Title: See You In Your Dreams
Disclaimer: The characters of "Roswell" belong to Jason Katims, Melinda Metz, and 20th Century Fox. Lyrics to Haunting Dreams belong to Seven Witches
Pairings: Tess/Alex; Polar hints
Category: Horror/Drama
Rating: Mature
Summary: When Tess starts losing sleep due to haunting, horrific dreams that start to manifest in real life, she, Alex, Liz and Michael work frantically to solve the mystery.
Warning: For Max fans, this is not a Max friendly fiction and although I don't outright bash Maria, it's not complimentary of her either. I have several other fictions that portray them in a positive light, but this isn't one of them. Enter at your own risk. Also, I am aware that Pearl Harbor actually came out the year after this takes place, but I couldn't help it; I couldn't find anything more suitable from that year and I can so see Maria going on and on about this movie and trying to draw parallels.
Night Terrors
Every time I shut my eyes
I see that haunting face in my mind
Why do you torment my soul
See I'm trapped all alone
Bright light flared overhead, blinding her momentarily as she opened dry, gritty cerulean eyes slowly, blinking away the hazy film covering her irises as her head swam dizzily and her stomach tossed sickly, a sour, medicinal taste coating her tongue as she looked around the sterile, white room in confusion. A cold trickle of dread snaked down her spine as almost frigid, antiseptic air flowed over her skin, gooseflesh dancing down her exposed arms and she shuddered as icy metal pressed into her back, stealing what little heat was left in her body.
Where the hell was she?
Carefully moving her head, she studied the unadorned, bright walls as her heart sped up in tempo, beating frantically against her chest as her head cleared, a chilling realization chased over her senses as she recognized the room from a flash she'd gotten off Max after they rescued him. The white room. Oh dear God, had they been captured?
Panic sluiced through her body, running through her veins in icy rivulets as she flinched violently, trying to jerk upright, only to be slammed right back down onto the cold, hard gurney by the leather restraints encircling each wrist, pain radiating through her head, neck and back as they slammed against the metal. Gritting her teeth at the throbbing in her head, she drew several rasping breaths as she frantically tried to recall what she'd done last and wondered how she'd ended up here.
Last thing she remembered was sliding into her own bed at home, exhausted and aching from another day of training with Michael, her head throbbing from his continual biting commentary, and wishing desperately she had just stayed the hell away from Roswell. Who needed a destiny when all she got was mocked and ridiculed at every turn for simply informing the others of their past lives? Now those thoughts made her stomach jump and curl in dread as she recalled the camera that had been planted in Michael's apartment at one time. What if there had been more than one?
Fear shot over her nerves and her struggles increased as she tugged at the binds frenetically, her heart palpitating as a door opened with a quiet hiss, voices murmuring just out of earshot before the they quieted and the door shut with a menacing click, the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end. She wasn't alone. Swallowing harshly, her muscles coiled as shuffling steps crossed the room swiftly, bringing with them the faint whisper of fabric brushing together with every movement.
Holding her breath, she craned her head as a lab-coat figure stopped near a small metal tray, fiddling with what looked like several long, thin instruments, methodically arranging them as he blatantly ignored her, sending her heart hammering and terror skittered over her nerves. Breath expelling harshly, her eyes widened and she clutched at the rails as the man slowly turned with a smirk, amber eyes glowing at her mockingly as he lifted a syringe, pumping it slightly as he snickered at her stunned disbelief.
"What's the matter, Tess? Destiny not shaping up like you expected?" Max asked conversationally, leaning one hip against the bed, his face drawn in a feigned pout, before his lips quirked sardonically. "Just had to come and stir up problems. Plant images in our heads; drive a wedge in between the group so that no one is talking to anyone. Happy? My family is falling apart and all you can do is babble about destiny."
"Max?" she whispered, confusion marring her face, her brow furrowing as she stared around the room and began noting that there were subtle differences in the room this time, the lines of it blurred as if someone were looking at it through a haze. Turning back to the other boy, her breath caught and she flinched as he leaned over, his lip curling.
"Do you know, that when I was in here, I made myself a promise that I wouldn't let anyone hurt my family and those I love, and that I'd protect them no matter what," he continued, his face twisting with an angry sneer as he flicked his eyes over her with disgust, mirroring his expression when he nearly strangled her for exposing herself as an alien. Breath stalling in her lungs, she watched wide-eyed as he tested the syringe once more. "And I've decided that you're a threat who needs to be eliminated. I'm sure no one will miss you. After all, they never wanted you here in the first place."
"Max? Are you insane?" she cried, fear zinging through her bloodstream hotly as tears prickled her eyes and she began to struggle once more, trying to scramble from his slow, taunting advance. Shaking her head in horror, all the color drained from her cheeks as he grabbed her arm, holding it still as she frantically tried reason with him. "Max…you can't…I don't…."
"Shhhhh. Do you hear that?" he asked softly, pressing his finger to her lips, smirking as they trembled slightly and she cringed further, her eyes clenching shut and she shook her head with resignation, wondering where he was going with this comment or if it he was merely listening to the voices in his head once again. "Oh, that's right, you wouldn't as it's just the two of us, just as you've always wanted. A shame. No one to hear you scream."
Eyes popping open at his silkily tossed words, she whimpered in the back of her throat as his grip tightened on her arm painfully, leaving behind bluish-purple bruises and cried out when the syringe plunged into her arm, releasing a burning rush of liquid into her arm as he laughed mockingly, her head swimming dizzily and sight growing hazy, Max's words echoing in her ears. "Goodbye, Tess..."
Crying out, pain still lashing through her arm, Tess shot straight up out of bed, blond curls pasted to her sweat-drenched brow, her heart pounding erratically against her breast bone and her blood rushing through her veins at an almost dangerous level. Drawing in a sharp breath, she clutched frantically at her arm, cringing when it throbbed and switched on her bedside lamp, her eyes widening with horror as she made out the faint outline of a hand-shaped bruise, quickly fading as reality set in and her instinctive healing abilities kicked in.
Scrambling out of her bed, she scanned her room frantically, terror and anguish still coursing through her veins as Max's parting words circled in her head on an endless loop, her body trembling as the cool air whispered over damp skin. Panting in sharp, shallow breaths, she wrapped her arms around her stomach, cinching them tightly and shuddered, swaying dizzily in the pale morning light, the sun not even showing on the horizon. Glancing at her clock, she ran a shaky hand through her hair as the red numbers glared right back, almost admonishing her for being awake.
As if she had a choice after such evil dreams.
Walking back to her bed, she sank onto the mattress numbly and drew her knees to her chest as she stared around the room blankly, her eyes already drooping with exhaustion despite the adrenaline still flowing through her veins. This had been the third night in a row that she'd been subjected to nightmares, although they had been happening with an abnormal frequency since the end of summer, and she honestly didn't know how much more she could tolerate as they were growing much more violent and disturbing.
Scrubbing at her arm, the phantom feel of bruises still aching even though they had faded into oblivion almost as soon as she's awoke, she shuddered once more, frightened to her core as she'd never had the dreams spill over into real life before. And the fact that they had this time terrified her, as she wasn't sure what it meant, and more, how else those dreams could affect her in reality. This was getting out of hand. She needed to do something about it, but she had no idea what or who she could trust at this point in time.
Resting her cheek against her knees she stared out her window, her muscles loosing slightly as the wild beating of her heart slowed to a normal pace, but she was still coiled tightly, ready to spring at a moment's notice if necessary, unable to let go of Max's haunting words and smug face. The dreams reminded her all too much of the visions she and the other's started getting when she arrived in town, that is, they had that feeling of manipulation, as if they were being purposefully sent to her, but unlike the destiny dreams, these were malevolent in nature.
At first she'd just thought they were a product of her own fears and insecurities, since they often told her that she didn't belong, that she wasn't wanted, which was the feeling she had gotten from the entire group when she joined them and she often felt alien among her own kind. But now, with the way the dreams were now manifesting in reality, leaving her marked, she had to wonder if there was more behind it, if there was some enemy, or worse, someone she knew crawling into her head every night and terrorizing her.
Running a hand over her head wearily, she sat there limply for she didn't know how long staring at the tree in her yard listlessly, mulling that thought around in her head, but when she finally shook her head, trying to brush off the fatigue sucking at her limbs, she noticed that the sky had lightened considerably and she had to get ready for class. Staggering off her bed, she trudged over to her dresser, pulling out clothing sluggishly, dreading the coming day of acting like nothing was wrong and pretending that her nerves weren't ready to break.
She would have given anything to crawl back into bed and bury herself under the thick comforter, seeking the sleep that she had been lacking for the past month, but she couldn't guarantee that she wouldn't be assaulted more vicious, terrifying images and she'd had enough for one night. Shuffling to her bathroom, she turned the shower all the way on cold, hoping that the chilling water would perk her up enough to make it through the day without falling victim to the pull of sleep and dreams she wasn't sure she wanted.
~...~
Pressing her forehead to the cool metal locker, she sighed in relief that she had made it through yet another day despite her dulled, leaden senses and the deep need for sleep. She even managed to fool most people into believing that she was her normal, unflappable self at lunch, only Max and Alex watching her carefully, as if they sensed something more. She had done her best to smile and contribute to the conversation as much as possible, but she lacked the energy to focus and often fell into silence for long periods of time.
In fact, she had almost nodded off at one point, Maria's droning voice lulling her into a trance as she stared at her lunch, picking at the sandwich and fruit without much interest, her chin cupped in her hand as her lashes fluttered closed, the only thing snapping her to wakefulness had been Michael's exasperated comments and the other's laughter.
Tess covered her mouth, desperately quelling a yawn as she sat at the picnic table, listlessly listening to Maria's prattling retelling of Pearl Harbor, which she had recently seen for the third time, and barely held back a snort at Michael's exasperated moue as it was obvious the girl was trying to compare him to the main character. Rolling his eyes, he slunk against a post, ignoring the other blonde's none-to-subtle hopeful looks as he crammed a burger in his mouth, sharing a commiserating smile with Liz.
Flicking a tired glance over the table, she squirmed as she caught Alex's concerned blue eyes studying her quietly, a small frown on his face before he gave her a small smile, making her cheeks heat slightly, her lips quirking in spite of themselves and she looked away nervously. Catching Max's eye next, she shuddered at his intent, speculative stare and fidgeted, a trickle of unease dancing down her spine as she recalled those eyes watching her so coldly in her dream.
Tearing her eyes away, she took a shaky breath and tried to focus on Maria's rambling narrative once more, the cadence of her words washing over her in an almost soothing way, lulling her into a trance-like state and she closed her eyes for the briefest moment, thinking to gather her energy. She really needed to get some sleep. Maybe this afternoon, she'd lie down and try to catch a catnap, keeping it short to avoid the deeper sleep and the jarring images her dreams brought.
"So then he was shot down and they thought he'd been killed in battle, but really he survived and was in occupied France the entire time and he couldn't get in touch with her, but he thought of her the entire time and it was her face that brought him through such a terrifying time until they could be reunited in love…" Maria gushed, her eyes flicking over to Michael, frowning when he only cocked a disinterested brow as she continued to babble. "I mean, she was with the other guy only because she thought he died and stayed with him because of the baby, but he was her true love and when they had the chance to be together, they…"
"Is there a point to this story?" Michael groused, finally tired of hearing about Ben Affleck and his wonderful portrayal of a soldier whose great love for his girlfriend got him through the war. Like he couldn't see where this conversation was headed, and he was determined to nip it in the bud right then and there. He had no intention of allowing Maria to romanticize their former relationship because some cheesy chick flick said it was possible, conveniently forgetting all the problems they'd had that didn't revolve around his supposed destiny.
"Yes, Michael, there is! It's about love! True love!" Maria snapped, a petulant pout twisting her mouth, her screech yanking Tess out of her reverie and she focused blurrily on the squabbling girl before turning her eyes to her brother, seeing the all too familiar irritation flaring in his eyes as the blond continued to squawk. "When people are in love they go to great lengths for each other and…"
"Maria!" Liz cut off, pressing her thumbs to her eyes wearily, rubbing her eyes as if staving off a headache and sighing as she fixed her best friend with a tight smile. Tess studied her carefully, surprised to see the shadows under her eyes and the same tight lines she'd seen in her own face this morning and wondered what could possibly be making her lose sleep since she seemed to have everything going for her. Studying Liz carefully, she startled when the girl bit out impatiently. "This is not the place!"
"Fine," the blond spat, gathering up her books and lunch, scrambling out of the table as she threw Liz a hurt look, her shoulders stiffening as she bustled away, muttering under her breath about how she should be able to count on people to back her up. Turning her head back to the group, Tess met Max's eyes once more, shivering when she caught the hint of hate in his eyes before he too got up, chasing after Maria silently.
Watching the other boy until she couldn't see him any longer, she shifted uncomfortably and then turned back to the group, smiling when she saw Liz and Michael talking quietly amongst themselves and Kyle teasing Isabel, while she looked down her nose at him haughtily, the twinkle in her eye belying any true annoyance. At least some of them were enjoying their lunch. Drawing a shaky breath, she rubbed her eyes wearily and glanced over at Alex, catching him staring once more and blushed, chewing on her lip nervously as she wondered what was going on in his head.
Shaking her head softly, she pulled back from the cold metal and slowly entered her locker combination, concentrating her sluggish mind on the numbers as her energy continued to wane. Opening door, she slid in the unnecessary books onto the shelf and grabbed the ones she was going to need for the night. Thank God tomorrow was Friday and she would then have a weekend to hopefully recover and get some sleep. Maybe.
If the dreams stayed away just one night.
That was all she was asking for; just one night of uninterrupted sleep to take the edge off of this fog that has enveloped her over the past couple of weeks. Unfortunately, she didn't think she was going to get that lucky as the dreams had been picking up steam since last week, coming on an almost nightly basis and the desperate edge to them deepened, growing harsher and more malicious with each occurrence. It was almost as if someone was trying to drive her away or otherwise drive her into insanity.
And that just made her more determined to dig her heels in and stay right where she was, if for not other reason than to piss off whoever was trying to get her to break. This person may know her well enough to prey on her insecurities and deepest fears, but it was obvious their knowledge of her was superficial at best. Her life with Nasedo had been far from a picnic and the mental abuse she suffered his hands made this assailant's attempts nothing more than child's play. He or she didn't know whom they were messing with if they thought a few bad dreams were going to make her break.
In fact, if it hadn't been for her terror over the real life bruises that had marred her skin this morning, making her wonder if someone had been in her room actually physically assaulting her, they wouldn't succeeded in anything more than pissing her off. But the implication of those bruises and her empty room chilled her to the bone. There was only one person she recalled having that ability and she wasn't ready to accept that he was the one behind the attacks despite his obvious dislike of her.
Rubbing her forearm absently, she stared blindly down the hall as she mulled the dream over in her mind, wondering if maybe she should be looking in that direction, when a hand clamped on her shoulder, eliciting a startled cry from the back of her throat. Heart hammering, she whipped wide, frightened eyes around, her body trembling slightly and sighed with relief when surprised, concerned blue eyes peered down on her, a confused smile touching one corner of his mouth.
"Alex," she breathed, raising a shaky hand to her throat and forcing a smile as she tried to slow the frantic fluttering of her heart, running a hand through her hair nervously as she drew a deep, steadying breath and licked her lips. Fidgeting nervously, she looked around curiously, wondering what had possessed the quiet boy to come up to her, since they barely talked outside of the group. "Sorry, I was deep in thought and didn't hear you approach."
"Hey," Alex replied, rubbing her shoulder absently and shifting just the slightest with discomfit, a little uncertain if the girl before him would welcome his presence. He'd surreptitiously watched her at lunch, trying to hide her obvious exhaustion and tension from the group, and would have succeeded if it weren't for the fact that he'd had a lot of practice observing female behaviors because of Maria and Liz. His best friends had been fantastic training grounds when it came to understanding the female persuasion. Well, as much as a man could understand the fairer sex, which was barely enough to keep himself out of the fire unlike his other less fortunate brethren. "How are you doing?"
"Oh, ummm…okay," Tess shrugged, looking at the taller boy strangely, a little surprised, but pleased that he'd come up to her, her breath stuttering at the odd little flutter in her stomach when he caressed her shoulder softly. Biting her lip, she looked up and flushed, her stomach doing that little quavering jump once more when deep, kind blue eyes slid over her warmly, his smile doing things she never expected to feel for anyone other than Max. "Yourself?"
"Good, good," he replied, dropping his hand hastily as he realized he was still rubbing her arm absently, his heart leaping just a tad as he caught the faintest flash of disappointment in her eyes as he pulled away. Smiling slightly, he met curiously sober eyes for a long moment before he dropped his gaze and rubbed his hand over the back of neck, his stomach clenching now that it came to the reason for him coming up to her.
"Um, so, I was wondering if you…would, I don't know…like to go to the Crash for a drink with me today…" he asked hesitantly, swallowing harshly as surprised, slightly suspicious eyes met his when he raised his eyes and he quickly amended his invitation to leave it more open-ended. "Or if today doesn't work, another day?"
"Why?" she asked suspiciously, her brow furrowing with confusion as she stared at the tall boy who seemed to avoid her at all costs unless he couldn't help it due to a group meeting or activity. But then again, that was hardly odd considering the fact that most of the group avoided her outside of Michael and even he only sought her out because of the information she had regarding their past lives.
Alex sighed, studying the girl before him quietly, his heart pinching at the wariness and slight pain that briefly shined through her hard gaze, making him realize how much the groups distancing themselves from her when they found out her true identity must have hurt. Without thinking, he reached over and brushed a strand of hair away for her cheek, marveling at the softness, missing her slightly startled, yet pleased gleam as he stroked the curve gently.
He'd had a crush on the girl almost from the instant they met, having seen the hints of vulnerability she tried to hide, but had avoided her because he and Isabel were still doing some kind of dance and he didn't want to hurt either girl. But when Isabel had shunted him aside this summer, he had decided he'd had enough with the beautiful alien's hot and cold reactions and decided to see if just maybe another beautiful alien might just see him differently. And just maybe he could get her to talk about what was bothering her.
"I'd just…I'd really like the chance to get to know you," he replied sincerely, shrugging his shoulders slightly as he met stunned blue eyes before they danced away, the faint flush touch her cheeks encouraging him and he took a deep breath before continuing. "I really do. I know we haven't really been that inviting, and I'm sorry for my part. I can't excuse my behavior, but I hope that you'll take this as my apology and give me the chance to make it up to you."
"Okay," she replied shyly, her cheeks heating as she watched him from beneath her lashes, a small smile quirking her lips when his face lit up and she bit back a giggle, turning away to grab the last of her books, her mind reeling at this development. Drawing a deep breath, she shut her locker and spun around, smiling at Alex brightly, gesturing to the school doors. "So, shall we?"
"After you, my lady," he quipped lightly, dipping into a gallant bow and grinning when she did giggle that time, her hand flying to her mouth as if startled at the sound and he offered her his arm, his heart jumping happily when she tucked her finger into the crook as they walked outside and headed to his car.
~...~
Alex smiled down on the pretty blond at his side, chuckling at a dry quip she'd made about the exterior of the Crashdown. He could see her point; he imagined that all of the alien-themed businesses and tourist traps must seem odd to someone who held an out of this world citizenship. Opening the door, he stood back, allowing her to pass into the diner before him and came to a standstill at her side, his smile fading as Maria dropped a plate and stared at the two of them in disbelief, making Tess tense and fidget uncomfortably, looking as if she were ready to bolt.
Frowning at his friend, he raised his brow, breaking her stunned reverie and Maria had the grace to flush at her less than subtle reaction and hastily bent to pick up the pieces of broken plate, scurrying into the back to grab a broom and dustpan, muttering under her breath. Tipping his head to the petite blond at his side, he took her hand and squeezed it, dragging her uncertain gaze from the swinging door and smiled, eliciting a shaky one from her in return as he led her to an unoccupied booth in the back.
Lifting his head, his brow creased as he caught Max watching Tess with displeasure, a hint of anger and something he couldn't quite place in his eyes, but made him shudder all the same. Placing a hand on the little blonde's back, he maneuvered it so that he was standing between her and the dark-haired boy and wrapped a protective arm around her shoulders as he caught burning golden eyes, cocking a challenging brow. Max flushed deeply and looked away hastily, focusing on Isabel's gaping mouth and confused dismay, his lips compressing further as he flashed Tess a hateful look out of the corner of his eye.
Compressing his own lips, Alex ushered Tess past the two, blatantly ignoring the frown on Isabel's face as they walked past and settled into the booth farthest from the two other aliens and looked around. He didn't feel the least bit sorry or guilty for walking in with Tess despite the flash of hurt in Isabel's eyes as he was sure it was only due to the fact that he wasn't mooning over her anymore. She had been the one that stepped away and the one who stopped talking to him this summer, so she had no one but herself to blame.
Glancing across the restaurant, he barely caught a glimpse of Michael leaning out of the window, speaking softly to a surprised Liz, cocking a contemplative brow before shrugging and quipping something to Liz lightly, drawing a reluctant smile out of the brunette. Cocking his own brow, he had to wonder what was going on with the two of them as Liz walked towards his and Tess's table and turned back to his menu, sharing a quiet look with the blond, noticing she had been watching the exchange with equal interest.
"Hey guys," Liz piped up, her brows rising with interest as she saw the looks exchanged between her best friend and the other girl, a smile twitching her lips as Tess looked up guiltily and put her on her best blank expression, ignoring Maria's curious glance as she walked past. "What can I get for you? The usual Alex?"
"Yeah, I'll take my usual," he replied, smiling in relief when she acted as if there was nothing amiss with him being here with Tess opposed to Isabel. That was one of the things he loved most about his girl, she knew when to let things be and when to pry. And he could tell by the speculative gleam in her eye, he would be getting a call later tonight. Turning back to Tess, he smiled and waited for her to give her order, his gaze flicking over her quietly, his smile growing as he noticed the pink in her cheeks deepening.
"It'll be right up," Liz said, nodding to the two of them as she caught Tess's eyes, a friendly smile flashing across her face as she left, Tess unable to help the surprise that flashed over her own face at the friendly overture before recalling that Liz had tried to be her friend when she first arrived, but she had been the one to push her away. Flicking her eyes to the table, she chewed on her bottom lip and wondered at how things could have been if she had given the other girl a chance.
"Everything okay?" Alex asked, his eyes sliding over the quiet, exhausted girl as she lost herself in thought as she had been doing for the past few days, wincing when she jumped at his voice. Furrowing his brow, he was determined to get to the bottom of her behavior, even if nothing more than friendship came of their association. She looked like she was standing precariously on the edge and he was worried about what might happen if something didn't change soon. "You've been awful quiet lately."
"What?" Tess asked, her head snapping up in surprise at his words, stunned that he had noticed her enough to know that she'd been acting unusually, and also worried because it made her realize just how much of her mask had fallen. She had to figure out who was doing this to her before she fell apart completely.
"You've been quiet, and exhausted," he pointed out, concern filling his gaze once more as he unconsciously reached over and took her hand, rubbing the back of it with his thumb over the back, thrilled that she didn't pull away immediately. Watching as she shrugged and bit her lip, looking like she wanted to confide but held off out of fear.
"I've just…had some trouble sleeping is all," she explained weakly, nibbling on her bottom lip, her eyes clouding over with uncertainty as he watched her closely and her stomach sank slightly as he nodded, pulling away to allow Liz to set their food on the table. She wanted to tell him, really she did, but until she had a better grasp on what might be causing the dreams, she didn't want to say too much. Smiling at Liz as she turned away, she reached out and covered his hand with hers, waiting until he looked over. "I've just been having some bad dreams."
"Well if you ever need to, or want to talk," he replied with a smile, squeezing her hand back gently, sending those little flutters zinging through her heart and stomach once more and she couldn't help but grin back, her eyes prickling just a touch with happiness before she looked away shyly, his last words washing over her like a balm. "I'm here."