Roswell Fanatics

*Max*

Alex comes in but I don't address him right away. I'm focused on Zan hoping for answers, although I know he doesn't have many more than I do. Still, it keeps me from blasting Kyle (with words) at least for the moment. He says Serena is carrying the powers for both herself and Liz ... I can't say that makes sense, exactly, but in what passes for normal for us, I can understand it. If it is the problem, then sharing the load would seem to solve it.

I turn to Serena and Liz, biting my lip over my conflicted emotions. I want to help the girl; I want to protect Liz but I know I need to keep my distance...

Then suddenly, Serena is moving, launching herself at Liz. I hear her strangled cry as she falls, grasping her stomach. Tess calls out my name and Zan grabs Serena. I'm already kneeling at Liz's side. I slide her hands aside and press one hand against her wound. Her eyes are wide and I'm not even sure if she sees me. I pull the letter opener out of her abdomen and press one hand against the wound. With my other hand, I move her chin so her face is turned towards mine. "Liz, Look at me," I demand.

I'm no longer thinking about Serena or Kyle or Zan. All I know is Liz. I need to make this connection. I can't lose her. I can't.

Liz blinks and suddenly, I'm in. The pain in her stomach hits me hard and I gasp for breath. She's dying. She's bleeding so much. I pour my power into her body, knitting her flesh together, one molecule at a time, as flashes of her memories dart across my mind's eye. Some of them are familiar; I've seen ones like them before. But there are new ones.

I feel her fear as bright light flashes on her balcony. I see how she felt when I kissed her in the Crashdown two weeks ago, after seeing Tess. She wanted it; she loves me even 'though she's been telling me she doesn't. I see her in bed with Kyle and I feel how comfortable she is with him, and her horror as she sees me at the window. Through both memories, there's a sense of someone-else being there, too. Then I see her dancing on her balcony with a strange man that someone feels like me or Zan, but it's not. She feels happy and sad at the same time, and then, he's gone...

Blinking, I see Liz beneath me again. It's done. She's whole again. I reluctantly pull my hand back. It's covered with blood but I'm not thinking about that at the moment. I staring at Liz's face, thinking only of her.

"You're okay now," I tell her. I just wish I knew if I were okay. The things I saw and felt don't make a lot of sense. I stare at her, wondering what to say.

*Tess*

Everything happens so fast after I cry out Max's name. Max and Zan both move forward quickly and while Zan grabs Serena and pulls her away from Liz Max goes to Liz and crouches over her, ready to heal her. I can see the fear in his eyes and I move closer ready to help if needed but after a bit he's healed her and pulls away. "You're all right now." He whispers, staring down at her.

I continue to stand nearby and turn to face Zan and Ava. "Where the hell did she get that?" I yell. Liz and I may not be close but that doesn't mean I want to see her dead. I make sure to stay back near Max and Liz and then I turn quickly to look at Liz. "Liz you okay?" I ask in concern.

Serena

"Why did you do that, Serena?" he asked her angrily, his hands gripping her upper arms tightly enough to bruise. She could feel his anger and frustration washing over her in waves.

“He had to see what was hidden…it was the only way.” She said biting her lip, a sign that she was nervous about something. She then looked down at her hand and noticed a small amount of Liz’s blood on her fingertips. “It should stain.” She said to herself.

Ava spoke up then. “I’m sorry Zan, I didn’t see her grab it. But you know ho she gets sometimes, she could turn a fuckin’ pencil into a weapon.” She said getting a little irritated but trying not to show it, that somehow this fell back to her.

*Max*

“He had to see what was hidden…it was the only way.”

I hear Zan and Ava and Serena talking about why and how. I hear it, but frankly, I'm not paying attention. I'm watching Liz to be sure she's okay, as the images and feelings seem to replay in my mind. Liz and Kyle and somebody-else that I can't seem to identify, although he seems like Zan.

"You lied to me," I say, my voice just above a whisper. She didn't sleep with Kyle. She faked it. It was a lie. And then, when I asked her in Copper Summit, she lied about it. Again. I feel almost frozen with conflicting emotions. Hope. Betrayal. Fear. Shock. Confusion. None of it makes sense. "Why?"

But even as I ask, I know the answer. She did it to make me go to Tess. I know she still loves me. She told me that the night she came and babbled on about Romeo and Juliet and I could feel it in the flashes. But she still refuses to interfere with Tess's desire to recreate our pasts. I don't get it. I truly don't. Nobody's insisting that Micheal and Isabel have to be together again. Why does she want it to be like this? Why can't Liz let me be with her?

Zan

“He had to see what was hidden…" Serena said, chewing her lip nervously. What the hell did she mean? Why couldn't she, for once, just be straightforward with us? "It was the only way.”

As Max started healing Liz, I was, myself, deep in thought. I had a feeling that I knew what she had been trying to do; she thought she'd get Max to heal Liz so that he could see what was inside, form a connection as we had done before. But I wasn't sure. Serena's motives were never clear.

“It should stain.” I looked back at her and found that she was looking down at the blood on her fingertips.

“I’m sorry Zan, I didn’t see her grab it. But you know how she gets sometimes, she could turn a fuckin’ pencil into a weapon,” Ava said, her apologetic tone tinged with a dash of annoyance.

I knew. I knew well how Serena could get. But this wasn't the time and place to attack people, especially her mirror.

"Serena, you can't go attacking people with letter openers," I tried to make her understand. There were other ways to do these things, easier and less harmful ways. But she couldn't see them; her mind was just too warped to see them. I loosened my grip and whispered, "Even if she doesn't die, she feels pain. Like Serena. Does Serena want other people to feel such pain? There are other ways. Serena can tell us, tell us properly, and we will listen."

I hoped they'd understand . . . I hoped they were still willing to help us . . .

"You lied to me," I heard Zan say. I looked up and saw what appeared to be an injured look written all over his face. "Why?"

He'd seen something. So Serena had managed to get him to do just what she'd wanted him to. I wondered if it would explain what she'd meant by saying that Liz was broken, if it would aid our cause in some way . . .

~Raith~

I sat back and enjoyed the freak show. Serena had started her babbling while all eyes in the room went to her. It was quite interesting how she had been able to affect Zan's dupe. Talk about a show. You can just feel all the stress and tension in the room. I leaned back against the wall next to Lonnie with my arms crossed. I had always thought that our group had its troubles, but seeing our dupes along with their human friends, well, I know that our little...spats were nothing compared to all the shit going on here in this boring hick town.

It actually surprised me when Serena stabbed the girl called Liz. It made me actually push from the wall but I didn't take a step closer. I knew Serena could get a little wild, sometimes destroy things, but I never thought she'd actually harm anyone like that.

"Ain't that the shit?" I ask Lonnie quietly. She'd been standing her observing to. Sometimes it's nice not to be noticed. That's when a person's guard is down, when they are most vunerable. That's also when you learn the most about your adversaries.

~LIz~

Serena raises her eyes to look at me fully. "Mirror is broken too..." She responds, placing her hand over my heart.

Ava tries to tell her that she's wrong, insisting that it's her that's broken and me that can help, but I don't know, maybe she's right... I guess I am broken in a way...only I don't know that anything will really fix that...

"Mirror not ready yet, Not whole!" Serena shouts back, pulling away sharply and leaving me wondering exactly what she meant... Maybe it's just ramblings of a crazy woman, but somehow I don't believe that... She might speak in riddles most of the time, but most of what she says has some truth to it, and I find myself doing the same as Ava in a way, although different in others...I find myself looking at Max...

"I think . . . I think Serena's got the idea that you aren't . . . that you're not entirely at peace with, I don't know, yourself maybe...That maybe - I'm not certain myself - maybe you're hurt. In some way. And if you're hurt, you can't be ready to offer her help." Zan speaks and I turn to look at him, listening...

If he's right, I can't disagree... I bite my lip and look down.

Max's voice causes me to look back up though, his own suggestion making just as much sense... "Maybe it just means she's not whole because she doesn't have her powers, Is there a way she should activate them?" There's an undertone to his words, and I'm not certain what it means, but for the moment I try and concentrate on the surface facts. The fact that as crazy as it sounds, I apparently should have powers, but don't... Certainly that could mean that I'm not 'whole' in Serena's eyes I guess...

Zan doesn't seem keen on this suggestion, and again I get the feeling that there's more to this than meets the eye as he insists that Serena became like this when she got her powers... I think he knows more, but... I shake my head. I don't know him, I'm drawing on what I know of Max and I could be completely wrong... Part of me thinks that he's holding something back, but then another asks why he would do that, he wants Serena well, so why wouldn't he help as much as he can...?

"This won't hurt Liz, will it? If she's able to 'fix' Serena and gets her powers, too, will it affect her?"

I turn to look back at Max, and I'm sure I see a hint of fear in his eyes... Not fear for himself, but for me... He thinks what he saw was real, and yet still he worries about me... I bite my lip.

Alex walks in just at this moment, asking what's going on, but before I can even attempt to answer, everything seems to happen at once. Serena moves, quickly, and there's a sharp pain in my stomach. I look down, and almost as though I'm watching a movie, and it's not actually happening to me, I see a blade there...

She stabbed me...

I don't even cry out as I fall to the ground, and I don't really know everything which happens next. All I know, is that then I'm looking looking up at Max, he's saying something but I can't make it out. There's a flash of images, much as I've always received from him before, and as he pulls back a moment later, telling me I'm okay, I only have to look into his eyes to be sure he knows...

A connection between the two of us... The one thing I've been avoiding since that night, knowing that if it happened, he would see... Max saved my life again tonight...

"Liz, are you okay...?" I dimly recognise Tess's voice, but my gaze remains fixed on Max, before darting over towards Serena and back... She knew... I realise the truth in an instant... She knew... I swallow, drawing in a shallow breath as I look back up at Max again now.

"You lied to me," He says, his voice, full of emotion and little more than a whisper as he confirms what I was already sure of... He knows... "Why?"

Such a simple question...and it deserves a simple answer. "I had to..." I swallow, my hand dropping to my stomach where he healed me again moments before, and trying to sit up. "I'm sorry Max...I just did what I had to..."

hopes this is ok.

~Kyle~

"I think . . . I think Serena's got the idea that you aren't . . . that you're not entirely at peace with, I don't know, yourself maybe, that maybe - I'm not certain myself - maybe you're hurt. In some way. And if you're hurt, you can't be ready to offer her help," Zan says

Then I notice Max, he looks like he is ready to kill me. His fists are balled up and I can see that he is barley holding himself back. ‘Oh no he thinks I hurt Liz.’ I realize. But he seems to relax suddenly so I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. I have no delusions in a fight if Max was angry enough he could kill me easily.

"Maybe it just means she's not whole because she doesn't have her powers," he says but I catch his glare he still thinks I did it. “Is there a way she should activate them?"

"Not that I know of. Serena's powers got 'activated' when she became the way she is now. Or rather, she became this way because her powers got activated." Zan says.

I tone Max and his double out now it’s just to confusing really. Powers activating more doubles Alien kings wanting to kill me. I’m pulled from my thoughts though when I hear a cry. Tess is screaming for Max While Zan is holding back Serena and Liz is lying on the floor bleeding. But as quick as it happens Max is there healing her.

“He had to see what was hidden…"It was the only way.” She says. See what? Then it hits me. Hey I may not be the sharpest tool in the shed but I can still put two and two together and get four.... some times. She wanted Max and Liz to connect so he could see what she wouldn’t tell him!

"You lied to me, Why?” Max says and I look over at the two and I don’t know it just looks so sad. And she answers "I'm sorry Max...I just did what I had to..."

“Oh good god.” Tess’s Double Ava I think says. “Zan maybe we should get out of here. This doesn’t seem to be doing any good at the moment and I’m not sure how they’ll react to the fact that Serena tried to kill one of their own. Maybe you should make her sleep again.” She finishes which is meet with an outburst from Serena. She walks over to the other twins and says "What are we going to do now?"

Things are getting to out of hand I look around the room no one is making a move. Max and Liz are in their on little world Serena still looks scared. “Alright.” I say looking over at Max and Liz. “You two out side now. Talk fix the mirror or what ever.” I know I shouldn’t be telling Max what to do right now but obviously he and Liz have some things they need to talk about now.

I glance over at Zan with Serena trembling in his arms then over at Ava and the other two silent doubles and back again. I know she just stab Liz but since I think I know why she did it I really cant hate her from what I heard she is not even in her right mind so I ask. “Dose she need anything? A drink? Food?”

*Max*

"I had to... I'm sorry Max...I just did what I had to..." Liz tells me. She doesn't meet my eyes, 'though. I know she's still hiding things.

"You didn't," I tell her, not sure what to think. "You didn't have to." Well, maybe she did in order to stop me from trying to get her to change her mind, but there was no reason for that. That terrible night, after they got me out of Eagle Rock, I told her that I was chosing her over Tess, choosing to make my own destiny and she wanted that, too. Then suddenly, she didn't. I don't see why I'd have to be with Tess again. I want my own life, my own choices, my own destiny. She loves me, I know she does...

Zan and Ava are talking about putting Serena to sleep, like he did before, but she doesn't like the idea. I'm more than happy to let them sort that out themselves, as long as they don't act on her first suggestion -- leaving. I don't want them to go until I have more answers, but Liz is my priority at the moment.

“Alright.” Kyle says suddenly. “You two outside now. Talk, fix the mirror, or whatever.” I'm amazed at how evenly he's taking this. He didn't even blink at the suggestion that Liz would have powers. I guess all that Budda stuff has been some help to him.

He seems to have dismissed us, turning instead to Zan and Ava, asking. “Does she need anything? A drink? Food?”

I shake my head as I get to my feet. "You're part of this, too, Valenti," I tell him, not gently. "You have some explaining to do."

I glance at Alex who hasn't said a word and still looks understandably confused. "In case you were wondering, that's not Isabel," I tell him, with sympathy. "Or Michael. Their names are Vilondra and Raith. Those are Ava and Zan. They're our doubles and they came here for help. The other girl is Serena."