* * 6 * *


Findings
~*~*~*~*~*~


Alexia applied her lip-gloss.

Alexia: MARIA! GET UP!!

Maria: I’m up! I’m in the kitchen.

Alexia walked out into the living room in black hip hugger jeans, a cream turtleneck bare midriff sweater and black high-heeled boots. She was wearing black lip-gloss and crystal eye shadow. Her hair was up in a ponytail and it had dark streaks through it. Black streaks. She shoved a piece of gum in her mouth and chewed until she was able to blow a bubble and she did.

Maria: Whoa. What, you have a job interview later?

Alexia: Huh? Oh! No. Just thought I’d get back out there. I’m not going to mope around over one guy for the rest of my life, Ria.

Maria: Good for you! So, uh, how are you?

Alexia placed a hand on her stomach and grabbed the couch for support as she remembered about seeing Zane’s dead body in the alley.

Maria: Alexia? Are you OK?

Alexia: Yeah. Just felt sick for a second.

Maria: You sure your ok?

Alexia: Yeah… I will be, eventually. Ask me again in a decade or so!

Alexia put a small smile on her face as she watched Maria wave her hands over herself.

Now instead of alien pajamas she was in sparkly brown low cut jeans, a long sleeved tan turtleneck sweater with an inch missing from the stomach and the same boots as Alexia only in brown. Her hair was up in a ponytail with tight spiral curls. She wore clear lip-gloss and beige eye shadow.

Maria: Let’s make money.

Alexia: First… loose the sparkles.

Maria waved her hands over her pants and they were sparkle-free.

Alexia: Now, you’re not the only new girl. Tomorrow, three more people are going to be joining us. And I have to show them around.

Maria: ‘K. Uh one thing. I don’t have a bike.

Alexia: Well, can’t you change molecular structures?

Maria: Yeah but I’ve never done it before.

Alexia: What do you call reforming something? That’s bringing the molecules back together. Just try it with the coffee table.

Maria concentrated and changed the left side of the coffee table into a motorcycle.

Alexia: Good! We’ll try again later.

Alexia turned her back to Maria.

Alexia: Is it showing?

Maria: No.

Alexia pulled her pants up a little more.

Maria: You know I could probably get rid of it.

Alexia: That’s OK. It reminds me of why I love freedom.

Maria rolled her eyes.

Maria: Whatever!

Alexia: Let’s go! We can walk. It’s not that far. My bike is at Jam Pony anyways.

Maria nodded and followed Alexia down the steps.

Alexia and Maria walked into Jam Pony and eyes turned to them.

Maria: What’s everyone staring at?

Alexia: Don’t know. Max probably spread rumors about me.

Maria: If she did, I can give her a fat ass.

Alexia: No, that’s OK.

Max: So, you decided to show up?

Alexia: Why wouldn’t… I?

Alexia stopped walking and turned to Maria.

Alexia: We have to go.

Maria: What?

Alexia: Grab a package and a bike. We HAVE to go!

Alec ran up to Alexia and grabbed her elbow.

Alec: Alexia, can we talk?

Alexia: Let go of me, Alec.

Alec: I need to talk to you.

Alexia pushed him away from her. She grabbed her bike and rode off with Maria behind her.

Maria: Alexia! What the hell was that about?

Alexia: I have to show you something.

Maria and Alexia rode back to the alley next to her apartment building.

Alexia: That’s Zane. He came by last night to stay over but I kicked him out. I felt bad and went to get him and I saw this.

She crouched down and brushed her fingers over his eyes trying to close his eyelids but it didn’t work.

Maria grabbed her cell phone.

Man: Seattle Coroners Office. How can I help you?

Maria: Hi. I need a body picked up. Next to Sky Apartment Buildings.

Man: We’ll be there as soon as possible, ma’am.

Maria: Alexia, c’mon we have to go.

Alexia: OK.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Max: Me hittin you back.

Logan: John Doe brought into the morgue about an hour ago. One distinguishing mark. Barcode tattoo on the back of the neck.

Max: Where?

Logan: Melissa’s.

Max: Thanks.

She hung up and ran over to Alec.

Max: John Doe. Barcode. Let’s go.

Alec and Max got on their bikes and left.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Max: Where’d they find him?

Melissa: In an alley way next to Sky Apartment Buildings. He was murdered. No way this could have been a suicide. He was shot at close range. Approximately three feet away, six at the most. No one else has seen him.

Alec: Sky Apartments? That’s where Alexia lives.

Melissa: A woman phoned it in. But, Max, do you know who it is?

Max: Zane.

~Flashes~

Max and Zane sparring. She did a reverse sidekick and knocked him down and she won. She bent down and whispered she was sorry. He smiled reassuringly and slightly nodded.

~End Flashes~

Max: He was one of the twelve that escaped with me. Uh… stash him somewhere. Make sure NO ONE sees him. Especially his barcode.

Michelle: No problem.

Max: Thanks.

She and Alec left.

Max: That’s funny. He was found next to your girlfriend’s apartment building.

Alec: Are you suggesting that she killed him?

Max: You’re not as stupid as I thought you were.

Alec: Why would she kill your “brother”? She doesn’t even know about us or what he was.

Max: You don’t know that. She could’ve seen his barcode and killed him.

Alec: No way.

Max: Well, there’s only one way to find out.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Alexia: Something’s happening, Ria. I don’t know what but something bad is going to happen soon.

Maria: I know. I’ve been having these strange dreams.

Alexia: About what?

Maria: You. I had a dream that you were murdered like your friend Zane was.

Alexia: Because of what I am?

Maria: Yeah.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Max signed as he drove past the sigh that said, “Welcome to Seattle!” He could start a fresh new life where no one knew he was an alien. He just wished he wasn’t alone. Isabel and Kyle were probably going to end up together eventually. After Alex died, Max had hoped his sister would love Kyle. He doesn’t know why. Maybe because he knew about the secret. Or something. But you’d think after finding the love of his life in bed with Kyle, you’d want to pluck his eyes out with a toothpick.

Isabel: Well, starting Monday, we work for a messenger service called Jam Pony. Kyle: Yeah, so what?

Isabel: Kyle. We have to have positive thoughts about this place. We can actually lead normal lives here. No one else knows about our origins.

Kyle: I know. It’s just, I wish Maria were here. She’d be fun to have around at this point. Maybe she’d even be able to cheer us up a little.

Isabel: I know, Kyle. I miss her too. I miss all of them but we cant think of that. They’re dead. Gone. We need to start a new life. With new friends.

Kyle: Where are we going to live?

Max: There’s an apartment building near Jam Pony called Sky Apartments. We can live there if there’s any open apartments.

Isabel: Is it just me, or does Seattle need a serious makeover?

Max drove up to Sky Apartment Buildings.

Kyle: It’s a dump.

Max: So? It’s all we can afford!

Isabel: Let’s go.

They walked into the small lobby.

Max: Hi. Do you have a three-bedroom apartment?

Man: Yeah. Six hundred bucks a month. Plus a four hundred dollar down payment.

Max: Will you settle for five a month and a three-fifty down payment?

Man: Yeah.

Max handed him three hundred and fifty dollars.

They walked up the steps and to their apartment. Room 3A.

Isabel: Funny.

Max: What?

Isabel: 3A. In other words, it’s like say three aliens.

Max: Shh! Let’s just go in and get comfortable.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Alexia: THIS IS JUST GREAT! Are you saying, because of who I am… what I am, I’m going to be murdered?

Maria: Yeah.

Alexia: Maria! Help me! What am I going to do?

Max: Your going to tell us the truth.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Max and Alec stomped up the steps of Sky Apartments.

Alec: I’m telling you, Max, she didn’t kill him.

Max: Alec, could you be anymore blind? You don’t know anything about her!! Where did she grow up? Where are her parents? Does she have any siblings?

Alec: Wyoming. Killed in a car accident. No siblings.

Max: Alright. Stop that! Let’s just find out what the hell is really going on.

They walked up to the door marked 3B.

Alexia: Maria! Help me! What am I going to do?

Max pushed the door up.

Max: Your going to tell us the truth.

~*~*~*~*~*~ Alexia gasped.

Alexia: About what?

Max: Did you kill a guy in the alley?

Alexia: What! Are you nuts?

Alec: Just give her a straight answer Alexia. We can leave faster.

Alexia: Or, how ‘bout you let the door hit you in the ass on the way out of here.

Max: Shut up, bitch and tell us the truth!!!

Alexia: Stop yelling!

~*~*~*~*~*~

Maxwell: I wish those people would shut up!

Isabel: Let’s go tell them to.

Kyle: Yeah. I’m exhausted. I want to get some proper sleep… on a bed!

Maxwell, Kyle and Isabel got up off the couch and pulled on their shoes.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Maria: Please, shut up or you’ll draw unwanted attention.

Max: Stay outta this, blondie.

Maria: Hey! I’m sick of the blonde cracks!

Alexia: Maria, go into the other room.

Maria: No! I’m sick of being treated like a pre-teen. I’m nearly twenty years old.

Alec: Max lets just leave.

Max: No Alec, I want the truth! Did you murder, Zane?

Alexia: No! I found the body, OK? I smelt the blood and heard the gun shot! I felt the blood poor out of my best friend on to my hands as I turned him over to see if it really was him! I heard the body fall in the alley into the puddle left from rain! I heard the bullet slice his skin and break through his skull, in the front and back as it passed clear through! I’ve lived with the guilt over the last eighteen hours with the memory of seeing him lying on the ground, dead, knowing that I could’ve stopped that had I just agreed to let him sleep here! So don’t you dare, come in here and try to pin his murder on me!

Max: You knew him?

Alexia: Yeah. I knew him.

Alec: How?

Alexia: From L.A.

Max: Zane was a loner. He wouldn’t make any friends unless they were… similar.

Alexia: Well… I guess it was different with me. I broke the shell.

Max: Your lying you bitch!!

Maxwell: Could you people shut up? Maria?

Maria: Max?

Isabel: Max, is every…thing… Maria! Kyle, it’s Maria!

Kyle ran into the room. Saw his stepsister and ran to her and enveloped her in a huge hug.

Kyle: Ri-ri!

Maria stayed motionless as he twirled her around.

Alec and Max stood dumbfounded and Maxwell and Isabel were smiling.

Maria: Getting, queasy!

Kyle put her down but kept hugging her.

Kyle: Your alive! We thought you were dead!

Maria: I thought you were dead!

Maria cried. She wasn’t alone in the alien drama anymore.

Maxwell: What happened?

Maria: Uh…

She looked to Alexia for help.

Alexia: Max, Alec… it’s time for you to leave.

Max: I’m not moving.

Alec: Alexia…

He grabbed her and pulled her into her bedroom and closed the door.

Alec: Please come to Max’s later. We need the truth.

Alexia looked into his pleading eyes.

Alexia sighed. She never could resist him.

Alexia: On one promise.

Alec: What!?

Alexia: You tell me the truth. Everything. From the second you were born to the second that I show up at Max’s.

Alec: Fine.

Alexia: Good. Then I’ll be there around two am. I need to be here for Maria.

Alec: Alexia, I’m sorry. For everything.

Alexia: Alec, you didn’t do anything.

Alec: Then why are you so pissed at me?

Alexia: Because…

Alec softly placing his lips on hers cut her off. She closed her eyes and kissed him back. She felt his tongue press against her lips and she opened her mouth to let him explore. She had to stop, so she ended the kiss.

Alexia let tears slip down her face.

Alexia: Alec. Stop! You loved Rachel Berrisford. You’re not over her. She was your first love and you still love her dead or not.

Alec: I love you, now.

She turned around so that her back was facing him.

Alexia: Stop saying that! You don’t love me. I don’t love you! I was using you! But nothing ever happened so I made up these excuses to try and make you realize I was wrong for you. I had to let you go. Get rid of you. I’m over you. I don’t want to see you ever again! You’re lame and pathetic, walking around trying to get me back. See I never expected that so I need to tell you the truth and I just did. I. Never. Loved. You.

Her lips quivered as she tried to hold in the sobs.

He walked to the door pulled it open, walked out, slammed the door, grabbed Max’s hand and left the apartment slamming the door shut.

Alexia collapsed on her bed and cried.

Her body shook from sobs and she cried till she felt sick. She got up and turned her music all the way up and locked the door. She lay down on her bed and cried letting at small screams of pain as she felt emotions she’d never felt before. Sadness. True Sadness. Sure, she’d felt sad when Zane was murdered but this didn’t even come close to comparing.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Maria heard Alexia’s anguish cries of pain.

Maria: Guy’s I’ll be right back. I need to talk to Alexia.

Maxwell: OK.

Maria shielded them from the door as her hand glowed and she unlocked the door. She went over to the radio and turned it off.

Maria: What happened?

Alexia: I told him I never loved him and I was just using him. My plan worked.

Maria: Honey… I’m so sorry.

Alexia’s face and eyes were red from the tears.

Alexia: He was the first and only man I ever have or will love.

Maria’s eyes welled up at the site of her friend.

She pulled Alexia’s broken body into her arms.

Maria: I know sweetie. I know.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Maxwell watched as Maria comforted the crying girl.

Isabel: Earth to Max! Have you gone to Antar!?!

Maxwell: Very funny Isabel.

Isabel followed her little brothers eyes (She and Michael were the first two out of the Incubator Pods). They led strait to Maria. She got up and whispered into Kyle’s ear…

Isabel: I think Max is falling in love with Maria.

Kyle: No surprise. They did spend a lot of time together that one summer when Liz went to Florida.

Maria walked out back into the living room.

Maria: Guys… I know we just found out that we’re alive and all but Alexia…

Alexia: Is fine. I have to go out.

Maria: Where?

Alexia: To Max’s. Her and Alec want the truth… they’re going to get it.

Maria: No! You cant!

Alexia: I have to. By the way! I’m Alexia Harper.

Maxwell: Maxwell Evans.

Isabel: Nice to meet you. I’m Isabel Evans.

Kyle: Kyle Valenti.

Alexia: Ah. You’re the stepbrother?

Kyle: Depends on what she told you.

Maria: All good things sweet, Kyle… all good things.

Kyle: Right…

Alexia: Nice to meet you all. Sorry to introduce and run but gotta go. Bye!

She waved and walked out the door.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Alec and Max sat in her kitchen.

Alec was fuming over what Alexia said.

Max: At least you don’t have to be near that whore ever again.

Alec: Call her that again and I’ll kill you.

Alexia: So nice to know you still go to my defense.

Max: What are you doing here?

Alexia: Figured we’d get this over with early. You want the truth… I have it.

Alec: Who are you?

Alexia: It’s not a matter of who… but what.

Max: What are you talking about?

Alexia: Max… you and I. Have a few things in common. People I should say. Ames White, Donald Lydecker and Renfro… you remember them right?

Max: What are you saying?

Alexia: Oh don’t worry. I’m not going to say Filistro like Ames and his cult or whatever.

Max: Then what are you going to say.

Alexia: Hi, I’m Alexia Krista Harper, also known as, X5-562.


TBC