posted on 28-Mar-2002 11:55:04 PM by FreeFall
Title: Loss of Time
Rating: PG-13 for now
Category: M/L…all cc’s. AU…kind of.
Disclaimer: I do not own nor am I affiliated with anything dealing with Roswell or UPN.
Summary: Aliens are aliens, humans are humans. This story will follow some of the timeline/events of the show. Just how much I haven’t figured out yet. All the gang know each other, except Liz. She grew up in the Boston area and has never been to Roswell nor has she met any of the gang. But there is much to be discovered.

A/N: I thought of this last week and it has been plaguing me since. I haven’t seen any other fics like this and thought it would be interesting to write.

What if Liz was in the same boat as Brody? What if the pod squad knew her as another? I know I’ve got another fic I’m working on right now. I had actually sat down with the intention of writing more for it, but I got this instead.


PROLOGUE

Liz POV

Have you ever had a dream that seemed so real that you couldn't tell if you were awake or dreaming? Well, welcome to my life. The things that happen in my everyday life are so...abnormal that it's hard for me to believe. And my dreams...my dreams are so much more. Now only if I could remember.....


Tuesday September 25, 2004; Morning

She lay across the hard mattress, oblivious to the world around her. She twisted slightly, pulling the covers around her protectively as if to shield her from the pain. As the shrill ringing of a phone in the background jarred her from her restless sleep, she clutched at her ears as the throbbing in her head increased. Reaching one hand out she grabbed the base of the phone. With a shaky hand she fumbled with the receiver before finding its way to her ear.

“Yeah?” she let out in a hoarse whisper.

“This is your 6:30 wake up call. Have a good day,” Before Liz was able to respond the line went dead. Feeling a sinking sensation in her stomach she sat up quickly causing the room to black out from her sight. After sitting completely still for several moments with only the sound of her heart pounding in her chest was she able to blink away the darkness.

Inhaling a deep breath she hesitantly looked around the cheap motel room, afraid of what she might find, afraid of what she knows she won’t find. Looking towards the window she noticed the sun was just coming up over the horizon. The southwestern style curtains were drawn tight but the sun’s rays penetrated through the heavy fabric casting a shimmering ray throughout the room.

As she looked around the pounding of her head soared and she became nauseous. She hurriedly made her way off the bed, automatically stumbling to the floor as her legs gave way. She laid her head on the floor while the spinning subsided, pulling herself up and toward the bathroom once she was able.

Falling into the bathroom she leaned against the bathroom wall, frustrated tears falling down her face. No matter how many times she had awoken in a strange motel in a strange city she had never been able to cope with the hopeless feeling that overcame her. ‘Things have just become more complex’ she thought. She was beginning to believe that she was cured, that whatever problem she had convinced herself that she had was gone, that or she had completely fabricated the past 4 years of her life.

After dispensing all her energy crying she twisted the knobs to the shower, turning the hot faucet on all the way. She always felt the same after coming out of one of her episodes, her ‘loss of time’ as she liked to put it. It felt like a hangover. Her whole body ached, her muscles cramped and her head pounded. She felt like she hadn’t eaten in days and her body dragged like she hadn’t slept in a week.

She lifted herself up slightly and crawled into the shower, flinching as the scalding water fell down her body. This was her ritual, her calming routine. The scalding water numbed her senses, aiding her body into submitting itself into relaxation. The pounding encompassing her head began to fade as the steam penetrated her lungs, calming her nerves and easing her aches. She stood under the water for what felt like an eternity trying to motivate herself into getting out of this situation.

As the water cooled, she became more coherent. She began to rack her brain for any detail on what she could last remember. After spending several minutes going over her activities she concluded that last thing she could recall was getting home late from her internship at the lab. That was on Wednesday. ‘What day is it?’ she wondered as she shivered, turning the water off and stepping out of the tub. Now was the time that her brain would get her out of there. Slipping a towel around her petite form she walked back into the room, this time taking inventory of the items before her.

Searching the room with her eyes she first noticed something laying on the nightstand next to her. Stepping closer she noted the item and began to laugh in disbelief. Lying before her was a ticket. Picking it up she confirmed her beliefs, it was an airplane ticket. A ticket to home. Her mouth fell open as she saw the departure location and date. ‘New Mexico? How the hell,’ she wondered for only a moment. She should be used to this by now. Should being the operative word. She was beginning to think she had a split personality, that every once in a while this alter ego of hers would come out and she would be left picking up the pieces once she came back into her right mind.

“I guess I know where I am,” She said dejectedly, “and, oh god, please don’t let this ticket be for today,” She groaned, knowing that it would be. Somehow her alter personality was always one step ahead. No matter where she had awaken, she had always had a method home waiting for her if she hadn’t found her way before hand. Pulling the towel tighter around her she went to the door, unlatching the chain and deadbolt while pulling the door open slowly. Looking down she found what she was looking for, grabbed it quickly and bolted the door shut once again.

Sitting down heavily on the bed she looked at the front page of the newspaper. “Tuesday September 25th,” She read aloud, a sense of panic once again overwhelming her. A week! She had been gone a week! This had been the longest she had been out of it and it scared her. It had been almost a year since her last ‘loss of time’, but now she worried that it was getting worse. Taking a shaky breath she resolved to getting herself together and getting the hell out of this state and back home.

Rising from the bed she walked over to the closet, noticing the suit she remembered wearing home from the lab last Wednesday hung neatly, wrapped in a plastic dry cleaning bag. On the dresser by the door she noticed her handbag. On the floor in front of the dresser she noticed a small duffle with a few clothes sticking out.

Deciding that the best course of action being to dress and check out as quickly as possible she removed a few items from her duffle. She was anxious to get checked out of this place and her stomach was also in immediate need of food. Letting the towel drop to her feet she turned back towards the closet and froze as she looked into the floor length mirror that acted as a closet door.

Her face paled and her insides turned as she stared at her reflection, a slight glow reflecting off her skin, coming from the silver handprint across her stomach.


TBC????

Let me know if you think this idea is worth continuing. Also, I was planning on using the timeline/events from the show….just altered a bit to fit the timeline of this fic. I haven’t decided exactly what I will be using and what I won’t, I know some I must add to go along with this idea but others like Alex’s death, Tess’ deception and the ‘baby’ are yet to be determined. I am open to ideas!

If there is any interest then I will probably have another small part up this weekend.



[ edited 7 time(s), last at 1-Jul-2002 10:31:50 PM ]
posted on 31-Mar-2002 9:24:33 PM by FreeFall
Thank you to : TD DreamerBehr, Alien614, butterfly girl, mitra, LiLEvEe, roswelllover, marteloise, EmmyBehr, AvengingAngel IQ, zannyb, honeybee, schurry, and abbs007


TD DreamerBeh
– Don’t worry, they will meet up and yes, he did heal her during her last ‘episode’. It’ll be explained in more detail (somewhat) in the first chapter.

marteloise – Yes, she was ‘abducted’ as Brody would call it. The pod squad do know Liz, only they know her as one of the alien leaders that they meet with occasionally. They do not know anything about her human identity.

To give you all a little background information, Liz was first ‘abducted’ when she was 17 in Nov. 2000. In the Prologue she is 21. For simplicity, the pod squad are the same ages. Max and Tess first met her at the Summit, which is the same on from Max in the City. In this fic the other leaders are more involved with the pod squad.
They have kept contact through their human ‘puppets’. Also, Max is more of a leader and accepts the fact that his people need him. He does not, however, feel anything for Tess.

Liz remembers nothing from any of her ‘lost time’. Nothing. And her possessor keeps her identity from the others; that’s why they don’t know her.

Hope this answers some questions.

Part 1 to follow in next post.

posted on 31-Mar-2002 9:32:02 PM by FreeFall
Part 1

Monday September 24, 2004; Evening

Max entered the house quietly, slouching onto the sofa. With a defeated sigh he ran his hands through his hair before resting his head in his palms. This is how Michael, Isabel and Tess found him moments later; not even the slamming of the front door had brought him out of his trance.

Making her way across the family room Isabel stopped in front of him, putting her hands on her hips in a defiant gesture.

“What the hell did you think you were doing?” Isabel yelled to her brother.

“That’s the problem Isabel, he wasn’t thinking,” Michael interrupted.

“Stay out of this Michael. I wanna hear what Max has to say,” Isabel said angrily.

Max looked up at his sister then looked around to Michael and Tess. They all were angry with him, for what he had done and that made him furious.

“I couldn’t just let her die Isabel! She is our only link to Kathana, and without her we could lose this!” He shouted back, the anger he felt over the situation coming across in his words.

Tess scoffed, “Really Max, are you sure that’s all?” she asked while glaring at him, daring her to dismiss her, “There is more to this than that, isn’t there? Something you are not telling us.”

“I don’t know what you are talking about Tess,” Max said, his voice even, his face emotionless as he tried to control the rage flowing through him.

Michael stepped in ignoring the previous accusations, “How do you know she is trustworthy? Huh? How do you know she isn’t working with Khivar? You said yourself, after the first Summit she was the one that threatened you.”

“That’s because she has the most to lose! Don’t you get it? Her people are suffering more at the hands of Khivar than the others. She was desperate at the Summit to make peace, and when I refused….yeah….ok, so she was angry. But can you blame her? She’s trying to do right by her people,” Max tried to explain to them.

“Fine. Whatever Max. That still doesn’t explain why you risked all of our lives by exposing yourself to a human!” Isabel yelled.

Max looked each of them in the eye, willing them to trust him. “I did what needed to be done,” Unwilling to offer more of an explanation.

“The human could have been replaced Max! Kathana could have chosen another. And our secret would still be safe!” Tess replied icily.

“You sound more like Nasedo everyday, Tess,” Max replied with disgust. “This is our war! We will not bring the humans into this any more than we have to! And I sure as hell am not going to let one of them die because of us,” He looked at each of them with disbelief, “ What if that was Alex, Isabel? Or Maria?” He asked while looking at Michael.

“Not the humans again,” Tess muttered under her breath, earning her a death glare from Isabel and Michael.

“That’s different. They already know about us,” Michael tried to rationalize.

“But they didn’t! Not until 3 years ago when they were in that car accident, dying if I recall. And it wasn’t me who made the decision to heal them. Yes, I am glad that I did, but it was you Michael. You were the one.”

“Besides,” Max added, “I’ve already talked to Kathana about this. There is nothing to worry about. We know that the after affects of the healing last approximately two days. She knows to keep possession of the girl until that time passes. She will never know what happened to her,” He assured them.

“How do we know that will work Max? This possession lasted longer than any of the others. She said she couldn’t hold onto the human for much longer. How do we know she will be able to keep her until after the evidence is gone?” Isabel asked. As the conversation went on her anger dissipated, only to be replaced by fear. They had worked so hard to keep their identity a secret. It had been hard enough battling the FBI, and now that they had gotten rid of them they were endanger again.

“She’s right Max. What if she comes out of it and finds a glowing handprint on her stomach? Don’t you think she would be freaked?” Michael asked. Max looked at him, staring hard, not offering any reassurances.

“All I’m saying is that we need to be prepared,” Michael finished.

“You’re observation has been noted,” Max said to him in an even tone.

“Well, as your second in command I have nothing left to offer to this conversation. I’m outta here,” He said as he gave an icy glare to Max before stalking to the front door.

“Wait, Michael. I’m outta here too,” Tess said, not even bothering to look back at Max.



After the others had left Isabel turned to her brother, “Max, what did Tess mean when she asked you if there was something more to this than you’re telling us?” Isabel asked her brother in a soft quizzical tone.

Looking over at her brother she noticed he had the same expressionless look on his face.

“Max you forget….I’m your sister. I know when you are keeping something from me,” She said to him. When he finally dropped his guard she was able to see the pain and fear in his eyes, sending a shiver up her spine.

“You’re right. It is more. But I don’t know how to explain it, Iz. I can’t help but feel this attraction….this pull to her and I never really questioned it until I saw her body lying on the ground, her shirt soaked in blood from where the bullet hit her,” He said as his eyes filled up with tears. Seeing this, Isabel put her arm around him to offer him comfort.

“The thing is, I could have let her die. Kathana could have found another human to control. But I was afraid…afraid that that pull….that attraction would die with the girl,” Seeing the questions in her eyes he continued, “I was afraid…afraid that it wasn’t Kathana that I was drawn to. I was afraid that it was to the human. And I was afraid to lose that,” He replied honestly to his sister.

“Max, please don’t tell me you are considering telling her! You know that she can never know. Don’t you?” she asked hesitantly.

“Jeez, Iz. Would you listen to yourself! I don’t even know where she lives! Hell, I don’t even know her name! How the hell am I supposed to find her? I’m not. She comes to us. It’s always been like that, it always will be like that.”

After that Max retired to his room leaving Isabel in the family room contemplating all that had been said. With a heavy sigh she turned out the light making her way to her room, hoping that everything would turn out all right.

TBC?????

Let me know what you think about this part, and about this idea. I will continue as long as there is interest.



[ edited 3 time(s), last at 25-Jun-2002 9:27:49 PM ]
posted on 6-May-2002 8:00:31 PM by FreeFall
OK guys, I've got the next part. This one is more of a transitional part, not much going on but necessary to set up what I want to happen. Before each part I will put the date...hopefully that will alleviate confusion. This next part is about a year and a half after the last two parts.

I've gotten most of the next couple of parts written out, I just need to tie them together and type them up. So hopefully they will be out soon.

And for those of you who read my other fic Day Break, don't worry...I haven't forgotten about it. It's just giving me hell.

And THANK YOU for the feedback!


Part 2

February 25, 2006; Afternoon

Liz entered her office, stopping at the window to open the blinds allowing more light to filter through. Sitting lightly she opened the file she had been working on before her lunch break, intent on finishing her analysis before the day was done.

An hour later Liz looked up as her phone buzzed annoyingly. Hitting the intercom button she replied, “Yeah?”

“Yes Dr. Parker, Mr. Trent would like to see you in his office,” The secretary informed her.

“I’ll be right there,” She hit the button again to cut off the intercom as she looked back to her computer. She closed down her file, aggravated that her work had been disturbed.


**

“You wanted to see me?” Liz asked softly as she walked into the large office.

“Yes, yes. Come in Dr. Parker. Have a seat, make yourself comfortable,” Mr. Trent called.

“Dr. Parker…Liz, I’d like to make this quick. You are a very valuable employee with this firm and I, as well as many others have noticed your dedication to your work and to this company. That being said I want you to oversee a major project in one of our labs. It’s a rather cumbersome assignment and we expect it to take several weeks, but believe me when I say it will do wonders for your career,” He informed her.

Liz could practically see the silver lining now. Very rarely did the company choose someone with as little experience as her to oversee a project. Sure, she had a doctorate degree, but so did half of her co-workers.

Smiling at Mr. Trent she responded, “I am ready to take on the responsibility Mr. Trent.”

“Great! I knew I could count on you. See my secretary on your way out, she has your travel arrangements and itinerary.”

“Mr. Trent? Where will this experiment be taking place?” She asked.

Looking up from his desk he answered her with a sly grin, “Roswell, New Mexico.”


**

Liz cursed softly as she fumbled with the keys to her apartment. She could hear the phone ringing in the background. ‘Why does it always ring at the worst time?’ she wondered as she dropped her briefcase, causing her files to scatter across the hall.

Rolling her eyes she inserted the key and unlocked her door. She walked through the door as her machine picked up the call. Hearing the message play she bent down to pick up her files in the hallway until she heard the caller.

“Lizzie! You there? Well, I got your message. So call me back….”

“Serena! Hold on a sec….I just walked through the door. Argggh!” she cried as she lost hold of the files once again.

“Liz? What’s wrong? You sound upset,” Serena asked concerned for her friend.

“What? Oh, nothing. I’ve just made a mess of my files….again. It’ll take me a week to get them in order,” She groaned.

“Knowing you, you’ll have them done by morning,” She chuckled. “So what’s this about a surprise?”

“Oh! Guess what! I’ve been put as head of a major project. The VP said that if I take this assignment and do well, I’ll be first in line to head the new lab down in Las Cruces!”

“What? You mean you’ll be moving down here with me? Oh my josh! This is so great! I know! I just lost my roommate. You can stay with me! It’ll be so much fun. Us together again, just like in college,” Serena went on, excited that her friend would be living in the same city as her.

Thinking quickly of a way out she replied, “Ummm…well, actually housing will be provided for me. It’s part of the package,” She added. “But it’s not even decided yet. I’ve got to get through this assignment first. And the owners of the company want to meet with me while I’m down there. And that way I’ll get to see if I even like it down there.”

“Liz…like Metachem would have any other choice than to promote you,” Serena said to her, not doubting for a minute that her friend would get the promotion.

“Still, I have to meet with the owners and the other employees. They want me to take this time on assignment to get to know everyone….I guess to make sure I get along with everyone and that I can cope with New Mexico….you know… see if I can handle the culture shock.”

“That’s ridiculous Liz! If they know you at all they know you are the epitome of professional,” Serena stated boldly.

“It’s not that Serena. Apparently the last person they had for this position freaked out on them or something. I’m not real sure what happened…I’ve just heard a few things hear and there. But evidently this guy was very knowledgeable in the field…had more experience than me. I think they just want to make sure that I can handle it. They’ve had to put an important project off and they can not afford to go through that again,” She defended.

“I don’t know….it sounds kind of off if you ask me,” Serena replied hesitantly.

“I think you need to lay off… you analyze things too much,” She teased.

“Hey! How do you think I’ve gotten where I am today? By taking things at face value? I think not!” She scoffed.

Liz could only giggle at her friend. “Listen, I’ve got to pack…my flight leaves early. I’ll call you when I get in, ok?”

“Be sure that you do,” Serena replied, not liking the feeling that came over her she added, “And Liz….be careful.”

“Don’t worry,” Liz smiled slightly, touched at her friends concern, “I will.”

**

TBC?

I'm still undecided on some things. I would love to hear what you think. Part 2 is the present, most of what will occur will be in the present although I will go back and explain things when necessary. Let me know if you like it...or not.

I will continue as long as there is an interest.


[ edited 2 time(s), last at 25-Jun-2002 9:30:54 PM ]
posted on 7-May-2002 7:08:37 AM by FreeFall
THANK YOU LiLEvEe, Jbehrbabe, Nana, and roswellluver!

Ok, I'm going to go ahead and post this since it's ready. It's another transitional piece...hopefully not too dull. I'm trying to get through this quickly so she can meet up with the gang. Don't worry, its coming soon. Next part she will meet at least one of the gang.

Note~ Anything in italics indicates a memory/flashback

Part 3

February 26, 2006; Mid-morning
**

‘Finally!’ Liz exhaled a sigh of relief as she pulled out of the airport in her rental car. The whole morning had been chaotic. First, her flight was delayed. But that didn’t really surprise her. That’s why she took the flight out at 5 am. Just to make sure she had ample time to make it to her hotel and meet up with Serena for lunch. But she wasn’t planning on the rental agency losing her reservation. After waiting an hour and a half she was just about to give up when a family returned their rental. Maybe this day wouldn’t be so bad afterall…


**


Looking out at the vast expanse of desert before her Liz’s thoughts were on her life as she drove. How complicated it had become. No longer was she the young girl who dreamed of finding her soulmate or of the little brick house with the white picket fence with the playground in the back for her little ones. No, now she was the young woman who hid from life. The young woman who obsessed about finding a cure for whatever it was she had. The one young woman who was racking her brain with a way to keep Serena at a distance.

The last thought saddened her. Serena was the sister she never had. The one true faithful friend she could always depend on when she needed someone. The one she was sure would turn on her if she found out her secret. The one she needed to protect…from herself.


**


After an hour and a half on the road Liz turned up the volume on the radio to drown out her thoughts. She was exhausted, mentally and physically from the research she had been doing and had just enough time to check into her motel before meeting Serena for lunch. Just as she past mile marker 87 she looked out into the desert before her noticing a huge rock formation out to the left and several miles off the road. She more felt it than saw it…felt a pull towards it. As the feeling became overwhelming her vision became distorted and her body shivered before darkness overcame her.


**


The hot sun beat down on her from above. She could feel her body overheating, the heat burning through her. She struggled against her inner self as she became aware of the heat. She was in a place that was cold and lonely…a place she knew she had been many times but never actually remembered. The intensity of the heat brought her to consciousness. Gasping in huge breaths she tried to calm her wildly beating heart as she crawled toward a protruding rock.

Standing shakily she took a moment to gather her strength as she looked at her surroundings. As she looked around she found the rock formation she had seen earlier, only now was it a few feet away. ‘How the hell did I get out here?’ she pondered looking around for the road…her car…anything. From as best as she could tell she had made it several miles off the highway. How…she had no clue.

Gathering her strength she took a shaky step forward, wincing in pain as her bruised and cut bare feet walked over the rough surface below her. She had several miles to walk and she had no idea how long she had been out here. Tears came to her eyes as she walked down the rocky path, her feet aching with such an intensity she did not know how she was able to continue.

As she neared the protruding rock she stumbled as her foot tangled with a small root that ran through the rocks. Reaching for the rock to stabilize herself, she felt a jolt of energy run through her body as she made contact with the rock. Her vision blurred as everything seemed muffled…further and further away.

She looked on as the sky was dark as night. She could hear screams and shouts around her and a muffled bang, but the sounds were very distant and distorted to her ears. Her head began to pound in fury and she gasp at the feel of something ripping through her stomach, sinking to her knees as her body was pushed toward the ground. Gripping her hand to her stomach she pressed against the pain in her abdomen as she tried to keep consciousness.

Looking down she saw her blood soaked shirt. Lifting her hand in front of her face she looked on disbelievingly, her eyes wide with pain.


Collapsing further as pain racked her body she let out a strangled scream as she fought to keep herself up and leaned heavily against the rock.

She let out a startling scream as her body fell lifelessly to the ground.

Losing her balance she stumbled forward, clutching her stomach as she was propelled forward to the ground. Blinking heavily her vision returned to normal. Lifting her head she noticed she is lying on the ground, on her side, with her hand covering her once sensitive area. Sitting up quickly she jumped away from the formation. ‘What the hell?’


**


She finally stopped shaking as she pulled into the motel lot…6 hours past due. After checking in she headed straight to her room. Holding the key tightly in one hand she glanced over the messages that had been waiting for her at the front desk. She noticed a message from Metachem on the top of the stack, marked urgent. As she looked through the rest of the stack she noticed there were 3 messages from them…and 2 from Serena.

She was blasted with cold as she entered the room and she welcomed it. She had been out in the hot desert all afternoon and she knew she was running a fever. Glancing at her watch she picked up the receiver and dialed the number left for her…not liking what she knew they would expect of her. As a deep voice answered she greeted him.

“Yes, this is Liz Parker.”

“Dr. Parker, your presence is requested here immediately. Phase I of the project will commence at 9 pm.” The voice said. Just as she was about to respond she was met with a dial tone.

Groaning softly she headed toward the bathroom, knowing the first thing she needed to do was shower and bandage her feet for she knew it was going to be a long night.


**

TBC?

Let me know what you think...or if you have questions.

I will continue as long as there is an interest.
posted on 14-May-2002 11:36:48 PM by FreeFall
Thank You! Thanks for the feedback guys!

LiLEvEe (thanks for the bump*wink*), frenchkiss70, marteloise

TrueLoveConquersAll- Nope, wasn’t Max. In fact, it wasn’t anyone important to the story at all. Just one of the croanies that work for Metachem.

roswellluver – Pretty close to it.

BLS40- She is very tough indeed. Just think of her as one of the ones who will always persevere. She has kept her sanity by focusing on truth and answers….but that could always push her over the edge too..no? More to come on Metachem. Thanks for your comments about the Tess/baby thing and Alex’s death. I like to hear what you have to say. Yeah, I don’t think I will be using the baby thing. And I don’t think I could write Alex out either….I just don’t have the heart for it.

abbs007- you’re on the right track. You are actually going to find out how they….or at least one of them react in this next part.

Breathless- Thank you! Look for Max definitely in part 6…..but he may even show up in part 5.

Next part in the following post.
posted on 14-May-2002 11:38:51 PM by FreeFall
Well….here’s the next part. I hope you enjoy!



Part 4

February 26, 2006, Evening; Max and Michael’s apartment


“So has anything turned up with the missing scientist?” Max asked Michael as he sat down on the sofa with his tv dinner.

“Nope. No one’s talking. It’s like he disappeared off the face of the planet. And no one seems to mind. I don’t get it,” He shrugs.

“Just keep your eyes out for anything…unusual,” Max instructs.

Michael snorts, “There’s nothing usual about that place, Maxwell.”

“You know what I mean,” Max says in an annoyed tone. “There’s something going on there….I can feel it.”

“Don’t be so paranoid. Besides, I don’t think his disappearance has anything to do with anything otherworldly.”

“We don’t know that Michael,” Max replies, irritated at Michael.

“Yeah, sure….whatever,” He says while rolling his eyes. Before Max is able to reply he adds, “Do you mind?” He asks while looking from Max to the video game in his hand.

Giving up on the conversation Max let Michael go back to his game as he moved himself to the table. Before he was able to sit both of their attention was brought towards the door as Brody walked in, evident that he had rushed over.

Max looked on with a confused expression, “Brody? What are you doing here?”

“I’m not Brody. Listen Zan, something has come up. Kathana is missing.”

Max jumps forward with Lareks revelation, “Missing?”

“Yes. She was last seen earlier this afternoon.”

“So? What’s the big deal? It’s only been a couple of hours,” Michael asked from his position in front of the tv, not bothering to look up.

“The big deal is that we captured two of Khivar’s men near the palace grounds,” Max paled at the implication.

“Did they…?”

“No Zan…they did not succeed. We are sure she was not taken. She was seen after the men were captured. But we can be sure they are looking for her.”

“Why? What’s happened?” Max asked.

“Our sources indicate that Khivar is looking for another way at winning this war. An easier way,” As Larek answered Max let out the breath he had been holding. Max paused a moment, thinking of the implications that went with Larek’s statement. But before he was able to ponder the predicament further, movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention, causing him to turn toward the living area.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Max asks as he sees Michael buttoning up his windbreaker before he put on his cap.

Smirking, Michael replies, “The same place I go every Tuesday at 10 o’clock. Work,” He says flatly.

Max dismisses him with a nod before turning back to Larek. “Ok. So how bad is this really?”


**


Liz pulled into the parking lot with 15 minutes to spare. As she stepped out of her car she looked around the building for the side entrance they had instructed her to enter through. She stepped timidly until she caught sight of the entrance, her body turning slightly as her she raised her head and began her confident stride toward the door, wincing slightly as the pain in her feet returned.

Upon reaching the entrance, she was startled as the door opened for her automatically. Glancing through the door she stepped through, noticing no one in the area. As she strained to hear she caught the light footsteps of someone making his way down the corridor in front of her.

She stood in the corridor with her head tilted to the side while trying to get a glimpse of the person coming toward her. Unfortunately, the corridor veered off to the left making it impossible for her to get a look at the person. And the hall was dimly lit, making her shudder as she waited. As the footsteps came closer she called out,

“Hello?” she said in a loud voice, hoping to get the other persons attention. Just as she called out to him he came around the corner, making her jump with anxiety once again.

The security guard noticed the startled expression on her face and smiled warmly to her. “Hi, I’m sorry if I startled you Dr. Parker. I would have been at the door to greet you but you were early. I take it you’re ready to jump right in?”

“Ho…how do you know who I am?” She asked wearily.

The guard, noticing her anxiety smiled at her again while taking a step back, sensing she could use the space, “Don’t worry. They gave us a photo of you,” noticing the look of alarm flash across her face before she masked it he added, “don’t be alarmed. It’s standard procedure. They keep a tight ship around here, security wise and…well…we have them on file in case we need to verify you. I’m Steve, by the way,” He said while extending his hand to her.

She smiled slightly, relief flooding through her as she took his hand. “Hi.”

Steve…you there?

“Hold on a sec,” He said as he pulled out his radio.

“Yeah Mike. What’s up?” He said into the radio.

What’s your location?

“I’m at the south entrance. I’ll be up in about 15.”

Got it.

Placing the radio back on his belt he apologized for the interruption. “Follow me, I’ll take you in to the Director. He’s waiting for you.”


**


Two hours and many briefings later Liz emerged from the conference room with the promise of her return first thing the next morning. Although the Director had wanted to get the initial stage of the experiment started, a delay in delivery from the lab in Las Cruces caused the first phase to be postponed until the morning.

So instead, she spent the last two hours interviewing her team. This assignment was important and she knew it was vital to the project that she evaluate their competencies. She was, of course, responsible for their performance and did not plan on taking any risks where this project was concerned. She already had enough problems to deal with in her personal life.

Glancing down the empty corridor she swept her gaze from right to left, trying to remember which way she had come from.

“Need some help?” A girl asked.

“Yeah,” she smiled sheepishly to her, remembering her as an intern but not remembering her name. “Which way to the south entrance?” she asked.

“It’s to your left,” the girl said with a knowing smile before adding, “you’ll pass another corridor and then come to a door. Go through the door and the exit is at the end of the hallway,” She added before making her way down the corridor to the right.

“Thanks!” she called out after her as she made her way to the left. Passing through the corridor she moved quickly to the right in an attempt to avoid colliding with the person whom she nearly ran into.

“Oh, excuse me,” She said lightly as she continued down the hall, not bothering to look up at the person she had almost collided with.

As he watched her pass his face paled, wondering the implications of it all. As he saw her reach for the handle on the door he called out to her,

“Kathana!”


**

Liked it….hated it….indifferent? Let me know what you think.

Sorry to leave it there but I wanted to get something out. And I’m going out of town this Thurs and probably won’t be able to post anything till the middle of next week. Good news is…I have a lot of that part already written…I just need to type it up.


**Also, just in case it isn't clear...when Max and Larek were talking about Kathana earlier, they were not talking about Liz. They were talking about Kathana on Antar.


[ edited 2 time(s), last at 25-Jun-2002 9:34:19 PM ]
posted on 4-Jun-2002 10:43:14 PM by FreeFall
Sorry for disappearing on ya’ll. I’ve had a lot going on in the past month.

LiLEvEe – Glad you liked it. And yes, it was. Thank you for the bumps!

roswelluver – Right you are. Thank you!

butterfly_girl – Thank you!

gonenuts – Thank you! I’m glad you like my other fic too. Just so you know I’ve written some of the next part….but time has been really scarce for me lately. I need to re-read a few of the chapters to make sure some things get covered.

frenchkiss70 – Yep. Sure is. Thank you!

Alien614 – Thank you! I’m glad you like it. And I haven’t forgotten about my other fic. I’m working on a new part now. Look for it soon…I hope (crosses fingers)

Asabetha – Thanks!


I know I said there would be M/L interaction is this part…and it is coming…just not right now. I have 2 different ideas in my head of how they will meet and will be deciding on which way to go tomorrow (hopefully)

Hopefully I can get the next part out in the next day or so…but in case I don’t I didn’t want to leave it any longer. It has been far too long.




Part 5



February 26, 2006, Evening; Metachem


Liz reached out to grab the door handle just as she heard someone call out, “Kathana!”

She stopped in her tracks as a shiver ran down her spine. Not recognizing the name…but the name sent a flood of emotion through her already stressful body. Recalling it as a distant memory…memory? No, more of a dream, a name she knew she had never heard before. But why did it sound so familiar?

Turning her head in his direction she said calmly, “What did you call me?”

Michael, seeing her confusion knew right away that something was off. His eyes bulged as he looked at her. As he looked on her he noticed the pure innocence and vulnerability that radiated off of her. He knew by her expression that she was not Kathana for Kathana was not innocent by nature and had never had a vulnerable moment as long as he had known her. Trying to distract her he asked, “Who are you?”

“Who are you?” she bit back defensively.

Thinking quickly he came up with an answer he hoped to pacify her with, “I’m Michael, night security ma’am,” He said, hoping she could not tell he was leaving out important information. Hoping what Max and Larek had assured him was true…that she would know nothing of Kathana’s experiences.

Releasing the breath she had been holding she answered him, “I’m Dr. Parker. I’ve just been assigned…”

“To head the new project,” he finished for her as realization dawned on him. “…I know. Sorry about the confusion earlier. One of the doctors from the Las Cruces labs was supposed the be here an hour ago…and I thought you might be her,” He added, hoping that she didn’t catch his hesitation. Realizing that things have now become more complicated. So much for things staying quiet. He knew this new development would hinder their progress.

“Oh, sorry to disappoint you,” She said uneasily, somehow she didn’t quite believe what this security guard was telling her. She didn’t know why, but somehow she felt she needed to get out of this place. That there was something unexplainable going on and right now the security guard before her…Michael…was the first one she wanted to get away from.

Reaching towards the door once again she turned the knob and opened it slightly before a hand on her arm stopped her. At his touch, she felt a jolt race through her body, causing her adrenaline to pump and her body to surge with unease. She opened the door quickly as she brushed off his touch.

“Hey, hey…” Michael said raising his hands up as he backed away defensively.

Liz looked back at him quickly, daring him to come after her.

As he looked on the door slammed back in his face. Reaching for the handle he cursed loudly, bringing his hand back towards his body, cradling it against his chest. Taking a moment to overcome the pain his eyes searched the space in front of him.

“What the hell?” he mumbled as he crouched before the door to get a better look. He looked in disbelief when he noticed the handle on the door…the metal melted. Glancing around the darkened corridor he ran his hand over the fixture, returning it to its previous state.

Grabbing his cell, he dialed the number quickly, cursing as he got no answer.


**


“Ok, so how bad is it really?” Max asked Larek.

“It depends. We must find Kathana before Khivar and his men do. We must keep her safe. We can not allow Khivar to get the upper hand. And he won’t…unless he has her.”

“Do you think she will try to contact us here?” Max asked, secretly hoping to be able to see her again, wishing it were under better circumstances.

“That is a possibility….but only if she is desperate. After what happened the last time…I know she was reluctant to use her host.”

“Why?”

“Besides the fact that you were getting too close to the human?” he asked in a knowing tone before continuing, “Because when you healed her you formed a connection with the host. Unfortunately we don’t know to what extent she has been altered or if she was able to retain any information that passed through her during the connection. From you or from Kathana. But ultimately that is what will put her at risk here on Earth.”

“What? You think she could be carrying memories of what happened in her subconscious?”

“Honestly? We don’t know. But we do know Khivar knows you accessed only Kathana’s memories when you connected to the human. Now Khivar will be looking for the host as well. If he can’t get the information from Kathana directly…he may resort to using her.”

“How could Khivar know? I told no one besides the group and you,” Max asked Larek, his eyes growing dark as the pieces started to fit together.

“Tess!” Max hissed.

Larek nodded slightly “She was privy to very important information Zan. She knew more about you than you knew about yourself. And be sure that now Khivar knows, too,” Larek added dimly.

“I’m not the same person I was before she left. I will no longer underestimate her…but she will me. And that will be her downfall.”


**

TBC???

Tell me what you think.

Also, let me know if you have any quetions or if anything is unclear.

[ edited 3 time(s), last at 25-Jun-2002 9:40:18 PM ]
posted on 25-Jun-2002 7:46:59 AM by FreeFall

Thanks for the bumps...sorry about the lack of updates. I've been focusing on my other story (I think I have the rest of it outlined out...yay!!) and I didn't think anyone was really reading this anyway..so....

I'll try to get another part up in the next couple of days. Hopefully I'll get back in the mood to write.

Thanks again!

posted on 1-Jul-2002 10:28:49 PM by FreeFall
A big Thank you! to all who have read and enjoyed this fic! Sorry I didn't get a part out last week, I had too much going on at work to focus on this. I'm not really happy with how it turned out, hopefully the next part will be better.

Thanks again!

Part 6

February 26, 2006; Evening


After making her quick exit, Liz sat in her car in silence for several minutes trying to make sense of the overwhelming sensations that passed through her while she was in close proximity to the guard. Fastening her seatbelt with shaky hands she reached into her purse, grabbing several pills and swallowing them while looking around the lot frantically.

So far her stay in Roswell had been a nightmare. She had been here less than 24 hours and she had already had one unexplainable blackout and the weirdest vision, if you could call it that. And more she could remember every feeling that coursed through her body, the steep jab of pain through her abdomen, the sharp pain to the back right of her head as her skull hit the rock when she fell. She could even remember the odor in the air, it smelled like…smoke, and the wind was strong, raising the dust and sand from the ground making it difficult to keep her eyes open.

She even remembered a voice calling to her. No, not her. Calling to someone, calling at her, but what was that name? She had known she had heard it before. ‘Come on Liz, think!’ she commanded herself. ‘Why can’t I remember?’ she mentally cried as she slammed both of her palms into her steering wheel. ‘Ok. Ok. Calm down, there has got to be an explanation for it,’ she convinced herself. Taking several deep breaths so as to force herself to calm down she waited for her medication to take effect.


**


Twenty minutes later Liz pulled into her complex and parked her car in the main lot. She then made her way to her new residence for the next few weeks. She sighed, resigned to the fact that she would be spending her free time in this run down apartment building. “You’d think they’d be able to splurge a little more on living accommodations, jeez!” she spoke to herself as she eyed the dingy building, grasping at her briefcase.

Looking through the dark patio area she had to squint to see her door. “What is with this city and no light?” she mumbled to herself as she noticed only one small street lamp in the vicinity.

As she approached her door she turned her attention to her pocket and pulled out her keys. As she raised her head she stumbled over the uneven pavement in front of her. She made a quick move to catch her keys that she had dropped when she stumbled, but in the process she dropped her briefcase to the pavement. She looked down at the scattered papers and files, a sense of de javu filling her as she groaned.

She stepped the five steps to her door and opened it slightly then stepped back to retrieve her papers. Unaware of the stranger approaching, she continued to gather her items but was startled as he spoke,

“Here, let me help you.”


**


After walking Larek out of the apartment, Max was reluctant to head back inside. His senses were on alert as if something were coming. Something…or someone. Circling the complex once, Max made his way back towards the apartment that he shared with Michael.

Looking over his shoulder one last time he noticed a petite woman walking haphazardly toward the apartment across the common area from him. He cringed inwardly as he saw her stumble, dropping her case. He watched on as her stance changed from one of caution to one of defeat.

Deciding to lend a hand he hurried across the way and stooped to help her gather the rest of her papers.

“Here, let me help you,” He offered, more forcefully than intended.

Startled, she snapped her head up as her eyes come upon the most beautiful dark haired stranger. Mesmerized by the person in front of her, she continued to stare on.

At the sound of her startled gasp, Max took a sharp breath as he noticed her for the first time. He had been expecting her…but not this soon. He knew from his conversation with Larek that she was in danger and he was secretly hoping she would come to him. It had been far too long. Almost a year since he had seen her last. The moments she was away had been pure torture for him.

But now he didn’t know if he should be worried or relieved. He knew it wasn’t safe for her here, that his enemies…their enemies were looking for information that only Kathana could divulge. But at the same time, he could now help to protect her.

Never breaking eye contact he tentatively reached his outward, grazing over her cheek softly…unsure if she was really in front of him. He had had this dream many times before and was hesitant to touch her; afraid she would disappear if her disturbed her image.

Liz stared on…unable to discern what was happening. As he touched her cheek ever so lightly, so lovingly she felt warmth radiate through her and unconsciously rested her cheek against his palm, closing her eyes at the sensation.

He was on edge. Never before has she been this receptive to him. She had always tried to keep as much distance between herself and the others as possible. His mind would not allow him to question her behavior, for if he had he may have spoken more carefully.

“Thank God you’re okay,” he spoke softly.

Liz was in a daze. She had never had this sensation of total bliss and was reluctant to put an end to it. Not hearing the words that were spoken she responded,

“Hmmmm…?”

“I…we were all worried when Larek told us the news. Don’t worry. I won’t let him near you…and Larek is doing all he can to keep you safe up there.”

As the sound of his voice permeated through her brain, buzzing lightly through her she caught the last part of his sentence, “up there?” she asked innocently, not knowing what this stranger was talking about but content with him there.

“Home,” was his response. “I won’t let them use you to win, Kathana,” he pledged to her, not able to stop his actions as he pulled her closer to him.

TBC?????

Sorry to leave you guys hanging...I promise it won't be for long!

posted on 3-Aug-2002 11:51:04 AM by FreeFall
A/N:

Uhhhhhh, sadly I don't have much of an excuse for not updating this especially since I have a lot of stuff already written for it, except that I have so many ideas in my head that I don't know exactly what I want to happen next. I've also been trying to finish my other fic. I'll try to get something out on this after I update that one.

Thanks so much for the feedback!