posted on 13-Oct-2001 12:15:04 PM


Title: Brody Remembers New York
Summary: What if Brody remembered what happened in New York? Brody joins the group, which will resolve its differences and misconceptions, starting with Liz and Max!
Background: After “Max in the city”
Category: Brody (with M/L and a little bit of everyone else)
Rating: G – PG-13
Author: jane
E-mail: jwest⊕beaumont.edu
Disclaimer: They’re not mine. The characters of Roswell belong to Melinda Metz, the WB, Jason Katims,
and all the wonderful people who we all love for starting this wonderful series, No infringement is intended. I’m just borrowing them!



Brody Remembers New York

Brody had once again found himself thousands of miles away from where he last knew himself to be. This time he was in Central Park, NYC. ‘They took me again.’ he said to himself. As quickly as he could arrange a flight home, Brody returned to Roswell and sought out Maria, the young woman he very much believed he was falling in love with.

“But why did they take me again?” He asked Maria.

“Because you’re special.” Maria immediately replied. Brody felt his spirits lift. He was hoping that Maria was speaking about how she felt about him rather than how his alien captors thought about him. In recent weeks Maria had been there for him. Someone to listen to him, who always had just the right thing to say.

The next day at the UFO Center, Brody was busy on the Net, searching for reports of any unusual activity happening in New York. After hours of searching he had found four accounts given by two men and two women who had walked into four different New York police stations. The first man was a temp. agency executive from Philly, the second, a lawyer from Chicago. Of the women, one was a waitress from Virginia, and the other a lady trucker from Milwaukee. All had reported finding themselves in the city with no memory of how they arrived there or what they had been doing for the past several days.

Brody rubbed his tired eyes and looked at his watch, “3:30. Good, Max Evans will be here for his afternoon shift soon.” Brody had rehired Max after the two men had shared their abduction stories with each other.

“I was held in a bright, white, sterile room.” Brody remembered Max telling him. “No doors, no windows. I was laying on a cold surface, but could not move. I know whoever had me did something terrible to me, but my mind won’t let me remember. I really don’t like to talk, or even think about it.” But their shared trauma had created a bond of sorts between them and Brody thought of Max as a friend. ”I guess Max is so quiet and guarded because of the ordeal during his abduction.”, Brody thought to himself. “I can see that he is under a great deal of strain. It’s a good thing he has such good friends as that group he hangs out with” …what are their names? Of course, there is Maria, and the tiny brunette is Liz. The tall gorgeous, blond is Max’s sister Isabelle. Maybe someday soon I’ll introduce myself to the other two boys and the short blond girl.’ He was glad that they seemed to care so much for Max. Brody could tell by their mannerisms toward their friend that Max was the center of their little circle. Max arrived for work and come directly to Brody.

“Brody, are you alright? Maria told me that you thought that you were abducted again!” As well as concern for his boss and friend, Max wanted to find out if Brody remembered anything from his time in New York, such as seeing Max at a summit meeting with other alien leaders!

“Yeah Max, it’s just like last time. I was working late here and the next thing I know I’m walking through Central Park! I don’t know how I got there, or what happened to me those days I was missing!”

“Yeah Brody, we were getting worried” Max improvised. “For a while there I was thinking about filing a missing persons report with the Sheriff . I am just glad you’re back safe and sound.” Max went off to work on a display that needed fixing, after two five-year-olds got away from their mother, for all of three minutes, earlier that day.

At closing time, Max said goodnight to Brody and went home. Brody stayed in his office making a show of searching the Net, but really he was lost in his thoughts which keep circling around in his head. ‘Why did they take me? What did they do to me? Why did they take me?’ …until he falls asleep at his desk.
Brody sees only these images. He can hear nothing during this dream.

**Flash**

Brody is in a cab driving over the Brooklyn Bridge. ‘I’m in New York.’ Brody’s dream-self thinks. Brody gets out of the cab and walks down into the basement of a building in which he finds a conference room set up. There are three other people already in the room. A distinguished looking black man, a woman in a waitress uniform, and another woman wearing a flannel shirt. They look at each other warily.

**Flash**

Another man comes in, also well dressed, and bald. He seems to be telling the four of them something and hands Brody a folded piece of paper and then leaves.

**Flash**

Brody is shocked to see Max Evans, the short blond girl and two punks come into the room! ‘What is going on here?’ Brody wonders, ‘What is Max doing here? Oh no, was he abducted too?’

**Flash**

A twerpy-looking kid enters the room from the opposite door that Max just came through. The original four, Max and the kid, sit at the table while the short blond and the two punks stay standing behind Max. ‘Almost as if they are body guards for Max.’ Brody thinks. There is some discussion going on. Several of the people in the room are disturbed by whatever is being said and shortly after the meeting starts, Max and his party walk out.

**Flash**

Max walks back into the room. He seems to tell the others something that makes a few of them angry, after which all of them but Brody, Max, and the short, blond leave the room.

A beeping noise wakes up Brody. His computer is signaling that he has e-mail, but Brody ignores his computer and grabs a pad of paper to write down everything he remembers from his dream. ‘Man! ’ Brody exclaims to himself. ‘What was going on there? Why was Max Evans there?!’


Brody has been waiting all day for Max to come to work the next afternoon.

“Max, I’ve got to talk to you!” Brody calls to Max. “Come up to my office. “I had a dream last night!” Brody tells Max when he enters the office. “I could swear that I am starting to remember what happened to me in New York!" ”Max tries to put some enthusiasm into his voice while he feels his heart drop into his stomach.

“Um, that’s great Brody! What do you remember?”

“I think I attended some sort of important meeting, and the shocking thing is…” Brody pauses for effect, “you were there with that short blond girl you hang around with and two punk-kids I’ve never seen before.” Max’s Adam’s-apple bobs visibly as Max swallows his panic, desperately trying to think of something to say.

“Well, that’s some dream you had then, if I was in it! Could it be because we were discussing your abduction yesterday that your subconscious put me into your dream?”

“Yeah, maybe, but I’ll have to think about all of this. I couldn’t hear anything that was being said. We seemed to be attending a meeting with four others, a well-dressed black man, a woman in waitress uniform, another woman in flannel, and a twerpy-looking kid in jeans, plus the three who came in with you, but they didn’t sit down for the meeting.”

Max, in spite of the serious situation, was trying not to laugh at Brody’s description of Nicolas! “Twerpy-looking” indeed! Like a kid brother, always in the way, always making trouble. Not wanted around. Max had to remind himself that Nicolas was a great deal older than he appeared to be, as well as powerful and dangerous.

“Well, Brody, let me know if you remember more, you know like what we said at this meeting.” Max tried to say casually. “Well, it looks like those five-year-olds came back today by the looks of that display over there, I’ll go work on that.” And he walked off. Brody went back to his work for the rest of the evening, at the end of which the two men locked up the UFO Center as usual. Brody headed home for some much needed rest and Max headed off to the Crashdown to update the gang on this latest development.

The meeting went as well as could be expected. As Max got ready for bed later that night, he reviewed how his friends had reacted when he told them that Brody was remembering his latest “abduction”. Michael was predictably stating that this time Brody had to die. Isabel was frightened, and was inclined to agree with Michael. Tess didn’t say anything helpful, only “What do you think we should do Max?” Alex and Maria were silent, not knowing what to say, letting their alien friends make the decision, since they would be the ones affected by it. Liz quietly spoke up after everyone else had, had their say.

“Max, killing Brody as Michael and Isabel suggest just isn’t you. Your answer to any problem that you have every faced has never been violence.. That’s what the Skins do. It’s not what the Max I have come to know and lo— respect”, Liz quickly inserted, “would do. Like when Brody first came here. You couldn’t bring yourself to kill him. You confronted him instead, and found out that he was a harmless alien abductee. This time, can’t we just wait? See if he remembers anything? He may not remember anymore. And, if he does, maybe we can talk to him, get him on our side.” After a long silence Max finally responded, “

I ’m with Liz on this one. I say we wait.”

“Now that the decision has been made.” Alex said. “I have a question. Why is Brody remembering this abduction? Max told us that he went through two years of regressive hypnotherapy after his first abduction, but never remembered anything but the color of the walls and the smell of burnt hair.”

“I have been wondering about that too.” Max said. “What if Brody was taken by another alien race the first time? According to what his hypnotherapy-recovered-memories imply, he was abducted so that someone could experiment on him. But, whoever that was, had the technology to cure his bone cancer, heal the physical trauma they caused, and wipe out his memory. This time, he was taken, not to be harmed in any way, but to be used as only a vessel through which Larick could communicate during the summit meeting, a meeting which I attended. Now Brody is safely back home, but he sees me everyday at work. I may be a trigger for his memories.

That night, snug in his bed, Brody dreamed again. This time, he was able to hear what was happening around him.

**Flash**

“Brody?”

“Actually, my name is Larick. Are you Zan?”

“They tell me that used to be my name, but my name is Max, Max Evans.”

“He doesn’t even know who he is, how can he sit in conference with us?”

“He sits with us because the Emissary certified him. Kathana, Zero, Anar, and I will represent each of our worlds, Max will speak for his.”

“Actually, Kivar speaks for his world, and I speak for Kivar.”

“Can we get to it? We’re here to end fifty years of misery and suffering, among our worlds. Kathana attacks Kivar, Kivar attacks Zero, Zero attacks me, the situation is intolerable!”

“And Kivar has a solution. Kivar will abdicate the throne and allow the Royal Four to return home under the following conditions. One, Max becomes King in name only. All real power and government remains in Kivar’s hands. Two, Max calls upon his followers to lay down their weapons and support the new government. Three, Max returns the Granolyth to us.”

**Flash**

“Do we have a deal?”

“I need to think about this.”

“I’d be surprised if you didn’t. But be quick about it. Holding onto these bodies isn’t easy, in fact its chewing up huge amounts of our resources. ”

**Flash**

“Well, Max, have you made your decision?”

“Yes I have and the answer is no. I will not give up the Granolyth to you. Not to Kivar. Not to anyone. It was entrusted to me.”

“You’re all witnesses. Kivar tried to extend the hand of peace, had it slapped away. Our business is at an end here, our offers are withdrawn!”

“You made a lot of enemies here today.”

“Do you wonder why your predecessor was killed? He made bad decisions.”

Brody woke up sweating, gasping for air. “What the hell was that?” he yelled out into his empty bedroom. For the rest of the night, he lay there going over and over all of the fantastic, confusing, unbelievable things he heard during his dream.

“Brody?”

“Actually, my name is Larick. Are you Zan?”

“They tell me that used to be my name, but my name is Max, Max Evans.”

“ Max becomes King in name only.”

“Holding onto these bodies isn’t easy, in fact it’s chewing up huge amounts of our resources.”

‘That was a “summit meeting” between alien governments! Max is the king of another planet! Max is an alien!’

When Brody finally gave up trying to fall back to sleep several hours later, he tried to bring his chaotic thoughts into some sort of logical order. ‘OK, I was at a summit meeting between six alien rulers. Like me, there seemed to be three other humans who were acting as remotely controlled puppets. I had no control over what I said or did. There was another presence in my head, controlling me, speaking through my body. Was Max also a puppet? It doesn’t look like he was.’ During the struggle to make sense of it all, Brody remembers again;

“They tell me that used to be my name, but my name is Max, Max Evans.”

‘I Do NOT BELIEVE this! Max Evans is an actual alien…King! But what is it about “They tell me that used to be my name.” Like he lived before and was killed, but is alive again now!?! But whoever…whatever Max is, he had a lot of guts to refuse to give up the Granolyth-thing. It seemed like a very important, but dangerous-in-the-wrong-hands, object. Max must have understood that in not giving it up, his enemies will try to take it by force. They will try to kill Max!. Man, I need to talk to Max. I need some answers. I know, I’ll get him alone first thing this morning.’

A while later at the Evan’s house, Max is outside warming up the jeep, when Brody approaches him warily.

“Max, I’ve got to talk to you, now! I remembered everything last night. I know what happened in New York. You and I were at a summit meeting of alien rulers; presidents and kings of other planets, Max! I was there as just a puppet spokesman for a king named Larick. I, and three others there had no control over what we did or said. We weren’t supposed to remember any of it, were we, Max? I wasn’t supposed to remember that you were there, in person, as the king of your world!”

“Brody, how do you know that I wasn’t just another puppet-spokesman like yourself?” Max was trying to stay calm as he checked over his shoulder to see if there was anyone else around. Luckily it was early enough that most Roswell residents were still asleep. “Because, the four aliens, Kathana, Zero, Anar, and Larick, who were using our human bodies as puppets recognized each other immediately, even though they weren’t there in person. Some guy called the Emissary came in and told us that he had tested you and certified that you, Max Evans were the ruler named Zan! Well, then you entered the room and affirmed that Zan had once been your name, but that now you were Max Evans!”

‘Oh-Man!’ Max thought, I Really need to go with Brody and talk to him. I can’t let this hang, but after skipping school all of last week, I am in so much hot water with Mom, Dad, and the school.’

“Brody, I really want to talk to you, but I can’t cut class. I got into so much trouble for going to New York last week. You may think that I am a king, but right now I am just a teenager who has to get to school! I promise you, I will come and talk to you after I get out of class.”

“I don’t know.” Brody replied. “I want answers.” Brody is obviously nervous. He doesn’t know what to expect from this alien king, named Max.

“I promise, I’ll be there right after school. You can trust me. Think about it, while you were at the summit, were you hurt in any way?” At Brody’s negative response, “then trust me now. Don’t tell anyone else about me, or what you saw. You have to understand how important it is for you to keep my secret. I don’t want you or any of us to get hurt.”

“O.K. Evans. 3:30.” The two go their separate ways. This time, Max doesn’t tell the group. Instead he goes to Liz.

“Oh Max, you have to meet Brody. You can’t let this slide. But you need a back-up plan. I’ll tell the group at 3:30, what’s going on. If everything is O.K. between you and Brody by 3:40, give me a call. We’ll need a code so that I know its you. How ‘bout ‘Hey Parker, lets go star-gazing!’, or something. If you don’t call, we’ll come in after you.”

“No Liz, you will get everyone out of town right away. If I don’t call, it’s a trap and I’ll probably be dead.”

“Max, I won’t let anyone capture you again. I’m not going to run away if you are in trouble, and neither will the others.”

“Liz-“

“Max-“

“O.K., but be—“

“Careful. I know, but you be careful too. I couldn’t go on living if anything happened to you Max. I lied when I told you that I wouldn’t die for you.”

“I was so hoping that, that was a lie! I still don’t want to believe that you slept with Kyle. You didn’t, did you?”

“No, Max I-“ But Max gathered Liz into his arms and kissed her. It was a sweet, welcome home kiss. After it ended, the two young lovers just held each other, Liz’s head tucked in underneath Max’s chin.

“Liz, we still have a lot to discuss, but for now I have to tell you, I love you!” Liz gave up trying to hide her feelings.

“I love you too, Max!” Just then, the class bell rang.

“I really have to get to class.” Max said, reluctant to let Liz go.

“Me too. Good luck with Brody, I’ll be waiting for your call!” They shared another quick kiss, and then went to their classes.

Meanwhile, Brody is brooding at the UFO Center. ‘Should I trust Max?’ He wonders. ‘Who could I go to even if I wanted to tell?’ My background isn’t all that upstanding. Hey, I’m a proclaimed alien abductee! Would anyone believe me if I tried to tell them about Max?’ Finally, his sleepless night catches up with him, and he falls asleep at his desk, and remembers the rest, complete with sight, sound, and the emotions of the alien who used his body as a vessel.

**Flash**

“You don’t remember any of this, I’m sure. Our families used to be very close. You and I practically grew up together. I was there at your father’s funeral, at your coronation, your wedding. We were friends. It was so painful to see you fall. To see you trying so hard to make a better world for your people. And then to see it all taken away by a man like Kivar. I told you, you were doing too much too soon. That change takes time, but you wouldn’t listen. What’s the point, its all ancient history now. What a shame it is to see history repeat itself.”

There were so many emotions that come with those final words from Larick: love, respect, sadness, and regret. They stayed with Brody as he awoke. ‘Man! That Larick-guy really cared for Max, and still does, even after all these years. But he has almost given up hope in Max’s ability to help. He thinks history is going to repeat itself.’ Brody sat staring at nothing for a little while, and then a thought came to him: ‘When I first met Max…and fired him…Max came back to see me one night.’

“I hope this isn’t where the disgruntled employee comes and shoots his boss.”

“I pray it won’t come to that.” Max replied.

‘Oh, Man!’ Brody realized, ‘Max came to see me because he knew I had that alien device. When Max asked me why I was in Roswell, he thought I was another alien, probably out to kill him. How easy it would have been for Max to come with his alien followers and just kill me that night, I was all alone here, but Max came alone and spoke to me. He wanted to understand me, not hurt me!’ Brody was amazed when he realized all of this. Shortly after this, Brody heard his office door open and looked up to see Max walk in.

“Brody.” Max began.

“Max, I’m glad you came, please sit down. I thought that I had remembered everything last night but in another dream just now, I saw and heard and FELT what Larick said to you after the meeting! I could feel his emotions as he said those things to you, how much he cares about his old friend, how much he worries about the future.

“Brody-“ Max tried again, but was interrupted.

“Max, I was just sitting here remembering that night when you came here after I fired you, to confront me about why I was in Roswell. You thought I was another alien didn’t you? But you didn’t come to kill me. You came to talk to me just like now, you are here to speak to me.” Brody indicates that Max should now say whatever he had come to say.

“Now that you have remembered everything that happened, and have had a chance to think about it, what do you plan to do?”

“I plan to help you anyway I can!” Brody replied, smirking, watching Max open his mouth to speak, and close it again.

“I figure your enemies are going to be coming after you and the Granolyth.. It won’t hurt you to have another set of eyes watching your back! And, no, I don’t want to know what or where it is. Probably better for my neck if I don’t. Maybe someday you’ll tell me, and show me, but for now I want to gain your trust, something I know I can’t prove, only earn.

“Why are you so willing to trust and help me? I have done nothing to earn your trust.”

“Well, in a way you have. I could feel the trust and respect that Larick had in you, for you. And, how you have acted towards me so far goes a long way towards showing me that you are becoming the great leader that you were, in your former life. A leader who has an entire planet willing to fight this Kivar for you, hoping that you will return to lead them someday.

Max was still in shock, so he said, “Uhm, will you excuse me a minute, I have to make a call.” He then dialed Liz and gave her the password, just in time, he saw as he glanced at his watch, then turned back to Brody.

“You had back-up! So you aren’t as trusting and foolish as I thought that you were. Good!” Brody said.

“Yeah, Michael was almost out the door to come over here when Liz called him back. And just so that you know, Michael and Isabel were outside your office door that night, listening!” Both men started laughing as relief and hope welled up in both of them.

“So,” Max said. “Since the gang doesn’t need to come over here, why don’t we go over to the Crashdown, and join the gang? Maria said she would have your usual waiting for you…with extra pepper-jack cheese!” Brody really grinned at that and the two friends went across the street to join the others!

TBC Please, let me know what you think! FEEDBACK, Please!



[ edited 1 time(s), last at 13-Oct-2001 12:39:40 PM ]
posted on 13-Oct-2001 12:16:57 PM
Title: Roswell, After New York
Summary: Direct sequel/continuation to "Brody Remembers New York" What if Brody remembered what happened in New York? Brody joins the group, which has resolved its differences and misconceptions, starting with Liz and Max!
Background: After “Max in the city”
Category: M/L, plus a little bit of everyone else.
Rating: G – PG-13
Author: jane
E-mail: jwest⊕beaumont.edu
Disclaimer: They’re not mine. The characters of Roswell belong to Melinda Metz, the WB, Jason Katims,
and all the wonderful people who we all love for starting this wonderful series. No infringement is intended. I’m just borrowing them!


Roswell, after New York Part 1


Liz Parker saw Isabel Evans in the hall between classes.

“Isabel can I talk to you a minute, please?”

“Sure, what’s up Liz?”

“I was wondering if you could come by the Crashdown right after school. There’s something I need to tell you, but not here.”

“Well, OK. You’re sounding mysterious. Can’t you tell me anything?”

“Not here. After school.”

“OK. See you there.”

Liz found Alex and Tess during the rest of the day and asked them to come by the Crashdown as well. She knew Michael and Maria would be working that afternoon, so she did not have to contact them.

Later that afternoon at the Crashdown, Isabel and Alex come in.

“Hey Liz, what’s up?”

“Hey Alex, lets wait ‘till Tess gets here before we start. A minute later Tess and Kyle enter the café.

“Hey Tess…and Kyle.”

“Where’s Max?” Tess asked.

“Actually he’s not here.” Liz answered as Michael and Maria joined the group. “He wanted me to tell you all something. Two minutes ago, Max went to speak to Brody.”

“Why?” Michael asked.

“This morning Brody came to Max and told him that he had remembered everything that happened in New York, that he knows who Max is. He wants answers, so Max is over at the UFO Center giving Brody those answers.”

“What?” Michael yelled. Everyone shushed him, nervous that the other customers might have heard him.

“Max is going to call me at 3:40, in six more minutes, to tell me everything is alright. We even thought up a code phrase so I can be sure it’s him, and that he is really OK. If he doesn’t make that call we will storm over there and get him out!”

Every minute that passed had Michael getting more and more impatient.

“Something’s wrong.” Michael declared at 3:39:30. “I’m going over there.” He headed out the door just as Liz’s cell phone rang.

“Hello? Max! Sure, I’d love to go stargazing! So everything’s OK? Why don’t you bring Brody over here?”

“I’ll have his usual made up for him.” Maria called on her way back to the kitchen to put in the order. “With plenty of pepper-jack cheese!”

“Did you here that Max? OK, see you in a few minutes!” Liz faced the group. Everything’s OK! Max and Brody are coming over here so that they can explain!”

When Max and Brody arrived, everyone crowded around them. Tess stood on one side of Max, Liz on the other, and quietly twined her fingers with his. Maria brought Brody’s Galaxy sub to the booth and they all sat down to here his explanation of what had been going on.

“I was abducted by aliens again last week.” Brody started to explain. “I found myself in New York with no memory of how I got there. I came back home as fast as I could. When I saw Max at work the next day, he told me how worried he’d been when I disappeared, and of course didn’t say anything about being in New York himself! I had a dream that night. I couldn’t hear anything that was going on, but here I was, in New York City, standing around a great, big table with three other people I had never seen before, when Max walks in! When I mentioned this to Max he brushed it off as just a dream! That next night I had another dream during which I could see and hear what was going on around me. There was all this talk about Max being the king of this other world, and how he could return to that world to be king in name only under certain conditions. Conditions Max could not accept. And I don’t blame him because those conditions would have only made things worse for Max and his people! It was after this dream that I went to Max and told him that I needed to talk to him, and we set up a meeting for this afternoon.”

Brody took a breath and continued. “While waiting for 3:30 to role around, I fell asleep and had yet another dream. Larick was the alien king who spoke at the meeting using my body as a kind of host for his consciousness. During this dream, I was able to not only see and hear what was going on, but also to feel Larick’s emotions as he spoke to Max after the meeting when everyone else had stormed out. Just Max, you (Brody points to Tess) and Larick remained. He told Max about how they had grown up together. How he had been at Zan’s Father’s funeral, Zan’s coronation, and wedding. The emotions I felt coming from Larick, love, respect, sadness, regret really got me thinking. When Max came to my office I told him that I would help him, all of you, as much as I can! There is one other reason I want to help you.” Brody told his stunned audience. “Max told me his theory about my first abduction, as we walked over here. I figure that if it was another alien race that abducted and tortured me, I want to help the people who are fighting against them! I know I can be of help if you’ll give me a chance!”

“We will be happy to accept any help you can give!” Said Max formally. Then losing some of his ‘I’m the king’ stiffness asked. “Hey Maria, can we get some food over here please? I’m starved!”

“Coming right up! How’s chili fries and cherry Cokes for everyone?”

“Great!” They all said in unison and their informal party began. While Tess went over to the juke box to program some music, Max took this chance to draw Liz a little ways away from their friends.

“I’d really like to talk to you about what has been going on between us lately. Tomorrow’s Saturday. Could you come over to the UFO Center before it opens? We should be able to have some privacy there.”

“Sure, Max. I’ll be there. I know there’s a lot we need to discuss.” The two went back to their friends. A little group which had opened itself to include another new member.

After the party broke up the friends went home to get some rest and for some of them, to dream.

TESS’ DREAM:

**Flash**

“All you’ve ever done is trust me, been there for me, whenever I needed you.” Max told her. “I’ve never done anything to deserve that kind of loyalty.”

“I think in that other life you must have been one great husband!” Tess replied.

**Flash**

“We’ll finish trimming my lamp later.” Tess tells Kyle.

“Right, I’ll keep my equipment on the ready!”

**End Dream**

KYLE’S DREAM:

“I’m sick of this place, and I’m sick of Max Evans!” Tess exclaimed.

“Don’t toy with me.” Kyle replied.

“I never asked to be his mate. He thinks I am just going to wait around ‘til he comes to terms with his destiny, well I’m not! I hate this life.”

“In order to trim the lamp of wisdom we must attend to our bodily needs.”

“Let me tell you something Buddha Boy, I got a lamp that needs some serious trimming!”

**End Dream**

MAX’S DREAM:

**Flash**

“I couldn’t go on living if anything happened to you Max. I lied when I told you that I wouldn’t die for you.”

“I was so hoping that, that was a lie! I still don’t want to believe that you slept with Kyle. You didn’t, did you?”

“No, Max I-“ But Max gathered Liz into his arms and kissed her. It was a sweet, welcome home kiss. After it ended, the two young lovers just held each other, Liz’s head tucked in underneath Max’s chin.

“Liz, we still have a lot to discuss, but for now I have to tell you, I love you!” Liz gave up trying to hide her feelings.

“I love you too, Max!”

**Flash**

“All you’ve ever done is trust me, been there for me, whenever I needed you.” Max told Tess. “I’ve never done anything to deserve that kind of loyalty.”

“I think in that other life you must have been one great husband!” Tess replied.

**End Dream**

LIZ’S DREAM:

**Flash**

“The closer you and I grew the worse it got with Tess.” Future Max told Liz. “Eventually she left Roswell.”

“Because of me?”

“Because of me, and how I treated her.”

“Because of me?”

“Because of me, and how I treated her.”

“Because of me….” Future Max’s voice echoed in Liz’s head.

**Flash**

“I couldn’t go on living if anything happened to you Max. I lied when I told you that I wouldn’t die for you.”

“I was so hoping that, that was a lie! I still don’t want to believe that you slept with Kyle. You didn’t, did you?”

“No, Max I-“ But Max gathered Liz into his arms and kissed her. It was a sweet, welcome home kiss. After it ended, the two young lovers just held each other, Liz’s head tucked in underneath Max’s chin.

“Liz, we still have a lot to discuss, but for now I have to tell you, I love you!” Liz gave up trying to hide her feelings.

“I love you too, Max!”

**End Dream**

BRODY’S DREAM:

**Flash**

“You won’t remember this but we practically grew up together.” Larick told Max. “I was there for your Father’s funeral, your coronation, your wedding.”

**Flash**

Brody sees two boys playing at swords.

“Gotcha, Larick.”

“Yeah, but I won last time Zan!”

“Let’s have another go at it!” The boys played on, well matched.

**Flash**

Brody sees two young men training together. He recognizes them as grown up versions of the boys he had seen playing together.

“We have tied ourselves in this competition my friend.”

“Let’s have one more go at it to break the tie Larick!”

**Flash**

“Zan, I’m so sorry for your loss. Your father was a great man, a good king.”

“Thanks Larick. I don’t know how I am going to fill his shoes. I am worried that I will let my people down as their new king.”

“You’ll be a great king Zan. Your father trained you well since you were a small boy. I’m staying on to be at your coronation in three days.”

**Flash**

“Congratulations Zan! I mean Your Highness!”

“Cut it out Larick. At least in private call me Zan. You’re too good a friend for such formality when we are alone. You’re lucky your father is still in good health. You shouldn’t have to succeed him for years yet. I was crowned king only an hour ago and already I feel the weight of responsibility on my shoulders.”

“You were always the serious one Zan, just like your father. You need to lighten up a little, have fun for a change!”

“How can I think of fun? There is so much to do, so many changes I want to make.”

**Flash**

“Larick before you leave I need to speak to you. Thanks for staying on a few more days after my coronation.”

“Not a problem my friend!”

“My mother has just informed me that I am expected to marry and produce an heir as soon as possible. In fact she told me that she and my father, the King promised me in marriage to the daughter of one of our allies back when the girl was just a baby and I was seven. Get this, Mother is giving me one year to find my own wife or she will hold me to the promise she and my father made when I was a boy!”

“You’re lucky that the Queen Mother is giving you even that chance. That is the way of our world, Zan. Only peasants get to choose their own mates. People of our station can’t leave the future of their kingdoms to the whims of love and the children such a match might produce. We must ally ourselves to other kingdoms through marriage.”

**Flash**

“Your year is almost up, Zan. Have you found a suitable girl to be your wife?”

“When have I had the chance to look Larick? There has been so much to do this past year. Anyway, the few girls that I have met are such silly little things. They are only interested in the romantic notion of becoming queen. They have no idea what that means, how much work my mother did, supporting my father when he was king. I don’t know, I met Tess, my intended bride a few days ago. Maybe I’ll just marry her after all. She at least knows what would be expected of her as my queen. All she talks about is what her duty is to me. How she knows that our destiny is to be together. It has been drummed into her all of her life.”

“She is very pretty Zan, at least there is that!”

“Yeah, she is beautiful, and I am so busy running the kingdom that I won’t have to see her that often. We have nothing in common. I have been trained to be a warrior, to lead my people as king. Tess has only been taught that her duty is to be my wife.”

**Flash**

“Congratulations on your marriage, Zan!”

“Thanks Larick.”

“Where is your bride?”

“In our chambers waiting for me to come to her.”

“Well you had better go and do your duty!”

“Yeah, well she’s beautiful, and sweet. I have just tried to be kind and gentle with her this last week. She’s as stuck in this marriage as I am. Maybe we’ll learn to love one another in time.”

“Actually, I happened to hear her talking to one of her maids. She was mentioning how lucky she was to have a husband who is so kind and gentle with her that he must already love her as much as she loves him!"

“Oh Boy!”

Just then a page came running up. “Your Highness, I have awful news! We have been attacked by the Skins!”

**Flash**

“I am so sorry for the loss of your son, King Zan, Your Highness.” Larick said.

“Not just the King, my son, but his bride, his sister, and his second-in-command. And now, we are enslaved by that awful man, Kivar. But, we have made secret plans to send the Four to another planet, cloned to be like the people who inhabit that world, to grow up strong that someday they may return and free us!”

**End Dream**

The next morning, Kyle woke up with a smile on his face, mumbling. “I’ll trim her lamp!”

Tess woke up and lay staring at the ceiling for a few minutes thinking. “I’m so confused. Max is supposed to be my destiny, and he has been so nice to me lately, even though I think that there is still something going on between he and Liz. But then there’s Kyle. I feel such an attraction to him as well, and he is obviously interested in me too!”

Maria woke up after a good night’s dreamless sleep and went out to the kitchen for breakfast.

“Good morning, Honey.” Amy De Luca greeted her daughter.

“Morning Mom.” Maria got down a bowel for cereal.

“You got a call yesterday from a man named Brody Davis. Isn’t he the new owner of the UFO Center? How do you know him well enough to have him calling you at home?”

“Mom, it’s no big deal, OK! He comes into the Crashdown a lot and we’ve talked a little, and I gave him my number.”

“Isn’t he a little old for you? He’s got to be what, twenty-four, twenty-six years old?”

He’s twenty-six, Mom, that’s only nine years difference! It’s no big deal!”

“Nine years is quite a difference young lady. Just remember, you are a minor, he is an adult.”

“Yeah, Mom, whatever you say.” Maria left the table to go and get dressed.

Liz woke up from her dream. “Oh No! How could I have told Max the truth yesterday? Our being back together again can only make things worse. But I love him so much! It was so hard to lie to him. Now that Max knows the truth I have to tell him the whole story. Maybe together we can figure something out. We have to. I can’t be parted from Max again, it would kill me!”

Max woke up that morning feeling better than he had for sometime. “Liz loves me! But why did she tell me those lies? It must have been for a very good reason. My sweet Liz wouldn’t do something like that for anything less than a life-threatening reason. If it was to protect us from something, how did she think she could do it alone? When she comes by this morning I’ll make sure that we get everything out into the open. None of us can afford to keep secrets from each other. They just serve to break us apart. I have to get us all working together. And with Liz by my side again, I feel like I can achieve anything!”

Brody woke up that morning feeling as if his brain was going to explode. “Oh man!” He exclaimed to himself. ‘All those memories and emotions were just jammed into my head during that dream last night! Memories of a life long friendship. Well I think I’ll go into the UFO Center before we open for the day. I’ll work on the electronics system for that display that has been giving us so much grief lately. I can always think better when my hands are busy. I need to sort out all of these new memories I have now!’

Max and Liz met at the front door to the UFO Center, and Max lets the two of them in using his key, then relocks the door behind them, as the Center wouldn’t open for another hour.

“Thanks for coming over early Liz. We will have privacy here so that we can talk everything out. Let’s go up to the office.”

Meanwhile, unknown to the two young lovers, Brody is working behind a display. He is so engrossed in his thoughts that he is not aware that Max and Liz have entered the Center.

Max and Liz take seats facing each other. Max gently takes hold of Liz’s hands and earnestly looks into her eyes.

“I know that I said I wouldn’t ask about this again, but when I asked you about Kyle after I returned from New York, you didn’t really answer. Your head moved so infinitesimally, I couldn’t bring myself to believe that you were saying yes. Up until that day, you had spoken out clearly and concisely, it was as if your heart wasn’t up to lying anymore! And then that wonderful moment yesterday when you admitted that you have been lying to me, and told me that you love me!

“Liz, Sweetheart, you have to tell me what has been going on that you felt you had to tell me all of those heart-breaking lies. I know something really important must have happened. Please, tell me!”

Tears are starting to form in Liz’s eyes. “Oh Max, that was the most difficult thing that I have ever had to do in my whole life! I didn’t want to, please believe me, but if we don’t stay apart, and you don’t follow your destiny with Tess, we will cause the end of the world! All of our friends and families, the entire Earth will be wiped out!”

“Liz, slow down! How can something as wonderful as our love cause the end of the world?”

“Max, it’s too hard to explain. You need to see the details of what happened so that you will understand. Max, I need you to connect with me!”

“OK Liz.” Max gently cupped Liz’s sweet face with his strong hands and the connection was made.

**Flash**

“The closer you and I grew, the worse it got with Tess.” Future Max told Liz.
“Eventually she left Roswell.”

“Because of me?”

“Because of me, and how I treated her. It turned out that Tess was critical to our survival. The four of us, Michael, Isabel, Tess and I, we made a complete unit. We all had different gifts and with one of us missing we weren’t as strong. Everything fell apart.”

“So, you want me to make you fall out of love with me…”

**Flash**

Liz crying. “Do you know how hard it was to tell him I didn’t want to die for him? He’s the only reason I’m alive right now! You’ve got to come up with another plan. Please, go to someone else. I just can’t do this anymore!”

“You have to do this. You have to find a way. All of our lives depend on it!”

“How? What can I do that’s going to make you turn away from me?”

“I don’t know.”

**Flash**

“Maybe it’s for the best for you too.” Future Max tells Liz.

“What are you talking about?”

“I saw you with Kyle. He’s turning out to be a great guy.”

“Don’t you realize what you are to me? What you’ll always be? You’re the love of my life. Everyone else is going to be second best. There’ll never be another you.”

**End Connection**

“Oh Man!” Max exclaimed. “I can’t believe this! How could I have dumped all of that on your delicate shoulders, to handle and carry alone, when it was All My Fault!”

“All your fault, Max what are you talking about?” Liz asked in a tear-laden voice.

“It’s what the older me told you Liz. It was because of how I treated Tess that she left Roswell.”

Max gently, but urgently takes Liz by the shoulders. “It had nothing to do with our relationship! I just didn’t handle Tess well at all, none of us did. I have to find a way to bring her more into the group so that she understands her important place in the unit and in our lives. I think that I was able to make a start towards achieving that these last few days. But Tess is still thinking in terms of our destiny together, especially after you went to her, Liz, and asked for her help in breaking up with me!

“Tess told me while we were in New York, that in our past life, I must have been ‘one great husband!’ We have to get beyond what supposedly happened in these past lives of ours so that we can look to the present and future!”

“I may be able to help you with that!” Brody said from the office doorway. Brody had finished working on that display’s electrical system and had come to work in his office, unaware that Liz and Max had come into the Center for a private talk. He had come up to the door just as Max was pleading with Liz to tell him the truth, and had stayed there while Max made the connection with Liz, which had only lasted a minute or two. Then as his two new friends began to talk about Tess and her desperate need to cling to her past life with Max, and their destiny together, Brody realized that he knew some important truths about those past lives which now he stepped forward to share.

TBC Do you think I should continue? Please let me know! -jane


[ edited 1 time(s), last at 13-Oct-2001 12:19:21 PM ]
posted on 13-Oct-2001 12:20:49 PM
Roswell, After New York Part 2

“What do you mean, you can help us Brody?” Max asked.

“You’re not going to believe this,” Brody told a stunned Max and Liz. “But I had Another dream last night! Boy, I hope it was the last one, because my head can’t hold anymore weird memories!”

“Memories?” Max asked.

“Yeah, memories, of what Larick told you briefly after the meeting. That you two had grown up together, were good friends. Except, this time, I saw the actual events! I saw you two as young boys, then young men. Your father’s funeral, your coronation, your wedding, and after you Four were killed by the Skins, Larick talking to your mother! But, interspersed among those events were private moments between good friends. These moments are what I need to tell you about, Max. They, more than anything else, show what your life was really like! There was the time when…” Max broke into Brody’s tale.

“Just a second, please, Brody. I think there is a better way for me to see these memories of yours, or Larick’s I should say. As I did with Liz just a minute ago, I would like to create a connection with you so your thoughts can come into my mind.”

“Was that what you were doing when you cupped Liz’s face in your hands?” At Max’s nod. “OK then, what do I do?”

Max put his hand on Brody’s shoulder. “Just look into my eyes, take deep breaths, try to relax.”

“OK.” Brody replied. The connection was made. Max saw it all, from his boyhood to the scene between his grieving mother and Larick.

“Oh boy!” Max exclaimed. “You’re right, Brody, it’s those moments between the great events that are most telling!” Max glances at Liz. “Like when I decided to accept the marriage arrangement that my and Tess’ parents made between us just after Tess was born, and I was a small boy! My soulmate wasn’t there for me to bond with, you see!” Liz blinked back tears, not wanting to break the intense eye contact between herself and Max.

“Brody, I think it’s important for Liz to see this for herself. Can we make the connection again? I want to try something. Liz, take my hand but look into Brody’s eyes. Brody, take my other hand, but look into Liz’s eyes. OK, ready? Here goes!” Max was pretty sure that the connection was working. He was seeing his past go by before his eyes a second time and both Liz’s and Brody’s eyes were open wide in wonder! The connection ended.

“Max!” Liz exclaimed. “The Skins attacked before you were even able to have your honeymoon?” Even though Liz didn’t say the words, Max understood what she was implying.

“That’s right Liz. There was never any wedding night between Tess and I. She remained only my bride!”

“Oh Max.” Liz said. “We really need to tell Tess about this, but how can we do it without hurting her feelings?”

“I don’t know.” Max answered. “I guess we should tell her privately and hope that knowing the truth, in the end, will be better than believing the lies she has been told all of her life.”

“Brody, will you come with us? We should do this as soon as possible, and it would be best if Tess could connect directly with you rather than getting it second hand from me.” Brody nodded his agreement.

“Max.” Liz said. “The Valentys and Tess often come into the Crashdown for Saturday morning breakfast. We might be able to catch her there. But Max, I think that we also owe her an explanation about what has been going on between us these last few weeks. As you reminded me, I did ask for her help in breaking up with you!”

“Breaking up with Max?” Brody asked, stunned. “Why would you have wanted to do that? You two seem like such a close couple! And, what is this I heard about it being Max’s destiny to be with Tess in this life?” Max glanced over at Liz, and she nodded her head, indicating that it was alright with her if Max told Brody about their recent relationship problems. Max turned his attention back to Brody and briefly brought him up to date, starting with Max’s abduction by the FBI.

“So you didn’t have an ‘alien abduction’.” Brody remarked. “You were an alien who was abducted!” Max nodded grimly, and went on with the story, telling Brody how his friends had rescued him from the “white room”, and defeated the FBI. He told about activating the orbs and receiving the heart breaking message from his mother, which seemed to verify what Tess had been so adamant about, that she and Max were supposed to be together as mates. Max told of the past summer with Liz going away, then coming home to start the new school semester. He told of Congresswoman Whitaker, the Skins, and the group’s reaction to Brody’s hostile manner when he and Max had first met. Then Max got to the hardest part, and spoke of what he had just found out about from Liz. About Future-Max coming to see Liz and all of the anguish that, that had caused. Lastly, he told Brody about the Dupes, and going to the summit meeting in New York.

“Oh boy, Max!” Brody exclaimed, when the tale was ended. “All that happening to you in a matter of months! What a life you lead! And here I thought you were just a normal teenager!” All three of them started laughing!

“Back to Tess.” Max said. “You’re right, Liz. We do owe her a complete explanation about what has been going on recently between the two of us, and about her past life with Zan. We should tell Tess privately, first since she will be the one most affected and possibly hurt by this information. Then we can tell the others, at least about our possible future. I’m not sure if we should tell them about Tess and Zan’s true relationship.”

“You’re so right Max.” Liz agreed. “Now that you know the truth, it’s important that the others be told about our possible future as well. We can decide whether or not to tell them about your past marriage after we have told Tess. I should tell you though that I have already explained to Maria about Future Max.”

“You told Maria, but not me?”

“I wasn’t supposed to tell anyone, Max but Maria had heard a rumor going around school that I had slept with Kyle. She was more upset with me because I hadn’t told her about sleeping with him than about my losing my innocence! I tried to keep the lie going with her, but I couldn’t stand lying to her for long, and so we met at the city fountain early one morning, and I told her the whole story, especially that I am still a virgin!” Liz blushed at saying this in front of Max, much less Brody.

“I’m sorry Liz, I know how hard it has been for you to keep this secret. You did it to protect us!” Max drew Liz into his strong embrace for a minute. “Let’s go and find Tess.”

The three friends walked out of the UFO Center and started across the street. Max and Liz noticed a pretty, young woman walking towards them. She was smiling and seemed to have her eyes pinned on Brody.

“Good morning, Brody!” she said.

“Hi, Lou!” Brody answered. “You’re out early this morning.”

“I want to get some errands done now, so that I can enjoy the rest of my weekend! Aren’t you gong to introduce me to your friends?”

“I’m sorry.” Brody said, embarrassed. “Liz Parker, Max Evans, this is Lou, Louise Nelson. She just moved here to be the new librarian at the public library.”

“Brody and I met while I was finishing up my Masters in Library Science.” Louise explained to the curious Max and Liz. “Brody gave some of his spare time to the university as a tutor in the computer lab. He kept me from flunking all of my computer courses! She smiled fondly at Brody. “And now look at me, fresh out of college and I have a job supervising all of the computer services we offer in the library, as well as being one of the reference librarians!”

“You weren’t flunking Lou.” Brody told her. “You just needed some help getting past your fear that you would break the computer while using it!” All four of them chuckled.

“Gosh, look at the time! I need to get going. It was nice meeting you Max, Liz.” She nodded at each in turn. “Come by the library if you haven’t been there in a while. We have a lot more to offer than just a great collection of books!”

“We will. It was nice meeting you as well!” Max and Liz replied together.

“See you around Brody.” Louise said as she walked by.

“Yeah, see ya, Lou.” Brody answered.

“She seemed very nice.” Liz remarked. “And, OH look, she has gorgeous, long, blond hair, just like Isabel’s!”

“Well, lets see if Tess is still in the Crashdown.” Max said. As they walked closer to the café, they could easily see in through the front window to the back booth where Tess and Kyle were sitting. Max gasped and moved to the side of the window so that he could continue to look in without being seen by the customers inside.

“Max, what is it?” Liz asked.

“Look at the back booth, Liz, where Kyle and Tess are sitting.” Liz took a better look and gasped as well.

“Looks like we won’t have to worry so much about hurting Tess’ feelings when you tell her that you are back together with Liz.” Brody said.

They had all seen Tess and Kyle sitting in the back booth. Kyle had his arm around Tess’ shoulders and they were both laughing at something Kyle had said. As they watched from outside, Kyle playfully leaned over and kissed Tess! After the quick kiss, Tess pushed Kyle away laughing until, that is, their eyes locked. Their smiles left their faces as the two young lovers moved closer together for a deeper, longer kiss! Tess put her arms around Kyle’s neck, and Kyle brought his other arm around Tess’ waist.

“You’re right, Brody. If Tess has become, shall we say, friendly with Kyle, maybe it won’t be so difficult for her to accept the truth about our past and present relationships. Come on, let’s go in.” Max put his arm around Liz’s shoulder as they walked towards the back booth. They could see Tess and Kyle talking softly to each other, their heads close together.

“Hi Tess, Kyle. May we talk to you?” Tess and Kyle jumped away from each other at Max’s greeting.

“Max, Liz, Brody, what are you doing here?” Kyle asked.

“With your arm around Liz’s shoulder!” Tess added.

“That’s a big part of what I, we need to speak to you about. Will you come with us so that we can talk in private?”

“OK.” Tess said. “What’s this all about, Max?”

“Not here.” Max replied. “Should we go back to the UFO Center?” He asked Brody and Liz.

“Why don’t we go up to my apartment?” Liz suggested. “My parents are away for the day checking out a new restaurant supply company.” Kyle and Tess followed Max, Liz, and Brody up to the Parker’s apartment. When they came into the living room, Tess asked.

“What’s going on Max? Why do you have your arm around Liz? You two aren’t back together are you? Not after what she did to you?”

“I could ask you the same thing, Tess.” Max answered. “Why did Kyle have his arms around you? Why were you two kissing if you believe that Kyle had a part in what Liz did to me? Obviously the answer to both of our questions is that Liz did not betray me with Kyle! But that is why I asked to speak with both of you. I recently found out what has been going on in Liz’s life these past few weeks, and I think that it is very important that the two of you be told about it!”

“So, what is going on?” Kyle asked. “Why did Liz stage our supposed intimate moment together so that you would be sure to see it?”

“I think the best way to do this, so that both of you see the whole truth about why Liz did what she did, is by the four of us making a connection. I want to try something so that all four of us can see at the same time. Liz, I want you to hold my hand, and with your other hand, take hold of Kyle’s, then look into his eyes to make the connection. I’ll do the same thing with Tess. Everybody ready?”

“Wait.” Tess said. “Why is Brody here?”

“He has an important insight into what we need to talk about after this. But first lets try to create this connection.” The four young people took their places, and the connection was made. Both Max and Liz could see scenes from the past few weeks go by before their eyes. They knew that Tess and Kyle were seeing the same things that they were when Tess let out a startle “Oh!”, and Kyle let out a yelp!

They saw it all. It started with the arrival of Future Max, went onto Liz asking for Tess’ help, the set-up meeting between Max and Tess that night, with Liz and Future Max watching through the office window. It showed Max storming across to where Liz was hiding and the subsequent scene that followed. Next, Liz going to see Max at his home and how broken up she was afterwards. Max talking to Maria, still unable to let Liz go. Liz, in desperation, asking for Kyle’s help and what really happened between them in Liz’s bedroom! The connection showed Liz’s “wedding dance” with Future Max, and how he disappeared. Tess finding Max in the park.

It didn’t stop there. Next came the conversation between Liz and Max during the drive out to the Skin’s hometown and their confrontation on the street that night. Liz, warning Max about the Granolyth before he left for New York. How Max interpreted Liz’s non-answer to his final question about Kyle, after he returned. Finally the scene at school when Liz admitted some of the truth to Max and they made up! The connection ended.

“I need to sit down!” Kyle said, stumbling backwards to plop down in a chair.

“Oh Max!” Tess exclaimed. “No wonder you were so wiped out when I found you in the park that night!”

“Hey, Evans!” A calmer Kyle stood up and came over to Max. “Why did that Future-Max-guy dump all of this onto Liz?” Kyle’s tone wasn’t anywhere near as understanding as Tess’ had been! “Seems to me, it was all your fault for treating Tess so badly, that she left Roswell.”

“I know, Kyle.” Max replied. “I don’t understand why my future-self would have handled the situation that way. I feel awful about what Liz has gone through because of me, him!” Max turned to Tess.

“Tess, I need you to believe me when I tell you that making this connection wasn’t just about our saving the world, or fixing it so that Liz and I could be together again. I want you to know how sorry I am about how I, how we, have treated you in the past. You have been such a good and loyal friend to me! I want you to be happy here. You are an important part of, not only our four-square, but of our lives!”

“Thank you Max.” Tess replied. “I want to feel as though I belong in our four-square, and be a part of your lives, as you are a part of mine. I had been so confused about our relationship, and about my feelings for Kyle. I was ready to pack up and leave before this whole fiasco with Future Max, the Dupes, and going to New York. But, you have been so nice to me lately. Kind and gentle.” At these words, Max broke eye contact with Tess to glance over at Liz and Brody who were both trying to hide smiles! He quickly returned his attention to Tess.

“I have enjoyed these last few weeks, being able to spend time with you without the pressure of your relationship with Liz hanging over us. I think we have become good friends. But there is also Kyle.” Tess blushed as she said this, glancing at him, then back to Max.

“He has been there for me, almost from the beginning when I first came to Roswell, and the three of you were unwilling to accept me.” Tess smiled to take some of the sting out of this statement. “Living with Kyle, I mean staying with Kyle and his father has allowed me to get to know him better. I’m not sure where our relationship will end up.” Tess glanced to Kyle again. “But I want the chance to try and make it grow!”

“I’d like that too!” Kyle said quietly. They smiled at each other before Tess turned back to Max.

“Besides, the connection allowed me to feel the emotions behind Liz’s actions of these past few weeks. I’ve seen bits of it from time to time, but it never really sunk in before now, how much Liz loves you Max! What lengths she is willing to go to for that love! The sacrifices she is willing to make because of her devotion to you!” Max looked over to Liz as Tess said all of this. He found Liz already looking in his direction, and their gazes locked while Tess continued.

“I also felt your emotional response, Max, to her actions. You love her so much that no matter what she said or did, you couldn’t let her go! Even when you saw her with Kyle, your heart couldn’t accept what your eyes had seen! None of Liz’s actions made sense to you, so you never really accepted them! And when Liz gave you her non-answer, as you put it, you felt such hope that soon Liz would tell you the truth about what has been going on!” It took a few seconds for Max and Liz to break out of their trance-like fascination with each other.

“I am so glad that you were able to take this news so well, Tess!” Max said. “We were so worried about hurting your feelings! Now, maybe it’s time to get to the second piece of information we need to give you. You know that Brody has remembered everything that happened to him in New York. Well, from that brief conversation I had with Larick through Brody after the meeting, when he told me of our growing up together as friends, Brody has received Larick’s memories of our friendship, during my past life, when I was Zan!”

“Man!” Kyle exclaimed. “You’re getting a lot of mileage out of an half-hour meeting and a thirty-second conversation, Brody!”

“Tell me about it!” Brody replied.

“I think that it is very important for you to see those memories for yourself, Tess.” Max continued. “ I think it would be best if you made a direct connection with Brody, rather than get it second hand from me. Brody has agreed to let you make the connection.”

“OK.” Tess said and went over to where Brody was standing. She touched his arm. “Look into my eyes, Brody, take slow, deep breaths, and try to relax.” The connection was made.

“Well, I can see history is repeating itself!” Was the first thing Tess said when the connection ended a few minutes later.

“What happened?” Kyle asked. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine, thank you Kyle.” Tess answered. “As to what I saw,” Tess paused, then continued. “I saw that my marriage to Max was not a love match as I had always thought, had been led to believe by Nesado. It was an arranged marriage, made between our parents when I was born. Max agreed to the arrangement only because he had been unable to find a better girl to love and make his queen.”

“Tess.” Max broke in feeling awful for what she had just found out about her past life.

“It’s OK Max.” Tess looked back to Kyle as she continued. “The reason I have always had this certainty that Max and I loved each other in our past lives was because he, Zan was so kind and gentle to me during the week we knew each other before our wedding. I was so young, and my parents had drummed the fact of our future marriage to each other, into my head, all of my life. They taught me what my duty to Zan was. I was given no choice. So, when I met Zan for the first time in my life, one week before we were to be married, can you imagine my joy and relief in finding out that my future husband was handsome, charming, kind and gentle to me! Some of my friends, you see, had been forced into abusive marriages. I saw Zan’s treatment of me as a sign of love, and thought myself in love with him as well!”

“In this life though, Max found his soulmate in Liz. And even though I was determined to split them apart in order to fulfill what I believed our destiny to be, has tried to treat me as Zan did, with kindness and understanding! But I see now that Max and Liz have a much deeper foundation on which to base their love and their future! Don’t worry about me Max!” Tess moved to kiss Max on the cheek. “I can find my own kind, gentle.” Tess glances over at Kyle. “Fun loving, and athletic husband!”

“Hey that’s great!” Liz exclaimed. “I’m so glad that we got all of this out in the open! And, you are really OK with it, aren’t you Tess?” It wasn’t so much a question as a statement.

“I’m fine, I’m great with all of this, Liz!” Tess moved towards Liz and the two girls hugged each other! “Now it’s not only you two who can decide their destinies. So can I! And I plan to make mine a good one!”

“That’s great Tess!” Max replied with a grin, then continued in a thoughtful tone. “I’ve been wondering about which parts of this we should tell the others. I think that it is important for them to be told about Future Max and what he taught us, the importance of our staying together and working as a unit.”

“Tess might not want the facts about the true nature of your past marriage to be shared with others.” Liz said, thoughtfully.

“I appreciate you saying that Liz, and now that I have learned the truth, I must admit to being very embarrassed by my behavior towards you and Max. I feel awful about trying to split you two up. But maybe by explaining the true nature of our past life together, we can ease the minds of Isabel and Michael regarding their relationships with Alex and Maria, as well as the one between themselves.”

“That’s a good point Tess.” Max said. “And very considerate of you to be willing to help them by sharing something that’s embarrassing to you. We’ll do it together! As to how you treated Liz and I when you first came to Roswell, we both understand that you were just trying to do what you had been taught, almost brain washed, to do by Nasdedo, just as you were in your past life.”

“Why don’t we see if we can arrange for everyone to meet this evening?” Liz suggested. “My parents will be back by then, so I am afraid we can’t meet here.”

“We could meet at my house for a change.” Kyle suggested. “I think Dad’s working tonight, but even if he’s not, it wouldn’t matter if he’s home since he knows all about you guys. Our house is bigger than Michael’s apartment anyway!”

“Great!” Max said. “Let’s make some calls!”

All of the friends arrived at the Valenty house shortly after seven that night.

“What’s happened now?” Isabel asked.

“Yeah, this makes the third meeting this week.” Alex added.

“Let’s wait for everyone to get here.” Kyle said as he let the young couple into his home. For a change, he already knew what was going on, and he liked acting mysterious about it! When everyone had arrived, Max stood up to start the meeting.

“We asked all of you to come here this evening because two more very important pieces of information have come to our attention.”

“Our attention?” Michael asked. “Who’s included in this ‘our’?”

“Myself, Brody, Kyle, Liz and Tess.” Max answered.

“Why were they told first?” Michael asked again.

“Because this information concerned the five of us the most. But we recognized that everyone should know what we have learned. That’s why we asked you to come tonight.” Max answered. “Now, what we want to pass onto you is very complicated, so the best way to do this would be by creating a connection with all of you. We experimented with a multi-person connection this morning. I’d like to try expanding on that, to include all of you in a single connection. If we hold hands and form a triangle, I think it will work. Liz and Brody are the ones with the information all of you need to know, so they will stand on either side of me to form the base of the triangle. Kyle, Michael and Maria will form one side of the triangle. Tess, Isabel and Alex will form the other side, Maria and Alex holding hands to form the point at the top of the triangle. In this way the four of you will be able to make eye contact with Liz or Brody, all at the same time, creating the connection, I hope! They all took their places.

“Liz would you go first, please?” Max asked. Liz nodded.

“Well you all know that I tried to break up with Max last spring after we received the message from his mother. I thought it best to step back from our relationship in order for Max and Tess to fulfill their destiny together. But Max, bless him, was just as determined that we should not break up, so when I came back to Roswell this fall he intensified his efforts to get me back. I was almost ready to give in when someone came to see me. This is were it really gets complicated, so lets try to create the connection so that you may all see for yourselves what happened.”

“OK everyone.” Max instructed. “Look into Liz’s eyes, take slow, deep breaths, and try to relax your minds.” The connection actually worked! Maria, Michael, Alex and Isabel saw it all, and so did Max, Liz, Brody, Kyle and Tess as well.

“Oh Lizzie!” Maria exclaimed. “You told me what happened, but to see it for myself! You poor thing, what you went through for Max, for all of us!” Michael wrapped his arms around Maria before her legs gave out.

“Oh Max!” Isabel cried. “I know how upset you have been recently because Liz was still pushing you away. No wonder you were so depressed thinking that Liz had slept with Kyle. But I am So relieved to see that she didn’t really, of course!”

“Boy, Max.” Alex put in. “You’re lucky that Liz’s resolve finally wore down enough that she slipped up and told you the truth about what really happened, and how she feels about you. Otherwise you two might never have gotten back together again! You Are back together again aren’t you?”

“Absolutely!” Max replied, turning towards Liz and putting his arms around her.

“Positively!” Liz added, as she placed her arms around Max’s neck.

“And I’ll never let you go again!” Max whispered to Liz, though everyone else heard him.

“Nor I you! We are in this together!” Liz replied.

“Forever!” Max added, before bringing his lips down to kiss Liz. She met him half way, anxious for his touch.

“Oh brother!” Michael exclaimed. “There they go again! At this rate we’ll never find out what else they needed to tell us.”

“Give them a minute.” Tess shocked everyone by saying. “They have been through so much lately, and been apart too long!”

“What caused that Enormous change of attitude?” A stunned Isabel, asked.

“Maybe she’s a shape-shifter!” Alex exclaimed only half joking. Where’s the Real Tess?”

“She’s standing right in front of you.” Kyle said, coming up behind his girlfriend to encircle her in his strong arms.

“I learned a few things about myself today, and I am finally taking control of my life!” Tess explained.

“With a little help from your friends.” Kyle said.

“With a lot of help from my friends!” Tess agreed.

“Oh man!” Michael exclaimed. “Are we ever going to finish this meeting?” His voice penetrated the shell insulating Liz and Max from the rest of the world. They broke apart slowly.

“Yes, I guess we should get back to the reason we’re all here.” Max said after a minute. “If everyone will take their places again. Brody had another dream last night.” Max stated.

“Again?” Alex asked.

“Again!” Brody answered.

“This time.” Max continued. “He saw scenes from my and Tess’ past lives. Memories passed onto him while Larick was using his body as a conduit for his consciousness to speak through. These memories give an insight into some of our planets’ customs and practices. This time, as we create the connection, everyone look into Brody’s eyes.

“So you and Max were in a marriage arranged by your parents?” A stunned Maria asked after the connection ended.

“Yes.” Tess answered.

“And you didn’t even love each other?” Isabel asked.

“We didn’t even know each other!” Max replied.

“It was all politics?” Alex put in.

“That’s right!” Max and Tess said together.

“Well that totally sucks!” Michael exclaimed. “I mean if we weren’t even paired for genetic compatibility, I say again, as I have been saying all along, Forget It!”

“Now that Tess and I know the truth, we agree with you!”

“I was always so adamant about our following our destines because that’s what Nasedo told me I had to do, over and over again, just like my parents did in my past life.” Tess said.

“And I probably would have resigned myself to the belief that it was my duty and responsibility to follow my destiny with Tess.”

“As you did in your past life, Max.” Isabel put in.

“We do still have our enemies to deal with. And maybe, someday we’ll figure out how to reach our planet, and save our people.” Tess said.

“We have what Future-Max told us to help guide us.” Max said. “The four of us form a unit, stronger than its individual parts. We really need to start working as a team, learn how to control and increase our powers, both individually and as a unit.”

“Even though you four are a unit, you still need us!” Maria piped up. “Future Max never said anything against your still having friends!”

“Absolutely!” Max agreed. “All of you have been a great help and support for us. We are definitely stronger, and happier because of all of you, good friends!”

“And you have me!” Liz said softly, shyly. “Now that I have become more like you four, where do I fit in?”

“By my side, always!” Max instantly replied. “But I have some ideas about how you will be able to work with us as a part of the unit. We need to discover exactly what you are capable of, Liz! But that is for us to think about tomorrow. Why don’t we all just relax and enjoy being together for the rest of the night!”

“Alright! Party time!” Kyle and Michael yelled as they both headed towards the kitchen to raid the refrigerator for snacks….!

TBC Feedback, please.

posted on 13-Oct-2001 12:22:43 PM
RANY Part 3

The impromptu party broke up around eleven o’clock that night. The friends had just crossed the street when Maria realized that she had somehow left her car keys in Kyle’s house.

“Would you get them for me please, Michael?” Maria asked looking pleadingly at her boyfriend.

“Sure.” Michael replied reluctantly. He went to cross back over the street, not looking to see if the road was clear, when a car came barreling down the street out of control and headed directly at Michael, who for a split second was paralyzed in the glare from the headlights!

“Michael!” Max yelled as he saw his friend in danger, and instantly sprinted out into the street, hitting Michael with a running tackle, which took them both out of the car’s path and tumbling onto the far sidewalk!

“Max!” Liz yelled and she ran across the street after the car had passed by.

“MICHAEL!” Maria cried and she followed right behind Liz.

Max was just sitting up and disentangling himself from Michael as the two girls reached them.

“Max!” Liz called. “Are you alright?”

“Michael!” Maria dropped to her knees next to her boyfriend.

“I’m fine Liz!” Max reassured her as she came to kneel down next to him, putting her hand on his arm, needing to touch him for herself to be sure that he is alright.

“Michael, wake up!” Maria cried. “Max, Michael won’t wake up!”

Max was also just realizing that his best friend hadn’t sat up yet. He placed his palm on Michael’s chest, trying to make a connection so that he could find out what was wrong.

“He’s totally out.” Max said, concerned. “I can’t make a connection!” He checked Michael’s head and neck. “He must have hit his head, but without a connection, I can’t fix what is wrong. The brain is too complex for me to try and heal without one!”

“Try again Max.” Liz said placing her hand back on his arm and squeezing it. “I know you can do it!” She said trying to encourage Max. Max did try again while Liz left her hand on his arm, and it worked! Max was able to make a connection!

“Yes, he has a concussion!” Max said now able to sense what was wrong with his friend. “Bringing the swelling down, moving his brain back into it’s proper position!”

Meanwhile, on the other side of the street, Isabel, Tess, Alex and Brody had, for a minute, been undecided whether to go to Max and Michael or to run down the street to check on the driver of the car as they heard him crash into a telephone pole. Just then, the Sheriff’s SUV came down the street and not seeing the young people kept on going to the scene of the crash. Brody, Alex and Kyle, who had come running out of his home at all of the commotion, decided to follow the Sheriff, while Tess and Isabel crossed the street to their friends. They arrived just as Max finished healing Michael.

“Max, Michael!” Isabel cried in concern. “Are you two alright?” Maria had managed to lift Michael’s head and shoulders onto her lap and was running her hands over his face and through his hair, murmuring to him to open his eyes. Max was gazing at Liz in wonder. His hand covering hers, still on his arm.

“That shouldn’t have worked, Liz!” Max said in awe.

“What do you mean Max?” Liz asked. “What shouldn’t have worked?”

“I have never been able to make a connection with someone who was totally unconscious before, much less heal them!” Max answered.

But you were able to make a connection! You did heal Michael, Max!” Liz replied, confused.

“It was you, Liz!” Max said squeezing the hand on his arm. “You made a connection with me, and added your strength, your power to mine! I could feel it!” He said as Liz slightly shook her head.

“How could my touching your arm have made a difference?” Liz asked in a weak voice. “I have no special powers!”

“Of course you do Liz!” Max replied. “Just as you were able to reach out to warn me in New York, with Isabel’s help, you were able to modify or strengthen my power to heal! That has never happened before! I have never visualized, sensed a wound so clearly!” Liz just gazed at Max, her mouth open, her eyes wide!

“What’s this?” Isabel asked. “What did you say, Max? Liz healed Michael?”

“Pretty much!” Max replied, grinning. “I know I couldn’t have done it without her!”

“Liz can heal, and dream walk?” Tess asked amazed.

“Well, as with Isabel.” Max replied. “She modifies, enhances, or strengthens our powers! We will have to find out just what Liz can do with our help or by herself!”

“Lizzy?” Maria’s voice squeaked out, concerned about her friend after hearing what Max had just said.

“Everything’s OK Maria!” Liz said, glancing at her friend. “I see Michael has come around! How do you feel?”

“I’m fine. Never better!” Michael answered sitting up, but Maria kept her arms around him to reassure herself. “Thank you for healing me Liz!” He glanced to Max. “And for risking your life to get my sorry butt out of the path of that car!” Michael grinned at Max, sticking out his hand for Max to shake.

“Anytime, Michael!” Max replied.

At that point, Brody, Alex and Kyle came running up.

“Hey are you guys OK?” Alex asked his friends.

”We’re fine Alex!” Max replied calmly. “What happened to the driver?”

“He’s dead. The telephone pole snapped when his car slammed into it. It came down right on top of his car, killing him instantly, the Sheriff thinks. He’s still down there at the scene, but he wanted us to make sure that you are all OK!”

“That’s too bad about the driver.” Liz said sincerely. “But we’re all OK Alex!”

“I’ll run back and tell the Sheriff.” Brody said, seeing Maria with her arms all round Michael. ‘Well, looks like they are finally back together.’ Brody thought to himself, seeing his possible relationship with Maria slip away from him. He took off running back down the street towards the Sheriff, and away from the girl he had thought himself falling for.

“You must be exhausted.” Tess said to Max and Liz. “Let’s get you all home.” She and Isabel moved forward to help them up.

“Actually, I feel fine!” Liz remarked. “Almost energized!”

“Yeah!” Max added. “Usually I am wiped out after healing someone, but I feel great! But we should be getting home before we break curfew!” He turned to whisper in Liz’s ear. “I guess that’s another benefit to being connected to you!”

They bundled Liz and Max into the back seat of the jeep where the two young lovers moved into each other’s embrace. Liz’s head tucked in under Max’s chin. Isabel and Tess got in up front. Alex had gone to get Maria’s car keys and now went to drive her and Michael home. In the front of the jeep, Isabel and Tess were talking quietly, although one glance in the rear view mirror told Isabel that her brother and his girlfriend were in their own little world.

“That was quite an attitude change for Michael!” Tess observed. “He usually snaps at anyone who tries to help him.”

“Yeah.” Isabel agreed. “But in the past Max was helping Michael out of some stupid mess that his impatience, or shortsightedness got him into. This was the first time that Max had to actually risk his life to save Michael’s!”

“Maybe that bump on the head finally knocked some sense into Michael!” Tess added.

In the red Jetta, Maria was driving Michael home after insisting on dropping Alex off at his home first.

“Will you come inside for a minute, please Maria?” A subdued Michael asked when they reached his apartment.

“Sure.” Maria answered. “I was going to make sure that you made it inside safely anyway!” They walked into Michael’s apartment and Maria started to bustle around.

“Why don’t you sit down, Michael.” She said. “Do you want some coffee or a soda to drink?” Michael hadn’t sat down yet. He was pacing around his living room.

“Actually, will you sit down Maria?” He asked not looking at her, and ignoring her offer to fix him a drink. “I have something to ask you.” Maria sat down, but Michael continued to pace, not looking in her direction.

“What is it Michael?” Maria prodded. Michael’s pacing become more agitated, then he stopped with his back to her.

“Ineedyourhelp.” He muttered.

“I’m sorry Michael.” Maria said. “I couldn’t hear what you said.”

“I said I need your help!” Michael spun around, his voice closer to his normal, impatient tone.

“To do what?” Maria asked puzzled. The voice was Michael’s, but the question was one he had NEVER asked before!

“I need you to help me stop screwing up all the time!” There were actually tears gathering in Michael’s eyes.

“What?” Maria yelped, surprised.

“I’m always screwing up, and Max is always having to fix my mistakes. Usually I resent-the-hell-out-of-him when he does because he is always so irritatingly right all the time, and that oh-so-patient tone he uses!” Maria is just listening to this, her eyes wide open in shock.

“But tonight, the way he risked his life to save mine. He did it without any hesitation! Just threw himself into the path of that car and knocked us both out of it’s way!”

“He’s your best friend!” Maria exclaimed. “Of course he would try to save you!”

“He shouldn’t have to be saving my life!” Michael yelled. “That’s the problem! I’m the one who is supposed to be protecting him! As his second-in-command, I shouldn’t need rescuing! He shouldn’t have to worry about fixing my next mistake!”

“You’re only seventeen, Michael.” Maria tried to reason. “You’re not some general with a lifetime of training!”

“Isn’t it interesting.” Michael mused. “How we all expect Max to be the leader, and he pretty much has been. Always the serious one, the responsible one, always trying to do the right thing! I’m like that driver tonight!” Michael went on. “I’m out of control, and I’m going to get someone killed!” Maria wasn’t sure what to say for a moment.

“Well then you do what Max has been suggesting. You train, separately and together. You have already made a lot of progress this last summer!”

“Yeah, that’s what I’m going to do.” Michael said determined. “I’m going to train my powers, get control of them! Will you help me?”

“Of course Michael!” Maria answered.

“I’ll call Max first thing in the morning.” Michael said. “I think that it’s high time we all went out to the Granolith. It’s time we found out what that thing can do!”

At noon the next day, Max walked into the Crashdown. Michael had called Max that morning with his suggestion that they all go out to see the Granolith together. Michael would have liked to go out there first thing that morning but he knew that he, Maria and Liz were all working the morning shift at the café. So it was arranged for Max to come and have lunch with the others after their shift ended and then they would meet Kyle, Tess, Isabel and Alex out at the pod chamber. Brody had felt that he had not yet proven himself enough to the group to be shown such an important and secret place as the pod chamber where the Granolith was hidden.

On his way to their usual back booth, Max passed Louise Nelson, who was sitting alone in the booth just before the one Max was headed to.

“Oh, good morning Max.” Louise greeted him with a distracted smile, having just glanced up from the book she was immersed in.

“Hi Louise.” Max replied.

“Got some plans for this afternoon with Liz?” She inquired, grinning.

“Yeah, after she, Michael and Maria get off shift, we are going to get together with some other friends for the day.” Max answered.

“I’ve met Maria. Who is Michael?”

“He’s the cook in the kitchen this morning.” Max replied.

“Ah. Great waffles!” Louise said. “I’ll let you go and order your lunch. I’m sure you’re hungry!” Louise let herself be sucked back into the story she was reading.

‘Interesting book cover.’ Max thought to himself. ‘A farmer and his wife out in their fields working, with a spaceship parked behind their barn!’ He went and sat in their booth. Liz saw Max and came over to him.

“Good morning!” Liz said, leaning over to give Max an intense, good morning kiss!

“Hmmm! Good morning!” Max answered.

“What would you like for lunch? I’ll put our orders in and then go change out of my uniform.” Liz said.

“Louise recommends the waffles. How about some of those and some sausage, milk and OJ.” Max gave Liz his order.

“Coming up. I’ll be right back.” When Liz had changed into jeans and her steal-blue turtle neck sweater, which Max thought showed off her figure nicely, she came back out to their booth. On the way, she stopped to talk to Louise.

“Louise, I’m going off shift, but if there is anything else you need, Abbey will be happy to serve you!”

“Thanks Liz.” Louise came out of her book long enough to look up at the lovely young woman standing by her table.

“That must be a really good book you’re reading! You’ve been deep into it during your whole breakfast! And you have another book by the same author with you for when you finish that one!” Liz could see the second book left out on the tabletop, and Louise was almost on the last page of her present book.

“Oh yeah!” Louise exclaimed. “These are some of my favorite sci-fi books! You’ve never read Zenna Henderson?” As Liz shook her head, she continued. “These books are about ‘the People’, that’s what they call themselves. “The People: No Different Flesh”, she picks up the book from the table, tells about how they found out that their world ‘the Home’ was going to be destroyed by it’s own natural forces. So the People built space ships. Each ship went out to a different part of space, hoping to find a planet they could live on. One ship found Earth in 1893 and crashed in northern New Mexico. It’s about how the survivors who are helped by humans. Then “Pilgrimage” takes place in the 50’s or 60’s. It tells about how the People have settle themselves in, up in the canyons north of here. They are still gathering in those of their kind who got separated from the main group. It’s also about how they live among us and how humans react when they find out that they are aliens, mostly in a positive way! Anyway, they are great books to read! I dug them out of my collection to read again when I moved out here! Oh, they even made a movie about these books back in the early 70’s. It was pretty good! A young William Shatner starred in it!”

“Oh my!” Liz said. “Maybe I could borrow them from you to read?”

“Sure!” Louise replied. “They get me thinking though, living here in Roswell, I mean. Whether I really believe in aliens and whether they could just be living among us like that. Ya know, ‘no different flesh’!”

Max, sitting in the next booth, facing Liz with Louise’s back towards him, is trying not to laugh as he listens to the conversation.

“So, Liz.” Louise asked. “Living here in Roswell, do you believe in aliens?”

“I don’t know.” Liz replies, glancing at Max, trying not to grin. “I think it must be like they said in that movie, ‘Contact’. If there isn’t life out among all of those billions of other planets, it would be a terrible waste of space!”

“Well said Liz!” Louise responded. Max was grinning at Liz from behind Louise’s back. “So, do you think that Brody believes in aliens?” Louise questioned Liz again. “Or do you think this is just a money-making scheme for him, buying the UFO Center?”

“I don’t think a person would buy a place like the UFO Center unless they were at least a little curious about aliens and UFOs.” Liz answered.

“Yeah, but Brody is a genius computer programmer, and he left it all behind for this? I’m worried about him.” Louise admitted. She grinned. “You don’t think he was abducted by aliens do you? And now he wants to make contact with them again!” Louise’s questions were getting too close to the truth, even though she was mostly joking as she asked them.

“I don’t know that much about Brody, except that he’s Max’s boss.” Liz replied carefully. “Why don’t you go and talk to him if you’re worried?”

“Yeah, maybe it’s time I did!” Louise started to gather her things together in preparation to getting up to leave. “Thanks for the chat Liz, and for the advice about Brody. I’ll see you around.” Liz went over to sit next to Max as she saw Maria and Michael coming over with their food.

“Well, what did you make of that?” Liz asked Max.

“I think she’s just curious in general and worried about Brody’s change in occupation, specifically.” Max answered. “I’ll ask Brody about her the next time I see him.” To Maria and Michael he said. “Great, here’s lunch, I’m starved.


TBC FEEDBACK PLEASE!

posted on 13-Oct-2001 12:23:32 PM
ROSWELL, AFTER NEW YORK Part 4

Max, Liz, Michael and Maria finished up their lunch and drove out to the pod chamber, where they would be met by Tess, Kyle, Isabel and Alex. The eight of them climbed up the outcropping of rock to where the hidden door was. Isabel passed her hand over a section of rock to light up the handprint, which she then touched to open the door to the chamber. Everyone followed her in. Since Isabel was the one who discovered the Granolith, she led the way, instructing the others to crawl through the old pod chambers to the room beyond.

They all gathered round the strange, enormous, conical shaped Granolith, suspended between its base and the large hole in the ceiling of the chamber. It remained quiet and dim until Max, the last of their group, came through the doorway. Then it was as if the Granolith came to life, warming up into standby mode, with moving spots of light dimly shining on the upper walls. A movement up near the ceiling caught their eyes. A long, slim crystal was floating down from its hiding place at the top of the Granolith. It floated over everyone’s heads, just out of reach ‘til it came down very specifically it seemed, into Max’s astonished hand!

“What’s that?” Michael asked, coming over to look at the crystal.

“What’s going on?” Kyle asked looking around, uncertain.

“Look, What’s this light down here?” Tess asked noticing a backlit hole in the base section of the Granolith. Max came over to look at it.

“Well it’s the same shape as the crystal if I insert it length wise. Maybe it’s where I’m supposed to put the crystal, like a key in an ignition. I’ll try it.” Max inserted the crystal.

“Careful Max.” Liz said, reaching for his hand, drawing him away a little from the alien device.

The Granolith went from stand-by to active. The circling spots of light became a bit more intense, moving around more quickly and the group heard a hum start up. One by one, each individual reached out to clasp their boy/girlfriend’s hand. As each couple clasped hands the hum grew a little bit louder.

“Did you hear that?” Max asked the group. “It seems to respond to our holding hands in couples! Everyone, let go your hands.” Everyone let go and the hum died down.

“I want to try something.” Max said. “First, Tess and Kyle hold hands.” The couple did as they were asked and the hum grew a little bit louder.

“Now, Maria and Michael, please.” They clasped hands and the sound level went up the same degree as it had for Kyle and Tess.

“Now Isabel and Alex, if you wouldn’t mind working together.” Max gave them an apologetic look. Isabel ever so slightly reluctant reached out her hand to Alex.

“That’s strange.” Alex, the musician, noticed. “The sound didn’t increase as much for us as it did for Kyle and Tess, Michael and Maria.”

“Try it again.” Max suggested. Alex let go of Isabel’s hand, the hum decreased the same degree as it had just increased. Alex took Isabel’s hand back into his and the sound went up as much as it had the first time.

“Well, you try now.” Isabel said impatiently. Max and Liz clasped hands and the Granolith’s hum increased twice as much as it had for the other individual couples!

“Do you think it’s because of Lizzy being part-alien now? Maria asked

“I don’t know.” Max replied. “It’s certainly something to think about. Now let’s all try holding hands, completing a circle.” Max suggested. They did this, the couples unintentionally being ordered alien, human, alien human. The hum increased considerably.

“That’s interesting!” Isabel remarked. “The Granolith knows that we are all linked. Should we try just having the four of us holding hands around this thing?”

“OK.” Max said. “Kyle, Maria, Alex and Liz back out of the circle but don’t drop our hands just yet. Now, bring our hands together in front of you so that we don’t break the circle as we change the hands we are holding.” As soon as just the four-square were holding hands there was an immediate, and startling increase in the hum of the Granolith, as well as a brightening of the lights and general power output!

“Oh my gosh!” Liz exclaimed. “Look at the walls!” The walls seemed to have disappeared. It was as if they were all standing at the very top of the rock outcropping, way above where they stood now! They could see for miles, and miles, in every direction! Then it was as if they were launched into space! They circled the moon, followed the great red spot on Jupiter and checked out the rings of Saturn, before heading out into deep space!

“Ohh, I want to go back to Earth!” Maria cried out in panic. And the scene slowed down, turned around and then they were flying back through their solar system, back down to Earth and to the stone outcrop in the New Mexico desert! The encircling view of the desert remained.

“What the hell was that! Kyle yelped.

I wonder if it’s a giant view screen and sensor of everything that is outside this chamber.” Tess mused. “If our enemies came after us, or the Granolith here, we could see them coming and defend ourselves! Lit me try something. Show me the high school.”

The scene on one wall moved and narrowed its scope until they were looking down on Roswell High, where they could see one of the janitors carrying trash out to a dumpster!

“Oh man!” Max exclaimed. “It’s showing us everything exactly as it is happening!”

“This is incredible! “Alex exclaimed.

“With this thing, we could wipe out our enemies before they got within twenty miles of us!” Michael said excited. “I wonder how we can make this thing shoot.” Michael was looking at a small outcropping, perhaps fifteen miles away, when all of a sudden, a burst of energy was flying towards that outcropping, and hit it right on target. Rock and debris fell for hundreds of yards all around!

Oh my God!” Michael yelled, panicked, he broke the circle and the view screen went blank. The energy level in the chamber dropped down to stand-by mode.

“Michael, what is wrong with you?” Isabel yelled. “Why did you break the circle?”

“Because I did that!” Michael cried out. “I had a picture in my mind of destroying that outcropping with a burst of my power and BOOM! It happened. This thing must amplify our powers a thousand fold!”

“I think your right Michael!” Max agreed. “I think that, that is exactly what the Granolith does! It takes our already increased powers since we are joined in our four-square, and amplifies them to an almost unlimited power! That is why Kivar and all of those other alien leaders want the Granolith back! Because who ever has control of it can control our entire solar system, maybe even, our galaxy!

“That is why it has so many safe guards. The Granolith is very well hidden, you need me to get the key to come out of it’s hiding place, and you need all four of us to bring it to full power! I think it best that we leave here right away and not come back until we have perfected our powers and our control of them! One little mishap could lead to disaster! I do want to try one thing before I go.” Max said. “Would you all please leave the chamber.”

They all exited the room but stood just outside. Max went to the door, lifted up his hand and the crystal key he had taken from its slot floated out of his hand and back to its hiding place at the top of the Granolith. Max then stepped out of the chamber, waited a moment, and then walked back in. This time though, he specifically kept his hands behind his back and his thoughts about not wanting to awaken the Granolith, in his mind. Max then brought his hands around to his sides, but kept them down, continuing with his commands that the Granolith stay, quiet. Finally he raised his hand up and after a moment, mentally asked for the crystal key. It came floating down to him. When it was midway, Max told the key to go back to it’s hiding place, and it did even though he kept his arm upraised!

“OK Max.” Michael said. “What was that all about?”

“I wanted to see how much control I had over whether or not the Granolith would become active.” Max answered. “It’s all about my wanting to start it up or not. No matter what position my hands are in, if I order the key to stay hidden, it stays hidden!”

“How did the key come out the first time then if you didn’t even know it was there?” Alex asked.

“Maybe because we all came here hoping to figure out what this thing can do, my mind was subconsciously willing the Granolith to start up.” Max suggested. Before the group of friends left the pod chamber, Max made another suggestion.

“I would like us all, but especially the four of us and Liz to start some sort of training program. We could all take turns working with Liz so that we can figure out exactly what she is capable of on her own, as well as how she would modify or intensify each of our individual powers! Once we each show good progress, then we can train as a team to see what our combined powers are capable of. Then finally we will figure out how to safely train with the Granolith. How does that sound to each of you?” Max asked his friends.

“That sounds good.” Kyle said.

“We’ll help you anyway we can.” Liz said.

“Yeah, we need to learn what we are capable of.” Michael agreed.

“Why don’t we find a shady spot outside where we can get comfortable.” Max suggested. “I’d like to discuss precisely what each of our powers are and what their limitations are. Then we can think about ways we would like to try to enhance them in training. Isabel, would you start please?”

“OK!” Isabel agreed. “Well, my strongest power is dream walking. The person needs to be asleep for it to work, except when I connected with Liz and she was able to reach Max in New York even though he was awake! The other limitation for me is that I need a picture of that person. I can’t just randomly dream walk a stranger somewhere in Roswell!”

“That might be a useful power to try and learn though.” Michael put in. “if you could dream walk the enemy, maybe we could learn valuable intelligence!”

“Hmmm, good point, Michael!” Max praised. “What other powers do you have Isabel?”

“Well I can change molecular structures like you can, Max.” Isabel said. “But I’m not as good at the detail-necessary-skill of healing someone. I found out with Whitacker that I can deflect a power stream shot at me. That’s how I ended up killing her. I deflected the stream away from myself until it built up and exploded in her face!”

“That could be a great defensive weapon, Isabel.” Michael noted.

“Michael, why don’t you go next.” Max asked.

“Well mostly I can blow things up, or throw them across a room!” Michael said. “So far, I have to be pretty close to what I want to blow up. I’m better at hitting what I want to hit after working with Tess this summer.”

“Perhaps you could work on increasing the distance from which you can destroy an object.” Max suggested. “Have you discovered what the largest size is that you can blow up?”

“Not yet.” Michael answered. “I have been focusing on hitting only what I wanted to hit without damaging something else! We know I can throw something as large as a man away from me.” Michael said remembering Agent Pierce guiltily. Maria took Michael’s hand.

“He was trying to kill Max.” She reminded Michael. “That’s what your powers were meant to do, protect others from being hurt. Pierce was the first person you ever had to kill. I’m sure that is a difficult lesson for any soldier to learn. Maybe once you gain more control, you will be able to injure the enemy rather than killing them unless you have to.”

“Thanks Maria.” Michael said hugging his girlfriend. “Yeah, I’ll work on controlling the intensity of my power, as well as my aim!”

“It would be cool if you could learn to hit something you can’t see!” Kyle put in enthusiastically. “Like aiming a missile.”

“I’ll see what I can do!” Michael replied.

“Tess would you go next please?” Max asked.

“My power is ‘mind warping’.” Tess said. “I need to be able to see the person I am going to ‘warp’, or as we found out at the accelerator, I can warp an entire room of people if I am nearby. I can’t hold that type of ‘warp’ for long though.”

“That sounds like quite a big improvement in your power level.” Liz praised Tess. “To be able to work from outside a building, having to sense how many people are inside, what it looks like, so that you could make them see only what you wanted them to see and Max could do his work undetected!”

“Well actually.” Tess admitted. “I only had to make those people not see Max. I just told them to see only what they normally saw, everyday, so it wasn’t quite as big a deal as you imagined. But thanks for thinking it was, Liz!”

“Max, your turn.” Michael said. “Tell us about that shield thing you can do now.”

“Well, first of all.” Max started. “My main power is changing molecular structures, especially to heal someone. Usually I need to either be able to clearly see what is wrong, such as a broken bone, or I need to make a connection with that person, so that I can sense what is wrong inside them. But last night with Liz’s help, I was able to heal Michael even though he was totally unconscious!”

“Max what about what you did to my Grandma Claudia?” Liz asked. “She was in a coma.”

“I wasn’t able to make a connection with your Grandma, Liz. I wasn’t trying to heal her. I channeled some of my power into her hoping that, that would give her the energy to wake up enough so you two could say good bye!”

“Thank you Max.” Liz said hugging Max. “For giving me that time with her, and for being there with me!” Liz leaned in to kiss Max.

“Please, can we continue with the subject at hand?” Michael asked, rolling his eyes at his two friends, who were slipping into their own little world again!

“Oh, yeah. Sorry.” Max apologized, reluctantly pulling away from Liz. “The new power I discovered not long ago is that I can throw up an energy shield. I wasn’t able to hold it for long when the Skins attached us, but I hope to improve on that!”

“I’m sorry to break up this little gathering.” Alex apologized. “But my mother made it clear that she wanted me home for Sunday dinner tonight. I’ll drive Isabel home, since she rode out here with me.”

“Thanks Alex.” Max replied. “Michael and I are taking Maria and Liz home, so it would be a little crowded in the jeep.” The friends all decided to go back to town and headed toward their respective cars.

Isabel rode with Alex. Slightly uncomfortable, being alone in his company. Discomfort changed to surprise when shortly before their dirt road would have joined the highway, Alex turned off onto an even less used two-track lane. They bumped along for a few minutes until Alex pulled over, off of the lane.

“Alex!” Isabel exclaimed trying to sound annoyed, to hide her nerves. “What are you doing? Why have you brought me out here?”

“I need to talk to you Isabel.” Alex answered.

“Alex, I’ve told you. We can only be friends. I can’t concentrate on a deeper relationship right now!”

“Isabel.” Alex burst out in frustration-fueled courage. “Is it OK if I tell you what I Want? What I think you really want?” Without giving Isabel a chance to reply, Alex started in on the speech he had been memorizing for days.

“I love you Isabel! And I know you love me! You keep telling me that you have to concentrate on building your powers and fighting your enemies, but don’t you see Is? By fighting your feelings for me you drain your energies! Just like in the Granolith chamber today. We as a couple didn’t create as much energy as the others, not because we don’t have a connection, but because you are trying so hard to shut down our connection, to block it and it’s draining you! Now if I thought for one instant that you didn’t love me, I’d be gone, out of your life. But I do know that you love me. I can feel it through the little bit of connection that you can’t stop between us! So, I’m staying! Through the good and the bad, no matter what, I’m here for you! Knowing that my stubborn Isabel, don’t you think you should stop exhausting yourself, trying to keep me out? I won’t distract you from your purpose. I’ll support you, energize you! Please Isabel. Relax those barriers and rest in me! I love you!”

“Alex?” Isabel said in a confused, little-girl voice. “You love me? Really? After I have been pushing you away for so long?”

“Yes Isabel!” Alex said soothingly, opening his arms to her as she moved towards him. “I love you! I’ll always be here for you!”

“Oh Alex!” Isabel sighed, leaning into him. “Hold me please.”

“I am, I’m here Sweetheart!” Alex answered as he felt the wall between them come tumbling down and Isabel’s emotions came spilling out in the form of great sobs, her body shaking, her face washed with the tears that she had held in for so long, too long! They held onto each other for quite a while, just rocking together comfortingly.

“Oh Alex!” Isabel exclaimed finally. “I feel so free! I’ve been boxing myself in for so long. Thank you for insisting that I let down the barriers! I do love you!”

“Thank you, God!” Alex prayed out loud. “Hey, I was serious about my mother wanting me home for Sunday dinner. Why don’t you come and eat with us? With me?” Alex asked.

“I’d love to!” Isabel replied. “I’ll just cal my mom on the way to your house.

Meanwhile, in Tess’ SUV:

“Boy!” Kyle exclaimed. “That Granolith thing is some freaky contraption! When it shot us out into space, I thought that I was going to have a heart attach!”

“I know!” Tess said excitedly. “Wasn’t that awesome!”

“It’s a lot to think about! I’m beat! Why don’t we go home and I’ll order pizza.” Kyle suggested.

“That sounds great!” Tess agreed with an ulterior motive. “Is you dad working tonight?” She asked glancing up at Kyle through her eyelashes.

“Uh, yeah he is.” Kyle answered. “Why did you have something in mind?” He asked with a smile, hoping she was thinking the same thing he was.

“Well maybe we could work on ‘trimming my lamp’!” Tess suggested. The speed of the SUV increased dramatically as Kyle’s foot pressed down on the accelerator!

“I hope my dad’s deputies aren’t out tonight!” As they sped home for a special night together.

In the jeep:

“Hey Max.” Maria asked. “Could you drop me off with Michael? I already told my mom that I’d probably spend the night with Liz.”

“But you’re going to spend the night with Michael?” Liz asked shocked. “Michael what are you doing to my best friend?”

“Nothing Liz!” Michael exclaimed. “We just want some quality time alone.”

“I’ll come by your place around eleven.” Maria explained. “Does that give you two enough time to be alone?” Maria asked coyly.

“Yeah!” Liz answered. “Actually my parents probably won’t let Max stay past ten since tomorrow is a school day.”

“Oh yeah.” Maria remembered. “Well then, I’ll come by ten! See you two love birds later!” They had reached Michael’s apartment building and Michael and Maria scrambled out of the jeep and up the sidewalk arm in arm!

“Well, that was subtle!” Liz exclaimed.

“Looks like Michael is rubbing off on Maria!” Max replied.

“Well if you want to spend the evening with me, you’re going to have to stay and have dinner with me and my parents!” Liz said. “Are you up for that?”

“Hey I am an alien king!” Max told Liz impressively. “I’m not afraid of eating with your human parents!” Gulp!” Liz broke out giggling.

“Just for laughing at my royal personage.” Max warned. “I fine you ten kisses!” Liz laughed even harder!

“I raise the fine to fifteen kisses!” Max warned. Liz laughed on. “What are you doing Liz?” Max finally asked when Liz didn’t stop laughing.

“I was hoping to get a life-time penalty!” Liz explained.

“Starting now?” Max asked as he pulled the jeep over in front of the Crashdown.

“Starting a year ago when you saved my life!” Liz clarified.

“Hmmm!” Max moaned as their lips met.

“But first you have to slay my mother’s meatloaf, oh mighty warrior!”

“My sword and my shield are at your service My Lady!” Max declared as they walked, arm in arm up the outside staircase to Liz’s apartment door.

Later that night, Max drove home in a fog of wellbeing! His time with Liz that night had been wonderful! Even dinner with her parents had gone well! Their connection was so much more than the two of them were separately. It was more beautiful than Liz was to Max, stronger than he was himself! It left him feeling serene and excited all at once! He could hardly wait to see Liz at school tomorrow morning! His good mood vanished when he entered his bedroom and pushed the button to get his messages.

“Max, I know you’re out with the group, give me a call when you get home, there’s something I need to show you!” Brody’s voice was serious. He had called at 12:02 that afternoon. There was another message from Brody that came in at 7:00 that evening.

“Max where are you? I really need to see you! Come over to the Center as soon as you get home!” There was a third message from Brody, which had come in at 10:00, just before Max had arrived home.

“Max! By the time you get this message I guess it will be too late for you to come over tonight. I don’t want you to get into more trouble with your folks. I guess what I need to tell you can wait until morning, but come as early as you can before you go to school!”

TBC FEEDBACK PRETTY PLEASE, With A Cherry On Top! Thanks! -jane

posted on 13-Oct-2001 12:24:32 PM
ROSWELL, AFTER NEW YORK (All Couples!) Part 5

“Liz, Maria’s here, and I think it’s time for Max to go home now.” Mrs. Parker called down the hall a few seconds before Maria came bursting through the door to Liz’s bedroom.

“Well, I guess I’d better be going.” Max said reluctantly, getting up from the bed and putting his hand out to pull Liz up. Since he now had an audience, he kissed Liz quickly on her lips and then on her forehead. “I’ll see you tomorrow. ‘Bye Maria.” He said as he headed out of Liz’s room.

“So, how was your time with Max?” Maria asked as soon as Max was gone. A dreamy look came into Liz’s eyes, and a grin to her lips!

“That good huh!” Maria asked, grinning at her best friend.

“It was Wonderful!” Liz exclaimed. “It’s been so long since we’ve had a chance to talk!”

“Talk?” Maria almost sounded disgusted with her friend’s activity choice. “You haven’t been with Max, one of the most handsome, charming, guys in the school, for months, and all you two did was talk?” Maria’s voice had risen to an outraged pitch. “Let me feel your forehead. Are you sick?”

“Maria, No! I am not sick!” Liz exclaimed. “Max and I had a pleasant dinner with my parents and then we went into my room and Max sat back on my bed, and I sat in his arms, and Ohhh! We talked!”

“You ‘ohhhhh-talked’!” Maria said skeptically. “OK, if you don’t want to tell your very-best-friend-from-when-we-were-both-in-diapers what really happened between you and Max….!”

“Maria!” Liz exclaimed, and then relented. “Of course we kissed, and that was…fabulous, but just being in Max’s arms, feeling his love and trust encircle me again, like a warm, fuzzy blanket is just as fabulous as kissing him! So, tell me about you and Michael?”

“Well, we Did kiss! And it didn’t feel anything like a warm, fuzzy blanket! In fact, it was so hot, that I wanted to throw my clothes off! Not that I did, we are so not ready for that step yet! But, you know Liz, I’m almost certain that I could feel Michael’s emotions as we kissed! Maybe that’s why it got so hot, so fast! Is that what it’s like for you and Max?”

“Yeah, Maria.” Liz answered her friend. “Max and I can usually feel each other’s emotions when we touch, especially if we create a connection!”

“I’ve never been able to feel Michael’s emotions before. You don’t think I’m changing, like you did?” Maria asked, a bit of panic in her voice.

“Don’t worry, Maria, I don’t think Michael has changed you, as Max changed me when he saved my life. But I do think the two of you have changed. Let’s just say that both of your personalities are volatile, and your relationship has been on-and-off again! Now that Michael is trying to get his act together, and the two of you have committed yourselves to each other, your minds are a little quieter, so that you can hear or feel each other’s emotions!”

“I don’t know if I want Michael to know what I’m feeling all of the time.” Maria said, worried.

“Don’t worry, he won’t be able to feel them all of the time! You’ll get used to it, and I think it will bring you two closer together!” Liz yawned. “Sorry, not the company, or the conversation!”

“Yeah, I bet all of that “talking” was strenuous!” Maria teased. “Let’s get some shut-eye, I’ve got two tests at school tomorrow!”

“Good night, Maria.”

“ ‘Night Liz.”

Max was up early the next morning, after a restless night, on his way downstairs when he bumped into Isabel as she walked down the hall rubbing sleep out of her eyes.

“What’s your hurry Max?” Isabel asked. “School doesn’t start for 2 ½ hours.

“I’m sorry Isabel.” Max apologized. “Brody left a message for me that he needs to see me first thing this morning. I’m going over to the UFO Center now.

“Is something wrong?” Isabel asked.

“I don’t know.” Max answered. “But Brody sounded concerned about something. If Mom of Dad ask, tell them I went over to Liz’s to put the final touches on the project we were working on last night.” Max ran downstairs, snagging a muffin off of the counter as he went. He was relieved that neither of his parents were downstairs to see him leave so early.

Louise Nelson was driving down the main street of Roswell, coming up on the Crashdown on one side, and the UFO Center on the other. She was on her way to the public library to finish the November statistics that she didn't’ get done the Friday before. Up ahead she saw Brody Davis pacing in front of the Center. She was getting ready to lower her car window so that she could wave at him, when she saw Max Evans cross the street towards Brody. Brody was obviously anxious to see Max and ushered the young man into the Center. What really peaked her curiosity was when Brody glanced up and down the street before following Max into the UFO Center. ‘What is going on there?’ She asked herself. ‘Why would Brody and Max be meeting at the UFO Center so early on a school morning?’ She couldn’t help herself, she parked her car down the street from the Center and walked up to the front door.

‘This is stupid. The door is going to be locked.’ Louise thought to herself. ‘I should be going into the library and finishing my stats.’ But the door wasn’t locked, and Louise found herself quietly walking inside and down the stairs, checking to see where Brody and Max were. ‘I guess that Brody was so anxious to get Max inside, that he forgot to lock the door! What am I going to tell Brody if he catches me here?’ She muttered to herself. She could see that both men were up in the office. Through the office window she saw that they were bent over a computer screen. ‘What is going on? What could be so important for Brody to tell Max at 6:30 in the morning for Pete’s sake?’ Louise asked herself. She couldn’t believe it, but her feet kept walking in the direction of the office door, which was ajar.

“You see Max.” Brody pointed to the screen. “It’s just like I showed you before ‘we’.” Brody grinned at Max. “Went to New York. Communication signals are showing up all around the country and down in Central America as well. They are roughly in a thousand mile circle around us!”

“Same frequency as before?” Max asked. “Could we listen in?”

“No the signals are scrambled, we can’t listen in.” Brody answered. “But there is something interesting going on here. Last time it Was just one frequency. This time, two frequencies are being used. We may have two groups encircling us! Didn’t you tell me that you thought that of the five leaders you met with, two seemed to be against you, and three supported you?”

“That was what I sensed.” Max nodded. “Kivar of course, and Kathana, I think are against us.”

“Kathana?” Brody questioned trying to remember. “Oh yeah, the one who had the waitress as her ‘vessel’ as I was the ‘vessel’ for Larick.”

“You haven’t seen any movement since yesterday?” Max asked.

“No.” Brody answered. “That’s why I didn’t insist that you slip out of your house last night.”

Louise was stunned and totally confused by what she was hearing through the door. ‘What are they talking about?’ She asked herself. ‘It’s as if they are speaking in tongues!” She was about to turn away and try to sneak back out of the Center when Max spoke.

“Well keep me posted will you?” He looked at his watch. It was only 7 a.m. “So I heard Louise Nelson talking to Liz yesterday! She’s worried about your motives for buying this place! Did she come to see you?” Max asked his friend.

“Yeah!” Brody answered. “What a close call that was! I had noticed these signals, and put in my first call to you when she walked into the office. I barely got the screen cleared before she walked over here!”

**FLASHBACK**

“Knock, knock. Are you in here Brody?” Louise called as she opened the office door.

“Lou!” Brody exclaimed, quickly clearing his computer screen. “Hi, what are you doing here?”

“Mostly I just wanted to say ‘Hi’.” Louise answered. “But I have come to the realization that I’m worried about you Brody.”

“Worried about me, why?” Brody asked.

“Well, you left your very successful carrier in computer programming to come out here and buy this UFO Center! That’s why Brody!” Louise exclaimed, laughing. “I was just joking with Liz over at the Crashdown, whether you had been abducted by aliens or something!”

‘This is it.’ Brody thought to himself. “Well actually Lou, I was! Two years ago!” Brody told a gaping Louise. “There I was driving down this highway one day, and the next thing I know I find myself halfway across the country with no memory of how I got there! I would have passed it off as just an acid flashback.”

“You did acid?” Louise broke in, shocked.

“In my wild and crazy youth, yeah!” Brody admitted, and continued. “I would have thought that this was just an acid flashback except for when my doctor told me that the cancer was gone!”

“Brody!” Louise exclaimed, putting her hand on his arm.

“Yeah, well it was bone cancer, terminal, and then it was gone! My doctor couldn’t explain it. After that a computer career didn’t seem to mean anything to me anymore, so I sold the company. That was when I started tutoring at the university and met you!”

“You don’t remember anything at all Brody?” Louise asked.

“No. I went through two years of regressive memory therapy, but all I got out of that were the memories of the smell of burnt hair, and the color of the walls! Then I heard about this place and decided to buy it. I guess I had some silly notion of trying to make contact with them again, but that’ll never happen!” Brody said, changing his story as he told it. “Anyway running this place is kind of fun. There are some really nice people living here!”

“I’m so glad Brody!” Louise said, sincerely. “Hey you know, since I moved here, and ran into you again, I’ve been searching the Net. Most of the UFO sites are a bunch of junk, but I’ve found a few good ones! And last week a new site opened up. It’s more of an index and search engine for some pretty authoritative looking sites! Have you seen it?”

“No, I haven’t. What’s the address?” Brody asked moving over to another computer. Louise gave him the URL and they spent the next couple hours happily searching the Net, sharing their favorite sites!

**END FLASHBACK**

“Wow, that’s great Brody!” Max said as Brody finished telling him about his Sunday visitor. “So any chance of you and Louise getting serious?”

“Well, maybe.” Brody mused. “But things are kinda complicated, what with you guys and.” He paused. “And my daughter and ex-wife.”

“Daughter! Ex-wife!” Max exclaimed.

“Daughter!” Louise almost screeched before she slapped her hand over her mouth.

“Yeah, daughter!” Brody confirmed. “Sydney, she’s six years old…and…she has bone cancer too. It’s genetic. It’s tough for me to talk about, I mean, I got cured, but my little girl…”

“Brody, I’m so sorry! Max said, putting his hand on Brody’s shoulder. “Do they live nearby?”

“They’re in Albuquerque, close to the hospital.” Max’s mind was running a mile a minute. ‘Is there anyway for me to heal his daughter without him finding out?’ It was Max’s modest nature that made him want to cure Brody’s little girl secretly. He used his most understanding facial expressions and mental vibes to get Brody to talk about his daughter…and where she and his ex-wife lived. The conversation had dwindled down when Max realized that he needed to leave if he were to get to school on time. Louise had just enough time to hide herself around a corner of the office, before Max came out and headed towards the front door.

‘I’ve got to get out of here!’ Louise thought to herself. ‘This is all too strange! I need to think.’ She saw that Brody was once again engrossed in his computer screen, with his back towards the office door. She quietly made her way to the main door and slipped out.

Meanwhile, back at the Evans’ residence:

“Hello?” Isabel came back into her room after bumping into Max just as her phone rang. “Oh, Hi Alex! Yeah, I’m fine! Last night was a lot of fun! Your parents are very nice people!”

“They really seemed to like you!” Alex replied.

“Thanks for taking me stargazing after dinner.” Isabel told Alex. “I’ve missed our special time together at our favorite spot out in the desert!”

“I had fun too, but how could I not when I was with you!” Alex replied.

“Oh, Alex!” Isabel said, blushing. “I’ll see you at school!”

At the Valenti residence, Kyle came into the kitchen and snuck up behind Tess.

“Good morning!” He whispered in her ear. His father was in the living room, and Kyle didn’t want him to hear the two of them talking.

“Morning.” Tess answered.

“So, is your lamp properly trimmed now?” Kyle asked, flirting.

“Well, lets just say you made a good start on bringing out the shine from the tarnish!” Tess replied, grinning.

“Huh?” Kyle asked, confused.

“Well, you have to understand that my lamp has never actually been trimmed! I just like to keep it brightly polished and pretty! It’s been sometime since my lamp has even been rubbed, much less polished! You made a Very Good start last night!”

“Well, as long as you enjoyed yourself!” Kyle said, catching her drift.

“Oh, I did!” Tess said.

“We’ll have to work on getting your lamp all nice and shiny another time!” Kyle said, wagging his eyebrows.

“It’s a date!” Tess said, grinning.

Liz was at her school locker the next morning, when she felt two strong arms encircle her from behind! Immediately knowing who’s arms they were, she leaned back into Max’s warm body, arching her neck up to meet his lowering head for a good morning kiss!

“Mmmmm! Good morning!” Liz verbally greeted Max, after they came up for air.

“Good morning!” Max whispered into her ear, sending shivers running down her spine.

“Hey, Max, Liz.” Michael called as he and Maria came towards their friends, arm in arm.

“Hey, Michael, Maria.” Liz and Max greeted their friends together. Almost at the same time, Alex, with Isabel on his arm, joined the group.

“ ‘Morning.” Alex greeted everyone.

“Alex, Isabel!” Liz exclaimed. “You two are back together again?” At the couple’s joint, confirming grins, Maria hugged Alex, and Max hugged his sister. “That’s terrific!” Enthused Liz. She knew how unhappy her best friend had been this summer, cut off from the girl he was in love with.

“Hey, can anyone join in, or is this hug-fest only for those invited!” Kyle joked as he and Tess came up to their friends.

“Alex and Isabel are back together!” Liz told them.

“Hey, that’s great!” Tess said grinning. “That puts the end to that part of our destinies!” The entire group laughed, feeling the relief. The hallway was bustling with students, and the friends couldn’t help hearing the whispers as their fellow students walked by.

“Hey it looks like Max Evans and Liz Parker are back together!”

“Oh great! The our tall, dark, handsome, and mysterious Max Evans is taken again!”

“I bet Max and Liz make joint Valedictorian or something when they graduate!” Not all of the whispers were positive, though.

“Oh look, the social dregs of Roswell High have claimed another victim.” Pam Troy said just loud enough to be heard by those around them. “First Isabel Evans got sucked in, now the captain of our football team, Kyle Valenti has been touched by their shadow!” Pam of course was jealous that neither Max, nor Kyle had ever asked her out! She slithered off with the rest of her viper friends.

“I’m sorry Kyle.” Max said sincerely.

“Hey, I know who my real friends are!” Kyle said, as Tess squeezed her arm around his waist. “The coach knows that I’m the best team captain we’ve ever had! Who cares what a pack of jackals like them say!” At that moment, the bell rang and the friends left to get to class on time. Max walked Liz to her door, since his class was just down the hall.

“Is something wrong Max?’’ Liz asked. “You look and feel tense.”

“Brody called me into the UFO Center.” Max answered quietly. “Our enemies may be massing for an attach. Right now they’re about a thousand miles away, but if they start to move in… I’ll tell everyone about this at lunch. Maybe we could do a picnic outside on the school lawn so that no one over hears us.”

“That sounds like a good idea, I’ll pass the word and see you then!”

“Wait, Liz.” Max called her back. “Are you, Maria or Michael working tonight?”

“No.” Liz answered. “Is something else up Max?”

“Yeah, could you come to Albuquerque with me after school?”

“Albuquerque! Max, what’s going on?”

“I can’t tell you here. Could you tell Maria and Michael that you’re covering for one of the other waitresses and then come with me?”

“Alright Max.” Liz agreed, trusting Max to tell her what was going on as soon as he could.

“Great! How ‘bout we leave right after school?”

“OK! Now you’d better get to class or you’ll be late.” Max kissed her good bye and went to his class.

At lunch the friends got blankets from their cars, spread them out on the lawn, and gave all impression that they were have a relaxing picnic outside. What Max had to tell them, however was anything but relaxing.

“Brody has picked up communication signals from our enemies. They seem to be about one thousand miles away, but they are all around us…and there seem to be two groups of enemies now!”

“Two! How do you know that Maxwell?” Michael asked.

“They are using two different frequencies, unlike before the summit in New York, when they only used one.”

“Well, I guess that means that we had better step up our training, don’t you Max?” Michael asked.

“Absolutely! Liz and I have to work tonight, but could the rest of you meet out by the reservoir after school?”

After school Max and Liz walked out to the jeep and set off for Albuquerque, which was at least three hours away. The two young lovers enjoyed the long drive, chatting, joking, and just being in each other’s company. They reached the city a little after 6:00 p.m. and decide to get some dinner. They would want to wait until after dark before attempting to sneak into the Davis house. By 7:00 p.m. Liz and Max had finished a romantic dinner together and decided to make a pass by the house to scope the neighborhood out. Brody’s ex-wife and daughter lived in a quiet suburb, in a ranch house. Max was relieved that he wouldn’t have to climb up to a second story window! They peeked into windows until they saw her putting Sydney to bed. Max had brought Liz along, besides the fact that he loved spending time with her, in case Sydney was unconscious because of her medical condition or her medication. He slipped through the window, leaving Liz hidden behind some bushes. As he silently moved over to the bedside, she woke up. Maybe it was because there was a street light shining through the window behind Max, or maybe it was something else.

“Are you an angel?” Sydney asked.

“No sweetheart, this is just a dream.” Max stroked her cheek gently. “Go back to sleep now.” As soon as she did, Max, who had made his connection already, went to work carefully ridding her body of every cancerous cell there was! “Sweet dreams Little One.” Max said, bending to kiss her forehead. Then as quietly as he had slipped in, he slipped back out again.

“Oh Max!” Liz said as he joined her in the bushes. “That was beautiful!”

“Thanks! Now let’s go home before we get caught!”

They spent another enjoyable drive together, taking turns this time, since Max had put a lot of his energy into the healing. For the first hour and a half he slept with his head on Liz’s lap as she drove. They arrived back in Roswell just after 10:00 p.m., before their parents really started to wonder where their children were. Liz agreed with Max not to tell anyone about where they really went that night. They kept their self-satisfaction in secretly creating a miracle, to themselves! Until after school the next day when most of the gang was hanging out together at the Crashdown, before their planned trip back out to the reservoir for more training, that is.

“Max!” Brody called as he came running into the café.

“Brody, what is it?” Max asked, concerned.

“You’ll never guess what happened!”

“What?” The whole gang asked.

“My ex-wife called me!” Brody started. Max had told everyone about Brody having an ex-wife and daughter with cancer but not what he planned to do about it, the day before. “She told me that my daughter has been cured of her bone cancer! The doctor’s are flabbergasted! It’s a miracle!”

“That is So Great Brody!” Max exclaimed, glad that his healing had worked.

“Oh Brody, that’s Wonderful!” Liz said, grinning. The rest of the group cheered and hugged each other while at the same time, giving Max knowing looks! Brody’s face fell for a moment.

“You don’t think those aliens came and took my little girl do you, like they did me?” Brody whispered in Max’s ear.

“Brody, you told me that you lost several days, when they took you, right?” Max tried to reason. “Did your ex-wife say anything about Sydney being missing at all?”

“Oh, no.” Brody answered. “She said that she checked on her every hour or so up until at least eleven when she went to bed, and then she always has a baby monitor in her room so she can hear if anything goes wrong.”

“Well then I think we can count out those aliens. Call it a miracle and leave it at that!” Max advised. The friends invited Brody to come with them and see them training, but Brody said that he was about to drive to Albuquerque, and had just come in to share his good news with his friends. The eight drove out to the reservoir in high spirits and made good progress in their training that night.

Louise had been in a booth at the Crashdown, when Brody came in with his news. She stayed quiet and unnoticed as the teenagers gathered around him. When he left to get his car, which was parked across the street, she followed him. As she walked behind him, she made her plan of how to confront Brody. As Brody reached his car.

“Congratulations, Brody! That was wonderful news about your daughter!”

“Lou! How did you hear!”

“I was in the Crashdown. I must say though that I’m a little hurt that in all the years we’ve known each other, you never told me you had a wife and daughter.” Louise played dumb.

“Ex-wife. We’ve been divorced for three years. I would have had no problem telling you that I’m divorced, but telling you, anyone about my daughter who had cancer, was very difficult for me. Especially since I was cured.”

“By aliens.” Louise cut in.

“Well yeah.” Brody answered. “I had searched across the country and in Europe. No one was anywhere near a cure for bone cancer. That fact and my losing several days are two things often reported by abductees.”

“Well, OK.” Louise said, accepting. “You’re on your way to be with your family?

“Yeah, my Ex is being surrounded by the press. I’m going to go and help her deal with them. This is a miracle and it’s still three weeks ‘til Christmas!”

“OK, well I’ll be seeing you.” Louise turned to go.

“Hey Louise?” Brody asked. “When I get back, would you maybe, like to have dinner with me sometime?”

“I’d love to Brody!” Louise smiled.

“Hlo.” Max mumbled as he answered his phone, which had awoken him out of a sound sleep.

“Max it was you!” Came Brody’s excited voice. “You’re the one who healed my little girl!”

“Brody?” Max asked waking up fast. “What are you talking about? It’s 2:30 in the morning.”

“You told me that I could count out those other aliens, but didn’t say anything about counting you out! I didn’t even know you had the power to heal, but you did it, didn’t you!”

“Well….yeah I did. But it doesn’t matter that I healed her, or how I healed her, I just wanted Sydney to be healthy Brody!”

“How can I every repay you?” Brody asked.

“Between friends there is not debt.” Max told him.

“But…!”

“Good night Brody. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Max. Thanks again!”




TBC Feedback, PLEASE, Oh Please, Please!! -jane.

posted on 13-Oct-2001 12:25:58 PM
ROSWELL, AFTER NEW YORK Part 6

The friends had been training for two weeks and had made quite a bit of progress in the individual use of their powers and with Liz linking in. Tess had been well trained by Nasedo, so she had pretty much reached her peak as far as using her gift alone, already. Max, understandably, was unable to train with his healing power, but he did work on lengthening the time he could hold his shield in place. Isabel had already become quite adept at dream walking but Liz had the idea that Isabel should try camouflaging herself while in the person’s dream instead of wearing her bright red pajamas! Michael had made good progress in learning to control his powers over the summer, but the group set up rocks at different distances and in varying sized for him to train with. Michael concentrated on moving the rocks rather than just blowing them up.

The human contingent had learned that they could help their ‘significant alien’ as well. Their touch and encouraging words (or from Maria, insults!) could energize the alien when he or she had grown tired. The humans were relieved and happy that they could be more help than just being test dummies! Liz, to her disappointment (and relief she admitted) had no powers of her own. What she could do with one of the other aliens however, made up for all that!

“Michael just let Liz hold your hand!” Maria exclaimed, impatiently.

“Why do I have to go first?”

“You aren’t first. She’s already worked with Max and Isabel. You know what she was able to do for them, lets find out how she can help you!”

“Oh all right!” Michael exclaimed, and held out his hand to Liz.

“Thank you Michael.” Liz said. “What should I do?”

“Oh man! Liz I think you’ve already done it! Don’t you see it?”

“Oh yes! You mean your vision isn’t normally like this?” Liz inquired.

“What? What, what, what!” Maria exclaimed.

As soon as Liz took my hand, it was as if I put on a set of military goggles with infrared and x-ray sites!”

“What do you mean Michael?” Maria asked, excited.

“Depending on how I concentrate, I can see heat signatures, or I can see through things! Everything is sharper. I think that I can see further as well! Hey, hey, what was that?” Michael looked at Liz. “What’d you do?” At Liz’s uncertain expression, “You moved your head to look at something else!”

“What?” Maria almost shrieked. “You see what Liz sees?”

“Well, I can still see what I’m looking at, but at the same time I can see what Liz is looking at as well! We’re going to have to work on moving our heads together!”

“Or you’re going to have to learn to see two things at a time, Michael!” Liz told him. “In a dangerous situation, a battle, you will need to see in more than one direction and in more than one way!”

“Let’s see if you can hit something using you’re x-ray vision!” Maria said, excited.

“OK.” Michael said. “Liz see that tumbleweed behind that boulder over there?”

“Yeah.” Liz said. Michael shot off an energy bolt. It arced over the boulder and hit the tumbleweed, Michael and Liz could see.

“Did you hit it?” Maria asked. Then she saw the flame and smoke rising up from behind the boulder. “OH, no, we have to make sure that, that fire doesn’t spread!”

“I saw that there wasn’t anything else nearby Maria!” Michael exclaimed.

“How do I know what you can see with your ‘Liz goggles on?” Maria asked. “Now that you’re not holding hands, is your sight back to normal?”

“Yeah. You OK Liz?”

“I’m fine, thank you Michael. Boy that was different! I wonder why we see what the other sees, and I didn’t see what Max saw when he healed you, Michael!”

“You didn’t? I guess that could be a good thing! I wouldn’t want to see inside myself!: Michael said.

“I think it would have been fascinating!” Liz said.

“You would!” Maria cut in.

“I’ll ask Max what he thinks when I see him.”

The next day, Liz worked with Tess.

“What do I do Tess?” Liz asked. “Does anything seem different to you?”

“Not right away, except that I can sense your presence. Let’s try some basic ‘mind warping’ with our friends over there!” The two girls looked over to where Max, Isabel and Alex stood.

“OK!” Liz agreed.

“Alex!” Isabel almost screamed. “What happened to your hair, it’s all slimy, long and green!”

“What about you Isabel!” Alex shot back. “When did you get a Mohawk!” Then the ‘warp’ ended and the two test subjects turned to Tess and Liz.

“Oh right! Very funny!”

“It was Liz’s idea!” Tess said pointing to her partner in crime.

“The green hair was my idea.” Liz confessed. “The Mohawk was yours!”

“You know though, I’ve never been able to sense anything about a person I’m ‘warping’ before.” Tess said, thoughtfully.

“Like what?” Max asked.

“Well I could tell that Alex is a male and that Isabel is female.”

“You can see that though.” Alex said.

“Yes, but I’ve never ‘sensed’ that sort of thing before!”

Why don’t you turn around Tess, Liz, with your back to us and see if you can sense what order we’re standing in.” They did this and were able to sense not only male and female, but who was standing where each time!”

“Let’s try something more complex. “Liz suggested. “Why doesn’t one of you pretend to be an alien general, only in your mind, and we’ll try to pick you out.” Liz turned back around so that she faced away from the group as her friends went into a huddle.

“OK. We’re ready!” Max called.

“Isabel!” Tess called out. “You project a very macho general!”

Alex!” Liz said. “You projected a very ‘nurturing mother with baby’!”

“I didn’t know that you wanted to be a mother, Alex!” Isabel teased.

“I especially liked Max’s ‘army private pealing potatoes!” Liz said proudly.

“It occurs to me that in a battle, we would need to ‘warp’ all of the enemy, not just the leaders. Liz, do you think you could sense and warp the general, while I warp the rest of the army?”

“I can try.” Liz answered.

“Where are you cowards going?” General Alex yelled at his unseen, fleeing troops.

“Hey, it’s snowing!” Max exclaimed.

“Ow! I just got hit by hail!” Isabel rubbed her head.

“I think we’re getting the idea.” Liz said, grinning. “It’ll be fun to continue training with you Tess!”

Liz had to work after school the next day, but since she didn’t have to close up the café, the friends arranged for her to sleep over with Isabel.

“OK, when we were trying to contact Max, it was different.” Isabel said. “Lets just try to go into a normal ‘dream walk’, but with no one specific in mind.” The girls were on Isabel’s bed, laying on their sides, face to face, each reaching out to hold the other’s hand.

“Well this isn’t normal.” Isabel said into Liz’s mind.

“We seem to be floating high above Roswell!” Liz observed. “What are all of those helium balloons doing tethered to each house?”

“I don’t think they’re balloons, Liz.” Isabel said. “I think that they’re dreams. They’re all different colors, just like balloons though! Let’s go closer to see if we can look inside them.” The girls floated down until they reached a ‘dream balloon’. They were able to watch the dream as if the ‘balloon’ were a TV screen. They looked at other dreams and Liz quickly learned that she could check out one dream, while Isabel viewed another. The two dream walkers also figured out that the colors represented emotions. The darker the color, the darker the emotions. Balloons, which showed shooting stars, or fireworks, were usually from a house where a couple was making love! Liz and Isabel were able to cover most of Roswell in only an hour’s time! They did find a man who had been convicted of sexual assault in another state, and looked like he was going to continue his career in New Mexico. They got his address, determined to tell the Sheriff about him in the morning!

“Wow! That was fabulous!” Liz enthused, as she and Isabel came out of their trance.

“And finding that creep really proves that we can sense the kind of people we’ll need to be able find on the dream plane!” Isabel added. “Another night we’ll have to see if we can ‘mind warp’ a person’s dreams. But not tonight.”

“Yeah, I’m pooped.” Liz yawned. “Do I dare wish you sweet dreams, Isabel?”

“Sure! Sweet dreams, Liz!” Liz and Isabel were anxious to try ‘dream warping’ so Liz stayed at the Evans’ house the next night. They had warned their friends that they were gong to ‘try something’ and that they would be expected to tell the girls about their dreams the next day at lunch.

“Liz, Isabel.” Kyle called as he neared their lunch table. “Did you have anything to do with my having purple-spotted, pink elephants tromping through my bedroom last night!”

“Oh good, Kyle!” Isabel laughed. “You got my little package!”

“I was having the most wonderful dream last night!” Tess said as she walked up. “I was lying on a sailboat, off the coast of Greece, sunbathing.” She glanced at Kyle. “Wearing a skimpy yellow bikini.” Kyle gulped at the picture that sprung up in his mind. “When these plastic, green alien heads start bobbing to the water’s surface! That’s when I knew you two were ‘warping’ my dream!”

Yeah, we did!” Isabel grinned. “But Liz gave you a pink-polka-dotted, purple one piece bathing suit!”

“She did!” Tess admitted. “I was just playing with Kyle’s mind!” She patted his cheek.

“Hey!” Maria and Michael walked up, arm in arm. “Which of you voyeurs gave me the dream with Michael dancing around my bedroom in nothing but boxer shorts with little red hearts on them!”

“Uhmmm, you did Maria!” Liz and Isabel grinned. “We didn’t touch your dreams last night!”

“Oh!” Maria blushed.

“You are so busted!” Michael said, then whispered in Maria’s ear. “Why don’t you buy me a pair and I’ll see what I can do about making that dream a reality!” Maria could only stare at her boyfriend with her mouth hanging open!

“Liz and Isabel also worked on expanding the ‘astral projection’ skill of Liz’s with which she had made contact with Max in New York. In the end, Liz was able to make a connection with her seven best friends as well as with the Sheriff. She still couldn’t be heard, but the receiver of her projection could read a sign if she held it in her hand. There was also the fact that Liz, Maria and Alex had learned sign language when they were younger. The three friends set out to give the others a crash course in ASL, especially the signs for danger, and each person’s name.

That evening, Liz was finally able to link with Max as he put up his shield. If Max hadn’t been holding Liz with her back pressed against the front of his muscular body, one strong arm around her waist, their left arms outstretched in front of them, Liz’s palm touching the back of Max’s open hand, her extended fingers fitting between his, they would have been totally bored keeping the shield activated for over an hour! After they rested in each other’s arms for a little while, even though the shield didn’t drain them at all, they got back into their position and Max activated it again. This time their so called friends took great pleasure in throwing stones at the shield (not at their friends). Kyle tried running into the shield, as he would try to hit another football player. He found himself flying backwards to land on his butt! Michael even tried firing energy bolts at the shield, always several feet away from where his friends stood, to no effect! Max and Liz were able to keep the shield up under this sort of barrage for more than thirty minutes, with no sense of losing energy!

“There’s another good reason to keep you in my arms! Max whispered to Liz.

“All for our great cause, of course!” Liz grinned, arching up to meet Max’s lowering lips for a kiss! Suddenly, sparks were flying from the shield in an excess of energy! Max disengaged the shield.

“Well we know how we could find extra energy if we needed it!” Max grinned.

“Oh yeah!” Michael said, sarcastically. “Anything to keep the shield flowing with energy!”

“Absolutely!” Liz agreed. “Anything for the shield!”

“Well I think that we are ready to train our powers within the four-square!” Max decided. They had found a long, forgotten junk heap out in the middle of the desert for Michael to practice on, where no one could see or hear them. This was also when they learned that Liz could be a part of the ‘four-square’. Not only did she Not drain the connection, she raised the energy level a little! They stood holding hands in a circle, facing outwards. Liz stood between Max and Isabel, but they found out that because they were all linked, Liz’s gift could flow to whomever needed it, without any loss of energy along it’s way. One might say that the ‘five-square’ was a superconductor! So by willing it, Michael and Liz could activate the ‘liz-goggles’!

Their friends were called upon one again to ‘gleefully’ throw rocks, old car parts, battery acid, and rubber tires at the shield that Max was able to extend over and around the ‘five-square’. He felt he could hold the shield indefinitely! To test Isabel’s dream walking skills within the unit, Kyle gave permission to ‘walk’ the entire Roswell football team, only after they won against the Carlsbad Stalactites! They knew it had worked when Kyle reported that the locker room was filled with talk about the purple-spotted, pink stalagmites which had done tap-dances through each team member’s bedroom!

For Tess’ challenge, they chose something especially fun, to celebrate their progress and let off some steam. In the main hallway of Roswell High, between the two lunch periods, when most of the students and teachers would be passing through, all of a sudden there came the soft flutter of butterflies! Yellow butterflies landed on the hands, arms and shoulders of only the teachers. Football players saw butterflies in the school colors. Cheerleaders saw pink ones, and the general populace saw Monarchs! Any little twerp who tried to swat or catch a butterfly, saw the variety which grows fangs!

“That’ll teach ‘em! Trying to hurt a butterfly! Tess muttered within the minds of the four-square, who were in their circle by a safe corner, but still in the middle of the main hallway. Everything returned to normal when the beautiful insects fluttered back out the school doors.

“Next step, the Granolith!” Max decided.

TBC FEEDBACK PLEASE, OH PLEASE, PLEASE! Thanks, jane

posted on 13-Oct-2001 12:26:57 PM
ROSWELL, AFTER NEW YORK Part 7

Author’s Note: I got the idea for the little surprise that’s hidden in this part, from
“A Mother’s Heart” by Kara. Used only with thanks for a beautiful piece of work!



“Hey Max, could you come into my office please?” Brody called as the younger man arrived for work the evening after the ‘butterfly incident’ at school. Brody had Max shut the office door when he arrived.

“They’re moving Max!” Brody said, straight out.

“How close are they?” Max asked, coming over to the computer screen.

“Still at least 800 miles. But they’re on their way!” Brody warned.

“I had better go talk to the Sheriff. I don’t know if there is anyway for us to call for the evacuation of Roswell without creating a panic or looking like lunatics!”

“That’s a good idea Max. Why don’t you go see him now. I certainly don’t know how to advise you!”

“Thanks Brody. I’ll be back to work as soon as I can.”

“Don’t worry about it, Max! You’ve got bigger things to think about!” Over at the Sheriff’s station.

“Sheriff.” Deputy Hanson announced. “That kid named Max Evans wants to see you.”

“Send him in Deputy.” Valenti said, immediately.

“Hey Sheriff.” Max came in but didn’t sit down. “Remember two weeks ago, I came and warned you that we believed that our enemies were gathering together a thousand miles away?”

“Yeah. Has something changed?” Sheriff Valenti asked, totally alert to what Max was telling him.

“Yes. Brody says they are on the move. They are maybe 800 miles away now!”

“Damn!” Valenti swore. “It’s only a week until Christmas! What can I tell the Mayor and the townspeople that wouldn’t put them in a total panic and have innocent people getting hurt, property damaged.”

“Well there is one thing on our side, Sheriff. Our enemies want us and even more they want something we have. It’s well hidden outside of town. We could lure the enemy away from the town, with ourselves and this object, as bait. Then we can put our plan to defeat them into action!”

“How do I keep the townspeople safely in Roswell?”

“We may be able to help you with that. You know that a piece of the plan for rescuing me from the ‘white room’ was confusing the enemy. Making them see what we wanted them to see. Now all of us have been training. We are ready for the final test, which would include ‘confusing’ the entire Roswell populace. Once at night, and once during the day. We have a way to do this without anyone getting hurt or being frightened. Could you have your deputies patrolling the roads around Roswell? More to report what they see tomorrow, Saturday than anything else. "I’m betting that a lot of people will call to report what they see. Could you also have your deputies keep track of what each person saw, and what major occupation group they fall into? Here, we set up this form so that all you have to do is make two checkmarks each time a citizen calls.” Max handed the Sheriff a stack of forms.

“What is your occupation?” Sheriff Valenti read off of the form. “What color were the butterflies! What kind of question is that?”

“That’s what people are gong to be calling in to tell you! That they are seeing swarms of butterflies fluttering throughout town.”

“Uh huh.” The Sheriff said skeptically. “Well if that’s what you need, I’ll do it!”

“Thanks Sheriff.” Max said, as he left the office.

Since it was Friday night, our heroes had received permission to go camping over the weekend. What they were really going to be doing was camping, but at the Granolith chamber. Friday was to be the night Isabel and Liz ‘dream warped’ the town. They all stayed out in the pod chamber chatting, joking and eating the dinner and other snacks that they had brought with them.

At midnight, after everyone had, had a short nap, they all entered the Granolith chamber. Max called for the key, which he then slipped into the ‘ignition’ slot. It had been decided that the ‘five-square’ would create a circle around the base of the Granolith, facing outwards. The three remaining humans would stay within the circle behind his or her significant alien, ready to help if need be. The friends had brought in folding chairs to sit on (might as well be comfortable while you save the world!). The five-square linked hands and the view screen came on showing them a moonlit desert and a sleeping Roswell. All of a sudden the view screen changed. Areas which had been dark, now gave off light. The mountains seemed to be there one minute and gone the next, showing what was beyond them.

“What’s happened?” Max asked.

“Oh man! I think that’s me!” Michael said, and the view went back to normal. “I was using the ‘Liz-goggles’. But how did my view get up on the screen?”

“I think the view screen shows us this basic scene unless we ask, verbally or mentally, to see something else, or something in another way, as you just did with the infrared and x-ray visions. The bright spots are where the ground or some other object is withholding heat. The mountains shifting from being visible to invisible is made possible because of the x-ray vision!

“Are you ready Liz, Isabel?” Max asked.

“Ready!” The two girls answered. Since they were ‘dream warping’ rather than just peeking into dreams, it took almost two hours to ‘warp’ the entire town. Max noticed Liz coming out of her trance first.

“Are you OK Liz? Did it work?”

“If all the women start insisting on opening doors for the men tomorrow, we’ll know it worked!” Isabel said. “Anyway, Roswell is getting the best sleep of it’s life tonight! No insomniacs here!”

The group was comfortable enough that they hadn’t let go their hands yet. Max was thinking about the future, whether or not they would be able to go home after they defeated their enemies here on Earth. Would he ever see his real mother in person?

“I pray for that every day, My Son!” A woman said from the view screen.

“Oh my gosh!” Maria exclaimed. “Who’s that?”

“That’s our mother!” Isabel exclaimed.

“But how did you get to be here, like this, on the view screen?” Max asked, confused?

“Because you contacted me using the Granolith, Zan. No, your name is Max now, correct?”

“Yes.” Max answered. “Vilandra is now Isabel.” Max indicated each one as he reintroduced them to his mother. “Rath is Michael, and Ava is Tess.”

“And the fifth member of your circle?” The Queen Mother asked.

“This is Liz, Mother.” Max answered. “She is the one I could not find on our planet during that year you gave me to find my own mate!”

“Ahh! It is a pleasure to meet you my dear!”

“Uh, nice to meet you too Your Majesty!” Liz managed to say.

“I am so glad that you have found your soulmate, My Son. I never liked the custom of arranged marriages, although your father and I made a good life for ourselves. He was the traditionalist in our family you know. When Ava’s father proposed the alliance between our two kingdoms, your father, the King was the one who arranged for the two of you to marry when you grew up! Are the other three within your circle also mates to the rest of you?”

“Well, perhaps, Mother!” Isabel said. “I think that I can speak for all of us when I say that we each have a very close relationship with one of them!”

“Ahh, My Daughter! Always the cautious one when it comes to males! But stay cautious, that is how you kept that awful Nicolas at arms’ length until we were able to see his true colors!”

“What!” Isabel exclaimed. “You mean I wasn’t attracted to Nicolas? I didn’tbetrayourworld?” She muttered.

“My goodness, no! What was that you muttered, Dear? Something about betraying our world? Of course you didn’t betray us! Who would tell you--. Ahh, Nicholas is there on Earth, he told you those lies, didn’t he? He and the Skins are our enemy. Of course he would lie to you. He would do anything to break up the Royal Four because he knows that your strength is in the four-square! I am happy to see that you are getting your memories back!”

“Well, some of them!” Max said. “Mother can you tell us—“

“I am sorry, My Son, I cannot stay in this form much longer. Someone could come in and catch me communicating with you! Let me ask one more question.”

“Anything Mother!” Max said.

“I know you were adopted by humans when you and Isabel came out of your pods, and Nasedo couldn’t be there to protect you. He was able to communicate that much before the human military almost caught him with young Tess, and they had to flee into hiding. Please tell me, were your adoptive parents good to you?”

“They have been wonderful Mother! But we always felt the loss of not knowing who our real parents were, even though Phil and Diane Evans have been the best parents we could have here on Earth!”

“I’m so glad Max! Ever since you activated the orbs, I have held myself ready, hoping to communicate with you, to be able to look upon my handsome son, my beautiful daughter and your friends again! We will have other chances to talk. The next time you use the Granolith, just call out for me, and the connection will be made! I love you!” And the view screen returned to its view of the desert.

“Oh my gosh, Max!” Isabel exclaimed, gazing into her brother’s eyes. They were all still in shock that they kept their hands linked for several minutes before letting go.

“Why do you think that she sent that message with the orbs if she didn’t like arranged marriages?” Alex piped up.

“I don’t know we’ll have to ask her when we communicate next time. But you know she only told us who we were. She said nothing about who we were to be with in this lifetime!”

“What do you think she meant when she said ‘I can’t hold this form much longer’?” Liz asked.

“Because the human form is not our natural form.” Tess answered. “I thought you understood that, having dealt with Nasedo. That is why he could change his appearance, because our race is one of energy beings. We only have a vague humanoid form, head, arms, and legs! That is why our DNA had to be mixed with human DNA, so that we would develop this human ‘shell’ to hold our true essences!

“Why can’t we shape-shift then?” Michael said.

“I thought you were able to shift your fingerprint when we rescued Max?” Isabel said.

“I was, but it was so difficult!”

That is why we cannot shape shift, yet! It is a highly advanced skill. Not all of our people can do it. You have to train for years before you can do it at will, like Nasedo was able to! Plus, our alien DNA is mixed with human DNA. That will only make it more difficult for us to learn, if we ever can.”

“Well, I’m beat!” Isabel said. “I really need to think about all of this! Let’s get some sleep you guys!”

Phil and Diane Evans were home, asleep when they were pulled into a dream plain, carpeted with lovely wild flowers, and which had a ceiling of blue sky and puffy, white clouds. A lovely, tall, blond woman, who seemed to have an aura around her, came walking towards them. She had a smile on her lips and her arms were outstretched before her as if she wanted to embrace them!

“I have wanted to meet you two for so long! To thank you for taking such wonderful care of my beloved son and daughter!”

“You, you are Max and Isabel’s mother?” Mrs. Evans asked in shock. The woman’s smile grew.

“I am only one of their mothers. They have had you for their mother most of their lives. You have done such a fabulous job, both of you, raising them into the strong, intelligent, compassionate people that they have become!”

“Are you an angel? Have you died and now you have been able to find the children you gave up so long ago?” Diane asked.

“No, I am no angel, Diane, and I am not dead. But I have been looking for my children, whom I had to send to you, for so long, and now that I have been able to see them again, I had to come and thank you!”

“You sent them to us?” Phillip Evans asked. “We found them wandering out in the desert, naked! How could you say you sent them to us?”

“Not to you personally, but to your world. Something went wrong and the one who was to protect them was delayed, and they wandered out into the desert alone before he could reach them. But you found them and took them in, to be as if they were children from your own womb!” Diane Evans had been studying the other woman.

“They both have your eyes! Isabel has your golden hair and your queenly stature. Max has your gentle voice!”

“And Isabel tilts her head just as you do.” The Queen Mother told Diane, having studied them as well. “And Max holds his head in that proud way you hold yours.” She told Phillip.

“Are you here to take them away from us?” Diane asked fearfully. Phillip took his wife’s hand.

“We’ll fight you in court if we have to!”

“No, I am not here to split you apart, but to ask you to hold them close in your hearts. Support them, encourage them in the task that they have ahead of them! If they succeed in this they will be most welcome to return to me, if they wish, but I fear that it will be many years before they come home, if ever at all!”

“What task are you talking about?” Phillip asked. “What are you making them do?”

“Our enemies have come to your world, Phillip Evans! My son and daughter and the others of their group are the only ones who can defeat the enemy and keep your planet safe!

“ ‘Your’ enemies, ‘our’ world.” Diane is starting to ‘see the light’! “Are you trying to tell me that my son and daughter are not from this world, that they are not of Earth!”

“Not originally no, although their DNA was mixed with human DNA before they were sent to Earth.”

“That explains why Max was able to heal that bird when he was a little boy, and how he was able to put out that grease fire in the kitchen last spring, but Isabel has never shown any special gifts!”

“She has them none the less! But you need not worry about all of this! I will leave you only with the knowledge that your children are very special people who need your continued love and support to fulfill their destinies. I alone will remember this special time with you! Please be assured of my eternal gratitude for your raising of my children in this second life of theirs!”

“Second life? Not remember?” Phillip exclaimed.

“Return to your normal dreams. You will awaken rested and relaxed with no memory of our little talk here tonight.” Mr. and Mrs. Evans saw the dreamscape dissolve as they slipped back into normal sleep.

‘Ahh, done!’ The Queen Mother said to herself, well satisfied. She had been able to hold onto the thinnest line of communication and energy from the Granolith, for the few minutes it had taken to reach Phil and Diane Evans. As much as she missed her children, she was relieved and very happy that they had been found by the wonderful couple who had become their parents, and that they were now surrounded by a group of good friends. One of whom, if she read her son correctly, she would soon be calling ‘daughter’!

Liz woke up the next morning to the wonderful feeling of being held in Max’s arms, throughout the night. She and Max, as well as the other three couples, had zipped their two sleeping bags together so that they could snuggle in each other’s arms, spoon fashion. If she ever met an insomniac, she would be able to recommend this sleeping arrangement as a way to get a good night’s sleep! She felt wonderful, rested, relaxed and best of all, loved! Liz carefully rolled over ‘til she faced Max within his strong embrace. She couldn’t help smiling as she watched him sleep. Nor could she stop herself from touching him as she ran her fingers through his sleep-tosseled hair, smoothing it back from his forehead.

“Mmmm, this is the way to wake up!” Max said, his eyes still closed. “The feeling of my sweet Liz’s tiny hands on my face, in my hair!”

“You like that huh?” Liz teased. “What do you think of waking up feeling this?” She leaned in to kiss Max gently on the lips.

“Hmmm, even better! But you know what would be even better?” He asked. “If we were to combine the techniques!” Max went back to kissing her lips. Liz’s blouse had come untucked from the waistband of her jeans, so Max was able to gently run his hand up and down the smooth skin coving her spine.

“Oh man!” It isn’t even eight a.m., and they’re at it already!” Michael groused.

“Well, instead of watching what they’re doing, you could try their ‘wake up technique!” Maria told her boyfriend. “I for one wouldn’t mind being woken up that way!”

“Oh really?” Michael moved back to Maria.

“Yeah really!” Maria replied.

“Well you’re already awake so what’s the use?” He teased as he came down on their sleeping bag and started kissing her!

When Tess woke up and saw the ‘wake up technique’ being performed, she thought that she’d try it out on Kyle! Last but not least, Alex used this very successful technique to wake up Isabel! After all of the couples were finally awake (the technique might be successful, but it is time consuming!), Max noted that this was the first time he had ever seen his sister in a good mood before noon!

“OK, after breakfast, Alex and Kyle will go back into town to see how last night’s dream warp worked! An hour should be long enough to see what the results were! When you get back we’ll start Michael and Tess’ trial runs using the Granolith.” Isabel said. Two hours later, Alex and Kyle returned.

“I have never had so many women insist on opening a door for me!” Kyle said.

“Yeah, I think your experiment worked great! It’s a shame that it’s only going to last a few more hours!”

“OK! Tess, Liz are you two ready?” Max asked.

“Yeah Max.” The two girls replied.

“Michael, you set?”

“Yeah! Liz are you sure that you can handle assisting both Tess and Me?”

“I think so! That’s why we need to test it now, to be sure that I can help more than one of you at a time!” Everyone took their position around the Granolith and the view screen was activated.

“OK Liz, let’s start our ‘warp’ of all Roswellians!” After a few minutes.

“Alright, they’re well into the warp.” Michael said as he sensed what the two girls were doing through their connection. “My turn. Great, Liz has linked to me and I don’t sense any strain from her link with Tess! Shooting first target now! All right! Direct hit. Shooting number two now!” They kept up the test for half an hour and then disengaged as Maria, Alex and Kyle came back into the chamber. They had been outside acting as eyewitnesses.

“I was right outside, and I didn’t see anything.” Maria reported.

“I was halfway back to Roswell and everything was clear!” Kyle said next.

“I was right outside of Roswell, and I didn’t see anything but Sheriff’s deputies out patrolling as you asked them to Max!” Alex said. “Oh, and there where a few cars which were headed out of town. They stopped and then turned around to go back into town.”

“Great! I’ll get the stats from the Sheriff later, but for now it looks like this exercise has been a great success my friends!”

That afternoon, Max dropped by the Sheriff’s office.

“What was this all about, Max? We received three hundred calls from citizens who said they saw swarms of butterflies all over town, both inside and outside! Here are the stats you asked us to keep. Accountants saw gray butterflies. Nurses saw white butterflies. Teachers saw yellow butterflies, and my men, who were patrolling in town, saw red, white and blue butterflies! Then they all seemed to flutter away!”

“That’s great Sheriff! Thanks a lot! Did your deputies see anything as they patrolled outside of town?”

“No, they saw nothing! Was there something that they were supposed to see?”

“Well there was something to see, but they weren’t supposed to see it!” Max answered. “We’re going to be gathering at Michael’s this evening. Why don’t you come by and we’ll tell you all about what we’ve been up to, and what our plans are for handling our enemies. I’m sure we could use your advice!”

“Why don’t all of you hold the meeting at our home? Three of us will already be there.” Valenti offered.

“That’d be great Sheriff, thank you! We’ll see you this evening.”

Meanwhile, at the Evans’ household:

“Morning Honey!” Diane greeted her husband.

“Morning Sweetheart!” Phillip came over to kiss her as she stood at the kitchen sink. “How did you sleep last night?”

“It’s funny you should ask, Phillip. I had the strangest dream last night!”

“You too? So did I! I don’t remember mine all that well, but it was about the kids!”

“Phillip!” Diane put her hand on his arm. “So was mine! Someone was telling me how special Max and Isabel are! That they will do something important with their lives!”

“Do you remember a woman? Tall, blond, reminds me of Isabel!” Philip asked.

“Oh yes!” Diane remembered.

“The phrase ‘second life’ keeps circling around in my mind’!” Philip mused.

“Second life…was the woman Max and Isabel’s real mother, who had died? Was she haunting us?” Diane asked, fearfully.

“I clearly remember her telling you that she wasn’t an angel and that she wasn’t dead!”

“She sent Max and Isabel to us.” Diane said.

“Sent them to us!” Phillip exclaimed. “We found them wandering around out in the desert, naked!”

“That’s exactly what you said to her!”

“And she replied?” Phillip tried to prod Diane’s memory.

“She said…she said that she didn’t mean that she had sent them to us personally, but to our world!”

“What are you talking about.” Phillip said, not remembering.

“I know it sounds crazy, Phillip, but that’s what she said. I’m remembering more, the longer we talk about it! The woman said that she had to send Max and Isabel to this world and that they wandered out into the desert because something went wrong and the person who was supposed to care for…no, she said ‘protect’ them was delayed.”

“Oh man! Now I remember!” Phillip said. “You specifically asked her if what she was really saying was that Max and Isabel aren’t from this world, that they were not of Earth!”

“Phillip!” Diane reached out to take her husband’s hand. “Was that woman telling us that our children are aliens?!”

Let’s sit in the living room and try to calm down.”

Mr. and Mrs. Evans sat on their sofa, snuggled into each other’s arms for comfort.

“I remember it all so clearly now! She was thanking us for taking such wonderful care of her beloved children. That was the word she used, ‘beloved’.”

“Yes.” Phillip added. “She said that Isabel tilted her head just like you do. You know, she’s right!”

“And she told us that Max holds his head in that same proud stance that you take!” Diane said before she continued as memories flowed back into her consciousness. “Max and Isabel have her eyes. Isabel has her hair.”

“And Max has her gentle way of speaking.” Phillip remembered.

“What did she say about enemies?” Diane tried to remember.

“Oh man! She told me that their enemies have come to the Earth!” Phillip said.

“And that Max and Isabel, and the ‘others in their group’ were the only ones who could fight this enemy.”

“Others!” Phillip mused. “Do you think she meant Michael and that other girl, Tess? What about Liz Parker and her other friends who have been hanging around with Max and Isabel this last year, Alex, Maria, and Kyle Valenti!”

“I don’t know Phillip. You know that Max and Isabel are out camping with those other teenagers!”

“I think we’re going to have to have a talk with our children when they get back from this camping trip!” Phillip said, determined.

“I don’t know if that is such a good idea Phillip.” Diane told her husband. “I told you about the day when we had the grease fire, but you weren’t here at the time. You didn’t see the panic in Max’s face when I asked him for an explanation. Do we dare ask them about this? We might lose both of them for good!”

“You think we should wait? Well, maybe you’re right! After all, it was just a dream! Let's’ just keep an eye on them."

“I think that would be best for right now, Phillip. I have the funniest feeling that something is going to happen soon!”

TBC FEEDBACK PLEASE, OH PLEASE, PLEASE! Thanks, -jane

posted on 13-Oct-2001 12:28:58 PM
ROSWELL AFTER NEW YORK Part 8

The friends arrived at the Valenti home by five that evening. Brody was there as well as the Sheriff.

“So, Max you said that you’d explain what you kids have been up to.” Sheriff Valenti said.

“What we have been up to is training with a device that amplifies our powers considerably. We needed to test whether or not we could mask Michael’s, shall we say, weaponry. We needed to learn how large a population Isabel can dream walk as well as how many people Tess can mind warp and how complex a warp she and Liz can create! Michael performed exceptionally well during his text and no one reported seeing anything he did! They reported, instead seeing what Tess told them so see! Finally, all the women were opening doors for all of the men because Isabel was able to plant instructions into everyone’s subconscious last night as they slept! Brody do you have an update for us?” Max asked.

“They’re moving at the same rate as they have been.” Brody reported. “I calculate that they’ll reach Roswell by Thursday or Friday.”

“But that’s Christmas Eve and Christmas Day!” Maria exclaimed.

“As Nicholas is no saint, it wouldn’t surprise me if he attacked on one of the most sacred ‘human’ holidays.” Isabel mused.

“So tell me your plans for fighting this army that’s on its way.” Sheriff Valenti said.

“We will use ourselves as bait to lure them away from Roswell and out into the desert.” Max said. “We want to get them far enough out so we can stand between them and the town to protect everyone in it from getting hurt.”

We want to harass the enemy in their sleep using dream walking. Scare the hell out of them, encourage them to desert, stuff like that.” Isabel explained.

“Then we we’ll mind warp them during the day. Make them turn on their leaders, and each other.” Tess added.

“Then, if we have to, Michael will destroy them, but we’d rather let them do as much damage to themselves as possible first!” Max said.

“What if they shoot at the town?” Valenti asked.

“We hope to get them well out into the desert, as I said.” Max explained. “I plan to put my shield between the enemy and the town if necessary. We are going to warp our parents into leaving town tomorrow. At least we can get them out of harm’s way! Brody, you’ve been getting close to Louise Nelson these last two weeks, maybe you should take her and yourself out of town for a romantic holiday!”

“I want to stay and help!” Brody exclaimed. “I’m not leaving now when the enemy is almost on our doorstep!”

“You have been a great deal of help to us, Brody!” Max exclaimed. “You’ve kept track of their movements. Heck, you’re the one who discovered their existence!”

“What I don’t understand.” Maria said. “Is why don’t you just ‘warp’ all of the people into packing up and leaving town before the great horde gets here!” There was total silence for a few moments as everyone stared at Maria, slack-jawed.

“Why didn’t I think of that?” Michael yelled, as he moved over to Maria. “You’re brilliant!” He gave her a loud, smacking kiss on the lips. “My girlfriend is brilliant!”

“We’ve been training to strengthen our powers.” Tess remarked. “Now we have to start thinking about How to Use them!”

“So you’re going to mind warp the entire town to leave Roswell?” Alex asked.

“Yeah, we’ll tell everyone to go visit their relatives for the holidays!” Isabel said.

“Well don’t warp me!” Brody said. “I’ll get Louise out of town somehow, but I want to be in control of my mind!”

“And don’t warp me, because I’m not going anywhere!” Sheriff Valenti said.

“Sheriff…” Max started to argue.

“This is my town, my county, and I’m not leaving it to be overrun by a bunch of aliens!” Valenti exclaimed. “You’ll be out in the desert. You may need help here in town.”

“Well it’s one thing to ‘mind warp’ the entire town to leave.” Tess said. “That’s easy. I’m just wondering how we can get them to come back!” Everyone just stared at her in shock!

“Oh my gosh!” Maria exclaimed. “They could go anywhere to be with their relatives. You couldn’t reach them to ‘unwarp’ them if they’re in California or Florida!”

“How about using a radio signal?” Liz asked. “Your powers are really just energy signals aren’t they? They’re just on different frequencies from radio or TV. Couldn’t we tell everyone to listen to the all-news radio station at 9 a.m. or 9 p.m. everyday. When everything is OK here, we could send a signal out over the radio frequency.”

“Great idea Liz!” Max praised her. “The all-news station is in Carlsbad. Tess, do you thing that you could send a ‘narrow-beam transmission, unidirectionally to that radio station?”

“If you mean can I send a signal directly to the radio station, rather than broadcast the message all over the state, the answer is yes!” Tess said grinning at Max'’ attempt at using military terminology!

“Well since we had already planned to get our parents out of town we have all arranged to each have one last dinner with them tonight. We’d better get going so we aren’t late. Should we plan to meet out at the Gra—the object tonight after midnight so that we can ‘warp’ the townspeople into leaving? Max asked.

“That sounds good.” Michael remarked. “See ya then.”

“Yeah I need to rush!” Brody added. “Louise and I are going out to dinner tonight. I’ll talk to her about going to Albuquerque with me tomorrow.”

All of the friends except Michael, Tess and Kyle made special efforts to make this last evening with their parents a memorable one. The food was everyday fare, but they made sure that the conversation and emotions shared were not normal or ordinary. Lastly and most importantly, each child told his or her parents just how much they were loved and appreciated, with the secret hope in each of their hearts that they would survive to tell their parents of their love again in the future!

Back in the Granolith chamber around 1 a.m. the next morning, the friends had just finished warping the citizenry into accepting the fact that they would have to leave Roswell the next day. Before Isabel and Liz had ‘warped’ the town, Tess had run a test to make sure that she could send a command out over radio waves. She asked Kyle, Alex, Maria, and Liz to stand outside the pod chamber with a radio tuned into the all-news station. She didn’t tell anyone how she was going to test her ability so it was quite a shock when the humans came back inside. Liz went to Michael, Maria, to Max, Kyle to Isabel and Alex to Tess. The girls took the boys by the shoulders and then kissed them on their left cheek! The boys took the girls in their arms, performed a ‘dip’ backwards while kissing them on their foreheads and then brought them back upright! The second shock came one hour later when the process was repeated but with each test subject choosing his or her significant other this time!

“I had to be sure that I could command a person to do something over and over again!” Tess explained, grinning.

“Before we break the circle I wanted to see if we could contact Mother again.” Max requested.

“That’s a great idea Max.” Tess agreed. “I’m sure we have questions we’d all like to ask her!” Everyone else was nodding in agreement.

“OK. Mother?” Max called.

“Hello my son!” The Queen Mother answered.

“We were wondering if we could ask you some questions.”

“Of course!”

“We know that we will eventually have to fight Nicholas and the Skins.” Max didn’t want to give away how much they already knew. “I’ve always wondered. How did Kivar and the Skins win the last time? How did they manage to kill the four of us?” A shocked gasp came from Maria.

“Yes, I’m sure that this will be a difficult thing to hear about, but I am glad that you have asked me never the less. To be blunt, Kivar cheats! He is deadly serious about winning and will do anything to do so! First of all there were spies all through our palace Max. Still are, as I am sure you have realized for yourself! Kivar pays them or mind warps them into working for him. Secondly and most difficult of all…Max he warped the minds of your people so that they became soldiers in his army!”

“Oh no! Max!” Isabel exclaimed. Their mother nodded her head.

“Yes my dear. Kivar put our own people at the front of his army, before his real soldiers so that they were the first to die when you led your defensive assault against him! When you found out who those poor people were…you were so guilt ridden you could hardly go on! Then, we believe, some of Kivar’s spies got Nicholas into the palace and he managed to kill all of you!”

“Mother would it be reasonable to believe that if Kivar came against us here, that he would use the same strategy?” Max asked. “He could use Earthlings as he did my people to supplement his army!”

“That is a very reasonable assumption my son!”

“Could we reverse the mind warp to free those people?”

“Well yes, but you’d have to do it one person at a time, what good would that do the thousands he would undoubtedly enslave?”

“But we…” Isabel started to say, when Max stopped her with a squeeze to his sister’s hand.

“I see you five still hold hands to create the four square link. Are you unable to create a link without physical touch!” The Queen Mother asked.

“Without physical touch!” Michael replied. “We could create the link without holding hands?”

“We didn’t know that was possible, Mother.” Isabel explained.

“Try is now while you already have a link established.” She suggested. The five slowly loosened their grasps, stretching it out till just their fingertips still touched, then let go completely…and the link held!

“This is fabulous!” Tess exclaimed.

“How far away could we go and still remain linked?” Liz asked.

“You will need to experiment, but at least twenty to thirty feet, I should think, my dear.”

“May I ask a question Your Majesty?” Alex piped up.

“Of course young man. Alex isn’t it?”

“Yes Ma’am. I was just wondering if there was anyway for these guys to get some sleep and stay linked.”

“An excellent question!” The Queen Mother beamed at Alex. “Yes, there is a way! Two can sleep while the other two, or three, in this case.” She smiled at Liz. “Keep a link activated! You may have to keep physical contact at these times. I’m not sure.”

“Thank goodness!” Maria exclaimed. “I had planned to go out and buy all the ‘no-doze’ that there was in Roswell!” Everyone chuckled.

“What are things like, there on our world Mother?” Max asked. “How does Kivar keep you captive?” His mother looked sad for a moment before she responded to Max’s question.

“If any one of us commit any sort of crime, that person and four others are killed! There is no leniency, no mercy!”

“Oh no!” Isabel cried.

“We have not completely given up hope though my children! We still make protests. We don’t make it easy to keep us enslaved! But our protests are mostly passive. We work slowly. We forget what we are told to do. We do our tasks incorrectly! There are resistance cells all over our planet. We share information and encouragement! I think we could easily overthrow Kivar if we ever had a strong leader we could rally around again!” She looked pointedly at Max and then Michael, Isabel and Tess.

“But how could we get home to lead our people?” Tess asked.

“If you can’t steel one of the Skins’ ships, we might be able to send one to you. But you won’t have to come home to lead your people in rebellion. The Granolith could project your images here for everyone to see! Your powers would also work through the projection!”

“It sounds so simple! Nothing is that simple!” Maria exclaimed.

“It would be a great risk for all of us. But we outnumber them a hundred to one! It’s a risk any of us would take with the right leader to guide us! I must go now. I love you!”

The connection ended and the screen returned to its normal view of the moonlit desert.

“Well let’s get home you guys. I’m beat!” Isabel said. “We’ve got to get our parents packed and out of here tomorrow!”

The next morning over breakfast, Mr. and Mrs. Evans, Parker, and Whitman told their respective children/child that they were going to visit so-and-so relative for Christmas. They knew how much their children/child were looking forward to spending Christmas with his or her friends. After breakfast the parents went to start packing.

“Phillip.” Diane Evans came looking for her husband, who was gathering together his shaving kit in the bathroom. “What is this note I found in my sock drawer? It’s in your handwriting.”

“I don’t know but I found a note from you in my bathroom drawer. What does my note say?” Phillip asked.

“Actually, it’s a list of questions.” Diane said, reading the note. “Have the children been acting strangely at all? Have they asked us to do anything unusual lately? Are we doing anything uncharacteristic? Have we taken any large amounts of money out of the bank?”

“Those are the same questions on my list.” Phillip said. Well I’d say that the answer to all of those is a ‘no’. I am gong over to the bank to make a withdrawal at the ATM though!”

“So was I since you can only withdraw $300.00 from an ATM at a time and I knew we’d need more than what you could get alone, to stay in Albuquerque for a week or two.”

“Well that’s one ‘yes’, but the other three are still ‘no’.” Phillip said.

“Yeah but now that I think about it, and it’s a shame to see this as ‘strange’ behavior, Max and Isabel were unusually attentive to us at dinner last night, don’t you think? Diane asked.

“Well they’re good kids.” Phillip reasoned.

“But last night, Isabel who hates to cook helped me prepare dinner.”

“And Max helped me clean up afterwards.” Phillip added.

“Max pulled out my chair for me!” Diane said.

“Isabel kept getting up to offer me seconds or to pour me more coffee.” Phillip mused. “Well, that makes two ‘yeses’!”

“Well we aren’t doing anything unusual.” Diane said.

“Just leaving our home and our kids at Christmas time.” Phillip said.

“But they so want to spend Christmas with their friends.” Diane said.

“Christmas has always been a family celebration, even if Max never attends church services.” Phillip stated.

“Phillip, why did we write these lists?” Diane asked worriedly.

“We seem to be concerned about the kids and about our own behavior!” Phillip said.

“Oh my gosh, Phillip!” Diane grabbed his arm. “The dream!”

“What dream?” Phillip asked.

“The dream we both had Friday night! You remember Phillip!” Diane exclaimed.

“Oh right! Friday night! Max and Isabel’s mother telling us that their enemies have come to our world and that our children and their friends are the only ones who can defeat them!"

“Our children are aliens, Phillip!” Diane said, distressed.

“Yes and you got the silly notion in your head that our children would try to brain-wash us or something!” Phillip said, unbelieving. “That’s why we made up those check-lists.”

“Well something has happened! We answered ‘yes’ to three out of four of our questions!” Diane replied.

“Look, it 10 a.m. I’m going to go to the ATM. I’ll be back in a half-hour. We can discuss this some more then!” But Phillip didn’t return for an hour and a half. Diane almost sent Max out to look for him when he drove up.

“Everyone was at the ATM this morning! Every ATM I saw had a line of people running up to it! Phillip steered his wife into their bedroom so that they could talk.

“I saw Mr. Parker, Mrs. Whitman and Amy DeLuca while I was out. They all told me that they were leaving their children here in Roswell while they go off to spend the holidays with their relatives! Every other person I spoke to said that their entire family was leaving Roswell for the holidays, children included! I think something is happening and I think our children are right in the middle of it!”

“Oh Phillip! What should we do?” Diane asked, grasping his arm.

“I think we should talk to our children!” Phillip stated.

“But Phillip, how could we prove that they have anything to do with the evacuation of Roswell? They’re just kids, even if they’re alien kids!”

“I don’t know Diane!” Phillip exclaimed.

“If something is happening, something dangerous, then the town needs to be evacuated.” Diane said.

“You’re right! And however they’re dong it, they’ve made it so that no one is panicking or getting hurt! Everyone I spoke to was excited about heir holiday plans but calm about leaving Roswell. Even the people in a line at an ATM waited patiently to withdraw their little bit of money! Now that’s saying something!” He grinned at his wife.

“If it is the kids who are dong this,” Diane said. “They will be watching us. I think we need to pack up as planned and move into a hotel where we can keep an eye on what’s going on!”

“Good plan! Let’s finish up the packing!”

“Well kids have a great time with your friends!” Phillip tried to act as if leaving his children alone during the holidays was a normal occurrence.

“We’ll miss you but I’m sure you’ll have a wonderful time with your friends!” Diane followed his lead.

“Merry Christmas! Happy New Year!” They all called to each other as Diane and Phillip walked out to their car and got in, then drove away.

“Oh Max! Isabel exclaimed. “I’m going to miss them!”

“I know Isabel, but at least this way they and everyone else will be safe!”

“If we keep ourselves busy, maybe we won’t miss them so much!” Isabel suggested. “We can start by driving all of the supplies that Brody bought for us, out to the chamber!” Brody had been busy last night and early this morning. He had talked Louise into going with him to meet his daughter, Sydney over the holidays. Then after their dinner, or very early that morning, he had bought every conceivable supply that they would ever need to live out at the chamber for at least two months, even if there were twenty of them instead of just eight! Food, drinks, snacks, personal supplies, air mattresses for their sleeping bags! There was even a porta-potty waiting in the UFO Center’s parking lot to be towed out to the chamber!

“Yeah!” Max agreed. “Let’s call the others. We’re going to need help moving all of the stuff from the UFO Center where Brody stored it, up to the chamber!”

“Hey, maybe we can borrow a few of the Sheriff’s Deputy’s SUVs so that we only have to make one trek out to the chamber. Eight cars might just hold all of the stuff Brody bought for us! He was so generous and thoughtful to think of doing this for us!”

The brother and sister made their calls to their friends. From the Sheriff they learned that nearly everyone in Roswell was already gone! He was so amazed by how all of the citizens had left, those on the outskirts of Roswell first, to the ones who lived in the center of town, last. No speed limits were broken. No horns were sounded! There was just a steady stream of neatly packed cars heading out of Roswell!

“The sheriff allowed the teenagers to borrow the department’s SUVs. When they arrived at the chamber, Michael used his powers to lift the myriad supplies up to the chamber door so that they all wouldn’t have to make hundreds of trips up and down the trail to lug everything up to their living quarters. They amazingly enough found room to put everything, including the porta-potty in a far, far corner! The alien half of the group promised to use their powers to help their friends stay clean since there were no shower facilities! Even with Michael’s powers, it had taken most of the day to stow away all of their supplies and make their living quarters as comfortable as possible. The friends had decided to make that night a special occasion night for each individual couple. This might be their last chance to have some one-on-one time with their significant other, so each couple was going on a date at one of their homes (since all of the restaurants were closed!). They returned the Sheriff’s vehicles and then split up to get ready for their dates.

When Kyle and Tess got home, they were greeted by the Sheriff, who was making dinner for the three of them! They glanced at each other with an ‘oh no, there goes our date night’ look on their faces, until the Sheriff spoke.

“I’ve been patrolling the town all day, making sure that everything is locked up and in order. I thought I’d come home so that we could have dinner together and then I’ll go out and continue patrolling. Everything so far is in good order. Every building has been locked up securely! You kids did a great job urging everyone to leave the way you did! I didn’t have one problem or incident all day as the entire town evacuated Roswell!”

“Well don’t overdo!” Kyle tried to sound concerned that his father might exhaust himself rather than sound blissfully happy that his father might exhaust himself…staying out very, very late doing his duty and leaving the two of them alone for the night!

Even with their plans of how they were going to spend the rest of the night together running through their heads, Kyle and Tess managed to have an enjoyable dinner with Kyle’s father. As soon as he left, they ran for their rooms to get ready for their ‘date’!

They started out by watching the video “The Mark of Zorro”, which they both agreed was a great boy/girl film. Sword fighting and the gorgeous Catherine Zeta-Jones for Kyle! Beautiful costumes, dancing and the handsome Antonio Banderas for Tess! After the movie Kyle and Tess tried to duplicate some of the Spanish dancing that they had seen in the video. Their version included Kyle holding Tess very close and making intense eye contact with her, in between his dipping Tess backwards every few minutes! They finally collapsed on the couch laughing and out of breath. Quickly though, the two young lovers resumed their intense eye contact which led to a great deal of lip contact and on into the activity they had dubbed ‘polishing, but not trimming, Tess’ lamp’! They lost all track of time. In truth both Kyle and Tess were secretly hoping to move from just ‘polishing’ to ‘trimming’ Tess’ metaphorical ‘lamp’, when the front door opened and Kyle’s father walked in.

“Ahem!” Jim Valenti cleared his throat loudly. Kyle and Tess jumped apart, guiltily.

“Dad! You’re home! I see you didn’t overdo!”

“No, not really, but I could see that the two of you were about to ‘overdue’! It’s past midnight, why don’t you two get some sleep!” Jim caught each teenager with his own intense eye contact that meant ‘no more overdoing it tonight!”

Maria and Michael were having a better time of it at Michael’s apartment! They had started out by Michael cooking a rather intricate dinner for the two of them! Michael might only be a short-order cook at the Crashdown, but actually he was pretty good in the kitchen, and enjoyed trying new recipes. He was fond of reminding everyone that most chefs are male! After dinner they also chose to watch a movie. “Man in the Iron Mask”, starring Leonardo DiCaprio. Once again the action and adventure for Michael and the romance for Maria. They got into a heated debate comparing this modern version of the movie with the 70s version, starring Richard Chamberlain. As often happened between Maria and Michael, their arguing turned into passionate kissing! Maria had decided that it was finally time for the two of them to move onto the next step in their relationship!

“Mmm! Michael, that feels so good!” Maria said.

“Hmmm! What you’re doing feels good too!” Michael mumbled back as he continued to kiss her neck.

“You know Michael, this could be our last chance to be alone until all of this is over.” Maria continued.

“Hmmm last time.” Michael agreed, not really listening, even though he was nibbling on Maria’s earlobe!

“What I’m trying to say here Michael is that I’m really scared that we’re gong to die and I don’t want to die a virgin!”

“Hmmm a virgin!” Michael was nibbling on Maria’s other ear, still not really listening.

“Michael!” Maria said a little more forcefully. “I think this is the night we should have sex together!”

“Hmmm sex together!” Michael mumbled, then paused. “What did you just say?”

“Michael! I want to have sex with you. Tonight, right now!” Michael didn’t say anything but just went back to kissing Maria’s neck. “Michael! Aren’t you going to say anything? ‘Yes’, ‘No’!”

“Hmmm, I’m thinking!” Michael said starting on Maria’s fingers.

“Michael! What’s there to think about? You’re a boy, I’m a girl, and I want to have sex with you!”

“Yeah that’s the real surprising thing about all this.” Michael came up for air long enough to say. He looked seriously into Maria’s eyes.

“What’s surprising?” Maria asked.

“Well you know, I always thought that when the time came to move to the next step, we’d just go for it ya know?” Maria nodded. “But I just figured out that I don’t want to have ‘sex’ with you!”

“What?” Maria shrieked. Michael winced.

“Maria, what I want, very much, is to make love with you!” Michael explained.

“That’s just what I said I want to do, so what’s the problem?

“No you said you want to have sex. “I’ve come to realize that there is quite a difference between the two! I guess, maybe Max is rubbing off on me! Having sex is what would happen if we came together tonight. A one night stand, with a real chance of our not living to have anything else. Having sex is when you do it because you don’t want to die a virgin. Making love, on the other hand is coming together once but knowing that there will be other times to look forward to in the future. Making love is giving your virginity to another because you love that person so much that the most beautiful way to express that love is through the physical act of love! That’s what I want Maria! Don’t forget, this will be my first time too!”

“Oh Michael!” Maria was almost crying from the beauty of Michael’s words. “That’s what I want too!” Michael took Maria into his arms and held her tightly. “But could we do a little of the ‘expressing’ right now?”

“I thought that’s what we were dong!” Michael said.

“I wasn’t sure whether that was love of lust that we were expressing.”

“It was love Maria! At least from me, it was love!”

“Me too Michael!” Maria said, tightening her hold on him.

“Then by all means, express yourself!” She did, freely! And so did he! Until they fell asleep in each other’s arms on the couch!

Isabel and Alex were eating leftovers in the Evans’ kitchen. Neither of them liked to cook so they had raided the refrigerator for something to warm up. While their food was getting hot, Isabel had found candles and placing them around the room, lit them with a snap of her fingers! After cleaning up after themselves they decided to watch two Disney movies.

“You know Isabel.” Alex noted as he read the titles. “These two movies are very similar to what your life has been, and what it will be like in the near future.”

“What are you talking about Alex?”

“ ‘Anastasia’ is about an orphan girl who is searching for her past and finds out that she belongs to a royal family! And ‘Mulan’ is about a girl who has a loving family but is willing to fight to help keep them safe!”

“I never thought of them that way before!” Isabel said, musing.

When the movies ended, Alex tried to find the courage to say.

“There’s something I need to talk to you about Isabel.”

“What’s that Alex?”

“Well I…I…”

“Alex you can say anything to me, whatever’s on your mind.”

“Well I’m wondering whether you think our relationship is moving too fast or too slow!” Alex said.

“Well, Alex, I’m not sure. I’ve certainly enjoyed our time together, and I love that we have this link between us now…but…”

“But I think, maybe we’re moving a bit too fast!” Alex cut in with what he needed to tell Isabel. “I really love that we’re a lot closer than we ever were before. But I’m worried that you, that all of us may be thinking that, because of what’s about to happen, we need to take the next step in our relationship tonight and…and I don’t think I’m quite ready to do that.” Alex told his shoes. He couldn’t look up at Isabel, afraid that he was letting her down…until he felt her gentle fingers lift his chin up so that he had to look at her…and saw the most beautiful smile on her face!

“I’m so glad you told me that Alex, because I’m not quite ready for that yet either! I do want to make love to you Alex, but not just yet with, as you said, what’s about to happen, hanging over us!” Alex gave her a great big, relieved grin!

“Me too Isabel! But maybe we could take a small step forward by making love the way the Vulcan’s do!” Alex suggested with a silly grin on his face.

“The way the Vulcan’s do?” Isabel asked, coyly.

“Yeah. Didn’t you ever see that original Star Trek episode where Mr. Spock made love to a woman, caressing her with only two of his fingers!”

“Uh, no!” Isabel said. “What should I do ‘Mr. Spock’!”

“You just stay the way you are, sitting on the sofa, half turned towards me, and I’ll back up away from you a little!”

“Back up! Away from me?” Isabel exclaimed.

“So that we aren’t touching! Now extend your right arm and then your index and middle fingers!” Alex touched the tips of his fingers to Isabel’s. Then we begin to caress each other like this.” Alex ran his two fingers down the length of her fingers and then back up to her fingertips. He then moved his fingers to the back of hers and ran them down, over the back of her hand to her wrist and up again!

“Alex!” Isabel said, excitedly, her eyes meeting his. The back of her hand was tingling from where his fingers had lightly rubbed against the soft hairs that grew there!

“You try it now!” Alex suggested. Without losing eye contact with him, Isabel caressed Alex’s hand.

“Yesss!” Alex sighed. “Now maybe if we extend the caress a little each time!” He ran his fingertips down to her elbow and back again, never losing eye contact with her as she then repeated the caress on his arm (Alex was wearing a short sleeved shirt and Isabel a sleeveless dress!). Up to the shoulder next! Then Alex took a break and just caressed Isabel’s face and neck, especially her lovely cheekbones and lips! Isabel repeated the process each time, but she found Alex’s ticklish spot under his jaw and they both giggled for a moment before making eye contact and getting serious again!

From the base of Isabel’s soft neck, Alex next ran his two fingertips down her side, skimming lightly over the side of her breast, and continued down the curvature of her ribs to her waist and…then…back up again! Both Isabel and Alex were actually starting to breath rapidly from, shallow lungs!

“Alex!” Isabel gasped.

“Now your turn!” Alex reminded her. From Isabel’s slim waist, Alex ran his two fingertips down just to her hips next, and back up to her waist. After her turn each time, Alex caresses her further. To Isabel’s mid thigh, then her knee, then calf, then all the way down to the bottom of her foot, which was bare, and then all the way back up again! They both were gasping for breath now! Discovering the different sensations of caressing soft hairs, bare skin, clothing-concealed flesh, all while keeping eye contact with each other…was…really getting to them!

“Now the other side!” Alex instructed.

“Alex!” Isabel panted. “I may be an alien, but I am Not a Vulcan! If you don’t take me into your arms, holding me with all ten of your fingers and kiss me, I’ll…” And she showed Alex what she’d do by taking him into Her arms, holding him with Her ten fingers and kissing him deeply! Alex, having quick reflexes, wrapped Isabel in his arms a split second later! Unknowingly like their friends. Isabel and Alex lost all sense of time, wrapped in each other’s embrace until they fell asleep, exhausted, together on the sofa!

Max and Liz were in the Parker’s apartment over the Crashdown. They worked together to fix a simple dinner and fed it to each other while they were snuggled together on the couch.

“I love this version of ‘The Scarlet Pimpernel’!”

“Yeah, Anthony Andrews and Jane Seymour did a fabulous job!” Max agreed. The two young lovers watched every romantic minute of the move attentively but they couldn’t stop themselves for caressing each other’s hands and fingers. Max often drew Liz’s hand up to his lips to kiss her palm or her knuckles, briefly gazing into her eyes!

“You know Max.” Liz said as the movie ended. “This could be a movie about us!” At Max’s raised eyebrows, Liz explained. “You loved me but had a secret that you kept from me until we first really met each other! I don’t have a brother who needed saving, but you saved my life!” Liz reached up to kiss Max, sweetly. “You got the people safely out of Roswell, just like ‘the Pimpernel’ got the aristocrats safely out of Paris before they were arrested, and taken to the guillotine to be executed!” She ran her fingers down his jaw line, while gazing into his rich brown eyes!

“Liz, that was Maria’s idea, and it was you and Isabel who dream warped them into evacuating Roswell.” Max said truthfully while capturing the small hand which had been stroking his jaw, turning his face into it’s warmth to kiss the palm.

“I had forgotten about the scene at Percy and Marguerite’s wedding though.” Max said. “Percy was going to tell her the truth about his being the Scarlet Pimpernel when one of his men told him how Marguerite had supposedly given testimony against the aristocrat who had, had her brother, Armand beaten. This made Percy lose his trust in his new bride and he didn’t tell her his secret ‘till nearly the end of the movie.” Max gazed down at Liz, and gently took her sweet face into his hands, caressing it with his fingertips. “But of course Marguerite hadn’t given that testimony, hadn’t betrayed his trust. When Percy was captured, she worked to get him freed. Just as you rescued me from the ‘white room’!” Max leaned in to give Liz an intense, ‘thank you’ kiss.

“Max we all worked together to rescue you form the ‘white room’!” “That’s what makes you resemble the Scarlet Pimpernel so much! You are such a good leader! You’re the one who really got us working and training together!”

“I love the part near the end.” Max recounted. “When Percy allows everyone to believe that he has been executed by the firing squad! But just as the bad guy, Chavelin is trying to hide his triumphant smile behind his handkerchief, Percy comes back into the room to tell him that ‘I never would have dreamed of depriving you of your moment of triumph, but alas, a moment was all I could spare!’“

“There’s another way you resemble the Scarlet Pimpernel! Liz gazed up into his eyes.
Your sense of ‘noblesse oblige’!” Max silenced her praise of him with another kiss!

Liz’s mind and heart were at odds. Even thought her head knew that she wasn’t ready to make love with Max, her heart was a little disappointed that Max never made a move towards taking that important next step in their relationship. Especially tonight with the Skins on their way and an uncertain future ahead of them, she thought that he might at least have brought the subject up! After they drew back from their latest kiss.

“Max, um, do you ever think about making love with me?” Liz was blushing, so much she could feel the heat in her neck and cheeks!

“Making love with you? Um, all the time, actually!” Max replied embarrassed as well.

“Then why haven’t you asked me? Especially tonight!” Liz asked.

“Liz you told Future Max very distinctly that you weren’t ready to make love!” Liz bit her lip.

“Oh right, you saw me tell him during the connection we shared, after you returned form New York and I needed to tell you the truth about what really happened between Kyle and myself.” Liz reached out to stroke Max’s strong arm.

“That, and I can feel you’re not ready to go any further every time I touch or kiss you. There are certain things you’re comfortable doing and some things you’re not. Has anything changed? Have I missed sensing something?” Max asked, covering her small hand on his arm with his larger one.

“No, not really. I do want to make love with you Max, someday! I just think that I’m too young right now. I was just wondering how you felt about, you know, taking the next step.”

“Yes and no, Liz.” Max replied. “Yes, I want to make love with you very much! No, I don’t want to do it if you aren’t ready, or the time and place aren’t perfect. I want to be able to give you my full attention when that wonderful day comes. This situation with the Skins would only distract me from concentrating only on you!” Max kissed Liz’s forehead.

“Don’t I distract you when you’re thinking about fighting the Skins?” Liz asked.

“Only in a good way!” Max relied. “Liz, you make me stronger, more determined to win this war against the Skins. I want to live, all of us to live, so that you and I can have that perfectly, wonderful day when we can make love together for the first time! That’s what I’m fighting this battle for Liz! Yes, I want to keep Michael, Tess and Isabel safe. Yes, I want to keep the Earth safe and free the people on my world someday, but mostly I’m doing this so that one day soon it will be safe for you and I to come together for the first time, for all time!

“Oh Max!” Liz sighed. “I want the same thing so much! Until that wonderful day, can you just hold me tighter?” Max’s arms immediately tightened around Liz. His right hand was stroking her back gently. Liz leaned into Max, tucking her head in underneath his chin.

“Hmmm! This is my favorite place in the whole, wide world! Inside your embrace!” Liz arched her neck so that she could meet Max who was moving in to kiss her deeply! Max and Liz continued to kiss and caress each other gently, unknowingly creating a golden glow around themselves. The glow lingered for sometime after the young couple had snuggled down to sleep in each other’s arms!



TBC FEEDBACK PLEASE, OH PLEASE, PLEASE! Thanks, -jane

posted on 13-Oct-2001 12:29:49 PM
ROSWELL AFTER NEW YORK Part 9

The next morning found Mr. and Mrs. Evans waking up in their hotel room. They got up, showered, got dressed and then walked over to the totally empty hotel dining room and kitchen to make themselves some breakfast.

“Wasn’t it strange how this all worked out for us, Sweetheart?” Diane asked, as she rummaged around in one of the hotel kitchen’s enormous refrigerators.

“Strange isn’t the word I’d use! Incredible is more like it!” Phillip answered.

**FLASHBACK**

“Hello there folks, how are you today?” The hotel manager asked as Phillip and Diane walked into the hotel lobby to rent a room.

“Fine thank you.” Phillip replied. “We’d like to get a room, please.”

“Well, I don’t know if I can do that sir.” The manager said. “All of my staff, myself and all of our other guests are leaving to spend the holidays with our relatives! We’re closing up shop.”

“But we aren’t leaving Roswell and need a place to stay.” Phillip said. “Is there another hotel you could recommend?”

“Well from what I hear, everyone’s leaving to spend their holidays with their relatives. I don’t think you’ll find a hotel or motel which will be open by the end of the day!”

“So you’re telling us that ‘there’s no room in the inn’.” Phillip replied.

“Well, I’d hate to have to every say that! Especially to a nice couple like yourselves at Christmas!” The manager did some thinking. “You look like good, honest folks, how ‘bout I give you a key to room #3, that’s right next door, and since there won’t be any staff here to take care of you, I’ll give you the keys to the kitchen and supply/linen rooms! That way you’ll at least be able to feed yourselves and have clean sheets!”

“That’s so nice of you! Thank you!” Diane said, smiling.

“How much are rooms per night?” Phillip asked. “Should we give you a deposit? We’re not sure how long we’re going to be staying.”

“Why don’t you pay for one night, and given the circumstances, we’ll call your bill ‘paid in full’!” The manager beamed at them.

“Oh, that would be wonderful!” Diane replied, touched by the man’s generosity.

**END FLASH**

“So what are we going to do today?” Diane asked her husband as they finished washing up the breakfast dishes together.

“I guess we need to find the kids and see what they’re up to, if what we believe about them is true.” Phillips answered.

“That our babies are aliens and their enemies are coming to Roswell!” Diane said, her eyes tearing up.

“Don’t worry, Honey.” Phillip gathered his wife into his strong arms. “Everything’s going to be alright! We’ll get to the bottom of this! Let’s go check out the kid’s usual haunts. If we don’t find them at one of those, we’ll check out our houses.” The two parents were cautiously walking down the sidewalk near the center of town when they heard footsteps coming their way. They ducked around the side of a building and then peered around the corner. Max and Liz come walking hand in hand out from the alley next to the Crashdown. They crossed the street, automatically looking both ways first, before rolling their eyes and grinning at each other at what they had just done out of habit! The young couple went to the front door of the UFO Center and Max unlocked it.

“I don’t know if I should bother relocking the door.” Mr. and Mrs. Evans heard their son say.

“Well maybe you should just lock it at night, just in case. If anything happened to his collection, Brody would probably kill you, even if you did save his daughter’s life!” Liz said, grinning.

Phillip and Diane glanced at each other, eyes wide in shock at what they had just heard. Then Phillip indicated that they should follow the kids into the Center. They reached the door and slipped inside, quietly walking down the stairs, looking around to see where Max and Liz were. The two adults saw the teenagers entering the office at the back of the facility. They moved across the wide floor and up the stairs to the office, and listened at the door, which was ajar.

“I just wanted to check on the location of the Skins.” Max said.

“That’s a good idea, Max.” Liz agreed. “At least until Isabel or Tess and I can sense them!”

“How far away do you think you’ll be able to sense them?” Max asked.

“When they’re one or two days away. That would put them 200 to 300 miles away. I think we could do it using the Granolith to amplify our powers.” Liz calculated.

“Well, I might as well leave this computer on so I can easily check on their location again this evening.” Max took Liz’s hand in preparation to leave the Center. Phillip and Diane ducked out of sight. Once the kids had left, Phillip pulled his wife into the office to look at the computer screen that his son had been referring to. It showed the adults two waves moving towards Roswell from the northeast and from the southwest.

“The notes on the desk say that these aliens called the Skins will reach here either on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day!” Phillip told his wife. “Come on, let’s see if we can find out where Max and Liz went.” It wasn’t difficult. They had to quickly duck into another alley across the street before they were seen by Isabel and Alex, Michael and Maria, Kyle, Tess, and Sheriff Valenti, as they all entered the Crashdown. Phillip and Diane peeked through the side of the front window.

“The Sheriff is in on this?” Diane exclaimed.

“I think he’s been in on whatever this is at least since last spring.” Phillip said. “You remember those two days when Max was missing and then he and Isabel came home so upset about something, but wouldn’t talk to us about it. Sheriff Valenti gave us that story about the kids getting lost while camping.”

“Well at least he’s here to help them.” Diane said.

“If we are to believe what that woman, Isabel and Max’s real mother, told us in our joint dream, he won’t be able to help them much. They and their friends are the only ones who can fight this enemy!”

It looked like the group was working together to make breakfast. They got in each other’s way more often than not, but there was a lot of good natured joking going on and the two parents were relieved that their children and their friends were in such good spirits! Diane and Phillip ducked back into the alley when the group exited the café en masse.

“OK, you guys.” The Sheriff addressed the group. “I’m going to patrol the outer sections of the town, making sure everything’s in order. You’re all going out to the desert?”

“Yeah.” Max said, grinning at Maria. “We need to train how we ‘think’ of using our powers!”

Diane and Phillip watched as the kids piled into the jeep and a red Jetta. They quickly drove out of sight, the Sheriff’s vehicle going in the opposite direction.

“Now what?” Diane asked.

“Why don’t we go home and pick up our pair of binoculars, and then find a building near the edge of town, so we can try to spot the kids from its rooftop and see what their up to.”

“Well, OK, lets get the car from the hotel’s parking lot.”

“I think we had better walk. In a deserted town, a car will be a lot easier to spot or hear coming than two people on foot.” Phillip said. The Evans’ house was only about a mile away from the Crashdown, and they made good time walking there.

“If any of the kids stayed here last night, they certainly did a nice job of cleaning up after themselves.” Diane said, as they let themselves into their house. “I was envisioning having to clean up a disgusting mess when we came home.”

“Let’s get the binoculars and go find a rooftop.” Phillip said, all business. They walked back to the Crashdown, and then went on in the direction which the kids had taken, until they found a building near the edge of town, whose fire escape they could use to climb up to the rooftop. Philip used the binoculars to look out over the desert.

“I can’t see anything. There’s not a sign of them anywhere out there, although there are a lot of rock outcroppings that they could be behind.” Phillip scanned back over the town. “I think I saw the Sheriff’s SUV drive by over that way.” He pointed towards a distant part of town from where they stood.

“What was that sound?” Diane asked.

“What?” Phillip asked her.

“It sounded like a muffled explosion! There it is again! Did you here it?” Diane was looking out towards the desert. “There!” She pointed. “I saw a cloud of dust rise up into the air behind that outcropping.” Phillip looked in the direction his wife pointed and saw another cloud of dust rise up into the air.

“I see it, and I heard it this time! What are those kids doing out there?” He asked.

“Should we try driving out that way to see if we can find them?” Diane asked.

“Between the flatness of the land, and our car churning up the dust, we’d never find them before they saw us.” Phillip replied.

“Is it so important that we not be seen?” Diane asked. “We know that they are up to something. We know that they and the Sheriff are behind having Roswell evacuated, because they are the only ones left in town besides us! I think it’s time we have a talk with them!”

“You’re right. When they come back for lunch or dinner, we’ll go and confront them, get some answers.” They settled down to wait on top of the rooftop.

Meanwhile out on one of the roads running around Roswell, the Sheriff unexpectedly found two familiar faces slowly walking down the road. They both wore black leather. The girl had a wild, fluffed up mop of hair, and the boy had a Mohawk! As he drove closer, he recognized them. ‘Is that Lonny and Rath?’ Sheriff Valenti asked himself. ‘Those two kids from New York, that I mistook for Isabel and Michael, before Thanksgiving? The two punks who Tess said tried to kill Max?’ He pulled over and approached the two kids cautiously.

“What are you kids doing out here in the middle of nowhere?”

“We’re just on our way to Albuquerque for the holidays.” Rath said in a gentle voice.

‘Oh man! Did we mind warp these two as well as everyone else?’ The Sheriff asked himself.

“So you kids are travelling from Roswell to Albuquerque on foot?”

“We don’t have any other transpo’. We’re just on our way to Albuquerque for the holidays.” Rath repeated.

‘Yes, mind warp gets my vote.’ The Sheriff thought to himself.

“Well I can’t have you two walking all the way to Albuquerque. Why don’t you get into my car, I’ll take you back to Roswell where we can figure out a better way to get you where you’re going?”

“Sure, no prob.” Rath said, as he and Lonny got into the SUV. Before the Sheriff got into his unit, he placed a call to Max Evans’ cell phone.

“Hey Max. I think you kids had better come back into town for lunch. I have something important I need to show you! Two somethings in fact. OK see you then.”

“They’re on their way back!” Phillip Evans said as a casual glance out to the desert showed him two plumes of dust coming towards town. “Let’s get down from here and over to the Crashdown before they arrive.” A few minutes later, the cars with the eight kids in them drove by and continued on down the street to the Sheriff’s station. Phillip and Diane could make out the form of the Sheriff waiting for them outside the station. “Let’s get down there, something’s happened!” They moved carefully down the street until they were in earshot of the group gathered outside of the station house.

“What do you mean, you have Lonny and Rath inside!” Michael exclaimed. “What’re they doing here?”

“I think it’s pretty obvious, Michael.” Isabel said. “They were here trying to spy for Kivar!”

“What were they doing out there, walking away from Roswell then?” Alex asked.

“I think that they were mind warped along with the rest of Roswell.” Sheriff Valenti said. “They keep on saying that they are on their way to Albuquerque to spend the holidays!”

“Well we can’t let them anywhere near Max!” Michael said. “I don’t want them to get a second chance to try and kill him! If it hadn’t been for Liz, he’d be dead by now!” Max, who was standing behind Liz with his arms around her, tightened his hold as he leaned down to kiss Liz on the lips and she arched her neck to meet his caress. “Can you keep them here?” Michael asked.

“I think I should at least try to scan them.” Tess said. “I can make sure that they really are ‘warped’. Alter the command so that they stay here, in jail, peacefully.”

“That’s a good idea Tess.” Max said. Isabel and Michael, go with her. Make sure that they don’t try anything!”

“Why don’t the rest of us go and start preparing lunch.” Liz suggested, practically. The Sheriff lead Michael, Tess and Isabel into the station, and the rest of the group headed back towards the Crashdown.

Diane and Phillip Evans waited until the kids passed by the alley where they were hiding and then slid into the Sheriff’s station as well. They were able to make their way close enough so that they could peek through the tiny window in the door to the cellblock. Phillip Evans recognized the two young people who were quietly sitting in two of the cells, but Diane did not. Even so, it was quite a shock for both of them to see two people who resembled their daughter, and her friend so closely, and yet did not.

As Michael, Isabel, Tess and the Sheriff exited the cellblock, they saw Mr. and Mrs. Evans waiting for them. Mr. Evans with his arms crossed over his chest. Mrs. Evans with her hands clasped in front of her, anxiously.

“So why don’t you tell us what is going on here!” Phillip Evans said.

“Mom! Dad!” Isabel exclaimed. “What are you doing here? I thought that you two went to Albuquerque.”

“We’re waiting for you to answer our question.” Phillip repeated. “”What is going on here? What did you just do to those two young people in there?”

“I didn’t do anything to them, Dad.” Isabel tried to hedge, looking at Sheriff Valenti for help.

“I think we had better take them with us to speak to Max.” The Sheriff said. “He’s in charge of all this and he’s going to need our support.” The Sheriff said, cryptically. The group left the station after the Sheriff locked up the cellblock, and walked over to the Crashdown. Phillip and Diane were walking behind the others and so were not visible to those in the café as they entered.

“So Tess, Isabel.” Max asked. “Are Lonny and Rath safely taken care of?”

“Yes, they’re safe.” Tess reported. “But Max, something else has come up.” She and the others stepped apart to reveal the two parents standing behind them.

“Mom! Dad! What are you doing here?” Max exclaimed. “I thought…”

“We were going to spend the holidays in Albuquerque!” Phillip broke in. “Yes I’m sure that’s what you thought, since that’s what you somehow made the entire town of Roswell believe it was supposed to do. Spend the holidays with relatives Away from Roswell, or go to Albuquerque!” Max stopped pretending that he didn’t know what his father was talking about.

“How did you break the ‘mind warp’? How did you figure all of this out?”

“This is going to sound strange, but ‘your’ mother told us!” Phillip said.

“Mother told you?” Max repeated, confused. “I don’t understand. Mother you told Dad something?”

“No, Max. Your real mother told us about you!” Diane answered, hesitantly. Max turned deathly pale and stumbled.

“Max!” Liz, who was standing next to him the whole time, put her arm around his back, trying to steady him. Isabel moved over to where Alex was standing to be tucked into his embrace. Michael went to join Maria and Tess went to stand next to Kyle. All seven friends stood by Max as they all tried to process what Mrs. Evans had just said.

“Our mother contacted you? How? What…what did she say?” Max asked, stricken with the fear of what his adoptive parents might have been told, and how they were going to handle that information. Would they look at he and Isabel and see them only as monsters? Would they reject them now? Diane could see how terrified her son was. He was shaking like a leaf. If Liz Parker hadn’t had her arm around his back, he might have fallen down by now.

“Before we get into all that, you need to know, both you and Isabel, that you are our children, our babies, and we love you! No matter what we’ve been told, that will never change!” She looked over at Phillip who was nodding.

“When we found you two out on the road that night, you became our children. Nothing, no one on Earth,” He caught each child’s eye. “Or off it will ever change that. We love you!” Diane and Phillip gathered their son and daughter into their arms. Everyone in the café had tears in their eyes. Diane, Isabel and Maria were crying outright. When everyone had regained their composure, Liz suggested that they all sit down and eat lunch while everyone told their story. They pushed tables together in the middle of the room so that they could all sit together.

“I don’t understand, Mom, Dad, our mother contacted you?” Max started the ball rolling. His color was back, but he was holding tightly to Liz’s hand.

“It was in a dream, Max.” Diane started. “I don’t think that we were supposed to remember it when we woke up the next morning, but it came back to us in snatches!”

“Oh man!” Kyle exclaimed. “This is becoming a habit! When are you guys going to learn how to properly block memories that you don’t want us poor humans to remember!” Everyone but Phillip and Diane chuckled.

“Did we miss something?” Phillip asked.

“Another friend of ours was used by some other aliens, he wasn’t hurt or anything. Anyway, he wasn’t supposed to remember what had happened to him either, but he did!” Max explained. Phillip and Diane nodded their understanding.

“You were saying that the two of you had a dream?” Isabel asked.

“Yes, the same exact dream. We were standing in this beautiful meadow, covered in wildflowers, and this woman came walking towards us. She seemed to know who we were. She said that she had wanted to meet us for so long, to thank us for taking such good care of her beloved son and daughter.” Max and Isabel looked at each other and reached out to take each other’s hand.
“I thought that she might have been an angel.” Diane continued. “I worried that she was your real mother, but that she had died recently and become an angel, and that was how she was able to find us after all of this time!”

“She told us that she wasn’t an angel and that she wasn’t dead!” Phillip continued. “She told us that she had been looking for you for so long, ever since she had, had to send you to us. That’s when we found out that she didn’t mean ‘sent to us personally’, but ‘sent to this world’, as in sent from one planet to another!”

“She asked that we continue to love you and encourage you, to support you in the important tasks which lay ahead for you.” Diane took up the story. “She told us that her enemies were coming to this, our world. That you and your friends were the only ones who could defeat them! Then she told us that we need not worry about all she had told us, because she would make it so that we would not remember our conversation. Only she would remember.”

“At first, the next morning, we thought only that we had both experienced strange dreams.” Phillip said. “The more we described our dream to each other though, the more we remembered, until we knew it all. We didn’t really believe it at first. We decided to just watch the two of you, see if you were acting normally.”

“We wrote out a list of four questions to check ourselves against each day. ‘Have you two been acting strangely? Have we done anything uncharacteristic for ourselves?’ Stuff like that. After you mind warped us, is that the proper term? After we woke up yesterday morning ‘warped’, we each found our lists of questions as we packed our bags. The questions got us thinking and remembering until we were no longer ‘under your spell’!”

“Mom, Dad!” Max said. “We’re sorry if we hurt you or made you worry. We were just trying to keep everyone safe. That’s why we evacuated the town.”

“We understand that you wanted to keep everyone safe. You did a fantastic job of getting everyone safely evacuated!” Phillip praised his son. “What we’d really like to know now is what exactly is going on here!”

“Well you know that the four of us were originally from another planet. Enemies from two other planets in our solar system have come to Earth to capture or kill us and to gain control of something we have, that they desperately want.”

“Max, what is it about the four of you that makes you the only ones who can fight this enemy? Why do they want you captured or killed, you’re just kids!” Phillip asked. Max shyly glanced down at his plate and then over at Michael, who rolled his eyes.

“Max is too modest to tell you what’s so special about the four of us, especially, himself! He told you that we were originally from another planet, but we weren’t in these bodies, and we weren’t who we are now. We just found out last spring, in the first message that we received from Max and Isabel’s real mother, that we had lived before! On our home planet, during our former lives, Max was our king, greatly loved by our people! Tess was his bride, through an arranged marriage. I was Max’s second-in-command. And Isabel was Max’s sister and my fiancée. Kivar, the ruler of a neighboring planet invaded our world on Max and Tess’ wedding day. Because of some awful circumstances, and a lot of dishonorable actions by Kivar, and his second-in-command, Nicholas, the four of us were killed and our people, enslaved. They still are, actually. Our scientists were able to send our essences here to Earth, where our DNA was mixed with human DNA, so that we could be cloned into the people we have grown up to be. We were just alien fetuses when our ship crashed in 1947. Our protectors were able to put us into our incubation pods and then hide them. We stayed in those pods until we emerged as six-year old children, eleven years ago. We are the only ones who can fight our enemies because we are almost the only ones of our kind here on Earth. And because of the object we have control of. It amplifies our powers, yes we have powers, a hundred fold! We hope that with its help, we will be able to defeat our enemies!” Phillip and Diane just sat there wide-eyed for a few moments trying to assimilate what they had just been told.

“Oh Max, a king! My Isabel, a princess!” Diane exclaimed dreamily.

“Mo-om!” Isabel exclaimed, embarrassed as much as her brother who was still looking down at his food, trying to hide his red face. “It wasn’t all that great, it was a lot of hard work! Max exhausted himself trying to make a better life, a better world for our people!”

“And you and Tess were married?” Diane asked hesitantly.

“It was an arrangement made by our parents. But we have learned that we have to live our lives as who we are now, not as who we were then!” Tess answered grinning at Max.

“So who were those Michael and Isabel look-alikes in the Sheriff’s station?”

“They are us, in a manner of speaking!” Michael answered. “Our science guys didn’t just make us. They made a duplicate set of us as well! We don’t know whether something went wrong when they were made, of if it’s just a part of their personalities, but Lonny and Rath are evil! They killed Max’s duplicate, Zan, then they tried to kill Max, and Tess’ twin, Ava is on the run from them! We’re pretty sure that they are working with our enemy Nicholas. They can take on our appearances. Then they could have killed Isabel and I and taken our places within our group!”

“We figure that they were in Roswell when we ‘warped’ the town.” Tess added. “They just followed the command we gave and were headed out of town, on foot, when the Sheriff found them, and brought them back here! I was just making sure that they really were ‘warped’ and that this wasn’t some sort of trick! I changed the command that they are under so that they will stay safely in the jail until we can figure out what to do with them!”

“Mom, Dad.” Max asked. “How are you two taking all of this? You seem to be pretty calm about learning that your children are aliens!”

“I was a little panicked when I first found out.” Diane admitted.

“I was skeptical.” Phillip added. “But seeing what you’ve done to protect the townsfolk, and how you interact with your friends, we’ve come to realize that you may be aliens, but you are good aliens, and most importantly you’re good kids!” Everyone showed signs of relief, laughing and grinning! Lunch was finished in good company, and the eight kids prepared to go back out into the desert to continue training.

“Why don’t all of you come to our house for dinner tonight? We’ll do a cookout!” Diane invited. Everyone was smiling and nodding in agreement. “Liz and Maria, I’m worried about you two staying alone in your homes tonight. Somehow being here in this deserted town is more frightening to me than when it’s filled with people! You girls could stay in Max’s room and Max can sleep on the sofa.”

“Thanks for offering my room Mom!” Max told his mother, grinning.

“Well I feel responsible for you kids, since your parents aren’t here. Alex and Michael, you’re welcome to stay with us too, if you don’t mind sleeping bags on the living room floor!” A lot of eye contact was being made between the girls and guys.

“Sounds better than a sleeping bag on the ground!” Michael said. “Which is how we’ll be sleeping soon, when the Skins get here.”

“Of course I know Tess and Kyle are safe in their home or I’d invite them too.”

“Great!” We’ll be back around 5:30 this evening.” Max agreed. Everyone left the café. The Sheriff to continue patrolling, and the eight friends to go back out to the Granolith. As Mr. and Mrs. Evans walked over to pick up their car at the hotel, they agreed that they might as well check themselves out of their room and lock up the hotel. They would give the keys to the Sheriff for safekeeping.

“Diane, I know you have some hamburger or steak in the freezer for when I’m out of town.” Diane was shocked that her husband knew about the less healthy foods she cooked whenever he was away from home. “Why don’t you thaw some of that out and we can cook hamburgers or steaks on the grill as well as the chicken!”

Everyone arrived at the Evans’ home a little after 5:30 that evening. They could smell the hamburgers and barbecue chicken cooking on the grill and their mouths started to water!

“This looks great Mom!” Max kissed her on the cheek. “Everything smells wonderful!” Dinner was a light-hearted affair! Parents told stories about when their children were little. Friends told anecdotes about their best friends. After dinner the party (including the parents) found room cuddled together on the sofa, squeezed together in chairs and leaning back to front against each other on the floor to watch “Down Periscope”, starring Kelsey Grammer. A really cute comedy that showed that working together and using a little ingenuity could make you winners! It kept them relaxed and laughing for the rest of the evening! A little after 10 p.m., Jim Valenti excused himself, Kyle and Tess from the gathering and headed home. Diane took a look around the room at her children and their friends. Alex and Isabel were cuddled together in each other’s arms, sharing an upholstered chair. Maria was sitting on Michael’s lap with his arms around her, at one end of the sofa. Max and Liz were on the floor. Max was leaning up against the front of the sofa, and Liz sat with her back pressed up against him, between his drawn up legs. Max’s arms were around Liz’s waist and her hands covered his larger ones as they lay over her stomach. They were lightly kissing each other as they, as all of the young couples had been doing, intermittently throughout the movie.

“Tell me the truth kids.” Diane broke the silence. “If I insist on the girls sleeping upstairs and you guys sleeping downstairs, would you just wait until your father and I go to sleep before reorganizing your sleeping arrangements into pairs?” She kept her eyes focused on Max until he sighed and answered.

“We were thinking along those lines, yes!” He told his mother truthfully, but then continued. “Speaking for myself, I have hardly been sleeping at all these last few weeks, with the stress I’ve been under. But when I hold Liz in my arms, or she holds me in hers, like during the movie tonight, I feel such a sense of peacefulness, and of just being ‘home’!” Max gazed into Liz’s eyes. “I really need that feeling right now! I really want to sleep with Liz cuddled close to me! Mom, Dad, you’ve taught Isabel and I how to make important decisions, and how to take responsibility for those decisions. Last night, when we were spending some alone-time with our special someone, we all discussed taking that next step in our relationships. We all decided that none of us are ready for that yet! Especially with what’s about to happen! We all would like your understanding and blessing to sleep, just sleep together with our special someone tonight!”

“What would I tell your mothers if they ever found out about all of you staying here tonight?” Diane asked, anxiously.

“That we stayed here, under your roof, for protection, and that nothing happened.” Liz answered seriously. “And nothing will happen, Mrs. Evans. We all know we’re not ready to become intimate yet!”

“Oh alright! I want to believe you. You’re all pretty good kids! But for propriety’s sake, all doors will be left open, understood?” All heads nodded and lips smiled in relief! Max arranged that the girls would change into the pajamas that they had brought with them, in Isabel’s room and that the guys would change into their t-shirts and sweatpants in his room. Michael and Maria had agreed to sleep on the sofa bed in the living room. It turned out to be quite comfortable after they added an air mattress to the one that folded out of the sofa! Mr. and Mrs. Evans wished each one of them ‘goodnight’ out in the hallway, but did not intrude on their privacy, or dignity by entering either of the bedrooms or the living room.

Once each couple got into bed together, there was some kissing and gentle caressing, but each teenager was so exhausted by the physically and emotionally strained day that they fell asleep within minutes of their heads hitting their pillows!

Phillip and Diane awoke at their usual 6 a.m. the next morning. They had almost forgotten the special sleeping arrangements until Phillip walked through the living room to get the newspaper off of the front porch, and saw Michael and Maria fast asleep on the sofa bed! They were sleeping spoon fashion, Michael’s chin resting on the top of Maria’s head, his arms around her waist! Phillip told Diane how relaxed and peaceful the young couple looked, cuddled together and she went to check on her son and daughter and their sleeping partners. She found each couple in much the same position as Michael and Maria, fast asleep in each other’s arms! Diane quietly closed each room’s door so that the young people wouldn’t be disturbed.

“Let’s let them sleep as long as they can. I know Max was exhausted last night, and I’m sure the others were too. I’ll make up some batter so I can fix blueberry pancakes when they feel like waking up.” Two hours later, Diane heard water for a shower, turn on and then her son came walking into the kitchen to kiss her good morning on the cheek.

“How’d you and Liz sleep Honey?” Diane asked. “Would you like some coffee? I have batter for blueberry pancakes if you’re hungry.”

“We slept great! Coffee would be wonderful, and I’m starved! Can we wait on the pancakes until Liz gets out of the shower though?” Max asked.

“Of course. I’ll just get everything ready to go.” Diane handed her son a cup of coffee since she had been standing in front of the coffeemaker.

“Liz seems like a very nice young woman.” Diane said. “She’s very special to you, isn’t she?”

“I love her!” Max told his mother.

“You’re still pretty young, even if you’re a king!”

“I know, Mom. We’re not planning on eloping at age 19 or anything silly like that, Believe me!” Max was thinking of his and Liz’s ill-fated former future.

Soon after that, Liz joined Max and Diane in the kitchen. Max took great pleasure in gently brushing out her long hair, until it was dry, while Diane made them pancakes. The mother took great joy in watching her son’s loving treatment of the special young woman who had won his heart, and if eye contact meant anything, had given hers back to him in full measure! Once the scent of blueberry pancakes filtered throughout the house, the other teenagers awoke and made their way to the kitchen to gobble down stack, after stack of pancakes! They all helped clean up the kitchen and then were on their way to pick up Tess and Kyle before heading out to the desert for another day of training. The Skins would arrive any day, and they were determined to be ready!


TBC FEEDBACK PLEASE, OH PLEASE, PLEASE! Thanks, -jane

posted on 13-Oct-2001 12:30:44 PM
ROSWELL AFTER NEW YORK Part 10

Tuesday in Roswell turned out to be a rerun of Monday, except the stress level had gone up considerably. Everyone gathered at the Evans’ home for dinner again. Diane had found the makings for pizza in her kitchen and produced three beautiful specimens, which everyone gratefully munched their way through. The party was much quieter than the night before, and even the excellent movie that they watched failed to keep anyone’s attention. Rest and relief from the stress came only that night as the three couples clung to each other in their sleep. Even Kyle and Tess took the chance of discovery to find comfort in each other’s arms that night.

Wednesday morning, the day before Christmas Eve day, found the group going about their business. Max and Liz went over to check Brody’s computer in the UFO Center after breakfast. It showed that the two enemy waves were only a day and a half away from Roswell. Then all eight of them drove out to the Granolith together. One thing had changed though. That morning Liz and Tess were finally able to sense the enemy! What they sensed made the two girls go deathly white, and Max who was sitting between the two felt their hands begin to tremble.

“What? What’s wrong?” Max asked, his hand squeezing Liz’s now frozen, trembling fingers.

“Oh God Max!” Tess cried out. “It’s just like what your mother told us happened the last time! Each enemy wave is made up of twenty buses. Twenty tour buses, filled with tourists! The Skins high jacked tourists on their holidays and ‘mind warped’ them into becoming a part of their army. Even the children! Each bus carries a few aliens, but mostly they’re filled with humans!”

“We’ve got to do something, Max!” Isabel said, horrified.

“We will Is.” Max said. “Our basic plan should still work. Nicholas and his bunch are sure to come into Roswell looking for us, assuming that we don’t even know he’s coming. We’ll casually lure he and his people out here, away from the town and keep the aliens mind warped while the humans get back in their buses and hightail it out of here! Then Tess, Isabel and Liz will really go to work getting the aliens to turn on each other, give them nightmares while they sleep, stuff like that!” Everyone nodded in agreement, happy that they now had a plan.

That evening at dinner, Max told his parents and the Sheriff what they had found out that day. He urged the Sheriff to keep his parents with him, safely in the station the next day while they would try to lure the Skins out into the desert.

“Thursday morning found Louise Nelson anxiously pacing her Albuquerque hotel room, waiting for Brody to get dressed in his own room, next door, so that they could go down for breakfast. Finally Brody knocked on her door, and she went to answer it.

“Good morning, Louise.” Brody leaned in to kiss her. “Are you hungry?”

“A little, I guess. I need to talk to you.”

“Well let’s go downstairs and I’ll get us a booth so we can talk.”

When Brody had invited her to come with him to Albuquerque for the holidays, she had jumped at the chance, even to the hassle of being ready to go at 8 a.m. the very next morning. Even though she knew that they would each have their own hotel room for propriety’s sake, she understood that this trip was designed to help she and Brody get closer to each other. They had seen the sights of the city, gone out for romantic dinners, and even danced the night away a few times! Brody brought his daughter, Sydney so that the two of them could meet and get to know one another during a visit to the zoo. That day had been wonderful! All three of them had, had a great time! Sydney was a beautiful, sweet little girl and she and Louise had hit it off together right away!

Even with all of this keeping her busy, Louise couldn’t help notice that Albuquerque was swarming with Roswell residents! Everyone she spoke to said the same thing, down to the last work. “We’re here to spend the holidays.” Even if she spoke to someone more than once, they gave her the same response! What was also worrying Louise was that she was still unable to reach her boss at the library. Miss. Smith always covered the special hours the library was open during the holidays because she said business was light, and she could catch up on her work. But no one was answering the library’s phones. No one answered when she tried to call her other friends either! As soon as she and Brody had sat down in their booth, given their order, and their waitress had left, she launched in.

“What’s going on in Roswell, Brody?” Brody almost choked on his orange juice!

“Going on in Roswell, what do you mean?”

“I mean why is half the town staying here for the holidays, and why does everyone of them, except you and I act as if they’ve been brain-washed? Why can’t I reach anyone in Roswell by phone?” Louise answered, in an aggrieved tone.

“I don’t know what you mean, Louise.” Brody said. “I’ve seen a few people from Roswell, but certainly not half the town!”

“Brody, please don’t lie to me. You don’t do it very well, and anyway, I know you’re in on whatever’s going on!”

“You think I know what’s gong on? Why’s that?” Brody asked.

“As I said, its because you and I are the only ones who haven’t been brain-washed into coming here…” An idea came to her. “Brain-washed into coming here. You hustled me out of Roswell so quickly Sunday morning. Something’s going on back in town and you needed to get everyone to leave so you brain-washed everybody!”

“Louise!” Brody tried to calm her down.

“It all makes sense now! What you were telling Max Evans that morning in the UFO Center, three weeks ago. You had picked up on the communications of someone, or something that was headed towards Roswell! What was it Brody? What’s gong on?”

“I can’t tell you what’s going on Louise!” Brody gave up trying to ‘play dumb”. “Just know that we did get everyone out of town for a good reason. To keep everybody safe! Other than that I can’t tell you any more!”

“But its Max Evans and his friends who are behind this isn’t it? What are they, the youth corps of the CIA? Or do they just look younger than they really are?”

“No, they’re not with the CIA! Max and his friends are just kids. All I can do is repeat what I just told you, that its for everyone’s safety that they, that you stay away from Roswell for the time being.” At that moment their breakfast arrived.

“Alright Brody, I’ll do what you say and stay here. I’m just worried about my friends and what’s happening in Roswell.”

“I’m sure everyone is fine and we’ll be able to see them again in a few days.” Brody reassured Louise.

But he couldn’t reassure himself. He hated himself for having left his friends, even if there wasn’t anything he could do to help them! In truth, he had been keeping himself and Louise on a pretty full schedule in hopes of not giving himself time to think, to worry. It hadn’t helped. As he took Louise through the City’s art museum, that morning he was having a harder and harder time concentrating on what he was looking at. By the time they sat down to eat lunch he felt like his nerves were going to jump out of his skin. Brody suggested that the two of them go back to the hotel for a nap so that they would be able to stay awake to attend midnight services. After walking Louise to her door, Brody went to his hotel room. He had barely closed the door when he decided he couldn’t stand it anymore. He grabbed his car keys and headed back downstairs.

After Brody had left her to go to his room, Louise remembered that she had finished the book she was reading the night before. She knew that there was a bookstore off the hotel lobby, so she decided to go see if she could find a new book to read. She picked up the purse she had just set down and ran for the elevators. As the elevator deposited Louise in the lobby, she was surprised to see Brody headed towards the valet’s station. She came into earshot just in time to hear Brody asking whether the valet had heard any traffic reports for the freeway headed south. ‘He’s going to Roswell after he just got through telling me to stay here!’ She rushed forward just as Brody got into the car, and managed to get into the passenger seat before he took off.

“I thought you told me it was too dangerous to return to Roswell!” Louise exclaimed.

“Louise get out of this car!” Brody had pulled over tot he side of the hotel’s driveway.

“I’m not getting out of this car! I’m going wherever you’re going! Why are you risking your life to return to Roswell?”

“They’re my friends! I shouldn’t have left them in the first place!”

“What are you going to do when you get there?”

“I don’t know, but I’m going! Louise, please get out of the car. I’ll call you when I get there!”

“No, I’m going with you! You’re wasting time arguing with me! Let’s get going!”

“Alright!” Brody sighed and put the car into gear. They were off!


In a comfy, new SUV, at the front of a long line of jeeps and tour buses, on the outskirts of town, Thursday afternoon, Nicholas went over his plans for attack with his second-in-command.

“Our two spies should have taken over their duplicate’s places by now, within the Royal Four! Our men in the jeeps and one of the buses will follow us into Roswell. We will fan out and find the Royal Four, tearing the town apart and killing as many stupid humans as we have to, until we do! While we search for the Royals, the men in the jeeps will overtake the Sheriff’s Station and take as many deputies and humans for hostages as possible! I especially want the Sheriff of that benighted, little town! Before they leave the station, they are to sever all communications with any units out on patrol and seal all entrances to the building, shut! We’ll take the hostages out into the desert to ‘play’ with until Max Evans turns himself and the Granolith over to me!”

“Why out into the desert?” His ‘second-in-command’ asked, guaranteeing that he wouldn’t hold that position for very long!

“The desert is flat. You can see for miles in any direction! No one can sneak up on you!”

“What if Quinten doesn’t go along with you? He stupidly doesn’t believe in using hostages! Thinks his bioengineered troops can handle anything!”

“If Kathana’s Second-in-Command, Quinten screws this up for me, he’ll find out the hard way that those bioengineered ‘freaks’ of his have nothing on the Skins!” Nicholas stated, derisively.

In a stripped-down jeep at the front of another long lone of other jeeps and tour buses, on the other side of town, Quinten went over his plans with his Second-in-Command.

“This plan of Nicholas’ goes against every sense of honor we believe in. We don’t need these human hostages, or Nicholas and his Skins. We can get the Royal Four and the Granolith for Kathana, ourselves!”

“Yes sir!” His ‘Second’ agreed, enthusiastically.

Nicholas in his SUV, one of the tour buses and eight of his men, driving four jeeps, rode into Roswell Christmas Eve afternoon. The town was bustling with townspeople doing last minute shopping or just enjoying the festivities their small town had to offer for the holidays. They pulled up to park along the main street of the town. Nicholas got out and addressed the men in the jeeps.

“You know what to do! I saw the Sheriff’s SUV in the station’s parking lot as we drove by. Don’t leave town without him!” The men walked off to carry out their plan. Nicholas walked over to the open door of the bus and addressed his men inside. “OK, get those slaves out of this bus and looking for the Royal Four.” One of the men who had just stepped off of the bus pointed down the street.

“Sir, aren’t those the kids we’re looking for?” Nicholas turned around and saw Michael, Tess, Isabel and Max casually walking down the opposite sidewalk. They were joking and laughing as they got into their jeep and drove off, weaving their way through holiday traffic.

“Everyone back on the bus, back in my jeep and let’s get after them!” Nicholas yelled.

The two vehicles were quickly on their way, following in the direction that the Four-square had taken. The jeep was always just in view but the aliens found it difficult to weave through the traffic in order to catch up with them! Finally they reached open ground outside of town and were able to pick up speed! Some of the aliens on the bus opened their windows and started to fire energy bolts at the young Royals. Nicholas could see Max in the back seat activate his shield to protect those in the jeep with him as their jeep picked up speed! Several miles out of town their jeep swerved behind an outcropping and disappeared! Nicholas called a halt. The other nineteen buses were quickly moving to join them. When they arrived at the spot where Nicholas had stopped all of the passengers quickly exited each bus and lined up in front of them.

“I bet they have the Granolith out here somewhere! Those royal cowards ran to take shelter with it!” Nicholas said, derisively.

“Max, you coward, show yourself!” Nicholas yelled. The second-in-command came up to his commander.

“Nicholas, Quinten’s army has arrived just a half mile to the south of us. The men in the jeeps will be here momentarily with the hostages they took from the Sheriff’s station!” A moment later, the four jeeps pulled up near to where Nicholas stood.

“We got the Sheriff, Nicholas! Three of his deputies, this civilian couple and you’ll never guess who we found back in the lock up!” The man motioned someone to come forward. “Lonny and Rath!”

“What the hell were you two doing there?” Nicholas raged at the two Dupes. “You were supposed to have infiltrated the Royal Four by now so that we could find out where the Granolith is hidden!”

“We were told to stay in those cells all peaceful, like.” Rath said, gently.

“What?” Nicholas yelled. “You let yourselves be mind warped! You probably told them all of our plans!” Nicholas put his hand on Lonny’s forehead, searching her mind for answered, as she screamed in pain. “Nothing, their minds have been whipped clean. “You stupid idiots!” He yelled at them. “You’re of no use to me anymore!” Nicholas put his hand on Lonny’s chest as his ‘second’ placed his hand on Rath’s and they both burned their handprints into the two hapless, royal twins until they stopped screaming, because they were dead.

A whimper came out of the civilian woman in one of the jeeps, and Nicholas turned his attention to her. She must have been hit and/or fallen against something because her forehead was badly bruised and blood was running down her face and into her hair. Her eyes were starting to unfocus.

“Well aren’t you a lovely looking lady!” Nicholas said in what he thought was a charming manner.

“You stay away from her you little creep!” The man next to her, yelled. “The second-in-command punched him in the jaw.

“I have other plans for you, all of you!” He glanced at the other hostages who were all struggling against their bonds. “But if they don’t work, who knows what I may do to any of you!” He turned away from them and yelled seemingly into the sky.

“Max! I know you can here me in your ‘ivory tower’! See these people in the jeeps? They’ll be dead by very painful and very slow means if you don’t turn yourself and the Granolith over to me!” A few moments went by as Nicholas waited for a reply. “Something else you need to know, Max. Before you decide to attack us. A large percent of my soldiers are actually ‘mind-warped’ humans! But which ones are they? Do you dare take a chance of hitting one of them to get to us, to me?” A commotion started at the edge of the group. Nicholas turned to see Max making his way through the soldiers. As he passed one, the soldier reached out and delivered a blow to Max’s stomach. Apparently, other soldiers had, had the same idea as Max had made his way through them, because he had a massive black eye, split lip, a cut on his temple and he wasn’t walking upright, as if something inside his body had been badly hurt!

“OK, Nicholas.” Max mumbled around his split lit. “I’m here, let these people go!”

“Where’s the Granolith, Max?” Nicholas asked, circling his young enemy.

“It’s somewhere you’ll never find it until you let all of these people go free, including your unwilling ‘soldiers’.”

“I don’t think so, Max! My ‘soldiers’ stay. There’s no way for you to tell which ones are human and which ones are Skins, or even how many humans there are. Will you take the chance of hitting those insignificant worms so that you can attack us?” Max winced as he tried to stand up straighter.

“You know, Nicholas. I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself so much at my expense! I wouldn’t dream of depriving you of your moment of glory, but to tell you the truth, I know precisely how many humans you have here and in Quinten’s army to the south. And I know exactly where each of them is! But, alas one moment of glory is all I can spare you!” Max snapped his fingers and all the humans vanished! The eight people in the jeeps, the thousand human ‘soldiers’ from his army and all of their buses, disappeared in an instant! And as Nicholas franticly looked around, he saw that Max had disappeared as well!


TBC FEEDBACK PLEASE, OH PLEASE, PLEASE! Thanks, -jane

posted on 13-Oct-2001 12:31:51 PM
ROSWELL AFTER NEW YORK Part 11

(From Part 10)

“I don’t think so, Max! My ‘soldiers’ stay. There’s no way for you to tell which ones are human and which ones are Skins, or even how many humans there are. Will you take the chance of hitting those insignificant worms so that you can attack us?” Max winced as he tried to stand up straighter.

“You know, Nicholas. I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself so much at my expense! I wouldn’t dream of depriving you of your moment of glory, but to tell you the truth, I know precisely how many humans you have here and in Quinten’s army to the south. And I know exactly where each of them is! But, alas one moment of glory is all I can spare you!” Max snapped his fingers and all the humans vanished! The eight people in the jeeps, the thousand human ‘soldiers’ from his army and all of their buses, disappeared in an instant! And as Nicholas franticly looked around, he saw that Max had disappeared as well!


**Half A Hour Earlier: **
“This waiting is so difficult!” Diane Evans exclaimed as she paced the lobby of the Sheriff’s Station. Phillip Evans and Sheriff Valenti were leaning against the station’s front counter.

“I know it’s hard to stay in here Diane, when the kids are out there, somewhere, but we’re safer in here. There’s nothing we can do against these Skins, we’d only get in the way.” Diane nodded in agreement, but kept on pacing.

“It’s so quiet out there with the city evacuated. I never thought I’d prefer the noise of the city to peace and quiet!”

“I think ‘peace’ is the operative word here.” Phillip said. “We don’t have any peace right now, only quiet.” Just then the three adults heard several vehicles drive down the street. Sheriff Valenti walked to the door to peek out.

“One SUV, four jeeps and a bus just drove by. I think the Skins have just arrived! Let’s move back into the inner offices just to be on the safe side.” As they moved to a safer location though, the front and back doors slammed open. Windows that had been covered with bars, somehow no longer were as four men came crashing through them! These ‘men’ carried no weapons, but their hands were glowing!

“Don’t move!” One of the Skins gelled. “All of you lay your weapons on the floor and kick them over here, Now!” He yelled. “Especially you Sheriff!” Several of the Skins were brandishing their glowing hands threateningly at thin air, as if someone was standing in front of them. Neither the Sheriff, nor Phillip or Diane said anything about this. They realized that the Skins were seeing something that the kids were making only them see!

“Everybody outside, Now!” A Skin yelled, herding everyone visible and invisible out to the front lobby. One of them got too close to Diane for Phillip’s peace of mind.

“Stay away from her!” He moved to step in front of his wife. The Skin punched him in the jaw hard enough that he stumbled away from his protective position in front of Diane. The Skin then slapped her across the face hard enough that she fell and hit her head on the counter as she went down!

“Diane!” Phillip and the Sheriff yelled, moving together to see if she was all right.

“Stay right where you are!” The Skin yelled at the two men. “Lady, you’d better get up right now, or you’re dead!” His hand glowed more brightly as he threatened her with it. Diane slowly got to her feet holding onto the counter.

“Sir!” A soldier called to the Skin who was in charge. “Look who we found back in the lock-up! Except that the cell doors weren’t locked!” The Sheriff had quit locking the cell doors after the first day as Lonny and Rath did whatever they were told to do.

“Lonny and Rath!” The leader exclaimed. “Nicholas isn’t going to be happy to see you two. Especially when we tell him ‘where’ we found you!”

Phillip, Diane, the Sheriff, Lonny and Rath and the three invisible deputies were taken out to the jeeps. Two aliens got into each jeep, the driver and the second Skin who turned around in his seat so he could keep an eye on the hostages in the back seats.

The jeeps drove out of town and out into the desert. Coming towards them, Phillip, Diane, and Jim Valenti saw a heartening sight. Twenty buses filled with tourists on their way home! As the buses passed, the Skins made no indication that they even saw them! A few miles out into the desert the four jeeps drove up to where a couple hundred other aliens were gathered. There was no transportation in sight except one SUV. They pulled up next to the twerpy-looking kid standing next to that lone vehicle.

“We got the Sheriff, Nicholas! Three deputies, this civilian couple and you’ll never guess who we found back in the lock-up!” The man motioned for the twins of Michael and Isabel forward. "“Lonny and Rath!”

"What the hell were you two doing there?” The boy named Nicholas threw a temper tantrum. Diane Evans tried to stay calm as the young looking alien leader’s emotions became more violent. Her fingernails bit into her palms until her hands bled as he caused Lonny to scream in pain, just by placing his hand on her forehead. ‘Stay calm!’ She told herself. ‘Don’t draw attention to yourself!’ She couldn’t keep a small whimper of fear from slipping out after Nicholas and another alien had killed Lonny and Rath by seemingly melting their chests in!

“Well aren’t you a lovely looking lady!” Nicholas said as he turned and saw her.

“You stay away from her you little creep!” Phillip yelled until one of the men punched him in the jaw. Diane’s stomach wanted to ‘lose it’s lunch’ at Nicholas’ reply.

“I have other plans for you, all of you. But if they don’t work who knows what I may do to any of you!” Then Nicholas looked up into the sky and yelled for Max. He was trying to bait her son, make him turn himself over for their safety and the safety of the bus loads of people that the aliens apparently still thought were standing there among them.

‘No Max!’ She prayed silently. ‘You can’t turn yourself over to this monster!’ A moment later her mother’s heart stared to break as she saw her son make his way through the crowd of aliens. His face was bruised and bloody and he was walking as if he was in quite a bit of pain. Tears started to fall from her eyes as she saw one of the aliens hit her baby in the stomach, hard! But she didn’t here what Max was saying to Nicholas because another, softer sound caught her attention. She could have sworn that she heard Max calling her name, but he wasn’t even looking in her direction as he spoke with Nicholas. Diane’s eyes darted around. There it was again!

“Mom, Dad, Sheriff! Over here!” She heard ‘Max’ call. Then she saw him standing in the crowd behind Nicholas, but as she turned her head, Diane could also see Max standing in front of Nicholas, still speaking to him!

“Mom, Dad, Sheriff. Come on! We don’t have much time to get you out of here! Don’t worry, that’s not really me! Come on they won’t see you!” Diane, Phillip and the Sheriff glanced at each other and then quickly got out of their jeeps and followed the ‘other Max’! Phillip kept his hand on Diane’s upper arm, supporting her since she wasn’t too steady on her feet. Max led them through the crowd of aliens to their jeep. Alex was behind the wheel ready to take off as soon as Phillip put Diane in the passenger seat. He and the Sheriff took the back seats while Max propped himself on the back edge of the jeep and held onto the roll-bar. They drove further out into the desert until they came up to the base of an enormous outcropping, and the jeep slowed to a stop.

“Max what’s going on? Max?” Phillip had turned to speak to his son but discovered that he had disappeared! Just then he heard running feet above them. Phillip looked up to see his son, Max come running down a steep trail on the side of the outcropping, at an alarming speed!

“Mom! Dad! Sheriff!” Max was by the side of the jeep in an instant! He gently cupped the unbruised side of his mother’s face and reached out with his other hand to touch first his father and then the Sheriff on the arm.

“Let’s get all of you inside! Alex, will you please take care of the jeep? Follow me.” Max told Phillip and Jim as he gently scooped his mother up into his arms, holding her close to his chest, and almost running, carried her up the steep slope. The two older men followed a little more slowly, so when they made their way into the cavern, Max was already kneeling down to gently place his mother on a pile of sleeping bags and then covering her with a blanket.

“Mom, I’m so sorry about this.” Max told her in an anguished voice.

“Max!” Michael’s voice called out, urgently. “We need to reestablish our link!” Max closed his eyes for a moment seeming to concentrate on something internal. “Link established!” Michael called back.

Isabel crawled through what looked to be a small tunnel in one of the stone walls. She came over and embraced her father before joining Max by her mother’s side.

“Ok Mom, I’m going to heal you!” Max told her as he cupped her bruised cheek. Diane nodded her understanding. Phillip and Jim Valenti watched as Max’s hand started to glow as he passed it slowly over his mother’s face. When the glow receded he left his hand on her face, caressing it gently.

“I’m so sorry Mom! I thought you would be safe in the Sheriff’s Station!”

“There’s no way you could have known what they were going to do, Son.” Phillip reached out a hand to grip Max’s shoulder. “You acted so quickly to get us away from those aliens, and you’ve healed your mother!” Just then Michael called from the other room.

“Max, Isabel! You’d better get in here!”


TBC ***Feedback, Please, Oh Please, Please! *** Thanks, -jane

posted on 13-Oct-2001 12:32:52 PM
Roswell, After New York The Real Part 12

Just then Michael called from the other room.

“Max, Isabel! You’d better get in here!”

“We’ve got to get back to the others.” Max told them. “I’ll ask Maria to come out and show you around. Max and Isabel quickly scrambled back through the tunnel. Once on the other side, Max approached Maria.

“Maria could you please go out and take care of my parents and the Sheriff? Mother may want some hot tea. If my father or the Sheriff want beers, bring me two sodas and I’ll change them into beer for them! If they want to come in, you can bring them in!” Maria nodded.

“I’ll take care of them for you, Max.” She said.

“Thanks Maria!” Max glanced at the view screen and saw Quinten and Nicholas’ army firing on each other! “You were able to mind warp the two armies to fight each other so quickly Tess, Liz! Great job!”

“Actually, they are fighting each other without any help from us!” Tess admitted. “Or almost.”

“What do you mean?” Max asked.

“When you had us stop the ‘warp’ so that Nicholas would know that all of his hostages and unwilling soldiers had escaped, they disappeared from Quinten’s army, as we planned, as well. While you quickly ran down to bring your parents and the Sheriff up here, we saw Quinten accuse Nicholas of betraying him by taking most of his army away. He was afraid that Nicholas was then going to launch an attack on him, so he attacked first! They’ve killed at least on third of each other’s armies!” Just then Maria and Alex led Phillip, Diane and the Sheriff through the pod tunnel. Maria was carrying three sodas. She walked over to Max.

“All three of the adults want/need a beer Max!” Max took the pop cans and changed them into beer cans!

“Oh my gosh!” Diane exclaimed. “What is this place? What is that thing?” She pointed to the Granolith. “How did we get up to the top of the outcropping? Won’t they see us up here?” Phillip took one of her hands to try and calm her down.

“This is the Granolith chamber, Mother.” Isabel explained. “This is the Granolith.” She pointed to the large alien device. “We aren’t on the top of the outcropping, but inside it! These are view screens all around us. The Granolith greatly amplifies our powers. That’s how we knew that the buses carrying the Skins, were mostly filled with human hostages! We were able to create a plan to save them yesterday morning!

The Granolith also provides us with a view of what’s going on outside. We can magnify any view we want to, see just about anywhere we want! That’s how we knew that the three of you had been captured, and how Alex and ‘Max’ were able to be down there, almost before you arrived, ready to rescue you! It took some work for us to stop Max from rushing down there in person! We were terrified when we found out the Skins had caught you!” Max, Michael, Tess and Liz had been concentrating on what the two armies were up to down below.

“OK Tess, Liz, I think their firing on each other is coming to an end. Oh man! I think that they killed more than half of each other’s troops! It’s up to you now. Have you sensed the malcontents? Any traitorous personalities down there?”

“Plenty in Nicholas’ army! But Quinten’s troops are bioengineered. They don’t have any kind of negative emotions that we can play on like we can with Nicholas’ men!”

“Well start on Nicholas’ troops then!” Max instructed Tess and Liz.

“Max, are Tess and Liz going to ‘make’ those soldiers kill each other?” Diane asked her son, horrified.

“Not really, Mother. We don’t want to stoop that low if we don’t have to. The troops that Liz and Tess were referring to are malcontents and traitors in their own rights. But something is holding them back from acting on those negative tendencies. Liz and Tess are just removing the barriers so that their true personalities have free reign, and then we’ll step back and see what happens!”

“It’s working!” Tess reported. The view screens zeroed in on Nicholas’ troops. Dozens of soldiers were attacking each other. It wasn’t a pretty sight to see. Diane, Maria and Isabel turned away from the view screen, unable to watch as Nicholas’ army was whittled down from ninety soldiers to only thirty!

“Uh oh!” Kyle exclaimed. “I think we’ve got trouble in Quinten’s army!” Kyle and Alex had been keeping an eye on the other camp.

“I think they’re getting ready to attack Nicholas again!” Alex continued. “They see how few soldiers Nicholas has left and think that they can take him and then us!”

“There they go!” Kyle exclaimed. Quinten had three times as many men as Nicholas had, but his soldiers were returning fire and killing two men in Quinten’s army for every one killed in their camp. Still Nicholas lost five, then fifteen, then twenty five of his men until he only had five soldiers left. All of a sudden the unbelievable happened!

“Nicholas!” A Skin screamed. “You idiot! You’ve gotten us all killed!” Nicholas was busy fending off an enemy’s energy surge when his own soldier ‘fried’ his back from behind! He was dead in seconds, and the last of the skins followed behind him a few minutes later. On the other side of the battlefield, Quinten only had thirty soldiers left. Quinten yelled up at Max.

“So you’ve won this battle but my men and I will be back!” He was simultaneously ordering his soldiers to disperse in every direction. “We won’t make the same stupid mistakes Nicholas forced us to make. You won’t know when or where we’ll show up next!”

“I can’t let them slip away!” Max said. “I wonder, can I…” The troops who were trying to escape suddenly ran into a blue energy wall which now encircled all of them! Max had figured out how to throw his shield out, away from himself, like a lasso, trapping Quinten and his men inside! “What do I do now?” Max muttered to himself.

“You’ll have to hold them captive or kill them, Max.” Sheriff Valenti told him.

“I don’t want to just kill them! Especially when they’re all penned up this way! Quinten!” Max called out. “This is Max Evans. We have won! The battle and the war! You can return to your planet or…” Max wasn’t given a chance to finish whatever he was gong to say.

“Death before dishonor!” A soldier cried before he killed himself.

“I will not be held prisoner!” He followed his comrade’s example.

“We cannot return home in disgrace!” Others yelled as the rest of the bioengineered soldiers committed suicide right then and there. But Max had been so shocked by their action that he had let his shield drop, and Quinten ran for one of his jeeps.

“Oh my gosh!” Isabel exclaimed. “He’s headed towards Roswell!” Max led the way as he, Michael, Isabel and Tess ran out of the chambers and down the trail to their jeep!

“Quinten had managed to get a good head start on them, and they were unable to get any closer to him before they reached the city. Quinten’s jeep disappeared around a corner and the four-square followed warily until they found his abandoned jeep.

“This isn’t right.” Michael commented. “Why would he give up his only mode of transportation and chance to escape…unless he’s going to try and kill us and this is a trap!” All four of them circled around, looking everywhere, trying to spot Quinten before he could surprise them!

All of a sudden there was the sound of a couple energy bolts being launched and at the same time a “NO!” Then a scream! The foursome whipped around to the left to see Brody Davis launching himself into the air between Quinten and Max! He took the hit as Louise Nelson came running out from her hiding place, screaming as she ran! Michael instantly stepped between Quinten and Max and let off an energy bolt of his own, which hit the other alien directly in the chest. While Michael went over to warily check on Quinten, the other three ran over to Brody and Louise. Louise had Brody in her arms and was rocking him, crying.

“No, no! Don’t leave me!” Looking up at Max. “Please help him!” Max was just kneeling down to see what he could do when Brody took in a great gasp of air and sat straight up, coughing!

“Ohh man! Must have had the wind knocked out of me! Brody said, looking up at all the worried faces surrounding him. “What? Is something wrong?”

“Brody!” Isabel exclaimed. “You were just shot by an energy bolt! You should be dead!”

“Any idea why you’re not?” Michael asked as he walked back over to them.

“Huh? Uh, no.” Brody said. He looked over to where Quinten was laying. “That guy over there. I want to get a better look at him.” He tried to stand up. Louise and Michael helped him up and they walked over to where Quinten lay. “I’ve seen his face before!” Brody said, confused.

“You, what are you doing here!” Quinten slurred, barely, conscious. “No wonder my energy had no effect on you!”

“”What do you mean. You’re energy had no effect on him?” Michael asked.

“He’s one of the humans we took for experimentation two years ago. After we were through with him, I healed the trauma we had caused as well as the illness he carried within his body. Since I healed him using my own energy, he is immune to it, even at full power!”

“Well there’s one more good thing that came out of that abduction!” Brody said.

“I’m so glad you’re OK Brody!” Max said, coming up beside his friend. “But why did you do it? Why did you throw yourself into Quinten’s line of fire to save me?”

“Obviously because he knows who you really are, Your Highness!” Quinten spat out venomously at Max. “And he wants you alive as much as I want you dead!” Quinten raised his faintly glowing hand, aiming it at Max. Michael immediately stepped in front of Max, but Quinten’s hand fell to the ground as he breathed his last.

“Was that guy really an alien?” Louise asked. “From another planet? What did he mean by calling Max, ‘Your Highness’?” Louise’s eyes were getting bigger and bigger! So were Max’s eyes as he realized what the four of them still had to do.

“We have to get back you guys! Brody are you OK? Louise, will you please stay with Brody? My parents and the Sheriff have been staying with us. I’ll ask them to come and stay with you two, but right now we have to go!” Max turned to the rest of the four-square.

“We have to return to the Granolith and talk to my mother on Antar! We have to get our people to overthrow the rest of Kivar’s Skins before he finds out about our victory here! Otherwise he could take his revenge out on innocent people!” Max had been speaking softly, but didn’t realize, as they piled into the jeep, that he had spoken loud enough for Louise and Brody to hear him!


TBC ***Feedback, Please, Oh Please, Please! *** Thanks, -jane

posted on 13-Oct-2001 12:34:36 PM
Roswell, After New York The Real Part 13!

Max, Michael, Isabel and Tess arrived back at the Granolith only half an hour after they had left it to go and chase Quinten.

“Are you alright?” Diane asked.

“Did Quinten get away?” Kyle asked.

“We’re fine, thanks!” Max answered them. “Quinten is dead!”

“But only after he tried to kill Max!” Michael added.

“Brody Davis jumped in front of Max and took the ‘hit’ to save Max!” Isabel said.

“Brody’s OK though, ‘cause Quinten is the alien who abducted him two years ago, experimented on him, then healed him and let him go.” Tess explained quickly.

“Anyway, because Quinten healed him, Brody is immune to his energy weapon! Michael then killed Quinten!” Isabel finished.

“But now we really have to contact our mother on Antar!” Max explained. “We’ve got to get our people to overthrow Kivar’s Skins before he finds out about our victory here and mounts a defense against us! Mom, Dad, Sheriff, I think it would be best if you returned to town now and stay with Brody and Louise Nelson. This revolution could take a while! One thing you need to know before you go back to town, though. Brody knows all about us, but his girlfriend, Louise does not. She’s seen some things. We may have to tell her about ourselves, but for now please, don’t tell her anything!” The three adults nodded their agreement.

“If you’re going to speak to your mother on Antar, could we stay for that part, so we could see her once more?” Diane asked.

“Uh, OK, but after that it’ll still be best for you to leave.” Max agreed. The group concentrated and their link was formed. Then Max called out to the Queen Mother of Antar.

“Hello Max, Isabel, Michael, Tess, Liz, Alex, Maria and Kyle!” She nodded to each one in turn, and then spotted the three adults, especially Mr. and Mrs. Evans. “What are your earthly parents doing there?”

“Mother! They know! They remembered that little visit you had with them! That got the ball rolling, and now they know everything!” Max told her.

“Well I don’t know whether I’m sorry or glad that you remember my little visit! I take it that you accept who and what ‘our’ children are?”

“Yes we accept that they were born to you, that they are from another planet, and that they just saved us, all of us on Earth from a Skin invasion!” Phillip proclaimed, proudly.

“Is this true!” Nicholas is defeated?” The Queen Mother asked, excitedly.

“Defeated, dead! So is Quinten and all of their soldiers!” Michael explained.

“I am so proud of you My Son! Of all of you!” She made eye contact with each and everyone of them! “But then you will be planning to start our revolution!”

“Yes, Mother. How do we go about it?” Max asked.

“Just command it so and the Granolith will project your images anywhere you wish. The government building in each of our seven regions has a receiver and two projection platforms, one on the roof, and one on the front steps. From those buildings you will be able to focus your attention throughout each region.

“Thank you Mother!” Max said. “May we ask for your blessing and permission as the last of the Royal Family still on Antar, to overthrow the current government so as to free our people?” He asked formally.

“Of course I bless you!” The Queen Mother assured them, holding both of her hands out over their bowed heads in blessing. “With my best wishes and my permission to do whatever is necessary to free our people!”

“Mom, Dad, Sheriff, You’d better go now!” They all hugged each other before the Adults left to go back to town.

“I have informed the cell leaders that you wish to speak to them! They await your permission to join the link.” The Queen Mother told them.

“I’ve got a quick question before all of this starts!” Maria piped up. “What are we going to do with all those Skins if we actually catch them all? Will we be able to just ship them back to their planet and say ‘so long suckers’?”

“No, my dear.” The Queen Mother answered. “That’s right, you probably don’t remember this. The Skins are natives to Antar, just as we Antarians! Our world is home to two sentient life forms. We Antarians, by far the largest in population, and the Skins. Even with their smaller numbers on our planet, they were never made slaves or even used as a labor force. We always lived in peaceful equality together! Until Kivar, that is.”

“What was Kivar’s problem?” Michael asked.

“Max, or I should say Zan was his problem!” The Queen Mother told them. “We wanted the three of you, Max, Isabel and Michael, to have as normal a childhood as possible. So we sent you to school with the other children, including Nicholas and Kivar. Kivar was always trying to best Zan. In his grades, in sporting competition, but never could. It didn’t help that everything came easily to the three of you especially Zan! Your excellent grades, your sportsmanship, your popularity! He grew jealous of your success. Jealousy grew to resentment, which turned into hatred. I think his hatred twisted Kivar. Almost made him insane! He was able to gather together quite a following of other greedy, power-hungry Skins, until he was able to start the revolution, kill the four of you and declare himself ruler!”

“OK. Well we obviously need to go after Kivar first.” Max said. Does he keep any men with him?”

“A few yes.” Their mother confirmed.

“And all the other Skins, is there a Watch? Do they live together somewhere?”

“No, there’s no Watch and the Skins just live amongst us in their homes with their families. Both we and they have become sloppy and apathetic!” Their mother said with a grimace of self-contempt.

“Don’t worry about it Mother.” Max reassured her. “But if this is going to work, everyone is going to have to do their part. No more apathy or we might as well not start! Why don’t you have the cell leaders ‘link’ in. I’d at least like to meet them.” Twenty-one men and women’s faces appeared on the view screen, like a collage.

“Your Highness!” Some exclaimed.

“Thank the ‘Great Star’! The Royal Four are returning to us!” Others exclaimed.

“Well you know who we are! Except that in these bodies we are known by different names. I’m Max Evans, my sister is Isabel Evans, our good friend, my second-in-command is Michael Guerin. And Lady Ava is now called Tess Harding.” Everyone nodded their heads.

“And these are our very close friends.” Max gathered Liz into his arms. “This is Liz. That’s Alex, Maria and Kyle. They are an important extension of our four-square.

We wanted to inform you quickly that both Nicholas and Quinten, and their armies are dead here on Earth!” A cheer went up from the group. “Our time is at hand! We must overthrow Kivar and the Skins now, before they find out what has happened and mount a defense! Everyone will have to take part! We must capture Kivar and his leaders first, but then be ready to apprehend all other Skins and confine them somehow until we can figure out what to do with them.”

“Kill them!” Several of the group said.

“There will be no killing unless absolutely necessary! Do I make myself perfectly, crystal, clear?” Max said sternly. “This is an entire race we’re talking about. I will not condone genocide! We will sort out who the real villains were, and who were just pawns in this, later.

“I want to speak to all of our people, to tell them what I just told you.” Max continued. “And then we must be ready to act!”

“My Lord.” One woman spoke up. “We live on the other side of the planet, where it’s night. Should we wake up everyone?”

“A very good point. Thank you for bringing that to our attention. Yes, it would be best if we could do this all at once! We’ll dream-walk the Antarians in those regions to wake them up and then we’ll tell them what we’ve told you!”

“You have the ability to distinguish between Anarians and Skin when you dream-walk? You are able to ‘walk’ through many, many dreams at once?” Another of the cell leaders asked in awe.

“Yes, that is one of the many different things we have learned to do recently!” Michael answered.

“Couldn’t you just ‘mind-warp’ the Skins to give themselves up?” A worried looking man asked.

“We could. We will in an emergency.” Tess answered. “But this is something you, all of you, need to do!” The four of them had discussed this on the drive back earlier.

“You must declare to the Skins that you will no longer live under their power. That you are taking back your lives!” Isabel finished.

“If you want your freedom, you’re going to have to fight for it!” Michael added.

“But we’ll be there with you to help if you need it!” Max assured. “OK, we need to make those announcements!” He told the group of resistance cell leaders, dismissing them. “All of us should appear when I make the announcement.” Max gazed at Liz.

“Are you sure Max?” Liz asked.

“Absolutely! We couldn’t do what we are doing without all of you!” Max said firmly. “I’ll make the announcement. Isabel, Liz, you dream-walk the Antarians on the other side of the planet. Wake them up and ask them to gather in front of their regional government building where we will make our announcement to them. And then also Liz, could you help Tess filter my announcement so that only the Antarians, and not the Skins here it?” Liz, Isabel and Tess nodded.

“We’re ready Max!” Liz informed him. “All Antarians are awake and await your announcement. Tess and I are ‘warping’ all of the Skins so that they won’t see or hear any of this. They will see only normal, everyday activities.

“Boy I wish I’d done better in speech class! OK. Here goes!” Max began. “Good Antarians. My name is Max Evans.” At the sound of his name every Antarian citizen dropped down to their knees while cheering!

“King Zan!”

“King Max!”

“Thank the ‘Great Star’!”

“The Royal Four have returned!” Max motioned for them to calm down.

“Good Antarians. Thank you for such a wonderful greeting! I guess I don’t have to introduce myself to you, but let me reintroduce you to my sister who is now called Isabel Evans. My second-in-command, Michael Guerin. And the Lady Ava is now Tess Harding.” Max had been trying to avoid having to call Tess his former bride!

“Let me also introduce you to these four humans who have become our very good friends.” Liz was once again standing in front of Max with his arms around her, as was Maria with Michael. Kyle and Alex each stood behind their special lady. This is Liz Parker, Maria DeLuca, Alex Whitman and Kyle Valenti. These four people have saved our lives many times and given us the wonderful gift of their friendship, companionship, and love!” All Antarians cheered their appreciation for all that the four humans had done for their beloved rulers!

“Now I must announce to you that both Nicholas and Quentin and their soldiers are all dead here on Earth!” Max had to wait until the people calmed down before he could go on. “Now I ask you. Do you want to be free?”

“Yes!” Came the instant response.

“Will you fight to free yourselves?”

“We will!”

“Then you must act right now! We will be there to help you, but you must do the real work! You’re sure that you are ready?”

“We are!”

“Then divide into groups of six to ten. Each group will apprehend one Skin each. Once you have taken custody, we will mind warp them so that they will stay peaceful until we figure out what to do with them.”

“Kill them!” A few people said.

“Let me tell you what I told your cell leaders. There is to be no killing unless absolutely necessary. Do I make myself perfectly, crystal, clear?”

“Yes My Lord.” The people responded their acceptance.

“Antarians have lived in peaceful equality with the Skins for many generations. We need to find a way back to that way of life. And we will!” Everyone was cheering! Max continued after a minute. “There is one large group to take Kivar and his closest men. They will go in first and then the rest of you must do your part! Now go!”

Once Kivar and his men were captured and mind warped, the takeover moved quickly. Evan so Max realized that it would take some time. He went out into the pod chamber and brought back his and Liz’s sleeping bags with him. He folded them into a comfy cushion, sat down with his back to the base of the Granolith and then lifted his hand up for Liz to take to come and join him. Liz came and sat within his embrace. Her back, up against Max’s muscular chest. Her bottom and legs, between his spread and drawn up knees! Alex, Michael and Kyle looked at this comfortable arrangement and ran for their sleeping bags as well! Each couple took up a position against the Granolith’s base, equally placed around it so that they could keep watch on what was going on.

They had views of all seven regions up on the screens, constantly scanning over the action. Most of the time the groups of Antarians handled themselves well, and had no trouble capturing the Skin they had been sent to apprehend. Every once in a while though, a Skin would become violent and the Antarians would become like frightened mice again. But a well placed energy bolt to the ground beside the Skin would startle him and energize the Antarians into action! There were also a few unfortunate incidents when the Antarians became unnecessarily violent when apprehending a Skin. A well placed energy bolt to the ground near their feet usually brought them back to their senses and the Skin would be safely delivered into custody.

Tess and Isabel scanned over the towns and countryside to be sure that no Skin got away. When they were finally all captured, Max made the announcement.

“Kivar and all Skins. The Antarian people officially state that they will be slaves no more!”

“Big words, Evans!” Kivar sneered. “This supposed revolution of yours won’t last long once Nicholas and his troops get to Roswell, kill the four of you and take over the Granolith!” The crowds of Antarians laughed and geared at him! “Sorry to have to break this to you Kivar, but Nicholas, Quinten and all of their troops are dead as of this afternoon! But wait. I’m not. Sorry that is!”

“And how many pathetic civilians did you end up killing this time?” Kivar was trying to keep some satisfaction alive by believing that a part of his plan had been successful! “Or didn’t you know that most of the troops you fought were human!”

“Actually, none of the troops that we fought were human, Kivar!” Max told him. “We freed all of the humans before we took any action against the soldiers who were left!”

“No, I don’t believe it!” Kivar yelled.

“Do you want me to show you the pile of skin flakes Nicholas became when one of his own men ‘fried’ him in the back?” Michael asked.

“No!” Kivar yelled.

“OK. Put them all someplace safe for the next day or two. “Max instructed his people. “We have a lot to think about. A great many decisions to make! All of you, Antarian and Skin, need to think about what kind of world you want to create for the future. We’ll contact you tomorrow. Until then rest up and think about making the best possible future for our children!” All of the Antarians cheered. Even some of the Skins looked hopeful!

Max came out of the state of concentration he had been in while fighting alongside his people, and then confronting Kivar. Liz was asleep within his embrace. He leaned down to gently kiss the top of her head, smelling her beautiful scent, feeling her warmth. Max saw that Alex, Kyle and Maria were also asleep. All of their friends had been there with them during the struggle. Especially Liz, who had helped both Tess and Isabel. They had exhausted themselves helping their four friends who were fighting for their people’s freedom! He saw that Isabel and Michael were almost asleep as well. He and Tess were the only two who were mostly awake, still a little high from their victory!

“Tess.” Max spoke quietly so as not to disturb the others and thereby ruin his surprise which he was about to arrange for them. “Send the signal to the radio station! Have everyone return by tomorrow, Saturday night, so that they'll ‘wake-up’ on Sunday as if hardly anything has happened. But you know what I really want to happen…” Tess nodded with a grin, and sent the signal!


TBC ***Feedback, Please, Oh Please, Please! *** Thanks, -jane

posted on 13-Oct-2001 12:35:36 PM
Roswell, After New York Part 14 Christmas Eve, Christmas Day!

Max woke up from his short nap to find he and Liz curled around each other on top of their sleeping bag cushion! He heard everyone else stirring as well, and glanced at his watch. He couldn’t believe it was only 6:30 p.m. on Christmas Eve! He counted backwards. Nicholas had entered Roswell around 3:00 that afternoon. That whole battle, including the wild ride into Roswell, where Michael had killed Quinten, Kathana’s second-in-command, had lasted only an hour! Then another bumpy ride back out of the Granolith chamber to start the revolution on Antar! A revolution which had lasted only two hours! Lastly, Max remembered falling asleep, curling himself around Liz’s already sleeping form for a half-hour’s nap.

“Is it over?” Maria’s sleepy voice asked. “Did we win?”

“Yes we won!” Max answered. “There’s a lot of work ahead of us! We’ll have to be very careful how we handle everything! We’ll have to guard against attack by the other planets! Actually, we’ll have to make an announcement to them, that the Antarian people are back in control of Antar! But for right now, we won!”

“Hey I’m hungry!” Alex exclaimed.

“Do you think that it would be safe for us to go home for dinner, Max?” Isabel asked.

“I think so.” Max answered. “We’ll have to check back here regularly. Not just to scan Earth, but Antar and the space in between as well. But yeah, let’s go home!” Everyone was awake now. Max helped Liz to her feet, but then just stood holding her close in his arms for a few minutes. Liz held onto him just as tightly!

“Oh, I forgot, we’ll have to call and ask Mom and Dad for a ride! They took our jeep, remember?” Isabel exclaimed, as she got out her cell phone.

Half an hour later, after cramming themselves into the jeep and Maria’s Jetta, they were home! Diane enveloped each one of them in a tight hug. Everyone had shaken Brody’s hand or given him a hug as well!

“Come, sit, eat!” Diane urged the kids. “When you called, I broke down and dug out a couple boxes of ‘tuna helper’! It’s all ready for you to dig in!” And they did! It was a quiet group though. Everyone was keenly aware of Louise’s presence.

“Couldn’t we get everything out into the open? Please?” Louise asked when they had all finished eating. “I’ll tell you what I know, and what I suspect, and then you can correct me of fill in anything I missed.”

“Yes, why don’t you start first.” Max said noncommittally.

“OK. Three weeks ago I followed Brody and Max into the UFO Center and heard them talking about something or someone coming this way.” Before anyone could say a word, Louise continued. “I know it was wrong of me to ease-drop, even spy on you two! Believe me, it wasn’t intentional! I’ve never done anything like that before in my life! I’ve told no one, will tell no one about any of this, I promise! Anyway, last Saturday, Brody invited me to go to Albuquerque with him for the holidays! That is what each and every person I spoke to said, down to the last word! I think they were brainwashed into evacuating the city! Since Brody and I were the only ones not brainwashed, I have to conclude that Brody is in on whatever has just happened here. Brody told me it was for our safety, that the city had been evacuated. Then he tried to come back here to help you kids, but I stopped him long enough to insist on coming with him.” Louise’s eyes started to tear up.

“When we arrived back here, the town was totally deserted! We couldn’t find any sign of you guys. We weren’t sure what to do next when we heard a car come speeding into town! A stranger got out and took a position, which we were immediately suspicious of. He was obviously waiting for something or someone. When the four of you followed him, we were worried for your safety, but weren’t close enough to that guy to stop him. The next thing I know, Brody is hurtling himself between the energy bolt that the stranger shot at Max here. Brody intentionally took the ‘hit’ so that it wouldn’t strike Max!” Tears were coming out of her eyes now, as well as a few others in the group.

“I thought you were dead!” Louise looked at Brody, and grasped his hand, which was laying on the tabletop. “When I reached you, you weren’t breathing. My hands were shaking so much I couldn’t find a pulse! Then you scared the living daylights out of me by suddenly sitting straight up, gasping for air!” It looked as though Louise wanted to hit Brody, but she didn’t!

“Michael had shot off an energy bolt of his own at Quentin. That was his name wasn’t it?” At Michael’s nod, Louise continued. “We helped Brody up because he wanted to take a look at this ‘man’ who had almost killed him. It turned out that Brody thought he recognized him. And low-and-behold, Quentin recognized Brody as well! He confirmed that he was the alien who had abducted Brody two years ago and that Brody was now ‘immune’ to his energy weapon! Before Quentin died, he called Max ‘Your Highness’!”

“Up until this afternoon, I thought you kids were part of a CIA youth corps or something, but you’re not, are you? At least Max and Michael are aliens. Are all eight of you aliens?” When no one answered, Louise continued. “Maybe I’ve read too many fairy tales, but I think that Max is some sort of alien prince. Michael is his bodyguard. The way Michael put himself between Quentin and Max pretty much proves that! Brody somehow knew about who Max and Michael are. He discovered communication signals sent from enemies, ‘alien’ enemies of Max’s. If they were human enemies, the town may or may not have been evacuated, but it would have been done by the National Guard or something like that!

“Finally, Brody and I heard Max tell Michael, Tess and Isabel that they had to return to something called the Granolith, so that they could start the revolution on a place called Antar. Not ‘in’, but ‘on’. So I’m thinking Antar is another planet! I think the Granolith is a communicator of some kind. One that can send a signal all the way to a planet, no astronomer has ever heard of! And now all of you have returned to this house with smiles on your faces, so could it be that your revolution is over already? That you won?” Louise asked and was silent. Brody leaned over from where he sat next to her at the table and took Louise into his arms and onto his lap.

“Could we tell her the whole story please?” He requested, looking to Max. “She knows a lot already. She hasn’t told anyone. I think she deserves to know the whole truth.” Max nodded.

“You’re right, Louise. The four of us, myself, Michael, Isabel and Tess, aren’t from around here…And now we have to figure out how to handle the Skins.” Max concluded their story a short time later.

“I think you need to put all of what’s happened ‘on the back burner’ for a while.” Diane Evans stated. “It’s Christmas Eve! We have so much to be grateful for! We had already put a few decorations out, but because of all that has been happening, we never got a tree! Do you think we could quickly get a tree, decorate it, and celebrate in style for at least one day?”

“The Christmas tree seller left town with the rest of Roswell.” Philip reminded her.

“We could leave money for the tree in his little booth, or somewhere he’ll find it when he returns!” Isabel said, getting into the spirit.

“Since you know what kind of tree we will want, could you take Alex and go buy one?” Diane asked her daughter.

“Sure!” Isabel said, getting excited.

“I’d love to have you all come for Christmas dinner tomorrow. Is there anyway I could be let into the grocery store to buy a turkey, Sheriff?”

“I think we could arrange something. I get the feeling these kids are good with opening locks!”

“I’ll go with you Mom!” Max volunteered.

“Before we go, there’s one more important thing that would mean the world to me.”

“What’s that Sweetheart?” Philip asked his wife.

“I’d like to have a midnight service of some kind in the church. We have so much to thank God for! We could read the Christmas Story. There could be lots of candles! The church has the most beautiful banners and linens to decorate the Sanctuary with! We could all sing carols! Is there any way…”

“Half of us can stay here to decorate the tree. The rest can come with me to decorate the church. Is there a ‘locksmith’ to get us into the church building?” Phillip asked.

“I’ll come.” Michael volunteered.

The friends split into groups. Tess, Liz, Louise and Kyle stayed at the house and immediately started to straighten everything up so that they could give it an extra special cleaning! Maria, Michael, Brody, Mr. Evans, and the Sheriff went to the church. Maria, being in the choir and in the Alter Guild, knew where everything was kept to decorate the church! When the church decorators returned, tired but happy, two hours later, they found the house sparkling clean, the tree up and almost decorated, and Mrs. Evans working on the turkey for tomorrow!

By 11:00 p.m., all that could be done that night had been done. Everyone quickly took showers and got dressed up to go to midnight service at the church! Maria had written out a list of carols, and their corresponding hymnal page, to sing. Alex, who actually played the piano quite well, volunteered to accompany them! With a snap of her fingers, Isabel lit all of the candles making the Sanctuary looked gorgeous! They worried about the fact that there were thirteen of them there, but Max told them not to worry about such superstitions.

Maria, standing in front of the alter, facing the rest of them, started the service by singing ‘O Come O Come Emmanuel’! Halfway through the hymn, her eyes grew large and her smile widened but she continued to sing as five new voices joined her in song! Everyone turned around to see Mr. and Mrs. Parker, Mr. and Mrs. Whitman, and Amy DeLuca walking down the isle to joint their children! As soon as the present verse ended, everyone tumbled out of their pews to greet the newcomers!

“Mom! Dad!” Alex and Liz called to their parents.

“Mom!” Maria rushed into her mother’s arms!

“I can’t believe you’re here!” Liz said, glancing meaningfully at Max who grinned back at her and then quickly glanced over at Tess, who had kept his surprise secret. Liz’s smile widened to include them both in her thanks!

“We couldn’t stand it anymore! We wanted to be with our kids on Christmas. So we packed up and left Albuquerque. We saw the lights through the stained glass windows and stopped here first, thinking this might be where you’d be!” Mr. Parker explained.

Everyone returned to their pews, and Phillip Evans walked over to the lector’s stand to read the Christmas Story from the Gospel of Matthew. Next, Mrs. Evans read the ‘other half’ of the Story as she called it, from the Gospel of Luke. It was a short but moving service, shared with such good friends, who all had been through so much together. Even Michael and Max, who both were at a standstill in their faith journeys were moved, and silently gave thanks for all that they had been given!

After the service Diane explained to the other parents that she and Phillip had been in town all week and that the kids had been staying with them. Max had asked if she could speak to the parents about the six of them staying at their house one more night. Diane did this for her son, saying that everything was still set up to accommodate their sleeping arrangements. She assured each parent that their child would come home by late morning, so that gifts could be exchanged. She then invited everyone to Christmas dinner at their house later that afternoon (since it was after midnight and already, technically, Christmas Day!), again at Max’s request. That was why Max had volunteered to go shopping with his mother, so that he could explain to her what he had arranged!

When the three young couples had gotten ready for one last night together in the Evan’s house, they each exchanged gifts after they had climbed into their beds. Michael, after some not-so-subtle-prodding from Isabel and Max, had used his powers to make Maria some earrings! They were made of gold wire, bent into a loose corkscrew curl.

“They’ll sway with all the beautiful curls in your hair!” Michael told her. Maria had found some newly released CDs by a couple of their favorite singers. They fell asleep kissing ‘thank yous’ back and forth!

Max had also used his powers to create Liz’s gift. It was a silver ring with two, openwork, interlocking hearts on it. On the upper curve of one heart he had engraved ‘Liz’. On the bottom curve of the other heart, he had engraved ‘Max’, in tiny, but clear script! Liz was blushing when she handed Max his gift. It was a couple pair of boxer shorts with little red hearts all over them!

“I can’t believe that I bought those for you! But when Maria told us about that dream that she had, had with Michael dancing around her bedroom, wearing nothing but a pair of these, the picture stuck in my mind except, of course that it was you dancing in my bedroom, not Michael!”

“Well let me change into these and see how they fit!” Max went into his bathroom to change. When he came out Liz blushed more. The boxers were a perfect fit! Max started doing a sexy, sensuously slow dance, circling Liz as she stood in the middle of his room, watching him, their eyes looking deeply into each other’s. Then, Max swung Liz into a waltz, holding her close, their bodies lightly touching each other up and down their lengths. Finally they stopped moving and leaned in to kiss each other. The kisses became so heated that Liz broke away with a small groan of desire to run into the bathroom and splash water on her face! When she came out, Max had managed to calm himself down as well and was in bed waiting for her. She came towards him slowly, but then took the hand he offered her and climbed into bet to curl up against him, spoon fashion.

“We’ll just take this last chance to sleep in each other’s arms.” Max told her gently.

“I don’t know how I’m going to sleep without the security of having your arms around me at night.” Liz admitted.

“I don’t know how I’m going to sleep without your warmth snuggled up against me either!” But since they had each other’s arms and warmth, they fell fast asleep!

In Isabel’s room, Alex opened his gift. It was sheet music to some of their favorite romantic music for the acoustic guitar. Alex looked forward to the time someday soon when he could play this music well enough to serenade/seduce Isabel into his arms with it! Alex had given Isabel a bottle of her perfume, a special blend which he knew was made specifically for her. She put a small dab on each wrist and then pulled him into the sweet, scented heaven of her arms!

When they awoke later that morning in their own bedrooms, Kyle and Tess exchanged gifts. Kyle had bought Tess a lovely, gold pendant and chain to wear. Tess had found a book on Buddhist teachings for Kyle.

Before she left to go home, Max gave Liz one of his favorite sweaters. It was soft and Liz could smell Max’s special scent on it! Max wrapped it around her upper arms, tying the sleeves in front.

“Think of these sleeves as my arms holding you throughout the night!”

“I was going to remind you that you still have my pillow on your bed. You could hold it as you sleep and think of me!” Liz told Max, kissing him good-buy.

Liz, Maria and Alex made it to their homes to open gifts in the morning as Mrs. Evans promised they would, but only by the fact that it was 11:58 a.m. when each of them walked through their respective doors!

Everybody had arrived at the Evans house later that afternoon. Liz and Maria had come back as soon as they were through exchanging gifts with their parents, to help Diane and Isabel with all of the cooking. Max and Phillip had finally made enough room and borrowed enough chairs so that all eighteen of them could sit down together at the same table! There was an enormous turkey and a ham, mashed potatoes, dressing, squash, green beans, and salad. Mrs. Whitman, Mrs. Parker, and Ms. DeLuca each brought pies. Mr. Whitman and Mr. Parker brought the wine. Brody and Louise brought the appetizers!

After everyone had eaten their fill (and then some, in the cases of Kyle and Michael!) The table was quickly cleared and room was made so that everyone could sit in the living room. They sang some carols, accompanied by Alex on his guitar. They tried a few rounds of charades and chatted with each other. The parents, getting to know each other better. Their kids discussing music, movies, TV and their teachers at school, between kisses and snuggling in each other’s arms.

“This was the best Christmas, ever!” Isabel exclaimed. Everybody agreed. Especially those who had been involved in saving two planets from the Skins!

“No Christmas nazi this year!” Phillip whispered to Diane, smiling. Mr. and Mrs. Whitman, Mr. and Mrs. Parker, and Ms. DeLuca left at a reasonable hour, allowing their children to stay with their friends.

When they had left, Diane asked the questions foremost in her mind. She knew that the kids had briefly gone out to the Granolith chamber that afternoon, and had been discussing their situation and their futures amongst themselves as they helped her get ready for the party, but she hadn’t heard any decisions made.

“So is that Kivar character really dead?”

“Yes! Just like Nicholas, he was killed by one of his men during the night!” Michael answered.

“I thought you, what do you call it? Mind warped all of the Skins so that they wouldn’t be dangerous.” Phillip said.

“We did. But I guess we were too specific in saying that they should not harm the Antarians!” Tess answered.

“So are you really King of Antar, Max?” Diane asked.

“Yes.” Max answered softly.

“Are you, are you going to Antar now?” Diane asked fearfully.

“No!” Max answered.

TBC…he, he, he!!!!

I hope to have the Epilogue: a look 50 years into the future, out by next week!


***Feedback, Please, Oh Please, Please! *** Thanks, -jane

posted on 13-Oct-2001 12:37:25 PM
I want to thank all of you for reading my story! I can’t believe this started with “Brody Remembers”, which was supposed to be a one-part story! Fifteen parts later…!!!!

Roswell, After New York Epilogue: A look 50 years into the future!


2051 AD

Max Evans looked out the porthole next to his chair and watched the stars whiz by! ‘Antar! They’ve finally gotten me to return to Antar (or to go there for the first time in my life, depending on your point of view.)!’ Max thought to himself. ‘They killed me there the last time I lived on that planet, and now I’m going back! Hopefully things will end better this time around!’

Max gazed over at his beautiful wife, Liz as she napped in a recliner. She had been married to him for forty-five years, born him to sets of twins, helped him further his carrier as she made advances in her own and still managed to be beautiful and strong in both her body, mind and soul! Her figure had always remained petite. Her lovely face, which was based on bone structure rather than skin, looked the same to him as when she was seventeen! Her gorgeous long hair had grown longer and was still so soft to the touch even though it was streaked with gray now! He secretly loved the fashion now-a-days, which had women growing their hair long but then keeping it up in buns or braids. That way he knew that he was the only one, the only man who ever got to see her gorgeous tresses down! He was the only one who got to run his hands through it, or to brush it dry for her after she washed it! He supposed that was very 19th century thinking for a 21st century man, but he still loved it!

Liz secretly watched her husband, Max through her eyelashes. How she loved to look at him! Even at 67, he was still so handsome and distinguished looking! His body was still vigorous and strong! His hair an attractive salt and pepper! Max’s face looked even more sculptured than when he was younger. His cheekbones and jaw line, more prominent!

“What are you thinking, my love?” Liz asked Max, reaching out her hand towards him. Max got up and came over to kneel in front of her, taking her hand to kiss it tenderly.

“I was thinking about my gorgeous wife, and how much I love her, how lucky I am to have her by my side!” Max said.

“And?” Liz asked.

“And I’m a little worried about whether it is truly safe for the Royal Four to return to Antar with the Granolith! Even though we are traveling in four separate ships, once we arrive…”

“Max, Antar has been peaceful and stable for forty-nine years, shortly after you defeated the Skins and set up a democratic government! And the federation between the five planets has been stable for ten years! That was just after I developed the enhancements for our radio telescopes so that we could finally detect Antar’s communication signals. Then you were able to put your plan into motion, to make contact with Antar and start a dialogue to establish diplomatic relations between our two planets! Then five years ago they sent ambassadors to Earth to meet our people, our leaders, you among them! Now five years later, they have convinced the U.S. government and the U.N. that you are who they want to be their first Earth Ambassador to Antar!”

“Yeah, this is probably the first time in history an abdicated king becomes an ambassador to his own planet!” Max laughed.

“Well what else was there for you to become? You’ve been every other kind of leader there is! Antarian King, Antarian Council member, U.S. Congressman, U.S. Senator, U.S. President, U.S. Ambassador to the Combined Countries of the Middle East, and now Earth Ambassador to the planet Antar! And to think all of this started fifty years ago when we were seventeen! You had just freed the Antarians from the Skins on your planet!”

“We, all eight of us freed the Antarians!” Max corrected her.

“Yes, anyway, you were determined to set up a democratic government of sorts. You instructed every Antarian to vote for a candidate from their region to sit as one of the members on the Antarian Council. That was to be their executive office, life the presidency. Except that it would be held by seven people, who would jointly govern all of Atar! When the votes were counted all four of you had been voted onto the council by a landslide! The people had ignored your instructions, that their candidate was to be from their own region, and voted for one of you four, or for the Royal Four as a whole!” Liz laughed.

“I was ready to throw all of the votes out and start again when one of the other three newly elected council members convinced me that this was what the people truly wanted. That they weren’t ready to let go of the four of us just yet! Even if we couldn’t leave Earth and travel to Antar!”

“They understood that as long as Antar and/or that region of space was unstable, it wasn’t safe to take the Granolith out of its hiding place on Earth. And wherever the Granolith is, the Royal-Four must be nearby!” Liz assured him.

“Right, well there we were, just seventeen year old high school juniors with another year yet to go until we graduated! We were trying to juggle classes, homework, jobs, and then we were elected to sit on the Council and help set up a worldwide government! Plus, Kathana and Zero decided to attack Antar! We only just managed to deflect their weaponry before it reached the planet! Luckily, Larek was on our side and Anar stayed neutral!”

“That was about the time we started hearing about Congresswoman Whittacker’s replacement, John Jones. We took a special interest in him because of who he replaced. We saw by his voting record and what the press was saying about him, that he was a good man. A dedicated public servant! Liz remarked.

“Yeah, it was that next summer after I turned eighteen that I saw something that really showed me what a good man he was. It was on a quiet Monday morning. I saw a little old lady struggling to carry two bags of groceries across the street to her car. I was about to go and help her when another gentleman approached her. He carried her groceries and held onto her arm as they slowly made their way across the street. He put her gently into her car, put her groceries in her trunk, and then kept on walking to his office. When I saw the sign on the office door I realized that he must be Congressman Jones. He never looked around to see if anyone was taking note of his helping the lady. He just did it because that was the kind of guy he was!”

“As I finished high school and went to college to become a lawyer, I watched his career. The summer between my freshman and sophomore years I got the job as his clerk in his Roswell office, just as you had worked for Whittacker, Liz. I was struggling to make the right decisions for Antar and he answered all of my questions. His guidance helped me immeasurably! So every summer I clerked for him throughout law school.”

“I was still finishing up my Ph.D. in astronomy when you passed the Bar.” Liz remembered.

“That was such a surprise to all of us when you changed your major from microbiology to astronomy and enrolled at the University of Albuquerque, instead of at Harvard as you’d always planned.”

“I received offers of full academic scholarships to both universities, as you did Max! University of Albuquerque had a fantastic astronomy department and it kept me close to you! And it took me less than a year of knowing you to realize that the universe was beautiful, and that I wanted to study it!”

“Anyway, I had passed the Bar and was about to join my parents’ practice when Congressman Jones offered me a full-time job in his Albuquerque office! While clerking for him I was able to see how much he was able to help the people of New Mexico! I wanted a chance to be able to do that was well! I had just finished my second and last, four-year term on the Antarian Council and even though I was still on the fringes of the Council as an advisor, I wanted a more hands-on position!”

“What more ‘hands-on’ could you get than becoming one of his speech-writers! You held that position through two of his re-election campaigns. Then he made you his chief-of-staff!”

“Michael had a fit, the first of many! He thought that being a Congressman’s chief-of-staff would bring me too much into the public’s view! I was even having to deal with the FBI on occasion!”

“It was a good thing that Tess Harding, M.D. was able to convince Roswell Deputy Guerin that she had done extensive scans of the people of Roswell, the newspapers, and of the FBI, their agents and records and found no mention of you anywhere among them! There was only the old story about the shooting at the Crashdown and that barely made it into the major newspaper!”

I can’t believe Tess became a doctor! Everyone thought I might become one, but I felt that it would be to much of a temptation to use my powers!” Max laughed. “With her mind warping capabilities, I bet she has, by far the highest patient compliance record of any doctor, anywhere!”

“What I couldn’t believe was Michael attending the Police Academy! He graduated at the top of his class, and without using his powers even once! And then Sheriff Valenti hired him as well as Kyle who had gone through the academy alongside Michael!” Liz added.

“Can you believe Kyle and Tess have been married thirty-seven years? I should say only thirty-seven! Of all of us they’ve been married for the shortest amount of time, since they waited until Tess had finished her residency!” Max said. “But they produced their three children quickly enough!”

“Michael and Maria have been married the longest, forty-seven years. They ‘tied the knot’ after Michael became a deputy and Maria was still working on her teaching degree.” Liz said. “With their volatile personalities, its no wonder they have six kids! Although four of the children came out of twin births! I guess it’s a good thing that Maria became a grade school teacher. Between home schooling her six as well as all of the rest of ours, she had quite a classroom!”

“That was the best way to handle it. That way our kids had limited exposure to other children until we were sure that they could control their powers! By the time we sent them to junior high, they were safe!” Max said.

“And Alex and Isabel’s twins rounded out the group nicely! I still remember how wonderfully our joint wedding turned out!” Liz said, teary-eyed.

“Yeah, Alex’s band played at the reception!” Max remembered. “I’m so glad that the Whits are doing so well, with their fifteen gold albums and millions in recording contracts!”

“His fans would never believe him when he told them he was happily married to an accountant! Then they would get a look at my lovely sister-in-law, and they would say that they couldn’t believe Isabel was married to him, much less that she was actually an accountant!”

“Well, she was struggling to make the best decisions for Antar when we were on the Council. I was taking the law and government classes, so she took accounting and then we helped each other make decisions out of our specific knowledge!”

“Yeah, I remember those ‘discussions’!” Liz laughed. “I could here you two arguing outside your parent’s house!” Liz yawned.

“Maybe it’s time we took a ‘proper nap’!” Max said, as he scooped his beloved Liz into his arms and carried her into the bedroom part of their suite on board the spaceship. “I’ll hold you in my arms and you’ll keep me warm while we fall asleep!”

“Hmmm!” Max moaned as he woke up to what seemed to be the sensation of butterflies landing lightly on his face! He opened his eyes to see instead the beautiful sight of his Liz leaning over him, and brushing light kisses all over this face! When she saw his eyes open, Liz moved into capture his lips in a deep, intense kiss! Max moved his arms to encircle her tiny waist, bringing her fully down on top of his muscular body!

“Mmmm!” Liz groaned, teasing her husband by squirming on top of him, until her legs straddled his hips and the most intimate places on their bodies came into contact!

“Ohhh, Liz!” Max groaned.

“Max!” A knock came on the door to their bedroom!

“Mom, Dad!” The voice of their oldest son, Parker could be heard.

“Go away!” Max yelled, frustrated.

“I told you we shouldn’t have bothered them!” Came the voice of their oldest daughter, Diana.

“Yeah, you’re right!” Parker admitted. “After all they are the ones who taught us that public displays of affection between a married couple should be considered normal, acceptable behavior. No matter what our friends said about their parents never touching or kissing in front of their kids!”

“Right! And if they touch and kiss in public like our parents always have, you know that they are doing a lot more with each other when they’re behind closed doors! Come on. Let’s leave them alone and go and give some PDAs of our own to our own true loves!” Parker and Diane returned to the dinning room where their much loved spouses, Beth and Jim, along with their other sister and brother, Susan and John, and their spouses, Fred and Judy, and all of their children had gathered for a meal.

“Are Max and Liz coming?” Beth asked.

“Uh, no. They were busy!” Parker answered, wiggling his eyebrows up and down to silently communicate what he didn’t want to say in front of his own children, as he came over and gathered his lovely wife into his strong arms.

“In other words, Grandma and Grandpa are making love!” Parker and Beth’s thirteen year old and oldest child, Anne said.

“Uh, yeah!” Parker admitted, glad that the younger children in the room hadn’t heard her.

“I think its so sweet!” Anne replied, dreamily. “That they still love each other so much! I want a husband who will love me that much when I grow up!”

“I’m sure you’ll find one when the time comes, Sweetheart!” Parker assured his daughter, and then whispered into his wife’s ear. “He better love her that much or I’ll break both of his legs!”

“Don’t be such an overprotective daddy, my love!” Beth admonished him. “I’m sure that Anne will be able to ‘break his legs’ all by herself if any man doesn’t treat her properly! But if she can’t I’ll help you!” She said over protectively.

Just then, Max and Liz came strolling in, hand-in-hand. Max’s hair was still damp from their quick (cold) shower! They stood in the doorway watching their four children (their love for each other in physical form) and all of their grandchildren. Both happy that their family was altogether for a chance!

“Ah food! Great, I’m hungry!” Max said while gazing into Liz’s eyes and nibbling on her fingers. “Maybe I should start by eating Grandma!”

“Maybe you’ll get a chance to later!” Liz whispered into his ear, as their youngest grandchild, Paul came running up to jump into his grandfather’s arms.

“Don’t eat Grandma!” Paul cried protectively. “We’ve got s’ghetti to eat!”

“But I bet Grandma’s ‘fingers’ would taste great with s’ghetti sauce on them!” Max tried to make his verbal foreplay sound more innocent for his grandson’s ears!

“No! You shall not eat Grandma!” Paul transferred himself into Liz’s arms and hugged her protectively.

“Of course Grandpa won’t eat me like the ‘big bad wolf’ that he is! He was just teasing you, Paul!” Liz reassured him while leaning over to whisper in the big bad wolf’s ear. “Get some sauce for later!”

“Come and sit down. All of you!” Beth told everybody. “The children were asking about the years when you were a Congressman and then a Senator, ‘Grandpa’.” She told her father-in-law, whom she loved and admired so much!

“Oh, OK.” Max replied. “Well you know that when I was a young man, I worked for a good, honest man named John Jones. He was our Congressman at the time. Well he had decided to run for the Senate and he asked me to take his place! So I ran for Congress and won! And I was happy that I could continue helping all of the people who I had assisted Congressman Jones to lead and govern!”

“But Uncles Kyle and Michael were mad at you for doing that!” Anne prompted, having heard the story before.

“Well they were concerned for me.” Max amended. “They knew that my becoming a Congressman would bring me more into the public’s eye. And they were worried about what might happen to me if anyone found out that I was an alien!”

“But no one found out!” Anne said.

“No. No one found out. But that’s because Uncles Michael and Kyle and Aunt Tess took such good care of me! Michael and Kyle left the Sheriff’s office and joined the Secret Service so that they could become the ones to protect me! And Aunt Tess moved her medical practice to Bethesda, Maryland to be mine, Michael’s and Kyle’s personal physician. That way she could handle any medical tests or medical records we would need in our new jobs!”

“And Aunt Maria was still our teacher when we moved.” Anne remembered.

“That’s right! And Uncle Alex was traveling with his band, but Aunt Isabel stayed in Roswell as much as possible when she wasn’t traveling with him, or coming to D.C. to update me on Antarian concerns since she had been elected to the Senate! Be glad that you won’t have to work through a connection with the Granolith!” Max told Parker and Diana, who had just been elected to the Antarian Senate. “One of us alone could activate the Granolith to use its communications function, but we had decided to always leave the crystal key in its hiding place for safekeeping. So Isabel would have to call me. We’d create a link through the phone line, I’d request the crystal key to activate itself, and go to Isabel and only then could she start up the Granolith! I received many strange looks when I would have to answer my personal cell phone, seem to listen to it for a moment, and then hang up without saying anything!” Everybody chuckled.

“You helped a lot of people when you were a Con-gress-man!” Paul carefully and proudly enunciated the big word.

“Yes I did, Paul!” Max answered. “And I enjoyed what I did even if I got frustrated sometimes! And the citizens of New Mexico seemed to like the job I was doing, because they re-elected me twice! Then I was asked to run for the Senate seat that John Jones’ unexpected death from a heart attack, left vacant.”

“And you did! And you won!” Anne answered.

“Yes I did! And I had a chance to do some very important and rewarding work during my two terms as Senator!”

“Your Grandfather had a major role in bringing the countries of the Middle East into a peaceful alliance!” Liz told her grandchildren, proudly.

“As with all important things, that took a lot of work, by many different people, as well as a long time to accomplish."” Max said modestly. “Almost twenty years! Two terms as Senator and almost eight years as President! A lasting peace was finally achieved during the third year of my second term as President!”

“And then the Middle East asked that you be their ambassador! So you made sure that they kept the peace for five more years, and now we’re on our way to Antar because you are to be their very first Earth Ambassador!” Anne stated, proudly.

“We are also all going because we are returning the Granolith to Antar! Also, Parker and Diana will be starting their first terms on the Antarian Senate. But most of all, we want all of you to meet your great-grandmother!” Max knew that his birth mother was almost 150 years of age. Even for an Antarian, that was considered very old! Max wanted everyone, especially he, himself, to meet her before it was too late!

“I want to hear about the time you got hurt!” Paul requested.

“Who told him about that?” Max asked, shocked.

“I don’t know. He may have heard us talking about it…when he was supposed to be in bed, asleep!” Parker admonished his young son.

“I want to hear!” Paul said again. Max took Liz’s hand and kissed it and continued to hold it as he recounted the incident to his youngest grandchild.

“It was during my second term as Senator. Luckily Uncles Michael and Kyle were on duty as my Secret Service agents that day! Your Grandma Liz and I were leaving a restaurant where we had just had lunch, when one of Kathana’s people shot me from across the street! Uncle Kyle got your Grandmother and I into our car, while Michael shot the alien with his powers! You know, don’t you that your Uncle Michael did a lot of very difficult training with Antarian Security after we defeated the Skins! He learned how to shape-shift, even though that is a very hard thing to learn how to do! He also learned how to mind-warp people, like your Aunt Tess can!”

“He used his powers to disintegrate the alien’s body into dust so that he could say that the shooter got away! He also managed to mind-warp any witnesses so that they would say that they saw a man shoot at me and then run away after Michael shot at him! Meanwhile in the car your Grandma Liz linked with me so that she could use my power to heal me! And then I was OK again and Uncles Michael and Kyle drove us home!” Max simplified the story considerably so as not to frighten the children.

He didn’t mention the fact that Kathana was executed by her own people shortly after that incident. He guessed that the people of her world were tired of the way she kept trying to stir up trouble, and keep the war going.

Liz had gotten up and wandered into the next room, where she could let the tears flow as she remembered that horrible, horrible day. Max was so badly wounded that she had almost been unable to create a link with him.

“Max, Max, stay with me! Don’t leave me!” As it was, she had been unable to completely heal him in the car.

“Hold on my love. We’ll be home soon!” Michael and Kyle had driven them home and carried him upstairs to their bedroom. During the rest of the day and into the night, Liz had healed Max bit by bit.

“I need your help, Honey. You’ve got to fight this!” The problem was that he was so weak from the wound that using his healing powers drained him even more, and Liz would have to stop until he had managed to regain some of his strength.

“Rest now, my love. I’m here, I love you!” Max had developed a fever during the night as well, so Liz spent her time in between healings, running a cool, damp cloth over his face and body, trying to bring his temperature down, as Max drifted in and out of consciousness.

“Liz, where are you Liz? Love you Liz.” After the final healing, Liz had collapsed, half sitting in a chair by the bed, her upper body draped over Max’s, her head pillowed on his chest. She awoke the next morning to find herself laying totally on the bed, next to her husband, while he franticly kissed her all over her face and body, and told her over and over, how much he loved her, and how lucky he was to have her by his side! Warm arms encircled Liz from behind.

“It’s all over, my lovely Liz. I’m OK! I’ve been OK for many, many years! You were able to heal me! You saved my life!”

“I know Max, but I am so afraid that something like that will happen again!” Liz turned within his embrace to face him.

“I wish that I could promise you that nothing like that will ever happen again, but I can’t. I can remind you though, that just as you were able to rescue me from the ‘white room’ years ago, you saved my life that day after I was shot, by your being able to heal me! I put my faith in you a long time ago, and you've never let me down!” He leaned down to kiss her deeply, letting all of his love flow into her. “Will you come back into the dinning room so that the children won’t start to worry?” Liz nodded and kissed him back.

“Will you ‘fix’ my eyes so that they can’t see that I’ve been crying?” Max placed his hands over her eyes and face, until it returned to its usual, beautiful appearance! “Should I tell them what you asked me after you were sworn in as President!”

“What did I ask you?” Max asked.

“You asked: do you think this was what Agent Topolski meant when she advised me to ‘take a step out from behind the tree’!” Max grinned, remembering.

“And to this day, everyone is wondering why Mrs. Evans started to laugh so hard that she had tears running down her face!”

The two lovers walked, arm-in-arm, back into the dinning room. Diana gave her mother a look which asked ‘are you alright?’ Liz smiled back at her and Diana let the tension flow out of her body. She remembered that day when her father had almost died. She remembered also that, that had been the year when she had lost both sets of her grandparents. Grandpa Phil and Grandma Diane, were killed in a car accident, one stormy night. And Grandpa Jeff and Grandma Nancy, each died of cancer within a month of each other. That’s why she was doubly grateful that her father had not died that day!

“Did you know.” Liz started to say with a cheerful voice. “How much your grandfather was admired and respected when he was President? Everyone said how brilliant he was! Of course, he was able to ‘scan’ information into his brain by looking at a picture, or at text. Anything he was ever told went into that magnificent brain of his, ready to be accessed at a moment’s notice!”

“There was a mystery about Grandpa Max which his military advisors were never able to figure out. He supposedly had no military experience, and yet he always understood what they were planning, the few times we had to send our troops into some hot spot. He could strategize with his best generals! Of course they didn’t know that Max did have military experience, it just wasn’t against humans!” The children laughed because they knew how wonderful their grandfather was! “Your grandpa didn’t just make things safer in other countries, he worked very hard to ensure prosperity and stability in America as well!”

“Well, I’m sure all of you know how brilliant your grandmother is!” Max tried to deflect the attention away from himself. “She advanced the field of radio astronomy so that she was the first human who was ever able to detect signals from Antar! She was the one who made communications between our two planets possible! And she did all of this while helping me get re-elected every few years, and taking care of all of you! She had to give up teaching at the university when I was elected President, and confine herself to research.”

“I’m just glad that it was no longer expected that the First Lady would give up her career, to do all of that public relations stuff for her husband!” Liz laughed.

“You did plenty of that too.” Max replied.

“I did about half a percent of what a President’s wife used to do! I think things changed when we elected our first Vice President, who was a woman, along with the male President who came after Mr. Bush. The vice President’s husband didn’t give up his career, nor was he expected to. First Ladies who came after him have refused to give up their careers as well!”

“The husbands of our first two Presidents who were women had very little to do with their wife’s presidential races! They’d show up now and again, but mostly they worked at their careers, while their wives followed their own political career path!” Max added.

“I missed the teaching part of my job, though I understand that it would have been too difficult for the Secret Service to keep me safe if I was surrounded by hundreds of college students every day!”

I was pleased when the American people re-elected by former Vice President, Bethany Smith to a second term as President!” Max remarked. “We worked so well together! She’s a remarkable lady!”

“She’s nice!” Paul piped up. “And her big white smile is so bright against her pretty brown skin!”

“Yes, Mrs. Smith brought you a teddy bear for Christmas didn’t she?” Parker asked his son. “That was very nice of her wasn’t it?”

“Yes! And she smells pretty too! Like flowers!” Paul remembered the current President of the United States!

Just then, an announcement came over the ship’s communication system. They were coming up on Antar, and would be landing soon! Everyone rushed to the view ports to get a look at the planet Antar!

“Wow! Antar looks a lot like Earth!” Anne exclaimed.

“It has almost the same ocean to land ratio that Earth has.” Parker explained to his daughter.

“I meant that it looks like a great blue marble, just like Earth!”

“Well said!” Beth told her daughter.

An hour later, the ship had landed and they opened the hatch to the spectacular sight of millions of Antarians and Skins surrounding the ship! They were on their knees, cheering, waving their hands in the air, calling out!

“King Zan!”

“King Max!”

“Thank the ‘Great Star’ that you have arrived safely!”

“The Royal-Four have returned to us at last!”

“Hey, Maxwell!” Michael yelled, as he walked up to Max. “Man! The crowd certainly has grown since we arrived 1 ½ hours ago!” Each member of the Royal Four, and their families, had come on separate ships.

“Well he is their king!” Alex said, as he stepped up to his best friend and brother-in-law. “How was the trip?”

“Great!” Max replied. “We’ve been reminiscing about the past 50 years! When did you get here, Alex?”

“Just a half hour ago! Tess’ ship, a half hour before that!” Alex answered, then continued. “So, let me double-check with you since I arrived in Roswell from L.A. just in time to make the trip. Brody did say that Sydney and his and Louise’s oldest son, Evan would look after all of our houses until we return to Earth, right?”

“Yeah, now that Sydney and her family have permanently moved to Roswell to take over running the UFO Center, its easier for her to look after her parents, although they’re both in good health, as well as our properties.” Just then, Max heard a voice he hadn’t heard in fifty years!

“Hello Max!” The woman bore a startling resemblance to Tess!

“Ava! Is that you?” Max asked. “You disappeared fifty years ago! What happened? Where have you been all this time?”

“Here on Antar!” Ava answered. “After you defeated the Skins on both of our planets, you sent out a signal over the radio, that everything was safe. I received that message. I had found a Skin’s space ship, so I took off and came home to Antar! I’ve been living here under the name Tessava, doing what I could to help our people, ever since!”

“I’m so glad to see you again, but why didn’t anyone tell us you were here?” Max asked.

“They have never realized who I really am, and I didn’t tell them! I didn’t want to draw attention to myself. I do what I can to help in our region’s government, but mostly I prefer to live quietly. I’m sorry I didn’t let you know where I am though, Max.”

“Well, OK. We’ll talk again later, Ava.” Max said, and she nodded before moving away. “Where are Isabel and Tess?” Max asked.

“Here they come, Max, with your…” Alex pointed. Max turned and saw Isabel and Tess helping a very old lady walk towards him.

“Mother!” Max ran to her and gently embraced her in his arms!

“My Son!” The Queen Mother stroked his hair tenderly. She had literally been living for this day! Her people were at peace. The Granolith had been returned and the Royal Four had come back to Antar! Most importantly, as she had told them so long ago in that first message to them in the pod chamber, she had held her daughter, and now her son, in her arms, one last time! That night she would allow her essence to return to the ‘Great Star’ from which all life originates. But first she had grandchildren and great-grandchildren to meet!


The End.

***Feedback, Please, Oh Please, Please! *** Thanks, -jane

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If anyone would be interested in reading my other stories, here are the links. They are all here, on the Repost Board!
Hope you enjoy them. Please let me know! ~jane

Touched by a Roswell Angel 1/1
Background: "ARCC". What really happened in that hospital room?
Category: Crossover between "Roswell" and "Touched by an Angel".

viewthread?forum=repost-fan-fiction&id=15900

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Brody Remembers Roswell, After New York Complete
Summary: What if Brody remembered what happened in New York? M/L story with everyone else, too. Background: After "Max in the city"

viewthread?forum=repost-fan-fiction&id=15884

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I Can't, I'm Different Complete
Summary: AU, future fic. All four aliens emerge from their pods at different times, wander out into the desert and are found by adults who adopt and raise them in four different parts of the country. They don't know what they are, or that there are others like themselves. There is No destiny, No FBI, No evil aliens! This is a love story! How will they find each other? Will they find their own true loves? Read and find out! Prequel to "Was It A Dream?"

viewthread?forum=repost-fan-fiction&id=1141

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Was It A Dream? Complete
Summary: AU, future fic. This is a sequel to "I Can't, I'm Different!" A few days before their wedding, Max and Liz met the two young actors "Mason Blair" and "Cheryl Appleton", who were staring in the very popular movie and TV show 'Among Them'. The actors look exactly like Max and Liz, so to keep the Press away from them, Mason and Cheryl stay away from M/L, until one day when they and their young children meet again. The children share a magical moment. Will they remember each other when they meet again in college?

viewthread?forum=repost-fan-fiction&id=405

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What Is Max Hiding? Complete
Summary: This is my attempt to Fix S3, with the focus on Mr. Evans’ search for the truth about his son, Max. This story starts at the end of “Samuel Rising”, the Christmas episode.

viewthread?forum=repost-fan-fiction&id=17124





[ edited 2 time(s), last at 30-May-2002 8:56:10 PM ]
posted on 30-May-2002 8:44:25 PM
Come on give this story a try; you know you want to! ~j