Category: Max / Liz
Rating: PG
Summary: Each member of the group gradually discovers who Tess really is as they hide out in a church.
Spoilers: You need to have seen "Destiny."
Disclaimers: Please, I`m just an innocent little girl who owns almost nothing, including Roswell, so don`t sue me!!!
Author`s Note: Takes place a couple days after "The White Room." As always, I have included throughout the story the names of songs that would be played during the episode at the specific places they would be. As always, you can sample them all at CDnow.com if you`ve never heard them before to get the full deep fanfic experience. The music in this fanfic comes from Alanis Morissette`s Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie and the Red Hot Chili Peppers` Californication. By the way, if you want to know the end of Alex`s joke you have to e-mail me for it and tell me what you thought of the fic first :)
***
Hiding. That was all they had been doing in the past two days. Hiding in this friggin` cold catholic church attic with nothing to eat but stale cookies they`d found downstairs in the kitchen and nothing to drink but punch and lousy water from the fountains that were so low down they had to crouch to reach their mouth to the spouting water.
They hadn`t found any place better to hide. They`d looked a little more, but it wasn`t like it was a life and death situation as to whether or not their hideout was pleasant enough, and they hadn`t really had all the time in the world to find a place. They`d just grabbed it.
At least their was plenty of food. That is, there was plenty of cookies for refreshments along with the bread for communion that everyone decided wouldn`t be right to eat, so they`d let that stuff be.
They really weren`t sure what they were going to do next except just stay here. They couldn`t go back home. Agent Pierce could track them down easily. So for now they were just going to stay here in the church and relax a little while, especially for Max`s sake who was too beat up to be out on the run.
They were doing pretty good at hiding so far. The door to the attic up there had been locked when they got there at first, which was nothing they couldn`t get past, but that had told them pretty well that this attic didn`t get many visitors. And as for making any noise, hell, they`d heard other things banging around and squeaking in that church at night much creepier and much more obvious than any racket they would make being up in there.
Max was laying down with his ear pressed against the floor board next to Liz who was doing the same as a choir rehearsed below them. That was all that anybody had come in to do since they got there, was rehearse or clean. It was the early afternoon, but rediculously half of the others were still asleep. Everybody was very tired. It wasn`t as if it mattered. When their day started up here nothing more actionable happened anyway. It didn`t really make a difference as to whether or not they were up all day or slept most of the day, because they did nothing.
Alex was the other one awake besides Max and Liz, who obviously didn`t want to be awake because of his tossing and turning and groaning. The choir was waking him up. But Isabel, Michael, Tess and Maria seemed to either be more heavy sleepers or else they were awake but not squirming around as much.
Max had told Liz, Maria, and Alex that they didn`t have to stay here. They didn`t have to be hiding. But they`d refused to leave. Liz and the others were going to be around when anything happened that they needed them for.
Max stared down through the crack between two floorboards and could see the pianist playing below them. An oriental girl, he noted with boredom. Red sweater and white capris. Hair pulled back in a bun.
Who cares? he thought as he thumped his head back down on the floor. Liz looked across at him and smiled, just as bored. He smiled back and reached over to take her hand. Ever since escaping the compound, just looking at Liz had been the best thing that ever happened to him. At least, it seemed like it at the time, of course.
Alex sat up. "Where`s the food stashed?" he whispered.
Max pointed to a corner of the attic where several boxes and bags of cookies and crackers were. Alex nodded and walked over to it.
Tess was up now and sitting against a wall, looking bored. She was either thinking really deeply or paying attention to the choir music.
"I`ve never gone to church since I was four," Tess whispered suddenly. It surprised Max and probably everyone else too that she just said it, just like that. It wasn`t even like it was meant to be a conversation starter, just a mellow statement.
No one asked her what they were all wondering. Why didn`t she ever go to church? Had Nasedo thought it was stupid to get involved in humans` religion or something? Or had they just never really gotten into much activity at all?
Alex just held up a cookie. "Shortbread?"
Tess just groaned and rolled her head to the side.
When the rehearsal beneath them was done everyone started waking up and moving around, taking advantage of being able to make a little noise now. Everyone shoved some cookies down their throats in desperate attempt to get some energy in them and start their day.
"Isabel`s sleeping in," Liz noted once everyone but her was eating something. Max moved over to her and rubbed Isabel`s back. "Izzy, we saved some thin mints for you. Or do you want something else? They`re stocked up in the kitchen down there like you wouldn`t believe. They`ve got everything."
Isabel rolled over to face him and put her arm up for Max to pull her up onto her feet. "How do you feel?"
"Good," Max said as he helped her up. "Really good."
"That`s good," Isabel said and giggled.
"Well, a little rest," Alex said, "and a lotta aspirin. Makes all the difference."
Max laughed.
"Does that mean we can take the bottle of advil back down to that guy`s office?" Michael reminded.
"If you can remember which office it was," Liz said.
"You don`t know what office it was???" Maria asked.
"Oh, come on, the guy`s a reverend," Isabel pointed out. "I think he would give a bottle of aspirin to someone in need who just escaped from a hell compound."
"Look, I`ll just take it down myself," Max offered. "In fact, I think I`ll just wander around the place for a while."
"Is that a good idea?" Maria wondered.
"Come on, it`ll be fine," Max said as he headed for the stairs. "If anyone is here, I`ll see the light on first."
"True."
"I`ll come down with you," Isabel said. "All this dust is too much for my allergies."
Max and Isabel went down the stairs and left the other five sitting around. Maria took a drink of water from one of the glasses they left sitting around with a box over them so nothing got into the water. "It gets cold up here."
"You can put on a choir robe," Alex suggested.
"Anything else up here?"
"Some hymnals. Couple chairs. A big painting of some dude in a black robe. Box full o` office supplies. Some old dish ware. Nope. You`ll have to settle for the choir dress."
Maria groaned and rubbed her bare arms. "I left my sweater in Max`s jeep."
"Forget it," Michael said. "You aren`t gonna go runnin` around the part of town we parked it in. Someone`s bound to see you who knows you."
"What exactly are you going to tell your parents about being missing for a straight week?" Tess asked suddenly. "They`re gonna know you and Liz and the Evans being gone at the same time is a coincidence."
"It won`t be that hard thinking up something. We got...lost in the desert. The sheriff can do something to help us out."
"We should have told him where we`re hiding," Liz complained. "Instead of just running off and-"
"It`s for our safety," Michael reminded her. "How do we know he`s not in his own organization to throw us in for experiments?"
"We don`t, Michael, I suppose we just don`t, but sometimes we just have to make risks."
"Everyone`s too tired to be in danger," Maria sighed. "I have to agree with Michael. I just wanna sit in this stingy old church and know we`re safe for a while. Besides, Valenti`ll find us before Pierce does. If we need to be warned of anything he`s going to get here. How the hell is Pierce going to find us?"
"I don`t know, I`m just saying-"
"Go back to sleep, Liz."
"I think I`m gonna see what they`ve got in this library," Max announced. "You wouldn`t be interested in joining me, would you?"
"I...don`t think so," Isabel laughed. "I`m just gonna go linger around in that big gym."
"Have fun," Max said, half sarcastic. He tried the door of the church library and found it unlocked, like most of the doors had been around this place. He went inside and looked around, finding not much but Veggie Tales tapes and Chicken Soup books.
"Well, if they have a Chicken Soup for the Pre-Matchmade Alien`s Soul I`ll be all set," Max muttered.
He concluded to leave the library.
***
Max was turning around to put a book back on it`s shelf and found himself against someone else.
"Woah, boy," Liz giggled against him and gently pushed him away. "Back off a little...there. Getting some heavy reading?"
Max shrugged and held up a cheesy guide-for-life volume. "Pretty light actually."
"Is there anything useful up here?"
"Useful? Yes, in fact it`s all nothing but useful. The problem is there`s nothing entertaining."
"Everything seems to appear that way. Oh look, Clifford."
"Huh?"
"The red dog, you know? One o` them books."
"Oh. Well, we could all pretend we`re three-year-olds and read that crap."
"It`s not crap," Liz giggled as she picked up a Curious George book. "I mean, we grew up on this stuff. I could still grow up on it all. I don`t know why when we grow up we can`t live off of cute little kiddie things, you know?"
"I could live off of you," Max teased as he rubbed his hands around her waist."
"Max," Liz giggled and dropped the book down on the display table and turned to face him. "We`re in a church, this is sacrilegoius."
Max kissed her and broke away. "Why?"
"Oh, I don`t know."
"Let`s get outta here. It`s not very healthy to be kissing you and then look up and see Marvin Hailey`s Complete Parent`s Guide for Christians."
Liz laughed and followed him out of the library.
***
Isabel came into the attic and bounced a basketball over to Michael. "Do any of you find it odd that most churches always seem to have a gym for some reason?"
"Sorta," Alex joined into her boredom-caused conversation. "I mean, when we always played basketball or something in my church, the adults were always trying to relate it to team work or something. But I doubt they built gyms in churches thinking, we`re gonna teach kids how God can help us play B-ball. It just seems odd. What`s Max up to?"
"Stopped by the library."
"And that`s another thing. Libraries: how often does a church really use a library? They go and get videos down from there for the Sunday school classes, maybe, but not much else. And what about the adult books? Do they ever get read or do they-"
"Where`s Tess?"
***
"Woah," Liz said quietly, as if saying anything loud would echo too much against the sanctuary walls. "This is much bigger than my sanctuary. This is big."
Max and Liz went through the aisle up to the stage and gazed up at the huge wooden cross hanging in front.
"Nobody better piss me off in this room," Max joked, "cause I could make that cross drop down easy."
"Boy, am I scared," Liz played along. "I don`t think I need to worry about pissing you off. You`ve been in the best mood ever since they broke you outta that place."
"Oops, you just reminded me, there goes the cross," Max joked. "I always wondered, though..."
"What?" Liz said, interested.
"I always used to stare at the huge hanging cross in church, and for some reason, I would sit there and obsessively wonder which way the cross would land."
"If someone cut it loose?"
"Yeah. Would it fall to the right, or the left? Would it fall backwards into the table, would it fall forward into the aisle? Or would it just stay upright? Or would it just sort of teeter back and forth for the rest of time, not knowing which way it wants to land any more than I do?"
"You`re crazy."
"I know."
"I better get you out of here before you decide to find out."
"Don`t worry," Max said, back in his playing around voice. He moved forward to her from behind and slid his arms around her waist. "I`d protect you from the ugly side of Max Evans."
"Oh, great, that`s all I need," Liz said, turning around to him. "Super Alien Man saving me from the Falling Cross Villain."
Max laughed. He started playing with her hair, drawing his face nearer to hers, so close Liz felt his breath on her lips. And then Max drew away from her just a little and his eyes fixed dangerously over her shoulder.
"What?" Liz asked. Then she turned around and followed Max`s gaze to Tess, ducking behind a pew. They watched as she got up and ran out of the sanctuary.
Liz looked back at Max, who was still staring in the direction of the door. She put her hands on his face, saying, "Forget her, please...just-" but Max broke away from her and headed towards where Tess had left. "Max!"
Max stormed out the double-doors of the sanctuary and looked to the right just in time to see Tess headed out the front door with her stressed fingers dug back in her hair. He went outside after her and called out to her back, "Don`t ever watch me again."
She kept on walking, saying, "Don`t try to tell me it isn`t my business, cause it is, Max. It really is."
He grabbed her arm and spun her around to face him. "What the hell are you saying? That my other relationships are your business just because I`m supposed to be in a relationship with you? Don`t ever follow me anywhere again, Tess. I don`t need you involved."
Tess stared angrily with her arms crossed as Max walked back into the church.
***
"She shouldn`t be walking around outside, should she?" Michael wondered. "I mean, someone could know her, it`s only a little past noon."
"Tess isn`t stupid, she`ll keep her eyes out for anyone dangerous," Isabel said. "Besides, are you really letting her make you worried? Save your concern."
"Good point."
"I think it`s safe to start being a little less enclosed now, though," Liz brought up. "I mean, we just walked around the entire church, nothing happened. We don`t have to limit ourselves to this dark attic."
"Of course not," Maria chimed in. "I mean, look out this window, if any cars come in, someone up here will see it come. If anyone comes or goes, we`re gonna know about it."
"I suppose," Max said, flipping through a craft book he`d found in complete boredom.
"And I see no reason we couldn`t go outside as long as it`s pretty early in the morning," Alex pointed out. "Especially if it`s late at night. Who will see us? We keep our distance from people and we won`t look familiar to anyone."
"Yeah, but Tess shouldn`t be out now," Liz said. "If anyone goes out in the middle of the day they should wear a hood or something."
"Now that`s an idea," Maria said. "If we could find a scarf or something it would be safe to go inside stores."
"Yeah, you could just pretend your Indian or something wearing one of those things around your head, and no one will look at you and think, Oh, it`s Isabel!" Alex said.
Knock. "Tess."
"Come in," Michael called. "And thanks for the warning. Everyone should say that from now on so that we don`t all feel like we should run for cover."
Tess came in and dragged her feet tiredly as she went over and sat in a corner. "Food..."
"We still have plenty," Alex said and threw her a back of Pepperidge Farm cookies.
"This isn`t food," Tess complained. "It`s devastatingly fattening snacks."
"You`re just mad cause the church ain`t got hot sauce," Maria teased.
"You damn hell bet I am. Nothing tastes right. These cookies might as well be leaves with sugar all over them. They`ve got stuff to make them taste good, but they don`t."
"We were talking about finding a way to get out and go to a store," Liz explained to Tess. "Someone could go pick up some tabasco sauce."
"Sounds good," Alex confirmed. "But how are the six of us with money?"
"I`ve got a ten and some clusters of ones in my pocket," Liz announced.
"I have five dollars and a dime," Maria said.
"I have almost ten dollars," Michael said.
"Stop," Liz said. "I think we`re fine. As soon as it`s dark someone should go."
"I`ll go," Max volunteered.
"No, one of us humans should go," Liz protested. "It`s just a little safer."
"Why? People are keeping their eyes out for you three too by now. We`re jumping to conclusions. I can avoid people. I`ll go. It`ll work."
"Someone`s desperate for something to do," Maria laughed.
Max smiled.
"So what time is it now?" Michael wondered.
Maria looked at her watch. "Oh...4:40. It`ll be plenty of time before Max goes anywhere. Until then you can just eat leaves."
"Car," Maria announced, staring out the window.
"Wonder what he`s here to do," Liz said, looking out the window with her.
"He could be doing anything," Maria said. "Oh, there`s another car."
For the next couple hours a few more cars came, and it was clear people were busy at something downstairs.So people did nothing but sit around, until Liz said, "You know, I`m thinking there might be a Twister game or something down in one of those Sunday school rooms. Maybe I could go down there and look for something entertaining."
"If you can get into the rooms," Max reminded.
"Nothing we can`t handle," Isabel said with a smile.
"Just as long as you lock them back up when you leave. But you don`t actually mean now, do you? There`s a whole bunch of people down there."
"On the first floor," Liz said. "We can avoid them. There`s rooms everywhere, there`s so many places to hide. We`d only be going down to the next floor below us. It`s no big deal."
"Okay, but if anyone sets foot on the same floor, get back up here, okay?"
"Sure, dad," Isabel said glumly.
"Oh, shut up."
"Just be really careful," Michael said.
"Fine, fine, sure," Isabel said. "So it`s me and Liz. Anyone else coming?"
No one said yes. They left.
***
( UR by Alanis Morissette )
"Candy Land?" Liz held up an old game box.
"Sure," Isabel said with a shrug. "I haven`t played that in ages."
"Me neither. I don`t know if the boys will consider it as much of an opportunity."
Isabel laughed. "Well, no Twister," she noted. "At least we found a couple things."
They heard footsteps suddenly from the hallway. Liz and Isabel gasped out simultaneously, "Shit," and dodged underneath a tiny table. Liz kicked a box of leggos, causing a loud rattle, and they both covered their mouths with their hands to stop from laughing out loud.
They sat still until they heard the person in the hall pass by their room and go into another office.
Liz rolled out from under the table. "Should we go or wait for that dude to go downstairs?"
"We could go but we have to hurry," Isabel whispered, stacking Candy Land and dominoes on top of each other to carry back up to the attic.
"Okay, let`s go," Liz whispered and they tiptoed to the door. They had no shoes on already, which was to their advantage because it made them able to move more quietly. As long as they didn`t burp or anything they could get up in the attic silently.
They went out into the hall and Isabel turned around and placed her hand over the doorknob. Her hand glowed red as she relocked it and then Liz and Isabel turned away from the door and started walking quickly down the hall. All they had to do was round a corner, go down that hall, and the stairs there would take them back up to the attic-
The door twenty feet behind them opened and the light went off inside the office.
"Damn," Liz hissed and grabbed Isabel`s elbow to pull her to the side to the stairway right to their left. The dominoes rattled as they flew down the stairs to the first floor. As soon as they got there they heard voices coming from a nearby room where the door was open, so they both headed down through another hall.
Isabel and Liz stood with their backs against the wall for only a few seconds before they heard footsteps coming from the hall they`d run from.
"Oh," Isabel groaned and clutched the two games to her as she darted behind a podium and huddled in. Liz frantically looked for somewhere to hide and, finding nothing else, ran right across the room into a confession booth, and slammed the door shut behind her.
Liz sat down, breathing quickly, as she listened to the footsteps go by and trail away.
"Welcome, my child."
Liz looked to her left through a window with a metal screen over it and realized she wasn`t alone.
"Oh, crap," she whispered to herself.
***
"I forget how to play this," Michael complained. "Actually, I don`t believe I`ve ever played it."
"You`ve never played Candy Land?" Isabel stressed.
"Izzy," Max said.
"It`s easy, you just-"
"Is-a-bel," Max said.
"What?"
"Where`s Liz?"
***
"........So you know I`m thinking, I shouldn`t have gotten involved with his stuff, cause it wasn`t really my business, you know, but I just thought my cousin should know....that his best friend`s girlfriend was hitting on him. Was I right? Cause he got all mad at me cause he still thinks I imagined it but I didn`t, but he keeps saying it wasn`t any of my business who was hitting on whom, but why wouldn`t it be?" Liz gasped for breathe after speaking.
"Hmm, yes, I suppose it would be, yes."
"So I have nothing to confess to."
"I suppose not. Have you lied to anyone?"
"Plenty."
"Really..."
"A...long time ago."
"Have you confessed to it?"
"Um...yes," Liz lied.
"Then I`ll say good-bye, my child."
"Good-bye."
Liz stormed out of the booth.
***
"So, did he forgive you?" Alex joked when Liz came back.
"Shut up," Liz said. "You guys got a game going?"
"The other girls are still teaching Michael the rules for Candy Land," Max explained with a laugh.
Liz looked over at him. "It`s about time for you to go, isn`t it?"
"I guess so. I`ll be back in a while, then."
"Here, take Michael`s coat," Liz handed it to him and he put it on. "And be careful."
"Uh-huh," Max said absently. He opened the door and went down to the next floor. Less people were in the church now, and now that it hadn`t been odd to the priest for Liz to be running around, he figured if he was spotted he wasn`t going to be automatically thrown out.
Max went downstairs to the first floor without seeing anyone and went on out the front doors. It had been dark for almost an hour now.
***
( Otherside by the Red Hot Chili Peppers )
Max had been walking for only five minutes when he heard a separate pair of footsteps along with his, and he turned around and saw Tess.
"You sure know how to freak someone out," Max said glumly.
Tess smiled with the same glumness and joined up next to him as they started to walk again. "They decided you shouldn`t go alone."
And of course you volunteered, Max added silently. "Company`s always good."
"This from someone who`s been hiding away his whole life."
"That`s why it`s good. And what`s that supposed to mean, really? Just curious."
Tess stopped walking. Max stopped too.
"It`s right in front of you," Tess said.
"What?"
"I know you`re tired of hiding. Of pretending to be someone you`re not. You don`t have to anymore. You just have to accept one little thing and then you won`t be covering up yourself anymore."
"You`re saying I won`t have truly accepted my real identity until I`m with you?" Max started walking again. Tess caught back up with him.
"As long as you`re with her, Max, you`re in denial."
"You have this all wrong."
"Is that what you want to do forever? Pretend your something else, deny where you really belong? Will you be with her forever, Max? Will you always be in denial? Will you be in denial when we all find out our history? Max..."
He started to walk faster.
"Will you be in denial when it`s time to leave?" Tess finished. Max sighed and turned to her.
"I`ll be with Liz as long as I can be," Max said. "As long as I`m with her, I`m not denying who I really am. I`m being the person I really am."
Tess didn`t say anything. Good, Max thought. I only wanted to go out and pick up a few groceries, after all. Hopefully she`ll stay quiet.
And she did. But she made the quietness disturbing for both of them by the way she kicked every rock that got in her way and whistled all the time. Max swore many times she was doing it on purpose to make him uncomfortable. Tess just wanted him to say something.
They walked in the grocery store and got a few bottles of tabasco sauce, a bag of wonder bread, and a dozen apples. Once they got to the counter Max remembered, "Crap. I didn`t get dough from anyone."
Tess pulled out a wallet. "Covered. You can go out and wait for me."
"Thanks."
Max went outside and sat at a bench to wait for Tess. He looked at the windows of the store. Nope. No Missing Person ads for any of us. Yet.
"I said no," Max heard Tess say after she came out the door. "Leave me alone, okay?"
He looked over at her. A guy was holding her obnoxiously and the grocery bag was on the ground.
"Come on, girl, just one dollar, okay?" the guy said. Max got up and moved over to them.
"Leave her alone," Max said. The guy stared. "Okay?"
He backed off and held up his hands. "Fine, man." He ran off.
Max leaned over and picked up the grocery bag.
"Thanks," Tess said.
"Save it," Max said as they started walking. "I owe you big time and you know it."
"Max," Tess put a hand on his shoulder to make him stop walking and face her. "I don`t want us to owe each other anything. I just wanna be..."
"Friends," Max finished, sort of prohibiting her to say anything different.
"Well...yes," Tess agreed. "I guess so. What I mean is...I want you to trust me. Like..."
"Like what?"
"Like Isabel and Michael."
"And Alex and Maria and Liz."
"Yeah, I guess."
Max stopped. Maybe this was one conversation with her he could stand having with Tess. "I`d like to be able to trust you. I`d like to include you in the group. But..."
"Max," Tess suddenly whispered.
"What?" Max whispered back.
"That guy from the store. I think he`s following us."
Max turned away to spit on the ground behind them, making it look casual, to look behind them. Sure enough, the guy was there.
"I think you`re right," Max whispered. "Turn into this alley..."
He didn`t know if Tess understood why or not, but Max was going in there partially so that they would be able to tell if he was following them, but mostly because if they were in a hidden area, they could use their powers against him.
Of course, he followed them in. And in realizing that they both knew now that he was behind them, he took action.
He drew out a gun. Max and Tess spun around to have it held up in front of their faces.
He has a gun, Max thought. Figures.
"You try anything and I`ll shoot!" the guy yelled like some nut.
"Oh God," Tess said shakily aloud.
And then he shot. It hit Tess in the left shoulder. She flew backwards onto the hard alley pavement.
"Damn!" Max shouted. He had to do something. He looked around frantically at the ground and spotted a dented soda can. He thrust his hand toward it, sending a force of energy at it, and it flew forward through the air and hit the guy hard in the forehead.
"Ah! Man, what the-"
"Get away!" Max shouted. He turned and ran out of the alley.
Max dropped down next to Tess and snatched down the neck of her shirt to expose her shoulder and put his hand over it. Great, he thought. I`ve healed someone from a gunhot wound twice in one week now. That can`t be good.
When Max was pretty sure he was finished he pushed Tess up in a sitting position. "Are you all right? Does it feel like it`s all fixed?"
Tess just looked up at him. She seemed okay, Max concluded. And now that he was sure of that he suddenly felt like he had to get away from her.
He hadn`t felt guilty after healing Kyle. But damn, how could he do that? She hadn`t been dying.
Do you know what you just did? Max asked himself. Do you realize you just redid the whole incident that brought you and Liz together? Don`t you know Tess will see this as treating her just like Liz?
Don`t you know this is just what she wants?
Don`t be an idiot, Max thought to himself. Was I supposed to just leave her like that because of my stupid nagging reasons?
But something still told Max, get away from her. He stood up and grabbed Tess`s held out hand to help her to her feet. Her grip was surprisingly week. Did I heal her all the way? he wondered. But then as she got up and kept her hold on his hand he could feel her shaking. She seemed so shaken up it was like it was vibrating the whole alley. It would take an utterly ignorant idiot not to notice that she was freaked out like dear God would allow.
Tess broke her hand from his grip. "I`m s...." She turned around and walked a few feet away from him and leaned against the brick wall. "Shit..."
Had that been the beginning of an "I`m sorry?" Max wondered. Sorry for what? For holding onto him? Or was it supposed to be an "I`m so" something? So what? Shaken up? Either way it wasn`t the Tess he knew.
But Max didn`t actually know Tess as well as he could know her.
"Are you all right?" Max repeated. "That was probably..."
"Scary," Tess finished. "Oh God."
Max couldn`t stand and talk to her back. Not when it was shaking up and down. He put a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, don`t just face the wall like that...."
Tess turned around to face him. "Why?"
What was that supposed to mean? Why shouldn`t I face the wall, cause if I don`t I`ll just want to hold your hand again? Why shouldn`t I, because you don`t want to talk to me anyway?
What was with her?
"Because I can`t talk to you with your face against there," Max replied. "Really, are you okay?" Max couldn`t help it. He was sort of trying to prove to Tess he could trust her and be nice to her as long as she wasn`t so...Tess. Max couldn`t just forget about her and ignore her right now. He wasn`t like that.
"I can`t say I am." Tess shivered. Was it cold? Was Max just unable to gather it right now if it was cold? Or was it perfectly warm and she was just really scared? "Do you really care?"
"What?"
"I was just wondering why you even ask."
Does she really think I`m that careless? Max wondered. He put a hand on her shoulder to calm her down. Would that answer her question enough? So that he wouldn`t actually have to say anything?
Tess slowly came closer to him so that he wasn`t stretching his arm out a foot. "I`m sorry. I`m just all stiffened up and freaked."
"It`s okay," Max said. This was good. This was where he needed everything.
Still...
Max watched her eyes start to water. Or had he just not noticed she was crying until now? It was really dark. That was probably it.
He hugged her.
This was okay. Max had to do everything around and with Tess as if they had no destiny together. It wasn`t like if he touched her they would automatically have to take it any further. And Tess needed him to act reasonably right now. He couldn`t be worrying about the stupid...
Tess lifted her head up and kissed him. By the time he broke away it was too late. He just knew, knew somehow before he looked, that Liz was standing at the end of the alley.
"Liz?" Max asked. "Wait, Li-"
She just shook her head and ran away. Max looked back at Tess angrily. "That`s great."
"Sorry," Tess said unmeaningfully, immediately out of her mellow, scared mood.
"Stop it," Max said and turned away from her.
"Stop what?"
"Stop looking at me that way. Stop standing there. Stop breathing in my atmosphere. Cause every time I look at you, every time I`m with you, I feel like a criminal."
"You`ll always feel like a criminal if you stay with Liz, it`s not just me!" Tess shouted. "Now that you know that you were born to be with me, every time you kiss her-"
"It`s very important to your future that you don`t finish that sentence," Max snapped, spinning back around. "You don`t have the right to finish that sentence."
"Why, Max?" "I`ll tell you why, I don`t care what you think of it. Having you talk about what will happen when I kiss Liz makes me sick, all right?"
"It doesn`t make you feel sick, it makes you feel guilty."
"Fine, it does. There."
"Damnit! Whatever happened to Liz`s safety?"
"Oh please, not this..."
"If there`s ever been a time to stay away from Liz for her safety, this is it. Pierce is looking for us right now! What if he find us? Liz is going to know who they are, they aren`t gonna let her live. We`re lucky, Max. We`re valuable. They need us alive, but she`s just a worthless human in the way..."
Suddenly Liz screamed. Max turned to his right to see her in the alley being shot, falling backwards hard against the wall...
"Stop it!" Max shouted to Tess. "Stop it!" He said again, so desperate that he hit her just to make it all stop.
Liz was no longer in the alley. When Max looked back at Tess his eyes were blaring with anger. He grabbed her shoulders and pinned her against the hard brick wall behind her. "You won`t get anywhere poisoning my mind with images, Tess! Don`t ever do that again!"
Tess glared back angrily as he let her go.
"You know where I`m going right now?" Max asked her as he started walking backwards away from her. "I`m going to run after my girlfriend to explain to her for the third time that I don`t want anything to do with you. Aren`t you gonna stop me?"
Tess just stood there with her arms crossed.
"Good." Max turned around to walk away. He was several steps away when he turned back around and asked, "You know how I was saying why I can`t trust you and accept you in the group so easily, and was interrupted, before that guy came after us?"
Tess nodded. "What were you about to say?"
Max sighed. "I was about to say...that you make it so hard to love you."
He walked away and Tess just stood there, watching him, until he was gone. Then she wiped one eye with her sleeve.
She had tried so hard. He just couldn`t forget about...her. It was just too hard.
***
The second Max walked into the library was the second he started talking. "She was scared."
Liz turned around. "So you kissed her?"
Oh God, Max thought. Here we go again. He didn`t want to be reasoning with Liz, he wanted to be kissing Liz. He didn`t want to be kissing Tess, he wanted to be shouting at her right now. He was just tired of being nice to her. It was as simple as that. She`d gone too far.
"You know, I have to hand it to you, though, because if you wanted to comfort her, you found the best way," Liz continued. "All Tess wants is for you to purposely kiss her."
"I didn`t purposely kiss her," Max said. "I had no intention to. I just hugged her, and then she knew you were there and turned it into putting a show on for you."
"Of course," Liz said sadly. "She`s always trying to put on a show for me. I`m sure she really cares that every time her little shows are enough to break my heart again and again..."
"Liz." Max moved forward and put his arms around her as she started to sob. Now it was official. If Tess ever walked back through that attic door he swore he may not be able to contain himself. He`d be at her throat. He knew it.
"How much did you see anyway?" Max asked.
"I saw a guy run out with a gun. Of you and Tess it doesn`t matter, I saw too much."
"What were you doin` out there?"
Liz pulled back from him and took some money out of her pocket. "We realized no one had given you anything to pay for it, so I was gonna run after you and give this to you. But I guess..."
"Tess handled it," Max explained. "And the first thing I do when she comes back is kill her, and then we eat. I shouldn`t have left her with the groceries."
Liz laughed. "I don`t think it would be healthy if you were thinking about food at a time like that. I just hope Tess remembers them."
Max smiled. "Liz, I`m sorry."
"Don`t, please, don`t do this. It`s not you. It`s her."
Max pulled her to him her again. "I don`t want you to have to be around when she comes back."
"What?"
"I won`t let her do this to you anymore. I`m going to tell her to go somewhere else."
"Max, isn`t that sort of jumping to conclusions? We don`t have to-"
"No. I don`t trust her anymore. I was just beginning to be able to let her in and then she did this. She ruined her chance to ever be close to us. God, I can`t stand to look at her or be with her anymore, it`s-"
"I know, I know," Liz said quietly. "I feel it too."
Max rubbed his hand down one of her arms. "You`re cold. It`s chilly in here, isn`t it?"
Liz shivered. "Yeah."
Max rubbed his hands up and down her arms and took her hands in his. Liz suddenly felt warmer in a matter of seconds. She knew Max was doing it, but it felt like the entire room had just become warmer instead of just her. She smiled up at Max. "Thanks."
He smiled back. Then they heard a thud up above him. And from down there they could hear Isabel scream, "What the hell were you thinking!?!"
Max frowned. "Tess is back."
Tess set the grocery bag down on the floor and leaned against one of the attic walls. She said nothing.
"I hope you`re happy, Tess," Michael said.
Before anyone could add something to that Max came in through the door. He glared over at Tess. She stared back.
"Come out in the hall," Max told her. She reluctantly walked over to the door and Max followed her down the stairs that went up to the attic to the hallway on the next level. Tess leaned against one wall with her arms crossed, and Max stood in the middle of the path facing her.
"Now you have a tendency to not understand certain things very well so I`m going to say this very slowly," Max said. "I want you to take your coat, and maybe a bottle of hot sauce, and get out of here, and hide somewhere else."
"You need me here," Tess said.
"I can`t stand you here. We`ve lived our lives in danger together this far and we`ve done alright, and we can live without you know."
"Where am I supposed to go?"
"Anywhere."
"Fine. But the more we spread out the more Pierce can find us. What if he finds me, just me, and I tell him where you are?"
Max took that as a threat. Maybe she would purposely turn them all in. And they would have no way of knowing if and when she was captured.
Suddenly he didn`t trust Tess to keep herself from being captured. To protect everyone else he had to keep her safe.
"Fine," Max said. "You find somewhere else in here to sleep. But if you get near us, and you try something like you did today again, and I have to see that hurt expression on Liz`s face one more time, you`re leaving."
"Very well," Tess muttered, sounding dissapproving.
Max knew she`d cooperate. She didn`t have a choice.
***
"Good morning, tabasco sauce," Michael said as he pulled a bottle out of the brown bag.
"You`re really happy to have that stuff, aren`t you?" Liz asked as she sat up and rubbed her eyes.
"Of course," Isabel answered for him. "It`s like finding a few bags of marshmallows to roast on an island you`ve been stuck on for a year."
"Um...colorful. Well I just can`t imagine putting sauce on any kind of breakfast product."
"Well, it`s just bread. It`s not like we toasted it."
"Hm. Max, get up!" Liz smacked his head. "You`re leg`s on my arm."
Isabel giggled and threw a piece of bread at his forehead as he started to wake up.
"Damnit," Max moaned. "I was having the best dream about San Diego."
"Well wake up and dream about decent food," Isabel laughed, waving a bottle of sauce in his face.
"Yummy."
"Where`s Tess sleeping?" Alex wondered.
"Who knows? Probably in a pew."
"I still just can`t believe she did that," Maria said. "That`s so horrible."
"We should have seen that we still couldn`t trust her," Isabel said. "She only helped us get Max out because, you know..."
"Yeah. Because, you know."
***
As the day went on all six of them were constantly all over the place, in the sanctuary, in the library, back in the attic, hanging in the gym, or moping around who-knows-where in a hall, possibly in any of what seemed like hundreds of possibilities of places one could be. To say the least, a time where they all knew exactly where everyone was day was a rarity throughout that day.
It wasn`t long till everyone knew that Maria had discovered Tess sitting curled up in the right side of the confession booth, and several times one of them would walk by and think they could hear her crying. No one really talked about it. It was just easier to not talk about it and try to forget about her.
That sounds easy. It was almost impossible for Max or Liz.
They were together once when they heard her in there. They exchanged an uncomfortable look for what seemed like an eternity before walking on. They couldn`t let theirselves feel sorry for Tess. That was all she wanted. It would lead them to weakness. They couldn`t allow that.
Not feeling sorry for her became harder than they all thought. If not to comfort her, to make her stop crying and making them miserable, Maria went into the booth across from Tess later that day. "Stop it."
Tess had her legs up on the seat with her, and she raised her head from her knees and slid the black cover across to see Maria through the screen. "Stop what?"
"Stop making us feel sorry for you," she said. "Tell me, really, why are you crying?"
"Why am I crying?"
"Yes. Really, I wanna know. It`s all interesting to me." It sounded stupid, she realized, but at least she didn`t sound sympathetic. "Why was...why was he...so important to you?"
There was a very long pause. A long enough time of silence for Maria`s mind to drift off to another subject and then snap back when Tess finally spoke.
"I don`t know," Tess admitted. "It`s just like...where do I go from here?"
"What do you mean?"
"What`s left for me to do? I`m supposed to be..with him. But I`m not. I can`t do it. I thought I could. I thought I was a big enough match. But I can`t."
It sounded like she was starting to cry again.
"I just can`t make him forget about her," Tess cried. "It`s too hard."
Maria was no longer quizzical. Tess was falling apart and in the process giving up and throwing it all out and showing her weak side. It was making Maria feel so sorry for her. she couldn`t help it. "It sounds like you...admire Liz."
Tess didn`t say anything.
"You do admire her," Maria decided. "I can hear it in the way you talk about her."
Tess sniffled. Definetly crying by now, Maria confirmed. "I do. I hate myself for it but I can`t stop it. I look at her and I see...oh, everything I want in the world. Have you ever felt that way about anyone? Have you ever looked at someone else and thought, look at her. If I had that, if I was that, if I was just that beautiful all over, everything...everything would be mine."
Maria thought. "Isabel."
"What?"
"I used to feel that way about Isabel. The three of us, me and her and Liz, we all went through this phase. Isabel went through this thing where she felt her bond to Michael and Max threatened by the two of us-you know-oh, they were so close. They were all she had too. And she seems so strong, so unafraid of everything, you know? But then things very important and special to her were in danger of being stolen away from her and...and she just felt like she had to fight. She acted like such a strong, controlling person to me, it seemed if anything got in her way she just destroyed it. But when you know what she`s fighting for....you realize there`s a soft side of Isabel, and it`s very sweet, and it`s everything that makes her outside so unthreatened and strong. The outside appearance she gives, that fearless person everyone sees her as? It`s all to defend the people she loves. I think the whole reason Isabel is like that is because she knows she`s different and because of that she has to protect herself and be ready, so she put that character over herself. At first when this whole competition for Michael`s attention started between us, I thought she was selfish to want to keep Michael away from me. But then I realized it`s all just because she`s worried about losing them. Worried about losing Max to Liz. Worried about losing Michael to me. I slowly started realizing she had nothing to worry about. Michael and Max cared about her a lot. Suddenly I started feeling competitive too. It was hard. I just saw at her and thought, look at her She has everything. She`s so close to Max and Michael. Like I probably never will be. Then was the time I realized I admired Isabel Evans."
Maria realized she had been drifting off saying everything that crossed through her mind out loud to Tess, and got a grip of herself before she went on.
"It feels horrible, doesn`t it?" Tess asked. "Admiring someone like that. It feels...vulnerable."
"Vulnerable?" Maria repeated. "It makes me feel ashamed of who I am. It makes me feel not good enough. If it`s jealously it makes me feel selfish. I think it`s just your onlook of the life in front of you that makes you feel weak when you admire someone. See, if you admire liz, you see...you should just be happy for her. I know that sounds stupid but that`s what I believe. Congratulate Liz because she manages to keep Max to herself when you can`t."
A small moment of silence passed. Then Tess asked, "How did you stop admiring Isabel?"
Maria smiled. "I don`t know if I ever did."
Tess sat there for a moment, stopped crying a little, and after a while asked, "What do I do now?"
"What do you want to do?" Maria asked.
"I don`t know. It`s like...there are now more possibilities. I mean, I saw my destiny and I knew I had to fulfill it, that was all I knew. In fact it`s like I don`t remember what I wanted before I knew. Maybe there wasn`t really anything I wanted."
"See, babe," Maria said, "you`re treating this like a bad thing, which I guess it is, but there`s a way to look on the bright side. Don`t you see now you can go off and do anything you want? You know, make some other friends. Go bowling. Go on shopping sprees. Do normal, human stuff. No one`s telling you what to do anymore. Doesn`t that mean anything to you?"
Tess thought about that. "But you see, if I went out and faced the world like I had before I came here and joined you six people, I wouldn`t be my real identity anymore. I would just be little Tess Harding the alien in disguise forever. I would never feel in place."
"Well, you don`t have any more choice in the matter than the other three do. Max and Isabel and Michael, they`ve put on a disguise their whole lives, having no connection to who they really were but each other. It was different with you, you had Nasedo. All they could do was...hide. But you know what? They like their disguises a lot now and they`ve gotten used to them, and it really isn`t that bad, Tess, if you would let yourself get to know a human or two."
"Why, so I can be like them? Like Max, who has this bond with Liz even I can`t break? Like Michael, who is the same way with you? And now Isabel just lately gave in and let herself be with Alex like that. They`ve destroyed their strength to leave by getting too close. It`ll be so hard for them to go one day because they let you and Liz and Alex in too deep. I`m not going to let that happen to me."
"Ah, I see..."
"What?"
"You`re afraid of becoming vulnerable. Is that why? That`s all it`s about with you, stay strong, stay defensive, stay as a match for anything, because if you`re weak, Tess, if you let yourself be weak then you won`t be able to fight for the things you want. Wake up, dear, it`s not all about that. The only reason you`re sitting here in a friggin confession booth in an empty catholic church is because you can`t forget about fighting for the things you want. The war is over, Tess. It`s time to give up. Time to build a new house on the battle grounds. Time to find new things to enjoy. Find new things you want. You lost this war, maybe next time you`ll win, but until then, relax. Your life has not temporarily stopped. Your life has not been delayed until some other purpose in your life for you to fulfill pops up. Your life hasn`t ended. No matter what happens or what you do your life is still running. Right now. Which means you`re not just going to sit around and wait. You gotta get up and prepare for the next big thing. Accept the last big thing as a loss. You catching my drift?"
If Tess was going to answer, Maria didn`t give her much time to before shooting back, "Good. Cause if you don`t get what I`m saying it`s too bad cause I will not let myself sit here and be Nice Maria any longer."
With that Maria stood up and left Tess alone in the booth.
***
Liz slammed the booth door shut behind her and he first thing she said was, "They`re different but they have hearts. Do you?"
Tess sat up and looked out through the gold screen as Liz sat down. "Oh. It`s you."
( One by Alanis Morissette )
"You didn`t answer my question."
"I was hoping you could tell me the answer."
"What do you mean?"
Tess was silent.
"You have no idea what you want anymore, do you?" Liz asked.
"No, I really don`t."
"You know, I heard that whole conversation with you and Maria and I admit that without regret because there are worse times to eavesdrop, and all I have to say is I don`t know how you can not consider yourself vulnerable when you let something else telling you what your destiny is take over you like this. I mean, are you aware of the concept of free will by any means?"
"That`s what I`m trying to figure out about myself."
"Really."
"It seems so much like I really do want...him....but everyone`s telling me that can`t be possible that I really do. It`s like why is that so hard to believe?"
"Quite honestly, Tess," Liz said. "because it`s BS. You know, a good thing like what me and Max have takes a long time. You know how long it took us to discover we even liked each other in that way? A few years. You know how long it took for us to realize we pretty much had to be together? A while. You know how much time together it took to make it what it is today? A long, long time, Tess. This relationship has been through a lot. A lot of experiences. Stages. Changes. You know...development." What am I blabbering on about? Liz asked herself. I`m analyzing the friggin dipshit out of our relationship to lecture Tess like some school teacher. "Anyway, now do you understand why something that has lasted that long and grown that strong over time would be so hard to just make Max...forget about?"
"If I understand it perfectly that doesn`t make it any easier for me," Tess said.
"I won`t lie to you. I have no desire to make it any easier for you, Tess. If you don`t want people to treat you like this anymore in the future, remember a simple tip: be careful with people`s hearts. Human or not. Because mine..." Liz hesitated. "Mine hurts just as much."
"I`m sorry. I didn`t understand...I didn`t want to get you involved. It wasn`t your issue. But it happened. You got hurt. I didn`t mean to..."
"I`m sorry. I think that`s a lie. Even if it wasn`t I`m afraid it`s too late. You`ve damaged too much to fix anything...between any of us in the group. It`s too late."
She stormed out of the dark booth. A few seconds later the door slowly opened back up and Liz stood in the doorway. "Do you love him?"
After a pause Liz said, "No, let me rephrase that. Are you in love with him?"
A very, very long, hanging moment passed as Liz just stood there, and Tess was just silent. When she finally spoke it wasn`t to answer the question.
"I thought I was lucky," Tess said, "when I found out there was someone for me. I thought, finally, there`s somebody I`ve found who can`t turn me down. Who has no choice. He`ll go along with it. He has to. He`ll know he has no choice. But there was someone else in between..."
"Me," Liz guessed.
She saw Tess nod through the small screen.
It was then that Tess answered her question.
"No."
***
That night was not fun. It got cold. It got really cold. And the worse place to be was the attic.
"Burrrrr," Maria rubbed her arms as she paced back and forth on the creaky floorboards. "Jesus, it`s so cold. How are we ever gonna get any sleep up in this crap-pad?"
"You know, in a whole bunch of those survival books," Alex said, "at a time like this people use body warmth."
Maria smiled over at him. "Feel free to give me a rain check, but I think I`ll pass today."
"Man, I`ll bet Tess is down there toastin` her toes," Michael said. "While we have to stay up here."
Max scoffed. "At least we aren`t gonna be getting caught any time soon up here. I hope she knows what she`s doing living down there."
"Besides." Alex held up the bag of Wonder bread. "We got the real food."
Max and Liz sat next to each other as they ate a little bit before they were going to hit the sack.
"Uh, Liz," Max said. "I think you and Maria and Alex...it`s time for you to leave."
"Max, I already told you," Liz argued. "We`re staying here."
"But someone needs to talk to Valenti," he pointed out. "And you three aren`t in as much danger."
"Then one of us can leave the church tomorrow and talk to him. Max, I can`t go back and work and go to school when I don`t know if you`re okay."
"We`ll be fine."
"But think about it. How will I be able to just live my life normally sitting in class when I know Pierce could be busting into here and taking you all? And besides, what kind of cover story are we gonna tell our parents about the three of us coming back and the other three coming back later. Actually, other four."
Max frowned. "You have a point."
"I`ll go with Maria to the sheriff tomorrow. We`ll talk to him about finding out about what Pierce is up to. I think he could help us find out. But I`m not leaving you until Pierce is taken care of."
Liz lifted her glass of water to take a drink. As she was drinking Max reached over to get a bottle of hot sauce from behind her and knocked water all over her shirt.
"Oh damn, I`m sorry," Max said as she brushed her shirt and dots of water sprinkled off but a big spot soaked in. She laughed as she shivered. "Now I`m really cold."
"Sorry," Max apologized. "Here." He waved his hand down the length of her shirt and lifted the moisture off in one swift movement.
Liz smiled at him. "You guys love to do that, don`t you?"
"Yeah, that`s really why we`re here on Earth, is to come down here and show off."
Liz giggled. Then she reached behind her and grabbed the tabasco sauce. "Is this what you wanted?"
"Yes, thank you. but actually, you know, I think I`m gonna go to bed."
"Me too."
***
As assumed, everyone curled up to sleep with someone else to keep warm that night because it was so cold in the attic. I think you could take an educated guess as to who curled up with whom. Liz knew when she rested by Max he would use his powers to keep her warm, and usually she would jokefully say something like, "That`s cheating!" but in this case she could make an acception. After all, it was FREEZING. You would have to be stupid not to use whatever you had to keep warm sleeping in a place like this. So wherever Tess was, she would be fine, too.
Woah, Liz thought. Where`d that come from? Tess would take care of herself. Why would she waste time worrying about her?
Liz had been convinced from her little visit to see Tess that day that she was losing it. Not losing sanity. Losing the Tess everyone thought they knew. Was she finally accepting what she needed to? Was that why she was changing?
I still don`t trust her, Liz decided. She still makes it sound to me like she really needs to have Max somehow. One thing was for sure, though, and that was that she had now realized there nobody left on Tess`s side. She alone was the thing that supported the four aliens` purposes. Their destinies.
"What are you thinking about?" Max whispered.
It was obvious he could see that everyone else was already asleep. Otherwise he wouldn`t talk to her like this.
"Her," Liz answered, snuggling in closer. Seeing she was still cold, Max rubbed his hand down her bare arm that wasn`t around his neck. Liz smiled up at him as a thank you.
"Don`t worry about her ," Max whispered. "She won`t bother you anymore."
"What about you?" Liz looked up into his eyes. "That`s another reason I don`t want to leave. I don`t trust her alone in this church with just you three."
"Yeah," Max agreed as he closed his eyes. "Me neither."
***
"I`m bored," Isabel said.
Tess slid the black cover across to stare at her through the screen. "Bored?"
"Don`t think I`m unaware that I`m not the first one to come in here and talk to you," Isabel said. "What do you say to Maria and Liz that amuses them so much? I mean, you told them. Now I wanna know. What`s your deal?"
"I`ve thought a lot about it," Tess said. "My deal is Nasedo."
"Nasedo?"
"You know, I never sang 'The Wheels On The Bus' in my own home. I never brought home a science project that he congratulated me on. I never came up to him one day and said, 'I met a friend today.' I never went to church with him. I never asked him to borrow a credit card to shop for prom. He locked me away from becoming too human, he wouldn`t let it happen. Now I`ve been under the impression that what I`m supposed to be as an alien is all I can be."
"I see."
"And now I see it`s not like that. Look at you guys. You`re just as much human as you are not. Maybe even more than not."
"Sounds like you`ve got things figured out about yourself."
"I do. And I think I know what I`m gonna do as soon as I get out of here."
"What?"
"Make some human friends. Get a dog. Get a job. Go turn myself in to Valenti as missing child suddenly with no guardian and become a foster child. and wait for the next thing."
"The next thing?"
"The next thing leading to our past. The next thing that will take us where we want to go. Until then, I can wait."
"Good for you. So...what about us?"
"What do you mean?"
"Are we gonna...keep in touch? Or will it be too weird."
"I don`t know if Max will ever want to talk to me again."
"Why do you say that?"
"Because I know that every time he looks at me all he sees is that look on Liz`s face when she saw me kiss him."
"He just doesn`t want you to hurt her like that again, Tess."
"I won`t! I mean, I couldn`t even do that, not after...I have nothing left now. I haven`t got the power to do anything about it anymore. I know it won`t work no matter what I do to convince Max that...I don`t even think I believe it myself anymore."
"Believe what?"
"That we have to be together so much."
"Thank God."
"...What?"
"Thank God that you`re able to say that. "
"Yeah. In fact it..." she shrugged, "feels pretty good. Damnit, he`s not good enough for me!"
"There you go."
"What did I ever see in him? He can go off with his girl, what do I care?"
"Congratulations, you`ve made a tremendous breakthrough."
Tess laughed.
"So," Isabel said, "who cares if my brother hates you for all eternity? Which he won`t, because he`s not like that, but it`s nice to say that. It doesn`t matter what the others think. We can still have fun. It`ll be just like it was after we first started hanging out. We`ll go shopping for shoes. Point out cute guys. Try miniature golf..."
"And I`ll get a job," Tess added. "At the Crashdown!"
"Yeah. Okay, listen...can you do something for me?"
"What?"
"The others won`t know I was in here unless I tell them. So this is our little secret, okay?"
Tess nodded. "Yeah. Sure. We can do that."
"So...have any jokes to tell me?"
"Nope."
"Okay. I`ll go ask Alex. He`ll have one with no doubt."
***
"...So these two surgeons are golfing, right?" Alex began. "And one of `em sees an owl sleeping in a tree a little ways away. So he says to the other guy, 'I`m such a good surgeon that I`ll remove that owl`s tonsils without waking him up.' The other one doesn`t think he can do it, so he bets him ten bucks. But he goes up into the tree and comes down a while later with what looks a lot like tonsils. The other surgeon doesn`t want to give up his ten bucks, so he says, 'I`ll remove that owl`s-' "
"Stop," Isabel said. "I asked the wrong person. I`m going to talk with the girls."
Alex laughed and turned to the other boys after she walked away. Max leaned in. "You know, that joke...how does it end?"
The three boys huddled in so Alex could say it quietly, and the girls started to watch them, now having to admit they were curious as to how it ends.
"I guess some things have to remain a mystery," Liz laughed, bringing Maria and Isabel`s attention back to the girl`s half of the room. "So, has anyone-"
The attic door opened. Twelve eyes snapped toward it to see Tess.
"What is it?" Michael asked.
"I`m going," Tess said, pointing a thumb back over her shoulder. "I just thought I should let you know that I`m going to go hide somewhere else."
With that she slowly turned around and left the doorway.
"No, wait-" Liz got up. Everyone`s surprise was obvious as their eyes followed her running out the door.
"Tess!" Liz chased after her to the next floor down and caught up to her in front of the next stairway. "Wait...stay."
"Stay?"
"Yeah, I don`t think you should go anymore I think you should be able to...stay."
"Why?"
"I guess I could say the reason is because you`re willing to leave. No. That`s a small part of it. You`ve changed, haven`t you?"
"I`d say so."
"God, Tess, I take it all back. It`s not too late. It`s never too late. You`re a wonderful person underneath this stupid destiny. It`s only that that messes everything up. It`s only because of that that we`ve been so confused. But now I think everything`s fine...really."
"If I`m allowed to stay here with you while we hide I`m going to take it as an acception of me into your group. Are you willing to do that?"
Liz hesitated, but she smiled as she said it. "Yes."
***
Valenti kept track of what was going on with Pierce until he found out he had been relieved from duty, obviously from failing miserably to keep four aliens in his hands when it had been so easy to get them. no one was assuming everything was absolutely over, but they knew they were safe for now, so they went back to their homes.
The sheriff helped them with their cover story as to why they had been gone for a week. They just made up your original got-lost-in-a-cave story which was easy to pull off in roswell, New Mexico. If they lived in California they would have been just that up to their chins in deep shit.
The problem was Tess. Nasedo had been shot. Everyone expected her to become a foster child eventually. No one expected what happened when Mrs.Evans found out about it.
"Why couldn`t we take her in for a while?" she asked Isabel and Max.
Max and Is exchanged a look. Isabel shrugged at him helplessly.
"I don`t see why not," Max said. "If she accepts the offer."
The conversation he had with her about it was uncomfortable. It was full of "Wells" and "Uhs" and "Ohs" and "Hmmms" but most of all, "Oh craaaaps." in the end Max blew it out that Tess knew how weird it would be for the two of them to live together, playing foster sibling when they knew they were really supposed to be. but Tess said, "Max, we`re past that. I swear you`ll never hear from me about it again."
It was only until they found someone else to take her in. So they agreed to take her.
Once Tess had been with them for a couple days, things were pretty much mellowed out and normal again.
***
"I still can`t believe that girl," Maria said to Liz as they both stared at the three Evans adoptees in a booth in the Crashdown. Isabel was saying something, and they watched as Tess added something that made them all laugh. Not Tess. Not the Tess she had been a week ago.
"Neither can I," Liz said. "But I`m assuming it`ll just be easier for me if I don`t try and figure things out. Especially now. Max just got out from the white hell. We just got through them all finding out their past. And not until three days ago had I been wearing clothes I had put on that very morning."
"Oh, I hear you," Maria moaned. "Well, coffee drinker calls in section Maria. Here I go to feed the world."
Liz laughed. "See you around, Wonder Waitress."
Liz watched the three of them. There was probably stuff to do in the cafe, but the thought just didn`t cross her mind. She tore her stare away from their lively conversation to refill someone`s diet cherry coke. When she watched them again Kyle was suddenly by their booth, talking to Tess.
Oh. They`re bio partners, Liz remembered. He`s probably giving her one of the thousands of assignments she`s missed lately.
Then why is he laughing at something she said? Then why is she giving him THAT smile whole she unsavoringly pours on the hot sauce onto her salad?
Maria was just then brushing past Liz with a pitcher of coffee. Liz grabbed her elbow to stop her. "Do you see what I see?"
"Woah, you almost made me drop the...oh. That."
They looked at the two of them for a few seconds.
"Yep," Maria concluded. "I sure do see what you see."