in bed with her. And held her.
He fell asleep almost immediately.
---
Max-
Max watched as Alex’s car drove off. After today they were truly friends. He could see why Liz and Maria valued him so. Compared to any of their friends, himself included, Alex was the most balanced, saw things clearly. He was still goofy, still lacked gravitas, but it was that very lack that made him so valuable. For unlike the Pod Squad, he was not over serious.
And he loved Isabel. That was more than most of the people Isabel ever dated, particularly that creepy Grant.
Max walked back into the house and toward Isabel’s room. The door was locked, but between them that was only a request of privacy rather than a true barrier. Max was sorely tempted to finish that conversation they had started earlier, to find out what secret she was keeping from him.
He unlocked the door but paused before opening it. When had he stopped trusting her? Had he ever really trusted anyone?
He remembered when the Sheriff had returned the first orb last year. He had said something about extending trust before expecting it in return. Surely he could trust Isabel.
Max relocked the door and went back outside for a walk. Something big was coming and he needed to have a clear perspective.
And that could only rest on trust.
----
Isabel-
Isabel could feel her brother hover outside her door. She closed her eyes, bracing herself for the argument as she heard the door’s lock snicked opened. But the door did not open.
Isabel dreaded talking to Max about Vilandra, worried how it would permanently damage their friendship and love. She had to tell him, she knew that she could not keep it bottled forever. Even the admission to Maria, used to calm the high strung girl had helped.
Max was right, she really did need to talk about this stuff. She just was not ready to tell him. Even the thought of sharing with Liz and Maria filled her with dread. And while she was sure that Alex would understand, would still care for her, she just wished there was a safe way to tell him. To get a practice run so to speak.
Isabel heard the lock relock itself. Max wasn’t up for a fight either. Disaster temporarily averted.
She just wished it was all over, that things would calm down and that their enemies would leave them alone. That had happened last timeline, according to Liz. But it had been used to consolidate their power before conquering the planet.
Sometimes you just could not win.
But maybe she could get an idea on how Alex would react. Isabel reached over and picked up her sophomore yearbook and quickly thumbed to Alex’s picture. She concentrated on it, feeling the connection between the image and subject.
She did not quite get in. He was still awake. But she was not shut out either. She could not see his mind, not clearly but she felt him pause, say her name and look upon the night sky. She felt him enter the house, felt as he got ready for bed.
She felt like such a voyeur but she could not bring herself to stop, as she felt the tiny bond between herself and Alex vibrate to his heartbeat. Once more she saw herself and Alex saw her, his lovely but untouchable Golden Goddess.
How could her heart swell and still at the same time feel about to break?
His eyes closed and she could feel something shift.
She was in Frazier woods on that strange camping trip. Isabel watched the whole awkward scene between herself and Alex play out again. His desire for a relationship, and hers for him just to be a friend. She had been so certain it could only be one or the other.
Isabel gazed into the sky at the stars.
Maybe I was wrong. Maybe we can be both. It might not work, I may lose a cherished friend…. But I will never know will I. I spent that other timeline alone and somehow I know that I realized what I could have had with Alex but never had the courage to try.
And if it fails, well I will survive. Oh, God, how much time have I wasted. Time devoted to a Destiny I have no intention of fulfilling, much as I care for Michael. This time I will at least try…
“Excuse me, Isabel, but are you really here?”
Isabel’s eyes left the stars and she gazed into Alex’s hazel eyes. Busted. “Alex, I…”
“You are here, aren’t you, dream walking me.”
“Yes, look, I’m sorry, I… I just…”
“Did you find what you were looking for?”
She could a feel herself bridle and prepare for a verbal attack, to push him away like always. To crush his hopes and feel the distance that pained her but also provided safety. But she stopped herself from delivering some crushing remark, what she said now was critical. The smallest things can shape a future for good and ill.
So she just stared at him, picturing him not any as he was now but as he would be in a few years. After he had finished his growth in stature and confidence, and while she needed him now, she knew that she would want him then too.
Alex had a slight goofy grin on his face, “Okay, note day and time, Ms Isabel Evans is speechless.” His grin gained a sardonic quality, “So was this visit for business or pleasure.”
Isabel could feel her cheeks heat slightly, could feel a slight giddy feeling course through her body. “A bit of both, really.” She stepped closer to him, within easy reach, “But at the moment I am opting for pleasure.” And she kissed a startled Alex.
For a timeless moment they kissed under the stars. Isabel did not get any flashes, not like she had when they had actually kissed in the real world. But she could feel energy pass along the connection, could feel the tiny cord grow. And it felt wonderful.
Eventually they broke apart. Alex looked up at the cool winter sky. “You really are here. It really is you.” Alex looked back at Isabel, “Will I remember any of this?”
“I don’t know. But I know that I am a fool for wasting this summer. And now that I realize it, you are leaving.”
“But only for a month.”
“For a whole month!”
“Besides you can always visit.”
“I don’t know if I can reach that far.”
“Well, consider it practice.”
Isabel hit him lightly on the arm. They kissed again.
A bit later Alex asked, “So Isabel, much as I have enjoyed this dream, why did you visit me?”
“It makes me ashamed now. I wanted to tell you something, thinking that you would think it just a dream… You know let me see how you react.”
“So tell me.”
“But you might not remember tomorrow? I don’t, I don’t want to keep using you.”
“Isabel, I would do anything for you. So please just tell me. It will make you feel better. And if I forget, just promise me you will tell it to me again.”
And so she did.
----
Liz-
She had been writing for hours when she felt him approach. She ultimately lost the fight to go see him, staring down at him from her balcony. “Hi Max.”
“Hey, Liz, can I come up for a second?”
“Um, yeah, but it is going to have to be quick. It is really late Max.”
Liz walked over to the chair she had been writing at, she carefully draped the blanket for maximum warmth. It really was cold.
Liz admired Max once more as he easily climbed onto the balcony. The night seemed to take on a dreamy quality as she gazed at him, her eyes slowly climbing to his warm golden brown eyes.
How long they stared at each other, both desiring to rush across the divide. To kiss the other senseless. Liz could feel a taste of the buzz that had effected her so much last spring. But to do so, to cross that space, would be to doom the world.
She was a hairsbreadth away for telling the world to save itself, she was going to have Max…
But Max said, “Mud.”
“What?” Liz said, the spell partly broken.
Max self consciously chuckled and moved over to a different chair. “It was a trick that Michael told me about last year, you know during the Convention. When I felt myself drawn to you, to think of mud.”
“Ugh, that seems better than Maria’s Grief Relief.” Liz paused a moment, “Hey, is that why I ended up making those Mud Pies last year?”
Max ran his hands through his hair, “Well, I had to come up with something after blurting out mud. They sold okay too.”
After an awkward silence, Liz asked, “So what did you drop by for?”
“I just wanted to make sure you were okay. And to tell you that no matter why you did what you did I will still love you.”
“I’m sorry, but I really had too. I really did. If I could have done it without hurting you I would have done it.”
“I’m still angry with you Liz, I still feel betrayed. And even when you tell me why, it… it will take a little while. But I think that even if you had slept with him, even if you had carried on a torrid affair that in time… I would forgive you.”
“But Max, it wasn’t like we were going out. I mean, I can understand how you feel, I would have felt the same. But we were not together then, any more than we are now.” Liz could feel Max’s eyes on her and unconsciously raised hers to meet his.
After a long moment shared between them, as for a moment they shared their longing, desire, and undeniable love for each other, “Liz.” Max started then looked away for a brief moment and started quietly, “I think that no matter what happens now, that no matter what may come…. We will always be together. I can see it in your eyes, can feel it in your heart. And I know you can feel it in mine. Maybe it was a mistake, maybe we should have never started this. But we did. We did, and what we have is precious and rare. I love you Liz Parker, and know that my love is returned, that you will say what you will say to part us because you believe I would be better served by another. Because your love for me is so great as to allow you to destroy yourself on my behalf.”
“Max, I, I am sorry.”
“And I am sorry I could not be normal, that I did not keep dragging you into these dark escapades. But I am what I am, and no matter what I wish it will always be there.”
“Max?”
“Something is coming. I can feel it. And it will be hard for both of us. But know Liz Parker that I will be coming for you. For no matter what you think, I will face the future better with you at my side than any other.” Max walked back to the ladder, “Good night, Liz.”
“Good night, Max.”
Liz stared off into space. There was a strange rushing feeling, something inside her telling her that Max was right. Something was coming, and it would be hard. Hard for all of them.
----
Tess-
Tess sat quietly on the park bench. The tears still came sporadically, surprising with her their intensity. She never cried. Never.
She was the Reborn Queen, and she was stronger than that. Stronger than any of the feeble emotions that crippled humans. And yet… she did not know if she could have summoned that torrent of fire if she had not seen, had not felt Kyle fall.
No matter how she tried to fool herself, but she was part human now. And Nasedo had lied to her. Ava had felt emotions too, she had loved her mother, had feared for a friend. How much had he lied to her, how much of what she knew was actually true?
Certainly her family had not recognized her, had not recognized their Destiny. Not even with the Book had they been convinced. That was why she had persuaded Alex, had pushed this trip to Las Cruces. She could feel an inkling of a foreign feeling steal into her mind.
Guilt.
Was she doing the right thing? Was it all a lie? But how could she change things, how could she stop it? Should she stop it? Who could she talk to about any of this?
Loneliness.
That one she recognized from her dreams… No she would not dwell on it, bad enough it haunted her then. But she had so hoped that they would just love her unconditionally. But she had placed conditions on them.
Regret.
As another wave of tears passed she realized what Nasedo would call her. Weak. Only Human.
She had failed. For while her sense of superiority could let her fool herself about many things, it was no longer enough to support her desires. Because part of her wanted to be weak, to be human. And as far as she could tell there was no cure for that desire, as it afflicted her podmates as much as it was beginning to affect her…
Tess startled a bit as she heard someone call out to her. Her supposed mate, the man who was to sweep her off her feet. The man who loved another with such painful intensity she could see it even now.
“Tess? Are you alright?”
Tess looked down. “No.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“No.”
“Do you want me to leave?”
She looked up at Max, at his golden brown eyes. She did not see the love and desire that she had once expected, but she saw something she had not truly expected. He cared about her. He really did. “No.” And she could not help it, the tears began to flow once more.
Max gathered Tess into his arms to comfort her, rocking her slightly. And Tess could not stop crying. She cried for the marred past, the broken present, and the tattered future. And somehow in the arms of the man who had literally been made for her, in the arms of the man who would never be hers except by coercion or deception; she felt comfort. As her plans to win Max began to fade in her heart, as her old dreams began to die, she felt one of those precious human emotions.
Love. And with it, hope.
-----
Kyle-
Kyle’s spirits were fairly high. While he had not quite hit a home run with Vicky, they’d had quite the spirited romp before he left. All in all a good night.
He still did not want to think on how he knew about that Skin. Of how he knew where and what it had been planning to do. It was not really something he wanted to dwell on. Nor the fact that he could sometimes feel others out there.
He was walking the eight miles home because he had promised his dad he would not drive drunk, and when he left he had been slightly tipsy. Vicky had been much more intoxicated and so he had walked home. Silly on the face of it, as he had driven much more affected than this, but he was trying to keep his promises. Lies were bad karma.
Besides a long walk gave him a bit of time to think, even on things he would rather not dwell on. And while he had been able to avoid thinking about Martian issues for the most part he had not been able to completely dodge this issue.
He could avoid the dreaded LGM’s it was the LGW’s, or one in particular he could not avoid thinking about. And given his history it should have been Isabel, they would have been one of the most logical matches at West Roswell…
He wanted Tess. No surprise, as she was hot. But he was afraid he was in much deeper than that. The last girl he had cared as much about was Liz, who to be honest was the first girl he had cared about for more than just fun. Naturally both of them were after Max, who in terms of the status of WRH was just Isabel’s brother.
Outside of school he was a former alien king who had freaky healing powers. Powers that had saved his own life. The fact that most of Roswell did not change this fact. Did not change the fact that knowing the aliens brought both advantage and danger.
He owed Max. Whether he wanted to admit it or not he owed Max for his life, as strange as it was turning out to be. They were now on the same team, and if their enemies were still out there needed to work together. Kyle was nothing if not a team player.
So he let his resentment go, let his anger at the danger they were now exposed to. He would just have to deal with the problems as they arose. To help how he could.
And so he did not rage when he saw Max holding a crying Tess. He did not quietly stalk on by. He stopped to see how he could help. “Hey guys, you alright out here. It’s kinda late.”
Max looked up at Kyle, the rage from earlier in the day gone. But there was still little trust. “Yeah, it is kind of late. What are you doing walking about? I thought you had the Mustang and went to that party.”
“I had a bit to drink and decided to walk home. A promise to dad.”
“Oh. Um, Tess do you want to go home now?”
“Sure Max. Thanks for the shoulder.”
“Anytime Tess. I meant what I said, you are one of us.” Max turned to Kyle, “You’ll take care of her?”
Kyle paused, shook his head, “Of course, come on Tess.”
Tess reached out and grabbed his hand.
And they walked in companionable silence all the way home, hand in hand. Kyle tried not to read anything into Max passing Tess to him. But his heart wanted it to be true.
If it was, then truly this had been a very good day after all.
----
Brody-
Brody stared at the clock in horror. He had lost around six hours. And as comforting as the thought he had been asleep would be, the surveillance footage only granted a few hours of peace on that regard.
He cursorily looked at the footage, then at the time. The Crashdown had just opened, and he might as well grab some breakfast before he worried himself into oblivion. So he locked everything down so it would be safe and went across the street to eat.
The place was busy. There were some Air Force officers sitting at a couple of tables, several of them writing reports. He recognized some of the Mayor’s lackeys sitting enjoying a cup of coffee. They looked very tired.
And seated at one of the booths was a beautiful blonde girl, Maria. His attraction to her was a little inappropriate probably, but there was something about her. He walked over to her table. “Do you mind if I join you?”
Maria looked away from the kitchen and up at Brody. “Oh, not at all. I am just killing time waiting for my mom. By all means join me.”
They engaged in small talk for a few moments while their orders were taken. Brody noticed that Maria kept peeking at the kitchen, even waving a few times. “So is he your boyfriend.”
“Yeah, that’s my Spaceboy. Mine for the moment. But as turbulent as our relationship is, we may be off by nightfall.”
Reminds me a little of Alicia. Is that where the attraction is from? “Well good luck on keeping him, well keeping him as long as you want to keep him.”
“Yeah.”
“So do you believe in God.”
“That’s a little heavy even for a Sunday morning don’t you think?” At Brody’s waved protestations, Maria took a drink and answered, “Um, I guess so, I mean there is just so much out there you know.”
“You see I used to, I don’t know maybe I still do… It’s just, well do you believe in aliens?”
“Why not, my boyfriend is one. Kidding, just kidding.”
Okay, that might explain some things. For all I know you may be one yourself. “You see, I am not.”
“Oh, right your abduction….”
“Did Max tell you?”
“No, no, nothing like that. I just did a little research handsome multi millionaire buying out the UFO Center… And well…”
“And you read I was crazy as a bedbug, huh?
“Not at all”
“Yeah, well if you go to deliver a sandwich and I am not there, its nothing personal. I’ve just probably been abducted again.”
“Okay.”
“Just okay, not I sure it’s not going to happen again, It’s all in your head Brody…”
“If living in Roswell has taught me one thing, it is that anything can happen.”
Agent Byrnes walked up to the table, “Excuse me, if I may have a word with Mr. Davis.”
Brody turned to the now slightly ashen faced Maria. “I’ll be right back.” Why is she so afraid of this agent… Didn’t they shut down the Special Unit that was searching for aliens. But then if she is one, would she trust the governments say so. Hmm…
“Mr. Davis, about that deal we had. I will be sending an officer to your office latter on today. As to the case you asked me about we have had a break.”
“Good, so you have found them?”
“Carlos Ibanez died in a street accident late last night. Lucia, has also been identified. She died almost four years ago after extensive illicit experimentation. So if you can do anything to help nail Pierce I would appreciate it.”
“No, but I will help you. Do you think Pierce was involved in the accident?”
“Doubtful, he has few friends up there now. Most likely he is somewhere out west.” Agent Byrnes stopped for a moment and nodded, “It may be that one of the locals may know something about him. An Elizabeth Parker. She was one of the last people to see him, or Congresswoman Whitaker.”
“You think a Congresswoman may be involved?”
“I don’t know, but a black project is a good way to embezzle money out of the government. The forensic accountants have not been able to account for all of it. And Miss Parker does have a reason to protect him, and she might still have some loyalty to Whitaker. Whitaker and Pierce were lovers.”
“Okay, but I know Liz, I can not see how she would be involved in any of this.”
“Liz owes Pierce her life. There was a bit of a stink about a strange healing, like with Lucia. Last summer, before he ran, and I still thought he would accept that deal Pierce kept Liz from suffering Lucia’s fate.”
And the pieces began to fall into place. Bam, bam, bam. Aside from Maria’s crack about Michael being an alien, who had she talked about being with so much this summer. Who was she best friends with… Liz, who had by some downplayed accounts survived a fatal gunshot the September before last. “Max.”
“Pardon me.”
“Excuse me, I need to make arrangements to attend Carlos’s funeral. I will use my contacts to help you find Pierce.” He walked back to the table and gave his apologies to Maria.
He would have to compare photographs, but if he remembered there were even physical similarities between the two. And Carlos would have done anything for his beloved Lucia, just as Max would for Liz. He felt shivers running up and down his spine as he realized what he may have stumbled upon.
But not as many as he had when he examined his schedule to clear space for his trip. And found that one of the several things planned already for him were e-tickets for a flight to New York tomorrow morning. As was attending Carlos’s funeral.
If he had not been scared before, he was frightened now. What was he involved in?
xmag- Sorry for the wait, thanks ever so much for the bumps. How Maria handles Michael will be key to how well things turn out for them. Michael is not quick to trust and slower to forgive. But he loves Maria, whether he is always willing to admit it, so we will see.
RhondaAnn- Both Liz and Maria derive support from the other. As for why Michael did not come out, it is simple. He is sleeping. And I agree that Michael will do what ever he can to protect Maria, even if he gets mad at her for not sharing important information. But how that turns out remains to be seen.
Liz and her secrets are spilling out rapidly. And her desire to place her thoughts and memories in print may come back to haunt them all. Or not. Another quandry to be faced in the future. As for Isabel, the thought of a future always alone, well that could very well change her perspective on things.
chanks_girl- Thanks
Sternbetrachter- Thanks
Now onto the story
Disclaimer- Roswell is not mine, and bits and pieces of references to episodes are here. There is one large nod to Meet the Dupes, even if the dupes aren't in it yet fully. (Maria and Brody have breakfast) Next part.
Eidolon chapter 11
Michael-
Brigadier Rath Targan stared off into the quiet sea. The sound of the surf calmed him, for a brief moment allowing him to forget why he was here.
The view was blocked as the sky went brilliant red as the headquarters shields kicked in. The enemy did not have enough cannon, but that did not keep them from trying. Rath looked briefly at his helmet’s readouts and decided that the plan was working. No need to change anything yet. And yet the urge to micromanage was there.
It had been easier when he had been the one leading men on the front lines. But now he had to trust his commanders, he could not let himself get bogged down in any one place. His job was to make sure his men had what they needed and to coordinate the attack.
Patience, the hardest thing he ever had to learn.
He glanced again at the reports. They would be moving the headquarters forward soon. He requested his lunch be brought to him. He would enjoy the view as long as he could.
And so it was that he was admiring little Dimaras as she floated serenely amongst the clouds. (If he keyed up his helmet’s magnification he would be able to make out the mines and cities on Antar’s smallest moon, but he contented himself with the view.) He could hear someone grumbling as she walked up the hill
The voice seemed… familiar.
“Okay, one Sigourney Weaver, order of Orbit Rings, and a Cherry Coke. Oh and I tossed in a slice of pie, too.”
Rath turned around to catch a vision of a small girl in a teal waitress outfit. It was an outrage, to place a civilian in harms way was arrant neglect. His voice came out rougher than he wanted, “What are you doing here?”
It was not safe here. He needed to protect her.
Her eyes filled with the green fire he so loved, “So nice of you to care. I am just delivering your lunch to you. You know the Crashdown delivers, Spaceboy!”
“Maria.” The whole night had been like that. A strange mélange of his usual violent nightmares, now mixed with what could only be memories, and Maria would just pop into all of them. Seemingly at random.
It had gotten them killed a couple of times, but there had been one dream… Yeah, he had been disappointed when that one had ended.
Michael looked over at the clock, 1:37 am. Too early to be awake, but while he was still tired, he was not ready for another strange dream. Plus something felt strange. Not bad, just weird.
Oh, the connection, but then Maria is close, very close. Michael carefully walked through the house looking for her. It was not until he walked outside and saw the Jetta parked in front of his apartment that he saw her. She was still seated in the Jetta, a blanket wrapped around her, sleeping.
Why did she stop there? Why not go home or drag me out of bed?
Maria did not feel… right. It was one of the things that had fascinated him about her was that she radiated feelings and emotions. And what he felt… was not right. It was a complex swirl of emotion.
Too complex and somehow wrong. More frustrating emotional crap he was sure. He wondered what he had done wrong now. No matter, he would hear about it in great detail when she woke up.
Michael sighed softly and quickly checked to see if anyone was watching before opening the Jetta door. He gently tried to pick up Maria, but she resisted.
“No, no, please no… I… I don’t want to… to kill you… I don’t want to… not again… please…” Maria mumbled more than half asleep.
“Maria wake up, you’re having a nightmare.” For such a small thing she could hit hard. “Maria, I am not going to let you freeze right outside my apartment…”
Maria’s eyes opened sleepily and she looked blearily at Michael. “Michael?” She perked up a little and looked at him as if trying to read something off of him. Her eyes looked tired, worried, and just a little guarded.
As they blearily stared at each other, another timeless moment with green gazing at brown, Michael watched as the worry faded from her eyes. She reached out to hold him, “Michael”, she said in relief.
Michael held on to her waiting for her to say something else. He was greeted with her soft snores. Maria had fallen back asleep.
Just holding her felt good. There really was choice. He picked her up and carried her to his apartment. He carried her all the way to his bed, planning to sleep on the couch himself. If he could fall back asleep.
But Maria protested every time he tried to leave, reaching out to him and crying for him even in mid dream. And holding her felt so good.
So he crawled in bed with her. And held her.
He fell asleep almost immediately.
---
Max-
Max watched as Alex’s car drove off. After today they were truly friends. He could see why Liz and Maria valued him so. Compared to any of their friends, himself included, Alex was the most balanced, saw things clearly. He was still goofy, still lacked gravitas, but it was that very lack that made him so valuable. For unlike the Pod Squad, he was not over serious.
And he loved Isabel. That was more than most of the people Isabel ever dated, particularly that creepy Grant.
Max walked back into the house and toward Isabel’s room. The door was locked, but between them that was only a request of privacy rather than a true barrier. Max was sorely tempted to finish that conversation they had started earlier, to find out what secret she was keeping from him.
He unlocked the door but paused before opening it. When had he stopped trusting her? Had he ever really trusted anyone?
He remembered when the Sheriff had returned the first orb last year. He had said something about extending trust before expecting it in return. Surely he could trust Isabel.
Max relocked the door and went back outside for a walk. Something big was coming and he needed to have a clear perspective.
And that could only rest on trust.
----
Isabel-
Isabel could feel her brother hover outside her door. She closed her eyes, bracing herself for the argument as she heard the door’s lock snicked opened. But the door did not open.
Isabel dreaded talking to Max about Vilandra, worried how it would permanently damage their friendship and love. She had to tell him, she knew that she could not keep it bottled forever. Even the admission to Maria, used to calm the high strung girl had helped.
Max was right, she really did need to talk about this stuff. She just was not ready to tell him. Even the thought of sharing with Liz and Maria filled her with dread. And while she was sure that Alex would understand, would still care for her, she just wished there was a safe way to tell him. To get a practice run so to speak.
Isabel heard the lock relock itself. Max wasn’t up for a fight either. Disaster temporarily averted.
She just wished it was all over, that things would calm down and that their enemies would leave them alone. That had happened last timeline, according to Liz. But it had been used to consolidate their power before conquering the planet.
Sometimes you just could not win.
But maybe she could get an idea on how Alex would react. Isabel reached over and picked up her sophomore yearbook and quickly thumbed to Alex’s picture. She concentrated on it, feeling the connection between the image and subject.
She did not quite get in. He was still awake. But she was not shut out either. She could not see his mind, not clearly but she felt him pause, say her name and look upon the night sky. She felt him enter the house, felt as he got ready for bed.
She felt like such a voyeur but she could not bring herself to stop, as she felt the tiny bond between herself and Alex vibrate to his heartbeat. Once more she saw herself and Alex saw her, his lovely but untouchable Golden Goddess.
How could her heart swell and still at the same time feel about to break?
His eyes closed and she could feel something shift.
She was in Frazier woods on that strange camping trip. Isabel watched the whole awkward scene between herself and Alex play out again. His desire for a relationship, and hers for him just to be a friend. She had been so certain it could only be one or the other.
Isabel gazed into the sky at the stars.
Maybe I was wrong. Maybe we can be both. It might not work, I may lose a cherished friend…. But I will never know will I. I spent that other timeline alone and somehow I know that I realized what I could have had with Alex but never had the courage to try.
And if it fails, well I will survive. Oh, God, how much time have I wasted. Time devoted to a Destiny I have no intention of fulfilling, much as I care for Michael. This time I will at least try…
“Excuse me, Isabel, but are you really here?”
Isabel’s eyes left the stars and she gazed into Alex’s hazel eyes. Busted. “Alex, I…”
“You are here, aren’t you, dream walking me.”
“Yes, look, I’m sorry, I… I just…”
“Did you find what you were looking for?”
She could a feel herself bridle and prepare for a verbal attack, to push him away like always. To crush his hopes and feel the distance that pained her but also provided safety. But she stopped herself from delivering some crushing remark, what she said now was critical. The smallest things can shape a future for good and ill.
So she just stared at him, picturing him not any as he was now but as he would be in a few years. After he had finished his growth in stature and confidence, and while she needed him now, she knew that she would want him then too.
Alex had a slight goofy grin on his face, “Okay, note day and time, Ms Isabel Evans is speechless.” His grin gained a sardonic quality, “So was this visit for business or pleasure.”
Isabel could feel her cheeks heat slightly, could feel a slight giddy feeling course through her body. “A bit of both, really.” She stepped closer to him, within easy reach, “But at the moment I am opting for pleasure.” And she kissed a startled Alex.
For a timeless moment they kissed under the stars. Isabel did not get any flashes, not like she had when they had actually kissed in the real world. But she could feel energy pass along the connection, could feel the tiny cord grow. And it felt wonderful.
Eventually they broke apart. Alex looked up at the cool winter sky. “You really are here. It really is you.” Alex looked back at Isabel, “Will I remember any of this?”
“I don’t know. But I know that I am a fool for wasting this summer. And now that I realize it, you are leaving.”
“But only for a month.”
“For a whole month!”
“Besides you can always visit.”
“I don’t know if I can reach that far.”
“Well, consider it practice.”
Isabel hit him lightly on the arm. They kissed again.
A bit later Alex asked, “So Isabel, much as I have enjoyed this dream, why did you visit me?”
“It makes me ashamed now. I wanted to tell you something, thinking that you would think it just a dream… You know let me see how you react.”
“So tell me.”
“But you might not remember tomorrow? I don’t, I don’t want to keep using you.”
“Isabel, I would do anything for you. So please just tell me. It will make you feel better. And if I forget, just promise me you will tell it to me again.”
And so she did.
----
Liz-
She had been writing for hours when she felt him approach. She ultimately lost the fight to go see him, staring down at him from her balcony. “Hi Max.”
“Hey, Liz, can I come up for a second?”
“Um, yeah, but it is going to have to be quick. It is really late Max.”
Liz walked over to the chair she had been writing at, she carefully draped the blanket for maximum warmth. It really was cold.
Liz admired Max once more as he easily climbed onto the balcony. The night seemed to take on a dreamy quality as she gazed at him, her eyes slowly climbing to his warm golden brown eyes.
How long they stared at each other, both desiring to rush across the divide. To kiss the other senseless. Liz could feel a taste of the buzz that had effected her so much last spring. But to do so, to cross that space, would be to doom the world.
She was a hairsbreadth away for telling the world to save itself, she was going to have Max…
But Max said, “Mud.”
“What?” Liz said, the spell partly broken.
Max self consciously chuckled and moved over to a different chair. “It was a trick that Michael told me about last year, you know during the Convention. When I felt myself drawn to you, to think of mud.”
“Ugh, that seems better than Maria’s Grief Relief.” Liz paused a moment, “Hey, is that why I ended up making those Mud Pies last year?”
Max ran his hands through his hair, “Well, I had to come up with something after blurting out mud. They sold okay too.”
After an awkward silence, Liz asked, “So what did you drop by for?”
“I just wanted to make sure you were okay. And to tell you that no matter why you did what you did I will still love you.”
“I’m sorry, but I really had too. I really did. If I could have done it without hurting you I would have done it.”
“I’m still angry with you Liz, I still feel betrayed. And even when you tell me why, it… it will take a little while. But I think that even if you had slept with him, even if you had carried on a torrid affair that in time… I would forgive you.”
“But Max, it wasn’t like we were going out. I mean, I can understand how you feel, I would have felt the same. But we were not together then, any more than we are now.” Liz could feel Max’s eyes on her and unconsciously raised hers to meet his.
After a long moment shared between them, as for a moment they shared their longing, desire, and undeniable love for each other, “Liz.” Max started then looked away for a brief moment and started quietly, “I think that no matter what happens now, that no matter what may come…. We will always be together. I can see it in your eyes, can feel it in your heart. And I know you can feel it in mine. Maybe it was a mistake, maybe we should have never started this. But we did. We did, and what we have is precious and rare. I love you Liz Parker, and know that my love is returned, that you will say what you will say to part us because you believe I would be better served by another. Because your love for me is so great as to allow you to destroy yourself on my behalf.”
“Max, I, I am sorry.”
“And I am sorry I could not be normal, that I did not keep dragging you into these dark escapades. But I am what I am, and no matter what I wish it will always be there.”
“Max?”
“Something is coming. I can feel it. And it will be hard for both of us. But know Liz Parker that I will be coming for you. For no matter what you think, I will face the future better with you at my side than any other.” Max walked back to the ladder, “Good night, Liz.”
“Good night, Max.”
Liz stared off into space. There was a strange rushing feeling, something inside her telling her that Max was right. Something was coming, and it would be hard. Hard for all of them.
----
Tess-
Tess sat quietly on the park bench. The tears still came sporadically, surprising with her their intensity. She never cried. Never.
She was the Reborn Queen, and she was stronger than that. Stronger than any of the feeble emotions that crippled humans. And yet… she did not know if she could have summoned that torrent of fire if she had not seen, had not felt Kyle fall.
No matter how she tried to fool herself, but she was part human now. And Nasedo had lied to her. Ava had felt emotions too, she had loved her mother, had feared for a friend. How much had he lied to her, how much of what she knew was actually true?
Certainly her family had not recognized her, had not recognized their Destiny. Not even with the Book had they been convinced. That was why she had persuaded Alex, had pushed this trip to Las Cruces. She could feel an inkling of a foreign feeling steal into her mind.
Guilt.
Was she doing the right thing? Was it all a lie? But how could she change things, how could she stop it? Should she stop it? Who could she talk to about any of this?
Loneliness.
That one she recognized from her dreams… No she would not dwell on it, bad enough it haunted her then. But she had so hoped that they would just love her unconditionally. But she had placed conditions on them.
Regret.
As another wave of tears passed she realized what Nasedo would call her. Weak. Only Human.
She had failed. For while her sense of superiority could let her fool herself about many things, it was no longer enough to support her desires. Because part of her wanted to be weak, to be human. And as far as she could tell there was no cure for that desire, as it afflicted her podmates as much as it was beginning to affect her…
Tess startled a bit as she heard someone call out to her. Her supposed mate, the man who was to sweep her off her feet. The man who loved another with such painful intensity she could see it even now.
“Tess? Are you alright?”
Tess looked down. “No.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“No.”
“Do you want me to leave?”
She looked up at Max, at his golden brown eyes. She did not see the love and desire that she had once expected, but she saw something she had not truly expected. He cared about her. He really did. “No.” And she could not help it, the tears began to flow once more.
Max gathered Tess into his arms to comfort her, rocking her slightly. And Tess could not stop crying. She cried for the marred past, the broken present, and the tattered future. And somehow in the arms of the man who had literally been made for her, in the arms of the man who would never be hers except by coercion or deception; she felt comfort. As her plans to win Max began to fade in her heart, as her old dreams began to die, she felt one of those precious human emotions.
Love. And with it, hope.
-----
Kyle-
Kyle’s spirits were fairly high. While he had not quite hit a home run with Vicky, they’d had quite the spirited romp before he left. All in all a good night.
He still did not want to think on how he knew about that Skin. Of how he knew where and what it had been planning to do. It was not really something he wanted to dwell on. Nor the fact that he could sometimes feel others out there.
He was walking the eight miles home because he had promised his dad he would not drive drunk, and when he left he had been slightly tipsy. Vicky had been much more intoxicated and so he had walked home. Silly on the face of it, as he had driven much more affected than this, but he was trying to keep his promises. Lies were bad karma.
Besides a long walk gave him a bit of time to think, even on things he would rather not dwell on. And while he had been able to avoid thinking about Martian issues for the most part he had not been able to completely dodge this issue.
He could avoid the dreaded LGM’s it was the LGW’s, or one in particular he could not avoid thinking about. And given his history it should have been Isabel, they would have been one of the most logical matches at West Roswell…
He wanted Tess. No surprise, as she was hot. But he was afraid he was in much deeper than that. The last girl he had cared as much about was Liz, who to be honest was the first girl he had cared about for more than just fun. Naturally both of them were after Max, who in terms of the status of WRH was just Isabel’s brother.
Outside of school he was a former alien king who had freaky healing powers. Powers that had saved his own life. The fact that most of Roswell did not change this fact. Did not change the fact that knowing the aliens brought both advantage and danger.
He owed Max. Whether he wanted to admit it or not he owed Max for his life, as strange as it was turning out to be. They were now on the same team, and if their enemies were still out there needed to work together. Kyle was nothing if not a team player.
So he let his resentment go, let his anger at the danger they were now exposed to. He would just have to deal with the problems as they arose. To help how he could.
And so he did not rage when he saw Max holding a crying Tess. He did not quietly stalk on by. He stopped to see how he could help. “Hey guys, you alright out here. It’s kinda late.”
Max looked up at Kyle, the rage from earlier in the day gone. But there was still little trust. “Yeah, it is kind of late. What are you doing walking about? I thought you had the Mustang and went to that party.”
“I had a bit to drink and decided to walk home. A promise to dad.”
“Oh. Um, Tess do you want to go home now?”
“Sure Max. Thanks for the shoulder.”
“Anytime Tess. I meant what I said, you are one of us.” Max turned to Kyle, “You’ll take care of her?”
Kyle paused, shook his head, “Of course, come on Tess.”
Tess reached out and grabbed his hand.
And they walked in companionable silence all the way home, hand in hand. Kyle tried not to read anything into Max passing Tess to him. But his heart wanted it to be true.
If it was, then truly this had been a very good day after all.
----
Brody-
Brody stared at the clock in horror. He had lost around six hours. And as comforting as the thought he had been asleep would be, the surveillance footage only granted a few hours of peace on that regard.
He cursorily looked at the footage, then at the time. The Crashdown had just opened, and he might as well grab some breakfast before he worried himself into oblivion. So he locked everything down so it would be safe and went across the street to eat.
The place was busy. There were some Air Force officers sitting at a couple of tables, several of them writing reports. He recognized some of the Mayor’s lackeys sitting enjoying a cup of coffee. They looked very tired.
And seated at one of the booths was a beautiful blonde girl, Maria. His attraction to her was a little inappropriate probably, but there was something about her. He walked over to her table. “Do you mind if I join you?”
Maria looked away from the kitchen and up at Brody. “Oh, not at all. I am just killing time waiting for my mom. By all means join me.”
They engaged in small talk for a few moments while their orders were taken. Brody noticed that Maria kept peeking at the kitchen, even waving a few times. “So is he your boyfriend.”
“Yeah, that’s my Spaceboy. Mine for the moment. But as turbulent as our relationship is, we may be off by nightfall.”
Reminds me a little of Alicia. Is that where the attraction is from? “Well good luck on keeping him, well keeping him as long as you want to keep him.”
“Yeah.”
“So do you believe in God.”
“That’s a little heavy even for a Sunday morning don’t you think?” At Brody’s waved protestations, Maria took a drink and answered, “Um, I guess so, I mean there is just so much out there you know.”
“You see I used to, I don’t know maybe I still do… It’s just, well do you believe in aliens?”
“Why not, my boyfriend is one. Kidding, just kidding.”
Okay, that might explain some things. For all I know you may be one yourself. “You see, I am not.”
“Oh, right your abduction….”
“Did Max tell you?”
“No, no, nothing like that. I just did a little research handsome multi millionaire buying out the UFO Center… And well…”
“And you read I was crazy as a bedbug, huh?
“Not at all”
“Yeah, well if you go to deliver a sandwich and I am not there, its nothing personal. I’ve just probably been abducted again.”
“Okay.”
“Just okay, not I sure it’s not going to happen again, It’s all in your head Brody…”
“If living in Roswell has taught me one thing, it is that anything can happen.”
Agent Byrnes walked up to the table, “Excuse me, if I may have a word with Mr. Davis.”
Brody turned to the now slightly ashen faced Maria. “I’ll be right back.” Why is she so afraid of this agent… Didn’t they shut down the Special Unit that was searching for aliens. But then if she is one, would she trust the governments say so. Hmm…
“Mr. Davis, about that deal we had. I will be sending an officer to your office latter on today. As to the case you asked me about we have had a break.”
“Good, so you have found them?”
“Carlos Ibanez died in a street accident late last night. Lucia, has also been identified. She died almost four years ago after extensive illicit experimentation. So if you can do anything to help nail Pierce I would appreciate it.”
“No, but I will help you. Do you think Pierce was involved in the accident?”
“Doubtful, he has few friends up there now. Most likely he is somewhere out west.” Agent Byrnes stopped for a moment and nodded, “It may be that one of the locals may know something about him. An Elizabeth Parker. She was one of the last people to see him, or Congresswoman Whitaker.”
“You think a Congresswoman may be involved?”
“I don’t know, but a black project is a good way to embezzle money out of the government. The forensic accountants have not been able to account for all of it. And Miss Parker does have a reason to protect him, and she might still have some loyalty to Whitaker. Whitaker and Pierce were lovers.”
“Okay, but I know Liz, I can not see how she would be involved in any of this.”
“Liz owes Pierce her life. There was a bit of a stink about a strange healing, like with Lucia. Last summer, before he ran, and I still thought he would accept that deal Pierce kept Liz from suffering Lucia’s fate.”
And the pieces began to fall into place. Bam, bam, bam. Aside from Maria’s crack about Michael being an alien, who had she talked about being with so much this summer. Who was she best friends with… Liz, who had by some downplayed accounts survived a fatal gunshot the September before last. “Max.”
“Pardon me.”
“Excuse me, I need to make arrangements to attend Carlos’s funeral. I will use my contacts to help you find Pierce.” He walked back to the table and gave his apologies to Maria.
He would have to compare photographs, but if he remembered there were even physical similarities between the two. And Carlos would have done anything for his beloved Lucia, just as Max would for Liz. He felt shivers running up and down his spine as he realized what he may have stumbled upon.
But not as many as he had when he examined his schedule to clear space for his trip. And found that one of the several things planned already for him were e-tickets for a flight to New York tomorrow morning. As was attending Carlos’s funeral.
If he had not been scared before, he was frightened now. What was he involved in?
Re: IDS Eidolon (CC ALL, Teen/Mature) Chapter 11- 01/02/07
Thanks as always to everyone reading this story. Particular thanks to xmag and chanks_girl for the feedback.
chanks_girl- Thanks. What Tess did was a huge undertaking. The only way it could have been done without her own constant supervision would be to manipulate others into thinking they want what she wants. To use her powers to 'persuade' them. So the problems in regards to Alex, at least in this story is that part of Alex is working willingly for Tess. Does Alex realize that Tess is using him, sure, but the part that would fight it has been pushed aside during the moments where Alex is actively working on the plan. It is this disintegration of mental integrity that will eventually destroy him, assuming that no one saves him first.
So the question is whether Isabel will notice the problem, or will Tess crack in time. Remember that in this story he leaves for 'Sweden' in five days. And the Dupes are coming...
xmag- Sorry about the wait. The Brody storyline is to give Brody a reason to actually be involved in Roswell other than use as an interstellar cell phone. Part of it also lays with my disbelief that the Dupes could have survived alone unattended in the sewers. And while I have given them a Guardian, their hatching was at such a random time... She was not there anymore than the other protectors were there for the others. The Dupes' lives were different leading up to an incident that happened around four years ago, when they had to go into hiding. More of that backstory later.
As to the FBI, they got dragged in looking for a missing person. Byrnes was actually on that case when he brushed up against an atrocity that the Special Unit committed. (Lucia's death, in case you are curious. More on why the Special Unit cared about Lucia and how this is attached to Liz is partly in this part.)
Anyway, enough rambling.
Disclaimer- Roswell is not mine and no infringement is intended.
Eidolon part 12
Tess-
For Tess, Sunday was a strange day. Not that it was any stranger than any other Sunday, it is just that, she was no longer certain. Of anything.
Tess had gone through life, knowing for certain that she was Destined for great things. That a passionate lover waited for her, that he would sweep her off her feet in this life as he had in the last failed life. That all this pathetic human world was just a mirage, an illusion that she would have to navigate to reach her ultimate goal of returning home.
And as she had heard, saving her people. Nasedo had not even told her that. Just that she was special and that she was fated with three other special people to leave this ramshackle world and go to a better one. That had been her creed, her mantra, her sole goal in life. To return home.
She should not let herself come to believe that she was human, because she was not. She was better than that, alien and superior to these poor benighted savages.
Tess had believed it all. She had come to believe all that he had told her, had taught her. How much of it was lies?
She had believed emotion equated weakness, that her people were beyond it. She had been dismayed when she had arrived, only to find her family, those she had known would be superior like her, embroiled so heavily in their humanity.
She had known for a long time that most of her biology was human. Advanced and enhanced, but the biology was human. How foolish of her to not realize the truth. Whether she wished it or not, she was part human.
Which is how she found herself on the couch watching football with Kyle. He liked her. But why? Anything alien made him nervous. She was not family, was not even entirely his species. And yet he liked her.
Part of it was her looks, she knew that. From time to time she would catch him look at her, as if she were the most beautiful thing in the world. And other times he would just see her, as what a friend? She just did not understand him. He had been willing to talk with her last night, even though he had been completely exhausted. And she had told him stories of growing up with Nasedo. Why did he care?
More importantly why did she care? What was she feeling, what had she hid from herself? She liked Kyle, if not entirely as much as he did her. Not yet anyway. But she really did not understand her own emotions, as she was used to thinking of emotions just as levers to manipulate others.
She was confused. So she tried to think through the problem rationally, to try to understand. And she watched Kyle, trying to understand him, trying to understand why his fond looks made her … what?… happy?…
She just desperately wanted to understand. Because if Nasedo had lied, if all he had said had all been a deception propagated on her because he hated humans… Where did that leave her? She had done so much based on what he had told her.
What if all she had done was wrong? What if she had harmed those who could truly care for her? How could she know?
She just had to understand. Somehow.
----
Max-
Max quietly walked into the UFO Center for his shift, albeit not with a glance at the Crashdown. He was running a little late as he’d had a restless night’s sleep. It had been full of dreams of a strange city, sometimes familiar and sometimes completely alien. And sometimes a mix of both.
Max shook his head and prepared for another day of answering inane questions and fixing displays. He looked around and saw that the place while not in perfect shape was alright for opening. Some of the mannequins had been to damaged and were on order, so he closed the alien autopsy exhibit.
One exhibit that stuck way to close.
He shook his head as it swam with visions of the White Room. He closed his eyes and banished those demons back to where he would deal with them later. When things calmed down. If ever.
Max looked at the clock and saw he had another half hour before they opened. He was grateful for the short Sunday hours. So he walked up to the office to see if his boss was in. Brody finally trusted him with a key card of his own, although there were parts of the computer files that were password locked.
Brody Davis was seated at one of his workstations rifling through pictures. The looks that flashed on his face were a mix of wistful sadness and concentration.
“Uh, Brody, did you have anything you needed me to do before we open.”
“Come in, come in Max. I have some news.” Brody set the photos down and went to the main workstation. “Yesterday was a busy day. I just got confirmation about those microwaves on the East Coast.” Brody pointed on the screen to a blip right next to New York City. “Someone is apparently trying to make contact. My contacts are trying to crack the code its in, trying to prove its not of terrestrial origin. Good news for us if true. Plus there is some information on what ever it was that hit Roswell yet. I’ve sent some data to General West, and he has promised some basic data back. We’ll see. Government bastards are usually tight lipped.”
“Do they have any leads on that? I mean on what it might have been.”
“I told you, they’re pretty tight lipped folks. But unofficially its possibly EMP.”
Max just stared at Brody.
“You know Electro Magnetic Pulse. Usually happens on upper level nuclear blasts, that sort of stuff. But… apparently some of the labs near Los Alamos are working on a EMP weapon that won’t leave the area radioactive. My guess is they are going to say someone was trying to smuggle out a prototype to someone, probably the Chinese.”
“Is that what you think happened.”
“I don’t know Max. I really don’t. It’s actually a pretty good theory, but it doesn’t solve everything. Like how strange the weather was, or some of the more esoteric readings I got on some of my equipment.”
Max was quiet.
Brody sighed, “I know what your thinking. Brody thinks it was aliens. Maybe. I think someone is trying to make contact on the East Coast. But why do something here in Roswell? Is there something her in Roswell that they are looking for? Are they even the same group?” Brody was quiet for a moment before continuing. “Are there any aliens out there at all, or am I just crazy.”
“Are you okay?”
“Its happening again Max. I am losing moments. I keep having weird dreams, things I can almost recall. And Max, things are moving fast.”
“What do you mean by fast.”
“I am closing the Center for the rest of the week, probably only stay open a few hours today. I am going to New York.” Brody seemed to deflate a little and walked back to his photo collection.
“Um, don’t you think business might pick up because of yesterday.” Don’t you trust me?
“Maybe, but it’s almost Thanksgiving, wonderful custom I must say, and people will be staying home.”
“Then why go to New York, I mean this is your home now.”
“I hadn’t planned on it, but my family, the family I have left is there. And I’m going to a funeral.”
“I’m sorry, I mean that’s tragic.”
“One of my ex-wife’s cousins, well sort of. He was adopted, but well you know, they were close. At least until he disappeared a few years ago, after his sister was murdered. Little Lucia, poor thing. Ghastly that was, most of it kept from the papers, hushed up. All because of one man. Daniel Pierce. That bastard wanted Carlos too. Carlos and all the foundlings that poor Natalie helped.”
A chill washed through Max. Even dead Pierce haunted him. “Daniel Pierce?”
“He was a dangerous maniac that the FBI in its wisdom let run a group of psychopaths called the Special Unit. If Agent Byrnes can be trusted, Pierce was part of it. Part of the death of little Lucy and bunch of other deaths. The man should have been shot and left in an unmarked grave.”
He was and still he haunts us. “So what happened to Carlos?”
“Street accident. Apparently he ran away and has been hiding on the street this whole time. It’s amazing, I spent quite a bit of money looking for him. Others were looking for him too, both Pierce and I guess Byrnes too. Not sure what Byrnes was looking for, dirt on Pierce I guess. Here is a picture from a few years back. I never met the kid, but Alicia said he had an air about him, a natural leader.”
Max took the picture and felt as the room spun.
For if you added a few years, changed the hairstyle and clothes, Max could have been looking in a mirror.
----
Alex-
Alex was having a wonderful day. First there had been the dreams with Isabel, some of which he had been shaky on. I mean of course he dreamed of Isabel, all the time.
And to be honest since he had found out about her, and worse about her ability for eavesdropping on dreams… Well it wasn’t like he did not have the ordinary erotic dream about her, but it was always with a metaphysical eye out. Had to be careful when you did not know who might be watching. He grinned at himself in the mirror. Paranoid and proud of it.
So when the dreams got heated last night, he had been a little worried. But the weird parts were the conversations with her, as she spilled out so much that she had been holding in. That simple confidence in him confirmed that it had to be some odd dream, some strange desire on his part that she would really and truly open to him.
Only he received a phone call around eleven from Isabel. And she said a couple of words when he asked her about the dreams… “It is all true…”
He felt he could sing, could shout to the heavens his joy. He had actually composed a couple of songs in a flurry of inspiration, an activity he had found hard going lately. He almost felt like they were connected somehow, that odd feeling from yesterday persisting. It felt good.
It was just such a shame that just as she was pouring out her heart to him that he finally had a secret he could not share. Maybe, maybe Tess would relent. Then again, considering how adamant Isabel could be, maybe she would try to stop him. For while what he was doing was most likely safe, there was a small chance that their enemies might find him.
And he would be all alone. And vulnerable.
Better if she simply did not know about the plan. It was for her as much as it was for Tess. It was for all of them, for hopefully the Book would have answers to many of their questions. Even if the answers were not what they hoped for, even if the people who had sent them to Earth had plans for them…
For if they did, surely they would have come by now. Surely those plans would be old and pointless by now, but the answers, the answers could still prove priceless.
No matter. He would go to ‘Sweden.’ They had to try.
----
Liz-
Liz had been having a horrible day. First Karen called out and good Lord knows what happened with Agnes, but she was not there this morning. So little Lizzie found herself with only a few hours sleep opening the Crashdown.
Being the owner’s daughter was not always a blessing.
Then there was the need to cover for Maria this morning. She had spent the night at Michael’s! And Liz had been too busy to talk with her to do more than come up with a cover story. So Liz had been stuck watching Michael and Maria warily looking at each other all morning until Amy picked up Maria and they went off to have some mother-daughter bonding time.
Worse, as the day wore on the energy that she had felt from whatever Ana had done to her began to fade. And with it the world became more dull, somehow less alive. And while it seemed to dampen her sensitivity to flashes it did not stop it. From time to time she would get impressions of things, that if she concentrated would form into flashes.
Whatever Ana had done to her seemed to be lasting. How to discuss this with Max? Some of the uncertainty, some of the gloom that seemed to hover over her for the last few months seemed to be back too. And from time to time the world seemed to… wobble. The room would spin and she could not understand anything.
She could not count the number of tips she must have lost today making people repeat their orders…
It had all started this morning when she had woken up knowing it was going to be a bad day, that strange rushing feeling waking her moments before her harried father came in to wake her telling her not to take her vitamins. That it would only make it worse. It had been so hard to open that bottle, fighting against a feeling of wrongness.
Obviously the stress from yesterday had not completely worn off.
So now she was in the lunch rush, enjoying one of those little lulls that sometimes struck on Sunday afternoons. One more hour. Assuming of course that her replacement showed up. For all she knew she could be closing too.
And then it was like the sun broke through the clouds. He was there. Instinctively she looked out the front door. And Max was there, eyes blazing as they once had, needing her. She took one look at him and started walking to the door when she heard the bell ring and Michael’s harsh voice calling to her.
She smiled at Max and shrugged pointing at the kitchen. She watched as Max tentatively opened the door before gathering her order from Michael. By the time she had settled the guest, refilled a few drinks and generally just checked up on a few guests, Max was sitting at the counter.
She walked over to him. “Sorry the booths are all taken.”
“That’s okay, when do you get off? I need to talk with you. I, I saw something that shocked me today.”
“Yeah, well, I should be off at two if everything goes alright…”
A quiet if somewhat gravely voice interrupted her, “Excuse me, miss, you’re Elizabeth Parker aren’t you?”
Liz turned around and saw a non-descript man who looked almost absurdly fit. His eyes while focusing on her, ran along all the other guests. Something told her that this man saw everything. He was carrying a medium sized box. “Yes, I’m Liz Parker. Welcome to the Crashdown, is there anything I can help you with?”
“I’m looking for Maria Deluca, and I was told that if I couldn’t find her that I could leave this with you. Is she here?”
“No she isn’t here at the moment. How can I help you?”
The man looked down, seemingly ashamed. “I have got to get back to Santa Fe. I can’t look anymore and so, I was told you were her best friend, that you could be trusted. This box needs to be given directly to Maria. Don’t let that witch get a hold of the package. It goes straight to her.” He paused a second, considering, “And tell her there is a little old lady in Florida who would like to speak with her. And, and there’s a number she can call if she needs help. We take care of our own.”
He handed Liz the box and she was about to thank him when she felt the little quaver that meant a possible flash. Full of curiosity she took it. And collapsed.
Flash- An old wiry man in a US Army uniform placing envelopes full of pictures and lots of small journal books.
Flash- A tall blonde man writing in one of the journals, My dearest Maria….
Flash- The same man rifling through photos of Maria and her, Alex making an occasional picture. A sense of sadness at the sight of Maria, and rage when an image of Amy crops up.
Flash- Again the same man, only younger now staring at a returned letter, birthday card unopened.
Flash- The man younger still, his hair short cropped, staring at the documents before him. Dictating not only his divorce, but also an aggressive restraining order. Breaking it would void his deal with the Army, leading him to a lengthy time in prison.
Flash- The man, his hair long and dirty blonde, wearing a motorcycle jacket, staring off into the distance, hating himself for running yet again. He pulled out a picture a picture of his family. Amy was baking pies, and the kitchen was both messy and yet everything was in its place. Maria, not more than five, sitting with her two best friends, Pam and Liz. Their Dalmatian slowly wagging its tail waiting for Amy to drop some scraps.
He wished he could go back, could have stood tall and waited for them to find him. But like he had before, he ran… Turning himself in now would not help anything, but how he wished he had stayed.
He heard the knock on the door, thinking it to be the pizza he had ordered. But they had found him anyway. He had run for nothing, destroyed what little happiness he had had for nothing.
His thoughts were on his wife and daughter as the MP’s led him out into the night.
----
Maria-
Her mother had been really cool today. Which added to waking in Michael’s arms this morning had made this a wonderful if strange day. She was certain that the story that she had gone back to Liz’s after seeing that Sean was staying with them, somehow that had flown. She would not have believed it would be so easy, but then her mother seemed preoccupied.
From time to time Amy would look at her and get this sad look, whether it was at the mall or the nail place, it was very strange. Her mom seemed tired and distant, even while she was showering Maria with attention.
Maria knew something was wrong, but she was going to enjoy the bribes while they lasted.
Her mom was driving them somewhere, she thought she had an idea but was not sure. Her guess was confirmed moments later.
“So, I decided we need to make one more trip, now that were cool, calm, and beautiful. We need to see what fate will bring us.”
“Madame Vivian?”
“Yes she’s right more than most of the seer’s I have seen,” Amy said.
Maria rolled her eyes, “Yeah, I took Liz and Alex to her last Halloween.”
“And?”
Maria thought back to that night, to the advice that had been given. To the future she now knew it had regarded. It had been eerily right, maybe she was not a fraud like Liz had finally convinced her. “I think, I think that she may have been right, but that things. Well things may have changed.” I certainly hope so.
Amy took a long look at Maria. “Well lets see what waits in store for us.” Amy pulled up and got out of the car.
Maria got out of the car and followed her mother into Madame Vivian’s waiting room. Madame Vivian came out of her reading room and greeted Amy with big hugs and they chatted for a few moments while Maria just watched.
After a few moments, Amy turned and introduced Maria, “And here is that lovely daughter I have been talking about, of course you’ve already met her. Or so Maria said.”
Maria reached out her hand to Madame Vivian, “It’s a pleasure to see you again.”
Madame Vivian just looked at her. “You have changed. Or maybe been changed.” She turned to Amy, “Go on in ahead, I’ll be right there.”
Maria noticed the shock on her mother’s face as she slowly walked into the reading room. “What do you mean by that?”
“You have been touched. I knew that someone would come, but you are not who I expected.”
“What do you mean?”
“I need to talk to Amy. I will tell you more when it is your turn.” Her eyes never left Maria as she walked from the room.
----
Ava
Ava was in the back seat, the two jackals who used to be her family in the front. It was a mistake, she could not trust them. Not one bit.
Nearly twenty hours behind the wheel had taken its toll. But they were fairly close now and not a single incident to draw attention to them. If only she had been strong enough to keep driving…
But she was so tired… She just hoped they did not get into too much trouble.
God how could they have done it. How could they have killed him!
Why was I too slow? Why am I too weak to stop them?
I should have stopped them. I could have stopped them…
As her lids slowly dragged closed one word slipped from her lips to join the tears slowly crawling down her face.
“Zan…”
chanks_girl- Thanks. What Tess did was a huge undertaking. The only way it could have been done without her own constant supervision would be to manipulate others into thinking they want what she wants. To use her powers to 'persuade' them. So the problems in regards to Alex, at least in this story is that part of Alex is working willingly for Tess. Does Alex realize that Tess is using him, sure, but the part that would fight it has been pushed aside during the moments where Alex is actively working on the plan. It is this disintegration of mental integrity that will eventually destroy him, assuming that no one saves him first.
So the question is whether Isabel will notice the problem, or will Tess crack in time. Remember that in this story he leaves for 'Sweden' in five days. And the Dupes are coming...
xmag- Sorry about the wait. The Brody storyline is to give Brody a reason to actually be involved in Roswell other than use as an interstellar cell phone. Part of it also lays with my disbelief that the Dupes could have survived alone unattended in the sewers. And while I have given them a Guardian, their hatching was at such a random time... She was not there anymore than the other protectors were there for the others. The Dupes' lives were different leading up to an incident that happened around four years ago, when they had to go into hiding. More of that backstory later.
As to the FBI, they got dragged in looking for a missing person. Byrnes was actually on that case when he brushed up against an atrocity that the Special Unit committed. (Lucia's death, in case you are curious. More on why the Special Unit cared about Lucia and how this is attached to Liz is partly in this part.)
Anyway, enough rambling.
Disclaimer- Roswell is not mine and no infringement is intended.
Eidolon part 12
Tess-
For Tess, Sunday was a strange day. Not that it was any stranger than any other Sunday, it is just that, she was no longer certain. Of anything.
Tess had gone through life, knowing for certain that she was Destined for great things. That a passionate lover waited for her, that he would sweep her off her feet in this life as he had in the last failed life. That all this pathetic human world was just a mirage, an illusion that she would have to navigate to reach her ultimate goal of returning home.
And as she had heard, saving her people. Nasedo had not even told her that. Just that she was special and that she was fated with three other special people to leave this ramshackle world and go to a better one. That had been her creed, her mantra, her sole goal in life. To return home.
She should not let herself come to believe that she was human, because she was not. She was better than that, alien and superior to these poor benighted savages.
Tess had believed it all. She had come to believe all that he had told her, had taught her. How much of it was lies?
She had believed emotion equated weakness, that her people were beyond it. She had been dismayed when she had arrived, only to find her family, those she had known would be superior like her, embroiled so heavily in their humanity.
She had known for a long time that most of her biology was human. Advanced and enhanced, but the biology was human. How foolish of her to not realize the truth. Whether she wished it or not, she was part human.
Which is how she found herself on the couch watching football with Kyle. He liked her. But why? Anything alien made him nervous. She was not family, was not even entirely his species. And yet he liked her.
Part of it was her looks, she knew that. From time to time she would catch him look at her, as if she were the most beautiful thing in the world. And other times he would just see her, as what a friend? She just did not understand him. He had been willing to talk with her last night, even though he had been completely exhausted. And she had told him stories of growing up with Nasedo. Why did he care?
More importantly why did she care? What was she feeling, what had she hid from herself? She liked Kyle, if not entirely as much as he did her. Not yet anyway. But she really did not understand her own emotions, as she was used to thinking of emotions just as levers to manipulate others.
She was confused. So she tried to think through the problem rationally, to try to understand. And she watched Kyle, trying to understand him, trying to understand why his fond looks made her … what?… happy?…
She just desperately wanted to understand. Because if Nasedo had lied, if all he had said had all been a deception propagated on her because he hated humans… Where did that leave her? She had done so much based on what he had told her.
What if all she had done was wrong? What if she had harmed those who could truly care for her? How could she know?
She just had to understand. Somehow.
----
Max-
Max quietly walked into the UFO Center for his shift, albeit not with a glance at the Crashdown. He was running a little late as he’d had a restless night’s sleep. It had been full of dreams of a strange city, sometimes familiar and sometimes completely alien. And sometimes a mix of both.
Max shook his head and prepared for another day of answering inane questions and fixing displays. He looked around and saw that the place while not in perfect shape was alright for opening. Some of the mannequins had been to damaged and were on order, so he closed the alien autopsy exhibit.
One exhibit that stuck way to close.
He shook his head as it swam with visions of the White Room. He closed his eyes and banished those demons back to where he would deal with them later. When things calmed down. If ever.
Max looked at the clock and saw he had another half hour before they opened. He was grateful for the short Sunday hours. So he walked up to the office to see if his boss was in. Brody finally trusted him with a key card of his own, although there were parts of the computer files that were password locked.
Brody Davis was seated at one of his workstations rifling through pictures. The looks that flashed on his face were a mix of wistful sadness and concentration.
“Uh, Brody, did you have anything you needed me to do before we open.”
“Come in, come in Max. I have some news.” Brody set the photos down and went to the main workstation. “Yesterday was a busy day. I just got confirmation about those microwaves on the East Coast.” Brody pointed on the screen to a blip right next to New York City. “Someone is apparently trying to make contact. My contacts are trying to crack the code its in, trying to prove its not of terrestrial origin. Good news for us if true. Plus there is some information on what ever it was that hit Roswell yet. I’ve sent some data to General West, and he has promised some basic data back. We’ll see. Government bastards are usually tight lipped.”
“Do they have any leads on that? I mean on what it might have been.”
“I told you, they’re pretty tight lipped folks. But unofficially its possibly EMP.”
Max just stared at Brody.
“You know Electro Magnetic Pulse. Usually happens on upper level nuclear blasts, that sort of stuff. But… apparently some of the labs near Los Alamos are working on a EMP weapon that won’t leave the area radioactive. My guess is they are going to say someone was trying to smuggle out a prototype to someone, probably the Chinese.”
“Is that what you think happened.”
“I don’t know Max. I really don’t. It’s actually a pretty good theory, but it doesn’t solve everything. Like how strange the weather was, or some of the more esoteric readings I got on some of my equipment.”
Max was quiet.
Brody sighed, “I know what your thinking. Brody thinks it was aliens. Maybe. I think someone is trying to make contact on the East Coast. But why do something here in Roswell? Is there something her in Roswell that they are looking for? Are they even the same group?” Brody was quiet for a moment before continuing. “Are there any aliens out there at all, or am I just crazy.”
“Are you okay?”
“Its happening again Max. I am losing moments. I keep having weird dreams, things I can almost recall. And Max, things are moving fast.”
“What do you mean by fast.”
“I am closing the Center for the rest of the week, probably only stay open a few hours today. I am going to New York.” Brody seemed to deflate a little and walked back to his photo collection.
“Um, don’t you think business might pick up because of yesterday.” Don’t you trust me?
“Maybe, but it’s almost Thanksgiving, wonderful custom I must say, and people will be staying home.”
“Then why go to New York, I mean this is your home now.”
“I hadn’t planned on it, but my family, the family I have left is there. And I’m going to a funeral.”
“I’m sorry, I mean that’s tragic.”
“One of my ex-wife’s cousins, well sort of. He was adopted, but well you know, they were close. At least until he disappeared a few years ago, after his sister was murdered. Little Lucia, poor thing. Ghastly that was, most of it kept from the papers, hushed up. All because of one man. Daniel Pierce. That bastard wanted Carlos too. Carlos and all the foundlings that poor Natalie helped.”
A chill washed through Max. Even dead Pierce haunted him. “Daniel Pierce?”
“He was a dangerous maniac that the FBI in its wisdom let run a group of psychopaths called the Special Unit. If Agent Byrnes can be trusted, Pierce was part of it. Part of the death of little Lucy and bunch of other deaths. The man should have been shot and left in an unmarked grave.”
He was and still he haunts us. “So what happened to Carlos?”
“Street accident. Apparently he ran away and has been hiding on the street this whole time. It’s amazing, I spent quite a bit of money looking for him. Others were looking for him too, both Pierce and I guess Byrnes too. Not sure what Byrnes was looking for, dirt on Pierce I guess. Here is a picture from a few years back. I never met the kid, but Alicia said he had an air about him, a natural leader.”
Max took the picture and felt as the room spun.
For if you added a few years, changed the hairstyle and clothes, Max could have been looking in a mirror.
----
Alex-
Alex was having a wonderful day. First there had been the dreams with Isabel, some of which he had been shaky on. I mean of course he dreamed of Isabel, all the time.
And to be honest since he had found out about her, and worse about her ability for eavesdropping on dreams… Well it wasn’t like he did not have the ordinary erotic dream about her, but it was always with a metaphysical eye out. Had to be careful when you did not know who might be watching. He grinned at himself in the mirror. Paranoid and proud of it.
So when the dreams got heated last night, he had been a little worried. But the weird parts were the conversations with her, as she spilled out so much that she had been holding in. That simple confidence in him confirmed that it had to be some odd dream, some strange desire on his part that she would really and truly open to him.
Only he received a phone call around eleven from Isabel. And she said a couple of words when he asked her about the dreams… “It is all true…”
He felt he could sing, could shout to the heavens his joy. He had actually composed a couple of songs in a flurry of inspiration, an activity he had found hard going lately. He almost felt like they were connected somehow, that odd feeling from yesterday persisting. It felt good.
It was just such a shame that just as she was pouring out her heart to him that he finally had a secret he could not share. Maybe, maybe Tess would relent. Then again, considering how adamant Isabel could be, maybe she would try to stop him. For while what he was doing was most likely safe, there was a small chance that their enemies might find him.
And he would be all alone. And vulnerable.
Better if she simply did not know about the plan. It was for her as much as it was for Tess. It was for all of them, for hopefully the Book would have answers to many of their questions. Even if the answers were not what they hoped for, even if the people who had sent them to Earth had plans for them…
For if they did, surely they would have come by now. Surely those plans would be old and pointless by now, but the answers, the answers could still prove priceless.
No matter. He would go to ‘Sweden.’ They had to try.
----
Liz-
Liz had been having a horrible day. First Karen called out and good Lord knows what happened with Agnes, but she was not there this morning. So little Lizzie found herself with only a few hours sleep opening the Crashdown.
Being the owner’s daughter was not always a blessing.
Then there was the need to cover for Maria this morning. She had spent the night at Michael’s! And Liz had been too busy to talk with her to do more than come up with a cover story. So Liz had been stuck watching Michael and Maria warily looking at each other all morning until Amy picked up Maria and they went off to have some mother-daughter bonding time.
Worse, as the day wore on the energy that she had felt from whatever Ana had done to her began to fade. And with it the world became more dull, somehow less alive. And while it seemed to dampen her sensitivity to flashes it did not stop it. From time to time she would get impressions of things, that if she concentrated would form into flashes.
Whatever Ana had done to her seemed to be lasting. How to discuss this with Max? Some of the uncertainty, some of the gloom that seemed to hover over her for the last few months seemed to be back too. And from time to time the world seemed to… wobble. The room would spin and she could not understand anything.
She could not count the number of tips she must have lost today making people repeat their orders…
It had all started this morning when she had woken up knowing it was going to be a bad day, that strange rushing feeling waking her moments before her harried father came in to wake her telling her not to take her vitamins. That it would only make it worse. It had been so hard to open that bottle, fighting against a feeling of wrongness.
Obviously the stress from yesterday had not completely worn off.
So now she was in the lunch rush, enjoying one of those little lulls that sometimes struck on Sunday afternoons. One more hour. Assuming of course that her replacement showed up. For all she knew she could be closing too.
And then it was like the sun broke through the clouds. He was there. Instinctively she looked out the front door. And Max was there, eyes blazing as they once had, needing her. She took one look at him and started walking to the door when she heard the bell ring and Michael’s harsh voice calling to her.
She smiled at Max and shrugged pointing at the kitchen. She watched as Max tentatively opened the door before gathering her order from Michael. By the time she had settled the guest, refilled a few drinks and generally just checked up on a few guests, Max was sitting at the counter.
She walked over to him. “Sorry the booths are all taken.”
“That’s okay, when do you get off? I need to talk with you. I, I saw something that shocked me today.”
“Yeah, well, I should be off at two if everything goes alright…”
A quiet if somewhat gravely voice interrupted her, “Excuse me, miss, you’re Elizabeth Parker aren’t you?”
Liz turned around and saw a non-descript man who looked almost absurdly fit. His eyes while focusing on her, ran along all the other guests. Something told her that this man saw everything. He was carrying a medium sized box. “Yes, I’m Liz Parker. Welcome to the Crashdown, is there anything I can help you with?”
“I’m looking for Maria Deluca, and I was told that if I couldn’t find her that I could leave this with you. Is she here?”
“No she isn’t here at the moment. How can I help you?”
The man looked down, seemingly ashamed. “I have got to get back to Santa Fe. I can’t look anymore and so, I was told you were her best friend, that you could be trusted. This box needs to be given directly to Maria. Don’t let that witch get a hold of the package. It goes straight to her.” He paused a second, considering, “And tell her there is a little old lady in Florida who would like to speak with her. And, and there’s a number she can call if she needs help. We take care of our own.”
He handed Liz the box and she was about to thank him when she felt the little quaver that meant a possible flash. Full of curiosity she took it. And collapsed.
Flash- An old wiry man in a US Army uniform placing envelopes full of pictures and lots of small journal books.
Flash- A tall blonde man writing in one of the journals, My dearest Maria….
Flash- The same man rifling through photos of Maria and her, Alex making an occasional picture. A sense of sadness at the sight of Maria, and rage when an image of Amy crops up.
Flash- Again the same man, only younger now staring at a returned letter, birthday card unopened.
Flash- The man younger still, his hair short cropped, staring at the documents before him. Dictating not only his divorce, but also an aggressive restraining order. Breaking it would void his deal with the Army, leading him to a lengthy time in prison.
Flash- The man, his hair long and dirty blonde, wearing a motorcycle jacket, staring off into the distance, hating himself for running yet again. He pulled out a picture a picture of his family. Amy was baking pies, and the kitchen was both messy and yet everything was in its place. Maria, not more than five, sitting with her two best friends, Pam and Liz. Their Dalmatian slowly wagging its tail waiting for Amy to drop some scraps.
He wished he could go back, could have stood tall and waited for them to find him. But like he had before, he ran… Turning himself in now would not help anything, but how he wished he had stayed.
He heard the knock on the door, thinking it to be the pizza he had ordered. But they had found him anyway. He had run for nothing, destroyed what little happiness he had had for nothing.
His thoughts were on his wife and daughter as the MP’s led him out into the night.
----
Maria-
Her mother had been really cool today. Which added to waking in Michael’s arms this morning had made this a wonderful if strange day. She was certain that the story that she had gone back to Liz’s after seeing that Sean was staying with them, somehow that had flown. She would not have believed it would be so easy, but then her mother seemed preoccupied.
From time to time Amy would look at her and get this sad look, whether it was at the mall or the nail place, it was very strange. Her mom seemed tired and distant, even while she was showering Maria with attention.
Maria knew something was wrong, but she was going to enjoy the bribes while they lasted.
Her mom was driving them somewhere, she thought she had an idea but was not sure. Her guess was confirmed moments later.
“So, I decided we need to make one more trip, now that were cool, calm, and beautiful. We need to see what fate will bring us.”
“Madame Vivian?”
“Yes she’s right more than most of the seer’s I have seen,” Amy said.
Maria rolled her eyes, “Yeah, I took Liz and Alex to her last Halloween.”
“And?”
Maria thought back to that night, to the advice that had been given. To the future she now knew it had regarded. It had been eerily right, maybe she was not a fraud like Liz had finally convinced her. “I think, I think that she may have been right, but that things. Well things may have changed.” I certainly hope so.
Amy took a long look at Maria. “Well lets see what waits in store for us.” Amy pulled up and got out of the car.
Maria got out of the car and followed her mother into Madame Vivian’s waiting room. Madame Vivian came out of her reading room and greeted Amy with big hugs and they chatted for a few moments while Maria just watched.
After a few moments, Amy turned and introduced Maria, “And here is that lovely daughter I have been talking about, of course you’ve already met her. Or so Maria said.”
Maria reached out her hand to Madame Vivian, “It’s a pleasure to see you again.”
Madame Vivian just looked at her. “You have changed. Or maybe been changed.” She turned to Amy, “Go on in ahead, I’ll be right there.”
Maria noticed the shock on her mother’s face as she slowly walked into the reading room. “What do you mean by that?”
“You have been touched. I knew that someone would come, but you are not who I expected.”
“What do you mean?”
“I need to talk to Amy. I will tell you more when it is your turn.” Her eyes never left Maria as she walked from the room.
----
Ava
Ava was in the back seat, the two jackals who used to be her family in the front. It was a mistake, she could not trust them. Not one bit.
Nearly twenty hours behind the wheel had taken its toll. But they were fairly close now and not a single incident to draw attention to them. If only she had been strong enough to keep driving…
But she was so tired… She just hoped they did not get into too much trouble.
God how could they have done it. How could they have killed him!
Why was I too slow? Why am I too weak to stop them?
I should have stopped them. I could have stopped them…
As her lids slowly dragged closed one word slipped from her lips to join the tears slowly crawling down her face.
“Zan…”
Re: IDS Eidolon (CC ALL, Teen/Mature) Chapter 12- 01/10/08
Thanks to everyone reading this story. Particular thanks to those leaving feedback.
chanks_girl- I hope someone realizes that all is not well with Alex, but a lot is going on. And Alex has been programmed to hide the problems...
katydid - Well I don't know how much their discussion will help Maria, but they do have a small ... chat.
Chrystalkay - Oops on the date, I'm glad you pointed it out. Also glad your refound my little story, hope you enjoy.
xmag - Okay, I need to find a translation for this now. Anyway, its a bit of a tangled weave. Carlos was Zan. The other 'foundlings' are the rest of the New York Pod Squad, who I contend would be dead if abandoned as helpless as the other Pod Squad was in Roswell. They needed some help, and Natalie is their Protector. Natalie had an identity as a indepentantly wealthy woman who also ran a charitable foundation to help orphaned and fostered kids. Lucia was healed by Zan of a rare form of cancer, the doctors thought it just went into remission. How Pierce got involved will be explained in later parts.
As for Amy, remember the flashes that Liz is getting are from Mark's (Maria's father) perspective. Amy may have over reacted, but certainly there is plenty to blame on Mark. It is a mild spoiler, but Maria has family on her father's side. The old lady is her paternal grandmother.
Rhonda Ann- Michael can be galant or noble, but it's usually when no one is watching.
Maria doesn't get the package in this part, but in the next. Her father's motives, as well as her mother's begin to get revealed. The day Maria spends in this part may be the last purely innocent one they spend together.
Amy believes that Madame Vivian can see the future, to be honest the first thing to crop up in her mind was: Is Maria pregnant? But instead of interegating Maria, which she can do later in the car, she opts to drag whatever she can from Vivian.
Dislcaimer- Roswell is not mine and no infringement is intended.
Eidolon part 13
Michael-
Michael was having both a wonderful and troublesome day. Waking with Maria was the most marvelous thing he had felt. There was feedback from the bond when they were close, the energy flowing into him and back into her. It changed the kisses she gave him form wonderful to marvelous.
He had to wonder what something more adventurous would feel like. If he had not had to go to work, well maybe.
It was almost enough to forget the dreams. They were strange and the only constancy had been Maria. And many of them had been very strange, and yet familiar. Very much like that vision when the time bubble collapsed.
Michael shuddered and nearly dropped the burger. Watching Maria and Amy head off to parts unknown was bad enough. He had been sure that Amy would see through the paper thin excuse that Maria and Liz had concocted, but somehow it had worked.
Which was good because sometimes Amy frightened him. She would do anything to protect her. He could recognize that, just as he recognized that fact was now just as ingrained upon himself. It was something he had been fighting against for over a year now, and he had lost. Maria owned him.
He glanced out of the kitchen, with the order finally ready. And saw Max lurking just outside the doors in that irritating way of his. His gaze automatically flicked to Liz seeing her face light up.
Pathetic. Another poor man to be dashed repeatedly on relationship’s dread cliffs by another beguiling Siren. The fact he was in the same boat did not make it any less sad.
Michael slammed the bell. “Liz, I’m not cooking for myself here. The food won’t serve itself.”
Liz shot him a quick ashamed glance and grabbed the food.
Michael watched as her victim walked willingly to the counter. “So she fessed up?” Michael called out to Max.
“Not really we just talked.”
“Hmmph.” Michael got back to the business of knocking out orders. But he kept an eye on the restaurant. Alarm bells went off when he saw the soldier enter the restaurant and march up to Liz. Their eyes met momentarily and for a moment recognition set in for both of them Not personal, but instinctual recognition that both were born warriors.
Odds were good that he would have to talk to another recruiter in a few days. Very annoying. He had not enjoyed being a soldier on Antar, it had just been his job. He certainly was not going to be one here on Earth, not considering the battery of physical tests that would undoubtedly show some… differences.
Not a good idea.
But he kept an eye on the soldier. He wished he were closer, to hear what was said as the soldier passed the box to Liz. It must be important because Liz got a serious look on her face. Michael’s gaze flicked to Max, to see shock as he grabbed Liz as she fell.
Michael flew to Max’s side if only to stop him from healing Liz right there in the restaurant. Again.
He helped Max carry Liz into the break room, the soldier followed reluctantly the box in his hands.
Michael looked at Max, who was gazing worriedly at Liz. Michael turned to the soldier, “Don’t worry, we’ll take care of the box. We’ll make sure it gets to where it’s going.”
The soldier bridled, “I was told to give it to Maria Deluca or Liz Parker only. I need to make sure it gets to Maria.”
“And I will make sure she will get it!” Michael said, temper beginning to flare slightly.
The soldier was about to make an angry reply when behind them they heard a quiet voice stop them.
“Stop it both of you,” the voice came not from Max, who looked as stunned as Michael felt. Liz still looked small and frail draped on the couch, but her voice was firm and her eyes blazed. And she spoke with an authority he had never heard from her before, “Michael back off. Sergeant Eric Romero, I swear on my hope of salvation that Maria will receive her father’s effects. Is that enough for you?”
Michael just stared at Liz in shock. How many changes had yesterday wrought?
He heard the soldier gasp and mutter something about farsight or something to that effect. “Yes, ma’am. But I will hold you to your honor.”
Max still had not spoken.
“Stay safe Sergeant Romero,” Liz said in a slightly softer, albeit just as authoritative voice.
“I will take my leave, Ma’am.” Romero nearly saluted but caught himself, and walked out with a stunned look on his face.
Michael watched as the soldier left. He turned back to Liz, “I’m going to back to the kitchen.”
“Michael,” Liz called out.
Michael turned and looked back, noting Max looking at him and caressing Liz’s hands. Max’s face remained stoic.
“Thanks,” Liz finished.
Michael only grunted and walked back to try to salvage the unholy mess that must be left after he left the kitchen. He desperately wanted to get that box, but both Max and Liz would give him hell about it. It was for Maria, so he should be able to badger her into letting him look at the stuff.
Things were going too fast, they really needed some time to absorb it all. Michael laughed sourly to himself. Yeah, fat chance. Maria’s more likely to develop powers. Wouldn’t that be a sight…
----
Max-
Max caressed Liz’s hand. It felt so small and cold, and Liz looked so pale, her hair a dark halo behind that silly alien headed hair band. He could not resist sending a small healing pulse down the hand, just a little something to help.
Only this time there were differences, power rose to power. Healing Liz was almost like healing Isabel, Michael, or Tess, where it was not just his strength pushing the healing process. Something had changed. Something major.
Liz closed her eyes momentarily, “Oh, that feels good…”
Max tried to feel out what was wrong with her, or what was so different. Because something was wrong, and something else was different. But he would have to fully heal her to find out easily. He was not sure she would let him, so he continued and tried to distract her.
“You know, I have seen Isabel do something like that. Push people into doing things by sheer force of personality, but I always thought you were not so, so…”
“Pushy? Yeah, well maybe everything Emily brought is not so bad. Eric and Michael have a lot of similarities, sheer stubbornness being one. But he saved Mark’s life so many times by keeping him from doing something idiotic, Michael could learn some of Eric’s common sense.”
“Um, Liz how do you know him? I mean he never even mentioned his name, and yet you spoke as though you knew him well.”
“Mark did know him well. I, I well a lot of it is fading, I just know bits and pieces now really, but well…”
Max kept the power flowing into Liz trying to find out what was going on with her. “Are you okay, Liz?”
Liz seemed to shrink in on herself, only the hand Max held exempt from her attempt to disappear into the couch. Liz did not even try to pull the hand away even as the sobs began. “No, Max, no. I’m, I’m not okay <sob> I, I don’t know <sob> if I will ever be okay again…”
Max’s heart ached to see her in such pain, but he had to know. “Please Liz, tell me.”
“I’m different, Max. <sob> I see things now. Flashes. Flashes from everything. <sob> And that box, oh God, that box is just loaded with, with I don’t know how to describe it.” Liz’s voice firmed a little, even as the tears continued to flow. “But it was so easy, I just knew it held something I could see. And so I did. It’s not, not as easy as it was yesterday…”
“How Liz, how can you do this?”
“Ana did something to me, changed me somehow…” Liz grew thoughtful for a second, “But it happened last time too. I tried to deny it, but,” Liz looked Max directly into his eyes, “I don’t think this is all her doing. I think, I think that when you healed me. I think you changed me Max.”
Max just stared at her in horror. He had not meant to change her, had not meant to steal her old life away…
“All these changes, all the weird things I felt going on in my body. Maybe, maybe,… maybe I am becoming more like you? Is that even possible?”
“Liz, may I heal you. I need to know that you are going to be okay. Please.”
“I don’t think you can. You couldn’t last time. And how we tried, how we tried to forget it all… And all in vain, it would have better had we been better prepared. If we had paid attention to who our friends were, had known that our enemies would not just leave us be. Max, they’re out there, waiting, planning…”
“Liz how do you know all this?”
Liz’s face crumpled and she began to sob harder again, “I had to know. And now I know too much…”
“Okay, Liz just calm down a little, and I will try to help you.”
Liz began to struggle, trying feebly to get up. “No, I’m not ready to tell you yet. No, you’ll see.”
“Well if it isn’t Prince Brooding and Miss Oversensitive. What were you going to do your highness, heal her right here in the break room?” Courtney asked as she sauntered into the room.
Max watched as she hung up her coat, “What are you doing here?”
“Someone called the Parker’s, and the Parker’s called me. Mrs. Parker is on her way now,” Courtney turned to Liz and said in a softer tone, “Liz, why don’t you go up and get something more comfortable to go to the doctors in.”
Liz groaned. “But Karen and Sarah, they’ll need help…”
“Which is why I am here. Go on, consider it the price for collapsing in the diner. Oh, and Liz don’t forget those gloves.”
Max let her get up and watched as she moped up the stairs. “Liz can I help?”
“Maybe after the doctor’s visit,” Liz grumbled.
Max stared worriedly up the stairs. How he wished he knew what was wrong with her!
Courtney sighed and said, “Max, don’t worry. She’s just over sensitive right at the moment. And there is a lot going on with her.”
“You know some of what is going on?”
“Some of it yes. But it really is not my business to tell you. Liz, Isabel, and Maria are going to have a girl’s night on Wednesday, and likely will spill their guts to each other.”
“Why?”
Courtney got our her name badge, and brightly smiled as she stared at herself in the mirror. Her smile turned sardonic as she glanced again at Max, “To maintain a constant front. Michael, though I love him, is prone to snap judgments. And you’re just as judgmental.” Courtney laughed briefly, “I wouldn’t be surprised if Alex or Kyle knew about this before either of you two.”
“But…”
“Max, either you trust them or you don’t. Not really my problem. But the sooner you understand you can not control everyone, that you need to trust them… Well, it might make your life easier in the long run. But again, not really my problem.” She pasted a false smile on her face as she walked back out into the restaurant.
It all came down to trust. He could trust them, right. He loved them, didn’t that mean he trusted them too? It is just, how could he keep them safe if they kept him in the dark?
Except maybe that was the point. Maybe his desire to be in control to keep them safe, maybe he was being too demanding? Not trusting them to take care of themselves, not trusting them to tell him what he needed to know. Not trusting them to know what he needed to know.
It all came down to trust.
And it was hard, so very hard.
----
Maria-
Maria tried to sit still, to wait patiently. But she couldn’t. The comments of Madame Vivian kept rattling through her head.
She had been changed.
And she felt different, she really did. Part of her felt more alive, more in touch with the world than ever before… And yet…
The things she had seen last night, the complex glowing patterns that signified life… That had faded when she had set down the Solace Stone, but from time to time she felt that if she just tried, just pushed her senses just a little…
But all day she had been calm, had been in control. That control was slipping now. Memories of yesterday, of dying, of hearing of what her fate had been last time line, it had all taken a toll.
As she tried in vain to sit still, she started to rub her hands. There was an intense prickling sensation running up and down her arms. She took a look at one of her arms and all the hair was sticking strait up. The room itself was becoming oppressive, with almost a tang of a summer lightning storm in the air.
She had to get out or she would go mad.
Maria left through the front door and walked toward the car. But she still needed to find out what Madame Vivian had to say. Not to mention her mother would not be happy if she wandered too far.
She spied a bench in the garden and moved to sit down. But as she went to sit down she felt a web, and heard it crackle slightly. Black widow spider web.
Maria shrieked and shot back up, looking carefully to make sure that no spider was climbing on her. After a few frantic seconds, she glared at the web, at a black widow spider trying to repair the damage that Maria had done.
Maria hated spiders, but particularly black widows. One of her cousins had been bitten and nearly died. They frightened her, but if she could kill one she would.
And so she did. She raised her right palm, and from it a tiny golden tear drop emerged to smash and incinerate the spider.
No! No, that is impossible. I, I can’t do that. I just can’t. Maria began a series of breathing exercises to calm herself.
As she began to calm down. She began to convince herself that it had not really happened. That it was just one more freak occurrence in a life all to full of them. Quite simple really, it could not happen so therefore it did not happen.
Maria had firmly convinced herself that nothing had happened when her mom came out looking for her.
“Come on she is ready for you,” Amy looked a little grim.
“What did she say to you?”
“I, I don’t want to talk about it right now.”
“Okay, I’ll drag it out of you in the car.”
“Maria, I just need a little space, okay. There is a lot going on, things you don’t know about. I just can’t talk about it yet.”
“Mom, you know I’m here for you,” Maria said giving Amy a hug.
“The same for you too, honey. Now go in there and find out about all the boys I’ll be beating off with a stick. One of us has to have a good future.”
Maria walked back into the waiting room, and from there to the reading room. Madame Vivian was waiting.
Madame Vivian looked at Maria and said, “Well?”
“Well, what?”
“You aren’t the courier are you? You are just a girl who has been touched. And not yet contacted.” Madame Vivian pursed her lips, “Sit down girl and let me see what fate has in store for you.”
“Wait just a minute what are you talking about? What is this courier, or touchy thingie that your talking about.”
“They’ll let you know, I do not wish to anger them by telling you too much. I do hope you visit afterwards though, even if we can not talk about it. I’ve only met a few others.”
This woman is a nut. What the hell, I might as well see what she has to say.
“Sit please,” Madame Vivian said as she dealt out the cards in a pattern.
Maria warily sat down, the prickles starting again in her hands.
Madame Vivian took a look at the pattern of the cards and sighed. “I can’t help you.”
“What!?”
“I can’t help you. I will of course give you a full refund.”
“Do I not have a future or something, I mean what kind of fortune telling is this.”
“Child, you do not understand the forces you are playing with. Your future, your present, even your past, it is all in flux. All of it is in chaos, I, I can’t read through the noise.”
“You certainly could last time.”
“It isn’t just you, silly little girl. Everything is in flux, all changed. All my hard work over the years overturned and worthless. It was her wasn’t it? That little slip of a girl who came with you last time. The one who led him to forsake his duty.”
Maria looked at Madame Vivian, whose eyes had a distant stare, similar to what she had seen on Liz’s last night at the party. Very freaky.
“What did they do? It nearly broke time itself, nearly unraveled the world! It is impossible to fight against Destiny…”
“What if what was to be was too horrible, that it needed to be changed. Should they have just let fate destroy them?”
“If that was to be their fate, then yes!”
“That is unacceptable. NO, No. I will not accept that I am to kill my friends. I will not accept that I will help destroy the world. A wise friend of mine once told me that we make our own destinies. I did not believe him, not truly. I believed in fate, that the future could be foretold. No longer, I will simply not accept it.” With that last comment Maria took one hand and over turned the reading table.
Yesterday morning the table would have been way too heavy to move. In fact it still was way too heavy for her muscles to move, and if she really thought about it that fact would have worried her. As would the fact that her hand was a good inch away from the table when she over turned it. But in her anger she noticed none of it, nor the abject fear in Madame Vivian’s eyes.
Maria left the now shaking Madame Vivian, and grabbed her mom. “Let’s go.”
“You had a bad reading too.”
“Mom, we make our own destinies.”
Amy whistled, “That bad? Was it about you and Michael?”
Maria shot a glare at her mom, “Mom, can we please not talk about it. And if you want to know, me and Michael are doing just fine right now.”
“Right, well it seems this plan is bust. How about we grab some ice cream and a couple of movies? Try to end the day on a happy note?”
All Maria really wanted to do right now was run into Michael’s arms. Or barring that, discuss the day with Liz, Alex, Courtney, or even Isabel. But she could see that her mother needed this. “Okay.”
Maria’s mind tried to figure out how she had easily over turned the table as they passed a tan Lexus that had been pulled over by the police.
Amy shook her head, “Some people never learn.”
Maria just shook her head in agreement. She just hoped that she could before things got even more out of control.
---
Ava-
Ava woke to feelings of worry and excitement. Not hers of course, she had grown used to sampling the environment even while sleeping. It was the only way to be safe with Lonnie and Rath.
She kept her breathing even and did not open her eyes. It always amazed her how blind to the world Lonnie and Rath were, even Zan had not really had much of a clue as to what was going on. But even with her eyes closed she could tell that they were stopped and that Lonnie was in the drivers seat.
Rath’s said, “It’s the local five-0, just say the word and he’s toast.”
“Just chill Rath, I’ve got this. Wake Ava up, we might need her help for clean up.”
“Aves, come on hot stuff. Time for you to rejoin us on this crummy dusty planet.”
Ava let her eyes open to look at one of her love’s killers. How did this nightmare happen. “I’m awake.”
Rath leered at her and reached over to tousle her hair. His hand then proceeded to slide down her body, stopping at various places of interest along the way.
Ava tried not to shudder.
Lonnie said, “Rath, we don’t have time for that now. Just cover me, and you Aves, keep an eye out for anyone else.”
Ava watched as a Jetta pulled on by. In it were two women, one fully human. The other she was not sure what it was. It was neither hybrid, shifter, Skin, or Emissary. But it paid no attention to them either, and so she let it go. Was it an ally of the Others, the other group of Royals?
“License and Registration, please,” Ava heard the officer say.
“I’m sorry, I seem to have misplaced them…” Lonnie started, and stopped abruptly.
Ava glanced over and saw that Lonnie had a firm grip on the officers hand and the man was not wearing sun glasses. A look of shock was in his eyes as Lonnie mind ripped him.
Ava could feel the man’s heart begin to race, begin to pound. Not much longer now. Ava closed her eyes as she felt the man die. Would the killing ever end?
“So what did you find out?” said Rath.
“Maxie-boy may not be as stupid as I thought. Officer Ramone there was worried over his boss spending too much time with the Evans kids.”
“Wow, so he has ties to the local PD? Epic.”
Ava rubbed her forehead, “You know I rented us some rooms at a local motel.” Ava began to alter the car’s color and plates. Getting caught by the locals was not in her own personal plans. She just wanted to see the Others, and then likely she would take off for parts unknown. Maybe she hadn’t thought that far.
She just couldn’t keep doing this.
chanks_girl- I hope someone realizes that all is not well with Alex, but a lot is going on. And Alex has been programmed to hide the problems...
katydid - Well I don't know how much their discussion will help Maria, but they do have a small ... chat.
Chrystalkay - Oops on the date, I'm glad you pointed it out. Also glad your refound my little story, hope you enjoy.
xmag - Okay, I need to find a translation for this now. Anyway, its a bit of a tangled weave. Carlos was Zan. The other 'foundlings' are the rest of the New York Pod Squad, who I contend would be dead if abandoned as helpless as the other Pod Squad was in Roswell. They needed some help, and Natalie is their Protector. Natalie had an identity as a indepentantly wealthy woman who also ran a charitable foundation to help orphaned and fostered kids. Lucia was healed by Zan of a rare form of cancer, the doctors thought it just went into remission. How Pierce got involved will be explained in later parts.
As for Amy, remember the flashes that Liz is getting are from Mark's (Maria's father) perspective. Amy may have over reacted, but certainly there is plenty to blame on Mark. It is a mild spoiler, but Maria has family on her father's side. The old lady is her paternal grandmother.
Rhonda Ann- Michael can be galant or noble, but it's usually when no one is watching.
Maria doesn't get the package in this part, but in the next. Her father's motives, as well as her mother's begin to get revealed. The day Maria spends in this part may be the last purely innocent one they spend together.
Amy believes that Madame Vivian can see the future, to be honest the first thing to crop up in her mind was: Is Maria pregnant? But instead of interegating Maria, which she can do later in the car, she opts to drag whatever she can from Vivian.
Dislcaimer- Roswell is not mine and no infringement is intended.
Eidolon part 13
Michael-
Michael was having both a wonderful and troublesome day. Waking with Maria was the most marvelous thing he had felt. There was feedback from the bond when they were close, the energy flowing into him and back into her. It changed the kisses she gave him form wonderful to marvelous.
He had to wonder what something more adventurous would feel like. If he had not had to go to work, well maybe.
It was almost enough to forget the dreams. They were strange and the only constancy had been Maria. And many of them had been very strange, and yet familiar. Very much like that vision when the time bubble collapsed.
Michael shuddered and nearly dropped the burger. Watching Maria and Amy head off to parts unknown was bad enough. He had been sure that Amy would see through the paper thin excuse that Maria and Liz had concocted, but somehow it had worked.
Which was good because sometimes Amy frightened him. She would do anything to protect her. He could recognize that, just as he recognized that fact was now just as ingrained upon himself. It was something he had been fighting against for over a year now, and he had lost. Maria owned him.
He glanced out of the kitchen, with the order finally ready. And saw Max lurking just outside the doors in that irritating way of his. His gaze automatically flicked to Liz seeing her face light up.
Pathetic. Another poor man to be dashed repeatedly on relationship’s dread cliffs by another beguiling Siren. The fact he was in the same boat did not make it any less sad.
Michael slammed the bell. “Liz, I’m not cooking for myself here. The food won’t serve itself.”
Liz shot him a quick ashamed glance and grabbed the food.
Michael watched as her victim walked willingly to the counter. “So she fessed up?” Michael called out to Max.
“Not really we just talked.”
“Hmmph.” Michael got back to the business of knocking out orders. But he kept an eye on the restaurant. Alarm bells went off when he saw the soldier enter the restaurant and march up to Liz. Their eyes met momentarily and for a moment recognition set in for both of them Not personal, but instinctual recognition that both were born warriors.
Odds were good that he would have to talk to another recruiter in a few days. Very annoying. He had not enjoyed being a soldier on Antar, it had just been his job. He certainly was not going to be one here on Earth, not considering the battery of physical tests that would undoubtedly show some… differences.
Not a good idea.
But he kept an eye on the soldier. He wished he were closer, to hear what was said as the soldier passed the box to Liz. It must be important because Liz got a serious look on her face. Michael’s gaze flicked to Max, to see shock as he grabbed Liz as she fell.
Michael flew to Max’s side if only to stop him from healing Liz right there in the restaurant. Again.
He helped Max carry Liz into the break room, the soldier followed reluctantly the box in his hands.
Michael looked at Max, who was gazing worriedly at Liz. Michael turned to the soldier, “Don’t worry, we’ll take care of the box. We’ll make sure it gets to where it’s going.”
The soldier bridled, “I was told to give it to Maria Deluca or Liz Parker only. I need to make sure it gets to Maria.”
“And I will make sure she will get it!” Michael said, temper beginning to flare slightly.
The soldier was about to make an angry reply when behind them they heard a quiet voice stop them.
“Stop it both of you,” the voice came not from Max, who looked as stunned as Michael felt. Liz still looked small and frail draped on the couch, but her voice was firm and her eyes blazed. And she spoke with an authority he had never heard from her before, “Michael back off. Sergeant Eric Romero, I swear on my hope of salvation that Maria will receive her father’s effects. Is that enough for you?”
Michael just stared at Liz in shock. How many changes had yesterday wrought?
He heard the soldier gasp and mutter something about farsight or something to that effect. “Yes, ma’am. But I will hold you to your honor.”
Max still had not spoken.
“Stay safe Sergeant Romero,” Liz said in a slightly softer, albeit just as authoritative voice.
“I will take my leave, Ma’am.” Romero nearly saluted but caught himself, and walked out with a stunned look on his face.
Michael watched as the soldier left. He turned back to Liz, “I’m going to back to the kitchen.”
“Michael,” Liz called out.
Michael turned and looked back, noting Max looking at him and caressing Liz’s hands. Max’s face remained stoic.
“Thanks,” Liz finished.
Michael only grunted and walked back to try to salvage the unholy mess that must be left after he left the kitchen. He desperately wanted to get that box, but both Max and Liz would give him hell about it. It was for Maria, so he should be able to badger her into letting him look at the stuff.
Things were going too fast, they really needed some time to absorb it all. Michael laughed sourly to himself. Yeah, fat chance. Maria’s more likely to develop powers. Wouldn’t that be a sight…
----
Max-
Max caressed Liz’s hand. It felt so small and cold, and Liz looked so pale, her hair a dark halo behind that silly alien headed hair band. He could not resist sending a small healing pulse down the hand, just a little something to help.
Only this time there were differences, power rose to power. Healing Liz was almost like healing Isabel, Michael, or Tess, where it was not just his strength pushing the healing process. Something had changed. Something major.
Liz closed her eyes momentarily, “Oh, that feels good…”
Max tried to feel out what was wrong with her, or what was so different. Because something was wrong, and something else was different. But he would have to fully heal her to find out easily. He was not sure she would let him, so he continued and tried to distract her.
“You know, I have seen Isabel do something like that. Push people into doing things by sheer force of personality, but I always thought you were not so, so…”
“Pushy? Yeah, well maybe everything Emily brought is not so bad. Eric and Michael have a lot of similarities, sheer stubbornness being one. But he saved Mark’s life so many times by keeping him from doing something idiotic, Michael could learn some of Eric’s common sense.”
“Um, Liz how do you know him? I mean he never even mentioned his name, and yet you spoke as though you knew him well.”
“Mark did know him well. I, I well a lot of it is fading, I just know bits and pieces now really, but well…”
Max kept the power flowing into Liz trying to find out what was going on with her. “Are you okay, Liz?”
Liz seemed to shrink in on herself, only the hand Max held exempt from her attempt to disappear into the couch. Liz did not even try to pull the hand away even as the sobs began. “No, Max, no. I’m, I’m not okay <sob> I, I don’t know <sob> if I will ever be okay again…”
Max’s heart ached to see her in such pain, but he had to know. “Please Liz, tell me.”
“I’m different, Max. <sob> I see things now. Flashes. Flashes from everything. <sob> And that box, oh God, that box is just loaded with, with I don’t know how to describe it.” Liz’s voice firmed a little, even as the tears continued to flow. “But it was so easy, I just knew it held something I could see. And so I did. It’s not, not as easy as it was yesterday…”
“How Liz, how can you do this?”
“Ana did something to me, changed me somehow…” Liz grew thoughtful for a second, “But it happened last time too. I tried to deny it, but,” Liz looked Max directly into his eyes, “I don’t think this is all her doing. I think, I think that when you healed me. I think you changed me Max.”
Max just stared at her in horror. He had not meant to change her, had not meant to steal her old life away…
“All these changes, all the weird things I felt going on in my body. Maybe, maybe,… maybe I am becoming more like you? Is that even possible?”
“Liz, may I heal you. I need to know that you are going to be okay. Please.”
“I don’t think you can. You couldn’t last time. And how we tried, how we tried to forget it all… And all in vain, it would have better had we been better prepared. If we had paid attention to who our friends were, had known that our enemies would not just leave us be. Max, they’re out there, waiting, planning…”
“Liz how do you know all this?”
Liz’s face crumpled and she began to sob harder again, “I had to know. And now I know too much…”
“Okay, Liz just calm down a little, and I will try to help you.”
Liz began to struggle, trying feebly to get up. “No, I’m not ready to tell you yet. No, you’ll see.”
“Well if it isn’t Prince Brooding and Miss Oversensitive. What were you going to do your highness, heal her right here in the break room?” Courtney asked as she sauntered into the room.
Max watched as she hung up her coat, “What are you doing here?”
“Someone called the Parker’s, and the Parker’s called me. Mrs. Parker is on her way now,” Courtney turned to Liz and said in a softer tone, “Liz, why don’t you go up and get something more comfortable to go to the doctors in.”
Liz groaned. “But Karen and Sarah, they’ll need help…”
“Which is why I am here. Go on, consider it the price for collapsing in the diner. Oh, and Liz don’t forget those gloves.”
Max let her get up and watched as she moped up the stairs. “Liz can I help?”
“Maybe after the doctor’s visit,” Liz grumbled.
Max stared worriedly up the stairs. How he wished he knew what was wrong with her!
Courtney sighed and said, “Max, don’t worry. She’s just over sensitive right at the moment. And there is a lot going on with her.”
“You know some of what is going on?”
“Some of it yes. But it really is not my business to tell you. Liz, Isabel, and Maria are going to have a girl’s night on Wednesday, and likely will spill their guts to each other.”
“Why?”
Courtney got our her name badge, and brightly smiled as she stared at herself in the mirror. Her smile turned sardonic as she glanced again at Max, “To maintain a constant front. Michael, though I love him, is prone to snap judgments. And you’re just as judgmental.” Courtney laughed briefly, “I wouldn’t be surprised if Alex or Kyle knew about this before either of you two.”
“But…”
“Max, either you trust them or you don’t. Not really my problem. But the sooner you understand you can not control everyone, that you need to trust them… Well, it might make your life easier in the long run. But again, not really my problem.” She pasted a false smile on her face as she walked back out into the restaurant.
It all came down to trust. He could trust them, right. He loved them, didn’t that mean he trusted them too? It is just, how could he keep them safe if they kept him in the dark?
Except maybe that was the point. Maybe his desire to be in control to keep them safe, maybe he was being too demanding? Not trusting them to take care of themselves, not trusting them to tell him what he needed to know. Not trusting them to know what he needed to know.
It all came down to trust.
And it was hard, so very hard.
----
Maria-
Maria tried to sit still, to wait patiently. But she couldn’t. The comments of Madame Vivian kept rattling through her head.
She had been changed.
And she felt different, she really did. Part of her felt more alive, more in touch with the world than ever before… And yet…
The things she had seen last night, the complex glowing patterns that signified life… That had faded when she had set down the Solace Stone, but from time to time she felt that if she just tried, just pushed her senses just a little…
But all day she had been calm, had been in control. That control was slipping now. Memories of yesterday, of dying, of hearing of what her fate had been last time line, it had all taken a toll.
As she tried in vain to sit still, she started to rub her hands. There was an intense prickling sensation running up and down her arms. She took a look at one of her arms and all the hair was sticking strait up. The room itself was becoming oppressive, with almost a tang of a summer lightning storm in the air.
She had to get out or she would go mad.
Maria left through the front door and walked toward the car. But she still needed to find out what Madame Vivian had to say. Not to mention her mother would not be happy if she wandered too far.
She spied a bench in the garden and moved to sit down. But as she went to sit down she felt a web, and heard it crackle slightly. Black widow spider web.
Maria shrieked and shot back up, looking carefully to make sure that no spider was climbing on her. After a few frantic seconds, she glared at the web, at a black widow spider trying to repair the damage that Maria had done.
Maria hated spiders, but particularly black widows. One of her cousins had been bitten and nearly died. They frightened her, but if she could kill one she would.
And so she did. She raised her right palm, and from it a tiny golden tear drop emerged to smash and incinerate the spider.
No! No, that is impossible. I, I can’t do that. I just can’t. Maria began a series of breathing exercises to calm herself.
As she began to calm down. She began to convince herself that it had not really happened. That it was just one more freak occurrence in a life all to full of them. Quite simple really, it could not happen so therefore it did not happen.
Maria had firmly convinced herself that nothing had happened when her mom came out looking for her.
“Come on she is ready for you,” Amy looked a little grim.
“What did she say to you?”
“I, I don’t want to talk about it right now.”
“Okay, I’ll drag it out of you in the car.”
“Maria, I just need a little space, okay. There is a lot going on, things you don’t know about. I just can’t talk about it yet.”
“Mom, you know I’m here for you,” Maria said giving Amy a hug.
“The same for you too, honey. Now go in there and find out about all the boys I’ll be beating off with a stick. One of us has to have a good future.”
Maria walked back into the waiting room, and from there to the reading room. Madame Vivian was waiting.
Madame Vivian looked at Maria and said, “Well?”
“Well, what?”
“You aren’t the courier are you? You are just a girl who has been touched. And not yet contacted.” Madame Vivian pursed her lips, “Sit down girl and let me see what fate has in store for you.”
“Wait just a minute what are you talking about? What is this courier, or touchy thingie that your talking about.”
“They’ll let you know, I do not wish to anger them by telling you too much. I do hope you visit afterwards though, even if we can not talk about it. I’ve only met a few others.”
This woman is a nut. What the hell, I might as well see what she has to say.
“Sit please,” Madame Vivian said as she dealt out the cards in a pattern.
Maria warily sat down, the prickles starting again in her hands.
Madame Vivian took a look at the pattern of the cards and sighed. “I can’t help you.”
“What!?”
“I can’t help you. I will of course give you a full refund.”
“Do I not have a future or something, I mean what kind of fortune telling is this.”
“Child, you do not understand the forces you are playing with. Your future, your present, even your past, it is all in flux. All of it is in chaos, I, I can’t read through the noise.”
“You certainly could last time.”
“It isn’t just you, silly little girl. Everything is in flux, all changed. All my hard work over the years overturned and worthless. It was her wasn’t it? That little slip of a girl who came with you last time. The one who led him to forsake his duty.”
Maria looked at Madame Vivian, whose eyes had a distant stare, similar to what she had seen on Liz’s last night at the party. Very freaky.
“What did they do? It nearly broke time itself, nearly unraveled the world! It is impossible to fight against Destiny…”
“What if what was to be was too horrible, that it needed to be changed. Should they have just let fate destroy them?”
“If that was to be their fate, then yes!”
“That is unacceptable. NO, No. I will not accept that I am to kill my friends. I will not accept that I will help destroy the world. A wise friend of mine once told me that we make our own destinies. I did not believe him, not truly. I believed in fate, that the future could be foretold. No longer, I will simply not accept it.” With that last comment Maria took one hand and over turned the reading table.
Yesterday morning the table would have been way too heavy to move. In fact it still was way too heavy for her muscles to move, and if she really thought about it that fact would have worried her. As would the fact that her hand was a good inch away from the table when she over turned it. But in her anger she noticed none of it, nor the abject fear in Madame Vivian’s eyes.
Maria left the now shaking Madame Vivian, and grabbed her mom. “Let’s go.”
“You had a bad reading too.”
“Mom, we make our own destinies.”
Amy whistled, “That bad? Was it about you and Michael?”
Maria shot a glare at her mom, “Mom, can we please not talk about it. And if you want to know, me and Michael are doing just fine right now.”
“Right, well it seems this plan is bust. How about we grab some ice cream and a couple of movies? Try to end the day on a happy note?”
All Maria really wanted to do right now was run into Michael’s arms. Or barring that, discuss the day with Liz, Alex, Courtney, or even Isabel. But she could see that her mother needed this. “Okay.”
Maria’s mind tried to figure out how she had easily over turned the table as they passed a tan Lexus that had been pulled over by the police.
Amy shook her head, “Some people never learn.”
Maria just shook her head in agreement. She just hoped that she could before things got even more out of control.
---
Ava-
Ava woke to feelings of worry and excitement. Not hers of course, she had grown used to sampling the environment even while sleeping. It was the only way to be safe with Lonnie and Rath.
She kept her breathing even and did not open her eyes. It always amazed her how blind to the world Lonnie and Rath were, even Zan had not really had much of a clue as to what was going on. But even with her eyes closed she could tell that they were stopped and that Lonnie was in the drivers seat.
Rath’s said, “It’s the local five-0, just say the word and he’s toast.”
“Just chill Rath, I’ve got this. Wake Ava up, we might need her help for clean up.”
“Aves, come on hot stuff. Time for you to rejoin us on this crummy dusty planet.”
Ava let her eyes open to look at one of her love’s killers. How did this nightmare happen. “I’m awake.”
Rath leered at her and reached over to tousle her hair. His hand then proceeded to slide down her body, stopping at various places of interest along the way.
Ava tried not to shudder.
Lonnie said, “Rath, we don’t have time for that now. Just cover me, and you Aves, keep an eye out for anyone else.”
Ava watched as a Jetta pulled on by. In it were two women, one fully human. The other she was not sure what it was. It was neither hybrid, shifter, Skin, or Emissary. But it paid no attention to them either, and so she let it go. Was it an ally of the Others, the other group of Royals?
“License and Registration, please,” Ava heard the officer say.
“I’m sorry, I seem to have misplaced them…” Lonnie started, and stopped abruptly.
Ava glanced over and saw that Lonnie had a firm grip on the officers hand and the man was not wearing sun glasses. A look of shock was in his eyes as Lonnie mind ripped him.
Ava could feel the man’s heart begin to race, begin to pound. Not much longer now. Ava closed her eyes as she felt the man die. Would the killing ever end?
“So what did you find out?” said Rath.
“Maxie-boy may not be as stupid as I thought. Officer Ramone there was worried over his boss spending too much time with the Evans kids.”
“Wow, so he has ties to the local PD? Epic.”
Ava rubbed her forehead, “You know I rented us some rooms at a local motel.” Ava began to alter the car’s color and plates. Getting caught by the locals was not in her own personal plans. She just wanted to see the Others, and then likely she would take off for parts unknown. Maybe she hadn’t thought that far.
She just couldn’t keep doing this.
Re: IDS Eidolon (CC ALL, Teen/Mature) Chapter 13- 01/20/08
Thanks for everyone reading this story. Particular thanks to xmag and RhondaAnn for the wonderful feedback.
RhondaAnn- That is an interesting point regarding Amy, yeah, Michael will definately have to watch out for the wrath of Amy for letting her little girl get involved. Liz will tell Max, it is only a matter of time.
It is important to note that Maria has not taken any Valerium yet. She spent the night with Michael, and did not take her vitamins. Her powers are very active, she is just in denial. They are still fairly weak, but given time she would be fairly strong. While the Solace Stone would help her use her powers, its primary purpose is training after all, it has not had that much effect on her. Yet.
Liz on the other hand is finding her powers are still working, now that she knows what they are, since she has built up a resistance to Valerium. Valerium's effect on Maria will not be seen in this part but the next. It will be interesting to see what Michael will think when he first learns of what Maria can do. It will be even more intersting to see Amy's response...
xmag- Liz unconsciously used her powers on the good Sergeant, a low wattage variant of the mind warp actually. Of a variety that I can easily seeing Isabel and Tess have as well, maybe Michael and Max as well. Notice how the soldier nearly saluted her? How she knows how to do this, well some of that will be in the following part. Which hopefully will be out on Tuesday.
How far into the future could Madame Vivian see, and more to the point what question did Liz want answered. Even to the moment Future Max left, she was happy with their relationship, even if all the rest of the world was falling apart. As to Madame Vivian's loss, at the moment it only relates to those who have been directly effected by Future Max's return to change the future. The ripples are still fairly small, but the effect on Maria, particularly in this story is significant.
As always thanks.
Disclaimer- Roswell is not mine and no infringement is intended.
Eidolon part 14
Ava-
Ava went for a walk after Lonnie and Rath were happy checking out Zan’s dupes home. They had not told her much, only that he was seeing a shrink and worked at a UFO museum. Well that fit, crazy alien at a place full of UFO nuts. Truly this Max must be crazy.
He should just post an ad in the local paper for the hunters to come get him.
Ava was glad she had stayed. She would meet with them, maybe chat a little. And then she would be off into the world on her own. She was looking forward to it.
In particular she wanted to meet herself, to see her twin. To a Mithar like herself, kinship itself was sacred. Ava had never in this life or the last truly held to the worship of her ancestors, but still she felt the tug of a kinship bond to this girl she had never met.
Ava desperately wanted to have someone, anyone, now that Zan had been torn from her life. Ava did not even know her name, but she could still feel her out there. Her sister, her twin…
It was taking a lot to not rush over and find her, but that would anger Rath and Lonnie. And they were dangerous.
So she would content herself with a little quiet privacy. And do a little reconnaissance herself. She could have done this as easily in her room, but just to be outside, to be surrounded by the quiet emptiness, so different from New York.
And the sky! To be able to see so many stars, to see so far… It was glorious. Ava warped a small amount of air to make a lens to see farther, to see the nebula that were so hard to see in the City…
Had it been Rath or Lonnie looking, their eyes would have gravitated towards Ares, Ava knew. That constellation had heralded their birthright, sparking the internal programming that drove them to their chosen other.
But her eyes always shifted to Orion, to just past the Hunter’s left arm, to home. To their home world, so very far away…
And she saw it. A bright new star. A super nova. And she recognized it.
The Dragon’s Eye. Hell’s Star. Arijhael’s Doom.
All names for a star that had gone nova less than a hundred light years from Arijhael, Antar to be. To see it now…, well it was a bad omen to be sure. Ava shivered. It spoke of the end of one order and the long struggle to impose a new order on the ensuing chaos.
Knowing this, knowing that dramatic change was coming, it made her wonder. What should she do now?
She had freed herself from the Royal Four, that bond to a poisoned Taran prophecy was well and truly broken. And not by her hand. She was part human, but they would never truly accept her as one of them. The past few years had taught her that. What did that leave her?
Under the light of the stars, Ava Mitharos, once a Tarenon, but no longer, reclaimed herself.
----
Alex-
Alex sat outside the Crashdown in his car, trying to work up his courage to meet Isabel for dinner. It wasn’t that she frightened him, she never really had. It was just that… Why now? Why had everything changed so drastically in such a short time?
He vibrantly remember just after Tess had come to town, had ‘woken’ something in all of the hybrids. Isabel and Michael had gotten those dreams, and Iz had thought she was pregnant. Was it like that, was this only a temporary scare that she would get over. Would she drop him like a used toy once she stopped being frightened?
Alex was not sure he could take that again. But as always like a moth to a flame he was driven to her, even if Alex was no longer sure she was good for him. He loved her, and that was that.
He got out of the car, and on impulse took the package he meant to give Isabel on Tuesday.
As he walked into the restaurant and headed to the booth Isabel was sitting at, he was surprised when she turned around and looked at him. That precious 100 Watt smile, those glowing beautiful eyes… He felt a whisper of a warm glow fill him. That smile, those eyes were just for him. Maybe not forever, maybe not for as long as he wished, but even if he could hold her for a little while… It would all be worth it.
“Alex, you came!”
“But of course, my lady. Your wish is my command,” Alex bowed, reached for her hand, and kissed the back of it. Alex looked at her face, trying to read her enigmatic expression.
Isabel looked down for a moment, and when she looked up her eyes shown with unshed tears. “You really mean that, don’t you.”
“I do,” Alex reached out a hand and brushed away a tear. “What is wrong?”
“Just as I am coming to the conclusion that I was a fool for ignoring you this summer, you are leaving.”
“Just for a month.”
Isabel bit her lip, “If I asked you to stay, to not go on your trip, would you?”
There was a portion of his mind that fought him, telling him how important this trip was for all of them. Even for Isabel. But he did not hesitate. “Yes. If you asked me to I would.”
Alex was suddenly engulfed by a hug from Isabel. A tiny fraction of his mind was working out how to pull out of his trip. Working on all the hassles that were to come. But mostly he was enjoying the wonderful sensation of holding Isabel.
“I know you would, it’s just hard for me to believe in someone other than Max or Michael. I want you to go on that trip.” Isabel held him a little away from her for a moment. “And I want you to return to me.”
“Of course, but…,” was all he got out before his mouth was engaged in something more pleasurable than talking. It seemed to go on forever.
“Excuse me, I hate to break the two of you up. But this is a business, and I know for one that you know better Mr. Whitman,” said Mrs. Parker. “And Miss Evans, is there something in the water in your household?”
Both of them backed away from each other, faces red. Alex looked at Mrs. Parker did not look angry, a slight smile on her face. “Sorry, Ma’am.” He looked at Isabel, “Do you want to go someplace else?”
And maybe she would have but he was betrayed by his own body as his stomach rumbled loudly. His face flushed a little more.
Isabel grinned at him, “No, I think we’re at the right place for now. Come on sit with me.”
Mrs. Parker tried to hide a smile, “Your usual Alex?”
Alex just nodded as he sat down, face still burning as he stared at the table. He heard Mrs. Parker take Isabel’s order. Mostly he just wanted to melt into the table. All he ever seemed to do was embarrass himself.
“Alex,” came Isabel’s voice calling him back to the real world. She reached across the table and grabbed his hands in hers.
Her hands felt so warm, and from them he could feel a glow slowly spread through his whole body. He had felt this before. Sometimes when they had kissed he had felt this sense of contentment, but to feel it now. He looked up and what he saw shocked him. The guardedness he had always seen in her eyes, that defensive wall he had always seen past but been unable to pass, was gone.
He could have sat there staring at her beautiful face forever and been a happy man. But he had to know, was it truly love he saw reflected back in those eyes? “Why now?”
As he feared the spell was broken as she looked away, but her hand did not leave his. If anything her grip tightened, and he could see determination flash across her face.
“Is this about yesterday? Or about what you told me you fear about your past?”
“No, it is about my future. There is so much I learned yesterday. I learned that I don’t necessarily have forever. I don’t know what is going to happen, but Liz… Well Liz saw a version of the future.”
“Okay, you know I am still trying to wrap my mind around that. And it is still a challenge…”
“Liz believes it, and the details… I guess I believe her. I, I never let anyone in, ever. I played around with you for a while, but while we remained friends, that is all we ever were. And I never got close to anyone else.”
“Okay, I can see how you would want to avoid that. But, you seemed pretty close to Grant…”
Isabel looked back at Alex, “I like Grant, I really do, but he’s just, well he is just a continuation of what I’ve been doing at school. We go out, we have fun, but I never really let him get close to me emotionally. And trust me that is just fine with a lot of the guys I’ve gone out with.” Isabel shook her head. “There is more, I, I think I mentioned some of what I saw yesterday?”
Alex nodded.
“Well there was a point when the time storm was breaking up, when I felt myself being carried along with it. I needed something to anchor myself to, something real to hold onto. I had lost connection with Max somehow, and well Michael wouldn’t have been able to help me much even if I could sense him.”
“Okay, so what did you grab onto.” He could almost fool himself into thinking that he felt… amusement flowing across from her. Amusement, fondness, and … love.
“I chose you.”
----
Isabel-
Isabel admired the necklace that Alex had given her. It was just a simple golden chain, fairly plain but real 24 carat gold. It was her most precious piece of jewelry now.
Isabel heard her door open and turned to see her brother come in. “You know I was pretty sure I locked that door.”
“You did, I just needed to talk with you.”
“And you couldn’t knock.”
“You wouldn’t have answered it.”
“Look Max its late, can’t we talk tomorrow. We have school tomorrow and I need to get a good night’s sleep.”
“That is why I wanted to talk to you now, before you went to bed.” Max hesitated for a moment. “I want you to dream walk Liz.”
“Let me get this straight, you want me to dream walk your ex-girlfriend?”
“She won’t let me heal her, and something is wrong, Iz, I can feel it.” Max paced back and forth. “She’s afraid that I’ll see things she’s not ready to tell me.”
“Would you?”
“You know it’s not like that, the flashes just come. But yeah, it’s possible I guess. Did you know that Liz is getting flashes now?”
“Yes, she had some yesterday. Max look she’s an emotional wreck right now, just give her a few days…”
“I did not realize this would be so hard.”
“What is a matter, Max?”
Max stopped pacing and looked at Isabel. “You know I never realized that I really haven’t trusted anyone. And now, now I am trying Izzie, I am trying and it is so hard.”
“Max, don’t worry we already talked and well, we’re going to lay all our cards on the table on Friday.”
“Courtney said something about all of you girls wanting to present a unified front. Do you really think you need that. Am I that bad?”
Isabel looked at her brother who seemed almost defeated. “Max, all of us love you and we don’t want to disappoint you. We, I, well I guess I can only really speak for myself, but I think Liz and probably even Maria would agree, that well I don’t want your disapproval. And I know that Liz and I, well, both of us may have done things, that well, neither of us are proud of.”
“Isabel, we have always had a special bond between us. Ever since we left the pods, even when all I wanted to do was to go back home, I stayed, because you were here.” He looked at Isabel with a fond, but sad smile. “What could you ever have done to make me unable to forgive you.”
Isabel looked at her brother and felt a surge of love for him. “I will do it Max, I will look in on Liz. And, and I will tell you what I have been so scared to tell you, but Max…”
“No, Iz, I can wait until you are ready. I, I don’t want to push you.”
Isabel looked away for a moment. How hard could it be, she had already told Maria and Alex. She planned on telling Liz on Wednesday. He was her brother, he loved her. Surely he could forgive her. It was just the mere thought of losing her brother. “Why are you being, being so patient? I know that I would not be in your place.”
She felt his hand on her shoulder, and she looked at him.
There was a sheen of unshed tears in his eyes. “I don’t want to lose you. I have been losing all of you. Ever since we found out, found out that I was King. I, I think I have been pushing you all away. And I want it back. I want you all back. So I am trying to be patient, trying to trust. It is just so hard, I, I never realized how little I trusted before. How controlling I must have been. I’m trying to change, but it is hard.” Max squeezed her shoulder.
“Max,” Isabel said softly. “I am ready to tell you. Come on move over to the bed, it’s a long story and it’ll be easier if we’re sitting.”
Max moved over to the bed, trying hard not to look too eager. But it was obvious that he was desperate to know.
“I can’t tell you everything. I actually know why Liz did what she did, but if we are all trying to build trust here, well obviously I can’t tell you about that.” Isabel shook her head at the slight look of chagrin on Max’s face. “Don’t worry, just give her a couple of days and she’ll be happy to tell you.”
“Okay.”
Isabel paused and drew in her breath. She could do this. “What I need to tell you all starts on the night you threw that surprise party for me on my birthday…”
RhondaAnn- That is an interesting point regarding Amy, yeah, Michael will definately have to watch out for the wrath of Amy for letting her little girl get involved. Liz will tell Max, it is only a matter of time.
It is important to note that Maria has not taken any Valerium yet. She spent the night with Michael, and did not take her vitamins. Her powers are very active, she is just in denial. They are still fairly weak, but given time she would be fairly strong. While the Solace Stone would help her use her powers, its primary purpose is training after all, it has not had that much effect on her. Yet.
Liz on the other hand is finding her powers are still working, now that she knows what they are, since she has built up a resistance to Valerium. Valerium's effect on Maria will not be seen in this part but the next. It will be interesting to see what Michael will think when he first learns of what Maria can do. It will be even more intersting to see Amy's response...
xmag- Liz unconsciously used her powers on the good Sergeant, a low wattage variant of the mind warp actually. Of a variety that I can easily seeing Isabel and Tess have as well, maybe Michael and Max as well. Notice how the soldier nearly saluted her? How she knows how to do this, well some of that will be in the following part. Which hopefully will be out on Tuesday.
How far into the future could Madame Vivian see, and more to the point what question did Liz want answered. Even to the moment Future Max left, she was happy with their relationship, even if all the rest of the world was falling apart. As to Madame Vivian's loss, at the moment it only relates to those who have been directly effected by Future Max's return to change the future. The ripples are still fairly small, but the effect on Maria, particularly in this story is significant.
As always thanks.
Disclaimer- Roswell is not mine and no infringement is intended.
Eidolon part 14
Ava-
Ava went for a walk after Lonnie and Rath were happy checking out Zan’s dupes home. They had not told her much, only that he was seeing a shrink and worked at a UFO museum. Well that fit, crazy alien at a place full of UFO nuts. Truly this Max must be crazy.
He should just post an ad in the local paper for the hunters to come get him.
Ava was glad she had stayed. She would meet with them, maybe chat a little. And then she would be off into the world on her own. She was looking forward to it.
In particular she wanted to meet herself, to see her twin. To a Mithar like herself, kinship itself was sacred. Ava had never in this life or the last truly held to the worship of her ancestors, but still she felt the tug of a kinship bond to this girl she had never met.
Ava desperately wanted to have someone, anyone, now that Zan had been torn from her life. Ava did not even know her name, but she could still feel her out there. Her sister, her twin…
It was taking a lot to not rush over and find her, but that would anger Rath and Lonnie. And they were dangerous.
So she would content herself with a little quiet privacy. And do a little reconnaissance herself. She could have done this as easily in her room, but just to be outside, to be surrounded by the quiet emptiness, so different from New York.
And the sky! To be able to see so many stars, to see so far… It was glorious. Ava warped a small amount of air to make a lens to see farther, to see the nebula that were so hard to see in the City…
Had it been Rath or Lonnie looking, their eyes would have gravitated towards Ares, Ava knew. That constellation had heralded their birthright, sparking the internal programming that drove them to their chosen other.
But her eyes always shifted to Orion, to just past the Hunter’s left arm, to home. To their home world, so very far away…
And she saw it. A bright new star. A super nova. And she recognized it.
The Dragon’s Eye. Hell’s Star. Arijhael’s Doom.
All names for a star that had gone nova less than a hundred light years from Arijhael, Antar to be. To see it now…, well it was a bad omen to be sure. Ava shivered. It spoke of the end of one order and the long struggle to impose a new order on the ensuing chaos.
Knowing this, knowing that dramatic change was coming, it made her wonder. What should she do now?
She had freed herself from the Royal Four, that bond to a poisoned Taran prophecy was well and truly broken. And not by her hand. She was part human, but they would never truly accept her as one of them. The past few years had taught her that. What did that leave her?
Under the light of the stars, Ava Mitharos, once a Tarenon, but no longer, reclaimed herself.
----
Alex-
Alex sat outside the Crashdown in his car, trying to work up his courage to meet Isabel for dinner. It wasn’t that she frightened him, she never really had. It was just that… Why now? Why had everything changed so drastically in such a short time?
He vibrantly remember just after Tess had come to town, had ‘woken’ something in all of the hybrids. Isabel and Michael had gotten those dreams, and Iz had thought she was pregnant. Was it like that, was this only a temporary scare that she would get over. Would she drop him like a used toy once she stopped being frightened?
Alex was not sure he could take that again. But as always like a moth to a flame he was driven to her, even if Alex was no longer sure she was good for him. He loved her, and that was that.
He got out of the car, and on impulse took the package he meant to give Isabel on Tuesday.
As he walked into the restaurant and headed to the booth Isabel was sitting at, he was surprised when she turned around and looked at him. That precious 100 Watt smile, those glowing beautiful eyes… He felt a whisper of a warm glow fill him. That smile, those eyes were just for him. Maybe not forever, maybe not for as long as he wished, but even if he could hold her for a little while… It would all be worth it.
“Alex, you came!”
“But of course, my lady. Your wish is my command,” Alex bowed, reached for her hand, and kissed the back of it. Alex looked at her face, trying to read her enigmatic expression.
Isabel looked down for a moment, and when she looked up her eyes shown with unshed tears. “You really mean that, don’t you.”
“I do,” Alex reached out a hand and brushed away a tear. “What is wrong?”
“Just as I am coming to the conclusion that I was a fool for ignoring you this summer, you are leaving.”
“Just for a month.”
Isabel bit her lip, “If I asked you to stay, to not go on your trip, would you?”
There was a portion of his mind that fought him, telling him how important this trip was for all of them. Even for Isabel. But he did not hesitate. “Yes. If you asked me to I would.”
Alex was suddenly engulfed by a hug from Isabel. A tiny fraction of his mind was working out how to pull out of his trip. Working on all the hassles that were to come. But mostly he was enjoying the wonderful sensation of holding Isabel.
“I know you would, it’s just hard for me to believe in someone other than Max or Michael. I want you to go on that trip.” Isabel held him a little away from her for a moment. “And I want you to return to me.”
“Of course, but…,” was all he got out before his mouth was engaged in something more pleasurable than talking. It seemed to go on forever.
“Excuse me, I hate to break the two of you up. But this is a business, and I know for one that you know better Mr. Whitman,” said Mrs. Parker. “And Miss Evans, is there something in the water in your household?”
Both of them backed away from each other, faces red. Alex looked at Mrs. Parker did not look angry, a slight smile on her face. “Sorry, Ma’am.” He looked at Isabel, “Do you want to go someplace else?”
And maybe she would have but he was betrayed by his own body as his stomach rumbled loudly. His face flushed a little more.
Isabel grinned at him, “No, I think we’re at the right place for now. Come on sit with me.”
Mrs. Parker tried to hide a smile, “Your usual Alex?”
Alex just nodded as he sat down, face still burning as he stared at the table. He heard Mrs. Parker take Isabel’s order. Mostly he just wanted to melt into the table. All he ever seemed to do was embarrass himself.
“Alex,” came Isabel’s voice calling him back to the real world. She reached across the table and grabbed his hands in hers.
Her hands felt so warm, and from them he could feel a glow slowly spread through his whole body. He had felt this before. Sometimes when they had kissed he had felt this sense of contentment, but to feel it now. He looked up and what he saw shocked him. The guardedness he had always seen in her eyes, that defensive wall he had always seen past but been unable to pass, was gone.
He could have sat there staring at her beautiful face forever and been a happy man. But he had to know, was it truly love he saw reflected back in those eyes? “Why now?”
As he feared the spell was broken as she looked away, but her hand did not leave his. If anything her grip tightened, and he could see determination flash across her face.
“Is this about yesterday? Or about what you told me you fear about your past?”
“No, it is about my future. There is so much I learned yesterday. I learned that I don’t necessarily have forever. I don’t know what is going to happen, but Liz… Well Liz saw a version of the future.”
“Okay, you know I am still trying to wrap my mind around that. And it is still a challenge…”
“Liz believes it, and the details… I guess I believe her. I, I never let anyone in, ever. I played around with you for a while, but while we remained friends, that is all we ever were. And I never got close to anyone else.”
“Okay, I can see how you would want to avoid that. But, you seemed pretty close to Grant…”
Isabel looked back at Alex, “I like Grant, I really do, but he’s just, well he is just a continuation of what I’ve been doing at school. We go out, we have fun, but I never really let him get close to me emotionally. And trust me that is just fine with a lot of the guys I’ve gone out with.” Isabel shook her head. “There is more, I, I think I mentioned some of what I saw yesterday?”
Alex nodded.
“Well there was a point when the time storm was breaking up, when I felt myself being carried along with it. I needed something to anchor myself to, something real to hold onto. I had lost connection with Max somehow, and well Michael wouldn’t have been able to help me much even if I could sense him.”
“Okay, so what did you grab onto.” He could almost fool himself into thinking that he felt… amusement flowing across from her. Amusement, fondness, and … love.
“I chose you.”
----
Isabel-
Isabel admired the necklace that Alex had given her. It was just a simple golden chain, fairly plain but real 24 carat gold. It was her most precious piece of jewelry now.
Isabel heard her door open and turned to see her brother come in. “You know I was pretty sure I locked that door.”
“You did, I just needed to talk with you.”
“And you couldn’t knock.”
“You wouldn’t have answered it.”
“Look Max its late, can’t we talk tomorrow. We have school tomorrow and I need to get a good night’s sleep.”
“That is why I wanted to talk to you now, before you went to bed.” Max hesitated for a moment. “I want you to dream walk Liz.”
“Let me get this straight, you want me to dream walk your ex-girlfriend?”
“She won’t let me heal her, and something is wrong, Iz, I can feel it.” Max paced back and forth. “She’s afraid that I’ll see things she’s not ready to tell me.”
“Would you?”
“You know it’s not like that, the flashes just come. But yeah, it’s possible I guess. Did you know that Liz is getting flashes now?”
“Yes, she had some yesterday. Max look she’s an emotional wreck right now, just give her a few days…”
“I did not realize this would be so hard.”
“What is a matter, Max?”
Max stopped pacing and looked at Isabel. “You know I never realized that I really haven’t trusted anyone. And now, now I am trying Izzie, I am trying and it is so hard.”
“Max, don’t worry we already talked and well, we’re going to lay all our cards on the table on Friday.”
“Courtney said something about all of you girls wanting to present a unified front. Do you really think you need that. Am I that bad?”
Isabel looked at her brother who seemed almost defeated. “Max, all of us love you and we don’t want to disappoint you. We, I, well I guess I can only really speak for myself, but I think Liz and probably even Maria would agree, that well I don’t want your disapproval. And I know that Liz and I, well, both of us may have done things, that well, neither of us are proud of.”
“Isabel, we have always had a special bond between us. Ever since we left the pods, even when all I wanted to do was to go back home, I stayed, because you were here.” He looked at Isabel with a fond, but sad smile. “What could you ever have done to make me unable to forgive you.”
Isabel looked at her brother and felt a surge of love for him. “I will do it Max, I will look in on Liz. And, and I will tell you what I have been so scared to tell you, but Max…”
“No, Iz, I can wait until you are ready. I, I don’t want to push you.”
Isabel looked away for a moment. How hard could it be, she had already told Maria and Alex. She planned on telling Liz on Wednesday. He was her brother, he loved her. Surely he could forgive her. It was just the mere thought of losing her brother. “Why are you being, being so patient? I know that I would not be in your place.”
She felt his hand on her shoulder, and she looked at him.
There was a sheen of unshed tears in his eyes. “I don’t want to lose you. I have been losing all of you. Ever since we found out, found out that I was King. I, I think I have been pushing you all away. And I want it back. I want you all back. So I am trying to be patient, trying to trust. It is just so hard, I, I never realized how little I trusted before. How controlling I must have been. I’m trying to change, but it is hard.” Max squeezed her shoulder.
“Max,” Isabel said softly. “I am ready to tell you. Come on move over to the bed, it’s a long story and it’ll be easier if we’re sitting.”
Max moved over to the bed, trying hard not to look too eager. But it was obvious that he was desperate to know.
“I can’t tell you everything. I actually know why Liz did what she did, but if we are all trying to build trust here, well obviously I can’t tell you about that.” Isabel shook her head at the slight look of chagrin on Max’s face. “Don’t worry, just give her a couple of days and she’ll be happy to tell you.”
“Okay.”
Isabel paused and drew in her breath. She could do this. “What I need to tell you all starts on the night you threw that surprise party for me on my birthday…”
Re: IDS Eidolon (CC ALL, Teen/Mature) Chapter 14- 02/02/08
Sigh it's a little later than hoped and a tiny bit shorter. I'm trying to get back to posting ever tuesday/wednesday. Well here it is. Thanks to everyone reading this story. Particular thanks to Natalie36, RhondaAnn, and xmag.
Natalie36- Sorry about that. Isabel telling Max the secret is one thing, Max would almost certainly be totally understanding while listening to her. It is how he reacts to her afterword that will be interesting. Not much in this part, but it will play a part.
RhondaAnn- I obviously agree about Alex and Isabel. Hopefully she doesn't get scared of getting close again. And confiding in Max... that was a big step for Isabel. Now it is time to see how Max reacts. That will be in future parts, not this one I'm afraid.
Ava is in a wait and see mode. She wants to see what the Pod Squad is like before she decides what her course of action is. Important note, Ava and Tess have different powers, and that affects why Ava has not basically driven Lonnie and Rath insane. Taken out her own revenge so to speak. You do not screw with someone who has powerful mind control powers for long.
xmag- You might be surprised about how Ava feels about Tess. They are twins after all, but you are probably right that she will not be happy with some of Tess's decisions.
As to Ava and Isabel's declarations of freedom from their past, well first lets see if they can carry it off. And second, if I want to avoid the self destructive path that filled late second season the characters have to grow a little...
Disclaimer- Roswell is not mine and no infringement is intended. I should note that there is a scene near the end of this part that is very similar to what happened in a scene in Meet the Dupes. It is from a different view point of course, but you will understand when you get there...
Eidolon part 15
Isabel-
Isabel reached out and grabbed her yearbook. She opened it and flipped through its pages. She stared for a moment at Alex’s picture, wondering if he was thinking of her. But she had made a promise, so she flipped a few pages more until she saw Liz.
It had always amazed her how much that small girl affected her brother. She was pretty and could be fun, but that could be said of several other girls at school. Her brother’s attentions had never wavered.
Isabel touched the picture and the world around her faded as she drifted off into Liz’s dream.
Flicker-
At first Isabel was certain that she had accidentally entered someone else’s dream. It seemed like they were on a… ranch. The landscape was fairly hilly, and off in the distance unfamiliar mountains lurked. The colors also looked… washed out.
What was Liz doing here?
She looked around and saw two figures. The boy looked very like her brother. The girl looked very familiar with her strawberry blonde hair. Isabel could not quite make out the face as the two figures were kissing.
Isabel’s blood went cold with memory. “Emily…” slipped out of her mouth
Emily had been tugging at Max’s shirt, when she whirled around, picked up some oval and pointed it at Isabel.
The last thing Isabel saw was Emily’s cobalt blue eyes glaring at her and a bright flash of blue…
Flicker-
This time the background was familiar. She was standing in the Crashdown, or what was left of it. Some of the glass panes were missing and the place was a wreck. There had been some minor changes to the murals on the wall, but not much. Three people were seated at one of the few undamaged booths while two young boys played around another booth.
One of the figures was Liz, and she was buried in Max’s chest crying. The look on Max’s face was a vision of grim promise fighting despair. He looked older, and his hair was long with a couple strands of gray. Across from them was a beautiful black woman.
“This crystal will activate it, but you will need to act fast. We don’t know how long it will hold. And it will take only one.”
Max reached across the table. “Thanks Serena, for everything.”
Serena sighed and said, “I hope I do not need to remind you of the risks. This device was not made for this I think. We do not fully understand what we are playing with, and to be honest I would advise against it…”
“But there is no better option. I know we have been over this.”
“Do you know what you need to change?”
Max gazed down at Liz, how had calmed and was just holding Max. “We do, but…”
“Yes, yes, I do not mean to pry. It has been an honor to work on this project Max, I just wish it had been under better circumstances.”
The room went deathly quiet as the door opened.
Isabel looked over and saw a man in a camouflage wearing mirror shades. It was an older more weathered Kyle.
Kyle removed his glasses. “Meeting at the Crashdown, just like old times. Phillip, Jeff, don’t you have any hugs for your uncle Kyle?”
The boys rushed over and gave him a huge hug while he tousled their hair. “Okay now say good bye to your parents as they will on a mission and I’m gonna watch you.” Both of the boys moved over to a tearful Liz. “Where is Guerin? My men are scouting out the town, but we really can’t stay.”
Liz looked up from her boys. “Michael didn’t make it. Maria has Amy. She killed him, and, and took my little girl.”
“Is that your mission, momma?” said one of the boys.
The other just hugged Liz harder.
“Yeah, we’re going to get her back.”
Kyle was just shaking his head. “Sorry, to the both of you. If I can do anything to help get Amy back let me know. You can count on me to keep these two hellions safe. To think that Maria of all people…”
Flicker-
Isabel reached up and wiped a tear from her eyes. She looked around and noticed she was in Kellerman park. It was a small park near downtown Roswell, Isabel could remember running around it when she was young. Unlike the other visions she had had this one felt… solid, more real. The colors were crisp and vibrant. The grass felt cool and soft on her feet.
It was strange that she had not seen the real Liz yet. But she felt that she was getting closer. Isabel looked up and saw her on the swing set… with Emily. The two were talking quietly. Isabel moved closer to hear what they were saying.
She heard from behind her a small giggling voice and felt as small arms grabbed one of her legs.
“Aunty Ishy. I missed you.” said a small girl that looked heartbreakingly familiar. Isabel could feel a connection immediately. She had had Liz’s face, but the eyes were all Max’s. This must be Amy.
Isabel hunched down so as to be more at Amy‘s level. “Hi. You’re looking so big now. How old are you?”
“Almost three.”
Isabel nearly said something when she felt a hand grab her shoulders and pull her away. “Get away from her. You do not belong here.”
It was Liz’s voice, but it was more of a cold drawl than her usual accent. Isabel looked up and saw the expected cobalt blue eyes. Ok, I’ve had it. Isabel raised her hand and blasted Emily across the park. Isabel got up and dusted off her pajamas. She turned to Amy, “Are you okay munchkin?”
Amy looked back up at her, “Emily isn’t bad, but she can be mean. I’m gonna get mommy, she’ll stop it.”
Isabel looked up and saw Emily running towards her, her arms glittering with bluish sparks. Isabel shook her head, casually blew a strand of hair out her eyes, and blasted Emily again. Only somehow she missed.
Emily tried to grab Isabel by the throat, but Isabel was stronger and they began to struggle. Only the sparks that were flowing off of Emily began to arc along her own body. And it hurt. Badly.
“Emily stop. Isabel is my friend and is welcome here.”
The blue streaks stopped and Emily let go of Isabel. Isabel was tempted to get in a few good licks while she had the opportunity. But she let Emily go while watching her warily. Isabel looked over to see Amy peeking from behind one of Liz’s legs.
Liz continued, “Amy take Emily to your mother, the picnic should be ready and I want to talk with my friend.”
“Okay, come on Emily.”
Emily just brushed a bit of blood off of her lip and nodded to Liz. She picked up Amy and swirled a now laughing little girl. She carried Amy and walked towards another section of the park.
Isabel shook her head. Usually she did not interact much with the dream environment, but Emily seemed almost targeted at her…
“So this has got to be a dream. Did Max send you?”
Isabel nodded. “Liz your dreamscape, it, well it is really weird. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“Ana did something to me. And I think I took part of Future Liz with me, her memories are sticking in the oddest places. I can’t consciously recall anything, but from time to time…”
“I think I ran up against one of those memories. You know both times I met up with Emily she attacked me.”
“I think she was meant to be a weapon against you and your brother. Obviously she knew you were really here. I just kept swinging on the swing watching a really strange dream play out.” Liz shook her head.
“Well I think I have had enough fun for the night.”
“Before you go I have to ask you something. Did I kill them.” Liz pointed off towards where Emily left.
Isabel just stared at Liz as she felt everything around her lose cohesion. Isabel could not quite make out the rest as she woke up with a gasp.
Isabel glanced at the clock. It was almost four and she was crushingly tired. Too tired to visit Alex, pleasant as that may be. So Isabel turned out her light, set the book down, and fell into a deep sleep.
----
Maria-
For Maria, the day usually started with her mother calling for her to wake up. Today it started with Sean banging on her door.
“Hey Em, Aunt Amy has to meet someone this morning, so I’m going to be giving you a ride today. This is your morning wake up call.”
Terrific. Maria vainly tried to open her eyes. “Go away Sean.”
As Maria began to waken she noticed how cold she felt. She looked down and saw that she had not kicked off the blankets. If anything she had rolled up in a little ball of blanket.
She laid back and thought. Was she sick? Did she really just not want to go to school today? But today would be easy, no tests until after Thanksgiving.
She just felt so cold. So cold and empty. She reached out for that little corner that Michael seemed to lurk in now.
And he was gone.
Funny how the loss of something she’d only recently gained should hurt so much. Had he forgotten her already? Abandoned her like everyone else always seemed to do?
She bolted up straight. He must have found out about Future Maria, and how I betrayed them all….
She got up and grabbed a robe for a quick shower. She may not feel well but Michael would probably be at school. Sure he’d ditch half his classes, but he usually hung around campus to chat with Max and Isabel. And she wanted that feeling back. She wanted him back!
Lord knew he was not a perfect boyfriend. He was not conscientious, he was not perceptive, and he definitely did not dote on her. But he was passionate, and, and he tried, sometimes he tried so hard… And he was hers, dammit!
So she took her frozen shower, blistered her lips on coffee that felt laden with ice. The world itself seemed drained of something, drained of life somehow. Yesterday the world had been alive and full of possibilities.
She even tried that crystal she had taken from Liz. Nothing. No glow, no feelings, nothing.
Only emptiness.
She basically ignored her cousin as he blathered on about the possible jobs he was going to apply for today. Usually Maria could get a feel from people, get a sense of how they felt. But not today. Today everything felt dead.
Sean stopped the truck in the school parking lot. “So are you sure you are up to this, Em?”
“For the millionth time, my name is Maria. And why wouldn’t I be okay?”
“Well, I know he wasn’t in your life much, but still finding out about your father has to have affected you.”
Maria froze and turned to stare at Sean, “What about my father?”
“Aunt Amy did not tell you?”
“Sean if you don’t talk you’ll be eating this Algebra book.”
“My God, she didn’t. She spent all day with you and did not tell you.” As Maria hefted her math book. “Alright, I shouldn’t be the one to tell you this… Maria your father is dead.”
No surprise limo for me. Dead.
I. Need. Michael.
Maria gathered her things, ignoring a worried Sean completely.
Maria decided to drop off her books first, then go looking for Michael. She could explain, she could make him forgive her. She hadn’t really done anything.
Yet.
She turned around the corner and saw Liz talking with Michael. Michael had apparently decided on yet another bizarre hairstyle. Maria did not really like the Mohawk like style, she would try to talk him out of it. But Michael being Michael would probably resist. Sigh. Sometimes a girl just had to try extra hard to improve her guy.
And then her heart broke. It would have shattered but it was too cold.
For Michael swept Liz in his arms and kissed her.
Maria felt sick and had to escape, so she turned right around.
She was alone. The had all betrayed her. She should have known it was coming, she should have seen it. She had never really felt truly alone before. But even her mother had not told her the truth, she’d had to learn it from Sean. And Liz and Michael…
Maria closed her eyes and drifted to her first period class. Where else was she to go?
Natalie36- Sorry about that. Isabel telling Max the secret is one thing, Max would almost certainly be totally understanding while listening to her. It is how he reacts to her afterword that will be interesting. Not much in this part, but it will play a part.
RhondaAnn- I obviously agree about Alex and Isabel. Hopefully she doesn't get scared of getting close again. And confiding in Max... that was a big step for Isabel. Now it is time to see how Max reacts. That will be in future parts, not this one I'm afraid.
Ava is in a wait and see mode. She wants to see what the Pod Squad is like before she decides what her course of action is. Important note, Ava and Tess have different powers, and that affects why Ava has not basically driven Lonnie and Rath insane. Taken out her own revenge so to speak. You do not screw with someone who has powerful mind control powers for long.
xmag- You might be surprised about how Ava feels about Tess. They are twins after all, but you are probably right that she will not be happy with some of Tess's decisions.
As to Ava and Isabel's declarations of freedom from their past, well first lets see if they can carry it off. And second, if I want to avoid the self destructive path that filled late second season the characters have to grow a little...
Disclaimer- Roswell is not mine and no infringement is intended. I should note that there is a scene near the end of this part that is very similar to what happened in a scene in Meet the Dupes. It is from a different view point of course, but you will understand when you get there...
Eidolon part 15
Isabel-
Isabel reached out and grabbed her yearbook. She opened it and flipped through its pages. She stared for a moment at Alex’s picture, wondering if he was thinking of her. But she had made a promise, so she flipped a few pages more until she saw Liz.
It had always amazed her how much that small girl affected her brother. She was pretty and could be fun, but that could be said of several other girls at school. Her brother’s attentions had never wavered.
Isabel touched the picture and the world around her faded as she drifted off into Liz’s dream.
Flicker-
At first Isabel was certain that she had accidentally entered someone else’s dream. It seemed like they were on a… ranch. The landscape was fairly hilly, and off in the distance unfamiliar mountains lurked. The colors also looked… washed out.
What was Liz doing here?
She looked around and saw two figures. The boy looked very like her brother. The girl looked very familiar with her strawberry blonde hair. Isabel could not quite make out the face as the two figures were kissing.
Isabel’s blood went cold with memory. “Emily…” slipped out of her mouth
Emily had been tugging at Max’s shirt, when she whirled around, picked up some oval and pointed it at Isabel.
The last thing Isabel saw was Emily’s cobalt blue eyes glaring at her and a bright flash of blue…
Flicker-
This time the background was familiar. She was standing in the Crashdown, or what was left of it. Some of the glass panes were missing and the place was a wreck. There had been some minor changes to the murals on the wall, but not much. Three people were seated at one of the few undamaged booths while two young boys played around another booth.
One of the figures was Liz, and she was buried in Max’s chest crying. The look on Max’s face was a vision of grim promise fighting despair. He looked older, and his hair was long with a couple strands of gray. Across from them was a beautiful black woman.
“This crystal will activate it, but you will need to act fast. We don’t know how long it will hold. And it will take only one.”
Max reached across the table. “Thanks Serena, for everything.”
Serena sighed and said, “I hope I do not need to remind you of the risks. This device was not made for this I think. We do not fully understand what we are playing with, and to be honest I would advise against it…”
“But there is no better option. I know we have been over this.”
“Do you know what you need to change?”
Max gazed down at Liz, how had calmed and was just holding Max. “We do, but…”
“Yes, yes, I do not mean to pry. It has been an honor to work on this project Max, I just wish it had been under better circumstances.”
The room went deathly quiet as the door opened.
Isabel looked over and saw a man in a camouflage wearing mirror shades. It was an older more weathered Kyle.
Kyle removed his glasses. “Meeting at the Crashdown, just like old times. Phillip, Jeff, don’t you have any hugs for your uncle Kyle?”
The boys rushed over and gave him a huge hug while he tousled their hair. “Okay now say good bye to your parents as they will on a mission and I’m gonna watch you.” Both of the boys moved over to a tearful Liz. “Where is Guerin? My men are scouting out the town, but we really can’t stay.”
Liz looked up from her boys. “Michael didn’t make it. Maria has Amy. She killed him, and, and took my little girl.”
“Is that your mission, momma?” said one of the boys.
The other just hugged Liz harder.
“Yeah, we’re going to get her back.”
Kyle was just shaking his head. “Sorry, to the both of you. If I can do anything to help get Amy back let me know. You can count on me to keep these two hellions safe. To think that Maria of all people…”
Flicker-
Isabel reached up and wiped a tear from her eyes. She looked around and noticed she was in Kellerman park. It was a small park near downtown Roswell, Isabel could remember running around it when she was young. Unlike the other visions she had had this one felt… solid, more real. The colors were crisp and vibrant. The grass felt cool and soft on her feet.
It was strange that she had not seen the real Liz yet. But she felt that she was getting closer. Isabel looked up and saw her on the swing set… with Emily. The two were talking quietly. Isabel moved closer to hear what they were saying.
She heard from behind her a small giggling voice and felt as small arms grabbed one of her legs.
“Aunty Ishy. I missed you.” said a small girl that looked heartbreakingly familiar. Isabel could feel a connection immediately. She had had Liz’s face, but the eyes were all Max’s. This must be Amy.
Isabel hunched down so as to be more at Amy‘s level. “Hi. You’re looking so big now. How old are you?”
“Almost three.”
Isabel nearly said something when she felt a hand grab her shoulders and pull her away. “Get away from her. You do not belong here.”
It was Liz’s voice, but it was more of a cold drawl than her usual accent. Isabel looked up and saw the expected cobalt blue eyes. Ok, I’ve had it. Isabel raised her hand and blasted Emily across the park. Isabel got up and dusted off her pajamas. She turned to Amy, “Are you okay munchkin?”
Amy looked back up at her, “Emily isn’t bad, but she can be mean. I’m gonna get mommy, she’ll stop it.”
Isabel looked up and saw Emily running towards her, her arms glittering with bluish sparks. Isabel shook her head, casually blew a strand of hair out her eyes, and blasted Emily again. Only somehow she missed.
Emily tried to grab Isabel by the throat, but Isabel was stronger and they began to struggle. Only the sparks that were flowing off of Emily began to arc along her own body. And it hurt. Badly.
“Emily stop. Isabel is my friend and is welcome here.”
The blue streaks stopped and Emily let go of Isabel. Isabel was tempted to get in a few good licks while she had the opportunity. But she let Emily go while watching her warily. Isabel looked over to see Amy peeking from behind one of Liz’s legs.
Liz continued, “Amy take Emily to your mother, the picnic should be ready and I want to talk with my friend.”
“Okay, come on Emily.”
Emily just brushed a bit of blood off of her lip and nodded to Liz. She picked up Amy and swirled a now laughing little girl. She carried Amy and walked towards another section of the park.
Isabel shook her head. Usually she did not interact much with the dream environment, but Emily seemed almost targeted at her…
“So this has got to be a dream. Did Max send you?”
Isabel nodded. “Liz your dreamscape, it, well it is really weird. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“Ana did something to me. And I think I took part of Future Liz with me, her memories are sticking in the oddest places. I can’t consciously recall anything, but from time to time…”
“I think I ran up against one of those memories. You know both times I met up with Emily she attacked me.”
“I think she was meant to be a weapon against you and your brother. Obviously she knew you were really here. I just kept swinging on the swing watching a really strange dream play out.” Liz shook her head.
“Well I think I have had enough fun for the night.”
“Before you go I have to ask you something. Did I kill them.” Liz pointed off towards where Emily left.
Isabel just stared at Liz as she felt everything around her lose cohesion. Isabel could not quite make out the rest as she woke up with a gasp.
Isabel glanced at the clock. It was almost four and she was crushingly tired. Too tired to visit Alex, pleasant as that may be. So Isabel turned out her light, set the book down, and fell into a deep sleep.
----
Maria-
For Maria, the day usually started with her mother calling for her to wake up. Today it started with Sean banging on her door.
“Hey Em, Aunt Amy has to meet someone this morning, so I’m going to be giving you a ride today. This is your morning wake up call.”
Terrific. Maria vainly tried to open her eyes. “Go away Sean.”
As Maria began to waken she noticed how cold she felt. She looked down and saw that she had not kicked off the blankets. If anything she had rolled up in a little ball of blanket.
She laid back and thought. Was she sick? Did she really just not want to go to school today? But today would be easy, no tests until after Thanksgiving.
She just felt so cold. So cold and empty. She reached out for that little corner that Michael seemed to lurk in now.
And he was gone.
Funny how the loss of something she’d only recently gained should hurt so much. Had he forgotten her already? Abandoned her like everyone else always seemed to do?
She bolted up straight. He must have found out about Future Maria, and how I betrayed them all….
She got up and grabbed a robe for a quick shower. She may not feel well but Michael would probably be at school. Sure he’d ditch half his classes, but he usually hung around campus to chat with Max and Isabel. And she wanted that feeling back. She wanted him back!
Lord knew he was not a perfect boyfriend. He was not conscientious, he was not perceptive, and he definitely did not dote on her. But he was passionate, and, and he tried, sometimes he tried so hard… And he was hers, dammit!
So she took her frozen shower, blistered her lips on coffee that felt laden with ice. The world itself seemed drained of something, drained of life somehow. Yesterday the world had been alive and full of possibilities.
She even tried that crystal she had taken from Liz. Nothing. No glow, no feelings, nothing.
Only emptiness.
She basically ignored her cousin as he blathered on about the possible jobs he was going to apply for today. Usually Maria could get a feel from people, get a sense of how they felt. But not today. Today everything felt dead.
Sean stopped the truck in the school parking lot. “So are you sure you are up to this, Em?”
“For the millionth time, my name is Maria. And why wouldn’t I be okay?”
“Well, I know he wasn’t in your life much, but still finding out about your father has to have affected you.”
Maria froze and turned to stare at Sean, “What about my father?”
“Aunt Amy did not tell you?”
“Sean if you don’t talk you’ll be eating this Algebra book.”
“My God, she didn’t. She spent all day with you and did not tell you.” As Maria hefted her math book. “Alright, I shouldn’t be the one to tell you this… Maria your father is dead.”
No surprise limo for me. Dead.
I. Need. Michael.
Maria gathered her things, ignoring a worried Sean completely.
Maria decided to drop off her books first, then go looking for Michael. She could explain, she could make him forgive her. She hadn’t really done anything.
Yet.
She turned around the corner and saw Liz talking with Michael. Michael had apparently decided on yet another bizarre hairstyle. Maria did not really like the Mohawk like style, she would try to talk him out of it. But Michael being Michael would probably resist. Sigh. Sometimes a girl just had to try extra hard to improve her guy.
And then her heart broke. It would have shattered but it was too cold.
For Michael swept Liz in his arms and kissed her.
Maria felt sick and had to escape, so she turned right around.
She was alone. The had all betrayed her. She should have known it was coming, she should have seen it. She had never really felt truly alone before. But even her mother had not told her the truth, she’d had to learn it from Sean. And Liz and Michael…
Maria closed her eyes and drifted to her first period class. Where else was she to go?
Re: IDS Eidolon (CC ALL, Teen/Mature) Chapter 15- 02/07/08
Late again. Thanks to everyone reading this story. Particular thanks to xmag and RhondaAnn for the feedback.
xmag- Maria has overdosed on Valerium, the drug that Tess asked Richard to give her. Of course, Tess forgot that the dosage is so high because Liz has built up a resistance to the drug. Maria has not and so it has completely shut down anything even vaguely power related. It has gotten to the point she can't pick up the vibes people send off, so things she would normally notice completely pass her by. She had been full of extra energy ever since she had been healed that its loss makes her feel cold, even though this is similar to how she would have felt only a few days ago...
Ana never really finished with Liz, and while that helps Liz be the dominant personality it is also causing problems as well.
Thank you for your advise in the pms, the affected scene will not be until next part though.
RhondaAnn- Remember that the night before she did not spend the night at home, but rather at Michael's. The vitamins that Tess dosed are in her bedroom, and so it was Sunday night she took them. And the dosage was set for Liz too, Maria has no resistance yet to the drug.
Liz might remember bits and pieces of it, although probably not the parts that Emily saw. It is important to note that Rath and Liz never met in the previous timeline. Zan went to the meeting and agreed to the terms, which did not include the Granolith. Last time Rath died on Antar, toatally surprised at the betrayal. All the Dupes did. So if Liz recognizes it's not him it will be through something else.
Thanks again.
Disclaimer- Roswell is not mine and I mean no infringement.
Eidolon chapter 16
Sean-
Sean watched as Maria walked into school. She had ignored him most of the morning, and maybe that had led to his slip up. He knew that she really didn’t want him here. And now he was the bearer of bad tidings, to be the one to tell her about her father.
But still she had not been acting right at all. Maria usually ran hot, not cold. She did not usually hide her feelings regarding him. All the spark, the vibrancy had been gone. She had not used any of her aroma therapy stuff to calm her self down at any point, and everyone knew that both Amy and Maria swore by the stuff. And she had not acted high either, just cranky and distant.
Sean looked for a parking spot and parked the truck. Something was wrong with Maria, and he would find out. He knew he wasn’t her favorite cousin, but she was family. His family was the only group that believed he had any chance, and while many of them did not care for him either, they had stood by him. He could only do the same.
He walked down the halls of West Roswell looking for his wayward cousin, while simultaneously keeping an eye out for anyone who might recognize him. The last time he had been in Roswell he had played a few pranks on this school. He seriously doubted he was welcome.
So he took a couple of short cuts he had learned the last time he was here. Which was how he got to Maria’s locker before she did. Maria wasn’t there, but Liz Parker was. She had been kind of cute when he left, but now she was a knock out. (Maria had already warned him off of her, but half the fun of knowing Maria was making her mad.) She was talking to a tall guy with a weird hairstyle. He looked vaguely familiar.
Sean was about to walk over when he saw Vice Principal Warrick. Their last meeting had been less than pleasant, having something to do with a pipe bomb and a toilet. Sean had been lucky they hadn’t been able to actually PROVE anything…
So he tried to remain inconspicuous and not look like he was hiding…
Michael Guerin, that was his name. Maria’s current on again off again boyfriend. He recognized him from some photos of him that Maria had, most of them of Guerin scowling from the kitchen window at the Crashdown.
Sean saw as Michael said something to Liz, something that made her nervous. To the left he saw Maria walking, still laden with books. And then Michael forcibly kissed Liz. Sean wanted to hit him just for that, for forcing himself on Liz. But a quick glance at Maria turned the anger into rage.
Seemingly for the first time this morning Maria’s eyes showed emotion. Pain, endless pain. And then it was gone, her eyes merely green glass.
Sean waited for the explosion, waited for Maria to move in to attack. But Maria calmly walked away, past the Vice Principal.
This left Sean with only two real choices. He could try to catch Maria, to console her. Or he could beat the crap out of the bastard who had hurt her, and quite possibly Liz…
Sean could feel the Deluca temper rage inside of him. That temper had caused him trouble before. Countless anger management classes in juvie and years of controlling his emotions still did not still the desire to let the rage overcome him. The trick was to use the anger as fuel, but to not let it rule his actions.
So as Liz broke away and hurriedly left, Sean measured his soon-to-be opponent. He would be a challenge, but he had fought worse…
“No Sean, don’t get involved.” said a soft feminine voice.
Sean looked back and saw girl with dark brown hair and brown eyes. Pretty but nothing special. He scrambled to remember her… “What are you talking about?”
“Sean, Michael is dangerous. He and all of his friends are. People have died or gone missing if they get involved with them.”
Pam. Pam Troy. He had dated her sister Katrina the last time he was here. “And my cousin is involved in this?” Sean shuddered at Pam’s answering nod. “So what are they involved in; sex, drugs, or some weird kind of cult?”
Pam looked puzzled as she said, “I don’t know. To be honest, really did not give them much thought until last year when Max Evans and Liz Parker began to hang out all the time. Then we had this really cool but suspicious guidance councilor, who just went missing one day. And there’s a missing deputy that no one’s looking for. And Congresswoman Whitaker disappeared a day after attending Isabel Evans birthday party. Did you know that there is no footage of her funeral? That her hometown is now under quarantine by the federal government because of a supposed cyanide spill?”
“Uh, Pam, now you are starting to sound like Aunt Amy.” Who come to think of it worked for the feds looking for… what exactly? Why do the feds care about the Southwestern crazies who believe in aliens anyway?
“Maybe,” Pam continued softly, “Maybe I do sound crazy. But he is still dangerous…”
Sean looked back at Michael and just for a moment his eyes met Michael’s… Killer. My God, Pam’s right. That man is dangerous. “Thanks, Pam. Now I just have to figure out how to help Maria. Can, can you follow her. She’s just got some bad news, and this would only make it worse…”
“Sure, she’s bound to have some gossip to share about last night’s party. Um, Sean, did you have a plan to get out of here? The bell is about to ring, and you’ll look pretty obvious since you don’t have a class.”
Good point. Sean looked around and saw one of the doors to the back hallways. It was ajar. “I’ll just take the back hallways.”
“If you say so. And Sean?”
“Yeah?”
“At least try to stay out of trouble, okay?” Pam walked off, going in the direction Maria had.
Sean watched her go. He took one more look and saw Vice Principal Warrick still discussing something with a teacher. The first warning bell sounded and the students began to empty the main hallways. It would be hard to sneak by him now. He looked again at the door to the back hallways, sighed and walked toward it.
He did not know it, but it would be a fateful choice, and many would be the day when he wondered if his life would not be simpler if her had just let Warrick catch him.
Sean entered the back hallway.
----
Isabel-
Isabel was surrounded with her friends, all discussing various bits and pieces of the parties that they had gone to on the weekend. It was times like this that she truly wished she were normal, that her life was really as shallow as it seemed.
Keeping up the pretense today was harder than it had been. Only a couple of days ago she had been running through these hallways for her very life. It made the whole school experience seem… surreal. Particularly discussing something as shallow as the fashion faux pas of her fellow classmates. Not more than ten feet away she had killed one of the attacking Skins.
It just felt… strange. And her friends seemed younger and even more shallow than they had just a few days prior. It was still fun, but not as much as it had been. She couldn’t really talk with these girls, not really. Even assuming they did not turn her in to the authorities, as she had feared for most of her life; they would not understand where she was coming from.
Their frames of reference were too different.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw a slightly shaken Liz look in askance at her entourage of friends. She watched her steel herself to walk forward.
“Um, Isabel, I need to talk to you. Alone. I’m sorry but it’s important.”
“Did you hear something?” said Claire, one of Isabel’s more pretentious friends.
“Why I think I smell a nerd,” said Vanessa, another pretentious twit. “Why do you think Isabel would waste her time on you, particularly after what you did to her brother?”
Isabel could see Liz’s reactions. Liz was usually very good at hiding her reactions, but reading faces was something she did all the time. Isabel did not always need to dream walk to figure out someone’s hidden motivations. Liz would ignore them, maybe say something that would make them look stupid, but mostly just appeal to Isabel to come with her.
But Isabel could see a war behind those dark eyes. Emily’s reaction to those girls would be completely different. And her friends would never see it coming. “Cool it you two. Let’s go Liz.”
Vanessa sneered at Isabel, “You can’t be serious.”
“Oh, grow up, Vanessa.” Isabel grabbed a suddenly tensing Liz and half dragged her away from her friends. Even if she was half tempted to see Emily in action. “Liz calm down.”
“It would just feel so good to wipe those pasty smiles off their faces.” Liz’s hands flew to her lips, “Oh, God, what’s gotten into me?”
“I would say that Emily is not fully gone.”
Liz looked up at Isabel as they were walking away. “You dream walked me last night didn’t you?”
Isabel sighed and nodded, “Is that what this is all about? Because even if you are angry with me, school’s not really the place to talk about it.”
“Max sent you didn’t he? No don’t answer, you are right this is something we’ll discuss later. I have something more important to tell you.”
“What is so important?”
“We need to find Max. There is a clone of Michael’s walking around on campus.”
“What?” Why can’t I have a normal life?
----
Maria-
I will not cry. I will not give them the satisfaction.
Maria walked stiffly towards US History. Her heart was broken, but her mind was working just fine. It was searching for signs of when Michael had fallen for Liz. She really did not see anything, but maybe there was something she had missed.
Is this a reason they had not gotten together last timeline? Is this how that Maria felt? Cold and empty, running on bitterness and anger?
She had been a fool to think she could change him, to think he would stay true. True Courtney was out of the way now. But did that matter? For a brief moment Maria had been happy, had felt like she had a firm grasp on his heart. She’d even had the delusion that they had somehow become connected, that they had exchanged some part of themselves to each other.
A delusion. She had told him at the start that she had known it wasn’t true love, that she had not expected forever. But somewhere along the line she had lost that understanding, somewhere she had come to believe that at the end of the day that he would be hers. The knowledge that it was not to be, hurt.
It hurt bad. It hurt like when she had realized her father was never coming back. And now she knew that he never would.
She had been foolish and now she had to pay the consequences.
But she would survive. And now she had learned to not be so open with her heart, to not let someone in. She had spent over a year dismantling his walls, or so she had thought. But no one, no one would ever breach hers.
In the coldness and emptiness in her heart, she took her fear, anger, and bitterness. And built a wall of her own.
----
Max-
Max sighed, “No Michael she never did let me see what was in that box. I don’t know if Liz herself looked.” Max started to gather his books. He at least had to get ready, school would be starting soon. He’d been tempted to seek out Liz this morning, but he did not want to stress their relationship. The secret that Liz still harbored weighed heavily on his mind.
“Well aren’t you curious? I mean a strange military guy waltzes into the Crashdown saying that he knew Maria’s father? Doesn’t it seem awfully convenient given what has gone down here lately?”
“So what, do you think someone suspects Maria? I mean of all of us, only Alex has less to fear at this point.”
“No, I just am curious, okay?” Michael rubbed his arms and stared towards the campus. “Something is wrong.”
Max looked around, trying to see what ever had set off Michael. “What is a matter?”
“Well, I, um, oh, never mind.”
“Hey what is wrong?” Max stared at his friend, who was rarely at a loss for words. “Is this something about Maria?
“Um, it’s about this connection thing I seem to have, you know what we talked about on Saturday. You, um, said …”
Max smiled slightly, “Yeah, I remember. You even said you loved Maria.” Which was obvious, but to hear Michael actually say it…”
Michael glared at Max, “Heat of the moment, let’s concentrate Max. Um does it ever fluctuate?”
“Well…”
“There you two are,” said an exasperated Isabel. “School is just about to start… Where have you two been.”
Liz just looked worriedly at Max.
Max stared at her. She was so lovely. He wanted her so much, wanted all of her. It killed him to wait patiently, to wait while she worked up the courage to tell him her secret. Of course, Isabel had said she was wavering.
He had been a fool to let her go last summer. It was a mistake he would not repeat.
“What has your panties in a bunch, Isabel,” Michael said.
Liz glanced worriedly at Michael. “Michael what did you get Maria for Christmas last year?”
“Why would I have gotten Maria a present last year?”
Liz nodded, “It’s Michael.”
Isabel looked in astonishment at Michael, “You did not get Maria anything for Christmas last year?”
“Why should I buy into an artificial holiday designed solely to bolster the economic bottom line of business?”
Isabel looked at Liz, “Yeah, it’s him.” She gave Michael and icy glare, “You and me are going to have a little talk…”
Max looked between the two girls, “What is going on?”
Liz looked at Max, “Michael has a copy walking the halls.”
“What?” Michael said.
Isabel just looked at Max, “What are we going to do now, Max?”
----
Kyle-
The day had started normally enough. Kyle had gone through his normal routine morning activities with nothing strange happening. Tess had been distant but nice this morning, his Dad long gone.
Surely it could not last. But he would enjoy the normalcy for as long as he could, and cling if only for a moment that his life approached anything close to normal. Maybe today he would feel like he fit in again.
But a surreal feeling came to him as he walked the halls of school. Saturday he had shot and killed here. Sure they were aliens, but who knew? Courtney was a Skin, and she was a person too.
He just could not take it. So he pulled a key out of his pocket and opened up one of the access doors. There was a spot on the third floor with a good view of campus that he liked. He would meditate for a little bit and get himself under control and then he would go to whatever class it was time to go to. He would not hurry, it would take as long as it took.
Kyle was calmly walking towards the access point for the attic when he got hit by a hurrying person. As he got up he looked at the man, who looked fairly familiar. “Who are you and what are you doing here?”
“Valenti? Don’t you remember? It’s me Sean Deluca.”
“I thought you were in jail.”
“Nah, I got out of juvie late last year. I worked up the last bits of probation, but, well I know to many people in Albuquerque. Too many people either waiting for me to fail, or too many who are willing to help me get in trouble.”
“That’s great to here. Good luck with that.” Kyle started back towards the attic access point.
“Um, Kyle, I’m kind of lost here. Can you help me find my way out without popping into a full class room or something?”
Kyle stopped. He really needed the peace and quiet, but… The right thing was to help Sean. And after last Saturday he needed to build up as much good karma as he could. “Alright…” He stopped as he heard voices coming closer. Great now he was going to get caught with Sean Deluca of all people. “Let’s go, I know a place we can hide while they go past and we can leave.” He walked towards one of the storage rooms, pulled out the key, and opened the door.
“Uh, Kyle, how did you get those keys.”
“Never you mind, you’re the one asking the favor.” Kyle walked into the room just as he began to sense something wasn’t right. Someone or something was watching them. And he was unarmed.
“Is that how you got away that last time?” Sean said reaching to close the door.”
“Sean, get out of here.”
“What, but we’ll get caught…”
Kyle slowly backed up from the room, moving toward the door. He saw a familiar figure sitting in the dark. “Tess?”
The figure got up, raised her hand, and the door suddenly slammed shut.
Sean looked shocked, “Kyle, what is going on. I can’t open the door.”
Kyle just watched as the figure approached. She looked very much like Tess, only her hair was streaked with purple. She also had multiple piercing and tattoos. “Your not Tess.”
“You’re one of them aren’t you? One of their friends, yes you are.” Even her voice sounded like Tess’s, only with an accent.
“Look lady, who are you?” Sean asked.
The girl ignored Sean and reached a hand out to Kyle. “My name is Evelyn Harding, that’s her last name isn’t it? Harding? Yes, well everyone just calls me Ava.”
Reflexively Kyle grasped the hand and shook it. His tone was still defensive, “What do you want.”
This sent Ava giggling. “What else would I want. I’ve come in peace, so… Take me to your leader.”
xmag- Maria has overdosed on Valerium, the drug that Tess asked Richard to give her. Of course, Tess forgot that the dosage is so high because Liz has built up a resistance to the drug. Maria has not and so it has completely shut down anything even vaguely power related. It has gotten to the point she can't pick up the vibes people send off, so things she would normally notice completely pass her by. She had been full of extra energy ever since she had been healed that its loss makes her feel cold, even though this is similar to how she would have felt only a few days ago...
Ana never really finished with Liz, and while that helps Liz be the dominant personality it is also causing problems as well.
Thank you for your advise in the pms, the affected scene will not be until next part though.
RhondaAnn- Remember that the night before she did not spend the night at home, but rather at Michael's. The vitamins that Tess dosed are in her bedroom, and so it was Sunday night she took them. And the dosage was set for Liz too, Maria has no resistance yet to the drug.
Liz might remember bits and pieces of it, although probably not the parts that Emily saw. It is important to note that Rath and Liz never met in the previous timeline. Zan went to the meeting and agreed to the terms, which did not include the Granolith. Last time Rath died on Antar, toatally surprised at the betrayal. All the Dupes did. So if Liz recognizes it's not him it will be through something else.
Thanks again.
Disclaimer- Roswell is not mine and I mean no infringement.
Eidolon chapter 16
Sean-
Sean watched as Maria walked into school. She had ignored him most of the morning, and maybe that had led to his slip up. He knew that she really didn’t want him here. And now he was the bearer of bad tidings, to be the one to tell her about her father.
But still she had not been acting right at all. Maria usually ran hot, not cold. She did not usually hide her feelings regarding him. All the spark, the vibrancy had been gone. She had not used any of her aroma therapy stuff to calm her self down at any point, and everyone knew that both Amy and Maria swore by the stuff. And she had not acted high either, just cranky and distant.
Sean looked for a parking spot and parked the truck. Something was wrong with Maria, and he would find out. He knew he wasn’t her favorite cousin, but she was family. His family was the only group that believed he had any chance, and while many of them did not care for him either, they had stood by him. He could only do the same.
He walked down the halls of West Roswell looking for his wayward cousin, while simultaneously keeping an eye out for anyone who might recognize him. The last time he had been in Roswell he had played a few pranks on this school. He seriously doubted he was welcome.
So he took a couple of short cuts he had learned the last time he was here. Which was how he got to Maria’s locker before she did. Maria wasn’t there, but Liz Parker was. She had been kind of cute when he left, but now she was a knock out. (Maria had already warned him off of her, but half the fun of knowing Maria was making her mad.) She was talking to a tall guy with a weird hairstyle. He looked vaguely familiar.
Sean was about to walk over when he saw Vice Principal Warrick. Their last meeting had been less than pleasant, having something to do with a pipe bomb and a toilet. Sean had been lucky they hadn’t been able to actually PROVE anything…
So he tried to remain inconspicuous and not look like he was hiding…
Michael Guerin, that was his name. Maria’s current on again off again boyfriend. He recognized him from some photos of him that Maria had, most of them of Guerin scowling from the kitchen window at the Crashdown.
Sean saw as Michael said something to Liz, something that made her nervous. To the left he saw Maria walking, still laden with books. And then Michael forcibly kissed Liz. Sean wanted to hit him just for that, for forcing himself on Liz. But a quick glance at Maria turned the anger into rage.
Seemingly for the first time this morning Maria’s eyes showed emotion. Pain, endless pain. And then it was gone, her eyes merely green glass.
Sean waited for the explosion, waited for Maria to move in to attack. But Maria calmly walked away, past the Vice Principal.
This left Sean with only two real choices. He could try to catch Maria, to console her. Or he could beat the crap out of the bastard who had hurt her, and quite possibly Liz…
Sean could feel the Deluca temper rage inside of him. That temper had caused him trouble before. Countless anger management classes in juvie and years of controlling his emotions still did not still the desire to let the rage overcome him. The trick was to use the anger as fuel, but to not let it rule his actions.
So as Liz broke away and hurriedly left, Sean measured his soon-to-be opponent. He would be a challenge, but he had fought worse…
“No Sean, don’t get involved.” said a soft feminine voice.
Sean looked back and saw girl with dark brown hair and brown eyes. Pretty but nothing special. He scrambled to remember her… “What are you talking about?”
“Sean, Michael is dangerous. He and all of his friends are. People have died or gone missing if they get involved with them.”
Pam. Pam Troy. He had dated her sister Katrina the last time he was here. “And my cousin is involved in this?” Sean shuddered at Pam’s answering nod. “So what are they involved in; sex, drugs, or some weird kind of cult?”
Pam looked puzzled as she said, “I don’t know. To be honest, really did not give them much thought until last year when Max Evans and Liz Parker began to hang out all the time. Then we had this really cool but suspicious guidance councilor, who just went missing one day. And there’s a missing deputy that no one’s looking for. And Congresswoman Whitaker disappeared a day after attending Isabel Evans birthday party. Did you know that there is no footage of her funeral? That her hometown is now under quarantine by the federal government because of a supposed cyanide spill?”
“Uh, Pam, now you are starting to sound like Aunt Amy.” Who come to think of it worked for the feds looking for… what exactly? Why do the feds care about the Southwestern crazies who believe in aliens anyway?
“Maybe,” Pam continued softly, “Maybe I do sound crazy. But he is still dangerous…”
Sean looked back at Michael and just for a moment his eyes met Michael’s… Killer. My God, Pam’s right. That man is dangerous. “Thanks, Pam. Now I just have to figure out how to help Maria. Can, can you follow her. She’s just got some bad news, and this would only make it worse…”
“Sure, she’s bound to have some gossip to share about last night’s party. Um, Sean, did you have a plan to get out of here? The bell is about to ring, and you’ll look pretty obvious since you don’t have a class.”
Good point. Sean looked around and saw one of the doors to the back hallways. It was ajar. “I’ll just take the back hallways.”
“If you say so. And Sean?”
“Yeah?”
“At least try to stay out of trouble, okay?” Pam walked off, going in the direction Maria had.
Sean watched her go. He took one more look and saw Vice Principal Warrick still discussing something with a teacher. The first warning bell sounded and the students began to empty the main hallways. It would be hard to sneak by him now. He looked again at the door to the back hallways, sighed and walked toward it.
He did not know it, but it would be a fateful choice, and many would be the day when he wondered if his life would not be simpler if her had just let Warrick catch him.
Sean entered the back hallway.
----
Isabel-
Isabel was surrounded with her friends, all discussing various bits and pieces of the parties that they had gone to on the weekend. It was times like this that she truly wished she were normal, that her life was really as shallow as it seemed.
Keeping up the pretense today was harder than it had been. Only a couple of days ago she had been running through these hallways for her very life. It made the whole school experience seem… surreal. Particularly discussing something as shallow as the fashion faux pas of her fellow classmates. Not more than ten feet away she had killed one of the attacking Skins.
It just felt… strange. And her friends seemed younger and even more shallow than they had just a few days prior. It was still fun, but not as much as it had been. She couldn’t really talk with these girls, not really. Even assuming they did not turn her in to the authorities, as she had feared for most of her life; they would not understand where she was coming from.
Their frames of reference were too different.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw a slightly shaken Liz look in askance at her entourage of friends. She watched her steel herself to walk forward.
“Um, Isabel, I need to talk to you. Alone. I’m sorry but it’s important.”
“Did you hear something?” said Claire, one of Isabel’s more pretentious friends.
“Why I think I smell a nerd,” said Vanessa, another pretentious twit. “Why do you think Isabel would waste her time on you, particularly after what you did to her brother?”
Isabel could see Liz’s reactions. Liz was usually very good at hiding her reactions, but reading faces was something she did all the time. Isabel did not always need to dream walk to figure out someone’s hidden motivations. Liz would ignore them, maybe say something that would make them look stupid, but mostly just appeal to Isabel to come with her.
But Isabel could see a war behind those dark eyes. Emily’s reaction to those girls would be completely different. And her friends would never see it coming. “Cool it you two. Let’s go Liz.”
Vanessa sneered at Isabel, “You can’t be serious.”
“Oh, grow up, Vanessa.” Isabel grabbed a suddenly tensing Liz and half dragged her away from her friends. Even if she was half tempted to see Emily in action. “Liz calm down.”
“It would just feel so good to wipe those pasty smiles off their faces.” Liz’s hands flew to her lips, “Oh, God, what’s gotten into me?”
“I would say that Emily is not fully gone.”
Liz looked up at Isabel as they were walking away. “You dream walked me last night didn’t you?”
Isabel sighed and nodded, “Is that what this is all about? Because even if you are angry with me, school’s not really the place to talk about it.”
“Max sent you didn’t he? No don’t answer, you are right this is something we’ll discuss later. I have something more important to tell you.”
“What is so important?”
“We need to find Max. There is a clone of Michael’s walking around on campus.”
“What?” Why can’t I have a normal life?
----
Maria-
I will not cry. I will not give them the satisfaction.
Maria walked stiffly towards US History. Her heart was broken, but her mind was working just fine. It was searching for signs of when Michael had fallen for Liz. She really did not see anything, but maybe there was something she had missed.
Is this a reason they had not gotten together last timeline? Is this how that Maria felt? Cold and empty, running on bitterness and anger?
She had been a fool to think she could change him, to think he would stay true. True Courtney was out of the way now. But did that matter? For a brief moment Maria had been happy, had felt like she had a firm grasp on his heart. She’d even had the delusion that they had somehow become connected, that they had exchanged some part of themselves to each other.
A delusion. She had told him at the start that she had known it wasn’t true love, that she had not expected forever. But somewhere along the line she had lost that understanding, somewhere she had come to believe that at the end of the day that he would be hers. The knowledge that it was not to be, hurt.
It hurt bad. It hurt like when she had realized her father was never coming back. And now she knew that he never would.
She had been foolish and now she had to pay the consequences.
But she would survive. And now she had learned to not be so open with her heart, to not let someone in. She had spent over a year dismantling his walls, or so she had thought. But no one, no one would ever breach hers.
In the coldness and emptiness in her heart, she took her fear, anger, and bitterness. And built a wall of her own.
----
Max-
Max sighed, “No Michael she never did let me see what was in that box. I don’t know if Liz herself looked.” Max started to gather his books. He at least had to get ready, school would be starting soon. He’d been tempted to seek out Liz this morning, but he did not want to stress their relationship. The secret that Liz still harbored weighed heavily on his mind.
“Well aren’t you curious? I mean a strange military guy waltzes into the Crashdown saying that he knew Maria’s father? Doesn’t it seem awfully convenient given what has gone down here lately?”
“So what, do you think someone suspects Maria? I mean of all of us, only Alex has less to fear at this point.”
“No, I just am curious, okay?” Michael rubbed his arms and stared towards the campus. “Something is wrong.”
Max looked around, trying to see what ever had set off Michael. “What is a matter?”
“Well, I, um, oh, never mind.”
“Hey what is wrong?” Max stared at his friend, who was rarely at a loss for words. “Is this something about Maria?
“Um, it’s about this connection thing I seem to have, you know what we talked about on Saturday. You, um, said …”
Max smiled slightly, “Yeah, I remember. You even said you loved Maria.” Which was obvious, but to hear Michael actually say it…”
Michael glared at Max, “Heat of the moment, let’s concentrate Max. Um does it ever fluctuate?”
“Well…”
“There you two are,” said an exasperated Isabel. “School is just about to start… Where have you two been.”
Liz just looked worriedly at Max.
Max stared at her. She was so lovely. He wanted her so much, wanted all of her. It killed him to wait patiently, to wait while she worked up the courage to tell him her secret. Of course, Isabel had said she was wavering.
He had been a fool to let her go last summer. It was a mistake he would not repeat.
“What has your panties in a bunch, Isabel,” Michael said.
Liz glanced worriedly at Michael. “Michael what did you get Maria for Christmas last year?”
“Why would I have gotten Maria a present last year?”
Liz nodded, “It’s Michael.”
Isabel looked in astonishment at Michael, “You did not get Maria anything for Christmas last year?”
“Why should I buy into an artificial holiday designed solely to bolster the economic bottom line of business?”
Isabel looked at Liz, “Yeah, it’s him.” She gave Michael and icy glare, “You and me are going to have a little talk…”
Max looked between the two girls, “What is going on?”
Liz looked at Max, “Michael has a copy walking the halls.”
“What?” Michael said.
Isabel just looked at Max, “What are we going to do now, Max?”
----
Kyle-
The day had started normally enough. Kyle had gone through his normal routine morning activities with nothing strange happening. Tess had been distant but nice this morning, his Dad long gone.
Surely it could not last. But he would enjoy the normalcy for as long as he could, and cling if only for a moment that his life approached anything close to normal. Maybe today he would feel like he fit in again.
But a surreal feeling came to him as he walked the halls of school. Saturday he had shot and killed here. Sure they were aliens, but who knew? Courtney was a Skin, and she was a person too.
He just could not take it. So he pulled a key out of his pocket and opened up one of the access doors. There was a spot on the third floor with a good view of campus that he liked. He would meditate for a little bit and get himself under control and then he would go to whatever class it was time to go to. He would not hurry, it would take as long as it took.
Kyle was calmly walking towards the access point for the attic when he got hit by a hurrying person. As he got up he looked at the man, who looked fairly familiar. “Who are you and what are you doing here?”
“Valenti? Don’t you remember? It’s me Sean Deluca.”
“I thought you were in jail.”
“Nah, I got out of juvie late last year. I worked up the last bits of probation, but, well I know to many people in Albuquerque. Too many people either waiting for me to fail, or too many who are willing to help me get in trouble.”
“That’s great to here. Good luck with that.” Kyle started back towards the attic access point.
“Um, Kyle, I’m kind of lost here. Can you help me find my way out without popping into a full class room or something?”
Kyle stopped. He really needed the peace and quiet, but… The right thing was to help Sean. And after last Saturday he needed to build up as much good karma as he could. “Alright…” He stopped as he heard voices coming closer. Great now he was going to get caught with Sean Deluca of all people. “Let’s go, I know a place we can hide while they go past and we can leave.” He walked towards one of the storage rooms, pulled out the key, and opened the door.
“Uh, Kyle, how did you get those keys.”
“Never you mind, you’re the one asking the favor.” Kyle walked into the room just as he began to sense something wasn’t right. Someone or something was watching them. And he was unarmed.
“Is that how you got away that last time?” Sean said reaching to close the door.”
“Sean, get out of here.”
“What, but we’ll get caught…”
Kyle slowly backed up from the room, moving toward the door. He saw a familiar figure sitting in the dark. “Tess?”
The figure got up, raised her hand, and the door suddenly slammed shut.
Sean looked shocked, “Kyle, what is going on. I can’t open the door.”
Kyle just watched as the figure approached. She looked very much like Tess, only her hair was streaked with purple. She also had multiple piercing and tattoos. “Your not Tess.”
“You’re one of them aren’t you? One of their friends, yes you are.” Even her voice sounded like Tess’s, only with an accent.
“Look lady, who are you?” Sean asked.
The girl ignored Sean and reached a hand out to Kyle. “My name is Evelyn Harding, that’s her last name isn’t it? Harding? Yes, well everyone just calls me Ava.”
Reflexively Kyle grasped the hand and shook it. His tone was still defensive, “What do you want.”
This sent Ava giggling. “What else would I want. I’ve come in peace, so… Take me to your leader.”
Re: IDS Eidolon (CC ALL, Teen/Mature) Chapter 16- 02/16/08
Thanks to everyone reading this story, particular thanks to xmag and RhondaAnn for the feedback.
RhondaAnn- Maria is vulnerable at the moment, roughly akin to where she was in the previous timeline. She is heartbroken and feels alone. The real question is how her friends react to her. Do they stay stuck in their own lives or try to help her. In the future timeline she was alone. This time she is not.
xmag- Ah the wonders of modern science. That drug is pretty nasty, even if it does not have many obvious side effects. And don't forget she is overdosing on it too. It will make her take actions she might not under other circumstances.
Thank you for the advice in the pms. Hopefully I can put it to good use.
Disclaimer- Roswell is not mine and no infringement is intended. Also a tiny quote from Dido's Here With Me, I just could not resist.
A/N - I mentioned it before, but Arijhael was Antar's name before its civilization was destroyed by a Gamma Ray Burst from a near by supernova...
Eidolon part 17
Courtney-
Courtney walked through the Crashdown, cleaning tables as she went. It had been a fairly busy morning, but the main morning rush was over. As soon as Agnes was finished with her break, Courtney could take hers.
It was actually a nice day, too. Her husk had actually shed some the night before, leaving her hopeful that she would actually survive. She would have to be careful, but if she watched her intake of toxins… She might need Max to occasionally flush out excess, but if she was careful for say the next few months…. Her husk should be fully operational by then. She would have another fifty years, long enough to perhaps return home.
The hardest thing would be giving up cigarettes. She had not had one in several days and she would kill for one now. But she would not die for one. So quit she must. Still watching old Agnes puff away drove Courtney nuts. It wasn’t fair that humans should be able to be so tough.
Damn those ancient Rhyajhaelian eugenic programs. What good was such a long life if it had to be spent cowering in a shell?
Still fifty more years, even if stuck on this world was nothing to sneer at. She just had to be careful and cautious. She had grown so sloppy in field craft terms here on Earth. But it was no longer enough to hide herself away from the local authorities, she had the other Skins to worry about now. They knew where she stood, and they undoubtedly knew where she lived.
On the plus side, Nicholas had wasted a lot of her former colleagues last Saturday. Unless they got seriously reinforced there were easily less than thirty Skins left on Earth. And most of those were support trained and not really up to facing her, let alone one of the ridiculously overpowered hybrids.
By her count there were likely half a dozen, perhaps ten people she would have to watch out for. Unfortunately one of those people was Nicholas. Courtney did not believe Richard’s statement that he had killed the tiny general.
Courtney would not believe him dead until she saw his husk explode before her very eyes. Even then she would wonder. The number of times he had escaped certain death was absolutely astounding. And profoundly depressing.
So she had her senses peeled, all her defenses primed. Which is why she felt a familiar presence walk into the café. She filled another cup of coffee for a quiet Amy Deluca and walked towards the door to greet a seemingly disturbed Isabel. Why wasn’t she in school anyway?
It took but a single look to know that the girl was not Isabel. The spirit of Vilandra was still there, still recognizable… But different, more like Vilandra on a bad day. Vilandra had been almost as well known for her temper as for her beauty, and despite the prissy tantrums Courtney had witnessed Isabel throw, none of them had the sometimes sharp mean spiritedness that Vilandra had sometimes showed.
This girl was dangerous and probably not to be trusted. And… well… if there is another Vilandra, is there another Rath as well? Someone even better suited to rule than Michael will be?
No I have made my promise, pledged my support. I will stick to my honor. Besides this husk, it is all I truly have left. “Welcome to the Crashdown Café, would you like a table or booth?”
The girl glared at her, “I know what you are.”
“How convenient for you. Will you be expecting friends? I just cleaned off a booth right over there that easily fits four?”
“Be respectful, I could destroy you!” the hybrid hissed.
Courtney’s smile never wavered. “Child, you are a mere shadow of a great woman. I served her once and I’m not frightened of shadows. Besides even if you won, those Air Force men in the corner would probably catch you.” Courtney’s smile broadened even as her eyes turned glacial, “Picture a life as guinea pig, tortured to see how you work. So why don’t you be a good little girl and follow me to the booth. I’ll get you a Cherry Coke. Oh, and the grill will only be serving breakfast for another ten minutes, so if you want to get breakfast decide quickly.”
Courtney escorted the shaken girl to the booth and got her the drink. “Remember the kitchen stops serving breakfast in ten minutes.”
The girl sips some of her soda, looking intently at Courtney. “Did I know you?”
Courtney answered quietly but firmly, “Yes. On Antar, my name was Karis.” Courtney looked at her eyes carefully and was surprised to see recognition. This hybrid remembered her. Interesting. “I’ll be going on break now, let the other waitress know if you need anything.”
The girl just stared at Courtney, torn by indecision and uncertainty.
Courtney grabbed a quick order for breakfast for herself and discretely watched the girl from the back. She was not surprised when the girl suddenly left. Nor was Courtney surprised that Agnes did not clear off her table.
Which was good, as Courtney had been counting on Agnes’s well renowned laziness. Courtney quickly stole a moment from her break to bus the table, just to be sure.
Maybe Liz could get a flash from the straw. Either way, Courtney would have finger and psi prints from the cup and straw. Just because her scientific skills were a little rusty did not mean they were gone
She’d heard rumors of a group of hybrids found and lost in New York of all places. But when she’d tracked down the signal last May to this sleepy little town, she had dismissed those rumors as just that.
Maybe she had been wrong. But why would the Royals make more than one copy?
----
Alex-
Alex was sitting quietly doodling in his notebook waiting for second period to start. He was only vaguely aware that the sigils he was drawing had been first used in their current form more than three thousand years ago in the now ruined city of Pranik on Arijhael. It would eventually become the dominant language of Arijhael that the scattered survivors of that blasted world used it exclusively. It would be used when the first Kings of Tara brought order once more a world that had known only chaos for close to five hundred years.
Alex was writing in High Antaran. The subconscious part of his mind that was still planning his upcoming trip to Las Cruces played around with the sigils, in the hopes of figuring out the best way to program the new quantum level computer to crack the code.
Alex’s conscious mind was nervously trying to plan out his date with Isabel tomorrow. It had to be perfect.
So with his whole mind running flat out it is not surprising he jumped when someone grabbed his arm. He looked up to see what Maria wanted, as he shared this class with her… And saw a somewhat shaken Pam. “Hey, Pam, what do you need?”
“Right to the point as always Whitman. I do need you to do me a favor, but this time I promise it’s something you would want to do anyway.”
Alex just sighed. Pam was always trouble. It was not that she went out of her way to hurt people, but she was so nosy. “I can’t promise anything, particularly not after last time.”
“It’s Maria. I need you to calm her down, or find out what’s wrong. Of course I know some of it, well maybe more than some.”
Alex rolled his eyes. “Spit it out Pam.”
“Right, right. Okay, well Maria saw Michael and Liz kissing in the hallway.”
“Impossible.”
“No I assure you, I was there. Who would have thought the Perfect Miss Parker would turn into such a hussy? I mean first Kyle and now Michael…“
“Pam…“ Alex said gritting his teeth slightly.
“Oh, right. Your Liz’s friend, um sorry. But, well that’s not all. Maria’s dad is dead. Sean Deluca told me.”
Poor Maria. “Thanks for telling me. I’ll talk with her. Now what is in this for you?”
Pam’s face burst with indignation. “Nothing. God no one understands me,” she huffed before leaving the classroom with her hands in the air.
Alex could only shake his head. And worry for Maria. It was only three minutes before the bell rang. Should he go look for her or wait for her to get to class?
Right before he was about to leave to find her she breezed into the class room. Alex was immediately worried as her eyes looked dead. He was even more worried as they just glazed past him and she deliberately took a seat far from his.
She was avoiding him. Well she might be able to for the course of the class, but he was determined to comfort her after class. She should not be alone. Where was Liz or Michael, or for that matter where was Max?
It did not matter, he was here and he would not let her get hurt. The class could not end soon enough.
----
Kyle-
Kyle stared at Sean as he tried yet again to open the door. “Look, it’s not going to work. We aren’t leaving until she lets us go.”
“What are you talking about the door is just jammed. How could she be involved?”
Kyle turned to Ava, “Look, I promise I will take you to Max. But the earliest I usually see him is at lunch, so why don’t you let us go until then.”
Ava shook her head, “No, I do not want you to warn him against me. Plus Rath is walking the halls here. I do not want him to know that I am here as well.”
“Who is Rath?”
“He is like your Michael. He is dangerous. He has little compunction killing humans.”
Sean just stared at the punk version of Tess, “’He has no compunction killing humans’? What is that supposed to mean? That Michael looks to be trouble enough.” Sean turned to Kyle, “Look this cult thing you guys are involved in is dangerous. You have to promise me you will help Maria break free.”
“Ava, at least let Sean go. He’s not involved.”
Ava’s eyes just glittered for a moment. It was funny how she seemed both more and less human than Tess.
“Sean Deluca, answer me true,” Ava began in a regal if accented voice. “If I let you go, would you quietly go home and bother us no more. Or would you rather rush to your cousin’s side in a futile attempt to free her from burdens she has unknowingly accepted willingly?”
Kyle just stared at Sean and Ava.
Sean started to talk several times, but would abruptly stop. He face was puzzled as he looked Ava directly in her eyes. “What are you?”
“I am what I am, part of a long story that perhaps I shall tell you one day. Sean Deluca, I ask you again. Will you leave us in peace or will you seek to aid your cousin? You will find yourself unable to lie.”
Sean just glared at her for what seemed like forever. “I would help Maria. She may not like me, but she is family.”
“Your sense of family duty suits you well. But I can not let you leave just yet.” Ava shook her head before going back to a chair near the back wall. She sat in a meditative pose.
Sean walked over trying to be menacing. “Wait, I want answers.”
Ava cracked a single eye to stare at Sean. “Kyle can tell you what he thinks is wise. But quietly please, I have much to think on.”
Kyle walked over and grabbed Sean’s arm. “Come on, let’s just leave her alone for a little bit.”
“But, Kyle I could feel her do something to me. It was like, like something would not let me lie.”
“Trust me it only gets worse. If I were you, once we get out of here I would get in my car and drive as far and as fast as I could.”
“But what is going on?”
“Trust me the answers only muddy the waters. Maria calls it the Alien Abyss. You get involved with them and your regular life disappears.”
“Alien Abyss? Surely you can’t mean… I mean that’s totally ridiculous.” Sean shook his head. “Come on Kyle. You have got to tell me what is going on here.”
“You know I hope your curiosity doesn’t get you killed like it did me.”
Sean just stared at him.
“Oh, what the hell. We are going to be stranded here for a couple more hours. You’ll probably not believe me, and trust me that would be for the best. It is more a question of where to start.” Kyle racked his brains, trying to think of when it all began. Did he begin with the LGM’s supposed lives on Antar? Or their arrival on Earth? No, the logical place was where all their lives were changed. Where Kyle had lost his first love, for surely it was gunned down as much as Liz had been.
“Kyle?”
“Oh sorry. I guess we can start it where it begins for us, the humans in the group. I’m sketchy on some of the details, so you’ll need to ask the others for them. But our involvement all began when a lonely boy loved a girl so much that he risked his life and those of his family to save her.”
“What are you talking about?”
Kyle smiled a bittersweet smile, “September 19th 1999 Liz Parker was shot and killed.”
Sean had a look of indulgent amusement on his face. “So they are like pod people, and Liz has been replaced?”
Kyle chuckled, “Oh, they are indeed Pod people, but not the way you are thinking. Don’t worry, I’ll get to that. But we’re still at the beginning, and Liz is bleeding out on the floor of her parents’ restaurant.”
“Come on, Liz is fine. I saw her briefly yesterday.” Sean’s face started to grow white. “Only those papers, those documents of Aunt Amy’s they mentioned a shooting at the Crashdown last September. That a bloody dress had been recovered, but no one had been wounded… They wanted her to keep her eyes out for anything strange.” He glanced at Ava, “My God, it is all real…”
Kyle frowned. “What are you talking about? I suppose that Liz’s dress was bloody, but Max removed the blood from my clothes when he saved me.”
“Amy needed help to keep her father away from Maria. He had some power friends and she was afraid, even though they had threatened her at first.”
“Now I know you are a Deluca. What are you talking about.”
“Amy worked for the Special Unit of the FBI.”
----
Liz-
Liz followed Max into the Physics classroom. Max’s decision to not panic and keep their eyes out had not settled well with Michael. It had taken a few moments but eventually Max had gotten a reluctant assent that Michael was to warn Kyle. Isabel had Tess in her English class this period, so she would be warned.
Isabel would warn Alex and Maria after second period if she did not run into either of them in the hallways first. Liz needed to talk with Maria herself, to give Maria her father’s affects.
Still it was nice to spend a little time with Max before she had to tell Maria. Worse if the flashes told her anything, some of the information in the diaries would not look at Amy in a positive light. And then there was that crazy distorted version of Michael lurking about.
Max made her feel safe.
It was nice to sit at the same table as him too. It had been weeks since they had even been able to share that much. She pulled out her note book and got ready for class.
Mr. Seligman was all smiles for once. “Class did any of you see the nova this weekend?”
A couple of hands, including hers shot up. Max raised his hand slowly as well.
“Very good, very good. I do not know if any of you have peaked in towards the back of the book where it talks briefly of stellar evolution, but this is an exciting time. A black hole is expected to be the result. What could have caused a star seemingly in its prime to suddenly undergo something so dramatic, first glowing bright enough for the whole universe to see only to slowly turn so dark that light itself can not escape. What can account for this tragic loss…”
Liz was paying attention to Mr. Seligman as he droned on about stars and how they live and eventually die. It was interesting, but also sad.
She felt a hand grasp one of hers under the table. She looked over and saw Max, a small soft smile directed at her. Somehow, despite it all he still loved her. Why? Why did he love her so much?
Because he did. Nothing she seemed to do changed it. Part of her knew that she was not worthy of him, and another part was frightened of what he was. But last year she had tried so hard to win him over, and yet once she got him, she gave him up so easily.
Tess. It all revolved around his past wife. She made her feel like she could not give him the help Max needed. And Future Max had confirmed it. Little Liz Parker was not enough. They needed Tess.
But she needed Max. There was no point in denying it to herself. She needed him. And his love for her pointed to him needing her. But how to bridge the gap? How to reconcile such a conundrum?
She needed to tell him the truth. She needed to tell them all. And maybe, maybe a way could be found.
Until then she smiled back at Max, squeezing his hand lightly. And together they listened to Mr. Seligman talk about stars.
----
Michael-
Michael had spent the last period looking for Maria. Sure, he would warn Kyle if he ran into him. But he was growing increasingly worried about what he was feeling. She felt cold and distant.
He felt like he was losing her, and somehow he could no longer pin exactly where she was anymore. The idea that someone who looked like him could hurt her worried him in a way he had not felt, since well since Saturday when he had been frightened she was going to die.
He needed to think. He slipped into the Guidance Councilors’ Office. He smirked briefly to himself. He remembered when this had been Topolsky’s office. It was amazing how uncomplicated those times seemed to be now. Mrs. Gordon was on vacation until early December, so it was unlikely anyone would bother him here. So he sat down to think.
And heard voices. Familiar voices.
Maria.
A large part of him wanted to rush up and grab her. To hold her until she loved him again. But another part wanted to listen in, to listen to what was being said.
There was a trick he had long ago learned that let him listen in on conversations, that somehow used his powers to focus in a particular noise or conversation. He did not know how he did it, and it did not always work. But Maria always focused his abilities, and well, he knew she kept secrets.
He would listen.
And he heard everything she told Alex. She heard as she told him of Future Max, tell him of her future. Of how she had killed them all. Of Liz’s fear of her.
He could not take it. He heard as molten pain dripped from her voice and he could not wait.
Would she ever trust him? If she saw him with another girl, would he ever not have to worry about her jealousy?
He rushed to the second floor eraser room, to where she was.
It seemed mere seconds he was at the door to the infamous eraser room when he paused. Maybe she was better without him. Maybe this would give an opportunity for her to leave the chaos his life would always be and just be herself.
Only if the story he heard was true, then she had been alone last time. And look how well that had turned out. Miss Parker had a lot of explaining to do.
Michael opened the door and was aghast at how pale Maria looked.
Alex drolly said, “Well I guess it was only a matter of time.”
“It wasn’t me Maria. Apparently I have a clone walking on campus.”
Maria just looked at him suspiciously.
“Wait, there are copies of you guys?”
Michael ignored Alex and just focused on Maria. He took a step forward and she shrunk a little more against the wall. “Liz got a flash from him. And knew it wasn’t me.” Michael ran his hand through his hair, “I’m not good at this, look I know about your father.”
Maria just looked at him, tears slowly welling down her beautiful face. “I can’t feel anything. Michael it’s all gone.”
Michael reached out for her, holding her. And she began to shake. He looked down at her and held her. He did not say anything, just let her cry for a while, stroking her hair. Just being there for her.
At some point Alex must have left, because after a while, when Maria had calmed down a little he was gone. Which was just fine with Michael. For he was not sure who started it, but they began to kiss after a while.
Not something that needed an audience.
And later, while they both were catching their breath. Maria talked. And told him everything.
Michael just let the words flow over him. He knew he would be angry later, angry that all of this had been withheld from them. But for now he just let Maria’s sweet voice flow over him. And held her.
RhondaAnn- Maria is vulnerable at the moment, roughly akin to where she was in the previous timeline. She is heartbroken and feels alone. The real question is how her friends react to her. Do they stay stuck in their own lives or try to help her. In the future timeline she was alone. This time she is not.
xmag- Ah the wonders of modern science. That drug is pretty nasty, even if it does not have many obvious side effects. And don't forget she is overdosing on it too. It will make her take actions she might not under other circumstances.
Thank you for the advice in the pms. Hopefully I can put it to good use.
Disclaimer- Roswell is not mine and no infringement is intended. Also a tiny quote from Dido's Here With Me, I just could not resist.
A/N - I mentioned it before, but Arijhael was Antar's name before its civilization was destroyed by a Gamma Ray Burst from a near by supernova...
Eidolon part 17
Courtney-
Courtney walked through the Crashdown, cleaning tables as she went. It had been a fairly busy morning, but the main morning rush was over. As soon as Agnes was finished with her break, Courtney could take hers.
It was actually a nice day, too. Her husk had actually shed some the night before, leaving her hopeful that she would actually survive. She would have to be careful, but if she watched her intake of toxins… She might need Max to occasionally flush out excess, but if she was careful for say the next few months…. Her husk should be fully operational by then. She would have another fifty years, long enough to perhaps return home.
The hardest thing would be giving up cigarettes. She had not had one in several days and she would kill for one now. But she would not die for one. So quit she must. Still watching old Agnes puff away drove Courtney nuts. It wasn’t fair that humans should be able to be so tough.
Damn those ancient Rhyajhaelian eugenic programs. What good was such a long life if it had to be spent cowering in a shell?
Still fifty more years, even if stuck on this world was nothing to sneer at. She just had to be careful and cautious. She had grown so sloppy in field craft terms here on Earth. But it was no longer enough to hide herself away from the local authorities, she had the other Skins to worry about now. They knew where she stood, and they undoubtedly knew where she lived.
On the plus side, Nicholas had wasted a lot of her former colleagues last Saturday. Unless they got seriously reinforced there were easily less than thirty Skins left on Earth. And most of those were support trained and not really up to facing her, let alone one of the ridiculously overpowered hybrids.
By her count there were likely half a dozen, perhaps ten people she would have to watch out for. Unfortunately one of those people was Nicholas. Courtney did not believe Richard’s statement that he had killed the tiny general.
Courtney would not believe him dead until she saw his husk explode before her very eyes. Even then she would wonder. The number of times he had escaped certain death was absolutely astounding. And profoundly depressing.
So she had her senses peeled, all her defenses primed. Which is why she felt a familiar presence walk into the café. She filled another cup of coffee for a quiet Amy Deluca and walked towards the door to greet a seemingly disturbed Isabel. Why wasn’t she in school anyway?
It took but a single look to know that the girl was not Isabel. The spirit of Vilandra was still there, still recognizable… But different, more like Vilandra on a bad day. Vilandra had been almost as well known for her temper as for her beauty, and despite the prissy tantrums Courtney had witnessed Isabel throw, none of them had the sometimes sharp mean spiritedness that Vilandra had sometimes showed.
This girl was dangerous and probably not to be trusted. And… well… if there is another Vilandra, is there another Rath as well? Someone even better suited to rule than Michael will be?
No I have made my promise, pledged my support. I will stick to my honor. Besides this husk, it is all I truly have left. “Welcome to the Crashdown Café, would you like a table or booth?”
The girl glared at her, “I know what you are.”
“How convenient for you. Will you be expecting friends? I just cleaned off a booth right over there that easily fits four?”
“Be respectful, I could destroy you!” the hybrid hissed.
Courtney’s smile never wavered. “Child, you are a mere shadow of a great woman. I served her once and I’m not frightened of shadows. Besides even if you won, those Air Force men in the corner would probably catch you.” Courtney’s smile broadened even as her eyes turned glacial, “Picture a life as guinea pig, tortured to see how you work. So why don’t you be a good little girl and follow me to the booth. I’ll get you a Cherry Coke. Oh, and the grill will only be serving breakfast for another ten minutes, so if you want to get breakfast decide quickly.”
Courtney escorted the shaken girl to the booth and got her the drink. “Remember the kitchen stops serving breakfast in ten minutes.”
The girl sips some of her soda, looking intently at Courtney. “Did I know you?”
Courtney answered quietly but firmly, “Yes. On Antar, my name was Karis.” Courtney looked at her eyes carefully and was surprised to see recognition. This hybrid remembered her. Interesting. “I’ll be going on break now, let the other waitress know if you need anything.”
The girl just stared at Courtney, torn by indecision and uncertainty.
Courtney grabbed a quick order for breakfast for herself and discretely watched the girl from the back. She was not surprised when the girl suddenly left. Nor was Courtney surprised that Agnes did not clear off her table.
Which was good, as Courtney had been counting on Agnes’s well renowned laziness. Courtney quickly stole a moment from her break to bus the table, just to be sure.
Maybe Liz could get a flash from the straw. Either way, Courtney would have finger and psi prints from the cup and straw. Just because her scientific skills were a little rusty did not mean they were gone
She’d heard rumors of a group of hybrids found and lost in New York of all places. But when she’d tracked down the signal last May to this sleepy little town, she had dismissed those rumors as just that.
Maybe she had been wrong. But why would the Royals make more than one copy?
----
Alex-
Alex was sitting quietly doodling in his notebook waiting for second period to start. He was only vaguely aware that the sigils he was drawing had been first used in their current form more than three thousand years ago in the now ruined city of Pranik on Arijhael. It would eventually become the dominant language of Arijhael that the scattered survivors of that blasted world used it exclusively. It would be used when the first Kings of Tara brought order once more a world that had known only chaos for close to five hundred years.
Alex was writing in High Antaran. The subconscious part of his mind that was still planning his upcoming trip to Las Cruces played around with the sigils, in the hopes of figuring out the best way to program the new quantum level computer to crack the code.
Alex’s conscious mind was nervously trying to plan out his date with Isabel tomorrow. It had to be perfect.
So with his whole mind running flat out it is not surprising he jumped when someone grabbed his arm. He looked up to see what Maria wanted, as he shared this class with her… And saw a somewhat shaken Pam. “Hey, Pam, what do you need?”
“Right to the point as always Whitman. I do need you to do me a favor, but this time I promise it’s something you would want to do anyway.”
Alex just sighed. Pam was always trouble. It was not that she went out of her way to hurt people, but she was so nosy. “I can’t promise anything, particularly not after last time.”
“It’s Maria. I need you to calm her down, or find out what’s wrong. Of course I know some of it, well maybe more than some.”
Alex rolled his eyes. “Spit it out Pam.”
“Right, right. Okay, well Maria saw Michael and Liz kissing in the hallway.”
“Impossible.”
“No I assure you, I was there. Who would have thought the Perfect Miss Parker would turn into such a hussy? I mean first Kyle and now Michael…“
“Pam…“ Alex said gritting his teeth slightly.
“Oh, right. Your Liz’s friend, um sorry. But, well that’s not all. Maria’s dad is dead. Sean Deluca told me.”
Poor Maria. “Thanks for telling me. I’ll talk with her. Now what is in this for you?”
Pam’s face burst with indignation. “Nothing. God no one understands me,” she huffed before leaving the classroom with her hands in the air.
Alex could only shake his head. And worry for Maria. It was only three minutes before the bell rang. Should he go look for her or wait for her to get to class?
Right before he was about to leave to find her she breezed into the class room. Alex was immediately worried as her eyes looked dead. He was even more worried as they just glazed past him and she deliberately took a seat far from his.
She was avoiding him. Well she might be able to for the course of the class, but he was determined to comfort her after class. She should not be alone. Where was Liz or Michael, or for that matter where was Max?
It did not matter, he was here and he would not let her get hurt. The class could not end soon enough.
----
Kyle-
Kyle stared at Sean as he tried yet again to open the door. “Look, it’s not going to work. We aren’t leaving until she lets us go.”
“What are you talking about the door is just jammed. How could she be involved?”
Kyle turned to Ava, “Look, I promise I will take you to Max. But the earliest I usually see him is at lunch, so why don’t you let us go until then.”
Ava shook her head, “No, I do not want you to warn him against me. Plus Rath is walking the halls here. I do not want him to know that I am here as well.”
“Who is Rath?”
“He is like your Michael. He is dangerous. He has little compunction killing humans.”
Sean just stared at the punk version of Tess, “’He has no compunction killing humans’? What is that supposed to mean? That Michael looks to be trouble enough.” Sean turned to Kyle, “Look this cult thing you guys are involved in is dangerous. You have to promise me you will help Maria break free.”
“Ava, at least let Sean go. He’s not involved.”
Ava’s eyes just glittered for a moment. It was funny how she seemed both more and less human than Tess.
“Sean Deluca, answer me true,” Ava began in a regal if accented voice. “If I let you go, would you quietly go home and bother us no more. Or would you rather rush to your cousin’s side in a futile attempt to free her from burdens she has unknowingly accepted willingly?”
Kyle just stared at Sean and Ava.
Sean started to talk several times, but would abruptly stop. He face was puzzled as he looked Ava directly in her eyes. “What are you?”
“I am what I am, part of a long story that perhaps I shall tell you one day. Sean Deluca, I ask you again. Will you leave us in peace or will you seek to aid your cousin? You will find yourself unable to lie.”
Sean just glared at her for what seemed like forever. “I would help Maria. She may not like me, but she is family.”
“Your sense of family duty suits you well. But I can not let you leave just yet.” Ava shook her head before going back to a chair near the back wall. She sat in a meditative pose.
Sean walked over trying to be menacing. “Wait, I want answers.”
Ava cracked a single eye to stare at Sean. “Kyle can tell you what he thinks is wise. But quietly please, I have much to think on.”
Kyle walked over and grabbed Sean’s arm. “Come on, let’s just leave her alone for a little bit.”
“But, Kyle I could feel her do something to me. It was like, like something would not let me lie.”
“Trust me it only gets worse. If I were you, once we get out of here I would get in my car and drive as far and as fast as I could.”
“But what is going on?”
“Trust me the answers only muddy the waters. Maria calls it the Alien Abyss. You get involved with them and your regular life disappears.”
“Alien Abyss? Surely you can’t mean… I mean that’s totally ridiculous.” Sean shook his head. “Come on Kyle. You have got to tell me what is going on here.”
“You know I hope your curiosity doesn’t get you killed like it did me.”
Sean just stared at him.
“Oh, what the hell. We are going to be stranded here for a couple more hours. You’ll probably not believe me, and trust me that would be for the best. It is more a question of where to start.” Kyle racked his brains, trying to think of when it all began. Did he begin with the LGM’s supposed lives on Antar? Or their arrival on Earth? No, the logical place was where all their lives were changed. Where Kyle had lost his first love, for surely it was gunned down as much as Liz had been.
“Kyle?”
“Oh sorry. I guess we can start it where it begins for us, the humans in the group. I’m sketchy on some of the details, so you’ll need to ask the others for them. But our involvement all began when a lonely boy loved a girl so much that he risked his life and those of his family to save her.”
“What are you talking about?”
Kyle smiled a bittersweet smile, “September 19th 1999 Liz Parker was shot and killed.”
Sean had a look of indulgent amusement on his face. “So they are like pod people, and Liz has been replaced?”
Kyle chuckled, “Oh, they are indeed Pod people, but not the way you are thinking. Don’t worry, I’ll get to that. But we’re still at the beginning, and Liz is bleeding out on the floor of her parents’ restaurant.”
“Come on, Liz is fine. I saw her briefly yesterday.” Sean’s face started to grow white. “Only those papers, those documents of Aunt Amy’s they mentioned a shooting at the Crashdown last September. That a bloody dress had been recovered, but no one had been wounded… They wanted her to keep her eyes out for anything strange.” He glanced at Ava, “My God, it is all real…”
Kyle frowned. “What are you talking about? I suppose that Liz’s dress was bloody, but Max removed the blood from my clothes when he saved me.”
“Amy needed help to keep her father away from Maria. He had some power friends and she was afraid, even though they had threatened her at first.”
“Now I know you are a Deluca. What are you talking about.”
“Amy worked for the Special Unit of the FBI.”
----
Liz-
Liz followed Max into the Physics classroom. Max’s decision to not panic and keep their eyes out had not settled well with Michael. It had taken a few moments but eventually Max had gotten a reluctant assent that Michael was to warn Kyle. Isabel had Tess in her English class this period, so she would be warned.
Isabel would warn Alex and Maria after second period if she did not run into either of them in the hallways first. Liz needed to talk with Maria herself, to give Maria her father’s affects.
Still it was nice to spend a little time with Max before she had to tell Maria. Worse if the flashes told her anything, some of the information in the diaries would not look at Amy in a positive light. And then there was that crazy distorted version of Michael lurking about.
Max made her feel safe.
It was nice to sit at the same table as him too. It had been weeks since they had even been able to share that much. She pulled out her note book and got ready for class.
Mr. Seligman was all smiles for once. “Class did any of you see the nova this weekend?”
A couple of hands, including hers shot up. Max raised his hand slowly as well.
“Very good, very good. I do not know if any of you have peaked in towards the back of the book where it talks briefly of stellar evolution, but this is an exciting time. A black hole is expected to be the result. What could have caused a star seemingly in its prime to suddenly undergo something so dramatic, first glowing bright enough for the whole universe to see only to slowly turn so dark that light itself can not escape. What can account for this tragic loss…”
Liz was paying attention to Mr. Seligman as he droned on about stars and how they live and eventually die. It was interesting, but also sad.
She felt a hand grasp one of hers under the table. She looked over and saw Max, a small soft smile directed at her. Somehow, despite it all he still loved her. Why? Why did he love her so much?
Because he did. Nothing she seemed to do changed it. Part of her knew that she was not worthy of him, and another part was frightened of what he was. But last year she had tried so hard to win him over, and yet once she got him, she gave him up so easily.
Tess. It all revolved around his past wife. She made her feel like she could not give him the help Max needed. And Future Max had confirmed it. Little Liz Parker was not enough. They needed Tess.
But she needed Max. There was no point in denying it to herself. She needed him. And his love for her pointed to him needing her. But how to bridge the gap? How to reconcile such a conundrum?
She needed to tell him the truth. She needed to tell them all. And maybe, maybe a way could be found.
Until then she smiled back at Max, squeezing his hand lightly. And together they listened to Mr. Seligman talk about stars.
----
Michael-
Michael had spent the last period looking for Maria. Sure, he would warn Kyle if he ran into him. But he was growing increasingly worried about what he was feeling. She felt cold and distant.
He felt like he was losing her, and somehow he could no longer pin exactly where she was anymore. The idea that someone who looked like him could hurt her worried him in a way he had not felt, since well since Saturday when he had been frightened she was going to die.
He needed to think. He slipped into the Guidance Councilors’ Office. He smirked briefly to himself. He remembered when this had been Topolsky’s office. It was amazing how uncomplicated those times seemed to be now. Mrs. Gordon was on vacation until early December, so it was unlikely anyone would bother him here. So he sat down to think.
And heard voices. Familiar voices.
Maria.
A large part of him wanted to rush up and grab her. To hold her until she loved him again. But another part wanted to listen in, to listen to what was being said.
There was a trick he had long ago learned that let him listen in on conversations, that somehow used his powers to focus in a particular noise or conversation. He did not know how he did it, and it did not always work. But Maria always focused his abilities, and well, he knew she kept secrets.
He would listen.
And he heard everything she told Alex. She heard as she told him of Future Max, tell him of her future. Of how she had killed them all. Of Liz’s fear of her.
He could not take it. He heard as molten pain dripped from her voice and he could not wait.
Would she ever trust him? If she saw him with another girl, would he ever not have to worry about her jealousy?
He rushed to the second floor eraser room, to where she was.
It seemed mere seconds he was at the door to the infamous eraser room when he paused. Maybe she was better without him. Maybe this would give an opportunity for her to leave the chaos his life would always be and just be herself.
Only if the story he heard was true, then she had been alone last time. And look how well that had turned out. Miss Parker had a lot of explaining to do.
Michael opened the door and was aghast at how pale Maria looked.
Alex drolly said, “Well I guess it was only a matter of time.”
“It wasn’t me Maria. Apparently I have a clone walking on campus.”
Maria just looked at him suspiciously.
“Wait, there are copies of you guys?”
Michael ignored Alex and just focused on Maria. He took a step forward and she shrunk a little more against the wall. “Liz got a flash from him. And knew it wasn’t me.” Michael ran his hand through his hair, “I’m not good at this, look I know about your father.”
Maria just looked at him, tears slowly welling down her beautiful face. “I can’t feel anything. Michael it’s all gone.”
Michael reached out for her, holding her. And she began to shake. He looked down at her and held her. He did not say anything, just let her cry for a while, stroking her hair. Just being there for her.
At some point Alex must have left, because after a while, when Maria had calmed down a little he was gone. Which was just fine with Michael. For he was not sure who started it, but they began to kiss after a while.
Not something that needed an audience.
And later, while they both were catching their breath. Maria talked. And told him everything.
Michael just let the words flow over him. He knew he would be angry later, angry that all of this had been withheld from them. But for now he just let Maria’s sweet voice flow over him. And held her.
Re: IDS Eidolon (CC ALL, Teen/Mature) Chapter 17- 02/26/08
Thanks to everyone reading this story. Particular thanks to xmag and RhondaAnn for the feedback.
xmag- Courtney and Maria did discuss a little briefly in the car after the party. The conversation got cut short by Pam telling Maria that Isabel was about to kill Liz. (Pam still wants the details too.) Basically Courtney told Maria that she added some of her memories to Maria's in the Longest Day. At that point Courtney thought she was going to die, and wanted to help Maria and Michael as much as she could. (These memories are not buried as deeply as those of the hybrids. So from time to time Maria will remember something from Courtney's life. It takes something significant to open the hybrids' memories... The reason for that to be explained later.)
Maria is currently overdosed on a powerful drug that directly affects the chemical balance in the brain. There will be reprecussions as her personality is not firing on all cylinders so to speak. The current obvious effect is how subdued she is.
As to Ava, remember that until around four years ago, all the New York hybrids had families. And a protector that actually did a decent job of training them. Neither Lonnie nor Rath were always bullies, although that is what they are now. Ava is trained as a Mitharan, in as much as her protector could train her as such. Her powers are not the same as Tess's, although there is some similarity due simply to the fact they are drawing on the same talent pool. (As an aside and mild spoiler, both Lonnie and Rath are going to be unpleasantly surprised at the differences at a later date.)
RhondaAnn- Well, things should start looking a little better, not this part but the next. The Pod Squad have some problems that in a few parts should be taken care of, and hopefully that will be better. As to Amy, she was the person that Agent Hart was refering too in IDS's epilogue. I'm trying to keep the character expansion to a limit, but there might be a Sheriff POV dealing with Amy forming up.
Disclaimer- Roswell is not mine and no infringement is intended.
Eidolon chapter 18
Liz-
Liz sat through fourth period in a golden haze. Waiting until the lunch bell would ring and she would meet with Max again.
She had forgotten how it had felt, the feeling of loving someone and knowing in her heart that it was returned. Without strings or attachments. Before she had been constantly either desiring him, knowing it could never be. Or she had him, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Now she knew, they would work out. Better yet, they were compatible. Last timeline they had had children. And would again if she had anything to do about it.
Their was the niggling detail of how to have Tess stay so as to avert the end of the world, true. But that was a worry for another moment.
Liz stared down at her notebook. The margins were full of hearts and starbursts. And written over and over was Elizabeth Parker Evans. She was feeling a tad bit obsessed.
“Hey Parker, are you okay?”
Liz looked up and saw Trent, one of her friends and the person currently fourth in her class. “Um yeah, why do you ask?”
“Class ended two minutes ago and your still doodling in your notebook.” He had a slight smile and looked over her shoulder to see what she was writing.
Liz quickly closed the book. “None of your business, Trent.”
“You and Max back together then.”
“Trent!” But Liz could not stop a blush.
Trent just nodded, “Cindy will be over the moon. I’ll email you a copy of my notes for today. Somehow I don’t think American history was what your mind was on.”
“Thanks, you helped me enough in Bio last year. Now move, both of us have better places to be.”
Liz just smiled at him, gathered her books, and shot out the door. As she purposely strode down the hallway, she ignored the stares and whispers. It had taken getting used to after the situation with Kyle had started rumors through the school. Her reputation had taken a few hits of late.
But right now all she could think of was getting to Max. She saw him walking towards her locker. Their eyes met across the hallway, and for a moment everything seemed to stop.
How had she ever have thought she could give him up?
She walked dreamily toward him, her mind thinking of excuses she could tell their friends on why they would be late. Would ten minutes of stolen kisses be so bad? Surely they would forgive them?
And then she saw Vanessa, one of the pretty people that Isabel hung out with. Liz watched as she all but draped her body on Max, asking some stupid question no doubt. She saw Vanessa note her arrival and redouble her efforts.
Liz had always prided herself on her control. Now all the situations regarding Max, well she knew that she really had no control. It made her need to draw back and try to regain composure. That had been what her whole trip to Florida had been about. But no matter how far she ran she could not escape herself.
Liz was addicted to Max and so she had tried cold turkey, tried so hard to remove him and the whole Abyss from her life. But she had never really ever been able to let go. Thoughts of Max still percolated through what ever defense she set up, and lately she had been a tear factory because of it.
But this was different. Molten rage flowed through her body as she watched Vanessa. If it had been Tess she would have let it pass. Maybe. The world was partly riding on Tess’s continued existence in Roswell.
Vanessa had no such protection.
Liz felt a warm confidence flow through her as she calmly moved toward Vanessa. She felt pins and needles coursing through her hands and up her arms. A half smile that would be unfamiliar to her friends grew on her face.
This was going to be fun.
----
Maria-
For the first time today, Maria felt warm. Michael just held her as she told him everything. Well almost everything. She still had not told him about Dorian, or about Isabel’s troubles. She had promised after all.
But it was hard to keep anything from him, so very hard. Particularly since he was acting so good. She had felt him tense and expected him to start to rail against either her or Liz… But he hadn’t. He had just held her.
She knew the storm was coming, that he would be accusing Liz as soon as he saw her.
And to be honest would that be wrong? She really should have told someone what was going on. At the very least Liz should have told her as they had been best friends forever, and in this timeline she would try to remain so.
The very idea that she could be the villain frightened her. That she could strike down her friends, that she could change so much… Worse there was a tiny voice that was proud that she had been so strong, that she had been the center of attention for once.
How did her life become so complex. She looked up at Michael, who gave her a worried little smile. So very warm.
Her lids flickered and closed.
She stared up at the woman who had been her employer, friend, and now liege. Who would have thought that little Karis Couertenai, rebel and survivor of Drimordjian, would ever become a councilor to the Ruler of Antar. “What happened here, Your Majesty.”
Vilandra ran a bloody hand through her gossamer fine hair, “I don’t know. We were betrayed, but by whom? The list just of those laying dead in this room who wanted it all to fall apart... I’m not even sure it was just one attempt.”
And yet here you stand completely unharmed. Did you want this to happen, my friend? Karis stayed silent, waiting for Vilandra to continue.
“It all happened so fast, so very fast.”
“So what now, Your Majesty?”
“Oh please don’t call me that. The Tarenons are finished. I am finished.”
“After all the work you have done, after all the struggles, you are just going to quit. You are going to just surrender. That is not the Vilandra I know.”
“So much power, so much knowledge… How did Zan ever manage?” Vilandra took a deep breath. “I am not giving up, I have a plan. A crazy unworkable plan thought up by my mother. It will work, but not in the way she thinks. Not in the way anyone thinks.”
“What is it and how can I help?”
“It is better that you do not know. I want you to live and if you stay by my side you will surely die. Never think it is that I do not trust you, for I have one last task from which you will not be able to return here from.”
“We’ve been friends for what seventeen years. We have faced longer odds. Why are you sending me away now?”
“There is a task you can accomplish that perhaps none here can. I need you to save Khivar, to take him back to his army.”
“That will mark me as a traitor! Surely he had something to do about today!”
“That is why you will not be able to return. I have logged my orders, my official orders where they will be kept for posterity. They will know you acted on my orders.”
“But why?”
“I love him still. He shielded me from the blast. And I struck him down. Please, it is my last order.”
Maria’s eyes flicked back open. “Vilandra saved Khivar.
“What?” she heard Michael rumble.
“I just, how long have we been in here? We still need to meet the others.”
“It’s time, but if your still not feeling good… or if there are any more surprises I should know about…”
“Thank you Spaceboy.” She reached up and gave him a little kiss. “But we need to go, they will worry.”
Michael reached down and kissed her back.
What would being five minutes late matter?
----
Max-
Max watched as Liz walked around the corner. He felt the connection open as their eyes met. He loved her so.
He felt as someone grabbed his arm and started talking to him. He simply ignored her, even when she leaned her body into his. His eyes were on Liz. She was his again, if only for the moment.
But Liz noticed. Her gaze flicked from his to the person. His gaze followed his and he looked into dark eyes. But they were not Liz’s so he looked back up to see Liz again.
Max could have sworn that Liz’s eyes turned cobalt blue if only for a second. A unfamiliar almost vicious smile formed on her lips. And Liz moved.
She moved so very fast, it was almost like she flowed toward Vanessa. And then Vanessa was gone, her back solidly against one of the lockers. He turned his gaze to follow, noting in passing a growing crowd of school mates watching. He needed this to stop.
A couple of students started chanting, “Fight, fight.” But if it was it was remarkably one sided. Vanessa struggled only for a moment before she just stopped. Liz had stopped every one of her attempted attacks, and continued to hold Vanessa’s right hand in mid-slap. Liz’s other hand caressed Vanessa’s left cheek. Liz was talking softly so he moved closer to hear her.
“…so I just think you should keep that in mind, don’t you? Just nod if you understand.”
Vanessa looked terrified as she slowly nodded, tears streaming down her cheeks.
“That is very good. You have such fine delicate cheekbones and it would be such a shame…”
Max tapped her on the shoulder, “Uh, Liz, you, your making a bit of a scene.” And he could feel it, the strange force that she had used on the soldier yesterday. It was all focused on Vanessa.
“Just a second, Max. I am just talking with my good friend Vanessa. We are friends, right Vanessa.”
Vanessa just nodded even as she trembled in fear.
Max took a quick look at the onlookers, many of whom were breaking off since there was so little action. “Liz we have to go. The others will be waiting. Um, sorry I was ignoring you Vanessa, was there anything you needed to say to me.”
Vanessa looked at Liz and then at Max and shook her head. She looked plaintively at Max.
Liz let Vanessa’s right hand go, and Vanessa slumped against the lockers. Liz turned to Max, “Okay, I guess we are done here. Let’s go.”
Max could feel Liz let up the pressure on Vanessa. As they walked away he could hear her soft sobs as she sat down back still against the lockers. He wished Isabel or someone were with him, as he needed to get Liz away from the broken girl. “Liz, what is wrong with you?”
“What do you mean? I feel fine.”
“You just assaulted Vanessa in the hallway.”
“No, Oh my God, I really did didn’t I? I need to go back and apologize. I don’t know what came over me…”
“Yeah, you should apologize, but I don’t think now is the right time. You did something to her, and I think she’s probably terrified of you at the moment.” Max gave a sigh. “We need to figure out a way to handle Emily.”
“Maybe you can heal me, I mean can you do that?”
“I can try, after school. Do you work?”
“No. But, but I’m scared Max. I can remember everything, it all seemed so rational. I think, I think if she had put up more of a fight that I, <sob> that I could have killed her. I’m just scared of her, of being her.”
“Come on, we’ll make it better.” He kissed her softly on the forehead and started planning. He just wished they had more time.
He might as well wish he were normal.
----
Isabel-
Isabel wandered the hallways looking for Alex. She had not seen him in third period English, and she was pretty sure he was here today. She needed to warn Alex of Michael’s doppelganger. She had not seen Maria, but Isabel was sure that Michael had broken down and tracked her down first.
So Isabel was looking for Alex, and possibly Kyle. Michael probably had not bothered to warn him in his search for Maria. But mostly she was looking for Alex.
She shook her head at her own stupidity and closed her eyes for a moment and felt for him. She smiled and walked towards where he was. She could have saved so much trouble and worry if she had just remembered. But she was not used to being linked to anyone outside of Michael and Max.
She was surprised when she turned the corner to find Alex comforting a shaken Vanessa. Vanessa was or at least had been one of Roswell’s elite pretty people. Isabel had been friends with her for years. The idea of Alex holding her was well, about as likely as him dating Isabel. Which he was, now that she thought about it. Isabel’s eyes narrowed. She needed to get to the bottom of this. “Hey Alex. Vanessa.”
Alex just looked at her and said, “Liz.”
Vanessa looked at Isabel and if anything started trembling even more.
Isabel looked at Vanessa and then back at Alex. “Liz?”
Alex nodded grimly and held the sobbing girl.
Isabel walked up to Vanessa, “Vanessa, why don’t you come with me and we’ll get you cleaned up. Alex go grab me some lunch and tell the others I’ll be right there.”
“Sure thing, Iz.”
“And if you get me a yogurt…”
“’Don’t forget the extra sugar‘, don’t worry Isabel.”
Isabel steered Vanessa to one of the restrooms. She helped Vanessa wash her face and fix her makeup a little. Through all of this Vanessa watched Isabel closely.
Vanessa pulled a tube of lipstick from a pocket and applied it to her lips. She kept looking at Isabel in the mirror. “Pam was right. ‘Don’t mess with the Czechs.’”
Isabel just looked at her. “What happened?”
“I made a stupid rushed play for your brother. Who completely ignored me to stare at Liz.” Vanessa shook her head. “Next thing I know, Liz had me pinned against a locker. She’s just so fast. We could really use someone like her on the tennis team.” Vanessa shook her head again. “And she threatened me with bodily harm if I bothered her or Max again.”
“Vanessa…”
“I know you told us not to bother your brother, but I’m sorry Isabel. It is a simple fact that your brother is hot. If it was not so obvious that his concerns rested solely with academics and Liz Parker, he’d have his own harem. And Liz hasn’t seemed that territorial this year, what with Tess hanging all over him… You know before today, I would have given odds to Tess, I mean we are talking about sweet kind Liz Parker here. Now I am not so sure.”
“I’m sure that Liz didn’t mean anything…”
“Oh, she meant it. Trust me I am not going to risk it.”
Isabel was just silent. What could she say? That Liz now had an aggressive alter ego named Emily? That an alien had tried to brain wash her and had partially succeeded?
That would go over well.
“Hey, Isabel, are we still friends?”
“Yeah, why wouldn’t we be?”
“You should catch up to Alex. I’m just going to be here for a little while. And Isabel, you should seriously reconsider Alex. He was the only one who stopped for me.” Vanessa’s voice hitched a little. “Stacy and Claire just walked right on by, like I wasn’t even there.” Vanessa’s head shook with contempt, ”’Image is everything’ Go on Isabel, I’ll be fine. And thanks.”
“For what?” Isabel said, fixing her own lipstick.
“For being my friend.”
Isabel patted her on the shoulder and left the restroom. Only to see Alex, who had been waiting for her.
Alex shrugged at her, “I got everything and then I decided to wait for you. Did you find out anything?”
“Emily.”
“What?”
“Liz was possessed by Emily when she attacked Vanessa.”
“Max is going to try to heal her after school. There goes my party.”
“Party, what party.”
“Max was going to have us all get together at the Crashdown for a goodbye party for me.”
“Well, I’ll be there, so you had better show too Mr. Whitman.”
“How can I avoid such an endearing invitation.” Alex stepped back, reached out and kissed her hand. “If I may escort you to our table, my lady?”
Isabel could not help but smile at his hapless gallantry. She took his offered arm, and they walked arm in arm into the school’s quad to meet with their friends.
----
Tess-
Tess sat alone at a table and watched her friends. Max was worried about Liz. And Liz was now at the point that dosing her with Valerium was likely pointless. Maria on the other hand was a different story. Her life force was like a candle close to guttering out.
A heavier dose would have killed her. It was possible that continued doses that heavy still could. But the only other option would be to let her powers express while Richard sent her a more dilute pill. She looked at Michael who was obviously worried about Maria. He kept shooting angry glares at Liz for some reason too.
Alex was simultaneously amusing and annoying Isabel. She did not know what she was going to do about Alex. He still wanted to go on this trip, but she was not sure how much of that was him, and how much of it was her original mind warp.
Kyle wasn’t here yet, but he worried her just the same. She had the same problem with him that she had with Maria. Only she really did not want to kill either of them, and after taking a look at the pain that Maria felt now… She was not sure she could do that to him. But how to explain her actions?
Kyle had been surprised at her choices of movies yesterday. After she had watched his sports they had watched the original Star Wars movies. She had always empathized with the Jedi. They reminded her of the Mithar Council Guard really, who had been less noble but much more effective.
Only this time she came to a sobering conclusion.
She wasn’t one of the good guys. She wasn’t quite sure if she was a villain, but looking at her friends human allies… She definitely wasn’t one of the heroes.
And she wanted to be. Why couldn’t she be a hero, too?
But how, how could she bridge the gap? She had done so much, so very much that might be wrong. She looked up at Maria’s pale face as she smacked Michael for some oblivious statement. Even now she was doing it.
So Tess spent lunch desperately trying to think of a way to be good, without all of her friends hating her for what she had done.
She simply did not want to be evil anymore.
----
Ava-
Ava listened carefully to both of the boys she had caught. She had chosen Kyle deliberately, but Sean was a lucky break. It had taken only the slightest bit of tweaking to make both of them willing to share their stories.
They had been an excellent source of information. But it was now time. She had felt as Rath had left the campus. Lonnie had never showed, so obviously she had had a different target.
But she had an opening now, to warn them. She opened her eyes and got up from her seat. “Gentlemen it is time to go.”
“Not going to hold us hostage any longer?” Sean said, clambering up from his own makeshift seat. “Not going to ship us to mine Pluto or something?”
“Okay, so you are going to let us go if we take you to Max right.” Kyle looked at her. “Um, Ava, I don’t know how you got in here, but you’re not really dressed to fit in here.”
Ava looked down at her fishnet stockings, short skirt, and revealing blouse… Kyle was right, she would stick out. So she changed her clothes to fit in, changing from punk to preppy in an instant. After her clothes she muted her tattoos to make the ink the same shade as her skin tone. Lastly she changed her hair to black. It would not do for there to be two Tesses on the same campus.
Sean just stared at her in amazement. And maybe a little fear.
Kyle sighed, “Ava is there anyway you can fix his memory.”
Ava just stared at Kyle. Just what had her sister done to make him believe he would do something so unethical. “No Kyle, I can change what he sees, not what he has seen. To steal a memory is a theft of part of who he is.”
Kyle nodded and turned to Sean, “Sean, you can’t tell anyone about this. Particularly not your aunt. Dad is going to hate finding that out. If you need to talk about it, talk to one of us.”
Sean just looked at Kyle, “Who would believe me.”
Ava touched his arm. “Most it is true, would not. But there are those who wish us great harm. People have died in horrific fashion at their hands. Your cousin is one who would be subjected to considerable experimentation, assuming she was not simply vivisected along with the rest of us.”
Sean turned to Kyle, “What a charming club you belong, too.”
“Hey, I did not join, I was drafted. I was serious when I said your best option is to simply leave. Otherwise you may get to a point where you are permanently stuck.”
“What about you or Maria?”
“Both of us are hopelessly stuck. She is in love with Michael, and you would be hard pressed to get her to leave Liz. And me, well Roswell is my home.”
Ava opened the door, “This is fascinating but we really should get going. Sean Deluca, it was a pleasure meeting you. Let‘s go Kyle.”
It had been a long time coming but finally she would get to see her sister. And Zan’s twin.
----
xmag- Courtney and Maria did discuss a little briefly in the car after the party. The conversation got cut short by Pam telling Maria that Isabel was about to kill Liz. (Pam still wants the details too.) Basically Courtney told Maria that she added some of her memories to Maria's in the Longest Day. At that point Courtney thought she was going to die, and wanted to help Maria and Michael as much as she could. (These memories are not buried as deeply as those of the hybrids. So from time to time Maria will remember something from Courtney's life. It takes something significant to open the hybrids' memories... The reason for that to be explained later.)
Maria is currently overdosed on a powerful drug that directly affects the chemical balance in the brain. There will be reprecussions as her personality is not firing on all cylinders so to speak. The current obvious effect is how subdued she is.
As to Ava, remember that until around four years ago, all the New York hybrids had families. And a protector that actually did a decent job of training them. Neither Lonnie nor Rath were always bullies, although that is what they are now. Ava is trained as a Mitharan, in as much as her protector could train her as such. Her powers are not the same as Tess's, although there is some similarity due simply to the fact they are drawing on the same talent pool. (As an aside and mild spoiler, both Lonnie and Rath are going to be unpleasantly surprised at the differences at a later date.)
RhondaAnn- Well, things should start looking a little better, not this part but the next. The Pod Squad have some problems that in a few parts should be taken care of, and hopefully that will be better. As to Amy, she was the person that Agent Hart was refering too in IDS's epilogue. I'm trying to keep the character expansion to a limit, but there might be a Sheriff POV dealing with Amy forming up.
Disclaimer- Roswell is not mine and no infringement is intended.
Eidolon chapter 18
Liz-
Liz sat through fourth period in a golden haze. Waiting until the lunch bell would ring and she would meet with Max again.
She had forgotten how it had felt, the feeling of loving someone and knowing in her heart that it was returned. Without strings or attachments. Before she had been constantly either desiring him, knowing it could never be. Or she had him, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Now she knew, they would work out. Better yet, they were compatible. Last timeline they had had children. And would again if she had anything to do about it.
Their was the niggling detail of how to have Tess stay so as to avert the end of the world, true. But that was a worry for another moment.
Liz stared down at her notebook. The margins were full of hearts and starbursts. And written over and over was Elizabeth Parker Evans. She was feeling a tad bit obsessed.
“Hey Parker, are you okay?”
Liz looked up and saw Trent, one of her friends and the person currently fourth in her class. “Um yeah, why do you ask?”
“Class ended two minutes ago and your still doodling in your notebook.” He had a slight smile and looked over her shoulder to see what she was writing.
Liz quickly closed the book. “None of your business, Trent.”
“You and Max back together then.”
“Trent!” But Liz could not stop a blush.
Trent just nodded, “Cindy will be over the moon. I’ll email you a copy of my notes for today. Somehow I don’t think American history was what your mind was on.”
“Thanks, you helped me enough in Bio last year. Now move, both of us have better places to be.”
Liz just smiled at him, gathered her books, and shot out the door. As she purposely strode down the hallway, she ignored the stares and whispers. It had taken getting used to after the situation with Kyle had started rumors through the school. Her reputation had taken a few hits of late.
But right now all she could think of was getting to Max. She saw him walking towards her locker. Their eyes met across the hallway, and for a moment everything seemed to stop.
How had she ever have thought she could give him up?
She walked dreamily toward him, her mind thinking of excuses she could tell their friends on why they would be late. Would ten minutes of stolen kisses be so bad? Surely they would forgive them?
And then she saw Vanessa, one of the pretty people that Isabel hung out with. Liz watched as she all but draped her body on Max, asking some stupid question no doubt. She saw Vanessa note her arrival and redouble her efforts.
Liz had always prided herself on her control. Now all the situations regarding Max, well she knew that she really had no control. It made her need to draw back and try to regain composure. That had been what her whole trip to Florida had been about. But no matter how far she ran she could not escape herself.
Liz was addicted to Max and so she had tried cold turkey, tried so hard to remove him and the whole Abyss from her life. But she had never really ever been able to let go. Thoughts of Max still percolated through what ever defense she set up, and lately she had been a tear factory because of it.
But this was different. Molten rage flowed through her body as she watched Vanessa. If it had been Tess she would have let it pass. Maybe. The world was partly riding on Tess’s continued existence in Roswell.
Vanessa had no such protection.
Liz felt a warm confidence flow through her as she calmly moved toward Vanessa. She felt pins and needles coursing through her hands and up her arms. A half smile that would be unfamiliar to her friends grew on her face.
This was going to be fun.
----
Maria-
For the first time today, Maria felt warm. Michael just held her as she told him everything. Well almost everything. She still had not told him about Dorian, or about Isabel’s troubles. She had promised after all.
But it was hard to keep anything from him, so very hard. Particularly since he was acting so good. She had felt him tense and expected him to start to rail against either her or Liz… But he hadn’t. He had just held her.
She knew the storm was coming, that he would be accusing Liz as soon as he saw her.
And to be honest would that be wrong? She really should have told someone what was going on. At the very least Liz should have told her as they had been best friends forever, and in this timeline she would try to remain so.
The very idea that she could be the villain frightened her. That she could strike down her friends, that she could change so much… Worse there was a tiny voice that was proud that she had been so strong, that she had been the center of attention for once.
How did her life become so complex. She looked up at Michael, who gave her a worried little smile. So very warm.
Her lids flickered and closed.
She stared up at the woman who had been her employer, friend, and now liege. Who would have thought that little Karis Couertenai, rebel and survivor of Drimordjian, would ever become a councilor to the Ruler of Antar. “What happened here, Your Majesty.”
Vilandra ran a bloody hand through her gossamer fine hair, “I don’t know. We were betrayed, but by whom? The list just of those laying dead in this room who wanted it all to fall apart... I’m not even sure it was just one attempt.”
And yet here you stand completely unharmed. Did you want this to happen, my friend? Karis stayed silent, waiting for Vilandra to continue.
“It all happened so fast, so very fast.”
“So what now, Your Majesty?”
“Oh please don’t call me that. The Tarenons are finished. I am finished.”
“After all the work you have done, after all the struggles, you are just going to quit. You are going to just surrender. That is not the Vilandra I know.”
“So much power, so much knowledge… How did Zan ever manage?” Vilandra took a deep breath. “I am not giving up, I have a plan. A crazy unworkable plan thought up by my mother. It will work, but not in the way she thinks. Not in the way anyone thinks.”
“What is it and how can I help?”
“It is better that you do not know. I want you to live and if you stay by my side you will surely die. Never think it is that I do not trust you, for I have one last task from which you will not be able to return here from.”
“We’ve been friends for what seventeen years. We have faced longer odds. Why are you sending me away now?”
“There is a task you can accomplish that perhaps none here can. I need you to save Khivar, to take him back to his army.”
“That will mark me as a traitor! Surely he had something to do about today!”
“That is why you will not be able to return. I have logged my orders, my official orders where they will be kept for posterity. They will know you acted on my orders.”
“But why?”
“I love him still. He shielded me from the blast. And I struck him down. Please, it is my last order.”
Maria’s eyes flicked back open. “Vilandra saved Khivar.
“What?” she heard Michael rumble.
“I just, how long have we been in here? We still need to meet the others.”
“It’s time, but if your still not feeling good… or if there are any more surprises I should know about…”
“Thank you Spaceboy.” She reached up and gave him a little kiss. “But we need to go, they will worry.”
Michael reached down and kissed her back.
What would being five minutes late matter?
----
Max-
Max watched as Liz walked around the corner. He felt the connection open as their eyes met. He loved her so.
He felt as someone grabbed his arm and started talking to him. He simply ignored her, even when she leaned her body into his. His eyes were on Liz. She was his again, if only for the moment.
But Liz noticed. Her gaze flicked from his to the person. His gaze followed his and he looked into dark eyes. But they were not Liz’s so he looked back up to see Liz again.
Max could have sworn that Liz’s eyes turned cobalt blue if only for a second. A unfamiliar almost vicious smile formed on her lips. And Liz moved.
She moved so very fast, it was almost like she flowed toward Vanessa. And then Vanessa was gone, her back solidly against one of the lockers. He turned his gaze to follow, noting in passing a growing crowd of school mates watching. He needed this to stop.
A couple of students started chanting, “Fight, fight.” But if it was it was remarkably one sided. Vanessa struggled only for a moment before she just stopped. Liz had stopped every one of her attempted attacks, and continued to hold Vanessa’s right hand in mid-slap. Liz’s other hand caressed Vanessa’s left cheek. Liz was talking softly so he moved closer to hear her.
“…so I just think you should keep that in mind, don’t you? Just nod if you understand.”
Vanessa looked terrified as she slowly nodded, tears streaming down her cheeks.
“That is very good. You have such fine delicate cheekbones and it would be such a shame…”
Max tapped her on the shoulder, “Uh, Liz, you, your making a bit of a scene.” And he could feel it, the strange force that she had used on the soldier yesterday. It was all focused on Vanessa.
“Just a second, Max. I am just talking with my good friend Vanessa. We are friends, right Vanessa.”
Vanessa just nodded even as she trembled in fear.
Max took a quick look at the onlookers, many of whom were breaking off since there was so little action. “Liz we have to go. The others will be waiting. Um, sorry I was ignoring you Vanessa, was there anything you needed to say to me.”
Vanessa looked at Liz and then at Max and shook her head. She looked plaintively at Max.
Liz let Vanessa’s right hand go, and Vanessa slumped against the lockers. Liz turned to Max, “Okay, I guess we are done here. Let’s go.”
Max could feel Liz let up the pressure on Vanessa. As they walked away he could hear her soft sobs as she sat down back still against the lockers. He wished Isabel or someone were with him, as he needed to get Liz away from the broken girl. “Liz, what is wrong with you?”
“What do you mean? I feel fine.”
“You just assaulted Vanessa in the hallway.”
“No, Oh my God, I really did didn’t I? I need to go back and apologize. I don’t know what came over me…”
“Yeah, you should apologize, but I don’t think now is the right time. You did something to her, and I think she’s probably terrified of you at the moment.” Max gave a sigh. “We need to figure out a way to handle Emily.”
“Maybe you can heal me, I mean can you do that?”
“I can try, after school. Do you work?”
“No. But, but I’m scared Max. I can remember everything, it all seemed so rational. I think, I think if she had put up more of a fight that I, <sob> that I could have killed her. I’m just scared of her, of being her.”
“Come on, we’ll make it better.” He kissed her softly on the forehead and started planning. He just wished they had more time.
He might as well wish he were normal.
----
Isabel-
Isabel wandered the hallways looking for Alex. She had not seen him in third period English, and she was pretty sure he was here today. She needed to warn Alex of Michael’s doppelganger. She had not seen Maria, but Isabel was sure that Michael had broken down and tracked her down first.
So Isabel was looking for Alex, and possibly Kyle. Michael probably had not bothered to warn him in his search for Maria. But mostly she was looking for Alex.
She shook her head at her own stupidity and closed her eyes for a moment and felt for him. She smiled and walked towards where he was. She could have saved so much trouble and worry if she had just remembered. But she was not used to being linked to anyone outside of Michael and Max.
She was surprised when she turned the corner to find Alex comforting a shaken Vanessa. Vanessa was or at least had been one of Roswell’s elite pretty people. Isabel had been friends with her for years. The idea of Alex holding her was well, about as likely as him dating Isabel. Which he was, now that she thought about it. Isabel’s eyes narrowed. She needed to get to the bottom of this. “Hey Alex. Vanessa.”
Alex just looked at her and said, “Liz.”
Vanessa looked at Isabel and if anything started trembling even more.
Isabel looked at Vanessa and then back at Alex. “Liz?”
Alex nodded grimly and held the sobbing girl.
Isabel walked up to Vanessa, “Vanessa, why don’t you come with me and we’ll get you cleaned up. Alex go grab me some lunch and tell the others I’ll be right there.”
“Sure thing, Iz.”
“And if you get me a yogurt…”
“’Don’t forget the extra sugar‘, don’t worry Isabel.”
Isabel steered Vanessa to one of the restrooms. She helped Vanessa wash her face and fix her makeup a little. Through all of this Vanessa watched Isabel closely.
Vanessa pulled a tube of lipstick from a pocket and applied it to her lips. She kept looking at Isabel in the mirror. “Pam was right. ‘Don’t mess with the Czechs.’”
Isabel just looked at her. “What happened?”
“I made a stupid rushed play for your brother. Who completely ignored me to stare at Liz.” Vanessa shook her head. “Next thing I know, Liz had me pinned against a locker. She’s just so fast. We could really use someone like her on the tennis team.” Vanessa shook her head again. “And she threatened me with bodily harm if I bothered her or Max again.”
“Vanessa…”
“I know you told us not to bother your brother, but I’m sorry Isabel. It is a simple fact that your brother is hot. If it was not so obvious that his concerns rested solely with academics and Liz Parker, he’d have his own harem. And Liz hasn’t seemed that territorial this year, what with Tess hanging all over him… You know before today, I would have given odds to Tess, I mean we are talking about sweet kind Liz Parker here. Now I am not so sure.”
“I’m sure that Liz didn’t mean anything…”
“Oh, she meant it. Trust me I am not going to risk it.”
Isabel was just silent. What could she say? That Liz now had an aggressive alter ego named Emily? That an alien had tried to brain wash her and had partially succeeded?
That would go over well.
“Hey, Isabel, are we still friends?”
“Yeah, why wouldn’t we be?”
“You should catch up to Alex. I’m just going to be here for a little while. And Isabel, you should seriously reconsider Alex. He was the only one who stopped for me.” Vanessa’s voice hitched a little. “Stacy and Claire just walked right on by, like I wasn’t even there.” Vanessa’s head shook with contempt, ”’Image is everything’ Go on Isabel, I’ll be fine. And thanks.”
“For what?” Isabel said, fixing her own lipstick.
“For being my friend.”
Isabel patted her on the shoulder and left the restroom. Only to see Alex, who had been waiting for her.
Alex shrugged at her, “I got everything and then I decided to wait for you. Did you find out anything?”
“Emily.”
“What?”
“Liz was possessed by Emily when she attacked Vanessa.”
“Max is going to try to heal her after school. There goes my party.”
“Party, what party.”
“Max was going to have us all get together at the Crashdown for a goodbye party for me.”
“Well, I’ll be there, so you had better show too Mr. Whitman.”
“How can I avoid such an endearing invitation.” Alex stepped back, reached out and kissed her hand. “If I may escort you to our table, my lady?”
Isabel could not help but smile at his hapless gallantry. She took his offered arm, and they walked arm in arm into the school’s quad to meet with their friends.
----
Tess-
Tess sat alone at a table and watched her friends. Max was worried about Liz. And Liz was now at the point that dosing her with Valerium was likely pointless. Maria on the other hand was a different story. Her life force was like a candle close to guttering out.
A heavier dose would have killed her. It was possible that continued doses that heavy still could. But the only other option would be to let her powers express while Richard sent her a more dilute pill. She looked at Michael who was obviously worried about Maria. He kept shooting angry glares at Liz for some reason too.
Alex was simultaneously amusing and annoying Isabel. She did not know what she was going to do about Alex. He still wanted to go on this trip, but she was not sure how much of that was him, and how much of it was her original mind warp.
Kyle wasn’t here yet, but he worried her just the same. She had the same problem with him that she had with Maria. Only she really did not want to kill either of them, and after taking a look at the pain that Maria felt now… She was not sure she could do that to him. But how to explain her actions?
Kyle had been surprised at her choices of movies yesterday. After she had watched his sports they had watched the original Star Wars movies. She had always empathized with the Jedi. They reminded her of the Mithar Council Guard really, who had been less noble but much more effective.
Only this time she came to a sobering conclusion.
She wasn’t one of the good guys. She wasn’t quite sure if she was a villain, but looking at her friends human allies… She definitely wasn’t one of the heroes.
And she wanted to be. Why couldn’t she be a hero, too?
But how, how could she bridge the gap? She had done so much, so very much that might be wrong. She looked up at Maria’s pale face as she smacked Michael for some oblivious statement. Even now she was doing it.
So Tess spent lunch desperately trying to think of a way to be good, without all of her friends hating her for what she had done.
She simply did not want to be evil anymore.
----
Ava-
Ava listened carefully to both of the boys she had caught. She had chosen Kyle deliberately, but Sean was a lucky break. It had taken only the slightest bit of tweaking to make both of them willing to share their stories.
They had been an excellent source of information. But it was now time. She had felt as Rath had left the campus. Lonnie had never showed, so obviously she had had a different target.
But she had an opening now, to warn them. She opened her eyes and got up from her seat. “Gentlemen it is time to go.”
“Not going to hold us hostage any longer?” Sean said, clambering up from his own makeshift seat. “Not going to ship us to mine Pluto or something?”
“Okay, so you are going to let us go if we take you to Max right.” Kyle looked at her. “Um, Ava, I don’t know how you got in here, but you’re not really dressed to fit in here.”
Ava looked down at her fishnet stockings, short skirt, and revealing blouse… Kyle was right, she would stick out. So she changed her clothes to fit in, changing from punk to preppy in an instant. After her clothes she muted her tattoos to make the ink the same shade as her skin tone. Lastly she changed her hair to black. It would not do for there to be two Tesses on the same campus.
Sean just stared at her in amazement. And maybe a little fear.
Kyle sighed, “Ava is there anyway you can fix his memory.”
Ava just stared at Kyle. Just what had her sister done to make him believe he would do something so unethical. “No Kyle, I can change what he sees, not what he has seen. To steal a memory is a theft of part of who he is.”
Kyle nodded and turned to Sean, “Sean, you can’t tell anyone about this. Particularly not your aunt. Dad is going to hate finding that out. If you need to talk about it, talk to one of us.”
Sean just looked at Kyle, “Who would believe me.”
Ava touched his arm. “Most it is true, would not. But there are those who wish us great harm. People have died in horrific fashion at their hands. Your cousin is one who would be subjected to considerable experimentation, assuming she was not simply vivisected along with the rest of us.”
Sean turned to Kyle, “What a charming club you belong, too.”
“Hey, I did not join, I was drafted. I was serious when I said your best option is to simply leave. Otherwise you may get to a point where you are permanently stuck.”
“What about you or Maria?”
“Both of us are hopelessly stuck. She is in love with Michael, and you would be hard pressed to get her to leave Liz. And me, well Roswell is my home.”
Ava opened the door, “This is fascinating but we really should get going. Sean Deluca, it was a pleasure meeting you. Let‘s go Kyle.”
It had been a long time coming but finally she would get to see her sister. And Zan’s twin.
----
Re: IDS Eidolon (CC ALL, Teen/Mature) Chapter 18- 03/05/08
Thanks to everyone reading this story. Particular thanks to xmag, katydid, skynet, RhondaAnn for the feedback.
xmag- In a lot of ways, Liz was an easier project. Liz has powers that were already developing, whereas Maria had to be processed to develop them.
katydid- Liz's healing got bumped to next part I'm afraid. But it should help some. As for Tess, it really is only a matter of time. The question being will it be soon enough.
skynet- Thanks
RhondaAnn- Tess is having second thoughts, really in truth she is having a personality crisis. Hopefully she sticks to her guns and decides to be on the good side.
Liz under the effects of Emily is very scary. Emily is ruthless, highly territorial, and extremely aggressive. Ana wanted a living weapon. Somehow I think most of the school will be leaving her alone. Of course, some might see it as more of a challenge. We'll see.
Pam is different in this story. She is smart and highly inquisitive. She also talks too much. Topolsky pinned her as a journalist, but also gave her info on the FBI and other law agencies. She has noted that Maria has called the Pod Squad Czechs, and has used it as short hand for the little clique that sit at the alien table at school. All of the main characters would be considered Czechs by Pam. And she has also noted that those who cross them tend to be... unlucky.
Poor Sean, he still has a part to play in the story. As for Kyle, seriously, do you think he would tell anyone who risked getting stuck in the alien abyss anything else but run?
Ava will not meddle with someones mind, but has no problem meddling with their senses. She would consider it a sin. It is part of the Code of the Eidolon. (Hey a society with people with mind control are going to have a careful code of ethics on practitioners...)
Disclaimer- Roswell is not mine and no infringement is intended.
Eidolon part 19
Kyle-
Kyle lead Sean and Ava down the access corridors. As they exited one of the doors to the quad, Sean quickly went his separate way.
He did not look back.
Kyle watched as he left. “Was that wise? If he tells the wrong person, he will cause a lot of trouble.”
Ava’s eyes were enigmatic as she watched Sean leave. “He will tell no one. His love of his cousin is too great. The real test is whether he speaks to his aunt. It is familial duty that binds him.”
“Uh, you did catch the part where Amy worked for the Special Unit? If he tells her it could all be over.”
“Perhaps.”
“Well that is just great. Maybe wherever it is you are from the FBI doesn’t matter, but trust me here we would be sitting ducks. I never got the details, but whatever they did to Max…”
“Kyle, my sister lives here. To a Mithar there is no greater duty than that due to family.” Ava looked down, “It complicates things for me, for I considered those I travel with family once. Old habits die hard.”
“Sister?”
“Kyle, you can not be so simple as to not see the obvious. You thought I was Tess because she is my twin. When we were designed, they had to mix not only the DNA but also the essence to activate it. There was excess essence from our predecessors, and so two copies of each of us were made. Twins. Tess is my twin, as Rath is Michael’s.”
“So there are like, four of you walking the streets of Roswell? Four copies of my friends? Does the weirdness ever end with you guys?”
“No there are only three of us here.” Ava closed her eyes for a moment. When they opened a mixture of pain and grief stood starkly in her now softened gaze. “Only three. We… lost…one of them on the way.”
Kyle stood there and watched as she fought to regain her composure. He ached to take her into his arms and hold her, to comfort her. She was so similar to her, well, to her sister. He would have to take her word for that fact.
The moment passed and Ava said briskly, “Enough. Lead me to your friends.”
-----
Tess-
Tess sat at her table staring at her sandwich, trying desperately to think of a way through her problems. She knew that Pam was trying to cheer her up with her stream of gossip, but for once the stream of inanities did not entice her.
Out of the corner of her eyes she noticed Pam’s worried looks. Then Tess heard what Pam was saying, “What did you say? Liz attacked Vanessa?”
Pam grinned at her, “Yeah, poor Vanessa was trying to attract Max’s attention and instead got Liz’s. I can’t really say it was a fight because it was too one sided. Who would have thought little Lizzie Parker could move that fast?”
Tess turned to look at her friends table. She noticed Liz place her hand gently on Max’s arm. Max did not resist, rather he smiled down at her. Tess felt a little pang in her heart. Max was supposed to be hers. It was Destined to be.
Pam just looked at her sadly, “If you still want to fight for Max, you better get moving. Liz has obviously changed her mind about Kyle and wants Max back. And Max has forgiven her I guess.”
Tess just glared at Max and Liz. Would it ever end? Every time she started to think she had a chance Liz snatched it from her. She had even slept with Kyle. It was either that or that she used Kyle to deliberately hurt Max. It just wasn’t fair.
And to be honest, Tess was not sure how she was doing it. Tess had placed slight behavioral inhibitors in Liz. It had been difficult, but necessary after she realized that heavy warping would not work well on the hybrids, not in the long term. Max, for instance, knew she was doing something to him when she had first come to town.
It had caused her to change tactics, and it had to be subtle or it might have been detected. Slight small shifts in the humans’ outlooks, backed with the right words in the hybrids’ ears. Her plan had worked for a while. In fact right before the Skin’s attack a couple of days ago she had thought her plan was working perfectly.
Now it had seemed to have failed. In adversity they had reached for each other, and found once again the reasons they had cared for each other in the first place, only magnified.
Moreover, Tess was no longer certain they were wrong. Could she have summoned the power to use that flame warp without the fear she had felt for Kyle? Why had Kyle been so important to her right then.
Tess sighed and shifted her gaze to Max. Would she have been able to the same for Max? She cared for him, still wanted him… And yet, why did her feelings for Kyle seem so much more real? Tess could still feel her connection to Max, but as it had the entire time she had known him, it felt so… shallow.
There was no doubt in her mind that whoever she had been had loved whomever Max had been. No doubt at all.
But did she? Like so much she had thought she had known, she was no longer sure. “I still want him. But then there is…”
“Kyle, huh?”
Tess shot Pam a glance, “Yeah, Kyle.” From behind her she felt the strangest sensation, akin to what she had felt when she had first come to Roswell. To when she had first set sight on her family.
Only this was stronger. She got up and turned around and saw her. The hair was styled differently and jet black, but there was no mistaking it.
Michael was not the only one with a clone walking around in Roswell.
Kyle was walking with the duplicate towards them, with a wry grin. Trust Kyle to find humor in such a bad situation.
“She looks just like you,” Pam said softly.
Tess remained quiet, sizing up her twin. It was almost like looking into a mirror.
Kyle and the double stopped a couple of feet away, “Tess, I would like you to meet Ava. Ava this is Tess.”
Tess used her powers to probe at this ‘Ava’” That was her old life’s name! Ava was similar, but not the same. Softer somehow. She felt a similar probe hit her own mind moments later.
Ava had a slight diffident smile as she walked up and grabbed Tess’s hand. “It’s really Evelyn, Evelyn Harding, everyone just calls me Ava. Mother is missing.”
Tess stared at the cornflower blue eyes, not quite knowing what to say. For in them she saw acceptance. She saw what she had expected of the Roswell group but had never quite gained. Something she was only just starting to feel from the Valentis “Father is looking for her.”
Ava smiled and gave Tess a huge hug. Tess started out a little stiff, but she could feel something forming between them. A connection, different from the bright argent cable that connected the Max and Liz, that she had been trying so hard to sever. It was more like the one that connected Max to Isabel.
Tess wasn’t alone anymore. She had a sister.
-----
Liz-
To any outside observer Liz seemed calm as she raided yet another fry from Max’s lunch. Inside she was anything but calm, worry and guilt bubbling over from her actions regarding Vanessa.
The part that really worried her though, was that part of her thought that what she had done was right. That Vanessa had earned her comeuppance. That it was about time that she asserted herself and defended Max from all comers.
So many changes had happened since Saturday. Her ability to focus was still there, but just as with Vanessa she kept finding herself doing things. She had been halfway through a five mile morning run, when she realized that she, Liz Parker did not normally run for pleasure. But despite a few aches, her mind had been crystal clear after the run. So much so that a couple of Pre-Calc questions that had been bothering her all weekend had been easily solved.
What exactly had Ana done to her?
She snagged another fry from Max’s plate.
Max smiled at her, “Do you need me to get something for you, Liz.”
She reached over and rubbed his arm, “No. For now I’m content to just steal your fries.” That was another thing. She was hungry all the time and found herself nibbling on things at work. So many small changes in such a short time.
Max just smiled back at her. It was nice to be close to him again. She could understand if he wanted to take it a little slow, but she herself was eager to make up for lost time. Six wasted months.
She felt more than saw Tess’s glare, and turned to face her rival. There had to be a way to solve the Tess problem. They needed her, yes, but Liz was now unwilling to give up Max. It was the last thing she was worried about sharing Future Max with Max, she was afraid that Max would bite the bullet and try to appeal to Tess. That he would pick up her now dropped nobility and pretend to love Tess.
It might be Emily’s influence, but Liz would rather have the world burn. In fact several bloodthirsty and ruthless solutions rolled through her head for a second before Liz became horrified with herself. What was happening to her?
----
Isabel-
Isabel was only partly paying attention to Alex. It was not that he was not diverting, nor that she would not miss him, it was that she had other worries.
First there was Liz. Aside from the fact that she had assaulted Vanessa earlier, Isabel kept getting a creepy feeling at some of the glances she kept shooting towards Tess, Michael, and herself. Max had better be able to fix her, or Emily could become a real problem. Max was safe, as Emily apparently loved him as much as Liz did.
That had become apparent when Liz had dropped her last period note book. Isabel had picked it up for her, but not before seeing the last page. It was covered in hearts and starbursts. And names were scrawled all in the margins. The problem is that while over half of them read Elizabeth Parker-Evans, the rest read either EPE or Emily Parker-Evans.
Emily was going to be a problem.
Then there was Maria. She looked half dead as she read the letter that Liz had brought her from her dead father. All the sometimes annoying vibrancy had gone out of her. While the comparative quiet was kind of nice, Isabel found herself missing the zaniness. Isabel promised herself she would pick up a condolence card for her before she went to the Crashdown tonight for Alex’s party. And if Maria needed to talk Isabel would be there.
Her eyes flicked from Maria to Tess. Tess was not even at their booth today, but close enough to watch. Isabel watched Pam chatter away in an attempt to cheer up her friend. It always surprised Isabel the people that Tess had as friends, as they ran the gamut in school. Then again, most of them had access to either useful information or access to various school facilities.
Tess seemed lost, had seemed so since Saturday. Isabel had no clue as to what was going on in her friend’s mind.
It was here that Isabel’s curiosity was peaked, as she saw the raven haired Tess look alike walk in with Kyle. Isabel reached over to Alex who was telling a funny story, “Hush Alex. Everybody look over there.”
“Eight sacks,” Michael said cryptically.
Maria looked up at him, “Do you think you all have copies?”
Michael just shrugged and looked worried. For a brief moment Isabel saw a flash of protectiveness and love directed towards Maria before his usual mask reasserted itself.
She saw Max draw Liz in closer. To protect her from any possible threat, his love for her as always on his sleeve.
Isabel could not help herself but to look at Alex, at how he stood alone. Alone and unprotected from their enemies. How could she have done that to him, to hold him close enough to be in danger but far enough not to be protected. That was going to change.
Isabel stood up and held him, not caring about the stares she was generating. If her plans worked she would only have to deal with high school for a few more months anyway. So she held a surprised if pleased Alex as the raven haired girl and Tess walked toward them, with Kyle talking animatedly with Pam.
The raven haired girl looks closely at them, sizing each of them up before speaking, her left hand in Tess’s right. Tess looked at her with a bit of wonder and awe.
The girl cleared her throat and in an New York accent said, “My name is Ava, and I come bearing news and a warning. Those of us in New York were contacted recently from our old home. They wish to meet with the Four and discuss events back home. The others will want to meet with you to give you the details. Listen to them, as you must decide for yourselves what you will do. But beware for they can not be trusted.” She squeezed Tess’s hand and prepared to go.
Michael walked over to Ava, “What that is it? That is all you have to say?”
Ava’s eyes glittered with resentment, “That is all I am willing to say in such an open space. I have been warned by Kyle that the FBI is active in Roswell, and that the unlikeliest people could be working for them. Amy Deluca for instance.”
“No way, there is no way my mother would work with those bastards,” Maria said with a bit of her former fire.
“You must be Maria. You have my condolences for your loss. But I am afraid that you are wrong. I do not know the details, but your cousin Sean claimed to have read some documents. Documents that were released to your aunt just recently. I am sorry to add to your pain.”
“I tell you there is no way!”
Isabel was surprised when Liz cleared her throat. “I’m sorry Maria, but it may very well be true. When I picked up the package for you, I got, well I got flashes of your father.” Liz looked down. “He believed that she had friends in the FBI that were helping her. I’ll give you the package when we get to the Crashdown.”
Isabel reached out and touched Maria’s shoulder. Liz also got up and gave her a hug, before Maria buried herself in Michael’s arms.
Isabel looked at Ava. “Why should we trust you?”
“I did not deliver this message in the hopes you would trust me. I really don’t care what you think. I came here because it was right. And because I wanted to see my sister.”
The warning bell ending lunch rang.
“I will see you all later.” Ava left giving Tess a parting smile. “I will call you.”
Max finally spoke, “Thank you.”
For the first time Ava looked directly at her brother. And Isabel watched as love and lust flowed from her eyes to be followed by guilt and grief. The dark haired duplicate of Tess was subdued as she began to walk away. She said, “Your welcome,” softly as she walked away.
------
Ava-
Ava wiped the tears from her eyes as she left the school grounds. They had been different than she thought. Both the Rath and Lonnie clones had seemed similar to friends she had once had. Similar but not the same. Perhaps the strangest thing had been the bonds she had seen between them and the humans, strong connections.
Instead of pairing up as programmed they had each chosen a human instead. Fitting in a way, as this group was the more human of the two groups. Moreover the humans that were paired up were showing signs of higher order psionic activity. One of the girls, the one bonded to the duplicate of Zan was quite strong.
How or why this had developed, Ava was unsure. But she wished Natalie were here to discuss it with. Not for the first time she missed the bookish Protector.
There was so much she did not understand. The humans development was only part of it. For Ava did not understand why these hybrids were so much stronger than her group. They were, with the exception of Tess, undisciplined and half-trained, and yet they were much stronger. It should not be that way. The Roswell group was the reserve group, the more important group had been moved away from possible discovery to the relative safety of New York.
They had not even been moved to their prepared spot in California.
So much of the Plan had been a failure.
And although she tried to hide it from herself, the pain of seeing Zan’s dupe could not be denied.
Oh, Zan. Why couldn’t I save you….
xmag- In a lot of ways, Liz was an easier project. Liz has powers that were already developing, whereas Maria had to be processed to develop them.
katydid- Liz's healing got bumped to next part I'm afraid. But it should help some. As for Tess, it really is only a matter of time. The question being will it be soon enough.
skynet- Thanks
RhondaAnn- Tess is having second thoughts, really in truth she is having a personality crisis. Hopefully she sticks to her guns and decides to be on the good side.
Liz under the effects of Emily is very scary. Emily is ruthless, highly territorial, and extremely aggressive. Ana wanted a living weapon. Somehow I think most of the school will be leaving her alone. Of course, some might see it as more of a challenge. We'll see.
Pam is different in this story. She is smart and highly inquisitive. She also talks too much. Topolsky pinned her as a journalist, but also gave her info on the FBI and other law agencies. She has noted that Maria has called the Pod Squad Czechs, and has used it as short hand for the little clique that sit at the alien table at school. All of the main characters would be considered Czechs by Pam. And she has also noted that those who cross them tend to be... unlucky.
Poor Sean, he still has a part to play in the story. As for Kyle, seriously, do you think he would tell anyone who risked getting stuck in the alien abyss anything else but run?
Ava will not meddle with someones mind, but has no problem meddling with their senses. She would consider it a sin. It is part of the Code of the Eidolon. (Hey a society with people with mind control are going to have a careful code of ethics on practitioners...)
Disclaimer- Roswell is not mine and no infringement is intended.
Eidolon part 19
Kyle-
Kyle lead Sean and Ava down the access corridors. As they exited one of the doors to the quad, Sean quickly went his separate way.
He did not look back.
Kyle watched as he left. “Was that wise? If he tells the wrong person, he will cause a lot of trouble.”
Ava’s eyes were enigmatic as she watched Sean leave. “He will tell no one. His love of his cousin is too great. The real test is whether he speaks to his aunt. It is familial duty that binds him.”
“Uh, you did catch the part where Amy worked for the Special Unit? If he tells her it could all be over.”
“Perhaps.”
“Well that is just great. Maybe wherever it is you are from the FBI doesn’t matter, but trust me here we would be sitting ducks. I never got the details, but whatever they did to Max…”
“Kyle, my sister lives here. To a Mithar there is no greater duty than that due to family.” Ava looked down, “It complicates things for me, for I considered those I travel with family once. Old habits die hard.”
“Sister?”
“Kyle, you can not be so simple as to not see the obvious. You thought I was Tess because she is my twin. When we were designed, they had to mix not only the DNA but also the essence to activate it. There was excess essence from our predecessors, and so two copies of each of us were made. Twins. Tess is my twin, as Rath is Michael’s.”
“So there are like, four of you walking the streets of Roswell? Four copies of my friends? Does the weirdness ever end with you guys?”
“No there are only three of us here.” Ava closed her eyes for a moment. When they opened a mixture of pain and grief stood starkly in her now softened gaze. “Only three. We… lost…one of them on the way.”
Kyle stood there and watched as she fought to regain her composure. He ached to take her into his arms and hold her, to comfort her. She was so similar to her, well, to her sister. He would have to take her word for that fact.
The moment passed and Ava said briskly, “Enough. Lead me to your friends.”
-----
Tess-
Tess sat at her table staring at her sandwich, trying desperately to think of a way through her problems. She knew that Pam was trying to cheer her up with her stream of gossip, but for once the stream of inanities did not entice her.
Out of the corner of her eyes she noticed Pam’s worried looks. Then Tess heard what Pam was saying, “What did you say? Liz attacked Vanessa?”
Pam grinned at her, “Yeah, poor Vanessa was trying to attract Max’s attention and instead got Liz’s. I can’t really say it was a fight because it was too one sided. Who would have thought little Lizzie Parker could move that fast?”
Tess turned to look at her friends table. She noticed Liz place her hand gently on Max’s arm. Max did not resist, rather he smiled down at her. Tess felt a little pang in her heart. Max was supposed to be hers. It was Destined to be.
Pam just looked at her sadly, “If you still want to fight for Max, you better get moving. Liz has obviously changed her mind about Kyle and wants Max back. And Max has forgiven her I guess.”
Tess just glared at Max and Liz. Would it ever end? Every time she started to think she had a chance Liz snatched it from her. She had even slept with Kyle. It was either that or that she used Kyle to deliberately hurt Max. It just wasn’t fair.
And to be honest, Tess was not sure how she was doing it. Tess had placed slight behavioral inhibitors in Liz. It had been difficult, but necessary after she realized that heavy warping would not work well on the hybrids, not in the long term. Max, for instance, knew she was doing something to him when she had first come to town.
It had caused her to change tactics, and it had to be subtle or it might have been detected. Slight small shifts in the humans’ outlooks, backed with the right words in the hybrids’ ears. Her plan had worked for a while. In fact right before the Skin’s attack a couple of days ago she had thought her plan was working perfectly.
Now it had seemed to have failed. In adversity they had reached for each other, and found once again the reasons they had cared for each other in the first place, only magnified.
Moreover, Tess was no longer certain they were wrong. Could she have summoned the power to use that flame warp without the fear she had felt for Kyle? Why had Kyle been so important to her right then.
Tess sighed and shifted her gaze to Max. Would she have been able to the same for Max? She cared for him, still wanted him… And yet, why did her feelings for Kyle seem so much more real? Tess could still feel her connection to Max, but as it had the entire time she had known him, it felt so… shallow.
There was no doubt in her mind that whoever she had been had loved whomever Max had been. No doubt at all.
But did she? Like so much she had thought she had known, she was no longer sure. “I still want him. But then there is…”
“Kyle, huh?”
Tess shot Pam a glance, “Yeah, Kyle.” From behind her she felt the strangest sensation, akin to what she had felt when she had first come to Roswell. To when she had first set sight on her family.
Only this was stronger. She got up and turned around and saw her. The hair was styled differently and jet black, but there was no mistaking it.
Michael was not the only one with a clone walking around in Roswell.
Kyle was walking with the duplicate towards them, with a wry grin. Trust Kyle to find humor in such a bad situation.
“She looks just like you,” Pam said softly.
Tess remained quiet, sizing up her twin. It was almost like looking into a mirror.
Kyle and the double stopped a couple of feet away, “Tess, I would like you to meet Ava. Ava this is Tess.”
Tess used her powers to probe at this ‘Ava’” That was her old life’s name! Ava was similar, but not the same. Softer somehow. She felt a similar probe hit her own mind moments later.
Ava had a slight diffident smile as she walked up and grabbed Tess’s hand. “It’s really Evelyn, Evelyn Harding, everyone just calls me Ava. Mother is missing.”
Tess stared at the cornflower blue eyes, not quite knowing what to say. For in them she saw acceptance. She saw what she had expected of the Roswell group but had never quite gained. Something she was only just starting to feel from the Valentis “Father is looking for her.”
Ava smiled and gave Tess a huge hug. Tess started out a little stiff, but she could feel something forming between them. A connection, different from the bright argent cable that connected the Max and Liz, that she had been trying so hard to sever. It was more like the one that connected Max to Isabel.
Tess wasn’t alone anymore. She had a sister.
-----
Liz-
To any outside observer Liz seemed calm as she raided yet another fry from Max’s lunch. Inside she was anything but calm, worry and guilt bubbling over from her actions regarding Vanessa.
The part that really worried her though, was that part of her thought that what she had done was right. That Vanessa had earned her comeuppance. That it was about time that she asserted herself and defended Max from all comers.
So many changes had happened since Saturday. Her ability to focus was still there, but just as with Vanessa she kept finding herself doing things. She had been halfway through a five mile morning run, when she realized that she, Liz Parker did not normally run for pleasure. But despite a few aches, her mind had been crystal clear after the run. So much so that a couple of Pre-Calc questions that had been bothering her all weekend had been easily solved.
What exactly had Ana done to her?
She snagged another fry from Max’s plate.
Max smiled at her, “Do you need me to get something for you, Liz.”
She reached over and rubbed his arm, “No. For now I’m content to just steal your fries.” That was another thing. She was hungry all the time and found herself nibbling on things at work. So many small changes in such a short time.
Max just smiled back at her. It was nice to be close to him again. She could understand if he wanted to take it a little slow, but she herself was eager to make up for lost time. Six wasted months.
She felt more than saw Tess’s glare, and turned to face her rival. There had to be a way to solve the Tess problem. They needed her, yes, but Liz was now unwilling to give up Max. It was the last thing she was worried about sharing Future Max with Max, she was afraid that Max would bite the bullet and try to appeal to Tess. That he would pick up her now dropped nobility and pretend to love Tess.
It might be Emily’s influence, but Liz would rather have the world burn. In fact several bloodthirsty and ruthless solutions rolled through her head for a second before Liz became horrified with herself. What was happening to her?
----
Isabel-
Isabel was only partly paying attention to Alex. It was not that he was not diverting, nor that she would not miss him, it was that she had other worries.
First there was Liz. Aside from the fact that she had assaulted Vanessa earlier, Isabel kept getting a creepy feeling at some of the glances she kept shooting towards Tess, Michael, and herself. Max had better be able to fix her, or Emily could become a real problem. Max was safe, as Emily apparently loved him as much as Liz did.
That had become apparent when Liz had dropped her last period note book. Isabel had picked it up for her, but not before seeing the last page. It was covered in hearts and starbursts. And names were scrawled all in the margins. The problem is that while over half of them read Elizabeth Parker-Evans, the rest read either EPE or Emily Parker-Evans.
Emily was going to be a problem.
Then there was Maria. She looked half dead as she read the letter that Liz had brought her from her dead father. All the sometimes annoying vibrancy had gone out of her. While the comparative quiet was kind of nice, Isabel found herself missing the zaniness. Isabel promised herself she would pick up a condolence card for her before she went to the Crashdown tonight for Alex’s party. And if Maria needed to talk Isabel would be there.
Her eyes flicked from Maria to Tess. Tess was not even at their booth today, but close enough to watch. Isabel watched Pam chatter away in an attempt to cheer up her friend. It always surprised Isabel the people that Tess had as friends, as they ran the gamut in school. Then again, most of them had access to either useful information or access to various school facilities.
Tess seemed lost, had seemed so since Saturday. Isabel had no clue as to what was going on in her friend’s mind.
It was here that Isabel’s curiosity was peaked, as she saw the raven haired Tess look alike walk in with Kyle. Isabel reached over to Alex who was telling a funny story, “Hush Alex. Everybody look over there.”
“Eight sacks,” Michael said cryptically.
Maria looked up at him, “Do you think you all have copies?”
Michael just shrugged and looked worried. For a brief moment Isabel saw a flash of protectiveness and love directed towards Maria before his usual mask reasserted itself.
She saw Max draw Liz in closer. To protect her from any possible threat, his love for her as always on his sleeve.
Isabel could not help herself but to look at Alex, at how he stood alone. Alone and unprotected from their enemies. How could she have done that to him, to hold him close enough to be in danger but far enough not to be protected. That was going to change.
Isabel stood up and held him, not caring about the stares she was generating. If her plans worked she would only have to deal with high school for a few more months anyway. So she held a surprised if pleased Alex as the raven haired girl and Tess walked toward them, with Kyle talking animatedly with Pam.
The raven haired girl looks closely at them, sizing each of them up before speaking, her left hand in Tess’s right. Tess looked at her with a bit of wonder and awe.
The girl cleared her throat and in an New York accent said, “My name is Ava, and I come bearing news and a warning. Those of us in New York were contacted recently from our old home. They wish to meet with the Four and discuss events back home. The others will want to meet with you to give you the details. Listen to them, as you must decide for yourselves what you will do. But beware for they can not be trusted.” She squeezed Tess’s hand and prepared to go.
Michael walked over to Ava, “What that is it? That is all you have to say?”
Ava’s eyes glittered with resentment, “That is all I am willing to say in such an open space. I have been warned by Kyle that the FBI is active in Roswell, and that the unlikeliest people could be working for them. Amy Deluca for instance.”
“No way, there is no way my mother would work with those bastards,” Maria said with a bit of her former fire.
“You must be Maria. You have my condolences for your loss. But I am afraid that you are wrong. I do not know the details, but your cousin Sean claimed to have read some documents. Documents that were released to your aunt just recently. I am sorry to add to your pain.”
“I tell you there is no way!”
Isabel was surprised when Liz cleared her throat. “I’m sorry Maria, but it may very well be true. When I picked up the package for you, I got, well I got flashes of your father.” Liz looked down. “He believed that she had friends in the FBI that were helping her. I’ll give you the package when we get to the Crashdown.”
Isabel reached out and touched Maria’s shoulder. Liz also got up and gave her a hug, before Maria buried herself in Michael’s arms.
Isabel looked at Ava. “Why should we trust you?”
“I did not deliver this message in the hopes you would trust me. I really don’t care what you think. I came here because it was right. And because I wanted to see my sister.”
The warning bell ending lunch rang.
“I will see you all later.” Ava left giving Tess a parting smile. “I will call you.”
Max finally spoke, “Thank you.”
For the first time Ava looked directly at her brother. And Isabel watched as love and lust flowed from her eyes to be followed by guilt and grief. The dark haired duplicate of Tess was subdued as she began to walk away. She said, “Your welcome,” softly as she walked away.
------
Ava-
Ava wiped the tears from her eyes as she left the school grounds. They had been different than she thought. Both the Rath and Lonnie clones had seemed similar to friends she had once had. Similar but not the same. Perhaps the strangest thing had been the bonds she had seen between them and the humans, strong connections.
Instead of pairing up as programmed they had each chosen a human instead. Fitting in a way, as this group was the more human of the two groups. Moreover the humans that were paired up were showing signs of higher order psionic activity. One of the girls, the one bonded to the duplicate of Zan was quite strong.
How or why this had developed, Ava was unsure. But she wished Natalie were here to discuss it with. Not for the first time she missed the bookish Protector.
There was so much she did not understand. The humans development was only part of it. For Ava did not understand why these hybrids were so much stronger than her group. They were, with the exception of Tess, undisciplined and half-trained, and yet they were much stronger. It should not be that way. The Roswell group was the reserve group, the more important group had been moved away from possible discovery to the relative safety of New York.
They had not even been moved to their prepared spot in California.
So much of the Plan had been a failure.
And although she tried to hide it from herself, the pain of seeing Zan’s dupe could not be denied.
Oh, Zan. Why couldn’t I save you….