Roswell Fanatics

^Thank you, thank you, thank you! I'm so glad you're all enjoying it.





CHAPTER TWELVE



September 6, 2000, 11:30 a.m.

Crashdown Cafe





Liz pulled a cup out of the cupboard and grabbed the coffee pot, hoping her father had made the coffee this morning instead of her mother because she could use a cup of high test right now. Was she really doing this? Had she really just made plans to spy on her new employer? Was she actually going to rifle through the desk of a Member of Congress, rummage through her files, listen to her phone messages? What had happened to "not getting involved"? What had become of that "fresh start"? It had vanished in a puff of smoke the moment she'd envisioned Michael trapped the way Max had been, that's what. All that blather about staying out of it had gone right out the window, and she'd slipped back into the familiar cloak and dagger routine with an internal sigh which had felt suspiciously like relief. Is this what she'd wanted all along, a surefire, un-ignorable reason to jump back into the fray without looking like she was pining after Max? A convenient excuse to be useful that didn't involve admitting that this felt good, that it was exciting to be needed, exciting that he needed her? Because there was no doubt about it—this felt good. It felt right. It felt...normal, she realized with a shiver. Her perception of normal must have been permanently skewed.

"You're back," a voice announced behind her.

Normal...except for that, Liz thought darkly. She'd delayed re-entry until Nasedo's arrival, lurking at the top of the stairs, unsure of her reaction. But seeing her kidnapper again hadn't filled her with fear, it had filled her with disgust. Anger. Rage, almost. She'd had a tough time swallowing it during the discussion about how to proceed. Now she might not bother.

"So are you," she answered tonelessly.

"I'm surprised to see you," Nasedo said.

"Shouldn't be; I live here. What's your excuse?"

And I was doing so well, Liz thought as the flat delivery of those first two sentences gave way to the defiance of the third. Nasedo heard it, as evidenced by his raised eyebrows. "I heard you were away all summer," he went on, apparently doing some swallowing of his own.

"I heard the same thing about you," Liz said. "Your point?"

"Is that I thought you'd gotten the point," Nasedo said deliberately. "Max belongs to Tess, not you."

"This has nothing to do with Max or me," Liz said. "This has to do with Michael. You know, one of those 'Royal Four' you're sworn to protect, but seem to have forgotten because you're too busy playing matchmaker?"

The jab hit home. "Given what you know about me," Nasedo snapped, "is it really wise of you to provoke me?"

Liz glared at him in silence before walking up to him like she had only minutes ago and looking him straight in the eye. "You don't scare me."

They faced off, her steady, him...surprised. That last declaration hadn't been defiant, or angry, or any of those things; it had been calm. Controlled. Merely fact. "Oh, I don't, don't I?" he said, his tone equal parts amusement and curiosity. "Then perhaps you're not as smart as I thought you were."

"You think I'm smart? News to me. But you want to know what does scare me?" Liz went on. "Seeing Max get kidnapped because of your incompetence. You're supposed to be protecting him, and you almost got him killed. That's what scares me, and if you had any working brain cells in that alien head of yours, it would scare you too. But you don't, so it doesn't."

"Do tell!" Nasedo said with mock surprise. "Another performance review? This is becoming a regular feature of our encounters. How does rescuing him from the clutches of the Special Unit not count as 'protecting him'?"

Liz's blood began to boil. "You didn't rescue him—I did. You are the reason he wound up there in the first place."

"He wound up there because he blundered into the trap I set for Pierce," Nasedo retorted.

"He wound up there because you kidnapped me," Liz corrected. "None of us would have been anywhere near your stupid trap if you hadn't taken me. And Max would have been hauled right back there if I hadn't helped him hide while you stayed behind to settle a personal score instead of finishing the job of getting him out! Didn't anyone ever teach you how to prioritize in guardian school? Maybe you were out that day?"

Nasedo was smoldering now, working up a head of steam to match her own. Part of Liz said it was stupid to poke the bear like this, but a bigger part of her didn't care. All that Max had gone through, all that torture, all the risks they'd taken to free him...it was all unnecessary, all caused by one stupid move by a so-called "guardian". It was downright infuriating.

"Maybe," Nasedo said tightly, "the king would have been better off if you hadn't come back."

"Maybe," Liz allowed. "But when it comes to the question of whether he'd be better off if you hadn't come back, there's no 'maybe' about it. If you're the best his world has to offer, then 'maybe' he's better off with us humans."

That got him. "Insufferable brat!" Nasedo hissed. "How dare you—"

"Is there a problem here?"

Two heads jerked sideways. Max was standing in the kitchen doorway, regarding them with deep suspicion. "Liz?" he said slowly. "Is something wrong?"

"No," Liz said flatly.

"Sure looks that way," Max remarked. "Is he bothering you?"

For a brief moment, Liz seriously considered conjuring up some kind of story; from the look on Max's face, he'd believe it. "Not at all," she answered, deciding Nasedo had done himself in far better than she ever could. "I was just having a little chat with your...'guardian'."

No one missed the copious amount of contempt wreathing that last word. "What kind of 'chat'?" Max asked warily.

"Oh, you know," Liz said with a false smile. "The friendly kind. Right, Nasedo?"

"Absolutely," Nasedo said stonily.

Max watched them skeptically, clearly not buying it, and why should he? They both looked ready to kill each other. "Liz, would you excuse us for a moment?" Max said. "I'd like to have a little 'chat' of my own."

"Sure," Liz answered. She paused in the doorway, looking directly at Nasedo.

"Still think I'm 'fantastic company'?"




*****************************************************




It was a repeat of the previous evening, with the Warder, the transfer, and the Rebel Argilian replaced by a Warder, a hybrid king, and a furious human. Zan and Jaddo faced off as the Parker girl left and Brivari lurked in the background unseen, having slipped in behind Jaddo before the drama began. And what a drama it had been, with accusations long hurled from other sources now hurled from a new one, plus an accusation that he'd been neglecting his own Ward. The Parker girl had always shown mettle, mettle which now more closely resembled solid steel. Put simply, when she'd looked Jaddo in the eye and told him he didn't scare her, he'd believed her...and so had Jaddo.

"What was that all about?" Zan asked, his voice quiet, controlled, suspicious.

"Like she said, just a friendly chat," Jaddo answered.

Zan raised an eyebrow. "Is that your final answer?"

"So you think this is a game show?" Jaddo said sardonically.

"What I think," Zan said deliberately, "is that you and I never really had it out about what you did to Liz. I'm a little busy now, so let me make it simple for you. You are not to go near her ever again."

"You're right—we are busy now," Jaddo retorted. "Too busy to waste time on a human—"

"I'm gonna stop you right there because it's pretty clear you just don't get it," Zan said sharply. "Liz isn't a 'waste of time'. Humans aren't a 'waste of time'. Liz kept me alive when you couldn't. All of them—Valenti, Maria, Alex—kept me alive when you couldn't."

"You wouldn't have been around to keep alive if not for me!" Jaddo exclaimed. "I got you out of there—"

"And then left me," Zan said. "It was Michael who got me out, and you stayed behind. You shouldn't have done that. You should have come with us."

Ouch. Brivari watched Jaddo bristle as yet another voice joined the chorus...but this time, it was different. It was one thing to hear this from a fellow Warder, another to hear it from a human ally like Dee...and quite another to hear it from one's king. The rebuke hung in the air, a statement of fact delivered in a tone which brooked no argument. At the end of the day, the only "performance review" which mattered was this one.

"I'm sorry you found me wanting," Jaddo said stiffly. "After you'd been safely rescued, I only sought to remove a long time enemy."

"That's just it—I wasn't 'safely rescued'," Zan said. "It doesn't do any good to remove an enemy while that enemy still has me. Pierce wasn't acting alone, and you knew that; even if you'd managed to take him out, there was no guarantee Michael and I would have made it out of there, and what about the aftermath? What about getting us away from the base and the fact that we couldn't just go home again? We settled all that, but we had to do it without you because you were in a body bag. You should have come with us."

Jaddo's jaw clenched. "Noted."

"None of which changes the fact that none of that would have been necessary if you'd left Liz alone in the first place," Zan went on. "Your taking her is what got me captured. She's the reason I made it out, she and all those other 'wastes of time' who did your job when you couldn't."

"So now you're comparing my service to theirs?" Jaddo said tightly. "Something tells me I've been at this longer than they have. Decades longer."

There followed a long pause. "You're the one Pierce was talking about, aren't you?" Zan said finally. "The alien who was held for 3 years in that white room."

Not exactly, Brivari thought. Major Lewis's white room had come later in Jaddo's captivity, but 3 years was still 3 years no matter how you counted. "I know you've given up a lot for us," Zan went on when Jaddo didn't reply, "and I'm grateful for that. But that doesn't give you the right to use the people I love."

"And there's the problem," Jaddo said in exasperation. "That's what this is really about, you being in love with a human. You heard your mother in the pod chamber. You heard—"

"What I heard was someone I don't know and don't remember telling me how things used to be," Zan interrupted. "What I don't hear is you urging Isabel and Michael to get together like the book suggested. If you want everything the way it used to be, you should want that too."

Jaddo's jaw twitched as he remained silent, his back against the wall of his own argument; he most emphatically did not want Rath and Vilandra together now any more than he ever had. "I understand that it used to be different," Zan went on, "but that was a long time ago, and we don't even remember it. You can't expect everything to turn out the same as it did before. Did I make my own choices the last time?"

Yes, Brivari answered silently. Riall had not interfered with his son's choice of wife, not that he'd had any reason to. "That's what I thought," Zan said when Jaddo didn't answer. "I get to make my own choices this time too."

"As you wish," Jaddo said with obvious disapproval.

"Look at it this way," Zan said. "We have very few friends, people who know who we really are. That 'ever-burgeoning I Know An Alien Club' doesn't seem so 'burgeoning' to me. You may not like Liz, but she's an ally. Throwing away one of the few allies we have doesn't strike me as very smart."

"Fine, she's an ally," Jaddo said impatiently. "But not going near her is going to make tonight's festivities rather problematic. I'll have to 'go near her' if we're to follow the plan."

"I'm not talking about that," Zan said. "I mean on your own. You are not to touch her, or speak to her, or interact with her in any way unless I say so or you're saving her life. Am I clear?"

Warder and monarch stared each other down. "As you wish," Jaddo said finally.

"Good. I'll see you this evening. Don't be late."

Zan left. Jaddo remained in the empty kitchen, silent and stung. "Well," Brivari said slowly. "That was interesting."

Jaddo spun around. "When did you get here?" he demanded. "How much of that did you hear?"

Brivari shrugged. "A long time ago, all of it, and...I'm impressed."

" 'Impressed'? With what? Impudent child," Jaddo huffed. "He only learned he was a king a few months ago, and here he is critiquing my decisions and giving me orders."

"Perhaps," Brivari allowed. "But you left out the part about him being right. Oh, don't look at me like that," he continued when Jaddo looked daggers at him. "Every single person who learns of this has reached the same conclusion—you shouldn't have stayed behind. Is it really such a surprise the king has too?"

"The same king you called 'immature' and—"

"Yes," Brivari broke in. "I did, and he is. But this time..." He paused. "Don't forget, I've watched this once already. His growing up. His ascension to the throne. His teething as he turned into a monarch. The Zan I knew took years to learn how to deliver a rebuke like that without sulking or shouting; this time it's only been months. It's going faster this time."

"Well, bully for him," Jaddo said sourly. "At least it was the king who 'impressed' you, not that insufferable female."

"Oh, she impressed me too," Brivari said. "She's growing on me."

"Right, like fungus," Jaddo said derisively. "Everyone likes the Parker girl; she's everyone's favorite puppy. Too bad she isn't housebroken. Did you hear how defiant she was?"

"Definitely growing on me," Brivari confirmed.

"Joke all you want, but I still say she did this," Jaddo declared. "She turned him against me."

"Right," Brivari said skeptically. "And I suppose she did that while she was gone all summer and not in contact with him? And why bother when you're doing such a bang-up job yourself? Face it, Jaddo, you blew it. Perhaps the best way to impress the king was by rescuing him from murderous kidnappers, not filling up your house with antiques and artwork."

"All right," Jaddo sighed. "Maybe—maybe—I miscalculated."

"Well, glory hallelujah," Brivari said dryly. "Can I get that in writing? No? Not surprised," he went on when Jaddo glared at him. "What exactly did you mean by tonight's 'festivities'? I missed the nitty gritty when I was talking to Courtney."

"I'm to distract Vanessa so Zan and the puppy can rifle through her office to find out what she's done with Pierce's bones," Jaddo answered.

"You're seeing Vanessa again? Is that wise?"

"Doesn't matter if it's 'wise' or not," Jaddo said. "Those are my 'orders'. And besides, I'm the best person to find out anything from Vanessa. I told the king as much, but he insists on showing up himself because the puppy offered to 'help'. But no matter; I'll find out where the bones are long before they're through emptying file cabinets and canoodling in her office."

"Don't you mean 'diddling'?"

Jaddo's expression darkened. "Don't even think it. Honestly, Ava is right here! I thought he'd have come around by now."

"He might never come around," Brivari remarked.

Jaddo stared at him. "You can't be serious."

"Can't I?" Brivari shook his head. "As I mentioned, I've watched this once already. I've seen him fall in love, and that's how I know he's serious."

"So, what, are we going to drag her back to Antar with us?" Jaddo demanded. "Install a human as queen?"

"I think the king has made it pretty clear we're not 'dragging' her anywhere," Brivari noted. "But if the time comes and they're a couple—"

"No," Jaddo said firmly. "This is unacceptable. He's just being stubborn. I am not bringing a human home with them. He can indulge his whims for now, but when push comes to shove, he'll have to face facts."

"Or we will," Brivari murmured.

"This is just an infatuation," Jaddo insisted. "It will pass. It's not passing as fast as I'd like, but it will pass. I will not accept this."

"Like I said," Brivari repeated, "I've seen him in love before. So when 'push comes to shove'...we may not have a choice."





****************************************************




Congresswoman Whitaker's office,

Roswell





"Agent Samuels? Vanessa Whitaker."

There came a deep sigh over the phone Whitaker had pressed to her ear. "Look, I'm sorry to keep calling you, but I'm worried about Daniel," Vanessa rushed on. "I...I thought of something last night, something having to do with what we talked about, about how he's been so different since he came back from Roswell, and I...have you heard anything, Brian? Anything at all?"

"I'm not at liberty to tell you if I had," Samuels answered. "I told you, he's laying low. I have no idea when or where he'll resurface."

A file drawer slammed. Vanessa spun in her chair, turning her back toward her diligent intern and the curious glances she was sending her way. "Well, when he does, will you please tell him I'm concerned about him?"

"Does that mean you've given up wanting to kill him?"

"Actually, yes," Vanessa confirmed. "I think I've figured out why he's so different, and if I'm right, none of this is his fault."

"Why?" Samuels said curiously. "Why do you think he's different?"

"I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to go into details," Vanessa said, "but put it this way—if I'm right, I may be the only one who can help him."

"The 'only one'?" Samuels snorted. "Presumptuous, much?"

"Believe it or not, I'm not trying to be presumptuous," Vanessa said. "I'm just stating a fact."

"Don't you get it?" Samuels retorted. "It's the fact that you think you're stating a fact that's presumptuous. You've known Danny for what, a little over a year? I've known him a lot longer than that. Get off your high horse."

"Get off your own!" Vanessa exclaimed, her patience evaporating. "I don't care if you both shit in the same diaper as toddlers; that doesn't mean you know what's wrong now, or how to fix it!"

"Ah, there's the Vanessa I know and love," Samuels said ironically. "You had me going. For a minute there, I thought you actually cared."

"I do care, you little prat—"

"Danny will come up for air when he's ready," Samuels went on, ignoring her. "He'll do it wherever he feels safest, and that's with me. When I see him, I'll be sure and tell him how much you 'care'. Now stop calling me, or I'll block your number."

"Shit!" Vanessa exclaimed, turning back to face her desk...and her wide-eyed intern.

"Is...anything wrong?" Parker ventured.

"Nothing I can't handle," Vanessa said with a brittle smile. "Go home, Parker. You can finish all this tomorrow."

"I'm almost done," Parker said. "I hate to leave a job half done."

You and me both, Vanessa thought darkly as Parker returned to the stacks of files she'd been methodically finding homes for in their newly arrived cabinets. She'd slept fitfully last night, more certain than ever that either Warders or kings or both had gotten to Daniel and thrashing over the best way to help him out from under whatever threats he had hanging over his head. Not to mention that if she was right, Daniel had made actual contact with their sworn enemies and would have invaluable information to share, information which would go a long way toward improving her status with Nicholas. She'd been hoping to coast on Brian's mutual concern for Daniel's well-being, but of course he had to be the top dog. And so do I, she admitted privately. Brian was right; Danny was likely to go to him first, and he shouldn't, because she was the only one who knew how to deal with the people holding a gun to his head.

Slam! "Please," Vanessa said wearily, wanting peace and quiet to think. "I have a headache, and all this drawer slamming isn't helping."

"Oh...sorry," Parker said, abashed. "I'll be sure not to slam. I'm almost done. Please, just let me finish. I literally don't sleep if I leave something like this unfinished. Just 5 minutes. That's all I need."

"Parker, go home," Vanessa said firmly. "It's late."

"No, it's okay," Parker said. "I want to make sure you're organized."

"I don't want to be hit with a child labor suit," Vanessa said.

"I promise," Parker said.

Vanessa smiled faintly; at least someone wasn't abandoning her. She turned around...and caught her breath, hardly able to believe who she saw standing in her doorway.

"Agent Pierce," she breathed.

"Just Daniel," he said quietly. "I'm a civilian now."

And you're here, Vanessa thought triumphantly. "Danny will come up for air when he's ready. He'll do it wherever he feels safest." This was where he'd reappeared, so this was where he felt safest. He'd followed her here. There was no greater testament.

"Uh...this is Liz Parker," Vanessa said as Parker stared while trying to look like she wasn't. "She's my new intern."

"Pleasure," Pierce nodded.

"Hi," Parker said shyly.

"So," Vanessa said, standing very close, drinking him in. "What brings an out-of-work FBI agent to Roswell? Seems like the worst place to be for a recovering alien hunter."

"I might be out here hunting something else," Daniel murmured.

Vanessa's heart skipped a beat. "And what might that be?"

Daniel glanced sideways. "Nothing I could say in front of your new intern."

"Oh, she's a big girl," Vanessa smiled as the intern in question stiffened. "I think she can handle it. Right, Parker?"

"Um...I'm just gonna go get some more folders," Parker said uncomfortably. "Excuse me."

Parker pushed past into the other room, leaving her alone with Daniel, who moved closer. "I needed to see you," he whispered.

"Well, you should have thought of that before you publicly humiliated me on TV," Vanessa countered, trying to dredge up at least a modicum of dignity and resist the urge to jump into his arms.

"Don't let politics come between us," Daniel protested.

Vanessa smiled faintly. "Politics is the reason you slept with me to begin with."

"Well, maybe...at first," Daniel allowed. "But it's more than that now," he went on, his voice dropping as his hand rose, smoothing a strand of her hair. "You showed me a side of myself...I didn't know existed."

His lips brushed her cheek as she shivered slightly. She'd thrilled to the touch of his hand but held her composure; now she practically melted, smelling his breath, his aftershave, that musky smell he always gave off when he was horny. God, if there weren't so many people around, she'd shove him on that desk and...

But there were. Parker reappeared, gaping unabashedly, abandoning all pretense of staring-but-not-staring. "Parker, can you lock up on your way out?" Vanessa said, pulling hastily away and grabbing her things. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah," Parker said awkwardly as her boss fled. "Have a good night."

The air outside was cooler, bracing, almost, and Vanessa breathed deeply; she had to keep a clear head. She couldn't let emotion overwhelm her, not if she was going to convince him to tell her what happened. She really had to keep her mind on...

A hand brushed her arm, and all of a sudden, all those lofty thoughts went right out the window. "God, I missed you," Daniel murmured into her hair. "You have no idea."

"No, I don't," Vanessa said, struggling to hold still. "You ran out of that hearing like your pants were on fire, and I haven't heard a word from you since."

"I'm here now," Daniel said.

"But where have you been?" Vanessa demanded. "Why'd you wait so long?"

"Honestly? I thought you'd kill me."

Vanessa twisted around, but he wasn't smiling, let alone laughing. "Because you had a reason to," Daniel went on. "I knew you were mad. I knew you'd be mad when I realized what I had to do, but it was the only way. The Unit can't survive under Freeh. It has to go underground, deep enough underground that he can't find it, and the only way to accomplish that is to make him think he's successfully killed it."

"Brian said you'd go to him," Vanessa noted with deep satisfaction. "He said you'd resurface where you felt 'safest'. Kind of odd that you feel 'safest' with a woman you thought would kill you."

"Brian," Daniel sighed. "Such an eager puppy, but he doesn't really understand me; he never did. None of them do. I realize that now. That's why they're always mad at me, always telling me I'm doing everything wrong. It's the weirdest thing, but sometimes I'd swear you're the only one who truly understands me."

"Why is that weird?"

Daniel smiled faintly. "If I tell you, I'll have to kill you."

Not that one again, Vanessa muttered silently. "So...you used me. You used me to get what you wanted."

For a moment she thought he was going to deny it...but then he nodded. "Yes. Yes, I used you. I'm sorry it upset you, but I'm not sorry I did it."

The half apology was deeply honest and strangely comforting. "But why not just tell me? We think alike, Daniel. I'd have understood."

"Because I needed it to look real," Daniel said. "I needed all of them to see real shock, real fury. And darling, no one, but no one, does fury the way you do. Which brings me back to why I ran out the door. Because no one, but no one, knows what you were capable of right after that hearing better than I do."

Vanessa arched an eyebrow. "You think I'm not capable of that now?"

"Of course you are," he answered, wrapping his arms around her. "But correct me if I'm wrong...you did just say 'I'd have understood'...right?"

"Right," she said warily.

"Which means you understand now...right?"

"Doesn't mean I forgive you," she informed him. "Or that you're going to get any."

"Of course not," he whispered in her ear. "Isn't that your car over there? In the back? Where no one can see us?"

A split second later they were running, diving into the back seat, fumbling at each other's clothes like teenagers. She hadn't done it fully clothed in ages, but that would have to wait. "Daniel?" she said hastily while she still could. "We have to talk."

"Absolutely," he agreed as the hooks on her bra gave way.

"No...really," she insisted, grabbing his wrists. "I meant it when I said we think alike. I know what you're after, I know what happened to you, and I think we should join forces."

"So do I," he smiled, his hands going south.

"Not what I meant," Vanessa said firmly. "I—"

"Vanessa, darling, stop talking. This could very well be our last time together, so let's not let politics spoil it."

She pushed him away then, sat up straight. " 'Last time'? What do you mean?"

"What I always mean—exactly what I said. I came out of hiding to see you, but that doesn't mean I can re-enter public life. I'm going back underground, and it'll be safer for both of us if we don't see each other again. So let's make the most of—"

"No!" Vanessa exclaimed. "No, you can't just disappear! I know what they did to you, and I'm the only one who can help you!"

He looked at her curiously. " 'Did to me'? You know what who did to me?"

"The aliens," Vanessa said, taking his face in both hands. "I know why you've been so odd since you came back. You said you found them. They threatened you, didn't they? They're watching you, aren't they?"

"Is that what you think?" he said slowly.

"It's what I know," she said firmly. "It's the only thing that makes sense. But you can fight them. I can help you."

Daniel raised an eyebrow. "You can help me fight aliens. How?"

He waited as she sat there, tongue tied. What could she say? She was supposed to be a Member of Congress, not an alien hunter. There was only one way out of this, and an impossible way at that, but what choice did she have? If he disappeared again, she might never find him, might never learn what he'd learned. If she let him out of her sight one more time, this might be the last time she ever saw him. Why was she holding back? He was an alien hunter. Why not give him what he wanted?

"That's what I thought," Daniel said, misinterpreting her silence. "How about we get back to 'joining forces'—"

"Stop!" she commanded. "I can help you because..."

His face hovered over hers, curious, expecting. "Because...?"

Am I really doing this? Vanessa thought. Yes, she decided suddenly. Yes, she was really doing this.

"Because I'm an alien."


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



I'll post Chapter 13 on Sunday, August 17.

Way to go Liz!

Loved Liz's conversation with Nasedo......she really gave it to him.
It was fun to see Nasedo upset and not in control.
Yes, Liz is a woman of steel, they better not forget it.
Thanks,
Carolyn

Great part! Loved Liz telling Nasado off!

Any chapter that has Max in it makes me extra-happy XD

I do wonder if this more mature "Zan" is the result of a lifetime living in fear and hiding. If Max was not wise beyond his years, he would get everyone kill. And he always knew that.

I find it a little bit disturbing that I'm afraid and sad for Jaddo's upcoming demise... Who is Brivari going to fight with? All his allies are about to disappear! ::sobs::

Dark times are ahead...

And happy early bday!! HOPE YOU HAVE A BLAST!!!

Misha

Great chapter! I loved the conversation between Liz & Nasedo. I loved Liz telling Nasedo how it is
and what a terrible protector he was to Max. I loved how she stood up to Nasedo. Waiting for the next update.

Hello, everyone! So glad you enjoyed Nasedo's much-deserved drubbing. On the list of "Things I've Always Wondered About Roswell", two great big entries were, "Did Liz and Nasedo ever discuss their...*ahem*...'time together', " and "Did Max and Nasedo ever have it out over his kidnapping of Liz?" I can check both of those off; on to the rest of the list!

Misha wrote:I do wonder if this more mature "Zan" is the result of a lifetime living in fear and hiding. If Max was not wise beyond his years, he would get everyone kill. And he always knew that.

Could very well be; knowing that one wrong move could get not just you, but other people killed could make you grow up fast. Another entry on the "Things I've Always Wondered About Roswell" list...do the kids have some deep-seated knowledge of what happened to them in that other life which affects their behavior in this one? Not memory, precisely, but more nebulous than that. That could make you grow up faster too.

Misha wrote:I find it a little bit disturbing that I'm afraid and sad for Jaddo's upcoming demise...

Really? And here I imagined everyone would be impatient to be rid of him!


Thanks for the birthday wishes! We're celebrating a bit late, so cake and presents are to come. Which is fine. I'll take chocolate cake whenever it comes, for whatever reason.


Back in a bit.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN




September 6, 2000, 5:45 p.m.

Congresswoman Whitaker's office, Roswell






The phone rang and rang. Liz checked her watch, waited through three more rings, checked it again. Were they too late?

"Maybe they're closed," Max said.

Liz shook her head. "It's a college. They never close, not completely. I might get rerouted, or—"

"Las-Cruces-University-how-may-I-direct-your-call?" a harried voice answered abruptly.

"Uh...this is Congresswoman Whitaker's office," Liz said. "I'm trying to reach the Particle Physics Lab—"

The line clicked. Liz pulled the phone away from her ear and stared at it.

"What?" Max said.

"I...think she just hung up on me."

"Maybe you just got cut off," Max suggested. "Try again."

Liz hung up and dialed again, waiting while it rang once, twice, three times. "I really appreciate you doing this," Max said. "Are you sure this won't get you in trouble?"

"How could it?" Liz shrugged. "I'm just Whitaker's intern confirming her boss's schedule. And if I'm wrong, well, I'm just an intern."

Max smiled faintly. "Somehow I doubt you're 'just' an intern."

"That's my story, and I'm sticking to it," Liz smiled. "You know, I really don't think they're coming back," she went on when Max's eyes drifted to the door. "The way they were slobbering all over each other, I think they're off...'diddling'. How does that work with shapeshifters, exactly?"

"I wouldn't know," Max answered. "I'm not a shapeshifter."

"Oh...no," Liz said self-consciously. "Of course you aren't."

"So were you and Nasedo really just 'talking' earlier?"

Liz averted her eyes. "Yeah, we were just talking."

"You don't need to be afraid of him, you know," Max said. "I told him to stay away from you."

"And you think that'll actually work?" Liz said skeptically.

"It will," Max insisted. "He can't do anything to you. I told him to stay away from you, so he has to."

"He does? Why?"

Max looked blank for a moment, then puzzled. "I...don't know. I just know that's the way it is."

"Well, I appreciate—"

"LasCrucesUniversityhowmayIdirectyourcall?" a voice on the phone spat, faster and more breathless this time.

"Particle Physics Lab," Liz said, abbreviating her earlier request.

"Onemomentplease," the voice announced, followed by a more reassuring click.

"What happened?" Max asked anxiously.

"I think I'm on hold," Liz whispered.

"You 'think'?"

"It's hard to tell when you're talking to someone who turns a sentence into a single word. I might be—"

"ParticlePhysics," a different voice barked.

"Oh—hi!" Liz answered, flustered. "Um...I'm calling from Congresswoman Whitaker's office to confirm her...appointment."

"Whatappointment?"

Crap, Liz thought, having hoped she wouldn't have to go into detail. "Well...the Congresswoman is having some...bones...examined in your lab, and I just wanted to confirm the date and time so I can—"

"Hangon."

No "click" this time. Liz held her breath as various rummaging and muttering sounds drifted over the phone. "She's down for day after tomorrow at 10 a.m.," the voice announced, speaking at a more conventional speed. "That still okay?"

"Yeah! I mean, yes, of course," Liz amended in a more professional voice. "Is there anything special she should bring with her?"

"Nope. The specimens will be delivered a couple of hours before that, so they should be prepped and ready to go when she gets here."

"I'll let her know," Liz said. "Thank you so—"

Click.

"—much," she finished. Sheesh, was everyone in college this harried?

"Well?" Max prompted. "Is that where they're going?"

Liz broke into a wide smile. "Yep. Day after tomorrow. The bones arrive early in the morning, she gets there at 10 a.m."

"Excellent!" Max said. "You were right."

I was, Liz thought with supreme satisfaction. She had correctly guessed where Pierce's bones were headed, not Max, or Nasedo, or most especially not Tess. No, this time they'd needed a human who understood what Whitaker was looking for and where to find it.

"Thank you, Liz," Max said. "You didn't have to do this. I could have looked into it myself without you having to go out on a limb for us."

"But then you would have had to pretend," Liz said. "I didn't have to, so if anything came up—"

"You would have gotten in trouble," Max finished. "Maria said you wanted to stay out of this, and I totally understand. You deserve a break."

"Oh, I...Alex!" Liz said suddenly. "Alex is here. I'll go let him in."

She hurried away, grateful for the interruption. How to explain after all the carrying on about "fresh starts" that she was thoroughly enjoying being the hero, the one who'd figured it out? She'd had a good long break this summer which had only served to drive home the point that she'd missed this, that she was good at this. The last time she'd felt this high was when they'd rescued Max from Pierce.

"Hey!" Alex said when she unlocked the door for him. "I got your message...your exceptionally urgent, cryptic message."

"Yeah, well, I didn't want to say too much over the phone," Liz said. "Come on in. We're the only ones here."

"Ah," Alex said knowingly. "One of those messages. And who, might I ask, is 'we'?"

"Just me and Max," Liz said.

"So no Nasedo," Alex said. "Good; that...'guy'...gives me the creeps. No offense," he added quickly to Max, who had just appeared from the other room.

"None taken," Max said. "Thanks for coming."

"You're welcome," Alex answered, "although I'm still not sure why I'm here."

"Alex," Liz said slowly, "is it possible for you to hack into the computer system at Las Cruces?"

"You mean the university?" Alex said. "Uh...yeah, I guess so. I doubt their servers are locked down like Fort Knox, but...can I ask why?"

"We need to see the layout of the Particle Physics Lab," Max explained. "That's where Pierce's bones are being taken to be examined."

"Really? Sweet!" Alex exclaimed. "I mean, not sweet for you," he amended hastily, "but it sounds like a cool place. There was an article in Popular Science which said...uh...nothing you want to hear," he finished when Max raised an eyebrow.

"I'd like to hear it," Liz commented.

"Maybe later," Alex allowed. "So you just want the floor plan? That probably doesn't need a hack. Students are given maps all the time."

"And the cyclotron," Liz said. "If you can find it."

"Might have to hunt for that one, but the cyclotron has been featured in so many publications, it shouldn't be hard to find something," Alex said. "And here I thought you wanted me to hack into their bank account."

"I think it's going to take a lot more than money to get us out of this one," Max said. "I'll keep an eye on the door while you work. Call me if you need anything."

"He's still worried Whitaker and Nasedo are going to come back," Liz said after Max left. "Fat chance. You should have seen them slobbering all over each other; he was kissing her, and she was—"

"Could we not do this?" Alex interrupted. "I just ate. And I had enough TMI this morning to last a lifetime. Okay, so...I brought my laptop. Where should I set up?"

"Nowhere," Liz said crisply. "Use one of our computers. That way if anyone traces it back here, it'll make sense; it'll just be one of Whitaker's employees doing some due diligence. If they trace it back to you..."

"I'm screwed," Alex nodded. "Got it. Lead the way, Mata Hari! That was a compliment," he added when he saw the look on her face. "Really."

That was the truth, Liz amended as she led him through the office. Mata Hari had been a spy, and now she was spying. And lying. And doing all the things she'd sworn she wouldn't do again. "How's this?" she asked.

"New and shiny," Alex said appreciatively, settling in front of a brand new computer. "Even the keyboard's pristine."

"Everything in this office is new," Liz said. "Will it work?"

"As long as it's connected to the internet, we're good to go," Alex said, flexing his fingers over the keyboard. "Lemme see...Las Cruces..."

"I bookmarked their site," Liz noted.

"Nah, we don't want their main site," Alex said. "That's for students and parents. And donors. We want the employee section, preferably the maintenance staff. All I need is a url for something employee-related, and I can go from there." His fingers tapped away as several windows opened on the screen. "So...how's things?"

"Good," Liz answered, settling into a chair beside him. "Really good. I got this job, and—"

"I meant with Max."

Liz paused, taken aback. "Oh. Oh, I...I mean 'we'...are still friends. Good friends."

" 'Good friends'?" Alex said doubtfully. "That was no 'good friend' who went charging after you when Nasedo carted you off. Or who went to Valenti and begged him to walk into an FBI base to rescue Max."

Liz's eyes fell. "Yeah, well...things change."

"They do," Alex agreed. "Sometimes. But from where I sit, nothing's changed."

"Given that this is the first time you've sat at this desk, that doesn't mean a whole lot," Liz noted.

"Very funny...I'm in!" Alex said suddenly. "Got in through an employee parking permit link."

"Don't you need a password?" Liz asked, leaning in closer so she could see the screen.

"I would if I were hacking into an employee's account, but I'm looking for...blueprints! Bingo! Here's the lab itself," Alex went on as a floor plan appeared. "Now I just need the cyclotron." He tapped away for a moment in silence as Liz leaned on the desk beside him. "Maybe it's none of my business, but—"

"But it's a well known fact that sentences which start with 'Maybe it's none of my business' really aren't," Liz said. "Your business, that is."

Alex smiled faintly. "It's also a well known fact that friends get some leeway about the definition of what's our 'business'. So maybe it's none of my business, but don't you think you're taking this whole video thing a bit too far?"

" 'Video thing'?"

"Yeah, the recording, or whatever it was, that set you off in the first place," Alex said. "The one that said Max and Tess were married."

"You've been talking to Maria," Liz sighed.

"No, most of the time it's Maria who's talking to me," Alex said. "It's tough to talk to Maria because it's hard to get a word in edgewise. But if you listen to Maria, you can learn a lot. And it sounds like a tale of what used to be, not what it is now."

"You weren't there," Liz argued. "You didn't hear it."

"And you haven't been here all summer," Alex countered. "You didn't see it."

"See what?"

"See Max and Tess not getting together," Alex said. "I was here all summer, Liz, and nothing happened. We all saw each other a lot, but they didn't hit it off. Max spent the whole summer pining after you. With you gone, wouldn't that be the perfect time for sparks to fly? And if they didn't fly then, after a big life-threatening crisis and with the girlfriend gone, they're just not going to. So what's with the 'good friends' bit?"

"Maybe I've changed," Liz shrugged. "Maybe I just got tired of it all, and that was the last straw."

Alex gave her a pitying look. "Oh, please. You love this. And don't bother telling me you don't because I know you too well. You love this, and you love him...and he loves you. Maybe you can fool yourself otherwise, but good luck fooling me."

The printer whirred as Liz looked away. "Did you find something?" Max called from the doorway.

"Sure did," Alex answered. "Here's detailed floor plans for the building which houses the Particle Physics Lab, and a breakdown of the cyclotron. That should be enough to get you where you need to go."

"Great!" Max said. "Wow, that was fast. I thought it would be a lot harder."

Alex's eyes fastened on Liz. "Some things just look hard when they're really pretty easy. Sometimes we make them harder than they need to be." He shouldered his backpack. "Good luck with your bones."

"Yeah...thanks," Max said, throwing Liz a puzzled look as Alex walked away. "What was that all about?"

Liz shrugged, hoping her face wasn't really as red as it felt. "No idea."




*****************************************************




Holiday Inn,

Roswell





"What do you mean you don't have a room service menu?" Vanessa snapped. "You have room service, don't you? Then you should have a room service menu in every room. How else do we order room service? Are the staff supposed to recite every offering like the ice cream man and his 102 flavors? Don't you think a menu is more expedient? Then get one up here pronto!"

Vanessa slammed the phone down and sank onto the room's hard bed. She was used to the Savoy or the Ritz, but outside of Washington, availing herself of a five star hotel would be considered gauche. Hoity-toity. Spendthrift. Five star hotels being scarce in Roswell anyway, she'd made a grand gesture by settling for a Holiday Inn, where a smiling desk clerk had offered her congresswoman an "upgrade" to an "executive room" which turned out to be a tiny room with a tiny bathroom...and no room service menu. What she wouldn't give now for a separate bedroom, a tub she could stretch out in, a fluffy white robe, and a bottle of wine. Heck, she'd settle for dinner, but she couldn't even get that because the incompetent housecleaning service had made off with the room service menu. The last thing she wanted to do was go down to the plebian restaurant which would be full of human constituents who would recognize her, abandon their burgers and fries to come over and say hello, and force her to be friendly when all she wanted to do was hurl something across the room.

Her phone rang. Not now, Vanessa groaned when she saw the number. "What?" she said sharply.

"What, 'what'?" Nicholas retorted. "Try 'what have you got for me'?"

"I've arranged to have the bones examined by one of their gigantic scanning machines," Vanessa answered. "I'll have something for you day after tomorrow."

"How about Pierce? Anything more on him?"

"Not yet. He'll surface," Vanessa promised when Nicholas made a noise which sounded suspiciously like disgust. "I know he will."

"If he really felt for you the way you think he does, he would have already," Nicholas declared.

And he did, Vanessa thought silently, completely unable to reveal that without also revealing the rest. Somehow she didn't think Nicholas would take kindly to hearing, "Oh, yes, Daniel appeared, and then we dove in my car to screw each other's lights out, and then I told him I was an alien, after which he looked at me like I was crazy, zipped his fly, and left without a word." No, that would most definitely not go over well.

"Give him some time," Vanessa said. "The hearing was only a few days ago."

"A few days too many," Nicholas complained. "I'm sending someone out there."

"You most certainly are not," Vanessa declared. "I told you, this one's mine. I see so much as one familiar face out here, and I'll make it my business to see that you regret it."

"Ye gads!" Nicholas exclaimed in mock surprise. "That almost sounded like a threat."

Vanessa's hand gripped the phone more tightly. "Nicholas, darling? I'm very busy now, too busy to waste time on you...and that's a good thing. In fact, if you have any sense at all, you will hit your bony knees and pray I never find you worthy of my complete attention because you, of all people, know just how devastating my complete attention can be. I repeat—this one's mine. Stay out of it."

She cut the line before Nicholas could respond and tossed the phone on the bed; it practically bounced on the cheap, hard mattress, which would explain why she ached all over. Great—empty stomach, crappy hotel room, and now a pissed off lover, although frankly, she and Nicholas hadn't been lovers for a while now. No, that honor went to Daniel, who she'd just scared off with an announcement so insane, it boggled the mind. What the hell had she been thinking?

Someone knocked on the door. "Finally," Vanessa muttered, opening it only to step hastily back as Daniel blew past her into the room and whirled around, his face like thunder.

"What the hell were you thinking?" he demanded.

Startled, it took Vanessa moment to recover. "You came back," she whispered, closing the door. "You came back to me."

"Yes I 'came back to you', because I had to find out why you've gone off your rocker!" Daniel retorted. "You're an 'alien'? Just how stupid do you think I am! Or maybe you think this is funny? Is this some kind of sick joke? Because if it is, this is not the time—"

Ffffffffffffft!

The lamp beside Daniel abruptly flared, sparked...and blew out. He scrambled backward, looking back and forth from the ruined lamp to her outstretched hand. "Did...you do that?" he ventured.

"Yes," Vanessa confirmed.

"How can you do that?" he whispered. "You're not supposed to be able to do that."

"Long story. Short story—I'm not human, Daniel. I'm an alien. I'm from a world called 'Antar'."

His eyes widened. "And I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to be telling me that."

"I think we're way past 'supposed to'," Vanessa said. "Look, the point is I'm an 'alien hunter' too. I'm hunting the same aliens you are. That's why we should work together—"

"Stop!" Daniel ordered. "This is crazy! So you blew up a lamp; big deal. You probably had it rigged. This whole thing is just too...too..."

His voice trailed off as she turned around, lifted her shirt, lowered her waistband. He'd never found the flap which concealed her husk's seal. Given that he'd been over every single inch of her more times than she could count, she'd sometimes found that odd. Now she was grateful he hadn't, that she hadn't had to explain it away as some kind of implant. Now it looked just exactly like what it was—alien.

The silence behind her was deafening. Vanessa lowered the flap and turned around to find him wearing a hard stare. "What the hell was that?" he said flatly.

"The seal on my husk," Vanessa answered. "I don't really look like this. I'm shorter, and grayer, and...oh, never mind the particulars—I look different. I'm wearing a human skin; not from an actual human," she added hastily when his eyes widened. "We made them ourselves, so we could blend in and because we can't survive in Earth's environment. The skin is like a...like a pressure suit. The seal is what closes it."

"Why would you tell me this?" Daniel demanded. "I hunt aliens! Now I have to hunt you!"

"No!" Vanessa exclaimed. "No, you don't, because like I said, we want the same thing. I'm not your problem, Daniel! I'm not the one who's been leaving silver handprints all over the country for years. Those are the aliens I'm chasing, and since I know far more about them than you do, I can help you find them."

"Oh, of course," he said sarcastically. " 'I'm an alien, but you can trust me because I'm a 'good' alien. It's the other aliens who are the 'bad' aliens'.' Why do I get the funny feeling those 'other' aliens would say the same thing about you?"

"There was a coup on my world," Vanessa said. "We deposed the king, but he got away. He fled here with his family, and we followed him."

"What for?" Daniel said. "If you deposed him, why not just let him go?"

"Because he's powerful," Vanessa answered. "Incredibly powerful. Too powerful. Suffice it to say he can do way more than just blow up lamps, and so can his guardians. They're the ones leaving handprints all over the place." She paused. "You met them, didn't you? Or you got close. Something happened when you were in Roswell, something that changed you. You said you 'found something', but then you 'lost it'. What did you find? Who did you find?"

"I don't believe this," Daniel muttered.

"Believe it," Vanessa said, coming closer. "We may not be the same species, but we're the same, you and I. We've always had a lot in common, but now you're...cold. Ambitious. Ruthless."

She'd covered the space between them, and he hadn't backed away. "Nice try," he said , "but I was always cold, ambitious, and ruthless. Funny you never noticed."

"Oh, I noticed," Vanessa said, close enough to touch him now. "It's what drew me to you."

"Oh, really?" Daniel said softly "And here I thought you slept with me just to find out what I know."

They were together now, foreheads touching. "Well...maybe," Vanessa allowed. "At first. But it's more than that now. When you came back from Roswell, you were...different. Colder. More ambitious. More ruthless. You've got a nasty streak that wasn't there before, and...and I like it."

"Why, Vanessa," Daniel said with the ghost of a smile. "I do believe you like the bad boys."

"The badder, the better," she whispered.

KnockKnock

The bubble burst. Fuming, Vanessa went to the door and retrieved her missing room service menu. Funny how just a few minutes ago she was starving, but now food was the last thing on her mind. "Hungry?" she asked, coming back into the room. "Let's discuss this civilly. I was going to order..."

She stopped short at the sight of Daniel stretched full length on the bed; she'd had no idea he could undress that fast. "Definitely hungry," he confirmed. "But not for anything on that menu. And I don't have the slightest interest in being civil."





*****************************************************





UFO Center





The back door opened abruptly. "Who are you?" Brody demanded.

Startled, Courtney pushed herself to her feet. She'd been summoned via their new communication method and was here as requested, but it was a bit early; Larak had said midnight, and it was only 11:45. What rotten luck to be caught by his host. "I'm Courtney, remember? I work at the Crashdown across the street. I brought you your lunch the other day."

"I don't care if you're the Tooth Fairy, I still want to know why you're lurking by my back door," Brody retorted.

"I'm waiting for a friend of mine," Courtney answered, thinking fast. "He's going to pick me up."

"By the back door?" Brody said suspiciously.

"It's hard to stop on Main Street and get in a car with a bunch of traffic waiting behind you," Courtney noted.

Brody considered that for a moment. "Okay, then why are you in my doorway? You could just as easily wait up near the corner."

"It's kind of dark on this street, and you have a light by the door. I felt safer here."

"Looks to me like you're casing the joint," Brody said accusingly.

"People don't 'case joints' under lights," Courtney protested. "The whole point of 'casing' is that you're invisible. I'm hardly invisible, or at least you seemed to find me pretty fast. Look, I'm going," she went on, shouldering her bag. "No need to get all pissed off."

There was a long pause while Brody looked her up and down, and Courtney was certain she was about to have a tango with the sheriff...but then he inexplicably broke into a wide smile. "It's Larak," Larak grinned, as though pleased with his little joke. "I was just yanking your chain. Come on in."

" 'Yanking my...' what?" Courtney sputtered, following him inside. "Jesus! What the hell was that all about?"

"Jesus," Larak recited, as though reading from a book. "Of Nazareth, also known as the Christ, regarded as a deity by one of Earth's largest religious denominations called..."

"Christians," Courtney finished crossly. "And he was the son of a deity, although I gather he was also a god in his own right."

"So you got religion?" Larak said.

"No, we got clothes, and food, and lots of other things from the Salvation Army," Courtney answered, "but in return we had to sit through church services. It was a fair exchange. Now what's with the act? I'm here like you asked, and you go all host on my ass?"

"I was testing you," Larak said. "I wanted to see how quickly you thought on your feet. And what your reaction would be when you found out who I really was."

"Testing me?" Courtney said incredulously. "What is it with the testing today? First I've got a Warder 'testing me' to see if I've blathered to another Warder, and now I've got Kerona's Premiere 'testing me' to see...what? What are you after?"

They'd reached the main exhibition hall, sporting soft lights, lots of boxes, and...that was it. "Where's Brivari?" Courtney asked.

"Not coming," Larak answered.

"Why? Did something happen?"

" 'Not coming' as in 'not invited'," Larak corrected. "I wanted to spend some time alone with you."

Courtney raised an eyebrow. "Why?" she asked warily.

"Because you're not entirely comfortable around him," Larak said, "and I need you to be completely honest with me."

"No one's 'entirely comfortable' around Royal Warders," Courtney reminded him. "And you want me to be honest with you about what?"

"Please," Larak said, indicating a makeshift table he'd constructed from boxes. "Have a seat."

Courtney gripped her bag tighter. "I don't think so. All of a sudden, I'm not 'entirely comfortable' around you."

To her surprise, Larak broke into an easy laugh. "See, there it is," he said as she stared him down. "That refusal to bow down. Even to the King's Warder, or the Premiere of Kerona. And I'll bet even to the King of Antar."

"That one's not hard," Courtney said. "The King of Antar is a human teenager who likes burgers and shakes and has a curfew on school nights. Not much 'bowing' going on there. And you still haven't answered my question."

"True," Larak allowed, clasping his hands together, pausing for a moment. "I need honesty, brutal honesty. I have exactly three people from whom to obtain this honesty, two of whom are Royal Warders so heavily invested in this enterprise that their opinions are suspect."

"And one of whom would execute you on sight," Courtney added. "Which is why he's not 'in the know'."

"Ah," Larak nodded. "I see. But either way, that leaves me with...you. You see, I have a unique problem. I have 5 planets in an uproar because Antar has heard from its king for the first time in decades, and everyone is looking to me because I was friends with that king. But frankly, given everything I've heard, if we bring him home now, I'm not exactly certain who...or what...I'll be bringing back. I need to know the current status of the players on the board and, like it or not, you're the most objective commentator out there."

Courtney raised an eyebrow. "I am many things, but I promise you I am not objective."

"Maybe not," Larak allowed, "but merely saying that makes you more objective than my other choices. 'Choice'," he amended. "Guess I can't count the murderous one. Are you sure he's still in the dark?"

"I'm sure," Courtney said. "Besides, he's otherwise engaged tonight. From what I hear, he's sleeping with the enemy. Literally."





*****************************************************




September 7, 2000, 12:15 a.m.

Holiday Inn





Vanessa stirred, stretched, opened her eyes—the remnants of dinner spilled off two trays at the foot of the bed, and Daniel sat beside her, tapping away at a laptop. "Morning, sunshine," he said.

Morning? Ah. The mangy clock on the particle board table confirmed that it was 12:15 a.m. "How long did I sleep?" she whispered.

"Couple of hours. But then we did get quite a workout."

"And how," Vanessa agreed, noting that they'd have to put the room back together; rough sex tended to wreak havoc on interior decorating. "How about that—you fucked an alien."

"Correction: I fucked an alien again. Those 'husks' of yours are dead ringers for the real thing. And have nerve endings in all the right places."

"Don't I know it," Vanessa murmured. "So you believe me?"

"Let's call it a working hypothesis," Daniel said. "And while you were snoring, I decided to get a jump on what our resident 'alien' congressional representative was up to."

Vanessa blinked. "Wait. Is that...is that my laptop? How did you get my password?" she demanded, sitting up straight. "And what makes you think you have any right—"

The hand she'd reached up to snatch back her computer was abruptly snatched itself, an iron grip that brooked no argument. "Seriously?" Daniel said. "I'm FBI Special Unit; you really think I can't get past a simple password? And who the hell is 'Nicholas', anyway? But whatever...when you said you wanted to 'join forces', I was assuming you meant more than just bending over the desk. Not that I didn't enjoy your bending over the desk. Or just plain bending over."

His grip softened, and Vanessa pulled her hand back. "Are you...are you saying you're willing to work with me?"

"I'm saying I'm willing to do anything to get what I want," Daniel answered. "So what do you say...partner?"



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



We're away over Labor Day weekend, so I'll post Chapter 14 on Sunday, September 7.

Liz certainly was the hero figuring out where the bones would be taken.....
I liked your take on Alex's involvement with the computer and finding a floor plan......great idea!
LOL......Vanessa likes the fake Daniel better than the original......
Great part,
Carolyn

I love this chapter, especially the conversation between Liz & Alex. I was never happy with the Liz-Max-Tess situation. Liz, please listen to Alex! Looking forward to the next chapter.