The next morning they made there way out of the truck and headed down the road. With Liz’s hearing she was able to hear the FBI’s hummer coming and tried to get Max to hurry. She was trying to figure out what to do. She didn’t have any weapons and from the car they could take them out easily. Luckily the Sheriff and Michael chose that moment to show up. After Michael blasted the hummer they made their escape.
When they reached the mine, she saw the look in the Sheriff’s eyes and wanted to explain everything to him but Max asked her to go inside. She only did it because it wasn’t her secret to tell. She headed inside and waited.
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
The Sheriff checked Pierce’s body. “He's dead.” He looked down at the agent’s hand and saw a gun. “It's one of mine. “ He got up and started looking around. He found him behind the curtain. “No. Oh no. No. Aw, no, Kyle! Aw, geez, no!”
Liz looked in shock at her brother laying on the floor almost dead. She knew she should try to save him, use the medical training she knew like she had before but she couldn’t move. Her memory flashed to another time, years before when another one of her siblings had been lying on the ground dying from a gunshot wound. She could hear the Sheriff screaming. “NO KYLE! Augh! Help. Help me. Somebody, help me! Augh. Save my son, please.”
She watched as Max walked over to Kyle and began to heal him. “What the hell just happened to me?”
“I don't care who you are, or what you are. I'll be here for you. I need a moment alone with my son.”
Liz stayed where she was, she looked down at her brother and thanked whoever was out there for allowing Max to save Kyle. She saw that the others were going to after Nasedo and decided they may need her help. She leaned down to her brother and whispered, “I love you, your dad needs you.”
She got up and told Max she was going.
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
Liz watched the hologram and knew that she had been deluding herself. She didn’t belong with Max. She started to leave but Max stopped her. “Look, everything I told you before is still true.”
“Max, you do have a destiny. You just heard it. I can't stand in the way of it.”
“But you mean everything to me.”
Liz looked at him, locking his image into her memories. She leaned up for one last kiss. “Goodbye, Max.”
She made her way out of the chamber and started climbing down the cliff. She could feel the tears burning her eyes and she quit fighting them. As she made her way she heard Max calling for her, “Liz, wait.” She turned and looked at him but hurried off. She heard Michael’s voice; “You gotta let her go.”
'Yes, you have to let me go, but can I let go of you.' She thought as she started to run. She headed in the direction of Roswell. Eventually she slowed and she walked a couple of miles, thinking only of what Zack had told her over and over. That they couldn’t get attached and she was starting to think he was right. She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn’t hear the motorcycle approach her.
“Liz? Liz?!” She heard Zack call her distantly. She only came out of her daze when he shook her. “What happened? What is wrong?”
“Take me to Ky.” Was all she could say. He looked at her strangely and led her to his bike. She looked like she was catatonic, she barely held onto him as they rode into Roswell. He took the back alleys that he had learned years ago when he first found them. They pulled up behind the Sheriff’s house and he helped her inside.
“Liz? What’s wrong? What happened?” The Sheriff asked. Liz looked past him and saw Kyle sitting on the couch. She walked over to him and threw herself into his arms. She let herself go and started to cry. Kyle wrapped his arms around her and rocked her. He could hear her softly whimpering, “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
“Liz, it’s okay. I’m right here.” He said trying to comfort her. The Sheriff stood up and pulled on Zack’s arm. “Let’s give them a minute alone.” Zack nodded, confused but went with him out to the garage. Once they were gone, Kyle said, “Let it out. Just let it out.” Liz cried as she told him the truth although edited the painful parts. About the shooting, about the others being aliens, and how Max had healed him. Then she told him about Max’s destiny and how she had walked away from him. “You really love him don’t you?”
“Yes, I do. But I should have listened to you and Zack. It did nothing but hurt me. I have to stay away from him.”
“Then why don’t the two of you leave with me?” They both looked up startled at the sound of Zack’s voice. He was standing in the doorway. “I don’t know what is going on but I do know that both of you are in shock over something. We can leave tonight.”
Kyle looked at his dad who nodded then looked at Liz. She was glassy eyed for a moment before she said, “Alright.”
They figured out their plans and the Sheriff went to take Liz home. Once they got there she told Maria and Alex what had happened at the pod chamber then told them she was going to her aunt’s to get away. She told her parents that she wanted to get away with her brothers. She packed a bag and grabbed her backpack before getting into Kyle’s mustang and headed out of Roswell in the dead of night.
Part 28: The Summer
A week after leaving Roswell, Zack finally tried to snap his baby brother and sister out of their funk. They were sitting around in a motel room in San Antonio just laying around watching evening TV when Zack broke the silence, “Okay you two spit it out. I know your friends aren’t normal and I want to know if that is why you two are acting like this.”
Liz and Kyle looked at each other in shock, they had no idea that Zack knew about the others. “What are you talking about?” Liz asked.
“Don’t keep lying, Liz. I saw you shot that day then Max came over to you and you got up. And I’ve seen them do things that no ordinary person could do. Now what are they?”
Liz blew out a breath, “They’re aliens, the ship that crashed in ’47 was theirs.”
Zack was about to say something when Liz interrupted, “I know they’re not that old, if you just listen I’ll tell you everything.” Zack and Kyle both nodded, Liz had only given the abbreviated version to Kyle and he was interested in hearing the whole story.
“When the ship crashed, their protector took the pods that the four of them were in and hid them in a cave. Their pods were like incubators, when they came out in 1989 they were six-year-olds. Max, Michael, and Isabel broke out first and went out into the desert. Max and Isabel were adopted and Michael was put into foster care. The three of them figured out that they were alike but knew nothing else about themselves. They developed powers and hid what they were from everyone else until I was shot and Max healed me along with healing my seizures. He saved my life but because I didn’t tell Ky or his dad about what really happened the Sheriff got suspicious. His investigation finally sent up flags at the FBI and they started watching all of us. I told Maria and later Alex about the aliens and the six of us started looking for answers for the aliens. We found a couple small things, a cave with markings in it, some alien healing stones, a necklace, and an orb. Max and I found the orb through flashes. When Max and I would kiss I would get images and they lead us to the orb. Eventually our search led us to Nasedo and Tess.” Liz explained lowering her eyes. “Tess tried to make friends with Isabel and I could tell she was interested in Max but I just ignored it. Well until I saw them kiss. But Max said it was something he didn’t have any control over. So we started investigating her and found out she was another alien. She was one that the other three left behind. Nasedo came back and only found Tess who he raised.”
“Nasedo took me to try and lured the head of the alien hunting unit out and they ended up capturing Max. From what I know they tortured him trying to get information out of him. I went to the Sheriff for help and we got Max out. Max and I separated from the others but joined up with them later. Then they captured Agent Pierce, the agent in charge, and started questioning him. When he broke loose Michael used one of his powerblasts, his power, and killed him but not before the Sheriff got off a couple shots, which hit Kyle. Max healed him like me. Later we went back to the podchamber and that’s when I found out about Max’s destiny for certain. They acquired another orb and when they put the two together they saw a hologram about who they were. The four of them had lived before and were cloned with human DNA and sent here. Max is supposed to be with Tess, Michael with Isabel and they’re supposed to go back and free their people. After I found out, I knew I had to give him up. That he wasn’t mine to love, and I knew that if I didn’t give him up that he wouldn’t do his destiny. I kissed him good bye before I ran off and that’s when you found me Zack.”
Kyle moved from his spot to wrap his arm around Liz’s shoulders. He didn’t say anything; he didn’t know what he could say. He was still in shock over the whole thing. Sure, he had been created in a lab to be a perfect soldier so he shouldn’t be surprised by the existence of aliens but he was. It shook him to the core.
Zack watched Kyle comfort Liz and wished he could do something to help her. But he was never good at showing emotions except for anger and didn't know what he could do. He wished he could get his hands on Max for hurting his baby sister. Again, but this time it was even bigger. He never wanted to see her shut down like she was in the desert. He was going to protect her and do whatever he could to help her.
Part 29 The Summer
“That was so cool. It was the best one yet.” Kyle exclaimed as they made their way out the exit door of the coaster.
“I don’t know, Son of the Beast was a lot taller so you got the faster speed.” Liz said defiantly. Her and Kyle were at King’s Island having a day of fun. Zack had left that morning for the day to ‘run an errand’ so Liz and Kyle had come to the park. They had been gone from Roswell a little over a month and Kyle would be leaving soon.
“What is it with you and heights? You love them. I think you have bird DNA in you.” Kyle smirked. “But back to the argument, you can’t compare Son of Beast to Face-off, one’s wooden the other steel.”
“Then why did you say it was the best one instead of saying it was the best steel?” Liz asked. They continued the argument walking through the park when they past a hotdog stand, “Let’s stop for a minute and grab some food before we ride more.”
“I swear you’re going to eat up all the money we made last week.” Kyle said following his sister. They had taken part of their savings with them when they left Roswell but had taken odd jobs so they wouldn’t have to use it. They got their food and sat down at a nearby table.
“Who do you think it is?” Liz asked out of the blue.
“What?” Kyle managed to ask around eating his hotdog.
“Which one of our brothers or sisters do you think Zack is checking on?” Liz saw Kyle’s surprised expression. “Oh, come on. You know that’s what he’s doing. He did the same thing in New York and he wouldn’t just leave us alone if he wasn’t. So who do you think it is?”
“I don’t know.” Kyle shrugged. “Maybe Zane, you know how he was always so good at mechanics and there is a lot of car factories around here.”
“I wonder where they live, Zack left early this morning and said he should be back tonight some time.” Liz said as her cell phone rang. Checking to make sure it wasn’t Max she saw it was her Mom and answered it. She checked in with her for a minute before hanging up sighing in relief that it was her parents.
Kyle saw the relief in Liz’s eyes when she answered the phone and was thankful it wasn’t Max on the phone. In the weeks after they left Roswell he had tried to call a few times, Zack had been inclined to answer it to tell him off. But that would bring up all kinds of questions when they got home. They hadn’t talked about the aliens besides the phone calls since the night Liz told them the aliens’ story. “How are your parents?”
“Fine. Your dad was in the café eating dinner and said hi.” Liz answered.
“It’ll be nice to see him when I go back, even if it’s only for one night.” Kyle said. The two spent the rest of the day riding rides and enjoying having a fun day together. By the time they sat down to watch the fireworks Liz was feeling antsy, like she was about to jump out of her skin. She looked over at a nearby bench and saw a good-looking blonde guy and she felt her body heat up. Making sure Kyle was busy she crept over to the bench stalking her prey and sat down. “Hi, what’s your name?” She said huskily.
The blonde looked at her with his hazel eyes and smiled, “Jonathan and you?”
“Beth.” Liz said, all three of them had names that they used when around others. Hers was Beth, Zack’s was Sam, and Kyle’s was Nick. The two continued to talk all the while Liz got closer and closer. Somewhere in the back of head she knew she wouldn’t normally be so forward but figured she was just loosening up. She was about to grab Jonathan and kiss him when she felt a strong arm come around her waist lifting her up and pulling her away. She started to struggle when she heard Zack’s voice, “Liz, I’m doing this for your own good.”
“What the hell are you doing here?” She asked just as she was dropped down next to Kyle.
“My errand took less time than I thought,” Zack stated before looking at Kyle. “You were supposed to be keeping an eye on each other and you let her wander off.”
“She was just flirting,” Kyle started to say before catching a scent in the air he’d only smelled once before. “Shit. Zack I swear I didn’t know she was in heat.” Liz realized that she was indeed in heat and although her body said one thing, her head was glad her brother had stepped in.
“Let’s get out of here. We’ll go back to the hotel and hole up there for the next couple of days.” Zack said before Kyle reached over and snagged Liz who was trying to escape her watchful brothers. Zack took her other side and the three went out to the parking lot. Zack had wedged his bike between Kyle’s car and the one next to it.
Liz saw the bike and thought of a way to relieve some of the tension in her body, “Zack can I ride the bike back to the hotel?” She asked pouting her lips for emphasize. “I promise to be good, you can follow behind me in the car.”
Kyle almost laughed at Liz’s begging to ride Zack’s bike. Zack gave in, “Yes!” Liz cheered. She hopped on the bike and started it. She pulled out in front of Kyle and rode back to the hotel. Hopefully the pool would be nice and cool, that way she wouldn’t be in the shower all night.
Part 30 The Summer
They'd been chained under water for three minutes now, one more minute to go and this exercise would be over, then on to the next, training as usual. This exercise had them broken off into their pairs. Ky looked to his side and seeing the small seven year old form of Liz. She looks over at him and he closes his eyes lying his head in his hands as if he's falling asleep, she tried to hold back a smile. The cuffs around their legs snap open and they swim to the surface of the pool. Just as he brakes the surface he felt a hand yank out of the pool and is spun around to see the cloudy face of Lydecker; looming above him.
'440, I will not tolerate cockiness! Acting the fool is what will get you killed! Do you hear me?'
He opens her mouth to say something back. Across the pool he sees Jondy sake her head and he lowers his eyes before Lydecker. 'Yes sir.'
Lydecker leaned over right in his face, 'I can't hear you.'
'Yes sir!' He yells.
'That's better; but I don't think you've gotten out of your system yet.' Lydecker nodded to a nearby technician. 'Take 440 to one of the classrooms.' He ordered before turning to Ky. 'Dismissed.'
The technician led him through the hallways and into one of the rooms. It wasn't a typical classroom; it was an interrogation room. The technician strapped him into the chair and left. Ky sat silently in the small room, waiting. At least four security cameras were stuck in the corners near the ceiling. He casually tested the restraints for the sixth time. It would take a concerted effort and some time to break them. By then, security would have spotted the attempt from the camera feeds and his punishment would be harsher.
He remembered being pulled aside before and taken to an interrogation room, training for psyche warfare. But this time was different; this was the first time it was punishment for him. It was all a game for Lydecker and the scientists. They expected him to sit there thinking of all the nasty things that they would do to him. The intent was to let him drive himself crazy. They must have decided he sat there long enough because Lydecker came strolling through the door.
'440, you have repeatedly been reprimanded for your behavior. What explanation do you have for your actions?'
one sir.'
'Then why did you pull that stunt in the pool?'
'Trying to keep up 435 spirits, sir.' He answered earning him a tazer blast in his side. It wasn't strong enough to knock him out, only hurt him.
'That was not part of your assignment.' Lydecker stated before giving Ky more blasts. After awhile Ky lost count of the blasts and Lydecker started using his hands. The last blow was hard enough to knock him out.
The first touch of consciousness strummed over his fried nerves as someone gently touched his chin and raised his slack head. All was agony in his body as he performed that act. He wanted to react, to lash out but was unable to make his muscles move. Lydecker had really worked him over that time, the older they got the worst the punishments. He watched behind him lids as his hand came down again connecting with his already stinging cheek, his swollen and bloody lip.
Later Ky was escorted or rather half carried half-dragged back to the barracks by two burly soldiers, one opens the door and pushed inside. The others heard him come in but kept their eyes closed, acting asleep until they left. Then they went to take care of their sibling, like they always did. Ky felt the harsh burning and stinging of his wounds as they cleaned them.
Kyle jolted awake instantly taking in his surroundings. He was in another hotel room with Zack and Liz. Just then he felt Liz’s small hands on his shoulders. “Another nightmare?”
Kyle could only nod. Ever since he found out about the aliens and his world had been turned upside down, nightmares had come back stronger. Liz pulled him down so his head rested in her lap, brushing his damp hair away from his forehead and ran her fingers through the rest of it, trying to soothe him. It lulled him back to sleep and Liz stayed where she was, keeping his dreams away. His nightmares had lessened some, only one a week, since they had gone to a bookstore last month. Kyle had bought several books but neither her nor Zack had seen what they were about. She hoped that doing something as ordinary as going to football camp would help him too.
Part 31 The Summer
When it was time for Kyle to go to football camp, they came back to Roswell in the middle of the night and dropped him off. He was leaving the next morning on a bus. Liz didn’t feel like staying so dropped some of her stuff off and left with Zack again. The two of them set off on his bike, alternating driving and when Liz had only three weeks left before she had to head back she talked Zack into going with her to her aunts in Florida. It had taken Liz begging and pleading for four days before he agreed. He didn’t like the idea of staying in one place for longer than a couple days but Liz assured him that they would be safe. The town her aunt lived in was a small one on the gulf coast called Englewood. She told her aunt that Zack was a close friend and her aunt was more than happy to put them up. Her aunt worked a lot so they had the run of the house. After the first week Liz was surprised when Zack actually seemed to relax. He helped her Aunt Sara with some chores around the house and didn’t seem to be on guard so much.
“What happened after we were separated the night of the escape?” Liz asked out of the blue. They never talked about the escape and Liz was curious. The two of them were at a small beach lying on a blanket. They were in their suits; Liz had laughed at first when she saw Zack in a pair of trunks because she had never seen it before. They had been swimming for the last hour and decided to take a break and Liz wanted to get some more sun.
“I saw Ky grab your hand and pull you away, Zane, Brin, and Tinga headed in the same general direction that you guys did. I lost sight of Ben, Jack and Josh but I saw Max, Jondy, Krit and Syl crossing the lake. The ice was too thin and they fell through. I ran up and pulled Krit out first and he helped me pull the girls out. After that we split up. I didn’t know where anyone ended up until I started looking for all of you six months later. I found Jondy first then you and Ky, it took a little longer to find the rest but evidently I did, well except for Maxie. None of my leads have panned out on her yet.”
“Ky and I hiked a couple of miles through the woods until we came to a road. We eventually came to the outskirts of a city and got some different clothes. It took us awhile but we eventually made our way south eventually landing in Roswell. You know the rest.”
“I’m glad you and Ky had each other growing up.” Zack stated. He was glad, they were the babies of the family and they had needed each other.
“He’s always tried to protect me, ever since we were kids.”
“Well you do seem to need it.” Zack said with a small smirk.
Liz looked at him with a big smile on her face, “Oh my god, did you just make a joke? I think the summer with Ky has rubbed off on you.”
“Well knock me out if I get worse.”
Liz laughed then turned back to what they’d been talking about. “We were lucky. I wonder what would have happened if we hadn’t gone with the Sheriff. Things would be different.” Liz said, the last sentence quieter than the rest.
“Liz, I don’t think you should go back. It’ll hurt you too much and I don’t want to see you like that again, Ky doesn’t either. We can go anywhere, even Mexico. I know a little border town called Matamoros Tamaulipas that we can go over the border.”
Liz listened to her oldest brother but shrugged it off. Zack had tried several times to get them to leave town for good. She looked out into the vast body of water. “Sometimes all I want to do is disappear. Just let all of it go, start over. But I have my personal reasons to stay there.”
“You’re still in love with him aren’t you?”
“Yes, I am and I always will be. But he’s not the only reason. I have my parents, Maria, Alex. I like my life there. I’ve been lucky and had a normal life up until the past year. I’m not ready to give that up yet.”
“But are you going to be able to handle seeing them together when you get back?” Zack asked talking about Max and Tess.
“I’m going to distance myself when I get back. Mom is even arranging for me to get a different job so I won’t see him in the Crashdown. You’ll see I’ll be fine.” Liz said.
Zack nodded although he didn’t believe that she’d be able to just blow Max off like she thought she could. But he didn’t want to get in an argument with her. They stayed another hour before heading back. Liz thought about what she had said to Zack, trying to convince him of what she said. She only hoped she could convince herself.
Part 32
Skin and Bones
Liz waited patiently for Congresswoman Whitacker. She had been back for a few days, letting only Maria know. It was strange being back, after the summer away. Zack had left last night and she had set about trying to distance herself from Max. As she stood there she knew he was close, out of the corner of her eye she saw him approach talking to Isabel. “Liz.”
“Hi...Max.” Liz said uneasily.
“Hi. So...so when did you get back?”
“A couple of days ago...actually.”
“Well that’s odd. Maria said you were still away.” Max said confused but Liz spoke up, “Yeah, I know she did. Um, you know, I just...I wanted to get settled a little bit before...”
“Yeah. Yeah. I...I understand. Listen, Liz, I...I know how strange everything got before you left. But I think it's ok. No aliens have attacked. Nasedo is putting an end to the special unit as we speak. I think all of this could finally be over.”
But it’s never over for me. “ Oh, I really hope that's true...for all of you.”
“And I just want you to know about the whole Tess situation...”
That was the last name she wanted to hear and she didn’t want to hear that they were together. “Oh, Max. You don't...you don't have to.”
“It's just that it's definitely over. I don't have feelings for her. I've told her that...and she understands. I know it's probably irrelevant at this point, but...just for the record.”
“Right. Yeah. I just want to get a fresh start. I've decided...”
“Right...right. Anyway, you look...”
Liz looked down at her self self-consciously. She wasn’t used to wearing her old style of clothes after her summer away. Although they were slightly different. She smiled. “Oh!”
“Great!”
“No, it's...”
“Different.”
“Oh, I have a job interview actually.” She could see the disappointment on his face. “Oh. What about the Crashdown?”
“Well, this really incredible opportunity came up sort of out of the...” Just then the Congresswoman walked up and introductions were made. After Max departed, Liz continued with the interview but was thinking about Max. It was going to be harder than she thought to stay away from him.
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
Congresswoman Whitacker walked up behind her as she pulled out the filing drawer. “Parker, go home. It's late.”
“No, it's ok. I want to make sure you're organized.” Liz said trying to stay around.
“I don't want to be hit with a child labor suit.” Whitacker said arguing. Just then Nasedo in the guise of Agent Pierce walked in. The Congresswoman forgot about Liz and looked at the new arrival. “Agent Pierce.”
“Just Daniel. I'm a civilian now.”
“Uh, this is Liz Parker. She's my new intern.” The Congresswoman said introducing Liz. ‘Pierce’ smiled at Liz, “Pleasure.”
“Hi.” Liz said quietly. Unfortunately she already knew Nasedo. The time last spring when he had kidnapped her was more time than she ever wanted to spend in his presence. She listened to the two of them flirt until she heard Whitacker say, “Oh, she's a big girl. I think she can handle it. Right, Parker?”
Liz tried not to throw up on the two and said, “Um, I'm just gonna go get some more folders. Excuse me.” She slid by the two of them and went to the outer office. She listened to the rest of their conversation waiting for them to leave, which finally they did. “Parker, can you lock up on your way out? I'll see you tomorrow.”
“Yeah. Have a good night.” Liz called out.
“Oh, we will.” ‘Pierce’ said with a wry grin. Liz rushed to the back and let Max in. “We gotta move fast. I don't know how long he's going to be able to keep her away.” Max stated.
Thinking about what the two were talking about Liz said, “Well, I...I don't think that they're going to be back anytime soon.”
The two started searching the office. They went through everything filing cabinets, desks, etc. Liz was starting to get frustrating, “There's nothing.”
“Damn it!” Max exclaimed.
“So, I guess its not all over.” Liz sighed. She had stayed away from Max all of one day before being sucked back into the alien abyss. She had thought that she could stay away from them but they had needed her help, she couldn’t refuse. Maybe if she helped them with this then it would be over and she could stay away then.
“It can be. These are just bones that somebody dug up...pieces of the past. If I can just fix it, it can all be over. Things can go back to how they were.” He said looking hopefully at Liz.
“I don't think they can.” Liz said knowing he wasn’t only talking about what they were looking for. She felt uneasy under Max’s gaze so she tried to change the subject. “So, I never really got the whole story. Uh, why are we looking for these bones? What exactly is cadmium-x?”
“It's an isotope of cadmium that might have been created when Michael killed Pierce.” Max explained.
“Oh, so it's like some sort of after-effect of Michael using his powers?” Liz asked interested. Her brain was absorbing and sorting everything in Max’s statement. Did her and Kyle have cadmium-x residue in their bodies? Or could there possibly be other after-effects of Max’s healing? Could that be why her and Kyle hadn’t had any seizures since they were healed?
“Something like that. And if we don't get the bones before they're able to test for cadmium-x, Michael is screwed. We all are.” Max said sounding defeated.
Remembering something that could help, Liz said. “Well, did you check the particle physics lab at Las Cruces University?”
“The what?”
“It opened up last year. Mr. Saldeman spent like 2 weeks in physics obsessing about it last semester.” A photographic memory came in handy sometimes. “The new cyclotron can measure isotope ratios, so if cadmium-x is extraterrestrial, that's where you would go to find it out.” She caught Max’s look of awe. She had to admit she had slipped a little, letting her advanced knowledge of science leak out. She smiled as she said, “I'm not a dork. I just enjoy science.”
“Well then that’s where we’ll look next.” Max said before leaving to find the others.
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
The next evening Liz was coming home from work when she ran into Max outside of the Crashdown. “Hey.” Liz said being polite.
“Hey.” Max said. Liz was about to go past when he continued, “Let me ask you a question. I know what you said...that things couldn't go back to the way they were, but pretend they could for just one second. Could you and I go back, too?”
Liz’s heart wanted to say yes so bad but she refused to listen to it. She couldn’t forget that he had a destiny and a wife who was probably in the café behind him. “I...I can't pretend, Max.”
Liz watched as Max reached out and brushed her arm. A whirlwind of flashes whizzed by her, they were of passionate times between them. She looked up and saw Max watching her. “What?” He asked.
“Nothing.” Liz lied not wanting him to know that he had effected her. “Good night.” She said as she headed inside.
“Night, Liz.” Max said before leaving. Liz headed inside and hung out with her friends. She was actually enjoying herself dancing with Maria. That was when Max busted into the café. She had tried to comfort him, and was about to take care of his face when Tess used her powers to heal it. Seeing Tess do that reminded Liz that he wasn’t hers anymore. The aliens left shortly after and Liz headed for her bedroom, berating herself the whole way for being weak with Max. The next night when she saw Max and Tess walking down the street as she rode with Maria, she knew she had to be stronger or her heart would just be ripped out again.
Part 33
BEEB BEEB BEEB
Kyle slapped his alarm off and rolled off the bed starting his morning regiment of pushups. Doing some more exercises, Kyle finished his morning workout and headed out into the rest of the house. He walked by the living room and spotted something that was out of place or actually someone. Tess Harding was asleep on his couch, “Dad!” Kyle yelled.
The yell woke Tess up and she lazily started to stretch. “Morning.”
“Yes, morning. What the hell are you doing here?” Kyle asked curtly.
Tess shrugged. “I live here.” She said as she walked by flipping his boxers on the way. “Calvin Klein. I approve.”
“Dad!” Kyle yelled again as Tess shut the bathroom door. She couldn’t be telling the truth. His dad wouldn’t do that. The Sheriff came out of his own bedroom a minute later, “What is it, Kyle?”
“What is Tess doing here? And why does she think she lives here?”
The Sheriff looked uneasily at his son. “Because she does. Last night her and Max found evidence of one of their enemies trying to get into her house. So she is going to stay here to keep her safe.”
“Dad, come on. This house is the one place I don’t have to hide from the outside world. Now I have to be careful here too.”
Kyle exclaimed.
“I’m sorry Kyle. She had no where else to go. You understand that don’t you?” The Sheriff knew he was playing dirty but he had to get Kyle understand.
Kyle nodded knowing no matter what he said Tess would be staying here. He turned and headed back into his room to get ready for school.
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
Kyle headed into his room to change so he could go work out only to find Tess laid out on his bed half-naked. “Hey. This is my room and that's my jersey.”
“Sorry.” Tess said before sitting up starting to take off the jersey.
“No! All right, look. You wear it.” Kyle said trying to stop her.
Tess gave him a look like he was nuts. “Kind of uptight about nudity, aren't you, for a guy who reads Jugs?”
“Give me that!” Kyle said snatching the magazine away.
“Oh...the post-its? Nice touch.” Tess said sarcastically.
“All right. Ok, listen. I don't know how you do things on planet Vulcan or whatever, but here on Earth we have this primitive human concept called privacy.” He could have her snooping around his room. His closet had several things in it that he couldn’t let her find. Guns, knives, medical equipment, etc. It would bring up too many questions.
“Keep talking to me like that and I'll slag you with my death-ray eyes.” Tess threatened. Kyle wasn’t sure if she was joking or not. Liz hadn’t said anything about that particular power. Tess smiled at him, “Kidding. You Buddhists have, like, no sense of humor.”
“How do you know about that?” Kyle asked, no one knew about that. He hadn’t told anyone not even Liz.
“Buddhism for Beginners" is also under your bed. How do you think the Buddha would feel about being sandwiched between Hustler and Busty Biker Babes?”
“Look, you can't tell anyone about that.”
“Why?”
“Because I have a certain reputation.”
“Of which, the less said the better.”
“I'm serious.”
“Kyle Valenti, Buddhist.”
“Look, I got into it over the summer...” Kyle stated. He had been at a bookstore with Liz casually looking around when he found the books on Buddha. He had to set his mind at ease somehow or the nightmares would never settle down again.
“At football camp. They're crazy about it.”
“Listen! This...this whole aliens-are-among-us thing...it really screwed me up...made me question stuff...life, reality, my place in this universe...and you don't understand. You...you guy...you people turned my life upside down. I need a little clarity. I need a little peace of mind.” Kyle argued.
“No, I don't understand. I'm a girl from another planet. No family, no friends. Only 3 other people like me in the world. And the man I grew up with...the man who raised me...he was just murdered. You're right, Kyle. What would I know about needing peace of mind?” Tess said as she left. Kyle sat there taken aback by her comments. He didn't realize she might be going through the same thing he had. She had explained exactly how he had always felt. The feeling of being different from everyone only having a few people whom understood what it was like to be him. “Sorry.” He said but she was already gone.
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
Kyle entered the Crashdown and saw who he was looking for sitting with Alex, Isabel, and Max. He motioned her to come over to him.
With him enhanced hearing he heard her say, “Uh-oh.”
She walked over and said, “So what have I done now?”
“You know my...my father does consider this to be a very temporary arrangement. You understand that?”
“Sure.” Tess said uneasily not knowing what Kyle was getting at.
“All right. So in that case, I just wanted to tell you that I moved all my crap out of the room. You can have it. I'll sleep on the couch or something.” He had spent most of the day moving his stuff and finding hiding place for his other stuff.
“You didn't have to.”
“It's not a big deal. Uh, material possessions only clutter the mind anyway.” ‘And the car if you have to take off suddenly.’
“You tell 'em, Buddha boy.”
“All right. I'll see ya.”
“Hey. Thanks”
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
Liz walked into the Crashdown, As she did she scanned the room for unfamiliar faces, something she had done for years making sure there wasn’t someone she knew was from Manticore, when she spotted Max, sitting with Tess. She looked away suddenly and hurried to the back but Max grabbed her arm “I need to talk to you.”
“Max, I need to talk to Maria.” Liz said trying to leave.
“Look, you need to hear this.”
“Maria tried to explain to me about you and Tess the other night, ok? But I don't...”
“This isn't about Tess. It's about you and me. You think I'm gonna forget about you or get over it or something, but...but I'm not. I don't...I don't care about my destiny or my planet or anything else. All I care about is you. So just know this...I'm coming for you, Liz.” Max said before heading back to his table.
Liz just watched worried. She could tell Max wasn’t going to give up on her, and Maria wasn’t helping any not when she said, “Now that is a great man.”
The next weeks were hard. When Liz found out the truth about Whitacker she was upset that she hadn’t known something was up. True, she didn’t trust her but she should have been more careful. She also found it more complicated to meet with Kyle, since Tess was now living with him. She was trying to stay away from Max but he wouldn’t stop pursuing her. She was about to give in especially after the visit to the psychic.
Back
Next
LittleBit