Title: The Re-Awakening

Disclaimer: I don't own Roswell or its characters and never will. If I did, season 3 wouldn't exist, sorry lol. This is strictly for entertainment purposes and I am borrowing characters and concepts for fun.

Characters not from the show and the plot belong to me.

Rating: T ( * If any adult scenes happen to pop up in future chapters, I will post a warning in the beginning of the chapter to make readers aware. Although, I will let you know now that I'm not one to get too graphic. I prefer to focus more on the romantic angle - rather than the explicit sex act itself).

Genre: LOL - basically a little cocktail blend of almost everything.

Pairings: CC/UC. Max/Liz, Michael/Isabel. Also, there will be some Max/Tess and Sean/Liz innuendo through flashbacks of the past along with other UC mentions in the present time (lol, try to stomach it if you can; I'm completely aware that it can be difficult to do when UC's are involved. However, if you're a ML fan, just remember that in the end it's a journey that ultimately brings M/L together).

Also, for all those out there who may be wondering, please allow me to mention that it's not that I don't like Candy (Michael/Maria). I generally support them on the show and most of the time in fanfics - but for the purposes of my story this is how the couples will play out. Maria is going to have someone else in her life for my story - as will Kyle. So my apologies to all the Candies out there. M/M will always be one of the best CC couples out there.

Summary: It has been almost ten years since High School graduation and the Pod Squad's departure from Earth - a departure to fulfill their destiny on Antar.

After the pod squad's departure, Liz Parker vowed to herself that she would put Max and that part of her life completely behind her. However, Liz soon discovers that was easier said than done. With a whole year worth of memory still missing from her life - a number of recurring nightmares continue to plague her. Certain revelations and events have come to light effecting Liz in the present - and those revelations have also brought along with them - strangers in the night. Strangers who seem hell-bent on following her every move.

Do these secrets buried from long ago hold the key to the recent events surrounding her life and do they have anything to do with the reappearance of a "dark-haired mystery man" she held so close to her young heart all those years ago? Hm. Maybe, lol.

This story will pretty much be Liz-centric; she's my favorite character to date even though I adore the others too (with the exception of Tess). Although to be fair, I've come to tolerate Tess to a degree when she's not with Max (much more than I use to when the show first aired some ten years ago). Warning: However, with that said, Tess will be portrayed as a villain/villainess in this story; therefore, if you're a heavy Tess supporter you might want to steer clear from this one. It'll probably piss you off, lol. Sorry, big apologies. It just won't be made especially clear right away when she becomes one (or became one, hehe). But the other characters will still have an important role as well (and will appear just as much) - it's just that this is kind of Liz's "story" so to speak. Which - by definition, just basically means that most plot points tie back into her character somehow or someway.

Background information:

LOL - okay, so the last thing I should be doing right now is starting another fan-fiction when I struggle to find the time to write my other ones. However, this just came to me as I was re-watching episodes of Roswell the other day and I just had to get it out of my system. I know Roswell's been off the air awhile now but hopefully there are still a few of you out there that like to read fanfics on it.

This story will pretty much follow canon up until the NY episodes of season two. After that, some things from canon will remain the same or be altered to fit the purposes of this story while other things may be very different. You will get most of the background information or explanations of the past during various flashbacks - as this story picks up with the future as the present (2011).

For instance, Sean still came to town. However, Liz began to develop powers during this time period (because the canon season 3 universe didn't happen in my alternate reality here). He and Liz grew closer and Liz ended up pregnant. Max and Tess did follow through with destiny and slept together; however, there was no baby. Yes, *sniffs*, poor Alex still died but the group never discovered how he was murdered and who did it because Liz and the group became more preoccupied with a much more pressing matter.

The pod-squad (Max, Tess, Michael, and Isabel) eventually left for Antar to follow through with their destiny back home; however, their departure did not occur like it was suppose to have happened at the end of original canon (season 2) - The Departure. Other important events played out instead, involving Liz, that led Liz to where she is in her life now and to the reasons why the Royal Four left earth for good - only further on down the road (about a year later right after graduation).

Or did they leave for good? Hehe.

LOL - and before most of you decide to bail after reading all that, I ask all fellow ML fans to have faith in me. Just wanted to give you some of the heads up on the plot points without completely taking you by surprise, lol. What I'll offer is that not everything may be the way it seems while some other things appear to be exactly what they really are (because what's a story without a little angst). So, please be prepared for some angst but there will be a light at the end of the tunnel; I promise. But I can't tell you what those things are or when they'll be revealed otherwise - what would be the point in writing the story? Better yet - what would be the point in you reading it, lol? ;o)

Added Note: All flashbacks, dream sequences, different and alternate time-lines (if I decide to incorporate them) will occur within italics. Journal entries made by Liz will occur periodically throughout the story in the first-person perspective (the rest of the story is in third person - coming from the author) and will also be in italics. So, with that said, I hope someone out there will be interested and will decide to give this a chance. It's my first Roswell fic - and I decided to just get it out there before I move on with my other writing. If there's enough interest, I'll decide to continue. If not, well, I may or may not - it depends on how I feel, lol.

Prologue

Roswell, New Mexico (July 1947)

The dark sky lit up like the fourth of July - just like it had days before - only this time the myriad of colorful fireworks were not on display. No, on this night, a strong flash of white lightening - accompanied by a light blue hue - enveloped the small town that sat in complete darkness. However, a sleek, silver object - that glowed against the light coming from a lively full moon - could be seen by the few unfortunate souls who would later be threatened and forced into submission.

Pohlman Ranch.

At the same exact time Jonathon Polhman was blinded by the intense flash that covered his property, the ground rumbled beneath a set of tires and Calvin Burke swerved off of the winding, dirt road. It was the same road that led out from the land belonging to his boss - and his vehicle plowed through the barb-wire fence. His vehicle crushed the wire lining the patch of road, pieces of it falling flat on the hood of his truck, until the truck finally dove straight into a ditch. He had been blinded - at the same time losing his control over the vehicle due to the sudden vibration that had surged underneath the ground. His two sleeping daughters, ten - year old twins named Charlotte and Claudia, were jolted from out of their sleep just before the final impact - their wails and screams of terror heard by their father all the way in the backseat.

After use of his sight was returned to him, Jonathon Polhman sprang up from the porch swing and reached for his rifle stashed in the corner. Almost immediately afterwards, the front door to the home swung open, revealing a dazzled and frazzled older woman somewhere in her early sixties. She pulled the robe tightly across her chest, shielding herself from the slight chill now found in the night air. It was very clear that she had been in the middle of preparing for bed.

"Jonathon, what was that?" her frantic voice carried, as she watched her husband charge down the steps.

"Don't you worry about a thing, Martha. You go on and settle yourself in," he replied in his accented tone, his steady steps taking him down to the pebble walk-way leading to their big white house.

"But Jon, didn't you feel that? Was it an earthquake?" However, she knew an earthquake couldn't be attributed to the strange flash of light that had streamed in through the window, momentarily blinding her vision inside of the bedroom.

"I don't know. I'm going to go and see for myself. But you go on inside before you catch yourself a cold. The temperature dropped out here."

"Oh, Jonathon?! Can't we call the police?" She didn't like the idea of him going off on his own when they didn't know what kind of disturbance they were dealing with here.

"I'll only be gone a bit," he returned over his shoulder.

His figure was seen taking off into the open field but both Mr. and Mrs. Pohlman could make out the sparks of light not too far off in the distance. This time, the chill running through Martha Pohlman had absolutely nothing to do with the significant drop in temperature. The tingling energy suddenly felt in the air surrounding her filled her with a sense of unwanted fear.

"You be careful," she scolded in her wifely way. She immediately headed back into the house to dial the police.

"This is 911. What is your emergency?" the soft feminine voice flowed easily across the line.

"Yes, I would like to report ... " Martha stammered and hesitated before settling on her response.

"Yes?" the voice pushed. "What seems to be the emergency, Ma'am?"

"I would like to report an incident on my property," Martha Pohlman chose as her final answer. "Can you please send someone out here to make sure my husband's alright?"

x

"Daddy!"

The crying and continuous sobbing sounds - accompanied by sniffles - hadn't subsided after Calvin Burke had first maneuvered himself out of the driver's side door. He now stood at the door entrance, pulling one daughter free from the wreckage. Claudia, the older of the two identical twin girls by four minutes, held onto her father tightly as he pulled her out to safety. In truth, her cries had ended shortly after the shock of the impact wore off. It was her sister Charlotte who continued to fuss - being the girlie girl that she always was. Claudia watched as her father reached into the backseat for her sister next.

Claudia was more of a tomboy and she openly admitted to it - despite being made fun of by the other little girls her age. Even some of the boys snubbed her at first - however, most of them eventually came around and accepted her when she had been able to prove that she could do the things they did just as well - sometimes even better. She liked to play in the dirt and get her hands just as dirty as the next little boy. She preferred baseball to dolls - hiking, fishing, and camping being a few of her favorite past-times. Claudia learned early on that she was lucky enough to have a father who supported her "unique" interests in other things besides dolls and tea parties. Two things her sister Charlotte loved and did engage in quite often with her other girlie friends - and not just on occasion. She also preferred slacks to the frilly dresses that Charlotte loved to wear and show off. While Charlotte busied herself with dolls and dress-ups, Claudia did a lot of reading and hoped to go to college one day - a topic she heard mentioned by some of the older boys around town. However, because of the war, alot of them hadn't seen their brothers live to return home. They vowed to live the dream in place of their older brothers and carry on their legacy with honor and duty. Claudia's dream was to write her very own book one day. Her sister, on the other-hand, talked about finding and getting married to her "Prince Charming" when she grew up. A topic that Claudia steered away from and had been forced to suppress an urge to gag against more than a few times.

Their father, Calvin Burke, had been widowed back when the girls were born. Sadly, their mother Anna had experienced a difficult time with the multiple birth and died due to the complications surrounding it back in 1937. Calvin was a middle-aged man with sandy, brown hair. Some subtle signs of graying where evident and a matching mustache accompanied his look. He went on to raise their girls on his own and he had never remarried but often faced pressure from the community to do so. Claudia felt saddened that she never had the opportunity to know her mother like the other boys and girls around town and she fully recognized that she was missing out on something special; however, it also upset her that her interests and hobbies were blamed on not having her mother around. She was a smart little girl and that conclusion was just ridiculous to her. All anyone had to do was look at her sister Charlotte to wash that theory down the drain. Charlotte didn't have their mother either and she was as girlie as they come. It angered her even more that they blamed her father for not getting a new wife to "fix" what the towns-folk considered a huge social blemish. It was all in the looks and in the condescending tone. After all, she had heard it time and time again. Girls aren't suppose to play baseball with other little boys; girls aren't suppose to hike through the big bad woods - it's too scary and dirty; and the more common generalization - girls just aren't suppose to like the same things boys like. When Claudia asked why that was she could never get a straight answer or for that matter, any answer that made sense. Claudia had a vivid memory of overhearing Grandma Burke pushing her father about remarriage - claiming that a new wife would provide her and her sister with, but more importantly her, a more feminine-like role model. But Claudia didn't want nor feel like she needed a new mother - she already had one. Yeah, she was dead but somehow a replacement just wouldn't feel like the real deal for her. Claudia compared accepting a new mother to suddenly accepting dolls and dresses. No, she was happy with the way things were. Just her, Charlotte, and daddy.

Charlotte clung to her father, whining. "No daddy, don't put me down."

"Charlotte, daddy has to put you down," he gently scolded her. "We need to walk back to Mr. Pohlman's. It's not that far, I promise."

"Daddy, what was that?" Claudia asked her father. "That bright light? And the car was shaking too?"

"I don't know, peanut," Calvin answered honestly. "Maybe a meteor or an earthquake of some kind," he reasoned.

"But I thought the only people that have those are from the state where they make all the movies?" Claudia's young mind inquired about the earthquake conclusion. "California, right daddy?"

"Right." He smiled.

"But I'm scared!" Charlotte wailed as she snuggled closely at her father's side. "I want to go home; I don't like the dark!"

Claudia had already begun the walk down the dirt road. "Come on already," she complained, rolling her eyes at her sister's behavior. Her pace was slowing them down. "If Mr. Pohlman goes to sleep, he won't be able to give us a ride back. You're such a slow poke."

"Am not!" Charlotte protested.

"Girls, there's no need to argue. Mr. Pohlman will give us a ride."

Calvin Burke had been a loyal employee to the Pohlmans for over fifteen years. He was a Ranch-hand and took care of the stables - feeding most of the animals and cleaning out the pens. The girls often accompanied their father to the Ranch during after school hours and on the weekends. The Pohlmans had become like a second family to the Burkes and every now and again, Jonathon Pohlman would allow Calvin and both little girls to saddle up the horses so they could ride together. Horse-back riding was something - probably one of the only interests - that both Claudia and Charlotte loved and shared in common.

The walk continued with Claudia at a few good feet ahead of her father and sister while Charlottle clasped onto her father's hand as she walked beside him. No one had been hurt, thank god. While still latching onto her father's hand, Charlotte began skipping - humming to a tune that neither father nor other daughter could identify. Charlotte's long brown hair, currently pulled to the sides of her head in pigtails with the help from her sister, bounced along with the skips.

"Hmhmhm. HmHmHm," the humming sounds continued.

The breeze in the air caused strands of the other ten-year old's shoulder - length brown hair to fly across her face. Claudia used her hand to swipe it away quickly. Glancing to the side of her, she suddenly ceased all walking. Her eyes widened in shock.

"Daddy, look!" she practically shouted, her finger pointing in the direction she was looking down at.

"Claudia, what is it?" her father's eyes narrowed. Claudia didn't wait for him to catch up - instead she climbed over the fencing and went running in the direction she had been pointing towards. "No, Claudia, wait!" Calvin shouted, glimpsing his daughter's retreating form as it disappeared down into the valley. "Claudia, you get back here right now! Do you hear me?!"

Calvin picked up his pace - running as he pulled Charlotte along.

"No, daddy, I'm scared!" Charlotte protested, but she was still pulled along anyway. Her whining given life to once again.

"Claudia!" their father shouted as he stopped exactly where Claudia had been standing seconds ago. Staring down at where his daughter now stood, his reaction was immediate. "Ho - ly - smac - kers!" he stammered at the sight laid out before him.

Claudia could hear her father's protests in the background after she jetted down the small incline leading into the open valley. But she couldn't stop herself. What greeted her down below had completely captivated her. There was debris scattered everywhere and small flames going strong in various places. Claudia was careful not to come into contact with any of them; however, unlike her sister, she liked to explore and she wasn't afraid to take a risk or accept a challenge. But right now, surrounding her in every direction, pieces of discarded metal sparkled like a jewel and she couldn't help but to bend down and pick a piece of it up. Quickly, she discerned that the odd-looking material could very easily scrunch up into a ball in her small hand; however, it just as quickly flattened itself back out again.

"Wow!" her eyes bulged at the sight.

Then something new caught her attention. She dropped the piece of metal debris back onto the ground as she stared at what was hidden in the small spikes of valley grass. Bending back down, she retrieved an object that resembled a necklace - a black string looped through a pendant with a strange-looking symbol inscribed on the front of it. However, just as quickly, a couple shadow figures seemed to breeze by - but it was too quick for Claudia's line of vision to take in. Suddenly, an unsettling feeling of being watched came over the little girl and she began to back up - her eyes surveying the area while she did so. The feeling told her that she wasn't really alone down here.

Since when did meteor crashes carry with them pieces of bending metal and strange necklaces with drawings on them?

"Daddy?!" she called out. She lost her footing; tripping and falling over something she didn't see behind her. While still on the ground, she scooted away using her the palms of her hands and bottoms of her feet - and she realized exactly what it was she had made contact with. A body. She didn't know what kind of a body - for it vaguely resembled any body she was used to seeing but it was a body nonetheless. "Ahhhhhhh! Daddy, help me!" came her scream.

"Charlotte, come on!" Calvin tried to pull his daughter along so he could catch up with his other daughter. He was still trying to coax his other daughter over the fence so he could meet up with Claudia.

"But, daddy, I don't want to go!" her protest was woven together with her whine. She planted her feet solidly against the dirt ground - skidding and dragging her feet when Calvin tried to force her along.

"Charlotte, I need to get to your sister!" he reprimanded the child. "Let's go!" And that's when he heard Claudia's screaming. Both heads shot in the direction of the screams and Calvin reacted instantly - he couldn't wait any longer. "Fine, you wait right here, understand?!" he instructed Charlotte sternly. "Right there, do you hear me?" he reinforced. "I'll be right back."

She nodded her head through sobs.

Calvin took off down the small incline into the valley and it was only seconds later that he heard Charlotte's cries of protest once again.

"No, daddy, don't leave me! Don't leave me alone, daddy!"

However, just as quickly as they had started - the protests stopped. Calvin sprinted down the incline and made it into the open valley just in time to witness Claudia lifting herself off the ground and back onto her feet. Turning around and seeing her father, she ran towards him and launched herself at his mid-section - embracing him tightly. It was a rare occasion when she gave into the feeling of being scared.

"Are you okay?" he asked, rubbing the top of her back in a comforting manner. "What happened?" Calvin looked around at the peculiar debris. He bent down and took her by the shoulders. "Are you okay?" he stressed once again.

"Yes."

"Don't ever run off like that again when I tell you not to, do you understand me?"

Claudia nodded slowly, the necklace still clasped firmly inside her hand. She turned her head back around - back where she had fallen down. "Daddy, what is that?" her voice broke with the fear she was feeling - as he followed her line of sight. She pointed at the peculiar body just a couple of feet in front of them.

Calvin walked in front of her - securing himself in front of her as he took steps in the direction from which she had looked at. Claudia watched her father's movements carefully - noting when he suddenly stopped. Looking down, Calvin's own eyes widened in shock and he swallowed hard at what appeared to be lay sprawled out beneath him. Slowly, he back up towards his daughter, holding out his arm. He didn't want to alarm her anymore than she already was.

"Come on, we need to get back to your sister," he told her.

Claudia caught the figure on the ground twitching. "Daddy, it moved!" she shouted to him, as she grabbed onto his hand and both turned around - heading back quickly in the direction they had come from.

"Let's go!" he pushed her gently from behind. "Don't look back!"

Swiftly, they carried themselves back, Claudia shoving the necklace into the pocket on the side of her pants. Almost immediately, they saw the headlights reflecting and heard the sound of the truck that was fast approaching. It stopped and after the door opened, out stepped Jonathon Pohlman. After some initial investigating, he had decided to walk back for the truck to inspect further out instead of walking the full distance. He caught both Calvin and Claudia just as they lifted their legs back over the fencing.

"Hey there, Cal, what seems to be the problem?" the older man inquired, walking up to meet them. He had a big flashlight in hand.

"Car trouble." Calvin's answer was loud and clear.

"I see. I take it you'll be needing a ride, then? Did you happen to catch that lightening flash not too long ago? Just thought I'd come out here to check it out."

"Jonathon? I don't know if you're going to believe - I don't even know if I believe it!" Calvin was also walking to meet up with the other man. The momentary distraction provided by the brief conversation was thrust aside however, when he suddenly noticed the absence of his other daughter. "Charlotte?" he called out. He began pacing each end of the road - looking back and forth for any sign of her as confusion spread across young Claudia's face. Her sister would never take off on her own - she was too scared to sleep with the light off for crying out loud. "Jon, is Charlotte with you?" Calvin asked, looking the other man square in the face.

"Nope, sorry, just got here," Jonathon Pohlman shook his head - a look of confusion spreading over his face. "She wasn't with you?"

"No, she was but ... " panic began to settle over him as Calvin let the sentence trail off. "She was just here a minute ago. Charlotte?" he cupped his hands around his mouth, shouting again - louder this time. "Charlotte, can you hear me? Where are you - answer me!"

"Well, calm down Cal, I'm sure she's around here somewhere," Jonathon Pohlman tried to offer some reassurance. "Couldn't have gotten that far down the road. Besides, we don't want to scare the other little one, here," he nodded in the direction of Claudia.

However, the two grown gentleman and Claudia were suddenly alerted to the close sounds of approaching vehicles in the distance. They were coming from the opposite direction that Jonathon had arrived from - the entrance taking you outside of Pohlman Ranch. As the headlights and vehicles got closer, Jonathon and Calvin were able to make out what they were and who they belonged to.

The United States Military.

(-X-)

The tossing and turning accompanied the deep and restless sleep that she fell victim to almost every night. It was the one time when all her subconscious fears would resurface - a moment when all her repressed emotions would fight to make their presence known.

Within HER nightmares.

The medication prescribed to her only served to help numb the pain - but it never made her forget. There was so much in her short span of life - thus far - that she had planned for and yet so much more she had never been planning on at all. She decided against telling the doctor the truth, out of fear of being locked up, but the simple truth was that these medications were helping her less and less as time passed by. Yet all the disturbing nightmares were increasing more and more. Her weekly sessions weren't as self-healing or beneficial as they should have been or would be for someone who was normal - for she constantly spoke around her issues, talking in hypotheticals to mask the secrets she had held at one time and ones she had uncovered more recently tying back into herself.

The dream she was now immersed within slowly transformed into the nightmare she knew was waiting just beyond the door in her subconscious. She fought, struggled with her own mind, refusing to open it. But all attempts at resistance were futile.

(Dream/Nightmare Sequence)

The door stood before her - a bright glow streaming through and underneath all the cracks surrounding it. She fought with her feet to turn around and run but found that they were stuck - glued in place. She didn't want to know what was waiting for her on the other side of the door this time. Her heart rate picked up and the uncontrollable shivers ransacked her entire body - her palms becoming sweaty. Despite her blatant unwillingness, the door slowly began to open while she opened her mouth to scream; however, no sound came out. Instead, she found herself twisting her head back over her shoulder, stretching her arm and reaching her hand out - desperately crying out for the help she knew would never come.

A force was pulling on her - sucking her in until she entered, the light completely enveloping her.

Suddenly, the light around her dissipated and she found herself standing in the middle of a hospital room. The big windows were barred off - shielding off most of the outside world to whatever inhabitant resided within its walls. It was soon apparent that this wasn't your average, variety hospital - she was actually standing inside the room of a psychiatric hospital. A dark-haired woman with long, tight, spiral curls - curls that fell way below her shoulders - sat on a chair, with her back facing her. Noting the stray-jacket the woman appeared to be secured inside of - she took slow, cautious steps in her direction.

Then the scene suddenly changed.

She was now walking toward a woman inside of her parents alien-themed restaurant, The Crashdown. Through the blazing flames, she could make out the woman with red hair - a color of red flaming as bright as the fire that was surrounding them everywhere. But as hard as she tried - the fire would change course, blocking each and every path she sought to get to the woman who lay unconscious on the floor.

"Mom?" she mouthed in an effort to scream; however, no sound came out.

She was reaching out for her mother - trying to save her - when suddenly, the scene switched back to the hospital room. The woman sitting in the chair, with the long curly hair, spun around unexpectedly wielding a knife in hand. The woman wasn't secured inside of the jacket after all and she began slashing into her - the other woman's pitch, black, oval eyes baring hard into her soul.

She tried to scream - threw her hands up into the air to defend herself.

"I know who you are - what you are!" the woman's accusatory words pierced the air around them. "It's your fault they're dead - it's your fault they're all dead!"

Then the woman's alien eyes took on a human appearance. She almost appeared sorrowful - remorseful for her actions - until the knife came up once again. Once again, she found herself screaming as the words left the other woman's mouth.

"Let me save you!"

She turned her head over her shoulder again - looking at the door with the bright light behind it. She needed to escape; however, this time, a muscular arm and a hand reached back out - making contact with her own hand - yanking her forward with a strong pull.

She never saw a face.

(Dream/Nightmare Sequence Ends)

She bolted up out of the nightmare with a deep, heavy gasp. It was still dark - the opened window to her apartment creating a slight chill as the breeze blew the curtains around in a slow and gentle pattern. She could hear the city traffic down below - something she hadn't been accustomed to in her home town. Instinctively, she brought her hand to rest against her chest, just above the breast area - the same area where the scars were now embedded forever. After taking some slow and steady breaths to calm her breathing - she reached over, turning on the small lamp. The clock on the night-stand read three in the morning. In just a couple more hours she needed to be up - she had an early flight to catch to her new destination. Flinging the covers off, she got out of her bed - heading for the small hallway that would lead to her bathroom. She flicked the light switch on as she entered, immediately positioning herself in front of the small mirror cabinet.

A pale face along with some dark circles appeared under the eyes of the reflection looking back.

"Great," she groaned, complaining at the atrocious sight before her. "Just the impression I want to make on a new job."

Slowly, she began to unbutton the top to her night shirt - until three, long, pink slash marks that were now faded reflected back from the mirror. Gently, she ran a finger over each one but then swiftly re-fastened the buttons to cover up the ugly sight. Turning the faucet on, she ran her hands under the water - splashing some on her face. She immediately opened the cabinet and reached for one of the prescription bottles sitting on the shelf. After using her hands to twist the cap off, she swung the the cabinet door closed only to be greeted by an entirely different sight - one she hadn't been expecting.

"Ahhhhhhh!"

The scream was accompanied by the bottle dropping into the sink - the small pills falling out while some even fell down the drain. The version of a man she could remember from long ago, but tried to forget, stood staring back - a solemn look carried inside of his eyes. His brown hair fell to his shoulder and the signs of a faded mustache and gotee were evident. His broad, muscular shoulders fit nicely under a cut-off vest.

Future Max.

The name slid through her memory banks with ease - for he came from a future now past, an alternate future which held both alot of promise for them but alot of heartache and doom for the world. Looking back later, she thought it quite silly that the fate of the world - earth - could rest solely on the outcome of one relationship. But in the end he had been right.

Bringing her hands up to cover her face, she closed her eyes tightly - willing his image away. When she pulled her hands away and opened her eyes back up, she found only her tired and sickly image staring back once again.

"Okay, Parker, you're definitely losing it! Pull yourself together!"

She grabbed for the small bottle, securing whatever she could that was left, and then popped two of the pills into her mouth - thrusting her head backwards so they could slide down her throat passage alot easier. She left the bottle to rest on the sink before returning to her bedroom. As she sat on the bed, she reached for the night-stand drawer, pulling it out and revealing a small, leather bound book.

A journal.

She flipped it open to the next empty page.

Journal Entry # 54:

So I dreamt about "her" again.

It's been close to a year now and I haven't even kept a journal since high school; however, Dr. Wallace advised me that keeping journal entries of these dreams could prove to be a positive tool for my recovery. But still, I don't know how many times I've just wished I could go back to not knowing the truth - living in blissful ignorance - back before the deaths of my parents. Because the sad truth is - it would make everything so much simpler. I hate that I ever went looking, it only opened a door I want to close now.

Dr. Wallace says that these "dreams", as she likes to call them, are a good thing. To me, they're nothing more than nightmares into other worlds - worlds that are best left alone and forgotten. But she says it means that my mind is finally willing to break down the walls it constructed for itself - walls that I constructed to protect me. And that only when I'm willing to confront everything head on, will the true healing process really begin.

I hope she's right.

She went to close the journal - but hesitated. Flipping it back open, she brought the pen back to the page.

Okay, so that's not all. I dreamt about "him" tonight or at least I'm pretty sure I did. Then I woke up only to find him staring back at me through my bathroom mirror. Crazy? Yeah, pretty much - this is somebody I haven't seen or talked to in almost ten years, at least one version of him I haven't seen or talked with, and he's reaching out to save me in my nightmares.

Why?

But I really don't want to talk about it anymore so I'm signing out.

This time the journal was flipped and closed.

To Be Continued: Okay, good - not good? Tell me what you think? I have ideas now that I started writing for it but let me know if you're interested.