Chapter Twelve ~ Moving Forward

Liz looked up from her textbook and frowned, the sensation of someone watching her making the back of her neck tingle. Ava was at work so the apartment was empty, meaning there was no way for anyone to be watching her; at least not anyone human she thought with a shudder. It wasn't the first time she'd felt it since arriving either, she realized with a growing sense of unease. Maybe it was Ava, checking in on her; although she wasn't sure the hybrid actually had the power to do that.

Or maybe, she told herself rationally, you're just being paranoid. After all, given everything, she'd kind of earned the right to be paranoid, and with newly developing alien powers she wasn't quite used to, it wouldn't be so surprising if it was just her imagination acting up. Lately she'd been sensing things from people around her, noticing things she'd never noticed before, and it made her twitchy. Even her regular senses like sight and hearing were enhanced, which had led to some very impressive headaches after a long night at the bar, although her speed and accuracy with orders had never been better.

Giving up studying as a lost cause, she leaned over and set the textbook on the floor before reclining deeper into the basket chair, staring at her hands and willing strands of green electricity to come to the surface. The crackling lines of green danced across her skin with only a faint tingle and she smiled. It had taken almost a month for her to learn to control her most volatile ability, and only in the past three weeks had she learned to do so without pain.

Her grasp of molecular manipulation was almost perfect and she'd even come up with a few uses for it that Ava had never thought of, like practicing on blood samples until she could make them appear human in case of a hospital emergency like the car accident with Max two years ago.

Looking back, she had to wonder why the hybrids hadn't worked harder on their powers. She understood their desire to hide and avoid suspicion, but better control of their powers would have made that easier rather than harder, and after two potential teachers showed up, only Michael had shown any interest in learning, although in retrospect Tess may have done more harm than good with her teaching, who knew what her plans had been.

From what Ava had said, the bulk of their powers didn't start showing up until puberty, and had increased in strength since then, which especially in the case of Max and Isabel who didn't have to deal with the stress Michael did, was plenty of time to experiment and try to gain more control. Maybe it was just the scientist in her talking, but she couldn't imagine having these abilities and not wanting to know everything she could do with them.

She let the power cascading over her skin die out and bounced her foot restlessly. One of the perks, and frustrations, of her changing status, was that she needed less sleep, and had a lot more energy. Which, as a college student and working girl, were useful, but not so fun on her days off when she used to be able to veg out and now couldn't hold still for more than twenty minutes without getting bored.

Working at a bar killed all desire to go to one recreationally, and at this time of night there wasn't a whole lot to do that didn't involve partying. She still hadn't worked up the courage to ask Ava to teach her how to dreamwalk, but maybe she could figure it out on her own? Isabel had done it after all, although the blond did have a prior life's instincts to draw on unlike Liz. She knew Isabel used pictures to connect with people and while Liz didn't have whole photo albums like she did at home, she did have a few she could try, if she could decide who she wanted to risk visiting.

Jumping to her feet, she walked to their shared bedroom and pulled her journal out from the wall, a trick Ava had showed her in lieu of her balcony full of loose bricks. Tucked inside the journal were several photos from home, including one of her parents, who she desperately wanted to see. Seeing them like this would be a horrible invasion of privacy, but her guilt over leaving them overruled her guilt over taking an uninvited trip into their subconscious.

Liz collapsed on her bed, holding the picture with her left hand, and touched her father's face with her right index finger, concentrating on that tingling pool of energy inside of her. The picture started to smoke. "Crap!" She exclaimed, yanking her hand away and quickly pulling all of her energy away with it as the picture fluttered down to land on the bed. The photo was warped now, but otherwise undamaged; the faces of her parents still clear.

Blinking back tears as frustration welled within her, she grit her teeth and picked the picture back up. She could do this. Closing her eyes, she slowly breathed in and out, lightly drawing on her inner core of power and trying to focus on how she felt when Isabel had visited her dreams. Unseen behind her tightly shut eyelids, a ripple moved over the surface of the photo as her consciousness flowed out of her body and onto the dream plane.

All around her were glowing orbs, some bright with color, some dim and gray. She was moving too quickly to see more than a brief glimpse of the strange landscape and suddenly found herself in front of a dark orange orb, currently streaked with flickering black lines. Something tugged at her and then she was inside, standing at the end of a dark alley in some unknown city.

Her father was standing at the other end of the alley, despondently calling her name as sirens echoed in the background. His eyes were dark with pain, and the look on his face was devastated. "Lizzy! Where are you Lizzy?" He sounded so lost and Liz felt her heart shrivel in her chest, what had she done to him?

The connection shattered as she lost focus and with a jerk she was back in her bedroom, sitting up on her bed and gasping as tears burned in her eyes. She fumbled unseeingly for the nightstand and managed to wrap her fingers around her small, prepaid cell phone. She dialed a number from memory and held it to her ears, praying that this wasn't a horrible mistake, and knowing that she couldn't live with herself if she didn't take the risk.

"Hello?" A sleep roughened voice asked and her heart started to beat again.

For a second she couldn't breathe, and then she managed to squeak out. "Daddy?"

"Lizzy? Oh my god, is it really you? Are you okay?" He babbled, sounding nothing like her usually collected father. It made her smile.

"I'm fine daddy; everything's fine. I just, I miss you so much."

"I miss you too sweetie, come home; whatever happened, we can work it out. Just come home."

"I can't daddy." She said softly, pain shooting through her as she forced cheer into her voice. "I'm in school. I have a job that I love, I even have a roommate." She could picture his disapproving scowl at her last words and hurried to add, "It's a girl, dad, a friend I met while I was in Florida."

"Are," his voice broke and she could hear him trying to gain control of himself before he spoke again, "Are you happy Lizzy?"

Liz remembered teaching Ava to cook, remembered nights dancing and singing while cleaning up the bar, thought of just how much she was enjoying her new classes. "Yes daddy, I really am."

They talked for almost an hour and by the end of the conversation, she was pretty sure he'd be having fewer nightmares about her, fewer, not none. He was her dad after all, and she knew he would always worry about her. But, at least for now, she didn't have to worry about him hunting her down, or asking her to come home again, at least not to stay. He still wanted her to visit, maybe over winter break, but she wasn't sure she'd be ready to face Roswell again.

One thing she was ready to face, was further experimentation of her new powers. She wanted to see if she could duplicate what she had done with Isabel last year when they reached Max all the way in New York. She had no desire to see New York again, but peeking in on Ava at the bar should be both feasible and entertaining.

She didn't have a picture of Ava, but she had lived with her, and trained with her, long enough that she was pretty confident she could find her energy signature without a focus. She had ended up pacing while talking to her father, and now curled up on the bed again, sitting in Ava's favored cross legged position and concentrating on the petite blond who had quickly become as close as a sister. After several minutes of concentration, her mind slipped away from her body again, but instead of seeing glowing orbs, she was flying through the city streets, as fast and invisible as a phantom until she was surrounded by the loud bustle of Johnny's. No one seemed able to see her and she turned in circles, searching for a streak of pink and the familiar glitter of piercings.

Ava was standing behind the bar, flirting, laughing, and serving drinks like a pro. Liz grinned proudly, then placed her hands on her hips and waited. She knew the moment Ava saw her, the other girl's blue eyes widened and the pitcher in her hand dropped to the floor, the tinkling sound of breaking glass cutting through the bar chatter. Matt helped her clean it up, clearly worried, and Liz's enhanced senses caught her excusing herself. She concentrated and appeared in the backroom just as Ava came through the swinging doors, eyes blazing.

"What the hell Liz? Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" She exclaimed, hands waving angrily in the air.

Liz laughed, disappointed to find that no sound escaped her lips, and shrugged. 'Sorry.' She mouthed.

Ava glared and folded her arms over her chest. "Experimenting without me I see?" Liz flushed and the hybrid shook her head, a smile twitching at her lips. "Well it is very impressive, but let's save it until I get home, okay?"

The brunette nodded sheepishly and waved before closing her eyes and focusing on the apartment, the sound of Ava losing control of her giggles echoing in her ears as she flowed back into the darkness. She could feel the tug of her body and reached for it until something suddenly ripped her off course, sending her consciousness spinning in a direction she had no control over.

When the waves of disorientation passed she found she was back on the dream plane, in front of an orb that was a pulsing and malevolent black and sickly green. Something about the way it felt was familiar, but overlaying that familiarity, was another presence, something decidedly unfriendly.

Fear traced her spine with icy fingers as the pull towards the orb intensified. She fought against it with every ounce of power at her disposal, a rush of electricity spilling out of her until she was surrounded by a halo of pure energy. The pull strengthened until she could almost see tendrils of black creeping towards her with malicious intent.

Sudden anger overwhelmed her fear, and she wrenched herself away and out of the dream plane, one image flashing through her mind before she crashed into her body; the image of Max's disappointed face.

~x~

Jim watched helplessly as tears streamed down Amy's face. Her hands shook as she clutched the note Maria had left and his heart broke at the sheer misery radiating from her slender frame. Clenching his fists, he turned and plucked the phone off the wall, guilt and determination solidifying in his gut. It was time.

Michael groaned and rolled over, reaching blindly for the phone as he cursed whoever had woken him up at the ungodly hour of six in the morning on his day off. "What?" He growled into the phone.

It was the sheriff, sounding both panicked and firm. "It's time Michael; bring Isabel and Kyle over to Maria's house. Something happened and Amy needs to know the truth."

The other man hung up before Michael could reply and he slammed the phone back on the cradle with another frustrated growl. Damn it all to hell. He didn't need this, not now. He knew why Jim wanted to tell Amy the truth; he even agreed and respected his decision, but the last thing on Earth Michael wanted, was to be there when she found out exactly what her daughter had been sleeping with.

As for Maria, his heart clenched; the pain was fading, but it still hurt every time he saw her and remembered her words, remembered the look in her eyes when she told him she didn't want to be like him. His shoulders slumped as exhaustion, physical and emotional, washed over him. Maybe it would have been better if he hadn't stayed for her, if they had gone back to Antar. Yes, he probably would have died, they all would have, but Maria, Liz, Kyle, and the sheriff would have been safe, and his last memory of their relationship would have been of the night he and Maria shared, instead of the sight of her walking out of his apartment and out of his life.

Gritting his teeth, he stood and moved to his closet, disinterestedly grabbing the first clothes that came to hand and dressing in the dark before striding out of the bedroom and towards the front door, snatching his keys off the kitchen table before leaving. He'd ride his bike to Isabel's and then they could take her car and swing by to get Kyle before heading to the Deluca residence.

It was the last place he wanted to go, but he wasn't the boy who had tried to leave Roswell anymore. No matter how unhappy he was, he wasn't abandoning his family ever again, and if that meant facing Maria, and Amy, well then that was what he would do. Even if it killed him, or, more likely, just made him wish for death.

Jim answered the door, his weathered face taut with worry. "Hey kids, come on in." They followed him into the living room where Amy was pacing, wringing her hands and sobbing. Jim wrapped his arms around her and guided her towards the couch before pulling something from her fingers and handing it to Michael.

It was a crumpled and tearstained piece of lined paper, and Michael shot him a confused glance before smoothing it out as best he could and reading the words scribbled on it in sparkling purple ink, Maria's favorite.

Mom, I'm so sorry to leave you with just a note, but I knew I couldn't do it if I had to face you. I'm leaving, going to New York to try and pursue my music. Billy's waiting for me so I won't be alone. I just can't do it anymore, I can't be here without Alex and Liz, I can't stay in Roswell any longer or I'll never get out. It's not Michael's fault so don't blame him, I'm doing this for me. I love you and I'll call as soon as I've settled in. This will be a good thing, you'll see, in no time you'll be hearing me on the radio and seeing my face on billboards! I know I haven't always been supportive about you and Jim but I know he makes you happy so I hope you keep him around. I miss you already.

XOXO, Maria.

Michael wordlessly handed the note to Isabel and moved closer to the couch, shifting his feet nervously as he stared down at Amy. "I'm sorry Mrs. Deluca; I never wanted Maria to be so unhappy here. If there's anything I can do…" He trailed off as she lifted her face to meet his gaze, still sniffing.

"It's okay Michael; you made Maria very happy when you were together, if anyone's to blame for this it's me. I'm not exactly a great role model."

"No Amy, that's not true." The sheriff said, shaking his head and hugging her closer.

Michael nodded and added, feeling awkward. "I know Maria loved you Mrs. Deluca, she thought you were an amazing mom and I might not be the best judge, but I have to agree."

"Thank you Michael." Amy said, managing a shaky smile. "I just wish I knew what was going on with her; she used to tell me everything and now," she gestured helplessly to the note before collapsing deeper into Jim, her shoulders beginning to shake once more.

"Well we can tell you some of what Maria's been dealing with the past two years." The sheriff said gently, his eyes darting to each of the teens before settling back on Amy's face, which was shifting from sorrow to confusion.

"What are you talking about Jim?"

Michael sighed and sat down in the chair next to the couch, preparing himself for a long night. "He's talking about us, about the secret that Maria found out two years ago, about why she's probably safer in New York than she was here."

"Well that was fun." Kyle said sarcastically as they walked out of the house three hours later; three hours that contained more tears, disbelief, rage, and finally a kind of shocked acceptance that Michael was sure wouldn't last. He could only hope that Amy would forgive the sheriff for his part in the deception, even if she never could forgive Michael.

A raging headache was pounding in his skull and there was nothing more he wanted to do than go home and collapse into bed, but telling Amy had made him realize that there was someone else who deserved to know, someone else who needed to know if he was going to keep his promise of having no more deaths on his conscience.

"I think we should make one more stop, if that's okay with you guys." He said quietly as they got back in Isabel's car, both of the others turning to look at him from the front seat with a mixture of curiosity and concern. "We should go see Brody at the UFO center; if he already broke through the warp once, he might do it again and without Max…"

He trailed off, seeing the light of understanding flicker in both of their gazes. "He could end up like Alex." Kyle said grimly while Isabel flinched.

Michael nodded and leaned his head back on the seat as Isabel pulled away from the curb, wishing for a little healing juice of his own to soothe the pain drilling through his temples. He could fix bruises and a broken ankle, but a migraine of this proportion was a little out of his league, despite the recent honing of his powers. So instead he focused on breathing in and out, and on pushing every single moment of the past five weeks out of his head.

By the time they reached the UFO center, the pain had dulled from blinding to merely unbearable, and he had managed to mostly suppress thoughts of Maria and her mother and how his world had come crashing down even as he finally found the answers he had sought all his life. It was time to give someone else the answers they needed, and maybe help a man regain the life he had lost because of them and their past.

Brody was just finishing up a slideshow for the few tourists who came to town after summer and the Crash Festival, and Isabel managed to catch his eyes with her trademark smile and shoulder lift. Michael snorted and Kyle grinned, although there was a brief flash in his eyes of something that looked a lot like jealousy or possessiveness to Michael's brotherly gaze. He frowned, but before he could speak Brody had approached them.

"Hello Isabel, are you here about Max?"

"No, not exactly. Could we talk to you? Somewhere private?" She asked, smiling winsomely.

"Of course, of course, we can use my office." The man said brightly, his perpetual enthusiasm wearing on Michael's nerves even as he knew that confirming the truth of alien existence would send that enthusiasm through the roof. His headache was already getting worse.

Brody sat at his desk and gestured to the two chairs in front of it. Michael let Isabel and Kyle take the seats and chose to lean against the wall behind them, next to the door in case things didn't go so well and Brody tried to bolt or they had to get medical help. They hoped that telling him the truth would prevent the warp from damaging his mind, but in all honesty they had no clue what it would do to him.

"Do you remember a few months ago? When you told us about a man named Larek?" Isabel asked gently, and Michael tensed.

Brody frowned, "That name, how do I know that name?" He reached up and rubbed his temple, lines of pain appearing around his eyes as he muttered softly to himself for several moments before his voice grew loud enough for them to hear him clearly. "I, I had a gun and I threatened people." He shook his head, voice rising frantically. "What did I do? That girl, that blond girl, she made me forget…" His head snapped up and his eyes locked with Isabel's, voice uncharacteristically harsh. "What is going on?"

Michael straightened and held out his hand, palm up, concentrating until a glowing ball of light appeared above it. "Aliens are real; you've met quite a few. You really were abducted Brody, by an alien named Larek, and we're here to tell you why."

Brody stared wide-eyed at the hovering ball of energy before his eyes lifted to Michael's and he collapsed back in his chair. "Holy crap."

Michael's lips quirked into a smile and he closed his hand, extinguishing the light. He might have said it with different words, but the other man had perfectly expressed his sentiments. Holy crap indeed.