xtremeroswellia (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
xtremeroswellia) wrote2000-03-11 05:11 pm
xtremeroswellia) wrote2000-03-11 05:11 pm
Roswell Fic: You Were Meant For Me (19/25)
Author: X_tremeroswellian
Email: faithboscorelli1@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: Not mine. Don't sue. Song are by Life in General, titled, "No Need to be Lonely." Oh, and any and all references to Mr. Raddish are my tribute to Kara and Emily, who created him and write a wonderful series of fics called "Roswell Elementary" that everyone should read.
Rating: R for language, violence and content
Author's Note: After watching "Tess, Lies and Videotape," I realized that this story falls into place with that plot. Here's the rundown. Let's just say that in T,L and V, Max and Tess kissed but Max didn't get any visions. Liz still saw them kiss. Max went to Michael's apartment and he and Michael still fought but didn't end up finding a video camera, although for this story we'll say that Michael went ahead and kicked Max out of his apartment. Shortly afterwords, Max and Liz break up and Max starts dating Tess. This story picks up about two weeks after the M/L break up, and there is much tension among the six of them...
Spoilers: Up through Tess, Lies and Videotape, the rest is just my guess of what could have happened in the season finale, but didn't.
Dedication: To Sarah, Majik Karma, Mel, Linda and Abs for all the feedback! :)
Special Thanks to: Majik Karma, who helped me work out the entire plot of this story by listening to me ramble on about it for three hours straight over the phone one night. :)
Feedback: YES, PLEASE! I'm very uncertain about this part, and if any of it seems choppy please tell me so I can fix it. Be critical! I can deal with critical! :)
One | Two | Three | Four | Five | Six | Seven | Eight | Nine | Ten | Eleven | Twelve | Thirteen | Fourteen | Fifteen | Sixteen | Seventeen | Eighteen | Nineteen | Twenty | Twenty-One | Twenty-two | Twenty Three | Twenty Four | Conclusion
"Don't unlock doors you're not prepared to go through."
-The X-Files
You Were Meant For Me (Part 19)
Liz opened her eyes and looked up into the very worried face of Alex Whitman. He was holding a cool wet wash rag to her forehead, and saying something she couldn't understand. She closed her eyes and tried to force herself to listen to what he was saying.
"...call an ambulance..."
Her eyes flew open and she grabbed his hand to stop him from getting up. "No," she said, her voice sounding raspy. She struggled to sit up, but he blocked her attempt.
"No--just relax, okay?" Alex said gently. "I'm going to get you a glass of water." He stood up and disappeared.
Liz let her head fall back against the pillow under her neck and stared up at the ceiling. Her head was throbbing. She could see little splotches of light flashing in front of her eyes. That can't be good, she thought.
Alex returned seconds later, sliding his arm under her neck and helping her sit up just enough so she didn't choke on the water as she took a few sips from the glass he held to her lips. Then he helped her lie down again.
"Better?" he asked, staring at her worriedly.
"Yeah," she lied, trying to focus her eyes on him rather than the colorful, dancing splotches.
He looked at her, unconvinced. "I really think I should get you to a hospital."
"No, Alex, I'm fine, really," she argued. She forced herself to sit up. "It's just because I haven't eaten anything today. I got dizzy. No big deal."
"Liz, you blacked out. That is a big deal."
She forced the brightest smile she could manage. "See? I'm fine."
"You're pale."
Liz stood up slowly and walked across the room. "I want to check out the basement."
"No." Alex was by her side in an instant. "You need to eat."
She sighed. "What am I supposed to eat? There's no food in the fridge."
"Then we'll call for delivery." Alex folded his arms across his chest and looked at her.
Liz knew it was pointless to argue with him when he got like this. "Okay, okay. Go dial the phone and order us a pizza." Alex started off. "And none of those little green things on it, either!" she called after him.
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Michael gripped onto Maria's hand as they stood on the Evans' front door step. She reached up and rang the bell.
A moment later, Diane Evans opened the door, eyes red-rimmed and cheeks tear-stained. "Hello, Michael. Maria."
"Mrs. Evans, can we come in?" Maria asked.
She hesitated. "Max and Isabel aren't feeling well. I'm not sure if--"
"Please," Michael said quietly. He met her eyes and for a long moment they stared at one another.
Then after what seemed like an eternity, Diane stepped aside and let them in. Maria squeezed Michael's hand and smiled briefly at Mrs. Evans before hurrying up the staircase with Michael right behind her.
They paused outside Max's door. Then Michael knocked.
"Come in."
Maria and Michael exchanged a look before opening the door and stepping inside. Max was lying in bed, one hand clutching his head, and the other his stomach.
"Max?"
Max opened his eyes and looked over at them. His eyes were full of confusion.
Maria realized she was going to have to be the one to make the first move as she watched Michael hang back in the doorway. She stepped forward and looked down at him. "How are you feeling?"
He closed his eyes. "Like I've been hit by a truck."
She glanced back at Michael, whose face was completely blank. She turned her attention to Max again. "Michael and I need to talk to you about what's been happening with you and Isabel."
His face registered even more confusion. "What do you mean?"
Maria took a deep breath. "Michael, go get Isabel."
Without a word, he disappeared. A moment later, he returned, an arm wrapped around Isabel's shoulders as he helped her over to sit on Max's bed.
Maria looked at her. In the last few days, she had seen Isabel Evans look more lost, and more vulnerable than she ever had. And right now, the haunted look in the girl's eyes sent chills down her spine. Max's eyes didn't look much better.
She turned to Michael. "Do you want me to tell them, or do you want me to?"
Michael looked at her, and then at Max and Isabel. "We're here because of Tess."
At the mention of her name, Isabel began to tremble. Maria's heart went out to her. She sat down on the bed next to her and held her hand. "It's okay, Isabel. She's gone."
"Gone?" Isabel repeated.
"She's FBI," Michael said quietly.
"She was brainwashing you to try and get the truth about who you really are," Maria added.
Max and Isabel both stared at them.
"She was FBI?" Isabel asked, her voice barely audible.
Maria nodded.
Michael glanced at Max. He appeared to be in a daze. "Maxwell?"
Max blinked and shook his head. "How long has she been gone?"
"She left this afternoon after we confronted her," Maria told him.
"But...that's impossible...I don't even remember what she looks like!" he said in confusion.
"Uh...What?" Michael stared at him.
"The last thing I remember is...being on the roof with Liz..."
Maria and Michael exchanged a startled look. "You don't remember anything after that night?"
"But it was just a little while ago, Michael," Max protested.
"That was a week ago," Maria said softly, her eyebrows furrowed. "Isabel, what's the last thing you remember?"
"I remember Alex and Liz coming over to see if I was doing better...I think it was today. Maybe it was yesterday...I...I can't remember," Isabel whispered, tears forming in her eyes.
"It couldn't have been either one. Liz and Alex left train yesterday morning to go to California," Michael said, sitting down on Isabel's other side.
"California...Why?" Max asked, looking devastated. "Are they all right?"
"They should be fine," he answered, glancing at Maria.
She met his eyes and realized he was trying to communicate with her. She reached over and touched his arm and his thoughts came through loud and clear.
*Don't say anything about the baby!*
Maria nodded slightly.
"Should be?" Max said in alarm.
"They're in California. At Liz's grandmother's vacation house."
"Why?"
"We don't know," Michael answered.
"Do they know that Tess was FBI?" Isabel whispered.
"We just found out today," Maria told her.
"I have to see her..." Max started to get up, but immediately his knees buckled and he fell to the floor.
Michael hurried to help him. "What you have to do is get some sleep, Maxwell. You need to regain your strength."
"But--"
"No, he's right," Maria agreed. "You won't be able to explain anything in the state you're in right now."
Max settled back against his pillows, too tired to argue.
"You need to get some rest, too," Maria said to Isabel.
"I don't want to stay alone," she whispered, trembling.
Maria looked at Michael. "I'll stay," she volunteered.
"Me too," he agreed, pulling out the sleeping bag stuffed in the corner of Max's room.
"I don't think any of us should be alone tonight," Maria whispered.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Liz took a long drink of lemonade after she'd finished her pizza. She sighed. Something hadn't tasted quite right with the food, but Alex hadn't seemed to notice as he scarfed five pieces in a row, watching her carefully the whole time to make sure she ate.
"I'm finished, Dr. Whitman," she announced as she stood up and threw her paper plate away.
"You only ate two pieces."
"That's because I'm not hungry anymore." She washed her hands in the kitchen sink.
Alex studied her for a moment and then put the rest of the pizza in the refridgerator. "You should get some sleep."
Liz turned to face him. "Alex, I'm going to see if there's anything in the basement." She folded her arms across her chest and stared at him. Alex might be stubborn, but so was she. She was Claudia Parker's granddaughter, after all.
"Okay. We've got two hours. Then it's time for bed." Alex stared right back at her.
She couldn't help but crack a smile at the determined look on his face. He smiled back. "You gonna hassle me, Whitman, or are you gonna help me make the most out of those two hours?"
"Let's go search the basement, Parker," he responded with a wide grin as he draped an arm around her shoulders.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alex peered around the semi-dark basement and sighed. They hadn't found anything useful down here, either. There was nothing out of the ordinary. Nothing that you wouldn't find in the normal person's basement. Old toys in one corner, a couple of cartons of paperback and hardback novels in another.
He looked over at Liz, who was going through a box of old clothes. He saw her shiver and he frowned. "Liz, you're cold. We should go upstairs before you get sick," he said firmly.
"Just a minute." She pulled an old sweater out of the box and gazed at it for a moment. Then she stood up and turned to face him, holding it up in front of her. "What do you think?"
Alex looked at the sapphire sweater and nodded. "It's nice."
Liz pulled it on over her t-shirt. "She used to wear this when we'd go hiking in the mountains."
He wasn't sure what to say, so he held out his hand. She took it and they headed for the stairs. "Alex, wait." She let go of him and he watched as she walked over to the cartons of books and started to pry one open.
She leaned against the wall as she tugged on the lid.
Alex started over. "Let me help y--"
Liz shrieked as her feet slipped on the floor and she tumbled backwards, books flying through the air and landing with her in a heap on the concrete.
"Are you all right?" he asked as he knelt down beside her and tossed the books out of the way.
She didn't answer.
Alex took a deep breath and forced himself to remain calm. "Liz, are you all right?"
"Alex," she whispered shakily, not looking at him.
"Yeah?" He turned his gaze to see what she was staring at and his eyes widened.
The wall that she'd been leaning against had swung open a few inches.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Liz looked around the tiny room, shining her flashlight into the darkness. She shook her head. "This is what she was trying to tell me," she whispered. "Whatever Tiponi means...the answers that we're looking for...they're in here, Alex." She turned to face him, excitement bubbling within her.
Alex met her eyes and nodded. "Then let's find them."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Diane Evans washed her face, surprised to see how red her eyes were from crying. She shut the water off and stepped out into the hallway, listening. When she didn't hear any noise, she pushed open the door to her son's room.
Max was curled up in bed sound asleep. Michael Guerin was asleep in the sleeping bag next to his bed. She watched them for a moment, noting the peaceful looks on their faces.
She was relieved just seeing Michael there again. For awhile, Max had been so absorbed in being with Tess that she thought her son had forgotten his best friend. Maybe now things would go back to normal again.
Diane pulled the door shut and walked silently across the hall, opening the door to her daughter's room. Isabel was curled into nearly the same sleeping position Max had been. Her cheeks were stained with dried tears.
She moved forward to smooth the hair out of her daughter's face when she realized that Maria DeLuca was asleep on the other side of Isabel's bed. She smiled. Isabel had never had any real friends, and Diane had a good feeling about Maria. That she was trustworthy, and cared about Isabel and Max and, of course, Michael.
Isabel deserved a real friend.
And maybe since Maria was Liz Parker's best friend, Liz might start coming around again. And maybe--just maybe--her son would realize that Liz was who he was meant to be with.
Diane stepped out of the room and went into her bedroom. She crawled into bed, and for the first time in weeks, fell asleep with a smile on her face.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alex flipped through a hard-back book he'd found in an old box, and looked up at Liz, who was going through another box. "Hey, what language do you suppose this is?" he asked, holding it out to her.
She glanced down at it. "I don't know. Grandma Claudia could interpret over 20 different languages."
He frowned as he examined the strange writing, running his fingers over the smooth pages of the book.
"Alex, take a look at this," she said softly. She held up a necklace with a beautiful purple crytal pendant.
"Is that amethyst?"
"I don't think so." She looked closer. "It has the letter 'R' engraved on it."
Alex leaned in to get a better look. "It's got a 'G' on the other side."
She turned it over. "It's beautiful."
"Think she found it on one of her expeditions?" he asked.
"Maybe." She placed the crystal back in the tiny box she'd found it in.
He turned his attention back to the book, trying to make sense of the language. "Maybe if I scan part of this into the computer, I can figure out what--"
"Oh my God!"
He nearly dropped the book at her sudden exclamation. "What?"
Liz lifted something out of the box and held it in both hands.
"Oh my God," he echoed. He raised his eyes to meet hers. It was a familiar looking, smooth black oval-shaped orb with a symbol on it.
Liz and Alex stared at one another for a long moment.
"Liz, how did--? Where did--?" he shook his head, trying to organize his thoughts.
"She knew...she knew something about who they are and where they come from. She must have learned things during her research."
Alex just nodded in amazement.
Liz carefully set the orb down and pulled out another necklace from the box. "It's just like the one Isabel found at Atherton's--only this one's whole."
He watched as she slid the necklace on over her head and tucked it securely inside her shirt. She reached into the box again. This time she had three leather-bound books. "This is it," she whispered suddenly, looking up at him. "These are her journals. This is why she sent me here."
"Let's take them upstairs," he suggested. "It's warmer up there and you'll be able to see to read better." He picked up the orb and she carried the journals up the stairs.
Liz immediatly sat down at the kitchen table. He set the orb down and walked over to the cabinet. "Hot chocolate?"
"No, my stomach's kind of upset," she answered vaguely.
He frowned and poured some of the mix into a mug and ran it under hot water, stirring it with a spoon.
"Damn!"
Alex turned to face Liz, who had stood up and now was staring out the window. "What's wrong?" he asked.
She waved her hand towards the journals on the table.
He walked over and flipped open the one on top of the pile. It was written in the same language as that book he'd found. He glanced through the other two and saw they were written the same way.
Alex bit his lip and glanced back at Liz. He could see she was struggling not to cry.
"So much for helping Max and Isabel," she said bitterly.
He crossed the floor and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Well, maybe your grandmother just encrypted her findings in order to protect whatever information she'd learned from falling into the wrong hands. And maybe she sent you that dream so you would decode the information and you could help them."
It sounded insane, and he knew it. But then again, a few months ago, so did the idea that aliens were really among them and looked exactly liked human beings.
Liz looked at him hopefully. "You think so?"
"I think it's worth checking into."
"Yeah, but, Alex, how am I supposed to know how to decode the encryption? I'm 16!"
"Well, that's why I'm here." He grinned at her. "You're looking at Alex-Techno-Wiz-Whitman, remember?"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Are you sure this is safe?" Liz asked nervously as she watched Alex scan a page of one of the journals into her grandmother's iMac.
"Don't worry. I'm just scanning a little to see if Kevin can tell whether or not it's encrypted. And if it's not, maybe he'll recognize what language it is."
"This is going to take forever. Even if it is encrypted, and he can decode what little part you're sending to him, we'll have to do the rest of it ourselves. Or even if it's in another language, we'd have to learn whatever language it is before we could read the journals!" Liz paced th floor of her grandmother's office.
"One step at a time, okay? Let's see what Kevin has to say before we worry about the rest of it." Alex hit the send button and stared at the screen. "Now all we have to do is wait."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kyle was awakened by the sound of a car engine. He rubbed his eyes and pressed the button on his watch that lit up the watch face. It was 1:31 in the morning.
He had a major cramp in his neck from sleeping on his pillow the wrong way.
Check that.
He didn't have a pillow.
He had fallen asleep in his car in front of the Evans' house where he'd followed Michael and Maria to last night.
Kyle groaned and pushed himself into a sitting position and watched as a familiar car drove by.
He frowned.
Why was Tess Harding driving by the Evans' house with no headlights on?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alex was jerked out of a restless sleep by a voice saying, "You have mail."
He blinked rapidly and sat up straight in the computer desk chair. Then he clicked on the button that said, "Get new mail." He glanced around and realized Liz must have either gone to bed, which he highly doubted, or she was out sitting on the deck in the rain.
He read over the email from Kevin and then re-read it to make sure he was reading it correctly. "Damn," he muttered.
Alex stood up, grabbing one of the journals and carrying it with him as he headed to the deck. Sure enough, she was sitting outside under the awning, watching the steady rain fall.
"Liz?"
She turned to look at him, her eyes hopeful. "Yeah?"
Alex hesitated. "I'm sorry. It...uh...It wasn't encrypted." He took a deep breath. "And Kevin is also a language expert, and he said he's never seen anything like it."
Liz nodded, turning her face away. "Thanks for trying," she said, her voice trembling.
He sat down next to her, flipping through the open book. "You know, maybe these journals are decoys and the real ones are still down there somewhere."
She managed a wry smile. "I don't think so, Alex."
Alex shrugged, looking down at the pages. "Well, you never--" He froze, staring at the writing.
"Alex?"
"Let me see that necklace you found."
Wordlessly, Liz pulled it over her head and handed it to him. Alex set the necklace down on the book and held it out to her.
Liz stared down at it. There, in the middle of one of her grandmother's foreign journal entries, was the same symbol that was on the necklace.
Alex stared at Liz as she rose to her feet, a look of pure shock on her pale face. She held the journal in her hands, looking down between it and the necklace. "It can't be!" she whispered.
"Liz?" Alex stood up and watched as she paced back and forth.
"It can't be true! Alex, this is...this is from Max's home planet..."
He shook his head, not comprehending.
"It can't be true...she couldn't have been...No, I won't believe it!"
"Liz?"
Her voice was angry, and she shook her head furiously. "She was my grandmother! She couldn't be from there...I've been to the hospital before, nothing ever showed up different in the blood work! Ohmygod...that means..." She jerked her head up suddenly, looking ill. "...that means she wasn't really my grandmother..."
"Liz--" he started.
"No! No, this can't be true..." her voice broke in a heartbreaking whimper.
Alex stepped forward. "Liz, it's okay, just calm down," he said gently.
"How could she let me think that...how could she not tell me..." She fumbled for the words as the tears streamed down her cheeks. The journal slid to the wooden deck with a resounding thud as Liz clutched at the necklace and fell to her knees, sobbing in the rain.
Alex kneeled down beside her and gathered her in his arms, rocking her back and forth gently, and stroking her hair as she cried.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It was over an hour and a half later that he finally calmed her down enough to get her to lie down in bed. He sat on the floor next to the bed, guitar on his lap as she laid on the side of the bed closest to him, her head leaning against his shoulder.
"Sing me a song," she whispered.
"Okay," he whispered back, kissing her forehead. He strummed his guitar and began to sing.
"No need to be lonely
No need to cry
Because you won't see me tonight
You heard about a perfect world
You're trying to find
But maybe not tonight
And the music falls between
Where I am
And where you're wanting me to be..."
Alex closed his eyes and let the music take over.
"...No need to be lonely
No need to cry
Because you will be strong tonight
You know you've faced a hundred guns
Loaded up
Just to shoot you down
But that don't change the fact
That you're not bullet proof like that
And every little hit you take
Reminds you of the plans you made
But those plans have gone away..."
Alex thought about Isabel, about how he'd imagined this perfect life with her even though he never really thought it was possible. He knew Liz had similar thoughts about Max, and at one time, Maria probably had similar thoughts about Michael...but now, everything was different. Maria and Max and Isabel had turned into complete strangers and any chance that any of them had for a happy life together was pretty much shot.
And Liz. Her entire world basically collapsed around her in one night. Her grandmother had meant everything to her, and now, come to find out that not only was her grandmother not really her grandmother, but she was an alien, as well.
Life was really starting to suck.
"...All my life
Wait for a sign
Come inside
I won't hide..."
Email: faithboscorelli1@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: Not mine. Don't sue. Song are by Life in General, titled, "No Need to be Lonely." Oh, and any and all references to Mr. Raddish are my tribute to Kara and Emily, who created him and write a wonderful series of fics called "Roswell Elementary" that everyone should read.
Rating: R for language, violence and content
Author's Note: After watching "Tess, Lies and Videotape," I realized that this story falls into place with that plot. Here's the rundown. Let's just say that in T,L and V, Max and Tess kissed but Max didn't get any visions. Liz still saw them kiss. Max went to Michael's apartment and he and Michael still fought but didn't end up finding a video camera, although for this story we'll say that Michael went ahead and kicked Max out of his apartment. Shortly afterwords, Max and Liz break up and Max starts dating Tess. This story picks up about two weeks after the M/L break up, and there is much tension among the six of them...
Spoilers: Up through Tess, Lies and Videotape, the rest is just my guess of what could have happened in the season finale, but didn't.
Dedication: To Sarah, Majik Karma, Mel, Linda and Abs for all the feedback! :)
Special Thanks to: Majik Karma, who helped me work out the entire plot of this story by listening to me ramble on about it for three hours straight over the phone one night. :)
Feedback: YES, PLEASE! I'm very uncertain about this part, and if any of it seems choppy please tell me so I can fix it. Be critical! I can deal with critical! :)
One | Two | Three | Four | Five | Six | Seven | Eight | Nine | Ten | Eleven | Twelve | Thirteen | Fourteen | Fifteen | Sixteen | Seventeen | Eighteen | Nineteen | Twenty | Twenty-One | Twenty-two | Twenty Three | Twenty Four | Conclusion
"Don't unlock doors you're not prepared to go through."
-The X-Files
You Were Meant For Me (Part 19)
Liz opened her eyes and looked up into the very worried face of Alex Whitman. He was holding a cool wet wash rag to her forehead, and saying something she couldn't understand. She closed her eyes and tried to force herself to listen to what he was saying.
"...call an ambulance..."
Her eyes flew open and she grabbed his hand to stop him from getting up. "No," she said, her voice sounding raspy. She struggled to sit up, but he blocked her attempt.
"No--just relax, okay?" Alex said gently. "I'm going to get you a glass of water." He stood up and disappeared.
Liz let her head fall back against the pillow under her neck and stared up at the ceiling. Her head was throbbing. She could see little splotches of light flashing in front of her eyes. That can't be good, she thought.
Alex returned seconds later, sliding his arm under her neck and helping her sit up just enough so she didn't choke on the water as she took a few sips from the glass he held to her lips. Then he helped her lie down again.
"Better?" he asked, staring at her worriedly.
"Yeah," she lied, trying to focus her eyes on him rather than the colorful, dancing splotches.
He looked at her, unconvinced. "I really think I should get you to a hospital."
"No, Alex, I'm fine, really," she argued. She forced herself to sit up. "It's just because I haven't eaten anything today. I got dizzy. No big deal."
"Liz, you blacked out. That is a big deal."
She forced the brightest smile she could manage. "See? I'm fine."
"You're pale."
Liz stood up slowly and walked across the room. "I want to check out the basement."
"No." Alex was by her side in an instant. "You need to eat."
She sighed. "What am I supposed to eat? There's no food in the fridge."
"Then we'll call for delivery." Alex folded his arms across his chest and looked at her.
Liz knew it was pointless to argue with him when he got like this. "Okay, okay. Go dial the phone and order us a pizza." Alex started off. "And none of those little green things on it, either!" she called after him.
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Michael gripped onto Maria's hand as they stood on the Evans' front door step. She reached up and rang the bell.
A moment later, Diane Evans opened the door, eyes red-rimmed and cheeks tear-stained. "Hello, Michael. Maria."
"Mrs. Evans, can we come in?" Maria asked.
She hesitated. "Max and Isabel aren't feeling well. I'm not sure if--"
"Please," Michael said quietly. He met her eyes and for a long moment they stared at one another.
Then after what seemed like an eternity, Diane stepped aside and let them in. Maria squeezed Michael's hand and smiled briefly at Mrs. Evans before hurrying up the staircase with Michael right behind her.
They paused outside Max's door. Then Michael knocked.
"Come in."
Maria and Michael exchanged a look before opening the door and stepping inside. Max was lying in bed, one hand clutching his head, and the other his stomach.
"Max?"
Max opened his eyes and looked over at them. His eyes were full of confusion.
Maria realized she was going to have to be the one to make the first move as she watched Michael hang back in the doorway. She stepped forward and looked down at him. "How are you feeling?"
He closed his eyes. "Like I've been hit by a truck."
She glanced back at Michael, whose face was completely blank. She turned her attention to Max again. "Michael and I need to talk to you about what's been happening with you and Isabel."
His face registered even more confusion. "What do you mean?"
Maria took a deep breath. "Michael, go get Isabel."
Without a word, he disappeared. A moment later, he returned, an arm wrapped around Isabel's shoulders as he helped her over to sit on Max's bed.
Maria looked at her. In the last few days, she had seen Isabel Evans look more lost, and more vulnerable than she ever had. And right now, the haunted look in the girl's eyes sent chills down her spine. Max's eyes didn't look much better.
She turned to Michael. "Do you want me to tell them, or do you want me to?"
Michael looked at her, and then at Max and Isabel. "We're here because of Tess."
At the mention of her name, Isabel began to tremble. Maria's heart went out to her. She sat down on the bed next to her and held her hand. "It's okay, Isabel. She's gone."
"Gone?" Isabel repeated.
"She's FBI," Michael said quietly.
"She was brainwashing you to try and get the truth about who you really are," Maria added.
Max and Isabel both stared at them.
"She was FBI?" Isabel asked, her voice barely audible.
Maria nodded.
Michael glanced at Max. He appeared to be in a daze. "Maxwell?"
Max blinked and shook his head. "How long has she been gone?"
"She left this afternoon after we confronted her," Maria told him.
"But...that's impossible...I don't even remember what she looks like!" he said in confusion.
"Uh...What?" Michael stared at him.
"The last thing I remember is...being on the roof with Liz..."
Maria and Michael exchanged a startled look. "You don't remember anything after that night?"
"But it was just a little while ago, Michael," Max protested.
"That was a week ago," Maria said softly, her eyebrows furrowed. "Isabel, what's the last thing you remember?"
"I remember Alex and Liz coming over to see if I was doing better...I think it was today. Maybe it was yesterday...I...I can't remember," Isabel whispered, tears forming in her eyes.
"It couldn't have been either one. Liz and Alex left train yesterday morning to go to California," Michael said, sitting down on Isabel's other side.
"California...Why?" Max asked, looking devastated. "Are they all right?"
"They should be fine," he answered, glancing at Maria.
She met his eyes and realized he was trying to communicate with her. She reached over and touched his arm and his thoughts came through loud and clear.
*Don't say anything about the baby!*
Maria nodded slightly.
"Should be?" Max said in alarm.
"They're in California. At Liz's grandmother's vacation house."
"Why?"
"We don't know," Michael answered.
"Do they know that Tess was FBI?" Isabel whispered.
"We just found out today," Maria told her.
"I have to see her..." Max started to get up, but immediately his knees buckled and he fell to the floor.
Michael hurried to help him. "What you have to do is get some sleep, Maxwell. You need to regain your strength."
"But--"
"No, he's right," Maria agreed. "You won't be able to explain anything in the state you're in right now."
Max settled back against his pillows, too tired to argue.
"You need to get some rest, too," Maria said to Isabel.
"I don't want to stay alone," she whispered, trembling.
Maria looked at Michael. "I'll stay," she volunteered.
"Me too," he agreed, pulling out the sleeping bag stuffed in the corner of Max's room.
"I don't think any of us should be alone tonight," Maria whispered.
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Liz took a long drink of lemonade after she'd finished her pizza. She sighed. Something hadn't tasted quite right with the food, but Alex hadn't seemed to notice as he scarfed five pieces in a row, watching her carefully the whole time to make sure she ate.
"I'm finished, Dr. Whitman," she announced as she stood up and threw her paper plate away.
"You only ate two pieces."
"That's because I'm not hungry anymore." She washed her hands in the kitchen sink.
Alex studied her for a moment and then put the rest of the pizza in the refridgerator. "You should get some sleep."
Liz turned to face him. "Alex, I'm going to see if there's anything in the basement." She folded her arms across her chest and stared at him. Alex might be stubborn, but so was she. She was Claudia Parker's granddaughter, after all.
"Okay. We've got two hours. Then it's time for bed." Alex stared right back at her.
She couldn't help but crack a smile at the determined look on his face. He smiled back. "You gonna hassle me, Whitman, or are you gonna help me make the most out of those two hours?"
"Let's go search the basement, Parker," he responded with a wide grin as he draped an arm around her shoulders.
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Alex peered around the semi-dark basement and sighed. They hadn't found anything useful down here, either. There was nothing out of the ordinary. Nothing that you wouldn't find in the normal person's basement. Old toys in one corner, a couple of cartons of paperback and hardback novels in another.
He looked over at Liz, who was going through a box of old clothes. He saw her shiver and he frowned. "Liz, you're cold. We should go upstairs before you get sick," he said firmly.
"Just a minute." She pulled an old sweater out of the box and gazed at it for a moment. Then she stood up and turned to face him, holding it up in front of her. "What do you think?"
Alex looked at the sapphire sweater and nodded. "It's nice."
Liz pulled it on over her t-shirt. "She used to wear this when we'd go hiking in the mountains."
He wasn't sure what to say, so he held out his hand. She took it and they headed for the stairs. "Alex, wait." She let go of him and he watched as she walked over to the cartons of books and started to pry one open.
She leaned against the wall as she tugged on the lid.
Alex started over. "Let me help y--"
Liz shrieked as her feet slipped on the floor and she tumbled backwards, books flying through the air and landing with her in a heap on the concrete.
"Are you all right?" he asked as he knelt down beside her and tossed the books out of the way.
She didn't answer.
Alex took a deep breath and forced himself to remain calm. "Liz, are you all right?"
"Alex," she whispered shakily, not looking at him.
"Yeah?" He turned his gaze to see what she was staring at and his eyes widened.
The wall that she'd been leaning against had swung open a few inches.
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Liz looked around the tiny room, shining her flashlight into the darkness. She shook her head. "This is what she was trying to tell me," she whispered. "Whatever Tiponi means...the answers that we're looking for...they're in here, Alex." She turned to face him, excitement bubbling within her.
Alex met her eyes and nodded. "Then let's find them."
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Diane Evans washed her face, surprised to see how red her eyes were from crying. She shut the water off and stepped out into the hallway, listening. When she didn't hear any noise, she pushed open the door to her son's room.
Max was curled up in bed sound asleep. Michael Guerin was asleep in the sleeping bag next to his bed. She watched them for a moment, noting the peaceful looks on their faces.
She was relieved just seeing Michael there again. For awhile, Max had been so absorbed in being with Tess that she thought her son had forgotten his best friend. Maybe now things would go back to normal again.
Diane pulled the door shut and walked silently across the hall, opening the door to her daughter's room. Isabel was curled into nearly the same sleeping position Max had been. Her cheeks were stained with dried tears.
She moved forward to smooth the hair out of her daughter's face when she realized that Maria DeLuca was asleep on the other side of Isabel's bed. She smiled. Isabel had never had any real friends, and Diane had a good feeling about Maria. That she was trustworthy, and cared about Isabel and Max and, of course, Michael.
Isabel deserved a real friend.
And maybe since Maria was Liz Parker's best friend, Liz might start coming around again. And maybe--just maybe--her son would realize that Liz was who he was meant to be with.
Diane stepped out of the room and went into her bedroom. She crawled into bed, and for the first time in weeks, fell asleep with a smile on her face.
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Alex flipped through a hard-back book he'd found in an old box, and looked up at Liz, who was going through another box. "Hey, what language do you suppose this is?" he asked, holding it out to her.
She glanced down at it. "I don't know. Grandma Claudia could interpret over 20 different languages."
He frowned as he examined the strange writing, running his fingers over the smooth pages of the book.
"Alex, take a look at this," she said softly. She held up a necklace with a beautiful purple crytal pendant.
"Is that amethyst?"
"I don't think so." She looked closer. "It has the letter 'R' engraved on it."
Alex leaned in to get a better look. "It's got a 'G' on the other side."
She turned it over. "It's beautiful."
"Think she found it on one of her expeditions?" he asked.
"Maybe." She placed the crystal back in the tiny box she'd found it in.
He turned his attention back to the book, trying to make sense of the language. "Maybe if I scan part of this into the computer, I can figure out what--"
"Oh my God!"
He nearly dropped the book at her sudden exclamation. "What?"
Liz lifted something out of the box and held it in both hands.
"Oh my God," he echoed. He raised his eyes to meet hers. It was a familiar looking, smooth black oval-shaped orb with a symbol on it.
Liz and Alex stared at one another for a long moment.
"Liz, how did--? Where did--?" he shook his head, trying to organize his thoughts.
"She knew...she knew something about who they are and where they come from. She must have learned things during her research."
Alex just nodded in amazement.
Liz carefully set the orb down and pulled out another necklace from the box. "It's just like the one Isabel found at Atherton's--only this one's whole."
He watched as she slid the necklace on over her head and tucked it securely inside her shirt. She reached into the box again. This time she had three leather-bound books. "This is it," she whispered suddenly, looking up at him. "These are her journals. This is why she sent me here."
"Let's take them upstairs," he suggested. "It's warmer up there and you'll be able to see to read better." He picked up the orb and she carried the journals up the stairs.
Liz immediatly sat down at the kitchen table. He set the orb down and walked over to the cabinet. "Hot chocolate?"
"No, my stomach's kind of upset," she answered vaguely.
He frowned and poured some of the mix into a mug and ran it under hot water, stirring it with a spoon.
"Damn!"
Alex turned to face Liz, who had stood up and now was staring out the window. "What's wrong?" he asked.
She waved her hand towards the journals on the table.
He walked over and flipped open the one on top of the pile. It was written in the same language as that book he'd found. He glanced through the other two and saw they were written the same way.
Alex bit his lip and glanced back at Liz. He could see she was struggling not to cry.
"So much for helping Max and Isabel," she said bitterly.
He crossed the floor and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Well, maybe your grandmother just encrypted her findings in order to protect whatever information she'd learned from falling into the wrong hands. And maybe she sent you that dream so you would decode the information and you could help them."
It sounded insane, and he knew it. But then again, a few months ago, so did the idea that aliens were really among them and looked exactly liked human beings.
Liz looked at him hopefully. "You think so?"
"I think it's worth checking into."
"Yeah, but, Alex, how am I supposed to know how to decode the encryption? I'm 16!"
"Well, that's why I'm here." He grinned at her. "You're looking at Alex-Techno-Wiz-Whitman, remember?"
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"Are you sure this is safe?" Liz asked nervously as she watched Alex scan a page of one of the journals into her grandmother's iMac.
"Don't worry. I'm just scanning a little to see if Kevin can tell whether or not it's encrypted. And if it's not, maybe he'll recognize what language it is."
"This is going to take forever. Even if it is encrypted, and he can decode what little part you're sending to him, we'll have to do the rest of it ourselves. Or even if it's in another language, we'd have to learn whatever language it is before we could read the journals!" Liz paced th floor of her grandmother's office.
"One step at a time, okay? Let's see what Kevin has to say before we worry about the rest of it." Alex hit the send button and stared at the screen. "Now all we have to do is wait."
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Kyle was awakened by the sound of a car engine. He rubbed his eyes and pressed the button on his watch that lit up the watch face. It was 1:31 in the morning.
He had a major cramp in his neck from sleeping on his pillow the wrong way.
Check that.
He didn't have a pillow.
He had fallen asleep in his car in front of the Evans' house where he'd followed Michael and Maria to last night.
Kyle groaned and pushed himself into a sitting position and watched as a familiar car drove by.
He frowned.
Why was Tess Harding driving by the Evans' house with no headlights on?
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Alex was jerked out of a restless sleep by a voice saying, "You have mail."
He blinked rapidly and sat up straight in the computer desk chair. Then he clicked on the button that said, "Get new mail." He glanced around and realized Liz must have either gone to bed, which he highly doubted, or she was out sitting on the deck in the rain.
He read over the email from Kevin and then re-read it to make sure he was reading it correctly. "Damn," he muttered.
Alex stood up, grabbing one of the journals and carrying it with him as he headed to the deck. Sure enough, she was sitting outside under the awning, watching the steady rain fall.
"Liz?"
She turned to look at him, her eyes hopeful. "Yeah?"
Alex hesitated. "I'm sorry. It...uh...It wasn't encrypted." He took a deep breath. "And Kevin is also a language expert, and he said he's never seen anything like it."
Liz nodded, turning her face away. "Thanks for trying," she said, her voice trembling.
He sat down next to her, flipping through the open book. "You know, maybe these journals are decoys and the real ones are still down there somewhere."
She managed a wry smile. "I don't think so, Alex."
Alex shrugged, looking down at the pages. "Well, you never--" He froze, staring at the writing.
"Alex?"
"Let me see that necklace you found."
Wordlessly, Liz pulled it over her head and handed it to him. Alex set the necklace down on the book and held it out to her.
Liz stared down at it. There, in the middle of one of her grandmother's foreign journal entries, was the same symbol that was on the necklace.
Alex stared at Liz as she rose to her feet, a look of pure shock on her pale face. She held the journal in her hands, looking down between it and the necklace. "It can't be!" she whispered.
"Liz?" Alex stood up and watched as she paced back and forth.
"It can't be true! Alex, this is...this is from Max's home planet..."
He shook his head, not comprehending.
"It can't be true...she couldn't have been...No, I won't believe it!"
"Liz?"
Her voice was angry, and she shook her head furiously. "She was my grandmother! She couldn't be from there...I've been to the hospital before, nothing ever showed up different in the blood work! Ohmygod...that means..." She jerked her head up suddenly, looking ill. "...that means she wasn't really my grandmother..."
"Liz--" he started.
"No! No, this can't be true..." her voice broke in a heartbreaking whimper.
Alex stepped forward. "Liz, it's okay, just calm down," he said gently.
"How could she let me think that...how could she not tell me..." She fumbled for the words as the tears streamed down her cheeks. The journal slid to the wooden deck with a resounding thud as Liz clutched at the necklace and fell to her knees, sobbing in the rain.
Alex kneeled down beside her and gathered her in his arms, rocking her back and forth gently, and stroking her hair as she cried.
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It was over an hour and a half later that he finally calmed her down enough to get her to lie down in bed. He sat on the floor next to the bed, guitar on his lap as she laid on the side of the bed closest to him, her head leaning against his shoulder.
"Sing me a song," she whispered.
"Okay," he whispered back, kissing her forehead. He strummed his guitar and began to sing.
"No need to be lonely
No need to cry
Because you won't see me tonight
You heard about a perfect world
You're trying to find
But maybe not tonight
And the music falls between
Where I am
And where you're wanting me to be..."
Alex closed his eyes and let the music take over.
"...No need to be lonely
No need to cry
Because you will be strong tonight
You know you've faced a hundred guns
Loaded up
Just to shoot you down
But that don't change the fact
That you're not bullet proof like that
And every little hit you take
Reminds you of the plans you made
But those plans have gone away..."
Alex thought about Isabel, about how he'd imagined this perfect life with her even though he never really thought it was possible. He knew Liz had similar thoughts about Max, and at one time, Maria probably had similar thoughts about Michael...but now, everything was different. Maria and Max and Isabel had turned into complete strangers and any chance that any of them had for a happy life together was pretty much shot.
And Liz. Her entire world basically collapsed around her in one night. Her grandmother had meant everything to her, and now, come to find out that not only was her grandmother not really her grandmother, but she was an alien, as well.
Life was really starting to suck.
"...All my life
Wait for a sign
Come inside
I won't hide..."