Roswell Fanatics

Joint post with isabelle

Ulyssa

"Ah...that's better..."

"Now...you wanted to know what it was I wanted.... well then you shall have your wish...."

“I will spare you the long winded and get right to the point. I myself, cannot bear children, and this I desire above all other things. If you will provide me with heirs and bestow them upon me, I will leave this Earth place in peace and leave you to your lives of mediocrity."

“However, should you choose not to act as my surrogates...well that will prove to be a rather unwise decision indeed, as I have it within my power to transform your lives of leisure into a unfathomable nightmare the likes of which you have never experienced, even in your worst nightmares.”

“I’ve watched you more closely than you can imagine. I realize that four of you have abilities, which you will attempt to use against me. Try if you will, but you will soon come to realize that your efforts were in vain, as I am not susceptible to other worldly influences.”

“I realize that this is too much to be taken in all at once, and it is because of this that I will allow you a very brief period of time, exactly 24hours, to simmer on my proposition. But to stress the seriousness of what I am saying, I will leave you with a reminder of who I am and just what I am able to do, you need only step outside to see it...”

*~*~*~*~*~*~

Max

I don't know what I expected from Ulyssa's tasks, if that's actually her name, but it certainly wasn't this. She wants us to have children and give them away? She's mad. She has to be. I want to interupt, to object, but I can't move, can't speak as she explains that we're to be given time to consider it.

A perverse voice in the back of my head thinks that she's made a mistake, anyway. Pairing me with Liz. As much as I'd love to be with her, I'm not even sure she'd let me take her to the prom. Children would be out of the question. She slept with Kyle. I'm supposed to be with Tess.

"...I will leave you with a reminder of who I am and just what I am able to do, you need only step outside to see it...” she says and then disappears.

Now that she's gone, I can move again but it's too late. I step forward, spinning around, although I know she's not here. There's nobody to rant against.

"Max?" I hear someone ask, but I don't even bother to see who it is. I know what they want. What they all want. Answers. But I don't have any answers. I don't know what to do. ... you need only step outside ...

"One minute. I have to see..." I tell them. This woman made a kid jump to his death. And she teleports. I know she has powers and I don't know how to counter them. My only hope is that it's all a mindwarp. That maybe none of what we've seen really happened...

I go to the door, hiding my fearful anticipation. No need to panic, yet. At least, I hope not. As I open it, everything looks completely normal. Then, I step across the threshold.

Suddenly, I'm buffeted by an icy wind that makes me squeeze my eyes shut and wrap my arms around my chest. I shield my eyes with one hand and try to open them. What I see is swirling snow and beyond it, nothing but ice, miles of it. All the other houses on the street are gone. It's not flat 'though. It's piled up like the cliffs of the desert. I'm alone in this icy wasteland. I use my powers to try and warm myself as I turn around again, trying to determine where I am. The freezing cold is cutting through me as I don't even have a jacket.

My fingers are starting to stiffen from the cold and I turn back to the house. That's when I see the house is gone. Where Kyle's house was, I now see the rock formation that holds our pod-chamber, although it's covered in over three feet of ice and snow. Pushing forward, I wade through the snow drifts until I get to the entrance. Using my powers, I open the rock and quickly get inside. It's a little warmer, but still cold, although at least I'm out of that biting wind.

There, I see Liz, huddled around a small fire. Nearby, the others stare at me, looking sick and tired. I drop to my knees at Liz's side, hugging her tightly. She holds me for a long moment but then pulls back, looking up into my face with tears in her eyes.

"Max, I want you to end it," she says. She's near tears, almost begging me.

"What?" I ask, not quite understanding. She puts her hand over her stomach, the gentle swell there that tells me she's pregnant. In the manner of dreams, I know it's true. That this is my baby. This is what she wants me to end. "I can't," I tell her. How could I ever kill my own child?

"He'll die anyway, Max. You know that," she sobs. "They always die."

It's true. Not just Liz, but Maria and Isabel and Tess. We've been here for years, shunned by the world that knows we caused this clamity. It's nearly impossible to even find food for ourselves, but that's not why the children die. No matter how hungry or cold we get, we never die, never age. Only the children do. It's Ulyssa's curse. We refused to give her children and now she refuses us ours. They grow and kick and promise new life, but not one has drawn as much as a single breath after birth...

"No," I say, my voice barely a whisper. I rise to my feet, my breath growing faster and deeper as I back away. "No. It can't be!" I spin on my heels and race for the chamber door. Pressing my hand over the hidden panel I dash out into the snow, only to find that I'm back in Kyle's living room.

"Oh," I sigh, trying to catch my breath although my shoulders are shaking. I bite my lip and then meet Liz's eyes. "Oh God!"

~*TESS*~

We all vote to know now and Max speaks our decision to the crazy person who has taken us captive. All of a sudden my legs move of their own accord- although where I'm moving to is anyone's guess. As the lights come up I find myself gazing at Kyle who is standing across from me. Confused I look around me and find the others paired up as well, looking probably about the same as I do.

We all listen with growing feelings of fear as the strange... being outlines her plans for us, and that a) she knows our abilities, and b) they won't work against her. I'm confused as I look at Kyle, apparently supposed to be my partner in this, and then as I look at Max and Liz. Surely she should have paired Kyle and Liz- I mean, they've already had sex, so shouldn't they be together? I know Max must be as confused as I am, and probably upset too so I ask "Max?" Hoping he'll be ok.

One minute. I have to see... he says as he heads for the door and steps out.

We all stand in silence- confused and scared, hoping he'll come back with answers and be the king we always expect him to be. I want more then anything to help him, to be a queen for him, but he won't let me so I stand in silence with the rest of them, worried about the words we've just heard, but also worrying about him.

After a few minutes, that felt like years, he comes back almost running and the door slams shut behind him. He's shaking and heaving, trying to catch his breath but obviously incredibly upset. Oh, Oh God! he says before looking up and catching Liz's gaze. He looks so pained that I have to go to him, queen or not.

I put a hand on his shoulder, guiding him to the couch and then rubbing his back lightly. "Tell us about it Max. what did you see?"

Michael

...and just like that she was gone. She dropped the world’s largest bombshell on our heads and then she just disappears. This woman, witch or whatever, is out of her goddamn mind! She must be to ask us something as incomprehensible as that.

Without turning my head, I look over at Maria and think that this must be the reason she arranged us this way, she was pairing us up...pairing us up to mate. I shake my head, trying to clear it when I hear Max say.

”One minute. I have to see... “ as he rushes out the door. None of says anything for a while until Max reappears shivering and clutching his shoulders, as though he'd just been out in a subzero temperatures.

"Oh, Oh God" he says, shaking uncontrollably. Max looks over at Liz, his eyes full of fear as Tess rushes over to him and brings him over to the coach.

"Tell us about it Max. What did you see?" she asks him. Max says nothing, but I can still see that he’s shaking badly.

"What the hell did she do to him?" I say, more to myself than anyone else. I turn and head for the door and barely get it open a crack when Max shouts,

"Michael, NO!" and uses his powers to shut the door. I swing around; my eyebrows furrowed and head towards Max.

"What's out there Maxwell?" I ask forcefully.

I posted on this already. Where did it go
Btw - Great Tess post, M!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

*Max*

I'm still in shock over what I saw out there as Tess approaches me. I let her lead me to the sofa and she sits down beside me, rubbing my back. I've never been so glad to have her arm around me. To have her there. I put my arm around her waist and lean in to her for a moment, squeezing her lightly as I gather my wits. I can still feel the ice in my fingers, in my hair. I can still feel the lingering hopelessness and dispair...

"Tell us about it Max. what did you see?" she asks.

One word springs instantly to mind, but I hesitate to say it. In that moment, Michael decides to act, striding to the door. "Michael, NO!" I stay, stopping him.

"What's out there Maxwell?" he asks.

I bite my lip for a quick moment, holding Tess close. "Hell," I tell them all. I've never really believed in God, but there's no other word for the things I saw, the things I felt. The pain and lonliness and loss. "It was Hell."

.

ooc: Long post alert...Oh, I also use Maria a tiny bit here.

Michael

"Hell...It was Hell." Is all Maxwell can say. I sigh deeply as the weight of these words settle.

“What does that even mean, Maxwell?” I ask him, impatiently. Max says nothing. I know something out there has gotten him shook up, but now is not the time for him to clam up. I fight the urge to ask, what do we do now? And instead take to pacing back and forth in the Valenti living room, contemplating what Max might have meant.

“This is bullshit...” I say, heading towards the door. I have to see for myself. Before Max can act, before anyone can even think, I open it and disappear through it outside. Only I’m not outside, I’m back in the trailer...the trailer I shared with Hank.

“Where the fuck have you been?” Hank yells angrily from his chair. I swallow hard, but can’t produce any words.

“Well...you gone mute, boy?...I asked you a question, you lazy, good for nothing, sorry excuse for a fucking life?” Hank said rising from his chair, beer can in hand.

“I...” I start to say, when Hank cuts me off. Cupping his hand to his ear, he feigns being hard of hearing and says, “Speak up you sorry little shit...”

My heart pounding incessantly in my chest, I clench both my fist and my jaw and lunge towards Hank, but stop just short of him. Hank’s frown turns to a smile as he beings to laugh maniacally.

“You gonna hit me boy?” he asks, raising his beer can and throwing in with all of his strengthen at me. I raise my hand to deflect it, but my powers don’t work. The unopened beer can collides painfully with my head as Hank takes to laughing, fit to burst.

Why didn’t my powers work? I say softly, when BAM...Hank’s brass-knuckled fist comes crashing into my cheek. I use my forearm to wipe away the blood from the gash that’s formed on my cheek.

“I’ll teach you about threatening me?” I hear him say as he takes a metal baseball bat lying near by, swings and BAM, connects with my right arm and shoulder. I roar in pain.

I watch Hank lift his leg, but this time I’m ready for him. Quickly, I lift my uninjured arm and attempt to blast Hank back, but my powers fail again. BAM, Hank’s steel-tipped boot connects with my ribs, sending me to the floor.

“AGH” I yell as, I begin to cough up small puddles of blood.

BAM.... Hank brings his wretch down hard on my knees as a stream of tears pour from my eyes.

“Stop...” I yell.

BAM...Hank sends a sledgehammer crashing into my other knee, breaking every bone in and around my knee.

“OH GOD...” I yell, the pain blinding “...STOP IT YOU F....FUCK!” my voice becoming raspy.

As I lay there in excruciating pain, I close my eyes and prayed that I would pass out. Prayed for a momentary reprieve from the torture.

“Oh...MIKEY!” Hank yelled in a deranged voice.

Opening my eyes, I couldn’t see from the blood pouring down my face. Using my left hand, the only part of my body that was still functional, I wiped some of the blood and looked on in horror as Hank stood next to his recliner, shot gun poised and aimed directly at me.

“N...No!” I say weakly as my body begins convulsing. Hank smiles, winks and fires three shots into my abdomen and resumes his seated position in front of the TV, undeterred by the blood that splatters the walls and furniture, nor by my crumpled and broken form in the corner.

The blast from the shotgun sends thousands of white hot pellets into my skin, piercing every organ from my heart and lungs to my intestine and liver. My lungs quickly fill with blood leaving me gasping for breath.

As I lay there in my insufferable, torturous, unabating agony, I watched the blood flow slowly from the wounds in my stomach and prayed for death...but as the hours ticked by, death never came for me. Pain came in waves and torrents, but death never came. What did come was a knock on the door.

“Come in” Hank said. I watch as Maria steps through the door into the trailor, not quite closing it behind her.

“Maria!” Hank says evenly, as though it’s the most casual thing in the world to have a dying man in the corner of your trailor.

“Maria...” I say, weakly...hoping she’ll turn around and see me, but she doesn’t.

“Hey Mr. Guerin, is Michael home?” she asks.

“Maria...AH!” I say again, as a wave of searing pain washes over me.

“He’s just inside...” Hank says, pointing behind him. “...go on in...” he adds with a smile.

“Maria, I'm right...here...WHY CAN”T SHE HEAR ME?” I scream.

Maria smiles and heads towards the back of the trailor, as Hank watches her disappear through the doorway. Hank gets up off of his recliner and looks at me shrewdly.

“Nice piece of ass you've got there...” he says, undoing his belt and taking it off.

“UGH...YOU FU...FUCK...” I say blood spilling from my mouth. I try to move, but when I do, the pain magnifies 1000 fold “...GOD!” I scream in frustration.

“It’s been a real long time since Hank’s had anything that nice!” Hank says, undoing the button on his trousers and bringing down his zipper.

“Think she’s into older men, Mikey?” he asks, with a smile.

“I'LL KILL YOU, IF YOU FUCKING TOUCH HER, I'LL KILL YOU...MARIA...MARIA RUN...GET OUT!” I scream at the top of my voice as Hank starts towards the bedroom, shot gun in hand.

“Just a little insurance” Hanks says, referring to the shotgun, as he too disappears through the doorway and shuts the door behind him.

“NOOOOOOO...MARIA...MARIA...” I scream, but I know she can’t hear me.

Looking past the pain I push myself off from the wall, the pool of blood that’s formed beneath me allowing my to slide across the floor. Using my good arm, I take hold of the doorframe and hoist myself up. The searing pain throughout my body, coupled with my atrophied muscles make it impossible for my body to support my weight. I loose my balance and fall through the opened door of the trailer, but instead of falling to the ground below I find myself standing back inside the trailer.

“Where the fuck have you been?” Hank yells angrily from his chair. I swallow hard, but cant produce any words.

“Well...you gone mute, boy...I ask you a question, you lazy, good for nothing, sorry excuse for a fucking life?” Hank said rising from his chair, beer can in hand.

“NO, Not again!” I say turning to the door and walking outside to find that once again, I’m standing inside the trailer.

“Where the fuck have you been?” Hank yells angrily from his chair. I swallow hard, but can’t produce any words.

“Well...you gone mute, boy?...I ask you a question, you lazy, good for nothing, sorry excuse for a fucking life?” Hank said rising from his chair, beer can in hand.

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO” I scream, dropping to knees, eyes closed.

“Michael, Michael are you alright?” I hear a voice say. I open my eyes and find that I’m back in Kyle’s house, Maria’s beautiful face staring back at me.

Liz Parker
*word* denotes thoughts
word denotes someone else's words

"All right then, we start now. What is it that you want from us?"

I hear Max say somewhere out in the darkness to the faint glowing figure of Ulyssa. Not less than a second after his words my body begins to move in the darkness with a swiftness and surety that I would lack in the complete darkness I am in.

*What the hell?*

Is all I can think in response to the involuntary movements my body is making to some unknown location. Just as suddenly I stop and turn to face...I'm not sure what I face. Until a couple seconds pass, though it seems more like an eternity of a minute, and an unnatural bright light, almost like yellow fluorescent but stronger, grows to an intensity that we can all see our surroundings. It seems I wasn't the only one who was moved by...Ulyssa? I look around and see that each one of us is facing our "partner".

*Why am I across from Max? What's going on?* I think to myself.

Ulyssa begins to speak, and to get to the point of what she wants from us...like the woman who bargained with a witch for lettuce...she wants our first born children in exchange for leaving us and our world alone.

Honestly, could this day get any weirder or worse? I feel like I'm stuck in the dark version of a fairytale where the evil triumphs over good, rather than the other way around. And it started even before Ulyssa showed up. In fact, in the beginning I gave up Max, knight in shining armor extraordinaire, so that he could be with the "evil Queen"; rather, than true love...because the world might have ended without her...But now it may still end anyways.

Why does it seem that I saved the world only to have it be in danger again?

Ulyssa doesn't seem to understand that Max and I can't be paired up. I rejected him, it's only turn about that he'll reject me.

*He's supposed to be with Tess now* I think to myself only a little bitterly. I knew what I had done had been for the best...the best solution for that particular predicament.

In my musings I miss most of her speech after the "your children" part, but I do catch the tail end of giving us 24 hours to consider her proposal.

"Wait, Ulyssa! This..this just isn't going to..." I stopped mid-sentence though...she had already disappeared.

Max takes a step away and looks wildly about after Ulyssa disappeared, but she is gone. Allowing us our time to "consider" her proposition.

*As if threatening calamity on the Earth is really giving us a lot of room to consider...* I wasn't sure what we were going to do about her proposal...I just couldn't see myself with Max, let alone giving away our first child to her. I couldn't help but wonder why she had chosen us...and if she was all powerful I wondered why she didn't just grow her own baby in a Petri dish or whatever those with her powers would do.

In the midst of my thoughts I hear Max open the door...to see what little thing Ulyssa left us as a reminder. He isn't even gone a minute before he comes tumbling back in through the open door.

"Oh," Max huffs out between his fast breaths, seemingly trying to catch his breath. His entire body is shaking, not from any exertion I can see, but from some kind of shock. Whatever Ulyssa left it was enough to leave a lasting mental impression, enough to shock someone I know to have experience the worst...the FBI and the White Room. I look at him concerned, but I let Tess be one to comfort him...it isn’t' really my place anymore. Max bites his lip hard, enough to draw a drop of blood to his bottom lip. He looks up and straight into my eyes with a tortured look and says "Oh God!"

Tess asks Max what he saw, but he couldn't respond quickly enough for Michael to be satisfied. Michael strides to the door quickly and opens the door a foot before the door crashes back closed.

"Michael, NO!"

What's out there Maxwell?" he asks.

Max pulls Tess closer as he replies, "Hell...It was Hell."

*Yeah, welcome to my world Max...* I can't help but think in reply to his answer. Yes, I know, I'm being a little facetious, but can you blame me?

Michael on the other hand doesn't seem to understand Max's vague answer...“What does that even mean, Maxwell?”

Michael begins to pace a path on the living room rug. He stops in from of the door again as if contemplating...

“This is bullshit...” And in goes Michael into the door to Hell.

In a matter of minutes he is back. Almost as if he appeared out of nowhere. His eyes are shut tightly and we all catch the tail end of something he was yelling out..."OOOOO" A concerned Maria goes to him and asks, “Michael, Michael are you alright?”

We all wait to hear his answer.

If it was worst nightmare, I think Max's might have been a little different -- probably involving more direct contact with the FBI. But that's okay. He was still mighty shattered.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

*Max*

As Michael bolts through the door, I leap to my feet. The thought of Michael facing that horror is enough to banish my own near-paralysis. The thought of anyone-else in that hell scares me far more than being there myself. But I can't follow him out there. I'd never find him, I'm sure. I need to wait. He'll be back. And when he returns, he'll know exactly what I mean.

I hear him howling before he bursts back through the door. Maria goes to him, and I'm glad. He'll need her. He'll need her badly.

I put a hand on his shoulder, offering Michael my sympathy. "It was horrible," I try to explain to the others, hoping none of them will try to leave while her 'display' is still in place. I don't want everyone to be so shattered. "Ice and death and everyone knew. We had no future, just endless pain..." I bite my lip, unable to describe it in any more detail just now.

"We can't let her do this, but I don't know how we could possibly give her our children, either," I say.

.

~*TESS*~

Max leans into me and I can feel the tremors just below the surface when he squeezes me gently. Michael heads for the door and Max starts almost violently. Michael, NO!"

"What's out there Maxwell?"

After a pregnant pause during which I can here Max breathing shallowly in my ear, he says in a voice I've never heard before Hell. It was Hell He looks at me and with deadened eyes, seems to plead with me to make it better. I don't know what to say so I stroke his cheek with the back of my fingers. We say nothing, just looking, but I try to pour all my love and support for him into my look, hoping it will put back some the of the life that was there only a few minutes ago. Neither of us notice as Micheal becomes more agitated, but as he leaves Max jumps up- I can feel his indecision, the impossibility of following, yet his inability to leave Michael out there on his own.
Within minutes however, his decision is made as Michael seemingly just reappears and Maria goes to comfort him as he sits back on his haunches, yelling.

Max tries to describe to us what it was like, but it is hard for him, and I know we'll never be able to truly understand. We can't let her do this, but I don't know how we could possibly give her our children, either

I want to ask if we have a choice, but I know that will only make the burden harder and I can't do that to Max. " Maybe we can reason with her. Maybe if we knew why she wanted a child..." I trail off as I think about the terrible reasons she could want a child.
But then I try to be positive again. I move to Max and take his hand, squeezing and trying to smile. "Maybe she's lonely, and she just wants friends. We talk to her, make her less lonely."
I know that none of this is relevant, or will likely change what we have to do, but for now I want to try to make things better. I feel like it's my job to make things better, so I talk, inanely, hoping that maybe some sense will come of it, some miracle to change the situation we find ourselves in.

Michael

Rising from the ground, Maria searches my eyes for answers, but I have none. All I can do is take her into my arms and hold her close. A rare show of emotion for me, but after what I’d just been through, I needed her near me.

“We can't let her do this, but I don't know how we could possibly give her our children, either” Max says. Mentally, I agree with him.

"Maybe we can reason with her. Maybe if we knew why she wanted a child... Maybe she's lonely, and she just wants friends. We talk to her, make her less lonely.” Tess offers.

Unable to control my temper, I let go of Maria and head over to the couch Tess and Max are sitting on and unload on Tess.

“MAYBE SHE’S LONELY?...AND JUST WANTS FRIENDS?...” I yell, unable to suppress the rage that’s building inside of me.

“The woman is a FUCKING LUNATIC TESS...one whose hell bent on DESTROYING US...she’s not lonely, she’s a SICK AND TWISTED BITCH”

Max, recovering from his experience outside, bolts to his feet, obviously angered by my treatment of Tess. He starts to speak but I don’t allow him the courtesy, the only color I see is red.

“Don’t you understand? we can’t afford to be that fucking naive about this, Maxwell. We are dealing with a very powerful and very deranged woman....we...we just can’t afford to be that naive” I say, collapsing onto the couch and running my fingers hard, through my hair.

ooc:M, sorry about having Michael explode on Tess, but it needed to be done, to show the seriousness of their situation. You provided a great opening for me, thanks!

*Max*

Tess's words make me pause. Why does Ulyssa want our children? She'd said she couldn't have any of her own and I hadn't thought past that. Now suddenly my mind is filled with dark images of possible uses for children that I don't even want to imagine.

Before I can respond to that, however, Michael jumps up and verbally blasts Tess. I step quickly to try and stop him, but he keeps going, finally collapsing on the sofa.

I wait for a moment, as everyone recovers. I understand Michael's frustration and anger and pain. I know how fried he has to be after going out there. I can still feel the horror of that world just beneath the surface of my thoughts. Michael's rant bringing it all flooding back into my mind. But we can't turn on each other.

"Tess, I'm sorry," I say, apologising for Michael. "You can't imagine what's out there." Taking another two steps, I put my hand on Michael's shoulder before speaking to him. "We're not going to let her do it, Michael. I don't know how, but we'll find a way."

It's a promise I have no idea how to keep, but I just can't accept the other alternatives. I have to believe that somehow, we'll make it possible.

.