Chapter 1

October 21, 1999

My name is Anna Belle Lucero; my new therapist says that keeping a journal will help acclimate me to my new surroundings. She insists that I start writing in it every day, the truth is I am more likely to write in my song book than in this stupid thing. Well anyways here goes, I am 15 and I just found out who my father is. You see all my mother ever told me was that he knocked her up then split town telling her I wasn't his. Most of my life my mom was fucked up on all kinds of drugs, so much so that the state stepped in. Because of this I have spent nearly ten years in the foster system. I moved from home to home until finally even the money wasn't enough and they couldn't find another home for me. I spent the last year in a boys and girls home. I thought I was waiting for a new foster home, but that is not what was in store for me.

That is how I found myself in Roswell, New Mexico standing in front of the man they claim is my father. He introduced himself as Jeffery Parker and with that in the span of a week I gained a father, step mother and a half-sister. Part of me would love to say that the moment we met we had an instant connection and we all lived happily ever after. That was so not the case. It has been more than awkward as Jeff and Nancy attempt to get to know me while I do my best to avoid the lot of them. I mean what am I supposed to do, play perfect family with the man who cheated on his wife with my druggie mom thus producing me? How am I supposed to do that when I feel so sorry for Nancy? The woman who just learned that while she was jumping for joy waiting for her hubby to get home to tell him of the biggest miracle in their lives, he was boning another woman making that same miracle happen. You see Jeff thought he was sterile, all the doctors told him so, so imagine how pissed he was when his side piece told him she was pregnant with his child. And when he got home and learned of his wife's miraculous conception he couldn't very well tell her he'd had an affair and the other woman might be pregnant as well. So he kept it to himself choosing to let her remain blissfully ignorant of his infidelity.

I haven't yet had much interaction with my half-sister Liz, who works down in the diner that Jeff owns. It's as cliché as the rest of the town, Alien themed, and aptly named the Crash Down. She spends all of her time working or hanging out with her best friends Alex and Maria. It isn't that we don't get along, just that I guess it would be awkward thinking you are an only child one day and then having your father's bastard child move in the next. So we don't interact, we just exist near each other but in different worlds.

October 24, 1999

I started school yesterday, it was mostly boring I have not made any new friends. Naturally everyone seems to think that I am a freak or something which is what I mostly go for in new schools. This way I don't get too attached when things go wrong. I have one small problem though; there is this guy, Michael' he's kind of mysterious and very hunky. He hangs out with a guy named Max who if you ask me has a superiority complex, and his sister Isabel. Every now and then I see them in the crash down either talking to or ignoring Liz depending on the day. Max and Liz are always looking at the other when they think no one is looking, Isabel glares at Liz and her friend Maria, and Michael keeps glaring at max like he wishes he would stop staring at Liz. I enjoy observing my surroundings, it's like I see so much more than I would if I were actually involved in their group.

October 30, 1999

Liz freaked out the other day, apparently she lost her diary. And who would be her first suspect in its disappearance do you think? Me, because I don't have better things to do with my life than read her innermost thoughts, I have enough of my own to occupy my time thank you. She eventually apologized, so I guess I am over it. On the plus side I don't think she hates me, so there's that.

November 4, 1999

Today I got paired with Michael for an English project. Well technically our group ended up being made of three people; Michael Maria and I. It was a biography assignment; I wasn't sure how it was supposed to work with three people especially when Michael didn't even show in class today.

Maria and I decided we would all take turns asking a question then we would all answer them. This assignment was all about flushing out all our deepest darkest secrets. Needless to say I was not looking forward to it. Maria and I found Michael at the school football field. Maria got out of the car and started to explain the situation to him. He was about to completely blow her off when he saw the car keys in her hands.

" You going somewhere" he asked "Yeah to the lift off station to drop some boxes off for my mom Anna Belle is coming too so we can knock out the questions on the way-"

"The one by the highway?" he interrupted

"Yeah why?" she asked

"Alright I will go with to answer your stupid questions." He gets into the car and just looks at me "Alright, these questions, what is first?"

"Let's see number one who is your favorite relative?" I say

"Don't have one," he replies "you?"

"Me either" I say.

Maria just looks exasperated. "You can't not have a favorite relative for instance mine is my mother so come on guys be honest."

"Don't have any relatives to speak of." Michael replies

"Uh yeah I beg to differ Maria it's kind of hard to have a favorite relative when you are bouncing between foster homes every few months." I say defensively I'm not sure I'll be able to hold myself in check through this assignment she is already going to get on my nerves. Michael gives me a confused look.

"What about Jeff and Liz they are your family." Maria asks

"Yeah I thought you were like Jeff's illegitimate love child or whatever not his foster kid" says Michael.

"love child no, illegitimate bastard child yes it's a long story and one that I don't relish being put out for a damned teacher to see, but Maria I have known Jeff and Liz for a little over a week and there is no way in hell that I will ever classify Jeff as my favorite relative. Next question."

"Okay then um what's your favorite television show? Mine is passions" Maria says.

"Oh shocker there" I say snappily "I don't watch much T.V."

"The view" Michael says as we pull in to the lift off, Maria turns off the car and says "You can't just make up answers"

"Who says their made up?" Michael asks.

"You do not watch the view!" She Exclaims.

"It keeps me in touch with my feminine side." I struggle to suppress my laugh at that one. Maria sighs "Fine you know what I will just make up the answers for you."

"Good" he replies.

"Help me with the box" she says

"Bad back" he counters. She sighs and looks at me "Don't look at me I'm here for the assignment not menial labor." I say. She sighs and gets out of the car, Michael then gets out of the car and moves to the driver's side and starts the ignition. With that we drive away leaving Maria to try to chase after us. "You know this is her mother's car right? And she will probably kill you the next time she sees you."

"Yeah well I'm just borrowing it so shut up or get out."

"All right whatever asshole, let's go." We drove for a little while before I asked him where we were going. "Marathon, Texas" he replied.

"You realize that is another state right and that I am a minor under the state's care."

"I gave you the chance to get out, next stop is a place to sleep you can get out then."

"I didn't say that I wanted out just making sure you know what you are getting yourself into if we happen to get pulled over."

"Considering I am also a minor in the states care I think I do."

"What do you mean?" I asked confused. "you're not the only one who is or has been in foster care the difference is I have really no chance of ever knowing who either of my parents are." he explained

"Ok so what is in Marathon?" I ask hoping to change the subject, he seems tense. "A chance but I need to get there before anyone else or my chance will be gone."

"Ok I'm going to pretend that that doesn't sound crazy." Then I see a police cruiser half a mile up the road, "Ok you're going to want to slow down to the speed limit there is a cop up ahead."

"Shit thanks, hey how did you know it was a cop?"

"I've lead an interesting life so far but I can't give everything away." About three miles passed the cop the car suddenly stops working. "Are you kidding me what the hell just happened?"

"Maria's car is a piece of shit that's what happened. Look I don't know anything about cars so we are going to have to sleep here for the night. We will figure out what to do in the morning."

"Why sleep in the car when there is a perfectly good motel right there?" I ask pointing to the sultans hide away motel sign. "Alright nice plan." he says

Michael goes in and pays for a room, and when we open the door I realize it looks like the porn version of Aladdin so I told him just as much. He just takes off his jacket and goes to lay on the bed. "At least it's warm."

"Oh trust me I've had worse," I tell him. "Hmm I saw some vending machines outside you stay here lock the door." I agree and lock the door behind him while what I said was true I knew you could never be too careful in places like this. Michael came back a few minutes later with snacks and sodas. I look at him and see he is putting hot sauce on his cream cookie, "Oh my god you do that too? I thought I was the only one who did." I say shocked. He looks at me with a strange look on his face, "What is it really so weird that I like it? I pretty much put hot sauce on anything I eat pop tarts, oatmeal, ramen noodles, sometimes ice cream." He looked intrigued for a moment and then it seemed to pass. "Alright so did you want to finish that assignment while we wait?" he asks. "Sure why not ok so question 16 what are you afraid of?"

"Not finding out who I am and where I come from."

"Whys that?"

"Because there's got to be something better for me out there than Roswell, New Mexico." I had to stifle the semi giggle I made it was just too spot on for my liking.

"What?" he asks. I shrug and say "it's just when I was little and didn't know what was going on I used to imagine that things were different for me, that my mom wasn't constantly on drugs, that my dad hadn't left us to fend for ourselves, because there just had to be something better out there for me than the hand I was dealt." I say to him "Then I guess you understand pretty well."

"Yeah well I'm not expecting my situation to last too long, sooner or later the other shoe always drops. So don't start liking me too much the way I see it everything is temporary."

"Alright I'm tired I don't suppose we could share?" he says. "Stay on your side and no cuddling" I say with a smile. We went to sleep on our respective sides and the next thing I know the door is being opened and in walks Liz, Isabel, max, and Maria. They see me and turn on the light " What are you guys doing here?" I ask. "Maria said Michael kidnapped you-" Liz starts.

"But I guess I was wrong," Maria finishes looking upset and confused. They have jumped to the wrong conclusions but I'm not about to tell them otherwise it's too fun to see the looks on their faces. Michael is sitting there putting his shoes on all calm like, and I give him a small smirk to let him know not to correct them. He looks at them and says, "so I guess you're here to be supportive as usual."

"No I'm here to clean up your mess as usual," Max says "I mean what were you thinking."

"I was thinking that I can't wait around for the two of you anymore, you like Roswell and you like your family and you like your make believe life that's great Maxwell keep pretending but don't think it's gonna last cuz one of these days they are gonna find out about us and when they do everybody in this room-" he cuts off as the door opens again and Liz's ex Kyle eases into the room. "Kyle," Liz exclaims

"Everyone in this room is what?" he asks

"Get out," Michael says

"Why don't you go ahead and finish what you were saying or are you afraid I'll find out what your little secret is, are you afraid that I might find out what the hell you guys are doing out here in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night?" As he says all of this he and Michael get closer together until Michael grabs him by the collar and whisper yells "I said get out," he is pissed and I don't know why. Max yells "Michael don't," just as Michael pushes/ throws Kyle across the room into a chair. He hits the chair sideways and smacks against the wall. Kyle sis up with an astonished look on his face and says "What the hell are you guys?" Everyone is just stunned and sitting there Kyle gets up and looks to Liz ad says "what's going on here and what are you doing here, I'm gonna get you out of here." As he walks to her and grabs her arm max swings him and says, "let her go."

"Get off me," Kyle replies.

"Just stop it both of you ok this has gotten so out of control," she takes a deep breath and turns to Kyle "I am not your girlfriend anymore Kyle."

"Liz I don't know what's going on here and I don't care, I just want you to come back with me."

"You don't belong here Kyle, this is none of your business," she reasons. He shakes his head stunned, "I don't know what I ever saw in you," he says as he walks out the door, as the door shuts it's like there is a huge sigh of relief. Michael sits down on the bed and rubs his hand over his eyes. Max goes up to Liz and says "I'll take you guys home."

"No, no more secrets from us; Maria and I we are a part of this now, if we don't know everything how are we supposed to protect ourselves, how are we supposed to help you." she says. "We don't need any help," says Michael.

"Right next time try stealing someone else's car and try getting away with it." Maria counters. From beside Michael on the bed I hear Isabel who has been so quiet say, "what do you want to know?"

"Everything" says Liz softly. Isabel nods her head and says "that will make you accomplices."

"Go ahead," Liz says. "A few weeks ago Michael and I broke into sheriff Valenti's office," max explains, "trying to find the pictures you saw from 1959, the dead body with the hand print." Liz nods her head like this makes perfect sense to her, while I sit back and listen. "it's the only proof we have ever had that there are other aliens besides us," says Michael. and I think to myself oh my god either these guys are seriously deranged and believe that they are aliens or all of the superstitions about Roswell are true and there are aliens among us. Either way I think I like these people and I will do whatever I can to help them if they let me. so far I think they have all forgotten that I am even in the room. I realize the conversation is still going on, something about a key that they found. "-When Michael touched it he had a vision-"max was saying

"Of this dome," Michael finishes "The one in marathon Texas, "Maria concludes. "So you guys think this key is going to unlock the dome and then you guys are gonna find something there, something that is going to help you figure out where you actually come from." Liz elaborates. meaningful glances are passed around the room and max says yes. apparently sisters think alike because after that as I make my presence known Liz and I say at the same time, "then what are we waiting for?" as they look around at me Michael gets angry I am assuming at all of them for saying so much while forgetting that I was in the room. "Hey now don't look at me like that you can be angry later first let's go find what you are looking for." I say as I leave the room and go to what I know is max's jeep. As we pull up to the dome Michael stands up and Isabel looks stunned, "it's just like you drew it Michael."

"Told you it was something," he says with a grin. We all get out and walk up to the dome, Michael tries the key and it slides in fine but won't turn. Max and Michael exchange glances and then I get proof that they are not crazy. Max puts his hand in front of the door lock and it gives an audible click. I have to stop myself from gasping at this revelation. He then turns the nob and the door opens. "We've come this far maybe they left something inside." max says

Max, Michael and Isabel are the first to step inside and then me, I look back at Liz and Maria to see them hesitating at the door " come on you guys you were the ones who insisted on being a part of this," I say to them then look t Michael and ask, "okay so what exactly are we looking for here?" looks like someone already ransacked the place, probably found what they were looking for a while ago." Isabel looks at Michael and says "try holding the key again."

Michael holds the key and says, "nothing," he lays his head back against the wall and I have an idea you always hear about 'psychics' and the emotional energy tied to objects... okay so maybe I'm the only one who pays attention to things like that. anyways I figure I've been feeling extra emotional towards Michael so maybe if he touches it while I touch him he will see what he needs to see. so I walk up to him and lay my hand on him and say, "try it again." so he does all of a sudden he gasps and says "there is something here a room." "Where," max asks

"I don't know, its hidden," he then turns around and feels the wall looking for a secret panel or something, "max Isabel," he exclaims they walk over to see a rock that was moved while he was searching. where the rock had been, was a lock. "The key Michael," Isabel exclaims. Michael puts the key into the lock and a trap door opens on the floor we all slowly step inside; Isabel lights a lantern with her hand.

"Jackpot max-a-million," Michael says. They we hear the sound of footsteps coming from up above us and a shadow pass above. Then a thump and a set of heels continuing across the floor. Michael and I share a look and start digging through the papers on a desk behind us, everyone turns and looks at us with frightened looks. "Look whoever is there isn't going to stop until they find us and I'm gonna find out everything I can before they do." Then everyone joins in in looking. I go and join Liz and Maria just as I reach them a rat crawls down Marias arm and just as she is about to scream I put my hand over her mouth and watch the rat crawl into a hole covered by a tarp.

"Michael" I whisper and he looks to me I pull the tarp back for him to see the escape route. "You guys and the girls go grab whatever you can stay out of sight." They all start to put papers into a box, just as they finish we hear the trap door pop open again. "Go go go ill stall them if I have to just go" I say and they all get into the tunnel and start crawling except for Isabel she sees a necklace and a fleeting look of recognition passes in her eyes before she grabs it and runs. I make sure they are all in before I make my way into the tunnel too. We keep going until Michael stops and opens up a hatch door we have exited right near the jeep. We all jump in and max takes off I look behind me and see a woman with blonde hair climbing out of the hatch.