Title: Hedging Her Bets
Author: blackknight5
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: Four Aliens and Baby
Summary: I always felt that Tess's end in Roswell's third season episode "Four Aliens and a Baby" was missing something. I also felt that Max's sudden interest in Liz needed a little more explanation. This is the first in a series that should help fill my idea about how to do that.
Part One:
"At least I can do one good thing with my life." Tess said.
"You already did." Liz answered. Her voice showing the struggle between her desire to comfort someone about to die, and her rage against the woman that killed Alex.
Tess smiled as she reached over to Liz's hand. Even if she could have survived this night the two of them would never be friends, and could never be friends. Tess had hurt Liz too much for that. More then even she realized, Tess thought. Yet somehow Liz had been able to forgive her, well forgive her as much as she could. Liz was not God, and Tess had no doubt that Liz would gladly have beaten her to death if the situation was even slightly different despite her claims at not being a killer.
Or maybe not, maybe all the cynicism, and mistrust Nasaedo had drilled into her simply was wrong about Liz Parker. It wouldn't have been the first time she miss judged the human woman, but it was a mute point she would never live to find out. Glancing out the window she took a deep breath, she didn't have much time. She needed to get this over with. Tess reached out to grab Liz's hand giving the impression of wanting a goodbye handshake. It was out of character for her, but Liz would probably respond out of reflex and the belief that sometimes people did things before they died that could never really be explained.
Liz didn't hesitate, and Tess could only smile. Tess waited a moment after Liz's hand made contact with her's before acting. Her hand shifting into a vice like grip around Liz's hand the shock was enough to freeze Liz in place long enough for Tess to move her other hand behind Liz's head. Liz managed to turn her head enough to look into Tess's eyes. The anger in them was clear as anything she'd ever seen. Tess ignored it. Choosing to focus on her goal, she would make sure her son was protected no matter the cost.
Liz's nerves began to burn in pain, and her screams where louder then Tess believed a woman of Liz's size could have produced. Liz was fighting her, and struggling to release her body from Tess's grasp. You never give up even when you can't win do you Liz? Adjusting her wrist on the hand holding Liz's head she forced Liz to look into her eyes.
"Stop fighting me Liz. If I was going to hurt or kill you there are a lot easier, not to mention quicker ways. So relax, okay."
"What are you doing?" Liz asked in confusion.
"I'm protecting my son."
Before Liz could speak again her whole body began to glow. Tess breathed a sigh of relief. Liz's confusion had weakened her resistance enough for Tess to finish her work. Liz stopped looking at her long enough to see it appear on her arm. Then fade away. Tess felt more then exhausted, but knew she wasn't done yet. Summoning all her remaining strength, Tess began adjusting the last few minutes of Liz's mind. Liz's eyes glazed over for a minute before returning to normal. Taking a deep breath Tess began to open the car door. "Tess wait," for a moment Tess was worried that the mind warp had failed, but when she turned to look Liz in the eyes there was no indication of the anger or betrayal from just minutes before.
"You're not going to let them put you in the white room are you?" Liz asked.
"No." Tess replied as she stepped out of the car.
Tess closed the car door, and moved confidently toward the wire fence. Tess felt a sly smile crossing her face as she burned through the metal fence surrounding the military base, and she fought the urge to laugh. Nothing that was about to happen was really that funny, but it another sense nothing had ever been more hilarious. It was the kind of humor you can only appreciate if you're a sociopath, or a person who knows they are about to die.
The dead Kind of Antar is sent to Earth to be reborn so he can free his people from a crazed dictator who killed him in the first place. Max, Isabelle, Michael, and her should have woken up together with shape shifter guardians to teach and protect them. Training them for the day that they would return to Antar to fight Khivar. That was what was supposed to happen, but as every sentient being in the universe learns at one time or another 'not everything turns out exactly as you planned.'
Instead Max, Isabelle and Michael wake up to be raised by humans in Roswell while she wakes up to be raised by Nasaedo. Max was supposed to be hers, but instead he falls in love with a human girl. A powerless, low-born, human bitch named Liz Parker. In the end it had made her even more determined to get rid of her so she used the information Nasaedo had collected, and her knowledge of Liz's personality to turn those traits against her.
Liz Parker was the perfect tragic hero all she needed was the reason she couldn't be with her perfect prince. So Tess supplied her with one. For the love of Max, for the god of not just Earth, but another world far away...that mind warp had been so sickeningly sappy she'd almost heaved. Not that anyone could have known she'd seen Max practicing his damn song, or a little mind warp on the teacher had given away Max's plan. The dance on the roof had been the icing on the cake, and Liz was out of her way. Yet, separating Max from Liz was not the same as Max being hers.
It was crazy, irrational, but even with Max in her arms she felt envious of Liz Parker. Tess had been born to be a queen, but never seemed able to live up to the status of her birth, not to Nasaedo, not to Max, and not to Khivar. She'd never been a Queen in anyone's eyes, but Liz Parker without powers or birth had been more royal then she ever could. She'd never really understood how that could be because concepts of honor, nobility, and compassion were useless sentimentalities to her. The only exception had been her protective instincts for Zan it had been the key she'd need to understand Liz Parker.
She knew Liz was still watching her. Just as she knew that the soldiers wouldn't take much longer to spot her. Someone else might call this a glorious last stand, or a brave final charge, but that was all a lie. She was doing this so her son would be given time to be safe. Not that anyone else would see it that way. If Liz's memory was ever able to remember they'd just look at what she did as simple another manipulation another crime to be added to her list of sins. It wasn't like it mattered, as long as Zan was safe.
She saw the first soldier long before he would have had a chance to see her. She paused raised her hand, and unleashed a blast of energy that knocked the man down. The sick sound of bones snapping followed soon after. He might not be dead, but he wasn't a threat at the moment. Moving quickly she grabbed his gun, and started moving closer to the base once more. Two more soldiers came around a building corner, and Tess took them down two well placed shots from the 9mm pistol she'd picked up. Nasaedo would be proud.
This was easier then breaking into the archive, or killing the guards Khivar had placed around Zan, or stealing the ship to get back to Earth. The pistol shots had echoed through the base more soldiers would be here any minute. Fate was a funny thing, but it really had out done its self in Roswell. Somehow the descendents of the original guinea pigs Antar's scientist had experimented on had all become close personal friends of Max, Michael, and Isabelle. It really was a shame they didn't know, but they probably wouldn't have believed her anyway.
Two groups of soldiers began streaming toward her no longer waiting before opening fire. Through up a shield to block one side, Tess began shooting off the pistol at the other group. Two more soldiers went down, but only one looked dead. The other merely wounded a second later the last bullet left the gun, and Tess had to duck to avoid the hail of bullets that passed above her head. If she'd been just a little stronger she'd have killed these people before they knew what hit them, but she'd used up a little too much strength by adjusting Liz.
It hadn't occurred to her before returning to Earth, and having Liz blast her backward. There had been three ships sent to experiment on humans, and only two had returned. The two that did got the information to make the hybrids, and in turn created Max, Isabelle, Michael, and her. One ship didn't return. She couldn't find anything about it in the archives except that one of its goals had been to see if a direct mating between Antarians and humans was possible. The ship never returned, but maybe that didn't mean it wasn't successful.
Somewhere in the genetic line of Liz Parker there was an alien, and although she was human there were still recessive traits built into her genetic code. When Max healed her he must have started a change that started making those recessive traits dominant. That had aloud her to go through with this plan. She would die for her son to protect him from his enemies on Earth, but to protect her son from his enemies on Antar her son need the authority of the Queen of Antar. She knew Isabelle would never let her get close enough to transfer it to her, but Liz was perfect. Tess could only laugh at the irony of it all. Ever since first coming to Roswell she'd had to fight Liz for Max, and for position in the group. Her only advantage being her heritage, and birthright as Queen of Antar, and now she was giving it all to Liz Parker for the sake of her son. Her thoughts shifted back to her situation as the guards began to reload their weapons. Tess took the opportunity to start an attack of her own. Soon soldiers started flying all over the place, and chaos rained. She was putting up one hell of a fight, and she didn't feel the first bullet as it torn into her.
In fact it wasn't till the second or third that it her concentration truly was broken, and once that happened she was done. With her last conscious thought Tess readied one final surprise for her human foes. The explosion was a brilliant flash of light, and energy that rolled over the base like water on the shore. Back in Maria's mother's Jetta Liz watched, and for a second thought she heard Tess's voice.
"All hail Queen Liz!" But decided it was just the wind.
Author: blackknight5
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: Four Aliens and Baby
Summary: I always felt that Tess's end in Roswell's third season episode "Four Aliens and a Baby" was missing something. I also felt that Max's sudden interest in Liz needed a little more explanation. This is the first in a series that should help fill my idea about how to do that.
Part One:
"At least I can do one good thing with my life." Tess said.
"You already did." Liz answered. Her voice showing the struggle between her desire to comfort someone about to die, and her rage against the woman that killed Alex.
Tess smiled as she reached over to Liz's hand. Even if she could have survived this night the two of them would never be friends, and could never be friends. Tess had hurt Liz too much for that. More then even she realized, Tess thought. Yet somehow Liz had been able to forgive her, well forgive her as much as she could. Liz was not God, and Tess had no doubt that Liz would gladly have beaten her to death if the situation was even slightly different despite her claims at not being a killer.
Or maybe not, maybe all the cynicism, and mistrust Nasaedo had drilled into her simply was wrong about Liz Parker. It wouldn't have been the first time she miss judged the human woman, but it was a mute point she would never live to find out. Glancing out the window she took a deep breath, she didn't have much time. She needed to get this over with. Tess reached out to grab Liz's hand giving the impression of wanting a goodbye handshake. It was out of character for her, but Liz would probably respond out of reflex and the belief that sometimes people did things before they died that could never really be explained.
Liz didn't hesitate, and Tess could only smile. Tess waited a moment after Liz's hand made contact with her's before acting. Her hand shifting into a vice like grip around Liz's hand the shock was enough to freeze Liz in place long enough for Tess to move her other hand behind Liz's head. Liz managed to turn her head enough to look into Tess's eyes. The anger in them was clear as anything she'd ever seen. Tess ignored it. Choosing to focus on her goal, she would make sure her son was protected no matter the cost.
Liz's nerves began to burn in pain, and her screams where louder then Tess believed a woman of Liz's size could have produced. Liz was fighting her, and struggling to release her body from Tess's grasp. You never give up even when you can't win do you Liz? Adjusting her wrist on the hand holding Liz's head she forced Liz to look into her eyes.
"Stop fighting me Liz. If I was going to hurt or kill you there are a lot easier, not to mention quicker ways. So relax, okay."
"What are you doing?" Liz asked in confusion.
"I'm protecting my son."
Before Liz could speak again her whole body began to glow. Tess breathed a sigh of relief. Liz's confusion had weakened her resistance enough for Tess to finish her work. Liz stopped looking at her long enough to see it appear on her arm. Then fade away. Tess felt more then exhausted, but knew she wasn't done yet. Summoning all her remaining strength, Tess began adjusting the last few minutes of Liz's mind. Liz's eyes glazed over for a minute before returning to normal. Taking a deep breath Tess began to open the car door. "Tess wait," for a moment Tess was worried that the mind warp had failed, but when she turned to look Liz in the eyes there was no indication of the anger or betrayal from just minutes before.
"You're not going to let them put you in the white room are you?" Liz asked.
"No." Tess replied as she stepped out of the car.
Tess closed the car door, and moved confidently toward the wire fence. Tess felt a sly smile crossing her face as she burned through the metal fence surrounding the military base, and she fought the urge to laugh. Nothing that was about to happen was really that funny, but it another sense nothing had ever been more hilarious. It was the kind of humor you can only appreciate if you're a sociopath, or a person who knows they are about to die.
The dead Kind of Antar is sent to Earth to be reborn so he can free his people from a crazed dictator who killed him in the first place. Max, Isabelle, Michael, and her should have woken up together with shape shifter guardians to teach and protect them. Training them for the day that they would return to Antar to fight Khivar. That was what was supposed to happen, but as every sentient being in the universe learns at one time or another 'not everything turns out exactly as you planned.'
Instead Max, Isabelle and Michael wake up to be raised by humans in Roswell while she wakes up to be raised by Nasaedo. Max was supposed to be hers, but instead he falls in love with a human girl. A powerless, low-born, human bitch named Liz Parker. In the end it had made her even more determined to get rid of her so she used the information Nasaedo had collected, and her knowledge of Liz's personality to turn those traits against her.
Liz Parker was the perfect tragic hero all she needed was the reason she couldn't be with her perfect prince. So Tess supplied her with one. For the love of Max, for the god of not just Earth, but another world far away...that mind warp had been so sickeningly sappy she'd almost heaved. Not that anyone could have known she'd seen Max practicing his damn song, or a little mind warp on the teacher had given away Max's plan. The dance on the roof had been the icing on the cake, and Liz was out of her way. Yet, separating Max from Liz was not the same as Max being hers.
It was crazy, irrational, but even with Max in her arms she felt envious of Liz Parker. Tess had been born to be a queen, but never seemed able to live up to the status of her birth, not to Nasaedo, not to Max, and not to Khivar. She'd never been a Queen in anyone's eyes, but Liz Parker without powers or birth had been more royal then she ever could. She'd never really understood how that could be because concepts of honor, nobility, and compassion were useless sentimentalities to her. The only exception had been her protective instincts for Zan it had been the key she'd need to understand Liz Parker.
She knew Liz was still watching her. Just as she knew that the soldiers wouldn't take much longer to spot her. Someone else might call this a glorious last stand, or a brave final charge, but that was all a lie. She was doing this so her son would be given time to be safe. Not that anyone else would see it that way. If Liz's memory was ever able to remember they'd just look at what she did as simple another manipulation another crime to be added to her list of sins. It wasn't like it mattered, as long as Zan was safe.
She saw the first soldier long before he would have had a chance to see her. She paused raised her hand, and unleashed a blast of energy that knocked the man down. The sick sound of bones snapping followed soon after. He might not be dead, but he wasn't a threat at the moment. Moving quickly she grabbed his gun, and started moving closer to the base once more. Two more soldiers came around a building corner, and Tess took them down two well placed shots from the 9mm pistol she'd picked up. Nasaedo would be proud.
This was easier then breaking into the archive, or killing the guards Khivar had placed around Zan, or stealing the ship to get back to Earth. The pistol shots had echoed through the base more soldiers would be here any minute. Fate was a funny thing, but it really had out done its self in Roswell. Somehow the descendents of the original guinea pigs Antar's scientist had experimented on had all become close personal friends of Max, Michael, and Isabelle. It really was a shame they didn't know, but they probably wouldn't have believed her anyway.
Two groups of soldiers began streaming toward her no longer waiting before opening fire. Through up a shield to block one side, Tess began shooting off the pistol at the other group. Two more soldiers went down, but only one looked dead. The other merely wounded a second later the last bullet left the gun, and Tess had to duck to avoid the hail of bullets that passed above her head. If she'd been just a little stronger she'd have killed these people before they knew what hit them, but she'd used up a little too much strength by adjusting Liz.
It hadn't occurred to her before returning to Earth, and having Liz blast her backward. There had been three ships sent to experiment on humans, and only two had returned. The two that did got the information to make the hybrids, and in turn created Max, Isabelle, Michael, and her. One ship didn't return. She couldn't find anything about it in the archives except that one of its goals had been to see if a direct mating between Antarians and humans was possible. The ship never returned, but maybe that didn't mean it wasn't successful.
Somewhere in the genetic line of Liz Parker there was an alien, and although she was human there were still recessive traits built into her genetic code. When Max healed her he must have started a change that started making those recessive traits dominant. That had aloud her to go through with this plan. She would die for her son to protect him from his enemies on Earth, but to protect her son from his enemies on Antar her son need the authority of the Queen of Antar. She knew Isabelle would never let her get close enough to transfer it to her, but Liz was perfect. Tess could only laugh at the irony of it all. Ever since first coming to Roswell she'd had to fight Liz for Max, and for position in the group. Her only advantage being her heritage, and birthright as Queen of Antar, and now she was giving it all to Liz Parker for the sake of her son. Her thoughts shifted back to her situation as the guards began to reload their weapons. Tess took the opportunity to start an attack of her own. Soon soldiers started flying all over the place, and chaos rained. She was putting up one hell of a fight, and she didn't feel the first bullet as it torn into her.
In fact it wasn't till the second or third that it her concentration truly was broken, and once that happened she was done. With her last conscious thought Tess readied one final surprise for her human foes. The explosion was a brilliant flash of light, and energy that rolled over the base like water on the shore. Back in Maria's mother's Jetta Liz watched, and for a second thought she heard Tess's voice.
"All hail Queen Liz!" But decided it was just the wind.