Title: All We Know of Heaven
Rating: T
Disclaimer: I do not own Roswell.
Summary: Second story in Picture series. After the wedding, can Michael and Liz keep their secret?
Chapter Four: I Guess This is It
Gunshots rang into the air when the door swung off its hinges. The combined blast knocked down the men in heavy uniform who had opened the door. But more flooded in and shot at the group. Michael put up a large shield to block the bullets and they fell to the ground with a sharp tap.
A man ran towards Kyle and Kyle punched him quickly. The men were now too close to use blasts and Michael and Kyle resorted to physical violence to keep them at bay. Tess and Isabel were doing their own damage. Out of the corner of her eyes, Liz saw one of the men go for Maria.
"No!" Liz screamed and ran over to the man and launched herself on him. He tossed her off quickly and advanced on her, backing her into a corner. Just when she thought he was going to hit her, he stepped back and ran out of the room. Liz looked at Tess to find her eyes closed. They snapped open.
"They think we're on the run. We have to get out of here," Tess shouted. No one needed to be told twice. Michael picked Maria up gently. They all ran for the door and out of the hall way to the lobby. Kyle grabbed Isabel's hand when they got to the outside of the hotel. They spotted two black vans that said FBI on the side.
"Should I be insulted they only sent two vans for us?" Kyle tried to joke.
"They weren't here for you," Tess said. "Let's go."
"We aren't going to get far by foot."
"Then we don't," Michael said as he used his powers to unlock one of the vans. Everyone crammed in and Michael slammed on the brakes. Everyone was still breathing heavily but a gunshot rang out and the window closed to Isabel shattered. The girls screamed.
"Shit!" Michael yelped and swerved on the road. A crowd of the agents were lined outside the hotel and shooting at them. Another window shattered and everyone ducked. "We have to find Max."
"He can meet us somewhere. Someone call him."
Kyle pulled out his cell phone and Liz turned to face him. "Kyle, you're bleeding!"
He had blood splattered on his neck. Kyle reached two fingers up and easily wiped the blood off. No wound. Then a sound that sounded like a wounded animal escaped his throat. It wasn't his blood, it was Isabel's.
Isabel was shaking next to him and was clutching her stomach. "Oh, god, no," Kyle moaned. "Do something! Someone heal her!"
"I'm pulling over," Michael announced, panicking.
"No!" Tess yelled. "They'll catch us."
"No! They *catch* you. Isabel is shot, Tess. Don't you realize-" Michael shot back angrily. He had had it with Tess. First, she leads the fucking FBI *right* to them. Now Isabel is shot because of it and Tess wants to pull over.
"Don't you realize that if they recapture me, they'll use me for information!"
"I hope it's painful," Michael spat out. "I'm pulling over."
Tess lunged forward and gripped his shoulder. "You let them take me again and I'll make sure to tell them where each of you are," she threatened.
"Michael," Isabel called out weakly. "Where's Max? Is he alright?"
The sight of Isabel trembling with blood gushing from her stomach made Michael turn the car into the right shoulder. "NO!" Tess shrieked and tried to grab to the steering wheel. Michael pushed her away and stopped the car. He roughly grabbed her neck and looked her square in the eye.
"You are going to shut up right the *fuck* now. If you don't help us get Isabel back, so help me god, you'll *wish* the government captured you again."
Tess ripped away from him to took his threat to head. "I may be able to heal her," she said quietly.
Michael nodded jerkily. Kyle was already lifting Isabel out of the car and placing her gently on the desert pavement. He ran his hand over her face and felt the tears streaming down. "God, Isabel. You can't leave me. I still have to tell you that-"
The soft touch of Liz's hand on his shoulder stopped him mid sentence. "Tess said she can heal her."
Kyle shook his head. "She can't heal."
"Yes, I can," Tess said from behind Liz. "Just move out of my way."
Kyle just moved closer to Isabel. He didn't trust Tess one iota. "We don't have much time," Tess added. Reluctantly Kyle moved aside but didn't release his hold on Isabel's trembling hand. Tess kneeled down next to Isabel and touched her hands to Isabel's stomach under watchful eyes. Tess managed to open the connection immediately but because of Kyle's minimal contact with Isabel, he was pulled in too.
Together, they saw Isabel's childhood that was consumed by fear of what she was. They saw her building her walls up and they saw Alex tearing them down. Kyle could feel her love for Jesse but what shocked him most was the love she believed Michael and Liz shared. A brief flash of the wedding flashed in his mind followed by every look Isabel had noticed between the two of them. Kyle tried to pull away but Isabel's mind force held him there.
She had *wanted* him to see this so he wouldn't resent Liz and Michael. Tess, by now, had pulled out of the connection which only strengthened the connection between Kyle and Isabel. Everything Kyle felt for Isabel escaped him in waves and he jerked away from the connection, tears burning his eyes.
"What happened?" Michael roared as he looked at Tess. "Why didn't it work?"
Her eyes met his and they were twanged a tiny bit with sadness. "I'm not God."
Liz's hand flew to her mouth at Tess's words and she choked back a sob. "We need Max," Kyle said hoarsely. "Get Max," he ordered Michael.
Michael grimaced. "He won't make it here on time. You know that."
Kyle's eyes flew back to Isabel who was looking at him fully. He couldn't deny the previous connection. She didn't love him, not he way he wanted her to anyway. But she could have with time. The foundation had been laid and all she needed was time. But that time was preciously running out.
The sound of cars approaching made his heart race. Michael raised his hand ready to blast the wheels. "No!" Kyle shouted at him. "We'll just draw attention."
His gaze landed on Tess. "Make them not see us. Now."
Within seconds, the cars were zooming right past them as fast as ever. Kyle gave Tess a half-grateful look. "Let's get her to a hospital," Kyle said solidly.
Michael stepped forward and regarded him sadly. "You know we can't do that."
Kyle looked around frantically. "Then what do you suggest? We let her die?"
"I never said that," Michael argued as his fists balled up. "I just-"
"Michael," a small voice said in a whisper.
Michael didn't notice nor did Kyle. Kyle was now standing up and facing down Michael.
"Michael," Liz said again, brokenly. At the sound of her voice, Michael turned to look at her to find her next Isabel, her hands on Isabel's palm. Kyle turned to look at her too.
Suddenly, Liz began to sob uncontrollably. "Oh god," Kyle moaned. Isabel wasn't moving. She wasn't shaking anymore. She wasn't breathing anymore. Michael froze but Kyle immediately ran over to Isabel's body, his hands running over her trying to find a pulse or a heartbeat. But he found none.
His mind began to race. Weren't there supposed to be dramatic last words? A last wish? Anything? Isabel had hardly spoken. She was there and then she just *wasn't*. All sounds drained out of their minds. Silent cries and moans filled the air.
How were they going to tell Max?
What the hell was going to happen now?
Kyle looked beyond his tears at the people around him and found it amazing how clarifying everything was at that exact moment. Maria was still unconscious. She was, after all, never all there emotionally. It made sense that she wasn't here now in a moment that would change all of them forever. Max wasn't here either. It was funny how the 'leader' was more oblivious to his minions than he thought.
Kyle watched as Liz nervously approached a stoic Michael and reached out to touch his shoulder. Michael noticeably relaxed, his back hunching, until a few tears escaped his eyes. Liz looked up at him, almost as if she were expecting him to recoil anytime. Swiftly, his arms came to wrap around Liz's small frame and she shifted into him.
Tess caught Kyle looking at the two and she swallowed a lump in her throat. She realized that this was what it felt like to experience grief and to just see the pain on their faces made Tess's heart jump nervously. She began to understand why they hated her so much. She had chalked it up to her being the odd man out, the constant reminder of their destiny. But she was ultimately the cause of grief such as this over Alex. And for a moment, she almost hated *herself*.
"We can't let them take her body. Isabel wouldn't want that," she said quietly. No one turned to look at her. Kyle swallowed back bile at what the FBI would do to her.
"I can't.." he choked out with a gesturing wave.
Tess slowly walked over to him. "I can."
Kyle closed his eyes. "You couldn't heal her," he whispered, his grief turning into anger. He was quiet for a moment but then rose to his feet, a fire burning in his eyes. "Did you even try?"
Tess just clenched her jaw, knowing no matter what she said, Kyle wouldn't believe her.
Kyle approached her swiftly. "Give me a reason to not kill you right now."
Tess raised her chin and stared at Kyle. She was too prideful to let him know that, at this moment, she wanted that more than ever. "You're not a killer."
Kyle faltered for a moment. "Do you know what she meant to me? Do you?"
Liz went to comfort Kyle but Michael held her back. Kyle was falling apart and Liz couldn't do anything now. All that was left to do was let him go.
Tess blinked. "You loved her," she realized.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that Michael and Liz were shocked. Her attention was turned back to Kyle when his clipped voice attacked her again. "You *had* to come to us, didn't you? Do you enjoy making all of our lives miserable? She'd still be alive if it weren't for you."
Going defensive, Tess lashed back. "Where's the all-knowing Max, huh? He can heal too! Where's your god damn king?"
"Don't start," Liz growled.
Tess rolled her eyes. "Don't worry, Liz. Your husband isn't here, you don't have to play Mrs. Evans anymore."
Without warning, Tess convulsed with pain and she fell to her knees on the desert floor. Liz looked up to find Michael standing behind her with his hand raised and a staggering amount of energy exploding from it. Tess didn't scream.
When Tess lay prone on the ground, dead, Liz turned worriedly to Michael. "You didn't have to-"
Michael slowly lowered his hand. "That was different. No regrets."
Liz wasn't so sure she believed him but she nodded anyway. Michael tore his eyes away from her weary ones and went over to Kyle. "We can't let them find the bodies."
Kyle didn't respond. He just hunched his shoulders and stalked to the car.