Remnants
By Didi
Disclaimer: Every time I have to write this, I have this insane urge to laugh like a maniac. Who in their right minds would ever think that I would, or even could, own Roswell?
Timeline: Roswell redone, my way. Take it back to the beginning and turn just about everything upside down and inside out. For background... read the preceding chapters first, or at least read the three chapters before this to make some sense of this next part. And this chapter will take place after the shooting.
Ratings: R for restricted. Oh definitely needs to be restricted.
Warning: Alternative Universe. No conventional couples. If that's what you're looking for, turn away now. Also, this is definitely Tess/Max centric... though I'm awfully fond of Michael too.
Summary: Maria makes a 'miraculous' recovery. Isabel gets a nasty surprise then come to an understanding with Kyle. And Alex gets protective.
Author's Note: These chapters get longer and longer as I write them. You bore with them yet?
*Thoughts* "Spoken"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter 21 - More Than Their Share of Problems
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Jim?"
Jerking awake, the good sheriff of Roswell nearly stumbled out of the seat he had been dozing in. "What? What happened? Is she all right?" his eyes going to the glass window that separated them from the ICU room where Maria Harding's fragile, broken body had been transported.
"Relax, relax," Amy said soothingly, pushing him back into his seat when he half rose in concern. "She's fine. Sleeping soundly and recovering at a miraculous rate that has the doctor's completely baffled... not that I'm not completely and utterly grateful for it and all." She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. The imagines in her mind had mind for a rough night.
Nodding his head with the understanding that only another parent could feel, Jim got up and stretched the sore muscles across his back. "That's good," moving toward the glass partition.
Clearing her throat, Amy shuffled her feet uncomfortably for a moment. "Thanks for staying last night. I know that I was kind of a mess and this wasn't what you had bargained for when I invited you to dinner. But... um... thanks."
Jim smiled; it was a smile of amusement that made his stern face quite charming. "Amy, I stayed cause I wanted to. Look, nobody should have to go through what you've been dealing with for the past couple of weeks. Between the shooting and this accident, I'm surprised you haven't cracked up. Most women would."
"I don't get to have the luxury for breaking down these days," she smiled at her girls in the room. Tess was asleep by her sister's bedside, one hand securely in Maria's. It gave her comfort to know that they had each other if nothing else. "I've got more important things to be concerned about."
"They're good girls," Jim replied quietly. Better than good; Teresa Harding had took charge last night when her mother could not. Just as Maria Harding had been the one to take command when her sister... "You are a very lucky woman."
"I know that." A soft chuckle followed that statement. "And I know that we've dodged a couple of bullets recently, figuratively and literally. Hopefully life will settle down now," she smiled and looked up as the doctor approached. "Oh, I better go thank the doctors. Excuse me."
The Sheriff nodded his head and let her leave his side, feeling an aching sorrow for the woman that's seen a little too much. His blue eye turned back the young ladies in the room; angelic faces softened even more by slumber. One thing was for sure, the Harding girls were damn lucky... too lucky in fact. It made all the cop instincts in Jim's body stand up on alert.
*Michael had been there,* he recalled firmly. *He was in the accident too. Then another miracle pops up. One minute Maria Harding looks to be at Death's door and the next, she's going to pull through without any repercussions. A little too lucky indeed.*
Pulling his cell phone out, "Hanson, it's the sheriff. I'm hospital right now.... I'm fine; don't worry. I need you to do something for me. Last night, there was a car accident on Main Street.... Yeah, yeah, the big rig and the bug. There were two teens in the car... Michael and one of the Harding girls... I don't think Amy Harding would appreciate that comment, Deputy, and neither do I. I doubt any parent wants to know that their teens have suicidal tendencies. And in this case, I don't think it applies at all. A lot of bad luck and nothing more." He sighed, *At least I hope there's nothing more.* Looking up to make sure there was not one around, he turned toward the ICU room again. "Listen, I need you to pull the all security tapes for the hospital near trauma rooms one and two. I want to review them this afternoon if possible.... Call Judge Travis if you have to, the old coot owes me a favor.... Yeah, but ask the hospital first. Tell them that I need it to complete the accident report.... Good. I'll see you later."
There was something going on here and he means to find out what it is and what it has to do with the murders. And more importantly, what does all this has to do with a couple of kids.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Agent Pierce, what can I do for you?"
Donald Pierce's icy blue eyes held a mixture of envy and contempt for his superior. "Director Kushia, I was hoping you've had time to review my proposal."
Brows raised in surprise. "I only received it last evening, agent. Is there a particular reason there is such an urgency associated with this particular assignment?"
Sitting down, Pierce regarded the man with steady eyes that revealed absolutely nothing in its cold depth. "The eggs in lab sixteen has been there for nearly forty years with no a clue as to what it could be. If you've read my report, you will no doubt know that there has been some recent events at the discovery site that..."
"I've read the report," Director Kellerman replied with a sigh as he took off the annoying reading glasses he was now forced to wear on a daily basis. "What you're giving me are merely rumors and nothing more than..."
"The local police have evidence of a cover up that may be linked..."
"Or it could be merely a mix up by the local forensics team. I cannot authorize a project based upon a smattering of ideas from people that I know nothing about."
"But sir, the eggs are..."
"They haven't been touched or disturbed for a decade now. Get me more to go on, a few more days isn't going to hurt any."
Clinching his teeth in frustration, Agent Pierce got up carefully. "Yes sir. Do I have permission to conduct a preliminary research?"
Because it was obviously extremely important to the young agent, Kellerman nodded his head. "Go ahead. But keep it small until you can bring me something useful."
"Understood," nodding his head slowly, knowing that he could get around that little edict without much trouble. "Thank you, sir."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"WAKE UP!!!"
A fist came out from under the covers and nearly smashed the alarm clock that had been turned off an hour earlier. The fist rested there for a moment before retreating back under the cocoon of the covers.
Isabel groaned and tugged ineffectively at the blanket that was currently hiding her brother from the cold light of day. "Maxwell Phillip Evans. Mom is about to have cow if you don't get up and get your ass out the door. We have school in like ten minutes and you're not even dressed yet." When there was still no movement from under the blanket, she turned and slammed the door shut. "GET UP!" then forced the blanket out from under Max, tossing the teen to the ground.
For a moment, Max simply laid there, staring up at the ceiling. Funny how he had forgotten that there was glow in the dark stickers of the solar systems up there.
Standing over him, fists on her hips, "What is the manner with you?" every line on her face a testament to her anger.
Dully, "Michael was in a car accident last night."
"What?" all signs of her upset vanished. "Is he all right? Where is he?"
Sitting up slowly to rub his eyes, "I would think still at the hospital."
"Hospital?" her eyes wide with disbelief. "Max, if they..."
"Stop," he ordered. "He wasn't hurt bad; bruise mostly." He stretched aching muscles on his body and got up slowly. "It was Maria Harding that got the blunt of it."
"Is she..."
"No," he replied and searched for his jeans.
For a moment, Isabel simply stood here and watched her brother get dressed with all the energy of an eight-six year old man. In her annoyance earlier, she had missed the signs of fatigue that all but shouted his discomfort. Between the dark circles, the blurred and blood-shot eyes, and the drawn face, it was evidence enough that Max had a rotten night that was more than likely to spill into the harsh day. "You okay?"
"Not particularly," he replied without any sign of emotions. "But I'll live."
She could see that, and something else. "Did you save her?" He was almost exactly this way the morning after he had saved Tess Harding.
Strong hands paused in the process of pulling a tee shirt over his head. "Yes."
While she already guessed the answer to the next question, she wanted to hear it from him. "Why?"
"Why not?" he asked return, knowing that she was going to get the answer she didn't want to hear anyways and wondered why he was stalling. *Maybe because you still don't know how to tell her.*
Topaz eyes in the same as his own darkened to amber gold for a moment. "She asked you to, didn't she? That's why you did it."
"She who?" feeling rather silly since they were obviously on the same wavelength.
"Maxwell," she warned.
"You sound just like Michael when you do that," he complained slipping socks on. "Come on, we'll be late if don't get a move on," getting to school was one sure why to avoid having to answer a whole lot of question that he didn't have all the answers to yet.
"Max..."
"Not now, Isabel," he replied tiredly. "We'll talk tonight." *After I get some answers from Tess.*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kyle leapt back just in time to keep from taking a fist in the stomach. Staring for a moment while Michael blinked up at him somewhat confused, "Do you always wake up taking a swing at someone?"
Rubbing his knuckles into his eyes in some ineffective attempt to rid himself of the drugging slumber. The doctors had insisted that he only sleep an hour at a time in case he had a concussion they weren't detecting and so Kyle had been volunteered to make sure that Michael followed orders. "Only when someone makes that mistake of standing too close." He glanced around the near empty waiting in the ICU. "Is she up?"
"Not the last time I checked, which would be" glancing at his watch, "Two minutes ago. I thought you'd like to get up and ready for school."
"Not going today," he informed him, moving slowly so he didn't disgrace himself by crying out in pain. Chairs were definitely not the greatest form of sleeping apparatus. Of course, it could have been infinitely worse. *Like having them stick a needle in my veins and pump out some alien blood.* He almost grimaced at the thought.
"Dad said that we should go since there's nothing more we can do here," Kyle replied though he too secretly did not feel like going to school today. All there was there were more homework, questions, speculations, practice and fights with Isabel. He sighed. As of late, there seemed to be nothing but fights with Isabel.
"Well you can tell your dad that I'm not going," Michael replied a little sorely and then gave into the urge to groan. Every muscle in this body ached now.
"You're going," Valenti ordered sternly as he approached the boys, who had both insisted on staying the night with them at the hospital. He eyed Michael keenly and reframe from commenting on the fact that the teen looked more like a juvenile delinquent everyday. *He needs a hair cut.* He run a hand through his own hair. *Hell, I need a hair cut.* "There's nothing more to be done here except wait for Maria to wake up and tell her version of what happened. So go to school and pretend everything is normal."
"Sheriff..." Michael started to argue.
"Michael?" Tess called uncertainly as she slowly closed the door to Maria's room. "Are you still here?"
Teresa Harding looked liked she had better days. Her usually perky perfect curls were limp and mussed from her night vigil. Her blue eyes were blurred from exhaustion. The blouse and skirt she had carefully chosen for last evening's dinner party were wrinkled and crooked. All the color that should have decorated her face weren't there. And over all, she looked like something the cat dragged in after a very long night on the town.
"How are you doing?" Michael asked, a small frown forming over his brows as he watched her rub her stomach. "Hungry?"
She shrugged. "Kind of." She glanced over her shoulders at where her mother was still speaking with the doctors. "Hey, Sheriff Valenti?"
"Yes?"
She smiled at him, a sweet angelic smile that had Jim rethinking her involvement in the shooting incident yet again. "Thanks for sitting with my mom last night. I really appreciate it. She doesn't really have too many people she can lean on and let herself be taken care of. I'm glad you were there."
Jim nodded his head, seeing the gratitude in her eyes. "It was my pleasure."
"Can I ask for a favor?" she inquired suddenly.
That brought up all the defenses in Jim. "What is it?" he asked warily.
Distracted by her own exhaustion, she didn't notice the strange behavior on the sheriff; but Michael certainly did. "Mom is going to want to stay with Maria today. I was hoping maybe you could give me a ride home. I need to shower and change. Maybe I can still make it to second period."
Relieved and amused, "Maybe you should think about staying home and getting sleep. You were up most of the night too."
"No," she shook her head. "I need to go to school."
Michael rolled his eyes at her noble intentions. "Tess, don't be stupid. You're not going to last another hour much less one period in school."
She glared at him. "I need to go to school, Michael." Her chin raised both defiantly and earnestly. How she managed that was beyond anyone's comprehension. "I've got things to do... and *people* to talk to." Her emphasis on people was lost only to Kyle, who yawned and glanced at his watch.
Practical, Kyle nodded his head. "How about this? Since Michael and I should shower and change before we head to school, though why we bother since no one would know the difference on us anyways, why don't we drop you off and your house then come back later to take you to school?"
Tess nodded her head then looked to the Sheriff. "Is that all right with you, sir?"
Since he couldn't find anything wrong with the plan and there was too much he had to do, Jim nodded his head and turned to Michael. "Go to school."
"All right, all right," Michael mumbled with forced reluctance. Now that he knew Tess would be there and he was finally going to get some answers, he was almost eager to go. There was simply too much he needed to know.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Kyle? Kyle? Are you even listening to me Kyle?"
Eyes snapping open, Kyle flushed a deep purple at having dozed off in the middle of a conversation. The irritation on Isabel's face was a preview of the scathing remarks he was about to receive for his thoughtless act. "I'm sorry, what did you..."
"I'm so glad that I can bore you to tears, Kyle. It's what every girl lives to do, to see how long it takes for them to talk their boyfriends asleep when they're trying tell them about the most important decision of their teenage lives." Turning around, she snapped close the binder in front of her with the various college applications and catalogues she had been so eager to show Kyle.
Exhausted after the evening before, the last thing he wanted to do was get into a shouting match with Isabel in the middle of third period. He had only managed to shower and change before Michael demanded that they leave to get Tess immediately. If Kyle hadn't been so exceptionally tired, he might have found that behavior to be strange. They had arrived at Tess's house to find her lightly dozing on the front steps, showered, changed and with two hot cups of incredible java ready for them. She even had the forethought to bring little muffins for the car ride to school. How she managed to cook when she couldn't even keep her eyes open was beyond him.
"Isabel, I don't want to fight, please." He rubbed his temple. "I'm sorry that I dozed off on you. I had a rough night."
"Doing what?" she asked sharply.
"I was at the hospital with Michael."
She paused, her fine brows coming together with concern. "Is he all right?"
"Bruised and scrapped, he was very lucky." Glancing over, he motioned to Jeremy Bentley, "Take another seat will you. I'm trying to have private conversation here." Jeremy, who played defensive running back, made a face but complied with a quick shake of his head to the rest of the team that thought to sit with their captain to discuss the coming game that weekend. The sight of the rest of the team had Kyle remembering something from two days before. Something he's been trying to work up the nerves to accomplish for some time now. "Isabel, we need to talk."
"Jeeze," she rolled her eyes. "And here I thought that's what I was trying to do until you decided to go to sleep on me."
"Cut the Ice Princess routine, Isabel. I'm not in the mood for it." He ran a hand through his hair, destroying the semi neatness of it. There would have been a million places he wanted to do this and trigonometry class was not one of them. "Maybe we should talk about this after school."
She didn't need the look on his face to tell her what was coming. Anticipation of this conversation has been building up for weeks now, between the fights, disagreement, distance and never having any time to just sit down and talk about thing... then of course, there were those dreams. "I think that's not going to be necessary."
He looked at her, at those golden eyes that seemed to apologize with understanding, and got it. "I'm sorry," and meant it. She was one of the few things in his life that he truly did not want to let go of. But it was time. They both understood that.
"Me too." She reached over and gently brushed her hand against his. "Can you feel it, Kyle?"
"The change in the air?" he asked, understanding her better than he thought possible. And they did understand one another, to the extent that men and women can understand each other. "Something is shifting around us."
She smiled, knowing what he meant but not able to tell him just how much was changing. The foundation of her world seemed to be crumbling underneath her feet with every passing day. "You think it's because we're growing up? Becoming adults now?"
"Maybe," Kyle replied, covering her hand with his. "Maybe it's the transition period that we have to go through as we search for the right path to life." He shrugged when she looked at him with wide eyes. "Sorry, I picked up book on Eastern philosophies while I was in the library the other day. Anyways, I know that we've both been moving in difference directions lately."
She nodded her head. "So this is it?"
"I think so. But we can still be friends, right?"
She smiled, the kind of smile that she only reserved for those in her life that she allows close enough to know that real Isabel Evans, not the one she shows to the rest of the world. "Of course. I'd be pretty angry with you if I didn't get to still have that."
Kyle laughed; glad that she was somewhat still the same Isabel he had a mad crush on as a lowly freshman in the same class with the most beautiful angel he's ever had the privilege to see. "Do I get my letterman's jacket back?"
"No."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pierce regarded the agent in front him with a critical eye of an ambitious trained operative and not as a man. "You know your assignment?"
"Yes sir," came the crisp, no nonsense answer.
"You have a trusting face, Agent. Get close, and get the evidence." He could almost tell the career advancement, not to mention a couple of decade's worth of mysteries solved.
"I understand sir."
The loyalties of the agent were never in doubt. "We're counting on you to bring us enough to launch a full scale investigation. All we have now are pieces of the whole. I'd hate to think that my faith in your abilities will be wasted if you don't provide me with the necessary keys."
"I don't disappoint, sir."
"I don't expect you to, Agent Topolski."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Max caught up with Liz Parker just as she left English class and was on her way to lunch. Touching her gently on the elbow, he felt more than a little resigned when she jumped. "You've been avoiding me." He seemed to him that that was a particular sentence that he's been saying a lot lately.
"Max," she replied a little breathlessly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ears. "What are you doing here?"
"Waiting for you," he replied quietly. According to Isabel, Liz's memories were going to remain in tact, for better or for worse. There was very little anyone can do about it. But then again, that was before he knew that Tess had a 'special' gift she hadn't shared with them yet. "Can we talk?"
Toying with the straps of her backpack, she hesitated for a moment as the passing students watched the recently separated pair in the hall. Fascination was written on every face. "Max, I'm suppose to be meeting Alex for lunch and..."
"It'll only taken five minutes," Max replied quietly.
Uncomfortable with the thought of being alone with him, "I..."
"Liz," Alex called from down the hallways as he jogged over. "There you are," he glanced at Max and nodded politely. "Max."
Surprised by the frosty tone from the usually friendly guy, Max studied him for a moment. Something has definitely changed in him; whether it was indignation for his friend or something else, Max couldn't be completely sure. "Hello Alex."
Alex took Liz's elbow in a way that had Max raising a questioning brow. "Excuse us will you? Liz and I have to discuss some things for the upcoming Spanish quiz."
"Of course," stepping aside to move out of their way. He watched them go for a moment, a nasty suspicion forming in the back of his mind. "Shit."
Liz's hand reached up and clutched the one resting on her forearm. "You shouldn't have tried to provoke him."
"He's not Michael, Liz," Alex answered shakily. It was strange. He had been so calmly self-assured when he saw Max and Liz in the halls together. A sudden panic over her safety had overtaken him and he simply found himself running into the line of fire. But now that it was over... Could knees really turn into jelly? "He won't have hurt me," *At least I hoped he won't hurt me.* But he wasn't so sure now.
"Best not do that again," Liz suggested under her breath as they head into the sunlight cantina where all the students were gathered for lunch. "I can't be sure what he'll do if he found out I told you everything."
Alex nodded his head and wondered where his common sense had flown to. "There's Tess."
"I hope she's all right, she looks terrible," Liz said as she approached faster.
"Wonder what happened to Maria today?"
"Let's find out."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"All of them?" the sheriff asked, his eyes obviously conveying his disbelief.
"Every single one. The hospital thinks that it may have been some kind of electrical surge or something. They all had some kind of meltdown from within. The circuits were fried beyond repair."
"What about inside the trauma room?"
"Someone accidentally unplugged the one inside. They probably needed an extra plug for a machine or something and just used the one for the camera and forgot to re-plug it."
Jim grunted. "How convenient." The news was extremely irritating. "Find the tape that has the last moments of the trauma room camera before it went off line. I want to see that one."
"I'll get on it."
"Thank, Deputy. I'll call if I need anything else."
"See you later, Sheriff."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Isabel, what are you doing here?" Max asked as he sat down next to her at their usual table, as far away from the crowd as possible. Their territory had been marked long ago by Michael's explosive temper.
"Eating lunch, like I usually do," came the smart answer followed by a tight smile.
"I thought you were going to talk to Kyle about college plans today." He opened his lunch bag and wondered why his mother insisted on feeding him tuna fish sandwiches every day of his life. He pulled a Tabasco bottle from his backpack and ignored the looks he was getting. "Where's Michael?"
"Not a clue," she replied breezily. "Kyle and I broke up."
"What?" his neck snapping around to look at her. "When?"
"Third period. It was cool. We'll stay friends."
"Are you all right?"
"It's been coming for some time now," she informed him with a smile. "Can't say that I was surprised." She made a face as she took her first bite. "Yew... " she opened the sandwich and stuck out her tongue. "She put mayo on it." Grabbing the hot sauce, she doused it liberally.
He nodded his head and watched her for any sign of distress before coming to the conclusion that it had been a something that had been coming along. Not that he wasn't thrilled with the little event. But if she's complaining about her sandwich, it mustn't have been too bad. "I need you to do something tonight."
"What now?" annoyance creeping in.
"Pay Alex Whitman a visit."
"Why?"
"I think Liz might have talked."
Exasperation, not to mention a good dose of anger, flash across Isabel's beautiful face and she almost gave into the urge to throw something across the school yard, like the science building or something. "Oh great. Just perfect. Why don't we just announce it at the next school game or better yet, use the principal's PA system. Cause at this rate, the rest of the school should know by Christmas!"
"What are you yelling about now?" Michael asked as he dropped into his seat and pulled open the half frozen burrito. "Cover me," he asked of Isabel, who shifted in her seat while Michael heated up his unappetizing lunch.
"Max here thinks that Little Miss Muffet might spilled her guts to Little Boy Blue about what she knows," Isabel hissed through her teeth. Firecrackers were exploding in her eyes.
"You're kidding, right? Max? You're kidding, right?" Michael asked, his growling empty stomach forgotten for a moment. "Oh hell..." then took a huge bit of the disgusting cafeteria lunch.
"Isabel, take a walk in Alex's head and see if he can kept a lid on things." The exhaustion in Max's told allowed no further discussion. "Let's find out how much he knows first."
Isabel shook her head and gave him glare. "Max, I'm warning you. If either one of them talks, Michael gets free rein over what to do."
"Like Michael would do anything more than try to scare the daylights out of them?" Max asked mildly.
Michael held up his hands in T sign. "Back to your corners guys. We don't have time for this right now. Where's Tess?"
Isabel wanted to scream in frustration. "The whole freaking thing started with Tess Harding. The last thing I want to talk is that asinine blonde."
"Shut up, Isabel." Max ordered sharply. His sister's malicious comments about Tess were getting to him slowly and surely. The last thing he needs, with all the difficulties in his life right now, is another round of playing home guard with his sister. "She's sitting with Liz and Alex. Michael, would you go get her please?" He looked up just as Michael was getting up to comply, "Scratch that. Here she comes."
She was wringing her hands together as she approached the three unsmiling faces at the table. For a single heartbeat, Tess was tempted to turn around and run back to the safe company of Liz and Alex, and their concern for Maria's health. But the look in Max's eyes compelled her to move forward. He deserved some answers, and some truths from her. Especially after everything he's done for her.
Time to face the music.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TBC....
By Didi
Disclaimer: Every time I have to write this, I have this insane urge to laugh like a maniac. Who in their right minds would ever think that I would, or even could, own Roswell?
Timeline: Roswell redone, my way. Take it back to the beginning and turn just about everything upside down and inside out. For background... read the preceding chapters first, or at least read the three chapters before this to make some sense of this next part. And this chapter will take place after the shooting.
Ratings: R for restricted. Oh definitely needs to be restricted.
Warning: Alternative Universe. No conventional couples. If that's what you're looking for, turn away now. Also, this is definitely Tess/Max centric... though I'm awfully fond of Michael too.
Summary: Maria makes a 'miraculous' recovery. Isabel gets a nasty surprise then come to an understanding with Kyle. And Alex gets protective.
Author's Note: These chapters get longer and longer as I write them. You bore with them yet?
*Thoughts* "Spoken"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter 21 - More Than Their Share of Problems
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Jim?"
Jerking awake, the good sheriff of Roswell nearly stumbled out of the seat he had been dozing in. "What? What happened? Is she all right?" his eyes going to the glass window that separated them from the ICU room where Maria Harding's fragile, broken body had been transported.
"Relax, relax," Amy said soothingly, pushing him back into his seat when he half rose in concern. "She's fine. Sleeping soundly and recovering at a miraculous rate that has the doctor's completely baffled... not that I'm not completely and utterly grateful for it and all." She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. The imagines in her mind had mind for a rough night.
Nodding his head with the understanding that only another parent could feel, Jim got up and stretched the sore muscles across his back. "That's good," moving toward the glass partition.
Clearing her throat, Amy shuffled her feet uncomfortably for a moment. "Thanks for staying last night. I know that I was kind of a mess and this wasn't what you had bargained for when I invited you to dinner. But... um... thanks."
Jim smiled; it was a smile of amusement that made his stern face quite charming. "Amy, I stayed cause I wanted to. Look, nobody should have to go through what you've been dealing with for the past couple of weeks. Between the shooting and this accident, I'm surprised you haven't cracked up. Most women would."
"I don't get to have the luxury for breaking down these days," she smiled at her girls in the room. Tess was asleep by her sister's bedside, one hand securely in Maria's. It gave her comfort to know that they had each other if nothing else. "I've got more important things to be concerned about."
"They're good girls," Jim replied quietly. Better than good; Teresa Harding had took charge last night when her mother could not. Just as Maria Harding had been the one to take command when her sister... "You are a very lucky woman."
"I know that." A soft chuckle followed that statement. "And I know that we've dodged a couple of bullets recently, figuratively and literally. Hopefully life will settle down now," she smiled and looked up as the doctor approached. "Oh, I better go thank the doctors. Excuse me."
The Sheriff nodded his head and let her leave his side, feeling an aching sorrow for the woman that's seen a little too much. His blue eye turned back the young ladies in the room; angelic faces softened even more by slumber. One thing was for sure, the Harding girls were damn lucky... too lucky in fact. It made all the cop instincts in Jim's body stand up on alert.
*Michael had been there,* he recalled firmly. *He was in the accident too. Then another miracle pops up. One minute Maria Harding looks to be at Death's door and the next, she's going to pull through without any repercussions. A little too lucky indeed.*
Pulling his cell phone out, "Hanson, it's the sheriff. I'm hospital right now.... I'm fine; don't worry. I need you to do something for me. Last night, there was a car accident on Main Street.... Yeah, yeah, the big rig and the bug. There were two teens in the car... Michael and one of the Harding girls... I don't think Amy Harding would appreciate that comment, Deputy, and neither do I. I doubt any parent wants to know that their teens have suicidal tendencies. And in this case, I don't think it applies at all. A lot of bad luck and nothing more." He sighed, *At least I hope there's nothing more.* Looking up to make sure there was not one around, he turned toward the ICU room again. "Listen, I need you to pull the all security tapes for the hospital near trauma rooms one and two. I want to review them this afternoon if possible.... Call Judge Travis if you have to, the old coot owes me a favor.... Yeah, but ask the hospital first. Tell them that I need it to complete the accident report.... Good. I'll see you later."
There was something going on here and he means to find out what it is and what it has to do with the murders. And more importantly, what does all this has to do with a couple of kids.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Agent Pierce, what can I do for you?"
Donald Pierce's icy blue eyes held a mixture of envy and contempt for his superior. "Director Kushia, I was hoping you've had time to review my proposal."
Brows raised in surprise. "I only received it last evening, agent. Is there a particular reason there is such an urgency associated with this particular assignment?"
Sitting down, Pierce regarded the man with steady eyes that revealed absolutely nothing in its cold depth. "The eggs in lab sixteen has been there for nearly forty years with no a clue as to what it could be. If you've read my report, you will no doubt know that there has been some recent events at the discovery site that..."
"I've read the report," Director Kellerman replied with a sigh as he took off the annoying reading glasses he was now forced to wear on a daily basis. "What you're giving me are merely rumors and nothing more than..."
"The local police have evidence of a cover up that may be linked..."
"Or it could be merely a mix up by the local forensics team. I cannot authorize a project based upon a smattering of ideas from people that I know nothing about."
"But sir, the eggs are..."
"They haven't been touched or disturbed for a decade now. Get me more to go on, a few more days isn't going to hurt any."
Clinching his teeth in frustration, Agent Pierce got up carefully. "Yes sir. Do I have permission to conduct a preliminary research?"
Because it was obviously extremely important to the young agent, Kellerman nodded his head. "Go ahead. But keep it small until you can bring me something useful."
"Understood," nodding his head slowly, knowing that he could get around that little edict without much trouble. "Thank you, sir."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"WAKE UP!!!"
A fist came out from under the covers and nearly smashed the alarm clock that had been turned off an hour earlier. The fist rested there for a moment before retreating back under the cocoon of the covers.
Isabel groaned and tugged ineffectively at the blanket that was currently hiding her brother from the cold light of day. "Maxwell Phillip Evans. Mom is about to have cow if you don't get up and get your ass out the door. We have school in like ten minutes and you're not even dressed yet." When there was still no movement from under the blanket, she turned and slammed the door shut. "GET UP!" then forced the blanket out from under Max, tossing the teen to the ground.
For a moment, Max simply laid there, staring up at the ceiling. Funny how he had forgotten that there was glow in the dark stickers of the solar systems up there.
Standing over him, fists on her hips, "What is the manner with you?" every line on her face a testament to her anger.
Dully, "Michael was in a car accident last night."
"What?" all signs of her upset vanished. "Is he all right? Where is he?"
Sitting up slowly to rub his eyes, "I would think still at the hospital."
"Hospital?" her eyes wide with disbelief. "Max, if they..."
"Stop," he ordered. "He wasn't hurt bad; bruise mostly." He stretched aching muscles on his body and got up slowly. "It was Maria Harding that got the blunt of it."
"Is she..."
"No," he replied and searched for his jeans.
For a moment, Isabel simply stood here and watched her brother get dressed with all the energy of an eight-six year old man. In her annoyance earlier, she had missed the signs of fatigue that all but shouted his discomfort. Between the dark circles, the blurred and blood-shot eyes, and the drawn face, it was evidence enough that Max had a rotten night that was more than likely to spill into the harsh day. "You okay?"
"Not particularly," he replied without any sign of emotions. "But I'll live."
She could see that, and something else. "Did you save her?" He was almost exactly this way the morning after he had saved Tess Harding.
Strong hands paused in the process of pulling a tee shirt over his head. "Yes."
While she already guessed the answer to the next question, she wanted to hear it from him. "Why?"
"Why not?" he asked return, knowing that she was going to get the answer she didn't want to hear anyways and wondered why he was stalling. *Maybe because you still don't know how to tell her.*
Topaz eyes in the same as his own darkened to amber gold for a moment. "She asked you to, didn't she? That's why you did it."
"She who?" feeling rather silly since they were obviously on the same wavelength.
"Maxwell," she warned.
"You sound just like Michael when you do that," he complained slipping socks on. "Come on, we'll be late if don't get a move on," getting to school was one sure why to avoid having to answer a whole lot of question that he didn't have all the answers to yet.
"Max..."
"Not now, Isabel," he replied tiredly. "We'll talk tonight." *After I get some answers from Tess.*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kyle leapt back just in time to keep from taking a fist in the stomach. Staring for a moment while Michael blinked up at him somewhat confused, "Do you always wake up taking a swing at someone?"
Rubbing his knuckles into his eyes in some ineffective attempt to rid himself of the drugging slumber. The doctors had insisted that he only sleep an hour at a time in case he had a concussion they weren't detecting and so Kyle had been volunteered to make sure that Michael followed orders. "Only when someone makes that mistake of standing too close." He glanced around the near empty waiting in the ICU. "Is she up?"
"Not the last time I checked, which would be" glancing at his watch, "Two minutes ago. I thought you'd like to get up and ready for school."
"Not going today," he informed him, moving slowly so he didn't disgrace himself by crying out in pain. Chairs were definitely not the greatest form of sleeping apparatus. Of course, it could have been infinitely worse. *Like having them stick a needle in my veins and pump out some alien blood.* He almost grimaced at the thought.
"Dad said that we should go since there's nothing more we can do here," Kyle replied though he too secretly did not feel like going to school today. All there was there were more homework, questions, speculations, practice and fights with Isabel. He sighed. As of late, there seemed to be nothing but fights with Isabel.
"Well you can tell your dad that I'm not going," Michael replied a little sorely and then gave into the urge to groan. Every muscle in this body ached now.
"You're going," Valenti ordered sternly as he approached the boys, who had both insisted on staying the night with them at the hospital. He eyed Michael keenly and reframe from commenting on the fact that the teen looked more like a juvenile delinquent everyday. *He needs a hair cut.* He run a hand through his own hair. *Hell, I need a hair cut.* "There's nothing more to be done here except wait for Maria to wake up and tell her version of what happened. So go to school and pretend everything is normal."
"Sheriff..." Michael started to argue.
"Michael?" Tess called uncertainly as she slowly closed the door to Maria's room. "Are you still here?"
Teresa Harding looked liked she had better days. Her usually perky perfect curls were limp and mussed from her night vigil. Her blue eyes were blurred from exhaustion. The blouse and skirt she had carefully chosen for last evening's dinner party were wrinkled and crooked. All the color that should have decorated her face weren't there. And over all, she looked like something the cat dragged in after a very long night on the town.
"How are you doing?" Michael asked, a small frown forming over his brows as he watched her rub her stomach. "Hungry?"
She shrugged. "Kind of." She glanced over her shoulders at where her mother was still speaking with the doctors. "Hey, Sheriff Valenti?"
"Yes?"
She smiled at him, a sweet angelic smile that had Jim rethinking her involvement in the shooting incident yet again. "Thanks for sitting with my mom last night. I really appreciate it. She doesn't really have too many people she can lean on and let herself be taken care of. I'm glad you were there."
Jim nodded his head, seeing the gratitude in her eyes. "It was my pleasure."
"Can I ask for a favor?" she inquired suddenly.
That brought up all the defenses in Jim. "What is it?" he asked warily.
Distracted by her own exhaustion, she didn't notice the strange behavior on the sheriff; but Michael certainly did. "Mom is going to want to stay with Maria today. I was hoping maybe you could give me a ride home. I need to shower and change. Maybe I can still make it to second period."
Relieved and amused, "Maybe you should think about staying home and getting sleep. You were up most of the night too."
"No," she shook her head. "I need to go to school."
Michael rolled his eyes at her noble intentions. "Tess, don't be stupid. You're not going to last another hour much less one period in school."
She glared at him. "I need to go to school, Michael." Her chin raised both defiantly and earnestly. How she managed that was beyond anyone's comprehension. "I've got things to do... and *people* to talk to." Her emphasis on people was lost only to Kyle, who yawned and glanced at his watch.
Practical, Kyle nodded his head. "How about this? Since Michael and I should shower and change before we head to school, though why we bother since no one would know the difference on us anyways, why don't we drop you off and your house then come back later to take you to school?"
Tess nodded her head then looked to the Sheriff. "Is that all right with you, sir?"
Since he couldn't find anything wrong with the plan and there was too much he had to do, Jim nodded his head and turned to Michael. "Go to school."
"All right, all right," Michael mumbled with forced reluctance. Now that he knew Tess would be there and he was finally going to get some answers, he was almost eager to go. There was simply too much he needed to know.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Kyle? Kyle? Are you even listening to me Kyle?"
Eyes snapping open, Kyle flushed a deep purple at having dozed off in the middle of a conversation. The irritation on Isabel's face was a preview of the scathing remarks he was about to receive for his thoughtless act. "I'm sorry, what did you..."
"I'm so glad that I can bore you to tears, Kyle. It's what every girl lives to do, to see how long it takes for them to talk their boyfriends asleep when they're trying tell them about the most important decision of their teenage lives." Turning around, she snapped close the binder in front of her with the various college applications and catalogues she had been so eager to show Kyle.
Exhausted after the evening before, the last thing he wanted to do was get into a shouting match with Isabel in the middle of third period. He had only managed to shower and change before Michael demanded that they leave to get Tess immediately. If Kyle hadn't been so exceptionally tired, he might have found that behavior to be strange. They had arrived at Tess's house to find her lightly dozing on the front steps, showered, changed and with two hot cups of incredible java ready for them. She even had the forethought to bring little muffins for the car ride to school. How she managed to cook when she couldn't even keep her eyes open was beyond him.
"Isabel, I don't want to fight, please." He rubbed his temple. "I'm sorry that I dozed off on you. I had a rough night."
"Doing what?" she asked sharply.
"I was at the hospital with Michael."
She paused, her fine brows coming together with concern. "Is he all right?"
"Bruised and scrapped, he was very lucky." Glancing over, he motioned to Jeremy Bentley, "Take another seat will you. I'm trying to have private conversation here." Jeremy, who played defensive running back, made a face but complied with a quick shake of his head to the rest of the team that thought to sit with their captain to discuss the coming game that weekend. The sight of the rest of the team had Kyle remembering something from two days before. Something he's been trying to work up the nerves to accomplish for some time now. "Isabel, we need to talk."
"Jeeze," she rolled her eyes. "And here I thought that's what I was trying to do until you decided to go to sleep on me."
"Cut the Ice Princess routine, Isabel. I'm not in the mood for it." He ran a hand through his hair, destroying the semi neatness of it. There would have been a million places he wanted to do this and trigonometry class was not one of them. "Maybe we should talk about this after school."
She didn't need the look on his face to tell her what was coming. Anticipation of this conversation has been building up for weeks now, between the fights, disagreement, distance and never having any time to just sit down and talk about thing... then of course, there were those dreams. "I think that's not going to be necessary."
He looked at her, at those golden eyes that seemed to apologize with understanding, and got it. "I'm sorry," and meant it. She was one of the few things in his life that he truly did not want to let go of. But it was time. They both understood that.
"Me too." She reached over and gently brushed her hand against his. "Can you feel it, Kyle?"
"The change in the air?" he asked, understanding her better than he thought possible. And they did understand one another, to the extent that men and women can understand each other. "Something is shifting around us."
She smiled, knowing what he meant but not able to tell him just how much was changing. The foundation of her world seemed to be crumbling underneath her feet with every passing day. "You think it's because we're growing up? Becoming adults now?"
"Maybe," Kyle replied, covering her hand with his. "Maybe it's the transition period that we have to go through as we search for the right path to life." He shrugged when she looked at him with wide eyes. "Sorry, I picked up book on Eastern philosophies while I was in the library the other day. Anyways, I know that we've both been moving in difference directions lately."
She nodded her head. "So this is it?"
"I think so. But we can still be friends, right?"
She smiled, the kind of smile that she only reserved for those in her life that she allows close enough to know that real Isabel Evans, not the one she shows to the rest of the world. "Of course. I'd be pretty angry with you if I didn't get to still have that."
Kyle laughed; glad that she was somewhat still the same Isabel he had a mad crush on as a lowly freshman in the same class with the most beautiful angel he's ever had the privilege to see. "Do I get my letterman's jacket back?"
"No."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pierce regarded the agent in front him with a critical eye of an ambitious trained operative and not as a man. "You know your assignment?"
"Yes sir," came the crisp, no nonsense answer.
"You have a trusting face, Agent. Get close, and get the evidence." He could almost tell the career advancement, not to mention a couple of decade's worth of mysteries solved.
"I understand sir."
The loyalties of the agent were never in doubt. "We're counting on you to bring us enough to launch a full scale investigation. All we have now are pieces of the whole. I'd hate to think that my faith in your abilities will be wasted if you don't provide me with the necessary keys."
"I don't disappoint, sir."
"I don't expect you to, Agent Topolski."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Max caught up with Liz Parker just as she left English class and was on her way to lunch. Touching her gently on the elbow, he felt more than a little resigned when she jumped. "You've been avoiding me." He seemed to him that that was a particular sentence that he's been saying a lot lately.
"Max," she replied a little breathlessly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ears. "What are you doing here?"
"Waiting for you," he replied quietly. According to Isabel, Liz's memories were going to remain in tact, for better or for worse. There was very little anyone can do about it. But then again, that was before he knew that Tess had a 'special' gift she hadn't shared with them yet. "Can we talk?"
Toying with the straps of her backpack, she hesitated for a moment as the passing students watched the recently separated pair in the hall. Fascination was written on every face. "Max, I'm suppose to be meeting Alex for lunch and..."
"It'll only taken five minutes," Max replied quietly.
Uncomfortable with the thought of being alone with him, "I..."
"Liz," Alex called from down the hallways as he jogged over. "There you are," he glanced at Max and nodded politely. "Max."
Surprised by the frosty tone from the usually friendly guy, Max studied him for a moment. Something has definitely changed in him; whether it was indignation for his friend or something else, Max couldn't be completely sure. "Hello Alex."
Alex took Liz's elbow in a way that had Max raising a questioning brow. "Excuse us will you? Liz and I have to discuss some things for the upcoming Spanish quiz."
"Of course," stepping aside to move out of their way. He watched them go for a moment, a nasty suspicion forming in the back of his mind. "Shit."
Liz's hand reached up and clutched the one resting on her forearm. "You shouldn't have tried to provoke him."
"He's not Michael, Liz," Alex answered shakily. It was strange. He had been so calmly self-assured when he saw Max and Liz in the halls together. A sudden panic over her safety had overtaken him and he simply found himself running into the line of fire. But now that it was over... Could knees really turn into jelly? "He won't have hurt me," *At least I hoped he won't hurt me.* But he wasn't so sure now.
"Best not do that again," Liz suggested under her breath as they head into the sunlight cantina where all the students were gathered for lunch. "I can't be sure what he'll do if he found out I told you everything."
Alex nodded his head and wondered where his common sense had flown to. "There's Tess."
"I hope she's all right, she looks terrible," Liz said as she approached faster.
"Wonder what happened to Maria today?"
"Let's find out."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"All of them?" the sheriff asked, his eyes obviously conveying his disbelief.
"Every single one. The hospital thinks that it may have been some kind of electrical surge or something. They all had some kind of meltdown from within. The circuits were fried beyond repair."
"What about inside the trauma room?"
"Someone accidentally unplugged the one inside. They probably needed an extra plug for a machine or something and just used the one for the camera and forgot to re-plug it."
Jim grunted. "How convenient." The news was extremely irritating. "Find the tape that has the last moments of the trauma room camera before it went off line. I want to see that one."
"I'll get on it."
"Thank, Deputy. I'll call if I need anything else."
"See you later, Sheriff."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Isabel, what are you doing here?" Max asked as he sat down next to her at their usual table, as far away from the crowd as possible. Their territory had been marked long ago by Michael's explosive temper.
"Eating lunch, like I usually do," came the smart answer followed by a tight smile.
"I thought you were going to talk to Kyle about college plans today." He opened his lunch bag and wondered why his mother insisted on feeding him tuna fish sandwiches every day of his life. He pulled a Tabasco bottle from his backpack and ignored the looks he was getting. "Where's Michael?"
"Not a clue," she replied breezily. "Kyle and I broke up."
"What?" his neck snapping around to look at her. "When?"
"Third period. It was cool. We'll stay friends."
"Are you all right?"
"It's been coming for some time now," she informed him with a smile. "Can't say that I was surprised." She made a face as she took her first bite. "Yew... " she opened the sandwich and stuck out her tongue. "She put mayo on it." Grabbing the hot sauce, she doused it liberally.
He nodded his head and watched her for any sign of distress before coming to the conclusion that it had been a something that had been coming along. Not that he wasn't thrilled with the little event. But if she's complaining about her sandwich, it mustn't have been too bad. "I need you to do something tonight."
"What now?" annoyance creeping in.
"Pay Alex Whitman a visit."
"Why?"
"I think Liz might have talked."
Exasperation, not to mention a good dose of anger, flash across Isabel's beautiful face and she almost gave into the urge to throw something across the school yard, like the science building or something. "Oh great. Just perfect. Why don't we just announce it at the next school game or better yet, use the principal's PA system. Cause at this rate, the rest of the school should know by Christmas!"
"What are you yelling about now?" Michael asked as he dropped into his seat and pulled open the half frozen burrito. "Cover me," he asked of Isabel, who shifted in her seat while Michael heated up his unappetizing lunch.
"Max here thinks that Little Miss Muffet might spilled her guts to Little Boy Blue about what she knows," Isabel hissed through her teeth. Firecrackers were exploding in her eyes.
"You're kidding, right? Max? You're kidding, right?" Michael asked, his growling empty stomach forgotten for a moment. "Oh hell..." then took a huge bit of the disgusting cafeteria lunch.
"Isabel, take a walk in Alex's head and see if he can kept a lid on things." The exhaustion in Max's told allowed no further discussion. "Let's find out how much he knows first."
Isabel shook her head and gave him glare. "Max, I'm warning you. If either one of them talks, Michael gets free rein over what to do."
"Like Michael would do anything more than try to scare the daylights out of them?" Max asked mildly.
Michael held up his hands in T sign. "Back to your corners guys. We don't have time for this right now. Where's Tess?"
Isabel wanted to scream in frustration. "The whole freaking thing started with Tess Harding. The last thing I want to talk is that asinine blonde."
"Shut up, Isabel." Max ordered sharply. His sister's malicious comments about Tess were getting to him slowly and surely. The last thing he needs, with all the difficulties in his life right now, is another round of playing home guard with his sister. "She's sitting with Liz and Alex. Michael, would you go get her please?" He looked up just as Michael was getting up to comply, "Scratch that. Here she comes."
She was wringing her hands together as she approached the three unsmiling faces at the table. For a single heartbeat, Tess was tempted to turn around and run back to the safe company of Liz and Alex, and their concern for Maria's health. But the look in Max's eyes compelled her to move forward. He deserved some answers, and some truths from her. Especially after everything he's done for her.
Time to face the music.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TBC....