Alienation (FF,ADULT, CC & UC)**Recasting**

[isabelle]

*Max*

I try to relax and stay calm as things start to settle a little. Nate's words are still echoing through my head. What did Zan do -- besides the bloody nose?

Ava sends the extras packing but Zan and Dominque start heading out, too. That's wrong. I need to talk to Zan. "No. Stay," I say as Zan passes, reaching out to touch his shoulder. As soon as my fingers come in contact with him, I'm hit with a wave of images and feelings. It's all dark and angry and sad. A six-year-old boy hiding in a closet. Voices raised in fury. I see fists and screaming faces. I feel pain. I see a younger Zan, maybe 15, looking into the mirror, his face streaked with tears as someone bangs on the bathroom door and someone yells. He feels lost, alone, worthless. From somewhere, there's a razor, slicing across his wrists. The pain in his body doesn't come close to matching the pain inside him. But then, the pain in his wrists eases and as he looks, the cuts start to heal -- and that only makes him even more frustrated.

Blinking, I realize that Zan's walked on, not even noticing what happened.

Ava calls them back, but Zan starts to argue. I hold my breath, wanting to jump in but forcing myself to wait and see what Ava says. I don't want Zan to leave. I lost him for 18 years. I don't want to lose him again now. I wanna tell Michael not to let him leave but I have a feeling that will only make Zan more determined to go. I know Michael doesn't have any idea why it's so important to me but I hope he'll help.

At last Zan says he's leaving but he stays and I breathe again.

“You guys stay here and me and Max will be right back. And no fighting. I mean it,” Ava says, warning Zan. Then she turns to look at me. “Lead the way.” she says, gesturing towards the stairs.

"No," I say, hesitating. I'm a little bit afraid of what might happen if Michael sees Micah and Zan together and he figures out what I suspect about Micah. I don't think he'll take it well. And also -- I just don't want to risk losing Zan.

"They're part of this, too. We should all go up," I say. I can't think of anything I'd want to say to Ava about this. It's Zander and Nate and Natalie that I need to talk to. Mostly Zander. I have to be sure it's him and there's only one way to prove it. Of course, maybe Ava knows stuff I should know about Zan. I can talk to her in Liz's office.

There's another kid by the door. I don't know where he came from but Michael's kicking him out, so I wasn't worried about him. At least, not until he starts talking about being related to Michael.

"Do you know him?" I ask Ava.

.

[StormWolfstone]

~Drake~


“I don’t have family. Who’s your dad kid?” The copy of my pops questions and I laugh again.

"Well, doesn't surprise me that age has caught up with ya Duke... my pops is Rath... or was Rath anyway... bad accident and shit, but yeah, my pops is gone." I can't keep from straightening with a grin and turning to look around the room a moment before I shake my head and step away from the wall, "But, hey... ya don't want me here... when I've got some news about people wantin' ya and yo's dead..."

I love to get things going... after all people were always suckers for things like this. I did have info, but I really didn't care if they wanted it or not. Only person I came here for was Ava, and I'll catch her soon. I'm not in any hurry at the moment.

[StormWolfstone]

~Natalie~

After I’ve told my mom that dad wanted her, I looked at Anya, wanting her to be able to join me. "Go on...we can manage here..." My mom says and then she looks at me telling me she’ll be in as soon as she can. The expression and movement of her hands tells me she’s letting us off the hook and I can’t stop myself from smiling.

"So, what're they like...?" Anya asks me and I grin as I put my arm around her shoulder.

“Zander has such attitude it’s just… woah… and Dominique seems really cool. She’s so calm at times, though it looks like they are having some sort of like protective issue between them. They seem so… normal. I don’t know, I’m not quite as off balance as I expected to be.” I smile, “Come on, you have to meet them.”

Without another word, I moved through the door, urging her to move in through the doors with me just in time to hear my dad saying something.

"No, They're part of this, too. We should all go up," I can’t help but look at him with confusion. "Dad is there something wrong?" I can't stop myself from asking as I step over towards them, looking around and noting that first Micah is tense, second Uncle Michael is here and there's some strange guy talking to him, third there's tension in my brother's form. "What have I missed?"

[Athenea]

You're too complicated, we should separate it.
You're just confiscating, you're exasperating.
This degeneration, mental masturbation.
Think I'll leave it all behind, save this bleeding heart of mine.


Zander


"They're part of this, too. We should all go up," Mr. Evans says to Ava and by this time I am really confused. And I hated being confused. What in the world is going on here?

"Do you know him?" he asks Ava and indicates a guy standing next to the door. Ava shakes her head no and I glace over at the guy who doesn't seem to be from around Roswell either. With the way he was dressed and talked he seemed to be from NYC but what would a guy guy NY be doing here? Hell, what am I doing here, and it is at this point that I have finally lose it.

“Would someone tell me what the fuck is going on!!!” I scream “I’m not going anywhere with you!” I say to Mr. Evans. Who the hell is this guy anyway. The whole situation is starting to freak me out a little.

“Calm down Zan, and let’s go upstairs for a second.” Ava says and I look at her like she’s lost her mind. Maybe she has. This definately seems to be the town for it. Everybody here is crazy. Except maybe Micah, but I'm only saying that because I want to fuck him. I can't be thinking about sex now!!!

“Has the heat fried your brain, Ava? Why are we even still standing here? Last time I checked we had a gig in Phoenix. And what could he possible have to say to me that he can’t say right here? I don’t even know the guy.” I yell at her as I point towards Max and then there are two other girls that walk in. Th girl with the red streak in her hair that is Max's daughter and another one I haven't met yet. The whole world has gone crazy.


Ava

Okay this is getting way out of hand did that kid just say he was Rath’s? Michael at least seems good for something and is trying to handle the situation.

And we can’t figure out anything down here in front of so many people. Max needs to be alone with Zander to make sure what we suspect is true. I finally give up and grab Zander forcefully up the stairs. It’s a good thing Zan doesn’t weigh much.

“Dom, stay down here with Danny for a second.” I tell her before giving jerk nod up the stairs indicating for Max to follow. We get up the stairs and I stop for a moment. “I just need you to do me a favor a control your temper for a few minutes okay?” I ask Zan and from the look on his face it doesn’t seem to be working

“Max and me just want to talk to you for a second and when he gets up here we’ll talk.” I say. I don’t know how Max will find out for sure if Zan is son or not. He might have to form a connection with Zan and that would require touching him and I don’t know how well that will go over.

[isabelle]

OOC -- Hmm. I thought Danny and Sam had already left..

*Nathaniel*

“Dominique,” I say softly, pleading. I watch in dismay as she moves away with Zan. I saw the look in her eyes. A look of disgust. I don’t understand. Zan attacked me. Even then, I didn’t hit him. Why is she so mad at me? Just because I didn’t snap to and instantly obey when Zan said to let go of her? He’s a jerk, that’s all.

Or if what Zan implied was true, and the two of them are together, then she’s the jerk for cozying up like that in front of him. No. I can’t believe that. I don’t want to believe that.

I glance at my father but he’s not looking my direction at all. Not surprising. Ever since we got here, he’s practically ignored me. He’s too busy with Zan and then Ava. Filling the air with cryptic comments and strange looks. I wish I knew what was going on there. Zan did something. He’s not normal. Did Dad know that somehow? What does Ava want with my dad that can’t be said here?

"Dad is there something wrong?" Natalie asks as she comes back into the break room with Anya, but not Mom. "What have I missed?"

“Trouble,” I tell her, shortly. “Zan jumped me and now this other kid is trying to sneak in here.”

“I don’t have family. Who’s your dad kid?” Uncle Michael says to the intruder. Why doesn’t he just kick the kid out?

"Well, doesn't surprise me that age has caught up with ya Duke... my pops is Rath... or was Rath anyway... bad accident and shit, but yeah, my pops is gone," he says.

Rath! Wait. That’s familiar. Isn’t that my Uncle Michael’s other name? My hands ball into fists. I already don’t like this kid. "But, hey... ya don't want me here... when I've got some news about people wantin' ya and yo's dead..." he goes on.

Someone wants us dead? I’ve known about this in a general way for a long time. About Khivar and the FBI. But they’ve always been distant threats. It feels different to hear this kid say it. It sounds … close. My adrenaline starts to rise – like the football game is about to start, but this is way more important than football. I catch my dad’s eye and he nods towards Michael. I move next to my uncle, ready to back him up, wondering why my dad isn’t doing the same.

"Be careful. I'll be right upstairs if you need me," he says and he leaves. Nice.

“Go on,” I say to Dominque. Her mom told her to go. As much as I wanted to talk to her a moment ago, whatever this kid has to say, it isn’t any business of her or the band. "Maybe we can get a chance to talk to her later," I add, hopefully although I have more urgent things on my mind.

“You,” I say to the kid. “Spill it. Who are you? What are you talking about?”

.

[isabelle]

*Max*

The door to the dining floor opens and Natalie returns with Anya but not Liz. I feel my heart sink to the soles of my feet. I needed her here and she didn’t come. I guess I’m on my own. Over the years, she and I have developed a ‘vibe’ of sorts where we can often get a sense of what the other is feeling. .Like now, I can tell she’s flustered with the diner, but it’s only a diner. I thought she’d know how much I needed her here. And even if she didn’t, Natalie told her.

"Dad is there something wrong? What have I missed?" Natalie asks.

“Trouble. Zan jumped me and now this other kid is trying to sneak in here.” Nate explains. That’s all true, if incomplete, but I don’t take any objection to it. I wonder if Liz saw something to make her know not to be here? Will something bad happen if she is? Does she know who Zan is? She’d seemed to accept his existence in the end and doesn’t seem upset on the rare occasions that he comes up in our private conversations. But maybe knowing that he’s out there and seeing him walk into the Crashdown are two different things…

My thoughts are interrupted as the kid that Michael’s dealing with suddenly claims to be Rath’s son. Rath? Rath is dead. Tess killed him and Lonnie both. Didn’t she? He can’t mean that he’s Michael’s, can he? Then he goes on to mention someone wanting us dead. I’m torn, standing here by the lockers. I need to talk to Zan but I can’t ignore a threat to our safety, can I? Zan’s my son. He’s important. Just as important as Nathaniel or Natalie. Can I leave Michael to deal with this alone?

Nathaniel catches my eye and I nod, feeling relieved. Michael isn’t alone. He has Nathaniel and Anya and Micah. They can help. He’s only one kid. But if things go bad, I’ll be right upstairs. I nod at Nathaniel and he goes to help Michael.

“Has the heat fried your brain, Ava? Why are we even still standing here? Last time I checked we had a gig in Phoenix. And what could he possible have to say to me that he can’t say right here? I don’t even know the guy.” Zan complains as Ava nearly throws him up the stairs. If things weren’t so serious, it would almost be funny.

“Be careful,” I warn the kids, as well as Michael. We definitely need answers. What we don’t need is major property damage at the Crashdown. “I’ll be right upstairs if you need me.”

With that, I turn and follow Ava and Zan up the stairs. Arriving in the Parker’s living room, I see Mrs. Parker putting down a book she’d obviously been reading and staring at Ava and Zan in shock. I forgot she and Jeff would probably be here. Seeing me, Nancy’s a bit relieved. “Max. What’s going on?”

“I just need to borrow Liz’s office for a minute,” I assure her. Nancy nods and I lead the way towards what used to be Liz’s bedroom but is now an office. Once all three of us are inside, I turn and use my powers to seal the door shut. Liz is the only other person I’d want to be here right now and she’s clearly not coming. We don’t need any other interruptions here.

I pause for a moment, not sure how to start. Explaining about the FBI would be tough if he were fully human but from what I’ve seen in the flash, he’s not exactly an ordinary kid. Still, it’s a bit of leap to start talking about aliens. But I can’t prove who he is, who I am, without him seeing some stuff that’s definitely not normal. Even if there weren’t aliens, finding out about his birth family is going to upturn his life but it’s just not fair to not tell him.

Turning to Zan, I gesture towards a chair.

“Have a seat,” I say. “What you said before is wrong. You do know me. Although it has been a very long time since I’ve seen you. ” I take a short breath, bracing myself. We’ve danced around this enough. I think it’s time to be straightforward although from what I've seen of him so far, I don't expect him to be calm about this. I reach into my back pocket and pull out my wallet. Flipping through, I find the photo I have of Natalie and Nathaniel. Behind it in the same sleeve is a very old photo of me holding a baby. I take it out and show it to Zan.

“This is you, Zan. I’m your father.”

.

[Loxyanissa14]

OOC-I did my post as if Danny had not left yet. Hope that's ok is not I'll edit...

~Dom~

Why aren't we leaving? Why are we still here? Why is my mom taking Zan to talk with this Max fellow? Why can't I know what he has to say? I watch my mom walk up the stairs leaving me in Danny's care. I shrug it off. If it's some thing important I'll just beat it out of Zanie later or I could go ease drop.

I'm standing close to the newest distraction that seemed to have slipped in when Nate and Zanie were fighting. Nate comes to stand beside his uncle telling me to "go on" I walk away from the door and go to stand beside the two girls that just entered the back room a moment ago.

I watch Nathaniel. He is tall and dark like his father. He is dressed in preppy clothes. It makes me wonder why he doesn't have a girlfriend or maybe he does. Maybe he just saw a chance for some action and then I would be gone and his girlfriend would never know. I look over at the girl's beside me.

They are both pretty. They are slightly punk-rock but nothing extreme. I wonder what it would be like to live in one place. To go to a high school. I smile at the thought. I would never be able to give the band up.

[isabelle]

*Nathaniel*

I notice that Dominque isn't leaving. This isn't something to be done with strangers about.

"Sam, Danny, Dominque. You guys better go," I say, keeping my eyes on the punk who snuck in here. "Get to the bus or whatever."

[Athenea]

OOC: New Zan Video on my siggy

Threw you the obvious
And you flew with it on your back
A name in your recollection
Down among a million, say:
Difficult enough to feel a little bit
Disappointed, passed over.
When I've looked right through,
To see you naked and oblivious
and you don't see me

Zander

We go into somebody’s office and Max offers me a seat but I stay standing with my arms crossed and simply wait out whatever it is he has to say. “What you said before is wrong. You do know me. Although it has been a very long time since I’ve seen you. ” he says and then he reaches into his back pocket and I almost have a panic attack because I thought he was pulling out a weapon of some kind.

I could see the headlines now ‘Zander Grey killed by Roswellian Lunatic.’ What a sucky way to die that would be. But he just ends up pulling out his wallet and taking a picture out to show to me. It looks like a younger version of him and a baby. Before I can question why I would care to see that he says. “This is you, Zan. I’m your father.”

And I do the first thing that comes to mind…I laugh. “Oh man, you guys really had me going there for a second.” I say almost hyperventilating with trying to speak and laugh at the same time. “Another gold-diggin’ daddy? Listen man, I’m not giving you any money. I don’t care what your story is. I’ve heard them all before.”

Ava stands up at this point and I notice she isn’t laughing in fact she looks like she’s about to cry. She comes over to me and puts her hands on my shoulders. “Remember when I told you about that friend of mine I had that reminded me of you.” She says

“The incredibly good looking one?” I ask with a smirk. Yeah I remember her stories of her friend that died by getting hit by a truck. The whole story sounded a little fishy to me. I mean who gets ran over by a truck?

She smiles slightly at my attempt to joke then continues, “At first I thought you were his, my friend’s child, but I did the math and it wouldn’t have been possible. But then I figured out you must be Max’s because my friend and Max were…twins.”

I roll my eyes, “You can’t be serious?” When she doesn’t answer I start to get a little panicky. The baby in the picture did look like pictures I’ve seen of myself that young. Maybe he photo shopped it? But the picture looked old and warn as if it had been in that wallet for a long time.
I don’t say anything but I practically run to the door. I can’t do this. This isn’t real.

I try the door but it is locked. I give it a few violent tugs before turning around. “Open the door!” I scream at them but not really looking at them. In fact my eyes already land on a window that leads to the balcony and I make a dash for it…

[Loxyanissa14]

~Dom~

"Sam, Danny, Dominque. You guys better go,Get to the bus or whatever." Nate says and I get the feeling I always get right before I punch Zan in the head.

"Listen here buddy, First off I take orders from no one. Suggetions yes, orders no. Secondly I'm not going to leave my mother and Zan upstairs in some very bizare little town. So I'll be staying intill Zan comes down." I glare at the back of Nate.

"And maybe if you and your uncle would talk to the freakin boy instead of staring at him like he is going to do a magic trick that conversation might go a little better." I shoulder my way past Michael and Nate and am now standing in front of the new stranger.

"I'm Dominque Royals. Ava Royals daughter." I say to the stranger.