Roswell Fanatics

~Liz~

I barely dare look at him…I’m afraid of what his reaction is going to be… By all rights, there’s no reason why he shouldn’t turn his back on me and simply say that I made my decision… What I did, I did with the best of intentions, but that doesn’t change the fact that I broke his heart.

"Liz," He whispers and I look up, surprised as I see him step closer. He reaches for my shouder with one hand and the effect on me is amazing…to feel his hand on my skin again…it’s been too long… Slowly his hand slips down my arm and eventually reached my hand. My eyes look down, following his hand and then suddenly I’m aware of his other hand on my neck. His thumb glides along my jaw and I can feel his fingers slipping into my hair. This is what I have dreamt of for so long…dreamt of experiencing again and yet known that I never would… The beginning of a tear starts to slip out of the corner of my eye and he reaches up, wiping it away with his finger ever so gently.

"Liz” He says again. I look up into his eyes and suddenly he’s leaning towards me, his lips about to meet mine. Hesitantly at first, I press my lips back against his as they meet. It’s a sweet, delicate kiss…much like the ones when we first started going out but to me it’s wonderful. Suddenly I realize something. I know that I can’t know exactly what’s going to happen…but there’s one thing that I’m sure of…Max and I are stronger together…in his arms only do I feel complete…

After a few more moments he pulls away and I can see there’s something more he needs to know. For a moment he’s silent, as though working out how to say whatever it is he wants to say, but finally he begins. “…So all that talk about Romeo and Juliet…?” He asks a little hesitantly. I think he’s a little worried about what my response might be…he’s still confused probably and I don’t blame him…I still am sometimes when I think about what happened…

Taking a deep breath, I motion for him to sit down next to me on the bed. “…In the original timeline…you and I got married…we eloped when we were nineteen and one of the things I said to convince you it was right was that Romeo and Juliet were seventeen…” I look down. “I guess when I found out what the future would be like if we did that, I thought about the story again, and instead of seeing the love between the two, I saw the death…just like the death of our friends which I knew would follow if we were together…” I chew my lip nervously. “I was wrong…” I tell him softly.

*MAX*

I'm pleased when Liz responds, returning my kiss. I've missed her so much. I've needed her; needed this. Knowing that she hadn't really been with Kyle. Hadn't really stopped loving me. It's all that I'd been hoping for.

Still, there's the question of her speech the one night she climbed in my window instead of me into hers. She had some good points there. How loving me was dangerous. She didn't want to die for me. She wanted a human boyfriend. Reluctantly, I pull back, because I have to ask her about that, too. "... So all that talk about Romeo and Juliet..." I start, not sure exactly what I want to address first.

Her answer isn't quite what I expected. "Nineteen?" I wonder aloud. I know she said we'd been married in this future but I wouldn't have thought it would be so soon, or that it would have been her idea. Although another part of me marvels that I could possibly wait as much as two more years before I'm officially hers forever, assuming she still wants me.

"You were right, 'though," I tell her, reluctantly. "Loving me may be dangerous. I don't want you to die because of me. You'd be safer with a human boy,"

"I don't want a human boy," she tells me. "I love you."

"And I will always love you," I promise her, leaning in for another kiss. This one is long and slow, and I'm very nearly lost in it. In her body, her love. I never want to lose her again.

At long last, I pull away again. I hold her close and she leans her head against my shoulder. "As I understand this," I tell her, hoping I've got it right. "It wasn't so much you and me toghether that was wrong. It was the fact that it made Tess give up and leave. Maybe we just need to find some other way to make her feel needed, so she won't go."

Rome:

I frown a little as Robby and Zeus call Jakki to us. I hadn't even had a chance to visit with Hart or tell Zeus about what Quixote brought me. Besides, it's not often I'm able to allow myself to frown.

I decide to wait on my other news and take advantage of the time it's going to take for Jakki to arrive to visit with my brother. I move over to his side, placing my hand on his shoulder and staring at his bandaged face.

"I'm here, Hart," I tell him. "I miss you so much, but Robbie says you're doing better. I can't wait to hear your voice again."

Of course, Hart doesn't respond, but I feel better saying these things out loud. I don't say much more, just stay with him for a few minutes longer.

~Liz~

“You’re right…she can’t know about you and me…”

I know that Max wants to protest, but in the end he has to accept that I’m right… He knows as well as me that we can’t risk driving Tess away, not after what FutureMax told me… I’m not giving up on us though…Max and I…I did that once before and after tonight I know that there’s no going back. My heart will always belong to Max, it doesn’t matter what happens or who says what, my feelings are never going to change and Max knows that now… There’s no point in lying, he knows how I feel… We just have to hold of telling anyone…and however hard that might be, as long as I know that Max is there, I know that I can do it… It doesn’t matter that we can’t tell the others…or rather it does, because I’m going to hate hiding it from them, hiding the best thing in my life, but I suppose what I’m trying to say is that the most important thing to me is to know he’s there… I listen to what Max is saying and there’s mixed feelings going through my mind… There’s sadness at the thought that we have to hide the fact that we’re together again, but then there’s also unbelievable joy as I hear him refer to that fact…hearing him join us together like that again, it’s been so long…

“We might have to tell Maria…”

I look at him surprised. “What do you mean…?”

“Not about us, but about Tess…” He clarifies quickly. “Why she needs to be friends with her…”

I chew my lip nervously, there’s no point in denying it… “Maria already knows about him…” I tell Max softly. I don’t actually mention who I’m talking about but I guess that Max will know. He looks surprised and I’m so worried that I’m going to have hurt him yet again. He still isn’t saying anything and I know that I need to explain. “She asked me yesterday…she’d heard about a rumour going round and didn’t want me to get hurt by it…” I sigh. “I told her it was true at first, but she’s been my friend for so long…I knew it was no good…” I look down. “She knows about what happened…” I trail off for a moment. Max is right, we have to make Tess feel like she’s part of the group, and that means being friends with her, but part of me can’t help being worried about how long that’s going to take…

*MAX*

I'm not really sure what to make of the fact that Maria already knew about Liz and Kyle and this 'future max,' although she only found out yesterday, I guess that's not so much. I can only imagine how hard it was for Liz to keep that secret all to herself. Well, herself and Kyle.

When she found out about me, Maria found out only a few days later. I'm sure Maria was sworn to secrecy over the Kyle thing, but I'm surprised she hadn't given me any hints. She's not really all that good at keeping such things to herself. Although, come to think of it, I haven't really seen much of her since I got back from New York.

"Okay," I say slowly. "So she and Kyle already know about this visit from the future me. That should make it a little easier. We can just tell them that you and I are friends again, and you can help convince them to be nice to Tess." I nod to myself. This could really work.

I'll try to talk to Tess myself, too. She doesn't seem to think Isabel and Michael have to be together. I hope I can convince her that she and I can be friends, too, and partners. She'd been such a great help at the summit, I really do think she'd be good to be with us if she weren't constantly trying to ruin things with Liz.

"I'll make suggestions, as needed, to Michael and Isabel. Although I don't think Isabel will need to be guided much." I don't think I'll tell them everything yet. I'll have to think it through a bit more. But they've both pretty much accepted her, anyway. It won't take much to deepen that.

~*~Zeus~*~


While Rome visited with Hart, I waited for Jakki to arrive, tossing the baseball up and down. I knew that things had to be settled as soon as possible. We had so much to work out and with Hart in the condition he was, knowing that Quixote had been doing a great deal to help us when it came to anything that might also help him, I felt this might be important.

I watched as Jakki walked in, a look on her face that told me she was feeling stressed but ready for action. "Alright, I need to know if anything strange has happened with anyone that involves a possible Quixote angle." I stated as I leaned against the wall.

~~*Jakki*~~

I shook my head, "I've been in with Victor most of the time, haven't even been back to my room. Why?" Everytime something happened with Quixote, it had helped us get one step closer to finding things we needed, I hoped that maybe that would be the case this time. "And why do you have that baseball?"

I listened as Zeus responded, "It was left for me at my workshop."

With a nod I turned to Robbie and rome, "Did either of you have anything strange happen?"

Robbie shook his head, "I've been here since last time we all met earlier." He looked at Rome, who as always he felt protective over and wondered if something had happened, she was rarely at HQ around this time of the week.

*ROME*

I look up as Zeus starts talking about Quixote. It only takes a moment before Robbie's looking at me as they ask if I've seen her today. I nod at them. "Yes. That's why I'm here," I say. "I thought I saw her near my room. When I went inside there was a picture of Hart and this -" I pull the chain around my neck, revealing the pendant as it emerges from my shirt. I take it off and extend it so they can all see it.

"It used to be Hart's. It's from our mom."

A JP with Storm Wolfstone and Isabelle.

Rome nodded. The things Robbie said made sense to her. Of course, if Quixote had taken the medallion, that would explain why it wasn't given to her, but it wouldn't explain the rest.
"An extra gene strand? That's impossible." Rome said. She had once been a geneticist, so she had reason to know. "I've never heard of that."

Quixote stood up in the metal rafters slightly as she listened to the talk below. Soft giggles sounded before in a light flash of white light, she went down to stand before them. "Now, you are looking in the right place." She said as she looked at Robbie and then to Rome.

Robbie looked at Quixote uncertain of what to say, her presence still unnerved him often, the way she appeared and vanished.

Rome smiled as she saw Quixote appear. She never saw much of the strange girl but was always glad when she did. Quixote had done so much to help Hart and herself, and Rome genuinely liked her buoyant personality.

“Quixote!” She grinned. “I’m so glad you’re here. Where did you get my brother’s pendant?” If the person in the cast wasn’t Hart, then this might mean that Quixote knew where he really was. She might see him again.

Quixote smiled as she looked at Rome, crossing her arms, "Silly nilly's took you long enough." She shook her head after a moment before dropping her arms and stating, "No riddles for you today, but answers for you to partake. Hart is as well as can be, but not here." She walked over to Rome and held out her hand to reveal a map held in it. "Here is where you will find him."

Jakki's mouth dropped open in surprise, that was the first time she hadn't seen the girl being mysterious and she couldn't help but wonder if there was more to it then they thought. She glanced at Zeus and Robbie, noting they were equally surprised and just as speechless.

Rome took the map immediately. “He’s okay! Thank you, Quixote!” She repeated, mostly to herself, nearly overwhelmed with relief. She looked back at her diminutive friend. “Why didn’t you tell us before now?” Rome wanted to know.

Quixote shrugged, "Some things needed to be learned on their own, timing had to be right." She started and then placed a hand on Rome's shoulder, "Hart is not completely okay, but he will be." She told the girl sadly though her voice was positive.

Zeus looked at them and shook his head, "What do you mean he's not completely okay?"

Quixote didn't respond to Zeus' question, still looking at Rome.

Robbie questioned, "Quixote, can I get a DNA sample from you?" The girl still didn't answer or move.

Rome was torn between asking for more details about what was wrong with Hart and wanting to be assured again, that he was going to be okay. “Is it the PAS?” she asked. That had been the problem before, but she’d never heard of anyone recovering from the progressive aging syndrome. Yet, Quixote said he was going to recover. “You have a cure?”
Quixote couldn't help but think that her plan was coming together even better then she had expected. "I don't, but someone does. Someone not connected to Nexes or The Storm." This part she wasn't completely certain on, but she had a feeling that they would find people that were more devoted to finding the cure then Nexes, not to mention, she had set the machine she'd built to take them to a time before the Collapse.

'Not connected to Nexes or The Storm?' Zeus began wondering silently to himself. 'What did that mean, and how could that be?' Since it was obvious that Quixote had chosen only to answer Rome, he looked at her and waited to see what she would ask next.

Meanwhile, Quixote reached into a back pocket and held something out toward Robbie, "Sample you want, sample you get."

Robbie smiled and took the sample happily, moving to the diagnostics machine and beginning the scans. When he was done he looked over and said, "Quixote.... is that thing in the cast something like you?" He was rewarded by a simple grin as Quixote looked back at Rome.

"Hurry is what is needed now, I can take you all to Hart and we can take him where he can get help. Little time is left." Quixote stated to Rome. She knew that if Rome got worked up enough, the other three couldn't hold back from bending to the younger girl's wishes because of their concern for her.

“You can take us there? Now?” Rome asked, nearly jumping up and down for her excitement. Robbie’s quick examination of the sample and his question for Quixote were very interesting, making Rome think that Quixote might also have this impossible extra strand, but those questions could wait. None of that was as important as her brother.

“Whoever these people are, I’m so glad you found them,” Rome said, stepping close. She wasn't sure how they would get there, but she trusted Quixote and her strange abilities completely, and she wasn't the least bit afraid. “Let’s go. Please.”

If Quixote felt guilty about the idea that she hadn't been entirely honest, it didn't show. Instead, she remained smiling as she took Rome's hand and nodded before looking at the others. "The rest of you need to come too, he'll need help until we get there."

Jakki couldn't help but feel the need to go as well. Hart had saved her life twice, she felt she owed him big for that. She smiled as she stepped over to stand next to Rome and Quixote, "Don't have to tell me twice."

Zeus shrugged, he was all for learning what else Quixote could do and this would be the chance, walking over to the other three he turned to Robbie, "You’re the doctor, and we're going to need your input, Robbie."

Robbie was still sitting at his monitor and looking at everyone, how could he not go with Rome and the others? Hart was like a brother to him. With a sigh, he stood, reached over the body cast, taking the medallion off and joined the others. "Alright, Quixote, do what you do best."

Quixote giggled, "Everyone needs to join hands, then we can all go to Hart."

Another JP with Storm and me for the 2030 gang.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Rome readily took Quixote by the hand. The strange child’s comment about Hart needing help worried her, but she trusted her friend and was sure that if Quixote said Hart would be okay, then he would be okay. She bit her lip, worrying about how much help he was going to need. What kind of condition her brother was in. How much time it would take to get there. She guessed that they’d be using Quixote’s unexplainable method of getting around to find Hart, but it would obviously take longer than that to find this help.

She took the medallion from Robbie, glad that everyone had decided to come. “Thanks, Robbie,” she told him as she placed it over her neck, then she took Jakki by the hand. When Zeus and Robbie joined the circle, she smiled. “We’re ready.”

Once Quixote was certain that they had their circle, knowing that if they weren't connected, they wouldn't be able to go with her, she smiled and flashed them out of there and to what looked like an ordinary bus from the outside. "Hart is set up in the back, it was the best place for him. Don't go through the covering without a facemask and gloves. His immune system is weakened." She told them.

Robbie, being the doctor as always, nodded in understanding. "Come on, Rome. I'll go with you so I can take a look at him and see how he is doing." It wasn't that he didn't trust Quixote, he just wanted to reassure himself that Hart was really alive."

Rome was pleased that Robbie was ready to immediately allow her to see her brother. She was sure that Robbie was just as anxious to see Hart, and she herself could barely manage to wait. She dressed herself quickly and efficiently, standing by the curtain as Robbie finished putting on his gloves. At his nod, Rome pushed back the covering and stepped into the sterile room. Her eyes scanned the bed anxiously seeking her brother’s face.

Hart appeared to be sleeping, surrounded by a web of green and yellow wires with some kind of solution in an IV dripping to his arm. He looked pale and unwell, but Rome could see that he was breathing and it seemed to her to be the most beautiful thing she’d seen in a very long time.

“Hart,” she breathed, reaching over to carefully take his hand in her own. “It’s really you.”

Jakki and Zeus moved into the bus, staying out of the sterile area while awaiting word from Robbie about how things looked. While Robbie went in with Rome and smiled as he saw his best-friend. Shaking his head, he couldn't help but think about how good it was to see the guy that had been a brother to him for years.

Hart wasn't certain his mind was registering reality or not. Even feeling someone's hand touch his, slowly he opened his eyes and as soon as he saw his younger sister right there before him a smile grew on his lips. "Rome." He simply couldn't say anymore as he looked at her with a smile. Slowly, he worked himself into a slight sitting position and leaned over to give her a warm hug. He had missed her so much and been afraid he would never see her again.

Robbie saw the movement as he was checking the systems and looked up. Without being able to contain it he called out, "Jakki, Zeus, he's awake and looking like Hart alright!"

Jakki smiled, "I'll be in there in a few. You two need time with him."

Quixote used this time, while they were all busy to activate her machine, taking them through time. Of course, she was surprised by the slight somersault in her stomach but it caused her to smile as she used the small hole in front of her, the only part of the bus windows that wasn't blacked out, to look and see that there position had definitely changed.

Rome felt so happy she could positively burst. Hart was awake. She could feel his arms around her. He was alive! Her stomach flipped over with her joy. “Oh, Hart. I’ve missed you so much. Quixote says you’re going to be cured! I’m so happy. How long have you been here?” she asked, her words nearly colliding into each other as the questions came pouring out. “No, wait,” she said, releasing him. “You probably need to rest. We can talk when you’re better. This is such a great day!”

Hart laughed joyfully as he slowly lay back down, his sisters enthusiasm was a breath of fresh air for him and he couldn't help but feel better then he had in some time. "It's alright, Rome. I can talk, I've been doing nothing but defragging since I ended up in some strange place." Looking around, he realized that he wasn't even where he remembered having been. "As to how long I've been here, I haven't a clue. Last time I woke up I was in a dome of some sort. Somehow, Dr. Rich did this to me." He stated, remembering the last time he was free, the struggle with Maxine Rich and the sudden pains.

Robbie remained silent as he went over all of the readings before silently slipping out and allowing Rome to have some time with Hart. He could catch up with his friend later. The first thing he did when he walked out was look for Quixote only to notice that the bus doors were open and Quixote was gone. "Um, Jakki, Zeus. Did you happen to see when Quixote left? Where she went?"

The two looked around and looked just as confused, "Can't say that I did, Robbie." Jakki responded and Zeus shrugged.

Hart could hear them from inside the small, secluded area and looked at Rome, "Quixote helped you find me?"

Rome frowned at her brother’s mention of Dr. Rich. She had very bad feelings about that doctor. Just thinking that she had been with her brother, hurting him, all the time that she thought he was with Robbie, it was enough to make her more than angry. But then he asked about Quixote, and her mood instantly lightened at the thought of her flighty friend.

“Yes,” Rome smiled. “She brought me your pendant, and then she brought us all here. She said there’s a group that’s not Nexes and not Storm and they have a cure for you. You’re going to be well.” Her grin broadened and she bent down and wrapped him in another hug. It was so great to see him and talk to him again.

~Liz~

"Okay…So she and Kyle already know about this visit from the future me. That should make it a little easier. We can just tell them that you and I are friends again, and you can help convince them to be nice to Tess."

Max’s response makes me sit up. I didn’t mean to make it sound that way, him knowing that I told Maria is one thing, but to have told Kyle, that must be eating at his insides. “NO, I didn’t tell Kyle…” I explain quickly. This is not something I want to have to talk about again but as is becoming pretty clear, I don’t think I’m going to have much choice in the matter and I’m fairly certain that Max is going to have plenty more questions over the next few days. I take a breath. “I told him I needed a favour…he was as much in the dark as you and believe me, he was puzzled when he found out what it was…” I sigh. “Anyway, he did as I asked, was a perfect gentleman and has done all that without asking once what it was all about…” I pause a moment. “I guess he was a better friend than I gave him credit for…” I murmur softly.

Max has been nodding as he talks about what we’re going to do and I can tell that he thinks it’s going to work. I just hope that he’s right. Me talking to Maria is not going to be as simple as it sounds…Maria never liked Tess and it definitely hasn’t helped everything that she’s done…I just can’t imagine her giving in and making nice, even if we do need her to. And yet we do…we need everyone to play their part, including Tess of course… She’s going to have to be convinced that she and Max don’t have to be together, that they can be friend’s without being lovers and that each of them is entitled to choose their own path in life. Now that could be more difficult than any of the rest… She might have appeared to accept that Michael and Isabel aren’t together, but maybe that’s because it doesn’t really affect her in many ways… She’s been brought up to believe that she and Max are meant to be together…isn’t not that I can’t see her side to some extent, she had her whole life set out in front of her and then when she met him, all those plans were smashed because I was on the scene. I sigh. It’s not like I didn’t give her a chance though, I stepped back and told Max to follow his destiny, and yet still he refused…even after everything I did he says that he still loves me, that he never stopped… The only reason he stepped back was because he beleiveed that I was happy with Kyle and he wanted that for me…if a normal life was what I wanted, that was what he wanted me to have… That still didn’t make him turn to Tess though… “This could take a while…” I comment softly. I don’t want to admit it, and the plan is simple, but it’s going to take time even if we can get everyone to agree… Max talking to Michael and Isabel as he says he will is one thing, but the fact is that the person that’s going to take the most convincing, is the most important person…the person we can’t afford to upset…Tess…