ROSWELL SUMMER VIGNETTES

Author: purplemud

Title: An Afternoon at the Crashdown

E-mail: purplewitch10@yahoo.com

Disclaimers: Roswell does not belong to me. Standard Disclaimers apply

Rating: Mostly PG 13 for language.

Author's Note: And now the explanation. This is the first time I've ever sent in a Roswell fic. This is mostly a Candy fic and some CC couples...and sometimes a hint of UC too. I also made Kyle stay at Roswell for a couple of weeks before he went to "football camp". Each story can stand up on it's own and are not necessarily a continuation from the first one. So, basically, what we have is a totally plot-less bunch of fics! Ugh, not exactly the most promising thing to read as starters, but I hope you give these vignettes a chance. I hope you guys will like them, or some of them, hell, I'll be grateful you like just one. Please feel free to leave your reviews, comments, criticisms, and flames you can tell me anything and everything you want. I appreciate them all. Thanks for your time and hope you enjoy reading!

Special thanks to Diane for beta-reading this fic!

An Afternoon at the Crashdown

Huddled figures of young teens were familiar sights at the Crashdown, especially with their group. They had been staying here almost every damn day. Most of the time it was to wait for the cook to get out of his kitchen so they can all start their daily trek to the desert and into their pod chambers. There was really nowhere else to go.

The usual afternoons were spent trying to get through the day without getting into any sort of trouble. Very normal for the teenage Americans. But, no, not even teen angst can ever make them normal enough.

Max, Michael, Isabel and Tess were yet again seated at their usual table. The conversation was hushed and they immediately gave off the air of privacy which was unnecessary because there were not many customers present inside the cafe. The heavy silence hung around them and three heads expectantly turned towards their leader boy-king.

As usual, he was silent and seemed far, far away from them.

Florida. He was in Florida. At least in mind and heart he was. He thought briefly about the place, pictured the blue-white waves crashing into the sand. Families huddled together around a sumptuous picnic, towels laid out on the sand, sun-blocks and shades scattered about, guys running around throwing Frisbees in the air. He then pictured Liz Parker in it and then shook his head. He didn't want to think about it...about her.

So instead Max Evans stared blankly out of the window of the Crashdown and watched the flow of people in the street. It was probably one of the hottest days in Roswell, New Mexico. He watched the clear shimmering vision of the gray asphalt that stretched on for miles until the town would dissolve into nothing...into the bleakness of the desert. He shook his head again and then averted his eyes towards the table. He didn't want to think of the desert either. Because thinking about it would make him think about her again.

And Destiny.

Destiny. What a bitter word it had become.

"Max?"

It was his sister's voice that pulled him out of his thoughts. He turned to look at Isabel, his brown eyes hazy and unsure, as if he had awoken from a deep dream. No, make that a nightmare.

"You're not listening."

It was a statement, not a question, not an accusation. And, it was also the truth. He shook his head for the third time. I don't want to listen, his mind rudely answered, but Max Evans was never rude, he was soft spoken, kind hearted and well, nice, as the entire female population of West Roswell High would call him.

But he wasn't just nice now. He was a king now. A king of some distant, long-forgotten planet which he was sure was what Isabel, Michael and Tess had been discussing as he had let himself drift away. He was supposed to be responsible and wise now. Not just nice, nice wouldn't cut it anymore. He heard the disgusted snort of his best friend, Michael Guerin. His second-in-command actually, and yeah, how very supportive of him. He met Michael's glare head on. He was challenging him, as he had the time Michael had touched his arm and told him to let Liz Parker go...let her walk off into the desert, let her think that he had accepted the Destiny that had been shoved into his face...

Michael didn't back down. He never backed down on anything and anyone for that matter that was forced against him. He believed that this "Destiny" was what he had been looking for all of his life. He believed that he and Isabel are supposed to get their relationship right...not brother and sister as they have been ever since they had discovered each other on the playground. No, they were supposed to be lovers. The Royal Princess of their planet betrothed to him, the General. He was going to accept this Destiny dammit. He wasn't going to let Max Evans, his Royal Highness, get him to think otherwise. They were more alien than human. Hadn't it been clear from all that they have experienced from this year? He searched Max's eyes and found only pity in them and he seethed with anger, anger that compelled him to clench his jaw and bite his lips. And then suddenly just as before, in times that he was near his breaking point, his thoughts were filled with images of her. Her blonde hair, her green eyes that were always sad and angry and amused and laughing all at the same time, her soft full lips, and her warmth. He shook his head to clear his brain...don't think of her. Because if he thought of her then he'd be directing his anger at himself. And then he'd be howling in pain and anger. He wished, he truly wished that this Destiny thing would all be worth it.

Isabel swallowed hard. This is what they had become now. Enemies. God she hated it. She hated that they were all forced into this. She knew how difficult it was for her brother to let Liz Parker go. She knew how difficult it was for Michael to turn his back from Maria DeLuca. And most of all, she knew how difficult it had been for her and Alex to just stand aside and pretend that they can be friends. She felt awful. From anyone's point of view, especially Alex's, she had treated him like a yo-yo. Friend, boyfriend, shoulder to cry on, someone to help in the grand big mother of all cover-ups. God, just the other night Stacey had laughed on the phone and said, "poor Alex." And she had snapped at Stacey for talking as though she knew everything, when in fact the only thing Stacey knew about her was the size of her cheering uniform and the number of guys she had dated over the past couple of years. What she had with Stacey and the rest of the popular crowd was probably the shallowest foundation to friendship. There was no chance that they'd talk to her, much less understand her if she confessed that she was someone from a different planet and her mother could only attend PTA meetings through a hologram. And there was Alex. Alex who understood and never presumed anything about her, who was never too careful and patronizing, who of all the guys - hell maybe even humans - he was the one she thought she could really love. And despite all of this what had she done? She treated him like a freakin' yo-yo, a human doormat. She shook her head, one of these days she's gotta learn to finally stand up and take control of her life. Just what Alex had told her to do. What Alex had told her that she could do.

Max kept his eyes on Michael; saw how it slightly wavered only to be strengthened by rage. He could feel Isabel's hand clutching his from underneath the table. He wouldn't back down, sorry Iz, but he wouldn't. And so his eyes met Michael's, never wavering. Max knew he was right. He would not back down. He was the king wasn't he? He can act like a total ass; impose his will on all of them. But because he was Max Evans he had sat with them silently and let them tell him what to do, let them criticize him...but he knows his heart and he knew that Liz Parker was his destiny.

This whole Destiny crap, nobody wanted it. Michael and Isabel didn't want it. He didn't want it. In fact, if he wanted to, if Max was that cruel, he would have told Tess in her face that he would never, could never love her the way he did Liz Parker. That he didn't want her as his destiny, didn't want her as his queen. He would have also pointed out to both Michael and Isabel that they had been trying the whole couple thing for the last three weeks and still, nothing, not even a spark to light up their dark deadened eyes. All three of them have the same eyes now.

Except of course for Tess Harding who was sitting beside Michael, trying to see who between the General and the King would break the staring contest, who would speak first, who would finally get the courage to accept this Destiny...not just to believe in it but to actually accept it and want it. But they soon will, one of them would have to actually fulfill their destiny, she would see to it. This year, she would be with her King once again. All these mental conversations, it wasn't mind-numbing at all, in fact she reveled in it. It showed how much work she had to do, how much coaxing, how much lying she was willing to do. It was of great disappointment for her that the tension was suddenly simmered down as they heard the door open and voices of the three humans drifted towards them.

Isabel, always nervous about the growing bad blood between Max and Michael, had quickly turned her head to watch the door open and welcome the human inhabitants of Roswell...the human inhabitants of their hearts. Max didn't turn as his sister had, but his eyes had softened well enough to end the power struggle. Tess felt Michael stiffen and jerk his head away, as if afraid of who he would have to face. Tess knew that Michael needed time to compose himself, get that arrogant smile plastered on his lips, that hard cold look in his dark eyes before he can really look into Maria DeLuca's eyes. How pathetic. It seemed to her that all three aliens were making way too much effort to avoid being around the humans that shared their secret. She guessed this was because of Destiny.

Their usual schedule was always, loosely, if not directly, based on the humans' schedule. Michael could only work at the Crashdown during the early morning shift and late night shift. Maria was to work during the afternoon and early evening. Isabel would only get out of their house if she were with Max and Michael or in the company of her elite clique. She would not attend parties where The Whits were playing. And Max. Max was rarely with them. Oh, he's there alright. But only in body. Never in mind, in heart, in spirit. Whatever. She wasn't caught up in this human...stuff.

And if ever by sick chance they were all together in one room, it was always them that would usually bail out. Give the humans the space. We're outta here. Bye bye. Well, that would be even better if that happened soon enough. Bye bye earth, we're off to Antar. But while they were still stuck here, she had nothing better to do than watch as the humans made their way towards them. Closer and closer. Tess rolled her eyes, feeling the tension coming from her companions. Their usual escape would soon follow through.

"I told you, I can't." Maria said, her voice filling the almost empty cafe. It was past noon. Lunch was over and this was the time the Crashdown's bustle would die out and be replaced by the silence of remaining customers who would usually just sit back and drink their cold drinks, too hot to talk and too humid to go out under the sun. This was her scheduled work today because Michael worked during mornings, so she had begged and bribed Mr. Parker to have this non-profitable schedule. She craned her neck and didn't find any spiky-haired sulking alien by the oven. He was usually out even before she arrived. Why would she expect this day to be different? Because she had felt him. Which was ridiculous if you thought about it. And she had. And she found this thought rather comforting.

"You can't because?" Kyle prodded following her from behind.

"Because I've been running a fever on and off for two days now." She said rolling her eyes and sauntering over to the counter, never seeing the occupied booth at the near end of the cafe where the four aliens had suddenly stopped, riveted to the conversation. It was true, she had been getting the fever and it was the peak of summer for crying out loud! None of her usual aromatherapy worked and she had put half the blame on stress and the other half on Michael Guerin and his tendency to be an emotional cripple. She was convinced that the fever was all made up, that it was her brain heating up. Well, better her mind than her heart.

"You should see a doctor." Alex said plopping himself down in a vacant booth. He hated the way his voice sounded, all flat and emotionless. He turned to Maria, "You should see a doctor," he repeated somewhat stupidly but this time he knew his eyes spoke of concern because Maria smiled at him and shook her head. She was playing "I'm a strong girl" today. Yesterday it had been "Angry girl". She had ranted about the whole Destiny thing and being stuck here in Roswell, New Mexico. The other day was "Sad miserable girl day" and he didn't know how well he had been acting with her, especially with all of her mood swings. He was no Liz Parker of course, there was a limit on how many hours of Michael Guerin centered conversations that he can take and the "I hate Michael Guerin" conversation can actually last for a whole day. He had somehow learned to block out Maria's words. He could hear her tone and when her tone is sad, bordering on misery, he'd pat her on the arms and nod slowly, not really knowing what was the cause of her tears. She hadn't been in an upbeat mood since Liz flew to Florida to wallow, and to hunt. Although, wallowing would be his better guess. Oh and yeah, he was also forcing himself not to think about Isabel. If he listened to Maria or half listened to her, there was a better chance that thoughts of Isabel crossing his mind were far less and even if he didn't want it that way, he had to...it was the only way not to feel hurt and betrayed.

Kyle smirked. "You should see Dave Patch." He had to keep the conversation away from…he stopped himself and shook his head. He mentioned Dave Patch because the football jock was of this earth, of their human race and so therefore it wouldn't really remind the three of them about...he stopped himself again and decided to keep the conversation moving to a more earthly topic, "He thinks you're hot." He added smiling at Maria. The blonde scowled at him and Kyle remembered that what Dave had actually said bordered more on wanting to get into her pants. He winced and mentally kicked himself. Dave Patch should just go and screw himself, just like what Michael Guerin should do and Max Evans too. He almost spat at the floor. Oh and yeah, had he mentioned that Max Evans had ruined his life and then saved it to probably ruin it more? At least that was his theory. And yes Kyle, you were supposed to be not thinking about them, remember?

Maria scowled and turned to look at Alex who only shrugged and drew a blank face. She returned her attention towards Kyle and narrowed her eyes, jabbing a finger on his chest, "Kyle, what part of 'I am not going to go skinning dipping with the rest of the football team' did you not understand?" She asked obviously irritated. She didn't want to party on, didn't think it was something that she could do, pretend to be happy. She was anything but happy, angry yes, a whole lot of anger there, and sorrow, maybe that too.

"The whole bit. It's an invite thing only Maria." Kyle said, equally irritated that his efforts on trying to put some semblance of normalcy in his life as well as for Alex and Maria had been rebutted over and over again. He was getting tired of trying to think up things that would make them all feel like the normal, happy carefree teenagers that they were supposed to be.

"And I'm supposed to be happy that I was considered to be on this party?" Maria asked arching an eyebrow. "I haven't exactly been nice to any member of the football team, you including."

"You and I and Liz used to hang out before." He said sounding as if "before" was a whole lot better than what they have "now", which was also true. Because what they had now was a bunch of jangled nerves, raw from fear, the heaviness of a universal conspiracy hanging two inches above their heads and broken hearts.

Broken hearts, how so very poetic of you Valenti, he chided himself. And, of course, not to forget the fat load of bitterness stuck in their throats.

Maria sighed nodding as Jose, the Crashdown's original resident cook, greeted her. She chose to ignore Kyle. She didn't know how to respond to his last retort. Before, past tense...past...it sounded so empty to her, like all of her 17 years of existence had been one big gap that was suddenly filled with all these, these alien-related activities that kept her awake all night, pondering on science and reality and sometimes insanity too. And so instead she sat herself at one of the stools, mindlessly playing with a red straw. Her mind wandered back to everything that had happened and the lessons she had thought she had learned from knowing the aliens...lessons on escaping crime scenes, getting all the evidence and then destroying them, friendship, trust and maybe, at some point, even love. She stared hard and deep at the straw and then suddenly the color of red reminded her of Michael. Realization hit her and she threw the straw angrily at the floor.

"The reason you have a fever is hormones, babe." Kyle said trying to change the topic. Maria's sudden silence, Alex non-response told him that if he followed this conversation, it was going to head straight towards the one single topic that had occupied their every waking hour. Aliens. Yeah, they're in the middle of Roswell, New Mexico alright, just go with the damn flow. He picked up the straw that had seemed to burn Maria's hand. He regarded the seemingly inoffensive thing and then placed it again right in front of Maria. He leaned in closer. He opened his mouth as if to say something important but then he paused, scowled and sniffed near Maria's neck. He tilted his head for a moment, "Peaches. Jesus, try something that wouldn't make men automatically think of..."

"Of..." Alex said his voice indicating his sudden amusement.

"Of what Kyle?" Maria prodded, noting the redness of Kyle's neck and cheeks.

"Fruits...I was going to say fruits...ok?" he answered exasperated.

"Right." Alex said rolling his eyes. "Fruits."

Kyle swore underneath his breath, quick to move out of DeLuca's personal space. Had he just thought what he thought he had just thought of? He shook his head and then headed towards Alex. "I give up." He said solemnly. He turned to look at Maria again, all blonde hair, green eyes and luscious lips, and peaches... "Yeah, you shouldn't go, you're just gonna whine and annoy the whole team." He said and then brought his attention to Alex. "You, on the other hand, you should go. Might score with the JV cheerleading squad."

"Younger girls are not exactly my type." Alex returned sighing heavily.

"And don't they all look alike?" Maria said nodding thoughtfully, "All blonde hair, blue eyes and perfect nails."

"Makes you wanna scream, right?" Kyle said, slouching in his chair.

"Right." Alex repeated.

Maria sighed and stepped out of their view, disappearing through the double swinging door. She braced herself for the usual mind-numbing conversations they were going to have. Just stick with human-centered conversation and they'd all be fine. Yeah. That would be easy. The Pod Squad was making it easy for them too. Especially Michael, who would bolt out of the door as soon as he saw her. She gritted her teeth. That infuriating Alien!

The minute the humans had entered, Michael had wanted to bolt of the door. It was a good thing that they hadn't noticed them. Maria never once turned her head towards them. Which was fine. It was great even. It was exactly what he wanted from her.

Right. Sure. Keep on telling yourself that Guerin. He shook his head and turned towards Tess who was sitting beside him. "Move." He ordered the blonde girl. Tess arched her eyebrows at him and he scowled at her.

"Where are you going Michael?" Isabel asked suddenly panicked.

"Outta here." He answered. It wasn't like this was the first time he had run away as soon as he caught sight of Maria. Or Alex. Or Valenti. This situation was pretty much a familiar one for him. For them. Even Max Evans had been staying clear of the humans for some time now. He figured it was because the great King was never invited to Liz's sending off party. None of them were. But, oh, of course they were all there. They didn't gatecrash or anything. It just so happened that said sending off party had been in the desert. And no, he didn't want to remember that night. What he had heard. What he had found out still scared him.

He was back to his usual routine of running away. Fucking alien coward that he was - running away from a harmless group of humans, specifically from a small blonde girl who could barely make a fist but who could hold so much strength in her eyes, in her arms, the way she would always pull him closer...he shook his head, clearing his thoughts. Stonewall, Guerin. Stone wall. He took a deep breath and pretended that his heart had calmed down.

Out of the corner of his eyes he saw Valenti and Alex turning their heads towards them. He noticed the brief surprise that registered in their faces as Tess stood up to let him pass. Escape was actually the right word. He needed to be out of here before Maria can change into her uniform. Because if he wasn't out of the door by that time, it would be more difficult for him to even move away. Maria in her Crashdown uniform always made him want to stay a little longer. There were always sleazy guys who'd stare at her long legs and...

Shit. He was still stuck in his seat! God dammit. He stretched his body into its full height and was inching his way out of his seat when he heard her voice.

"So, boys, what'll you be having?"

The silence from Alex and Kyle did nothing to help the situation, because now he can feel her eyes on him.

Shit.

"I'm going. Anyone else who wants to come with me?" He asked loudly. Enough eavesdropping for the day Guerin, he told himself. He had found out more than he'd like to know. And the next time he sees David Patch, he was going to kick the guy's teeth in. Or maybe just glare at him. Whatever. He looked at Isabel and then at Max and then turned to look at Tess, risking the little chance that he might catch a glimpse of Maria and...

And there she was. Standing by Valenti's and Alex's table, holding her pad up, pen pressed into the paper ready to jot down the order of the day. He swallowed hard and looked away.

Did he look angry enough? Did Maria see how his eyes had wavered? How they had suddenly felt raw and stingy? Dust in his eyes. Yeah, that was it. Except, there isn't any dust here in the cafe, now is there? He cursed himself.

He looked at Maxwell one last time. His best friend stared blankly at him. Michael sighed and nodded his goodbye. He strode off, walking stiffly, holding his chin as high as he can. God, her eyes were following him. He distantly heard Isabel getting up and following behind him. Looks like Izzy still wasn't ready to face Alex and Maria too. He pushed the door open with all his might.

And God, even from here, now a good few feet away from her, he could still feel her. She was still watching him.

And he wanted more than anything else to turn around, storm in and grab her. And then, well, there was only one choice wasn't there?

Not gonna happen buddy. He told himself. He waited for Isabel and then, surprise, surprise Max and Tess too. As soon as the Crashdown door was closed, he walked swiftly away.

Away from her.

Away from his only Destiny.

"I've seen better walk outs." Kyle commented dryly watching the Pod Squad disappear into a corner.

"What'll it be boys?" Maria repeated her question. She was gripping the pen tightly. He had looked at her. The briefest, tiniest second and he seemed...he seemed actually pained. Regretful even. But it could be that she was just wishing. Hallucinating. Seeing things that weren't there at all. 

Alex seemed to have finally realized that the aliens were now gone. He looked at Maria "I'll have the usual." He said with a half grimace.