Saturday, 19 May 2001
It's daytime. Max, Michael, Isabel and Tess surround the granilith. Max is holding the crystal rod. He gravely tells them it's the key and when they insert it, the granilith will transport them home. It will take 24 hours to prepare itself and they must be aboard when it is ready or they won't be able to go. It is capable of only one mission and when they use it, it is gone. It is their only way home. He asks "Is everyone ready?" Isabel shakes her head and replies "This is happening too fast". He responds that they have no other choice. Michael is concerned about leaving Leanna out there, she may kill Liz, Kyle, Jim and Maria. Max says he will take care of Leanna. Tess holds her stomach and gets Max's attention. He looks at her, then inserts the rod into the granilith. The granilith swallows the rod whole, starts to turn and hum, lights come on and the whirlwind symbol appears on the chamber wall as a countdown clock. Max solemnly says "Everyone say your goodbyes".
On the Crashdown patio, Maria and Liz are enjoying a conversation with Kyle and Sean. Maria is teasing Sean about wearing an earring. She then asks Kyle to stop drumming his fingers on the table. It has been driving her crazy because he has been doing it for an hour. Kyle didn't even realise it. When Max and Michael appear, Kyle and Sean decide it is time to go. Michael sits at the table across from Maria. Max goes up to Liz and asks if they can talk upstairs. When she doesn't respond right away, he adds a beseeching "Please", so she gets up and they go inside. Michael has such a serious look on his face that Maria is afraid someone else has died. He assures her it isn't anything like that. She asks "Well then, what is it?" and he responds "I have to see you tonight".
In Liz's bedroom, Max sadly tells her "You were right about Alex. He was killed by an alien. I prayed that that wasn't the case but it was. We're responsible". Liz, shaking her head, replies "I never blamed you, Max. I never blamed any of you". He cuts in "I know; I know you didn't" Liz continues "I never wanted to lose you". Max replies "Me either". He tells her he needs all the information she has on Leanna. She asks why and he says he has to take care of the situation. She asks how. The look on his face tells her he intends to kill Leanna. She tells him she is coming with him, he says no and she counters that she started this and intends to see it through to the end. She finishes by saying "She killed Alex!"
In the Evans kitchen, Phillip, Diane and Isabel are at the table eating Chinese. Diane is going on and on about the information she got from the satellite TV salesperson. Phillip is going on and on about there being no Chinese mustard for his shrimp. Isabel interrupts them, starts to say something, then changes her mind and offers to look for the Chinese mustard in the fridge. When she gets there she starts to cry.
In the Valenti home, Tess is lying on her bed while Jim wrings out a face cloth he dipped in a bowl of water and gently wipes down her face. She thanks him, saying it helps. He tells her "Listen, I just wanted you to know that if anything goes wrong, if you are not able to go home, that you have a home here. That your child has a home here too. I mean, you're both a part of this family now. We'll figure out what's wrong with the baby. We'll find a way". Tess smiles and says "Thank you". He goes to get more warm water and she stops him in his tracks by adding "Dad". He turns and she says "I just wanted to see what that sounded like". Pleased, he asks "How'd it sound". She smiles and sweetly replies "A little too weird". Maintaining his smile he responds "Yeah" and goes to get the water.
That night, Max and Liz arrive at Leanna's dorm, find the venting system and crawl inside to the vent opening off her room. Leanna is on her couch trying to thread a needle to sew a button on a blouse. Liz asks him what he is going to do. Max spots the heater and replies "I'm gonna send a bolt of energy through that heater. It will explode, a fire will start, fast, too fast for her to react". Concerned, Liz asks "What about the other dorm rooms, the other students?" Max tries to placate her fears by replying "I can contain the fire with my powers long enough for everyone else to get out of the building". Not swayed, Liz says "Max, this isn't like you. It's not planned out". Max replies "Liz, I have to do this, now". As they are talking, Leanna pricks her finger with the needle. Liz says "Max, this doesn't feel right". Max suggests that she wait in the Jeep. She repeats that it doesn't feel right and crawls back out. Max starts to heat up the heater. Liz gets outside and realises what doesn't feel right. She flashes to Leanna trying to thread the needle and pricking her finger. She rushes back calling out to Max. Realising she won't be able to get back to him in time, she goes to Leanna's door instead and bangs on it, opens the door, runs in screaming for her to get out. As she ushers Leanna to the door, Liz grabs the tissue Leanna used to stop the bleeding. In the hallway, she tells Leanna it was all a mistake and takes off. Max, seeing her, stops what he is doing and joins her outside. Puzzled, he asks "What the hell is going on?" Liz excitedly explains "That girl's not an alien, she can't be the killer".
Isabel visits Alex's grave. Sitting alone she despondently says "How can I leave now? I haven't even lived yet". Alex's image appears at her shoulder and says "I know how scary it is to have to leave, to leave this world. But as it turns out, it's not so bad. Your heart is your heart, your soul is your soul. That doesn't change". Isabel replies "Why should I listen to you? You're not even real. You're just a figment of my imagination". Alex responds "Well then you should really listen, 'cause it's coming from within you. Go home". Isabel asks "Home to what? I was a terrible person where I come from. I betrayed my own family. What is home anyway? Half of me is from there, half of me is from here. What makes one half more important than the other?" Alex tells her that is what she has to figure out. She agrees, then tells him that at the Prom, when they danced, it was one of the best nights of her life. He holds out his hand, she takes it and they began to dance.
Driving back to Roswell, Max pulls off to the side of the road. Liz ask why they are stopping and Max replies "Liz, there is something I need to tell you. It's about Tess and me". Liz resignedly responds "You're together now, I know". Max continues "It's more than that. Our relationship has... we spent the night together". Liz is shocked. Crestfallen she replies "Oh!" Max continues "Liz, Tess is pregnant". Liz's eyes widen even further. She is at a loss for words.
In the pod chamber, the countdown shows 9 hours down, 15 hours to go.
Liz is examining the blood from Leanna's tissue under a microscope. She explains "If I were an alien and I was having trouble threading a needle, I probably would have used my powers. But I probably wouldn't need a needle to begin with. I probably would have just zapped my blouse the way Isabel did it". She declares Leanna's blood to be human and tells Max to check for himself. Max asks if it's not Leanna than who? Liz says she doesn't know and she thinks Leanna was set up. She declares that they have to start over and they must find him or her before they kill again. Max despondently replies "I can't do that. I don't have time". Liz asks him what he is talking about. Max starts to bring up Tess's child and Liz cuts him off, waving her arms like she doesn't want to hear about that, saying "Yeah, well, that's your personal life…" Max cuts in "He can't survive here! He's dying!" Liz is stunned but doesn't reply. Max adds "We're leaving". Shocked, Liz spins around and says "Where?" Max replies "We're going back". Close to tears she points upward and says "Back?" Max approaches her, she composes herself and asks "When is this happening?" Max softly replies "Tomorrow, just after dawn". Liz shakes her head and says "You can't leave before this is resolved". Max replies "The way the granilith works…" Liz cuts him off saying she doesn't want to hear about the granilith and that they can't just leave them with a killer out there. He says they have no other choice. Her hurt turning to anger she lashes out "Not anymore, but you did and then you got Tess pregnant!" Max tries to calm her down but fails. She continues "I trusted you! I gave you everything! I jumped off bridges for you! I broke laws for you! I risked getting shot for you! I trusted you! And you go off with…God! With Tess! God, I saved myself for you!" Confused, Max interjects "Saved yourself? You slept with Kyle!" Stoically Liz says "Take me home". Max is nonplussed by this exchange.
Maria arrives at Michael's apartment to find it filled with lit candles and the table set for dinner. Surprised she asks "Michael?" He tells her he has prepared an Italian dinner for her because he knows she likes it and is using Scooby plates because Scooby is her favourite. She is touched but puzzled. He tells her to sit and they head for the couch. With deepest sincerity, he says "There's a lot about you Maria. There's a lot about you, but I think what means the most to me is that you're open. You know, I can look into your eyes and I can see you. I can see what you're thinking, I can see what you're feeling. How much I mean to you sometimes, how much I piss you off sometimes but I can always see you". Touched by his sentiment, Maria replies "I see you too". Michael responds "No, no you don't see me". He pauses thinking about a way to explain, then continues "You know when Max and Liz would kiss and Liz would get the flashes and when we would kiss you didn't? I know how much that hurt you". Maria assures him "That doesn't matter to me anymore, Michael". Michael continues "The reason you didn't get the flashes is because I didn't let you get them. I didn't let you see me. I've never let anyone see me before, because there are things inside of me that I don't want people to see. There's things inside of me that I'm not so proud of. But I've thought about it and I want you to see me. Take my hands". She puts her hands in his, they look into each other's eyes and she gets flashes from his past - young Michael running by the Pohlman Ranch sign covered in the fluid from the pod, young Michael staring in fright as Hank whips off his belt, young Michael running from the trailer, a red whirlpool of stars, young Michael, Max and Isabel walking hand-in-hand in the desert, Maria comforting him in her bed, a burst of starlight and then Maria, smiling sweetly, surrounded by the starlight. Tears are streaming down Maria's face when they break from the connection. Crying softly and overflowing with compassion, she simply says "Michael". He starts to say "There's something I have to…" She puts her finger to his lips, says "No" leans forward and gently kisses him. They continue to kiss, gradually getting more passionate as she gently pushes him back on the couch.
Kyle knocks on Tess's open bedroom door. She is lying on her bed. He is holding a bouquet of flowers and asks "Is this a good time?" She says yes and he comes in and sits on her bed. He says he knows about the baby and her leaving, says "Congratulations" and hands her the flowers. Pleased, she thanks him and smells the flowers. He asks "Are you feeling OK?" She replies "Not so good. But I'll be all right". He starts to say "Well, I just wanted to say that it's meant a lot to me that you…" He stops in mid-sentence when he thinks he sees Alex in the mirror on the wall across from the doorway. He quickly turns towards the doorway but no one is there. Puzzled, Tess asks if he is OK. Disconcerted, Kyle tries to shake if off and replies "Yeah, yeah, it's nothing. Anyway, I just, um, I don't usually talk about this but, uh, my mom left when I was six and with you being here, it's felt like family again. That's all, I don't want to get all weepy or anything". She sits up, holds out her arms and says "Kyle, Kyle I feel the same way". They hug. She is hugging him so tight he starts to gently protest. Suddenly he sees Alex in the mirror again. This time Alex speaks, in a robot, monotone way - "You are the Royal Four. You are created from the genetic materials of your alien predecessors and human subjects". Kyle whips around and sees Alex standing in the doorway. Alex continues "You are given human form so you…" Tess interrupts, calling out "Kyle…Kyle. You OK? Kyle!!" Kyle breaks from his reverie, turns to Tess and says "He was here. Alex was here". Confused, Tess asks "What are you talking about?" Kyle excitedly states "Alex was in this room the day he died! I can't believe I didn't even remember it! Why, I must have blocked it out". Shaking her head and looking concerned, Tess replies "Kyle, he wasn't!" With conviction, Kyle responds "No, he was! Alex was here! I have to tell my father". He gets up to leave the room. Tess, smiling and cajoling, calls him back. He turns, Tess performs her mind warp on him, then sweetly asks "What were you saying?" Kyle responds "That I'm gonna really miss you". They hug again. Kyle drums his fingers on her shoulder.
The countdown clock shows 14 hours down,10 to go.
Parked outside the Crashdown, Max fingers the pendant with the whirlwind galaxy symbol that they found at Atherton's. He wistfully says to Liz "I always thought when we graduated, I would give you my ring. Looks like I won't graduate. So, this is something from where I'll be". He hands Liz the pendant. Taking it, Liz despondently replies " I can't believe that this is what I have of you. I can't believe that after everything…" Liz sighs. Max asks "Liz, you never slept with Kyle, did you?" Liz almost imperceptibly shakes her head no. Max looks pained. Choked with emotion, he says "I wish this all could have been different. I wish that so much". Liz nods. He leans forward and kisses her. She kisses back but the kiss is more bittersweet than passionate. They break from the kiss. Tears coursing down her face, her voice choked with emotion, Liz says "I guess this is goodbye. Just tell me one thing. Do you love her?" Max replies "Not like I love you". He wipes a tear from her cheek. She gets out of the Jeep, goes to the Crashdown doors, turns and looks back. Max forces a half smile on his face and nods. She goes into the Crashdown and Max breaks down, crying.
Sunday, 20 May 2001
At Michael's apartment, Michael and Maria are under the covers of his bed, undressed. Maria says "I think we just took a huge step in human alien relations" then laughs. She takes his hand in hers and says "I love you Michael". Michael pensively replies "I love you too. But I have to leave. Max, Isabel, and Tess and I are going home". Maria nods and says "Yeah, I know. Like eventually, right?" Michael replies "We're leaving in a few hours". Seeing her stricken look he rushes to explain "We have to. I have no choice". Understanding, Maria sadly nods. Michael continues "I don't want to leave you. But we both knew that some day this would happen". Maria asks "How much time do we have?" Michael replies "About an hour". Maria snuggles up to him and he puts his arms around her.
Max finds Isabel sitting on her bed, sobbing uncontrollably. He sits down next to her. Choking out the words she asks "What if I said I wanted to stay?" Max calmly and with heartfelt sincerity, replies "When we came out of the pods and we lost Michael, it was just the two of us in the desert. I knew that I wasn't alone. That I had my sister. To me, Earth isn't home and whatever's out there isn't home. You're my home".
There is a knock at the DeLuca home door. Sean opens it to find Liz and says "Parker, it's three in the morning." She steps in and kisses him. The two of them are on the fold out couch with Liz on top of Sean, they are kissing passionately. They roll over and Sean starts to get on top, when she breaks away. He asks if she is all right and she shakes her head and responds "No, I'm not. I'm not all right". The anguish registering on her face, she continues "Max Evans broke my heart. I'm sorry Sean. I'm really sorry". He softly says "It's OK. It's OK" and gently hugs her in comfort.
In Isabel's bedroom, Max and Isabel are sitting side by side on her bed. Max is saying "Mom, Dad, we know that in some way, you always knew that we were different". He forces a nervous half smile. Isabel adds "We want you to know that we love you so much. We're orphans, we could have ended up anywhere, with anyone but we got you. What is it that they say…? There but for the grace of God". She starts to cry but plods on "I'm sorry to leave you, but we have to go. I wish we didn't. I wish I could be your girl forever but, um…" Max continues "You were great parents to us. We will always, always love you. Thank you. For everything. And goodbye". Max gets up and removes the tape from the video camera. He sits back down next to Isabel and gently says "It's time". Isabel nods. They get up and walk to the door. Isabel takes one last look at her room before walking through the doorway and closing the door behind her.
Max walks into Tess's bedroom and impatiently says "Let's go." Tess asks him "Max, are you sure you want to do this?" He replies "Yes". She says "Right, right". He kisses her and Tess gets a flash of Max kissing Liz. Surprised, she breaks away and says "You kissed Liz". He doesn't have a response so she continues "Don't worry. You won't remember her where we're going" and walks out of the room.
Jim, Max, Michael, Isabel and Tess are on the side of the road by the Jeep, just a few feet from a tunnel. Michael uses an energy surge to send the Jeep over a cliff. It bursts into flames before hitting the ground. They all watch sadly as a piece of their past is destroyed. Isabel walks over to Jim and hands him the tape, saying "This is for our parents. Will you give it to them as soon as you're sure we're gone?" He replies "I will". She hugs him affectionately. She breaks away, says "Thank you" and walks away, Michael joins her. Jim walks over to Tess, she hugs him tightly. When she starts to cry, she breaks away. Max goes to Jim and says "Look, I need you to protect Liz, Maria and Kyle". Jim replies "With my life. It's been an honour to know you Max. It's been an honour!" He hugs Max. When they break Max replies "Same here". The Royal Four walk down the road and through the tunnel.
Liz is lying on Maria's bed. Maria joins her, despondently saying "I can't believe this is happening. I just can't believe it's possible!" Liz sighs "I know". From the kitchen they can hear Amy saying "Larek! He says his name is Larek and he's an alien! Who's Larek?" Concerned Maria and Liz rush out to the kitchen to find Amy frantically pacing around ranting about Larek pointing a gun at her daughter. Maria asks "Mom…Mom, what's wrong?" Amy breaks from her reverie and asks what Maria is doing up in the middle of the night and why Liz is still there. They notice that Amy is drumming her fingers on the stove. Liz flashes to Kyle drumming his fingers on the table at the Crashdown, Alex drumming his fingers on his guitar while talking on the phone with Isabel on the day he died, and Tess mind warping Amy at the UFO Centre. She turns to Maria and says "It's Tess!" Maria says "What?" Liz explains "Tess mind warped Alex and Kyle! We've gotta go, now".
Kyle, in his bedroom, says "No, there's no way I've been mind warped, I'd remember it!" Maria points out that that is the point of being mind warped, so you won't remember it. They encourage him to look around the room and see if anything triggers a memory. They notice that he is drumming his fingers again. Standing by the mirror, holding a glass, he suddenly drops it. It shatters against the dresser as he sees, in the mirror, Alex arguing with Tess. He is at his wits end, on the edge of losing it as he says "You did this to me! You sent me to Las Cruces!" Kyle overheard this conversation when he walked in on them. Tess replies "Alex, Alex, let me fix your mind. You're not thinking straight!" Shaking his head, Alex continues "You mind warped me for two months while I decoded that silly book for you and now there's nothing left for you to mind warp! You destroyed my mind!" Tess has a hold of his wrists and he is weakly struggling against her hold. She releases him as he starts crying saying "How could you do this to me?" Tess notices Kyle and frantic says "Kyle, get out!" Kyle asks "What's going on?" Tess snaps at him "Kyle, GO!" as Alex responds "I have nothing. I might as well be dead!" Kyle says "Alex, calm down". Tess chimes in "He's right! Calm down! OK? Calm down!" She starts to mind warp Alex again as Alex screams at her "No! You can't mind warp me! You can't mind warp me! Stop it! No, don't!" He falls to the floor, dead. Kyle drags a bag down the front steps to a car. He throws it in the front seat of the car but it is actually Alex. Tess thanks him. He offers to go with her but she says "No. Go in the house, I'll take care of everything from here". Kyle breaks from his reverie, turns and in consternation says, as Maria and Liz look on in amazement "I carried his body! She made me think it was luggage! She killed him! Tess killed Alex!"
At dawn, Maria, Liz and Kyle are driving in the Jetta to the pod chamber.
Max, Michael, Isabel and Tess arrive at the pod chamber and open the secret entrance. Maria, Liz and Kyle arrive just after the entrance is closed.
Inside the pod chamber, the Royal Four surround the granilith. The countdown clock shows 10 minutes left. Max puts out his hand and the granilith reacts to his presence.
Outside the chamber, Liz starts banging on the rock and shouting "Hey guys! Open up!"
Inside the chamber, Michael is staring at the granilith with apprehension. He turns to Max and says "Max, I can't go". Max and Isabel stare at him in shock. Michael continues "Ever since we came out of the pods, I've been on some quest to figure out where I belong. I finally found home. The weird thing is, it's here. It's on Earth". Max replies "You of all people". He walks over to Michael, hugs him and says "Take care of yourself, Michael. I love you". Michael replies "You're a great brother". They break and Max says "Take care of the others". Michael turns to Isabel. She is on the verge of tears. Max says to her "I would understand". Tears streaming down her face, Isabel replies "What you said before. You're my home too". She turns to Michael and they hug. Feeling left out and getting impatient, Tess remarks "Well whoever is coming, we have to go. Now!". Michael leaves the chamber.
Outside, Maria is startled to see the chamber door slide open. When Michael steps out, she says to him "Tess killed Alex!" Shocked, he says "What!?" and immediately goes back inside, Maria, Liz and Kyle trail behind him. Max is activating the granilith again. They all rush in and Liz calls out "Max, stop! It was Tess! Tess killed Alex! She mind warped Alex and sent him to Las Cruces to decode the book. When he broke out of the mind warp, she killed him". Kyle adds "It's true. I was there. I witnessed it". Shocked, Max yells at Kyle "Why didn't you ever say anything?!" Kyle replies "Because she mind warped me!" He angrily approaches Tess saying "You lived in my home! You were like my sister!" With controlled anger, Max turns to Tess, who frightened, takes a step back. Still looking at Tess, Max asks the others "How long?" Michael looks at the clock and says "Three minutes". Max responds "Everyone out!" Michael starts to protest and Max cuts him off saying "Now!" They all leave except Max and Tess. Seething he asks her "Did you kill Alex?" He slowly, continuously approaches her as she, frightened, slowly, continuously steps back. She replies "I didn't want to. I wish I hadn't, but I did". He asks "Why?!" She replies "Look Max, the clock's ticking. We don't really have time…" He cuts her off screaming "Tell me why!" She replies "He would have told you what I did and I couldn't let that happen". Incredulous Max asks "So you just…you just killed him?" Tess replies "I didn't mean to! His brain was just so weakened by the mind warp and… Look, none of this matters now". Max interrupts with "Life matters, Tess! My life, your life, his". Getting angry, Tess replies "What matters is getting home! But you could never understand that, could you? I might have been able to teach you but that stupid bitch had you wrapped around her…" Max cuts her off with "Don't you ever call her that!" Tess counters "See! Look how fast you run to her defence! Why could you never feel that about me? I'm your wife, Max! I'm carrying your child". Max replies "This was all some kind of plan to get pregnant and go home, wasn't it? Home to what Tess? To Kivar? To our enemies?" Tess responds "They're not my enemies, Max". Max states "You made a deal with them. With Kivar". Tess replies "No, Nasedo made a deal, forty years ago!" Max asks "What was the deal?" Tess doesn't respond so Max shouts "Tell me!" Tess replies "To return home with your child. And deliver the three of you to Kivar". Max asks "And what would happen to us once you delivered us?" Tess doesn't reply but the look on her face tells him what he doesn't want to know. Incredulous he asks "How did I ever fall in love with someone like you? How could I ever marry you?" Disdainfully, Tess replies "You were different! You were a king! Now you're just a boy!" Max raises his hand as if to kill her but stops inches from her face. She says "If you kill me, Max, you kill our son!" There is less than a minute on the clock. Max closes his hand and says "Go!" She seems upset that it has ended this way. Max steps back and says "This isn't over, Tess". Tess raises her hand and places it on the granilith. She is sucked inside. The chamber starts to tremble and break up.
Max runs outside to meet the others. They all run from the entrance and off the rock formation. From a safe distance they watch as a molten like substance spews from the rocks. Inside, the granilith is spinning, getting ready for take off. The granilith shoots out of the rock formation and into the sky. Max holds Liz protectively during the blast as does Michael with Maria. They all watch in amazement as, due to it's speed, it disappears from sight almost immediately. Liz looks up at Max who says to her "I've been really wrong about a lot but I was right about one thing. To get you into my life, to be around you, to love you". She hugs him. Maria says to Michael "You opened the door and you came out. Why?" He doesn't respond but the look on his face tells her so she continues "You stayed for me" and she hugs him. Isabel asks Max "What happens now, Max?" Max responds "I have to save my son".