This is my first (and currently only) fanfiction. I wrote it years ago, but I recently rediscovered and edited it.

Rating: PG-13 (Slight language and implied situations)

Pairing: Cliffie with a side of Rebel (Michael/Isabel, some Max/Tess)

Feedback: Yes, please. This is my first fanfiction, so no flames. However, suggestions are welcome. Kind words don't hurt, either ;-)

Summary: The Roswell gang deals with the effects of S1 events and tries to cope during the summer. While the town suffers from summer heat, Max, Isabel, Michael, and Tess are experiencing new feelings.

Set during the summer between S1 and S2. Everything the show established for that time period remains true (Liz is still in Florida, Maria is stuck at the Crashdown working and is broken up with Michael, etc.). Max has been moping around since Liz has been gone, generally leaving the Evans house only to work at the UFO Center or to talk to Maria at the Crashdown. Michael spends his time practicing gaining more control of his powers and working the Crashdown grill. Isabel struggles to form a new life that integrates who she is with her new feelings.

Disclaimer: I own 5 bucks, a laptop, and a pile of textbooks. I do not own a television show with great characters and a dedicated fan base.

Chapter 1

It was only July, but the summer had already been a long, suffocatingly hot one. Roswell seemed to go to sleep during the sticky months since Isabel learned she had lived another life, one in which she was the princess of a people she knew nothing about. During that searing summer, the distractions Isabel hoped for were nonexistent; there were no parties, no city carnivals, no town anniversaries. There weren't even any tacky conventions.

Worsening the weighty anxiety that had settled around her, Isabel felt divided from Max and Michael; the young men kept to themselves and stayed busy with work. On the rare occasion the once inseparable trio tried to spend time together, it didn't take long for Max and Michael to find something to disagree about. At home, Isabel watched Max suffer beneath his familiar stoicism. It hurt Isabel to see her brother wilting in his sadness, but she knew that helping him was useless. Invitations to hang out were rejected, and joking was met with tired half-smiles. Isabel didn't have the energy to try anymore. If Max and his tragic expressions were ever-present, Michael had essentially vanished. Isabel had seen him four times that summer—three of those times ended in Michael storming away, angry at Max. The fourth time, Michael was escaping the heat of the Crashdown kitchen on a slow day and sat down in the booth where Isabel and Tess were perusing an overpriced fashion catalog. He said something sarcastic about how he was glad to see the girls using their free time on important matters, but he mostly stared off into space, his body slumped slightly in a drained posture. Soon, a small gang of teenagers who Isabel recognized as freshman from their school walked in, and Michael drug himself back to the kitchen.

Thus, Isabel was left alone with her thoughts- of caves, of incredibly sweet but dorky human guys, of Tess and her insistence on the importance of their former lives, of alien mothers, of past identities, and, inevitably, of destiny. For the first full month of summer she dwelled on these thoughts ceaselessly. Consumed with the swirling ideas, Isabel's thoughts became her existence. Some days, hours would pass as Isabel wandered numbly around town feigning window-shopping. Other times, Isabel put herself to work; every book, newspaper, and magazine in the Evans home was now placed in alphabetical order on a bookshelf that Isabel had assembled by herself (the human way—more or less). Tess called her a few times suggesting that they go out, but Isabel frequently declined as thoughts of Tess's earlier destiny lectures echoed in her mind.

One Saturday, Mrs. Evans, clearly concerned about the changes she saw in her daughter, announced that she and Isabel would have a girls' day out—shopping, nails, and a nice lunch. Seeing the worry on her mother's face, and catching a prodding glance from Max, Isabel agreed with a weak smile. Hours later, standing in a dressing room at some trendy mall store, Isabel stared at her reflection in the full-length mirror. God, she looked awful. She was pale and tired, and her eyes were frighteningly dull. With a choked laugh, Isabel recognized that she now resembled Max; the same characteristics she noted in her brother and worried about, Isabel saw in her reflection. A flash of anger, refreshing in its fire, swept over her: She was Isabel Evans, and she was ruining her life. The life that she had striven to preserve. The life that Max had suffered unspeakable pain to live. Angry, she met her reflection eye to eye, daring herself to look weak or miserable for a second longer. What good did it do? Was Max any more prepared to be their leader because he spent hours alone suffering in silence? Was Michael ready to be a general in an army because he avoided the few people he had cared about most only months before? And Tess—was she even slightly happier or more ready for an enemy attack because she did have some fleeting knowledge of their past? Feeling the tension in her chest relax for the first time in two months, Isabel laughed and cried, muffling the sounds escaping her the best she could. Soon, Isabel's mother knocked on the dressing room door; startling her slightly, Isabel realized she must have been in the small room for at least fifteen minutes. Waving a hand over her face to fix her smeared makeup, Isabel answered the door with a smile—the first genuine, purely Isabel smile her mother had seen in a long time.

After that day, and much to Diane Evans's relief, Isabel started going out. She went on a few dates with guys from school; she dressed up, flirted, kept her distance, and had real, honest-to-God fun going to the movies or sitting at the Crashdown talking about school or music and laughing with someone who knew nothing about her.

Another distraction that Isabel found surprisingly enjoyable was hanging out with Tess. The girl was a bit bent on destiny, but Isabel purposefully decided to not let the occasional lecture bother her. She supposed that she would be doing everything in her power to realize their destinies, too, if she had been the one raised by Nasedo. Years of having no affection and being told that a great love awaited her must have shaped Tess into the young woman they now knew. Plus, Isabel knew from her first encounters with Tess—before they knew her identity as the fourth alien—that the girl was possible of normal conversations and friendship like any other teenager. Isabel felt a pang of jealousy when she realized that the closeness and comfort she was beginning to feel with Tess must be what Maria and Liz had shared for years. Isabel loved Max and Michael, but there were things that she couldn't tell them. Girl things. Girl alien things. Soon, Tess and Isabel fell into a comfortable pattern of seeing each other almost every day. They talked and laughed, and Isabel felt less lonely than she had since before Max saved Liz Parker that September day.

Hopeful, Isabel and Tess sometimes even ventured to the UFO Center to try to get Max to cheer up. They teased him gently about the fake alien decorations he was in charge of placing and maintaining, and they tried to get him to talk about the center's more spacey patrons. Max let them talk, but he rarely responded with more than a shrug or mumbled comment. Isabel discovered that Tess had spent a good part of June with Michael, helping him practice controlling his powers when he wasn't busy working. Soon, Isabel and Tess both began showing up at Michael's apartment, assorted items to practice manipulating in hand. The first time Isabel came, she walked in ahead of Tess as though she belonged there. Ignoring Michael's slightly suspicious and certainly surprised look, Isabel sat a small potted plant down on Michael's coffee table.

"So," she began, glancing at Michael but focusing on Tess, "Have you two practiced with living things, yet?"

Michael stared at her. "It's a plant," he said, as though she were unaware of this fact.

"Yes, Michael, it's a plant. Plants are alive. Do you think we should skip straight to humans?" Isabel put one hand firmly on her hip.

Michael stood silently for a moment, and Isabel guessed that he was probably trying to determine what response would be sarcastic enough to piss her off without actually making her angry enough to leave.

"There's always monkeys."

"Scientists use mice," Tess cheerfully interrupted, joining Isabel. "How long do you have until work, Michael?"

Michael glanced at the clock. "Hour and a half," he replied.

"Good, that should be enough," the petite blonde said as she situated herself on the floor. "Let's see what we can do."

Michael, now intrigued, sat on the floor, as well. Together, the three manipulated the plant into blooming, wilting, changing colors, moving, and even growing. Michael had minor trouble replicating the blossoms of the plant exactly, but Isabel could tell that his focus had improved as Tess said. Later, when Isabel was driving Tess home, Tess told Isabel how Michael would appear deeply frustrated sometimes during their earlier sessions when he couldn't focus his energy on a single target. When Tess tried to help him improve his aim, he accidentally caused an entire row of glasses in his cabinet (glasses that Isabel remembered buying him) to explode while trying to hit a single bottle across the room. Isabel wished there was something she could do for him; she knew that it bothered Michael that he still couldn't keep himself under control like Max could. Still, Isabel was proud of him for trying—not that she would ever tell him that. She could only imagine the smart aleck response that she would get. Meeting at Michael's apartment with Tess became another part of Isabel's routine after that day. The frequency and duration of the meetings changed to fit Michael's work schedule, but the practice sessions were always enjoyable for Isabel. Michael, too, seemed to be brightening slightly after his more sullen attitude earlier that summer.

If Isabel was being honest, she might admit that there was another reason she had been hanging out with Michael, one that went beyond honing powers. In her quiet, proud way, Isabel had been desperately trying to rebuild their relationship over the summer. The dreams they had shared put a very serious crack in the foundation of their close friendship, and she was trying to repair it. Though they never spoke of it, she could tell that he was, too. Most of the time, he tried his best to be nice to her. Sometimes it worked, and sometimes he couldn't take it anymore and became Michael again- irritable, sarcastic, overreacting, rebel without a clue, blunt Michael. She liked and missed that Michael.

Isabel was supposed to meet Tess at the Crashdown for a quick drink before heading to the nearby theater. While they had done this many times before throughout the summer, today was special. Today was the first time she had been able to convince Max to go along with her. Max had the day off from work as the center's owner was having a yearly deep cleaning done by professional cleaners. Apparently, the science fiction "stars" who were expected to flock to Roswell for the coming fall's crash festival expected only the finest in convention center cleanliness. Without the excuse of work (and with her mother's concerned prodding), Isabel managed to gently yet firmly force Max into leaving the house for a day out with the single goal of having fun. While she doubted that Max would actually achieve that goal, she hoped that he'd at least relax a little bit. Isabel walked down the sidewalk toward the restaurant in her form-fitting jean skirt, one that a lot of guys seemed to appreciate, and purple tank top with her solemn-looking brother in tow.

"Quit frowning," Isabel told Max. "Your face is going to get stuck like that."

Max smiled an almost imperceptible smile and met his sister's playful gaze.

"Too late," he replied with a note of humor.

"Oh, my God—it made a joke!" Isabel teased.

Max's mouth remained more or less neutral, but Isabel could see a smile in his eyes.

When they got to the Crashdown, Tess was already waiting for them in a booth. Isabel was excited about her brother coming out of his room to do something with her, but she was anxious about Tess trying to be too friendly. Isabel worried that Tess would view this outing as her only chance to become closer to Max. If that was her line of thinking, she might be a little too persistent. Isabel comforted herself with the thought that Tess had calmed down a little bit since the beginning of the summer. She seemed more at ease when spending time with Isabel and Michael and less like she was trying to force herself into their lives. Maybe she would behave herself. Tess spotted them and smiled more sincerely and brilliantly than Isabel could recall. Maybe she wouldn't behave herself.

When they got to the booth, Max smiled slightly at Tess in greeting. Tess seemed to catch herself and consciously toned down the radiating adoration. Casually, she addressed him.

"Nice to see you out, Max."

Isabel greeted Tess warmly, and the three decided to go straight to the theater instead of getting a few drinks to cool them off first. Once at the theater, Max gave Tess and Isabel the full responsibility of choosing the movie. Isabel had seen enough movies this summer, to last her both her present and past lifetimes. Still, Roswell was Roswell, and going to the movies beat watching paint dry.

"It's up to you guys. I really don't care," Max said.

"Fine, but if we pick a movie that you don't like, it's your own fault. You can't use it as an excuse to not leave the house for another two months," Isabel replied with exaggerated annoyance.

"I won't," Max answered, a vaguely embarrassed expression flashing briefly across his face.

"I don't think your parents would let him miss the first 4 weeks of school," Tess said flatly while still looking at the list of movies showing. Isabel smiled broadly at the other girl, and Max actually smiled at her, too- though just barely. Tess tried her best to hide it, but Isabel could practically see her heart fluttering in her chest.

"A horror movie," Isabel said decisively. "There's some new slasher movie out. There it is… The next showing is in ten minutes. Perfect." Isabel smiled at her brother and friend. She thought it better to keep the three of them occupied than allow Tess too much time to think about her latest small victory in her war for Max's affection.

That night, sitting on her bed and feeling something close to happiness, Isabel reflected on the day. Tess and Max had actually gotten along very well; maybe a summer of moping was what Max needed to get over his Liz obsession. And maybe some time away from Nasedo's coldness and reminders of a past life had brought more of Tess's human side to the surface. Whatever it was, Isabel was happy that the day had gone so smoothly. Everything seemed to be slowly working itself out. Life was not perfect, but it seemed on a steady path to some sort of alien-human normalcy.

Isabel brushed out her hair and turned out the light. After a few minutes of lying peacefully in bed, she drifted to sleep.

Then, the dreams came.