Part 2: The Sons and the Daughters II
Pogue and Reid got out of the yellow airport cab and paid the enormous bill before the cab departed leaving the two teens in front of the oddest building they had ever seen. Pogue blinked his eyes a few times not believing that Liz could live above such a place.
"Is that a…" Reid trailed off.
"Yeah." Pogue said in disbelief.
"Flying a…"
"Uh huh." Pogue said.
"Damn Liz lives in a building that has a huge alien in a space ship out front I can't wait to tell Tyler!" Reid laughed.
"Come on let's get inside." Pogue said shaking his head slightly so his chin length hair fell perfectly around his face giving him that troubled, tortured soul look all the girls at his school drooled over.
The two boys walked in and saw the café was pretty empty except for a booth full of teenagers and a waitress who looked more like a grandmother sitting in another booth. When the two walked in the few occupants of the room turned to look at them but the two sons ignored them all. The waitress in the back looked up from her spot and rolled her eyes.
"Sit anywhere." She grumbled making Pogue roll his eyes.
"We are not here to eat." Pogue said in his deep gravelly voice that caught Isabel and Tess's attention.
"Then leave." The waitress said.
"We are here to see the Parker's we are…friends of the family." Reid added staring hard at the woman in front of him willing her to go and get one of them. The waitress suddenly stood up and marched into the backroom shocking the occupants of the booth. Moments later she returned with Jeff Parker in tow.
"What seems to be the…" Jeff stopped when he saw the two boys in front of him his dark eyes widening. "Boys what are you doing here?" He asked looking alarmed.
"We need to talk to Liz, Mr. Parker." Reid said. The aliens were shocked when Mr. Parker nodded sadly and motioned for the two boys to follow him. Pogue and Reid were lead up to the Parker apartment where Alex and Maria were on the couch holding each other.
"What did they want?" Maria asked not looking up. Reid smiled softly when he saw the blonde on the couch.
"Hey Maria." Reid called softly startling the blonde girl who bolted upright knocking into Alex slightly who grunted as the wind was knocked out of him. Reid's heart broke as he felt the pain coming off the occupants of the house. He knew that the sons were taking Serena's death hard and that it had to be even worse for the daughters.
"Where is Liz?" Pogue asked quietly trying not to upset anyone.
"In her room, she is having a hard time." Alex said and Pogue nodded heading in the direction Alex pointed towards. Pogue stood in front of a door where muffled sobs emitted from behind it. Taking a deep calming breath Pogue gently opened the door and went inside knowing that Liz would not let him in otherwise.
"Liz." He called out softly. Pogue saw Liz's small form curled up on the bed she was laying on her side hugging her pillow to her chest, dark circles under her eyes. Her eyes slowly drifted up his body finally landing on his face, her eyes widened slightly before she sat up.
"Pogue." She whispered before she flew off the bed and at him. Pogue crushed her to him knowing that she wanted to be held close. "I didn't believe Caleb when he said that you and Reid were coming." Liz breathed into his shoulder enjoying the comforting embrace of her lifelong friend.
"Reid and I volunteered to come here we knew that the two of you were going to have it rough." Pogue said sitting down on her bed kicking off his shoes as he pulled her into his lap. Liz rested her head against his chest listening to the strong steady beats of his heart as she used to do when she had nightmares as a child.
"How are you handling the new powers?" Pogue asked his chest rumbling against her cheek.
"It feels weird and my skin feels strange." Liz muttered.
"Like it is not your own?" Pogue asked and Liz nodded. "Caleb said he felt the same way when Chase died. He said that he did not know that there was a difference until it happened and then all of these new powers and this new feeling surged into him. For days he said his skin tingled and ached and he felt as if he was living in a stranger's body. It gets better Liz, easier to deal with." Pogue said rubbing her back slightly hoping to calm her down.
"I am scared Pogue." She whimpered.
"I know Liz I know. Liz did your mother tell you what happened to Serena?" Pogue asked dreading her answer.
"I know she was killed but by what I have no idea." Liz whispered.
"Liz." Pogue said trying to get her attention. She turned her face up to look at him seeing the war going on behind his brown eyes. "Serena was attacked by the Horaci and they injected her with their blood." He whispered steeling himself for her reaction and she did not disappoint.
"No!" She screamed in agony attracting the attention of the others. Reid, Maria and Alex came running into her room and saw Liz beating Pogue's chest trying to get him to take back what he said.
"Liz, she went to Caleb to warn him that we needed to get to you. Liz they are coming after you next." Pogue said holding her thrashing form the best he could.
"How could they do that to her she never did anything to them we stayed away from them!" Liz sobbed her voice shrieking slightly.
"I know there is never a reason for someone to take away someone we love and we both know that there is no reason for the way the Horaci act. Lizzie, Serena died trying to warn us what is coming, she wanted her sisters to be safe Lizzie you need to be safe and live for Serena." Pogue tried to get through to his hysterical friend. Reid, Maria and Alex watched in horror as their friend broke.
"It hurts so bad make it stop please make it stop!" She bawled her face red in her distress. Pogue stroked her hair trying to get her to calm down. He knew that Liz needed to cry out her issues but she was crying hard enough to make herself sick.
"I wish I could." Pogue whispered looking over her shoulder at Reid who looked sick.
"Pogue I want to go with you and Reid to Ipswich I can't be here right now." Liz finally said as she calmed down some, her lower lip still trembling.
"That was the plan Parker. You, Maria and your mom's are supposed to come to Ipswich with us." Reid said coming to sit on her bed with her and Maria sat on his other side.
"Ah guys I hate to be the downer in this situation but how are you going to explain your absence to the others?" Alex asked feeling terrible for raining in on their party.
"What like they care what happens to us." Maria huffed.
"Who?" Pogue asked.
"Oh just some people we hang out with they are a bit on the paranoid side. They make Caleb and Liz look sane." Maria said giving Liz a watery smile.
"I don't care what they say we are going to Ipswich to be with our friends and family." Liz whispered.
"Where we can keep you fine ladies safe." Reid said giving them a small Garwin smile, he did not have the energy to put in much effort.
"Great let's get packing." Liz said bolting upright shakily wiping at her eyes as she pulled her suitcases out of her closet and started throwing her belongings inside.
"Liz…" Pogue said and Liz suddenly stopped her shoulders shaking.
"I hate how hard this is." Liz started crying again.
"Me too chica." Maria said hugging Liz tight. The two friends stood there hugging each other trying to move past the overwhelming pain in their hearts. Pogue and Reid shared a look before they got up off the bed and joined the hug; Reid hugging Maria from behind and Pogue doing the same with Liz.
"It's going to be alright guys." Reid whispered as he rubbed Liz's arm and Maria's side.
Alex stared at the four his heart heavy as he watched them grieve. He watched as Pogue kissed the top of Liz's head before leaning his forehead against the back of her head closing his eyes as he held her middle. It was amazing watching the four of them together and he knew that if he was there for the reunion between all eight of them that the sight would be breath taking. It was as if they were healing each other with just their presence. Nancy and Jeff came into the room behind Alex watching the four teens.
"Should I be worried that Pogue Parry is hugging my little girl?" Jeff asked his wife who just chuckled.
"Sweetie let them be, you can lecture Liz when we get to Ipswich." Nancy smiled at her husband.
"But Pogue Parry honey…" Jeff whined as he and his wife left the room. "The kid rides a motorcycle and has hair longer than Michael Guerin."
Jeff went downstairs to get Michael and Jose and tell them that for the time being they were in charge of the café. "Michael." Jeff called getting the attention of his cook who looked up from the table he was at with his friends.
"Yeah Mr. P?"
"Listen my family is going out of town for awhile and we need you and Jose to run the show." Jeff said.
"Sure no problem, what about Maria?" Michael asked.
"Her and her mother are leaving as well. We are needed elsewhere at the moment." Jeff said rubbing his hands over his face, the stress from the last day wearing on him.
"Alright. How are they both handling things?" Michael asked startling his friends and Mr. Parker.
"Well to be honest not so well especially Liz, her and Serena were really close but being around her family will help her." Jeff said Michael sighed he felt bad that two of his friends were in pain and he was not allowed to be there for them because of his stupidity and Max's dumb decree to stay away from the humans, not that he was really doing that when they hung out with Alex.
"Mr. P do you have something called an Alien Blast?" Reid asked coming down the stairs with only his wife beater on giving the aliens a good view of his muscles and tattoos that had previously been hidden. Jeff looked at the confused blonde guy and laughed.
"Yes Reid we have an alien blast, let me guess Lizzie and Maria want one?" Jeff asked and Reid nodded running his hands through his blonde locks.
"Yeah, Liz is packing and well I got to the underwear drawer and Pogue and I decided to play and now the two of us are in hot water." Reid said not looking the least bit ashamed, he was Reid he did not get embarresed easily.
"Going through my daughter's unmentionables." Jeff said raising his eyebrows at the teen as he prepared the treats for the two girls.
"What can I say we are guys and they were there." Reid said laughing slightly.
"Do you and Pogue want one?" Jeff asked motioning to the concoction he was pouring into shake glasses.
"No thanks Pogue and I will just mooch off the girls." Reid said.
"Some things never change." Jeff laughed handing over the two treats to Reid who made his way back upstairs followed by Jeff.
Max scowled after the blonde, there was something off with him and that other guy. They were close to Liz and he was not sure he liked that, he was going to have to watch them when they got back.
