Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2004 10:26 am
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
Liz had explained their plans to her parents. As normal parents, they were concerned at this sudden idea. The hows, whens and whys. But she explained to them that everyone had really been discussing it for weeks and with all the excitement of finals and graduation, she had completely forgotten to mention it to them. The bottom line was that they trusted their daughter, and of course the fact that Liz was now eighteen, they relented to her excitement.
She had called Maria just as she was getting ready to bring Michael over to do his shift at the Crashdown. He had mentioned that he might be getting fired in a few minutes, since he intended to tell Mr. Parker that he needed a temporary leave of absence. "Well, I'm pretty sure that my dad didn't expect you to stay here working the kitchen forever, Michael. And lately you've only been doing two or three days a week, so I'm sure he'll be fine."
Liz then spent the next few hours cleaning up her room and packing enough clothes for a few weeks. She had packed eight sets of clothes and three rolls of quarters for laundry money. Gotta be prepared, she thought. She slid her journal under the jeans in the suitcase, along with a bank envelope with her savings and her recent gift of $1000 from her dad and mom, with the promise of shopping for a little secondhand car when she got back home again. She stood back looking at the luggage on the bed. She had done very well in the packing department, she thought. Only two bags, one backpack and her purse. She could have spread things out into three bags, but didn't want to hog up too much room in the truck knowing that they’d be squeezing in a lot more luggage and belongings.
At 5 o'clock, she wandered downstairs to grab something to eat. Michael was at the grill in the kitchen. "Our little friend is out there. Seems he's takin a liking to our food too,” Michael tried to cover his anxiousness with a smirk. Liz peeked through the small glass in the door.
"He looks harmless enough, doesn't he? Well..if we didn't know who he was he would. He seems friendly; he’s talking to some of the people at the counter around him. Have you talked to Valenti, to see if he's found out anything new? We need to do that before we leave on Monday. And don't forget to leave Isabel all our cell numbers, in case anything comes up." She added quickly, "I don't think it will, but we need to do that anyway."
"Aye Aye, Sparrow," Michael joked, and then with a look as if a light bulb went on suddenly in his head, he quickly turned to Liz. He didn't have to say a word, the surprised look on her face showed it all. He started laughing. Sparrow had been Rath's nickname for Ava, because she was so tiny compared to himself.
"Woah, that was pretty cool,” he grinned a wide smile at the memory. “Sparrow,” he repeated nodding his head in a positive way. "You were always so frail."
"I was tiny, not frail, and don't you forget it!" She deliberately pushed sideways into his arm. Stealing a radish off the plate Michael was putting together, she walked out into the restaurant.
Kyle was sitting in a booth by himself and saw her come in from the back. He raised his hand, beckoning her. "Hey Kyle," she said as she cautiously walked past the stool occupied by Madison at the counter. "What's up?" She slid in opposite him.
"He's here..again,” he whispered with his head down.
"There's not a whole lot we can do about it Kyle. Let’s just pretend that he's an ordinary businessman who’s layed over in town for a while." She really didn't want Kyle to know how intimidated she was at that very second.
"I just don't want us to be his business, that's all. He's rented a house here, Liz. Isn't Max concerned? How about John and Kal, they've got to be worried, right?"
"They're taking care of everything, Kyle. Don't worry about anything. We're leaving on Monday morning. That road trip I told you about. Me and Maria, Michael and Max. We're taking off for a little while. Hopefully things will cool down and this guy will move on when he finds that there's nothing here that interests him. And we'll all get some much needed rest at the same time."
"Cool down? So you're admitting that things are...what, hot, right?" He didn’t wait for a response as he then realized what she had just said about the trip. He replied, "Good Liz, I'm glad that you're taking the bull by the horns on this one. A road trip could be just what the doctor ordered." He leaned in and winked at her, "Go for it Liz..."
She quickly interrupted him before he even went down that road. "Kyle, stop. We are going as friends. Whatever happens will happen. Besides, he's been accepted at MIT in the fall."
"Yeah...and..? Wait, that's in Maine. No, wait..Massachusetts, right?" Liz shook her head, first no, than yes. He continued on, "Well, look at all those frequent flyer miles you could rack up..." She picked up one of his fries and stuffed it into his open mouth, ending the conversation.
Kyle looked up over Liz's shoulder, making Liz look up too. Madison was walking towards the door, doggie bag in hand. "Nice place you have here." He paused by their booth. "You'll be seeing a lot of me around here, you've got great food!" Shaking hands with them both, he introduced himself. "My name is Alex Madison."
She noticed that he had eyes of steel, cold. As normally as possible she replied, "Liz Parker, my parents own this place. This is Kyle Valenti, Sheriff Valenti's son." He smiled at Liz then Kyle, and they both had the distinct feeling that he already knew everything she had just said. He smiled again, nodded goodbye and left. It took a little while before the chill that had run up Liz's spine was completely gone.
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The two men sat in front of the now blazing fire, stretched out, legs up. Kal held one of his famous Cuban cigars in one hand and a snifter of brandy in the other. John's eyes were closed, quite content from a wonderful dinner. "Life is good." Kal blew the smoke toward the fireplace.
"Are you packed?" John asked, without opening his eyes.
"What little I had with me is bagged and ready to go. I hope you know how grateful I am for you inviting me into your home, to stay here with you, and with Serena. This is one hell of a place you two have here. Absolutely beautiful. You've done well, Kolt," Kal exclaimed.
John answered, "Ya know our home will always be yours, right?"
Kal sighed a heavy sigh. "Yep, I do. But I've got to tell ya, I'm getting excited about the idea of looking for a place out here for myself. I've got my secretary rounding up information and prospects for me when I get back in LA. It shouldn't take me but a week or so to get things straight there, then I'll be back to try to settle in. She's coming with me, you know, she's been working with me for almost twelve years now. I hired her because she was a little daft upstairs and had great legs, but I gotta admit the little thing's grown on me."
"Well, Kal, maybe it's time. You should, ya know..make it legal. Life's too short," he chuckled at that. "And since I haven't always gotten the chance to say it, thanks to you, too. For being the best tag team partner this side of Eos." They both grinned at each other. "Eighteen years six months and counting."
"Yep your reign is just about over my man," Kal said. "But I sure do hope that you're planning on sticking around for the next eighteen." He laughed. "I think I might need the help."
"I'm in way too deep to move on now," John admitted. He stood up to stoke the embers that were dying down in the fire. "Besides Serena would kill me if I told her we were leaving here, especially now that she's got her buddies out there at the chamber with her. They'd all kill me." Satisfied with the small flame that he had stirred up, he leaned against the mantle. "So, what do you think we'll all be doing five years from now?"
"As far as you and I? I'm pretty sure we'll be doing just about the same thing that we're doing right now," he winked at him, "lovin who we are. But as for the quad, I'm hoping that if indeed they all stay together; and that's a pretty big if, in itself; but if they're all doing something meaningful and constructive I truly hope that. .that they're not doing it here." John was silent, as seconds ticked away. He was about to speak, then thought against it. He reluctantly nodded his head, fully aware of Kal's meaning.
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"Is, there's nothing stopping you from going to Boston, and you know it." Max was sitting on the front porch with Isabel, as the sun went down. "You could always join the road trip team. I believe our destination is the Atlantic Ocean, somewhere along the coastline." He joked, but the excitement was clear in his voice. "You'd be more than welcome, Isabel."
"A fifth wheel is what I'd be, Max. No," she said shaking her head. "I need to stay right here. I plan on taking care of business while you're all gone. I'm going to write to Jessie and just ask for a divorce, or at least a trial separation. I'm not going to plead for this marriage, Max. I can't anymore. But at the same time, I need to set things straight between him and I, once and for all. I know that I could never tell him the truth, so what's the point."
"Whatever you think is best. And by the way, this road trip is not a couples thing...it's a friends thing. Liz and I are still not on even ground. We've been forced to start over, that's what she needs right now, and I'm not going to do anything to jeopardize her trust in me...ever again."
"Things are very different now," she started slowly, staring out at the horizon. "Things have changed a lot." Max got the feeling that she wasn't talking about herself anymore. "I just don't feel that I fit in with the four of you on a road trip. You know me, I'm too moody. It wouldn't work. Thanks for asking though, Bro," she laughed slightly.
"You know, Is, you and Ava might not have hit it off ..before, but the two of you aren't exactly the same people now. Maybe if you give it half a chance..."
"Max. I just want to be Isabel. I've never been comfortable knowing about, or remembering anything to do with Lonnie. It's easier for me this way. It doesn't mean that I don't care what happens to the four of you, because you know you can bet your life that if and when you need me, I will be there for you..for all of you."
"Isabel." Mrs. Evan's voice rung out from inside. "If you need the car, you have to drop me off at the church first. Be ready in two minutes."
Isabel looked down at the porch floor, saying nothing. "Where ya going?" Max asked. "Oh, wait, let me guess. The mountain."
"Hey, I told him I'd pick him up and give him a ride back to the ranch," Isabel blushed.
"...and aren't Coby and Serena going to that very same ranch? Well, that's a horrible waste of gas," he said with a kidding smile. Instead of answering him, she stood up and sauntered into the house.
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Liz sat on her balcony, thinking about how much she would miss being out here. It had become more intimate and personable to her than even her own bedroom. It had seen her through so much in her life, so many changes. This is where Max Evans had first kissed her, telling her that if he stayed things we're going to change. How that night had indeed changed her life, in so many ways. And over there on that wall, is where he drew the heart with M.E + L.P. written inside. So many many nights she had spent out here just writing, under the stars.
She smiled when she remembered the first sunrise that she and Maria had witnessed one chilly morning in their third year of elementary school. And all of the comets and planets as seen through her telescope. God, she thought to herself, just a little girl with dreams of flying to the stars. Her eyes began to fill with tears, knowing that Ava had been speaking to her even back then.
This is where she had last spent time with Alex, watching all of his slides of Sweden, the thought as the lies churned in her stomach now. Oh, how she wished things could have been different. She missed him so much, and they had missed him so during graduation. But he had been there, in their hearts. She had worn his guitar pick on a chain under her graduation gown. It had been a small gesture, but it had made Liz feel so good. He wasn't there in body, but he was there in spirit, she felt it. And one of the things she was sure of was that the memory of her dear friend would never fade from her, no matter who she was. She remembered when they had all waited out here for Isabel to dreamwalk Max when he was captured by the special unit.
And last but not least, this is where she discovered that she was so much more than her wildest dreams could have ever told her. This was the place where she sat with three other aliens and discussed her past and present, and without a doubt her future.
She blew out the candle in the jar beside her, rising to her feet. As she climbed back through the window, she reached behind her neck unhooking Alex's necklace, and placed it carefully in her jewelry box on the bureau. She was feeling so melancholy, and she hoped that it had been stirred by her thoughts of Alex. She needed normal melancholy.
This trip had suddenly come to mean something more, her intuition was speaking to her, and she now knew better than to ignore it when that happened. She couldn't shake the feeling that they were going to be gone a while, maybe a long while. Why was she thinking this way? She tried to convince herself that it was silly. It wasn't like it was brought about by flashes, or visions of any kind; just this gut feeling inside of her, that she couldn't shake.
Without thinking she walked to the bureau, taking back the necklace from the jewelry box, then unzipped the suitcase on her bed, removing her journal. Climbing out on the balcony again, she removed that special brick in the wall, the one that had held all of her treasures since she was old enough to know that there were things that you wanted and sometimes needed to keep forever. She placed the necklace inside the cover and pushed the journal into its safe hiding place. As she carefully replaced the brick, the phone in her room rang.
"South Carolina," Maria simply stated on the other end of the line. "I'm looking at some pictures off the internet right now. It's gorgeous, Liz. I'm downloading some maps and driving directions from here with lots of interesting places to stop along the way."
"Sounds great, Maria. Hey, while you're at it, check the area out for log cabins will ya?" she answered, remembering her vision and the fun that she had felt. "One more thing, make sure to remind Michael that we all need to be out at John's in the morning to see Kal off. He's going to be gone a few weeks. We probably won't see him for a little while after that," she answered, keeping her anxieties inside her. "..Ooh, and by the way Maria...pack light," she laughed, knowing her best friend all too well.
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*lyrics belong once again to Lifehouse
~~You are the light that is leading me to the place where I find peace again.
You are the strength that keeps me walking,
You are the hope that keeps me trusting.
You are the life to my soul.~~
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
Max slept the soundest that he had for weeks that night. Before falling off, he had forced himself not to think about any negative things, he wasn't going to allow anything to interfere with their chance of getting away from everything for at least a little while.
He had to admit that he wished that Kal wasn't leaving in the morning; it would have been nice if he'd been able to hang around to see them off on their adventure, but he understood that Kal was anxious to get back to California and get all the loose ends of his life tied up. It was going to be interesting having him around here all the time. He had grown pretty fond of him.
Kal had been excited for them, when Max had told them all about their plans for the next few months. He remembered that Kal had said, ‘Well, make sure you do some fishing, I love fishing. Maybe I'll get the chance to do more of it once I've relocated out here. You and I, we'll have to go together when you get back to Roswell'. Max's thoughts finally drifted him off into a deep sleep.
He was at a dance, the old soap factory, the rave of two years before. Liz was there and she looked absolutely amazing. The music was loud and the old dusty room was literally vibrating and packed with kids; but, in his eyes, she was the only one there. The only one that mattered, the only one that would ever matter. There was something that happened to him every time they were together, something deep inside of him that seemed to wake up and see the light of day again and again. She was the sunlight in his hair, and the sweet breeze when it brushed his face, she was everything to him. He knew. ...He knew even then, that this beautiful girl was meant to be his, and that he would protect her with his very life if he needed to. He had never felt so strongly about anything in his entire life as he did about Liz.
He had wanted so badly to dance with her that night, a slow close dance. He didn't care about the music; she had always been his music. In his dream, he held her tightly and whispered in her ear as they moved ever so slowly together on the dance floor. As the song of their bodies begann to play, they held on and promised each other to never, ever let go.
The sun shining brightly through the window woke him early the next morning. The alarm clock read 7:45am. It had been a good night, he thought. It had been a long time since he had slept this late. He was starving, he felt like he hadn't eaten in days. As he opened the door into the hall, he smelled the reason he had woke thinking of food. The smell of bacon and eggs was throughout the house. He ran into Isabel in the hall, she looked terrible. "What time did you get in? I never heard you."
"That's because you were snoring to beat the band, dear brother. It was late," she blushed and turned into the bathroom before finishing her answer, "or early." She quickly closed the bathroom door.
Oh this is good, Max thought. My sister is committing adultery. Wonderful. Boy do I ever need a vacation. Well she did have something in common with Pete, not to mention that she didn't have to worry about breaking the strange and disconcerting news to him that she was this scary alien from another world, or any of the other things. Max thought that it was a shame that she hadn't met him first, before Jessie entered the picture. He decided to let it go for now, and go eat breakfast instead, after all she was a big girl now, and it certainly wasn't any of his business. Besides, as everyone knew, Isabel had never been very good at taking advice.
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After breakfast Max and his sister jumped into the Chevelle and took off for John's ranch. It was drawing close to ten by the time they pulled up outside. Liz, Michael and Maria had arrived and were in fact just getting out of the Jetta themselves.
Serena and John were sitting on the porch, where they had been eagerly waiting for the kids to arrive. "Look at them Serena," John said quietly, as they watched them gather around the two cars. "It's still blows me away, everything that we accomplished in the last eighteen years, and everything that they've accomplished," he added.
Serena grabbed his hand, and couldn't help sharing the nostalgia with this person who had come to mean so much to her. They had been through a lot together over the years. Serena, much like Liz, had lived through the torture of knowing that John was in the custody of the Special Unit; days that she had prayed that much and that hard, had been few and far between.
Her life had been changed that day nineteen years ago, the day that she had learned the truth. There had been no bullet hole or anything near as brave as what Max had laid on the line for Liz, but the night that he took her up to see the treasure in the mountain that he had sworn to protect against all odds, that had been the most magical night of Serena's life. She had been much younger than, but she had known that the stranger from the sky was the only man that she would ever love. And all those years that followed, he had been her encouragement when things weighed heavy on her at the beginning of her career at Stanford. It hadn't been easy for her to be accepted there. She was not only a woman, she was an Indian woman, at that. Stanford was a difficult nut to crack, but, with John's help and guidance and her finely tuned intelligence, she had succeeded in becoming well respected there.
"I'm a little worried about what will happen when we reach point C with the granolith. We know what Kal is hoping for down the road, and John, you already know that I don't agree with him." A worried look crossed her face and he caressed her hand, as he shared the same look. "It's something that would have to be their decision and their decision only. I'm afraid that Kal being Kal, he might try to play that guilt card. And that, John, is wrong in so many ways."
"I know. This could all be irrelevant anyway. I don't think there's gonna be even a choice to make. We're a long way from point C, Serena," was all he could say before the now loud and excited group had finally reached the porch.
"Hey!" Max greeted them. Michael handed Serena a huge sunflower they had picked on their trip up the mountain. Liz and Maria were laughing, both wore small bunches of lily-of-the-valleys, pinning their hair back at the sides. "What a beautiful morning. Where's our vagabond traveler?" Max asked.
"Inside on the phone, as usual," Serena replied with a smile. "He's been so nervous all morning about flying back ...you know how he is," she smiled. "It's a good thing he didn't decide to commute for the next few years, or we would have had to keep him sedated twentyfourseven.."
Liz laughed, and sat down on the glider next to Serena. "So, Liz, I understand from John that you've been considering applying at Stanford." Liz looked over quickly at him, as he shrugged his shoulders, saying, "It’s the hazards of my heritage," referring again to his thought transference abilities. "Sorry."
"It's okay," she smiled back at John, trying not to look at Max as she continued. "I have thought a lot about it. I did want to talk to you, though," she turned back to Serena. "I applied the other day, ya know, just out of curiosity." Serena nodded her head.
Max couldn't hide his surprise. "That's great Liz. I didn't know. I mean.. you never mentioned it before." He should have at least applied there when Serena first mentioned it, he thought. He just hadn't been ready to think that far ahead right now. He forced a smile. "Being right there near Serena would be pretty cool."
"You could even stay with me if you wanted to, that is if you didn't want to stay on campus. It's pretty crowded on campus, not much privacy." she said honestly. "I tried it a while back. It just didn't work well for me, personally."
Kal came out through the screen door. letting it slam behind him. "What didn't work out well?" he asked, smiling at the girls and nodding hello to the guys.
"When I first began at Stanford," Serena explained to him, as she quickly got up from her seat. "I'll go get the keys for ya, John." She ducked into the house, avoiding Kal's eyes.
"Are you excited about going home, Kal?" Liz asked, as he gave her a hug.
"I'll be a lot more excited when I actually get there." They laughed at him, as he made a funny terrified face. "I've got about two hours till take off, so I guess we've got to make the goodbye short, and that's okay with me, I hate goodbyes." He reached for Max's hand, and then pulled him into a tight hug, patting him several times hard on the back.
Kal repeated the same with Michael, who added, "I won't say goodbye, cause we're going to see you again soon, but, I will say take care, Kal. We'll see you when we get home in late July, early August. Take care of everything here while we're gone, right?"
"You've got my word and John's word on that one, Michael. You shouldn't worry about any of this. Just have a good time, and relax. Enjoy yourself. Most of all, remember to give a call to one of us, regularly. Why am I telling you this?" he asked out loud, as he then turned to Liz and Maria. "You girl's will be in charge of checking in on a regular basis, if I leave it up to these two, we won't be hearing a thing." It was obvious in his eyes when he smiled, that he was already missing them.
He walked down to the car with Serena, as she tossed the keys over to John. She tried to get by with giving him a peck on the cheek, but Kal wasn't satisfied with that. He grabbed her tightly and held on for a few seconds. Then to keep up his image, he quickly twisted her around bending her backward halfway to the ground, and planted a noisy kiss on her neck.
"Max, will you be around later this afternoon? I want to see you before you guys take off in the morning,” John said to Max, as he leaned out the window.
"Yeah, JB, I'll be around. Have a safe flight, Kal." Max closed the door for him, as the two beat up suitcases were safely placed into the trunk.
"Yo, Max," Kal yelled to him. "Come here, I almost forgot."
Max walked around the passenger side of the car and Kal handed him a small white envelope. "What's this?" Max asked with surprise.
"It's something that I want you to give to Liz, but you have to wait till after twelve o'clock today. That way I will have already landed safely, and I'll be able to honestly enjoy thinking about my whole brilliant idea, too." He winked. "Don't you peek either. Oh, hey, another thing. You got enough cash? You're gonna need some money, here I insist take this." He pulled a roll of bills out of his pocket, peeled off eight fifties and handed them to Max. "There's more where that came from. I can always wire it to you. Don't thank me...just have some well deserved fun." Max shook his head, and smiled at him. "See ya in a few months."
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The machine hummed loudly throughout Castle Leoch. Vibrating and shaking its very walls, causing huge dust clouds in many of its halls. This had been the fourth try in as many days; things were not coming along well.
Nicholas sat with his legs crossed on top of his desk, facing four technicians that seemed to be moving at a more highly increased rate of speed then he was. "So I'm gonna ask again, what seems to be the problem? We've got to get this up and running again and soon or Jared is going to have all our heads on a block. He's running out of patience with all of this, " he waved his hands around. How in the hell had he managed to get right smack in the middle of all this, he thought to himself. He should have followed his first instinct and not come back at all, what in the hell had he been thinking?
A loud noise was evident out in the hall. "Retribution, I'm afraid is upon us," he warned the others. Just then, Jared entered the room. It was obvious to all in attendance that he was expecting answers.
"And what's the news today, my fellow patriots? We have a granolith that is waiting our arrival. It needs to be returned to its rightful owners, and this...this monstrosity is the only thing that is holding us up." He motioned at the array of machines in front of him, as his presence loomed in the room. Nicholas tried hard not to look up at him. "Do you have news? ...Nicholas!"
"Yea! I'm right here, Jared, there's no need to yell, things tend to echo in this whole place." He took a deep breath and then continued while he still had the chance to. "I am trying to accomplish this for you, but the gods are not cooperating," he joked, but then saw Jared's impatience. "We had a stir of a wormhole for about twenty minutes early yesterday morning. So that's a positive thing. You'd agree, right?" He asked, fearing what Jared's answer might be. He shook his head at him, not saying a word, but letting the little man dig himself in deeper. "Soo, I'm hoping that these fine young scientifically inspired men will have things back on line by... the end of this moon," he added quickly.
"You are all very lucky that I've been so preoccupied retraining some very powerful troops back into our ranks." He picked up a few charts lying on the table, looked at them briefly, than threw them down again. "...Before the next moon, then."
He looked to Nicholas, and flashed something short of a smile. "Thank you Levieth, for delivering the proclamation out to the colony. Oh and a dear friend of yours said to be sure to tell you hello." Nicholas looked unimpressed as Jared then left the room without finishing his message, leaving nothing but silence behind him.
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Liz had explained their plans to her parents. As normal parents, they were concerned at this sudden idea. The hows, whens and whys. But she explained to them that everyone had really been discussing it for weeks and with all the excitement of finals and graduation, she had completely forgotten to mention it to them. The bottom line was that they trusted their daughter, and of course the fact that Liz was now eighteen, they relented to her excitement.
She had called Maria just as she was getting ready to bring Michael over to do his shift at the Crashdown. He had mentioned that he might be getting fired in a few minutes, since he intended to tell Mr. Parker that he needed a temporary leave of absence. "Well, I'm pretty sure that my dad didn't expect you to stay here working the kitchen forever, Michael. And lately you've only been doing two or three days a week, so I'm sure he'll be fine."
Liz then spent the next few hours cleaning up her room and packing enough clothes for a few weeks. She had packed eight sets of clothes and three rolls of quarters for laundry money. Gotta be prepared, she thought. She slid her journal under the jeans in the suitcase, along with a bank envelope with her savings and her recent gift of $1000 from her dad and mom, with the promise of shopping for a little secondhand car when she got back home again. She stood back looking at the luggage on the bed. She had done very well in the packing department, she thought. Only two bags, one backpack and her purse. She could have spread things out into three bags, but didn't want to hog up too much room in the truck knowing that they’d be squeezing in a lot more luggage and belongings.
At 5 o'clock, she wandered downstairs to grab something to eat. Michael was at the grill in the kitchen. "Our little friend is out there. Seems he's takin a liking to our food too,” Michael tried to cover his anxiousness with a smirk. Liz peeked through the small glass in the door.
"He looks harmless enough, doesn't he? Well..if we didn't know who he was he would. He seems friendly; he’s talking to some of the people at the counter around him. Have you talked to Valenti, to see if he's found out anything new? We need to do that before we leave on Monday. And don't forget to leave Isabel all our cell numbers, in case anything comes up." She added quickly, "I don't think it will, but we need to do that anyway."
"Aye Aye, Sparrow," Michael joked, and then with a look as if a light bulb went on suddenly in his head, he quickly turned to Liz. He didn't have to say a word, the surprised look on her face showed it all. He started laughing. Sparrow had been Rath's nickname for Ava, because she was so tiny compared to himself.
"Woah, that was pretty cool,” he grinned a wide smile at the memory. “Sparrow,” he repeated nodding his head in a positive way. "You were always so frail."
"I was tiny, not frail, and don't you forget it!" She deliberately pushed sideways into his arm. Stealing a radish off the plate Michael was putting together, she walked out into the restaurant.
Kyle was sitting in a booth by himself and saw her come in from the back. He raised his hand, beckoning her. "Hey Kyle," she said as she cautiously walked past the stool occupied by Madison at the counter. "What's up?" She slid in opposite him.
"He's here..again,” he whispered with his head down.
"There's not a whole lot we can do about it Kyle. Let’s just pretend that he's an ordinary businessman who’s layed over in town for a while." She really didn't want Kyle to know how intimidated she was at that very second.
"I just don't want us to be his business, that's all. He's rented a house here, Liz. Isn't Max concerned? How about John and Kal, they've got to be worried, right?"
"They're taking care of everything, Kyle. Don't worry about anything. We're leaving on Monday morning. That road trip I told you about. Me and Maria, Michael and Max. We're taking off for a little while. Hopefully things will cool down and this guy will move on when he finds that there's nothing here that interests him. And we'll all get some much needed rest at the same time."
"Cool down? So you're admitting that things are...what, hot, right?" He didn’t wait for a response as he then realized what she had just said about the trip. He replied, "Good Liz, I'm glad that you're taking the bull by the horns on this one. A road trip could be just what the doctor ordered." He leaned in and winked at her, "Go for it Liz..."
She quickly interrupted him before he even went down that road. "Kyle, stop. We are going as friends. Whatever happens will happen. Besides, he's been accepted at MIT in the fall."
"Yeah...and..? Wait, that's in Maine. No, wait..Massachusetts, right?" Liz shook her head, first no, than yes. He continued on, "Well, look at all those frequent flyer miles you could rack up..." She picked up one of his fries and stuffed it into his open mouth, ending the conversation.
Kyle looked up over Liz's shoulder, making Liz look up too. Madison was walking towards the door, doggie bag in hand. "Nice place you have here." He paused by their booth. "You'll be seeing a lot of me around here, you've got great food!" Shaking hands with them both, he introduced himself. "My name is Alex Madison."
She noticed that he had eyes of steel, cold. As normally as possible she replied, "Liz Parker, my parents own this place. This is Kyle Valenti, Sheriff Valenti's son." He smiled at Liz then Kyle, and they both had the distinct feeling that he already knew everything she had just said. He smiled again, nodded goodbye and left. It took a little while before the chill that had run up Liz's spine was completely gone.
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The two men sat in front of the now blazing fire, stretched out, legs up. Kal held one of his famous Cuban cigars in one hand and a snifter of brandy in the other. John's eyes were closed, quite content from a wonderful dinner. "Life is good." Kal blew the smoke toward the fireplace.
"Are you packed?" John asked, without opening his eyes.
"What little I had with me is bagged and ready to go. I hope you know how grateful I am for you inviting me into your home, to stay here with you, and with Serena. This is one hell of a place you two have here. Absolutely beautiful. You've done well, Kolt," Kal exclaimed.
John answered, "Ya know our home will always be yours, right?"
Kal sighed a heavy sigh. "Yep, I do. But I've got to tell ya, I'm getting excited about the idea of looking for a place out here for myself. I've got my secretary rounding up information and prospects for me when I get back in LA. It shouldn't take me but a week or so to get things straight there, then I'll be back to try to settle in. She's coming with me, you know, she's been working with me for almost twelve years now. I hired her because she was a little daft upstairs and had great legs, but I gotta admit the little thing's grown on me."
"Well, Kal, maybe it's time. You should, ya know..make it legal. Life's too short," he chuckled at that. "And since I haven't always gotten the chance to say it, thanks to you, too. For being the best tag team partner this side of Eos." They both grinned at each other. "Eighteen years six months and counting."
"Yep your reign is just about over my man," Kal said. "But I sure do hope that you're planning on sticking around for the next eighteen." He laughed. "I think I might need the help."
"I'm in way too deep to move on now," John admitted. He stood up to stoke the embers that were dying down in the fire. "Besides Serena would kill me if I told her we were leaving here, especially now that she's got her buddies out there at the chamber with her. They'd all kill me." Satisfied with the small flame that he had stirred up, he leaned against the mantle. "So, what do you think we'll all be doing five years from now?"
"As far as you and I? I'm pretty sure we'll be doing just about the same thing that we're doing right now," he winked at him, "lovin who we are. But as for the quad, I'm hoping that if indeed they all stay together; and that's a pretty big if, in itself; but if they're all doing something meaningful and constructive I truly hope that. .that they're not doing it here." John was silent, as seconds ticked away. He was about to speak, then thought against it. He reluctantly nodded his head, fully aware of Kal's meaning.
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"Is, there's nothing stopping you from going to Boston, and you know it." Max was sitting on the front porch with Isabel, as the sun went down. "You could always join the road trip team. I believe our destination is the Atlantic Ocean, somewhere along the coastline." He joked, but the excitement was clear in his voice. "You'd be more than welcome, Isabel."
"A fifth wheel is what I'd be, Max. No," she said shaking her head. "I need to stay right here. I plan on taking care of business while you're all gone. I'm going to write to Jessie and just ask for a divorce, or at least a trial separation. I'm not going to plead for this marriage, Max. I can't anymore. But at the same time, I need to set things straight between him and I, once and for all. I know that I could never tell him the truth, so what's the point."
"Whatever you think is best. And by the way, this road trip is not a couples thing...it's a friends thing. Liz and I are still not on even ground. We've been forced to start over, that's what she needs right now, and I'm not going to do anything to jeopardize her trust in me...ever again."
"Things are very different now," she started slowly, staring out at the horizon. "Things have changed a lot." Max got the feeling that she wasn't talking about herself anymore. "I just don't feel that I fit in with the four of you on a road trip. You know me, I'm too moody. It wouldn't work. Thanks for asking though, Bro," she laughed slightly.
"You know, Is, you and Ava might not have hit it off ..before, but the two of you aren't exactly the same people now. Maybe if you give it half a chance..."
"Max. I just want to be Isabel. I've never been comfortable knowing about, or remembering anything to do with Lonnie. It's easier for me this way. It doesn't mean that I don't care what happens to the four of you, because you know you can bet your life that if and when you need me, I will be there for you..for all of you."
"Isabel." Mrs. Evan's voice rung out from inside. "If you need the car, you have to drop me off at the church first. Be ready in two minutes."
Isabel looked down at the porch floor, saying nothing. "Where ya going?" Max asked. "Oh, wait, let me guess. The mountain."
"Hey, I told him I'd pick him up and give him a ride back to the ranch," Isabel blushed.
"...and aren't Coby and Serena going to that very same ranch? Well, that's a horrible waste of gas," he said with a kidding smile. Instead of answering him, she stood up and sauntered into the house.
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Liz sat on her balcony, thinking about how much she would miss being out here. It had become more intimate and personable to her than even her own bedroom. It had seen her through so much in her life, so many changes. This is where Max Evans had first kissed her, telling her that if he stayed things we're going to change. How that night had indeed changed her life, in so many ways. And over there on that wall, is where he drew the heart with M.E + L.P. written inside. So many many nights she had spent out here just writing, under the stars.
She smiled when she remembered the first sunrise that she and Maria had witnessed one chilly morning in their third year of elementary school. And all of the comets and planets as seen through her telescope. God, she thought to herself, just a little girl with dreams of flying to the stars. Her eyes began to fill with tears, knowing that Ava had been speaking to her even back then.
This is where she had last spent time with Alex, watching all of his slides of Sweden, the thought as the lies churned in her stomach now. Oh, how she wished things could have been different. She missed him so much, and they had missed him so during graduation. But he had been there, in their hearts. She had worn his guitar pick on a chain under her graduation gown. It had been a small gesture, but it had made Liz feel so good. He wasn't there in body, but he was there in spirit, she felt it. And one of the things she was sure of was that the memory of her dear friend would never fade from her, no matter who she was. She remembered when they had all waited out here for Isabel to dreamwalk Max when he was captured by the special unit.
And last but not least, this is where she discovered that she was so much more than her wildest dreams could have ever told her. This was the place where she sat with three other aliens and discussed her past and present, and without a doubt her future.
She blew out the candle in the jar beside her, rising to her feet. As she climbed back through the window, she reached behind her neck unhooking Alex's necklace, and placed it carefully in her jewelry box on the bureau. She was feeling so melancholy, and she hoped that it had been stirred by her thoughts of Alex. She needed normal melancholy.
This trip had suddenly come to mean something more, her intuition was speaking to her, and she now knew better than to ignore it when that happened. She couldn't shake the feeling that they were going to be gone a while, maybe a long while. Why was she thinking this way? She tried to convince herself that it was silly. It wasn't like it was brought about by flashes, or visions of any kind; just this gut feeling inside of her, that she couldn't shake.
Without thinking she walked to the bureau, taking back the necklace from the jewelry box, then unzipped the suitcase on her bed, removing her journal. Climbing out on the balcony again, she removed that special brick in the wall, the one that had held all of her treasures since she was old enough to know that there were things that you wanted and sometimes needed to keep forever. She placed the necklace inside the cover and pushed the journal into its safe hiding place. As she carefully replaced the brick, the phone in her room rang.
"South Carolina," Maria simply stated on the other end of the line. "I'm looking at some pictures off the internet right now. It's gorgeous, Liz. I'm downloading some maps and driving directions from here with lots of interesting places to stop along the way."
"Sounds great, Maria. Hey, while you're at it, check the area out for log cabins will ya?" she answered, remembering her vision and the fun that she had felt. "One more thing, make sure to remind Michael that we all need to be out at John's in the morning to see Kal off. He's going to be gone a few weeks. We probably won't see him for a little while after that," she answered, keeping her anxieties inside her. "..Ooh, and by the way Maria...pack light," she laughed, knowing her best friend all too well.
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*lyrics belong once again to Lifehouse
~~You are the light that is leading me to the place where I find peace again.
You are the strength that keeps me walking,
You are the hope that keeps me trusting.
You are the life to my soul.~~
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
Max slept the soundest that he had for weeks that night. Before falling off, he had forced himself not to think about any negative things, he wasn't going to allow anything to interfere with their chance of getting away from everything for at least a little while.
He had to admit that he wished that Kal wasn't leaving in the morning; it would have been nice if he'd been able to hang around to see them off on their adventure, but he understood that Kal was anxious to get back to California and get all the loose ends of his life tied up. It was going to be interesting having him around here all the time. He had grown pretty fond of him.
Kal had been excited for them, when Max had told them all about their plans for the next few months. He remembered that Kal had said, ‘Well, make sure you do some fishing, I love fishing. Maybe I'll get the chance to do more of it once I've relocated out here. You and I, we'll have to go together when you get back to Roswell'. Max's thoughts finally drifted him off into a deep sleep.
He was at a dance, the old soap factory, the rave of two years before. Liz was there and she looked absolutely amazing. The music was loud and the old dusty room was literally vibrating and packed with kids; but, in his eyes, she was the only one there. The only one that mattered, the only one that would ever matter. There was something that happened to him every time they were together, something deep inside of him that seemed to wake up and see the light of day again and again. She was the sunlight in his hair, and the sweet breeze when it brushed his face, she was everything to him. He knew. ...He knew even then, that this beautiful girl was meant to be his, and that he would protect her with his very life if he needed to. He had never felt so strongly about anything in his entire life as he did about Liz.
He had wanted so badly to dance with her that night, a slow close dance. He didn't care about the music; she had always been his music. In his dream, he held her tightly and whispered in her ear as they moved ever so slowly together on the dance floor. As the song of their bodies begann to play, they held on and promised each other to never, ever let go.
The sun shining brightly through the window woke him early the next morning. The alarm clock read 7:45am. It had been a good night, he thought. It had been a long time since he had slept this late. He was starving, he felt like he hadn't eaten in days. As he opened the door into the hall, he smelled the reason he had woke thinking of food. The smell of bacon and eggs was throughout the house. He ran into Isabel in the hall, she looked terrible. "What time did you get in? I never heard you."
"That's because you were snoring to beat the band, dear brother. It was late," she blushed and turned into the bathroom before finishing her answer, "or early." She quickly closed the bathroom door.
Oh this is good, Max thought. My sister is committing adultery. Wonderful. Boy do I ever need a vacation. Well she did have something in common with Pete, not to mention that she didn't have to worry about breaking the strange and disconcerting news to him that she was this scary alien from another world, or any of the other things. Max thought that it was a shame that she hadn't met him first, before Jessie entered the picture. He decided to let it go for now, and go eat breakfast instead, after all she was a big girl now, and it certainly wasn't any of his business. Besides, as everyone knew, Isabel had never been very good at taking advice.
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After breakfast Max and his sister jumped into the Chevelle and took off for John's ranch. It was drawing close to ten by the time they pulled up outside. Liz, Michael and Maria had arrived and were in fact just getting out of the Jetta themselves.
Serena and John were sitting on the porch, where they had been eagerly waiting for the kids to arrive. "Look at them Serena," John said quietly, as they watched them gather around the two cars. "It's still blows me away, everything that we accomplished in the last eighteen years, and everything that they've accomplished," he added.
Serena grabbed his hand, and couldn't help sharing the nostalgia with this person who had come to mean so much to her. They had been through a lot together over the years. Serena, much like Liz, had lived through the torture of knowing that John was in the custody of the Special Unit; days that she had prayed that much and that hard, had been few and far between.
Her life had been changed that day nineteen years ago, the day that she had learned the truth. There had been no bullet hole or anything near as brave as what Max had laid on the line for Liz, but the night that he took her up to see the treasure in the mountain that he had sworn to protect against all odds, that had been the most magical night of Serena's life. She had been much younger than, but she had known that the stranger from the sky was the only man that she would ever love. And all those years that followed, he had been her encouragement when things weighed heavy on her at the beginning of her career at Stanford. It hadn't been easy for her to be accepted there. She was not only a woman, she was an Indian woman, at that. Stanford was a difficult nut to crack, but, with John's help and guidance and her finely tuned intelligence, she had succeeded in becoming well respected there.
"I'm a little worried about what will happen when we reach point C with the granolith. We know what Kal is hoping for down the road, and John, you already know that I don't agree with him." A worried look crossed her face and he caressed her hand, as he shared the same look. "It's something that would have to be their decision and their decision only. I'm afraid that Kal being Kal, he might try to play that guilt card. And that, John, is wrong in so many ways."
"I know. This could all be irrelevant anyway. I don't think there's gonna be even a choice to make. We're a long way from point C, Serena," was all he could say before the now loud and excited group had finally reached the porch.
"Hey!" Max greeted them. Michael handed Serena a huge sunflower they had picked on their trip up the mountain. Liz and Maria were laughing, both wore small bunches of lily-of-the-valleys, pinning their hair back at the sides. "What a beautiful morning. Where's our vagabond traveler?" Max asked.
"Inside on the phone, as usual," Serena replied with a smile. "He's been so nervous all morning about flying back ...you know how he is," she smiled. "It's a good thing he didn't decide to commute for the next few years, or we would have had to keep him sedated twentyfourseven.."
Liz laughed, and sat down on the glider next to Serena. "So, Liz, I understand from John that you've been considering applying at Stanford." Liz looked over quickly at him, as he shrugged his shoulders, saying, "It’s the hazards of my heritage," referring again to his thought transference abilities. "Sorry."
"It's okay," she smiled back at John, trying not to look at Max as she continued. "I have thought a lot about it. I did want to talk to you, though," she turned back to Serena. "I applied the other day, ya know, just out of curiosity." Serena nodded her head.
Max couldn't hide his surprise. "That's great Liz. I didn't know. I mean.. you never mentioned it before." He should have at least applied there when Serena first mentioned it, he thought. He just hadn't been ready to think that far ahead right now. He forced a smile. "Being right there near Serena would be pretty cool."
"You could even stay with me if you wanted to, that is if you didn't want to stay on campus. It's pretty crowded on campus, not much privacy." she said honestly. "I tried it a while back. It just didn't work well for me, personally."
Kal came out through the screen door. letting it slam behind him. "What didn't work out well?" he asked, smiling at the girls and nodding hello to the guys.
"When I first began at Stanford," Serena explained to him, as she quickly got up from her seat. "I'll go get the keys for ya, John." She ducked into the house, avoiding Kal's eyes.
"Are you excited about going home, Kal?" Liz asked, as he gave her a hug.
"I'll be a lot more excited when I actually get there." They laughed at him, as he made a funny terrified face. "I've got about two hours till take off, so I guess we've got to make the goodbye short, and that's okay with me, I hate goodbyes." He reached for Max's hand, and then pulled him into a tight hug, patting him several times hard on the back.
Kal repeated the same with Michael, who added, "I won't say goodbye, cause we're going to see you again soon, but, I will say take care, Kal. We'll see you when we get home in late July, early August. Take care of everything here while we're gone, right?"
"You've got my word and John's word on that one, Michael. You shouldn't worry about any of this. Just have a good time, and relax. Enjoy yourself. Most of all, remember to give a call to one of us, regularly. Why am I telling you this?" he asked out loud, as he then turned to Liz and Maria. "You girl's will be in charge of checking in on a regular basis, if I leave it up to these two, we won't be hearing a thing." It was obvious in his eyes when he smiled, that he was already missing them.
He walked down to the car with Serena, as she tossed the keys over to John. She tried to get by with giving him a peck on the cheek, but Kal wasn't satisfied with that. He grabbed her tightly and held on for a few seconds. Then to keep up his image, he quickly twisted her around bending her backward halfway to the ground, and planted a noisy kiss on her neck.
"Max, will you be around later this afternoon? I want to see you before you guys take off in the morning,” John said to Max, as he leaned out the window.
"Yeah, JB, I'll be around. Have a safe flight, Kal." Max closed the door for him, as the two beat up suitcases were safely placed into the trunk.
"Yo, Max," Kal yelled to him. "Come here, I almost forgot."
Max walked around the passenger side of the car and Kal handed him a small white envelope. "What's this?" Max asked with surprise.
"It's something that I want you to give to Liz, but you have to wait till after twelve o'clock today. That way I will have already landed safely, and I'll be able to honestly enjoy thinking about my whole brilliant idea, too." He winked. "Don't you peek either. Oh, hey, another thing. You got enough cash? You're gonna need some money, here I insist take this." He pulled a roll of bills out of his pocket, peeled off eight fifties and handed them to Max. "There's more where that came from. I can always wire it to you. Don't thank me...just have some well deserved fun." Max shook his head, and smiled at him. "See ya in a few months."
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The machine hummed loudly throughout Castle Leoch. Vibrating and shaking its very walls, causing huge dust clouds in many of its halls. This had been the fourth try in as many days; things were not coming along well.
Nicholas sat with his legs crossed on top of his desk, facing four technicians that seemed to be moving at a more highly increased rate of speed then he was. "So I'm gonna ask again, what seems to be the problem? We've got to get this up and running again and soon or Jared is going to have all our heads on a block. He's running out of patience with all of this, " he waved his hands around. How in the hell had he managed to get right smack in the middle of all this, he thought to himself. He should have followed his first instinct and not come back at all, what in the hell had he been thinking?
A loud noise was evident out in the hall. "Retribution, I'm afraid is upon us," he warned the others. Just then, Jared entered the room. It was obvious to all in attendance that he was expecting answers.
"And what's the news today, my fellow patriots? We have a granolith that is waiting our arrival. It needs to be returned to its rightful owners, and this...this monstrosity is the only thing that is holding us up." He motioned at the array of machines in front of him, as his presence loomed in the room. Nicholas tried hard not to look up at him. "Do you have news? ...Nicholas!"
"Yea! I'm right here, Jared, there's no need to yell, things tend to echo in this whole place." He took a deep breath and then continued while he still had the chance to. "I am trying to accomplish this for you, but the gods are not cooperating," he joked, but then saw Jared's impatience. "We had a stir of a wormhole for about twenty minutes early yesterday morning. So that's a positive thing. You'd agree, right?" He asked, fearing what Jared's answer might be. He shook his head at him, not saying a word, but letting the little man dig himself in deeper. "Soo, I'm hoping that these fine young scientifically inspired men will have things back on line by... the end of this moon," he added quickly.
"You are all very lucky that I've been so preoccupied retraining some very powerful troops back into our ranks." He picked up a few charts lying on the table, looked at them briefly, than threw them down again. "...Before the next moon, then."
He looked to Nicholas, and flashed something short of a smile. "Thank you Levieth, for delivering the proclamation out to the colony. Oh and a dear friend of yours said to be sure to tell you hello." Nicholas looked unimpressed as Jared then left the room without finishing his message, leaving nothing but silence behind him.
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Kel1227, welcome aboard and thank you.