Roswell Fanatics

Title: The Twists of Fate
Rating: Hard MATURE
Couple: M/L POV
Summary: An accident causes Liz to return to the one place on Earth that she never thought she'd be again. Let's just say all hell breaks loose. This is set 11 yrs after Departure, except a lot of things are different. Let's just say it wasn't the aliens who left.
A/N: I changed some stuff around. You'll see as the stories goes a long and if something needs further explaining, I'll drop the line =).

Disclaimer: Not mine. Ooohhh wellll...

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Chapter 1

"Hey! Is anyone home?" I call out, surprised when my voice echoes back through the silence. Even when it's packed full of people, the house still feels big, but by itself, it's enormous. Then again, all the houses in the Boston suburbs are like that, especially in Newton. The community is full of yuppies and well-to-do upper-middle class families. It was one of the reasons why my husband and I moved here.

Kevin's car was parked in the driveway, which usually meant that he was back from work. Or, at least he should be. It's his turn to cook dinner and he's not getting out of it.

"Hello?" I call out again, dropping my purse and keys on to the kitchen counter. "Kevin?"

Where is that guy? I pull my cell phone out of my pocket to make double-sure that he didn't leave me any messages while I was driving.

"Nope," I mumble to myself when I see the screen come up blank.

I walk down the long hallway that leads from the kitchen to the living room. It's been a long day and I'm kind of aggravated that my husband didn't call me to tell me what's going on. He's done it a couple of times, and I thought that by now, he would've gotten into the habit of letting me know beforehand.

I almost walk by the study before noticing that the door was closed. Glancing at it, I distinctly remember opening it this morning to search for my keys in there.

"Hello?" I knock gently before pushing it open and peeking inside.

"Yeah, definitely. Thank you for calling. I'll tell her immediately," Kevin says quickly into the receiver before slamming the phone back down on to the cradle. "Liz."

"Who was that?" I ask curiously, slowly gliding into the room. Usually, he's neat about his appearance, but right now, I immediately notice how disheveled his clothes seem and how tense he is. It'd be hard to miss the feeling that something's wrong.

He runs a hand through his short blond hair and then pinched the bridge of his nose before looking back up at me with his bright verdant eyes. I'm slightly taken off balance by the sharpness in his gaze. "I think you should sit down, babe." He makes a flimsy gesture towards the chair in front of the desk.

I nod slightly, but instead of dropping into the seat, I plant myself on top of the desk in front of him, letting my legs dangle childishly over the edge. "What's wrong, Kevin?" I ask softly.

He reaches for my hands and clasps them. His large palms clearly dwarfing my own as he gently strokes his fingers over my knuckles. "I don't know how to say this," he whispers quietly, his gaze trained on our joined hands.

"You're scaring me." I reply, and in all honesty, he really is. He's never this stoic, this hard. The only time I've ever seen him like this was when we found out that his little brother had been killed in a robbery a few months back. My heart begins to pound thunderously in my chest. "What happened?"

"That was Mr. Valenti," he explains. "Kyle's dad," he extrapolates further when he sees the confusion light my eyes.

"Valenti? What...how did he get our number? I haven't spoken to him in almost ten years. What did he say?" I ramble, slightly flustered by the fact that he's just dancing around whatever it is he has to say. A small weight of dread was beginning to form in my stomach. "Wha-"

"Liz, look at me." Kevin tugs gently on my hands, his serious tone effectively cutting off any more questions I may have had lined up in my head. He reaches up and brushes a loose strand of hair back from my face. I probably would've found it a little endearing, but right now all I feel is a sinking sense of dread. His palm strokes my cheek in a feather-light caress. "Baby, something happened."

I narrow my eyes at him, suddenly feeling like I just swallowed a cup of sand. "What is it?" I ask in a slow rasp.

"Your parents got in car accident last night," he murmurs. "Your dad didn't make it."
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Any good? Continue?[/i]

Chapter 2

"Thanks, Mrs. DeLuca...Amy. I really can't tell you how much I appreciate your help right now...Yeah, I'm holding it together...Our flight's at ten tonight, so I'll see you in a couple of hours. And thanks for everything...Yeah, I'll call. Bye." I flip my phone shut and place it on the night stand before doing a back flop on to my bed.

For the last few days, my head's been swimming with so many different emotion that I can barely even understand what's going on. It's like I've just been numb ever since Kevin told me about my parents. I haven't even cried, and that's what makes me feel the guiltiest of all. What kind of horrible daughter am I if I can't even cry for my mother and father. I feel so heartless.

"How are you holding up?"

I lift my head up and look over at the door, before slumping back on to the covers."I'm fine," I reply, absently gazing at the ceiling.

"Don't lie," Kevin answers as he walks in and lays down beside me on the bed. "I know you too well," he smirks, poking my side with his finger and eliciting a small giggle from my throat.

I swat his hand away before turning back to stare up at the ceiling. "You know that feeling you get when nothing seems real?" I ask softly.

He nods slowly, but stays quiet so that I can have my chance to talk. It's always a difficult thing for me to open up, and these last few days have just been crazy for both of us. I've had to finish up everything at work and put in the paperwork for the vacation-time. I've barely had time to breathe.

"This feels like a nightmare," I murmur before turning and burrying my face in his shoulder, and just like that, it's like this dam snaps inside of me and I can barely fight back the sudden rush of tears. "I-I can't believe he's gone," I sob fiercely. "I never got a chance to say good-bye or that I loved him or-or...anything."

"Ssshhh. It's going to be alright," he sooths gently, holding my shaking body tightly against his own. "I'm here for you."

"I'm supposed to be a doctor!" I cry, clutching the material of his polo tightly. "What good am I if I couldn't save his life. And my mom...you don't know what this is going to do to her. There's already a chance that she won't be able to walk again." In the back of my mind somewhere, I understand what I just said was incredibly irrational. I know I'm not a god, but it still doesn't take away the helpless feeling I have. Three years studying pre-med, five years at med school, and two years working with some of the greatest minds on this planet and I still couldn't do anything to help my dad. Fate, or life, or destingy or whatever the hell, felt like taking him away from and I couldn't do anything about it.

"It's alright, baby," he croons delicately, brushing his fingers through my hair and just letting me cry it out.

Eventually, my bawling dwindles to a few meager sniffles. "Sorry, I think you're going to have to change," I murmur after seeing the huge wet patch on his shirt. "I'm sorry about that. I just didn't expect to break down right now."

"Hey, look at me." He reaches down and tilts my chin up towards his face. "You remember who I am right? You're husband? The guy who said he'd stick with you through it all." He smiles gingerly. "I love you, so don't say sorry. OK?"

I nod, feeling a knot of emotion in my chest from his sweet words. "I love you, too. Thanks."

He grins. "No problem. You're lucky I did the laundry today. I've got plenty of shirts for you to go through."

I smack him lightly on the chest. I really don't know what I'd do without him. Kevin has been my rock through all of this, and even as we get ready to go back to Roswell, he's been holding me up this entire time. God, Roswell...that's someplace I could've gone my whole life without seeing ever again, but I guess fate doesn't want to let go.

At least I won't be alone this time. I just have to focus on doing what I have to do and not on the hard memories of my past that still continue to haunt me in that town. I know I have to face them sooner or later, but I just can't deal with it right now. I need to be with my family.

"Hey, we still need to pack," Kevin whispers softly into my ear. "Our flight leaves in a couple of hours and you still haven't even gotten your bags out, you lazy ass."

I smile in spite of myself. "I thought you were packing. I mean, what else are you good for?"

He pulls away from me slightly, amusement clearly dancing in his eyes. "Hey," he remarks in mock-offense. "I was told I just needed to make money and babies. Any other job costs extra."
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Everything still OK? Sorry, that part was kinda short.

Chapter 3

Ten insane hours later, our plane lands in good, old, New Mexico Airport in Sante Fe. I don't think I got a single minute of sleep the entire way here, and even now, as I'm waiting for our bags in front of the luggage carousel, my nerves are buzzing with energy.

Despite all my efforts, being so close to Roswell is bringing back memories...pieces of my past that I thought I had forgotten a long time ago. I've been trying to concentrate on my parents, but somehow my mind continues to wander...like to the time Alex, Maria and I camped out in Alex's backyard in the fourth grade, or the time Kyle mooned the marching band after he scored a touchdown freshman year of high school...or my first kiss with Ma-.

"Have our bags come, yet?" Kevin asks, effectively snapping me out of my daze.

"Wha-Oh, no, not yet." I stammer, slightly flustered from the sudden rush of emotions I just experienced and the fact that I was almost about to think about him. "Did you get everything for the rental car?"

"Yup, it's all set, annddd...," he drawls casually, then grins. "I've got a surprise for you."

"What?" I wonder, spinning around to face him. I'm a sucker, but it's never bothered me before. Right now, I'd do anything to preoccupy my mind.

He waves his hand in the air, as if he were signalling a waiter for the bill and suddenly, I'm bowled over by a five foot four, screaming blonde. "ELIZABETH PARKER-DANIELS!!"

"Maria!" I try to cry out, but it only comes out as a gasp when she slams into me and pulls me into a bone-crunching hug. I swear, she could probably wrestle a bear if it pissed her off enough. No wonder Michael used to be scared of her. "I can't breath," I choke out when I begin to see spots in front of my eyes and she immediately pulls back and holds me at arms-length for a thorough inspection.

It's been nearly two years since I've talked to her, not since she hit it big on American Idol and got a music contract. I'm really surprised, and happy, to see her. Maria's always been someone I could lean on. Just having her here with me, right now, is giving me the boost of strength I need to make it through this hellish ordeal.

"God, how long has it been?" She questions as she continues to look me over. "Girl, you look fantastic."

I laugh at her boisterous attitude. She's always been able to make me smile. "You look great yourself!" I exclaim, which really is the truth. The super-star lifestyle has really agreed with her. She plays the part extremely well, from her highlighted hair, to her french-tipped nails, to her Gucci bell-bottoms. It's a wonder that she hasn't been mobbed in the airport by now. "What are you doing here? How did you know when our flight was landing? How did you get time off?" I ramble continuously.

"Woah-woah, hold that mouth," Maria replies, plastering her hand across my lips to cut off my stream of questions."I'm here for you, mom told me, and I'm really good at dealing with the producer people, so now it's my turn to do the twenty questions."

I giggle beneath her hand. She definitely hasn't changed at all. "I'm so glad you're here," I murmur softly after she removes her palm. "God, Maria, I missed you so much..." I whisper as tears threaten to roll down my cheeks.

We pull each other into a tight hug. "I'm so sorry, Liz," she whispers back to me. "After my mom called me, I couldn't get on a plane fast enough."

"Don't worry about it. I'm just really, really happy you're here." I mumble. There's no point in letting her get upset about anything. If anyone should be talking about regrets, it should be me.

"God, Lizzie, it was like-I just... I thought of him like my own dad," her voice breaks. " And I just can't believe he's gone. And you're mom...she's been in the ICU ever since it happened."

We stand in the middle of the luggage area comforting one another. I can't even begin to describe how much better I feel knowing that Maria's here with me, right now. Even though we haven't seen each othe for a couple years, I know that she's one of the only people who I can truly depend on when I need it.

"Hey, ummm....everything's all packed up in the car," Kevin announces a few minutes later, which surprises me since I didn't even see him grab our luggage, although I was distracted.

I glance over at him, and immediately, I can tell he's feeling a bit awkward about breaking the moment just by the way he stuffs his hands in his pockets and gazes childishly at his shoes. "So, whenever you two are ready..."

"I think we're all set here," Maria chuckles, digging out a package of tissues from her purse and handing one over to me. She attempts to wipe her eyes, carefully avoiding the mascara around the edges. Her nose and cheeks are slightly red from crying, but I probably look a lot worse..

"Yup," I sniffle out as I finish wiping my face and blowing my nose. "I'm ready to get out of here."

Kevin walks over to me and wraps his arm around the small of my back before leading us out into the parking lot.

"Hot Damn!" Maria whistles out when she sees our ride waiting out there for us, a Carrera GT2. "Someone's rolling it in by the shitloads."

Kevin laughs. "Says the singer who has a quadruple-decker trailer."

"It's not quadruple," Maria defends. "It's only a double with a protractable side. It's like the crappiest model out there."

Kevin and I give each other a skeptical look before turning back to her. "Uh-huh," we both say simaltaneously.

"Oh. My. God," Maria groans. "It's like your brains merged into this giant super-brain that's now, like, sending information through both of you so that you can, like, finish each other's sentences and stuff."

I giggle lightly at her weirdness. "Yeah, that's exactly what happened," I smirk. "It must be all that radiation I work around."

"Ugh," she grunts, rolling her eyes in exasperation. "You two are hopeless. You're lucky we all came from such a screwed up town in the first place." She suddenly looks up and glances over my shoulders. "Oh, my limos right there," she points out. "I better get over there before they start billing me for the time. I'll meet you guys back at the Crashdown. Are you going to the hospital first?"

"Yeah," I answer grimly. Kevin gives me a firm, comforting squeeze and I give him a small smile.

"OK, I'm going to go home first and see my mom," Maria explains. "Unless you need me to come with you."

"No, it's fine, Maria." I reply. I can understand why she'd want to see own her mother. It took losing my dad to finally realize how much I loved parents. I just wished I had learned this lesson sooner.

She gives me a soft look before pulling me into another hug. After we pull apart she gives me a small peck on the cheek and a few reassuring words before giving me back to Kev and walking towards her car.

We both turn around to watch her go, but are suddenly dumb-strucked by the sight of a pink, stretch-Jaguar parked next to the terminal curb. "Oh. My. God," I murmur at the same time as Kevin. "And she thought our car was crazy?" I stammer out, still shocked by the sudden blinding burst of color before my eyes.

"We need to get one of those," Kev remarks with a mischievous grin that makes me a little nervous. It wouldn't be the first time he got a really insane idea. At least this one wouldn't land him in jail like the last one...well, hopefully it won't.

I cut off his thought before he has any more time to take it any further. "If you get that, then I get to redecorate your office," I smirk, knowing that there was no way in hell he'd let me touch his manly domain.

He cringes next to me. "Fine, you win," he pouts.

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

It takes us another two hour drive to reach town, even without the hassle of traffic like in the Northeast. At home in Boston, it takes at least an hour to get anywhere, regardless of how far the destination. I think everyone times their travel at exactly the same time as everyone else in the state just so that they can create a jam. It wouldn't be Boston without the road-rage.

When we get into the main streets of Roswell, I feel like I'm looking at a ghost. Not many things have changed since I last lived here. The parks I use to play in as a kid, the old movie theater where I went to on dates with Kev, even the high school, all look untouched. It's an unusally cool day for the middle of September, which seems to have effectively kept everyone in doors, making the town seem extra empty.

It's funny how drastic my perceptions of hot and cold have changed. Now, whenever someone says winter, I automatically think of three feet of Nor'easter snow dropping from the sky in heavy sheets. Compared to that, this weather is basically spring-like.

The hospital looks the same as it did ten years ago, which is a bit disconcerting when I think about the fact that it hasn't undergone any major renovations over the last decade. It sits in the middle of town about ten minutes from the Crashdown itself. It's one of the benefits of living in such a small community; everything important is usually within walking distance of each other.

After parking the car, we head inside to the front desk. There aren't too many people in the waiting area, just a couple of patients hoping to see specialists or to get a check-up, and only a few doctors and nurses are roaming the halls. It feels strange to see a hospital so...what's the word, calm. I'm not used to it being so quiet. Most of the metropolitan hospitals that I've worked at are packed full of people twenty-four hours a day. Even the oncology ward, where I'm currently practicing, at Mass General in Boston usually has a steady stream of patients coming in and out all throughout the day.

The receptionist at the front is an elderly lady with huge, binocular-sized glasses. She sits and types slowly on the computer in front of her. I'm actually pretty surprised that she even knows that it's a computer she's tapping and not a microwave or something. She glances up at us as we approach, looking very similar to an owl with dialated eyes.

"Can I help you?" She asks in a deep, sandpaper-dry voice, when we finally reach the desk.

"Yes," I nod. "Could you please tell me which room Nancy Parker is staying in? She's my mother."

She types awkwardly on the keyboard with her two index fingers like a pair of chopsticks. I almost scream, "Get out and let me do it!", but I somehow find the self-control to hold myself from launching over the desk.

It was probably only a few minutes, but just watching this woman poke in one letter a minute made it feel like an eternity. "She's on the second floor in the ICU. Just sign in here before you head up," she explains and hands me a pen and a large time chart to write my information on.

After I hand everything back, Kevin and I head up in the elevator. As the doors open, I'm suddenly struck by how different the hospital seems to me right now. I've worked in one for the last three years, but the feel changes so much when there's someone you love suffering in one of these white-washed rooms. It makes me feel so claustrophobic as I walk towards Intensive Care.

As we round the corner, I see the ward immediately; it's the only one with large glass windows so that on-duty nurses and doctors can peek in and make sure everyone's still alive.

I pick up my step and walk straight to the window to look inside. My eye falls directly on my mother's limp form lying in the second bed from the glass. She's hooked up to dozens of wires and tubes which run into about a dozen other machines surrounding her. Her chest rises and falls with the help of the respirator while a small EKG monitors her heart-rate above her bed.

I lean my head against the window. God, I can't believe this actually happened. I can feel my emotions forcing themselves up and I do my best to try and suppress them, but it's pointless. A small sob bubbles up from my throat. I place my hand over my lips as tears begin to cascade down my cheeks. I can't believe my mom is in here...she looks so helpless.

A gentle hands rests against my shoulder and I spin around into Kev's waiting arms. He tucks me beneath his chin and holds me against his strong body, nestling me against his chest as I continue to cry. "God, she looks like she's...like she's..." I can't even finish the sentence.

"Sshh.." he murmurs softly into the top of my head. "She's going to be fine, Liz."

"I just - I....I can't lose her, too," I sob fiercely into his shirt. I just can't lose my mom. Not when I've already lost my father. No matter how much I want to think that I've grown up and moved on with my own life, I still need my parents...I still need someone to treat me like a little girl, to chase away the monsters when I'm too scared to...to always be there when no one else is.

"I know," he whispers, placing a small kiss on my forehead and then lifting my chin up to so that he can meet my eyes. He wipes my cheek with his thumb, gently caressing my damp skin. "You just have to believe that she'll be alright. Don't give up on that."

I nod slightly, feeling better after hearing his stern reassurance. "Thanks," I croak, my face still buried in his shirt.

He smiles lightly and leans down to brush his lips against mine. "No problem," he replies after he breaks away. "Now let's go inside and see your mom."
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I made this part a little longer to make up for the last one. Answers will be coming soon.

Chapter 4

I spent most of the day beside my mom in the ICU, trying to recall all the information from the first years of med school in order to decipher all her charts and graphs. The doctor who was looking after her had informed me that she was still unconscious. After the EMTs had arrived at the accident, she had been rushed to the hospital and straight into the OR to stop the internal hemmhoraging. The bleeding itself was not an issue anymore, it was more of the fact that she had received a severe concussion during the impact. She could remain in a coma for a few days or a few years, it was anyone's guess.

God, I couldn't believe this was happening. I'm sitting in the chair next to my mom's bed just staring at her stark face. I've never felt more helpless than I do, right now, just looking at her. "C'mon, mom," I plead with her quietly. "Please wake up...wake up. I need you."

She didn't respond. The only sound in the large ward is the synchopated beat of the Electrocardiogram tracking her pulse. I pull my feet up on to the chair and wrap my arms tightly around my knees. If there was ever a time in my life that I wished I could just touch her and heal her...that I needed him.

No. I block my thoughts from encroaching anywhere near that subject. I'd sooner die than find them and ask them for help...

"Liz?"

I look up at Kevin who just walked inside. He's clutching two cups of coffee which he just got from the cafeteria downstairs. "Hey," I smile slightly. "What's up?"

He walks over and hands me a cup, a worried look plastered on his face as he glances at me and sees my gaunt complexion. Thankfully, he doesn't make a comment. I really can't take anyone telling me I need to rest at this moment. "There's someone outside who'd like to speak with you," he says.

"Who?" I frown. Who knows that we're here?

"Just go," he encourages lightly. "It's someone you know pretty well."

I cocked my eye-brow questioningly at him. "Kev, just tell me," I whine. I'm really not in a mood for one of his weird guessing games, today. I'm so emotionally drained that I feel like I'm about to pass out.

He opens his mouth to respond, but his words are quickly cut off by a gentle tapping at the door followed by it swing slowly open.

I nearly leap out of my seat when I see who it is. "Mr. Valenti!" I screech as I basically barrel him over.

We hug each other fiercely. I can still remember a time when I thought that he was the enemy, the one who couldn't be trusted, but that almost seems so absurd. Valenti's been someone I've been able to look to for support and guidance when I couldn't even turn to my own parents. In a way, he was more like my actual father. He definitely knew what was going on in my life better than my dad did.

"God, it's good to see you," I choke out even though my face is buried in his shirt.

He chuckles lightly and pulls back. "Missed you, too," he smirks, giving me a once over to make sure I'm actually in one piece. It's the parent in him.

I haven't seen him since my college graduation when he, Ms. Deluca or should I say the current Mrs. Valenti, and Kyle flew up to Northwestern for the ceremony. After that, I basically lost track of everyone with all the traveling I've done and the hectic schedule my life has taken on. I still feel guilty that they weren't even there for my wedding.

He ushers me gently outside after I tell Kev to watch over my mom for a little bit. We find seats in the small waiting area across the hall from the ICU and settle down for what I'm expecting to be a long chat. There's a lot we both have to catch up on. Almost seven years have passed since we last spoke.

I do my own analyzing as we begin to sit. It's be nearly a decade since we've seen face to face, so I'm not surprised that he's gotten older. There's a lot more gray hairs on his head and his face seems a little more weathered than I last remembered, but other than that, he still seems to be the same man I used to pack up subs for when I was sixteen.

"So..." he says after we've gotten comfortable. "How've you been, Liz?"

"I've, ah, I've been good," I stutter out, suddenly a feeling self-conscious under his scrutinizing gaze. Yup, definitely dad-like. My stomach tightens after that thought passes and I can't help but swallow the sob that comes to my throat when I remember my own father.

I think Valenti realizes it, too, because his expression suddenly turns sympathetic. He reaches over and pats my hand gently. "I'm really sorry," he murmurs sincerely. "If only I had gotten there sooner..."

"Stop it," I say forcefully when I hear the beginning of his own self-beratement. "You did the best you could."

He gives me a look that says he still believes the contrary, but he doesn't continue the arguement any further. "So," I say in an attempt to redirect the conversation elsewhere. "Kyle told me you retired from the law enforcement field for good."

"Yup," he nods. "Thought it was about time for me to get out. I needed to get outta my dad's boots."

I smile. The Valentis have been the town protectors for the last sixty years, maybe even longer if Kyle decides to pick up that stick. I wouldn't blame anyone for wanting to get out after so long. God knows I would've.

"So what've you been up to?" he asks me, curiously. "The last time I saw you, you were throwing your cap into the air."

I chuckle slightly. "I'm a doctor now," I answer succintly. It's not that far a leap from my original dreams of molecular biology, but it's still a step. As if on cue, his eyebrows perk up.

"Whatever happened to the whole biology thing?" he comments, reaching over and placing his hat on to the small coffee table littered with magazines. "I remember Kyle telling me that that was all you could ever think about."

"Yeah," I laugh, thinking back to when I was young with all those weird ambitions."I think I scared the hell out of him with all of that science stuff."

It's Valenti's turn to laugh. "I think anything that involves thinking scares Kyle," he jokes, which causes me to break into a bigger smile. "So, what field are you in?"

"Oncology," I respond. "I research and practice at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston." It's the best of both worlds for me. I always thought that I'd be holed up in some lab somewhere running experiments and making these incredible break-throughs, but I guess I've changed a lot since high school. I couldn't believe that I had never realized how amazing it is to work with people, to help them and heal them. I probably could live without ever doing the lab work and the experiments and the vying for a Nobel Prize, but I don't think I could ever stop trying to help others.

He smiles at me, a soft gleam reflects in his eyes that reminds me of the same expression my parents wore after I'd gone up and grabbed that Harvard Med. diploma. "That's incredible," he whistles. "Dr. Elizabeth Parker. It's gotta nice ring to it"

I blush at his compliment and he grins even wider. For the next hour, we just sit there and talk about everything I've missed, like how he and Maria's mom finally got married and how Kyle's openning more branches of his car shop across the state.

The whole conversation really astounds me. When I first got into town, it seemed like nothing had changed, but for everyone else, things have definitely been spinning forwards. "Wow, they're actually thinking of bringing a Wal-Mart here?" I ask in surprise. Who would've thought that any big named store would even consider moving into this smallest of smallvilles.

"Yep," Valenti drawls. "They're plannin' on tearing down the old soap factory and putting it there."

The factory is this place where all the kids used to hang out and hold parties during the weekends. It's a huge building which was falling apart when I was still here, so it comes as a shock to me that they haven't torn it down already. Talk about a death trap.

I smile and shake my head in disbelief. "A Wal-Mart," I repeat in amusement, which causes him to chuckle with me.

We both slide back a little more into our chairs as a comfortable silence descends on us. After a few minutes, he breaks it by asking a question I think has probably been on his mind ever since he saw me here. "Liz?"

I look up at him when he speaks my name.

"Would you've ever come back, if this never happened?" he asks. From the tone of his voice, I can tell that he's sincerely curious and not just doing it to hurt me, although I can't help the small feeling of guilt that lashes at me.

I sit up, pulling my left leg up on to the chair to rest my chin on it, and just try to sort out my response. It takes me a little while to formulate an answer, but, in a way, I was kind of expecting that he'd ask me, especially him of all people. "I guess...I guess, I wouldn't have come back," I murmur. In all honesty, that's the truth. If it wasn't for this complete nightmare, I never would've set foot in Roswell ever again, and I would've gone on living happily ever after. "Not with everything that happened here. I just couldn't deal with it - I still can't."

He nods his head in understanding, but from the way his lips are drawn tightly together, I can tell he wants to say something more. But before he can ask, Kev steps over to us. "Liz?" he calls out my name softly.

I spin around in my seat.

"Sorry to cut in on you two," he informs me." But Dr. Tyler's with your mom right now. He wants to talk to you"

"Oh - OK," I reply before turning back to Kyle's dad. "I'm sorry-" I begin, but he cuts me off.

"Go," he says, waving his hands in a dismissive motion as he stands up. "We can finish talking some other time."

I smile and step forward to give him a hug. "Thanks for everything, Mr. Valenti."

"Hey, just call me Jim," he replies pulling me into his arms. "You're making an old man feel even older when you say that."

I giggle. "Thanks...Jim," I correct, which causes him to chuckle and squeeze me harder.

After we pull away, we say our final good-byes and set a time to meet for lunch somewhere. As I turn to head back into the ICU, he calls out to me. I whirl around to find him walking up to me again, with a sudden seriousness etched across his face that wasn't there during our entire talk. "Liz, I just wanted to give you a heads up, in case..."

"In case of what?" I wonder. For some reason his words strike a chord in me that causes my nerves to run high.

He looks down both ends of the halls to make sure the area's clear before answering. "I just wanted you to know that they still live here," he whispers softly to me. "I don't know if anyone told you, but I just wanted you to know...just in case...if you wanted them to help your mom."

My stomach clenches violently when I realize who they are. "Ummm...no." I reply in serrated voice. "Umm...thanks, ah, for the warning. I guess I'll talk to you later." Before he can say anything further, I turn and walk quickly to the ward, hoping he doesn't see the sudden tidal-wave of emotions that streak across my face.

As I reach the doorway to the ICU, the revelation finally hits me like a tank running over a sand castle and I can't help but clench my fingers against the knob till my knuckles turn completely white. Max Evans is still in Roswell.
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Hope this part isn't too bad. I didn't have too much time to proof it.

A/N: I'll throw in something that might help. Everything up to Departure happened, including the... :mad: you know. Alex is also gone =(, but no one knows who done it. Liz stayed, graduated and then left Roswell the following year(which she hoped was for good). The aliens left, but guess what...they're back! Hope this makes things a little more understandable.

Chapter 5

We don't end up leaving the hospital until pretty late in the evening. If I had my way, I probably would've stayed by mother's bedside all night, but I also knew that Kevin would've thrown me over his shoulder and dragged me out before letting that happen.

After Dr. Tyler spoke to us, I was extremely hesitant - no, make that completely hestitant - to leave my mom's side. The tests and catscans had all come back and they showed a great amount of neural activity going on inside my mother's head which would probably mean that her concussion wasn't too severe.

That surprised me, especially after looking at the inital diagnosis the neurologists had given her. They'd basically tossed her a sixty percent chance of remaining a vegetable for the rest of her life, but now, if we're lucky, she might wake up any day now and I wanted to be right there when she did.

I spent the rest of the time sitting there talking to her and just holding her hand, hoping that maybe if she knew I was here, she might recover sooner. By the time visiting hours were over, the nurses were pretty close to physically throwing me out, and even after I was "removed" from the ICU, Kevin still had to drag me out of the hospital doorway. I think I surprised everyone with the amount of strength I possessed.

The only way he finally got me to leave was by reminding me that Maria was probably at the Crashdown waiting for us, at that very moment. "I'm pretty sure you don't wanna get her mad," he smirked. He's been the focus of her wrath on several occasions in the past, and each time, he had barely escaped with all his...equipment...in the right place.

By the time we pull up to a space in front of the restaurant, the sleepless hours on the plane and at the hospital have more than caught up with me. From the looks of it, Maria hasn't arrived, yet. A pink limo is pretty hard to miss.

Standing outside in the cool desert air, in front of the restaurant where I spent most of my young life, I feel a strange sensation course through me that I haven't experienced any place else, not even in Boston. It's like the feeling of returning home, even though this is the last place on Earth I'd consider any kind of home. It passes quickly and I easily push it out of my mind.

Glancing inside, I take a deep breath and push. The familiar jingle of the chimes sounds above the doorway as I step ten years back in time. Everything's the same as I remember it, right down to the ugly spaceship streamers hanging from the ceiling. There aren't that many customers eating at this time of day, but then again, it was never busy on a Wednesday back when I worked here, either. Seems like some things never change.

A few waitresses buzz around behind the counter in the same embarrassing turquoise-green outfits that Maria and I used wear. I'm still wondering whether I looked that ridiculous back then, when one red-headed girl, probably around seventeen or so, walks up to us, her antenna bobbing lightly with each step.

"Welcome to the Crashdown Cafe," she greets us cheerfully, cocking her head to one-side in an innocent gesture. "Would you like to take a seat in a booth or at the counter?"

"Ummm...actually, my name's Liz Parker," I explain to her. "My parents own this place."

Her eyes widen at the revelation, but then quickly grow dark. "Oh, yeah, Mr. Valenti told us that you'd be coming," she informs me. "He came by this morning looking for you."

She leads us over to one of the booths and motions for us to sit down in it. It doesn't escape my attention which booth it happens to be. I cringe lightly at the memory, but force my attention to go back to the girl. "I'm really sorry about everything, Ms. Parker," she murmurs sincerely. "Your dad was a really great person to work with."

"Thank you," I mumble softly, feeling the sudden weight of reality settle over me. Just being in the restaurant makes everything feel twenty times more real. It's like someone just clubbed me over the head with a baseball bat.

"Do you mind getting us some coffee, ah...Linda? Right?" Kevin asks her kindly when he notices my broken expression. "We had a long flight."

"Sure," she answers, walking away swiftly.

After she's gone, Kevin slides around to my side of the booth and wraps his arms around me as I begin to break down.

"It's going to be alright," he whispers lightly against my hair. "Just let it all out, Liz."

I cry helplessly into his arms for what seems like the millionth time today. It isn't fair, why did it have to be my dad? He didn't deserve this. He never got to hold any of his grandchildren, or go to Germany like he always wanted to do, or-or...live out the rest of his life with his family...

"Why did this happen?" I sob fiercely. I can't get it out of my mind. Why did this have to happen to them. My parents never hurt anyone. They just wanted to make a living for themselves.

He coos softly, pressing sweet kisses against my forehead as I continue bawl.

"Do you wanna go upstairs and lie down for a while?" he questions gently.

I glance up at him. I probably look like I rose from the dead, but Kev just gives me soft smile, his eyes shining with understanding and adoration. I nod jerkily and he helps me up out of the booth, cradling me protectively against him as we walk into the back room and up the stairs.

I unlock the door with my spare key and push it open, surprised by how little has changed since I've last lived here. Even the stupid little "Welcome Home" sign I made for my mom in the second grade is still hanging against the wall.

Kevin helps me to my old room. I barely look around, because I'm afraid of seeing anything else, anything that might remind me of my life here. There's just too many memories and emotion, the most prominent of which are of my parents, and I just don't have the strength to deal with them right now.

The last few days suddenly slam into me. I can barely make it to the bed before I collapse on to it in exhaustion. I feel Kev pull off my shoes and yank the blanket up, tucking it securely around me. He places a gentle kiss on my forehead, and whispers a few words that I couldn't really make out, before I fall completely asleep.

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

"Mom? Dad? Kevin? Maria?" I call out into the darkness. My voice bounces around in the abyss, before echoing back to me. "Hello?" I yell out again, this time with a sharp note of panic in my voice. Where is everyone? Where am I?

Suddenly, I hear the murmur of voices in the distance and I begin to run towards it, my bare feet padding against the dark ground. I can see a dim point of light. It's faint, but I don't really care. I sprint towards it as if my life depends on it. Luckily, it seems to be fixed, because the closer I run to it, the larger it seems to become.

I finally reach it, a bright pulsing globe of light, almost like a miniature sun. I can feel the heat radiating off of it, but for some reason, I have the strangest urge to touch it. Cautiously, I reach out. The air around my fingers crackle and I quickly withdraw my hand and examine it thoroughly. "It looks normal," I mumble to myself, when I note that my arm has fallen off or turned to stone of something.

I reach out for it again, this time ignoring the crackling around my fingers. There's no resistance to my touch, so I continue to reach further in, walking closer to the core of this glowing ball. The darkness slowly recedes as I move inward towards the center and let the light engulf me. The sensation's warm, almost comforting.

All of a sudden I feel a pull against my body and I snap my eyes open.

"Jeff, are you sure you're alright?" my mom asks from the front passenger seat. "It's pretty late. Maybe we should find a motel or something."

"I'm fine, Nancy," my dad grumbles, clearly annoyed by my mom's pestering comments. He's too stubborn to admit that he's getting too old for somethings like late-night driving and knowing my mom, she's probably getting really worried.

I feel slightly discombobulated and puzzled. "What happened?" I whisper to myself. "Mom? Dad? What's going on?"

Neither of them turn around. Instead they continue to talk on as if they hadn't heard anything at all. "Mom, dad? What's happening? Where are we?" I yell a little more franticly than before in hopes of getting their attention, but they continue to act like I'm not even here, sitting behind them.

"Jeff, I'm serious," my mom begins again, a slight edge of nervousness evident in her words. "I really think that we should stop for the night. Debbie or Rita can open up for tomorrow. It's not a problem."

My dad turns to face her, "Would you quit worrying, Nance. I'm fine. We'll be there in - "

His sentence is cut short by my mom's sudden terrified scream. "JEFF! WATCH OUT!"

I watch on in horror as a sixteen wheeler appears from out of no where and comes barreling head-on towards my parent's car. My father grabs the wheel and yanks it violently to the left which causes the vehicle to veer off the road and flip over jaggedly into the steep ditch over on the side. For long moments, I'm not sure what to do, scream or cry or try to get my parents out of there. Somehow, I end up on the dark pavement without a scratch just staring down in shock at the wreckage. I can barely breathe. It's like I'm anchored to the spot just looking down in horror as the accident, that took my dad from me and crippled my mom, plays out.

"Help!" I huff out hoarsely, but it's barely louder than a whisper. "Help! SOMEONE PLEASE!" My cries grow louder as I scream down both ends of the highway, searching for anyone, but everything seems so calm...so empty.

I don't know how it happens, but somehow I regain control of my rubbery legs and I slowly drag myself towards the steep edge of the road. Before I even realize it, I tumbling down the slope towards my parents.

The dim glow from the cracked headlights reflect off the sandy desert floor. The car had rolled to a stop on its roof, leaving the wheels spinning erratically in the air. Glass shards and metal panels are strewn all over the place. I feel them crunch under my feet as I make my way shakily towards them. "Mom?" I croak out as tears begin to fall down my face. "Daddy?" I know what I'm going to find, but it doesn't stop from moving, hoping desperately that they're OK...somehow...please, God.

I drop to my knees beside the broken window next to the driver seat, but for some reason I can't look. I can't bring myself to look at my dad...to see him gone...I can't and it makes me scream out like an animal from the pain that's tearing at me.

The sound of pebbles tumbling over the side of the road causes me to whip around in hopes that may be someone saw the accident and came to help. In the soft light of the moon, I can make out a slender figure standing there, just peering down motionlessly at the scene.

I feel my blood freeze in my veins as I make out the soft outline of blonde curls and the most icy blue eyes I've ever seen in my entire life.

It only takes seconds for me to bolt upright in the bed, completely soaked with sweat. My heart beats furiously inside my chest, making me worried that it might actually explode in there. I fight to find my voice and when I do, the only words that emerge from my throat are, "Oh my God."
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We'll start seeing you know who soon :evil:

A/N: Sorry for the long delay. This summer has been way too crazy. I hate working. Hahaha. Well, hopefully now that classes are starting up again, I'll have some more time to wite. . Anyway, just wanted to let everyone know that I'm not abandonning anything! Hahaha. Hope people are still willing to read!
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Chapter 6

The ceremony for my father went by in a blur. It doesn't really even hit me that this is his funeral until I see his casket slowly descend into the cold earth.

The last few days have been so surreal for me. Between running to the hospital, dealing with my dad's service, and managing the Crashdown, I'm teetering near the edge of an emotional cliff and the ground is slowly crumbling beneath my feet.

I barely make it through the whole day without falling apart and just collapsing. As all the mourners slowly walk down from the hill and back to their cars, each giving me a few words of sympathy and condolences as they pass, they leave me up here alone. Kev had gone down to get our car started, but I think it was just his excuse to give me some time alone.

It's nice to know that he's so in tune with me. He's been through tragedy with his brother, and if anyone understands what I'm experiencing now, it'd definitely be him.

I stare down at the hollowed piece of ground where they just lowered the coffin and I can't help but get mad at the fact that my father is lying down there all alone, that he's gone and I'm never going to have him back. "It's not fair," I whimper for what seems like the billionth time, but I never receive an answer. I want a reason for why he was taken from us. "Why?" I murmur thickly as tears burst forth.

A shiver begins at the tip of my toes, but it slowly climbs up my entire body. Slowly reaching into my coat pocket, I carefully pull out something from its confines. I glance down at the photo in my hand and a faint smile curls my lips. It was a picture of me and my father after my graduation. He has his arm slung around me, a smiling lighting up his face as we walk towards the car laughing. My mom had taken it without me realizing. Even now, as I stare at it, that moment seems like an eternity ago.

I choke back a sob, holding the picture gently in my hand as I walk towards the deep grave. The gaping hole seems more like the Grand Canyon. As I peer over the edge and down on to the shiny surface of the wood coffin where my dad rests, I hear footsteps behind me and immediately spin around.

“Kyle,” I mumble, so surprised to see him that my eyes are probably bursting from their sockets. Originally, he had called to offer condolences and to apologize for not being able to come to the service. He was having some trouble with one of the inspectors for his shop and their appointment had been rescheduled for this afternoon. “What are you doing here?” I ask as I try to wipe my damp cheeks.

“You think that I’d let you go through this all alone?” he asks, giving me a solemn smirk as he stands a few feet away in his black suit. “I thought you knew me better than that.”

“I’m not alone,” I reply, returning his smirk with a small one of my own. “Maria and Kev are both here, right now. And your dad ,too. You’ve got a lot to take care of.”

“Nothing’s more important than this, Parker,” he states firmly before taking a few more steps and wrapping me in his arms.

I return his hug just as tightly, squeezing him like my life depends on it.

“Ummm….could you not do it that hard. I can’t breathe,” he remarks a few seconds later.

I pull back with a snort and smack him playfully on the chest. “You’re such a jock,” I say, ribbing him with the same line I used back in high school.

“And you dated me,” he counters back, causing us both to chuckle in spite of our current location.

After a few minutes, Kyle levels me with a serious glare. “How’re you holding up?”

I can’t remember how many times I’ve been asked that question, and I probably swore a little while back that I’d beat the crap out of the next person who asked, but hearing it from Kyle strikes a different chord with me. I sigh and run a hand through my rain-dampened hair. “I’m hanging on. My mom’s recovering pretty quickly right now.”

He gives an understanding nod before looking down at his shoes. A few moments later, he looks up at me through his long lashes. “You know I’m here for you whenever you need it, right Liz? We’ve been through a lot and I just want you to know that you don’t have to go through any of this by yourself.” His soft blue eyes remain transfixed on me. Never in my life have I ever seen Kyle Valenti that serious and, right now, I can’t even begin to admit how happy I am that he’s here.

“Thank you,” I murmur, my throat clogged with emotion. I reach over and give his forearm a gentle pat. “For everything.”

He gives me a shaky smile, before reaching over and throwing his arm across my shoulder. “Let’s get you out of here before you catch pneumonia or syphilis or something.”

“Syphilis?” I cock my eyebrow at him.

He shrugs, a light smile gracing his lips. “You never know,” he replies. “Remember when we thought aliens didn’t exist?”

At the mention of aliens, I suddenly remember something that I had wanted to ask. “Kyle, I was wondering about something…”

“Hmm?”

I open my mouth to speak, but all of a sudden, as if the heavens themselves opened up, the sky darkens and the rain begins to pour down in sheets.

“Ah! Crap,” Kyle cries out as he pulls his jacket up to cover his head. “Let’s get outta here first,” he urges, grabbing my arm and tugging me down towards the cemetery gate.

“Hold on,” I cry, pulling out of his grasp and ignoring the buckets falls on my head. “I need to do something first.”

He looks like he’s about ready to throw me over his shoulder, but I direct my sternest gaze at him, one that he’s quite familiar with, and he gives me an acquiescent nod. “Hurry!”

“I’ll be a sec,” I call as I run back towards my father’s grave. Pulling out the picture from inside my jacket again, I look down at it and permanently imprint my dad’s smiling face into my mind.

“I love you daddy,” I whisper, just before I let the photo drift from my fingertips and down into the Earth to join my father’s casket. I watch as it settles on top of the wet surface, sticking to the finished wood. My gaze blurs momentarily as tears and raindrops cascade across my face and cling to my thick lashes.

A gently hand settles on my shoulder and I turn into Kyle’s familiar embrace. He pats my soaked hair softly as he turns and leads me away.

As we slip down the drenched hill, made more difficult because of the fact that Kyle refuses to let me walk on my own, a strange sensation races up my spine. For an instant, I blame it on the rain and wet clothes, before I catch a slight movement out of the corner of my eyes.

Near a tree, several yards from where my father was laid to rest, I see a shadow of a person moving behind the wide trunk. It could possibly be my imagination, but the tingling coursing through my body feels familiar…it reminds me of something….something that fills me with a sense of warmth and comfort.

I don’t have any more time to ponder it before we reach the gate, where Kevin’s waiting for me. Kyle bustles me into the vehicle as my husband admonishes me for staying out in the rain for so long. But even as I get into the front seat of the car, I can’t help but wonder if what I felt could possibly be….real.