Roswell Fanatics

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Hello folks. Okay, I know what you're thinking. That I must be out of my mind to start working on a third fic. Anyway, I was at the 'Fanfic Discussion' thread, and lyndy1 had presented a challenge, which intrigued me. So I took it. 'Nuff said.

Title: "Shattered Images"
Author: Bored to Mundane life
Disclaimer: I don't own Roswell or X-Men : Evolution. I'm just borrowing them for this. But if it HAS to be necessary, I promise that I won't damage any of them too badly.
Summary: Things are going from bad to worse. Liz supposedly slept with Kyle, to prevent the the end of the world Future Max told her about. Now no one except Kyle and Alex are talking to her now. If things weren't bad enough already, Liz suddenly gets abnormal pains. When she lost consciousness from a really intense moment of pain, she seeks help from a doctor, and discovers that she's terminally ill. Now Liz must race against time to find the cure, but with little to no allies at disposal, can she survive through this before her time runs out?
Category: Crossover with X-Men : Evolution, with reasonable additions from me.
Pairing: Roswell: Mi/L, Ma/Ma, the rest is CC. X-Men: Remy/Rogue, Scott/Jean, no clue from the rest so far.
Rating: TEEN
Feedback: I don't think I have to tell you how important FB is, now do I?

Note: Takes place 4 days after the 'EOTW'. Liz hasn't told Maria about why she staged her sleeping with Kyle, and Maria is avoiding her because of it. Michael hasn't told Maria about Courtney yet, and the news about Whitaker's 'car accident' hasn't yet been reported. The time table is my estimate.

["*"] indicates thoughts.
-"*"- indicates telepathical communication.

Prologue:

West Roswell High, 7:49 am, November 29th, Wednesday, Parking lot

The Parkers' truck pulled in the school parking lot. Liz was looking at the school with a worried expression, and Nancy was looking at her daughter with an equally worried look. It has been 4 days since the night Liz staged her sleeping with Kyle.

After seeing Liz and Kyle together, Max was nothing but a shadow of his former self. Since then, things have been worse than you could possibly imagine. Max was just walking around like a zombie, not even able to give a fleeting glance to Liz. Isabel had reverted back to the 'Ice Queen' toward Liz because of what she had done to her brother. Tess...she didn't care. She got what she wanted, which would be to get closer to Max. Michael...from him, Liz wasn't too sure what to expect. He seemed to be keeping his distance, but only reluctantly, as if following an order to stay away from her. Still, Michael wasn't talking to her, which wasn't that bad, considering the fact that he never did talk to her much to begin with. Kyle...Liz mentally kicked herself for dragging him into this. The four aliens were ignoring him as well, and the rumors circulating at school weren't helping. Maria had reacted badly to the fact that Liz didn't even tell her that she HAD slept with Kyle and why, and was now ignoring her. Alex and Kyle were the only ones who were giving her some company, but Kyle hadn't talked to her about this. The only one who had was Alex. How he did, and still managed to keep himself in good terms with the Pod Squad, Liz had no idea whatsoever.

"Liz, you're going to be late if you don't go," Nancy said, startling Liz from her thoughts. Liz's face sombered and she stepped out of the truck. "I'll come and pick you up after school," Nancy said, and Liz nodded absent-mindedly, making her way to the school.

["I just wish she'd tell me what's wrong,"] Nancy thought, worried about her daughter. She then drove away.

Liz was now in the school hallway, heading towards her locker. So many things were going on in her head, and the most notable one was that no one knew her completely. The biggest news on television today was about the rising mutant activity, which got the population in a panic, and in a downright homicidal state. That fact alone made the four aliens life more harder than it already was.

Liz still wondered how Max hadn't seen that she was also a mutant when he healed the bullet wound last year. Ever since the first report of mutants surfaced, which was around the time she was 13, she has been fascinated by them, on a purely scientific basis, of course. She read every possible article about the mutants, and what was known about them, which wasn't much. Only recently, was it discovered that the mutation was purely a genetic quirk, triggered during highly emotional moments, or at the very least, during very stressful periods, when a person reached puberty. Liz's power had manifested 4 days after her 15th birthday, at least a year before she got shot. Her entire body had changed because of the mutation. Her hair had turned dark red, her eyes changed to yellow and her skin had turned completely light blue. She had freaked out, to put it lightly. Claudia had been there at the time, her parents being in Santa Fe. Thanks to Claudia, Liz had was able to control her power, which was a pure metamorphosis, or shapeshifting. Now she was using her powers to create the illusion that she was indeed normal. Liz smiled at the memory, remembering her early works with the power. She hadn't told her parents, mostly at Claudia's request. She said that Jeff had a lot of reservations towards mutants, which in her opinion bordered on racism. Claudia had tried, really tried, to teach her son to be a bit more open-minded, with no luck.

Liz remembered the first time she had met Nasedo. True, Nasedo was a shapeshifter as well, but now Liz was positive that the alien had no way of changing himself into a woman. He could only change into the male gender of the human species. Why that was the case, she didn't know, and unfortunately was unable to find out, now that he was dead.

Liz shook her head to clear her thoughts. Her class was about to start and she has yet to get her books. She opened her locker and took her AP English book and headed to Bio, her first class for the day. She would think about AP English later.

While walking to her class, a sudden jolt of pain coursed through her head, nearly knocking her off her feet. She leaned against the lockers, rubbing her temples. Her eyes had flashed their real yellow colour, but Liz's willpower overpowered the pain to keep up the illusion. The other students gave her peculiar looks, but didn't stop to help her. A few seconds later, which felt like an eternity to Liz, the pain stopped. She leaned against the lockers for a while, catching her breath. ["What was that?"], she thought to herself, ignoring it for the moment, she had a class to go to.

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

West Roswell High, 8:37 am, Biology class

Liz sighed. She was done with her assignment, meaning she had the time to spare. Mr. Seligman, her biology teacher, came to see her work, and nodded in approval. Liz remembered when Miss Hardy had taken a sabbatical leave from teaching. She was still out from teaching, and Liz had heard that Miss Hardy had gotten married, and she was pregnant, which meant that it would take time before 'Mrs.' Hardy would come back to teach them again. Liz took the time to study everyone else. Max and Tess were lab partners at the moment, and Max had been rather stoical throughout the class. Well, it's not like she could blame him. Not after what had taken place last weekend. Liz glanced towards Maria, who was struggling with her own assignment, and again, Maria wasn't giving a second thought to Liz. Suddenly Liz heard whispering, and found the source. Pam Troy was whispering to her lab partner about something, and Liz was positive it wasn't about anything good. Inwardly Liz scowled at Pam, just from the sheer fact that Pam was deliberately destroying her reputation, and getting her kicks out of it.

["I know I shouldn't even be thinking about this, but I REALLY should consider shapeshifting into Pam, and start hanging out with the chess club. That should teach her some manners,"] Liz thought, and she flinched when a sharp pain seared through her head. What was up with that? It wasn't as bad as it was in the hallway, but close enough.

Then the bell rang, and everyone gathered their belongings. Liz took her backpack and headed for the library, hoping to kill at least few minutes before her next class. Since everyone, except Alex and Kyle, avoided her like the plague, she found the recesses were becoming so dull, it was giving her a headache, not counting these sudden jolts of pain. Once she reached the library, she was startled to see Kyle sitting in the far corner, reading a paper. Liz swallowed, and glanced around, hoping that the worst gossipers weren't around. Seeing no one, she sighed from relief, and walked over to Kyle. He was startled to see Liz sitting at the opposite side of the table, but he didn't complain. Things were hectic, true, but that wasn't reason enough to avoid her.

"Hi," Liz said, in a small voice.

"Hi," Kyle replied, and an awkward silence ensued.

Liz couldn't take it anymore, so she said, "Look, I'm sorry I got you into this," but Kyle waved her off.

"Hey, I had a choice, ok? It was my decision, so don't hold yourself responsible for it. Besides, whatever you were planning for Evans, it obviously worked," he said.

Liz head lowered. "Yeah, it sure did," she said in a small voice.

"I just can't understand why Maria has shut you out. I mean, you two were practically joined at the hip before this. Now...she's just...avoiding you," Kyle said, and immediately regretted it when he saw a single tear glide down Liz's cheek. "Aw, jeez, I'm sorry, Liz. I shouldn't have said it."

"No, it's okay. She's mad at me because I didn't tell her anything about the...you know," Liz said, and Kyle nodded.

"How's Alex?" Kyle asked.

"Well, at least he's talking to me, but I don't have a clue why the others haven't reamed him yet about it," Liz said, her brow furrowed from thought.

"Maybe he's got Isabel so wrapped up around his fingers that she threatened to kill anyone who just looks at him badly," Kyle suggested, and Liz had to laugh to the thought. It could be possible.

"Ah!" Liz exclaimed, when the searing pain came back. Her hand immediately went to her temple to alleviate the pain. Kyle immediately got worried.

"You all right?" he asked.

"Yeah, I just get these weird headaches. It's nothing big," Liz said.

"Look, you can accuse me of over-reacting, but I think you should go see the nurse, and then go home. I don't think this is something to fool around with," Kyle said, but Liz shook her head.

"No, I'll be fine. See you at lunch," Liz said, and stood up.

"We'll see each other, but I don't think we'll be able to talk," Kyle said with a sour face.

Liz nodded somberly, and then made her way to her AP English class.

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

West Roswell High, 12:01 pm, The Quad

Liz sat under a tree in the shade, and started to eat her lunch. This was one spot she could always rely upon when she wanted to be alone. Unfortunately now she wished that she could at least be with her friends, but knew that wasn't exactly possible. While eating her sandwich, she glanced at the table where Max, Michael, Tess, Isabel and Maria were sitting. Max and Tess were side by side, as were Michael and Maria. For some reason Michael had a scowl on his face, obviously frustrated about something. Maria wasn't exactly being cosy with Michael either, and Liz suspected it had something to do with Courtney. Liz was well aware how Courtney kept flirting with Michael, much to Maria's annoyance. Isabel was probably waiting for Alex to arrive. Liz continued to eat her lunch, when someone coughed behind the tree, startling her. She nearly choked on her sandwich, when a voice said, "Gee, you should take it easy with the food, Liz, it might go down the wrong pipe."

Liz gulped some orange juice to help swallow her sandwich, and turned to glare the source of the voice she knew all too well. Alex was leaning against the tree, a small smile on his face. Liz's glare melted away and softened. "Hey Alex," she said, and continued to eat her lunch.

Alex sat next to her, looking at her. "You okay?" he asked.

"Truthfully? Not good," she said, and after finished her first sandwich, she started to eat her second one.

Alex glanced at the table where the Pod Squad minus Kyle and them were sitting. Alex shook his head. "I can't believe Maria has the nerve to treat you the same way as the rest of them," he said.

Liz sighed. "Alex..." she started, but Alex cut her off.

"Liz, if you even dare to say it's not bad, I'll grab you into a headlock," Alex threatened, and Liz had no choice but to give a smile to Alex. "Still, I'm wondering why you did it in the first place?" he asked.

Liz shook her head. "I...I can't tell you, Alex," she said.

"Why?" he asked.

"It's...it doesn't matter anymore anyway. I did what I did, that's it," Liz said, biting a small piece from her sandwich, her appetite disappearing by the minute.

"Liz, I know you, and you wouldn't have really slept with Kyle. That means that you staged it, and I'd like to know why?" Alex insisted.

Liz stood up from her spot, and looked at Alex. "Whatever the reason was, it's over now. If I tell the truth, things will go from bad to worse, in the long run," she said, although the last line was so quiet Alex barely heard it. Liz glanced at the E.T. table, and frowned. Isabel was glaring at her, but...she was looking straight at Liz, not Alex. Then Isabel just turned to keep up with the conversation with the rest. Liz blinked from confusion. How was it that Isabel hadn't gone ballistic from the fact that Alex was here with her? Liz turned to Alex. "How is it that you're able to talk to me without any worry of repercussion from them?" she asked, gesturing the E.T. table.

Alex grinned. "Hey, I'm a likeable person. Besides, even if Isabel is avoiding me, she doesn't let anyone look down on me," he said, and Liz had to nod to that statement. Still, she couldn't help but wonder how Alex did it. Sure, he was a lovable person, but not this much. She knew that the Pod Squad at the E.T. table would look down on him if they were aware of what he was doing. Liz shook her head at the thought, it only gave her a headache. Actually, her headache was intensifying, bordering on painful. "Liz?" Alex said, but his voice died into the pain that was tearing through Liz's head. The pain was getting more and more intense, already to the point of being intolerable. Her nose started to bleed, and she suddenly fell. "LIZ!!" Alex cried, getting the attention of students at the Quad, as well as Kyle and the Pod Squad. Kyle saw Liz fall, and rushed to her. Alex was shaking her gently, trying to wake her up. Michael stood up, and against Max's protests, he went to see what was going on. Maria also got up, worried for her friend, beating down her resentment for what she had done to Max and for not telling her about it.

"Come on, Liz! Wake up," Alex pleaded, not getting a response.

"I'll get the school nurse," Kyle said, and ran to the nurse's office.

"What happened?" Michael demanded, now kneeling next to Liz's fallen form.

"We were just talking, and suddenly her nose started to bleed and she fell, Michael. That's all I know," Alex said.

Kyle returned few minutes later with the nurse, and with the help of Alex, Kyle and Michael, they carried Liz's unconscious form to the nurse's office.

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

West Roswell High, 12:22 pm, Nurse's office

Liz's eyes started to flutter, and when she opened them, her eyes were blinded by a very intense light. She closed her eyes again, covering her eyes with her right hand. She sighed from relief when the pain subsided, but why did she have the feeling that she wasn't alone? She opened her eyes again, shielding them from the light with her hand. "She's awake," she heard a voice say, which sounded a lot like Michael's. Liz briefly wondered what that was about. Then she heard another older and feminine voice. "Oh, she's awake. Thank you for your help, but I don't think we need to call an ambulance at this time. I'll call one if it becomes necessary. Yes, thank you. Bye."

"Where am I?" Liz asked wearily.

"In the nurse's office," she heard Alex's voice say. "You really scared the crap out of us."

"Step back, please. How are you feeling?" the nurse asked, pulling Liz's hand away from her eyes. Liz immediately flinched to the light.

"About to get blinded permanently, other than that, just peachy," Liz muttered, keeping her eyes shut.

"I'll kill the lights," Kyle's voice said, and few seconds later, the lights were out. Liz sighed from relief, and started to get up.

"Not so fast, young lady," the nurse scolded Liz. "The first thing you're going to do is lay down and rest, then I'm going to call your parents to come and pick you up."

"I'm fine," Liz insisted.

"No you're not, Liz," Alex said, and Liz looked at him. He looked worried, along with Kyle and Michael. Maria was sitting next to her bed, worried obviously, but she wasn't saying anything.

"Look, I'm sure..." Liz stated, but her nose started to bleed again. "Damn it," she hissed, and her friends looked at her oddly. What, like they had never heard swearing before?

The nurse saw this, and walked to her with a tissue. "Lean your head back and pinch HARD at the base of your nose," she instructed, and Liz did as she was told. Then the nurse turned to people present. "Could ONE of you talk some sense into her? She needs to go to the hospital, because this is serious. Or she should at LEAST see a doctor."

"I think we all are in agreement about the last one, right?" Kyle asked, and Alex and Michael nodded in agreement. Maria just looked at Liz with a stricken look, then stood up and took Liz's backpack.

"Maria, what are you doing?" Liz asked, still trying to prevent the bleeding.

"Look, I know I have been treating you like air for the past few days, but this is serious. What I'm going to do is get your ass to a doctor. Then at least we'll find out what's going on," Maria said, and the look she gave told her clearly that there was no room for argument. At that moment, Max decided to walk into the room. He had been leaning in the doorframe outside the room, waiting for Liz to wake up. Now he wanted answers.

"Do you know what's wrong with her?" he asked the nurse. Liz just looked at him with wide eyes. Was he demanding answers from the nurse?

"No, I don't," the nurse answered, and then narrowed her eyes to Max. "Who do you think you are, anyway?"

Max ignored the nurse, and turned his gaze to Liz. "Could you tell me what's going on?" he demanded.

Liz was still trying to process what he was doing. Did he really think he could help her? Besides, his demeanour had changed drastically, but could you blame him? Alex then put his hand to Max's shoulder, getting his attention.

"Take it easy, Max. Liz is sick, and the LAST thing she needs is YOU to harass her with questions," Alex said, glaring at Max.

"Alex is right, Maxwell. This is serious," Michael said; he didn't even flinch when Max glared at him.

"Alright, I have had enough of this. Everybody out, NOW!" nurse yelled, and they all started to file out of the room. Maria gave Max a disapproving look, and lowered Liz's backpack next to the door, then left. Liz sighed from relief, and laid down to the bed. She pulled the bloodied paper away from her nose, the bleeding being stopped for the moment. "You just lay down, Ms. Parker. I'll call your parents, and they can take you to see a doctor," the nurse said as she walked to the phone.

Liz didn't even acknowledge what the nurse had said, being too wrapped up what was happening around her. Or specifically, what was happening to her. If she went to see a doctor, it would be a certainty that the fact she was a mutant would come to light. She did agree with the nurse, for now at least. This wasn't something you could just shrug your shoulders to.

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

Roswell Memorial hospital, 13:12 pm, Doctor Stevens's office

Liz walked into the doctor's office, along with her parents. They all were worried sick for what was happening to their daughter, and wouldn't let her out of their sight for one second. Liz knew they were over-reacting, but for the first time she couldn't think of a reason for them NOT to be over-reacting. Dr Stevens stood up from his chair, and walked to them. He was in his late 50's, about as tall as Jeff, with grey hair and brown eyes. He shook hands with Jeff and Nancy, and then gently shook Liz's hand. "I'm Doctor Carl Stevens. Would you please take a seat," he said, and gestured to a chair in front of his desk. Liz took a seat, and her parents found their own chairs to sit. "So, can you tell me what is wrong with you?" Carl asked gently, not pushing it.

"Well...I have been having these...'pain cycles'," Liz said, but her choice of words didn't exactly give justice to the pain she was feeling on and off.

"'Pain cycles'?" Carl asked, writing it down.

"Yeah," Liz said in agreement. "Like, at first there's nothing, then a minute later this searing pain is going through my head, and then...throughout my body. I think that last one was when I blacked out," she said absent-mindedly.

Carl wrote this down as well. "Anything else?" he asked.

"Yeah, um...my nose started bleeding during the last pain cycle, it started again after I woke up, and again while driving here," Liz said, and glanced at her parents for confirmation. They nodded.

Carl nodded to this information. "Okay, what we're going to do now is run some tests, starting with blood samples. If it becomes necessary, we'll go though an MRI," he said, and went to gather the necessary equipment to get the blood samples. Liz glanced at her parents, worried about what would come out of this. One thing was certain, though, her life would never be the same again, and that fact had nothing to do with the aliens.

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

2 hours later, Doctor Stevens's office

Liz was sitting alone with the doctor, who was browsing through the test results. The look on his face was not something that could be considered as a 'Nothing to worry about' look. He was worried about something; that much was obvious. Her parents were sitting outside, at the doctor's request. He said that this was something he needed to discuss with Liz in private. Carl then turned to look at Liz. "Is there something you'd like to tell me?" he asked, surprisingly gently.

Liz took a breath. He knew. "I'm a...mutant," she said, her eyes downcast.

Carl nodded at the information. "I suspected as much, but wasn't sure, even with the test results. You're active, not latent, right?" he asked, and Liz nodded.

"You're not...worried?" Liz asked, not believing how Dr. Stevens was taking this in stride.

The Doctor looked at her and gave her a sympathetic smile. "My son is a mutant, Ms. Parker. Besides, I know how the mutation works, and it's purely in the genes. There's nothing we can do about that fact at this moment. Besides, what kind of a doctor would I be if I was a racist?" he said. Then he turned somber. "Anyway, the test results show that...your condition is...bad."

"How bad?" Liz asked, now worried.

"Bad, as in the worst possible way," Carl said. "Your white cell count is way too high to be considered normal, and..."

"What?" Liz asked, now terrified of what he was going to say.

Carl sighed. "Ms. Parker, you have a leukemia. And from what I'm seeing from the test results, you might only have 8 months to live, maybe less," he said.

TBC...

Well, what do you think? Comments, people. I need comments.

Edited to post: Oh, wow. This story now has a one kick ass cool banner. Let's all give a nice big hand to Mia Nora, shall we? *applauding*

Hello, readers. I'm glad you like this fic, even when the major idea isn't from my own head. Anyway, Mia Nora made a really cool banner for this fic, and it's on the first page if you want to see it. Special thanks to cybrwench, SilverWolfe, stargrl678, ofwolfandman408, akasha15, Forsaken_Soul, Tituba, PhoenixFlamez, Anya, pandas2001, Roswell Slayer and Luvya. Extra thanks to NScotian from beta-work.

Here's the biggest news to you readers. One of the reguirements in this challenge was that Liz MUST recover from leukemia. Hope that answered to the question that has been making you chewing your nails.

cybrwench Well, you want more...so here it is.

SilverWolfe LOL! Did I hit a nerve? Sorry, but... . Sorry, now I'm serious. Liz is 'like' Mystique, but she's not 'the' Mystique. And yes, she's going to be good.

LOL! I did, didn't I? Trust me, it wasn't my intention. Even though I consider myself as a rookie, I seem to make people addicted to my work. How that happens, I don't know.

I just hope the wait wasn't too long.

stargrl678 Well, I for one am glad that you like this fic. Did I cause a same reaction with you as I did with SilverWolfe? Apparently.

ofwolfandman408 Glad you like this, Robyn. As for who's going to help Liz? Well, there's a tough nut to crack for ya.

akasha15 Glad you liked the start. The doctor was bound to find out what Liz was, and that left me two reactions. A racist reaction, or an understanding reaction. I chose the latter, because I didn't want Liz to feel oppressed by the doctor.

Forsaken_Soul I don't think you were the only one. Hope you continue to read this.

Tituba So many questions...and so many spoilers. I think your 3rd question is going to be answered in this part. And don't worry, Liz is not going to die.

PhoenixFlamez Well, I don't think 4 day wait was long, or was it?

Anya Well, you did read the challenge. I'm glad you liked the way I wrote it.

pandas2001 You're an impatient one, aren't you?

Roswell Slayer No need for tears, Liz is not going to die. And yes, there is a connection. But what... I'm not telling.

Luvya Well, I have only seen one episode from the 'X-Men:Evolution', but I'm well informed from it. Besides, X-Men is the most dominating comic book in my collection, so that should work for my advantage.

Title: "Shattered Images"
Author: Bored to Mundane life
Disclaimer: I don't own Roswell or X-Men : Evolution. I'm just borrowing them for this. But if it HAS to be necessary, I promise that I won't damage any of them too badly.
Summary: Things are going from bad to worse. Liz supposedly slept with Kyle, to prevent the the end of the world Future Max told her about. Now no one except Kyle and Alex are talking to her now. If things weren't bad enough already, Liz suddenly gets abnormal pains. When she lost consciousness from a really intense moment of pain, she seeks help from a doctor, and discovers that she's terminally ill. Now Liz must race against time to find the cure, but with little to no allies at disposal, can she survive through this before her time runs out?
Category: Crossover with X-Men : Evolution, with reasonable additions from me.
Pairing: Roswell: Mi/L, Ma/Ma, the rest is CC. X-Men: Remy/Rogue, Scott/Jean, no clue from the rest.
Rating: PG-13, possibly R at some point
Feedback: I don't think I have to tell you how important FB is, now do I?

["*"] indicates thoughts.
-"*"- indicates telepathical communication.

Part 1

Crashdown Café, 15:24 pm, back alley

"We're home, Liz," Nancy said softly, and hearing this, Liz's head jerked towards her mother.

["Already?"] Liz thought. It felt like only seconds ago she had stepped inside her parents' truck, and now they were home. She opened the passenger side door, and stepped out, grimacing when the irate pain decided to send her the message that it was FAR from being over. Liz allowed her father to guide her in the café through the back door, and from there, to the apartment. In her mind, Liz was going through the conversation with the doctor...

"What?!" Liz asked, her eyes wide from the news.

"You have a..." the doctor started, but Liz's rant stopped him.

"Th-that can't be right! I...there's just no way it's possible!" Liz said, raising her voice.

Carl sighed. "Ms. Parker, I know this is hard to accept, but it doesn't change the facts. You have a leukemia, and within 8 months it will kill you," he said.

"Wh-what...what about a bone marrow transplant? I...I mean...don't they use that to cure this?" Liz asked, managing to grasp that small glimpse of hope. Thank God for her scientific curiosity to biology.

Carl was surprised that she even asked about it, but then again, he had heard from some of the older nurses, that Liz Parker, from the day she turned 5, had always been interested in biology. "Yes, a bone marrow transplant would be sufficient to cure this, but...there's just one problem," he said.

"What do you mean?" Liz asked.

"Ms. Parker, the donor would have to be someone with X-gene," Carl said.

"You mean a mutant?" Liz asked, and Carl nodded.

"Yes, and that's not all. You, Ms. Parker, seem to have a small genetic defect as well, which isn't dangerous in any way, but your donor would have to have the same genetic defect in order to provide a positive match. Now this particular defect is rare, with only 5% of the entire planet's population carrying it. To find it in the mutants...would probably be...impossible," he said solemnly.

Liz swallowed, suddenly feeling nauseous. Considering what she just heard, it possibly was because of the leukemia. She managed to compose herself, but her faith had broken slightly. Her left hand had turned into its true light bluish color for a second, and the doctor was amazed to see this. He didn't comment on it, though. Ms. Parker was already in enough of an emotional turmoil as it was, no need to startle her.

"H...how did this..." she started, and Carl had a good idea what she was trying to ask.

"From what I can tell, it seems that the stem cells have been going through a change into cancerous ones for at least 16 months. It has been a slow process, which means that your stem cells went through the change only recently, about a month or so ago. Still, that doesn't mean we could have seen it until now. Leukemia has only now started to wreak havoc on your system, but it's progressing slower than it normally would. Most common cases of leukemia have 2 to 4 months to live, if they aren't treated medically. Now, this is a haphazard guess, but the fact that you have more time, may be related to you being a shapeshifter," Carl said, and Liz was startled to her what he said.

"How did you..." she started, but stopped when doctor gestured her left hand.

"Your hand briefly changed color, which was enough information for me. I've heard about these 'metamorphs', but only now am I actually talking to one," he said, giving her a smile. Liz wasn't relieved, however. Not from the fact that the doctor had found out her power, but the fact that this disease was developing BEFORE she was shot. That meant that when Max healed her gunshot wound, he had either missed this particular detail in her body, or had no way to heal it with his powers. Whatever it was, she couldn't go to him with this because he had no way to cure it.

Liz eyes were now downcast. "There's no hope for me, is there?" Liz asked in a small voice.

"There's always hope, Ms. Parker. To you though, that hope is...fleetingly small," Carl said, and handed her the medical file.

"Could you tell us now what the doctor said?" Jeff asked, and Liz was pulled to the present. She was sitting on a chair in the kitchen, her parents sitting at the opposite side of the table. Liz pondered her options. If she told them about the leukemia, she also had to tell them that she was a mutant. Liz had a small idea how her father would react to the news, but she didn't know about her mother. Still, she couldn't just keep them in the dark about this. She was terminally ill, with possibly no chance for a cure. Sure, Max would offer to help when he would hear about this, but Liz suspected that there was nothing he could do about this. Leukemia wasn't a cancer, like most people thought. Cancer cells were a by-product of leukemia. Even if Max was able to cure the cancer cells, there was a chance that he couldn't fix the abnormality in her bone marrow cells. And being constantly cured from the symptoms would tie her to Max again, which would lead to the end of the world, which she already made sure wouldn't happen, with painful results. No, this was something she had to solve herself, with the help of her parents. At least that was what she hoped.

"I...I have a leukemia," Liz said in a small voice, but her parents were able to hear it.

"What!?" Both Jeff and Nancy said, not believing what they just heard.

"Wh...How bad is it?" Nancy asked, managing to pull herself together. It didn't do good to loose it now. Jeff was trying to grasp what he had heard.

Liz swallowed. "Bad," she said, and now Nancy was worried. "It's terminal."

"T-t-terminal?" Nancy stuttered, and Liz nodded solemnly. Nancy clamped her mouth with her hand, a sob escaping her.

"How...how long before..." Jeff tried to ask, but Liz understood him.

"8 months, maybe less," Liz said. She had a single tear gliding down her cheek. The devastated look on Nancy's face was too much for her. Jeff seemed to be in shock, his expression could be best described as 'complete confusion'.

"Isn't there, like, a cure for this or something?" Nancy asked, finding her voice. "I mean, don't they use bone marrow transplant to cure this?"

Liz had to hand it to Nancy, she managed to get herself calm enough to ask. Now came the hard part, but now, Liz wished she would have come clean about her 'distinctiveness' sooner. "Yes, a bone marrow transplant would be sufficient, but...there's a problem," Liz said, her eyes downcast.

"What?" Jeff and Nancy asked. Jeff was utterly clueless to what was going on. He wondered what could be the problem with the bone marrow transplant. He knew something about the subject, he had seen some documents about it. Usually, family members, or parents to be precise, were the best source for a transplant. So what was the problem?

Liz took a breath, and tried to steel herself for what she was about to say. This was it, there was no turning back. "In order for the bone marrow transplant to cure this, the donor would have to have the X-gene," she said. Liz knew that her parents watched the news, and the news had been very informative about the mutants so far. Unfortunately, most of it was pure propaganda, but there were some facts as well.

Nancy looked at her daughter. ["Oh no. So Claudia wasn't lying to me,"] she thought, remembering what Claudia had said to her about Liz. Actually, there was something no one knew about Liz, something that only she knew.

Jeff's face, on the other hand, was getting red from anger or something else. Neither Liz nor Nancy knew. He was obviously putting the pieces together, but was having a hard time coping with it. "Liz, I have heard the news, and I know WHAT the people who have that gene are, but what I DON'T understand is WHY your donor would have to have that gene," Jeff said, slowly and clearly. Nancy looked at her husband with a stricken look. The way he said it, it bordered on anger.

Liz's lips trembled. She had never seen her father like this. She watched the news about the mutants as well, there were still some details that were sketchy, but it was an 80% certainty that it was the father who transferred the X-gene to the offspring. When she'd announce that she was a mutant, it would mean that her father gave her the gene. "The reason for it is because...I...I'm a..." she stammered, but Jeff cut her off before she managed to say it.

"If you dare to say that you are a mutant..." Jeff said, but was cut off by Nancy.

"JEFF!! What Liz is has nothing to do with..." she argued, and now there was a full-fledged shouting match.

"Nothing to do with it!? My daughter is a mutant, for Christ sake!! And it would mean that *I* am the cause of it!!" Jeff yelled.

"DAD!!" Liz yelled, but flinched when the pain decided to make its presence known.

"There are too many unknowns with the mutants, Jeff, and NOBODY said you were the cause of it! No one made any accusations about it! It was YOU who said it!" Nancy yelled.

Liz's pain had subsided now. But what was happening now was something she was NOT prepared for. Her parents were fighting about her mutation, which was stupid, considering the fact that her life was at stake here.

Jeff was silent now, and turned his gaze to Liz. Liz flinched at the anger and hurt in his eyes. "I want you out of my house," he said evenly, and both Liz and Nancy gasped at this.

"What!?" both women said together.

"Dad, why..." Liz started, but Jeff cut her off.

"You're not my daughter. Pack your bags and get out. When I come back, I don't want to see you here. If you're still here, I'll call the sheriff," Jeff said, and went to the living room.

"JEFF!! You can't DO THIS!!" Nancy yelled after him, but Jeff didn't respond. He grabbed his coat and left, shutting the front door VERY loudly as he left.

Liz was at the brink of tears, and she ran to her room. "Liz!" Nancy cried after her, but she didn't listen. Her own father...had kicked her out. He had turned his back on her, even when she was dying. Liz slammed her door shut, and slumped on her bed, crying openly. Grandma Claudia had been right. Her father couldn't accept mutants. He had kicked her out, and had threatened to call the sheriff in the event she wouldn't leave. At least her mother had sided with her, but Liz knew that there wasn't much she could do. Liz kept crying, and still did when Nancy gently knocked on her door.

"GO AWAY!!" Liz yelled, her voice strained from crying.

"Liz, please. Let me in. We have to talk," Nancy said through the door, her worry for Liz crystal clear in her voice.

Liz tried to stifle her sobs, with little success. Besides, what did Nancy want? Even though her mind was slightly clouded by sorrow, Liz was somewhat able to think rationally. She got up, and winced when the pain hit her again. It didn't last too long, and Liz was again reminded how short the amount of time she had left was. Sure, some people considered 8 months to be a long time, but...it wasn't. It would be fly by, like the blink of an eye. Liz opened the door, and her own teary face locked with Nancy's own watery eyes. Nancy pulled Liz into a hug, and Liz didn't flinch away. At least one of her parents cared for her.

Nancy was the first to pull away. Nancy looked at Liz and wiped some tears away from Liz's cheeks, and led her to her room. "Please, sit. We need to talk about this," Nancy said.

"About what?" Liz asked, her voice strained. "Dad kicked me out. Even when I'm..."

"Liz, please. Let me deal with Jeffrey," Nancy said, and Liz looked at her. "There's just something I have to tell you. Something you or your father don't know."

Liz looked at her mother with a confused look, and wiped some of her tears away. She nodded and sat on her bed, with Nancy taking a seat next to her.

"Before I tell you this, I just want to know why you didn't tell us before?" Nancy asked, slightly hurt that Liz had kept this from her. Jeff, well, even Nancy knew where he stood on this.

"Believe me, I wanted to, but Grandma Claudia said that..." Liz started, but was surprised when Nancy finished her sentence for her.

"That Jeff wouldn't take it too well," Nancy said. To Liz's surprised look, she answered, "Liz, Claudia told me about you before she died."

Liz blinked. "B-bu-but how? I mean...she was in a..." Liz stammered.

"Claudia came out of the coma for a while. Jeff was getting some coffee, and I was keeping an eye on her. When she came to, I wanted to go get Jeff, but Claudia wanted to talk to ME. So I stayed, and she told me about you," Nancy said.

"And you were okay with this?" Liz asked, not believing what she was hearing.

Nancy nodded. "Yes, I was okay with it. I mean, you are my daughter, Liz. That hasn't changed, and it never will," she said. Then, Nancy turned her gaze away from Liz. "That wasn't what I wanted to tell you, though."

"It wasn't?" Liz asked in disbelief. "Then, what?"

Nancy didn't look Liz in the eyes. "When I said that you were my daughter, I wasn't exactly telling the truth," she said.

"What?" Liz asked. Her father had already disowned her, she couldn't take it if her mother did as well.

Nancy heard the panic in Liz's voice, and corrected herself. "No, Liz, you misunderstood me. You are my daughter, but not in flesh and blood," Nancy said while she shook her head.

"A-are you saying that I'm...adopted?" Liz asked.

Nancy didn't answer, she just nodded.

TBC...

Great part!!!!
I love it.
Liz dad was such an ass. :mad:
I want slap him upside the head and say a few things to him. :bad-words:
Hey will you let some crazy person :crazyeyes: beat some sence into him. :agrue:
post more soon pls (if you can).

Forsaken Soul

Well, here it is. Part 2. Special thanks to Asabetha, lyndy1, behrstars, Eternal Dreamer, Forsaken_Soul, Lady_without_a_clue (x2), VanilCoke, Anya, Roswell Slayer, SilverWolfe (x2), panthergirl2002, LEL (x2), angeleyes, MCMANN, angelfire and PhoenixFlamez. Extra thanks to NScotian from the beta work.

angeleyes Glad you like it.

MCMANN Welcome to the ride as well. A bomb, huh?

angelfire Welcome. As for your questions, yes, Liz is 'like' Mystique. And don't worry, Prof. X and the others will be brought into play later.

You're a die hard Dreamer, huh? Hmmm...

PhoenixFlamez No, this isn't a Dreamer story. Glad you still like this, though.

Anyway, onward to part 2.

Title: "Shattered Images"
Author: Bored to Mundane life
Disclaimer: I don't own Roswell or X-Men : Evolution. I'm just borrowing them for this. But if it HAS to be necessary, I promise that I won't damage any of them too badly.
Summary: Things are going from bad to worse. Liz supposedly slept with Kyle, to prevent the the end of the world Future Max told her about. Now no one except Kyle and Alex are talking to her now. If things weren't bad enough already, Liz suddenly gets abnormal pains. When she lost consciousness from a really intense moment of pain, she seeks help from a doctor, and discovers that she's terminally ill. Now Liz must race against time to find the cure, but with little to no allies at disposal, can she survive through this before her time runs out?
Category: Crossover with X-Men : Evolution, with reasonable additions from me.
Pairing: Roswell: Mi/L, Ma/Ma, the rest is CC. X-Men: Remy/Rogue, Scott/Jean, no clue from the rest.
Rating: PG-13, possibly R at some point
Feedback: I don't think I have to tell you how important FB is, now do I?

["*"] indicates thoughts.
-"*"- indicates telepathical communication.

Part 2

Liz couldn't believe what she had just said. She asked if she was adopted, but she couldn't believe it. Nancy had nodded to her question, which meant that it was true.

"Liz, I know what you are thinking, but please, let me finish," Nancy pleaded. She needed to make Liz understand that she was still her daughter. Her adoption or the fact that she was a mutant had nothing to do with that.

"H-h-how..." Liz wanted to ask, but couldn't. Her voice had broken down now. Too many things were happening to her all at once. First, she found out that she had leukemia, and that she only had 8 months to live. Then, her father had kicked her out, even when Liz was terminally ill. Now her mother told her that she was adopted?

Nancy gave her a smile, but it was a sad one. "When I gave birth to...my daughter, Jeff fainted and everything seemed to be fine at the beginning. Then she...started to gasp for breath. The doctors examined her and discovered that her...lungs were undeveloped. The doctors did all they could to save her, but they...failed. She died, before I even had a chance to hold her," Nancy said, her eyes watering again. Liz was also in tears. The pain to see something like that happening...she couldn't even fathom it. For some reason her own pain felt small compared to that, but not by much.

Nancy continued. "Then something happened. I was alone in my hospital room, crying, when a nurse came by..."

Nancy was weeping on the hospital bed. Her baby had died, just like that. The doctors had no idea why the baby had undeveloped lungs, because everything had been fine. That didn't change the facts. Her child had died, and she hadn't even had a chance to look at her into the eyes. It hurt. There was a gentle knock on the door, but Nancy didn't have the strength to get up and answer.

"Are you all right?" a feminine voice asked, but Nancy didn't turn around.

"No, I'm not," Nancy said, her voice hitching.

Whoever the woman talking to her was, she didn't say anything. Nancy could picture her nodding to herself at Nancy's answer. "I heard what happened. I'm sorry," the voice said.

"I...I didn't...I didn't have the chance to even hold her, to see her eyes," Nancy said, breaking again into tears.

There was a hand on her shoulder, and Nancy turned to face the woman she was talking to. The woman was wearing a suit, had glasses and dark, long hair. She gave a sad smile to Nancy. "Could you answer one question?" she asked.

Nancy blinked, and wiped some tears away. "Maybe," Nancy said.

"I...have a friend that...gave birth to a baby girl a while ago. Unfortunately, she can't keep her. Her family said that they were going to disown her if she didn't give her away. I was wondering...if you would consider...taking care of her child?" the woman asked, and Nancy's eyes widened from disbelief.

"Y-you can't be serious. I..." Nancy said, not believing what she was hearing.

"Listen to me. You lost your child, and my friend also lost hers, because of her family. All my friend wants is that the child has a good family. Can you give her that?" the woman pleaded.

Nancy was lost at words. She had just lost her own child, and now some stranger was offering her friend's child to Nancy. This was way too convenient to be a coincidence. It felt so...orchestrated. The woman saw the flash of suspicion from Nancy's eyes. "I had nothing to do with this, Ms. Parker. I was just looking for someone to accept the child, that's it. I thought...that since you didn't have a chance to have a child, that..." she said, but Nancy had finally found her voice.

"I'd take her under my custody?" Nancy said, and the woman seemed to ponder it for a moment.

"No, to take the child as your own," the woman said.

"You want me to 'have' her, completely?" Nancy asked, and the woman nodded. "What about the girls real..."

"She was hoping that she could see her daughter grow up, but knows that it's impossible. She just wants a loving family for her child. I thought that you would be happy, but apparently you can't accept this. I won't bother you again. Goodbye," the woman said, and started to leave.

"Wait!" Nancy called, and the woman stopped. "Can I...see her?"

The woman smiled, and walked outside. Then she came back with a baby wrapped in a pink blanket. She gazed at the baby, and then looked at Nancy. "Her name is Elizabeth. Please, take care of her," the woman said, and handed the baby to Nancy.

Nancy looked at the small child with teary eyes, but now she was feeling mixed emotions. It was like sadness and happiness all wrapped up in one. She raised her gaze from the baby to the woman, only to find out that she was gone. She had left, not waiting for Nancy's answer. There was a file folder on her bed, and Nancy, even in her highly emotional state, was curious. She adjusted her hold on the baby girl, and reached for the file folder. Once in her hands, she started to read it. It was a medical chart containing information about the child's health, and some info on her parents. Elizabeth's father's name was Jean-Luc LeBeau, but the mother's name was...erased. There was no way to tell who the mother was. Nancy was utterly confused now, but the baby caught her attention again. She now had a daughter; it just wasn't her own. Still, she would raise her as her own. "Elizabeth," Nancy cooed to the small child, and the baby wiggled a bit. Nancy broke into a smile, then into a laugh. There were tears, but tears of joy.

"That's how I got you," Nancy said to Liz, who just looked at her. "When Jeff finally regained consciousness, he assumed that you were his child, when in truth, you weren't. I requested that the doctors didn't mention anything about the origin of my child to him, and after a few threats and pleads, they agreed."

"So...who was the...woman who gave me to you?" Liz asked.

Nancy thought about it for a minute. "I don't know. I tried to ask the nurses, but they hadn't seen anyone matching the description I gave them. It was like...she never existed," Nancy said.

Liz was silent for a while. The parents she had grown to love weren't her parents at all. That information didn't make this easier. Her whole life had been a lie, but it also had been the truth. Nancy had given her the love she would have given her own child, and Jeff...to him, Liz WAS his daughter. Yet he still had disowned her when he found out WHAT she was. "Are you...going to tell him?" Liz asked in a small voice.

Nancy put her hand on Liz's shoulder, and gave a gentle squeeze. "Do you want me to?" she asked.

"I...I don't know," Liz admitted. "He deserves to know the truth, but...I don't know if it will make any difference."

Nancy turned Liz to face her. "Liz, I have every intention to tell him the truth. I also will start arguing with him about this, and if he won't accept this, then I will leave as well," she said in a serious tone.

Liz shook her head. "No, you won't..." she said, but Nancy stopped her.

"Liz, let me make my own decisions," Nancy said, and Liz sadly nodded. Nancy pulled Liz into a hug, then sighed. "I'll help you pack some clothes."

Liz tightened the hug, tears flowing. "I don't want to go," she protested, but knew it was futile.

Nancy pulled away to look Liz in her eyes. "I know, but at the moment, you don't have a choice. I love you, Liz, but I don't want to see you in jail," she said.

"I...I don't think Valenti would go through with it," Liz said, knowing that Jim was a fair man. Besides, the fact that he knew aliens would drastically minimize any reservation toward mutants.

Nancy wondered how Liz was so sure about that, but ignored it for now. They had work to do, and there was no telling when Jeff might get back. Nancy stood up and helped Liz stand as well. "Why don't you find a suitable bag or something. I'll see if I can find that medical chart," she said, and left the room.

Liz nodded, but Nancy had already left. She walked to her closet, and took a suitcase from its depths. She had used the same one when she went to Florida last summer. Liz put the suitcase on the bed, opened it and started to pack. She went to the balcony, and pulled the loose brick away, revealing her journal, along with the $128 she had saved. She took the journal and the money, and went back to her room, putting her journal into the suitcase. Then she packed her favorite books and CD's. She put some spare clothing and underwear, along with her pajamas, as well. While she was packing her nag, she was thinking where she could go. Normally she would have considered Maria, but with the way things were now, that was out. Kyle and Jim would probably give her a roof for the time being, but then she would have Tess to deal with. Liz didn't have any resentment towards the blonde alien; there was just a too big a chance of bumping into Max. That, combined with what he had seen 4 days ago...not a good mix. She could go and try Michael's apartment, but vetoed that idea. True, Michael might let her stay, but the way the Pod Squad seemed to use his apartment as their 'base of operations', the chance of bumping into Max was also too big. Then a thought popped into her head. Alex. She could go to him.

She was putting her socks in the suitcase, when Nancy came back to her room. Liz glanced her with teary eyes. "It was too easy," she muttered, and closed the suitcase.

Nancy nodded in agreement, and walked to her. She handed Liz the medical chart that the unknown woman had given her, along with her own medical record that told her condition. "This holds some information from your real father, Liz. I'm sorry, but it doesn't have anything from your mother," Nancy said, while Liz browsed through the chart absent-mindedly. Then Nancy did something Liz did not expect. Nancy handed Liz a roll of $20 bills. Liz looked at her mother with wide eyes, and shook her head. "Y-you don't have to..." she tried to protest, but Nancy had none of it.

"Liz, you need money. Please, just take these," Nancy pleaded, and put the roll into Liz's hand. Liz looked at the roll of bills first, then at her mother. Her lips quirked into a smile, and she hugged Nancy. "Thank you," Liz said, which was muffled slightly.

"It's the least I could do, Liz," Nancy said.

Liz pulled away from Nancy, and glanced at her room for the final time. Her gaze fell on a picture of her, Nancy, Jeff and Claudia that was on the drawer. She walked to it and took it, studying it for a moment. "I just wish she was here now," Liz said silently, and Nancy wrapped her arms around her.

"She is here, watching over you. I just hope that with her help, I can talk some sense to Jeff," Nancy said.

"So do I," Liz said, and carried the picture to her suitcase, opened it again and put the picture there, along with the two medical charts. Then she closed the suitcase again.

"Aren't you going to take a jacket?" Nancy asked.

Liz turned to look at her mother. "Normally...yes. But I can't go out there, carrying this," Liz said and gestured the suitcase, "without making people ask questions. I can't let the whole town know what has happened to me and why."

"So...what are you going to do? Wait until nightfall? Jeff will be back before that," Nancy said, puzzled by Liz's demeanor.

Liz gave Nancy a sad smile. "What I am going to do?" Liz said, repeating Nancy's questions. "I'm going to use my...'gift'."

After Liz had said this, she closed her eyes, and concentrated. She had been right when she said to Nancy that she couldn't walk the streets by herself. Too many questions from her friends and others. No, she needed to look like someone else, if she wanted to keep the general population of Roswell out of the loop as long as possible. She focused on her build, her appearance and voice, changing them. Her body grew, along with muscles. Her normal 5'1" height was increased to 5'9". She could have pushed it, but then the strain to keep the shapechange would have been too much. All feminine features melted away from her, replacing them with the more masculine, male form. While Liz had been practicing with her power, she discovered that she was able to change the clothes she wore as well. So now she turned her normal attire of clothing into jeans, sneakers and gray T-shirt. Once she was done, she was a male, with short brown hair and gray eyes with a hint of green. Liz had made sure that she had average features, because she didn't want any girls to come flirt with her. That would be a bit too uncomfortable for her. Liz smiled at Nancy, who looked at her...him with jaw agape.

"I think this should be inconspicuous enough, don't you agree?" Liz asked Nancy. Her voice taken a deeper, more male like tone.

"I...I think so," Nancy managed to say, stunned by what she had just seen. Liz, her daughter in heart, had literally changed herself into a male. "Um...are you...REALLY like a...male now?" Nancy asked.

Liz blinked to the question, then it dawned to her. 'She' stifled a laugh. "Yeah, in EVERY aspect of male gender," Liz said, earning a wide-eyed look from Nancy. "Anyway, I better go now," Liz said, and took her luggage.

Nancy nodded, and walked with her...him...Liz to the Crashdown's back door. Liz turned to address her mother. "I'll hopefully be at Alex's if you need to call or anything," Liz said, and Nancy nodded.

"Be careful," Nancy said.

"I will," Liz said, and walked out the back door. Nancy stood there for a while, watching the back door. Then a sob escaped from her lips, and she walked back to the apartment upstairs. She needed to compose herself. There would be a LONG talk with Jeff when he finally would get back.

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

Whitman household, 18:14 pm, Alex's room

Alex was in his room, chatting online. Unfortunately his sour mood was affecting the other people online as well, so he decided to log off for now. He was worried about Liz. The way she had fainted at school told him everything he needed to know. Liz was sick, that much was obvious. But how sick was she? Alex didn't know, and that fact bothered him even more than anything at this moment.

["At least Maria has been concerned for Liz's welfare, but she should have called her, not me for an update,"] Alex thought, remembering how Maria called him every 4 minutes. Fortunately, she had a shift at the Crashdown now, so Alex could have some time to do his own brooding for Liz's wellbeing. Alex rubbed his chin in thought. He could use his own 'uniqueness' to find out the truth, but then shook his head. No, he wouldn't do it. He had promised himself a long time ago that he would never, under ANY circumstances, use his gift like that. It was a violation of a person's privacy, and Alex wouldn't violate it, even if his need to get answers was driving him insane. ["I better ask her directly,"] Alex finally thought, and stood up. He was about to put on his jacket, when the doorbell rang.

Alex's brow furrowed from confusion. ["Who could that be?"] he thought, and extended his awareness to the front door. He did that time to time, but knew that only two people would come and really see him, and those two were Liz and Maria. His eyes widened from disbelief from what he felt, and he practically ran to the door. When he opened it, and saw Liz standing there, a suitcase lying on the ground next to her.

"Can I...come in?" she asked in a quiet tone.

Alex nodded. "Of course, um...come in," he said, and stepped out of her way. It wasn't who he had felt here that shocked him. No, it was the feeling he got from Liz that did it. Sadness. 100% pure sadness, was pouring out of her in waves. She hid it well, but even Liz couldn't prevent her sadness from pouring out of her.

Liz took her luggage and walked inside. It had taken her a while to get here, mainly because she had to walk. The pains were also giving her a hard time as well, due to the size of the male form she had used to get here, she needed to concentrate on the shapeshift to keep it 'on', so to speak. Before she rang Alex's doorbell, she had 'morphed' back to her own self. She was standing in the living room now, and she lowered her suitcase. She heard Alex close the door. "Do you mind if I...stay here for couple of days?" she asked.

Alex looked at her in shock. ["What the hell is going on?"] he thought. He faltered with his answer first, but then said, "Um, sure. I don't think my parents would mind, but... Liz, what's wrong? Why do you need a place to stay?"

Liz took a deep breath, and turned to look at Alex. He was so noble sometimes. Liz knew he wouldn't hesitate too long to give her an answer, but Liz also knew that she had to tell him what had happened. He, of all people, deserved that, in its entirety. "I...I was...kicked out from my home," she said in a small voice.

"WHAT!!?" Alex asked in disbelief. Alex couldn't believe what he was hearing. He knew Jeff and Nancy, and he knew they wouldn't do anything like this. "Why?"

Liz hugged herself when she remembered how her dad had yelled. Then she turned her gaze to Alex, tears flowing. "Alex, please, what I'm about to tell you got me kicked out from there in the first place. Please, don't turn your back to me. I...I didn't know where else to go," she pleaded, tears flowing down her cheek.

Alex almost reeled from the pain, fear and sadness that flowed out from Liz like a tidal wave. "Liz, I would never do that. I didn't do it when the others turned their backs to you, I sure as hell won't do it now when you need help," Alex said, reassuring Liz.

Liz swallowed. "O-ok," she said, her voice hitching a bit. "Well, it was my...dad, who kicked me out. He...he couldn't accept what I am."

"Jeff kicked you out?" Alex asked, not believing it. He knew well how much Jeff Parker loved Liz. He would protect her from anything. What had been so bad that warranted him to kick her out?

Liz nodded sadly. "Yes. He couldn't accept me. Because I'm a mutant," she said.

Alex blinked. Had he heard her correctly? ["Did she say she's a...mutant? But...how..."] he thought frantically, then relented. ["What am I saying? This is the girl who kept the identity of Max, Isabel and Michael a secret from me for almost 3 months, it's no surprise that she was able to keep this from all of us."]

Liz studied Alex carefully, trying to figure out his reaction. He was speechless for now, but his expression was something she hadn't expected. He had blinked, but now he seemed like...he had an epiphany. Then he seemed to remember something.

Alex finally remembered why he was worried about Liz in the first place. "Liz, what about...I had the understanding that you went to see a doctor, right?" Alex asked, and Liz nodded. "What did he say? I mean...it can't be anything serious, because...I don't think your dad would have kicked you out if it were, right?" he asked, but the way Liz started to really cry told him all he needed. ["Oh my God,"] Alex thought.

"It is serious, Alex. And he kicked me out anyway," Liz said, sobs cutting her words almost in a violent way.

"How...how bad is it?" Alex asked, almost terrified to ask. The way Liz's sadness kept pounding his head was overpowering. Why did he even ask that question? It was MORE than obvious that it was bad on a grand scale.

"I'm sick, Alex," Liz said, her voice strained. "Terminally sick."

Alex reeled back from that. ["Ter-terminally?"] he thought, then started to shake his head. He couldn't have heard it right.

"I have leukemia, Alex," Liz said, getting his attention. "And if I can't find a proper donor for a bone marrow transplant, it will kill me in about 8 months." After she said it, Liz broke down. She slumped on her knees, crying more freely than she had at home. It was getting to be too much, and she needed to let it out.

Alex blinked, shedding some of his own tears, but knew they were as much of hers as they were his. Alex walked to her and kneeled in front to her, and pulled her into a hug. He wouldn't turn his back to her. Not now. She had already done so much for everyone, and now she only had him to give her support. She was dying, and she had come to him for help. And he would help her. In any possible way.

TBC...

Hola, folks. My muse is FINALLY cooperating with me with at least 80% efficiency, and I'm done with part 4 and starting on part 5. But until I get them done and delivered to my beta, you have to enjoy the quality of part 3. Special thanks to Roswell Slayer, Anya, demonyte, Sternbetrachter, calphysics, amersau, PhoenixFlamez, ofwolfandman408, Lady_without_a_clue, LEL, panthergirl2002 and KEmperor. Extra thanks to NScotian from beta work.

Now, to the FB.

Roswell Slayer Thanks, glad you like this. And Alex will continue to help Liz out. As for who Liz's real parents were...well, you have to wait .

Anya I did? Really? I guess I finally got the angst worked out somewhat, but there are still some things about writing emotions that I have to clear up. As for more...think this should do the trick?

demonyte Wow, I got your attention. Did you just stumble on this fic out of curiosity or because of something else?

As for your question, it should be cleared up in this part.

Sternbetrachter Well, hello to you too, Trude. You usually hang around on the different fics as I have noticed, but I'm glad you decided to give my stories a go. And...Alex's 'uniqueness' will be explained in this part, so don't you worry. Besides, you were on the right track with your first guess.

calphysics Thanks from the praise. Anyway, you're slightly off base with your estimate. Alex is not adopted. This part should clear up some details.

amersau Well, I'm happy you like this fic, which is what gives a smile to my face. As I said before, Alex's 'uniqueness' will be explained in this part.

Very good guess, that's all I'm saying.

PhoenixFlamez Yes, Jeff is an ass. Let's see if we can clear it up a bit, shall we...

ofwolfandman408 Well, I can honestly say that Jeff's opinion won't change over night, that's for sure. As for Nancy, how else she should act? She's the way I always saw her in the series, even if we never saw her that much to begin with.

So you figured it out, huh? Well, here's my applauds.

Lady_without_a_clue Well, I'm happy you like this. And yes, Liz will find her mother eventually. It'll take a while, though.

LEL Well, he won't be happy, that's as much as I dare to say. Besides, we all know Alex, right? Was there really any doupt in your mind that he would be there for Liz? Didn't think so.

Well, hopefully you can leave more FB after this part.

panthergirl2002 Well, thanks. Hey, we all know Alex is there for Liz and Maria. As for you question, Robyn figured it out. As for Jeff's reaction, you might have to wait for a while for me to get there.

KEmperor Again, yes, Jeff is an ass. Check my answer to Robyn about that one, and here's the next part.

Okay, moving on. Part 3, everyone.

Title: "Shattered Images"
Author: Bored to Mundane life
Disclaimer: I don't own Roswell or X-Men : Evolution. I'm just borrowing them for this. But if it HAS to be necessary, I promise that I won't damage any of them too badly.
Summary: Things are going from bad to worse. Liz supposedly slept with Kyle, to prevent the the end of the world Future Max told her about. Now no one except Kyle and Alex are talking to her now. If things weren't bad enough already, Liz suddenly gets abnormal pains. When she lost consciousness from a really intense moment of pain, she seeks help from a doctor, and discovers that she's terminally ill. Now Liz must race against time to find the cure, but with little to no allies at disposal, can she survive through this before her time runs out?
Category: Crossover with X-Men : Evolution, with reasonable additions from me.
Pairing: Roswell: Mi/L, Ma/Ma, the rest is CC. X-Men: Remy/Rogue, Scott/Jean, no clue from the rest.
Rating: PG-13, possibly R at some point
Feedback: I don't think I have to tell you how important FB is, now do I?

["*"] indicates thoughts.
-"*"- indicates telepathical communication.

Part 3

Whitman household, 6:46 pm, living room

Liz was sitting on the couch, snifling from time to time. She had cried out all her emotional pain, and it had helped. Not much, but at least now she didn't feel like she would break in half anytime soon. She saw Alex walking to her with a glass of water. Liz looked at him curiously, and he shrugged.

"We don't exactly have tea here, so..." Alex said, and Liz gave him a sad smile while she took the glass of water.

When she tried to take a sip, the pain erupted again, and Liz dropped the glass. Liz yelped when the pain seared through her head. When it stopped, she saw that the glass Alex had given her was now on the floor, broken and the water had soaked the carpet.

"I'm so sorry, Alex," Liz said. He waved his hand to her in dismissal.

"It's ok, Liz. I got it," he said, and went to the kitchen to get a dust pan and a broom. He came back and started to sweep the pieces of glass. While he was cleaning the mess, he glanced at Liz. Her eyes were puffed and red, a result of her crying. There were tear tracks on her cheeks as well. Alex shook his head. He was angry with Jeff for turning his back on her, even if she is a mutant. He was angry with the Pod Squad, because Liz wouldn't have turned on them in their time of need. He was angry with himself for letting this happen in the first place, but he knew there was nothing he could do for this. Once he gathered the pieces of glass into the dust pan, he walked back to the kitchen and dumped them into the trash. He took a new glass, and filled it with water. Then he took an aspirin and walked over to Liz, handing the aspirin to her first. She was rubbing her temple when he got there, so that meant that she had a headache, in best case scenario. Liz looked at him, puzzled.

"Please, just take it. I'm not sure if it will help, but it's worth a try," Alex said.

Liz nodded, took the aspirin, and put it in her mouth. Then, she took the glass of water, and drank from it, swallowing the aspiring along with the water. She knew it wouldn't help much, but she didn't have anything else for the pain at the moment. Doctor Stevens had given her a prescription of pain killers, but she had yet to get them.

"So, you're a mutant?" she heard Alex ask, and she put the glass of water on the table, just to make sure she didn't break it.

"Yes," she said, not looking at him.

"Well, I have to say I'm surprised, really. I always thought that I was the only one," Alex said, and what he had said surprised Liz to the core.

"What?" Liz asked, her eyes wide and locked on Alex.

Alex gave Liz a small grin. "You aren't the only one with secrets, Liz. Besides, I don't exactly have the right to start preaching about 'not telling me about this', because I haven't exactly been honest with you either," he said. -"Also, I don't think you would have taken it lightly if you knew what I can do,"- Alex said, but Liz heard it in her head.

Liz was looking at Alex with a shocked expression. Ever since her power had manifested, she thought that she was the only mutant in Roswell, New Mexico. Apparently, she was wrong. Alex was also a mutant. A telepath, apparently. The fact that he had just talked in her mind was a dead give away for that fact.

"Wh-when did your...'power' activate?" Liz asked.

Alex rubbed his chin for a moment, as if trying to remember something important. Liz had to laugh at the obvious attempt to keep her in suspense. Well, it wasn't working. "It was about 3 months after my 13th birthday. I started hearing voices in my head, and I couldn't turn them off," Alex said.

"Then...how do you control it?" Liz asked. She remembered that Alex had been on sick leave for 6 months from school that time, but now she knew why. He had to get a hold of his own power before he could go to the masses. Unlike her, he had a lot harder time controlling his power. All those strangers shouting in your head...she couldn't even fathom what it would be like.

"Well, do you remember uncle Charles?" Alex asked.

Liz thought about it for a minute. She had never met him, but the name was familiar. She HAD seen some family photos from the Whitman's, and she could connect the name to a bald man in a wheelchair. Other than that, she didn't know much.

"I can see you remember what he looks like at least," Alex said.

Liz looked at him with wide eyes. "You read my mind?" Liz asked, slightly hurt that Alex would do something like that.

Alex raised his hands up in surrender. "Hey, I don't read peoples' minds. I don't do that, but I can't help it if your thoughts get so loud that they practically shoot straight at me," he said.

Liz blushed slightly. She usually was a loud thinker when it came to a certain someone...

"Liz, please don't go there. And trust me, Maria's 'mind ranting' is a LOT louder than your thoughts, believe me," Alex said and rolled his eyes in exasperation, interrupting Liz's thoughts.

Liz tried to stifle a laugh at Alex's statement. She knew that Maria could be vocal, but she had no idea that her thoughts could overshadow hers.

"It's not funny, Liz. I've found out some really disturbing things about Michael and her because she can't keep her mind quiet, and trust me, I'd be MORE than happy to get rid of those images. Most of them are fantazies, sure, but some of them are something I DON'T want to remember," Alex said and shuddered.

Liz nodded, but she still tried to hide her amusement. "I'm sorry, Alex. It's just that...well, I always knew Maria was an open book, but this gives it a whole new meaning," she said, and bursted into giggles again.

Alex had to smile at the fact that Liz was at least was having some fun. She needed to take her mind off her disease, otherwise she wouldn't make it. Liz's giggles were cut short when the pain came back. It wasn't that bad, thanks to the aspirin, but it wasn't exactly mild either. When the pain subsided, she realized that they had steered off topic. "What does your uncle Charles have to do with your power, Alex?" Liz asked wearily.

"Well, uncle Charles is a mutant as well, Liz. A telepath like me, but a lot more powerful than I am. He teached me how to control my...'gift', and I've learned how to keep my mind away from other people's heads. Well, I've been doing a good job so far. The only exception would be Maria though," Alex said. "That brings us to you. What is your 'gift'?"

Liz pondered Alex's question. Should she tell him? Definitely yes. "I'm a...metamorph. In layman's term, I'm a shapeshifter," Liz said.

Alex looked at Liz with an incredulous look. "A shapeshifter?" he repeated, and Liz nodded. "Hate to break it to you, Liz, but I don't believe you."

Liz narrowed her gaze on Alex. "You don't believe me? And why is that, please tell?" Liz growled. She could have questioned Alex's mutant power as well, but that wasn't possible, because she had heard him talking in her mind already.

"Liz, uncle Charles has seen a metamorph before, and they don't look normal," Alex said, earning a cold glare from Liz. ["Did I just shove a foot in my mouth?"] he wondered.

"Really? Well, it's true, I don't exactly look 'normal', but I CAN prove to you that I really am a shapeshifter," Liz said, and gave Alex a wicked grin.

Alex backed away when Liz stood up. ["Great! You couldn't keep your big mouth shut, couldn't you? Now I'm really going to be sorry for it,"] Alex thought.

Liz's mind was working overtime now. She knew exactly how to prove to Alex what she was, but she still had to sort out the details. Something REALLY revealing. Or just plain sexy, which would be enough to make Alex's eyes jump out of his head. Then again, whom she planned to shapechange into always seemed to have that effect on Alex, no matter what. Liz closed her eyes, and focused on the task at hand. She focused on her build again, but this time stayed in the female gender. She grew in height again, and her hair grew long as well, turning to blonde color. Her chest grew bigger as well, and her clothes morphed into a red thong with a matching bra. Liz opened her eyes, and saw Alex standing there, his eyes wide and mouth dropped on the floor. Liz smirked at the sight. Well, he didn't believed her, and now paid the consequences. "What's the matter, Alex? See something you like?" she asked as seductively as she could.

Alex's mouth was getting dry from the sight in front of him. Liz had somehow morphed into...Isabel, clad only in a red thong and matching bra. Everything about the girl in front of him was 100% Isabel. The body, the hair, the voice, even the eyes. But he knew, he KNEW that it wasn't Isabel. Liz had been sitting in that chair. It was Liz who had turned into Isabel. Alex was suddenly VERY aware of a certain pressure in his groin, and he had to cover his eyes with his hand, and turn away. "WOW!! Wow, wow, WOW!! Could you, like, turn back to yourself now, Liz? Because what I'm seeing right now is something that I only have dreamed about, and I would like to be able to look at Isabel in the future WITHOUT seeing the image you just gave me," Alex pleaded.

"I warned you, Alex," Liz said in a very 'Isabel-like' voice, and changed herself back to normal. Truth was, she hadn't exactly enjoyed the stunt she just pulled, all too aware of the effects it had on Alex. Besides, it had taken all her willpower to keep the morph this long, Liz being all too aware of the lack of clothing.

"I should have known better than to question you, Liz. You definitely made your point, though," Alex said, still not able to turn and look at Liz.

"It's okay, Alex. I'm decent now," Liz said, in her own voice.

Alex tentatively turned around, and sighed from relief when he saw the very Liz-like form, fully clothed. "Well, that definitely was an interesting experience," Alex said dryly, his face glowing with a crimson shade of red.

Liz giggled at the redness she could still see on Alex's face. She had definitely hit a nerve with that one. And if the bulge in his jeans was any indication, she had a lot bigger effect on him than she originally thought. Liz averted her gaze and said, "Well, you didn't exactly believe me, and I thought that was the best way to prove my point to you."

Alex clamped his hand over his eyes again. "Please, Liz. Don't remind me," he said.

Liz smiled. "Ok, I promise that I won't turn into Isabel in...never again," Liz said, deciding to not mention the skimpy clothing issue to Alex. He was already suffering enough as it is.

Alex sighed in relief. "Thanks, Liz, but unfortunately, that image is now burned in my head until I can actually see her naked," Alex said, and removed his hand from his eyes.

Liz raised an eyebrow to Alex, who shrugged. "What? I love her, Liz, but I'm a guy. Can't I suddenly have fantazies?" he asked.

Liz rolled her eyes at Alex, but didn't comment about it. Besides, the distraction had been more than welcomed, because she had completely forgotten about her condition. That didn't last too long, because, as if having a mind of its own, the pain decided to make its presence known. Liz grimaced from it.

"So...about that...I know you said that you need to find a donor for a bone marrow transplant, but you wouldn't be sad if it were that easy," Alex said, getting Liz's mind back to present. She would have answered Alex's question, if the phone hadn't rang at the precise moment. Alex shook his head and muttered something incomprehensible, and went to answer it. The flush in his face was fading, meaning that he was getting his mind off Isabel.

"Whitmans," Alex answered, and had to take the phone away from his ear because of shouting Liz could hear from where she was standing.

"Woah, Maria, calm down," Alex said to the phone, and Liz's eyes widened.

Alex turned his gaze to Liz and raised an eyebrow. -"Maria is worried sick about you. Apparently Nancy told her that Jeff kicked you out, but she didn't tell her why. Now Maria has been calling everybody, hoping to find out where you are. Do you want to tell her that you are all right?"- Alex asked from Liz.

Liz was in emotional turmoil now. Maria had been avoiding her for the past 4 days, and now she was worried sick about her? Apparently the possibility of her being sick was enough to get her attention. But still, Liz wasn't too sure how Maria would react to the fact that she was a mutant.

"I'm sorry, Maria, but I haven't seen her either," Alex said, and Liz looked at him, puzzled.

-"Liz, you're not ready to face her. Not when she's in this state. I can hear her thoughts, even when she's all the way at Michael's apartment. So we better wait,"- Alex said to Liz telepathically, and Liz nodded. "Okay, Maria, I promise that I'll call you when I hear anything. Ok, bye," Alex said, and hung up.

"You didn't have to do that," Liz stated.

"True, but we better let her calm down before either of us go to her with this. She would freak," Alex said.

"You seem positive about it," Liz stated.

"Liz, even though Maria has gotten over her fear of our alien quartet, she has some reserves toward the mutants," Alex said.

"Let me guess. She hasn't exactly been a 'silent thinker' on that subject, has she?" Liz asked.

Alex shook his head. "Anyway, what about that bone marrow transplant?" he asked, changing the topic back to Liz's condition.

Liz tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "The donor would have to be a mutant, and he or she would also have to have the same rare genetic defect I have," Liz said.

"So what's the problem?" Alex asked.

Liz gave a wounded look to Alex. "Alex, only 5% of the entire planet's population have that defect. To find the same defect in mutants...is practically impossible," she said.

Alex seemed to ponder the information he had at hand. He suddenly snapped his fingers, and started to make his way to his own room.

Liz's brow furrowed in confusion. "What are you doing?" she asked.

Alex turned to look at her. "I think uncle Charles could help out with this. Wait here while I have a 'talk' with him," he said.

Liz raised a confused eyebrow. "'Talk'?" she asked, and Alex tapped his temple with his index finger. Liz nodded in understanding. "Ah, telepathic talk, right," she said.

"Be right back," Alex said, and went to his room. He came back almost immediately. "Um...the guest room is that way, so you can take your suitcase there," Alex said, pointing to the general direction of his parents bedroom.

Liz nodded, and took her suitcase and went to the room Alex pointed.

In his room, Alex sat on the bed cross-legged, and focused on the mind of Charles Xavier, the most powerful telepath on the planet. -"Uncle Charles,"- Alex called.

-"Alex?"- The older voice responded in his mind. -"How are you, son? I haven't heard from you in a while,"- the Professor 'said'.

-"I'm fine, Uncle. There's just something we need to talk about. Do you remember Liz Parker?"- Alex asked.

-"Liz Parker...yes, I remember her. Bright child, very intelligent. The brunette, right?"- Professor asked.

Alex mentally chuckled. -"Yeah, that's her. Um, she's a mutant, Uncle, and she's sick,"- Alex said, cutting straight to the point.

There was a hint of concern from the Professor. -"Sick? How bad is it?"- he asked.

-"Really bad. Her father kicked her out because she is a mutant, even when the leukemia is killing her. She came to me for help, and I thought that maybe you could help her,"- Alex said.

Professor pondered the situation for a moment. Alex had projected to him willingly what he knew about Liz's condition and the possible cure for it. It would take time to find a proper donor for Ms. Parker. Time that they didn't have. Still, that wouldn't stop Professor from trying. -"Alright, Alex. I will help her the best way I can. I'll send Logan, Kurt, Rogue, Kitty and Remy there with the Blackbird, and you can come here to Bayville until we can find a proper donor for her,"- Professor said.

Alex smiled. -"I didn't doubt for a minute you would say 'yes', Uncle. I'm cool with seeing Kitty again, but I'm not sure if sending Logan for this is a wise choice. I mean, he tends to be rather rough around the edges,"- Alex said. He did keep in contact with his uncle time to time, and he had visited Bayville last summer, and met with some of the students. -"And who's Remy? A new student?"- Alex asked.

-"Yes, Remy is a new student here. He gets along with Logan quite well, so he's a good counterweight for him in a situation like this. Is there a quiet place you could meet them?"- Professor asked.

-"Well...the desert would do, but I think they should meet us at the Crashdown Café around...5 pm local time. That sound all right to you?"- Alex asked.

-"Yes, but...what about Ms. Parker's parents?"- Professor asked.

Alex tone turned somber. -"Her father kicked her out. I don't know about Nancy. It's up to her to tell her mother,"- Alex said.

-"Hmmm...are you coming too?"- Professor asked.

-"She asked for my help, Uncle. And I will help her in anyway I can,"- Alex said with conviction.

-"Well, I for one will be glad to see you again, Alex,"- Professor said.

-"Me too, Uncle. I just hope it would be under better circumstances. When we get there, we have to get enroled at Bayville High. Even though Liz is terminally ill, she won't stop going to school. I don't think even you are able to talk her out of it,"- Alex said.

-"I'll take care of it, Alex. Don't worry. Say hello to your father for me, would you?"- Professor said.

Alex smiled. -"I will. Oh, there's something else. Liz is a shapeshifter, so when Logan and the others get to the Crashdown, she will be the one contacting them, not the other way around,"- he said.

-"I understand. Goodbye, Alex,"- Professor said.

-"Goodbye, Uncle,"- Alex said, and he cut off the connection between him and Charles. Now he had to go tell Liz what the deal was.

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

Meanwhile at Bayville, New York, 9:59 pm, Xavier Institute For Gifted Youngsters

Professor Charles Xavier 'woke' up from his connection with his nephew Alex. ["Hmmm. I can't believe I overlooked the fact that Ms. Parker could be a possible mutant. Then again, until mutants' power manifests, its hard to tell them apart from ordinary people. And since I haven't been focusing Cerebro to the New Mexico area, I never noticed 2 distinct mutant signatures,"] he thought. -"Logan, I need to speak with you,"- Xavier 'projected' to Logan, aka Wolverine, one of his teachers at the 'Institute', as the kids liked to call it.

["On my way, Chuck,"] Xavier picked up Logan's gruff thought, and waited, pondering the current events. Ms. Parker was terminally ill from leukemia, yet she insisted on keeping up with her normal life. If what he had found out from her through his telepathic link with Alex, she has perfect control over her power, and didn't need help in harnessing it. Still, the disease was another matter. He would have to consult Henry about it. Logan opened the door, and walked inside, wearing his leather jacket, jeans, black t-shirt and boots.

"Well, Chuck? What's this about?" Logan asked, cutting straight to the point.

"I had an interesting conversation with my nephew, Alex. He told me that his friend, a mutant, is terminally ill from leukemia, and he requested my help. I want you, Remy, Rogue, Kurt and Kitty to go to Roswell, New Mexico, and bring them here," Xavier said.

Logan nodded at the information. "You sure I should take Gumbo with me? The kid doesn't exactly hide WHAT he is," Logan asked. Remy LeBeau, aka Gambit, is a mutant with the ability to charge inanimous objects with kinetic energy that explodes on contact or in a short amount of time. His eyes were completely red with black backround, a result of his mutation. Still, he refused to hide his 'peculiar' looks from the population, and amazingly, people didn't point fingers at him. Well, the female population, to be exact. Remy was a handsome young man, whom the girls considered a 'dish', so to speak. Wherever the cajun went, all the girls would literally start drooling after him. Even when walking the streets, the kid drew more looks than what was legal, because even the older women gave him appreciating looks. Logan had asked him how he did that, and the cajun just shrugged his shoulders and said, 'It's a gift, mon ami. Gambit can't help it.' "Besides, him AND Rogue are on the same team. Trust me, Chuck, there are bound to be consequences," Logan said, crossing his arms over his chest.

Xavier nodded. "Yes, I'm sure, Logan. You won't go right away, but tomorrow. You should meet Ms. Parker in a café called the Crashdown at 5 pm their time," he said.

"That means 8 pm local time," Logan stated, and Charles nodded. "Alright, I'll tell them. I just hope Half-Pint doesn't get all excited. Last time she started bouncing around."

"I'm sure Ms. Pryde will behave now," Xavier said, and Logan grunted, not believing it for a minute. Before Logan could leave, Xavier said, "The girl you're going to meet is a shapeshifter, and Alex said that she'll contact you, not the otherway around."

Logan nodded to the information. "A shapeshifter, huh? I wonder if she has any connections to Mystique," Logan said absent-mindedly and left.

That last sentence got Xavier curious as well. ["Hmmm. I wonder..."]

TBC...

Hello, my dear readers. I'm sorry that I have been absent as of late, but me with reading other fanfics and with RL kicking me over the head, I've had a little time to spent in here. That'll be corrected now (Thank GOD, 'cause I like it here !!). Okay, special thanks to girlie_girl, Roswell Slayer, Sternbetrachter (x2), ezriboots, lyndy1, LEL (x4), Anya, Silvermoonstar, SilverWolfe (x2), Lady_without_a_clue (x5), PhoenixFlamez, Asabetha, Dreamer3082, HBGO, Ashes, Calinia (x2), angeleyes, cglenn (x2) and KEmperor. Extra thanks to NScotian from beta-work. I'm really sorry from the delay, but NScotian was on a vacation, so that pretty much put this on hold. Don't worry, now when NScotian is back, I hope I can update more frequently. Now, let's move on to the questions and reviews what I got since the last time I was here...

Sternbetrachter Hmmm...a little more A/I, huh? Well...things are a bit rocky between them at the moment, but they will be cleared up.

dreamer3082 Oh, a new reader . Yeah, about that...Kyle never really talked with Liz in the show, and I never really saw any reason for him to NOT talk with her, so I kinda ignored that thing from the show. Hey, Kyle isn't the bad guy, no matter how many times Max gets stomped.

Oh, and thank you from your praises.

Lady_without_a_clue No harm done.

LEL Oooh, that must have been bad. I'm sorry. At least things are somewhat fixed now, right? And hopefully this part will help somewhat.

HBGO Another new reader . And what is it with me and people who usually don't read crossovers? Honestly, you people think I'm some sort of magnet or something? I'm not, really.

SilverWolfe Me? Like it when you are being whipped? NEVER!!! *grins evilly while eyes gleam from mischief* I wouldn't do no such thing.

Ashes Yet another new reader. For some reason I can find them, but can't keep them. Why is that?

Okay, let's see...how much could I give you at this point about regarding the new family structure at this point. Well...nothing, I'm afraid. Sorry.

No, I'm NOT following the movie. This fic has nothing to do with X-Men movie, even if the banner seems like it. In my opinion it works.

*blink* Wait, back up here. You've read my other stories as well? How come I haven't seen any FB in there? Oh, never mind, I'm just happy that people actually enjoy my work.

*sighs from relief* You have NO idea how relieved I am from that stamement. Besides, why wouldn't the guys like Roswell? Huh? Is there a specific reason for it? Sure, the show went down the drain the minute they killed off Alex, but thats beside the point.

As for more, think this new freshly betaed part do the trick?

Calinia HEY!!! You're BACK!!! I'm so glad to finally hear from you. Okay, let's chat sometime later, no I have to focus on your review.

Okay, first off, you probably remember how Maria went nuts when she found out in the series that Liz 'supposedly' slept with Kyle, right? So, in this fic, Liz never told Maria about the whole Future Max incident, so there fore our Pixie Girl got a big hissy fit from it, thus resulting her to ingore Liz. Made sense now? Besides, she might have been upset with Liz for keeping secrets from her, but they've been friends since...forever, so obviously she was really worried about Liz, even IF she was still slightly angry at her. Oh, and by the way, if you think Maria was freaked when she found out about the aliens, wait what happens when she finds out that two of her best friends are mutants. Oh, the horror...

Okay, you got right on the money with Isabel and Michael. But as for Max...let's just say he's been in a state of denial for a time being, and now...when Liz starts to show signs of getting sick, he's also worried AND needs to find out if what he saw was true. Needles to say that these two combined is going to bring out disasterous results, because he's gonna revert into a 'I'm the King' attitude. You'll see the results in this part.

Okay, you got me there. I hadn't really thought about the whole FMax thing and EOTW thing through until you mentioned it, but I think I got something. It will be gone through when Liz starts to think over what is happening, especially after Alex tells her how the meeting went. I'm not going to tell details...well, much anyway.

Okay, you have a right to hate FMax for pulling the stunt he did. I don't blame you, but here's the thing I managed to cook up after I read this. Max didn't have a clue WHAT Liz was for all those years. They went on with their lives for 14 years, and Liz never, not ONCE, told her what she was. She DID get ill, that's for sure, if you think that FMax wasn't feeling bad for doing it, you're wrong. Because the way I'm seeing it, Liz didn't have to find a donor. Max kept curing her from the effects of the Leukemia, but couldn't cure her for good. There will be a more detailed musing and talk about this, but that's just a small glimpse what I have at the moment. Be patient.

Yeah, I know, but it was part of the challenge, so I had a little choice. Don't worry, I'll get him straigthtened up, but it's going to take a while.

You have NO idea how right you were with that stamement. *grin*

Hey, I didn't exactly see any reason why he shouldn't be able to talk with Liz. I always thought that Kyle would have sticked with Liz, no matter if he and Liz did pull a number on Max.

Don't act so surprised, Kat. We BOTH know that Alex has always backed up Liz when things have been down the drain with her. As for Alex being mutant, it was part of the challenge. The telepathy part...that was me. Sure, I thought something else for him at first, but it didn't fit with the story so...he got telepathy. In a way it suits him better at this point than anything else, I admit it.

Hey, I'm not telling. Yet...

angeleyes Thanks from the praise, and...well...there are SOME people who are going to find out, but certainly not Max. You just wait and see.

cglenn Oh, yet another new reader. I feel so appreciated at this point, you have no idea how good that makes me feel at this point.

I hope you continue to stick around.

KEmperor You know, you're a man of few words, aren't you? Hey, I don't mind, I'm just happy that people like my fics.

Okay, that was that. Now onward to the story. Here's part 4, ladies and gentlemen. Enjoy.

Title: "Shattered Images"
Author: Bored to Mundane life
Disclaimer: I don't own Roswell or X-Men : Evolution. I'm just borrowing them for this. But if it HAS to be necessary, I promise that I won't damage any of them too badly.
Summary: Things are going from bad to worse. Liz supposedly slept with Kyle, to prevent the the end of the world Future Max told her about. Now no one except Kyle and Alex are talking to her now. If things weren't bad enough already, Liz suddenly gets abnormal pains. When she lost consciousness from a really intense moment of pain, she seeks help from a doctor, and discovers that she's terminally ill. Now Liz must race against time to find the cure, but with little to no allies at disposal, can she survive through this before her time runs out?
Category: Crossover with X-Men : Evolution, with reasonable additions from me.
Pairing: Roswell: Mi/L, Ma/Ma, the rest is CC. X-Men: Remy/Rogue, Scott/Jean, no clue from the rest. (Hey, I finally got it.)
Rating: PG-13, possibly R at some point
Feedback: I don't think I have to tell you how important FB is, now do I?

["*"] indicates thoughts.
-"*"- indicates telepathical communication.

Part 4

When Logan had left Charles' office, he headed downstairs and straight to the rec room. Once there, he glanced around. There were three big couches, and one of them was occupied by Kitty and Evan. They were watching MTV on the big screen TV they had there, listening to some crap Logan didn't care about. The pool table was occupied by Scott and Rogue, and it looked like Rogue was beating Scott in a big way. Remy was watching them play, mildly interested, his red eyes set on Rogue only. Logan frowned. He never understood why Remy had refused to become Magneto's Acolyte; a sort of 'elite' group of his 'Brotherhood of Mutants'. Cajun had never elaborated on the subject and he liked to keep it that way. Still, Remy was obviously interested in Rogue, even if she was unable to feel a skin to skin touch ever. Besides, Remy wasn't a 'goody-goody' character. Then again, neither were the rest of the group. They all had their mischievous sides, but Remy was a thief, and a good one at that. Probably the best on this side of the hemisphere. Logan was amazed at how the boy found the patience to actually attend Bayville High, but suspected it had to do with Rogue, again. Suddenly, two younger kids, Jubilee and Bobby, came running through the living room, but slowed down enough to avoid colliding with Logan. The New Mutants, the newest and youngest mutant students in the Institute, who tended to be more mischievous than the older ones, were always pulling pranks on their fellow students, creating a real 'payback' frenzy on more than one occasion. Logan was left out of it, because the New Mutants would much rather face wrath from Storm than from Logan. Kurt, in his blue furry form, was lounging at the bar, talking about the movies with Sam.

"Elf, Rogue, Half-Pint and Gumbo!!" Logan yelled, getting their attention, and beckoning them with his right hand. "Come here. We need to talk."

The mutants hesitantly made their way to the older mutant, wondering if any of them had done something wrong. Then again, Logan rarely smiled, or even bothered to do anything other than scowl. True, he cracked a smile now and then, but those were very rare.

"So, what is it, mon homme?" Remy asked with his French accent. "Someone decided to finally pull a prank on you?"

Logan glared at Remy while the others tried to stifle a smile. "Nothing like that, Gumbo. Just letting the 4 of you know that tomorrow we'll be going to Roswell, New Mexico to pick up 2 mutants," he said.

Kitty and Kurt exchanged incredulous glances, Remy just shrugged at the information and Rogue raised an eyebrow. "A recruit job?" she asked.

Logan shook his head. "Escort. We're meeting Alex and a friend of his and then we'll bring them here," he said.

Hearing this, Kitty's eyes immediately lit up. "Alex is coming? Oh my God, like, can we go NOW?" she asked.

Logan groaned. Kitty always liked to hang around Alex, because amazingly, they were both good with computers, even if Kitty's 'valley girl' behaviour easily hid that fact. At least she hadn't started bouncing around. "No. Alex said that we'll meet him and the girl at the Crashdown Café, at exactly 8 pm our time," he said, and Kitty's smile disappeared and turned into a pout. She muttered something that sounded like 'Not fair'.

Remy raised an eyebrow when he heard 'girl' being mentioned. "Une fille?" he asked.

Logan nodded. "The girl has leukemia, and Alex asked for Chuck's help to cure her. She's a shapeshifter, so she'll be making the contact," he said.

Rogue grimaced. "Ah don't like this. This could be a trick," she said.

"Rogue, it's Alex we're talking about, not Mystique. Besides, just because the girl is a shapeshifter, it doesn't mean she's like Mystique," Kitty said, and the Goth glared at her.

"Herr Logan. Does zat mean ve can ignore our homevork?" Kurt asked with his thick German accent. "Not zat I'm complaining."

"No. As for school, Chuck's handling it at the moment, making sure that Alex and this girl can attend Bayville High without a hitch," Logan said.

"You mean Alex is STAYING?" Kitty asked, not believing it.

"Yeah, Half-Pint, he is," Logan said.

This time Kitty's smiled didn't disappear. Rogue rolled her eyes to her roommate, and Remy gave her a sideway glance. Kurt felt a pang of jealousy about this. Sure, he knew that Alex and Kitty were nothing more than friends, but somehow the lanky boy always managed to put a smile on Kitty's face.

"Well, if that's settled than, you can go about your business, kids. We'll leave at 7:30 pm tomorrow," Logan said, and headed upstairs.

"Well, dis should be interestin', ne conviendriez-vous pas?" Remy asked Rogue, who was still scowling.

"It's not that Ah wouldn't like the girl, it's just that Ah don't know her," she said.

Remy shrugged. "Like Remy said, he doesn't know who Alex is, but he has heard dat he is a bon type, and dat he isn't a gullible person," he said.

Raising an eyebrow, Rogue looked at Remy. "Ah know Alex, and Ah know that. It's just...Ah have reservations ta shapeshifters, that's all," she said.

"'Cause of Mystique?" Remy asked. By now they were the only ones in the lobby, Kurt was going back to living room to finish his talk with Bobby, and Kitty was going to her room to figure out what to wear tomorrow. It is winter in Bayville, and they were going to desert.

Rogue nodded. "She's a manipulator, Remy, and a good one at that. She messed with mah head more than once, and Ah'll never forgive her for that," she said.

"Well, t'ink about it from dis point, chère. You don't know de fille, and you're already judgin' her, just from her powers. Remy t'inks that you should talk to her about dis, just givin' you a piece of my mind," Remy suggested.

Rogue gave an incredulous glance to Remy. "Ah'll think about it," she said, and went back to finish her game of pool.

Remy shook his head. ["Dat fille has issues, Remy knows it. He just wish he could help,"] he thought, he then grabbed his trench coat from the coat-rack and walked outside, fishing a cigarette out of his pocket and lighting it up with his powers. The tip of the cigarette glowed with a faint, pink light, and it lit the cigarette. It was snowing slightly, but the ground was already well covered with snow. Once outside, he took a drag from the cigarette. One of Xavier's rules was 'no smoking inside the mansion', and Remy was just fine with that rule. It gave him time to think, especially about this new girl. His thoughts were interrupted when a car full of jocks drove by the mansion, shouting 'Freaks!!!'. Remy glared at the disappearing car, his eyes flashing dangerously from their red color. ["Imbéciles!"] he thought angrily. When he was done with his cigarette, he charged the remains and tossed it away, the cigarette butt exploding like a firecracker. Then, he decided to take a walk through the mansion grounds, savoring the serenity of the night. He stopped his walk briefly when he saw Logan drive away with his Harley. Remy shrugged and continued his stroll.

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

Meanwhile, back in Roswell, New Mexico.

Alex came out of the connection. Well, it was settled. They would come here tomorrow. The only problem would be to make sure the Pod Squad didn't get wind of this. If the 4 aliens were to see his mutant friends, they would immediately get suspicious, or even worse, they would think that they're Skins. It was a nuisance, to say the least, but Alex could easily work his way around it, he hoped. He knew that if Isabel suspected anything, she would dream-walk him, and fish the information out. If she didn't, then Max or Michael would ask her to do it. Alex smirked. To be honest, he was actually hoping that she would do it. During last year's heat wave, he knew she had 'walked' in one of his dreams about Isabel. He hadn't interfered, or kicked her out, because he had been surprised by her presence there. Now though, when he knew the truth about her, it would be a treat to see her shocked face when he would be waiting for her. He would gladly tell her about his status as a mutant, but he would not say anything about Liz. Not the fact that she was a mutant, or what she was going through at the moment. Isabel had no right to ask that type of information, not with the way she was treating Liz. Alex could make an exception if Isabel truly regretted her behavior, but she was always so protective of Max, and the way Liz had stomped on his heart didn't earn her points in 'Ice Princess's' book.

Alex got up and made his way to the guestroom, to tell Liz about the tomorrow's meeting with the fellow mutants. He knocked on the door, knowing all too well that he couldn't just barge into a room which was occupied by a girl. Unless he wanted to get beaten up with a pillow, or in Liz's case, get another eyefull of Isabel in a skimpy outfit.

"Come in," he heard Liz say, and Alex entered the room. He saw Liz standing in front of the window, looking outside. She was thinking about her parents, that much was obvious, but she was also thinking about the others.

"I had a 'talk' with Uncle Charles. A group of friends should come by tomorrow, and take us to Bayville," Alex said.

Liz turned to face him. "What about school?" she asked.

"Uncle is taking care of that. We both can attend Bayville High without too much problems," Alex said.

Liz looked at Alex with wide eyes. "You're coming with me?" she asked incredulously.

"Hey, you asked for my help, and that's what I'm going to do. I don't care what the others will think about it, because they have no right to treat you the way they do, and don't even try to think that they have the right," Alex said, frowning. "Still, I'd like to know why you did it in the first place."

Liz sighed, and turned away. "I...I can't tell you," she said.

"Okay, I'm not gonna push, but you have to tell me at some point," Alex said. "Anyway, we should meet Uncle Charles' 'escorts' at 5 pm at the Crashdown."

Liz looked at him in shock. "Don't you think that's a bit risky? I mean, Max and the others are paranoid of strangers as it is, aren't they going to..." Liz said, but Alex stopped her rant.

"Liz, don't worry. You'll make the first move, not them. Of course you would have to shapeshift to a different form, just to make sure that our alien quartet doesn't get the wrong idea," Alex said.

Liz nodded. "Okay, I can do that," she said, but was silent for a while. Alex's brow furrowed. Suddenly he couldn't pick up any stray thoughts from her. It was like she had deliberately created a wall around her mind or something. Liz noticed Alex's confused look, and smiled. "Sorry, I was just trying something."

Alex raised an eyebrow. "What?" he asked.

Liz tugged a stray hair behind her ear. "I was just testing to see if I could think something without you being aware of it. Apparently it worked," she said.

Alex blinked. "You could do that?" he asked.

Liz shrugged. "Well, ever since Tess came into our lives, I never felt comfortable near her because of her 'mind warping' powers. That's why I started practicing, to keep her out of my head. Apparently it works for you too," she said.

"Well, I'm surprised, but also glad that I won't be picking up TOO much stray thoughts from you," he said with a smile, but groaned when the phone rang again. "You just stay here, I'll get it," he said and left the room.

Liz turned her attention back to the scene outside. Things looked so normal, but she knew from her experience that looks could be deceiving. She remembered what happened in New York, and what was going on at the moment. Some huge robot had started trashing around in the warehouse district, and some mutants who had been fighting against the thing, were later identified as students at Bayville High, who also attended Xavier's Institute for the Gifted. If she went with Alex and the other mutants, would the people at school give her the cold shoulder because of what she was? No, they couldn't possibly know she was a mutant, but if she stayed in the mansion where Alex's uncle and apparently the other mutants lived, then the students at Bayville High would speculate that she was one as well. ["Well,"] she thought, shrugging. ["I don't think they'll treat me differently than folks around here."]

In the living room, Alex picked up the phone. "Whitman's," he said.

"This is Max," the voice on the phone said.

Alex rolled his eyes. "What do YOU want, 'Oh Fearless Leader'?" Alex asked with a mocking tone.

"We're having a meeting at Michael's place at 8 pm. Be there," Max said.

Alex shook his head. "Sorry, 'Max', but I'm busy. You're just going to have the meeting without me," he said.

There was some mumbling at the other end, and Alex frowned. Apparently Max was talking with someone, and didn't want him to hear. Well, that wouldn't work, buddy. Alex extended his awareness, trying to find Max. He was at home, and judging by the mixed emotions, he wasn't alone. ["Ah, Isabel is having a 'talk' with Max,"] he thought, and was pulled back to present when Isabel's voice came on the phone.

"Alex, it's Isabel. What's wrong?" she asked.

Alex frowned. "Why? I'm busy, that's it, Isabel. Besides, even if I WEREN'T busy, I'm not in the mood to hear crap from our self-appointed leader," he said.

"Alex, the meeting is about Liz. She's missing, in case you haven't realized," Isabel said sternly.

"I know, Maria called me," Alex said. "Besides, why aren't holding the meeting somewhere else. I somehow don't think Michael likes it when you constantly use his apartment without consulting him." Actually, Alex KNEW that Michael hated it that they kept waltzing in and out of his home unannounced.

"Look, I know you're angry with us because of the way we treat Liz," Isabel said, and Alex's mind screamed 'Understatement!!' to that. "But now she's gone, and her mother didn't tell Maria anything beside the fact that she was kicked out. Would you just come to the meeting and help up sort this out?"

Alex groaned. He always had a hard time saying 'no' to Isabel, and this was no exception. "Alright, I'll be there. Just so you know, that if Max starts to act like a brat, I'll walk," he said.

"Fair enough," Isabel said, and Alex could hear Max's protests in the backround. Alex snorted, and hung up the phone.

"Was it Max?" Liz asked.

Alex wasn't exactly surprised to hear her voice. "Yea. There's going to be a meeting at 8 pm. I didn't want to go, but..."

"Isabel asked you to," Liz finished, and Alex nodded sourly. "It's okay. You can go."

Alex looked at Liz. "Are you sure?" he asked, worried about her. The sudden jolts of pain weren't exactly a cakewalk for her.

Liz nodded. "I'll be fine. I'll just go and pick up my painkillers at the drugstore, and then I'll come back," she said, and made her way to the door.

"Umm...are you sure you should go by yourself?" Alex asked.

Liz gave him a smile, and morphed into the male form she had used to get here from the café. Alex just looked at her in astonishment.

"I think I can handle it," Liz said, and with that, she left the house. Alex shook his head, and went to his room. He should at least finish some of his homework before going to the meeting. Not that it would matter after tomorrow, but he STILL had to go to school for one day.

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

Michael's apartment, 8:12 pm

Alex knocked on Michael's front door, knowing that he was late, but he couldn't care less what the others would think. He stopped caring the minute they all turned their backs on Liz, but he still held some hope that Maria would get over her resentment. She was being petty, and Alex knew that she knew that now. Michael opened the door, grumbling obscenities under his breath. If the resentment in Michael's voice wasn't good indication, the anger that was pouring off of him was more than enough to tell Alex that he wasn't happy about this. Alex shrugged his shoulders, and stepped inside, closing the door behind him.

Everyone was there, with the exception of Liz, of course. Surprisingly, Sheriff Valenti was there as well, along with Kyle. He wasn't exactly comfortable about being there, not with Max glaring daggers at him. Maria on the other hand...was hysterical. Michael's scowl had disappeared and he was trying to soothe Maria to calm down, but not succeeding. Alex gave a brief glance to Kyle, and realized that he was worried about Liz as well. ["Well, from him, that isn't a big surprise, but Maria...well, she turned her head rather quickly,"] Alex thought, trying to tone down the intense emotions and rantings that were practically shooting from Maria's head. There were so many mixed emotions running inside the room that Alex had a hard time coping with all of them, but he managed. Besides Maria and Kyle, Michael and Jim were also worried about Liz's wellbeing, and Isabel was slightly worried as well. Tess, surprisingly, was worried too, and Alex pondered about it for a moment. Max...well, there was anger, that's for sure, but because of what, Alex couldn't figure out. Too messed up to interpret. The fact that he was an alien didn't interfere with Alex's mental abilities, but he knew that he had gotten used to the way their minds worked. Alex also tried to keep his gaze away from Isabel, knowing that the image of her in a red thong and matching bra would just pop in his head if he just glanced at her. Also, he knew that Isabel would find it odd if he stared at her, but she would also wonder why he wasn't looking at her. ["Well, Whitman, you choose the lesser of two evil and that's avoiding your gaze,"] Alex thought.

"Where's Liz?" Max asked, surprising Alex from his thoughts.

"Excuse me?" Alex said, not understanding the question.

"You heard me, where is she?" Max demanded, shoving his face in Alex's.

Now Alex realized what was going on. Max's stray thoughts gave it away. They had already talked about the possible locations where Liz would have went, and now they thought that she was with him. Well, not a bad deduction, but he wasn't going to tell them. "How should I know? I haven't seen her anymore than the rest of you. Besides, I don't exactly blame her for disappearing from the face of the earth," Alex growled, pushing Max back with his own glare, taking full advantage of his height over Max.

"What are you talking about, Whitman?" Michael asked.

Alex didn't hear him, he was too busy having a staring contest with Max. Isabel had enough and she separated the two boys. "Okay, that's enough, you two. Max, Alex said that he didn't know Liz's whereabouts, so back off. And Alex, what did you mean by what you said?" Isabel said to her brother, then turned to face Alex.

"Don't act so innocent, Isabel. You turned all 'Ice Princess' on her when Max got a nasty fall. You all, with the exception of Kyle and me, started treating her like crap, even after everything she has done for you. And you ask me why I said that I wasn't surprised when she disappeared after she got kicked out of her house? Don't make me laugh," Alex said, and turned his back to all of them.

"Alex, she's sick, for God's sake! I mean, I know we treated her badly, but this is serious," Maria said.

Alex had to will himself to remain impassive to Maria's pleading voice, along with his incessant worry about Liz. Maria still cared about Liz, but she wasn't ready to hear the truth. Alex slowly turned to look at Maria. "I know that, Maria, but I haven't heard from her," he said, and Maria started crying, with Michael trying to sooth her. Considering the mental state Maria was in at the moment, Alex came to the conclusion that he shouldn't tell her yet that he was leaving. Besides, they all would find out tomorrow at school.

"Well, does any of you have any idea where she might have gone?" Jim asked. He had heard the rumor, and he didn't like it, but he was ready to put it aside for now. "Because, I'm only able to start looking for her if she's been missing for 24 hours, AND if anyone reports her missing."

"I'll stop by at the sheriff's office and file a report, Jim," Max said, and Alex had to grimace at what he was feeling from him. The anger was still there, but Alex could also pick up worry for Liz as well, but one thing was shining through without a doubt, the need to find out the truth. Suddenly a stray thought hit him like a bullet. It was from Kyle, and Alex gave him a quick glance. ["Liz didn't sleep with him? It was staged! But why?"] Alex thought.

Tess didn't exactly care about what was going on, but she was slightly worried as well. Liz had disappeared, and the fact that Whittaker had been a Skin led her to believe there was a possibility that Liz might have been kidnapped. Then she inwardly shook her head to the idea. If anything, Liz was, for a human, intelligent enough to not get kidnapped. That is if the kidnapper wasn't a shapeshifter. Besides, Tess had no idea why Liz had actually done something that would guarantee that she would be with Max. That was something she hoped to find out eventually. Then she focused on Alex. Yes, he was right. They all had treated Liz badly, but Tess had wanted to thank Liz for what she had done. Tess knew that Max would flip if he ever found that out. Tess suddenly narrowed her gaze on Alex, and focused. It might have been her paranoia, but the way Alex kept defending Liz suggested that he knew something. She tried to enter his mind, but was unable to gain access. That was another thing that surprised her. Of all the people present, Alex was someone she couldn't read, or even mind warp. Her power to mind warp worked in a similar manner as telepathy. She was able to enter someone's mind, and find something that she could use to create the warp. It was a lot easier to use existing thoughts and fears to create the warp, than to create something out of thin air. The others were talking around her, but she didn't hear them. She tried to force her way into Alex's mind. Nasedo had mentioned that there was a small amount of people that she couldn't influence, but Tess was determined to find out what Alex knew. This was a challenge, a challenge she intended to win. Suddenly Alex narrowed his gaze on Tess, and to her it felt like she was being kicked straight in the face. She flinched, and noticed that Kyle was staring at her with a worried expression. Tess didn't need to use her powers to know what he was thinking. He was worried about her, and Tess was grateful for it, but her destiny was with Max. Tess gave a careful glance to Alex, and saw that he was glaring at her. ["Great, he felt it, but how was he able to resist? He's not one of us, that's for sure,"] Tess thought. ["Maybe he is something else entirely?"]

["You have no idea how right you are, Tess,"] Alex thought bitterly. He had felt it almost immediately when Tess had tried to get into his mind. He smirked inwardly. Close proximity with Uncle Charles had allowed Alex to hone his mental defenses to a level where only Charles was able to read his mind, and that was when Alex allowed it. Sure, he wasn't as skilled or as strong as Charles, but in defensive powers, he was slightly better. Alex suddenly felt a tap on his shoulder, and noticed that Michael was next to him.

"I need to talk with you," he whispered, and Alex glanced at the others. Max was talking about how he was worried about Liz, but Isabel and Maria kept saying how he wanted her around to have her under his thumb to find out why she had slept with Kyle. Alex nodded to Michael, and they backed away to the front door. "Alex, I never wanted to ignore Liz, but...Maria was hurt that she didn't tell her anything and Max..."

"Save it, Michael. I suspected something like that, but I honestly don't know where Liz is," Alex insisted.

Michael nodded, but he had actually hoped that Alex did know where Liz was. He glanced at Max, and scowled. "I don't know why she did what she did, but I have a feeling that it didn't do squat. He still thinks about Liz," he said. Alex nodded in agreement.

After listening to Max's rant, Alex had enough. "Look, I'm going home. I am of no use here," Alex said, and started to open the door.

"Where do you think you're going?" Max demanded.

Alex didn't even bother to turn around. "Home. This is pointless, and somewhere in that thick skull of yours you realize that too," he said.

"No one leaves until we settle this," Max said.

Alex turned around, exasperated. "Settle what?! That Liz is gone? Newsflash, Max, we ALL know that! I'm just as worried as the rest of you, maybe even more so, but we are not going to get anything solved if we just hang here and hear you ranting about it. So shut up and go home, Max. Or better yet, why don't you go walking around the streets and try to find her? That would be a LOT more constructive than what you are doing at the moment," Alex said with distain, and opened the door. It was slammed shut suddenly, and Alex knew who it was.

"No one leaves unless I say so," Max said, his hand extended.

Alex clenched his teeth and willed himself to NOT lash out mentally at him. Max wouldn't be able to take it if Alex decided to send a mental bolt right into his head. In the mental state Alex was at the moment, it would knock Max's lights out for at least 2 days, and that was the best case scenario. In the worst situation, he could severely damage Max's brain synapses, effectively frying his brain, thus rendering him comatose or even kill him. "Yeah, well here's another newsflash, Max. You're not my leader. You never were," he said.

"Alex..." Isabel said, but Alex shushed her.

"No, I'm sick and tired of hearing this crap. He may have been a King on your home planet, Isabel, and he may be your leader," Alex said, gesturing the 3 aliens, "but he sure as hell ain't OUR leader," and gestured himself and the rest of the humans.

There was silence. No one had ever seen Alex go ballistic like that, and they could easily feel the anger that was boiling underneath, just ready to explode at the slightest offensive word. Alex shook his head, opened the door and practically slammed it shut. "Hey, be easy on the door, Alex," Michael shouted indignantly, but inside he agreed with him. The humans had no duty to follow any orders Max would throw at them. Maybe it was just something they were all accustomed to, because he had been the one making the decisions. He saw Isabel glaring at Max, and she also left the house, but spared the door from any further abuse. ["Probably going to try to talk some sense into Alex or just voicing her own opinion about this,"] Michael thought. Jim, Kyle and Tess started to make their way back home as well, but Jim promised to keep an eye on for Liz when he would be on patrol tonight. Maria stood up and gave a quick peck to Michael's cheek, and a menacing glare to Max. Then Maria left with a huff and 'almost' slammed the door. Now only Michael and Max were left at the house, and Michael gave a curious glance to Max. "You okay, Max?" he asked, but there was a slight edge to his voice.

"I'm fine," he muttered, and then started to leave, not even acknowledging Michael's presence. Michael shook his head. It wasn't exactly anything new, considering the way he kept walking around like a zombie for the past 4 days.

"You DO realize that Alex was right, Max," Michael said, which stopped the 'wannabe-King' in his tracks. ["Yep, that struck a nerve,"] Michael thought. Max however, didn't say anything and just left. Michael rolled his eyes and slumped on his sofa, turning the TV on. He had been watching a hockey game when Max and Isabel barged in like they always did. One of the reason he had wanted his own place was to have some privacy, but no, those two acted like this was their home. In some way it was, but it wouldn't kill them to knock. ["Great, the Rangers got 2 goals while we were having a 'meeting' about Liz,"] Michael thought bitterly, and went to get some Coke from the sparsely filled fridge, spiced up with Tabasco, of course. When he finally managed to sit down, there was a knock on the door. Michael grimaced in exasperation. ["What the hell is it NOW?"] he thought. It couldn't possibly be Max, because he never bothered to knock. Alex and the other humans, beside Maria, tended to knock before they entered, much to Michael's relief. When he opened the door, a person he LEAST expected to see was standing there.

"Hello, Michael. Can I come in?" Liz asked.

TBC...

Translations:
- mon homme = my man or man. (Something like that.)
- Une fille? = A girl? (From this I'm 100% sure.)
- herr = mister (in this case, it's usually gentleman.)
- ne conviendriez-vous pas? = wouldn't you agree?
- bon type = good guy (in this case.)
- chère = darling or precious (somewhere on those romantic lines in this case.)
- fille = girl
- Imbéciles! = Idiots (in this case. It fits, right?)

Hola, my wonderful readers . The new and the old. I'm back!! For the time being, anyway. Anyway, special thanks to Calinia (x2), Anya, Liz Parker Evans, Sternbetrachter, ezriboots, panthergirl2002, cglenn, KEmperor, creative nickname (x2), Lady_without_a_clue, angeleyes, Roswell Slayer and lyndy1. Extra thanks to NScotian from beta-work.

Ok, let's jump straight to feedback and reviews, shall we? Let's see...

Calinia First FB: Hey!! 'Shattered Images' does NOT have that long parts!! In comparison to 'CoE' and 'DAA', they are rather SHORT. Yeah, that's right. I've been kicking myself to the arse 'cause I haven't been able to write them longer, but apparently I don't have to worry about that little detail that much. Thanks for telling me.

And hey...the more detailed the FB, the more detailed the answer I give. It's easier to answer when you know what the reader wants to know.

Well...there won't be that much from Kyle as for now. Liz might give him a call or something, but we will see him on occasions. Hey, I have no intentions to forget him completely. I know how much you love the guy.

Second FB (the real deal ): Okay, this story isn't related to X-Men comics, nor the 2 movies. This is related to a cartoon series, called X-Men: Evolution. Now, you don't have to worry about being in the dark, 'cause I do plan to tell all about the characters in due time. So that is pretty much covered.

Gee...thanks. I don't really know what to say to that.

Well...I had you to help out in that, now didn't I?

Yes, we'll DEFINITELY see that happening. That's a promise.

Yes, Liz will change her mind, after Alex tells her what he found out during the meeting. What could she say then? Lie? I don't think so, and even if Liz would be able to hide her thoughts from him now, Alex still will be able to feel her emotions. That way...he will know if she lies.

I'll explain that little trick later...after I can find enough techno-babble from my brain to do so.

No, I don't think you did...or maybe you did. Either way, I don't mind.

Not getting there at the moment. Besides, what did you expect? Alex has developed a lot of psychic shields in his head, trying to keep peoples thoughts away from his head. He still hears them, but not by directly reading their minds. Besides, Tess is WAY below in mental prowess than Alex is, so she has little chance to get inside his head unless he allows it.

I'm more than happy that you liked it. As for Alex's decision to remain quiet...let's just say he didn't trust any of them with the information. And in this part you'll know why.

Hey, Michael never liked it when Max made the decisions, and even when Max DID, Michael rarely listened. Now...one of their human allies tells them that Max is has no right to lead them, and Michael does agree in that. Truth be told...I don't think he ever really liked to be bossed around either.

That question...will be answered in this part.

Anya Thank you very much. And hey, Tess was bound to be curious why Liz did what she did. I know she seemed rather non-chalant about it when they went to Copper Summit, but seriously, she couldn't have been that fixated on Max to ignore it. As for Michael and Liz...well, here it is...

Liz Parker Evans Thanks. And Liz will talk with Michael...

Sternbetrachter Thank you, Trude.

Yeah, I agree with you in that full heartily.

Yeah, it would be. For more than particular reason, am I right? ('CYN' ring a bell?)

Ok, about Alex's powers...they are passive, but by choice, not from genetics. And WOAH!? Where did you get that idea? I said that Alex could kill Max if he lashed out. Oh, anyway...Alex, when he trained his powers with his uncle, focused on his mental defences and to keep peoples thoughts out from his head. He also knows some other tricks of passive nature, but he has neglected the offensive side of his powers. You noticed how Tess reacted when Alex, in his opinion, gave a small mental slap? Well...think what would happen if Alex would decide to give a BIG mental punch.

Oh, Kurt is mainly jealous about Alex in a 'best friend' type of way, so he doesn't have that big reason to resent Alex. But...that doesn't mean that Isabel would become REALLY jealous when he sees them.

Ok... a) You'll find out now. b) That will be seen later. c) That will be seen later.

ezriboots Gee, I feel so special. Why is that? And no, Alex didn't mentally kick Tess to the face. It was supposed to be a slap, but...since Alex lacks training in mental bolts...he doesn't know how the other end feels. And EVERYONE wants to know what Liz is doing at Michael's! I think I now will ignore that particular question.

panthergirl2002, cglenn Thanks from the praises.

KEmperor Hey, that's good to know. Thanks, man. About Alex mind-blasting Max...let's see what we can do about it .

creative nickname First FB: Wow!! A new reader. And thanks from the praises, they just keep boosting my ego...too much. Fortunately I have a way that will prevent me from getting too carried away.

Second FB: Well, you're about to find out what Liz will talk with Michael. So...you want something to laugh about when the X-Men show up to the café? *gears grinding* I think I can think about something.

Lady_without_a_clue Well...it is draining, but not that much if she keeps it in certain limits. For instance, when she morphed into Isabel, she wasn't into that form too long. The only form that is draining her at the moment is that unknown male she's been using to walk around the town. Liz always rest a few minutes when she drops that morph, just to make sure she doesn't kill herself from the exhaustion.

angeleyes Thank you. *a humble bow*

Roswell Slayer Thanks. And yes, Max is behaving like an ass. And I was more than delighted to allow Alex to set him straight.

lyndy1 Hey, glad to see you. And the rumor Jim heard was about the 'Liz sleeping with Kyle', so there.

Well...there was the reviews. Now, onward with part 5. Enjoy.

Title: "Shattered Images"
Author: Bored to Mundane life
Disclaimer: I don't own Roswell or X-Men : Evolution. I'm just borrowing them for this. But if it HAS to be necessary, I promise that I won't damage any of them too badly.
Summary: Things are going from bad to worse. Liz supposedly slept with Kyle, to prevent the the end of the world Future Max told her about. Now no one except Kyle and Alex are talking to her now. If things weren't bad enough already, Liz suddenly gets abnormal pains. When she lost consciousness from a really intense moment of pain, she seeks help from a doctor, and discovers that she's terminally ill. Now Liz must race against time to find the cure, but with little to no allies at disposal, can she survive through this before her time runs out?
Category: Crossover with X-Men : Evolution, with reasonable additions from me.
Pairing: Roswell: Mi/L, Ma/Ma, the rest is CC. X-Men: Remy/Rogue, Scott/Jean, no clue from the rest. (But I do now.)
Rating: PG-13, possibly R at some point
Feedback: I don't think I have to tell you how important FB is, now do I?

["*"] indicates thoughts.
-"*"- indicates telepathical communication.

Part 5

Liz was slightly worried at Michael's expression. He was just standing there, his eyes set on hers. She went to the pharmacy and got her painkillers without a hitch. Then she made a quick trip home, grabbing a sweater and a jacket, just in case. Hey, going to Bayville, she will need something warm to wear, because it was a LOT colder on the East Coast than it was here in November. Fortunately Jeff hadn't returned home yet, and Liz didn't want to bother Nancy when she tried to keep the café running. Truth be told, she had no idea what she was doing here, but...she KNEW that she needed to talk to SOMEONE besides Alex, and Michael was the first person to pop into her head. Maybe it was because he was living alone, or that he knew her better than anyone, even Alex. Sure, Alex was a telepath, but even he didn't know that much about her. Put into perspective, Michael didn't know Liz was a mutant, because she never wrote it down in her journal. Something was telling her that she could trust Michael with this. Her disease, her status as a mutant. She just hoped that he would be able to keep it a secret. She wasn't ready to tell the others.

"Michael?" Liz said tentatively.

Michael blinked, as if really seeing her standing there only now. "Liz?" he asked in disbelief.

Liz gave a small smile to Michael. "Yeah, it's me, Michael," she said.

Then something happened that Liz would have never expected to happen. Michael hugged her. Michael always had an impassive expression in his face, trying to keep the stonewall image. Liz knew it was a facade, just like her 'human' appearance was at the moment. But she never expected Michael to drop that facade so suddenly.

Liz's shock started to wear out from Michael's sudden show of emotion. "Umm...Michael, I'm here, really. Could you let go of me?" she said.

Michael pulled back, took a good look at her, and pulled her inside. "Okay, Liz. You wait here while I go get Maxwell, and we can sort this whole thing out," he said, practically running to the door. Actually, he briefly considered getting Maria, but then thought that Maxwell was a better idea.

"NO!" Liz suddenly yelled, and Michael stopped dead in his tracks.

["Did she just say 'no'?"] Michael thought incredulously, and turned to look at Liz.

"I came here to talk to you, not Max," Liz said firmly.

["Okay, maybe getting Max here wasn't such a good idea. Maybe I should get Maria instead,"] Michael thought.

As if knowing what Michael was thinking, Liz shook her head. "I just want to talk to YOU, Michael," she said.

Michael was confused. Liz wanted to talk to him ONLY, not Max, Maria or anyone else. Just him. "Liz, Maria is really worried about you. If you'd just wait few minutes, I'm sure..." Michael said, but Liz cut him off.

"Listen to me, Michael. I came here to talk to YOU, because for the past 4 days everyone, besides Alex and Kyle, has treated me like crap, and at some level I deserve that," Liz said.

"No, that is not true, Liz. I never wanted to stay away from you, but the way Maria started acting up, and Max gave the order, I didn't have much to do about it," he said.

Liz gave a small smile to Michael. "I know, Michael. That is one of the reasons I came to talk to you. Maria would go into interrogation mode about me and Kyle, and Max would keep demanding the truth from me," she said.

Michael scratched the back of his head. "Liz, I'm also curious why to you slept with Kyle, but I can brush that aside. We are ALL concerned for you, and you know why," he said.

Liz took a deep breath, and sighed. "I can tell you about that, but I...I can't tell you about Kyle," she said.

Michael raised his hands in a 'I surrender' way. "Okay, I can live with that. But seriously, what is going on? What did the doctor say? And WHY did Jeff kick you out?" he asked.

"Michael, I think you should sit down for this," Liz said.

"Liz, I'm Michael 'Stonewall' Guerin. Nothing shocks me," he said.

["Why do I find that hard to believe?"] Liz thought bitterly, and for the first time in her life, she decided to be blunt. "I'm dying," she said.

Michael blinked. ["Okay, what?"] he thought. He shook his head. "What?" he asked incredulously. "I don't think I heard you right."

Liz looked Michael in the eyes. "Michael, I'm dying," she said, this time a bit slower.

Michael looked at Liz, REALLY looked, and he knew, he knew she wasn't lying. It was in her eyes, the way they bore into his own. But the way she said it, that was a big shock. She said it like it didn't matter. He leaned against the wall, steadying himself, and went through what she had said again. "You're dying?" he asked, still not fully believing it.

"Yes," Liz said evenly, looking at Michael. If the way he leaned against the wall was any indication, he was obviously shocked to hear this.

Michael rubbed his temples, trying to get his brain working. "From what?" Michael asked, still rubbing his temples.

Liz decided to sit on the sofa. It was now easier to talk about this, mainly because she had unloaded her emotional package on Alex. "Leukemia. It'll kill me within 8 months if I don't find a donor for a bone marrow transplant," she said.

Michael looked at her, not believing what he was hearing. 8 months? A donor? They didn't need any of those things. They had Max. "Okay, Liz. I don't know why you haven't thought about this, but we could get Max and he could heal you in..." he said, but Liz suddenly blurted out something he didn't expect to hear.

"He can't help me, Michael! He isn't God!" she yelled.

Michael blinked. What did she mean by that? "How do you know that? I mean, if he can bring you back from the Death's Door, then he definitely can cure this," he said, looking at her incredulously when she shook her head.

"He can't heal this, because if he could, he would have done it when I was shot," Liz said, clutching her jeans.

"What are you talking about?" Michael asked.

Liz looked at him. "Michael, this disease was developing for at least 4 months before I was shot. Max told me how he healed me, that he connected with me to figure out what was wrong. Then he used his powers to fix the damage. When he did that, he SHOULD have been able to see the early stages of Leukemia. I know there's a possibility that he missed it, or he didn't see, but I DO know that there's nothing he can do about this," she said.

"But if there's a chance he didn't see it, how do you know he can't cure it?" Michael asked.

"Because Max can't alter cells. He can use his power to heal cuts, gunshot wounds and possibly even cancer, but he can't fix something that's already there," Liz said.

"What are you talking about? Leukemia is a disease, which, the last time I checked, WAS something Max could fix," Michael said.

Liz shook her head. "Michael, leukemia is a genetic disease. It's encoded in my genetic make-up, and that is something Max can't fix. He CAN fix the damage the leukemia is doing, but he can't cure me permanently. If I go to him for help, my life would be dependent on him, and that's something I can't do," she said. Then her nose started to bleed. "Crap," she muttered, and leaned her head back, pinching the base of her nose.

Michael scratched the back of his head, and walked to her. He knew it was risky, but he knew he could pull it off. Liz gave him a questioning look, and he said, "Trust me." After saying this, he put his hand over Liz's nose, and concentrated. He focused on the bleeding, found the damage and fixed it. He pulled his hand back, and watched how Liz gave him a strange look.

"I didn't know you could heal," she said, tentatively touching her nose.

Michael shrugged. "I can only heal small stuff, like scrapes, small cuts, that sort of thing," he said. "Something I worked on over the summer."

"Did you...did you see anything?" Liz asked, slightly worried and it could be heard in her voice.

Michael shook his head. "No. I didn't need to create a connection, so I didn't exactly see anything. Besides, I didn't touch your skin," he said.

Liz looked at Michael for a moment, then said, "Thank you."

Michael waved her off. "It was nothing," he said. Then he wondered why Liz was worried from at the possibility that he might have seen something. "Liz, what's wrong? Aside from the obvious, that is, and you still didn't tell me why Jeff kicked you out," he asked.

Liz took a deep breath. "Will you promise me you won't freak out?" she asked.

"Hey, I AM the 'Stonewall', remember? I can deal with it," Michael said jokingly, but he wasn't smiling. Neither was Liz.

"Don't make promises you can't keep, Michael. The reason my dad kicked me out is because I'm a mutant," Liz said.

Michael blinked, again caught off guard by Liz. "Say what?" he asked. What was it with Liz and completely uncharacteristic comments today?

"You heard me, Michael. Don't start doubting me now," Liz said.

"Wait, as in mutants that have been yammered about on TV for the past 3 years?" Michael asked, and Liz nodded. "Why didn't you tell us?"

Liz sighed. "Because I was afraid, ok! I mean, it was bad enough that Maria, Alex and Kyle were pulled into the 'Alien Abyss', I couldn't take the risk of being shunned by Maria and Alex, let alone from Kyle. I mean, Maria was only able to deal with you because I was...normal. Well, imagine how she would have reacted if she found out that I was a mutant?" she said.

"How long HAVE you been a mutant?" Michael asked, raising a confused eyebrow. It sounded like she was talking about BEFORE Max had healed her.

"Well, I have been a mutant at least 2 whole years now, which means that I was not normal for at least a year before I got shot," Liz said with a smile.

"So you...you kept THIS information from us until now?" he asked incredulously.

"Well...yeah," Liz admitted.

"Damn," was all Michael could say. Then he realized something. "Ummm...what can you do? I mean, what is your power?" he asked.

Liz bit her lip. Well, she had come this far, why stop here? "I'm a...shapeshifter," she said.

Michael looked at her skeptically. "Like Nasedo?" he asked.

Liz shook her head. "No. Nasedo was only able to shapeshift into other males. Well, at least I think so," she said.

"Actually, that's true, he...was only able to turn into males. But what does that have to do with this? I mean, since you're a girl, you shouldn't be able to turn into anything beside girls," Michael said.

Liz glared at Michael. ["Typical male,"] she thought. "Actually, I can shapechange into ANY form I want, Michael. Here's a demonstration," Liz said, and stood up. Then she focused, changing her form, this time focusing on someone from their inner circle. After a few seconds, instead of Liz, there stood Sheriff Valenti, wearing the same clothes he had during the meeting. Michael gaped at Liz with wide eyes.

"Liz?" he asked, and 'Valenti' nodded.

"Well?" Liz asked, in a very 'Valenti' like voice.

Michael shook his head. "Wow! Ummm...that's impressive," he said.

Liz snorted. "Please. If I had told you this when Pierce kidnapped Max, you could have used me to get him out of there. A liability...yeah, right," she muttered.

Michael rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. She was right. If they had known this then, they would have had less trouble getting Max out of that White Room. No need to go to the morgue and copy the dead agent's fingerprints to replace his own. No need for Nasedo to kill that agent so he could take his place. What ifs and what not. It was in the past now; there was no changing it now. Then a thought occurred to him. If Liz has been keeping her status as a mutant a secret this long, that meant that she had been able to keep the appearance for a whole year before this thing came into their minds when she had to pretend that everything was 'normal'. Besides, there was something else in this. Something she wasn't telling him. "Liz, could you turn back to your normal self?" he asked.

Liz nodded, and morphed back into herself, confused about the way Michael had been silent for a while.

"Is this the real you?" Michael suddenly asked, catching Liz off guard.

"What?" Liz asked, her eyes wide.

"I mean...Nasedo had a...rather 'alien' look to him in his original form. I don't know, maybe it's a long shot but...I was just wondering if 'this'," Michael gestured her appearance, "is a facade as well," he said.

Liz just looked at Michael for a moment. He sometimes surprised her completely, even when she thought she knew him. Well, now he had gone and asked the question that she had expected from Alex. 'Is this the real you?' "Well, Michael, the answer to your question would be 'no'," she said. "This is a mask to make sure that I look...normal."

"Then...what DO you look like?" Michael asked, curious as hell to find out the answer.

Liz didn't answer, she just smiled, and focused. This was something she had perfected in the past 2 years, to keep her 'normal' form 'on'. It had become second skin to her, which was so easy, yet so difficult to remove. She rarely turned into her real form, to her 'unnatural' look. She even slept in her 'normal' form, yet the only time she actually allowed herself to turn into her blue-skinned form was when she showered or bathed at home. Now all she had to do was to remove that mental block that kept her facade on, and let her true form take over. Michael watched in amazement when Liz's features changed. Her skin took a light blue shade, which reminded him of the color of the sky. Her hair turned from its chocolate brown to dark red, reminding him of blood. Her eyes turned from their soft brown to clear yellow. Then it was over. She was standing there, in her true form, and Michael got a distinct feeling that, even though she was wearing her clothes, she felt...naked. Vulnerable. Exposed. And unbelievably beautiful. Michael blinked. ["Wait? Where did THAT come from?"] he thought, suddenly feeling uncomfortably hot.

Liz hugged herself, feeling cold under Michael's analyzing gaze. Michael's assumption was correct, she did feel naked. Michael, aside from her late grandmother, he was now the only...well, person on the entire planet who knew what she really looked like. Liz locked her yellow eyes on Michael's amber ones, and to Michael it seemed like Liz's eyes glowed slightly. Then she saw Michael...blush? ["Did Michael 'Stonewall' Guerin just blush?"] Liz thought incredulously. Yes, he did. "Are you ok?" Liz asked tentatively.

["Well, at least her voice is the same,"] Michael thought, finally realizing that he was blushing, and he did NOT do that. "Yeah, just...um...oh God, you're gonna think I'm crazy if I say this, or worse, a pervert," he said, clamping his hand over his eyes.

Liz raised an eyebrow to this. "Why would I think that?" she asked.

Michael looked at her. "Umm...well...ah hell, I think you're hot," he said, then his cheeks turned redder, and he silently kept cursing himself. He did NOT blush. EVER!

Liz on the other hand, blushed as well, but...due to her 'interesting' skin color, her blush wasn't red or pink, more on the line of light purple. "You can't be serious," she said, feeling embarrassed.

Michael scratched the back of his head, feeling awkward. "Yeah, well...I'm not gonna take that back. You look...beautiful would be a lot more polite answer, but I think I'll stick with 'hot'," he said. "Also, I think we should keep this quiet for a while."

Liz looked at him, surprised that HE was suggesting it when she was the one who should have suggested it. "Well...Alex knows that I'm a shapeshifter, but he hasn't seen this," Liz said, and gestured her light blue form.

"Alex knows?" Michael asked, then smacked his forehead. ["Stating the obvious here, Michael, and I definitely understand now why he was so defensive with Max,"] he thought.

"Yeah, he knows," Liz said, smiling slightly. She wasn't sure if she should tell him about the fact that Alex was a mutant as well, a telepath, no less.

"Anyway, don't worry, Liz. I won't tell. Besides, I agree with you when you said that Maria would freak, and Max...well, his perfect image from you would be shattered completely, and that's an understatement. And I think we should keep Kyle out of the loop as well from this," Michael said.

Liz's brow furrowed. Kyle was someone she had planned on telling as well, that is after she would be healthy again, or when she was on her deathbed. "Why?" she asked.

"Well, knowing Kyle, I think he would ask you to shapechange into porn stars," Michael said, and chuckled to the mental image. Liz on the other hand...she grimaced in distaste.

"Eeeeww," she exclaimed, and shuddered.

"Hey, I don't think it would be THAT bad," he said, but immediately regretted it when Liz's eyes started to glow dangerously from their yellow color, suddenly making Michael nervous.

"Do you want the same treatment I gave to Alex?" Liz growled, her eyes still glowing menacingly.

"And that would be?" Michael asked.

"Well, you know how fixated Alex is about Isabel?" she asked, and Michael nodded. "Well, when he doubted my mutant powers, I morphed into Isabel, wearing nothing but a red thong with matching bra."

["So that's why Alex couldn't really look at Isabel,"] Michael thought. He had seen how Alex had avoided looking at Isabel throughout the meeting, and even when he had answered to Isabel, he still hadn't REALLY looked into her. ["Wait a minute? Into WHOM could Liz possibly shapechange to get me embarrassed? Other than her real form that is."]

Liz was also thinking the same thing. Michael wasn't exactly someone that could be easily be embarrassed, or caught in a really embarrassing position. She could morph into Maria, wearing something really revealing, but there was one problem. Michael and Maria were in a relationship, and Liz had no idea how far they had gone. Still, Maria was rather informative what was happening and what wasn't in their relationship, and Liz was fairly sure that Michael hadn't seen her in anything other than her clothes. Well, Courtney was an exception, her being clad only in a towel when Maria saw Michael in her apartment. "Well, since I'm coming short on ideas, I think I'll let it slide for now," Liz said annoyed, and Michael sighed in relief. "However, that doesn't mean that I wouldn't eventually get to you about that comment."

Michael swallowed, and nodded. Hearing a threat from someone who could shapeshift was never good. True, Liz couldn't inflict him bodily harm, but she could definitely either ruin your reputation or humiliate you in some other way. All she had to do was to take his place for a while, and wreak havoc. Oh, about that. "Umm...what about tomorrow? You are going to show up for school, right?" Michael asked.

"I really don't want to, but I have to stop by to make sure the paper work goes well," Liz said, her eyes downcast.

"Wait, are you leaving?" Michael asked incredulously.

Liz nodded, and gave him a sad smile. "Michael, I can't find help here. Alex and I are going to Bayville, New York," she said.

"You're going to EAST COAST!? With ALEX!?" Michael asked, not believing what he was hearing. Liz's nod kinda forced him to believe. "Why?"

"Alex has an uncle in Bayville, who is a mutant. He might be able to help me find a proper donor for the bone marrow transplant. Alex will be at school tomorrow, but after that...we leave," Liz said.

"For how long?" Michael asked.

Liz was silent for a while. "Until I'm cured...or until I die," she said, a lone tear gliding down her left cheek.

Michael didn't say anything. What could he say? Convince her to go to Max? They'd already talked about it, and Liz didn't want to go. She had said that if she did, then the only way she could survive was because of Max. Michael grimaced. With the way things were going, he wouldn't want that either. Still, Max wouldn't hesitate to help, Michael knew that. Even if Max was acting like a royal class jerk at the moment. He still would want to know the truth about Liz and Kyle, and that might possibly be one of the reasons why Liz was reluctant to rely on his help. Then again, if your whole life was in the hands of one person, would you call it life? Not likely.

"Well, I...I better go. I don't want Alex to freak out when he realizes that I'm not there. Besides, I still need to talk with my mom before I go," Liz said, and started to make her way to the front door, getting ready to morph into a disguise. Her hand was already on the door handle, when Michael gently laid his hand on her shoulder, stopping her for a moment.

"Don't be a stranger anymore, Liz. Call me from time to time," Michael said.

Liz turned to look at Michael, and could clearly see his worry for her. She also could see something else...something she couldn't quite figure out. Liz nodded, and Michael nodded back, and let go. But Liz didn't move. Her brow was furrowed. "Michael? What about Courtney? Are you two...?" she asked, letting the last question hang in the air.

"Together?" he asked, and Liz nodded. Michael snorted, unamused. "She's a Skin, Liz. I've been meaning to talk to Maria and the others about it, but...well, when this whole thing with you started...I didn't find the proper time to do it," he said.

"You should tell her. You should tell them all about this and confront Courtney," Liz said.

Michael nodded. "Yeah, I'll try. I just hope Maria will listen to me," he said.

"She will," Liz said reassuringly, then did something totally uncharacteristic. She gave him a peck on the cheek, confusing the hell out of Michael. He looked at her with wide eyes. "Thanks for listening me," she said, morphed into her male form, and left.

Michael kept staring at the door for a while, and then touched his cheek, where Liz had kissed him. ["What the hell was that?"] he thought. ["Cool it, Guerin. It meant nothing. It was just a show of gratitude. Besides, I think she got me when she morphed into that...guy right in front of me."] Michael shook his head and lied down on his sofa, watching the last 15 minutes of the hockey game. ["Oh, Rangers scored 2 more goals during this little talk with Liz,"] he thought, but couldn't clear his head from Liz's light blue form, her dark red hair and her yellow eyes. It was so surreal, yet so...appealing. He shook his head forcefully, then gave two good slaps across his face. ["What the hell is wrong with you, man?! She's LIZ for crying out loud!"]

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

Not too long after the meeting was over, the streets of Roswell

Alex was walking home, occasionally kicking some pebbles in his anger. Alex rarely lost his temper, but this...this had been the only time in his life when he REALLY wanted to hurt someone. Okay, maybe that was bit of a lie. He had punched Michael to the ground for hurting Maria. He had to bite back a laugh when Michael had said 'Do you have any idea how close to death you were?'. Yeah, right. If Alex had decided to lash at him with his telepathy instead, Michael would have been on the ground, his nose bleeding when Alex would pound his mind on the ground. He hadn't done it. Instead, he went with physical violence. During the meeting, he really wanted to reach into Max's mind, and fry his brain. He would have done that too, but had restrained himself. Then there was Tess. That girl had tried to get in his head, and there was no chance in hell she could do that unless Alex allowed it. He had to give her a small mental slap when her probing got a bit too demanding, which, of course, focused her attention on him. Alex didn't care. Tess had no power over him, even if she put everything she had on her mind warp. Then something caught Alex's mind, and he stopped. He had felt Liz's presence near Michael's apartment, but it was more of an awareness rather than thoughts, and from that, Alex was grateful. He briefly wondered what Liz was doing there, but ignored it. If she wanted to talk to someone, it was up to her. He wasn't her guardian. More like a 'brother'. He was still worried. Then another presence struck into his mind, someone Alex knew a little too well. Isabel. She was following him. Alex continued his walk, but focused his attention on Isabel. Judging by the myriad of thoughts, she had 2 reasons to follow him. One, to find out why he hadn't looked at her. Two, to apologize. That stopped Alex, and he waited. He waited for a while, but nothing happened. Isabel was still there, watching him. Obviously confused, probably because he had decided to stop. Alex kept waiting. He didn't call her out, as much as he wanted to. No, she had to come to him. He was tired of being next to her when she wouldn't acknowledge his presence. Besides, she knew how he felt for her. Did she HAVE to just rub it in when she kept flirting with that...Grant...whatever geologist guy. But...he knew what kind of effect his presence had on Isabel, even if she was drastically unaware of his awareness. She did care about him, but couldn't force herself to go with it. Too dangerous to poor Alex. ["Hardly. You wouldn't have needed Tess to distract the guards when you had a telepath in your arsenal,"] Alex thought, and heard footsteps. She was coming to him, and Alex had to smirk at that. ["The tables are turned..."] he thought, but also got wind of why she was coming to him. She had been hesitant first, but then the 'Ice Princess' had slipped in, taking over. Alex inwardly shook his head. Isabel couldn't intimidate him even if she wanted to, and her threats about really disturbing dreams didn't bother Alex. "Took you long enough," Alex said suddenly, startling Isabel. Now Isabel was wondering how he knew she was there.

"How did you know I was following you?" Isabel asked, clearly surprised that he had spotted her.

Alex turned to look at her, his grin never leaving his face. "Easily. You walk so fast that I would have to be deaf NOT to hear your footsteps," Alex joked, knowing all too well the consequences of joking with Isabel 'Ice Princess' Evans.

Isabel glared at Alex, but didn't comment. She hadn't made a single sound when she had followed him, and he hadn't exactly made it hard for her. Which meant that either he had nothing to hide, or he did have but he didn't show it. Isabel had suspected that Alex did know where Liz was, but...now when she was spotted, she couldn't exactly follow him anymore.

"Why were you following me?" Alex asked, but Isabel's thoughts gave it away already.

Isabel hesitated. "I followed you because I thought you might know where Liz is," she said.

Alex shook his head. "Isabel, even if I knew where Liz is, I wouldn't tell you," he said, and started to walk away. Isabel looked shocked, to say the least.

"Don't you care about her at all?" Isabel asked, which stopped Alex dead in his tracks. He quickly turned to face her, and Isabel shivered from the glare he sent her.

"*I* don't care about her?!" he asked indignantly. "I care about her more than the rest of you backstabbers! The only one who cares about Liz as much as I do is Kyle, and you treat him with equal hatred as you do Liz!"

"Alex...she's sick," Isabel said.

"I KNOW SHE'S SICK, DAMN IT!!" Alex yelled, startling Isabel.

"If you know where she is, then tell us. Max could help her," Isabel said, and Alex snorted to this.

"I don't think so, Isabel. Liz is sick with leukemia, and that is something Max can't cure," Alex said. Liz had told him that much, but she hadn't mentioned about the Max part. He had figured that part during the meeting. He knew what Max could do, and also knew what he couldn't do. Most of it was Liz's speculation, assumptions made by her intelligent mind and observations.

"What are you talking about? Of course Max can cure this," Isabel said.

Alex shook his head. "You and I both know that Max can't cure something that's already there. Leukemia is a genetic disease, Isabel. That little gene inside her decided to kick in gear and give Liz leukemia, and Max can't cure that. The only thing that'll cure Liz is a bone marrow transplant," he said.

Isabel didn't know what to say. Everything Alex had said made sense. "Well..." she started, but hesitated. "Do you know where Liz is?" she finally asked.

Alex nodded. "Yes," he said.

"Could you take me to her? I... *sigh* I need to apologize to her," Isabel said, her eyes downcast.

"I can tell her that myself. You haven't earned the right to speak to her," Alex said, and then started to leave. Then he suddenly stopped. "Oh, Isabel. After tomorrow, I will be gone with Liz."

Isabel was bewildered. "What?"

"We're going to see my uncle, who might be able to help Liz to find a donor for the bone marrow transplant. I'll tell Maria tomorrow, but I have a feeling you'll inform her before me," Alex said, and continued his walk.

"You're just going to leave? Just like that?" Isabel asked, her eyes wide.

Alex stopped, turned and nodded his head.

"You can't," Isabel said.

"And why not?" Alex asked, raising his eyebrow.

"Because...because of the Skins," Isabel said.

Alex shook his head. "They aren't after me, Isabel. And even if they'd try to use me to get to you, trust me on this one. I can take care of myself," he said and continued to walk away.

"You're HUMAN, Alex. You wouldn't stand a chance against the Skins!" Isabel yelled after him.

Alex stopped. He didn't even bother to turn around. -"I'm more than just a human, Isabel. Much more. If I were you, I'd keep my eyes open around Courtney. She's something more than meets the eyes, just like me,"- Alex telepathically said to Isabel, and continued to walk away, leaving very confused and bewildered Isabel behind.

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

Parker household, 8:34 p.m., kitchen

Nancy Parker took a sip from her coffee and sighed. It was hard to take care of the café, but it was mostly because of not doing anything for so long. Jeff was the one who took care of the café and made sure that the employees did their work. Now that job had fallen to Nancy, and after a few hiccups, she got the hang of it. Nancy shook her head. Jeff still hadn't come back from...who knows where. Liz had stopped by, leaving a note that she had fetched her painkillers and picked up some warm clothes, just in case. Liz had promised to stop by tomorrow, to talk.

Nancy's thoughts were cut short when she heard the door to the café open. Nancy saw Jeff walk inside, still wearing the scowl on his face. Nancy put her cup away and walked over to him, crossing her arms over her chest. "Where have you been?" she asked, her annoyance could be heard in her voice.

"That doesn't concern you, Nancy," Jeff said, shrugging off his jacket.

"You were drinking, weren't you," Nancy said. It was a statement, not a question.

"So what if I was? It doesn't change anything," Jeff said, heading to the kitchen.

"How could you do that to Liz!!?" Nancy suddenly yelled, making Jeff wince. "Liz is dying, and she needs our support now more than ever. And you...you kick her out and disown her because she's a mutant?"

"That's right!! She's a freak of nature, for God's sake, and it's because of me!!" Jeff yelled back.

Nancy shook her head in disgust. "So that's it, isn't it? How this affects your self-image. Well, no wonder Claudia never told you about this," she said, and headed to their bedroom.

"What are you talking about?" Jeff asked, dumbfounded.

Nancy stopped, and turned to look at him. "Claudia knew about Liz's...uniqueness, and she didn't tell you. She was Liz's confidant when her powers emerged, and then she left, only to come back for a day until she died. But before she died, she came out of her coma, Jeff. You were getting coffee that time, and I really wanted to get you there, but she wanted to tell me. She told me about Liz's powers, what she could do, and what she was. I didn't shun her because of it, and I never will. It's a shame you aren't more like her," she said.

Jeff was silent for a while, but in his not so sober state, he dismissed what Nancy had said. "It changes nothing," he said, and fished out a bottle of beer from the fridge.

Nancy scowled, and walked to their bedroom. She came back later with a suitcase, and Jeff spat out his beer when he saw her. "Where are you going?" he demanded.

"Away, and I won't come back until you change your mind about our daughter," she said, dropped her suitcase for a while and started to put on her coat.

"If you think blackmailing me like this is going to change my mind, you're wrong," Jeff said, but he was shocked to the core to see Nancy go through with this.

Nancy had put on her coat, and picked up her suitcase. Before she left, she turned to look at Jeff. "There's something you should know, Jeffrey. Something that even Claudia didn't know," she said, and Jeff turned to listen, not really caring what she had to say. "Liz isn't your daughter, nor mine. Our child died shortly after birth, because her lungs were underdeveloped. You were passed out and didn't witness it. I was approached by some woman, who offered me her friend's child. I accepted, and when you came to, you assumed she was our child. Liz isn't your child in flesh and blood, Jeffrey. You weren't responsible of her mutation. But to Liz, you are and always will be her father. No matter what you have done." After saying that, Nancy left.

Jeff kept looking at the front door for a while, a completely dumbfounded look in his face. Then, his dumbfounded look changed into rage. He tightened his grip from the beer bottle, and with an angry yell, flung it to the nearby wall, shattering the bottle into pieces. He glared at the wall he tossed the bottle, silently seething, yet his fogged brain was only able to produce one coherent thought at a time. Now...all he could feel was anger. Then, 30 minutes later, after the kitchen table and chairs were smashed to pieces...sadness kicked in, and Jeff Parker turned into a sobbing mess on the kitchen floor when he realized that his wife had left him. But...the possibility that he would remember any of this tomorrow...that was another story.

TBC...

Good morning, everyone. (Well, good morning here, at least. It's 9:21 a.m). Here it is... part 6. Special thanks to Anya, ofwolfandman408, Sternbetrachter (x3), LEL, KEmperor, angeleyes (x2), ezriboots, pandas2001, Roswell Slayer (x3), lovalien, Lady_without_a_clue, lyndy1, creative nickname (x2), Calinia (x2), Liz Parker Evans (x2), SwedishSky and demonyte. Extra thanks to NScotian from beta-work.

Sternbetrachter Yeah, I HAVE a depraved mind...and I have known it for some time now, I just never have voiced it out (so to speak). And what?? *shrug* I have no idea what you are talking about.

As for Isabel being a 'pain in the ass' thing...let's see...if you think her 'Ice Queen' routine is frosty...well...she's going to literally radiate coldness around her when Alex is gone. Ok, not like 'using her powers to freeze the air' but 'my mere presence is enough to give frostbytes to your soul'. Did that make sense? I swear, I try to write something deep, and I always think there's something wrong with it.

Anyway...here's part 6. Oh, and I did some editing to parts 3 and 4. The time difference was screwed up, which is something I'm still kicking myself over the head with. It was bloody near 10 p.m. at East Coast when Alex talked with Prof. Ugh...I hate my head. It just HAVE to notice the problem when I ALREADY HAVE send out the part or something similar. Ok, enough rant for now. Let's continue with part 6. And...you are all probably going to kill me because of the... *presses 'Submit' button and runs before sharp objects are tossed at him*

Title: "Shattered Images"
Author: Bored to Mundane life
Disclaimer: I don't own Roswell or X-Men : Evolution. I'm just borrowing them for this. But if it HAS to be necessary, I promise that I won't damage any of them too badly.
Summary: Things are going from bad to worse. Liz supposedly slept with Kyle, to prevent the the end of the world Future Max told her about. Now no one except Kyle and Alex are talking to her now. If things weren't bad enough already, Liz suddenly gets abnormal pains. When she lost consciousness from a really intense moment of pain, she seeks help from a doctor, and discovers that she's terminally ill. Now Liz must race against time to find the cure, but with little to no allies at disposal, can she survive through this before her time runs out?
Category: Crossover with X-Men : Evolution, with reasonable additions from me.
Pairing: Roswell: Mi/L, Ma/Ma, the rest is CC. X-Men: Remy/Rogue, Scott/Jean, no clue from the rest. (But I do now.)
Rating: PG-13, possibly R at some point
Feedback: I don't think I have to tell you how important FB is, now do I?

["*"] indicates thoughts.
-"*"- indicates telepathical communication.

Part 6

Whitman Household, 9:24 p.m., Living Room

Alex sat stoically on the couch, his awareness fully awake. He could hear the murmuring thoughts of his neighbors, the mantra of 'keep going, you can do better than this' from the 3 joggers; some not so clean thoughts from the jocks that were driving through streets of Roswell a good 2 miles away and pretty much everyone else's inside the 2 mile radius, along the thoughts of the Pod Squad, but he wasn't focusing on them explicitly. He was actually focusing on the awareness he knew as Liz. She was walking here, but Alex had no way of knowing what she was thinking at the moment, mainly because Liz, apparently, was able to keep her newly acquired defenses up. Alex grinned. It only meant that he wouldn't be getting unwanted information from her in the future. Besides, the reason he was doing this was to make sure nothing happened to her on her way here. The sudden kick from Liz's headache could knock her off her feet, and there was no telling what would happen then. IF that happened...he would lose the mental awareness, and when that, hopefully not, would happen, he would bolt out there and carry her to the hospital, not caring about her protests. And if anyone came in and decided not to help her...he'd use his telepathy to 'persuade' that someone to help Liz. Suddenly, for Alex's relief, the group of jocks disappeared from his radar. But...then something else caught his overly aware mind. His parents. They were coming back from the party his father's company held when business was doing quite well. They would be here before Liz, but not too long before, and she would walk in while they were here. Well...Alex had to tell them something, but he doubted he had enough time before Liz walked in. Then a thought occurred to him, and he grimaced. He would have to tell his parents telepathically, and Alex knew that his parents, even if they were okay with the fact that he was a mutant, didn't like it when he would suddenly talk to them in their head. But this was different. He had to GIVE them parts from his own memory to get them to fully understand the importance of the situation. Alex knew that his mother, whose maiden name had been Xavier before her marriage to Richard Whitman, would be able to cope with the sudden memories easier than his father would. Yes, Richard, even after all these years, was still apprehensive about his son and brother-in-law's mental capabilities. Alex smiled slightly. Poor Uncle Charles. He had done a lot to try and reassure Richard that he had nothing to worry, but the tall man was not easily convinced. But, for the sake of his wife, Richard and Charles managed to keep their, albeit strained, 'connection' civilized. That was probably one of the reason why Uncle Charles insisted that Alex would give Richard his regards every time Alex made a mental conversation with him, in an effort to get Richard accustomed to their silent conversations. It did work to some extent. Only when Charles visited, and he and Alex had a mental conversation in front of Alex's parents, would Richard start to feel uncomfortable. So many things being said without him knowing the topic of their conversation. Then, he shook his head at the idea he had formed. It wouldn't be fair towards Liz. If she was up for it, she would tell them herself. If she was tired, then Alex would tell his parents personally.

Alex's awareness was brought back to the living room when the front door opened and Richard and Anna walked in, talking about the party. Actually, what they DID talk about was how boring it was. The only highlight had been when one of Richard's co-worker's wife had confronted him about his relationship with his secretary. It hadn't been exactly amusing, but it did liven things up a bit.

"I can't believe how Thomas could have done such a thing," Anna, a woman in her early 40's with curly red hair said to her husband, and then frowned. "Are you being honest with me when you say that you had no idea that Thomas was having an affair with his secretary?"

Richard, a man in his mid 50's with short brown hair, and quite taller than his wife, shrugged helplessly. "Anna, I honestly had no idea he was doing something like that. But now when I think about it, it does explain why Thomas was more than happy to work overtime. I didn't think of it as anything out of the ordinary because Thomas always did work overtime," he said.

"He's telling the truth, Mom. I, of all people, should know," Alex's voice interrupted Anna from what she was about to say, causing them both look at their son in shock. He was still sitting on the couch, and he wasn't giving any indication that he was aware of them being there. But...as they both knew by now, just because he SEEMED unaware of them being there didn't mean he was. "And before you start accusing me of reading your mind, Dad, don't. Your thoughts on Thomas and the confusion caused by his revelation are shooting out of you like someone is taking pot shots at me with an 120mm gun from Abrams tank."

It wasn't an amusing reference, but both Anna and Richard knew better than to argue with Alex from the way he described their wandering thoughts. From what Richard had heard from Charles Xavier, Alex's mutation, which granted him his telepathy, also made his mind overly sensitive to the thoughts of normal humans, as well as mutants, who project unconsciously into the surrounding environment. Even with the mental training Alex had received ever since his powers manifested, he still couldn't dampen the thoughts from hitting his mind, even though he definitely could filter the vast majority of it.

"Well...I appreciate the way you jumped at my defense, Alex...but could you tell me what you are doing? It's highly unusual for you for to be in living room at this hour. Usually you're in your room, ignoring any thoughts of working on your computer programs or your neglected homework," Richard said to Alex.

"I'm waiting for Liz...who should be here any minute," Alex said, not turning around.

Both the elder Whitman's brow furrowed at the information, not really knowing what to make of it. Alex winced when their confusion hit his head like a giant sledgehammer. ["Damn, I should have kept my defenses high, since I knew how they would react,"] Alex thought, and started to erect his mental shields to dampen the pounding confusion from his parents. He sighed when the pounding lessened, but now he had a harder time observing if Liz was all right. Ok, he was being paranoid, and she was probably still using her male form to make her way here, but he also knew that in her current condition, it was a bigger strain to keep the morph for a longer period than before. At least that's what he suspected, considering the information about shapeshifters he heard from his uncle.

"Why would Liz be coming here?" Anna asked, getting Alex's mind back to the present.

"I'll leave it to her to tell you...that is if she's up for it," Alex said vaguely, and then he tilted his head, his eyes vacant. Both elder Whitman's knew that look. His mind was completely elsewhere, literally. "As far as I can tell...she's hesitating to enter." Then, he sent a telepathic message to Liz. -"It's alright, Liz. My parents know what I can do, but I'm leaving it to you to tell them."-

Alex was surprised when she heard Liz project her answer to him. If there had been any other telepath in the nearby are, say in the scale of the city, they would have heard it as well. ["I don't know, Alex,"] she 'projected'.

-"Just come inside, please,"- Alex pleaded, and apparently Liz heeded his advice, because after a few seconds, both Richard and Anna were surprised to see a completely strange young man walk through the still open door. Anna mentally scolded herself for being so easily distracted, but she knew that Roswell wasn't the type of place to have someone walk in and threaten them gunpoint. The young man walked to Alex, and stood next to him, and now both Whitman's realized that Alex, for some reason, seemed to know this 'boy'.

"Mom, Dad...what you're going to see will be a shocking. Even more so than hearing my words in your head. And please...close the door," Alex said.

Richard blinked in confusion, and Anna closed the door, still keeping her gaze on the strange teenage boy in their house. They both saw Alex turn to the boy, and heard him say, "Do your thing, Liz."

["Liz??"] Anna and Richard thought at the same time, and Anna gasped, while Richard's jaw dropped to the floor, when the teenaged boy's features started to change, and after a short while, the very familiar form of Liz Parker was standing there. Richard and Anna kept staring at Liz with wide eyes, but Liz was completely oblivious to that fact, mostly because she was trying to get her breathing back to normal. Thanks to the pain killers, the sudden, yet violent, headache's hadn't bothered her for some time, but it also prevented her from telling when her body started to feel the strain from her shapeshifting. Now, she was completely out of breath, and more tired than she had ever been.

"You ok?" Alex asked.

Liz nodded. "Yeah, I just...need...to get a good rest, that's all," Liz said, finally getting her breathing back under control.

"You up for telling my parents what's going on?" Alex asked.

Liz shook her head, and swayed slightly as she did that. ["Damn, I must be more tired than I thought,"] Liz thought, and looked at Alex. "What I need right now is rest...but you can tell them yourself," she said, and looked at the bewildered looks on Richard's and Anna's face. "I'm sorry that I can't tell you about this myself, but...I'm REALLY tired." With that, Liz headed to the guestroom, leaving Alex and his parents standing there, in silence.

Richard and Anna then turned to Alex, who kept his gaze on Liz. She was tired, and he had to wonder how out of breath she had been before she had knocked on the front door earlier.

"Well?" Alex heard his parents say, and he turned to them. They were both looking at him. Richard had crossed his arms over his chest, his brow furrowed. Anna matched her husband's posture.

"Well...since she left the subject to me, now I have to wonder if you're awake enough to hear me *tell you* what's going on, or would you prefer if I 'tell you,'" Alex said. Both the elder Whitman's looked at their son blankly, knowing what he had said. When he first time said 'tell you', he had used a tone that said out loud conversation. But it was the last 'tell you' that got them confused. Alex rarely talked with them via his telepathy. He didn't see the need to do it, but he had done that on some occasion, and they all had been when he had hurt himself in someway. Purely out of panic, nothing more. This time...he was giving them a choice, which meant he didn't know HOW to tell them whatever was going on with Liz.

Anna and Richard exchanged a look, wondering how to answer to their son. Richard shrugged, and Anna nodded. Alex always wondered, and envied, his parents ability to communicate with one another without the help of telepathy. They could read each other like a book. Alex briefly wondered...if Isabel ever got over the fact that her 'alienness' kept her away from him...would he be able to do something like that? To just look into Isabel's eyes, and know what she was thinking, without even accessing his own telepathic powers? Unfortunately, his overly sensitive telepathic nature would ensure that he would always be more aware of her thoughts and feelings. His parents eventually seemed to come into agreement when they turned their attention back to him.

"Well...how do you want to do this, Alex?" Richard asked.

Alex sighed. "Um...I thought about using my powers to give you the idea of what's going on, but then vetoed it. Now...since Liz wasn't up for it, and I don't exactly have that much time to tell you...I'd say using my powers would be faster," he said.

"Alex...you can tell us in the morning, if it..." Anna started but Alex shook his head.

"No, it's better if I 'explain' the situation now. That way...you can talk with Liz tomorrow," Alex said.

Richard nodded. "Well...what are you waiting for, son?" he asked.

"Before I begin, I have to tell you something. What I'm about to do, is going to be...rather disorienting at first. Just...do me a favor and don't think. At all. It'll be easier for me...and you," Alex said, his voice unnaturally serious.

Richard looked at his wife for a few minutes, not really sure what to make of this. Then he, along with Anna, shrugged. It was hard to do what Alex asked, to not think about anything, but they pulled it off. Then, Alex's right eye started to glow with a dark blue color. Normally, when telepaths use their powers, there is no physical evidence of it. Alex, however, was an exception. When he was passively listening, or just communicating, his eye would remain normal. But...when he used more of his strength, like now, his eye would glow. It didn't take long for Alex to send the information to his parents, but he had to be careful not to send too much information. He 'showed' them how Liz had fainted in school, how she came here, telling him that she was dying of leukemia. That she was a mutant, and how her father had kicked her out because of it. How he had proposed that they go to Bayville, where Uncle Charles, who had the best resources to find a donor for the bone marrow transplant, lives. Alex deliberately left out details about the Pod Squad, and how Liz had proven to him that she was indeed a mutant, but he did 'tell' them that he believed her. After he was done, Alex withdrew from his parents' minds, and his eye stopped glowing. He sighed from relief. The feeding of information had gone well, and judging by the awed, and saddened looks on his parents' faces, they had received it without a problem.

"Oh God..." Anna whispered quietly, a tear gliding from her cheek.

"How could Jeff do something like that?" Richard asked, more from himself. Yeah, he had freaked as well when his son had turned out to be a mutant, but he hadn't shunned him because of it, nor had he disowned him. But what Jeff had done...it wasn't right. Especially if Liz was dying.

Alex shrugged his father's question, not really knowing the answer. "Judging by your reaction, I presume this worked," he said, and his parents nodded.

"So...you plan on going to Charles with Liz," Richard said, but it wasn't a question.

"Yes," Alex said.

"When?" Anna asked.

"Tomorrow. Uncle said he will send Logan and some of the students to pick us up," Alex said.

"Well...since it's obvious that you've already made your mind up about this," Richard said, and Alex nodded, "your mother and I will go to bed, and talk about this more in the morning."

"Sounds fair," Alex said.

"Just do both of us a favor and take care of yourself. Now when the general public knows about mutants...you have to be careful with your powers," Anna said.

Alex smiled slightly, but it disappeared quickly. "Hey, I have it relatively easy. It's Liz who I'm worried about," he said.

Anna nodded, and looked at her husband, who just looked at her. Then she turned to Alex. "We'll talk more during breakfast," she said, and she and Richard started to make their way to their bedroom.

"Yeah..." Alex said quietly and watched his parents disappear into their room. He sighed. That went rather well...considering how things were now. He rubbed his eyes wearily, and headed to the guest room. He needed to talk with Liz about what he had found out from Kyle's stray thought. He knocked on the guestroom's door gently, and waited. A muffled 'come in' came after few minutes, which got Alex rather worried. He walked inside, turned on the lights, and saw Liz sitting on the bed, looking more tired than he had ever seen her before. It seemed like she was struggling to stay awake.

"What do you want, Alex?" Liz asked wearily.

"I just need to ask you something, because I found out something really interesting in today's meeting," Alex said, and closed the door.

"Like what?" Liz asked, and lied down, her eyes threatening to close.

"Like why did you pretend to sleep with Kyle?" Alex asked deadpan, causing Liz's eyes to snap wide open from shock, and she abruptly got up.

"What?!"

"Well...it was a stray thought, but quite informative nonetheless. What I'm confused about is why did you do it?" Alex said.

Liz was mortified. She had made sure that Kyle didn't know the reason why she had asked that favor from him, but she hadn't even taken under consideration that Alex would find out. But...she hadn't known Alex was a telepath in the first place, and now when she thought about it, he would have probably found that out sooner or later. Her fatigue had been shot to the wind now, and she was struggling to come up with an excuse.

"Liz, before you try to think of a lie, don't bother. I'll know if you lie, and it has nothing to do with my telepathy," Alex said, his expression serious.

Liz sighed. Alex was right. He WOULD know if she was lying to him. Still...she had to wonder how he had kept his powers in check when she had lied to him about the aliens so long ago. "What do you want to know?" Liz asked, her shoulders dropping in a sign of submission.

"The truth would be nice," Alex said.

Liz nodded, and looked at Alex. "Take a seat," she said, and Alex sat on the edge of the bed, keeping his gaze on her. Liz knew that he couldn't hear her frantic thoughts, thanks to the mental barrier she had created with her powers. But she knew he would be skeptical, so she used her powers to remove the shield. When Tess had came to their midst, Liz had been afraid what the blond could do with her mind warping powers to her, so she had started experimenting with her powers, but this time, she had focused her attention on her brain. Since her metamorphosing powers allow her to control her body at the molecular level, which allowed her to turn basically into anyone she chose to be, no matter the size. Actually the persons size did matter, because the bigger the person she morphed, the harder the strain would be on her. While she was studying her power in-depth, she discovered that she could also make subtle changes to her organs, like turning them temporarily into a gel-like substance when she shapechanged. She also was able to alter the density of her muscles, bones and tissues, but only in very small scales, like a 1-3% rate. That, however, was enough when she realized that she could do the same with her brain. After realizing this, Liz did some extensive research on the brain, and discovered that if people had abnormally dense cerebral cortex, it prevented the observation of certain brainwave patterns. It didn't prevent the doctors from knowing if the brain was active or not, but Liz theorized that it DID prevent telepaths from receiving reflections from her thoughts, or in a primitive way, even prevent them from reading her thoughts outright. During her stay in Florida, she had studied this possible immunity against Tess's powers, but had gotten sidetracked, completely forgetting it until the events in the last few days. It had been the first field test of her theory when Alex told her that he is a telepath, and her theory proved to be quite efficient, and she had only increased the density of the first millimeter of her cerebral cortex at the very surface of her brain. Now though, she lowered the density of that 1-millimeter from her cerebral cortex, dropping her shield from Alex's telepathy, and he was now again able to receive her thoughts. Liz looked at Alex's shocked face when he realized that he was again able to 'hear' her.

"It'll make it easier to tell you," Liz said, and Alex nodded, rather dumbfounded by the way Liz was opening up to him. And then, Liz told him the truth; why she had staged sleeping with Kyle. She asked him if he remembered the night they had been at that fortuneteller, and Alex, with a glum face, said that he did. Liz told him what the fortuneteller had told her...that she and Max would eventually end up married, and at this point Alex didn't know if he should congratulate her or be jealous. But the sad emotions pouring off Liz told him that he shouldn't be feeling neither of those two feelings. Liz proceeded with her story, telling him how she had played around with a silk gown, practicing her words if she indeed got married. Alex saw the mental image of the memory, and he had to admit that while it was a rather childish behavior on Liz's part...she would definitely be a beautiful pride. He said as much to her, and she smiled to the compliment, but again her face turned serious, as she proceeded. Her daydreaming had been interrupted by a loud noise coming from her patio, and she had seen someone there, someone who looked like...an older version of Max. Alex saw the image, and he had to agree that he indeed looked like an older version of Max Evans, but how was it possible? Liz told Alex the same thing that Future Max had told her. That he was from 14 years in the future. He had used the Granolith to travel back in time, and to prove that he was a real deal, he had told Liz that his younger self would serenade her in Spanish, and throw a bouquet of red roses, but then would turn them white in mid flight. It happened, just like Future Max said. Alex had to agree that it was very impressive evidence, but why was he there? Then Liz let out a sob. She told Alex that Future Max had come back in time to ask her to fall out of love with Max, because Tess was leaving, and if she did that...the aliens wouldn't be powerful enough to fight Kivar's forces when they took over Earth. Alex listened when Liz proceeded to the part where she had given Tess some pointers to help her get Max interested, and when that hadn't worked, to tell Max that she wouldn't die for him. When Liz said that...the guilt and pain of doing that hit Alex full force, but his own defenses held. He could see it clearly from the images Liz projected. Liz told him that for a brief moment it seemed like it worked...but it hadn't. Liz had wanted out, and asked that Future Max go to either Michael or Isabel for help, but he told her that they had been killed, and quite possibly most of the planets population. That knowledge hit Alex the hardest, and now he fully realized why Liz had practically stomped Max's heart into mush. She had done it to prevent what could be best described as Armageddon. Liz was now in tears, telling Alex how she had gone to Kyle, and asked his help. Alex saw the preparation, Liz and Kyle's innocent conversation while they waited for Max, and the totally devastated look in his eyes when he saw it.

Liz was now unable to speak, and was projecting to Alex how Future Max was starting to disappear, and asked for her wedding dance, and how during that dance...Future Max had disappeared, leaving Liz alone in the patio...her soul equally turned to pieces as Max's heart had been smashed.

Alex was silent for a while, allowing Liz to get more pain out of her system while he thought over what he had learned. And he summed it up with "Wow."

Liz stopped her sniffing and glared at Alex, who flinched from the cold emotions that poured out from her. "That's all you have to say?" she said, her voice low yet heavy with hurt.

Alex shrugged. "Well...it's the best I could come up with...but I have some questions," he said.

"I already told you the reason why I tore Max's heart into pieces," Liz said, not really wanting to think about that night anymore.

"Did he...Future Max know about...the fact that you are a mutant?" Alex asked.

Liz blinked, the last tears she had shed falling to the blanket. "I...I don't think so...he never said anything in those lines, and...now when I think about it...if he HAD known, he would have told me that to prove he was indeed from the future," she said, thinking it over.

Alex nodded. "Yeah, I thought about that too, which means all those years you were married to him, you never trusted him enough to tell him," he said.

Liz was feeling dumbfounded by that knowledge, but she couldn't ignore the logic. "But...what could have made me keep it as a secret?" she asked.

Alex shrugged again. "Maybe you didn't see a reason for it, because you obviously were still alive to get married for 14 years," he said.

Liz looked at him for a moment, then started thinking. It DID seem that Future Max was...overly sad that he HAD to ask her to sever her relationship with Max. Maybe...Future Max KNEW she would get sick...but since Max was the only one who could heal...which probably meant that Max had, all those years, been healing her symptoms, keeping her alive. God, how much it must have torn him inside to ask her to do something that was clearly a death sentence to her. "I...I think he kept healing me...for all those years..." Liz said to herself, and Alex had to nod in agreement.

"Makes sense. And I can only guess now...but he probably hoped that the regular medical science would be enough to save you from leukemia before it would claim your life. Obviously...since he didn't know WHAT you are...he was wrong," Alex said.

"But...why did I keep this from him in the first place?" Liz asked out loud.

"Judging by what I saw tonight...I think you found out he wasn't as nice guy as you thought," Alex said.

"Max...he..." Liz started, but stopped. What was she saying? Max WAS capable for violence, she had seen it. When Michael had went to see Topolski with the orb, Max had punched him for violating his order to stay away from her. And Max was also rather self-absorbed, only able to see how things affected HIM, not how they affected others. Like the time when Michael had gotten sick and Max had actually suggested that they take a break from their relationship, which hadn't lasted that long in the first place. But this was all speculation at best. Future Max was gone...permanently, and there would be no way to get answers to their questions.

"I agree," Alex said, his face expressionless. "But what about the Granolith? More importantly...what the hell is it? I mean...I haven't seen it personally, only bits and pieces from our alien quartet's thoughts. Obviously it's something really powerful if it actually can work as a time machine."

Liz nodded. "Future Max said that it wasn't intended to be a time machine, but it had...like, an immense amount of power, and they were able to modify it to create a tear in space-time continuum. Thanks to some girl named Serena, which I would befriend with in some obscure future inside those 14 years," Liz said.

"If it's that powerful, it's no wonder the Skins want it. But...seriously, WHAT is it?" Alex said.

Liz shook her head, shrugging. Alex could tell she had no idea either. "Liz, you should, um...put that whatever defense you have against my telepathy up. I think I've heard enough regarding this conversation," he said.

Liz nodded, and erected the shield, or just increased the density in her cerebral cortex. She now created a similar mental lock to this capability she had when she kept her 'normal' form 'on'. It would definitely make things easier when she didn't have to focus on it constantly, even if it was on a subconscious level. After that was done, she heard Alex sigh from relief when her thoughts stopped hitting his mind, and she looked at him quizzically. "Now what?" she asked.

"Now...we BOTH are going to hit the bed, and sleep. Or...do you want something to eat first?" Alex asked.

Liz yawned, the fatigue coming back full force. "No *yawn*. I think I'm too beat to be hungry. I just want to lie down and sleep," she said, yawning again.

Alex nodded. "Ok. Sweet dreams, Liz," he said, turned off the lights, and closed the door when he left the room. Before he managed to close it, he saw that Liz had passed out the minute her head hit the pillow. Alex sighed, and closed the door all the way, and walked to the kitchen, intending to have a quick snack before he went to bed. He opened the refrigerator and took butter, some cucumber, ham and cheese. He put the stuff on the table and got a bun, which he cut in half. After a few minutes, he had a cheese-ham sandwich in his hands, and he wolfed it down in record time. He drank a glass of water, put the ingredients away and left the kitchen, turning off the lights in the house. It didn't take long from him to strip to his boxers and T-shirt, and lie down on his bed. Before he turned off the lights, he erected a mental alarm of sorts that would wake him up when Isabel would use her dream walking abilities to make a visit. It wouldn't work on Liz, since she obviously was so tired that Alex doubted that she was dreaming at all. That and the fact that Liz's mental defense would probably keep even Isabel out from her subconscious. That left Alex, and he would be ready for Isabel when she came knocking. The only difference this time...would be that Alex would be waiting, and they wouldn't be talking in his subconscious.

Alex grinned, and turned off the lights, enveloping his room, and the rest of the house into darkness. He fell into light sleep shortly after that.

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

DeLuca Household, 10:02 p.m., Kitchen

Amy DeLuca sighed as she sipped some of her tea. Maria had been a nervous wreck for the past hour, and had finally passed out from sheer exhaustion. Amy was also worried, and slightly ticked. How could the Parker's have kicked Liz out of the house when she was sick? ["If I'll ever bump into Jeff or Nancy, I'll give 'em a real good dose of bonified DeLuca rage,"] Amy thought bitterly, and her eyes suddenly flashed. ["Damn, I have to keep my nerves in check. It's a sheer miracle I haven't torched something yet."]

Her thoughts were brought to an abrupt stop when a soft knock was heard at the kitchen door behind her. Amy frowned and got up, her nightgown flowing gently as she walked to the door. She was shocked to see Nancy standing behind the door, and the shock quickly turned into indignation when she remembered what Maria had told her. Naturally, being a very fiery tempered woman, Amy failed to remember that Maria had said that Jeff had been the one to kick Liz out of the house, not Nancy. Amy pulled the door open and glared at Nancy, who seemed like she had been outside quite long. Amy failed to see a suitcase on the ground near Nancy's feet.

"What are you doing here?" Amy demanded, not even trying to hide the venom from her voice.

Nancy blinked from confusion. That wasn't a reaction she had expected. "I...I was wondering if I could stay for a night before I...find a motel room," she said.

Now it was Amy's turn to blink, and she finally saw the suitcase next to Nancy. "Ok, care to explain what's going on?" Amy asked.

Nancy shifted her gaze away. "Jeff was drunk when he got back home, and I didn't feel like arguing about what he did to Liz when he was in that condition...so I left," she said.

Now Amy blinked few more times, and remembered what Maria had told her in more detail. ["God, I'm so over-reactive,"] she scolded herself, and stepped back from the door. "Come inside, it's freezing," she said, and Nancy nodded, picking up the suitcase as she got inside.

"Thank you. I can't really stay that long..." Nancy started but Amy would have none of it.

"Nonsense! You stay here as long as it's necessary," Amy said, giving Nancy a look that clearly said 'And I do NOT want to hear any arguments'.

Nancy nodded and put her suitcase down, taking a seat next to kitchen table.

"Want some tea?" Amy asked, and Nancy nodded. Amy fetched another cup and filled it with hot water. "What flavor?"

"Umm...blackberry," Nancy said, and Amy nodded, taking the tea bag, she put it into the cup. Amy let the bag soaking in the water for a while, and after few minutes, she removed the bag and handed the cup to Nancy. Nancy smiled and took a careful sip, savoring the taste. Amy took a seat on the opposite side of the table, and sipped her own tea, which was getting quite cold. But she couldn't heat it up...not with Nancy in the same room.

"So...care to explain what happened with Liz?" Amy queried, and Nancy put the cup of tea away. The sadness in Nancy's features was as clear as day, and Amy felt bad for nearly blowing up at the woman.

Nancy sighed. "Jeff...found out some...details from Liz, and couldn't deal with them. As a result...he kicked her out," she said.

Amy put her own cup down forcefully, almost breaking it. "And what was so horrible that gave him a reason to kick a sick girl to the streets?" Amy demanded, nearly growled.

Nancy wasn't exactly shocked from Amy's reaction. Maria tended to be rather temperamental when Liz wouldn't tell her something, and Nancy knew quite well Amy's own reputation as a VERY fiery tempered woman. "Just answer one question first, Amy," Nancy pleaded, and Amy nodded, calming down. "What is your stand when it comes to mutants?"

This got Amy off-guard. "What?" she asked, her mouth suddenly dry.

Nancy looked at the woman who had become a close friend, thanks to friendship between Liz and Maria. "You heard me, Amy. What is your stand on mutants? Do you hate them?"

"NO!" Amy yelled, then clamped her mouth with her hand, mindful that her daughter was sleeping. She listened for a while, and there was no sound telling that Maria had woken up. Amy turned back to Nancy, and answered with more hushed tone. "No, I don't hate mutants. This is the just like when black people were treated badly. Or how Nazi's put Jews in concentration camps. I'm not a bigot, Nancy. You know that. Just 'cause people have a gene that gives them special powers, doesn't mean they are any different from us."

Nancy smiled. Amy was always very open-minded woman, just like Claudia. If even more so than her late mother-in-law. "I know you're not a bigot, Amy. I just...had to be sure," Nancy said with a small smile.

Amy was confused at this point. "Why?" she asked.

"Jeff kicked Liz out of the house because...she's a mutant," Nancy said, her smile disappearing.

Amy's eyes were wide now, from shock. "Are you serious or just making fun of me?" she asked.

Nancy shook her head, and took a sip from her tea.

Amy was silent for a while, but then broke the silence. "So, that's why Jeff kicked her out," she said.

Nancy nodded, some tears spilling to her cheeks. "And...she's terminally ill, Amy. My little girl is dying and he still kicked her out," she said.

Amy's face turned hard. "Do you want me to go and give some fiery 'DeLuca rage' to that bonehead?" Amy asked.

Nancy shook her head. "That won't be necessary. I can handle Jeff," she said, then looked at Amy. "So you're ok with the fact that I'm the mother of a mutant?"

Amy let out a small laugh, which confused Nancy. "Why would I be when I'm a mutant myself?" she asked sarcastically, took her cup of tea, which was cold by now, and did something that got a wide-eyed reaction from Nancy. Amy had placed her hand palm up underneath the cup, and there was a small fire burning on her hand, heating up the tea. When Nancy looked at Amy with amazement, she could also see a soft glimmer of fire in Amy's eyes. Once Amy was sure that her tea was hot enough, she put out the fire in her hand and looked at Nancy. "You're taking this rather well," she said.

Nancy smiled. "Well...seeing my daughter turning into a man in front of my eyes kinda outweighs this demonstration," she said.

Amy looked at Nancy in shock, not believing what she had just heard. "Are you telling me that...Liz is a...shapeshifter?" she asked.

"Yes."

"Damn. And I had no idea," Amy said to herself, taking a sip from her re-heated tea.

"So...you're a mutant yourself?" Nancy asked from Amy.

Amy nodded. "That's right. I was...12...when my own powers manifested. I nearly burned the house down," she said sadly.

"What IS your power? It has something to do with fire, as I obviously saw, but..." Nancy asked.

"It's called pyrokinesis. I'm able to create fire or set something on fire with my mind. As a side-product, I'm immune to fire and extreme heat," Amy said matter-of-factly.

Nancy suddenly chuckled softly, confusing Amy. "Now I understand why you have a fiery temper," she said, and burst into laugh. Amy had to smile that as well, but then turned serious.

"Yeah, well, I'm not as hot tempered as I was as a teenager. That was pretty much the reason why I had hard time controlling this. But I managed," Amy said.

"How did your parents react?" Nancy asked, suddenly curious.

Amy let out an exasperated sigh. "Well, the usual way, considering the time. Dad pulled a 'spawn-of-the-Devil' routine and kicked me out. My Mother was scared to death of me, and now when I think about it, for a good reason," she said.

"I'm sorry," Nancy said sincerely.

Amy shook her head. "It's ok. Besides, my powers were the reason why my husband left me and Maria," she said, pushing her tea away, feeling too depressed to feel relaxed. "God, he kept on how he had married a monster, and that he felt violated to have a child with me. He even said that Maria was a monster, but by that point I was literally burning up, like a...Phoenix, which pretty much drove him away for good. That's why I've tried to be a good mother to Maria, but I still feel guilty."

Nancy was silent for a while, thinking over what Amy had said. The fiery tempered woman had been through so much heartache that it hurt her as well. "Is...Maria a mutant?" Nancy asked, but there was no malice in her voice. Just concern.

Amy shook her head. "If she is, I don't know about it. But I pray for all love that God can give that she isn't. It's bad enough that people look down at you because you're an independent woman, but it intensifies when you have special powers to worry about. And I know people would do something...really bad to me and my daughter if they'd find out what I am," she said sadly.

"What about Harold?" Nancy asked.

Amy shook her head. "He's too scared of what I can do to tell anyone. I mean, would YOU try to get a woman with a fiery temper and a power to set things on fire angry?" she asked.

Nancy shook her head. "No. I just...you're very strong willed woman if you're able to keep your powers in check, considering how easy it is to get your temper up," she said.

Amy snorted. "Well...I've got a fiery temper, alright, but I'm also equally passionate woman. That's what fire symbolizes, you know," she said.

Nancy raised an eyebrow. "One of the reasons Harold married you?" she asked.

Amy actually blushed from that implication, but she wasn't sorry from it. "You bet," she said, and they both burst into laughs.

Then Nancy remembered something. She had overheard Maria and Liz talking with one of the Evans kids...Isabel, that was her name. That Michael had spent the night here. ["Amy must have pulled a fit when she saw a teenage boy sleeping with her daughter,"] Nancy thought. Since Michael was still pretty much breathing, let alone intact and not in ashes, Amy hadn't TRULY lost her temper. "Umm...Amy, there's something I have to ask," Nancy said, and Amy stopped her laughing for a moment. "I overheard my daughter and Maria talking a few months before summer, and...well, I heard that Michael Guerin had been...here."

Amy knew what Nancy was talking about. "You are wondering how the boy is still in one piece and not in ashes?" she asked, and Nancy nodded. Amy sighed. "Believe me, when I saw that boy...in my little girls bed...I was ANGRY. REALLY *ANGRY*. I was...REALLY close to just burn him right on the spot, but just as I was building up for it...Maria's voice brought me out of it. I couldn't just burn someone who obviously meant something to her...so I grabbed the nearest thing I could find, which happened to be a newspaper, and started beatin' him up with it. He shot out like a bat out of hell. And trust me...that kid got lucky."

Nancy nodded thoughtfully. If SHE had seen Max sleeping in Liz's bed...and if she had any weird powers that were REALLY fatal, like Amy's, she would have probably reacted the same way. But since she didn't...she would have probably fetched a frying pan and drove the boy away, while Jeff was trying to find his shotgun. Well...now that Jeff knew what Liz was, there was little hope for that fatherly over-protectiveness happening. "I know what you mean. If I'd ever see Liz sleeping in bed with..." Nancy shook her head, not really wanting to go there, "well, it wouldn't be pretty."

"Yeah, I know. It comes with being a parent," Amy said, and they continued on with their talking for a while, talking about mundane things, like Amy's shop and the café.

Unbeknownst to the 2 older women, Maria had woken up a while ago, and had listened to their conversation with growing apprehension. She closed her bedroom door and tried to calm down her frantic breathing. Her mother was a mutant! Her father hadn't left because of her, like she had always thought. He had left because he was afraid of her mother. Liz...her best friend...was a mutant as well. A-and...Michael could be dead by now if her mother had REALLY lost her temper that morning when she saw Michael in her bed. ["OhmyGod!!!"] Maria thought, her head spinning from what she had heard. How long had Liz been lying to her about that? But...even her own mother had lied to her. ["What am I gonna do?"]

She listened her mother and Nancy talk a bit more, and it became apparent that they were going to talk a lot longer. She had school tomorrow, and if she didn't get some sleep, she would be too tired to deal with this tomorrow. Maria hoped that Liz would show up, because she had been lied to too much. If Liz started to feign ignorance, she would scream, make a scene, ANYTHING to get the truth out from her friend.

With that thought settled, she went back to sleep, but didn't fall asleep until well past midnight.

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

Evans' Household, 10:07 p.m., Isabel's Bedroom

Isabel was sitting on her bed, wearing her red pajamas, the yearbook on her lap. Her mind was reeling when she went through her conversation with Alex over and over again. She had never seen that side of him before. Ok, that wasn't true. No matter what happened in the past, she had always seen that side from Alex. Passionate, eager to protect his friends and not really afraid to voice his opinion. But being on the wrong side of those emotions was a new experience to Isabel. Alex had blown up at them, for the way they treated Liz. The only one who seemed to get away from his blowout was Kyle. Max had got the biggest chunk of it, and even Isabel had to admit that what Alex had said made sense. The human part of the group didn't need to take orders from them...or specifically, from Max. But they WERE humans. They didn't have powers to protect themselves. Or that was what Isabel had thought. Alex definitely was, as he had so impressively pointed out, something more. She had heard his voice IN her head. She had heard him, but not with her ears. More like a...thought, but not her thought. It was really confusing, and Isabel wondered what it could mean. Was Alex the only one of the human side of the group who had secrets of his own...or did others have something similar to hide? Isabel watched the picture of Liz in the yearbook, frowning. Liz's disappearance had caused this, but what Liz had done to Max had started it. But WHAT had Liz done, and why? And why was she hiding now? Alex obviously knew where she was, but refused to tell. Now Isabel was here, on her bed, ready and anxious to dream walk either Liz or Alex, but not knowing which one. Liz held answers, but Alex...was intriguing, because he obviously had a lot more to say to her than what he HAD said. Isabel shifted between the pages that held the pictures from Liz and Alex, thinking.

She was brought out of her thoughts when a soft knock came from the door. "Come in, Max," Isabel said, not even raising her head to acknowledge her brother when he walked in. The way he had acted at the meeting really infuriated Isabel.

There was silence, and Isabel got really angry when Max refused to say why he was there. Isabel glared at Max, and now when she looked at him, he wasn't feeling like 'I'm-the-King'. More like, 'don't-bite-my-head-off...please'.

"What do you want?" Isabel demanded, not really feeling sympathy for her brother.

"I...um...did some thinking," he said meekly, and Isabel had to look at him in disbelief. "I think maybe...some of the stuff Alex said might be...true."

"Some?" Isabel asked.

"Well...like the fact that I kept blowing up at people around me instead of actually trying to find her," Max said, his head low.

Isabel had to give her brother some credit for thinking, but that wasn't all she wanted to hear. "And?" she demanded.

Max sighed exasperatedly. "What else do you want to hear, Iz?" he asked.

"Gee, I don't know? How about the little detail that you have NO right to boss the humans in our little group around? Or the fact that you were completely out of line when you practically hit Alex with the door," Isabel said.

Max's expression hardened. "I'm supposed to be a leader, the one who makes the decisions, and when I do...I get yelled at," he said.

"Yeah, well, when I tried to wake you up from your zombie state, I never realized that you were a self-absorbed brat," Isabel muttered, focusing her attention back to the yearbook.

"All I know is that what I saw that night...it couldn't have happened," Max insisted.

"And is that the reason why you ordered us to stay away from Liz?" Isabel asked sarcastically.

"I only said to keep your distance. I...I needed time to sort my head, and then ask her...what I saw," Max said.

"Good luck with that, brother," Isabel said, not taking her gaze off from the yearbook.

Max noticed this. "What are you doing?" he demanded.

"That doesn't concern you," Isabel growled.

"I came here to apologize...and to ask if you could take me to Liz's dreams," Max said.

["Why am I not surprised,"] Isabel asked herself, but didn't say anything. Truth be told, she was going to do that herself. "Take a seat, Max. I was about to do that anyway," she said, sighing. "But don't think I'm forgiving your childish behavior tonight anytime soon. I'm just as curious as you are at this point."

Max glared at Isabel, but didn't say anything when he sat next to her. Isabel shook her head, and placed her index finger over Liz's photo. The familiar distortion happened, and both Evans's lied down, closing their eyes. After a while, they both opened their eyes. Isabel bolted up quickly, her brow furrowing. Max was equally confused. "What happened?" he asked.

"More like what DIDN'T happen, Max. I couldn't get in," Isabel said, her frown deepening.

"What do you mean 'couldn't get in'? You never had problems getting into people's dreams," Max said, surprised.

"I know that. Even when people are having dreamless sleep, I can get in, but there's nothing but a whole lot of nothing. But now...it's like I'm being blocked somehow," Isabel said.

"By whom? Liz is...human. She shouldn't be able to do something like that. Maybe...she's awake," Max suggested.

Isabel gave a look to Max that clearly said 'Are you really the biggest idiot on the planet?'. "She can't be awake, because otherwise I wouldn't have been able to form a connection with her subconscious. I just can't...get in," she said.

"Maybe whatever is making her sick is blocking you? It could be possible," Max suggested.

Isabel was a bit skeptical, but it did sound logical. She looked at Max and smirked. "I guess you won't be getting your answers the easy way, brother of mine," she said.

Max didn't say anything, he just shook his head. "I...I can't believe she would do something like that..." he said to himself, and Isabel rolled her eyes. Every time she even MENTIONED Liz, Max had to go all denial. Well...it was definitely better than to see him lashing out his frustration on everyone else. That still didn't give him the right to act like he did.

"Well...since that didn't work, let's try Alex," Isabel mused to herself, and picked up the proper page. She placed her index finger over Alex's picture, and the same distortion happened with Alex's picture. However...the effects were slightly different, but not here.

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

At the Same Time, Whitman household, Alex's Bedroom

Alex's eyes suddenly bolted wide open, his right eye glowing brightly, illuminating the room with an eerie dark bluish light. Isabel. She was coming. Alex grinned, but his grin disappeared when he sensed someone else. ["Max,"] he growled in his mind. "Sorry, Max, but this is a private party and YOU are NOT invited," Alex muttered to himself, and his right eye flashed brightly, and he closed his eyes.

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

Meanwhile, Evans' Household, Isabel's Room

Isabel and Max had both layed down, and were now on their way to Alex's subconscious. It was weird how the relatively short trip was done. When Isabel had discovered this power, she had tried to explain to him what happened when she entered someone's dreams. She would use a picture to form a connection, like a pathway to the person's subconscious. Then, she would follow that line for a half a minute or so, and presto, she would be there. Max saw nothing but darkness, and the dark bluish line that probably symbolized the connection. Then, suddenly, there was a bright, dark blue flash, and something struck Max. He bolted upright, back in Isabel's room. He winced when he realized that he was suffering from a really big headache. Like someone was playing tennis with his brain. He glanced at Isabel, and noticed that she was still sleeping. Whatever happened to him clearly didn't affect Isabel. But what HAD happened?

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

The Dream Scape (Or so Isabel believes...)

Isabel looked around, now completely confused. First and foremost, she saw that Max wasn't here. It was strange. He HAD been with her when they had headed towards Alex's subconscious, but then there had been an unnaturally bright flash of dark bluish light, and she was here. The strange thing about the flash was that it was exactly the same color as the link that she formed between herself and Alex. The second thing, she finally noticed, was that aside from the absence of Max, she was the only one here...but it was the 'here' part that bothered her. Everywhere she turned, there was nothing but black. She couldn't even feel the link she had formed to get here...but was she in Alex's subconscious at all? Had that flash...stopped her somehow, and left her psyche stranded? ["Please God, don't let that be true,"] Isabel thought, now feeling really scared.

"Oh, no, Izzy. You're not stranded or anything like that, as you so elaborately put it. I just had to make sure that we were...not interrupted by unwanted guests," a voice said, which sounded vaguely familiar to Isabel. It wasn't that the voice was strange, but it was so far away that Isabel had to strain to hear it. Wait...it had...whoever spoke knew what she had thought.

"Who are you?!" Isabel demanded, yelling into the darkness around her. "And what have you done to Max?!" ["Not that I really care..."] she thought.

There was a soft chuckling sound around her, as if whoever was talking to her was amused by something. "Glad to hear that, Izzy. As for what I did to our 'fearless-Leader', was slam the door shut right in front of his face," the voice said.

["What is going on? Whoever this person is...he, if I hear correctly, knows me. Wait...'Izzy'? But only one who calls me like that is..."] Isabel thought, but was interrupted when the scenery abruptly changed. Land was formed underneath her, made out of sand. Desert. Then cactuses, rocks and various bushes started to appear. Then the sky lit up from the unnaturally large amount of stars...and not just by the stars. There was a Crab Nebula up there, along with the Andromeda galaxy. The Moon was unnaturally large as well...like it had been pulled closer to Earth. Then the familiar rock formation appeared. The same rock formation that held the pods where the 4 aliens were born...and which held the Granolith. But the detail of how the surroundings was portrayed...was...unnatural.

"I hope it's accurate. The mental image I saw in your mind was quite clear, but I rarely bother to use my powers like this. The night sky...well, that was me 100%. The rest...is what you have seen," the voice said, suddenly a lot clearer and...behind her. Isabel quickly spun around, and saw someone standing there, looking up at the night sky and the stars. It was like he was deliberately ignoring her. Isabel narrowed her gaze on the person, and sent out a small blast of energy. It was something that could be best called 'pushing'. But...it didn't have any effect on whoever the person was. Isabel looked at her hand in shock, and tried again. Nothing.

"Don't waste your energy, Izzy. Your powers don't work here," the person said, keeping his gaze locked on the sky. Isabel squinted, and could see a soft glow of dark blue energy around the person. It was surrounding him like an aura or something.

"Who are you?" Isabel asked, taking a cautious step closer.

The person burst out laughing, and Isabel didn't like it. There was hardly anything funny about this situation, as far as she could tell.

"I thought you would have figured it out by now, Izzy. I guess I was wrong," the person said and turned around, causing Isabel to gasp and stumble back in shock. She thought that a Skin had done something to her, but boy, she had NO idea how wrong she had been. Because the person who stood before her was DEFINITELY not an alien.

"Alex?!" Isabel said in disbelief. Alex smiled, his right eye glowing steadily from the same dark blue light as the aura around him.

TBC...

Good morning, my lovely readers . I'm in a good mood today...which won't last come tomorrow, because THEN I get REALLY grumpy. Waking up early...coming back home from school REALLY late...ugh, I get all worked up by just THINKING it! Anyway...here's the next part. If you people are wondering why I updated so soon...here's a secret. I write 2 parts when I only work 1 new part for my other stories. So consider yourselves EXTREMELY lucky. Anyway...special thanks to ezriboots, Roswell Slayer, Liz Parker Evans, ofwolfandman408, Mysteriousgal, Anya, lyndy1, Sternbetrachter, LEL, Lady_without_a_clue, creative nickname (x2), Phoebe04 and angeleyes. Extra thanks to NScotian for beta-reading this and finding the song. I owe you BIG, Josée.

Now...to the lenghty FB's and reviews... *rubs his hands in glee*

ezriboots What? I never left. Only reason why it took a while to post was because it took a while to write the parts. 2 new parts in 1 go. Think about it. Well...Maria dealt with the fact that aliens existed in a...well, freaking out, to say the least. Now...she's hurt because she was lied to...and she fails to see WHY Liz and Amy lied to her. I know it's selfish from her part...but I have a pretty good feeling that would be her reaction. It's one thing when you find out that someone you know just barely turns out to be...'weird', but it's different when it's someone you know.

No Mi/L interaction in this part. Mostly A/I. I know someone who will go all 'happy dance' from this prospect .

Roswell Slayer Thanks. And WOW... Happy Birthday, even though it comes a bit late now... Well...at least I gave you a present...even though I had no idea at the time...

Liz Parker Evans Thanks. Hmmm...maybe slapping some sense to Maria would work...makes her see that other people might be hurting then just her. Let's see what I can tweak in .

ofowolfandman408 Thanks. As for Max torture...well, most of the good ideas go to 'DAA'...but how about 'telepath induced' headaches? Alex would be MORE than happy to prove what he can do at some point .

Yeah...but the way I have seen it...the aliens tended to be a little too wrapped up with their own problems to see the obvious. Well...Izzy won't be THAT blind after this.

Mysteriousgal Hey. Wow, you really like this? Oh crud, you got me embarrassed again...oh well, stick around, will ya? There'll be loads of fun in the future...that is if I can actually MAKE it sound funny.

Anya Damn...you really love this story, don't you? Well...here's a new part for ya...hope it'll ease some of the twitching. Or are you not THAT badly addicted?

lyndy1 Thanks.

And as for that question, your guess is as good as mine. There's no way to tell for certain...with FMax gone for good, and I don't see any time-traveling stunts being pulled at all in my fic. It doesn't sit well with the story-flow I have planned based on your challenge. Besides...Alex based his opinion on what he saw at the meeting.

Well...selfish is correct, but she just found out she's been lied to not only from Liz, but from her own mother as well. That would pretty much cause major 'why did they lie to me?' feelings. I know it would for me. Which leads to the fact that she's hurting...and she fails to see WHY they lied to her. I know I'm defending Maria...but I'm thinking from HER point of view as well. It's not always black and white, people. Sometimes, yes. But not always.

Glad you approve. I actually thought to leave Alex just the way he was, but then I figured that he could have some kind of physical way of showing off his power. I thought about how Nate Grey (X-Man) does his telepathy thing, so I got it from him. The color of Alex's eye changed from Nate's, along with which eye. Hope I cleared it up well enough.

Hey, I only delayed a week before posting this.

Sternbetrachter Awesome...aw man. *smacks his temple* Whew...nearly got my tongue tied up again. And with all the A/I things happening in the future, I'll be having your full attention.

Yes...everybody be afraid...be VERY afraid...

Wouldn't YOU be happy that you couldn't hear someone's thoughts if you kept hearing them 24/7. The only times Alex can actually IGNORE them is when he sleeps, so he shows quite good strength of character for NOT sleeping all the time.

And as for Alex's mother's name...I kinda forgot about it, and didn't bother to check it out. And hey...it ain't THAT big a mistake.

Oh...Alex COULD make someone jump if he would say "jump!". He just doesn't do that. Well...unless motivated enough, like getting REALLY angry at someone. Heeeyyyy... THAT gives me an idea...yes, it would work QUITE nicely... heh, heh, heh...

Well...he WAS envious of his parents ability to do that. He'll always be able to hear what other people are thinking...even though he can minize it to a more tolerant levels.

Not so well...I can tell you that.

Well...they have met other mutants...like Xavier, for example. But HAS Alex literally disappeared for a time being? I'm not telling...yet.

He never tried, that much I can tell. Besides...now when the fact that mutants exist is out...that would be REALLY dangerous...not that Alex isn't defenseless or anything. And Alex is FAR from being a Borg.

Thanks...I tried.

Do you want honest answer, or just flat out lie? A lie would be...less than an hour, but the truth would be...I'm still thinking them over. I'm thinking about other aspects of their powers...trying to determine if that is too much or that is too little.

And in my mind as well. Besides...he had valid points with his questions. Which were what *I* would have asked from Liz.

Thanks.

Well...in the show they didn't seem to talk to each other, but this is MY story (plot given by lyndy1, note) so in my story, they are friends. AND...Amy is so much of a free-spirit that it JUST reminded me from Claudia.

No...he wouldn't with the power Amy wields.

Yes, Amy is a mutant. And there are many other mutants in Roswell as well. Not THAT many...but some. (I'm NOT giving you the actual amount) And as to WHY they haven't been discovered...that'll be explained later. And besides...Alex didn't hear Liz's thoughts about her being a mutant because she had already accepted it...even if she still was apprehensive by other people's reaction for her. Amy is careful, but she doesn't let her mind being dictated by her 'specialty'. Other's, more 'fresh out of the mill' mutants would be an exception.

Hey, Maria is still pretty ticked at Max. I can't have her running to HIM when she still doesn't have THAT fond feelings for him. If anything, Max/Maria relationship is going to take a LONG while before blossoming. And besides... ...there's going to be a blowout at school...like Maria said.

...

Feh!! I SO did not want to see Izzy taking Max's side. Hell would freeze over before THAT would happen. As for Izzy's thoughts about humans...yes, we are dangerous creatures...but only when we have tools to back it up. Or...we come en-masse straight at ya.

Maybe...some day... (Glad you liked it )

Hey...no body so far had given me lip in a form of 'BAD CLIFFY...BAD!!' At least you were nice about it...for settling only for a glare. *glares back* Better keep it as that...I might get offended. And that's TOO easily done. But...here's a new part...with no cliffies.

LEL Thanks to you as well, LEL.

Hey, don't worry about Alex. And he only hears the stray thoughts inside 2 mile radius ONLY when he specifically extends his awareness to his limits. Like he did when he was making sure Liz was ok. Sensing other's goes as far as about 80-100 yards. But...he can hear stray thoughts...when he's blocking them...from about 10-20 yard radius. That way he can't hear THAT much, but at school...and since he hears them quite loud...that's a pain. Oh, and the Buffy ep. your talking about is 'Earshot'. One of my personal favourites . Anyway, Alex's and Buffy's condition is NOT the same. Alex can control his power, and it has it's limit. Buffy, however, was infected with the power, and it just kept getting stronger and stronger. I think that at the end she could hear EVERY single thought in the whole Sunnydale, and was unable to filter them apart. THAT'S a nightmare...which Alex is not suffering from.

Hey...the Whitman's don't know ALL about Liz's powers...or what she looks like. *wiggles his eyebrows* I just got an idea to 'cause SOME form of discomfort to them...with Liz being all in her blue skinned form. But while they might get...all wigged out by it...they will be able to cope with it a tad better than with Alex's mental powers. At least Alex's dad is... And thanks for agreeing with me about the whole FMax thing. I've been thinking about that thing for some time now...but we may never know for sure.

Thanks...and since Amy is SUCH a fiery personality, I just HAD to give her pyrokinetic powers. It just...seem so damn fitting for her. And we'll definitely see more Amy in this story...if not for obvious reasons, then because of the fact that Maria is going to be REALLY heartbroken when she finds out what's going on between Michael and Liz. And trust me...Mama DeLuca is NOT going to be happy...and think of the reaction she's having with her fire-power added to the mix. *shudder* Not good...

Well...don't just stand there...read this new part NOW!!

And hey...Alex's glowing eye is NOT freaky. It's COOL. I resent any other sentence!! *pout*

Lady_without_a_clue Thanks for loving this fic...but... *sigh* you have your own opinions...so I don't go there.

Yes he is...but not to the general public. But...that might change when they get to Bayville.

For Logan and others to arrive...that might take a while. There's still stuff going to happen at Roswell before I can bring them back into play.

creative nickname *getting red...* Ok...I'm trying to be calm here... *takes a deep breath, and counts to 10...slowly* Ok, I'm back. Why do you think it's freaky that Alex's eye glows? Hell, Scott's eyes have a red glow in them...for obvious reasons. But if you don't know squat about X-Men... *sigh* well...if you have any questions about them...don't hesitate. But everything about the X-Men should be cleared up eventually.

Hey, join the club...I'm probably even more impatient than you are...but I have this and 2 other fics to worry about before I go and read other fics.

If you think I updated because of your puppydog eyes...guess again. I always finish 2 parts to this story, and update them at least week apart. Like now. HAH! I'm IMMUNE to puppydog eyes.

Phoebe04 *blink* A new reader? Glad you like, and I'd wish (but I don't insist, there's a difference) that you'd stick around.

angeleyes Thanks. And as for Logan to show up...that won't happen too soon. Not long, but not soon either.

Oh...and I don't know if any of you here read 'DAA' (ok, I know some of you do), but I got informed that THIS VERY story is nominated for 'Outstanding Crossover Story' at the 'Simply Polar Fanfiction Awards'. How COOL is that? I nearly popped a vein in my head from this news. So...I'd like to thank everyone here...be a lurker or a FB'er...for nominating me there (if any of you did, I don't know how it works)...I'm so...I don't know...touched. Really. Hell, I'm a guy, I don't do emotional stuff too easily. Anyway...thank you...EVERYONE. And now...here it is...part 7 .

Title: "Shattered Images"
Author: Bored to Mundane life
Disclaimer: I don't own Roswell or X-Men : Evolution. I'm just borrowing them for this. But if it HAS to be necessary, I promise that I won't damage any of them too badly.
Summary: Things are going from bad to worse. Liz supposedly slept with Kyle, to prevent the the end of the world Future Max told her about. Now no one except Kyle and Alex are talking to her now. If things weren't bad enough already, Liz suddenly gets abnormal pains. When she lost consciousness from a really intense moment of pain, she seeks help from a doctor, and discovers that she's terminally ill. Now Liz must race against time to find the cure, but with little to no allies at disposal, can she survive through this before her time runs out?
Category: Crossover with X-Men : Evolution, with reasonable additions from me.
Pairing: Roswell: Mi/L, Ma/Ma, the rest is CC. X-Men: Remy/Rogue, Scott/Jean, no clue from the rest.
Rating: PG-13, possibly R at some point
Feedback: I don't think I have to tell you how important FB is, now do I?

["*"] indicates thoughts.
-"*"- indicates telepathical communication.

Part 7

Alex watched as Isabel looked at him with a wide array of shock and disbelief. Even if he wasn't able to read thoughts directly here, he was able to hear the ones Isabel was subconsciously projecting. The one thing that confused...and scared...Isabel the most, is the fact that his right eye is glowing. He waited patiently...allowing Isabel to get over her initial shock, and to start thinking with more clarity. It was taking longer than he had anticipated, because she was still confused and scared, trying to take in what she was seeing.

"Maybe a more calming scenery would help?" Alex suggested, and waved his hand casually, his right eye flashing briefly. The effect, however, was far less casual. The desert scenery disappeared, and now they were standing in the Crashdown Café, with candles lit to provide lighting...and maybe a bit of romantic ambiance. ["Ok, that was something I couldn't resist,"] Alex said to himself, grinning widely when he saw Isabel's wide-eyed reaction.

"What the hell?!" Isabel exclaimed. One minute she had been standing near the rock formation where she was 'hatched', and now she was standing in the very familiar café. Isabel blinked, and looked at Alex with wide eyes. "Are YOU doing this?"

Alex's grin turned to genuine smile. "Took you long enough to figure it out," he said.

"How...how are you doing this?" Isabel asked, still not fully believing what she was seeing. "I know people can...sometimes...control WHAT they are dreaming about...but this..." She was at loss of words now.

"Dreams?!" Alex said incredulously, and burst into a fit of laughter. He was laughing so hard now that he was holding his sides, because the laughing hurt a bit, but boy, was it worth it.

Isabel's confusion and fright was now turned into indignation and anger. She placed her hands on her hips, and started tapping the café floor with her right foot, but since she wasn't wearing any shoes, the effect that she was going for was lost. Still...her glare spoke volumes. "What is so funny, Alex?!" Isabel demanded, not finding her question amusing at all.

Alex managed to stop laughing, but the glare Isabel was sending him did NOT have the same effect as it normally had. Alex was not intimated, mainly because of two reasons. One, Isabel was definitely out of her game here. She could deal with dreams...but mind games, that was completely different story. Second, HE was in charge here, no one else. Only a telepath up to par with him, like Uncle Charles, could have a chance of winning against him here. "Just the fact that you still think you're in my subconscious," he said, smiling broadly, his right eye now shimmering almost hypnotically. Isabel could only watch in awe as the scenery started to change...very expensive looking vases with bright red roses appeared on the booth tables, the light from the candles intensified, yet still gave the room an uncomfortably romantic atmosphere. Then the table she was standing next to shimmered, causing Isabel to yelp, and there was now a silk tablecloth, with two wine glasses and a single rose in a crystal vase. Isabel could only watch in awe as this took place. It was as if the place she was in was changing with every whim of Alex's thoughts. Then 'I Only Have Eyes For You' from 'Simon & Garfunkel' started to play out.

My love must be a kind of blind love
I can't see anyone but you

Alex looked at Isabel critically, and shook his head. "That won't do..." he said to himself, and his right eye flashed again. This time, the pajamas Isabel wore disappeared, and they were replaced with very elaborate red dress that reached the floor, fitting her form perfectly, and leaving her shoulders bare. Isabel, to her surprise, realized that she was now wearing red high-heels, and a pair of red gloves that covered her arm to her elbow. She even had a very expensive looking diamond necklace that glittered from the light of the candles. Her hair, which had been straight when she entered this...place, was now curled, cascading over her shoulders. To say that Isabel was in awe...would be an understatement. While Isabel was studying her new appearance (with approval), Alex smiled. "There...much better."

Are the stars out tonight?
I don't know if it's cloudy or bright
'Cause I only have eyes for you, dear

Alex then looked at himself, and his eye flashed again. Now Alex was wearing a dark blue tux, with matching pants and white button up shirt, top button left open. The shoes were formal. Alex then walked past Isabel and pulled the chair near the table. "Have a seat, Isabel," he said politely.

Isabel was stunned, that's for sure. It was now quite obvious that this WASN'T the dream plane. Sure, the setting could change, depending the dream, but hardly on a whim. Besides...the way Alex had changed her clothes...and his...was definitely something else entirely.

The moon may be high
But I can't see a thing in the sky
'Cause I only have eyes for you

"You have no idea how right you are," Alex whispered in Isabel's ear, and she shivered, and felt her cheeks flame up as she blushed. This felt so weird...so not like Alex, and yet...he was the same, but something more. That fact was rather obvious from the way his eye kept glowing. But there was a feeling of danger in Alex...something she was not accustomed to see, yet it was also...more than appealing, if not even down right arousing. Isabel admonished herself from going there. Then she heard Alex chuckle softly, and there was a glint of amusement in his...left eye. His right eye still kept glowing...illuminating their surrounding with a mixture of dark blue and orange from the candles. But what was it that Alex found so amusing?

"The fact that you are clearly physically affected by me, yet you still try to ignore it," Alex said, smiling.

Isabel was really scared now. "How...how are you doing that?" she asked, her mouth suddenly dry from uneasiness.

I don't know if we're in a garden
Or on a crowded avenue

Alex arched his right eyebrow, and the glow from his eye dimmed somewhat. "Doing what?" he asked, feigning ignorance.

Isabel couldn't muster indignation or even mild annoyance anymore. She was too confused. "THIS?! T-the desert, the café, candles, the way you...created this dress out of nowhere...the way you seem to hear what I'm thinking...WHO are you?" Isabel asked.

Alex didn't answer; he just tilted his head to the right, and watched how confusion played with Isabel's features. The blush he had caused was now gone, but Alex didn't mind. He knew that what was happening around her was confusing, even scary. And that's why he had baited her when she had followed him after the meeting. He had encouraged her to dream walk him, so he could bring her here, where there was absolutely NO way to be interrupted. "Would you like something to drink?" Alex asked casually.

You are here and so am I
Maybe millions of people go by
But they all disappear from view
And I only have eyes for you

Isabel blinked. ["What the...??"] she thought, but was cut short when Alex snapped his fingers. The wine glass in front of her was suddenly filled with something that resembled orange juice, and she nearly jumped out of her seat, but managed to maintain her composure. When she looked at Alex, she saw that his own glass had the same content. "I don't exactly know what champagne tastes like, so we'll have to settle for this. Besides...I think we BOTH know what kind of effect alcohol would have with you, if Max's behavior during Liz's blind date earlier this year was any indication," Alex said, and sipped some of the orange juice. Ah, just the way he liked it. Even if it wasn't real per se. Just a creation of his mind.

Isabel also sipped the orange juice, and found that it was quite refreshing, even if there was something missing. She couldn't explain it, and it certainly wasn't the fact that it didn't have Tabasco laced into it. No...it was something else. Like a gut feeling that told her that even if the orange juice tasted, felt and SEEMED real...it wasn't. Isabel put the glass away, and looked at Alex. He was still smiling to her, sipping his orange juice. Isabel felt her cheeks get hotter under his gaze, and swallowed. This wasn't going too well. She wanted answers, but her head was getting sidetracked. She took a deep breath, and willed herself to calm down. It worked, even though the blush didn't disappear. "Please, Alex," she pleaded.

"Please what?" Alex asked.

You are here and so am I
Maybe millions of people go by
But they all disappear from view
And I only have eyes for you

"Tell me...how are you doing this? I know its you...but...how?" Isabel said.

Alex put the glass down, now weary of torturing Isabel. As much as it was fun to see her uncomfortable with him, now that he knew how deeply his presence affected her, both in mind AND body, he didn't see the need to play this game. He flicked his wrist, and the music died down, leaving them in silence. Isabel shivered, feeling more uncomfortable now that they were surrounded by silence...dead silence.

"As you have probably figured out by now...I'm not exactly...normal," Alex said slowly, his right eye now glowing steadily.

Isabel nodded. She suspected as much...but couldn't believe it. "Are you...like us...an alien?" she asked.

Alex shook his head. "No. I'm still human. I'm just...a bit more...advanced, so to speak," he said.

Isabel frowned. What did he mean by that? To her shock, Alex answered her unanswered question.

"I'm what the general public now knows as Homo-Sapiens-Superior...or not so nicely said, a mutant. A person who has a certain gene, X-gene, that grants them special powers that...put into perspective...are even more unique than yours," Alex said.

Isabel was silent for a while, letting what Alex had said to sink in. A mutant. She had heard about them in the news. A minority of people who possessed phenomenal...even dangerous, powers. And Alex...was one of them. "So...what...IS your power?" Isabel managed to ask.

Alex smiled. "I have the power of telepathy. I can read peoples minds, project thoughts, memories and images, communicate and generally sense people inside certain radius," he said.

Isabel was stunned. He...he was able to read peoples minds? Did that include her? The Pod Squad in its entirety? Or...everyone? He probably was listening her thoughts even this very moment, and that thought unnerved Isabel even more than the fact that Tess was able to mind warp people, forcing them to see what she wanted them to see. Wait. Was Alex able of doing something like that as well? She was about to ask, when Alex, again, answered her unvoiced question.

"Yes, Isabel. I can force people see what I want them to see as well...more efficiently than Tess could ever hope to do. As a matter of fact...I can do everything Tess can...and a whole lot more," Alex said, his face suddenly serious.

Isabel glanced around. "Does that include this as well?" she asked, gesturing their surroundings.

Alex nodded. "This isn't a dreamscape, Isabel. This is what is better known as the Astral Plane. Only telepaths with considerable amount of power or training can hope to reach this place. As you probably guessed by now, I'm one of them. In here...the one with the strongest mind is the dominant one. In here, I can create anything I want. The desert, café, your clothes, everything you've seen so far is all done by me. In here...the only limitation is your imagination," he said, and his eye flashed again, the café disappeared and was replaced with the camp spot from Frasier Woods where they were when there had been a sighting before the UFO convention. Isabel noticed that their clothes were changed as well, to more casual and comfortable for the wilderness. She wore jeans, hiking boots and a red top. Alex wore dark blue button up shirt (top button open), black jeans and sneakers. There was a small fire on the ground, and the stars...there were so many of them. It was like...every single star in the Universe was put into one sky, yet it still managed to look less crowded as logic said.

"How come...my powers don't work here?" Isabel asked, studying her surroundings a bit more.

"Like I said, in Astral Plane, the mind is dominant. You still have your powers, but since they are physical, not mental, they don't work here. And since your only mental power is dream walking...well, we're not in a dream at the moment, so you're pretty much powerless here," Alex explained. "Tess is the only one from you who could use her mind warping powers here."

Isabel nodded to that information, but she still had so many things to ask. "How did I get here in the first place? I'm not..." Isabel started, but then she finally realized it. That flash that nearly blinded her when she was leading Max to Alex's subconscious, had been him. Alex had brought her here. She turned to him. "It was you. You brought me here."

Alex nodded. "I erected a psychic alarm before I went to sleep, which would alert me when you'd try to dream walk me. That way...I would be ready to pull your psyche here. What I didn't expect was Max, so I had to kick him back to his own body. And I didn't do that as gently as you think," he said.

"But why..." Isabel started, but Alex cut her off.

"Because I didn't want to tell him, that's why. I don't owe Max, he owes me. I'm the one who replaced that blood sample at the hospital, risking my identity. I had to use my powers to switch the sample again, because I was afraid of exposure, just as much as you were. I helped all of you and got nothing in return. Hell, if you would have trusted me more, I could have helped you save Max from the FBI, and a hell of a lot more efficiently than Tess," he said.

"But we didn't know! And you never told us!" Isabel yelled, not wanting to take the blame from this.

"Did you bother to ask? To get to know me at all? Any of you?!" Alex demanded, and Isabel could only look at him. "No, you didn't! And you want to know why?! Because in YOUR mind, I was nothing but a human. Someone who could only help when asked to do research or something NOT relating to you. The only times I REALLY helped was with Michael when he was sick, and YOU practically tore my head off because of me being me. The other time was when Michael asked me to fix that camera we used to spy on Tess."

Isabel hung her head low. She remembered that day, and now...she felt disgusted for the way she acted. But she had been scared for Michael. She didn't know what to do, and she angrily released that frustration onto others.

"I know you were scared, Isabel," Alex said, getting Isabel's attention back to him. "The sadness and fright were pouring out of you like a waterfall, how could I NOT feel it? Damn it, Isabel, you never trusted me. That's the reason why I never told any of you. Why should I trust you when you didn't trust me?"

"I...don't know," Isabel said. His words hurt...because everything he said was true. It had always been the aliens, not the humans. They made the decisions, or ultimately, Max. Always him. Sure, they voted, but it was Max who decided.

"Do you remember the heat wave last December?" Alex asked, and Isabel nodded. "And do you remember how you dream walked me because you thought I was going to cave under the pressure of knowing you?"

Isabel's eyes widened from shock. He...he knew? She...she hadn't told anyone...well, Max knew, but not everything about it.

"I felt you, Isabel. Imagine my surprise when I felt your presence in my mind. At first I thought about kicking you out, but I didn't. Instead...I observed you. Just like you observed me. I knew how you were affected by what you saw in my dream. But that's the difference between you and normal humans. Your emotions are so clear all the time, that they over-power your thoughts. That's why I never knew about your true origins until Liz told me that night when I got arrested. After that...I spent a couple of days studying you from afar...getting familiar with each of your minds. It helped me to sort out your thoughts from your emotions, and eventually I got used to it. I always had a sensitive mind, Isabel. You don't know what it's like...to hear everyone's thoughts in your head...not able to cast them aside. I can do that now...but I can still hear them," Alex said.

"I'm sorry, Alex," Isabel said, feeling horribly guilty. She had taken him for granted...when he was so far out of the norm. Just like her. He had to hide...just like the aliens had to.

"You're right, Isabel. We have to hide. Now more than ever, when the general public wants nothing more than to tie us up and burn at the stake," Alex said. "The difference between you and me is that you only have the government and the Skins to worry about. Me...I have to hide from the entire human race."

"I hide from humans as well, in case you haven't noticed!" Isabel screamed.

Alex shook his head. "Not as actively as I am. The only thing you have to do is act casually. But I admit...our situation is quickly turning very similar. Because if normal humans were to find out about YOU...they'd do rash things and think you're a mutant. And they'd react the same way as with us...with violence. That is if the government doesn't get their hands on you first and dissect you open so they could find out what makes you tick," he said. "Me...I won't be so lucky if the government gets a hold of me...or any of my kind."

Isabel was now confused. "What do you mean?" she asked.

If anything, Alex's features hardened even more. "Do you have any idea what the government could do with a mutant who can control peoples' minds? Or extract confidential information from terrorists and politicians? Or...take control of the minds of an entire army and force them to kill each other?" he asked.

Isabel suddenly felt nauseous. God, she never...she never even thought of that. He was right. If the government got hold of her, Max, Michael or Tess, they would be put on an operating table and cut open while they were still alive. What happened to Max was proof of that. Alex...he would be turned into a...slave. Or...a mindless drone. Isabel turned away, not wanting to look at him. God, how self-centered she...they were. They could only see what could happen to them, but not what could happen to others. If they'd known about Alex before...would they have trusted him more? Try to help HIM if he ever needed help? She definitely would, no questions asked. And if he'd ask help from her now...she would help.

"Glad you think like that, because there's something else you need to know. Something more about Liz...and Courtney," Alex said.

Isabel spun around, all ears. She had avoided him long enough. No more. "What about Liz? And what does Courtney have to do with this?" she asked.

"Well...for starters...Liz is a mutant as well. I never knew until today, when she came to me," Alex said.

Isabel was, again, shocked. "Liz is a..." she started, not able to finish her sentence.

Alex nodded. "Yep. And get this, HER power is shapeshifting," he said.

"Like Nasedo?" Isabel asked, still in shock.

"Hardly. Nasedo could only turn into the same sex he was, which was probably male. Liz...she's able to turn into ANYONE she wants," Alex said.

Isabel blinked, thinking over what Alex said. Then her eyes widened from disbelief. "You mean Liz can turn into both female AND male?!"

Alex nodded, smirking slightly.

"Good God...if we'd known...she could have..." Isabel said, now at awe how self-centered they TRULY had been.

"Help Max like I could have? Yep. And you know the reason why Liz and I are leaving," Alex said, his voice tinged with regret.

Isabel nodded. She knew. "What about Courtney?" she asked.

"Oh, she's a Skin," Alex said deadpan, as if the information wasn't that important. To him...it wasn't.

Isabel, however, was now indignant towards Alex's casualness and shock that they had an enemy right underneath their noses. Specifically...Michael's nose. "And you didn't tell us?!!" she demanded.

Alex's glare calmed Isabel down, and she realized that if he had told them, he would have had to explain HOW he knew. Through his telepathy. "Sorry," Isabel said softly.

"No offence taken. Though I suggest that you listen what Courtney has to say before you go and kill her. She may be a Skin...but she's not with them," Alex said.

Isabel was now confused. "What do you mean?" she asked.

Alex shrugged. "Honestly? I don't know. Her mind is a whole lot more alien than what you 4 have. What I CAN tell you...is that she truly cares for Michael. And she wants to help him, unconditionally," he said. Then he shook his head. "Don't ask me more, because I honestly don't know."

Isabel nodded, accepting what he said so far. But now came the weird part. "How...am I going to get back?" she asked.

Alex smiled, walked to her and grasped her hands. Isabel blushed more furiously now. His body was so close that she could feel the heat radiate from him...but she knew it was probably his doing. This place...it wasn't real. "Izzy. If I could bring you here, shouldn't I be able to take you back as well?" he asked, and Isabel nodded, now feeling really stupid. Alex lifts her face so it faced his. "Don't think like that, Izzy. You're intelligent young woman, and quite fiery temper, even if you use a cold exterior to bring it out."

Now Isabel was feeling lightheaded, and her heart was beating unbelievably fast. She had hurt him so much, yet he still could feel love towards her. ["I'm not worth it, Alex,"] she thought, too afraid to say it out loud. But she knew he could hear her.

"You are worth it, Izzy," Alex insisted, and kissed her gently to the lips. Isabel was taken by surprise, and her eyes widened from shock. Then she fell in to the kiss, closing her eyes. Her tongue snaked out, and tucked gently Alex's lips, asking entrance. He granted it, and now their tongues dueled for dominance. Isabel could taste Alex, and it was intoxicating. But they were in the Astral Plane. This wasn't real. It was too good to be true. But she couldn't care less about it. Isabel's hands went around Alex's neck, and she moaned when Alex added more pressure to the kiss. Then she felt something. Something...alien...in her mind. It was...like she was feeling someone else's feelings, along with her own. Then her eyes widened from shock and she...grudgingly...pulled back. She watched Alex in awe, not knowing what to say. She could feel him...so clearly that it was terrifying. What he was feeling right now, towards her. His underlying worry towards Liz. His anger towards Max. His...love...for her. A tear glided down her cheek, and Alex gently wiped it away. She could see...that dark blue aura that she now knew was Alex...surrounding her as well. He had formed a connection with her...but it was so much more than the flashes. This was Alex, in all his glory. His mind, his heart...everything.

"I better take you back now. Your brother is getting worried," Alex said, and Isabel could clearly hear regret in his voice.

"Please...don't go," Isabel pleaded. She knew it was selfish...but she didn't want Alex to leave.

"I have to. Liz needs me...now more than ever. But I will keep in touch...and not by phone," Alex said.

"You mean...you're going to use your powers?" Isabel asked. The connection they shared now was so strong...it told her what he could do...and now Isabel also knew what he had come so close to do in that meeting, when Max had slammed that door right before he could leave. God...Alex could have killed Max right on the spot...and he would have never known what hit him. "Where are you going?" she asked, casting Max aside from her mind.

"Bayville, New York. It's far...I know, but I have to go," Alex said.

"Will you...come back?" she asked.

Alex smiled. "I would be a fool if I didn't," he said. Then he sighed. "Let's get you back. And...I'm sorry that I have to do this."

"Do what?" Isabel asked, not understanding. Then Alex's right eye started to glow. It was so bright that Isabel thought that she was going to go blind, yet not. And then...there was nothing.

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

Evans' Household, 10:35 p.m., Isabel's Bedroom

Max was worried. He had tried to wake Isabel up for the last 20 minutes, but she still hadn't woken up. He didn't know what to do. His healing power was practically useless, when he couldn't form a connection with her. Then he heard a soft moan, and he saw Isabel stirring. He quickly went to her and shook her gently.

"Isabel, do you hear me?" he asked gently, not wanting to get their parents attention.

"Go away..." Isabel mumbled, and turned to her side, mumbling something about irritable brothers.

"Isabel, wake up. What happened?" Max insisted, shaking her more forcefully. Isabel blinked, completely confused what had happened.

"What...?" she said, feeling lightheaded. Then she groaned. "God, what happened?"

"You're asking me?" Max asked incredulously.

Isabel sat up, rubbing her temples. "I...what...what are you doing here, Max?" she asked, rubbing her eyes slightly.

Max was utterly confused now. "Iz...I...well, I came to apologize...you said some harsh things, which was the truth. Then...I asked you to take me to Liz's dreams...and it didn't work. Then we tried Alex...and something happened," he said, frowning at Isabel.

Isabel shook her head slightly, trying to clear some of the cobwebs. ["I remember that...but...WAIT!!! Alex!!! He...oh my God, it was REAL!"] she thought, her eyes widening from revelation. She looked at Max and opened her mouth to say what had happened...expect she couldn't say anything. Well, she did say something, but not what she intended. "I don't know, Max. I don't remember."

["THAT'S NOT WHAT I WANTED TO SAY!!! Wait..."] Isabel thought, then remembered what Alex had said before he sent her back. 'I'm sorry that I have to do this.' HE did something to her. Something that prevented her to tell Max what had happened. But...she had just reacted. It wasn't like she really wanted to say anything. She inwardly sighed. And obviously Alex knew that she would have said SOMETHING about what happened to Max. He knew her too well, and had made sure that she couldn't say anything.

"You don't remember?" Max asked, looking at her. Isabel nodded, by her own accord. She suspected that if she tried to say anything else...she would have agreed with that question no matter what.

Max sighed. "Well...I guess we should go to sleep now. Since we obviously can't get anywhere with answers," he said, and left.

Isabel briefly wondered why he hadn't suggested going and dream walk Kyle, but didn't voice it out. No doubt Alex had thought of that option too. But then again...Max might SUSPECT that what had happened between Liz and Kyle had truly happened, and wanted to find out from Liz rather than Kyle. It made sense.

Max stopped at the door, and turned to look at Isabel. She seemed to be deep in thought, like trying to figure out something, but was unable to. "Good night, Iz," he said, and started to leave, when Isabel called out.

"Max," she said, and Max looked at her. "I'm not even remotely sorry that this didn't work. You want answers...ask them yourself...calmly."

Max looked at her for a moment, stung by what she had said. He nodded his head, and left, leaving Isabel alone.

She looked at the ceiling, and started to think REALLY loudly. ["ALEX WHITMAN!!! IF YOU HEAR ME, YOU BETTER ANSWER ME RIGHT NOW!!!!!"] she mentally yelled, as loud as she could. Nothing happened for a while, until a really weird feeling took over. Like something...was with her in her head.

-"Jeezus, Izzy. What did you do, dig up a megaphone and hooked it up your head or something?"- she 'heard' Alex answer in her head, and judging by the 'tone' of his 'voice', she had shook him up really badly.

["COULD YOU EXPLAIN TO ME WHAT THE HELL YOU DID TO ME??!!!!"] Isabel thought as loudly as she could, thinking that she had to so he could hear her. Boy, was she wrong.

-"God, could you tone down your thoughts a bit!?"- she heard Alex mentally yell at her, which shocked her. -"I'm FAR from deaf, you know. Well...after this, I WILL be deaf if you keep that up."-

["What do you mean? You're...not exactly living next door, so I thought..."] Isabel thought normally, and was surprised when a sensation that could only be described as a mental snort hit her mind. It was really weird feeling, to say the least.

-"Isabel...I told you I was mentally more sensitive than any other telepath. And besides...the fog-horn you just called a 'thought' was SO loud that even a low-level telepath could have heard it from the NEXT STATE,"- Isabel 'heard' Alex say to her and blushed. She did remember him saying that, but didn't really know that it worked like THAT. She thought that he heard so many thoughts at the regular basis, but apparently when he meant sensitive, he meant that he heard the thoughts quite loud.

["Sorry. Did I interrupt anything?"] Isabel thought.

Alex sent out a mental sigh, and 'said', -"It's ok, Izzy. I should have been more specific. And as for your question...I WAS sleeping when your 'thought' suddenly exploded in the middle of my head and jerked me off from my bed. I nearly gave Liz and my parents a coronary. Ok, they left now, so what did you want to know?"-

["What did you do to me? I mean...I couldn't say anything related to what you told me in the...Astral Plane to Max. Not that I would have, mind you,"] Isabel thought.

-"I didn't want to take a chance, Izzy. Max has no right to know what Liz and I can do. It's a simple dampening command, which prevents you from telling anyone what happened. Only if someone else knows about the truth from either me or Liz, you'll be able to tell what happened,"- Alex 'said'.

["But...no one else knows,"] Isabel thought.

-"If my bet is accurate, Michael does,"- Alex 'said'.

["WHAT!!!!!??"] Isabel thought, nearly bolting up from her bed. She suppressed that urge, but then winced when she realized how loud she had thought. ["Sorry."]

She felt a mental groan in her mind, another weird feeling. -"Oh God...my head's gonna ring the whole night after that...anyway...Liz went to talk with him after the meeting was over, and probably spilled the beans about herself. I'm not 100% sure, but it's a good bet. So if you want to talk...talk to him,"- Alex 'said'.

["Ok...well...sorry I startled you,"] Isabel thought sheepishly. She really hadn't known the effect her thought had on him.

-"Hey, I know I should have trusted you...but when it comes to Max...I couldn't take any chances. Well, for what it's worth, I just removed it. So if you want to tell Max, be my guest. Now...I'm going back to sleep. Good night, Izzy. And please...don't start projecting your thoughts like that again,"- Alex pleaded.

Isabel smiled. ["I promise, and thank you,"] she thought. Alex didn't respond, but she could clearly 'feel' his 'you're welcome', and then the feeling that someone else was in her mind disappeared, leaving Isabel alone with her thoughts. She felt relieved, but she still couldn't shake off the feeling that Alex hadn't trusted her. But...he was right. She probably would have said something before she had a chance to take it back, and then Max would have definitely known something was up. Well...at least Alex trusted her enough NOW to allow her to choose whom to talk to. That meant something. He just didn't trust Max.

"That's not important right now," she whispered to herself. "But what I REALLY need to do is find Courtney and find out what she knows." With that said, she lied down, and fell asleep, dreaming about Alex...with his glowing right eye.

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

Valenti Household, 10:48 p.m., Tess' Room

Tess lied at her bed, staring at the ceiling. What had she really tried at the meeting? She HAD tried to mind warp Alex, but only to find out what he knew about Liz's whereabouts. That's all she had tried to do. Right? Yea, that's it. It had nothing to do with the deal Nasedo had made with the Skins. Nope, not a single thing. But she knew she needed to get the book translated. Maybe she could just ask for help? Just go and tell them that they could get more answers from the Granolith and themselves if they'd find a way to read it. No, they didn't want to know about their pasts. They didn't care. She'd do it herself, but the damn book was encrypted, and the only way to unlock that code was to use a really powerful computer, which she didn't know how to operate. Alex would, there was no doubt about that...but the way he had practically brushed off her attempt to get in his head and the mental attack against her said one thing all too clearly. Alex Whitman was more powerful psychic than she was, and Tess doubted she could even DO anything to him, even if she tried with everything she had.

But the real question was...did she WANT to go home? Sure, Max was with her now, but he was still obsessing over Liz, even after what she had done to him. Tess couldn't understand it. Then there was the way he acted at the meeting. Like he could do anything he wanted. Yes, he was the King, but Tess had to agree with Alex. The humans didn't have to follow him, or take orders from him. But the only reason Alex had probably said that was the way they had acted towards Liz...and the fact that he was a one-man powerhouse with mental powers. Beyond her capabilities. And that thought scared Tess. Alex could have wiped her mind blank if he had wanted to.

Tess sighed. Things were so confusing that it hurt. And then there was Kyle. He cares for her...genuinely. Not out of obligation, just because he wants to...even if he still keeps it a bit more on guard around her. And Jim was nice...a lot nicer than Nasedo ever was. All Nasedo could drone about was her destiny as Max's mate and Queen of Antar. And the fact that she needed to hone her powers to absolute peak. They weren't, even if she was quite powerful. But not as powerful as Alex. Not by a long shot.

"Well...maybe I can think clearly after a good night sleep," she whispered to herself, and went to sleep. Still...her mind was in constant turmoil...even in her sleep.

At the living room, Kyle was watching television. He was far from tired. He was worried about Liz. The way she had collapsed at school had got him edgy, and now that she had disappeared...he didn't know what to think. ["Where is she?"] Kyle thought. He couldn't fathom that Jeff Parker would have kicked her out, let alone when she was sick. Something was off, he knew it.

Kyle scowled and turned the TV off, only the Moon lighting the room. And what had Tess been doing at the meeting? Kyle knew she had been thinking about something. She had that kind of intense look in her eyes when she did that. Then she just...flinched all of a sudden, for no apparent reason. He shook his head. ["Ever since Max healed me things have been so out of whack that I feel my head is ready to burst,"] he thought, and layed down on the sofa, thinking. Alex seemed a little edgy today, which was odd in itself. Alex was NEVER edgy. Nor angry, which was something Kyle had a hard time believing as well. Frustrated, maybe, but not angry. Yeah, he could sympathize. HE was angry with Max...for dragging him into this. But some of that could be blamed on him. He had been so worried about Liz's wellbeing that all caution was shot to wind, getting HIM shot in the process.

["Better not go there at the moment. I'll just keep myself awake all night, and we have school tomorrow,"] he thought, and closed his eyes, trying to get to sleep. Everything was so confusing...and he had a nagging feeling that Alex was hiding something. Something...weird.

TBC...

Very good news and a good day to you all. The new part is here...and finished. Special thanks to ofwolfandman408, ezriboots (x2), Phoebe04, MCMANN, girlie_girl, Sternbetrachter (x4), Anya, Lady_without_a_clue (x2), LEL, lyndy1 (x2), Calinia (x2), NScotian, Ladeia3 (x2), LizzyBug (x2), coracat, Serena, Chelbert8 and creative nickname. Extra thanks to NScotian from excellent beta-work.

LizzyBug You give me too much credit. And I know you love my work, but I still don't see myself worthy of it.

Lady_without_a_clue Thanks.

Well...this part is rather short, and it's not that great (in my opinion, I don't know about you). Well...part 8.

Title: "Shattered Images"
Author: Bored to Mundane life
Disclaimer: I don't own Roswell or X-Men : Evolution. I'm just borrowing them for this. But if it HAS to be necessary, I promise that I won't damage any of them too badly.
Summary: Things are going from bad to worse. Liz supposedly slept with Kyle, to prevent the the end of the world Future Max told her about. Now no one except Kyle and Alex are talking to her now. If things weren't bad enough already, Liz suddenly gets abnormal pains. When she lost consciousness from a really intense moment of pain, she seeks help from a doctor, and discovers that she's terminally ill. Now Liz must race against time to find the cure, but with little to no allies at disposal, can she survive through this before her time runs out?
Category: Crossover with X-Men : Evolution, with reasonable additions from me.
Pairing: Roswell: Mi/L, Ma/Ma, the rest is CC. X-Men: Remy/Rogue, Scott/Jean, no clue from the rest. (But I do have now)
Rating: PG-13, possibly R at some point
Feedback: I don't think I have to tell you how important FB is, now do I?

["*"] indicates thoughts.
-"*"- indicates telepathical communication.

Part 8

Whitman Household, 6:01 a.m., November 30th, Thursday, Guest Room

Liz stirred slightly, and opened her eyes wearily. She blinked, and rubbed her eyes wearily. ["What time is it?"] she thought, and turned to look at the clock on the night stand. It read 6:02 a.m. Liz groaned. ["It seems that no matter how tired I am, I STILL wind up getting up REALLY early."]

She banished that thought aside for the moment, and tried to get up, only to fall back to bed when her whole body protested. It felt like ALL her muscles were bruised...and considering how she felt last night, that probably wasn't that far from the truth. She had experienced something like this before when she had ended up keeping a morph too long consciously. Then she developed the ability to keep a single morph 'on' without conscious effort, thus halting the stress to her body and mind, hoping that she would never feel like being pulled through the mangle again. Apparently she had been wrong. She had kept a secondary morph over the morph that ensured her 'normal' features 'on' for too long, and it had taken its toll on her. Unfortunately, her mind was still groggy from her sleep that could be described as 'too short', and she failed to realize that she was NOT at her home, alone as she had been then. Liz reacted automatically and dropped the mental lock, thus bringing forth her true form, and Liz sighed when her muscles lost the 'tight' feeling that had been bothering her. She got up and went to the closet, taking a bathrobe and a towel and headed straight to the bathroom. Her sleep had been blisfully free of dreams, but it felt like she had only slept about 30 minutes, when in reality she had slept about 8 hours...not counting the time she woke up when Alex's yelp and thud when he had fallen off the bed. She idly wondered how she had been able to banish the drowsy feeling then and not now. She shook her head as she peeled off the last of her pajamas, and stepped in the shower, intending to get a somewhat cold shower to start, just to wake her up. That worked, and she started to wash herself. Now that her mind was awake, she was able to think things more clearly. She had told Michael, he was a logical choice considering the other alternatives, but she wondered why she went to him in the first place? Yes, he was a logical choice, but that didn't necessarily mean that he was the 'right' choice. He could have reacted badly, but he hadn't. In fact...he had found her true appearance...attractive. Liz blushed, a healthy shade of violet coloring her cheeks, when she remembered the intense look in his eyes when he had watched her. It was weird. She had only felt like that around Max, under different circumstances. Yes, she was aware that Max had been watching her, but it had never given her a reason to blush. That happened very rarely...like when he had walked into the girls locker room that day when she received flashes from Nasedo...or that was the theory at least. But Liz knew that Max couldn't accept her in her true form. He had her in a high perch...a pedestal...and if he'd ever see her like this, she didn't know what he would do or say. But Michael...he had a more realistic approach to things, and he also knew that people had flaws...even if they weren't visible on the surface. Maybe it was Michael's backround that compelled Liz to go to him with her secret.

Liz sighed and turned the shower off, stepping out. She would have time to think this through later. Right now, she needed to dry herself and put on some fresh clothes. She put on the bathrobe and toweled her hair dry, she then put the towel away and brushed her teeth. She and Maria kept their own set of toothbrush at the Whitman household, mostly out of habit since the three of them rarely had sleepover's at Alex's now. Once finished, Liz studied her hair, and smiled faintly. She tilted her head, and her hair, as if by magic, straightened itself without the use of a comb. One of the advantages she had discovered when her powers had manifested. Since she was able to change the color and lenght of her hair, who said that she was unable to straighten or curl her hair in a similar fashion? No one. Then she chuckled softly when she realized that Maria would probably kill her for having the ability to change one's hair any imaginable way. She hadn't needed to go to a hairdresser for the past 2 years, which would DEFINITELY earn a 'I envy you' from Maria. Sure, she still had to humor her friend and, on occasion, get her hair curled or cut the traditional way, not that it made any difference.

She stepped out of the bathroom, intending to head to the guest room, but stopped short when she heard a sharp gasp. Liz's eyes widened when she saw Anna Whitman standing in the hall, staring at Liz with her eyes wide and mouth wide open. Then it suddenly dawned on Liz that she was not at home...and definitely not alone. She was at Alex's, and that fact caused Liz to panic. ["God, how could I have been so stupid?"] she scolded herself, cursing her not so fatigued brain for not working properly.

"Mrs. Whitman...please, don't panic. It's me...Liz," Liz said calmly, and for the sake of the woman she had known for some time, decided to turn back to her 'normal' form, but was unable to when Richard suddenly walked out of his and his wife's bedroom, glancing at Anna's shocked look with a frown, and then following it. He didn't go speechless, unlike his wife. "What the Hell are you!!?" he yelled, his eyes wide.

Liz flinched at Mr. Whitman's tone, her now yellow eyes flashing slightly. Anna and Richard backed away after seeing this, not really knowing what to do. Then the door that led to Alex's room opened, and he looked around, his eyes bleary as he had just been awaken.

"What's going on?" he asked, blinking to the sight in front of him. He blinked again when he finally was able to read his parents confused, scared and amazed thoughts. Then he turned his attention to the girl...it WAS a girl, that much he was certain, but the appearance was more...'alien'. He inwardly scowled at himself for the analogy, but ignored it. He couldn't get any thoughts from her, but the emotions were clearer...but not overly so. Alex blinked, and narrowed his eyes at the girl, taking in her features. Aside from the light-blue skin, dark red hair and yellow eyes, her facial features were TOO familiar for him to ignore. "Liz?" he asked, and while there was confusion in his voice, there was no fright, and Liz was grateful for that.

"Yeah, it's me, Alex," Liz said, nodding. Richard blinked, his face suddenly furrowing from confusion, and Anna seemed to be able to get her initial shock under control.

Alex frowned. "I thought that you looked normal," he said.

Liz sighed, shaking her head slightly. "I never said that, Alex. I just never confirmed it," she said.

Alex nodded, inwardly hitting himself over the head. He had said that shapeshifters didn't look normal, and he had a hard time believing Liz was one since she looked normal enough. But she had never denied that information, nor had she confirmed it. He had just assumed. Well...that had been an error and a narrow-minded judgement from his part. "You're right about that, Liz," he said, rubbing his head as his headache from his parents livid thoughts started to lessen as he erected his multitude of mental defenses. Then he looked at Liz again. "Are you going to turn back to...normal?" he asked.

Liz glanced at Alex's parents uncertainly, then with a single thought turned back to the familiar Liz Parker the Whitman's were used to see. Even Alex was impressed by the change, and even if he was still groggy from his sudden wake-up call, he was alert enough to see the difference between Liz's 'true' form and the 'mask'. While physical features remained the same, the change focused on Liz's skin, eyes and hair was quite clear. Alex then yawned, and headed back to his room without a backward glance.

Liz couldn't exactly tell if she was shocked or outraged by Alex's nonchalant behavior, but at the moment she couldn't muster the strength to care. She was still being watched by the elder Whitmans, and unlike Alex, Liz was not able to tell what they were thinking. "I'm really, REALLY sorry for this," Liz said as she made her way to the guest room, blushing from embarrasment and a little fear. She closed the door quickly.

Richard watched the closed door, before turning his attention back to his wife. She was still staring at the door. "Are you alright?" he asked.

Anna didn't answer immediately, and then watched her husband incredulously for his inquiry. "Did you not see what she looked like?" she asked.

Richard glanced at the guest room door, then back to his wife. "Yes, I saw, Anna. As a matter of fact, I'm kicking myself for my reaction. Liz is a mutant, like our son. Yet different. And while I still have uneasy feelings about my son's capabilities, I think I'm able to cope with Liz's 'difference' a little bit better than Alex's," he said.

"How can you say that?!" Anna asked.

Richard shrugged. "Truthfully? I never felt comfortable near Alex. Him being able to read what I'm thinking all the time...and he knows this, Anna. I don't hate him. I just feel awkward in his presence, but I still love him. That hasn't changed, and it never will. You've been able to adjust to him...probably because of your brother Charles," he raised his hand up, anticipating that Anna was going to say something, "and because of that you're able to be comfortable near him. I can't. I haven't adjusted yet, but I'm getting there. It may take time...I know it. And Alex knows this. We never talked a lot together, mostly because he can talk more freely with Liz and Maria. But when we do talk, it is...reassuring...that he doesn't condem me for my inability to cope with the situation faster," he said.

"I know that, Richard. Believe me, I know. It took me a long time to get used to Charles too, you know. But why would you say that you would be able to cope more with Liz than Alex?" Anna asked.

"Did you see the way her eyes flashed when I asked what the Hell she was?" Richard asked, and Anna nodded. "That remark hurt her far more than if someone had struck her with a fist to the face. Liz, unlike Alex, does not have a normal appearance, and she has to hide underneath the camouflage her own power grants her. I don't think even her own parents know about this, and I can tell that she's afraid of other peoples' reaction to her appearance if they ever saw her like that. I've seen Liz before, but I have never been able to tell her emotions until now. And she's scared of us now."

"You still didn't answer my question," Anna said.

Richard was silent for a while. "It's because Liz, despite her appearance, is easy to read. I can't tell what Alex is thinking. I was able before, but then his powers manifested, and while he still has emotions, he doesn't show them to us anymore. Liz, however, is like an open book emotionally, unlike Alex. That's why I would be able to cope with her 'difference' better than Alex's. But it doesn't mean that I would wish Alex to be different from what he already is. That is something that can't be changed," he said.

Anna thought over what Richard had said. She had known Charles quite well, and when his powers surfaced, she had felt uneasy around him, just like Richard. She coped with it, yes, and it had been surprising that her son had developed same, while more sensitive, powers as her brother, but she had adapted. Richard, however, was still coping with Alex, and now that she heard his reasoning, it made sense. Alex was such a private person that Anna suspected that only Liz and Maria truly knew him...well, Liz definitely knew him NOW that both their secrets were out. She hated to admit it...but seeing Liz's...'true form' had not been easy for her. It was like watching a real life alien, and that thought unnerved her. She admonished herself for not getting past Liz's truly 'unique' appearance, but she was only human, just like her husband. Maybe she would be able to cope with this...given enough time. ["Dear God, now I remember what it felt like with Charles. It's like it happened in another lifetime,"] she thought. "I...understand, Richard. More so than you think. I...I have never considered myself a bigoted person, and I have never been one. But...I've come to realize over time that I place a lot of judgement on people's appearance...and Liz's...'appearance'...is frightening," she said.

"I guess we both have a lot of adjustements to go through with our way of thinking," Richard said, pulling Anna in a hug.

"I guess we do," Anna admitted, sinking in to the hug.

"Oh God, could you two stop acting like two lovesick teenagers? It does NOT suit you," Alex exclaimed as he walked out from his room, towel over his shoulder. Even with his mental shields up, he could hear his parents undying affection and love for each other...plus other things which he would have to scrub off with acid if he didn't manage to get their attention somewhere else...FAST.

Richard and Anna watched their son for a moment, then Anna smiled. "Well...I wonder if someday your own children will talk like that to you and...what was that girl's name you have a crush..." Anna trailed off, trying to grasp the name.

"Isobel?"

"Isabel," a voice said behind them. Anna and Richard turned to look at Liz, in her 'normal' appearance, stood there with a unreadable expression on her face.

"Sorry?" Richard said.

"Her name is Isabel," Liz said.

"Yes...Isabel. How come we haven't seen her around here?" Anna asked her son, who started to feel very uncomfortable.

"Umm...well...she's a bit uncertain about her feelings from me, and I don't want to push her. And this discussion is over," Alex said and disappeared in the bathroom.

Richard sighed. "See what I mean? This is one of the reason why I feel uncomfortable around him. He knows what's going on in my head, and I don't have a clue what's going on with his life. And when I ask him, he doesn't say anything," he said.

"You're right," Anna said, sighing. Then she turned to Liz. "Could you tell us what is going on with his...personal life?"

Liz's eyes widened, and she shook her head. "No. I'm sorry, but I love Alex like a brother, and while I know you are his parents, I can't talk about his life behind his back. It's not...right," she said, and then made her way to the kitchen, intending to get some breakfast.

Richard glanced at his clock, and sighed. "Anna, you better hurry if you hope to get to work on time," he said.

Anna nodded, and gave a quick kiss to Richard's cheek. Then she went to their room. Richard made his way to the kitchen, and watched for a moment how Liz fixed herself some sandwiches. But what got Richard's attention was that Liz was moving rather...mechanically. As if she was trying to act inconspicuously. As if nothing was wrong. "I'm sorry, Liz," Richard said.

Liz stopped abruptly, and looked at Mr. Whitman. "No...you don't have to apologize..." she started, but Richard stopped her.

"No...I DO have to apologize, Liz. I thought that I had gotten used to dealing with mutants because of Alex...and I had heard that some of them have...different appearance. I was just caught off guard, that's all. And that still doesn't make it right that I...reacted that way to your appearance," he said.

Liz didn't say anything. She had heard what Richard had said about Alex...and she didn't blame him. She should...but how could she? He WAS human, after all. In fact...Liz would have been worried if he HADN'T reacted badly to her appearance. Liz looked at Mr. Whitman for a moment before saying, "Thank you...and you're forgiven."

Richard smiled. "You're welcome. And...could you stay in your 'true' form...until you go to school, that is?" he asked.

Liz looked at him for a moment. "Why?" she asked, raising her eyebrow.

Richard shrugged. "Well...you know what they say. 'You can't judge a book by its cover', and frankly...I think that phrase fits this situation quite well," he said.

Liz stared at Mr. Whitman for a moment, then nodded her head. One thought, and her facade dropped. She watched Mr. Whitman uncertainly...but was glad that he didn't flinch at her appearance this time. He just looked at her. "You know...you don't look that bad when you get a second look," he said.

Liz blushed. "Thanks...I think," she said.

"Oh, I didn't mean like that. Yes, your looks is interesting...but not in a malicious way," Richard said.

Liz gave a small, but genuine, smile to that. "Thank you," she said.

Richard smiled slightly as well. "You're welcome," he said, then stood up. "Do you want some coffee?"

"Yes, PLEASE!" Alex exclaimed when he walked in.

"I would love some," Liz said politely.

"You might want to eat that sandwich before you have some of MY coffee," Richard said as he filled the coffee pot with water. Liz nodded and put the last ingredients on her sandwich, then started eating it. Alex had grabbed a bowl and put some cereals in it, and was now munching it. He looked at Liz with a thoughtful expression.

"Why didn't you tell me about...this?" he asked, gesturing Liz's appearance.

Liz tucked her hair behind her ear, and sighed. "Alex...I was afraid how you would...react," she said.

Alex shook his head. "Liz, I've seen a mutant who looks like a demon. With spaded tail and fangs to boot. Your appearance isn't that different," he said.

Liz looked at Alex in disbelief, not knowing what to say. "Are you serious?" she asked, giving him a skeptical look.

"Liz, you aren't that bad looking. There are mutants with a lot more worse appearance than you," Alex said, continuing to eat his cereals. "Besides...you can turn BACK to your 'normal' self...they can't."

Liz winced for that. She knew that mutation could bring out a physical characteristic that clearly marked you as a mutant, but she never knew it could be THAT bad. ["That just proves that I am not the only one...and that I can consider myself lucky,"] she thought, mentally kicking herself.

"Coffee's ready," Richard said, sipping some of it from his own cup.

"FINALLY!" Alex exclaimed, making mad dash to the coffee maker, earning a confused look from Liz. She turned to Richard and whispered, "Why's he so eager to get coffee? I thought that it would wind him as tight as a guitar string."

"That would be normal reaction with you, me and every other person on the planet, but not with Alex. Cafeine has a...how to say this...dampening effect on his powers. It doesn't last long, but in the morning it works as an energizer for his body and a relaxant to his overly sensitive mind. That's the best I can describe it," Richard said, taking a small sip from his coffee.

Liz blinked. "Are you saying it works both as a sedative AND a stimulant?" she asked.

Richard thought about it for a moment. Then he shook his head. "You're right about the stimulant part, but it doesn't work as a sedative...more like something that..." he started, but Alex cut him off.

"It works AS a stimulant...for my mental defenses. It helps me to keep people's thoughts out from my skull more effectively than it normally would. I can do without, but I HAVE to get at least one cup in the morning, otherwise the cacophony that is best known as 'school' would tear my head apart. Even WITH this I can barely manage Maria's mental ranting," Alex said.

"Well...you said it so much better than me, son," Richard said.

Mrs. Whitman appeared in the kitchen, fully clothed and she gave her husband a quick kiss on the cheek. "I have to go. I'm going to be late if I stall any longer," she said, but did a double take when she saw Liz standing there. "I'm really sorry..." she started, but Liz waved her off.

"It's ok, really. I'm not offended," she said.

"Liar..." Alex muttered under his breath, taking a sip from his coffee. Liz glared at him.

Anna looked at Liz with a thoughtful expression, and tilted her head. "You know...now when I think about it...you have some...exotic beauty in you. Don't be too quick to hide it among friends," she said.

This time Liz DID blush...a healthy shade of violet. Richard and Alex raised an eyebrow at the sight, and Anna smiled. "I think you have already earned a positive reaction from someone. Anyone special?" Anna asked mirthfully.

"Don't you have a job to hurry to?" Alex asked.

That seemed to wake up his mother. "Oh! I have to go. I hope I get to talk with you later, Liz," she said, making a mad dash out the back door.

Richard shook his head. "She's always like this in the morning. Not a single minute can be spared for breakfast," he said.

Liz turned to look at Alex with a grateful look. ["Thank you SO much,"] she projected to him.

-"You're welcome,"- Alex 'said' to her.

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

Michael's apartment, 6:30 a.m., bedroom

Michael was woken up rather rudely when the clock-radio started to play Metallica's 'Enter Sandman'. Michael rubbed his eyes absently, and stood up, heading to the bathroom. When he finally emerged from there, the music had died down and the DJ was giving the weather forecast for the day. But Michael's mind was absent. Or, specifically, thinking about a girl named Liz Parker...with blue skin, red hair and yellow eyes. Michael shook his head. Yes, Liz was unnaturally beautiful, but he chalked it up as a mere physical attraction, nothing more. There was no chance for him to love her...or her loving him. They were true polar opposites when he thought about it.

But still...he couldn't shake off the attraction that quickly. If he was being honest with himself, he had some feelings for Liz even before she showed her true self to him. If he was really honest with himself...it had been there ever since he had stolen and read her journal. He had grown to think that everyone who was...human...was the enemy. Which pretty much included every single person he could remember...even Liz...at some point. Before he got to know Liz...before Max saved her life by healing that bullet wound that otherwise would have claimed her life. Now he found himself wondering...how much different his, Max's, Isabel's and Tess' life would be like if that hadn't happened. But try as he might...he couldn't picture it. In fact, he didn't even want to. Yes, the knowledge of what they were had spread from Liz to Maria, Alex, Sheriff Valenti and eventually, Kyle, but Michael couldn't shake off the small feeling that told him that they were more like a family than a group of individuals. Lately, though, things had gone badly for all of them. Nasedo had died, thanks to the Skins who had made themselves known. Vanessa Whitaker turning out to be one of them...and kidnapping Tess...for whatever reason. Isabel hadn't been too talkative about that...but since she had used her powers to kill Whitaker, her reluctance to talk about it had been understandable. Then...the new waitress, Courtney, started flirting with him. But she had turned out to be a Skin as well, and she had escaped. He hadn't seen her since, but he hadn't had the time to search for her...mostly because of Max. What Liz had done to Max had put everything on hold, creating a small rift between the group. Michael kicked himself at that understatement. It was a freakin' Grand Canyon. Max was now hurting, but he had become more obnoxious after Liz's dizzy spell. And now Michael knew the reason for that. Liz was dying...and she refused to go to Max for help.

Michael sighed as he rummaged through his refrigerator for breakfast. The only thing that could come out from this was a humongous headache. Still...he had to wonder Alex's role in this whole insane scenario that spun like a tornado around the calm known as Liz. Was he...a mutant, like Liz? A mutant with different powers? Probably, but there was no way to tell for certain. Asking could get him some answers, depending on how much Alex resented the aliens. He had gotten out of the fallout with minimum trouble, but Michael doubted that Alex would be forthcoming with answers.

Besides, Michael had more important matters to discuss with the group then Alex's and Liz's departure...which they BOTH wanted to keep under wraps. No, he had to tell the group about Courtney. They had a Skin right under their noses, and if they didn't do something, things would go even more out of their control then they already were.

But still...even when Michael's mind was trying to find something else to think about, his thoughts always came back to one human girl who truly had rocked his world into something completely different. And it wasn't Maria...it was Liz. And Michael still refused to acknowledge it as anything other than infatuation.

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

DeLuca Household, 6:50 a.m., Kitchen

Amy DeLuca was bustling through the kitchen, fixing up breakfast for herself, Maria and Nancy. Amy, contrary to popular belief, was a morning person. She loved the way the sun warmed her skin everytime she walked out to get the mail. It felt like...the sun rejuvenated her. Or maybe the sun triggered her pyrokinetic powers in a way that increased her body temperature slightly. Whatever the reason, she loved mornings...unlike her daughter who was definitely not a morning person, until she got a cold shower and a cup of hot coffee. Amy had fixed up some sandwiches for herself and Nancy, but had taken time to fix up some pancakes for her daughter. Since her daugter was in the shower for the time being, she had used her own fire-powers to cook up the pancakes. Amy had realized that frying pancakes in the fire of her creation created a...natural taste to the pancakes, which her daughter had come to love.

Amy sighed. Maybe she should just tell her daughter about her...powers, and the true reason why Harold had left. Amy knew that there was a little chance for Maria to find out that sort of information from another source, but there has always been this terrifying feeling deep in Amy's heart that Maria WOULD find out in some other way than her saying it outright...and that Maria would loathe and hate her because of it.

Then the shower was turned off, which told Amy that Maria would emerge in the kitchen at any time. She extinguished the flame she had used to make pancakes, and put the frying pan away. There wasn't that many pancakes, but she planned to eat at least one herself, and she had no idea how many Nancy would have.

Maria entered the kitchen, fully clothed yet there was still some amount of drowziness visible in her eyes and with the way she moved. It was as if she hadn't slept at all.

"Good morning, honey," Amy said, and Maria froze, staring at Amy for a moment. Amy blinked, and watched with confusion as Maria sat at the kitchen table, still staring at Amy...like she would suddenly turn into something else or...burst into flames. "You alright?" Amy asked.

"I'm fine...I just didn't sleep well," Maria said, digging into the small pile of pancakes and putting some strawberry jam on them. Amy watched as Maria started to eat...almost like on autopilot. What was really bothering Amy was that Maria wouldn't look at her.

"You sure that's all there is?" Amy queried. Yes, the bags underneath Maria's eyes told her that her daughter indeed didn't sleep well, but the cause of it must be something else if she refused to look her mother in the eyes.

Maria, for her part was feeling like she was on the edge of either yelling at her mother for lying to her or just simply running away, never looking back. Fortunately she didn't have to answer Amy's query when Nancy walked in, rubbing her eyes tiredly.

"Good morning," Nancy mumbled, and made a beeline to the coffee maker.

"I take it you didn't sleep well either," Amy said, glancing at Maria who was eating the pancakes as quickly as she could...without choking.

"Actually, I DID sleep well...I'm just not used to waking up this late," Nancy said, sipping her black coffee with sugar.

"What do you mean?" Amy asked, staring at Nancy.

"I woke up around 5:30 already, but I didn't want to disturb you 2, so I went back to sleep. Something I won't do ever again..." Nancy said, but muttered the last sentence under her breath.

Amy just stared at Nancy for a moment, then shook her head. Running a café was probably a lot different than running a store. But she still had Maria to deal with. Amy turned to her daughter, but was unable to say anything since Maria was already making a her way outside...without a glance back to her.

Nancy stared at the kitchen door for a moment, then turned to Amy. "Is something wrong with Maria?" she asked.

"I don't know," Amy answered honestly. "She seemed...rather distant when she walked in, and she didn't even ask why you're here."

Nancy sipped her coffee with, thinking. "Maybe she's still worried about Liz?" she suggested.

Amy shook her head. "No...that's not it. To me, it seemed like she was uncomfortable. In fact...she didn't even look at me, or even towards me," she said. Then her eyes widened. ["Oh God...did she...did she hear the talk between me and Nancy last night?"] she thought. And the more Amy thought about it, the more it seemed that THAT was the case.

TBC...