Disclaimer: i do not own any of the characters or any of the places although I wud lyk Zan. :D

This is the sequel to 'If Only Things Were Perfect'. I strongly advise you to read that before you read the following.

Summary: warning: this may give away the prequel.

i just want 2 add that my story is after 'Summer of '47' and Future Max went to himself instead. The only change I want to make before that episode is that Courtney doesn't exist. Also the characters didn't bother with Whitaker's death (episode 'Harvest') so didn't meet the other Skins.

Max and Liz are of course the happy couple without any problems. Maria and Michael are still on a rocky edge but of course care deeply for each other. Alex is dating quite solidly with Isabel. Isabel, though, is having second thoughts about Alex when she meets Jesse Ramirez…Since she's more into Jesse she doesn't care as much about Grant Sorenson.

Also the people that were in the summit are pretty unhappy that there were only 'two' people left in the Royal Four. Lonnie and Rath are having flashes of what happened that night when Ava erased their memories…But apart from that everything is perfect. :D

i also realise dat at my previous story when michael and maria kissed there was a flash of maria catching michael out with courtney. argh! the horror. sorry! lets say courtney booked out of town and no one really noticed...

Author's Note: i just want 2 say i doubt that this story will be as good as the first. :( and just a query… 'who do you think is better for Iz: Alex or Jesse?' if you review plz put your thought!

I want to say that I only discovered Roswell a few months ago. I haven't watched any of the episodes so I decided to buy the DVD box set. The only problem is that I live in Australia and they only have the first two seasons. So I apologise for some mistakes I made (eg. Isabel not touching a photo when dream walking, Tess closing her eyes when mindwarping). I also apologise if I miss something critical since I haven't seen the last season.

Also I have started a new story 'Living With My Best Friend's Rival', so if you're free, please have a read! thanks! lots of love, tiff

Feedback to Reviews: thanx to Blame It On Love for reviewin! ur a legend and u made me smile:):):)

i won't be updating much cuz i hav exams! same with my other story! appologies!

About this Chapter: i'm so sorry! but this chapter is so stupid too! i thnk i'm losing my touch in this story. :'(:'(:'(:'(:'(:'(

Chapter Twelve

It was over. Michael had never thought he could be so relaxed his whole life. But right now everything was peaceful; perfect.

He heard a laugh, which broke his trance. A laugh. Max's laugh. Michael hadn't heard Max laugh in ages.

Michael looked over to Max and saw that he was talking to Zan and Ava. They were all laughing and Max had Zan's hand in a fierce handshake. Ava stood shyly on Zan's side but still smiling.

"Why are we all laughing? Nicholas!" Isabel said alarmed from Michael's side. Michael looked down at her.

"He's dead," Michael said and couldn't hold back the glee in his voice.

"He's…oh thank God!" Isabel said looking relieved.

Michael smirked. Then he remembered something.

"Who's Jessie? I thought—," Michael was cut off when Isabel jumped. Zan, Max and Ava saw too and they turned around as well.

"What is it?" Max asked alert.

"I…I have to do something!" Isabel squeaked and she ran out of the Granilith.

Everyone looked after her gob smacked. Zan broke the silence.

"She is so not like Lonnie," he muttered.

"What did you do, Michael?" Max asked. This time he didn't look angry but in awe and worry.

"I just said Jessie," Michael said with a shrug.

…………………………………

Isabel felt like she couldn't breathe. She couldn't believe she had forgotten about him!

Screech.

A car halted to a stop in front of her. Red wearing out. Maria's Jetta. This must be a sign. A quicker way to get to Jesse.

"Isabel!"

Alex. The guy that loved her and tried to protect her. The guy she was half-with. The guy in front of her.

"Alex," Isabel whispered back. She felt like she was in a daze. Did she have feelings for Alex?

"What's going on? Where's Max? Nicholas!" Liz cried frantically.

"It's all okay," Isabel croaked.

She watched unable to move as Alex moved closer and wrapped his arms around her. It felt…nice.

"What are you talking about? How's Michael!" Maria yelled.

"He's okay," Isabel said falling limply into Alex's open arms. She swallowed as she felt him brush her hair.

"You'll be fine," he murmured into her hair.

But she didn't feel fine. She was far from fine. There's Jesse and there's Alex. Did she have to choose between them?

Isabel closed her eyes and the first thing she saw was the last time she saw Jesse. Getting beaten up. Unconscious.

She jumped out of Alex's arm.

"I…I have to go somewhere," she said hoarsely and opened Maria's Jetta.

No keys. No problem. She placed her hand over the engine and it roared into life. Then she sped off hearing Alex's muffled cry.

…………………………….

"MICHAEL! IT'S MARIA! OPEN UP!" Maria yelled as she pounded at the Pod Chamber.

How come she couldn't put her hand over the rock and make it open? Why could only aliens can?

"Maria, stop!" Liz cried when Maria tried to beat the hard rock again. Liz grabbed her wrist. It was bleeding and Maria hadn't even noticed.

"You're hurting yourself! They can't hear us and Isabel said they're fine," Liz said almost tearfully.

"But she was all zombie-like! She didn't know what she was talking about," Maria said close to tears herself. "Michael's in there."

"If Isabel is out then Michael must be too, if Michael was hurt she would've told us," Liz reasoned.

Maria swallowed and nodded. She painfully took her hand from Liz's and wiped at her tears. Liz was right.

The Pod Chamber suddenly opened and Michael, Max, Zan and…TESS! Maria felt her throat constrict and the air catch in her throat.

"Break out of it, Michael! She's mindwarping you!" Maria shrieked running for Michael and slapping his arms.

She still had nightmares about Tess every night. Tess had made them go through so much hell. Killing Liz…

"What are you talking about?" Michael asked pinning her arms so she couldn't move.

"Tess!" she gasped.

She let out a squeak as Tess shifted. But she wasn't closing her eyes or anything she looked embarrassed.

"Maria!" Michael hissed in a low, disappointed voice. "That's Ava."

Maria was too shocked to answer. Ohmigod! How stupid! No wonder Ava looked embarrassed. Being mistaken for that murderess! And who else would Zan be with anyway? Oh and Tess was dead. Duh.

"I'm so sorry," Maria babbled at the petite blonde wrapped around Zan. "I'm just still shaken up. You know, about Nicholas and stuff."

Ava gave a small smile and tightened her grip around Zan. Zan pecked her forehead and squeezed her shoulders.

"Yeah, where is Nicholas?" Liz asked looking up at Max with frightened, large eyes.

"He was caning Michael and I's asses but Zan and Ava came. They killed him," Max explained cutting the story short.

Maria took in another sharp intake. Michael was fighting Nicholas and losing? She pulled away from him and scanned his body. There were many scratches.

"You're hurt!" Maria exclaimed tears filling her eyes. Why did Michael have to even experience pain?

"It's okay," Michael murmured and pulled her back in a tight embrace.

Maria looked over his shoulder and saw two other couples that looked almost as happy as Maria. Almost. Because no one could be as happy as Maria when she had Michael.

A pant broke the spell of the tranquillity surrounding three couples. It was Alex.

"What's wrong?" Liz asked a frown above her eyebrows.

"Isabel," Alex wheezed.

"What? Is she okay?" Max immediately straightened.

Alex nodded and Maria noticed everyone blew out a breath of relief.

"I was with her and then she just took Maria's car and left," Alex said with a hopeless shrug. He looked love-stricken but also lost.

"What? My car?" Maria asked. Why was Isabel stealing her car?

"She had to go somewhere," Alex said speaking up for her defence.

"Yeah," Michael said scratching his head looking tired. "I mentioned Jessie and Isabel just ran."

"Co-worker Jesse?" Max inquired.

Michael shrugged.

"Who knows?"

………………………………….

Isabel choked as she fell out of Maria's Jetta and to her father's building. There was an ambulance outside.

She ran to Jesse's office. He had to be okay. He had to! It was all her fault that he got hurt. She should've been able to disarm Nicholas.

On the way she saw her father and Jesse on a stretcher. She let out a sob.

"Izzy! Are you okay? You have so many bruises…" Phillip said coming towards her and stroking her hair.

The touch reminded her of Alex. No! Can't think about Alex now. Jesse was dying.

"I'm fine but Je—Mr. Ramirez?" Isabel asked anxiously. They followed as paramedics wheeled him out of the building.

"I don't know," Phillip said worried creases on his forehead.

Isabel tried to control the feelings battling inside her. She wanted to scream. She wanted to murder Nicholas. She wanted to bring Max here and heal Jesse.

But she couldn't do any of those. It wasn't safe.

So she sniffed and followed after Jesse.