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.
***
And I asked myself about the present:
how wide it was,
how deep it was,
how much was mine to keep.
-
Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
***
Tess was wracking her brain all night over the proposition Khivar had made about giving her a home. Her plan had gone a bit awry once Khivar had shown up, interrupting her conversation with Nicholas. Now she feared that it was too late, and she’d fallen right into Khivar’s trap. Tess hadn’t really known that his true intentions were not toward her, but her son Zander.
Zander moved restlessly in his crib. As he slept, Tess could hear him suck on an
imaginary bottle, like all children did.
In the vehicle, Khivar talked as if this was a done deal. Tess would live at Tel Edrei, which
was apparently the name of the house.
She just had to figure a way out of this mess. Softly walking over to the crib, Tess lowered the side paneling
of the crib so she could place a gentle kiss on her son’s smooth creamy
forehead. He smelled of baby powder.
“I won’t leave you Zander.
Mommy will find a way to get us out of here.”
~ * ~
The next morning Khivar entered the stark white room,
littered with small toys. “So Ava,
have you given it more thought? Are you
ready to move out of this prison?” asked Khivar, confidently.
Tess adjusted Zander in her arms, rocking him softly. She ran her long slender fingers through the
thin layer of chestnut hair that had grown over the past few weeks. Zander giggled as Tess pretended to bite his
tiny fist. Swallowing hard, Tess revealed
the decision she’d made regarding this whole situation. “Yes.
I will move, but I will also visit my son everyday.”
A large self-satisfied grin sprawled upon his face. Khivar was pleased. “Of course my dear girl. You will have access to your son. He is your child.” He paused for a moment, seemingly pondering
a whether to say another word, for fear she would change her mind. Khivar took a deep breath, smiled and
clapped his hands together, as if some decision had been made. “I have decided to move Zander into my
home.”
Tess felt like someone had kicked her in the stomach. An overwhelming sense of panic set in. She pulled Zander close to her as he began
to fuss loudly. “What? This was not in the plan!” gritted Tess.
Khivar nodded his head and looked at her
sympathetically. “I know Ava, but I was
thinking this over last night, and I thought to myself, that Zander wouldn’t be
safe in Nicholas’ care.”
Tess swallowed. “He
is fine. If you thought so, why did you
send us here in the first place?”
Khivar walked towards the balcony. “Yes, well, I didn’t have a problem because you were here to look
after the child.” He sighed and
motioned towards Tess. “But now you are
leaving him and I don’t think that it would be safe for Zander to remain here
with only the nurse and Nicholas.
Besides, Zander will have plenty of people in the palace to keep him
company. And I promise I’ll be sure to
watch over him like a father.”
Calling himself a father-figure made Tess
cringe. She knew he was up to something,
but Tess never figured Khivar would enable himself to have full access to
Zander. Now Tess knew that there was
something specific he wanted with Zander, whether it was to hurt him or
something more diabolical. “No. I’m sorry.
If that’s the case then I have to decline the offer of the house. I can’t do that to him.”
She watched as his body stiffened. “Are you saying you don’t trust Uncle Khivar with Zander?”
he drawled slowly, turning around and walking toward the mother and child.
Tess had to be careful of what she would say. Khivar seemed to have a certain eerie gleam
in his eye. She shook her head
hesitantly. “No, of course not!” Tess smiled casually.
Khivar rubbed his hands together and smiled, the gleam gone
from his eye and focused on Zander.
“Good, then you won’t mind if Zander comes to stay with his Uncle
Khivar!” he laughed, speaking in a tone suitable to babies.
Tess reluctantly handed Zander over to the dark foreboding
man. She cleared her throat, an idea
quickly hatching in her mind. “Then I
would like to pick a nurse for Zander myself,” Tess stated loudly, watching
Khivar make faces at her wide-eyed son.
“Just so I can sleep at night, knowing I can trust the woman who looks
after my child with my life.”
Khivar kissed Zander on the cheek and then turned to Tess,
as if he was just realizing she was talking to him. “What? Nurse?” He laughed.
“No, that is not necessary. I’ve
got round the clock care prepared for his arrival.”
Tess took a step forward.
“I’m sorry. This is not a
request,” declared Tess, slipping her hands around her son’s waist and removing
him from the vile man’s grasp.
“Isn’t that right Zander,” cooed Tess, swinging her son up
into the air as he giggled at the exhilarating ride.
Khivar nodded grimly.
“Fine. You may have your nurse,”
he growled. “But you only have until
end of tomorrow to find her. After
that, if you have not found a suitable nurse, mine will have to do.”
Tess stared at Khivar.
“That’s fine. I don’t think I will
have a problem. If you would please
send out a message to the whole of Kel Abara, I’ll start interviewing nurses
tomorrow.”
Khivar pursed his lips and nodded. “I will do just that, Ava.”
Tess rocked Zander in her arms and waited for the door to close
behind Khivar before sinking into a nearby chair. She never believed in a Higher Power, but at this point, Tess was
praying to God, or whoever was listening, that she would be able to find
someone she could trust among a people who cowered under Khivar’s rule.
~~~
Isabel was plagued by dreams and visions all night. She wasn’t quite sure what to make of them, it was like an unending dream she couldn’t awake from. Finally when she forced herself awake, Isabel found herself, not in her bedroom.
As she surveyed the area in which she had awaken in, Isabel
realized that she was somewhere in the middle of the desert. Rubbing her eyes and running her hands
through her hair, Isabel looked around her and saw Max’s jeep a few feet
away. She didn’t even remember getting
up and driving out here. Isabel looked
down at herself. She was fully clothed.
It was eerie.
Isabel looked around for landmarks but she didn’t find
anything she recognized. There was an
impression of tire marks that apparently the jeep had left. She could probably follow those until she
came to a place she recognized and return home. Isabel made her way back to the jeep, but when she was only a few
metres away, Isabel saw a flash of images playing over and over in her mind.
Stopping in her tracks, Isabel took a deep breath and
regained her composure. They were
just dreams. She continued to walk
towards the jeep when it happened again.
This time she remembered the images from her dreams.
A young boy was running and playing. His features were pale, although he had dark
eyes and dark brown hair like Max’s.
The boy was building a sand castle near the water, except this water was
purple. He beckoned Isabel to join
him. His eyes twinkled with laughter as
she approached.
Suddenly a darkness began looming over him, in the form of a
shadow. The boy’s face changed from
that of innocence and joy to fear and despair.
He was screaming as the shadow seemed to overtake him and envelop
him. No sound came out of his mouth,
but his eyes were pleading with her to help him. He reached out his arms as the shadow seemed to lift him from the
sand and pull him away.
Isabel shook her head.
“What was that?” she asked out loud.
Finally when the visions seemed to pass, Isabel hopped back into the jeep. She hoped she wasn’t so far from home that
her parents would realize she was missing.
Isabel didn’t want this to be another burden on their minds.
As she was about to start the car, Isabel frowned. In the distance there was a strange glow
coming from underneath a dark object.
Isabel turned the key in the ignition and drove a short distance towards
the glow. As she put the jeep in park,
Isabel stood looking up at a large boulder.
From underneath the boulder was the source of the glow. Isabel studied her surroundings speculated
whether it would be safe enough for her to use her powers without anyone
noticing.
The land was rugged, mostly flat terrain for miles, until it
converged with small cliffs and rocks.
Isabel swallowed. Taking a deep breath
she closed her eyes and held out her hands, with her palms facing toward the
exterior of the boulder. Isabel
concentrated on the energy that was pulsing through her. Remembering what it was like when Whitaker
had threatened both Tess and her life.
She felt a burst of energy exert force, pushing her back.
Isabel took a deep breath, realizing she had been holding
her breath since she arrived at this mysterious place. Opening her eyes, she also realized that the
energy that she was exerting was not taking as much toll on her as it had the
first time and that she was able to stand her ground, rather than be pushed
back by the burst of energy. The
boulder seemed unmoved and unchanged by the energy Isabel was pressing it
with. Unexpectedly though, a small
crack appeared on the surface in the middle of the rock. Isabel stopped. She was slightly tired, but not at all drained like she had been
putting up that mirage at the cliffs.
Isabel licked her lips as she walked towards the large boulder and fingered
the five-inch crack she’d created.
Isabel frowned for a moment and then bent down to find a
fair sized rock. After locating one,
Isabel ran to the jeep, and pulled up a flap in the back of the vehicle. She picked up a tire iron and ran back to
the boulder. With both the tire iron
and rock in hand, Isabel shoved the iron into the crevice that she’d made and
with a scientific amount of force, jammed the iron further into the boulder. Isabel stepped back a moment and looked at
the boulder. Taking several large
strides backward, Isabel hurled the rock at the boulder, precisely hitting the
tire iron once more.
The boulder seemed to sit there for a moment, unmoved, but
then there was a shifting and then a cracking sound. Finally the boulder crumbled into pieces. Isabel smiled to herself, admiring the
handiwork she’d just done.
After a few minutes of digging through the rubble, Isabel
located the source of the glowing.
Isabel cautiously picked up the brown dusty metal object. It was made of a thick metal, but was
light. Isabel took the sleeve of her
shirt and wiped the dust away. In the
center of the box was a circle, with a ring around it, the metal seemed to have
been crafted by hand. Someone or thing
had also embedded around the edge of the object writing. It seemed similar to the writing in the book
that Tess had brought with her.
Isabel swallowed hard.
She couldn’t believe that she’d found this. It was another link to their past, or maybe even to their future.
The sun had begun to rise, and Isabel’s eye was caught by
the sparkle that decorated her finger.
Involuntarily Isabel, then began to fiddle with her engagement ring,
which she wore along with her wedding ring.
Biting her lip, Isabel made her way to the jeep and followed her tracks
until she made her way home. She hid
the box under her mattress, and fell back into bed.
Isabel had a dreamless sleep the rest of that early morning.
~~~
Michael got off his shift at four that afternoon. He’d worked the evening shift the night before. As he entered his apartment, Michael was stunned to see Maria sitting on his couch watching television. He’d thought she’d be with Liz at the caves. “Maria? What are you doing here?” he asked.
Maria smiled widely and got up from the couch to greet Michael
with a kiss. “I just thought we’d get
to spend some time together alone,” she replied, slyly. She moved to kiss him on the lips, but
Michael pushed her away gently.
“Aren’t you supposed to be with Liz?”
Maria pouted disappointedly. “Well if you don’t want me here Michael, you can just say
so. You don’t have to pawn me off on
the supposition of having to watch over a comatose Max.” Maria folded her arms across her chest and
stalked over to the couch to grab her coat.
Michael shook his head.
“That’s not it!” Michael denied.
“I was just wondering.” As Maria
was making her way to the door, he grabbed her arm and pulled her coat out of
her hand. “Stay.”
Maria studied Michael’s face to see if he was sincere. She bit the corner of her lip and nodded. “Only if you want me to Michael,”
Maria said slowly.
Michael swallowed.
“Yeah,” he sighed. “Can you wait
a couple of minutes, I want to get out of my uniform?” He motioned to the wrinkled slacks and
cotton shirt.
Maria sat back down on the couch and nodded. “Yeah.”
After a few minutes, Michael walked out of his bedroom and
made his way into the kitchen. “Can I
get you anything?” he asked, peering over the refrigerator door.
Maria lifted her hand and in it was a bottle of
Snapple. “I’m good.”
Michael reached in and grabbed a grape Snapple and kicked
the door closed. Leaning on the kitchen
counter he opened the bottle and took a swig of the sweet beverage. “So how are things going?”
Maria looked over at Michael. “You mean other than the stuff we’ve been worrying about for the
past couple of weeks?” Maria deadpanned.
“Oh, just dandy. How about you?”
Michael sighed and made his way over to the couch. “You want to talk about something
Maria? It must be something specific
for you to come over here.”
Maria pursed her lips and then sighed in frustration. “Michael,” Maria said sweetly. “Are you really going to go through with
this Tess plan? Liz talked to me about
her powers and how she suggested she try to heal Max, since Max was the one who
healed her.”
Tilting his head up and closing his eyes, Michael sighed out
loud. “No!” Michael cried. “It’s not going to work!”
Maria shook her head.
“You’re just being stubborn. You
and Isabel think that you have to save the day. Well let me tell you something buster, humans can do things too!”
exclaimed Maria unhappily.
Michael rubbed his eyes, which were ready for sleep. “Maria, this has nothing to do with aliens
and humans!” He paused a moment. “Well, sort of.”
Michael grabbed her shoulder and looked at her
seriously. “We are not trying to
be heroes! This is just something that
only we can fix. It’s not like I fixed
it so that you and Liz are feeling left out.”
He felt for Liz and Maria. They
had a hard time understanding why he and Isabel did not want Liz to touch
Max. They hadn’t told the two girls
that they thought Liz was the cause for the sickness.
Maria pulled away from Michael. “I don’t believe that.
Isn’t it just so cozy that you and Isabel are the only ones who can figure
out this mystery?”
He shook his head.
Michael couldn’t believe where Maria was going with this. Sure he’d had problems with Liz , Maria,
Alex, Kyle, Sheriff Valenti helping before, but that was a long time ago. And this wasn’t something involving the
police or the FBI. This was Max
fighting for his life. “What are you
trying to say?” Michael growled.
“I’m saying that maybe you’re still into the idea that you
were Max’s right hand guy and that maybe you want it to be about you, Isabel, Max
and Tess!” accused Maria. “Maybe you
want this illness to be an ‘alien’ thing. I think maybe you can use this to getting closer to Isabel! You don’t want me!”
Suddenly Maria put her hand over her mouth, like she’d said
something she shouldn’t have. There was
an awkward silence between them.
Michael didn’t know what to say.
It was the truth. He loved
Isabel, not Maria. He’d been putting on
this charade for too long. It was even
evident to Maria that he had feelings for Isabel. “You’re right Maria,” Michael whispered.
Maria shook her head.
“No Michael wait. I’m
sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. It’s just I was so upset with you about the
Tess thing. I don’t believe that you want
that planned out life with Isabel.
I know she’s married to Jesse.
You guys chose to stay here.”
Michael got up from the couch and paced in the living
room. “No, Maria! You’re right.” He wasn’t about to admit to loving Isabel, that was just hurting
her needlessly, but Michael needed to tell her that this thing between
them was over. “I think that I was
right the first time. I think we
should…”
Maria interrupted him.
“Michael no. Things seem so up
in the air right now. Let’s not make
any rash decisions…”
He walked over to her and put his index finger on her
lips. “It’s done Maria. We were done a while ago. I was just lying to the both of us.”
Maria’s eyes narrowed and she pulled away. “You’re just taking the easy way out
Michael! A relationship is hard work
and you’re just running scared at the first signs of trouble.”
Michael tried to comfort her, but she pulled away, grabbing
her jacket and putting distance between them.
“I love you Michael and you do love me. You’re just too scared to admit it,” sobbed Maria. “We have something special.”
His tears were caught in his throat. Michael couldn’t believe he was hurting her
again. He always managed to hurt
people. “Maria, I’m sorry.”
Maria shook her head.
“Don’t be sorry Michael. Grow up
and realize that you’re just a boy pretending to know what love is and what a
real relationship is like. You can
chase dreams and a past that already was, but let me tell you this Michael
Guerrin, remember how that turned out the last time!”
With that, Michael watched Maria storm out of his
apartment. He could hear her sobbing as
she ran down the hallway.
~~~
The woman prayed that it arrived, explaining every a little
about what they knew.