Title: From Sunnydale to Roswell
Author: Angelbach
Rating: English PG
Category: W/A, S/X, C/W, M/L, M/M, I/A
Disclaimer: The characters of Willow, Angel, Spike and others belong to Joss Whedon and Grr-Argh. Although if Angel and Spike ever wanted to stay with me, I'd never turn them down!!!
All characters from Roswell High to Warner Brothers. I'm just borrowing, Max, Liz, Michael, Maria, Isabel, Alex and the others for the purpose of this story.
Notes 1: Did you know that Willow Rosenberg was related to Liz Parker. Well, if you didn't, you do now! ;0)
Notes 2: There is no Tara, there will never be Tara (unless she is a friend) and I will stick to it!
Notes 3: As much as I like Doyle, there is no room for him in this story. The Roswellians get enough visions to fulfil this category!
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Background:
Willow and Angel have been together since before the gang started college. She and Oz broke up way before graduation and it was Willow Angel meant when he was feverish. For the purpose of this story, it was Buffy who pushed them together because as they were preparing to fight the mayor, they discovered that the spell Willow had performed to restore Angel's soul made it permanent. (You see my Buffy in this story full understands that Willow is better for Angel than she ever was.)
Spike has come back to Sunnydale but has never been captured by the Initiative and chipped. He made first contact with his sire and Willow instead, convincing them he really wanted to help them. They became fully convinced when he saved Willow from a female werewolf, almost getting himself killed in the process.
Anya only made a brief appearance in Xander's life, now, much to the sheer amusement of the others, the peroxide blonde vampire appears to be (for lack of a better word) courting the young man.
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
"Giles, you have so got to be kidding. A conference on the paranormal in ROSWELL." Xander ran his hand through his hair, spiking it up. "Roswell, New Mexico."
"I believe that is what I said, Xander." The former Watcher looked at the young man slightly surprised by his reaction. "Is there something that I should be aware of?"
Xander shook his head, throwing his hands in the air. He threw himself down on the floor beside Willow. "Wills, you explain it to him. I can not believe he doesn't know about Roswell."
Willow giggled, hitting him with a cushion.
"Idiot!" She dubbed him fondly. "Giles, are you sure you've never heard about the space ship that was supposed to have crashed in the States back in the forties."
"Aliens and such have never been a major interest of mine, Willow." Giles smiled warmly at the witch. "Other dimensions rather than other planets have always been more my game."
"Not a single comic book!" Xander exclaimed in sheer shock.
"Unlike you, Xander, I prefer my books to have more words than pictures." The elder man shot back, grinning as the young man continued to stare at him in shock.
Willow was barely able to control her giggles. "Oh very nicely said, Giles, and so very true."
"And she's supposed to be my best friend!" Xander moaned in mock pain, sticking his tongue out at her. "Just give G-man the background, Wills."
The petite young woman threw him a mock salute, and then turned back to her mentor. "Okay, Giles, a brief introduction. Back in 1947, an alien space ship is supposed to have crashed just outside Roswell, New Mexico. From what I can gather, the government is then supposed to have covered it up with some sort of corny weather balloon story. Till this day, no one is really sure what actually happened there. At least that's what my cousin Liz told me the last time we spoke."
"Your cousin?" Giles queried as even Xander looked up. "I've always believed you only had your parents, Willow."
"No, my parents would have you believe I only have them. Mother never talks about her younger sister. She disapproves of the man she married. He only runs a successful theme restaurant there called the Crashdown."
"I'd forgotten that your cousin lives in Roswell." Xander broke in
Willow grinned. "Now colour me surprised. You rarely forget anything to do with Roswell."
She ruffled his hair making him object. "Wills, don't do that."
"No, that's reserved for Spike, isn't it." She gently teased him.
Her best friend actually blushed. "Wills! Leave it alone."
Taking pity on her best friend, Willow turned her attention back to the Englishman. "You really want to attend this conference, don't you, Giles."
"Most definitely, Willow." He moved to sit on the sofa beside her. "There are a couple of subjects that I believe will be of interest to you as a witch in particular. I would also be interested to hear what Angel thinks as well."
"In that case, I'll make our travel arrangements. You call the organisers, Giles and let them know we're on our way. I'll arrange a place to stay as well." She grinned wickedly.
"You know something, Giles." Xander murmured in an aside to the former Watcher. "I get worried to the extreme when she smiles like that these days. She spends way too much time with Deadboy and Junior."
"You wouldn't have her go back to that girl you knew through out High School though, would you Xander?" Giles replied almost rhetorically. The young man shook his head.
The redhead picked up the phone beside her and dialled a number from memory. "Hi Uncle Henry, guess who?"
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
"Cousin Willow is coming to Roswell!" Liz Parker exclaimed, looking at her father in shock.
"So it would appear." Henry Parker replied. "The conference being held next month appears to be of interest to her and her friends. She's asked me to find a place for her to stay while she's here."
"She could stay with us, Henry." His wife put in. "She is my niece, and we have the room."
"I said the same thing, Nancy, but she's not coming by herself." Henry rose to his feet. "Liz, why don't you and Maria go and see if the old Thornton house is still up for sale or rent."
"Dad, that place is huge!" Liz exclaimed.
"I'm well aware of that, Liz, but from what your cousin was saying I have the feeling that it needs to be." He gave his daughter a piece of paper. "That's her cell number. When you've checked the place out, give her a call and let her know."
Still stunned, Liz took it and left her father's office.
Sitting in the empty restaurant, Maria Deluca looked up. "Liz, what's wrong?"
"If things weren't weird enough around here, my cousin is coming to stay."
"Which cousin?" Maria asked as she followed her friend out of the Crashdown.
"Willow."
"Hey, isn't she the one that's into computers and things. The hacker from Sunnydale."
"The very same." Liz pushed her hands into the pockets of her jeans. "Maria, what am I going to do? I know Willow. She'll know something is weird around here. She's too sharp not to."
"By weird, I take it you mean Max and the others." Maria put her finger straight in the middle of Liz's main problem.
"Exactly."
"You could be creating problems for us all before they actually happen." The blonde suggested, for once being the more level-headed member of their partnership. "We already have Michael going off like a firecracker at the least provocation, so why not cool it and wait for a change."
"I suppose you're right." Liz shook her head. "Let's go check this place out, and then go find the others. At least tell them I'm going to have unexpected company."
"Any excuse, Liz." Maria grinned.
"I didn't notice you throwing up any objections, Maria."
"Ha ha!"
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"Nice place you brought us to, Watcher." Spike shot a sharp glance around Roswell, before glaring at Giles. "Here I was thinking, you couldn't get worse than Sunnyhell then you actually manage to find a place that is."
"Don't start, Spike." Angel warned as he helped Cordelia, then Willow out of the car. "Where to now, Willow."
"Liz said she would be at the Crashdown until and after closing. I said I'd fetch the key from her and say hi to the family while I was there." The redhead stretched, looking round for herself. "We could eat while we're there. Save us having to argue about whose cooking?"
"I'm all for that idea." Xander murmured as he got out of the driver's side.
"You would be. Your stomach was rumbling for the last two kilometres." Cordelia threw at him before turning to the redhead. "And just what are Angel and Spike suppose to do for 'food', Willow."
"All arranged, tactful one." She grinned up at her boyfriend, eyes sparkling mischievously.
He bent down and kissed the tip of her nose. "That's my girl."
"Then shall we adjourn to this Crashdown restaurant." Wesley spoke for the first time as he joined Cordelia at the side of the car.
"Let's."
As the door to the Crashdown opened, Max Evans looked up from the conversation he had been having with his friend Michael Guerin… only to find his mouth dropping open in shock.
"What's up?" Michael asked as he turned round in his seat, only to do the same thing.
Entering the restaurant were a group of the most strikingly good-looking people either had ever seen. In the lead were a petite beautiful redhead and a tall dangerously handsome dark haired young man, his hands on her shoulders and obviously together. Behind them were two young men, the peroxide blond of a slightly older appearance than the lanky muscular teenager whose shoulders he had his arm round.
A pretty brunette and her serious companion followed the first four, the girl talking in an animated fashion. Behind them was a man who appeared to be of a different generation to the others, older than even the brunette girl's mature attendant was.
"Someone's taken a wrong turn." Michael eventually got out.
"Who?" Maria asked as she put their order down on the table. "Michael, you do realise that you're gawking."
"The group that's just come in." Max told her.
Maria turned round and gasped in shock. "Oh my god. She's here already. LIZ!"
Liz came out of the back immediately and her face lit up in a welcoming smile. "Willow!"
"Hey Liz, we're here. I told you we'd make it before closing time."
The redhead moved forward and the two girls hugged each other.
"That's her cousin!" Max and Michael said almost simultaneously,
"The only one due to visit Roswell." Maria replied moving forward. "Hi, Willow. Remember me."
"Maria right. The one with the scents and crystals." Willow grinned, shaking her hand. "I think you and I are going to have a lot more in common this trip. You already have the misfortune of knowing Xander."
"I heard that, Wills." The young man threw at her.
Willow threw him a playful grin. "Get over it, Xan. I'll introduce the rest of us later. Liz, is there any chance of getting something to eat? We've been on the road for several hours and Xander's stomach has been deafening us."
"Wills!" The young man exclaimed as his friends burst out laughing. "You are so pushing it, girl."
"Take a booth…or two." Maria put in, adding to the laughter. "I'll get your order while Liz gets your key."
"Appreciation is much given." Willow turned away, smiling impishly. "Okay, grab a pew, guys and doll, then pick a strange name from the menu. Cordy, a recommendation…!"
"What?" The other girl sighed, her resigned look showing she expected something outrageous.
"Let's try to do so without commenting."
"Oh, very funny, Willow. You're a right laugh a minute… not!" The brunette shot back, slipping into the booth one beyond the two boys. The two elder members of the party joined her.
Obviously used to her friend's sarcastic responses, the redhead just ignored her and slipped into the booth just behind them, the three remaining men joining her.
Michael turned back to Max and caught a strange look going through his friend's eyes. "What's wrong?" He asked in a low voice.
"I don't know. There's something weird about them." Max responded in the same tone. "I can't really explain it here."
"I'll keep you to that!"
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Michael rolled the sleeping bag out on Max's floor. "What did you mean earlier, Maxwell?"
"Four of their auras were the normal colours that you expect, but three of them…" Max shook his head.
"There was something strange about them. Willow, Liz's cousin, her aura was green and silver."
"Two colours." Michael sat up. "I thought everyone only had one."
"Yeah, well, that wasn't the last of it. The one that had his arm around her, the one she called Angel. His aura was black tinged with green, and the one she called Spike, his was black tinged with red."
"As if we didn't have enough problems to cope with."
"That's just it, Michael. I don't think they will be a problem for us. There was something in the way she greeted Maria and Liz…" Max shook his head. "I don't know I just get the strangest feeling about them."
"Get Izzy to meet them tomorrow and see what she thinks." Michael suggested as he lay back down again. "Or see if Liz has got a picture of her cousin, so that she can dreamwalk."
"Maybe I will."
The next day Isobel Evans stared at her brother and friend in stunned shock. "You want me to go into a complete stranger's dreams just to see why her aura is different to everyone else's? Are you completely out of your minds?"
She turned to her brother. "I'd expect something like this from Michael, Max, but from you..." She shook her head. "I just can't believe you two."
"You haven't met them yet, Is, you don't understand what I mean." Max said defensively.
"In that case..." Isobel turned. "Is that Liz's cousin with her now?"
"The redhead driving." Michael confirmed.
"Then let's be friendly." Isobel led the way over to the open top car. "Nice car."
"Thanks. It's just a rental for while we're here." Willow replied as Liz and Maria jumped out, the brunette moving round to her side of the car. "Liz, do the pretty."
She shot an impish grin at her cousin who rolled her eyes in response.
"Will, this is Isobel and Max Evans" The sharp-eyed redhead did not miss the shy look that her cousin threw at Max, nor the one he returned. "And Michael Guerin."
"You two were in the Crashdown when we arrived last night." Willow grinned at their stunned faces. "I don't miss much, guys. It's essential for living where I do."
"And that's..." Isobel inserted.
"California. Sunnydale, California to be precise." She turned back to her cousin. "Liz, we've got to settle into the house so I'll invite you and your friends over for dinner one evening next week. At least, I'll try to." She pulled out two crystals on leather thongs and handed them to Liz and Maria. "Quartz stress relief crystals. My own special creation for High School. Blessed be!"
With a squeal of brakes, she pulled out leaving the five stunned teenagers behind her.
Maria broke free of the spell they seemed to have been placed and grabbed Liz's arm. "Come on, Liz. Let's go tell Alex your cousin's here."
They moved away quickly and Isobel turned to Michael and Max. "There's definitely something quirky about her, guys, but I get the feeling she's not the type of girl whose dreams you can just walk into without an invitation."
"Then you won't." Michael said bluntly.
"I'm not even going to think about it." The blonde replied just as bluntly before turning and heading into school herself.
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Willow sat on top of car they had rented, knees drawn up and looked across at the Crashdown. Green eyes were thoughtful as she did a thorough observation of the area.
They had been in Roswell for three days now and instincts honed by the Hellmouth had been screaming at her that there was something peculiar occurring. So when Xander had suggested touring all of the museums in the area on the crash, she had opted to try and track down exactly what it was that bothered her.
So the discovery that it had something to do with her cousin and her special friends had not really come as a surprise to her an hour ago. On their first night in town, she had noted the black sedan that had passed the restaurant on frequently timed occasions while they had been eating nor had she missed the strange looks that had passed between Liz and her best friend.
Checking the time, she pulled out her cell phone and dialled a number in the memory. It was quickly answered.
"Willow."
"Giles! I didn't expect you to be home just yet."
"A man can take only so much alien information, Willow, especially when Xander is the guide. He still has to learn how to explain himself properly."
"Poor Giles! I promise a more understandable tour for an educated man such as yourself later." The redhead giggled. "In the mean time, I need you to do a search on anything unusual that may have happened over the last year. References to Crashdown in particular need to be looked at… and with your usual discretion"
"You've definitely found a mystery."
"Yes…well partly. I have a few more questions than I began with though." She jumped down off the bonnet, and unlocked the car. "And I think Liz may have the answers that I'm looking for."
"I don't need to tell you to be careful, do I?"
"Giles, this is me. I'm always careful"
"I've yet to hear Angel agree with that particular theory of yours." He laughed.
"Is he awake? I fully expected him to answer the phone."
"I think I heard him stirring ten minutes ago. Do you want me to get him?"
"No, I'll be home before too long. Since you managed to sign me up to run one of these seminars… which I have yet to forgive you for, Giles… I need to do some background work. Especially as I expect visitors as soon as I'm asleep."
"I'm not sure that I understand you, Willow."
"I'm not sure I understand me either, Giles. It's just a feeling I've got."
"Tell me about it when you arrive home."
"F.A.B."
"Very funny, Willow!"
"At least you understood what I meant!" The redhead laughed as she started the engine.
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
"Willow, you were right."
The redhead looked up from the notes she had been making, and turned her gaze to the former Watcher. "In what way, Giles?"
The others immediately looked up as well. Cordelia from where she was curled up on the comfortable window seat, reading a fashion magazine. Wesley from the small study desk, reading some old journals. Spike and Xander from the game they were playing on the spare television and Angel from where he sat at her side on the sofa.
"According to a local popular science fiction magazine, one of the young teenage waitresses working at the Crashdown was supposedly shot... in the stomach. However when the young lady, one Elizabeth Parker, was examined there was no evidence of the accident. She says that a bottle of tomato sauce was spilt over her. Eye witnesses at the time however say a young man healed her."
"Okay. So my cousin should be dead. That doesn't explain the strange vibes I saw when Sheriff Valenti is near them." Willow replied as she curled up on the sofa, using Angel as a back cushion. "For one, Maria is terrified of him. So is Isobel Evans."
"Perhaps that's because the Sheriff appears to believe Liz was healed by an alien." Giles turned over a piece of paper. "To be precise, Max Evans as he appears to have been leaning over her at the time of the shooting."
"I wonder how he came to that conclusion." Xander murmured musingly. "I think you need to do a bit more digging, G-man."
"So what are you going to do, Red?" Spike turned round to face her, a mischievous glint in his blue eyes.
"Something." She said thoughtfully. "I think it's time I had a little talk with Elizabeth."
The others looked at each other, grinning. They had recognised that particular tone in her voice. It was her current equivalent of her resolve face.
A loud crashing sound from the main area of town seconds later had them all jumping to their feet.
"What was that?" Cordelia exclaimed, shaking slightly. Wesley immediately put his arm around her and she leant into his strength.
"I don't know, but I'm going to find out." Willow exclaimed, snatching up her jacket. "You and Wes keep the home fires burning, Cordy."
The two vampires and the two men followed the redhead out of the house.
They arrived outside the Crashdown to find a black sedan through the window.
"Someone's driving almost as good as Spike's." Xander murmured in Willow's ear, making the concerned young woman giggle half-heartedly.
"At least he can drive his car away." She responded before shooting forward, shouting. "Liz, Maria! Where are you?"
"Willow, come back!" Giles shouted after her.
"Not much chance of that, Watcher. You know what Red's like with family." Spike shared a concerned look with his sire.
A dishevelled Maria emerged from beside the restaurant; uniform torn and dirty, tears making clean marks down her smoke grimed face. "Willow, oh god, Willow, Mr and Mrs Parker were inside."
Willow paled, taking her by the shoulders. "Maria, where's Liz? Please tell me Liz wasn't inside as well."
"I don't know where she is?" The stunned blonde replied just as Michael and Max appeared.
"Maria!" The normally insouciant and emotionally volatile young man yelled her name, and she turned to look at him.
"Oh god, Michael, we, Liz, we were in the middle, got separated. I... oh god, Michael!" She went into his arms, clinging to him and he wrapped his arms around her, holding her to him.
Beside them, Max paled violently and started for the restaurant, only to be pulled back by Willow. "Don't be an idiot, Max. This is most probably what they want you to do."
He looked at her startled. "I don't understand."
"I'll explain some other time. Let's just say that I have an idea as to what you are and we need to talk."
She immediately started to dive towards the restaurant herself only to find her self caught back by a familiar pair of strong arms. "Willow, no!"
She turned round in the embrace and looked up into Angel's dark concerned eyes. "Angel, Liz could still be inside. I have to get her out."
"Willow, be sensible." He tightened his grip around her, holding her. "You can't go in. I'll go. You'd never be able to see anything."
For a moment she struggled before the fight seemed to go from her and she collapsed against him. He kissed the top of her head, then handed her back into Giles' embrace. "Keep her here, Giles, keep them all here. Spike, you're with me."
"Right behind you, Peaches."
A tense five minutes later, they returned… carrying an unconscious Liz Parker in their arms.
As one, Willow and Max joined them.
"Angel..." Her voice wavered as she looked up at him.
"She's alive, sweetheart." He said shortly, dreading what else he would have to tell the redhead he adored. He and Spike had also found the bodies of her aunt and uncle.
End Part One
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