Visions of My Past

By Melanie Walker

 

 

 

 

 

Liz Parker leaned forward from where she was sitting in the middle of her best friends’ grave and traced his name with her fingers. She could feel the wetness from the tears that had already fallen on her cheeks. The tears that she had been unable to stop. She was losing it, she could tell even if no one else could.

 

Alexander Whitman

 

She swallowed hard as she tried to fight back the sob building.

 

Maria thought she didn’t care. Maria thought that she was cold and unfeeling and that she didn’t miss Alex at all. She didn’t want to tell her that she missed Alex so much sometimes that she thought she was going mad. That she wished that she could back and change everything so Alex wouldn’t die. That she could feel their small group being torn apart at the seams and there was nothing that she could do to stop it.

 

Everything had been slowly unraveling before Alex’s death. The group moving off in their own directions. But after… after his death everything had sped to its horrendous conclusion. The revelation that Tess…  Alien Tess one of the four podsters that she and the others had risked their lives for time and time again had been responsible for Alex’s death had hit the group hard.

 

Pretty much shattering it to its core.

 

Everyone was dealing (or not dealing) in vastly different ways.

 

 “Hi Alex,” she said softly, the wind blowing her hair around her face as her eyes remained fixed on the headstone. If she tried hard enough she could almost see Alex sitting in front of her. A scolding look on his face.

 

“I’m late…  I know… Max wanted to have a meeting to remind us how important it is that we find his son and bring him home immediately,” Liz snorted. “Like we don’t all already know that.”

 

She sighed. “I shouldn’t have said it like that, I know he’s just concerned about the baby,” fingering the grass beside her she scowled. “He told me he loved me… How could he love me and still have slept with her Alex? I don’t get it… He wants us to pick up where we left off, start dating again and what not but… it’s just every time I touch him I see him and Tess together and I can’t do it.”

 

“Anyway Maria and Michael are together again… or maybe they’ve broken up by now. They have the strangest relationship… Isabel is seeing someone. It’s supposed to be a secret so don’t tell anyone,” Liz grinned. “She doesn’t know that anyone knows. I’m not even sure who the guy is… I… well I just hope he’s not an alien… Kyle’s doing good. He’s been really supportive of Maria and I, he’s been a great friend… sometimes I wish…”

 

She shook her head; there was no use in thinking about things she couldn’t change. She had chosen Max and that was a decision that she would have to live with for the rest of her life. She sat in silence, listening to the wind blow.

 

“I turn three tomorrow,” she whispered tears falling from her eyes once more. “And I bet you no one will even remember,” laughing bitterly she wiped at her face. “I mean not that I expected them to… well maybe I expected Max to. He’s the one that saved me after all,” pulling her knees up to her chest she wrapped her arms around them laying her cheek against her denim clad knees, “sometimes I wish he didn’t.”

 

“I don’t,” Kyle said stepping out from behind the bushes he had been using for coverage. “I’m glad he did.”

 

******************************************************************************

 

Kyle Valenti watched her with worry in his eyes. Liz was on the edge and no one could even see it. Max was too blind, so wrapped up in finding his son and by default Tess that he wasn’t even seeing her anymore.

 

Maria was trying to save her relationship with Michael and trying to restart her music career all in one try.

 

Isabel had never really cared about Liz in the first place. She’d only seen her as an extension of Max and a threat to their precious secret.

 

When Liz had slipped out the backdoor of the Crashdown unnoticed, conveniently missing the impromptu meeting taking place out front to discuss some new bit of information that Max had found Kyle had followed her. He couldn’t stand to listen to Max reiterate for the thousandth time how important it was to get his son back from Tess and Kivar. Like he wasn’t the one that had sent them away in the first place.

 

Max hadn’t even noticed that Liz had vanished. She’d gone back to get a glass and never returned. What a schmuck. If Liz had still been his he would have gotten the glass for her. But Liz wasn’t his and they still had enemies… well actually they didn’t have enemies the three remaining aliens had enemies that by default were now theirs, so he followed her at a distance to the cemetery and kept watch.

 

“You’re glad?” Liz asked in surprise. “I would have thought…”

 

“Thought what?” Kyle asked, hands shoved in his coat pocket he walked up to her. Staring down at the headstone. Alex Whitman. Sometimes he wished he’d known him better so he could comfort Liz and sometimes Maria more.

 

They’d been sort of friends towards the end there. Bonding over a common threat, having joint friends. But he didn’t have many Alex stories to contribute, he could listen though.

 

And he did.

 

He felt like he knew Alex better now that he was dead than he ever had when he was alive and a part of him hated the fact that now that he ‘knew’ Alex he was certain that this was someone that could have been a great friend. “You thought that I’d be happy that you were dead rather than wasting your time chasing after Max Evans?”

 

“Something like that,” Liz muttered turning away from him. Kyle sighed as he sat next to her. This wasn’t going at all well and most definitely not the way that he’d planned. He probably should have just written it all down and read it out loud to her.

 

Like a speech.

 

She’d probably find that endlessly amusing, but at least she wouldn’t be on the defensive and he wouldn’t be consumed by how much he still hated Max Evans.

 

“At least you were alive,” he said softly. “Even if you weren’t with me… you were alive and that meant that maybe someday you might come back.”

 

“Kyle…”

 

“I wish I’d known him better,” he changed the subject. God he’d just almost told Liz Parker that he was still in love with her. Now who was the schmuck?

 

“You do?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

Liz smiled, a ghost of a smile and Kyle fought to hide his grin at the sight of it. It had been a long time since he’d even seen her lips quirk up into some tiny fragment of one. “I think you guys would have been friends… eventually…”

 

“Well you know we had some common interests.”

 

They sat in companionable silence, listening to the wind, staring at the marble stone in front of them.

 

“Are they still meeting?” Liz asked quietly turning her head slightly so she could look at him.

 

“Yeah… Maxieboy thinks he found a way to contact his son,” Kyle snorted. The kid was still a fetus how did Max think he was going to contact him without alerting Tess?

 

“Great,” Liz sighed. “So that means that we’re going to take another road trip to nowhere that could end with us being arrested again. Wonderful,” she muttered. “Just… wonderful.”

 

“Listen,” Kyle started touching her leg softly. “I think we need some time away from the alien club…”

 

“What did you have in mind?” Liz asked with a frown.

 

“Movies tomorrow night, no aliens invited…”

 

“The movies?” Liz asked skeptically.

 

“Yeah the movies… What’s wrong with the movies? Look I’ll even let you choose what we see,” he offered magnanimously.

 

“This wouldn’t be your way of trying to sneak a date by me would it?”

 

“A date? Nah… Ask Maria to come if you want.”

 

“Maria won’t want to come unless Michael does.”

 

“Okay so don’t ask Maria,” Kyle frowned as he pushed himself to his feet holding out his hand to help her up. “This is just two friends going to see a movie that will have no aliens, doomed romances or death in it.”

 

“But other than that the movie is my choice?” Liz laughed, smiling as she grasped his hand. He pulled her firmly to her feet. She held his hand tightly as she looked up at him.

 

“Your choice,” he said softly. “As long as you buy the drinks.”

 

“Okay… but if I’m buying refreshments than you’re buying the popcorn.”

 

******************************************************************************

 

“You’re doing what?” Maria DeLuca exploded as she watched her best friend in the entire world fasten her apron around her waist and turn to walk away from her.

 

“Kyle and I are going to the movies tonight,” Liz shrugged. “What’s the big deal?”

 

“What’s the big deal? What’s the big deal?! Max is begging for forgiveness and instead of giving it to him you’re going to go out on a date with Kyle Valenti?! Are you nuts?! I thought you went through your jock phase already!!”

 

“Maria calm down,” Liz said in a soothingly quiet voice. “Besides… Max isn’t begging for forgiveness, well except for the one time and anyway it’s not a date.”

 

“Not a date? What’d you mean it’s not a date?” Maria crossed her arms over her chest her foot tapping against the concrete floor. “If it’s not the date what the hell is it?!”

 

“It’s not a date…” Liz stated emphatically as she smoothed her skirt. “It’s two friends going to the movies.”

 

“Who’s paying?” Maria arched her eyebrows as she stared at her.

 

“I don’t know… Kyle probably. I’m buying the sodas and picking the movie… No aliens, deaths or doomed romances I believe were the only criteria.”

 

“Liz I hate to tell you this but you’re going out on a date,” Maria said stiffly.

 

“Who’s going on a date?” Michael asked from where he was leaning in the doorway.

 

“Liz is,” Maria waved her hand at her. “Talk her out of it.”

 

“Yeah right…” Michael muttered. “You have to cancel the big date Parker… Maxwell wants to meet tonight at eight.”

 

“Well you tell Max that we’ll swing by after the movies over,” Liz said angrily. Damned if she was going to cancel her plans because Max couldn’t deliver his own damn messages. “And it’s not a date,” she muttered as she shoved through the swinging door.

 

Plastering a smile on her face she pulled her order pad and pen out of her pocket and walked up to her first table. “Hi welcome to the Crashdown café… can I get you something to drink while you’re looking at the menu?” she smiled stiffly.

 

Jotting the drink order she walked back to the counter, making herself busy as she filled the cups. Studiously ignoring Michael’s eyes on her back. “Go away Michael,” she hissed under her breath as she breezed past him.

 

“After you agree to cancel your date.”

 

“It’s not a date.”

 

And that’s how her morning went. Really it should have been a sign that the day was pretty much going to suck. Every time she passed Michael or Maria they would mutter at her about canceling her date and she would mutter back over her dead body.

 

The two men and one woman who sat in Maria’s section didn’t look violent. And she would never have thought that the woman would pull a gun on them but she guessed it just went to show that you couldn’t judge a book by its cover.

 

She was getting refills for a table when she heard the argument start. A vaguely familiar argument and an uncomfortable feeling of déjà vu passed over her as she slowly turned. One of the men was struggling with the female the other sitting in a state of shock.

 

“Liz,” Maria screamed as she first caught sight of the gun. Michael jumped up from where he had been sitting at the counter; Liz came around from the counter.

 

And then everything slowed down. It seemed to take an awful long time for Michael to jump off his stool. Maria whirled and ducked and then the loud bang as the gun discharged.

 

The sensation of being shot a second time didn’t really exist for her until she tripped backward and crumpled to the floor.

 

She could hear Maria screaming her name through the hazy fog that had settled over her brain. Could see her running forward.

 

She saw Michael leaning over her, tapping her cheek. His lips moved but no sound emanated from them. She frowned up at him, her face contorting as the shock of being shot again finally hit her. Wow the pain didn’t feel any different.

 

She felt herself being scooped up in Michael’s strong arms as he started moving. Going where she had no idea. Hopefully the hospital.

 

And then she saw nothing as darkness overcame her and her eyes rolled back in her head.

 

******************************************************************************

 

“…it sounds like you’re describing a poodle,” Maria was saying sarcastically as she turned to walk away.

 

“Eh?” Liz managed to muster as she touched her hand to her stomach and raised it to her eyes. Blinking in startled confusion as she saw no blood. There was supposed to be blood… and pain… why was there supposed to be blood and pain again?

 

She blinked again, Maria turning back to her.

 

“What do you mean ‘eh’? Are you even listening to me at all?” Maria said impatiently her foot tapping.

 

“No,” she said honestly as she shook her head to try and clear the fogginess.

 

“Well at least you’re honest about it,” Maria muttered. “Are you okay?” she peered closely at her. “Maybe you need to up your vitamin intake.”

 

“I’m fine,” Liz managed as she looked around still shaking her head. “What did you do to your hair?” she asked suddenly, the last time she’d seen Maria with hair that short had been years ago. Years ago? No it hadn’t… years ago Maria had been a pigtail fanatic like her. What the heck was going on?

 

Maria gasped in horror her hand flying defensively to said hair. “You said you liked it,” she cried.

 

“Oh, no I do,” Liz said quickly squinting as she cocked her head to the side. At least it’ll grow back she sighed inwardly, won’t it? “You ever have déjà vu Maria?”

 

“Not recently,” Maria muttered. “I’m going to go wait my tables before you say something else derogatory about my hair.” And with that she turned on her heel stalking away.

 

Liz watched her for a moment before she looked around the restaurant again. Michael and Max sitting at a booth to the side. Michael and…. Max. Max hadn’t been at the Crashdown.

 

Had he?

 

She shook her head once again. What the hell was going on?

 

She continued to stare over at them; Michael scowling at her as he finally noticed her watching them. The sound of the fight between two men in Maria’s section drew her attention suddenly.

 

“Liz!” Maria screamed as one of the men pulled a gun waving it. Liz started forward, Maria backed away as the men struggled and then the gun fired and Liz stared in horror down at herself before she crumpled once more to the floor of the restaurant.

 

Oh god… not again she thought as she stared up at the ceiling for the second time in less than an hour.

 

This time though instead of Michael’s face appearing over hers she saw Max’s shocked one and she looked up at him in confusion. When she felt him rip the top of her uniform open she realized that she had to stop him, she wasn’t sure why though. Why did she have to stop him? It would end badly if she didn’t she realized suddenly. Everything would end horribly and they would all suffer. Drawing from a reserve of strength she hadn’t realized that she had she raised her hand to lay over his.

 

“Don’t…” she managed to squeak out his shocked chocolate brown eyes meeting hers. “Please don’t,” she whispered again as her eyes rolled back in her head once more and everything went dark.

 

******************************************************************************

 

Kyle Valenti was having a bad day.

 

It had actually started out pretty good. Liz had called him first thing that morning to remind him that he needed to go to basketball practice. And there were actually worse things to have happen than to have your beautiful girlfriend wake you up first thing in the morning. So in actuality it should have been a pretty good day… but unfortunately once Liz had hung up he had rolled back over and went back to sleep. So now he was running late.

 

Really late. When he raced into the gym at Roswell high his coach was already standing at the front of the bleachers droning on in his pre-game season voice.

 

“Valenti… you’re late,” he barked not even turning as Kyle heard the door slam shut behind him.

 

“Yes sir… sorry sir,” he said quickly as he took his seat between Henry and Jake. Both shot him looks of commiseration that indicated that he hadn’t been the only one late this morning.

 

As coach started droning on again he leaned back and relaxed.

 

“So where were you?” Jake muttered under his breath as he kept one eye on the little man talking in front of them.

 

“Asleep.”

 

“Wish I were asleep,” Henry whispered under his breath. “Why are we here again?  Basketball season doesn’t even start for another two months.”

 

Kyle didn’t get a chance to issue the smart alec retort that was on the top of the tongue. The door banging to the gym drew everyone’s attention and he sat straight up as he saw Deputy Drexler walking awkwardly to the gathering. He gripped his hat tightly in his hands and studiously avoided the gazes from the basketball team instead focusing attentively on their coach.

 

Kyle leaned forward with the rest of the team trying to hear what was being said as Deputy Drexler reached their coach and their heads turned away as they whispered. He glanced down at his watch. Couldn’t be his dad… his dad wasn’t even on duty yet. Then he snorted to himself… his father was always on duty.

 

“Valenti,” coach called waving him down from the bleachers.

 

Kyle moved slowly forward his eyes fixed on the deputy’s face. It wasn’t his father, surely he would know if it were his father. But his dad must have trained the deputy personally as an inscrutable expression had crossed his face and Kyle couldn’t read anything from him.

 

“What’s up? It’s not my dad,” he said as he reached them.

 

“I’m supposed to take you to the hospital kid,” Drexler stated as he turned away.

 

“The hospital? What’s going on?” he asked as they walked side by side out of the gym, he ignored the looks from the rest of the team and heard coach begin talking again.

 

“I’m just supposed to take you to the hospital, that’s all.”

 

“Look I’m not going anywhere until you tell me what’s going on,” Kyle halted a stubborn expression on his face as his arms crossed over his chest.

 

Deputy Drexler sighed as he turned to him, planting his hat firmly on his head he stared at him. Kyle knew that his father had probably personally gave him strict instructions.

 

But his father wasn’t here and he wasn’t going anywhere until he knew what the hell was going on.

 

“There was a shooting earlier today,” he said quietly as he turned away.

 

“What? Where? Not my dad…” Kyle sputtered shaking his head in denial as he grabbed the deputy’s shoulder to turn him back again.

 

“No… it was at the Crashdown.”

 

“Oh my god… Liz,” Kyle whispered. “It was Liz… wasn’t it?” he closed his eyes for a moment before his feet started running toward the car he recognized as the deputy’s. “What the hell are you waiting for?”

 

******************************************************************************

 

Maria DeLuca was crying. She really didn’t want to be and she had actually been handling the fact that her best friend was in surgery right now having a bullet removed very well until Alex Whitman had appeared at the hospital. She had taken one look at him and burst into hysterical tears.

 

So now she was sitting in an uncomfortable plastic chair in the waiting room for the ER with her best friends blood staining her uniform crying again.

 

She must look totally pathetic.

 

“Someone should call Kyle,” she managed to get out between sobs.

 

“I think the sheriff sent someone to get him,” Alex said in what she figured was supposed to be his soothing voice.

 

It wasn’t though because he couldn’t quite contain the tremor that appeared in it and with as tightly as he was holding her there was no way he could hide the fact that he was shaking like a leaf.

 

Or maybe that was her.

 

Maria looked down at the hands she was wringing together in agitation. She’d scrubbed and scrubbed them in the bathroom once she’d gotten to the hospital.

 

She’d scrubbed them until they looked raw and red but in her minds eyes she could still see the blood that had been there. Could still see Liz lying unmoving on the floor with Max hovering over her.

 

Max had ordered her to call 911 then grabbed her upon her return, telling her to press “here”. Here being Liz’s bleeding stomach. His face had been sheet white and he’d looked as terrified as she’d felt.

 

But he’d spoken with a commanding tone like he knew what he was talking about so she’d just followed whatever instructions he gave her. Applying pressure, talking in low tones to Liz as they tried to keep her alive, tried to keep her conscious until the ambulance came.

 

“Stop it Maria,” Alex ordered as he laid his other hand over hers.

 

“I can still see the blood,” she cried covering her face with her hands. “I can still see all that blood… What the hell is going on?!”

 

“Calm down… she’s in the hospital and the doctors are going to fix her up and everything will be fine.”

 

“Fine? Fine?! Alex she could be dying in there and we wouldn’t even know!”

 

“She’s not going to die,” Alex said with a positive tone that she knew he didn’t really feel. There was that tremor again and the fact that even though their hands were linked together tightly they were both still shaking.

 

“How do you know? You’re not a doctor,” Maria muttered.

 

“Because I do… besides nothing bad ever happens in this town.”

 

Maria snorted as she wiped at her face. “Yeah… right… except I think you might be conveniently forgetting the two suicides last year and the car accident. And what about that hostage thing at the gas station.”

 

“Well…” Alex started looking up as a commotion drew his attention.

 

“Maria!” Amy DeLuca cried getting a good look at her daughter. She tried to move forward to get to Maria’s side but was stopped by a deputy’s arm holding her back. “Excuse me that’s my daughter there,” she stated angrily as she tried to shove her way past him.

 

“It’s okay,” Sheriff Jim Valenti waved his deputy off. “Let her in.”

 

“Thank you Sheriff,” Amy said stiffly her hand winding around the bag she had over her shoulder.

 

“Jim…” he smiled softly at her, she ignored him as she walked past intent only on her daughter.

 

“Mom,” Maria sobbed as she threw herself in her mothers’ arms.

 

“Shh,” Amy whispered against her hair holding her daughter fiercely unmindful of the blood staining her uniform or the sobs racking her body. “It’s going to be okay, it’s all going to be okay. Everything’s going to be okay.”

 

******************************************************************************

 

Jim Valenti watched mother and daughter attempt to comfort each other. Dragging a hand over his face he wondered if he looked as old as he felt.

 

A glance towards the door and he saw his son barreling towards him with an expression on his face that he knew meant that Kyle already knew. “Damn,” he murmured under his breath.

 

“Dad,” Kyle came to a shrieking halt as soon as he saw his father. “It’s not true right? Someone got their information wrong because I just talked to her this morning. She was fine this morning.”

 

“I’m sorry son,” Jim clasped a hand to his shoulder squeezing tightly, glaring over Kyle’s shoulder at his deputy who looked sheepishly back at him. “She’s in surgery now… we’ll know more soon.”

 

“Sheriff,” Amy walked up to them her arm around a still crying Maria. “I brought some clothes for Maria to change into is that okay?”

 

“Yeah that’s fine,” Jim turned to face her his hand still gripping Kyle’s shoulder. “Henderson go with them,” he waved a young female officer over.

 

“Why do we need an officer to assist us in changing,” Amy muttered belligerently. “We’re both adults I think we can manage.”

 

“It’s just a precaution,” Jim said quietly.

 

Amy studied him before she tightened her arm around her daughter. “You haven’t caught them yet… have you?” she accused him quietly.

 

“We’ve got one of them… we’re still looking for the other. But right now your daughter is one of our only eye witnesses and she’s the only witness that got a really good look at the two men.”

 

Amy nodded stiffly. “Fine,” she smiled thinly as Deputy Henderson joined them. The three women walked away together. Amy patting Alex’s shoulder reassuringly as they passed.

 

“Kyle why don’t you go home, I’ll let you know as soon as something changes,” Jim turned back to Kyle.

 

“I’m not going anywhere until I know that Liz is okay,” Kyle said. With a thin-eyed glare at his father he walked away sitting in the now vacated chair by Alex. Crossing his arms over his chest and relaxing back he stared straight ahead.

 

******************************************************************************

 

“What are we doing here Maxwell?” Michael asked quietly from where he was leaning against the wall. He rolled his eyes when he saw Maria DeLuca begin crying… again.

 

Christ the girl was a goddamn waterfall. Every time he’d turned around she was crying.

 

“I just want to make sure she’s going to be okay,” Max mumbled under his breath.

 

“Who cares? You said you didn’t get a chance to heal her before Maria got back. Which is a good thing because that would have been stupid… and you’re not stupid Maxwell. So if she dies she dies, you tried your best. It doesn’t concern us.”

 

“I had plenty of time to heal her,” Max said softly.

 

“What?” Michael looked over at him in shock. “I thought you said…”

 

“I lied… I had time to heal her, I had plenty of time but…”

 

“But what?!”

 

“She stopped me.”

 

“She stopped you? What the hell are you talking about? How could she stop you? She was unconscious.”

 

Max shook his head, running his fingers through his hair as he shifted on his feet.

 

“No she wasn’t…”

 

******************************************************************************

 

Don’t…. Please don’t. 

 

Even now he could see the pleading in her eyes, the desperation to stop him before she passed out. Before he healed her. He hadn’t understood. He still didn’t understand.

 

And by the time he had decided to just go ahead and do it regardless of her wishes… well Maria had returned hovering anxiously above them. He’d grabbed her hand pulling her down next to him. Ordering her to help him and she had.

 

But he still didn’t understand. How could she have known what he was going to do unless…

 

“She told me not to… I had my hand over the wound and everything I just had to make the connection. She put her hand over mine and said don’t… please don’t.”

 

“She couldn’t have known Max,” Michael sighed. “She probably didn’t want you to save her… She’s all scientific and stuff she probably knew she was a lost cause and didn’t want anyone to expend the extra energy.”

 

“You didn’t see her Michael… her eyes when she was looking at me,” he shook his head. “She knew. She knew I was going to try and heal her and she stopped me.”

 

“How could she…” Michael drawled off and Max could see when the possibilities crashed home. The ones that he’d already thought of… and there were many. She could be one of them or she could be one of their enemies. “Oh my god.”

 

“She can’t be one of us Michael… she just… she can’t. She was there the first day we went to school… she was already there.”

 

“Then how did she know that you were going to try and heal her Max? There’s only three people that even know you can do that and she’s not one of them.”

 

“I don’t know… but we need to find out,” Max said quietly. “We need to find out what she knows or what she is. And we need to find out if she’s shared that information with anyone else.”

 

They both glanced over to where Kyle was sitting next to Alex. To where Maria was walking back into the waiting room in a pair of loose blue jeans and a T-shirt followed by her mother. To where the sheriff was talking quietly with one of his deputies.

 

“We need to find out soon and I have a feeling time is of an essence here,” Max said quietly.

 

******************************************************************************

 

I’m glad he did…

 

Tess killed Alex…

 

You didn’t sleep with Kyle… did you?…

 

Tess is pregnant…

  

You don’t want to believe that an alien killed Alex because that would mean you were responsible…

 

Alex is dead…

  

I believe in you…

  

I need you to help me fall out of love with you…

 

I saw you kiss Tess…

 

I’m not from around here…

 

Don’t tell anyone…. Please….

 

******************************************************************************

 

Kyle stretched in his uncomfortable chair. He’d had to move over one when Maria had come back earlier and now she was curled up in a ball, her head resting in Alex’s lap as she slept.

 

He had no idea how she did it. He couldn’t sleep. Not until he knew that Liz was going to be okay. But he supposed that Maria’d had a rough day. He’d finally heard what had happened and that was the only thing that was keeping him from kicking Max Evans out of the waiting room.

 

Max Evans had saved his girlfriends life. Of course he’d probably had ulterior motives. Liz might have missed them but Kyle had not… the little looks that Max threw at her. Evans had a crush on his girlfriend and there was no way that Kyle was going to just hand her over to him because the guy had saved her life.

 

He was grateful yeah… but not that grateful.

 

“Son why don’t you go home,” Jim sat down in the chair next to his son. Kyle could see the pale drawn expression on his face. His eyes unreadable. This was Sheriff Valenti not his father.

 

“I’m not going home until I know that she’s going to be okay,” Kyle stated stubbornly. They’d had this conversation several times now. Kyle was getting tired of it. He knew his dad was just trying to protect him. His dad didn’t want him here if the doctors came out to tell the Parkers that their only child had died.

 

The Parkers… Kyle glanced over to where they were huddled together with Amy DeLuca. Liz’s mom Nancy had finally stopped crying and was wrapped up tight against her husbands’ side. Jeff Parker had a wild look in his eyes. The thought of anyone hurting his baby had hit him hard and Kyle thought he might still be in shock.

 

“I know you want to wait…” Jim stopped as a doctor approached. Walking slowly down the hallway all eyes in the room were drawn to him as he pushed the door open and entered.

 

“Mr. and Mrs. Parker?” he asked quietly as his eyes perused the room. They stood in unison, Nancy reaching for and gripping her husbands hand tightly as they moved forward.

 

Kyle stood slowly as the doctor moved them off to the side. Speaking softly. Alex shook Maria awake and her eyes widened immediately upon seeing the doctor speaking to Liz’s parents.

 

“Alex,” she whispered as she sat up. Jim stood next to Kyle as they waited.

 

Max and Michael moved further into the room, joining the group but still staying on the edges. Part of it but not part of it.

 

Amy wrapped her arm around Maria’s shoulder, Maria and Alex clutching hands fiercely.

 

“What’s taking so long?” Alex murmured as he began rocking on his feet, agitation in his voice that mirrored that racing through Kyle.

 

This was horrible. Absolutely horrible. How long did it take to say that she was going to be okay?

 

Maria started silently crying when Nancy began wailing, flinging herself against her husband. He held her around the waist as he continued listening to the doctor speak, finally reaching out to shake his hand before the doctor turned away.

 

They waited impatiently. Loathe to move forward and find out the truth. Loathe to find out if she was dead. Jeff held his wife firmly before turning his attention to the group behind him. His eyes meeting first Jim’s than Amy’s.

 

Amy tightened her arm around Maria’s shoulder, Jim gripped Kyle’s shoulder as the Parkers moved toward them Nancy still crying.

 

“Jeff,” Jim started. “What…”

 

“She’s out of surgery… she’s still alive… they don’t,” Jeff’s voice broke as he closed his eyes. “They don’t have high hopes for a recovery. He quoted a lot of statistics… The bullet did a lot of damage… She’s in a coma,” he whispered. “They don’t think she’s going to make it.”

 

******************************************************************************

 

Six weeks later:

 

Kyle leaned forward in his chair and studied the girl before him. If he hadn’t known she was in a coma he would have thought her sleeping. Peacefully sleeping.

 

If he didn’t know that her condition hadn’t changed one iota since being moved out of the ICU and into a private room he wouldn’t be able to tell at all.

 

She looked beautiful as always.

 

The room around them was filled with flowers, cards, stuffed animals of every variety. Some of them brought by him, some sent by friends from school. Friends of both of theirs because everyone knew that they were dating.

 

He was part of a couple. School had started and his name was firmly and indelibly linked with Liz Parkers. Everyone knew that he spent every afternoon after school at the hospital along with Alex Whitman and Maria DeLuca.

 

Who would have thought that he would count Alex and Maria as friends. They were a little weird. And if Maria didn’t stop trying to force vitamins on him he was going to have to do something drastic. He wasn’t sure what yet but it would come to him.

 

“Hey Liz,” he said softly smoothing her hair down over her shoulder. It was loose today, flowing loosely over her shoulders. Normally it was in a pig tail, but some days the nurses liked to do something a little different. “Maria and Alex are going to be a little late today so I get to spend an extra hour with you… if you don’t mind of course. If you do you’re going to have to open those pretty eyes of yours and tell me to go away.”

 

He sighed as he leaned back in his chair. Physically her wounds had healed. The doctors weren’t sure why she was still in a coma, by their accounts she should have come of it by now. The longer she stayed in the coma the less likely she was to come out of it.

 

“I miss you,” he whispered, he had his chair pulled close to the bed and held one of her hands loosely in his. “If this was your way of making sure you didn’t need to go to any basketball games it’s a bit extreme,” he smiled so she would know he was joking. Keeping his tone light and filled with humor.

 

He did miss her. He missed her calling him first thing in the morning to make sure he was up. He missed walking into the Crashdown and seeing her in her uniform with its short skirt and the funky antennae that she was self-conscious about.

 

“Did I tell you that Max Evans tried to sneak in your room again yesterday? I don’t know what that guy’s problem is… If he just asked to come visit you it would be one thing but…” Kyle stopped turning away. But instead he tried to sneak in. Waiting until after visiting hours were over.

 

Kyle had caught him the first time he had done it. He’d left his math book in the room and had to go back for it. There Max had been standing over Liz’s bed staring down at her. Kyle had been pissed. The look on Max’s face… it had been indescribable.

 

Max Evans wanted something from her and Kyle was going to make sure that he didn’t get it. But he couldn’t be here all the time. He wanted Liz to wake up soon so she could leave the hospital yes, but he also wanted to protect her from Evans.

 

He obviously hadn’t got what he wanted yet. If he had he would have stopped trying to get into her room.

 

He glared at the roses sitting on one of the many tables. Max had sent the roses. A dozen red ones appeared every week from him. He’d tossed them out once, Maria had dug them out of the trash scolding him. Just because they were from Max didn’t mean they were any less pretty.

 

“Hey Kyle,” Maria’s cheerful face appeared in the door followed by Alex’s. “We found someone wandering the hall,” she grinned as his fathers face appeared next.

 

“Hey dad,” Kyle smiled as he stood to take the books from Maria’s arms. “What are these?”

 

“Well we’ve tried everything else so Maria’s going to try and bore her awake now,” Alex said breathlessly as he dumped the stack of books in his arms on an empty chair.

 

“They’re pictures from when we were kids. I thought…” Maria shrugged as Kyle joined Alex in laughing at her. “Hey we’ve tried everything else,” she said defensively.

 

“What are you doing here?” he asked focusing on his father who was shifting on his feet holding his hat in his hands.

 

“I’m taking you home,” his father said sternly.

 

“Dad…”

 

“I’m taking you home, Maria and Alex can sit with Liz for today and you can come back tomorrow.”

 

“But what if she wakes up… what if I’m not here…” Kyle said quietly looking to Maria and Alex for help. Both of them just looked away instead focusing on the books that they’d brought with them.

 

They both felt the same way. But they’d also both been through this exact same scenario with their own parents. Amy had taken Maria home from the hospital just a few days ago. Alex had been forbidden to visit for two days. All the parents were worried that they were overextending themselves.

 

Trying to do both school and stay with Liz

 

“If something happens I’m sure they’ll call and let you know,” Jim said looking at Maria and Alex for confirmation.

 

“Of course,” Maria nodded.

 

“Good, lets go,” Jim said moving to the door. Holding it open he waited, Kyle frowning at him as he picked up his coat.

 

“This is not fair,” he muttered as he slipped it on.

 

“When you’re eighteen you can sit in the hospital for as long as you want,” Jim said from the door.

 

Maria snorted as she patted Kyle’s arm. “We will call if something happens.”

 

“Thanks.”

 

******************************************************************************

 

Maria laughed as she glanced over Alex’s shoulder.

 

“I don’t remember that picture,” Alex whined as he flipped quickly past the page.

 

“Oh come on… you can’t honestly think that Liz and I don’t know all about that huge crush you have on Isabel?” Maria grinned as she pushed his hands out of the way and flipped back to the previous page. “I mean it’s so obvious.”

 

“What’s so obvious about it?” Alex muttered as he looked away.

 

“Oh I don’t know… how about the big puppy dog eyes, the way you’re standing so close to her. How about the way you’re staring at her instead of the camera,” Maria winked.

 

“Stay away from Isabel.”

 

“What?” Alex asked in surprise.

 

“I didn’t say anything,” Maria grinned still looking down at the pictures.

 

“I heard…” Alex glanced over at Liz. At his best friend who hadn’t made a sound in six weeks and saw her eyes opened in narrow slits blinking sleepily at him. “Liz?” he breathed standing abruptly dumping the album that had been in his lap on the floor.

 

“What are you…” Maria followed his gaze, her hand flying to her mouth as she choked back a scream. “Liz,” she whispered moving forward slowly. Her hand trembling she reached out and touched Liz’s. Her fingers wrapping around her friends she squeaked as Liz’s gripped hers.

 

Alex stood stock still and then in a flurry of motion had pressed the button to summon the nurse and moved to the other side of the bed taking Liz’s other hand in his.

 

“I’m tired,” Liz said quietly closing her eyes. “I’m so tired.”

 

******************************************************************************

 

Kyle slammed his cup down on the kitchen table. His father had sat him down at the table sat a cup of something and a sandwich in front of him and told him to eat. Leaning against the refrigerator he had crossed his arms and fixed his gaze upon him.

 

“I’m done can I go back to the hospital now?” he pushed the plate away.

 

“Kyle,” Jim sighed. “Don’t you think you’re spending a bit too much time at the hospital…? I know that you and Miss Parker were dating and were close but….”

 

“I love her dad,” Kyle said suddenly. “I know you don’t believe me but….”

 

“You’re young son… you’re going to fall in love a lot of times before you find the person that you’re going to spend the rest of your life with… and even then…”

 

“And what if I’ve found her…. What if Liz is the woman that I want?”

 

“Kyle,” Jim shook his head. Heading off Kyle at the phone he picked it up as it rang. “Hello?”

 

“Sheriff Valenti this is Maria… Maria DeLuca is Kyle there?”

 

“What can I do for you Maria?” Jim frowned as he heard the cheerful tone of her voice.

 

“She’s awake… Liz is awake.”

 

******************************************************************************

 

Liz Parker had been trapped in darkness. She didn’t know how long she had been trapped but she knew that she had been scared.

 

While she had been trapped she had listened to the voices.

 

She had heard Maria’s voice, the one that sometimes broke down in sobs. Maria had talked about them. Talked about their childhood about their memories. About their friendship. She missed Maria. Missed her cheerful banter.

 

She had heard Kyle’s voice, he had broke down once or twice when no on else was around. He talked about school, about his new friendships with Maria and Alex. He talked about them. About how he felt about her. She missed Kyle. Missed his strength.

 

And she heard a voice that should not have been there. She heard Alex’s voice. Alex who was dead, Alex who had been murdered by Tess.

 

She had closed her eyes upon escaping the darkness the first time. She had been scared that she would be trapped again but as she opened her eyes the second time she realized that she was free. And she realized that something was desperately wrong.

 

“Maria,” she uttered hoarsely.

 

“Liz,” Maria smiled through her tears coming back to the bed. “I called your parents there on their way, I called Kyle the Sheriff is bringing him back… he’s so mad. He’s been here this entire time and you woke up for us,” she took her hand squeezing it tightly. “I’m so glad that you’re okay.”

 

“What happened?” Liz asked quietly. Maria’s hair… Maria’s hair was still wrong, she closed her eyes momentarily. Maria hadn’t had short hair like that since…

 

“You were shot,” Maria said quietly. “They caught the guys, both of them… Max and I we did the whole apply pressure thing until the ambulance came…”

 

“Max?” Liz asked softly wincing as she moved.

 

“Yeah he had me call 911 then I helped him with you... Liz are you okay?” Maria asked worriedly.

 

“Yeah…” Liz murmured. Max? Max hadn’t been at the Crashdown… it had been Maria and Michael. They had been trying to get me to cancel my plans to go to the movies with Kyle that night. Max had wanted to meet… he had some information on his son.

 

“The nurse’ll be right here,” Alex burst into the room, excited energy clinging to him.

 

Liz looked over at him. Looked at Alex standing there alive and safe and did the only thing she could do. She burst into hysterical tears.

 

Alex had obviously not been murdered by Tess, Maria’s hair was different, Kyle was talking about school and she knew why. She was back at the beginning again. She’d only been shot one other time and that was when everything had begun. She had been shot in the Crashdown and Max had healed her. He’d saved her life but in doing so he had irrevocably tied her and her friends to him and the other aliens.

 

Max. Michael. Isabel. Tess. Tess who wasn’t here yet but who would be coming soon. Tess who was Max’s mate, his bride. Tess the alien that along with Nasedo had had a deal with the skins to get pregnant with Max’s child and then turn the child and the other three aliens over to Kivar.

 

She remembered it all and it hadn’t even happened yet. It might not even happen now that she’d stopped Max from healing her. But she had to make sure.

 

“Alex,” she whispered as he came up on the other side of the bed. “Alex,” she pulled him into a fierce hug sobs racking her body.

 

She would not let him die this time. She would not let Tess betray the others. And she would make different choices.

 

First choice… Max Evans was not going to tear her heart out. In the other line, when Max had healed her she had dumped Kyle for Max and regretted it. In this line she was still with Kyle and she was going to stay with him and make the right decisions this time.

 

******************************************************************************

 

“Maxwell,” Michael hissed into the phone turning away from the hallway he covered the receiver with his hand.

 

“Michael where the hell are you?” Max sputtered. “You were supposed to be here an hour ago.”

 

“Maxwell shut up! I’m still at the hospital…”

“At the hospital? Why are you still there? I thought you were just going to check on Liz’s status.”

 

“Yeah I was… but then she woke up,” Michael muttered as he forced a smile at a nurse that passed him. She shook her head shooting him a strange look as she continued down the hall.

 

“She woke up? You mean she came out of her coma?”

 

“Yeah…”

 

“Damn.”

 

“My thoughts exactly… you didn’t get anything from her when you went to see her in the hospital?”

 

“You mean when I could get into the room without her pet guard dog Kyle Valenti there? No… every time I tried to make a connection with her nothing happened. It was almost like she was blocking me, like she didn’t want me to see what was there. Isabel even tried to dreamwalk her but she got nothing but haziness and some stuff that didn’t make any sense.”

 

“How is that possible Max?” Michael murmured as he watched the Valenti’s walk down the hallway. He shot a fake smile and nodded at the Sheriff, Kyle ignored him his attention solely on the room they were getting ready to walk into. “How is it possible that both of you couldn’t get anything from her?”

 

“I don’t know… maybe we can get her to talk to us now that she’s awake,” Max said quietly as Isabel walked into his room.

 

“Is that Michael?” she asked stiffly. “Tell him that some of us have plans and he better be here soon.”

 

“Liz came out of her coma,” Michael heard Max say softly.

 

“What? I thought she was dying?”

 

“Yeah that’s what we all thought… Has she said anything Michael?”

 

“No… as far as I can tell she hasn’t said much of anything to anyone. Maria DeLuca and Alex Whitman were with her when she woke up. But she can’t be one of us Max… I mean it would be obvious if she was, she’s been in the hospital for six weeks… someone would have figured it out by now.”

 

“Well something is going on… she knew that I was going to try and heal her… she knew and we need to find out how she knew and what else she knows.”

 

******************************************************************************

 

“Hey,” Kyle poked his head in the door. “Are we interrupting?” he asked with a smile as he walked into the room. Jim entered behind him.

 

“Hey,” Liz said softly smiling at him, she held out her hand and he walked forward one hand behind his back. “What are you hiding behind your back?” she asked with a grin.

 

“I don’t know,” Kyle winked at her, whipping his hand out from behind his back he bowed before her. “I thought I’d bring you some flowers.”

 

Liz laughed at him as Maria took the flowers out of his hands. “I’ll just go put these in water,” she smiled her eyes were still watery from crying but she was so happy she couldn’t stop smiling.

 

Liz took his hand in hers holding it tightly as he sat in the chair that Maria had just vacated. “Hi Sheriff,” she said with a shy smile.

 

“How are you feeling Miss Parker?” he asked as he stood at the foot of her bed. He gripped the railing with his hands as he studied her.

 

“I feel pretty good actually. A little sore, tired… but I’m alive,” she said softly gripping Kyle’s hand tightly within hers. She glanced over at Alex whose hand she was also holding and smiled.

 

“Yes you are… I must say you gave us all a pretty bad scare there… Kyle was quite worried about you.”

 

“Dad…” Kyle moaned closing his eyes and covering his face as it flushed red with his free hand.

 

“Well you were,” Jim shrugged with a grin. He winked at Liz and she silently laughed at him. In the future he wasn’t the sheriff anymore. He had lost his job because of his dealings with the aliens. She was going to make sure that didn’t happen. No one was going to lose the things they cared about if she could help it.

 

“I think it’s sweet that you were worried about me,” Liz whispered tugging on his hand to regain his attention. He dropped his hand from his eyes and stared at her. Stroking her hand with his thumb he smiled at her. She smiled up at him.

 

He had been bound to the aliens as well. Because of her. It has all started because Max had healed her. Because of her non-shooting the Sheriff had been relentlessly pursuing the truth and that had caused Kyle to get shot and in return healed by Max. He was going to be okay now. And so was she.

 

“I was worried,” he whispered leaning close to her.

 

“I was too,” she whispered back. They stared at each other, then the moment was broken when both Alex and Jim cleared their throats.

 

“Well,” Jim murmured. “Have your parents been here yet?”

 

“The doctor pulled them aside shortly after they got here… they should be back soon.”

 

“Well I’ll let you kids talk and I’ll go see if I can find them,” Jim said as he backed out of the room.

 

When the door shut behind him Liz turned to Kyle. “Is it true that they caught both the guys from the Crashdown?”

 

Kyle cleared his throat, exchanging a look with Alex before glancing at Maria who had just re-entered holding a pitcher with Kyle’s flowers in her hands.

 

“They did… didn’t they?” Liz asked her eyes moving between them.

 

“Yeah,” Alex put an arm around Maria’s shoulders as she moved up next to him. “They caught the one that shot you immediately. They caught the other guy just about a week ago.”

 

“Good… good,” Liz nodded. They hadn’t been caught originally. But originally she had been healed by Max and there had been no real reason to hunt for them… because no one had been shot. She wondered who they were and if they had an ulterior motive for being in the Crashdown that day.

 

Just like she wondered about the woman that had shot her and started this all over again. Was it all planned or just an accident? She guessed she would find out.

 

“Hey,” Kyle touched her cheek lightly drawing her attention back to the present. “Where’d you wander off to?”

 

“Sorry,” Liz fought the yawn that threatened wincing as her stomach ached. God getting shot hurt like hell. “I’m just so tired.”

 

“So go back to sleep… you’re okay now,” Maria smiled at her laying her hand over the one holding Alex’s.

 

“Okay,” Liz muttered sleepily closing her eyes. “Don’t let me sleep to long,” she whispered.

 

Everyone was safe. She was going to have to figure out exactly where they were supposed to be. Six weeks after her original shooting certain things in the original line had happened already.

 

Maria had known the secrets about Max, Michael and Isabel.

 

Sheriff Valenti had already been suspicious of Max.

 

She had already broken up with Kyle.

 

Max and she had met Riverdog and Eddie.

 

Katherine Topolsky, the FBI agent had already come and they had gone to Atherton’s dome.

 

She wondered if it would be safe for that to happen now if she wasn’t tied to Max. Michael wouldn’t get sick and they wouldn’t find the healing stones if they didn’t meet Riverdog.

 

So the question was… could she still help them and not get her heart stomped on? Could she still help them and not stomp on Kyle’s? Could she give them the answers they sought without endangering Maria and Alex?

 

She guessed she would see.

 

******************************************************************************

 

Liz was feigning sleep. Kyle, Maria and Alex had all left several hours earlier. Her parents had sat in her room, her mother crying her father gripping her hand telling her the same stuff over and over again.

 

They loved her. Her family loved her. Her grandma Claudia was on her way back. Again.

 

The last comment had surprised her. Her grandma Claudia had died shortly after Max had healed her in the previous line. Her father had made a comment that she’d had some chest pains upon hearing that Liz had been shot and was in the hospital. She had come when she had originally been admitted. She had left a week prior to pick some items up from her house and to take care of some issues and then she would be back.

 

She couldn’t wait to see her.

 

The nurse had come in after her parents had left to check on her. And had returned three times since then. She was something akin to a miracle she supposed.

 

She was feigning sleep now because people had snuck in her room after the nurse had made her last visit. She could hear them stumbling their way around the room and she wondered how they had managed to remain undetected in Roswell for as long as they had.

 

“Max,” she heard Michael hiss from the foot of the bed.

 

“Shh,” both Max and Isabel in unison managed. Liz had to choke back a giggle.

 

Christ they were to funny.

 

Max in the future knew she was a light sleeper… this Max of course was unaware of that fact and probably thought she was still medicated.

 

She felt Max’s cool hand touch her forehead and focused all her energy on remaining still, and blocking Max from receiving images from her.

 

She had learned that little trick just a few months prior and now she was quite thankful. She would find out shortly if her being able to block Max was because of him having healed her or if it was a natural talent that any human could do.

 

“Anything?” Isabel whispered hovering anxiously on the other side of the bed. She hated the idea of someone, a human especially knowing their secret.

 

“No,” Max sighed and removed his hand. Tightening it in a fist at his side he stared dejectedly down at Liz.

 

“How is that possible Max?” Michael muttered. “You should be able to pick something up from her… maybe you’re not concentrating enough?”

 

“No… there’s nothing there,” Max said quietly.

 

“How can there be nothing there? She’s awake now… Isabel couldn’t get anything when she was in a coma. You can’t get anything now that she’s out.”

 

“You don’t need to tell us what we already know Michael,” Isabel hissed angrily her eyes focused on Max’s.

 

“Well what we know is all well and good. We need to know what she knows.”

 

“Isabel maybe you can try dreamwalking her again?” Max asked.

 

“Is it even worth it?” Isabel asked bitterly, staring down at the girl that might have the power to ruin their entire lives in one fell swoop.

 

“If it gives us the answers we need….”

 

“Fine,” Isabel sighed. “I’ll need a few minutes…”

 

Liz waited until she heard Isabel move across the room before she slowly opened her eyes, focusing on Michael at the end of the bed first. She kept her gaze sleepy, her eyes opened in tiny slits as she waited for him to look at her.

 

“Max,” he muttered, reaching across the bed he hit Max with his hand to gain his attention before tilting his head at Liz who was now sleepily perusing the room.

 

“Liz,” Max said softly, Isabel gasped jumping up from the chair she had been attempting to get comfortable in and moving to Max’s side.

 

“Max,” Liz said hoarsely, stretching her shoulders she looked from one face to the other. God, they looked like three kids that had got caught with their fingers in the cookie jar.

 

“What are you doing in my room?” she asked tiredly, closing her eyes for a moment to feign sleepiness she forced them open and stared up at Max.

 

His eyes widened as the implications of them in her room late at night dawned on him. She could almost hear what he was thinking. If she doesn’t know already, just being here will make her suspicious. His eyes looked away from her, focusing first on Isabel then Michael who were both standing aside waiting for him to ask the questions on all their minds.

 

“We heard that you were awake,” he started awkwardly. Liz bit her lower lip to keep from laughing.

 

“Yeah… so?” she asked keeping her tone sleepy and uninterested.

 

“It’s just,” Max glanced away, eyeing Michael before turning back to her. “When you were shot…” he winced as he stared down at her. His expression earnest, eyes wide. “Well you said something…”

 

“I did?” Liz asked in confusion. Raising a hand she rubbed her forehead. “That day is all sort of hazy,” she said softly.

 

“Yeah…you… you said don’t… please don’t… Do you remember?” Max asked quietly.

 

“No,” Liz shook her head. “I remember the shooting and then I remember waking up here,” she shrugged. “Sorry.”

 

“Oh… well that’s okay,” Max backed away from the bed. “It wasn’t really important anyway… I hope you feel better,” he said as he waved the other two out of the room and backed away.

 

“Thanks… Hey Max?” she called when he turned to walk out the door.

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Thank you for saving my life,” she smiled at him. “If you and Maria hadn’t been there… I shudder to think about where I would be now.”

 

“It was nothing,” he said quietly. “I only wish I could have done more.”

 

I just bet you do Liz frowned as the door closed behind them. I just bet you do.

 

******************************************************************************

 

“Well that was productive… not,” Michael grumbled as the walked down the hallway. “So she doesn’t know anything… although she may think something else is going on now that the three of us… who’ve never talked to her ever before were all in her room at midnight.”

 

“She’s lying,” Isabel said suddenly glancing down the hallway back at the door they had just walked out of.

 

“Is?” Max laid his hand on her arm, stopping her at the elevator. “What do you mean she’s lying?”

 

“She’s lying… she knows something she just doesn’t want us to know that she knows something,” Isabel said simply jabbing at the down button repeatedly.

 

“How do you figure?” Michael asked staring at her. “She said she didn’t remember saying anything to Max.”

 

“She was lying.”

 

“And again… how do you figure?”

 

“I don’t know… call it women’s intuition. Liz Parker knows something she just doesn’t want to share that information with us.”

 

“Well does that women’s intuition of yours tell you anything about who else she may have told what she knows?” Michael asked sarcastically.

 

“I don’t think she’s told anyone… at least not yet,” Isabel glanced once more down the hallway.

 

“Well we need to make sure she doesn’t share whatever she knows with anyone else… at least not until she shares that information with us,” Max said quietly as he walked into the elevator.

 

“Any idea on how to accomplish that?” Michael asked leaning negligently against the wall as they waited for the doors to close.

 

“One of us is going to have to make friends with her and find out what she knows,” he said simply.

 

“You want one of us to make friends with Liz Parker?” Isabel laughed.

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Who do you propose for that job?” Michael laughed.

 

“I don’t know yet… we’ll figure it out once she gets back to school.”

 

“You want to wait until she’s out of the hospital before we try to figure out what she knows?” Isabel asked in disbelief. “What happened to the whole time is of the essence crap.”

 

“Do you want to make her even more suspicious?” Max shot back. “I think she’s suspicious enough as it is. We’ll wait, let things go back to normal then when she’s relaxed and thinks we’ve forgotten about it we’ll question her again.”

 

“This is stupid… she could have shared the information with everyone by then.”

 

“I don’t think she’s going to tell anyone… besides who would believe her?”

 

******************************************************************************

 

Maria settled into the chair beside Liz’s bed. Shifting slightly to make herself comfortable she waited for Liz to return her attention to her. She was currently fawning over the chocolate that Alex had managed to sneak in to her.

 

“So are you done sniffing the box yet?” she grinned relaxing back.

 

“You don’t even know how horrible this is Maria,” Liz muttered as she ran her fingers over the box plucking a round chocolate piece out she popped it in her mouth. Closing her eyes as she slowly chewed it. Savoring the flavor and texture she moaned. “God that’s good.”

 

Maria and Alex burst out laughing at her expression of sheer ecstasy.

 

“Cut me some slack guys,” Liz smiled contently. “They don’t want to put me on solid foods yet because I just came out of the coma a couple of days ago so all I get is broth… I really hate broth at this point.”

 

“But you’ll be going home soon right?” Alex asked with a grin as he sat at the end of her bed. One leg propped up on the bed he was in a great mood. Isabel Evans, the biggest crush of his life had spoken to him today. Granted it had been to tell him to move out of the way but she had still spoken to him.

 

“God I hope so,” Liz groaned. “I think I’ve had all I can take of hospitals.”

 

“Does someone want to leave the hospital?” a bright voice asked from the door.

 

“Grandma!” Liz cried sitting straight up. Her grandmother came flying around the bed, taking only a second to pat Maria on the shoulder and nod at Alex before she wrapped her arms around her granddaughter. Holding her tightly she rocked back and forth eyes closed tears stinging her eyes.

 

“Thank god,” she whispered as she finally pulled away. Kissing Liz’s forehead lightly she laughed along with the others as Maria held out the box of tissues that she picked up off the floor. “You look wonderful sweetie… much better than the last time I saw you.”

 

“Yes but I was unconscious the last time you saw me… how good could I have looked?” Liz asked blowing her nose on the tissue. She held her grandmothers’ hand tightly leaning into her slightly.

 

“But you’re not now,” Claudia grinned. “And now that you’re not I think it’s only fair to tell you that I’m taking your boyfriend home with me.”

 

“Hey!” Liz protested loudly only to be laughed at by both Claudia and by Kyle who had followed her into the room.

 

“I don’t know Liz… your grandmother can cook and she’s offered to take really good care of me,” Kyle said with a twinkle in his eye. Claudia winked at him before they turned their attention back to her.

 

“That’s totally not fair nana to be stealing my boyfriend while I can’t defend myself.”

 

“He’s sweet and loyal, and he spent all his time here reading my new book to you,” Claudia said resting back against the bed comfortably.

 

“Well not all the time,” Kyle murmured flushing hotly. “I did my homework sometimes too.”

 

“You two were the first people to read the book… after me of course and I wrote it,” she said proudly. “Maria I see that you’re growing your hair back out…”

 

“Yeah,” Maria touched her hair slightly glancing over at Liz who was studying Kyle with an interesting expression on her face. “Tell me the truth… which do you like better? The short hair I had when you first came or this?” she asked fingering the ends of her hair.

 

“I like whichever you’re most satisfied with. You have a beautiful face and can pull off either one,” Claudia smiled, leaning forward she cupped Maria’s face in her hand.

 

“Oh,” Maria said softly her eyes filling with tears. Pulling a tissue from the box now sitting in her lap she pressed it to her eyes. “Thank you Grandma Claudia.”

 

“You’re welcome dear… now if you three don’t mind I’d like to have a little time alone with my granddaughter. I promise to not keep her long…”

 

“Sure,” Alex nodded jumping off the bed. “We’ll come back in like an hour?” he looked at the other two for agreement and when they both nodded he kissed Liz’s cheek softly and backed to the door.

 

“I’m actually kind of hungry,” Maria noted as she hugged Liz and Claudia then followed him. “Kyle?”

 

“Yeah I could eat,” Kyle nodded. “I’ll be out in a minute,” he looked at them his eyebrows arching. Maria laughed as she pushed Alex out the door.

 

“Don’t be to long we might leave without you,” she called as the door closed behind them.

 

“Okay I feel like I missed something,” Claudia said grinning as she looked between Liz who had shy smile on her face and Kyle who was walking towards the bed with the same smile.

 

“Kyle has this thing about public displays of affection,” Liz said as Kyle stopped by the bed. They had come to know quite a few of each other’s quirks in the last couple of days. 

 

“It’s just there’s a time and place for that stuff…” Kyle flushed again studiously ignoring Claudia’s speculative gaze.

 

“You do realize that if you want to kiss me goodbye you’re going to have to do it in front of my grandmother… right?” Liz said teasingly.

 

“Yeah,” Kyle shifted on his feet glancing from Claudia to Liz and back again.

 

“I can look away if you like,” Claudia laughing offered.

 

“No… that’s fine,” Kyle muttered as he leaned forward and pressed his lips quickly against hers. The movement so fleeting that Liz figured if she had closed her eyes she would have missed it.

 

“You call that a kiss?” her grandmother asked looking between the young man that was backing to the door and her granddaughter who was silently laughing at him.

 

“I’ll come back later…” he said hesitating by the door.

 

“Kyle Valenti you get back here this instant and kiss my granddaughter properly… or I may change my mind about taking you home with me,” Claudia threatened with a smirk. She almost laughed out loud as she saw the terrified expression cross his face.

 

“It’s okay Kyle,” Liz soothed. “She won’t be here forever.”

 

Kyle glanced at the door with wide eyes. With a resigned sigh he walked back to the bed. Claudia patted his arm reassuringly before she moved off the bed and walked to the window staring out at the parking lot like it was the most interesting thing she had ever seen.

 

“You don’t have to do this… she’s just joking,” Liz whispered.

 

“I don’t think she is,” he whispered back.

 

“Kids you have thirty more seconds and then you’ll have an audience again,” Claudia warned glancing down at her watch.

 

Kyle’s eyes widened and he leaned forward quickly. His lips pressed in a simple kiss, the texture of it changed when he felt Liz’s hand raise to his face, cupping his cheek loosely. Her thumb smoothed across his skin and he raised his own hands so he could wind them in her hair holding her head steady. Her lips parted with a silent sigh and he smiled against them his owns lips parting in response. Just as he was about to sit on the edge of the bed and gather her in his arms to hold her tightly he felt the tap on his back and froze.

 

“Now that’s more like it,” he heard Claudia whisper into his ear. He pulled away slowly, he imagined his face was as flushed if not more so than Liz’s at this point and neither could meet the others eyes.

 

“I should go,” he said suddenly moving away from the bed.

 

“Kyle,” Liz said softly staring at him with wide eyes. The few times that Kyle had kissed her in the original line had felt nothing like that.

 

She had never felt that connection with him that she had just felt during that kiss.

 

She had only felt that sense of belonging with Max in the original line, never with Kyle. She had only felt that tiny spark of passion flame when Max kissed her, now Kyle had sparked that flame. What was going on?

 

His expression softened as he looked at her. “I’ll be back in an hour,” he promised opening the door.

 

“Okay,” she whispered as the door closed shut behind him.

 

“I really like him,” Claudia smiled at her as she pulled the chair up close to the bed and sat down. Leaning forward she folded her arms on the bed and stared at her granddaughter. “Now then…” she started. “Why don’t you tell me what’s going on?”

 

“What do you mean?” Liz asked in confusion her eyes still trained on the door she traced her lips with the pad of her finger.

 

“He’s not coming back just yet Liz honey,” Claudia touched her arm softly. “Now why don’t you tell me why you look so confused.”

 

“It’s kind of a long story,” Liz started as her eyes slowly moved back to her grandmother. “I wouldn’t even know where to begin… besides it all sounds kind of crazy when I run it through my mind now.”

 

“Well why don’t you tell me the story and let me be the judge of that,” she smiled reassuringly laying her hand across Liz’s arm.

 

“You have to promise me that you won’t tell anyone,” Liz said quietly. “I can just hear mom and dad now if they got wind of this… I’d be committed inside a day.”

 

“I won’t tell anyone unless you tell me its okay,” Claudia agreed.

 

“Okay,” Liz stated. “Well it all started at the Crashdown… the day that I was shot….”

 

******************************************************************************

 

November 10

 

I know what you’re thinking… you’re thinking that it was stupid of me to tell anyone what happened originally. Especially someone that’s a writer by trade.

 

But if there was one person in this world that I would trust with my life it would be my grandmother. So I told her everything. I told her about being shot, about Max healing me. I told her it all and she didn’t think I was crazy. That’s not to say she believed me… but she listened to the story from beginning to end. And then she told me that I was a strong young woman.

 

And she didn’t judge me. She told me to follow my heart. To do what I thought was right and run with it.

 

I think she was just thankful that I was alive. And that hopefully I wouldn’t have to go through the hell that had been my life for the last three years.

 

She was the one that suggested that I write everything down. Write it down the way that it originally happened so that I wouldn’t forget. She fears that as time goes on in this line that I’ll forget what happened to me in this line originally. So I did. I wrote it all down starting from the day Max healed me to the day that I was shot for the second time. Making sure I highlighted the most important events. Especially things that I might need to stop or help in altering to keep us safe.

 

She promised me on her life that she would not tell another living soul what I told her. She thinks I might eventually need to tell someone else. Just so I can have someone to talk things over with. I don’t know who I would choose. If I choose one of my friends over the others and the others find out… well that could be potentially bad in the long run.

 

For now though I have my journal to work out my thoughts, to work out my feelings. I don’t know how I feel about Max. I haven’t seen him or Isabel and Michael since the night they snuck in my room to try and read me. I know they haven’t forgotten, they’re just laying low at this point. Thinking to disarm me into revealing what I know.

 

I do know how I feel about Kyle though.

 

I love him. Isn’t that crazy?

 

I haven’t told him that yet of course because he would do the guy thing and be totally freaked out. I never thought that anyone but Max would ever make me feel the way I feel. And that first kiss. It totally blew every kiss wit Max, even the ones with flashes off the record chart.

 

I’m home now.

 

I have a boyfriend who adores me.

 

I have my best friends who hover.

 

I have my grandmother who wants to help us much as she can.

 

And I have a life of safety without Max Evans, aliens and destiny.

 

Could life be better?

 

******************************************************************************

“Can I get you anything else? More blankets? Hot Chocolate?”

“I’m fine mom,” Liz grinned. She tucked the blanket tighter around her legs, snuggling deeper into her chair.

“Okay,” Nancy smiled warmly at her daughter. “Kyle? Maria?”

“No thanks Mrs. Parker,” Maria smiled exchanging a look with Liz.

They were still waiting for Alex to come back. He’d been telling Liz about a book he had just finished and she had expressed an interest in reading it. So he’d left immediately to go fetch it. Anything Liz wanted, Liz got.

“I’ll send Alex out as soon as he gets back,” she promised as she disappeared back into the house only to have her head pop back out the window immediately. “Don’t stay out to long… I don’t want to see you back in the hospital any time soon.”

“Mom…” Liz rolled her eyes exchanging a smile with Maria. “We won’t stay out to long.”

“Good,” Nancy ducked back in the window.

“She just cares about you,” Kyle said leaning back in his chair. “Where’d all the chairs come from?” he asked looking around the balcony. “I don’t remember there being this many.”

“My parents thought that you guys would be visiting more often than usual,” Liz said with downward glance. “You know because of the shooting and all.”

“You think we’re spending all this time with you just because you were shot?” Maria asked with a glance at Kyle.

“No… no,” Liz shook her head. “They just thought you guys might be a little overprotective… you know hovering because I almost died.”

“Well who better to hover than your friends?” Alex asked breathlessly as he climbed up the ladder to her balcony.

“Alex,” Liz smiled warmly. “I thought you were coming through the Crashdown?”

“I never said I was coming through the Crashdown,” Alex muttered flopping down on a chair he dropped his backpack on the ground near him. “Oh I brought that book for you,” he leaned forward pulling it out of his bag and handing it to her. “Don’t read it before you go to bed.”

“Is it really that bad?” Liz frowned as she glanced down at the cover.

“Not really… just kind of psychologically disturbing. You’ll like it… I promise.”

“I can’t believe you read that stuff,” Kyle stood, standing over Liz’s shoulder he looked down at the book.

“It’s not so bad,” Liz tilted her head up smiling softly at him. Reaching up with one hand she touched his cheek softly. He sat on the lounger next to her, an arm around her shoulder he held her tight to his side.

“So who was downstairs that you were avoiding?” Maria shook her head at Liz and Kyle turning her attention to Alex.

“Who said that I was avoiding anyone?” Alex asked rubbing the legs of his jeans.

“Oh come on Alex,” Liz laughed. “You only use the fire escape when you’re trying to avoid someone downstairs.”

“Why? I’d think you guys would use it all the time… you know to avoid the parental units,” Kyle looked between the three.

“Alex hates climbing the stairs up, he tries to keep all unnecessary exercise to a minimum…” Liz started with a wide grin.

“So he only uses them when he’s trying to avoid someone downstairs,” Maria finished.

“Oh,” Kyle said in confusion. “So who was she?”

“Isabel Evans,” Alex said in a quiet voice.

“Isabel’s here? The Crashdown’s normally below her normal standards.”

“Yeah, she, Max and Michael had a booth downstairs. I saw them through the window so I used the stairs instead.”

“Max and Michael were down there to?” Kyle asked suspiciously narrowing his eyes. “That’s not normal.”

“Maybe they were hungry,” Maria offered.

“Or maybe Max Evans is going to try and sneak up here to see Liz,” Kyle muttered.

“Kyle,” Liz said softly.

“I don’t like that guy… I mean how many times did he guy try to sneak into your hospital room? He wants something from you.”

“Kyle,” Liz tilted her head to look up at him. “You do not need to worry about Max Evans.”

“I just don’t trust him,” Kyle whispered. “He’s up to something and it involves you.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Liz grinned. “In order for Max to be an issue I would have to want him and I don’t… I have you. And you’re all I could ever want.”

“Well I have you too… but I still don’t trust the guy as far as I can throw him.”

“You could probably throw him pretty far.”

“You have such faith in me.”

“I’ll always have faith in you.”

“I’ll always try to deserve that.”

“Okay you two need to quit the gooey sentimentality before you make me so nauseous I throw up,” Maria rolled her eyes as Alex laughed.

“So are you happy to be home?” Alex changed the subject as he leaned back in his chair staring up at the stairs.

“Oh yeah,” Liz sighed leaning her head against Kyle’s shoulder. “I don’t ever want to go back to the hospital again.” Closing her eyes she snuggled her head deeper into the curve of Kyle’s neck. Kyle tightened his grip around her shoulder, turning his head to press a kiss to her forehead.

“So when is your grandmother coming back?” Maria asked nudging Alex with her elbow when she saw his eyes drooping closed.

“A couple of days, she wanted to close her house in Florida up.”

“How long is she planning on staying this time?” Alex asked with a yawn.

“Until after Christmas, she needs to be back in Florida by New Years for the start of her book tour,” Liz said softly. What she didn’t tell them was her grandmother had also taken her journal with her.
 
The journal with her past… and her future. The future she didn’t want to have repeated. She had promised to keep it safe and if Liz needed it… if it looked as if the same future was going to come to pass that it would be returned to her.

Max, Isabel and Michael were going to be a problem.

She knew that Isabel hadn’t bought that she didn’t remember anything. Something about the look on her face when the three had left her room. By now she would have convinced the other two that they needed to investigate further.

She couldn’t wait to see what their plan B would end up being. She was sure it would be interesting.

She would be going back to school in a couple of days. And she had decided that since they would undoubtedly being trying to coax any bit of information they could out of her that she might as well have some fun with them.

She couldn’t wait.

  ******************************************************************************

 

Liz studied the book in front of her. Her notebook open she tapped her pencil as she patiently waited for the rest of her classmates to filter in.

 

The one good thing about her shooting had been the fact that she could move from class to class earlier than the rest of her classmates. Kyle had deposited her in Biology lab with a kiss on her forehead and then ran for his next class. He was definitely going to get his exercise for the next two weeks.

 

“Hey,” Max said softly. Hands in his pockets he shifted awkwardly on his feet. She frowned when she realized that she hadn’t even heard him enter the room or set his books down on the table next to her.

 

“Hey,” she nodded, shooting a quick smile at him before she turned back to her books. She was behind. Very far behind and for a brief second as she had sat in her first class that morning it seemed as if it was going to take her forever to get caught up.

 

But then she had realized that one thing about having a consciousness from the future was that she remembered all the stuff she had learned in school.

 

Max slid into his seat next to her watching her head remain bent over her books. “I.. uh… didn’t think you’d be coming back this soon,” he commented as he rested his hands together on the table.

 

“My doctor said I could if I wanted to,” Liz shrugged. “I’m already so far behind that…”

 

“Miss Parker,” their biology lab teacher moved over to them, a huge smile lining her face as she stood in front of the pair. “It’s wonderful to have you back… you just let me know if you need anything. Okay?”

 

“Thanks,” Liz smiled warmly as she handed the slip of paper pressed between her books over to the teacher. “Kyle’s supposed to come get me about ten minutes before class ends to take me to lunch.”

 

“Well then we’d better get started,” their teacher smiled once more and then clapped her hands bringing the class that had filtered in slowly to attention as they took their seats.

 

Liz kept her notebook open as she listened carefully to the teacher speaking in front of the room. She had memories of all this she realized what was coming before Max did as her eyes strayed down to the tray of equipment in the middle of their table.

 

Originally she had never realized how often Max would disappear from lab when it was time to take samples of their saliva, their blood to look at under the microscope. With a mischievous grin she reached over to the tray and snatched the little envelope containing the needle. As she discretely opened it under the table she watched Max pale from the corner of her eye. With a smirk she realized that he finally understood that the drops of blood they were going to be looking at under the microscope would be their own.

 

Both of theirs for comparison.

 

And even though he realized that this could be his chance to discover if she was human or alien the fear of having his blood viewed by anyone else ruled him. He couldn’t allow that. If Isabel was wrong and she didn’t know anything she would certainly think his blood was odd.

 

Casting a frantic glance around the room he placed his hand on the table and pushed himself away so that he could stand.

 

The fear of discovery imminent he had to get out of there.

 

“I’ll be right back,” he muttered as he turned. He snatched his hand back as he felt the tiny prick of a needle on his skin, cradling it against his chest his eyes rose to meet hers. She cocked her head at him, twirling the needle between her fingers her eyes watching the needle move. His eyes drawn to the sight of his blood on the tip of that needle.

 

“I’ll have the sample ready when you get back,” she smiled wickedly her eyebrows arching as a familiar panicked expression crossed his face.

 

For a second, just a millisecond mind you she felt mildly sorry for him. But that passed as she watched him back away from her a suspicious expression on his face.

 

“Great,” Max smiled thinly before he turned and ran.

 

******************************************************************************

 

“So how’s your first day back going?” Maria asked brightly as she swatted Alex’s hand away from her tray. He wanted her slice of chocolate cake and he wasn’t getting it. “Stop it Alex,” she growled as she moved it once more out of his reach.

 

“Thanks Maria,” Kyle grinned as he moved the plate to his tray. Exchanging a grin with Alex he leaned one arm on the table.

 

“Kyle give it back,” she muttered as she reached across the table for it only to have Kyle move it promptly out of the way. “Liz! Do something,”

 

Liz sighed as she turned to her grinning boyfriend. “Kyle… sweetie,” she leaned into him. Her face so close to his she could have kissed him… if it wouldn’t have freaked him out.

 

She stared up into his eyes and for a moment forgot her train of thought.

 

“Hmm?” he breathed as he lifted a hand to brush an errant strand of hair away from her face.

 

“Liz,” Maria said smacking her arm lightly to regain her attention.

 

Liz turned her confused gaze to her best friend. “Oh... Yeah… Kyle give her the cake back.”

 

“She said she wasn’t eating chocolate because it wasn’t on her diet,” Kyle murmured as he reached blindly down and shoved it across the table. “Alex and I were just trying to help her out.”

 

“I quit that diet… it wasn’t any fun,” Maria sighed as she ran her finger through the chocolate frosting, licking it off her eyes closed momentarily before they snapped open from the sound of Alex laughing.

 

“So anyway… how’s your first day back going?” she queried again after a suitable glare from her caused Alex to stop laughing.

 

“It’s okay,” Liz said with a smile. “It’s nice to be back but it feels like I’m going to be playing catch up forever.”

 

“Well we would help you,” Maria offered. “But you’re miss smart girl so I don’t think Kyle and I are going to be an asset in that department. Alex can probably help you out though…. Right?” Maria turned to the silent member of their group. “Alex?” she nudged him in the side.

 

“Alex?” Liz and Kyle both peered over the table at Alex whose attention had been drawn away from their conversation. Liz sighed as she followed his line of sight and spotted Isabel Evans standing by the entrance to the quad, Michael standing by her side.

 

Both were intently staring at them. Staring at her.

 

Liz frowned at them, her brow arching as if in silent question and was amazed to see Isabel flush with embarrassment at having been caught. Michael scowled at her before the two turned and walked away.

 

“Alex?” Maria queried once more.

 

“Did you see that?” Alex asked breathlessly. “Isabel Evans was staring at me.”

 

“You’re dreaming,” Kyle grinned. “Isabel doesn’t stare at anybody… they stare at her,” he added as an afterthought.

 

“Really?” Liz turned to him with a curious expression on her face. “Do you?”

 

“Me? No, I don’t like her type,” Kyle said quickly.

 

“What type is that?” Maria asked curiously as she started eating her cake again.

 

“The ice princess, aloof type. I prefer my girls sweet and friendly.”

 

“Really?” Alex asked in disbelief.

 

“Yes really. Why is that so hard to believe?” he wrapped an arm around her shoulder kissing her forehead before he pulled back. Casting a quick look around the quad for witnesses to his most recent public display of affection he instead found everyone intent on their lunches.

 

Everyone except for Max Evans who was watching their table with unabashed interest.

 

“Because it’s Isabel… and she’s…” Alex waved his hand as he struggled to find the word he was looking for.

 

“An Amazon? A bitch?” Maria supplied helpfully with a grin.

 

“No,” Alex frowned at her. “She’s Isabel,” he determined as if that should explain everything.

 

“Well that’s all well and good but she’s not my type. You are,” Kyle whispered as he pulled Liz into a quick hug.

 

“Oh… You’re going to make me cry and that’s not a nice thing to do at school,” Liz reprimanded him with a smile even as she kissed his cheek.

 

******************************************************************************

 

“So do Kyle and Alex really play basketball after school?” Liz asked as she dumped her books on her desk turning to face Maria. It had come as no small shock to discover the two young men were planning on doing so after classes were done.

 

“Yeah… Why?” Maria asked dropping her books near Liz’s she collapsed on her back on the bed. Staring up at the ceiling as she tapped her foot against the floor. She’d had some song that she couldn’t place running on around since that morning. It was beginning to driver her nuts.

 

“I don’t know,” Liz shrugged as she stretched, she pulled off the sweater that she had been wearing instead wrapping a blanket that her grandmother had given her around her shoulders. With a motion of her head she indicated that she wanted to go out on the balcony and Maria sighed pushing herself to her feet and following.

 

“I guess I just never figured that Kyle and Alex would be good enough friends to do something like that,” she said settling on the lounge chair. She watched as Maria curled up in another one facing her grinning.

 

“You aren’t the only one. They played together a couple of times when you were still in the hospital, and then they started playing a couple of times a night after your Alex hates exercise comment,” Maria grinned.

 

“I’m glad that you guys are friends,” Liz smiled as she burrowed deeper into the blanket.

 

“Well Alex and Kyle are friends, Kyle and I on the other hand,” Maria shook her head. “I guess we could be considered friends if you don’t look at how many times he yells at me to stop forcing vitamins down his throat.”

 

“So stop giving him the vitamins then,” Liz laughed.

 

“I would if he would stop taking them; he keeps taking them I keep giving them to him, it’s a vicious circle,” Maria smirked. “Now,” she started peering closely at her to gauge her reaction. “Tell me what’s going on between you and Max Evans.”

 

******************************************************************************

 

“God exercise should be outlawed,” Alex said tiredly as he collapsed on the grass on the Valenti’s front lawn.

 

“Oh come on,” Kyle laughed as he shot the ball at the hoop fastened over the garage door. Dashing forward to collect it after it swished through he jogged back and forth. “We didn’t even play for an hour.”

 

“I could be at Liz’s you know,” Alex complained. “Wrapped up in a nice blanket listening to the girls talk about boys, music, school… but no instead I’m running after a little ball. Life sucks.”

 

“Has she said anything about Evans yet?” Kyle asked as he twirled the ball in his hand walking over to where Alex was sprawled on the lawn.

 

“No… just to say that she doesn’t know why he kept trying to break into her hospital room, kept trying to get into the apartment after she got home to see her. She seemed kind of disturbed by the whole thing when I asked her. Why? You don’t think Liz and Max…”

 

“No,” Kyle shook his head with conviction. “No… I personally think that it’s some whole he saved her life so now he’s fixated on her type thing.”

 

“That’s what Maria thinks to… although since we’re here she was planning on pumping Liz for more insight when they got back to her place.”

 

“You don’t think Max is going to try something stupid and try to break into her room to see her… do you?” Alex asked with mild alarm.

 

“I wouldn’t put it past him,” Kyle muttered. “He doesn’t seem to have a lot going on upstairs when it comes to Liz.”

 

******************************************************************************

 

“Maxwell that has to be the stupidest plan I’ve ever heard of,” Michael paced in front of the kitchen table at the Evan’s. Isabel and Max watched him warily, waiting for the inevitable explosion of temper.

 

“And what do you propose we do?” Max muttered. “Wait until she broadcasts our secret all over school?”

 

“I think breaking into her room is a stupid plan, besides the fact that we don’t even know for sure that she knows anything,” Michael growled running his fingers through his hair in agitation.

 

“She knows something,” Max said quietly. “Why else would she have done what she did in lab?” he stared at his hand, the same hand that Liz had poked a needle into. The same hand that had given her just one drop of his blood for her to examine.

 

“Maybe she was playing with you,” Isabel offered trying to be the voice of reason and calm both young men down before they came to blows.

 

“She knew something,” Max murmured as he clenched his hand into a fist. “You didn’t see her face, the way that she was watching the needle. She knew that there would be something different about my blood and she was enjoying watching me squirm.”

 

“Well if you wouldn’t act so suspicious around her,” Michael waved his hand in exasperation. “We wouldn’t have this problem… Instead you stare at her whenever you’re in the same room; you break into her hospital room…”

 

“Hey that was all of us,” Max cried defensively as he flew to his feet. Isabel rolled her eyes as she stood, pressing a hand against each male’s chest pushing them apart as they confronted one another. “And what about you two huh? I saw you guys staring at her in the quad and so did she.”

 

“Michael’s right about this Max,” she said in what she hoped was a soothing voice. She let the hand pressed to Michael’s chest drop as she turned to face her brother. Michael standing like a shadow behind her, surprised that she had actually taken his side in this argument. “You can’t break into her room, not now that she’s home. If she finds you she could have you arrested for trespassing, breaking or entering something… We need to wait, I can try dreamwalking her again, we can try the whole friendship thing that we talked about,” Isabel frowned at the last idea.

 

“I know just who wants to be her new buddy,” Michael said sarcastically. “Maxwell has practically volunteered for that from the beginning.”

 

“It can’t be Max,” Isabel shook her head. “Sorry,” she winced at Max. “She’s already suspicious of you, if you try to make friends with her now… not only will it make her more suspicious, it’ll make her friends more suspicious. And with the way that Kyle Valenti has been lately we don’t need to make them any more suspicious than they already are.”

 

“So who you propose should do it?” Max crossed his arms over his chest. Even though the three of them had been equals for so long, in times like this he was normally their leader and it galled him to no end to be questioned on his decisions.

 

“I’ll do it,” Isabel shrugged as she cringed inside. Liz Parker was not a girl that she would normally even consider being friends with. She managed a small grin when she saw the twin looks of shock cross Max and Michael’s faces. “She’s already in the in crowd. She’s dating Kyle Valenti, I’ll just take her under my wing, we’ll paint our nails, whatever… Then I’ll find out who she is, what she is and what she knows.”

 

“She’s one of us,” Max sighed heavily. “She has to be.”

 

“She can’t be Max,” Isabel sat in the chair across from him, Michael turning his chair around so he could rest his arms on top of the back as he sat down next to her. “If she was there would have been no reason for her to be in the hospital… she could have healed herself. I would have been able to dreamwalk her. She can’t be one of us Max.”

 

******************************************************************************

 

“Me and Max Evans,” Liz frowned. “There’s nothing going on between us… unless you count the fact that he’s my lab partner and in our English class… Why?”

 

“Come on Liz,” Maria wheedled leaning forward. “Kyle’s not here, Alex isn’t here it’s just us. You can tell me… you were having a red hot affair with him weren’t you?”

 

Liz stared at her in disbelief before she burst out laughing. Gasping as the sharp pain hit her stomach she frowned holding herself. “Don’t make me laugh like that Maria, it hurts.”

 

“Oh come on Liz… Why would Max Evans be so bound and determined to see you if there wasn’t something going on between you?”

 

“I don’t know,” Liz said quietly her eyes focused on Maria’s. She knew that if she looked away. If she took her attention off her best friend that Maria would think that she was lying. She wouldn’t allow Maria to be dragged into this. Or Kyle or Alex.  She had taken an awful risk at school swiping a sample of Max’s blood, she had the attention of the three aliens and she knew from the future that they had a tendency to act first and ask relevant questions after. If there was anyone left standing to answer them.

 

She was going to have to be more careful. Much more careful that she had been today.

 

“There is nothing going on between Max and me,” she stated emphatically.

 

“Good,” Maria leaned back in her chair. “Because I like Kyle and would hate to see him get hurt after they way he’s stood by you through the shooting and all.”

 

“I’m not going to hurt Kyle,” Liz smiled softly. “I adore Kyle.”

 

“Do you love him?” Maria asked with wide eyes as she leaned forward again. Finally some juicy stuff that she could taunt Kyle with knowing.

 

“I might. It’s a little soon to say for sure,” Liz grinned. “I mean we only went out for the summer and then the shooting happened and I was in a coma. But I love spending time with him and I think about him whenever he’s not with me… Does that count?”

 

“Yeah,” Maria smiled wistfully. “Maybe he has a cousin.”

 

Liz laughed as Maria sighed.

 

“Liz are you out here?” they heard the frantic voice of Liz’s mother racing through apartment.

“We’re on the balcony mom,” Liz called turning her head to the window.  “Mom?” she said softly her heart dropping as she saw the expression on her mothers face, the tears falling heedlessly down her cheeks. “Mom what’s wrong?”

 

“Oh Liz,” Nancy cried as she climbed out onto the balcony pulling her daughter into her arms. Maria sat shell shocked as they waited for the bad news. “It’s your grandma Claudia,” she sobbed as she clutched Liz tightly.

 

“Mom?” Liz asked with trepidation. She could feel the air moving around her. Heard Maria come to her feet. Could feel her heart pounding a mile a minute.

 

“I’m so sorry sweetie,” Nancy pulled away, cupping her daughters face in her hands as she stared down into the eyes so like her grandmothers. “She had another heart attack,” Nancy wiped away the tears that had begun falling from Liz’s eyes as the news sunk in.

 

“But she’s okay… right? It was just like last time, she’s okay and she’ll just be a little late coming back.”

 

“Oh Lizzie… There was nothing they could do, it happened so suddenly.”

 

“Mom…” Liz murmured in shock.

 

“Mrs. Parker…” Maria said simultaneously brushing at her own tears as she moved up alongside Liz. Nancy reaching a hand out to touch Maria’s cheek softly.

 

“She passed away this morning.”

 

******************************************************************************

 

Liz curled up in a tighter ball in her lounge chair. Blanket wrapped tightly around her, she hiccupped slightly as she wiped away tears that continued to fall. Maria was again sitting in her chair, absently wiping away tears as she stared unseeingly at the ground.

 

Stunned at the news neither girl was really dealing at the moment.

 

Her mother had left them alone. Instead going to her father who had closed the Crashdown. Unable to continue the pretense of a normal workday when his mother was dead.

 

He was taking it as badly as the two girls were. Liz’s mother trying her hardest to make sure that everyone was coping. Liz knew that her mother had never been particularly close to her grandmother. Definitely not as close as her husband or her daughter, she had loved Claudia.

 

The shock of losing her so soon after getting Liz back overwhelming. For all of them.

 

For Liz the only thought running through her incoherent mind was that her grandmother was dead.

 

Her grandmother… the woman that she had given her journal to and she felt very real fear race through her.

 

What would happen if her grandmother hadn’t completed what she’d set out to do with the journal. She had said that she would take care of everything and Liz had to trust that she had.

 

“Liz…” Maria started softly. Liz turned her head towards her, swollen eyes taking in her best friends’ demeanor. Maria was as shattered by this as she was.

 

“Liz?” they heard Kyle’s voice calling out before they saw his head pop through the window. His expression was grief stricken, he hadn’t cried but he was as devastated as the girls were. As Alex behind him was.

 

“Oh god baby I’m so sorry,” he whispered as he climbed onto the balcony Alex at his heels.

 

He perched on a corner of her chair, Liz moving slightly so she could wrap him tightly in her arms, and in return be wrapped tightly in his. He rocked her back and forth as she sobbed against his shoulder.

 

“I’m getting you all wet,” she finally said weakly as she rested her head against him. He pulled back kissing her forehead softly as he studied her eyes. Cupping her face in his hands he tried to smile reassuringly down at her but he couldn’t manage it.

 

When Liz had been in her coma, he had made friends with her family, with her friends. Her grandmother was one of the few adults that he could even stand to be around at the hospital.

 

She had been optimistic that her little Liz was going to wake up. In return she made him feel optimism. Even when there sometimes seemed like there wasn’t any hope to be had.

 

“It’s gonna be okay,” he said quietly. “It’s gonna be okay…” his voice wavered as he saw the tears welling in her eyes once more, closing his eyes he tried to hold back his. He had adored Claudia. He had been excited about seeing her again once she returned. He kissed her softly.

 

Stroking her hair softly he turned his head to look at Alex and Maria. Alex had kneeled in front of Maria, hugging Maria tightly as she sobbed against him. Alex was as in shock as he was.

 

“Do they know what happened?” he asked softly as she moved to allow him to recline next to her. Resting her head against his chest he looped his arms tightly around her, resting his chin on her shoulder as he breathed in the scent of her skin.

 

“Mom said…” Liz’s voice broke as she rested against him, closing her eyes tightly to hold back the next onslaught of tears. “Mom said it was another heart attack… she said the doctors said that there was nothing that they could do.”

 

“I’m so sorry,” he whispered against her ear. “I can’t even begin to tell you how sorry I am.”

 

“I know,” Liz smiled bravely at him as she twisted her upper body so she could look up at him. Tracing a finger down his cheek she kissed his chin as her fingers stroked his skin. “She really liked you.”

 

“I really liked her to… she was the only one of your family members that didn’t used to kick me out of your room when they showed up. You know she loved you… right?”

 

“Yeah,” Liz rested her forehead against his cheek. “We’re leaving tomorrow for Florida.”

 

“Do you want some company? My dad might have objections but I could probably fit in your luggage if you pack light enough,” Kyle tried a quick smile pleased as hell when Liz responded with her own weak one.

 

“You don’t have to do that,” she said softly hugging him against her tightly.

 

“I would do anything for you,” he whispered in her ear. “All you have to do is ask.”

 

Liz drew away staring at him intently, Maria and Alex had all but been forgotten as they watched in interest.

 

With everything that had happened originally she had forgotten his loyalty. She had forgotten that when Kyle loved someone that he was devoted entirely to the care and well being of that person. She had tossed that loyalty and devotion away for Max before. Had decided that a seemingly long lifetime of misery… of having destiny spouted off at her every time she had felt like her and Max were making progress was the way she wanted to live her life.

 

She didn’t want that anymore. She wanted what she saw promised in Kyle’s eyes. She wanted the love and affection that shined at her when she looked at him.

 

They hadn’t made it this far into their relationship before. They had just been getting to the ‘I like you a lot’ stage. This time they had seemingly by-passed that stage and jumped right into the ‘I love you stage’. And as much as that should scare her, as much as she had worried when she had first come out of her coma that maybe she was transferring her affections for Max onto Kyle she knew that wasn’t the case.

 

She’d had her epiphany watching the stark emotions in his eyes these last few weeks. It hadn’t even really surprised her when she finally figured it out.

 

She loved him. She could feel it radiating through her bones, through her skin and she wondered how he couldn’t see it in her eyes every time she stared at him.

 

She loved him because he had adored her grandmother. Because he had accepted her crazy friends and made them his own. Because he had stayed by her side even when she was lying flat on her back in a hospital and couldn’t reciprocate those feelings.

 

She loved him because he had done everything in his power to protect her from Max and the others. Even if he didn’t quite understand why he needed to protect her from them.

 

She loved him because he accepted her, like she accepted him. He accepted every facet of her personality. That had been the thing she had been missing the first go around. That ultimate acceptance of who she was. Looking back on it now while Max had claimed to love her sometimes she had to wonder if he had. If he had only seen her as an extension of himself. Something he was owed in return for saving her life that day. He had claimed to love her and trust her but towards the end it seemed every time she did something he didn’t agree with he went running to Tess’ waiting arms.

 

Maybe in reality that’s where he wanted to be. As she stared up at Kyle’s confused face she realized with a sudden clarity that she was right where she wanted to be and she wanted to sing it from the rooftops this time. She loved Kyle Valenti and nothing was going to take that away from them this time.

 

As her smile started crossing her face she saw a hot flush begin working its way across his face.

 

He had no clue what she was thinking.

 

Had no clue that she had come to a decision that she should have reached three years prior.

 

“Liz?” he queried quizzically. The way she was staring at him, the hint of a smile lining her face… it was almost as if she could see into his soul and liked what she saw.

 

Of course now probably was not the time to tell him.

 

******************************************************************************

 

Liz sat cross-legged on a blanket on a beach in Florida. Staring out into the distance. Not really paying attention to what she was seeing. Not paying any attention to the beauty of the sunset displayed in front of her. 

 

Instead her eyes continued to waver between the nothingness and the envelope clutched in her hand. The one her grandmother’s lawyer had handed her just that afternoon after the reading of the will.

 

Kyle had received a letter of his own, he had read it already. Whatever it had said had brought a swift smile to his lips. He’d also gotten a book.

 

A Beginner’s Guide to Buddhism, which he had stared in shock at before he raised his questioning eyes to hers. She had just shrugged trying to look confused. She wasn’t sure she had pulled it off but she had tried.

 

She remembered telling her grandmother that the Kyle from her original future had practiced Buddhism.

 

She didn’t know if he would take it up now that their lives had taken a different turn. If Agent Pierce didn’t shoot him, and Max didn’t heal him would he still feel the same insatiable need to have something, anything to explain his life? She didn’t know.

 

She was supposed to be reading the letter clutched in her hand. She knew that had been Kyle’s ulterior motive for disappearing back into her aunt’s house.

 

For giving her some time alone.

 

Although he had used the excuse of trying to coax a thermos of hot chocolate out her aunt she knew that he knew that she wanted to read this letter alone.

 

To read this last missive from her grandmother solitarily.

 

She shivered slightly. Even wearing sweats and wrapped tightly in another blanket she was chilled by the Florida air.

 

If she opened this letter. If she read it that meant her grandmother was really gone.

 

She didn’t know if she could handle that.

 

So she continued to twist the envelope in her hand. Her name written in cursive slanted handwriting along the face. She felt tears well in her eyes as she recognized the script as her grandmothers.

 

She still couldn’t believe that she was gone.

 

That she would never again talk to her, hug her, ask her advice.

 

Confide in her all the secrets of her heart and soul.

 

With a heavy heart she unsealed the envelope sliding out the folded piece of paper.

 

My Dearest Liz,

 

Well if you’re reading this then it has come and my poor heart has decided that it’s had enough of this. I knew when I came to Roswell to see you that I was strictly living on borrowed time. But I couldn’t leave without making sure that my favorite granddaughter would be okay.

 

Don’t worry about your journal. It is safely hidden away. If anything should happen to you. Anything suspicious or unnatural it will be returned to you and only you. If you should, god forbid, pass away it will be destroyed so as to not fall in the wrong hands. Not that I foresee anything happening to you. You’ve gained an insight that most people will never receive. Use it to be safe.

 

I have given my solicitor explicit instructions just in case something should happen and I trust him with my life. I trust him enough to make sure that you’re protected.

  

And I don’t trust just anybody. Not with the safety and well being of one of my favorite people in the world.

 

I have given him a list of things to check for. If anything on that list should come to play he knows to contact you and forward the packet containing your diary to you. He doesn’t know what is in the packet of course and he is totally trustworthy. Don’t ask how I know… I just do.

 

I’ve left a little something for your Kyle. A gift that I would never have thought to give him if you hadn’t given me some insight into the maturity that he would and has displayed since your shooting Regardless I hope he and you know what to do with it. It’s something that you can work on together. It will draw you even closer than you are now. He’s a good man Lizzie, and in the short time that I spent with him I can tell that he loves you tremendously. Even if he hasn’t admitted it to either himself or you. But then I can tell that you’ve opened your eyes and heart to the possibility of loving him in return as well.

 

Don’t fight what you feel for him. I trust you to know what is right and wrong.

 

Take care of each other. And follow your heart. Always. It will not steer you wrong again. Use the wisdom you have gained to make the decisions that you know are right for you.

 

I love you my darling girl. Be safe and be loved.

 

Yours always,

Claudia

 

Liz wiped the tears away from her eyes as she refolded the letter. Even with the short time that she’d had left her grandmother had been thinking of her.

 

Protecting her.

 

Loving her.

 

It was almost to much to bear.

 

“Hey,” Kyle said softly coming up behind her.

 

Liz turned to him, tears glistening in her eyes as she watched him walk towards her. She had been surprised to say the least when the Sheriff had agreed to let Kyle come with her and her parents.

 

“Hey,” she replied quietly. Turning back to the ocean she watched the waves in the distance. Leaning back against Kyle’s chest as she felt him sit behind her, his legs on either side of her he wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder as they sat in a comfortable silence.

 

“It’s so peaceful here,” she said softly wrapping her small hands around his, linking their fingers together she felt him smile against her cheek as he pressed a kiss to her skin.

 

“Yeah,” Kyle tightened his grip around her waist. “You’re not ready to go back… are you?”

 

“Are you?” Liz asked twisting her head to look up at him. Satisfied with whatever she saw reflected in his face she nodded turning her gaze back to the ocean. Laying her head back on his shoulder she smiled softly.

 

“Not really.”

 

“Why?”

 

“I’ve gotten kind of used to having you all to myself. When we go back I’ll have to share you with Maria and Alex.”

 

“Is that the only reason?” Liz asked inquisitively stroking his hands lightly with the tips of her fingers.

 

When he was silent she twisted her head once more to look up at him. “Kyle?”

 

“I don’t want to have to deal with Evan’s,” he said softly not meeting her eyes. “I don’t want you to have to deal with him either.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Well… I mean it’s obvious that he likes you, he watches you all the time, tried to sneak into your hospital room when you were sick… I just…” Kyle muttered awkwardly. “Never mind,” he shook his head.

 

“You don’t trust him,” Liz finished softly turning in his arms to face him. Raising her hands she cupped his face within them, stroking his cheeks softly with her fingers.

 

“No I don’t.”

 

“Why?” she asked staring into his eyes. Kyle found himself almost hypnotized by the curious expression in them.

 

“I don’t know,” he replied honestly. “There’s just something… off about him,” he stared at her, finally raising one of his hands to her face. Drawing his thumb over her mouth he stared at her with an expression of wonder.

 

“You don’t need to worry about Max Evans,” she whispered leaning closer to him. She pressed her lips against his, sighing when she felt his part under pressure from hers. He wound a hand in her hair holding her to him. Drawing away seconds later breathlessly she stared up at him. “There’s only one man I love,” she smiled gently at him. “And it’s not him.”

 

Kyle stared at her in shock before a wide smile creased his face. “You love me?”

 

“You need to ask?”

 

“No,” he grinned as he pulled her against him. “I love you too,” he whispered into her ear as he gripped her tightly.

 

“I know,” she kissed his cheek before pulling away.

 

******************************************************************************

 

Maria picked up her order from the counter shooting Jose a quick grin before she walked away with it. It sucked not having Liz there to help out. Or the Parker’s there to give orders. Everyone was being run ragged trying to keep the Crashdown open while they were attending to the business of burying a family member.

 

She was only slightly jealous that Kyle had been able to go to Florida with them.

 

But when she had asked her mom if she could go her mother had given her that look. That one that asked if she thought she was made of money or something and Maria had shut right up.

 

Smiling as she handed out the order she walked away, she was due a break but Alice hadn’t shown yet so she couldn’t leave her stations unattended. With a sigh she noticed that Isabel and Michael had sat down in one of the booths in a corner and pulling her order pad out of her pocket she walked over to them, struggling to hide the grimace that threatened to pop up on her face.

 

“Michael… Isabel… what can I get for ya?” she plastered a fake grin on her face. Isabel raised her eyebrows at her, probably upset that she couldn’t force a real smile on her face.

 

“Two soda’s and two order’s of cheese fries,” Michael muttered shooting a glare at Isabel.

 

Isabel ignored it focusing instead on Maria who was jotting something on her pad and turning to walk away.

 

“Hey Maria?” she called and Maria turned back with barely noticeable sigh. Which Michael noticed and smirked at. Seeing Isabel turn a fierce look on him he pulled the menu out of the rack and proceeded to intently study it.

 

“Did you want something else?” Maria quirked an eyebrow at her.

 

“Just wanted to know if Liz was here… I haven’t seen her around these last few days… Kyle either,” Isabel asked with her own fake smile plastered to her face now.

 

“They’re in Florida,” Maria said quietly tapping her pen against her order pad, eyebrows still quirked up she studied them. She had to wonder if they were asking for Max, if he hadn’t decided to pull his sister and best friend into his favorite pastime of stalking her best friend. “Why?”

 

“No reason…” Isabel said turning her attention away from Maria and back to Michael. A blatant signal that the ice queen had dismissed her.

 

“Why are they in Florida?” Michael asked studying the young woman standing at the edge of their table with a curious expression on her face. He had known this was a bad idea. Had continuously told both Isabel and Max that this was only to serve to make them more suspicious than they already were.

 

But since Maria already had that curious look on her face they might as well get some answers to questions. Because he knew that as soon as Liz and Kyle were back they would know that he and Isabel had been in asking questions about Liz.

 

“Liz’s grandma died,” Maria said softly staring at the floor her eyes welling with tears.

 

“Oh… sorry,” Michael winced inwardly, glancing at Isabel he saw that her attention had been drawn back. He gnawed on his lip as he saw the tears welling in her eyes. Christ he hoped she didn’t burst into tears. He’d had about all he could take of the waterworks thing she did when Liz was in the hospital. She cried more than any person he’d ever seen.

 

“Yeah… sorry,” Isabel said her lips pursed, she didn’t know what it felt like to lose a family member but she knew that she would be devastated if anything happened to Max, Michael or her parents. “Tell Liz we’re… uh… thinking of her,” Isabel muttered awkwardly. God she was as bad at this as her brother was.

 

“Thanks I will,” Maria’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “I’ll go place your orders and come back with your sodas.”

 

“Thanks,” Isabel muttered. When Maria vanished from her line of sight she buried her face in her hands.

 

“Oh my god,” Michael glared at her bent head. “It’s a miracle that we haven’t got caught before now, between you and Max…” he shook his head.

 

“I choked… okay,” Isabel said defensively not raising her head. “What are we going to do?”

 

“Nothing… I think our work here is done,” Michael said sarcastically. “It wasn’t bad enough before that Valenti was suspicious and Liz was acting all… all-knowing. Now we’ve got DeLuca who can probably tell something is up.” Michael shook his head. “We’re totally screwed. We’ll be lucky if we’re not grabbed by some government agency within days.”

 

“So you think Liz knows something now to?”

 

“I don’t know, but if we keep this up we’re never going to find out… I think we need to back off.”

 

“Max won’t like that,” Isabel murmured raising her head.

 

“Yeah… well… Maxwell isn’t thinking with all his cylinders right now. If he keeps it up he might as well just take out an ad in the paper and announce what we are to the world.”

 

“I’ll still try to get close to her, maybe I can still find a way to do it without making it look all weird or something…” she mused tapping a fingernail against the tabletop her brow furrowed as she contemplated her options. “I’ll have to do it through Kyle,” she sighed leaning her head against the back of the booth she stared at that ceiling.

 

“Valenti? I don’t know if that’s a wise idea, he’s already suspicious enough without adding more fuel to the fire.”

 

“What else do you propose I do, walk up to her and say welcome to the in crowd… tell me all your secrets… hey by the way are you an alien?”

 

“Be careful Isabel,” Michael warned. “We don’t know what she knows or what she is… she could be dangerous.”

 

“Liz? Dangerous? Pfft,” Isabel snorted delicately. “Don’t you think that if she could have destroyed us she would have done it already? It’s not like we’re totally incognito.”

 

“Regardless she could still be a threat to us… To all of us.”

 

“I think between the three of us,” Isabel scoffed,” we can handle one little girl.”

 

******************************************************************************

 

“What’d ya bring me? What’d ya bring me?” Maria asked excitedly as she bounded into Liz’s room. Jumping on Liz’s bed she displaced the clothes that Liz had been unpacking and laughed as Liz shook her head at her.

 

“Why on earth would I bring you anything?” Liz asked with arched brows. “I went to a funeral not vacation.”

 

“You still went away… so what did you bring me?” Maria grinned at her.

 

Liz rummaged around in her duffel bag and pulled a bag out, “It’s not much,” she said as she handed it over.

 

“It’s something that’s all that matters,” Maria pulled the box out of the bag that Liz had handed her. Studying it intently she turned it over in her hands. “How do you always do this?” she asked softly.

 

“I figured that it would be easier than using your mom’s old kit. Plus this one has some new scents I thought we could try out,” Liz sat down next to her. Leaning over she studied the back of the box.

 

“Thanks.”

 

“Don’t thank me… if it hadn’t been for Kyle I would never have found it. We looked for two hours in the store for it before he found it on the top shelf. It was really annoying.”

 

“I’ll thank him later when I give him his new baggie of vitamins,” Maria said absently. Winking at Liz she started opening the box. “Hey speaking of annoying things…”

 

“What did Max do now?” Liz sighed standing back up she picked the floors that Maria’s entrance into her room had knocked on the floor and began separating them gain.

 

“Not Max this time. Michael and Isabel.”

 

“Michael and Isabel? What did they want?” Liz asked as she turned to begin putting clothes away. She had figured that the other two would be getting involved eventually. She hadn’t thought that they would go after Maria before trying for her.

 

“I don’t know… they were acting real strange… well stranger then normal,” Maria amended as she pulled the instruction pamphlet from the box, laying back on the bed she began perusing it. “Isabel wanted me to let you know that she was sorry to hear about Grandma Claudia.”

 

“Isabel didn’t even know my grandmother,” Liz frowned as she turned back to her best friend.

 

“I know, like I said they were acting really strange… Hey now that you’re dating Kyle that doesn’t mean that you have to, like be friends with her… does it?”

 

“No thank god,” Liz breathed a sigh of relief. “What about Max? Did he make a pest of himself while I was gone?”

 

“No all was quiet on the insane stalker home front…” Maria looked up with a wicked grin. “Hey you don’t think this is some sort of cult thing do you? That all of this is some sort of elaborate game and they’re planning on sacrificing you to their god or something.”

 

“Doubtful… but I’m glad to see you’re enjoying yourself,” Liz winked at her.

 

“Hey nothing exciting is going on in my life. I have to get my kicks somewhere and right now your life is exciting enough for you, me, Kyle, Alex and quite possibly all of our parents.”

 

“I think you’re going to far with that one. I think it’s only exciting enough for me, you, Kyle and Alex.”

 

Maria laughed as she propped herself up on her elbows watching Liz move around the room. “So what do you think they want?”

 

“God only knows. But at least Max has backed off,” Liz shut her dresser turning back to Maria she grinned. “Kyle doesn’t like him at all.”

 

“Well you can’t blame him I mean Max has been making a pest of himself since the shooting.”

 

“I know. I don’t blame Kyle… I blame Max for not going away.”

 

Liz plucked the box off the floor and flopped down on the bed next to Maria. “So what do you say… wanta play with some perfumes?”

 

******************************************************************************

 

“Hey Kyle,” Isabel stood next to his open locker door watching as Kyle put his coat away and began collecting the books that he would need for his first three periods.

 

“Did you need something Isabel?” he asked as he closed the door and turned to face her.

 

“I was just surprised to see you back… I thought you were in Florida with Liz Parker.”

 

“I was, we got back last night. Hence we returned to school today,” Kyle shrugged as he turned to walk away.

 

“Well that’s good,” Isabel turned with him, adjusting her stride so she was walking with him. Kyle frowned at her before shaking his head and nodding at a few of his friends.

 

“What do you want Isabel?”

 

“I just thought that since you and Liz are dating now that it would be nice if some of us got to know her a bit better,” Isabel said with smile that she hoped came across as genuine. “The girls and I were talking and it seems that nobody knows much about her. Other than she’s dating you and that she’s pretty smart.”

 

“Why don’t you ask Liz instead of me? You don’t need my permission,” Kyle shook his head. “Unless you have ulterior motives for asking her,” he turned his head, eyeing her suspiciously.

 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Isabel shook her head.

 

“Well it just seems kind of strange that all of a sudden you’re expressing an interest in getting to know Liz better. Especially since your brother has been really interested in getting to know her better since the shooting. If I didn’t know better I’d think there’s something going on here.”

 

“Kyle, Max has nothing to do with this,” Isabel said defensively. “I just…”

 

“Yeah, yeah just want to get to know her better,” Kyle stopped in the middle of the hallway staring at Isabel who looked distinctly uncomfortable. “Tell Max to stay away from her. I’m tired of the crap he’s pulling and so is Liz. If she wanted him to get to know her better she would let him get to know her. As it stands she’s just tired of the whole thing. She wants to get the past the shooting. She wants to grieve for her grandmother and she wants to get on with her life. So tell him to get a life.”

 

“Kyle…”

 

“And Isabel if I find out that this is some sort of scheme that the two of you cooked up together…” Kyle shook his head. “Now if you’ll excuse me I’m going to be late for class,” he smiled thinly at her and stalked away.

 

“Damn,” Isabel muttered under her breath.

 

“Well that went as well as every other conversation we’ve had with one of them,” Michael commented from behind her.

 

“How long have you been there?”

 

“Long enough to know that Kyle is going to see through anything we do. He’s already suspicious as hell of all of us just because of the shit Max has been doing. He’s going to see through any ploy that involves one of the three of us. And if he can see through it than you can bet that Liz can too. I think it’s time to back off… at least for a while,” Michael stated standing next to her both of them watching Kyle walk away from them.

 

“Yeah,” Isabel murmured. “There’s just got to be a way to find out what we need to know without having to deal with one of them.”

 

“Well when you figure it out share with the rest of us cause we’re all drawing a blank.”

 

******************************************************************************

 

Liz kept her head bent, avidly studying her notebook when she felt the tap on her shoulder. She knew who it was and had been actually wondering when he would make an appearance.

 

Especially after hearing the story that Maria had told her about Isabel and Michael’s behavior in the Crashdown.

 

“Hey Liz,” Max said quietly taking his seat next to her.

 

“Max,” she raised her head only slightly to acknowledge him before turning her attention back to her book.

 

“I wanted to tell you how sorry I was to hear about your grandmother.”

 

“Thank,” she smiled absently at him.

 

Max flexed his fingers as he looked down at her bent head. “I… uh… wanted to ask if you had remembered anything… you know about the day of the shooting?”

 

Liz slowly turned her head and faced him. “What is so important about what I said that day?” she asked with mild exasperation. “Did it mean something to you?” she narrowed her eyes, head cocking to the side as she studied him.

 

“No!” he yelped. Wincing when he saw several of their classmates and the teacher turn to face them. “No…” he said stiffly. “I just… well you know wondered why you would say that.”

 

“What did I say again?” she said with a mock sigh that it was obvious that Max didn’t pick up on. He glanced around the room as he looked for people that were listening to their conversation, giving her enough time to place an expression of innocence on her face before he returned his attention to her. Shaking her head she had to wonder how had they managed to keep everyone and their brother from finding out their secret? Had Max always acted this conspicuous?

 

“You told me ‘no, please don’t’… You don’t remember anything?”

 

“No… sorry,” Liz shook her head.

 

“Oh,” Max flushed slightly as he began tapping his pencil against the table.

 

“What’s the big deal anyway?” Liz narrowed her eyes.

 

“Oh it’s nothing,” Max muttered.

 

“You’re not one of the conspiracy theory people are you?”

 

“What?” Max’s head shot up as he stared at her, eyes wide.

 

“You know,” Liz waved her hand in the air. “One of those people that thinks that everything strange that happens in Roswell can be directly attributed to the Crash, that everything has some indirect link to aliens.”

 

“Oh… no… of course not,” Max said with a startled expression.

 

“Well good… I’d hate to have to break in a new lab partner this late in the semester because the funny men in suits have dragged you off.”

 

“Right.”

 

“Is that it?” Liz asked.

 

“Oh… yeah.”

 

“Good then if you don’t mind I really want to study for this next test… I’ve been out so much… I don’t want to get any further behind.”

 

“Sure… sorry.”

 

******************************************************************************

 

Liz pulled her Geometry book out of her locker, shoving her chemistry book into its place. Glancing at the door of her locker she gently touched the newest picture hanging there. Like most students she had dressed up the inside of her locker. Pictures of her friends and family adorned the door. A dried pink rose that Kyle had given her was taped to the door, her newest picture of her and Kyle tacked over it holding it in place.

 

Kyle and she on the beach. That’s what the picture was of. That’s where she wanted to be. Sitting on a blanket on the beach with Kyle’s arms wrapped around her laughing like goons at her fathers inane chatter.

 

Closing the door she jumped when she saw Isabel standing next to her.

 

“Isabel,” she said quietly. “Did you need something?” she asked as she turned to walk down the hallway. In the opposite direction of where she saw Max standing.

 

“I thought that maybe we could get together after school…” Isabel started shifting her books uncomfortably in her arms. “And you know talk… get to know each other…”

 

“Why?”

 

“Well because… you’re Kyle’s girlfriend but you’ve never really been in the in crowd before. There’s certain things that are expected from you.”

 

“I’m dating Kyle not his friends, besides…” Liz turned her head to study Isabel’s profile. “You and Kyle aren’t really friends anyway.”

 

“Yes well…”

 

“You know Isabel… I’ll save you the trouble,” Liz stopped, turning to face Isabel who had also stopped. The two girls faced each other, both silent as they waited for their classmates to rush into their classes. “I don’t know anything about anything, you can tell Max that, maybe he’ll believe you because god knows he doesn’t believe me. So that means that the two of you and from what Maria says even Michael… you can all stop this James Bond intrigue stuff, which can I just say you’re not any good at. You leave me alone, I’ll leave you alone. It’s that simple.”

 

“Fine,” Isabel said stiffly. “I’ll tell Max.”

 

“Thanks,” Liz smiled sweetly. “We’re going to be late for class.”

 

Liz was smiling as she entered the classroom. She didn’t think that Max would listen to Isabel but if she only had to deal with him that was much easier than having to deal with all three.

 

“Hey,” Kyle whispered as she slipped into her seat. She leaned over to him, tilting her head and sighing as she felt his fingers smooth a piece of hair behind her ear. “You’re late.”

 

“Isabel stopped me in the hall… wanted to be buddies or something.”

 

“What?! I told her…”

 

“I took care of it don’t worry,” Liz soothed touching his hand gently. “Don’t worry.”

 

Liz smiled as she turned her attention to the front of the room. Standing at the desk was a familiar figure and as she surreptitiously glanced at her watch she frowned.

 

“Good afternoon,” the blond smiled around the room. “My name is Kathleen Topolsky, I’ll be substituting for your regular teacher for a few days… Why don’t we take attendance and we can get started.”

 

Liz gripped her hands together tightly under her desk as she steadily refused to glance over at the empty chair.

 

“Guerin? Michael?” Ms. Topolsky looked around the room. “Has anyone seen Mr. Guerin?”

 

“I’m right here,” Michael said breathlessly from the door. Shoving something into his pocket he ignored Max and Isabel as he made his way to his seat.

 

“Do you have a late pass Mr. Guerin?”

 

“No,” Michael muttered as he slouched in his seat, ignoring the curious looks he was receiving from his friends he studied his desktop.

 

“Next time you’re going to be late please remember that you need one,” Ms. Topolsky smiled at him, he scowled at her as she continued down her list.

 

******************************************************************************

 

Michael waited until the sub started class before he started glancing around the room. Max and Isabel were both shooting him the strangest looks, which he in turn ignored. They both knew that he had planned on skipping class today. Like he did most normal days.

 

But today was not a normal day. Not by a long shot.

 

He had a note burning a hole in his pocket and he had no idea from where or whom it had come. Or even if he should share it with the others. They would jump to the same conclusion he had. That the most likely candidate was Liz.

 

Don’t be absent from class. You are being observed.

 

A typewritten note shoved into the vents of his locker. He had seen it when he had went back to it to grab his coat in order to leave. The note, though simplistic in nature had terrified him.

 

Someone knew something. If Max was to be believed it was Liz Parker. Little Liz Parker who even now was studiously taking notes, every so often glancing with just a hint of a smile at her boyfriend.

 

If Max was to be believed then Liz was one of them… but Michael knew in his gut that she wasn’t. If there was indeed a fourth to their group Liz Parker wasn’t it.

 

But then that led to the question of who it was… and where they were.

 

******************************************************************************

 

Liz sat in quiet silence wrapped in a blanket on her balcony. Totally consumed by her own thoughts she didn’t hear the others join her until Kyle shocked her by wrapping his arms tightly around her. Jumping slightly she glanced up at him before grinning.

 

“Did we scare you?” he laughed as he scooted behind her on the lawn chair. Holding her tightly against him he pressed a soft kiss to her temple.

 

“You guys are late,” she said with mock anger. “I thought we were going to go play mini golf and then see a movie… We’ll never make the show now…”

 

“Got held up by your father downstairs,” Alex said propping his legs up on the crate in front of him. “He’s worried about you, told us not to tire you out.”

 

“My dad’s being overprotective. I had a small headache when I got home from school and he freaked on me,” Liz sighed. “What did he say?”

 

“He may have suggested that it would be a good idea to rent movies and just stay here so as to not needlessly tire you.”

 

“You’re kidding… Please tell me you’re kidding…”

 

“Nope,” Maria smirked shaking her head. “Your dad is doing the whole over protection thing.”

 

“It’s okay,” Kyle shrugged behind her his arms tightening around her waist. “We can stay in it’s not a big deal.”

 

“But… but I’m not even tired,” Liz said weakly. “This is ridiculous.”

 

“So what did Ms. Topolsky want to talk to you about after class?” Maria changed the subject. “She kept you for a while.”

 

Liz frowned at her before relaxing back in Kyle’s arms. She could deal with her father later she supposed. Her friends were her most immediate concern.

 

“She just wanted to let me know that if I needed any help in adjusting back into school that I should feel free to come to her.”

 

“She’s a Geometry teacher why would she care?” Maria asked suspiciously.

 

“Who’s Ms. Topolsky?” Alex asked glancing between his three friends.

 

“Sub,” Kyle murmured against Liz’s hair as he nuzzled her hair. She giggled as she felt his cold nose against her neck.

 

“Actually,” Liz sighed closing her eyes as she felt Kyle’s lips press soft kisses against her shoulder. “She’s the new guidance counselor. She wanted to make sure that I wasn’t unduly traumatized by the shooting or something, offered herself up if I ever felt the need to talk to someone about it.”

 

“Is she a grief counselor or a guidance counselor?” Maria asked exchanging a grin with Alex as they watched the blatant public display of affection between their friends.

 

“Both I guess,” Liz said absently resting her head in its familiar spot for a moment before she twisted her head slightly so she could kiss his cheek.

 

“And this bothers you why?” Kyle asked, regardless of how relaxed and calm an image she was projecting he could feel the tenseness in her body. She was worried about something. Linking their fingers together he almost grimaced when she unconsciously tightened her grip on them, stroking the tips of her fingers with his other hand he waited patiently for her to relax.

 

“It doesn’t bother me… not really,” Liz opened her eyes at his snort and glanced up at him. She could see the disbelief on his face and then winced when she looked down and saw the death grip she had on his hand. “Sorry,” she murmured softly. “It’s just I’m not used to teachers at our school caring what happens to us.”

 

“Maybe she’s a new breed,” Alex commented as he stood. “As wonderful as it is watching the two of you… you know be happy and all Maria and I are going to go pick out a couple of movies to watch so we’ll actually have something to do besides watch the two of you. We’ll be back in about 30 minutes.”

 

“We will?” Maria looked at him in confusion. Her eyes widened and she practically leapt out of her chair when she saw the pointed look on Alex’s face. “We will… anything in particular you want to watch?”

 

“Nope. We leave the fate of our movie viewing in your capable hands,” Liz grinned as she turned her head to watch her two best friends duck into her room. “Do you think they were trying to tell us something,” she smiled up at Kyle.

 

“I think they wanted to leave us alone for a while so we could get our necking out of the way before the movies start.”

 

“You want to neck with me?” Liz asked coyly as she twisted in his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck as she stared up at him.

 

“Always,” Kyle grinned as he traced a finger across her cheek. Kissing her lips lightly he felt her relax against him and he tightened his grip around her pulling her even firmer against him.

 

Sighing happily against his lips she drew away settling her head in the crook of his neck. He twisted a strand of her hair in his fingers as he rubbed her back with his other hand.

 

“Love you,” he whispered.

 

“Love you too.”

 

“You know you can tell me anything right?” he asked abruptly.

 

“I know,” Liz said softly. She knew she was going to have to tell him something soon. She wanted to tell him everything. What had happened, what could still happen, the things they needed to prevent from happening. But she also didn’t want to scare him away. She loved him and having him think her insane and leaving her was also foremost on her mind. Of course after the things that she had learned in her twenty minutes speaking with Kathleen Topolsky she could tell that this version of her timeline was already very different then the one she had originally lived through.

 

She couldn’t help wondering, especially after what she had learned, if all of this wasn’t all some really elaborate dream. But then she would remember the feel of the bullet as it had hit her. That had been real. Real pain.

 

She could feel Kyle holding her tightly, his breath against her forehead. That was most definitely real.

 

Her friends terror. Her parents overprotectiveness. Her grandmothers death.

 

Not the things that good dreams were made of. More like nightmares if anything. Put everything together and this was real. Not a dream and that meant that everything that Topolsky had told her, along with her real reason for being in Roswell was very, very real.

 

   She just wasn’t sure if she could trust the woman, or even if she wanted to.

 

“Then when you’re ready… you’ll tell me why your conversation with Ms. Topolsky is bothering you so much?”

 

“Yes,” Liz raised her head looking into his eyes. “I’ll tell you everything… as soon as I figure it all out for myself.”

 

******************************************************************************

 

Kathleen Topolsky looked up from her lunch in surprise when a knock sounded on her office door.

 

“It’s open,” she called shoving her half eaten sandwich aside, crossing her hands on the desk in front of her, plastering a smile on her face she waited expectantly.

 

“Were you serious before?” Liz asked shifting on her feet as she stared at the blonde woman behind the desk.

 

“Come in Liz,” Kathleen smiled genuinely. Liz closed the door behind her, walking slowly forward she stopped at the desk her hands dangling at her side.

 

“Were you serious?”

 

“You saw the letter… you know why I’m here,” she sat back in her chair motioning for Liz to sit in one of the chairs in front of the desk.

 

“It could have been forged… how do I know…”

 

“How do you know that I’m not here to capture them? To capture you?”

 

Liz didn’t respond instead staring at her with a stoic expression.

 

Kathleen sighed, running fingers through her hair she sat forward bracing her elbows on the edge of the desk. “You have to trust someone Liz. Your grandmother wrote that letter for me to give to you. She gave it and your journal to my father. You don’t have to tell me anything, you don’t have to trust me but you do need to work with me on this.”

 

“Why? I’ve been managing just fine.”

 

“Your grandma Claudia… she said that you wanted to help the others… wanted them to find out where they came from and who they could and couldn’t trust, but that you didn’t want to be directly involved. Not like you were the first time. Claudia thought that I might be the best way for you to accomplish that.”

 

“It’s just…” Liz leaned forward hands clasped in her lap as she watched the woman in front of her with an earnest expression. “They didn’t trust you the last time… at least not until it was to late.”

 

“I know, your grandmothers letter told me a little of what happened when you had to deal with… well the other me. She handled it badly.”

 

“I don’t want anyone to get hurt,” Liz said tears welling in her eyes. “Not again.”

 

Kathleen stood, walking around the desk she knelt in front of Liz. “We can do this Liz. Together we can get everyone through the next couple of months without raising undue suspicion. Without anyone getting hurt. Myself included. You just need to let me help. You need to let me do the things that your grandmother entrusted me with. Can you do that?”

 

“What exactly did my grandmother ask you to do again?”

 

“I’m to protect you… that is my primary objective. But she also knew that you might want to help the others and I’m supposed to help you in any way that I can… without endangering you or your friends.”

 

“My friends?”

 

“Mr. Valenti, Ms. DeLuca, Mr. Whitman… Your grandmother was very specific. Will you let me help you?”

 

Liz drew a deep breath. Her grandmother had said that she needed to trust someone. The letter that Kathleen had handed her after class, the letter that was written in her grandmothers’ handwriting to the woman kneeling on the floor before her, had told her to trust Kathleen. That no matter how much she wanted to handle things on her own that there was no way that she could. Not without drawing suspicion upon herself. She hadn’t believed that the letter was really from her grandmother when it had been handed to her. She had thought it a clever forgery in order to lull her into a false sense of complacency. But over the weekend she had received her own letter.

 

Sent from the address and name they had agreed on before her grandmother had left. The name and address that something would only be sent from if there was a problem… or one of them died.  She had been shaking when she opened that letter and then she had been shocked when she had read her grandmothers’ words.

 

Shock that her grandmother had sent this woman, the woman that none of them had trusted in the first line. Shock that she had sent her own goddaughter to protect her granddaughter. She had made her decision then and there, she had just needed to hear the words again.

 

Needed to hear that this woman was on her side in this. That she wouldn’t be swayed by the FBI or aliens.

 

Liz took a leap of faith that she was no longer alone in this.

 

“Okay,” Liz whispered.

 

******************************************************************************

 

The dream started much like all the others she’d had since waking from her coma. Reliving the day of her shooting. Starting with her jump to her past self. The expression on Maria’s face when she mentioned her hair.

 

Then it continued with darkness and pain. Her pain. The panic as she saw Maria turn, in slow motion to her, screaming as the gun was pulled. Screaming over the echo of the gunshot.

 

Then the foggy realization that she’d been shot… again. Max’s face suddenly over hers, the stunned expression covering it as she prevented him from healing her. Maria’s sobs when she saw the blood. Michael hovering over Max’s shoulder, an anxious expression on his face, about two seconds from wringing his hands together as he watched Max do nothing.

 

This time the dream or nightmare depending on how you chose to view it changed. Instead of waking herself up in a cold sweat, the terror of that day on the tip of her tongue she heard voices through the fog. As she struggled to make them out she realized that she couldn’t move. Realized that her arms were strapped to her side.

 

“We have to do something,” Maria’s anxious voice broke through the haze covering her. Liz blinked her eyes trying to focus on her best friend, trying to focus on anything besides the panic shooting through her body.

 

“Do what?!” Michael’s voice now, agitated. She’d never heard that level of agitation before. Not for anyone and especially not for her. “Max tried to heal her and couldn’t. Isabel tried to dreamwalk her and couldn’t.”

 

“Why can’t Max just force the connection?”

 

“Because he can’t,” Michael muttered in exasperation. Liz could almost see him running his hands through his hair. She blinked again, once more trying to bring the world into focus, wanting to raise her hands to her eyes she found that she still couldn’t move. She opened her mouth to speak and was frustrated when the only sound emitted from her lips was a series of unintelligible grunts.

 

Furious at her inability to speak, at not being able to move she struggled fiercely. Yanking at the bonds around her hands. She was shocked when her struggles caused hands to touch her body. Not to help her free herself but to hold her down.

 

Maria and Michael’s hands struggled against her movements.

 

“Where the hell is Kyle?” Michael hissed as he tightened his grip around Liz’s arm.

 

“He said he was on his way,” Maria whispered tears filling her eyes as she gazed down at the shell that contained her best friend.

 

“He should just stay here,” Michael spat harshly “He knows he’s the only one that can calm her down when she gets like this.”

 

“And she only gets like this when one of you three are around,” Maria spat right back at him.

 

Michael closed his eyes waiting for Liz’s movements to still before leaning down close to her ear.

 

“Just relax Liz,” he whispered. “He’ll be here soon.” I hope.

 

Liz stopped struggling against her restraints, blinking once more in an attempt to clear her vision. With Michael so close to her face she could faintly see him. The lines marring his once smooth face, his haggard expression. Turning her head slightly she squinted attempting to focus on Maria and her eyes widened as she took in the long hair, the clothes. Crap, she groaned inwardly. Closing her eyes she took a deep breath attempting to calm her frazzled nerves.

 

“Alright I’m here,” she heard Kyle’s voice, her eyes popping open she saw him standing in the doorway glaring at Michael. “What the hell is he doing here?!”

 

“He came with me,” Maria muttered.

 

“Why? You know…”

 

“Because I didn’t want to be here alone,” Maria said quietly crossing her arms over her chest glaring defiantly back at Kyle. Her eyes widened in alarm as she saw the woman standing behind Kyle move around him and enter the room. “Tess,” she murmured almost soundlessly as she moved closer to Liz’s bed.

 

“Not Tess,” Kyle dragged a hand through his hair his eyes focused on Liz’s pale face. “Ava.”

 

“What? How?” Michael stammered.

 

“So it be true then,” Ava said quietly ignoring them all.

 

“Max told me to bring over with me… see if she could help.”

 

“Max has seen her?” Michael asked moving away from the bed to stand in front of Ava.

 

“He was at my house when she showed up.”

 

“What was Max doing at your house?” Maria asked her hand stroking Liz’s arm.

 

“Why do you think?” Kyle rolled his eyes in exasperation. “The same reason as always.”

 

“When is he gonna understand that she needs you here.”

 

“He doesn’t understand… And to be honest he’s not the only one,” Kyle said softly taking up the position that Michael had been standing in.

 

“I know Kyle…” Maria whispered.

 

“Do you think you can help her?” Michael asked quietly touching Ava’s arm gently. She glanced over at him before turning her attention back to Liz.

 

“Ava?” Kyle queried exchanging a puzzled expression with Maria. “What’s going on?”

 

“Can’t ya feel it?” Ava asked softly, standing at the end of Liz’s bed she stared down at her.

 

“Feel what?” Maria frowned.

 

“What the hell happened?”

 

“Ava?”

 

Ava looked over at Michael where he stood next to her a worried look on his face. “This world is about to end.”

 

Liz tried to frown at her but instead gasped her eyes widening as her body arched into the bed.

 

“Liz?!” Kyle grabbed hold of one arm, Michael shoving Maria out of the way and grabbing the other. “Liz?!”

 

“What’s going on?” she heard Maria ask desperately.

 

“She’s being pulled back,” Ava stated calmly and Liz closed her eyes as blackness descended.

 

“Liz? Honey are you getting up?” her mother asked pushing her door open. Liz’s eyes flew open in shock as she sat straight up in bed gasping for air.

 

“Mom?”

 

“Are you okay honey?” Nancy walked into the room, placing a hand against her forehead checking for a nonexistent fever.

 

“I’m fine,” Liz shrugged forcing herself to relax. “It was just a nightmare.” Just a nightmare.

 

******************************************************************************

 

Liz leaned against Maria’s locker. As she flipped through the notebook in her hands she covertly snuck a glance at Michael once again. He was in a huddle with Max and Isabel, the two of them shooting glances her way every so often. 

 

He hadn’t opened his locker yet.

 

Though she was sure what was real and what wasn’t anymore she was sticking with the plan that she and Kathleen had devised on Monday. At least the beginnings of a plan. Liz didn’t want to send anyone out of state. And she really didn’t want Michael kidnapping Maria to get to Atherton’s dome.

 

Kathleen was working on a way to bring some of the papers and artifacts from Atherton’s dome to Roswell without alerting her superiors to the fact that she wasn’t really on personal leave. She had some ideas but didn’t have anything concrete when Liz had left to meet Kyle.

 

She just had to find some way to get the necklace into the other’s hands without actually handing it to them herself. Plus the healing stones.

 

She hadn’t quite figured out how she was going to handle either of those problems just yet.

 

“Liz don’t take this personally,” Maria said slamming her locker door shut turning her attention to Liz. “But you look like crap.” She frowned at Michael, Isabel and Max who had all looked over at them when her locker door had closed before she started moving down the hallway. Liz following after with a slight smile on her face. “

 

“Didn’t sleep well last night,” Liz frowned, the memory of the dream still fresh in her mind. “Hey Maria… do you ever wonder if this is real?”

 

“What are you talking about?” Maria shot a puzzled look in her direction. “You haven’t been sniffing illegal substances have you? Because you know you’re supposed to share when you find a good one.”

 

“No,” Liz grinned. “It’s just I had this dream… nightmare last night and it seemed so real. Made me wonder if maybe this wasn’t…”

 

Maria glanced over at her, at Liz gnawing on her bottom lip a frown on her lips. With a sigh she reached over and pinched her sharply.

 

“Ow! What’d you do that for?” Liz scowled at her cradling her arm defensively against her.

 

“Did that feel real?”

 

“Yeah. Painful to.”

 

“See… this is real. Your dreams are just that chica. Dreams.” Maria winked at her, “So movies tonight?”

 

“Yeah, Kyle and Alex are supposed to meet us at the Crashdown after work,” Liz said still rubbing at her arm.

 

“They’ll probably sneak in early just to try and get free food.”

 

“And you know we’ll give it to them.”

 

Maria grinned as they walked side by side down the hall, backpacks slung over their shoulders. “And your father will yell at us and all will be right with the world once more.”

 

Liz pushed the door open squinting as the bright afternoon sun blinded her. Halting momentarily she dug her sunglasses out of her pocket. “I love days like this,” she grinned trying to banish the cloud that seemed to be looming over her. It had seemed so real. I could feel the restraints. Could feel Michael, Maria, Kyle all touching me, all holding me down.

 

“You mean Friday?” Maria grinned.

 

“Yeah Fridays, plus weekends, plus no homework equal more time I can spend with you guys.”

 

“You mean Kyle.”

 

“I mean all of you, having Kyle there is just like the frosting on the cake.”

 

“No making out tonight… this is group night. You guys can maul each other tomorrow.”

 

******************************************************************************

 

February 12

 

Liz sank deeper into her chair pulling her blanket tighter around her. Staring up at the stars to soothe her rattled nerves had become something of a habit for her.

 

She had the same nightmares every night now. She’d fall asleep, relive both shootings and then wake up in a room she didn’t recognize.

 

At the beginning sometimes she would be tied down and sometimes she wouldn’t. Now though she was always secured to the bed.

 

Trying to jump out the window probably wasn’t the brightest idea she’d ever had. But she’d woken in such a panic. Fear clawing at her and she’d been desperate for escape.

 

That was the only thing that had been ever present, regardless of how she woke to find herself. The panic. The fear. The pain.

 

Which it seemed was made even worse if Max, Michael or Isabel was in the vicinity. Them being just in the next room was enough to send her into screaming fits or convulsions, which no one could understand.

 

It was only ever the three of them that did that to her though.

 

Ava never did. Ava never set off any internal alarms. She never felt the insatiable need to flee. To hide, to run when she woke and found Ava sitting next to her. And Ava was always there.

 

Sitting near Kyle, always touching him.

 

She hated that more than anything. Hated that every time she opened her eyes in that other world Ava was there. Leaning into Kyle, touching Kyle. Kissing Kyle. Holding Kyle. Very obviously with Kyle.

 

Her mind knew that she had no claim on him in that other world. But her heart didn’t understand the difference and protested the fact that her love sat there with the girl that looked so much like the one that betrayed them and reciprocated her feelings freely. Touching, kissing, holding her back.

 

She thought that he must have cared about her some. That he must still have some tiny shred of feeling for her. She had thought they had at the very least started becoming friends again before the shooting. But when she looked into his eyes couldn’t see that. All she could see was his confusion.

 

He didn’t understand.

 

Didn’t understand why his presence was the only one that calmed her when it should have been Max by her side. But Max’s presence caused her to convulse, caused panic attacks like they had never seen before so Max stayed away and Kyle remained by her side. Not wanting to let another friend go. Not wanting to watch another friend die. Hoping that his presence would be the key to pulling her back to their world, knowing deep down that it wasn’t working.

 

Nothing was working and Ava had finally told him why.

 

She had heard him crying one night when she was pulled back.

 

The sound of tears disturbed her rest. Her face forming a frown she could hear someone shaking, dimly she could hear Ava talking quietly.

 

When she was finally able to force her eyes open she saw Kyle huddled in Ava’s arms. A bolt of betrayal shot through her heart before she could stop it. Before she could remind herself that this wasn’t her Kyle. This would never be her Kyle she reminded herself. But the pain remained.

 

Her eyes met Ava’s over Kyle’s head. She didn’t know what Ava saw in her eyes that caused her to remove herself from Kyle’s grip. She whispered something in Kyle’s ear before she stood. Touching his hair gently before she pressed a soft kiss to his still bowed head.

 

She moved quietly to Liz’s bedside, touching her arm gently to gain her attention. She stroked the skin lightly hoping to soothe as they stared at each other.

 

“You need ta come back Liz,” she whispered her eyes filled with tears.

 

Liz looked away not able to continue looking at the panic there.

 

“You’re destroyin’ this world…”

 

“How…?” Liz asked softly staring out the window. She didn’t struggle within her restraints. Knowing that it would do no good. They wouldn’t remove them after what had happened last time she was free. She had almost made it to the window when Kyle had tackled her. Knocked her out.

 

“Ah can see what they can’t,” Ava said softly. “The possibilities. Ah haven’t told them what ya did… well except for Kyle,” she smiled up at the young man that had moved to stand next to her.

 

“I’m sorry,” Liz whispered, a lone tear streaking down her cheek.

 

“Ya can still save this world. Can still come back,” Ava said hopefully. “Tell me what ya changed. If ya do that than ah…”

 

“I can’t,” Liz murmured. “I can’t.”

 

She had woke after that. Woke still hearing Ava’s soft sob when she realized that Liz was choosing to try and continue the timeline she had jumpstarted.  After that they had resorted to different tactics. Every night was now filled with her friends. Both human and alien in her room trying their best to convince her to come back. Trying to coax out what she had changed in order to leave them in hopes that it was something they could change back.

 

Much in the same way Future Max had annihilated his future when he had come back and begged her to help him she was annihilating hers.

 

She couldn’t figure out why her original time line hadn’t already been destroyed. She’d made it perfectly clear that Max had no chance with her. If the line still existed did that mean that at some point in the future she would weaken and end up with Max? Leave Kyle for him?

 

She didn’t know. Things were going fantastically with Kyle. She could think of no reason of why she would leave him. No reason for why she would end up with Max. So why was the other line still there? Why was it still able to pull her back in her dreams and force her to live in it?

 

“Liz honey why aren’t you in bed?” her mother leaned her head out the window.

 

“Wasn’t tired yet,” Liz said softly. You’re a chicken, her mind screamed at her. You just don’t want to fall asleep and end up in the other world only to never return to this one.

 

“Well mornings going to come early… get ready for bed sweetie,” her mother said gently pulling her head back through the window.

 

“Yes mom,” Liz whispered. Closing her eyes she reopened them and stared back at the stars one more time.

 

******************************************************************************

 

Thirty minutes later she lay in her darkened bedroom. Staring at the ceiling she chanted her mantra no dreams, no dreams over and over in her mind. She knew it would work. Every night now once she fell asleep she was pulled against her will back into the other line where her friends interrogated her searching for information on how to save themselves.

 

Tapping her foot gently she sighed and turned onto her side. Her eyes momentarily coming to rest on the framed picture of her and Kyle, laughing on the beach in Florida. Extending a hand she traced his beloved face with a fingertip.

 

She had him in this line. He loved her, she loved him. Without reservations or alien influence. When she looked into his eyes she saw all his love and devotion illuminated there. Her parents adored him, her friends liked him and he liked her friends. Although Maria and him had almost come to blows over his plans for her for Valentine’s day. Which she wasn’t supposed to know about.

 

But once she fell asleep. Once she closed her eyes and entered that line that she continued to hope was just scant days from disappearing into nothingness he ceased to be hers. When she looked into his eyes in that line there was no love, no devotion. No plans for her for Valentine’s day. Except for what to do with her while he and Ava went out. In that line she had given him up. Voluntarily. For a few short months of happiness with Max. And years of misery. Years of chasing a dream.

   ******************************************************************************

 

She stretched languorously as she woke. Rubbing at her eyes she yawned wondering where the aches in her body had come from. Turning on her side she snuggled deeper into her pillow desperate to hold onto the last vestiges of sleep. She was mildly surprised that she had not woken from another dream from the other line… maybe it had faded into non existence while she was going through her normal day to day routine.

 

The mumbling voices caught her attention first. The voices sounding agitated as the argued quietly were in the same room as her. Her body stiffening in alarm she clenched a fist as she sought to focus on the words being spoken.

 

“We can’t stay here… they’ll find us within days,” Kyle muttered. She heard him move across the room and turned on her side once more, her eyes opening a crack she could see him standing at the window opening the curtain the crack to survey the outside.

 

They were in an unfamiliar room. One she had never before woken in.

 

“And where do you propose we go?!” Maria snarled waving her hands in the air. “Liz is barely conscious for any length of time, your dads truck is done for, our families are dead or worse… So what do you propose we do oh masterful one?!”

 

“So what? You just want to hang around here until one of them finds us? You saw what they did to my dad… he barely managed to slow them down enough for us to get away,” Kyle snapped back the last vestiges of his control gone. Buddha be damned he wasn’t going to wait around for death. He was going to fight for survival with the last bit of his strength.

 

“What,” Liz cleared her throat as her voice came out scratchy, barely even garnering their attention. “What’s going on?” she asked tiredly.

 

Kyle ran a hand through his hair exchanging a look with Maria. Maybe it was best that Liz didn’t remember the last couple of days.

 

“What do you remember?” Maria asked softly sitting on the bed next to her. Smoothing the hair out of her best friends’ face her expression was a schooled study in blankness.

 

“Remember about what?”

 

“Do you remember anything about the last couple of days?” Kyle kneeled by the bed, touching her hand softly he waited for her to link their fingers together.

 

“No,” she closed her eyes for a moment. “It’s always the same anyway, everyone asking the same questions.”

 

“You don’t remember anything after that?”

 

“No,” Liz stared into his eyes. Eyes that she remembered so well shining down at her with love, right now they shined with fear. “What’s happened?” she asked as the first tiny tendril of that same fear wove itself through her body. When Maria and Kyle both looked away she tightened her grip on Kyle’s hand drawing his attention back.  “What’s happened?”

 

Maria drew a deep breath exchanging another look with Kyle before she stood walking to the window. Her back to them Liz saw her small form begin shaking. Her sobs quiet they still reached them through the silence of the room. Through the rapidly beating sound of her heart.

 

Kyle stroked their joined hands with his fingers his eyes finally raising to meet hers.

 

“Kyle what happened?” she asked softly reading anger there now.

 

“Ava,” he said softly wincing as her fingers clenched his tightly. “Ava happened.”

 

“What did she do?”

 

“She betrayed us,” Maria said from the window. She never turned her back to them she stared unseeing out at the parking lot that contained the battered vehicle that had gotten them this far. “She… I don’t know how she did it, she mindwarped the others. Max, Isabel, Michael into thinking we were skins, into thinking we were betraying them… They…” her body shook as new sobs rose through her unable to finish Kyle spoke softly.

 

“They tried to kill us. Isabel came after me, Michael went after Maria. We… we did what we had to,” Kyle closed his eyes as the scenes played through his mind once more.

 

Of returning home from sitting with Liz and finding Isabel over his fathers still form, his father dead on the floor shot by his own gun. The same gun that Isabel had clenched tightly in her hand as she stood over him her face distorted in its anger. He had hit her over the head with a frying pan, tied her up, tried to resuscitate his father to no avail. Finally he had grabbed his fathers’ keys and went after Maria.

 

If Isabel had attacked him and his dad… there was a very real possibility that someone was attacking Maria and her mother as he stood there doing nothing.

 

And he had been right. When he’d entered the DeLuca residence he had found Amy dead in the kitchen, strangled by what looked like a telephone line and Michael holding Maria up against the wall. Maria struggling against him as she gasped for air that Michael’s fingers around her throat wouldn’t allow for. Kyle had struck him in the back of the head with his fathers’ gun and stared down at his fallen body as Maria stared at him in shock.

 

“I was so scared,” Maria cried quietly she turned back to the bed, tears streaming down her face. “Michael… my Michael tried to kill me, kept telling me that I had betrayed him for the last time.”

 

“Maria and I tied him up and went to you. When we got there…”

 

“We found you on the bed, Max holding a pillow over your face as Ava watched… God,” Kyle ran a hand over his face. “The look on her face…”

 

“We took them by surprise,” Maria said softly. “I think Max is dead but we can’t be sure… we just grabbed you off that bed and ran.”

 

“Where are we?” Liz asked staring up at them.

 

“We’re in Washington… we were trying to get into Canada, get lost in the mountains or something before they found us but dad’s truck…” Kyle shook his head ruefully. “It’s dead. And in your condition I don’t think we’re going to get very far on foot. I can’t carry you for very long and Maria can’t at all.”

 

“We’re sitting ducks for them,” Maria muttered. “They’ll find us and kill us. And there isn’t a damn thing we can do about it.”

 

“What if there was?”

 

******************************************************************************

 

Liz hunkered down deeper into the brush surrounding her. She was exhausted. Her entire body fairly ached with the need to just lay down and sleep. But she knew she couldn’t. As much as she wanted to be back in the other line. To be getting ready for school. To spend time with her friends, with Kyle. She couldn’t.

 

She couldn’t leave them here to deal with this by themselves. So she had popped some No-Doze, guzzled some Mountain Dew, had the shakes for about an hour and now had some much energy that she didn’t know how she was staying as still as she was. She could feel her hands shaking with energy at her side and tried to remain focused on the mission.

 

She could sense Kyle off to the left of her. Maria still in the car hidden by trees a few yards back. She didn’t know why she hadn’t taken Kyle up on his offer to wait with Maria until Eddie arrived. Maybe in some previous life she’d liked having shrubs coming out her ears. But she just had some horrible feeling that if she wasn’t there to meet the young Indian that something would go horribly wrong.

 

And she hadn’t been far wrong.

 

Just moments after their arrival at the nearly deserted rest stop a black jeep had arrived. Max and Ava spilling out to search the surrounding area.

 

She could feel Kyle shaking from where he was hidden and was glad that she had no recollection of their attempt to kill her. It was bad enough that her friends had to deal with it, she didn’t think that she could go back to the other line and be able to look at the three with the same eyes.

 

“You’re sure the Indian was heading in this direction?” she heard Ava ask. Liz was surprised at the articulation of her voice. Gone was the Brooklyn street accent that had so recently colored her voice. In its place a coldness that only reminded her of Tess near the end. Liz shook her head to banish that thought. Tess was gone. But maybe there was more to Ava than what they had all originally thought.

 

Maybe she more like her ‘sister’ than they had ever imagined.

 

“I’m positive… if you hadn’t lost sight of his car we would have caught him before he got to the others,” Max muttered dragging his hands through his hair his eyes actively scanned the tree line. “Besides I can feel them here, my Liz and Kyle. They’re close.”

 

“Well I don’t think they’re hanging out at a rest stop,” Ava laughed harshly her eyes cold and unfeeling at the mention of Liz’s name on Max’s tongue. “We’ll check the hotels in the area.”

 

“Yeah,” Max said absently. He turned suddenly confused eyes on Ava. “Why would they do that?” he asked in pitiful little boy voice that had Liz fighting the urge to glance over at Kyle. She could feel his entire body on edge ready to leap up.

 

“Do what Max?” Ava asked soothingly laying her hand on Max’s shoulder. Squeezing it softly as she stared up into his eyes the confusion suddenly vanishing, She was mindwarping him Liz suddenly realized, her gasp escaping despite herself she was relieved when the sound was drowned out by another car pulling into the rest stop.

 

How had that happened? How did Ava have the same abilities that Tess’d had? “They’re not human, they’re just skins that were exiled here with the others. Who knows what Khivar offered them to betray us… we’re just lucky we found out before they succeeded.”

 

“Liz was in a coma how could she…?” Max shook his head as confusion reappeared, Ava frowned at him and squeezed his shoulder tighter, Max gasping in pain before the confusion vanished.

 

“Liz was probably in contact with Khivar the entire time… passing instructions to the others when we weren’t there... Remember she only wanted Kyle and Maria in the room with her. They had plenty of time to plan what they were going to do.”

 

“I guess,” Max shook his head. “But you were there…”

 

“Not always,” Ava patted his shoulder as the last of the confusion faded from his face, an ugly sneer replacing it.

 

“We need to find them before the Indian gets to them,” he muttered looking up as Michael and Isabel joined them.

 

“Anything?” Isabel asked her hand linked firmly with Michael’s. Liz was suddenly glad that Maria was safely ensconced in their new acquired vehicle. She didn’t need to see one of her worst fears realized.

 

“They’re close,” Max said shortly exchanging a look with Michael. “We’ll split up check the hotels, motels on the interstate.”

 

Michael and Isabel nodded turning to move back to their vehicle. Ava turned scanning the tree line as she walked towards the black jeep that they had arrived in she missed seeing the ugly sneer fade from Max’s face to be replaced by something akin to desperation. Missing Michael and Isabel turning back to Max a silent look of understanding passed between the three aliens, Max nodding once at the silent query in Michael’s eyes before the ugly sneer returned and he turned on his heel to join Ava.

 

“Remember we need Liz alive… Kyle to if possible,” Ava called before she climbed into the jeep.

 

Michael and Isabel both nodded, standing silently as they watched Max slide into the drivers’ side. They showed no emotion on their faces at the orders that conflicted the ones they must have had previously and they only began moving towards their car when the jeep pulled out of the rest stop. As soon as the jeep was out of view their hands separated, Isabel stared down at her feet as Michael walked to their car, opening the back door Liz watched in shock as Eddie climbed out of the back seat.

 

She strained but couldn’t make out the quiet words spoken between the two men before Michael shook his hand and turned way. He took his place once more behind the steering wheel waiting for Isabel to join him. Once she had, seat belting herself tightly into the car Michael exchanged one last look with Eddie than started the car and drove out of the rest stop.

 

Eddie watched after the car before turning to the tree lines that both Max and Ava had searched prior.

 

“Liz… Kyle… you can come out,” he called softly.

 

Liz exchanged a brief glance with Kyle before she stood moving out from her hiding place.

 

“Eddie,” she said softly her eyes moving to the darkened parking lot. No lights were visible from the two vehicles that had so recently departed but it didn’t escape her notice that this could all be some elaborate trap to capture the three of them.

 

“It’s okay, they’re semi lucid when Tess is not concentrating on them. Right now it’s taking most of her powers to keep Max under her control.”

 

Liz stared at him in confusion before shaking her head. “Tess is gone Eddie, that’s Ava.”

 

“I wish,” Eddie sighed glancing behind him. “We need to get out of here. We probably only have a couple more minutes before her powers will reassert themselves over Michael and Isabel and then we’ll all be in danger.”

 

“Wait,” Liz held up a hand. “Wait just a minute… Tess is gone, we saw her leave,” she waved her hand at Eddie. “She used the all purpose Granilith to go home with Max’s unborn child.”

 

“I’ll explain everything as soon as we’re out of here,” Eddie said abruptly, grabbing her arm he pulled her back from the direction she had come. Kyle moving out of his hiding spot to confront him, taking exception to the way that Liz was being manhandled by a man they had considered an ally. “Look guys… we don’t have time for a big confrontation. Not if we all want to stay alive.”

 

“All right,” Liz said softly her eyes meeting Kyle’s momentarily before they focused on Eddie. “But once we’re out of here… the whole story.”

 

“Deal.”

 

******************************************************************************

 

Liz rested her head against the back seat, turning her head slowly she saw Maria staring out the window a blank expression on her face. Her tears, like the others had long since ceased to fall. Now the four were consumed by the desire to get to safety.

 

“How did you know?” Liz asked softly, Eddie turned slightly in the passenger seat to face her.

 

“What’d ya mean?”

 

“How did you know that Tess was masquerading as Ava?”

 

“I’m not sure… I saw her at the Crashdown before… you know before everything happened. And something seemed off, it’s like she was covered by a shadow or something. I wasn’t sure what it meant until I heard what had happened. When I got your call I meant to come right away but I got waylaid…” Eddie looked away. His eyes closing as he looked out the front window.

 

“You got waylaid by Michael and Isabel,” Maria said softly. “Right?”

 

Eddie turned, studying her he was satisfied by what he saw in her eyes and nodded. “Yes… they had broken free of Tess’ control and knew that you three wouldn’t accept their help, but they could get me to you safely… Tess was hunting me by then. Somehow she knew that you had contacted me, I just narrowly missed being caught by her, Isabel and Michael hid me… I’m sure that won’t happen again.”

 

“I thought she was pregnant, that her whole point to coming with Roswell was to get pregnant with Max’s child,” Liz said quietly.

 

“There was no child, I don’t know how she did it but she was never pregnant,” Eddie shrugged. “From what I can gather from what Kyle and Maria have said and what Michael and Isabel told me she was sent back to bring the three back with her. Khivar has supplied her with the means to accomplish that, but she also had orders to destroy everyone who knew their secret.”

 

“Hence the attempt to kill us,” Kyle muttered sarcastically.

 

“Exactly… but now Khivar knows that Liz has done something to this world, that things are happening that shouldn’t and instead they want to capture her,” Eddie glanced over to where Kyle was frowning. “And you to find out exactly what.”

 

“Why Kyle? He doesn’t have anything to do with this,” Liz leaned forward resting her hands on the back of Kyle’s seat.

 

“No but Khivar somehow knows that whatever you’ve done has affected him as well as you. Besides I think he wants to study the both of you. Max healed you both and you both exhibit powers similar to those of the aliens. That’s never happened before.”

 

“Great so now we’re nothing more than guinea pigs to them,” Kyle shook his head angrily.

 

“I think that’s all we’ve ever been to them,” Liz said leaning back into her seat. Looking out the window she noted absently that the sun was beginning to come up. She wondered what would happen to her other self if she didn’t fall asleep and resume her role in that world.

 

Would the world continue to move along? Would she get up and go to school without the consciousness that now inhabited her former body.

 

Liz pressed a hand to her forehead gasping as she felt a sharp twinge in her abdomen. Her hand moved to her stomach hesitantly. Almost afraid to touch her own skin. As she pressed her fingers against her skin her eyes met Kyle’s in the mirror, drawing them away her face paled as she saw blood on her fingertips.

 

Kyle’s eyes widened, the car swerving as he slammed on the brakes.

 

“Oh my god,” Maria murmured, unfastening her seatbelt she slid across the seat, lifting the hem of Liz’s shirt as the two young men turned in their seats to face them. Maria touched the red angry wound gently, Liz gasping in pain. “Liz when did this happen?”

 

“I don’t know.”

 

******************************************************************************

 

Nancy knocked gently on her daughters door. “Liz honey are you getting up? You’re going to be late for school.”

 

Waiting for a moment, parental concern warring with impatience because she had known that Liz’s late night would affect her morning habits she finally pushed the door open.

 

“Liz? Honey it’s time to get up,” Nancy crossed the room, pushing the curtains open she noted absently that Liz had left her window open. Wrinkling her nose at a strange order in the air she turned to the bed where her daughter still lay under the covers.

 

“Liz?” she moved to her bedside. Deciding to be the parent and take charge she flung back the comforter covering her daughters still form. “It’s time to get up,” she stated harshly. Leaning down she went to shake her daughter awake. Her hand hovering over Liz’s shoulder her mind blanked, tremors shaking her form as she finally took in Liz’s pale complexion, the stain on her daughters sheets.

 

Oh my god, oh my god… Not my baby, not again.

 

Nancy backed away from the bed shaking her head in denial. No, no, no, no she screamed inwardly.

 

“Jeff!!!” she screamed, her voice shaking the windows, collapsing to her knees as her eyes remained focused on her daughters unmoving form, the blood staining her sheets. “Jeff!!!!”

 

******************************************************************************

 

Liz winced once more, crossing her arms over her stomach as she moaned softly. She felt warm tears leaking from her eyes and then a soothing touch on her cheek.

Opening her eyes she found Kyle kneeling next to the bed, a wash cloth in one hand his face a picture of concern.

“How do you feel?” he asked softly pressing the cool cloth to her forehead.

“Numb,” Liz whispered.

“The pain?”

“Comes and goes…” Liz glanced around the room, taking in the typical motel décor. “Where are we?”

“We stopped when you passed out,” Kyle rose to his feet, looking around the room helplessly. “Eddie and Maria went to try and get some supplies.” With a sigh he pulled the desk chair over beside the bed. “They’ve been gone two hours…”

“Do you think…?”

“I’m trying to keep a positive outlook… maybe they just got trapped by a talkative sales clerk, or maybe they saw the others and are trying to lay low until they pass. But…”

“They’ll be okay,” Liz stated in what she had hoped would be a comforting voice but instead came out as a breathless grunt as another lance of pain drove itself through her stomach. Closing her eyes she breathed shallowly, surprised when Kyle laced his fingers together with hers.

“How did this happen Liz?” he asked softly leaning forward so that their faces were mere inches apart.

“I don’t know… I think… I think the walls between the two lines,” Liz grinned at the blank expression on Kyle’s face. “I think the walls are breaking down, the two lines are either trying to merge or trying to drive each other into non-existence.”

“So Ava… Tess wasn’t lying about that,” Kyle muttered. “You’ve really been traveling between two worlds?”

“Not quite…everything there is similar to here, just a few… changes have been made.”

“Like an alternate reality?”

“Yeah…” Liz nodded gasping a clenching Kyle’s hand reflexively as more pain gathered.

“How did that happen? Actually when did it happen?”

“The shooting, the second one… it was all so sudden,” Liz panted shallow breaths as her body relaxed once more.

“Sudden?”

“Well one minute I was arguing with Michael and Maria over canceling my plans with you… you know our movie non-date thing… then I was shot, then I was talking to Maria, a short haired Maria, talking about you and then I was shot again.”

“Wait a minute,” Kyle leaned back in his chair a stunned expression on his face as he defensively tried to pull his hand away. “You’re reliving that again, the whole Max Evans saved you… god even in an alternate reality I can’t get a break. What is it with that guy?!”

“Max didn’t save me,” Liz whispered. “I stopped him.” She stared at him, clutching his hand tightly against his attempts to pull away.

“What?” Kyle leaned forward his face a picture of confusion once more. “You stopped him? But… but Ava, Tess she said that you were alive in the other one. How…”

“Max and Maria kept me alive until the ambulance came; I was in a coma for a long time. You, Maria, Alex you guys sat by my bedside until I came out of it. You guys were totally supportive, actually became friends, you know except when Maria tries to foist vitamins on you,” Liz rubbed the back of his hand with her fingers, smiling at his gaping facial expressions. “You went to Florida with me when my grandmother died…”

“We’re… we’re still together?”

“Yes…”

“You didn’t break up with me because of Max.”

“No.”

“Maria, Alex and I are friends.”

“Yes… We do the movies on Friday and Saturdays, you and Alex play basketball after school.”

“I… oh my god…”

“Kyle are you okay?” Liz peered at him in confusion. She thought the news that in one line they were still happy and together, well would make him happy. Instead he appeared to be going catatonic on her. “Kyle,” she squeezed his hand tightly in an attempt to regain his attention.

“We’re together.”

“Yes, we’re together… But I can, you know break up with you if it’s all to traumatic for you,” she joked lightly.

“No!” his eyes widened at his loud outburst, clearing his throat he glanced down at their joined hands. “I mean no… it’s just, I used to have dreams about the two of us still being together. I… well I never thought that it would actually happen. Ever.”

“Well I’m glad I could bring some brightness to your day.”

“Are we happy?”

“Yes.”

“And Evans?”

“Not in the picture unless you count his impersonation of a stalker.”

“What!?”

“Well when he went to heal me, when I stopped him I told him not to… So now he and the others are…”

“Suspicious of you,” Kyle finished. “What have they done?”

“What are you going to leap lines and beat him up?” Liz grinned at his over protectiveness.

“I’ve given it some thought. Why can’t he just leave you alone?”

“Because he thinks I know something… They, you didn’t know them back then but they were suspicious of everyone who even hinted at knowing their secret… Once I get them some information about their origins and stuff I’m done.”

“You’re helping them?” Kyle blinked at her in surprise. “Why?”

“Well don’t they deserve to know where they came from?”

“Um… no… Liz have you totally forgotten everything that happened after your shooting? I mean do you really think that if they think you know something that they’re going to let you go?”

“It’s not like I’m walking up to them and handing them the information. I’m doing it as discreetly as possible.”

“Do you really think that’s going to make a difference?”

“So what? You think I should just let them fumble through everything on their own?” Liz frowned at him. “There’s stuff they need to know… like not to trust Tess and Nasedo, like the cave where their pods were, like where the granolith is….”

“And I’m sure they’ll stumble on that information even without you spoon feeding it to them.”

“I guess… but…”

“Do you want to see us go through that again? Maria and you being miserable because of Michael and Max, Alex dying at Tess’ hands, me being made a fool of by her… because I can pretty much guarantee that even in another line I wouldn’t want that.”

Liz stared up into his earnest eyes. Eyes that were desperately trying to get her to see his side of things. “I don’t want to see my dad die again… Not by Isabel’s hands, I don’t think Maria wants to watch Amy die, to see Michael try to kill her…”

“So what do I do? Just walk away, not show them anything?”

“That’s what I would do… but it’s your call Liz, you have to do what you think is right.”

“I’m sorry Kyle…” she whispered.

“Sorry? Sorry for what?” his face took on the confused look, and for a moment he misunderstood. Thought that she was going to continue helping the aliens. “Liz they’ve done nothing to deserve this loyalty you show them.”

“I know,” she smiled gently at him. “You, Maria, Alex you guys have though… I don’t want to see you guys get hurt again.”

“Then why are you apologizing?”

“I’m sorry I hurt you, that I was blinded by Max Evans in the first place… All this time, we could have been together, we could have been happy.”

“Unfortunately you still would have been tied to us,” the voice from the door shocked them. Kyle dropped Liz’s hand and leapt to his feet, taking a defensive stance as Liz tried to push herself into a sitting position.

“Tess,” she gasped.

“Take them,” she ordered. Michael and Isabel moved forward, Michael knocking him out with a small handgun when he attempted to struggle.

“You don’t have to do this,” Liz said breathlessly as the pain lanced through her body once more.

“You see but I do,” Tess sneered as she watched Michael and Isabel drag Kyle out of the room. “We have this world, it’s ours for the taking unfortunately your little games means that it’s all for naught.”

“So why are you doing this?”

“Haven’t you figured it out yet Liz?” Tess stared down at her, Max standing slightly behind her a blank expression on his face. Tess kneeled by the bed, reaching out one hand she stroked Liz’s face gently, Liz trying to shrink back into the pillows to avoid her touch. “I mean you are supposed to be so smart.”

“Just tell me,” Liz snarled.

“Well it’s like this…If I kill you here, before you have a chance to get back there you die in both worlds. How’s that for irony.”

“I thought Khivar wanted me alive,” Liz said desperately. “I don’t think…”

“Khivar’s a fool, he thinks that he can get you to undo what you’ve done and still have his doctors study you,” Tess laughed bitterly. “He doesn’t realize that the only way to undo what you’ve done is to kill you, I’ll be a hero once he realizes that.”

“You can’t do this.”

“I already have,” Tess smiled thinly. “You’re a dead woman Liz Parker you just haven’t realized it yet.”

******************************************************************************

 

Awareness came rushing back to Kyle in a crashing wave. His eyes popped open and he groaned when he felt the pain spear through his skull.

 

Stilling his movements he took stock of his various aches and pains and tried to remember exactly how he had managed to get himself locked in a dark room with… he glanced down at the head lying across his stomach…

 

“Maria?” he gasped sitting suddenly spilling his friend away from his body.

 

“Hey!” Maria snapped as she was dislodged from her warm resting-place. “Kyle?”

 

“Yeah,” he muttered pressing a hand to his forehead. “Where are we?”

 

“No idea,” she said glancing around the room. “Better question where are Liz and Eddie?”

 

“Maybe they got away,” he offered pushing himself to his feet. As he swayed on his feet his vision blurring he used the wall to balance himself.

 

“Oh come on, we’re locked in a dark room after being attacked by our alien buddies… do you really think that we would be lucky enough to have Liz and Eddie escape?”

 

“Probably not,” Kyle murmured, steady on his feet once more he slowly walked to the door ignoring the pain that shot through his skull at each step. Balancing himself against the door he ignored the rising nausea and peered out the small window looking for some small indication of where they were being confined.

 

“What do you see?” Maria asked from behind him, standing on her tiptoes she could just barely see out the window over his shoulder.

 

“Absolutely nothing… what do you remember?”

 

“We were grabbed on our way back to the car… Eddie said he had a bad feeling about all of us separating before we made it over the border but…” Maria trailed off clutching at Kyle’s shoulders as the door to their room opened.

 

Kyle took a step back, holding his arms up in a defensive stance as he squinted trying to make out the form standing in the doorway.

 

“Michael,” he hissed.

 

Michael’s hollow eyes studied them, the expression of sorrow deepening across his face as he watched Maria step back defensively from him. Fear on her face. Fear of him. Kyle could almost see his resolve harden and his features blanked. “We don’t have much time… we need to go now.”

 

******************************************************************************

 

“What do you think?” Liz heard Max ask quietly. She turned her head in the direction his voice had come from and frowned as she saw two of him. Shaking her head slightly in an effort to clear her vision she blinked at him.

 

“Michael should have Kyle and Maria out by now…”

 

“That’s not what I’m asking… we can’t just leave Liz and Eddie here,” Max and his twin stared down at her. A hand tracing the curve of her cheek he glanced across the bed at his two sisters.

 

“If Tess comes back and finds them missing…” the two Isabel’s shook their heads.

 

“Wha… what’s going on?” Liz croaked, her voice scratchy she flinched when Max leaned down to her. His lips pressing against her ear.

 

“You’re going to be okay Liz,” he said gently.

 

“How…?” she looked up at him with what she hoped what her ‘what the hell is going on’ look and not her pitiful ‘save me’ look.

 

“When Tess is communicating with Khivar we can break free of her warp… but the minute she’s back it all disappears again,” Isabel paced by the bed. “We’ve been waiting for you to regain consciousness before we tried to get you out of here.”

 

“I was unconscious?” Liz frowned once more. “Why didn’t…?”

 

“Why didn’t you go wake up in the other line?” Max asked softly, he exchanged a look that screamed ‘problem’ with Isabel before he took her hand within his.

 

“Yeah…”

 

“We’re not sure. We think…” Isabel walked away from the bed crossing her arms over her chest, turning back she exchanged a look with Max. “Well…”

 

“Just tell me.”

 

“We think something happened to you in the other line. Your wound,” she motioned to Liz’s stomach. “It’s not from anything here, we couldn’t find any sign that you were injured except for that.”

 

“Then how do I have a big hole in my stomach?” Liz asked softly.

“As I said, we think something happened in the other line, we think you were hurt or attacked and the wound is bleeding over to this line.”

 

“No,” Liz shook her head in denial. “That’s not possible… I was in bed, asleep…”

 

“We don’t know how it happened,” Max narrowed his eyes at his sister. “We think either Tess or Nasedo did it…”

 

“They’re not even in Roswell,” Liz cut him off trying to sit up in the bed, pushing at Max’s restraining hand as he held her down.

 

“Tess… our Tess has found a way to communicate with them, through the lines… we think one of them attacked you.”

 

“Your trying to tell me that Tess or Nasedo broke into my room while I was sleeping, stabbed me and I didn’t wake up?” Liz shook her head. “That’s not possible.”

 

“You were here, awake… Besides what you’re doing is impossible,” Isabel glared at her. “Traveling between two time lines while you’re sleeping… that shouldn’t be possible but it is…”

 

“Isabel,” Max snarled at his sister, his eyes narrowed as she bowed her head. He turned back to Liz his voice softening as he spoke. Reaching out he stroked her cheek with one hand ignoring the fact that she was shrinking away from his touch. “Her powers… they’ve grown somehow… We think Khivar is enhancing what she has, augmenting them somehow. It allows her to do more things than we’ve ever been able to do…”

 

“Like contacting her doppelganger in an alternate line and telling her to kill me?” Liz stated sarcastically.

 

“Yes…”

 

“Look believe us or not we need to get you out of here before she’s done or you’re not getting out of here. In fact you’ll be dead shortly thereafter…”

 

“I can’t die while I’m still conscious here,” Liz stated sitting upright shrugging off Max’s hands when he moved to assist here.

 

“We know,” Max muttered. “Michael should be getting Kyle and Maria out. One of them will have to wait until you fall asleep, let your consciousness move back to the other line and then…”

 

“And then what? You’ll have Maria or Kyle kill me here?!” Liz asked in stunned disbelief. “Do you hate him that much?” she asked Max softly.

 

“This has nothing to do with my feelings towards Kyle,” Max stated defensively. “It’s the only way to make sure…”

 

“Then have Eddie do it, or better yet one of you should do it… Don’t make Kyle or Maria, they don’t deserve that.”

 

“Does it really matter who does it?” Isabel stated angrily. “Once it’s done it’s going to destroy this line anyway.”

 

“And I don’t want the last thing that they remember to be my murder at their hands regardless of the fact that the line will disappear.”

 

“Fine,” Max sighed heavily. “I’ll get you to the rendezvous point. Isabel will go get Eddie and let him know what to do.”

 

“Good… How are you guys okay with this?”

 

“You even have to ask?” Isabel dragged her fingers through her short hair. “I don’t ever want to remember the expression on the Sheriff’s face when I killed him. Or Kyle’s when he walked into the room and found us.”

 

“It’s better this way Liz,” Max pressed his hand to the small of her back. “There will be no remnants of this line left and we’ve found a way to neutralize the Tess and Nasedo problem in the other line as well… Besides it’ll be nice to have a fresh start.”

 

Liz nodded, she did understand. Although she didn’t understand why they would want to put Maria and Kyle in the same position that they were currently in.

 

Murders of a loved one at their hands. “You’re going to erase all traces of this line in the other one… aren’t you?”

 

“Yes… It’s best this way Liz,” Max said softly. The expression on his face the only sign that he thought she would argue with him.

 

“How?”

 

“It’s better if you don’t know.”

 

Liz just stared at him, “Fine… Where do we meet the others?”

 

“There’s a place nearby…” Max said softly. Nodding at Isabel they watched her move quickly out of the room, on her way Liz hoped to collect Eddie. Liz followed ignoring the press of Max’s hand at her back, the pain in her abdomen.

 

******************************************************************************

 

“Where are they?” Kyle paced glaring at Michael who hadn’t taken his eyes off Maria since they had made it to this small wooded area. He didn’t completely trust Michael. Didn’t trust him not to have brought the two of them out here to kill them. But unfortunately they didn’t have much of a choice.

 

For her part Maria sat on the back bumper of the car they had arrived in. Studiously avoiding Michael’s stare she instead stared at her hands. Every so often picking at her nails.

 

“They’ll be here,” Michael raked his fingers through his hair his sigh almost imperceptible. “Just relax.”

 

“Relax,” Kyle snorted as he glared at the other man. “Yeah sure… I’ll get right on that.”

 

Michael’s eyes narrowed as he saw the tiny smile light Maria’s face at Kyle’s response.

 

How the hell had things gotten this screwed up? How had they managed to go from friends to enemies in such a short time?

 

Tess. He growled low in his throat as her face flashed through his mind. The expression of triumph on her face when she had revealed herself to them. Gloating about her power over them. Gloating over the fact that she could force them to do her bidding.

 

Could force them to kill people they cared about. People they loved.

 

The image of Tess was replaced by the one of Maria. Of Amy. Amy’s body on the floor, the stark terror on Maria’s face as he turned to her. Cornering her in her own home. He could still feel the desperate way she’d struggled. His hand rose to his face, she’d gotten a good right punch at him, before he’d managed to pin her to the wall, hands around her throat… fingers constricting cutting off her air supply.

 

The only thing that had saved her, that had saved him was the inner war that he was waging against the control that Tess was exhibiting over him. It had bought enough time that Kyle had arrived, knocking him unconscious. Fleeing with Liz and Maria.

 

Closing his eyes he turned away. Blocking the thoughts, the images running rampant through his head. Trying to find something, anything else to turn his attention to other than his girl ignoring him, being scared of him.

 

Clenching his hands into fists at his side he stiffened when he heard the sound of a approaching car, only relaxing when he recognized Eddie’s presence in the front passenger seat.

 

“They’re here,” he said quietly as the car stopped near them.

 

Kyle moved up next to him. Just out of reach he warily watched Isabel climb out of the drivers side frowning when he saw Max in the backseat with Liz.

 

“Are they alone?” he asked as Maria came to stand on his other side. Hand on his arm she also waited warily.

 

“Yeah… no sign of Tess, can’t feel her either,” Michael shook his head as Max exited the car, extending his hand back in he helped Liz slide across the seat, hand at her waist as he helped her stand. “She must still be talking with Khivar.”

 

“How do you feel?” Maria asked softly as Liz approached. Kyle was momentarily gratified to see her shrug off Max’s helping hand before reminding himself that he didn’t care about her in that way anymore.

 

“I’m okay,” Liz said softly, her pale face and trembling belying her words. She shot a glance back to where Isabel was leaning against the car gnawing on her bottom lip as her eyes narrowed.  Eddie moved up to her side, sliding his arm around her waist he supported her when she began to sway on her feet. She winced in pain before leaning heavily against him. Letting him support her weight. A quick glance at Maria had her rushing to Liz’s other side. Between the two of them they urged her forward to the car that Michael had insisted they take.  Kyle glanced with questioning eyes at Max.

 

“The painkillers that Tess was feeding her are wearing off. She wouldn’t let us give her another dose, said she needed to be semi-lucid for what was going to happen.”

 

Kyle nodded as he turned to watch his friends climbing into the car. Leaving the drivers side open for him.

 

They would dump the car and find another mode of transportation as soon as they could.

 

“We should go,” he murmured to Kyle as they passed brows raising as in silent query.

 

Kyle nodded turning on his heel to follow them, stopped only by Max’s hand on his shoulder. “Need something?” he asked shaking off the hand stopping him.

 

“Take care of her,” Max said quietly. Kyle turned slowly back to him, his eyes studying Max’s. Seeing for the first time in a long while and for one brief moment understanding the pain that Max and the others were experiencing.

 

In the other line, the one that they would end up in things were vastly different.

 

Max wasn’t with Liz. Michael wasn’t with Maria and if Liz was right Alex was alive and not with Isabel. His father was still alive, as was Maria’s mom and the four of them, the humans were friends. But not friends with the aliens.

 

Max had never healed Liz. He had no connection with her and Liz had never left him.

 

“I’ll always take care of her,” Kyle said softly. Max nodded tears glistening in his eyes as he looked past Kyle his eyes meeting Liz’s. Kyle turned to meet her eyes and saw her smile wistfully at Max. If things had only been different… if there had been no Tess, no Kyle, no aliens things might have worked out between them.

 

Max nodded once before turning on his heel and rejoining his sister and Michael.

 

Kyle’s eyes remained locked on Liz’s. Not moving when he heard the aliens car start and pull away. Liz tilted her head studying him, a full smile gracing her lips despite the pain she was in. A smile that Kyle returned as he started walking towards his future.

 

******************************************************************************

 

Kyle held Liz tightly to his chest. He’d had to carry her the last couple of feet to the cave that Eddie had indicated. Following the light that was emanating from within he discovered that Eddie had already built a small fire, a fire that Maria was already huddled next to. Hands outstretched as she tried to warm herself.

 

“I think they’re screwing with the weather now,” she muttered staring at the dancing flames.

 

Eddie snorted as he motioned for Kyle to lay Liz on the small pallet that he had constructed from their jackets. Liz gasped as she was laid down, rolling onto her side as Kyle knelt by her side, dutifully wiping away the tears that now flowed freely from her eyes.

 

She was long since past the point of stoic calmness. She no longer cared where the painkillers had been coming from. If Tess herself arrived with a syringe in her hand Liz would gladly hold out her arm for the injection just to dull the biting pain.

 

“Just a little bit longer,” Kyle heard Eddie murmur under his breath to her. He glanced questioningly at the two but all he saw was Liz’s eyes closed and Eddie busying himself making her comfortable.

 

He knew from what miniscule information that Michael had given him that this line had to end in order for the other to be stable again. How exactly that was supposed to happen he wasn’t sure, but from the way Eddie was hovering over Liz and the relaxed calm on Liz’s face despite the agony she must be experiencing he had a feeling both of them knew what to do.

 

“I’m tired,” Liz whispered, pressing a hand to her side as she sobbed quietly.

 

“I know,” Eddie soothed stroking her shoulder softly before returning to what he had been doing. Kyle squinted but was unable to make out what exactly his movements indicated in the darkness. “Just a little longer Liz. Just hold on a little longer.”

 

Eddie looked over to where Kyle was watching him, glanced at Maria by the fire before crooking his head towards the mouth of the cave they had taken refuge in. Dumping the car hours earlier they had walked on foot to this little cave. Eddie insisting that it was the safest place to do what needed to be done.

 

Kyle waited for Maria to join them before grasping Eddie’s arm. “What the hell is going on?!”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Don’t play cryptic with me,” Kyle snarled. “You keep telling Liz to hold on, not much longer… Hold onto what? Not much longer till when?”

 

“Till this world ends,” Maria said softly. She met both men’s surprised eyes casually. “What you think just because I’m a girl I don’t know what’s going on?”

 

“What do you know Maria?” Kyle asked, his voice gentling as he turned to his friend.

 

“Just what I overheard Max and Isabel talking about. They said that this line needed to end. That Liz was the catalyst and she would be the one to end it… I just don’t understand how exactly it’s going to work… I mean is this line just going to bleed into the other or what?” Maria stared at Eddie. Smiling wickedly when she saw him look away before he met their eyes again. Her smile faded as she saw the grim expression on his face.

 

“Eddie…?”

 

“They’re right,” Eddie said softly. “Liz is the catalyst. Her presence in both lines is causing them both to be unstable. Causing things to happen in this line and the other that weren’t supposed to. The only way those things can end is for one of the lines to end.”

 

“And you chose this line,” Kyle stated crossing his arms over his chest. “What about us? We just die?”

 

“No… well sort of. This line will end but you’ll still be alive in the other line.”

 

“So how does this line end?” Maria asked her voice confused as she stared at Eddie. A feeling of dread rising through her.

 

“Liz needs to die in this line,” Eddie said softly wincing as he heard the soft hurt cry emanate from Maria, the cursing from Kyle. “It’s the only way.”

 

“No!” Kyle yelled. “You can’t possibly think that we’ll let you do this… that Liz will let you do this!”

 

“Liz already knows, she’s accepted it… all she’s asked is that you and Maria not be the ones to do it, or be here when it happens.”

 

“She doesn’t want us here?” Maria asked her voice small and hurt as she seemed to fold in on herself.

 

“She doesn’t want you two to have her blood on your hands. It’s the only thing she’s asked for, and at this point it’s the only thing I can give her.”

 

Kyle closed his eyes, drawing a deep breath as he cast a glance back into the cave. He could barely make out Liz’s still form on the ground but knew that she knew they were talking about her. “What do you want us to do?” he asked quietly.

 

“Go for a walk, give me an hour,” Eddie said quietly. “If it’s not done by then it can’t be done.”

 

Kyle nodded, grabbing Maria’s arm as she went to walk back into the cave.

 

“Kyle?” she queried looking up at him.

 

“Don’t… I don’t think she’ll be able to do this if you go back there.” Maria locked eyes with him then looked down at the floor.

 

“I don’t want it to end like this,” she whispered. “She’s been my best friend forever.”

 

“And she’ll be your best friend there… We’ll just go for a walk… An hour,” Kyle said pointedly to Eddie. “If it doesn’t end we’ll be back in an hour.”

 

******************************************************************************

 

“Are they gone?” Liz asked softly rolling onto her back.

 

“Yeah,” Eddie drew his hand through his hair. Staring down at the young woman lying at his feet. Blood soaking through the T-shirt she wore despite the bandages. He couldn’t help but wonder if the wound in the other line had been a mortal one. If they were going through this entire exercise only to have Liz die in both. “Are you ready?”

 

Liz laughed harshly. “Is anybody ready to die?” her voice broke as she closed her eyes, brushing impatiently at the tears that fell.

 

“We don’t have to do this,” he whispered kneeling beside her. Liz stared up at him with bright red-rimmed eyes. It felt like she’d been crying forever. Felt like she’d been in nothing but pain forever.

 

“Yes we do,” she whispered back. “It’s the only way.”

 

“We’ll find another.”

 

“There is no other way,” Liz breathed shallowly for a moment, grimacing as she tried to shift once more. “Max said that my death here, will trigger whatever memory alteration thingamabob that is going to be done in the other line. If I don’t die here, the same events will happen… except I won’t be there.”

 

“Do you really trust him to be able to do what he said? To be able to wipe all traces of this line from the other…”

 

“We don’t have any choice,” Liz said softly. “We have to trust that it’s all in place. That Tess won’t find us before it’s done and that everything works the way it’s supposed to.”

 

Eddie nodded, taking a deep breath he leaned across her for the backpack that he had dropped there. It contained everything they would need. As he drew the needle and small glass bottle out of the bag he took a breath.

 

“Do you trust him?” he asked quietly as they both stared at the small glass bottle filled with the clear liquid that would effectively end her life. Part of him rebelled.

 

This was suicide… plain and simple and he was a part of it his conscience screamed at him.

 

But another part understood why this needed to happen. Understood that this was the only way that they could take back their lives.

 

“I have to,” she said softly. “We don’t have any other choice.”

 

Eddie nodded, trying to ignore the way Liz was shaking as he did what he needed to do. Filling the syringe with the liquid that would effectively kill her. Would let her go back to the other line that would end this one with very little fanfare.

 

“This may sting,” he said as he jabbed it into her arm. Depressing the plunger he watched with a blank expression as the liquid disappeared into Liz’s bloodstream. “It shouldn’t take long.”

 

“Thank you Eddie,” she whispered closing her eyes.

 

“For what?” he asked drawing a hand over her head, smoothing a tendril of hair that had fallen over her forehead.

 

“For not making them do this.”

 

******************************************************************************

 

“How much longer?” Maria asked absently as she drew her knees up to her chest. Huddling against the sudden cold draft. She felt tears pricking the back of her eyes and blinked them away.

 

She refused to be weak and give into the sorrow that was pounding down on her. The despair that threatened to totally overwhelm her. If Liz could be strong, if Kyle and Eddie could be strong then so could she.

 

“Twenty minutes,” Kyle muttered glancing at his watch. “Should happen anytime now.”

 

They had found a small lake as they wandered. Neither wanting to go very far from the opening of the cave they had walked for only a short distance before plopping down at the edge of the water. Sitting on companionable silence as the seconds to the end of their lives ticked slowly away.

 

Once the hour was up if nothing had changed they would need to move quickly.

 

“What do you think it’ll be like?”

 

“What do you mean?” Kyle glanced down at her, confusion etched in the lines of his face.

 

“Do you think we’ll all still be friends? I mean…” Maria stared blankly out at the still water. “I’ve never heard Liz say anything about it, but I know you two have talked…”

 

“It is a better place,” he said softly touching her back gently. “At least the way Liz describes it is… Alex is still alive so it can’t be all bad.”

 

“Alex is alive?” Maria asked in surprise.

 

“Yeah… Max… well he never healed Liz in the other line, from what she’s said she was in a coma for a long time. She never broke up with me…”

 

“So that’s why,” Maria nodded as realization dawned on her. It all made so much more sense now. That was the reason why Kyle had been the only one to soothe her from her hysterics. In her delirium moving between the worlds she confused the two. Mixing the one where she was with Kyle and happy with the one where she wasn’t and was miserable. It also explained why she had continued to draw away from the aliens. “What about Max?”

 

“He was still there,” Kyle frowned. “She’d been trying to help them get the information they needed without giving herself away… they were suspicious of her…”

 

“Well I guess it’s all moot now,” Maria laughed. “If what Max and the others are attempting to do works they won’t remember ever being suspicious of her.”

 

“I guess that’s one good thing,” Kyle sighed.

 

“My mom?”

 

“She’s still alive, both of them are.”

 

“Good… good… I’m going to guess that I’m not with Michael there,” she rested her chin on the vee created by her knees wrapping her arms tightly around her legs. “I wonder if I’ll ever be now.”

 

“Things may be different… but if things are meant to be…”

 

“You mean like you and Liz… You can’t tell me that it doesn’t tickle you pink to know that the two of you are still together, that Max didn’t manage to break you up,” Maria grinned slyly at him.

 

“There is something satisfying about that,” Kyle smiled widely before it faded away as a thought hit him. “But that doesn’t mean that he’ll never come between us.”

 

“Liz’ll never let that happen.”

 

“Her memory of this world will be erased just like ours. What’s to prevent that?”

 

“She will… the whole sucking chest wound thing withstanding have you ever seen Liz happier? More comfortable with herself than she has been… You did that,” Maria said softly. “You in that other line complete her in a way that Max never could.  When she goes back there all she’s going to remember is that you’ve stood by her through thick and thin… you not Max.”

 

“Sometimes I forget how smart you can be,” Kyle grinned touching her back gently. “I guess we should start heading back,” he said pushing himself to his feet. Extending his hand to help Maria stand. “You know I’m really glad that I’m not going to remember any of this.”

 

“Join the club… how much time?”

 

“Just under five minutes.”

 

“I’m glad we’re friends in the other line,” Maria scuffed her feet as they walked together. “I wonder if we talk like this there…”

 

“I guess we’ll find out.”

 

******************************************************************************

  

Eddie stared into the fire. Eyes unseeing he made a fruitful attempt to block out the sounds of pain coming from behind him. To stop himself from rushing to her side to administer CPR, to help her in any way.

 

Liz dying. She’d been unconscious for only 30 minutes, her breathing had been shallow until just a couple of minutes ago. When she’d started gasping. Groaning in pain. It sounded like her lungs were filled with something that the oxygen couldn’t get past.

 

He could only hope that the drug was working the way it was supposed to. If Liz didn’t die he would have the memory of her suffocating, as he stood by and did nothing to help her.

 

Looking up he saw movement in the front of the cave. Kyle and Maria were back as he rose to his feet and made to head them off he stopped.

 

Raising his hand inches from his face he stared at it.

 

“Eddie?” Maria queried quietly as they moved towards the light of the fire.

 

“What’s wrong?” Kyle asked looking past Eddie he saw Liz lying still, not moving. “It didn’t work?”

 

“It worked… or its working,” Eddie said with wide eyes as he stared at his hand.

 

“Why…” Maria cleared her throat. “Why can I see through your hand?” she asked in a little voice.

 

“Are you guys ready?” Eddie asked not looking at them.

 

“Don’t have much choice do we,” Kyle said bitterly, he pulled Maria to his side as she reached out to grasp Eddie’s other hand. The three looked past them to where Liz lay… and then saw nothing.

 

******************************************************************************

  

The last memory Liz had was pain. An enormous amount of pain that seemed to feed through her entire body until she could feel nothing else.

 

She had no idea where the pain had come from. Had no idea what had caused it, she just knew that it wasn’t normal.

 

The darkness she was stuck in wasn’t normal. So she fought against it. Fought to return to names and faces that she vaguely remembered as being important to her.

 

“Liz… Liz can you hear me?” the male voice sounded from far away. A familiar voice that held only comfort and caring. This male would never hurt her. He would always defend her. He was hers. The name escaped her as she focused on the voice. Trying to draw him closer to her or draw herself closer to him.

 

“Liz baby?” she felt a soft touch on her forehead. Soothing, home. The thought resounded through her. This was home. This was what belonging felt like.

 

Forcing her eyes to open into thin slits she peered out through them. She could see a young man, hovering at the side of her bed. She could feel the pressure of his tight grip on her hand and winced slightly. His eyes widening as he realized that she had felt him.

 

“Liz… oh god Liz… you can do it… just open your eyes for me,” he pleaded with her. She blinked at him, wanting to obey him but also wanting to lay down and sleep. Why was she so tired? Hadn’t she been sleeping for like ever?

 

“Kyle,” females voice this time. Sounding just as desperate drew her attention from the young man. Turning her head slightly she focused her eyes on the young woman standing to her other side. Cropped reddish hair tears streaming down her face.

 

“Doctors coming,” the door shot open and another young man entered. Tall, gangly. He hadn’t grown into his height but somehow instinctively she knew that he would. That he would be a heartbreaker.

 

“Thanks Alex,” Kyle turned back to her. Her eyes sleepily taking in the room. Hadn’t she done this before?

 

Woke up in a hospital room full of flowers, cards and gifts… It all felt so familiar.

 

“Just hold on Liz…”

 

“Kyle…” she wheezed as she turned to him. Pain shooting through her body she gasped. With her free hand she pressed fingers to her stomach.

 

“You’re okay,” he said soothingly, his hand shaking as he stroked hers lightly. “You’re okay now…”

 

“What happened?” she asked softly her eyes wide as she gazed at him. “Why…?”

 

“You don’t remember?” he asked exchanging a quick look with Maria before refocusing his attention on her.

 

“No,” she shook her head her eyes locked with his. “I remember going to bed and then… this…”

 

“You had some internal bleeding from your gunshot wound, your mother found you when you didn’t get up for school.”

 

“Oh god… mom…”

 

“She’s okay now,” Maria touched her hand gently in an effort to calm. “She was kind of shook up, your dad actually just took her home… she’ll probably yell at you for overexerting yourself.”

 

“Overexerting myself?” Liz stared at her quizzically. “But…”

 

“It was to soon to go back to school Liz,” Kyle said quietly. “You’ve only been out of the hospital for a couple of days…”

 

“I know… it’s just I’m so far behind…” Liz protested, there was a vague feeling in the back of her mind that something was wrong. To tired and in to much pain to investigate it now she pushed it aside.

 

“Well now you’re going to be out even longer,” the doctor grinned as he pushed open the door. “How do you feel?”

 

“Weird,” she stated honestly. She gripped Kyle’s hand tightly when he tried to step aside for the doctor. Refusing to relinquish her hold on his hand. For some unknown reason the thought of him leaving her side scared the hell out of her.

 

“That would be the painkillers,” the doctor grinned as he moved to the other side of the bed. “You’ll feel a little loopy I’m told until they wear off.”

 

“Oh god Liz,” the door opened once again and Liz saw her parents rush through. Tears streaming down her mothers face as she wrapped her arms around her daughter, heedless of the tubes and other paraphernalia.

 

“Mom,” Liz raised one arm, not relinquishing her hold on Kyle’s hand and patted her mothers back awkwardly. “Mom I’m okay.”

 

“Oh god,” Nancy cupped her face, stroking her cheeks with her trembling fingers. “I’m never letting you out of my sight again.”

 

“Mom,” she protested.

 

“No… I mean it sweetie… I send you to bed and you end up in a coma… not going through this again.”

 

“It’s not your fault mom,” Liz smiled weakly at her mother. “I’m just sorry I screwed up everyone’s Valentines Day.”

 

“What?” Kyle asked exchanging a confused look with others in the room. “Liz you didn’t miss it… it’s not even for another two months.”

 

******************************************************************************

 

Epilogue:

Things are so confusing right now. What did I do in a previous life so wrong that it is now forcing me to live the same life not just once, twice but a staggering three times.

I remember everything that happened in the original line. Bad as it was. I also remember what had started to happen in the second line before I was pulled back into the first. Now I'm in a third line and things are different yet again.

Maria is interested in Michael. She told me in confidence the other day and it took everything that I am to keep from telling her to stay away from him. I'm not sure if he likes her back or not. Although he was staring at her in class the other day so I don't think that bodes well.

I also think I've finally figured out how Max… the other Max fixed things here. It's much to confusing to describe. Especially not at one in the morning.

My diary, the diary that I gave my grandmother is still here. Blank pages where the strange story that is my life once was detailed.

So I'm the only one that remembers anything. I don't know if that’s a bad thing or a good thing. All I know is I'm not helping them this time. And with them not being suspicious of me I don't have to worry about what I'm thinking or feeling or writing.

Kyle is only suspicious of Max in that he thinks that Max likes me. Which I guess he still does.

I am kind of nervous on what's going to happen if Tess and Nasedo do finally appear. (They haven't as of yet.)Will they still want to betray Max and the others? Or is that yet something else that was changed.

Regardless that’s not my fight right now.

At this moment I’m concentrating on my boyfriend.

Valentine’s day is coming… and I want this to be a great day for him! At long last!