Nicodemus

By Tracy (biancaheart@yahoo.com)

Rating: Strong PG-13


Category: Not sure how to describe.  Sort of crossover, but NOT really.


Summary: The Nicodemus flower, last seen causing havoc in hamlet of Smallville, Kansas, comes to Roswell and causes trouble for the Pod Squad.  Can they figure out the mystery of the flower in time?

Disclaimer:  I don't own Roswell.  I don't own Smallville either.  If I did, Alex and Whitney would both be alive.  Clark would be greatly distressed over Chloe and Kyle's relationship.  Michael would work for LexCorp, and the CrashDown would take over the Talon.  Lana would have to stop whining, or I'd send her to Metropolis or beyond.  Satisfied?


Spoilers:  Takes place some time after "A Tale of Two Parties"

Kyle was in his element behind the wheel.  Aliens?  School?  Dad who was a slacker?  Didn't matter when it was just him and the open road.  Heart ache, mind warps, just like blips on the radio dial. 

He loved his car.

"I've got friends in low places, where the whiskey something something chases…"  he sang, matching Garth Brook's country twang.  Then he decided to make up a few lyrics of his own.  "I've got friends from other places, where they were kings and queens, and now the other aliens…SHIT!"

He was brought out of his reverie by the vehicle behind him.


The vehicle that was swerving in and out of both lanes on the two-lane road.

Kyle made a split second decision and pulled over to the side of the road.

He made a wise choice.

The other car veered off the road and into the ravine.

Kyle sat still, horrified.

Years of careful training by his father kicked in.  He picked up his cell phone and dialed 911.  Told them where he was and what had happened.

And then he did something his father warned him NOT to do. 

A year and a half of alien related business told him to investigate.


He listened to his alien side and approached the car.

The driver of the car, a tan 1990's era Nissan Sentra was passed out at the wheel.  He was dressed in a ragged flannel shirt and blue jeans.

"And people said I was a redneck."   Kyle muttered under his breath.


The guy didn't respond.


Kyle tried to get the door to open, but it wouldn't budge.

"Well, shit."

He went around to the other side.

That door opened.

Sitting on the passengers seat was a planted flower.  A sunflower, Kyle reasoned.  Kyle started reaching for the driver.


Suddenly the flower perked up.  The petals closed up slowly, and then burst open.  A green mist shot into Kyle's face.


He sneezed.

"We gotta get you out of here."  Kyle groaned as he pulled the driver safely from the wreck.

***

"For he's a jolly good hero, For he's a jolly good hero, For he's a jolly good hero…which nobody can deny!" 

Kyle smiled.


It was afterhours in the CrashDown, and a party was being held.


For him.


He loved it.


He was meant to be revered.

"I'm glad you're okay."  Liz said, giving him a slight hug.  "We were worried when your Dad gave us the call."

Jim smiled.  "Sorry about that, but when Hanson calls you and says that your son is in the hospital.."

"You freak."  Jeff smiled.  He handed Kyle a platter of cheese fries.  "On the house.  It's not everyday I have a hero in my restaurant.  Somebody that saves lives—man, that's news."

Max and Liz shared a knowing look.

Jeff leaned over and gave Liz a kiss on the cheek. "Everything's turned off- I'm gonna go ahead and go upstairs- don't forget to lock the door when everybody leaves, okay?"

"Right, Dad."


The group was silent for a few seconds until they were sure Jeff was out of earshot.

"Do you think it was alien related?" 

"Michael!" 

Michael nudged Maria back.  "Don't Michael me!  Just how many plain no alien related hootenannies do we get in Roswell?"

She was silent for a moment.  "Yeah, but that doesn't…"

Max cut her off.  "Kyle?"

He shook his head as he ate a fry.  "I don't think so.  He was probably just high or drunk.  Bad dresser with a floral problem."

"Floral problem?"  Isabel asked.

"The guy had a sunflower on his front seat.  Floral freak.  No E.T.s, no need to break out the Mulder and Scully."  He smiled.  "So let's just party."

***

"Where in the hell is Kyle?"  Liz muttered underneath her breath.  They had a presentation due today in Journalism.  Honestly, she could have done this by herself and it wouldn't have been much more work, but if Kyle Valenti's being late caused her to get rejected for Harvard, she'd have his head on a steak.

Just as the bell rang, Kyle strode in.

Not walked, but strode.

In all the years Liz Parker had known Kyle Valenti, she'd never seen him look like…like…

Leather pants.


Her ex-boyfriend was wearing leather pants.


Future Max wore leather pants.

But when she looked at Kyle's leather pants, Future Max was the last thing on her mind.


Her face blushed bright red.


Think of mud, Liz.  Think of mud.

Kyle grinned and pointed to all the girls in the class, and then slid into his seat beside Liz.

"How you doin'?"  He leered at her.

"Kyle!"  She squealed.  "What is wrong with you?  You look like Fonzie on acid and you sound like Joey Tribbiani!"

"Huh?"

"Did you get abducted last night Kyle?  Did some strange aliens come and mess with your mind?  Did Tess come back?"

"Have you always been so boring Liz, or is this a post Evans side effect?"

The teacher cleared his throat.  "Miss Parker, Mr. Valenti, is there some major issue brewing on the Creek that you need to share with all of us?"

Kyle just rolled his eyes and laughed.

"Actually, I need to talk to Kyle about our presentation- can I have a moment outside in the hall to discuss it?"

The teacher nodded.  "Spare us the drama, please."

Liz dragged Kyle out into the hallway.

"Kyle!"

"What Liz?"

"What's wrong?"

"Oh, what, I decide to live life to the fullest and embrace this second chance I've gotten to live, and I'm supposed to be all boring?  Like the FBI and enemy aliens won't want to find me if I'm boring?  News Flash, but it hasn't exactly worked for Max!"

"Kyle!  What about our project?"

"I don't care!"  Kyle huffed and walked off, his butt perfectly molded by the leather pants.

****

It was heaven.

Isabel took a big spoonful of her favorite guilty pleasure- Ben and Jerry's Cherry Garcia ice cream- topped with Tabasco.

Yum.

She sat down on the couch and turned on another guilty pleasure- one that she would absolutely die if anybody found out about- "Passions".   And if they knew she purposely scheduled her classes around the show…


The doorbell rang.

"Crap."   She put down the ice cream and zapped the TV off with her powers. "Who in the hell?"


She opened the door.

"Kyle?  Shouldn't you be in school?"


Kyle didn't wait to be invited in.  "Hello to you too."

Isabel took in his outfit.  It was…flattering….Married woman, she was a married woman and she needed to stop these thoughts right away…

"Fine…what's up?"

"Just been thinking."

"Because of the crash?"

"You aliens are all about crashes, aren't you?  Nah.  Just figured I better stop being such a wussy."

"I highly doubt anybody would say you are a wussy,"

"If they knew the truth they would…"

Isabel was confused.  "The truth about what?"

Kyle laughed.  "The fact that I'm a chicken.  I'm a freaking sop, you know that?  Do you know how long it has been since I've been on a date?  Or kissed a girl?  Too long my friend…"

"Kyle.."

"And then get this, when I get a chance to kiss another girl, I freaking realize that there's only one girl…woman, that I want to use my lips on.  And she's taken.  So I just sit there looking at her like a freaking wussy, not even bothering to tell her how I feel.  I'm a bigger wussy than Max ever was!"

"What are you getting at?"

"What I'm getting at…is…I want to…"

Kyle's words cut off as he leaned closer to Isabel. 


He covered her lips with his.

Isabel's mind was on overload. 


Images, flashes of Kyle overwhelmed her.  As a little boy playing sheriff, going on treasure hunts with his mother, dating Liz, getting shot…


Somewhere, in the back of her mind, she was aware that this was a very good kiss.

Now she understood why Liz ever dated Kyle.


And then sanity broke in.  Jesse.  Married. She pushed Kyle away.

He had a huge smirk on his face.  "So that's what its like to kiss an alien, huh?  See the stars.  If a kiss is like that, then the sex must be fantastic."

"Kyle!"  Isabel shrieked.  "We're friends.  I'm married.  Remember?"

"Oh yeah.  The wussy.  What did you ever see in him, Isabel?"

"Kyle, I'm not going to discuss this with you!"

"Why?  Because you're afraid that you'll never feel like this when he kisses you?"  Kyle leaned over and started to kiss Isabel once more.

Suddenly, his lips went slack.

Kyle collapsed to the floor in a heap.

"Kyle!"