Part 36
After several failed attempts to contact Alex, Isabelle is ready to call it quits. Liz sits helplessly by, wanting to help her friend, but not knowing what to do.
Isabelle gives a small shout of frustration and throws the Roswell yearbook across the room. "I can't do it, I just can't do it. He really must be," her voice trails off as she finds herself unable to utter the word 'dead'.
Kyle gets up off the chair where he is perched and retrieves the book. "Look Isabelle, did you ever think that you're trying too hard? Maybe you're suffering from some type of alien performance anxiety or something."
The two girls look at each other and at Kyle, and the three
burst into laughter. The laughter
manages to break the tension that had filled the room.
Kyle passes the yearbook to Liz who leafs through it idly. She pauses when she comes to a candid shot
of Alex playing his guitar. "Here
Isabelle, try this one. It is so much
more Alex than any posed shot could ever be."
As Isabelle reaches over to take the book from Liz, their hands simultaneously touch the picture of Alex, and each other. The flash is so strong and sudden it is almost painful. Liz lets out a shout of surprise and jumps away from the book completely. "What was that?" she cries. "Somebody tell me what the hell that was, right now!"
"It was Alex," says Isabelle softly as she begins to weep. "We did it, Liz. He's alive. We saw him."
"Are you sure it was him?" asks Kyle. "How can you be so certain?"
"Well, I never was certain all the times I've seen him since we thought he died," begins Isabelle.
"What do you mean, you saw him?" questions Kyle.
"Honestly Kyle, I wasn't trying to dream walk him, I just thought I was dreaming.
"It's ok Isabelle, of course you thought that," comforts Liz. "None of us would have had any reason to think otherwise."
"But why did Liz see it?" asks Kyle.
"Both of our hands were on the picture at the same time when she passed me the book," explains Isabelle. "Our fingers must have brushed each other and made the connection that much stronger."
"Well, did you see anything that will help us?"
"No," answers Isabelle. "But what I did see was horrific. He looked terrible, so gaunt and pale. His eyes looked haunted."
"We have to try again," says Liz resolutely. "I'm afraid, because I don't want to see him like that, but if there is a chance to save him, I'll do anything."
The two girls sit down on the bed with the yearbook spread between them. Isabelle reaches out and takes Liz's hand and together, the two lightly touch the photo of Alex.
It's a dark, dank room. Alex is sitting in a chair, staring vacantly at a bare wall. Liz looks around trying to find clues to his whereabouts. Isabelle is focusing solely on Alex. She walks closer to him and whispers his name. A door at the other side of the room opens, and Tess walks in with a baby carrier in her hands. "Isabelle?" Alex says in a dazed voice.
"Still dreaming about your precious Isabelle?" taunts
Tess. "When are you going to remember
that they all think you are dead you half wit?
And you would be too, but I may need you yet, and that is the
[b]only[/b] reason you are alive and don't you forget it."
Alex just turns his head to her and stares vacantly. He gives no other sign that he even realizes she is in the
room. "Hey look moron," shouts
Tess. "I'm going out, take care of this
stupid brat for me. You humans are so
useless," says Tess as she continues her tirade. "You can't figure out how to work the granolith, and then that
imbecile Kyle gets me pregnant. On top
of that the baby is a girl. How am I
supposed to pass off a girl as Max's son?"
Isabelle and Liz silently watch as Tess storms out of the room. A few minutes later, another door slams as Tess leaves the building.
"Alex! Alex, can you hear me?" shouts Isabelle. "It's me Alex. I'm here. Can you hear me?"
"Isabelle?" says Alex softly as he peers across the room. Just then, a piercing wail comes from the baby carrier.
Alex reaches down into the carrier and removes the baby and begins to bounce her softly up and down. "It's ok, Uncle Alex is here." He stands up and carries the baby out of the room, almost as if he was sleepwalking. Liz and Isabelle follow him.
"It's like she has him under some type of mind control," says Liz.
"She's done something to him, but if we can find out where we are, we can get to him, and Max can heal him. I know he can," says Isabelle.
Alex goes to a rickety changing table, which is set up in a dingy living room and lays the baby down. As he is changing the baby, Liz and Isabelle make a circuit of the room, looking for anything that will provide them with any clues as to their location.
"Isabelle, try talking to him again," suggests Liz. "Ask him if he can show us anything that will give us a clue."
Isabelle walks over to the changing table and stares at the baby for a few minutes, as if trying to remember every detail. She turns to Alex pleading with him, "Alex, you have to help us, we want to get you out of here, but we need to know where you are. Where is Tess holding you? Can't you tell us anything?"
Alex remaining mute, picks up the baby and begins to walk through the room. He goes through another door into a filthy kitchen. He pauses at the refrigerator and pulls out a baby bottle, which he puts in a pan of water on the stove.
Liz looks down on the filthy kitchen table. She grabs Isabelle's arm and points to the pile of mail scattered about on the table. Every single letter has the same address. Both girls stare hard at the envelopes, committing it to memory.
Isabelle walks over to Alex and whispers softly to him, "Alex, we know. We saw it. Thank you. Now we can save you. We are going to save both you and the baby. Alex, we have to go for now, but we are coming for you, I promise!" The tears stream down her face as she finishes, "Take care of yourself, and take care of Kyle's beautiful baby."
Alex removes the bottle from the pan on the stove and turns suddenly towards Isabelle. "Isabelle, save us before it's too late. Save me, and save Cassie."
With that, the connection was broken, and the two girls found themselves back in Maria's room with Kyle staring at them expectantly.
"Well, what did you find out?"
"We found him Kyle," says Isabelle. "We found Alex, and your daughter Cassie."