Shades Of Grey (TEEN)

[Lady_dreamer]

Vega

I release my hold on my mom and look on as Ash offers Lexi comfort. A stab of jealousy runs through me but I quickly shake it off as nothing. If its Lexi he wants, its Lexi he'll get. But, I can garantee you, that she will never care about him as much as I do.

[Dreamer_Dreaming]

*Lexi*

I stood there drinking the water when I notice Ashton walk in. He is looking at me carefully. I guess he could tell from my expression on my face that I’m not fully okay. I put the glass in the sink as he walks up to me and gives me a hug. “I’m not going to lie to you and say everything’s going to be alright because things may not turn out that way you want them to. All I can say is that I’m here and I’m not going anywhere. Okay, Lexie?” he whispers in my ear.

I pulled away. I just put on a pretend smile, “Okay Ash.” I said to Ashton. But you know what? The questions that keep reaping in my head won’t go away. Was I okay? Too many unanswered questions weren’t being answer. My mother hasn’t explained anything to me and my father ignores Dyl when he overreacted about my father’s children. I do have to admit, what did my father mean taking his children away? We were right here where we belong. But something telling me this whole situation is more then what meet the eye. There was something that my father and my mother weren’t telling me and Dylan and that makes me wonder what it could be. What they are hiding from us?

Another question that comes to my mind is what did Tess really do? What makes her this bad alien that makes my parents so upset following be my Uncle Michael and Aunt Isabelle. What are they not telling us? What is it? I wanted to know.

The more questions I keep questing in my head the more I begin to worry about secret my parents are hiding. I start to pace on the kitchen floor but right now I didn’t care.

On top of all that has happens my mother might lose the baby or worst she might die from this. But I know well enough that my father won’t let that. He has the power to save the universe yet he refuses only to save the people he loves and that are his family. I don’t think my father could live with himself if he did lose my mother. God knows he will go insane himself and take his own life away. He loves my mother; he loves her so much that I can see this connection he and my mother are always talking about.

I looked up from myself pacing and noticed Ashton was watching me. Wait didn’t he have that thing in Florida today? I guess dad called in Uncle Michael so that means Ashton missed his big day he been planning for a year. I think he may be a little pissed off but there is really nothing I can do.

I go back to my pacing as I continue to make a hole in the kitchen floor. How am I supposed to be this big sister for Dylan if I’m freaking out here? I’m not so much about the fact that the strangers are in my house and my dad heals the girl that looks about my age. But the fact that my mother is not okay and that scary the hell out of me; my mother and I are so close that I go to her for everything. I do go to Vega more of my problems but it different with my mother. It like she experiences the stuff I have experiences. It funny how we go to each other in situation likes these, I go to my mother, my mother goes to my father, and Dylan comes to me. I guess we depend on each other a lot, which is only nature, were a loving kind of family.

Now what am I going to do? Should I go back in there and demand to my father what’s going on or shall I hide out? I’m not the type person that usually hides out. I’m the type person that says what’s on my mind straight out and won’t care what other person is thinking.

However, then were in a situation like we are in now and it won’t be time to action brave when I’m really not.

What shall I do? What shall I do? I don’t know what to do. In fact I’m still this child everyone thinks that I’m not. Sure I have a band with Ashton, and I’m a waitress in my mother’s restaurant. I also go to school and try to help my brother with my homework but really I’m not that grow up they everyone thinks I am.

I continue biting on my bottom lips some more. I sigh in frustration. I need some assists and I need it bad.

[Corina Star]

~Ashton~

She plasters on a fake smile and replies, “Okay Ash.” How could she stand there and just lie to me? She could at least have some decency to tell me the truth. I just stare at her profoundly. She is completely lost in her thoughts and she starts to pace around the kitchen nervously. I wonder how long it took her to realize that I was watching her curiously. Her face had been so heart wrenching at first glimpse. It had really been hard not to notice how afraid she had been.

I drank in the fact that I hadn’t cared about the Nationals. Staying here with her had been far more important. There will be other chances for me. There was always next year and besides what if I hadn’t made it if I did go? Well, I guess I will never find out.

I look at Lexi and her pacing is driving me insane, so I do the only thing that comes to mind. I swiftly grabbed her hand and pull her into a sweet loving kiss. It had been different, but nice. Everything seemed to swirl as if her kiss had been a drug. I break away slowly and ask, “Are you still nervous or do you need more consoling?” smirking at her.

[KatnotKath]

OOC: hope this is okay and sorry for the wait

~Liz~

Max starts to try to explain what's going on, before squeezing my hand and standing up, walking over to where Xaira and Dreakus are sat on the sofa. I wish I could be there physically beside him right now, I hate being a burden like this... Biting my lip, I look over at Isabel and Michael, wondering if they've fit the pieces together. Usually, I don't imagine it would take them too long, but this isn't exactly a usual situation, and Tess' presence here has put everyone on edge I know.

I listen in silence to Max as he reassures the kids that Tess is okay, explaining a little about the fact that he knew her, and who he is. I know his feelings are in something of a mess at the moment though, confusion, worry, concern...wonder... This is incredibly hard for him, and I know that there's guilt there too. He blames himself for a lot of things, but he can't take this all on himself. Whatever has happened to Zaira and Zan, Tess is the one who was with them. Yes, she was with them because Max let her go, but he couldn't know she was lying about the baby surviving, he did the only thing he could, and it's only due to some majorly timely realisations and revelations that he didn't pay the ultimate price. *Don't do this to youself ...* I send to him, noting with a pang that Alexis has walked out of the room now.

I know this is hard for her too, it's hard for all the kids I'm sure. They don't know what's going on, and Lexie's trying to be brave and strong as always... They have such an 'aged' view of things in some ways, and I know I'm not alone in wishing it could be different. We'd all like nothing more than to be able to give them normal, carefree and safe childhoods, but while we've done our best, in some ways that would never happen. They've learnt to use their powers, learnt to hide who they are... I swallow and sigh, rubbing circles on my swollen abdomen and trying to tell myself it's going to be okay.

I'm supposed to be the mom I know, I'm supposed to be one of the strong ones, and yet right now I'm scared... I'm scared that Tess coming back could destroy everything we have - that people are going to come after us, that my family could get hurt, that my children will be in danger. I'm scared that everything that we've always feared could come true, and even more than I'm scared that I'll lose the baby, I'm scared that 'they'll' take him or her...

[Athenea]

Ooc: the Antarian language sounds a bit like the Elvin language that was used in The Lord of the Rings and I will put the translations in italics ( ) I suppose Max, Isabel, and Michael would definitely recognize it and maybe know what a few words meant, other than that if they were around it enough they would be able to remember eventually how to speak it.

Mei mei is a word that will be used often and it basically is a pet named used by Zan and Dreakus for Zaira, I haven’t decided what it means as of yet but in Japenese it means “little sister” so it will probably mean something similar

Also the word Naya , means mother

Zaira

Everything is happening so quickly and I try and keep up with the new events but everything is still in a bit of a haze. I am still holding Dreakus’s hand like it’s a life line, partially because I need something stable to hold on to so I don’t fall asleep and partially because I’m unsure of what’s going on.

I feel someone’s hand on my knee and look up to see Max there, "Your mother isn't hurt," he says to reassure us but right now I could careless about her. "I knew Tess a long time ago. She'd been my wife when I was on Antar. I was Zan, then, Her name was Ava but she wasn't raised with the rest of us. Our protector left all of us on our own and took in only her, teaching only her about where we were from and what was expected of us," he tells us and everything falls into place.

Mother said she was the only survivor of the Royal Four, she said the others died in a crash before they were even able to emerge from their pods. Everyone knows there story, the Royal Four are legend on our planet; they even celebrate the original King Zan’s birthday as a national holiday. Zan was named after the great king.

I look at Dreakus who is shaking his head no at this new unbelievable news. Max is Zan and he is very much alive so that means Mother has been lying to everyone and I wonder if father knows?

“Isa muy astra ne`om, Mei Mei.Y eva nore Naya enna usa?” (That doesn’t make any sense. Why would mother lie about that?) Dreakus asks me and a I just shake my head. I honestly don’t know what to think about anything anymore.

I look back at Max and say “Alright, that contradicts everything we’ve ever known about our history but it isn’t the first time we’ve been lied too.”

[isabelle]

OOC -- In light of the fact that we seem to have three healers (Max, Zan and Dylan) and Dylan hasn't used any telepathy anyway, I've checked with Athenea and I've altered Dylan's powers. http://www.roswellfanatics.net/viewtopi ... c&start=10


*Dylan*

Dad leaves mom to go and talk to the strangers and then Alexis and Ashton leave, too. Frowing, I move over to where mom is resting on the recliner, sitting close to her. I just feel like being near her or dad and dad is definately occupied. Besides, I don't think Mom wants to be alone right now, either. I look up at Vega, wondering what she's thinking. I want to hold her, too, but mom needs me more ... or maybe I need her more. I don't know ...



*Max*

I'm concentrating my attention on Zaira and Dreakus, wondering what they're going to say, when Michael comes up behind me. "What are you going to do?” he asks as Ashton and Alexis leave the room. I'm disappointed in that. I want to be able to tell everyone at once. These are things that they need to know, too and I don't want them to have to find out second-hand.

*Don't do this to youself ...* Liz says to me telepathically. I feel her support and concern underlying the mental words. I know she's trying to assure me, but I need to sort this out. My son. My son is being tortured by those ...people, if I can call them that... I've seen it in my nightmares, day and night, and I've done nothing. I never knew...

Zaira and Dreakus speak to each other briefly and I can feel the confusion in their tone -- and something of a betrayal, too, a broken trust further damaged. It's not English but I can almost remember it. It's like listening to people speaking French when you are fluent in Spanish. There's enough commonality to get some of it. I knew this language and I've heard it in my memories. I know it won't take long to learn it again if I had to ... probably much less than the 5 or 6 days that it took Isabel and I to learn English when we first arrived.

“Alright, that contradicts everything we’ve ever known about our history but it isn’t the first time we’ve been lied too," Zaira says. I'm almost relieved to hear her acceptance. I don't like knowing she'd been lied too often, but I'm not surprised. At least she hasn't automatically dismissed what I told her as a lie. She hasn't wondered why I would be connected enough to Zan to have nightmares about him. Maybe that's normal for her, I don't know.

"What we're going to do is get Zan out of there. Now," I say to Michael. That decision is easy. I can barely stand to know that he's still there. I know less about what we're going to do about Tess and the kids and Khivar ... but hopefully that will sort itself out.

Turning back to Zaira, I say, "I've been told a number of lies, too, but I promise that I won't lie to you. I hope you'll be honest, too." Looking back at Tess briefly, I ask. "Is it true your mother can't use her mind-warping power any more?"

[Athenea]

Zaira

"What we're going to do is get Zan out of there. Now," he says to another guy that I didn’t even notice coming into the room. I must be really out of it.

"I've been told a number of lies, too, but I promise that I won't lie to you. I hope you'll be honest, too." He says and I wonder at that comment for a moment. Then he says, "Is it true your mother can't use her mind-warping power any more?"

I just nod my head yes. I remember the day when father decided he didn’t want to risk her ‘messing with his head’. It’s a very painful process to take away one’s main power and her screams echoed off the castle walls for hours before it was finished.

Dreakus’s voice snaps me out of the memory. “What did you mean earlier when you said she stole your children?” he says his eyes narrowed in suspicion at Max. I must have missed that comment. “And why would you want to help us if our mother betrayed you? And why the hell have you been having dreams about our brother.”

He says standing up as if to make himself more threatening even though Max is a good bit taller than he is, about Zan’s height actually. I just look between the two and then glance over at Mother who is still knocked out on the floor. I realize that I haven’t ‘felt’ my brother since I was healed. He must be blocking our connection so I don’t feel what he is feeling. I know he’s not dead but it worries me to know end that he is somewhere hurting right now and he doesn’t want me to know.

[isabelle]

*Max*

Zaira assures me that for once, Tess was actually telling the truth. I could probably go and wake her up, but frankly, I'm glad to be spared her hate-filled talk. I don't like the way she uses her words to hurt Zaira. Has Tess never known love at all? She doesn't seem to have any idea how to show it. Maybe she doesn't know what it feels like.

Then Dreakus speaks up, repeating Dylan's question about Tess stealing my children. I realize that I haven't answered it yet and I shoot my son an apologetic look. It's not going to be easy to explain. I should probably have not said it then, but I needed to. I needed her to hear it. She's done so much to hurt everyone. I can't understand it...

“... And why would you want to help us if our mother betrayed you? And why the hell have you been having dreams about our brother.” Dreakus continues. All good questions and they need to be answered. I inhale slowly, bracing myself. I can feel Liz's comforting presence in my mind and I send her a burst of thanks. She's always there for me. So solid. So loving. Everything that Tess never was...

"I should introduce you to everyone-else first," I say. Okay, it's a delaying tactic, I guess, but they should know who all these people are who just burst in. "This is my wife, Liz. She's from Earth. With her is my son Dylan. The girl who just left is my daughter Alexis. This is Michael, who was Rath. His son Ashton is the one who just left with Alexis." I wish the two of them were still here. I don't want them to hear the rest of this second-hand. Maybe they can hear me from the kitchen.

"And this," I say nodding at Isabel, "Is my sister Isabel, who was Vilondra, and that's her daughter, Vega." I look at Zaira and Dreakus, wondering what they're thinking now that they know that all of the 'Royal Four' survived. I hope they're not going to be harboring a long-time grudge against Isabel for attacking their mother.

"As for your questions, Dylan and Dreakus, Tess did steal my children. You know we were married on Antar ... She said she wanted us to be married again, but she didn't mean it. She ... she tricked me. She hurt all of us, and our friends," I bite my lip and shake my head at the memory. What she did to Alex. The way she used me. All that time she pretended she really wanted to be my queen, and really all she wanted was to lead me and Michael and Isabel to our enemy ... to kill us. She never did care.

"I was with her just once. When she left this world, she was pregnant with my children," I look at Zaira, hoping she'll realize that I'm sincere. "You and Zan, Zaira. She stole you from me. That's why I've seen him in my visions. Zan is my son; I just didn't know who he was."

.

.

[KatnotKath]

OOC: hope this is okay, I have a feeling the ending isn't much good, but it's the best I seem to be able to get.

~Liz~

Dylan comes to sit on the arm of the chair, and I can feel his confusion and worry. I reach out, closing my hand over hiis and squeezing it as a form of reassurance. "It'll be okay..." I whisper softly to him, talking about the situation in general. I might not know how, but I have to believe that it will be, because if we had given up every time something came to challenge us, we would never have got this far and wouldn't be here today I'm sure. It's the positive thinking, determination and care that we've taken that's enabled us to get through eveyrthing that's hapened, and we can't give up now...

Despite my earlier attempts to reassure Max though, I can still feel the sense of guilt at what's happened to Zan, and Zaira, and I hate the feeling of not being right there with him. Usually I'd be by his side literally, and today...well...I'm not... I hear Zaira and Dreakus speak in some kind of strange language, and I'm sure that the questions people have on both sides are mounting by the second. It's time to tell them all I know, but yet Alexis and Ashton aren't here...

My first thought is that we need to call them back, but then as soon as I think that, I remember how Alexis looked, and the feelings coming from her as she left the room, and a part of me knows that she needs some time to herself. Ashton went after her, so I know she'll be safe enough, and maybe right now it's more important that she gets a break. It's a difficult balance to make, if we do it wihtout them, one of us is going to need to tell them almost immediately they're done, because it shouldn't come from anyone else, but telling them now, and piling all this on top of everything else I'm not sure would be the best thing...

I sigh and reach out mentally in two directions, firstly to Max, and secondly to the baby... In both cases, it's because of a need, a need to feel them, and on Max's side, a need to show him I'm always here... I don't hold what happened against him. I was upset at the time, it took a while to get past, but we did, and that's what it is, the past... We both made mistakes, and we couldn't change that...all we could do was move forward...

That didn't mean forgetting about Zan though I know. Max never did that... When I said I'd be with him, I accepted that, it was one of the things which made him into the man I love, and I wouldn't change that.

Dreakus' voice pulls my mind back to the present, and I hear him repeat Dylan's question about Max's earlier comment, going on to question further about why he would want to help, and then mentioning the dreams which have also featured in comments. I see the look in Max's eyes, and I close my eyes, concentrating on sending all the comfort I can towards him reaching out through the connection which exists between us. *It's okay, I'm right here with you...*

I sense a feeling of thanks coming back through the connection and I can't help but smile slightly *You don't have to thank me...I love you...*

Max goes on to explain who we all are, starting with me and I nod slightly at them although I have to admit that describing me as being from earth might be a little misleading... Still, there's more important things at the moment, and he continues, covering each in turn, and then pausing a moment... I know what's coming next, and as he begins to speak again, I look up at Dylan, tightening my hold around his hand Max goes on to answer his question, looking directly at Zaira now he finishes.

"You and Zan, Zaira. She stole you from me. That's why I've seen him, in my visions, Zan is my son; I just didn't know it was him..."

I feel my chest tighten slightly, painful memories being brought to the forefront of my mind by his words and I bite down on my lip as I find myself thinking about Alex...the one who Tess killed, the lost member of our group who I don't think we'll ever completely get over losing... Max, Michael, Maria and I, and even more-so with Isabel. There's always been something missing ever since...

But right now I don't have the liberty of concentrating on myself do I...? I look back to Dylan quickly, struggling with what to say. I know this has to be a shock for him... "I know this is difficult honey, but it was a long time ago Dylan, and it doesn't change the fact that your father and I love you very much...okay...?" I tell him softly, adressing this soley to my son in an attempt to provide reassurance which I feel is likely much needed...

[Athenea]

Zaira

"I was with her just once. When she left this world, she was pregnant with my children, You and Zan, Zaira. She stole you from me. That's why I've seen him in my visions. Zan is my son; I just didn't know who he was.” he says and I’m too shocked to say anything. It’s like my whole world has been turned completely upside down. My father is not my father, well that explains a lot to say the least. But not only that Max is my father. Max who seems so kind and I wonder what it would have been like to grow up with him instead of Fath…Khivar. I feel like something’s been stolen from me too.

I finally find my voice enough to say, “I think you better wake her up.” I say pointing to my mother who is on the floor. We need to find Zan and then maybe we can sort this out together, but first there is something I need to do and it involves finding out the truth for myself.

Dreakus looks at me woriedly and I know he knows what I am thinking. I am going to do something I promised I never would. I'm going to use my powers on someone in my family and its not going to be pleasant but it must be done so I can see for myself the truth.