Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me, but to
the writers and producers of Roswell
Spoilers: After Chant Down Babylon, changes happening
where Max is successfully rescued,
and
Michael was the one who broke up with Maria.
***
Love is something
eternal…
The aspect may change
But not the essence.
-
Vincent Van Gogh
***
Mr.
and Mrs. Evans were frantic as Isabel arrived home draped over Michael’s
shoulder. She’d been weakened from
earlier that evening and both had decided that discussing that evening’s event
could wait until she was stronger. And
they didn’t want to speculate anything around Liz, who’d arrived for another
shift, nursing Max. “What happened?”
cried Mrs. Evans. “Are you all right?”
Michael
watched Mrs. Evans hover over her daughter, whom he’d just, placed on the
living room couch. “She’s just a little
tired,” Michael explained lamely.
Isabel
rubbed her temples. “Mom, I’m all
right. I’ll be fine. Just a migraine.”
Mr.
Evans stood over her daughter, his brow furrowed and upset. “I knew you shouldn’t have come home,”
grumbled Mr. Evans.
Michael
frowned at his anger. “Why Dad?” Isabel
groaned. “I don’t know why you didn’t
tell me in the first place. I had to
fly all the way home before you’d tell me that Max was sick.”
Mr.
Evans seemed to awake from his pensive thoughts. His furrowed brow was replaced with a look of concern. “No.
No, Isabel,” protested Mr. Evans.
“It’s just we didn’t want to worry you with all of this. What with you getting settled in New York
with Jesse? This was just one more
added stress you didn’t need.” Mr.
Evans kneeled beside his daughter. “I
can’t lose you too.”
Michael
felt out of place in this family gathering.
“I think I should maybe go,” mumbled Michael. “It’s getting late.”
Mr.
Evans and Mrs. Evans began to nod in agreement when Isabel grabbed Michael’s
hand. “Could you just stay for a
while?” He saw the warmth and need of
her plea within the depths of her dark eyes.
Michael swallowed. “Uh, okay,”
Michael acquiesced.
Mr.
Evans and Mrs. Evans saw Isabel into her bedroom. They came back and explained she’d be a couple of minutes, and
that he could go see Isabel after she’d changed. “I just want to thank you for bringing her home Michael. You don’t know how worried I’ve been,”
fretted Mrs. Evans. Her hands fidgeted
with the hem of her blouse that was partly hanging out.
Michael
nodded stoically. “No problem. Uh, have you told her that Max is
missing?” He reminded himself that he
had to play it cool. He didn’t know
anything about where Maxwell was.
Mr.
Evan’s frowned. “Somehow she knew. We wouldn’t have been able to keep it from
her anyway. Isabel would have found out
when she went to the hospital.”
Mrs.
Evans drew near to her husband, allowing him to comfort her. “I tried not to let her see how upset we are
– let her know that we think he’s safe and well taken care of.”
“I’m
sure he is Mrs. Evans,” Michael offered.
“I’ve got a feeling he’s being taken care of.”
Mrs.
Evans’ let a sob escape her lips. “I
just don’t know why anyone would want to take Maxwell. I know he’s been in a lot of trouble, but to
take him now while he’s so sick? I
can’t bear to think of what kind of condition he is in. I mean he was on death’s door when we took
him to the hospital.” Mr. Evans kissed
the top of his wife’s head and held her tightly.
“Have
you heard anything?” Mr. Evans asked
pensively. “You and Isabel seem to be
the first ones Max would contact when he was in trouble.” Mr. Evans paused. “It was always like that
now that I think about it.”
Michael
swallowed. “Well, we were close.” He exhaled and shoved his hands in his jean
pockets. “I mean, are close.”
The
Evans nodded. “Michael?” a faint voice
called from the hallway.
Michael
smile awkwardly and excused himself.
When he reached the room, Isabel was sitting up on the bed wearing red
silk pajamas. He slowly entered
Isabel’s bedroom, just like he’d done for the past several years, but this time
pressed an awkward feeling in his stomach.
“Hey.”
Isabel
tucked her leg underneath her, with one hanging off the bed. “I need to talk about this Michael, it’s
killing me. There’s so much we have to
figure out and not much time.” Isabel
shifted positions, restless and upset, she pulled her knees to her chest. “I think he’s getting worse Michael.”
Michael
let out a loud sigh. “I know.” He hesitated to say anymore, Isabel’s
complexion had become pale, almost ashen.
“But I think you need to
rest. You’re no good to Max if you pass
out or something worse.” Michael leaned
against the wall; hands still in his pockets.
Isabel
shook her head. “I’m fine Michael. I’m more awake now and I remember more of
what happened. It was so surreal. I saw her again.”
Michael
moved forward. “It was the same, her?”
Isabel
nodded. “It was weird. It has never happened before. I’ve never been able to talk to someone in
someone’s dream or mind before.” She
shook her head and gathered a near by blanket close to her, as if she’d
developed a sudden chill.
Michael
frowned and sat down beside her. “And
what happened?” probed Michael. “What
did she say?”
Isabel
bit her lip. “She mentioned something
about my injury and then something about partners and healing? I’m not sure what she meant.”
As
he rubbed his gruff cheek shadowed with five o’clock shadow. Michael thought he might have an idea, but
he knew Isabel wouldn’t want to hear it.
And it also brought up an uncomfortable subject between the two. “Isabel.” He would have to speak about it…sometime. And Michael knew she’d have to learn to let
go of Alex’s horrible death. Tess might be the only way to save Max. According to this figure. “I think I know what its talking about…”
Mrs.
Evan knocked on the door as she walked into her daughter’s room. “Isabel?”
Michael and Isabel looked up at her, startled and praying that she
hadn’t heard what they’d been talking about.
Isabel cleared her throat.
“Ahem, yeah Mom?”
“Jesse’s
on the phone,” Mrs. Evans informed, almost frowning at the two. “Are you two all right?”
Michael
looked at Isabel, suddenly he realizing he’d been holding Isabel’s hand
unconsciously. He jerked it away
casually and smiled. “No, nothing at
all Mrs. Evans. I was just actually telling Isabel that I
should be going.” Isabel looked at him
annoyed. But annoyed as Isabel was at
him, Michael knew he had to leave. “You
shouldn’t keep Jesse waiting. It’s long
distance you know?” mumbled Michael.
As
Michael stepped into the fresh, cold evening air, he felt as if a weight had
been lifted off of him. The thoughts
raced through his mind. Finally they
were getting somewhere. Michael finally
had a clue to how to help Max. He hoped.
~~~
Tess
walked along the bank of the Elvarian Sea.
Unlike Earth, the water was a sea of purple. The liquid remained clear, but as the Antarian sky was a natural
red, and the sea floor a cobalt blue; the liquid converged into a brilliant
royal purple. As she pushed Zander’s
carriage along the serene bank, Tess schemed of a way to get to Max. That morning she’d heard Khivar whispering
to Nicholas in the solitude of Nicholas’ study.
“I let you have her here because I wanted you to keep an eye on her!” raged Khivar. “Not so she’d have run of the place!”
“I have not let her have the run of the place
Khivar. She is independent that’s
all. Besides the royal four are strong
and they don’t even know the power they could wield.”
“I don’t
care. We just have to keep her from
contacting the three that have graciously stayed on Earth. And this wouldn’t have even been a problem,”
grumbled Khivar, “if you hadn’t opened your big fat mouth!”
At this point
in the conversation, Tess dared to take a peek through the crack left in the
almost closed room. Nicholas looked up
at Khivar, almost shrinking back from the faux dictator, but his pride had him
showing a glint of defiance.
“I was testing
her,” protested Nicholas. “I wanted to
see if she really hated Zan.”
Khivar looked down smugly at his minion. “And we know now that isn’t quite the case. She’s contacted them. I’m not quite sure why, but I don’t trust her. She’s a dangerous one, more so than the other three. So now it is your job to figure out what she is planning. I need to know if she found out the plans for Zan and if that is the reason he slipped from our grasp. We can still use her, if no, just to lure the royal four back together and finish them off!”
Nicholas nodded, but then seemed to frown. “You’re done with Vilandra?” He seemed to shrink back as he asked that question. Khivar glared at him. “She is nothing to me. Vilandra is just another pawn in our field of conquest.”
Tess swallowed
hard, looked over her shoulder to make sure no one would catch her spying. She knew now was a time for action. She and Zander would no longer have the luxury
of feigning the spurned lover for long.
They would surely find out what her contact with Isabel would
reveal. She heard a jumble of whispers
and then her heart jumped.
“What about
the child? Do we get rid of him too?”
asked Nicholas curiously.
Tess’ heart
beat a thousand miles a minute. A lump
was stuck in her throat, waiting for Khivar’s answer. The would-be king shook his head. “No. I have other plans
for him,” grinned Khivar. At that confession, Tess accidentally leaned
too far and the door creaked slightly.
As quickly as she could, Tess departed quietly as she heard the two
alien’s footsteps approach.
“Maa!”
Zander gurgled as he pointed up to the late afternoon sun. Zander had brought her back to the
present. The sun’s rays warmed her face
as she basked in its embrace. Suddenly
she was roused by a voice in her head. “Hungry!”
Tess
searched the coves of the near by beach and found no one around. She pondered who could have spoken to her
like that. “Hungry! Maaa!” Curiously
she looked over top the carriage at her son who was moving around happily under
his blanket. Zander’s eyes seemed to
gleam as he giggled and reached towards her.
“Zander?” Tess gasped as she furrowed her brow questioning whether she
was just imagining it.
~~~
Liz
leaned against the chamber walls. Max
was sleeping fitfully, but nothing that worried Liz too much. Her thoughts were on other things. As much as she’d like to forget what Max had
said as he was hallucinating or whatever it was he was doing, Liz couldn’t. She hadn’t been able to stop thinking about it. Liz
had talked to Maria a bit that evening while they cleaned up the diner, but
Maria became indignant at the mention of Alex’s killer. “He did what?” shouted Maria, who threw down
the dishcloth in her hand, into the bus pan.
“That a…”
Shaking
her head, Liz interrupted the beginnings of a Maria rant. “Stop it. It wasn’t like that. He must have just been having memories. It’s not like it was Max saying it. He didn’t
really even speak in English,” explained Liz.
Part
of her had been trying to explain it away ever since the words passed his
lips. She couldn’t understand why
now. They’d just spent the most
memorable nights together in Las Vegas and this sickness came so suddenly upon
them! She and Max had faced so many
trials and things never seemed to go their way. How many times had she been almost convinced to give up on this
unusual relationship? It was a complication
she didn’t need. All Liz had ever
wanted was to graduate high school and go off to college. Along the way, maybe Liz had hoped to fall
in love with the ’right’ guy and get married.
But who hadn’t dreamed of that?
“Oh
Max,” sighed Liz. “What am I supposed
to do?” She hit the back of her head
against the stone chamber. Slowly Liz
got up from the floor and dusted the dirt off her jeans. She walked around the chamber, which had
held the transportation to Antar. Liz
was standing in the room where Max had told Tess to get out of his life after
she finally admitted to killing Alex.
“You deserved more than that!”
spat Liz, as she recalled the night Sheriff Valenti told her of Alex’s
death. It still brought a tear to her
eye. Oh, I miss you Alex.
She’d
lost a lot. ‘How much more are you willing to lose?’ Liz asked herself. As she peered down at her lover, Liz
couldn’t seem to answer the question.
All of this had been such a twist of fate; a long line of twists and
turns leading to such a deep obsession with this man that lay there so still,
so pale. He’d saved her life, but she
couldn’t do the same.
Liz
walked out to the entrance of the cave.
She needed some air. Liz knew
she had a lot of thinking to do about what lay ahead. Even if she ended up marrying Max and they lived happily ever
after, Liz hadn’t even given any consideration to what she wanted to do with
the rest of her life. All the craziness
and insanity had been so normal, that she’d forgotten what normal was. Liz had forgotten she was only a teenager,
and normal teens didn’t seem to be worrying about the fate of the World or
whether aliens were trying to kill them.
Or at least she didn’t think so.
She
laughed out loud. It felt good to do
it. For days now, Liz hadn’t been able
to crack a smile, too worried about whether Max lived or died. Everything was so serious. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d
had a really good laugh. Liz looked
back at Max. How could she love someone
so much?
The
crickets’ song echoed throughout the desert.
She loved quiet evenings like this.
The vastness of the desert overwhelmed her. Everything was so uncertain, but exciting. So many things awaited her. That was what she’d always thought when she
was younger. Now Liz seemed almost to
dread what lay ahead.
“Liz,”
croaked Max, who lay motionless except for the turn of his head.
Liz
took one last look at the evening sky with its lights seemingly shining just
for her. They were waiting for her to
discover the hidden miracles and wondrous signs within the twinkling lights. She tucked her hair behind her ear and
exhaled the cold desert air. “I’m here
Max. Don’t worry. I’m here.”