Tess looked around the room that she had managed to find in an old abandoned motel. "It isn't much, but it's keeping me dry," she whispered to herself, trying to convince herself that the room was ok.

She sighed and picked up her bag. She crossed over to the small crooked table beside the bed and picked up a card and envelope. Putting them in her bag, she swung it over her shoulder and headed for the door.

She stopped suddenly and glanced around the room, making sure that she hadn't forgot anything. Finding nothing, Tess walked away from her dismal room and looked towards the heaven. The sky was clear and the full moon and the multitude of stars shown brightly in the dark sky.

Tess walked out on the street and headed towards the Evans house. As she reached the Evans house, she walked around to the side and peered through the window. She could vaguely see Max through the window and noticed that he was talking to someone over phone.

She leaned in and strained to hear who he was talking too, knowing well that it must have been Liz. "It's always has been Liz." She muttered harshly.


//flash//

Max and Tess kiss and she has a flash of him kissing Liz.

"You kissed, Liz!" Tess accuses as Max looks away from her but doesn't deny the fact.

Tess feels her heart fall.

//flash//

A bitter smile appeared on Tess' lips. "Well, when I'm finished, you will all know what you did to me and my baby."

Tess walked to the front of the house and looked around to make sure no one saw her. She put her bag on the ground and took out the card.

"It’s time," Tess smirked as she waved her hand over the card, adding the words 'Thinking of you always, A.' Her smile widened as she put the card into its envelope.

She stopped a few steps away from the mailbox as a wave of uncertainty brushed past her. Tess shook away the fleeting moment and waved her hand over the envelope, addressing it to Isabel. She opened the mailbox, and dropped the envelope in.

Nodding, she started to walk towards the Crashdown. When she reached the Crashdown, she walked to the back and climbed up the fire escape. Tess walked up to the window, using her powers she opened it without making a sound.

Tess quickly scanned the room trying to find anything interesting, her eyes finally settled on a sheet of paper that looked like home work.

She picked up the sheet and sat down. She read it briefly and laughed. "Boring," she groaned and rubbed her hand over it, making the text disappear.

She put down the sheet and smiled. "I think you'll like my gift," Tess purred.

She stood up and put her bag down on the chair, she opened the bag and pulled out a newspaper clipping. The headline read 'Local boy died in car accident, police suspect suicide.'

Tess glanced over the room one more time before she climbed out of the window and then down the fire escape. She walked away from the Crashdown under the protection of the night as a small smile started to form on her lips.

~

Maria sat numbly, staring back and forth between her parents, looking mostly at her father. Even without his confirmation, she'd have been certain of her recognition. Maria waited in uncharacteristic silence for someone to say something.

Amy's knuckles were white from gripping the armrest of her chair. She wished she hadn't let her ex-husband in. There just hadn't seemed much choice.

Only, Maria's father, Brian, seemed unaffected by the awkward silence as he smiled slightly at his ex-wife and his daughter that he had abandoned so many years ago.

"So you're here," Amy said finally breaking the silence.

"Yes, I am." He sounded faintly amused.

"I should have expected you to show up. I'd just been wondering how things could possibly get worse."

"I wish you'd come sooner," Maria's dad answered, changing the subject.

"We shouldn't have had to come here at all," Amy retorted angrily.

"My mother just wanted to get to know my family. Her granddaughter. Was that so wrong? Maria should have had a grandparent!"

"Maria should have had a father! You should have thought of all this years ago!" Amy was incensed at the attempt to blame all this on her. "You should have been part of her life, and your mother."

"No matter how mad at me you still are after all these years my mother, Maria's grandmother, isn't to blame," he shot back.

"That's enough!" Maria finally burst out. "I don't need to see you fighting- dad, I need to know some things."

"Of course, I'll tell you all about your grandmother. She was a very special, very kind woman."

"No, I mean I want to know about her, but first about you. Why?"

"Why-"

"Why did you go? Where have you been, did you love me, why did you come back now?" She could hardly get the questions out fast enough, but managed to ask everything important before she began to cry.

Brian caste one anguished look at Amy, a look Amy almost could have thought was real if she didn't know better, then he came over to sit next to Maria. "I'm sorry, darling. So very sorry. I had to go- I left you with the best mother you could possibly have- and where I've been is a very long story."

"If you're sorry why did it take so long?"

"That's far too long of a story to go into right now. I've missed you, though. Missed you so much- missed so much of your life. Tell me about it. Do you hate school as much as I did? Do you have a boyfriend?"

"You aren't really interested- you couldn't be." Maria wanted to believe him so badly.

"I am. I swear I am." He gently took Maria's chin in his hand and tilted her head so she was looking him in the eyes. "Tell me, please."

"Yeah- and yeah-" Maria couldn't stop crying.

"It's okay. Everything's okay now." He hugged her. After a moment, Maria hugged him back.

~

Max and Isabel sat at the kitchen table, having breakfast. Max was about to ask her how college was going when he remembered something far more important. "Iz, you got this in the mail." He handed over what looked to be a card.

"Thanks," she replied. Hmm, that’s odd- first name only- no return address- She shook off those suspicious thoughts and opened the letter. 'Thinking of you always, A,' she read to herself. A? Who could A be…? She ran a list of options through her mind. The only one she could think of was- No, it can’t be- She then noticed the picture, a kid with a bass guitar. Tears formed, but she managed to cover them well.

"Iz? What’s wrong?" asked a concerned Max.

"Nothing. It’s- just this letter." Even though she was embarrassed she smiled. "Look at me, getting worked up over something so- insignificant." She handed the letter to Max.

Max took the letter and read it. "Yeah, it’s probably just a prank- some kid from school."

"Obviously." She hoped that would end the discussion. Even if it was a prank, it still unnerved her.

Max looked at his watch. "Hey, I gotta go- you sure you’re going to be okay?"

"I'll be fine, Max. Thanks," she said, going back to her breakfast.

"See you later." Max grabbed his book bag and left Isabel sitting alone.

Before he knew it, Max was almost at school. He was on the main street. His thoughts drifted. First, he thought about random things. Then they weren’t so random. He found himself thinking of Liz, then of his son. 'The kid’s on another planet. Before we knew about the Granolith, we were looking for a way home for years and never came up with anything. It’d be pretty much impossible to find something in a matter of months.' Of course, Michael was right. I don’t know why I hadn’t thought of that before. Maybe I just needed to hear from someone else. 'Besides, Maxwell, if you really did find a way home, would you ever want to leave?' That was the real question.

Before he had the chance to ponder it, he bumped into someone. He turned around and was about to apologize when he realized that no one was there. He shook his head and regained his balance. Then, he heard something. It was faint, but it was so clear in his mind:

"Daddy."

Max spun around. He still couldn’t see anybody. He was just about to ask himself if he really heard something when he heard a baby’s cry.

"Daddy!"

As of that moment, Max was officially confused. He began searching the street. But as it was early morning, not many people were out. If he had looked to his left, he would have seen Tess standing in the shadows of a nearby alley.

This feels wrong, she thought to herself. She momentarily considered stopping, when she remembered that it was Max’s fault that her baby was dead. He said he would take care of me…and the baby. And did he? No. Her actions now justified, she made Max think that his son was calling him one more time. Satisfied, she turned and walked away into the shadows.

Back on the street, Max shook his head. What the hell was that? He continued walking. He found himself at the Crashdown. Liz was sitting at an outside patio seat. Max thought she looked distressed.

"Hey," he said, as he sat down.

She looked up and a smile appeared on her face. "Hey, Max."

"Are you okay? You look kinda- wigged."

"Um, yeah, I kinda am. I stayed up all night, the other night working on my homework, and well-"

Max looked at her worksheets. "They’re all blank."

"I know! And they’re due in like twenty minutes." She frowned. She knew she wouldn’t be able to make it up in time. Max grabbed the homework sheets and waved his hand over them and handed them back to Liz.

Liz couldn’t help but grin. "Thanks, Max. But you know, the point of homework is to actually do the work yourself."

"Oh, well, I could leave them blank if you want," Max joked, reaching for the papers again.

Liz grabbed the sheets protectively and laughed "No, no, no! I’ll just turn them in." She smiled, "thank you."

"No problem."

Then Liz remembered that she wanted to talk to Max about something. "Hey, Max, somebody left this for me-" She took out the newspaper clipping that had mysteriously appeared by her homework.

"That’s odd," Max said. "Isabel got something too. A card. And just a few minutes ago I could’ve sworn that someone was calling me daddy."

"Do you think someone is playing games with us?" Liz asked.

"Yeah."

"What do you think it means, Max?"

"I don’t know. But the real question we should be asking ourselves is who would want to play games with us-" Max and Liz sat in silence, thinking of a solution together.

~

The bell rang, and Kyle leaned up against the lockers as he shifted his books from one arm to the other. He let out a sigh of relief when he saw Maria leave the room. "Finally!"

Maria rolled her eyes. "Excuse me for not imitating 'Speedy Gonzalez'. I'm actually hoping to accomplish a grade that’s above sea level this year."

"Sea level?"

"A, B, C—get it?"

"Bad joke. At least I get to class on time. Speaking
of which, why were you late?"

"Family stuff."

"What kind of family stuff?"

Maria pushed Kyle over to the side of the hallway. "Keep it down, all right?" She took a deep breath. "My father came back last night."

Kyle felt his jaw drop open. "Your father? The guy who left and never came back? Mr. Bye Bye Bye? He showed up?"

"Yeah." Maria said, brushing a lock of hair out of her face.

"Well…what does he want?"

"Now you sound like Michael. And I don’t know…he just showed up, bags on the doorstep, like he’d only left on a business trip a week before. It’s weird."

"How do you feel?"

"Confused. It’s like a fairy tale, and part of me expects my Dad to drive me away in a limo, to a tropical island, far, far away from here. I’m angry, because he never called or wrote and just expects to pick up where he left off. And I’m also really, really, excited, because he’s my Daddy, and it’s been such a long time since I had that."

The bell rang again and Maria pulled away to go to her next class.

Kyle gently squeezed her arm. "If you need somebody to talk to-"

A smile lit up Maria’s face. "Thanks, Kyle." She glanced up. "Michael!"

Michael scowled as he listened to Maria’s story. She was excited, and he couldn’t blame her. If his alien parents walked in the door, he’d probably run crying into their arms, as much as it pained him to admit it. But, something didn’t seem right about this. Call him 'Fox Mulder', but it seemed like there was more to this situation than met the eye.

"Don’t worry," he said, placing a kiss on her head. "The truth is out there."

~

Isabel looked at the bags in her hands, it had been a good day at the mall and she had found several clothes that suited her taste.

"Hi, Isabel."

Isabel turned at the shriek of her name. "Hi, Alison." Isabel replied as she turned to see who it was.

"How, are you doing?" Alison asked.

"I'm fine, just bought some new clothes," she answered.

"Okay, you got a date?" Alison asked.

"Yeah, later this evening, with Christian, he's in my psychology class," Isabel replied.

"Oh, what’s he like?" Alison inquired.

"Well, he’s okay, I guess I will find out more later tonight," Isabel smiled.

"Have a nice time, I'll see you around," Alison said as she turned to walk away.

"Thanks, I'll see you later," Isabel replied as she looked at her as she walked away.

Isabel walked over to the jeep and stopped to put the bags in the back seat. She climbed into the drivers seat and started the ignition.

What should I wear tonight? Maybe my new tank top and those jeans, or my new blouse and the skirt instead, hmm-

While Isabel drove out of the parking lot, her cell phone rang.
"Hello?" Isabel said.

"Hi," came a husky voice on the other side.

"Hi, Christian." Isabel greeted.

"I was just thinking about tonight," he replied, "So, I thought I'd give you a ring. Is six still good?"

"Yeah, six will be perfect,” Isabel smiled.

"I'll see you then." Christian paused, "you'll probably look beautiful, as always."

"Are you trying to charm me over the phone? We already have a date," Isabel laughed.

"Well, it's an art to make a beautiful girl blush," he chuckled.

"Okay, I must've forgotten to tell you that I don't blush that easy," Isabel smiled.

"I'll see you tonight, bye."

"Bye," Isabel replied as she put the phone down. She turned her attention to the radio. She pushed the on button and a song started to play that reminded her of prom.

Isabel sighed and waved her hand turning the radio off quickly. Isabel quickly picked up on her speed, trying to make it home faster.

After a few minutes, she turned into the Evans driveway. She stepped out of the jeep and reached for her bags as the cell phone rang.

"Hi," Isabel answered.

"Hi, I'm looking for Alex Whitman." The women on the other side said. Isabel froze. She stood speechless, like a zombie until the women asked again. "Is Alex there?"

"Sorry, you got the wrong number." Isabel replied harshly and turned her cell phone off completely. Isabel put her head in her hands and started to cry.

Tess hung up her phone and put it back in her bag, "this doesn't feel right," she whispered as she looked at Isabel once more and noticed her crying.

Tess shook her head and started to walk away. They deserve this, they made me loose my son, but I’m not sure Isabel is one of those who deserve it, she also lost someone she loved. Maybe I should leave her out of it. I can still make the others suffer, just not her.

~

"It’s like something out of a 'Hitchcock' movie!" Liz exclaimed.

Michael rolled his eyes. "Now who’s been hitting the cedar?"

"Or a murder mystery," Maria added. "One by one, we’ll all be knocked off."

"Would someone rewind the tape on this crazy conspiracy theory?" Michael growled.

"Oh no, you’re not paranoid at all , Michael."

"I’m suspicious, Maria, not paranoid!"

"CALM DOWN!" Max hissed. "We aren’t getting anything accomplished by attacking each other."

"But Max, you have to admit that there’s something up here- some connection with the notes and objects."

"Yeah." Max took a deep breath. "Whoever it was sent something to Isabel, too."

Maria gasped. "What?"

"A card. With a picture of a guy playing a guitar. Signed, 'Thinking of you always. A'."

"It’s like 'I Know What You Did Last Semester'!" Maria gasped. "We’re living in a horror movie."

"Maria, we’re aliens. This is science fiction." Michael muttered.

"So what’s next, Max?" Liz said, reaching over and grabbing his hand.

"I don’t know. We gotta move carefully- there is somebody or something out there. We need to meet tonight, too. I’ll let Isabel know, and somebody tell the Valentis. They may be a target in this too."

"I…I can’t come." Maria spoke in a small voice. "I’m having dinner with my Dad."

"Then, we'll meet tomorrow. We all need to get together and discuss this more," Max replied as Liz squeezed his hand gently.

~
Jim sat at the table and looked up at Kyle as he drooped his book bag onto the table with a large thud. "Have a nice day?"

"Yeah, sure- peachy." Kyle grumbled as he walked into the kitchen and grabbed a can of pop.

"That good?" Jim laughed as he stood up.

"Want one?" Kyle asked as he grabbed another can of pop. Jim nodded and he tossed a can towards him.

Kyle popped the can open and looked at his dad. He gave him a weak smile as thoughts of his mother continued to linger on his mind. Thoughts of his mother had been haunting him since he talked to Maria earlier about her dad. "Dad?" Kyle whispered.

Jim looked at him slightly concerned. "Yes?"

"Have you ever wondered what happened to mom?" Kyle inquired his voice wavering. He looked at his dad with tears glistening in his eyes. For years, Kyle has often wondered and never had the courage to ask.

"Of, course I have," He replied quickly taking a short breath. "What has brought this sudden inquiry?"

"Maria," Kyle shrugged and turned away.

"Maria?" Jim questioned slightly concerned. "What does Maria have to do with your mother? Oh, does this have to do with my relationship with Amy?"

"No, dad." Kyle shook his head. "Maria's father came back."

"What?" Jim asked suddenly alarmed, his thoughts drifting towards Amy. "I should call her."

"Dad, I don't think that's necessary." Kyle replied softly. "She will come to you, when it is time."

Jim nodded and looked back at his son, "how is Maria taking it?"

"She's confused." Kyle sighed, "I would be."

A few minutes passed and an awkward silence filled the room. Jim looked at his son in deep concentration.

"Kyle?" He asked, concerned as he crossed over to him.

"Did you ever search for her? Did she ever say where she was going? Why did she go?" Kyle cried out. "I just want my Mommy! I want the damn storybook ending."

Jim looked at him slightly stunned by his son's outburst of emotion. He then realized he didn't have answers to the questions he raised. "I don't know."

"I want to find her- I want to know. I have to, Dad." Kyle groaned as he looked at his dad. "I need to know."

"I know," Jim replied as he hugged his son. "I'll help you find her."

~

Max sat on the edge of his bed listening to Michael as he leaned against the wall opposite of him.

"I mean, I know I should be happy for her," Michael explained. "You can't even begin to imagine how many times I've heard Maria talk about her father. And now that he's really here, it's like a dream come true for her."

"Then what's the problem?" Max asked.

"I don't- I don't know-," Michael stammered. "I've just got a really bad feeling about him."

"Well what did he seem like?" Max inquired.

"What do you mean?" Michael wondered.

"When you met him what did he seem like?" Max clarified.

"Uh, well see, I haven't exactly met him yet," Michael said.

"You haven't met him and already you don't like him?" Max asked surprised.

"I didn't say, I don't like him," Michael said. "I just said that I've got a bad feeling about him."

Max ran his hand through his hair and sighed, "nothing is as it seems."

The two thought silently for a second as Michael touched his back pocket. "Oh, remember, when we were discussing those 'gifts' earlier?" Michael reached into his back pocket and pulled out an envelope.

"What's that?" Max asked.

"When I got back to my apartment earlier I found this there," Michael said handing Max the envelope. Max opened the envelope and found a bass pick inside, the letters 'AW' scratched into it. "Who the hell is doing this to us?" Michael asked.

"There's something about the way these things are being done," Max said. "Whoever's doing this knows us, knows how to hurt us on a personal level."

Michael looked Max directly in the eyes realizing what Max was trying to say. "Tess?"

Max sighed and closed his eyes.

"You think it's Tess that's doing this?" Michael demanded.

"She's the only one that would know how to rub us the wrong way," Max explained as Isabel came into the room.

"Hey, what's going on?" Isabel asked.

"Where were you?" Max inquired.

"I was out with a friend," Isabel said leaning against the doorway.

"Who?" Michael asked sternly.

"Not that it's any of your business, but his name is Christian," Isabel said.

"How well do you know him?" Max asked.

"Well enough," was Isabel's only response as she took a seat in Max's desk chair.

"Are you planning on seeing him again?" Michael questioned.

"Yes," Isabel replied dryly.

"Well you shouldn't," Michael said.

"Okay why are we even having this conversation?" Isabel asked. "Who I date is my business."

"We can't let anyone new in," Michael said. "Especially now with everything that's been going on."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Isabel asked.

"Max thinks that Tess is back," Michael said.

Isabel looked at her brother who only nodded. "No," Isabel said. "No it's not possible. Tess is on Antar, we all saw here leave. There is no way she could be here."

Isabel quickly jumped to her feet and started to leave Max's room.

"Isabel, wait," Max called after her. "If Tess is back, then we have to keep an eye out for her."

"What!?!" Isabel exclaimed as she stood at the door way with her back to Max and Michael.

Isabel stood there considering what she had heard. If indeed Tess was back then they would have to watch their backs. But Isabel couldn't help feel how unfair all of it was. Finally she had been able to find the strength to move on. And now with the very thought of Tess being back all the hurt and
rage she felt at Tess's betrayal came flooding back.

Isabel turned around and walked back to her seat. Sitting down she silently promised herself this time Tess wouldn't get away with what she did. That she would make Tess pay for taking Alex away from her.

"So what do we do?" Isabel asked.

~

Maria poked at her spaghetti with her fork while her father sat across from her eating his. Although Maria was hungry she couldn't bring herself to eat. Not to mention that the spaghetti had too much salt in it, and had gone cold some time ago.

"How's your spaghetti?" Brian asked.

"Oh it's very good," Maria lied.

"Your grandmother was a very special woman," He reflected.

"That she was," Maria agreed.

"Did she happen to say anything before she died?" Brian inquired.

"Not really," Maria said sadly. "I was only with her for a few minutes before- before she died."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Mom," she began. "Mom had kept the letters abuelita had been sending me telling me that she was sick."

"I knew that woman would pull something like this," Brian said angrily.

"How can you say that?" Maria asked. "Mom has stuck by me and raised me all by herself."

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "I shouldn't have said that, me of all people."

Maria continued to prod her food with the fork.

"So, what have you been up to since I've been gone? I've heard you've gotten yourself a boyfriend."

"His name is Michael," Maria said.

"Does he treat you right?" He asked. "Because I won't stand for some pendejo hurting my little girls feelings."

"He treats me just fine dad," Maria answered. "There was a time when he was stubborn and ignorant. But he's different now, he's changed."

"Well that's good," Brain replied.

"I remember a painting your grandmother had once," He continued after a slight pause. "How much she loved to show it off to guests. She really loved it, a beautiful work of art."

"Oh yeah that," Maria said. "Abuelita left it to me in her will."

"Really," he said with a look of interest. "Remember the time I bought you that Dalmatian?"

"Yeah," Maria smiled not only at the memory of her Dalmatian Buster, but the fact that her father still remembered. Maria took it as a sign that he had been interested in what was going on in her life.

"Remember how every time you'd come home from school he'd jump on you and lick your face?" Brian laughed.

"Yes," Maria chuckled.

"Whatever happened to him?" He asked.

Maria's smile faded from her face.

"He died," she whispered. "Right after you left."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything."

Silence once again reclaimed the dining room as Maria only nodded in response and continued eating her dinner.

~

Tess walked closer to the window and pressed her hand against it. The cool glass seemed to burn as she looked in and gazed at the two men within. Once she was a part of their family, their love. She turned away quickly as tears stung her eyes.

She wanted to know about them, she wanted to be back in their home and in their hearts. "I want to- can you-" she mumbled as she started to walk away.

She stopped suddenly and turned back to the window as she heard Kyle's laughter linger in the air. She turned back and looked at him through the glass. Her hand traced his outline as her hand started to tremble. "Kyle- I-" she sighed.

She wiped a tear away as she turned and ran away. Her heart raced and her lungs burned. Within minutes she had returned to her dirty old room. Through her tears she glanced around the room that was now her home. The ratted old curtains hung lifeless at the window, dust lingered on the floor and fixtures, and the broken bedroom furniture seemed to speak of guests of the past. "This is my home?"

The realization of her situation and her life stung her heart. Her mind raced. She collapsed to the floor in tears. Her body trembled and ached with loss and pain. She wrapped her arms protectively around her knees and continued to cry. She cried for her life, her son's life, for what she had done, and what she had almost done.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."
 

End Episode 7

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