Title: No obligations
Series: So far away #1
Author: TaleWeaver
Rating: PG. Sexual references and Max bashing.
Roswell Improv: #1. Memory, servant, air, idolize
Disclaimer: The original Roswell characters belong to Melinda Metz,
and adapted for television by Jason Katims. The series title comes
from the Dire Straits song.
Spoiler: Up to opening credits of 'Baby, it's you'. Also includes
speculation on the purpose Tess revealed in 'Departure'.
Pairings: Tess/Max, minor Max/Liz, Tess/Kyle
Summary: If Alex hadn't translated the book and really had died of an
accident, how would Max, Liz and Tess' pregnancy be affected?
Author's notes: I'm setting up a story arc, so what you may see as an
incorrect detail is actually part of my grand plan (okay, so it's not all
that grand. Sounds good though doesn't it?).
Muse-ic: 'Breakin' me' - Johnny Lang, 'I shall believe' and 'My
favourite mistake' - Sheryl Crow. (Both Sheryl Crow songs can be
downloaded at Roswell Mp3's, the other one on AudioGalaxy.)
*
'Need I say I love you
Need I say I care?
Need I say that emotion
Is something we don't share…'
He knew something was wrong the second he saw her.
Kyle didn't like to think about why he recognized Tess from three
blocks down the street; it went way too close to emotions he didn't
think about - not since prom. Not since the other night when Max had
brought Tess home at 2 AM on a school night.
He threw a U turn and drove alongside her. Tess' gait was somewhere
between a stalk and a march; even though she was moving so stiffly,
something brought destruction to mind. He had to call her name three
times before she turned to face him. She climbed in the car like an
automaton, not speaking.
They drove home in silence. As Kyle pulled the handbrake, Tess
silently climbed out and went in the house, unlocking and opening the
door with her powers so she entered at an unbroken pace. Kyle
hurried after her, knowing something was very, very, wrong. And that
he was starting to get very, very scared.
He hurried in after her, throwing a quick glance in her bedroom to
make sure she was in there. He took a quick detour to the kitchen,
then quietly came in to join her on the bed, back propped up against
the wall. Her head was high but her shoulders were slumped, eyes
vacantly staring at the opposite wall, and the poster of the night sky
she'd put up.
He handed her the glass of chocolate milk liberally laced with Tabasco
sauce, and she automatically sipped. As she swallowed, a bit of life
came back into her eyes, and she turned to him and gave him the
beginnings of a smile, before it faded away. Kyle carefully put his
arm around her shoulders, and she took a couple more sips before
settling the glass in her lap. Though he'd been expecting it, it still took
him by surprise when she slumped over, her head resting on his
shoulder. She didn't shake, her breath didn't come in sobs, but he
knew she was crying; the tears coming from a desolation so profound
it froze her.
He didn't ask her to tell him what was wrong, she just did. She didn't
ask him to listen without judgement, she knew he would.
*
Tess sat on the park bench, breathing in the delightfully cool night air
as she waited for Max. She couldn't stop recalling the night before.
The memory of his skin warm against her own, of feeling like she was
floating in the exultation of fulfilled purpose, as her eyes automatically
picked out the flashing V of their home star system in the sky beyond
the telescope.
She almost hugged herself, wanting again to feel the mind-to-mind
connection she'd made with her child, when it had shyly reached out
to let her know it was inside her, to tell her that she had created a new
life.
Tess wasn't nearly as naïve when it came to 'destiny' as her podmates
thought; she knew that Max wasn't going to be wild with joy over
what she had to tell him. But this is what she had been working
toward since the first time Nasedo took her hand as she came out of
the pod. Now that he loved her, now that they had created a child,
Max would not only accept that his place was on Antar, but he would
truly *want* to go home. That's what had really kept the Royal four
on Earth - their leader had everything he wanted here, so here they
stayed.
All they had to do was figure out a way to translate the book and go
home to Antar, and the promise she had made in another lifetime
would be fulfilled; Antar would be governed by a leader that would
understand that the people came first, a leader that would be accepted
by every citizen.
She had been trained to be sensitive to others' moods since childhood,
Max's most of all. So when he sat beside her, her most deep-seated
instinct, that of self-protection, told her something was wrong. When
she said that she had something to tell him, when he replied that he
had something to tell her also, that instinct told her to let him go first.
That instinct kept her still and quiet as Max hesitatingly told her that
he and Liz had reconciled that very afternoon. That sometime last
night - and Tess would bet that it was about the very same time Max
had lowered her onto the sleeping bag on the observatory floor - Liz
had realized that she'd been using the 'aliens murdered Alex' theory as
an excuse to avoid her grief; to avoid the thought that she could have
prevented his death if she'd just done something… anything. Tess
could have sympathized with that in any other circumstances, she'd
had enough of those thoughts herself in the past few weeks. But not
when it had lead to nearly all her hopes and plans tumbling down with
a crash so resounding that she wondered if Khivar could hear it.
Max told her that he would never forget what they'd shared; fumbling
with the words so badly that she couldn't miss the fact that the only
thing Max felt about her was regret and embarrassment, even if she
had been oblivious as Isabel in the throes of a shopping spree with her
father's Amex gold. Ever since she'd first come to town, the primary
emotions she sparked in Max were not joy and acceptance, but
embarrassment and resentment; Tess had thought they'd overcome
that, but now that Max had no further use or need for her it had come
rushing back.
The instinct for self-protection enclosed her in a frozen fortress that
was impervious to any hurt, by turning all the warmth in her to ice, all
except the glowing coal in her womb that was her child, and the
dancing candle-flame in the section of her heart that belonged to two
men with matching bright blue eyes.
*
Kyle held her as she wept, making soothing noises. He resolved to
punch Max out in as public a place as possible, first thing tomorrow.
Maybe in the CrashDown, before he told Liz exactly why. That
should put a severe dent in the asshole's halo.
Not to mention the shock Evans would get when he discovered that
Michael and Maria would both be firmly on Tess' side in this. Maria
had strong issues with abandonment; not surprising, considering that
her father had left after Amy had told him about her pregnancy.
Michael had shied away from any kind of commitment most of his life
mostly because he took responsibility extremely seriously; once he
took on an obligation, he kept it come what may. Kyle was very sure
that if Michael and Maria ever made love, Michael would give up any
thoughts of making a home anywhere except with her.
"Don't worry, Tess," Kyle told her softly. "He won't get away with
doing this to you. He's messed up my family for the last time."
Tess shook her head, the platinum blond curtain of her hair brushing
against his chin. "Don't say anything to anyone, Kyle. The sooner he
has no reason to concern himself with me, the better. Max and I have
no obligations to each other - I made sure he understood that."
Kyle gazed down at the crown of her head, frowning. There was
something specific behind that statement.
*
Tess watched Max watching his feet - unable to even look at the face
of the girl whom he'd betrayed his promises to in two lifetimes - and
the mind that Nasedo had trained to always calculate the next option
automatically began to work out was necessary, and to weigh the
factors that would aid and hinder her plan.
Max Evans would never have another chance to regain what he had
thrown away this night. He would never have a chance to hurt her
again. He would never have even a single opportunity to hurt her
baby.
As for the people of Antar? They would have to accept only two lives
now. She would have to be even more careful now, because this was
her only chance to keep the oath she had sworn to them. Tess was the
servant of her people, but to her vague astonishment her devotion to
them had limits after all; because no matter how many lives depended
on having a true heir on the throne, she could never let Max Evans
touch her again.
"Max?"
"Yes?" her once husband and King muttered. He didn't even have the
courage to say her name, and her disillusionment in him grew.
"We need to get some things straight right now, so we can go on with
our lives." At her cool tone of voice, Max lifted his head and looked
at her for the first time since he'd sat down.
"Let's make it perfectly clear; you can gambol back to Liz and never
give a thought to me. Shocking as it may seem, Max," Tess' lips
twisted in a smirk, perversely enjoying the way Max flinched when
she said his name, "But I can survive without you. In return, you will
never inflict yourself on me or my life ever again." Her hand shot out
and grabbed Max's chin, digging her nails in as she forced his eyes to
meet hers. Her voice was heavy with emphasis as she told him, "From
this moment on, we owe each other nothing. No obligations, no
considerations. Say that you understand and accept this." Tess gave
him a slight mental nudge to make sure he used the exact words that
sealed a formal, legally binding oath on Antar.
"We owe each other nothing. I accept and acknowledge this," Max
repeated.
Tess dug her nails in once more from sheer malice before she stood.
The ice that filled her body held her steady as she turned on her heel
and stalked away. Max Evans would never dismiss her again.
*
As she settled her head more comfortably on his shoulder, her body
leaning back against the wall again, Kyle stroked Tess' hair, so proud
of her that he couldn't help but smile. Something he'd learned very
early in life was that you never let anyone know that they had hurt
you.
The repetitive motion of his own hand drew his attention to the one
Tess was making. Her right hand was resting on her stomach, and she
was absently rubbing in circles.
"Tess? Did I put too much Tabasco in the milk or something?"
Tess looked at him in surprise, and then down at her stomach. She
gave a wan smile and told him, "It calms the baby. My distress makes
it agitated."
Kyle looked at her as if she'd hit him with an electric cattle prod.
"You're PREGNANT! How long ago did you and Max start… well,
you know."
"Just last night."
"And you already know?" Kyle stared at her and added, "And what
about Max - he doesn't know, does he?"
"Yes, I do know - hybrids have a lot shorter gestation period than
humans. And Max isn't ever going to know."
"Why? He did this to you and you're going to let him just get away
with it?"
Tess' eyes turned navy blue with determination. "If I told Max about
the baby, what do you think would happen? My child would grow up
knowing that its' father thought it was the worst mistake of his life. Or
what if I told him and left town? Ten years from now, when he and
Liz are married in a cute house with a white picket fence, he decides
that *now* he's ready to be a father and destroys whatever life my
child and I have together so he can restore his holier-than-thou self-
image. I offered him eternity, and he threw me away like a used
Kleenex. He doesn't want me, well I don't want him coming near me
or mine ever again."
"How can you hide it - you're leaving Roswell, aren't you?" Kyle
asked in a wondering tone, as her plan became clear.
Tess nodded. "I have to, Kyle, not just because of Max. My baby's
going to be born in about a month. No way could I stay in town and
not have someone notice THAT."
Kyle nodded in acknowledgment of her point, his mind working.
"Where are you going?"
Tess shrugged. "I'll make some phone calls once I get to a big city.
Nasedo and I spent ten years on the run; I have contacts in places not
even Jim could imagine. Nasedo left a lot of money behind, too -
where do you think that new TV I gave you guys for Christmas came
from? I have enough to support both of us for several years, at least,
and then I know a few only semi-illegal ways to get more. I have
Jim's email address, so I'll make sure you guys know I'm safe."
Kyle shook his head and told her, "I'm going with you."
"Kyle-"
"Don't bother arguing. You're family, Tess, and I'm not going to let
you do this without me to back you up." Kyle's voice left no room for
doubt. "Besides, no matter how good a story you give Dad, he'll wind
up getting the truth out of me somehow."
Tess grimaced in silent acknowledgement of his point. They both
knew without discussing it that Jim would have to be given some sort
of cover story; Michael wasn't the only one who took responsibilities
deathly seriously. If Jim knew Tess was pregnant, no matter how
faithfully he promised to keep it quiet, within two days tops he'd be
demanding that Max act like a man and live up to his obligations.
"It's kind of ironic, you know?" Tess sighed. "What's that saying -
those who forget the past are condemned to relive it? When he was
Zanthos and I was Vilandra, I idolized him. But he shattered the
image of who I thought he was, and I ended up doing the unthinkable
to keep the oath I'd vowed to keep above all others. This time around,
I knew exactly what could happen, but I still fell into almost the same
trap because I was hoping so badly that things could be different."
Kyle tilted his head to the side, and told her, "You do realize I have
very little idea of what you meant there, don't you?"
Tess smirked and nodded. "Gotta cheer myself up somehow, Kyle.
I'll explain the whole thing to you along the road, somewhere - once
I'm sure that you'll understand why."
*
About twenty-four hours later, Tess and Kyle were in his mustang,
headed down Main Street.
Jim had been told a little about the more unsavoury acquaintances that
Nasedo had developed during his years on the run with Tess. That
naturally led into Tess telling him that she'd seen one in Roswell the
day before, and that she might be in considerable danger if he was still
mad about a certain trick Nasedo had played on him the last time
they'd met (concerning a quarter-million dollars and a goat).
Kyle had pointed out that night before that the Valenti men, for one,
had never been told exactly who had killed Nasedo - or even that it
was definitely an alien who'd done it, since Max had followed his
usual practice of not telling anyone anything, especially if they might
need to know it. Tess herself hadn't even found out about Whittaker's
confession until the road trip to her funeral, and that was from a oddly
distant Isabel. So telling Jim that a human might very well have killed
Nasedo leant a certain urgency to Tess' reasons for leaving Roswell
now or sooner.
Jim had also accepted Kyle's going with her with a certain amount of
grace. He'd been very worried about Kyle's schooling, but Tess had
told him a few stories (quite true, as it happened) about how she'd
covered up missing large chunks of school due to her migratory
lifestyle before coming to Roswell, and Jim had been reassured.
Above everything else, the Valenti men understood what it meant to
protect people who'd placed their trust in you, and Jim knew better
than Tess did why Kyle couldn't let her go alone.
At a quiet command from Tess, Kyle stopped the car across from the
CrashDown. Although the café was technically closed, the lights were
still on and they could clearly see Liz and Max cheerfully splitting an
Alien Blast and playing footsie under the table.
Kyle could clearly hear the derision in Tess' voice as she told him,
"He's going to regret it, you know. One day he's going to wake up
and realize that life with Liz isn't enough to satisfy him, and that I was
right all along. He may come looking for me, maybe not, but either
way, one day he's going to realize just what he threw away, and that
he'll never get it back." She turned to him and smirked, saying, "I find
that really satisfying." Her face became serious as she put a soft hand
over his on the gearshift, and told him, "Thank you, Kyle. If you ever
want to go your own way, you can, but I'm very grateful that you're
coming with us."
Kyle gave her a gentle smile and said, "Nothing to thank me for.
Besides, I have the feeling that one day I'm going to be thanking you
for letting me come."
Tess squeezed his hand gently, then broke into a smile and told him,
"Let's blow this dust bowl, already."
"As you command, your highness," Kyle snickered as he put the
mustang into gear and drove away.
And as they left Roswell behind them, Tess turned on the radio, rested
her head on the back of the seat, and smiled up at the stars.
'Someday you'll be sorry, someday when you believe.
These memories will remind you, that our love was meant to be.
But late at night when you call my name, the only sound you'll hear
Is the sound of your voice calling,
Calling after me.'
'Throwing it all away', Genesis
Series: So far away #1
Author: TaleWeaver
Rating: PG. Sexual references and Max bashing.
Roswell Improv: #1. Memory, servant, air, idolize
Disclaimer: The original Roswell characters belong to Melinda Metz,
and adapted for television by Jason Katims. The series title comes
from the Dire Straits song.
Spoiler: Up to opening credits of 'Baby, it's you'. Also includes
speculation on the purpose Tess revealed in 'Departure'.
Pairings: Tess/Max, minor Max/Liz, Tess/Kyle
Summary: If Alex hadn't translated the book and really had died of an
accident, how would Max, Liz and Tess' pregnancy be affected?
Author's notes: I'm setting up a story arc, so what you may see as an
incorrect detail is actually part of my grand plan (okay, so it's not all
that grand. Sounds good though doesn't it?).
Muse-ic: 'Breakin' me' - Johnny Lang, 'I shall believe' and 'My
favourite mistake' - Sheryl Crow. (Both Sheryl Crow songs can be
downloaded at Roswell Mp3's, the other one on AudioGalaxy.)
*
'Need I say I love you
Need I say I care?
Need I say that emotion
Is something we don't share…'
He knew something was wrong the second he saw her.
Kyle didn't like to think about why he recognized Tess from three
blocks down the street; it went way too close to emotions he didn't
think about - not since prom. Not since the other night when Max had
brought Tess home at 2 AM on a school night.
He threw a U turn and drove alongside her. Tess' gait was somewhere
between a stalk and a march; even though she was moving so stiffly,
something brought destruction to mind. He had to call her name three
times before she turned to face him. She climbed in the car like an
automaton, not speaking.
They drove home in silence. As Kyle pulled the handbrake, Tess
silently climbed out and went in the house, unlocking and opening the
door with her powers so she entered at an unbroken pace. Kyle
hurried after her, knowing something was very, very, wrong. And that
he was starting to get very, very scared.
He hurried in after her, throwing a quick glance in her bedroom to
make sure she was in there. He took a quick detour to the kitchen,
then quietly came in to join her on the bed, back propped up against
the wall. Her head was high but her shoulders were slumped, eyes
vacantly staring at the opposite wall, and the poster of the night sky
she'd put up.
He handed her the glass of chocolate milk liberally laced with Tabasco
sauce, and she automatically sipped. As she swallowed, a bit of life
came back into her eyes, and she turned to him and gave him the
beginnings of a smile, before it faded away. Kyle carefully put his
arm around her shoulders, and she took a couple more sips before
settling the glass in her lap. Though he'd been expecting it, it still took
him by surprise when she slumped over, her head resting on his
shoulder. She didn't shake, her breath didn't come in sobs, but he
knew she was crying; the tears coming from a desolation so profound
it froze her.
He didn't ask her to tell him what was wrong, she just did. She didn't
ask him to listen without judgement, she knew he would.
*
Tess sat on the park bench, breathing in the delightfully cool night air
as she waited for Max. She couldn't stop recalling the night before.
The memory of his skin warm against her own, of feeling like she was
floating in the exultation of fulfilled purpose, as her eyes automatically
picked out the flashing V of their home star system in the sky beyond
the telescope.
She almost hugged herself, wanting again to feel the mind-to-mind
connection she'd made with her child, when it had shyly reached out
to let her know it was inside her, to tell her that she had created a new
life.
Tess wasn't nearly as naïve when it came to 'destiny' as her podmates
thought; she knew that Max wasn't going to be wild with joy over
what she had to tell him. But this is what she had been working
toward since the first time Nasedo took her hand as she came out of
the pod. Now that he loved her, now that they had created a child,
Max would not only accept that his place was on Antar, but he would
truly *want* to go home. That's what had really kept the Royal four
on Earth - their leader had everything he wanted here, so here they
stayed.
All they had to do was figure out a way to translate the book and go
home to Antar, and the promise she had made in another lifetime
would be fulfilled; Antar would be governed by a leader that would
understand that the people came first, a leader that would be accepted
by every citizen.
She had been trained to be sensitive to others' moods since childhood,
Max's most of all. So when he sat beside her, her most deep-seated
instinct, that of self-protection, told her something was wrong. When
she said that she had something to tell him, when he replied that he
had something to tell her also, that instinct told her to let him go first.
That instinct kept her still and quiet as Max hesitatingly told her that
he and Liz had reconciled that very afternoon. That sometime last
night - and Tess would bet that it was about the very same time Max
had lowered her onto the sleeping bag on the observatory floor - Liz
had realized that she'd been using the 'aliens murdered Alex' theory as
an excuse to avoid her grief; to avoid the thought that she could have
prevented his death if she'd just done something… anything. Tess
could have sympathized with that in any other circumstances, she'd
had enough of those thoughts herself in the past few weeks. But not
when it had lead to nearly all her hopes and plans tumbling down with
a crash so resounding that she wondered if Khivar could hear it.
Max told her that he would never forget what they'd shared; fumbling
with the words so badly that she couldn't miss the fact that the only
thing Max felt about her was regret and embarrassment, even if she
had been oblivious as Isabel in the throes of a shopping spree with her
father's Amex gold. Ever since she'd first come to town, the primary
emotions she sparked in Max were not joy and acceptance, but
embarrassment and resentment; Tess had thought they'd overcome
that, but now that Max had no further use or need for her it had come
rushing back.
The instinct for self-protection enclosed her in a frozen fortress that
was impervious to any hurt, by turning all the warmth in her to ice, all
except the glowing coal in her womb that was her child, and the
dancing candle-flame in the section of her heart that belonged to two
men with matching bright blue eyes.
*
Kyle held her as she wept, making soothing noises. He resolved to
punch Max out in as public a place as possible, first thing tomorrow.
Maybe in the CrashDown, before he told Liz exactly why. That
should put a severe dent in the asshole's halo.
Not to mention the shock Evans would get when he discovered that
Michael and Maria would both be firmly on Tess' side in this. Maria
had strong issues with abandonment; not surprising, considering that
her father had left after Amy had told him about her pregnancy.
Michael had shied away from any kind of commitment most of his life
mostly because he took responsibility extremely seriously; once he
took on an obligation, he kept it come what may. Kyle was very sure
that if Michael and Maria ever made love, Michael would give up any
thoughts of making a home anywhere except with her.
"Don't worry, Tess," Kyle told her softly. "He won't get away with
doing this to you. He's messed up my family for the last time."
Tess shook her head, the platinum blond curtain of her hair brushing
against his chin. "Don't say anything to anyone, Kyle. The sooner he
has no reason to concern himself with me, the better. Max and I have
no obligations to each other - I made sure he understood that."
Kyle gazed down at the crown of her head, frowning. There was
something specific behind that statement.
*
Tess watched Max watching his feet - unable to even look at the face
of the girl whom he'd betrayed his promises to in two lifetimes - and
the mind that Nasedo had trained to always calculate the next option
automatically began to work out was necessary, and to weigh the
factors that would aid and hinder her plan.
Max Evans would never have another chance to regain what he had
thrown away this night. He would never have a chance to hurt her
again. He would never have even a single opportunity to hurt her
baby.
As for the people of Antar? They would have to accept only two lives
now. She would have to be even more careful now, because this was
her only chance to keep the oath she had sworn to them. Tess was the
servant of her people, but to her vague astonishment her devotion to
them had limits after all; because no matter how many lives depended
on having a true heir on the throne, she could never let Max Evans
touch her again.
"Max?"
"Yes?" her once husband and King muttered. He didn't even have the
courage to say her name, and her disillusionment in him grew.
"We need to get some things straight right now, so we can go on with
our lives." At her cool tone of voice, Max lifted his head and looked
at her for the first time since he'd sat down.
"Let's make it perfectly clear; you can gambol back to Liz and never
give a thought to me. Shocking as it may seem, Max," Tess' lips
twisted in a smirk, perversely enjoying the way Max flinched when
she said his name, "But I can survive without you. In return, you will
never inflict yourself on me or my life ever again." Her hand shot out
and grabbed Max's chin, digging her nails in as she forced his eyes to
meet hers. Her voice was heavy with emphasis as she told him, "From
this moment on, we owe each other nothing. No obligations, no
considerations. Say that you understand and accept this." Tess gave
him a slight mental nudge to make sure he used the exact words that
sealed a formal, legally binding oath on Antar.
"We owe each other nothing. I accept and acknowledge this," Max
repeated.
Tess dug her nails in once more from sheer malice before she stood.
The ice that filled her body held her steady as she turned on her heel
and stalked away. Max Evans would never dismiss her again.
*
As she settled her head more comfortably on his shoulder, her body
leaning back against the wall again, Kyle stroked Tess' hair, so proud
of her that he couldn't help but smile. Something he'd learned very
early in life was that you never let anyone know that they had hurt
you.
The repetitive motion of his own hand drew his attention to the one
Tess was making. Her right hand was resting on her stomach, and she
was absently rubbing in circles.
"Tess? Did I put too much Tabasco in the milk or something?"
Tess looked at him in surprise, and then down at her stomach. She
gave a wan smile and told him, "It calms the baby. My distress makes
it agitated."
Kyle looked at her as if she'd hit him with an electric cattle prod.
"You're PREGNANT! How long ago did you and Max start… well,
you know."
"Just last night."
"And you already know?" Kyle stared at her and added, "And what
about Max - he doesn't know, does he?"
"Yes, I do know - hybrids have a lot shorter gestation period than
humans. And Max isn't ever going to know."
"Why? He did this to you and you're going to let him just get away
with it?"
Tess' eyes turned navy blue with determination. "If I told Max about
the baby, what do you think would happen? My child would grow up
knowing that its' father thought it was the worst mistake of his life. Or
what if I told him and left town? Ten years from now, when he and
Liz are married in a cute house with a white picket fence, he decides
that *now* he's ready to be a father and destroys whatever life my
child and I have together so he can restore his holier-than-thou self-
image. I offered him eternity, and he threw me away like a used
Kleenex. He doesn't want me, well I don't want him coming near me
or mine ever again."
"How can you hide it - you're leaving Roswell, aren't you?" Kyle
asked in a wondering tone, as her plan became clear.
Tess nodded. "I have to, Kyle, not just because of Max. My baby's
going to be born in about a month. No way could I stay in town and
not have someone notice THAT."
Kyle nodded in acknowledgment of her point, his mind working.
"Where are you going?"
Tess shrugged. "I'll make some phone calls once I get to a big city.
Nasedo and I spent ten years on the run; I have contacts in places not
even Jim could imagine. Nasedo left a lot of money behind, too -
where do you think that new TV I gave you guys for Christmas came
from? I have enough to support both of us for several years, at least,
and then I know a few only semi-illegal ways to get more. I have
Jim's email address, so I'll make sure you guys know I'm safe."
Kyle shook his head and told her, "I'm going with you."
"Kyle-"
"Don't bother arguing. You're family, Tess, and I'm not going to let
you do this without me to back you up." Kyle's voice left no room for
doubt. "Besides, no matter how good a story you give Dad, he'll wind
up getting the truth out of me somehow."
Tess grimaced in silent acknowledgement of his point. They both
knew without discussing it that Jim would have to be given some sort
of cover story; Michael wasn't the only one who took responsibilities
deathly seriously. If Jim knew Tess was pregnant, no matter how
faithfully he promised to keep it quiet, within two days tops he'd be
demanding that Max act like a man and live up to his obligations.
"It's kind of ironic, you know?" Tess sighed. "What's that saying -
those who forget the past are condemned to relive it? When he was
Zanthos and I was Vilandra, I idolized him. But he shattered the
image of who I thought he was, and I ended up doing the unthinkable
to keep the oath I'd vowed to keep above all others. This time around,
I knew exactly what could happen, but I still fell into almost the same
trap because I was hoping so badly that things could be different."
Kyle tilted his head to the side, and told her, "You do realize I have
very little idea of what you meant there, don't you?"
Tess smirked and nodded. "Gotta cheer myself up somehow, Kyle.
I'll explain the whole thing to you along the road, somewhere - once
I'm sure that you'll understand why."
*
About twenty-four hours later, Tess and Kyle were in his mustang,
headed down Main Street.
Jim had been told a little about the more unsavoury acquaintances that
Nasedo had developed during his years on the run with Tess. That
naturally led into Tess telling him that she'd seen one in Roswell the
day before, and that she might be in considerable danger if he was still
mad about a certain trick Nasedo had played on him the last time
they'd met (concerning a quarter-million dollars and a goat).
Kyle had pointed out that night before that the Valenti men, for one,
had never been told exactly who had killed Nasedo - or even that it
was definitely an alien who'd done it, since Max had followed his
usual practice of not telling anyone anything, especially if they might
need to know it. Tess herself hadn't even found out about Whittaker's
confession until the road trip to her funeral, and that was from a oddly
distant Isabel. So telling Jim that a human might very well have killed
Nasedo leant a certain urgency to Tess' reasons for leaving Roswell
now or sooner.
Jim had also accepted Kyle's going with her with a certain amount of
grace. He'd been very worried about Kyle's schooling, but Tess had
told him a few stories (quite true, as it happened) about how she'd
covered up missing large chunks of school due to her migratory
lifestyle before coming to Roswell, and Jim had been reassured.
Above everything else, the Valenti men understood what it meant to
protect people who'd placed their trust in you, and Jim knew better
than Tess did why Kyle couldn't let her go alone.
At a quiet command from Tess, Kyle stopped the car across from the
CrashDown. Although the café was technically closed, the lights were
still on and they could clearly see Liz and Max cheerfully splitting an
Alien Blast and playing footsie under the table.
Kyle could clearly hear the derision in Tess' voice as she told him,
"He's going to regret it, you know. One day he's going to wake up
and realize that life with Liz isn't enough to satisfy him, and that I was
right all along. He may come looking for me, maybe not, but either
way, one day he's going to realize just what he threw away, and that
he'll never get it back." She turned to him and smirked, saying, "I find
that really satisfying." Her face became serious as she put a soft hand
over his on the gearshift, and told him, "Thank you, Kyle. If you ever
want to go your own way, you can, but I'm very grateful that you're
coming with us."
Kyle gave her a gentle smile and said, "Nothing to thank me for.
Besides, I have the feeling that one day I'm going to be thanking you
for letting me come."
Tess squeezed his hand gently, then broke into a smile and told him,
"Let's blow this dust bowl, already."
"As you command, your highness," Kyle snickered as he put the
mustang into gear and drove away.
And as they left Roswell behind them, Tess turned on the radio, rested
her head on the back of the seat, and smiled up at the stars.
'Someday you'll be sorry, someday when you believe.
These memories will remind you, that our love was meant to be.
But late at night when you call my name, the only sound you'll hear
Is the sound of your voice calling,
Calling after me.'
'Throwing it all away', Genesis