Strip Poker Author's Notes: I was so upset and betrayed by the second season finale, I've decided that I'm going to delude myself into believing that this series is really how it ended. This is the fifth (final?) story in the "High Stakes" series. You're going to need to have to read the previous stories for this one to make sense. I wrote this fic as if it would take place instead of "The Departure," so blanket warning for all of the two seasons. It sorta turned into a labor of love for me, so please feedback me. I need the validation.

The Deal

They realized they couldn't stay at the Quarry all day and it was decided that they would travel to a roadside diner twenty minutes away. Hopefully, given the early hour, there would be no one there who could identify them. The Valentis were called then and were instructed to meet the group at the diner with the It. Isabel and Michael went into the diner first, checking out the other patrons. When they were satisfied it was safe, Michael went back to get the others while Isabel staked out a large table in a deserted corner.

Alex and Tess didn't even need to look at a menu. They knew what they wanted. Alex ordered a large glass of orange soda with a platter of chocolate-chip pancakes. Tess wanted a bowl of strawberry ice-cream, drizzled with hot fudge. Maria got teary-eyed and gratefully leaned into Michael when he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Isabel scooted closer to Alex, who kept absently touching her, as if to reassure himself she was really there. Liz was watching Max as the alien boy tried to draw Tess out of the protective shell that had formed during her months of captivity. Every time he touched her, the barest brush of his fingers, caused her to flinch and soon Tess was practically sitting in Alex's lap. Alex didn't even seem to notice and Isabel frowned at the casual way his fingers ran through Tess's blond curls. It was finally starting to dawn on the group that they didn't get their old friends back. It was Tess and Alex, but their experiences during the last few months had irrevocably changed them, connecting the two in a way none of the others would be able to understand.

It was almost a welcome distraction when the Valentis showed up. The Sheriff was leading the way and he saw the lost-now-found ones first. His face paled and he wavered a bit. The teens were afraid that the man, he who had seen so much already, was going to keel over. However, he got control of himself and kept walking, forcing himself not to look back at the female who was leaning against his son for support. Kyle hadn't mentioned the group's theory that this Tess was a skin because the others had impressed upon him the importance of acting natural around the impostor. Yet he also didn't know that their Tess, the real one, had been rescued. When his father slid into a seat, Kyle found himself staring at two pairs of blue eyes, eyes he hadn't thought he'd see again.

Max palmed a knife and stood. Under the guise of helping the Skin to a seat, he forced it down and melted the knife, binding its wrists together. Playing along, Liz knocked a fork off the table and Max graciously bent down to pick it up. However, he instead used it to bind the Skin's ankles, extending the metal to wrap around the chair legs. It tried to protest, accusing Tess and Alex of being the Skins, reminding the others about the funeral and even went as far as mentioning its "delicate condition." The only reaction it got was a wince from Max and Liz about the pregnancy. The others were ignoring It, involved in filling the Valentis in on the events of the day. Invariably, the questions soon turned to what had happened before the captives were rescued. Silence blanketed the table, the only sounds being the scrape of utensils against the plates. Then, then the tale begun...



King of Spades: Alex

"I think they picked me even before they took Tess. You know how the outer space dwelling aliens can't come here physically? Well, they needed a host for Kivar and I guess they'd figured who better than a close friend of the Royal Four? Lonnie chose me, instead of one of the girls. She liked the irony of Kivar inhabiting Isabel's ex. Sorta repeating history, y'know?

I don't know the first time he invaded me. In the beginning, he kinda just cased the joint, to see if he wanted this model or if he wanted to trade it in. I was a little shorter than he woulda liked, but he decided I was a keeper. Soon, he started staying longer, but mostly at night. I'd go to sleep and wake up on the couch in the living room or sitting in a chair in the kitchen. I thought I was just sleepwalking, y'know? 'Cept I wasn't.

The idea to translate the book was mine. I'd been thinking about the language problem ever since Liz told me about it. All the answers you guys ever needed or wanted, it had to be all there, if you could only read it. I showed Isabel that picture in the UFO Center, of the Mayan language. Linguists had managed to translate some of that language and it was so similar to yours. I just knew there had to be a way. Kivar apparently liked the idea too.

I didn't know it then, but everything I knew, everything that was floating around in my brain, he had access to. All of my dreams, my thoughts, my memories, he could see, could use. Gradually, I was spending less and less time with you guys, more time by myself. I was constantly eating Thai food, without even knowing why I was craving it. Without realizing it, I was losing more and more time until the divider between me and Kivar fell. It was like this sudden awareness of an alien presence flooded through my consciousness, but it was too late.

The majority of time, he was in control, but he couldn't hold me for long periods of time. It was like eighteen hours out of every day, he was at the controls, and then for four hours, I got to take a spin. Kivar was the one who arranged the Sweden cover and who enrolled me in Las Cruz. The longer he spent in me, the more our connection grew. Just like he had access to my mind, I could read his. I had a vague awareness of what he was doing as he was doing it. Some of the stuff he used me for...

At the University, whenever I was in control, I worked like a madman on decoding the book. I was hoping I could finish it when I was in charge. I planned on emailing it to one of you and then deleting it without reading it. He thought it was funny, how I thought I could outsmart him. He...he liked t-to taunt me about it. Still, I wouldn't give up. One night, in the lab, this girl walks in. Beautiful blonde. Started talking to me. I didn't talk back. I wanted her to go away. It wasn't safe to be around me. There was this delivery guy I liked to joke around with and Kivar...well, I just wanted her to leave. She wouldn't budge. Her name was Serena and she started telling me all these things about me. Things that no one but Liz or Maria knew.

To make a long story short, she sorta became my mentor. Yoda to my Luke. Sere taught me how to erect a shield around a small corner of my brain. Whenever I wasn't in the driver's seat, I sorta lived in that little corner. She told me about the Granilith, what it was, where it was. I hid it all behind that shield. When I finally managed to finish the decoding, I was able to send a copy to her. She promised me that if Kivar- if he ever stopped needing me, she'd find a way to get the translation to you guys.

Just getting the translation wasn't enough for him. There was some kind of prophecy in the book, something about the four square and their new world. He came back to Roswell to make sure no one knew about the spy, the Skin he planted in place of Tess. He also became fascinated with Isabel. He'd go on for hours, rambling about the contrasts and similarities between her and Vilandra. He delighted in leaving me notes in my bedroom, taped to my mirror, all about how no one could tell the difference between me and him and how he thought Isabel was falling in love with me all over again. He liked that, the irony. It wasn't really me, y'know? The only time I got control anymore was in the morning, the very, very early morning.

By now, he knew I was hiding something from him. He'd scanned my memories before, knew that I'd never been told the location of the Granilith, but he knew it had to be something important that I'd risk...that I'd hide it from him. I always knew there'd be a time he'd stop, uh, needing me, but I never imagined he'd fake my death. He was smart about it, too. Kept thinking it broad, final, terms. I didn't have a clue until he started talking all depressed to the delivery guy. I managed to sneak up on him, to wrest just a tiny bit of control from him. He didn't even realize he wasn't signing my name.

He got into the car and started driving. Then the semi came rounding a corner and he just drove into it. When I came to, I was in the cell with Tess. She looked after me then and after every time I-I had an interview session with Nicholas. Lonnie and Rath stopped in for a bit of fun every now and again. We took care of each other. The Skins, they needed us, because we were the only ones in there with the location of the Granilith. When we found out the Impostor was pregnant, we knew they weren't going to need us anymore. So we figured that there was no time like the present to escape. And so here we are."



The Bet

When he finished speaking, Alex shoved a piece of pancake in his mouth. His food had long gone cold, but he was past caring. He knew that he'd left a great many holes in his story. None of the missing information was essential, though, and would cause his friends only more pain with the telling. He met Max's eyes and realized that the other boy understood, in part, what he had gone through. True, the aliens could be more creative in their methods, but torture was torture, no matter how you sliced it.

Next to him, he could hear the gentle catch in Isabel's breath that told him she was crying. Before, he might have comforted her, gathered her up in a warm embrace. Now he felt too raw, too fragile himself, to take on someone else's pain. Tess kept a hand on his thigh, not asking or giving, just reminding him she was there. Reminding him that she'd been back there too. He stared across the table at the Skin that wore her face. A rage he had carefully kept in check for the last month flooded through him now and with it, a deep hatred. It had no right to wear her face. He glanced at the knife balanced on his plate and images of what he could do with it raced through his mind.

The feelings in Alex reminded Tess of another hatred and it frightened her, causing her to pull away. He felt the slight movement and was sorry for it. He breathed in deeply, trying to reharness those violent emotions. His fingers clenched into fists and he pressed down on the table, trying to give himself some outlet for the pain.

The silence at the table was nearly unbearable for Maria as she watched Alex's knuckles slowly turn white. Why must all the men in her life go through this? Michael with Hank, Max with Pierce and now Alex with the Skins. Even Kyle and the Sheriff had suffered, first with Kyle's shooting and then with the events surrounding Laurie Dupree. Her heart ached, but she knew, the wisdom coming from a hidden place deep inside her, that all of it was necessary. Their future would be the better for it. She was willing to wager her own life on it.

Alex relaxed his hands, flexing his fingers. Maria saw his hand disappear under the table and she knew that he was reaching for Tess, not Isabel. She wondered what this would mean for the group. She wondered as she realized that it had been Kivar Isabel had taken to the Prom, Kivar Isabel had kissed, and it was even Kivar, in a way, that Isabel had grieved for. What would it mean for all of them?

The waitress came over, pouring coffee for those who wanted it. Alex had been whispering into Tess's ear and when the waitress left, he stopped. It was time for the tale to continue.



Queen of Diamonds: Tess

"I-I'm not too sure where to start. Things are, are a little, um, hazy."

"Just start at the beginning, babe. With Ava."

"Ok-kay. Um. When they came to Roswell, before we were supposed to leave on the road trip, Ava came to see me. She wanted to warn me that things in New York were going to be different than I was used to. She said that I shouldn't think of Lonnie and Rath the same way I did Michael and Isabel. That they were all different people. That we were different. She told me to stay with Max and not go off alone. I just thought she was being paranoid. I didn't-t understand.

I didn't remember what she said until it was too late. I was so angry at Lonnie and Rath, I wanted to-to make them pay. They tried to hurt Max. And I wasn't the one to protect him. Liz was. Somehow, she knew and she came, and I was nothing. Just a figurehead. I was angry. They somehow knew I'd chase after them, were lying in wait. I turned the corner and found myself staring into...into _that_. Then everything went dark.

When I woke up, I was in the cell. Lonnie and Rath were there, so was Nicholas. They said I'd made it so easy for them. I was so predictable. They told me Max hadn't even noticed a difference. That he bought the plant. I-I didn't believe them. But then they started bringing photographs and videos. I didn't want to believe they were real, but they all had Max with her. Not with the Impostor. I knew then, I remembered that night, and I knew it was real.

With Ava gone, they couldn't kill me, and they needed what was in my head. Nicholas..."

Silence twisting through hearts, tiny razors sliding through veins. Images floating on air, polluting minds.

"C'mon, babe, you need to tell them."

"I don't _want_ to. It hurts."

"I know, Tess. But you have to. They need to know."

Mask of hesitance, forged in terror. Lurking sorrow, hidden agony, giving the food a bitter taste.

"He used his powers on me. Every day. He needed to know about the Granilith, where it was. I hid it away, everything I knew about us, about our race. I wrapped it all in a thick shield and tried to forget I knew it, that it was even there. He kept hammering away at it, coming again and again, until it seemed like my brain was all jumbled. I couldn't remember what was real or not. I forgot so much. Faces blurred and I had such a hard time remembering who was who..."

"When they dumped me in there, she barely knew her own name."

"I'm pretty sure I tried to escape once. But they caught me and I-I got punished. Still, I fought. Despite everything else, I knew it was important that I keep the shield up. Time sorta just slid by. I lost track of how long I'd been there. Sometimes it felt like I'd never existed anywhere else. Then Alex came. He was so battered and bruised. There was so much blood. I thought maybe he was a plant, but then he said Isabel's name and I knew he was real too. I was weak, but I couldn't just let him die. I'd been alone for so long. I needed him and he needed me.

I helped him get better. It was so hard, though. Nicholas started taking him right away. It took so long for him to heal. But I took care of him and he helped me remember when they came for me...He told me stories about everything I'd missed. About Christmas and Vegas and the Prom. It helped bring some life into that place. Then Lonnie came. She told us about the baby, about Max and the Impostor. We-we knew we had to do something. Just after they brought him, he'd been able to, um, connect with Isabel. We knew it was the only way we could get a message out. He found the path and I gave him the strength to walk it. We knew that once you all did something, Nicholas would know. Know that we did something. And since they knew Alex was human...they'd-"

"We planned our escape and you know the rest."


The Ante

Isabel stared down at the ugly off-white coffee mug sitting in front of her and she was seized with the sudden urge to hurl the thing against the wall, just to hear the satisfying chaos of destruction. She wished she had blasted Nicholas when she got the chance. The idea of murdering another being all those months ago had felt foreign to her, but now she craved his blood on her hands. The crimes he had committed against those she cared for were unforgivable. She wanted to peel each layer of his Husk away, slowly exposing him to the poisonous atmosphere of Earth. She wanted to hear him scream, to cry out in pain, as he made Alex and Tess do. The emotion Isabel was feeling went so much beyond hatred that it scared her and she ended up taking a gulp of the now freezing coffee.

Glancing over at the pair, she could see the gentle way Tess was leaning against Alex, the now familiar sight of them holding hands. It was like they were so used to turning to each other for comfort, it was natural for them. This scared her too, those little touches. She and Alex had never developed that closeness that came from absolute comfort in another's presence. An insidious part of her brain was trying to figure out when she decided that she wanted Alex again. Before all this, she had thought it was just that she was tired of being alone, of rejecting love on the slim chance she might leave. She thought that real love would survive anything. She thought she could love Alex. Now she wondered if it hadn't been Alex at all. She wondered if the part of her that was Vilandra somehow recognized Kivar in his human host. In Alex.

She was startled by a light touch on her arm. Turning her head, she found Alex watching her, his eyes different than she remembered. There was the old cliched saying, eyes are the windows to the soul. Well, his eyes were telling her that he'd been through a war. There was fear lurking in their depths and she found herself trying to grasp the horrible thought that Lonnie might have took her form when they were...when they were...Isabel reached out and grasped Alex's free hand, squeezing it tightly. She would see them all dead. It was a promise.

Tess felt some of the tension in Alex's body relax. Isabel's reaction to their stories had worried him most of all. He had told her some of the things Kivar made him do, had wept hot tears over the despair he'd inadvertently caused. Alex was such a kind person; Liz and Maria had more of an influence on him than they ever could have guessed. She pulled away a little from Alex and let him focus his attention on Isabel. Slowly, her gaze slid across the table to the Valentis. The Sheriff had his hands clenched together and was staring hotly at the Impostor. Kyle was watching her, Tess, an unreadable expression on his face. Warily, she met his eyes, and waited. He searched her eyes, looking for some unknown thing. She caught her breath, wondering if he'd still like her, now that she was damaged.

Nicholas had left his mark on her. She would never be just Tess again. She hadn't really known who Tess was when they snatched her. The Valentis, being part of a real family, it had started to change her. Now her growth was stunted. She would never be just Tess. Kyle finally smiled at her and to her horror, she felt a light blush on her cheeks. She ducked her head, looking at him shyly through her lashes. Maybe...maybe Alex was right. Maybe she could be better than Tess.

Liz and Max had been arguing in low voices, the tension radiating from them. Suddenly, Max slammed a palm on the table and shot a glare at the Skin. It stared back coolly, which only seemed to infuriate Max more. He ordered It to talk and it wasn't the request of a teenaged boy. It was the command of an alien King, saturated with all the threat and power at Max's disposal. The next chapter of the tale was to be told.



Jack of Clubs: The Skin

"You all think you're so goddamn smart. High and mighty Max Evans, the King of an alien race, and he can't even keep his sister in line. Hell, he can't even tell the difference between a friend and an enemy-"

"Shut up! Just tell us why you're here. You owe us that."

"I don't owe you _anything_, Miss Parker. You think you're soooo special. You waited patiently, ripping your way through boys' hearts, waiting for that one special man. And then, oh! It's like a fairy tale- he saves you, brings you back from a mortal wound. But it's not enough that you find love. No, you have to milk it, trying to garner attention, sympathy. 'I was thisclose to death and then Max brought me back, but we can't be together. He has responsibilities.' Then you bravely try to make it work, all burning with passion, fueled by a deep-abiding 'love.' Of course, you still won't let yourself be happy. No, you want to be noble. You chuck away a wonderful man, a soulmate type of love, all for some ideal, some greater purpose that may or may not still exist. Because you want to do the 'right thing.' It's all bullshit. The truth is you're terrified that if you don't walk away now, he's going to leave _you_. And wouldn't that just be a blow to your ego. God forbid you fight for him, no, it's all about not being hurt. You're such a weakling. I definitely don't owe you anything. I don't owe any of you.

It was so easy. You all saw what you wanted to see. Tess didn't belong. With Nasedo gone, there was no one who truly knew her well. It was pathetically easy to take her place. You pride yourselves on being such good friends. Bullshit. You didn't notice when she was gone and you didn't notice when Lord Kivar occupied your friend there. You were so self-involved in your own melodramas. Really, you all only have yourselves to blame for all this.

Hell, Vilandra, I think you liked the change, didn't you? Lord Kivar moved into your boy there and you couldn't get close enough. You even swallowed your pride and asked him to take you to a stupid high school dance. You had your tongue down his throat before the second slow dance was over. The two of you disappeared at the end there. Did you do more than kiss? Finally move into the grown-up leagues?"

"Isabel, sit _down_. You're going to attract attention."

"Oh yes, Isabel. Do listen to your King. Lord of this dirtball. What's that earth saying? Keep your friends close, your enemies closer? You certainly did that, didn't you, Max? Was it good for you, baby? It certainly was good for me. You helped bring us all one step closer to home. I would've pulled it off too, except one of you removed your head from your ass and finally saw the truth. Or did the little captives stage their coup first? On second thought, I doubt that. What could a worn-out host and a blonde moron do?

Although the two of you certainly did provide good entertainment. There were videos, did you know that? Rath and Lonnie used to host little premiers, inviting all the off-duty soldiers. I think I liked the one of you and Rath in the showers. You know the one, don't you, Tess? The one where he tied you to the shower head and-"

Crack in the air of flesh against flesh. Temperatures rising, emotions boiling over. Stench of betrayal in the air.

"Abusing the prisoner? I didn't think that was in the good guy code. Still, it was a decent hit, Kyle. Wouldn't have expected a white hat to be able to throw a punch like that. Don't you dare look at me like that! You're all so comfortable on your moral high ground, you don't even realize you haven't a clue what this war is really about."

"You want the Granilith."

"Sorry, Perfect Parker, no bonus points for you. Thanks for playing. Too bad you didn't use a lifeline."

"Then what do you want?"

"Oh, the King deigns to talk to the peasant. I'm sooo flattered. Now, will you actually listen? Yeah, Kivar and Nicholas want the Granilith. The rest of us just want to survive. We don't give a damn about some glowy object of power. We just want to live. To go home. But no. The Fates gave the Granilith to a bunch of kids who don't even understand its power. You may just view this all as a minor inconvenience, but it's life or death for us. Still view yourself as some benevolent ruler? You're as good as murdering us, just because you don't want Kivar to score any points. Maybe the rebel faction is right, after all. Maybe Michael there should be the Head Jedi.

Oh-ho. Didn't know about that, didja? Bad boy, Michael. Been keeping secrets from your King? That's an act of treason, you know. King Zan would've probably ordered you executed. But I think we both know that Max isn't half the man Zan was. Being a ruler is a little much for him. He should kill me. But he won't. Because, no matter how much you hate it, this is still your son inside of me. Our child. You kill me, you kill him. You may want to spill my blood, but can you spill his?"


The Discard

Max wanted to vomit. He was fuckin' seventeen and he shouldn't have to make these kind of decisions. He wanted to break down and weep. He wanted more time. He didn't want to deal with this now. He wanted to run away. None of those were options. It was decision time. Desperate, Max looked into Liz's eyes. She always had the power to cause his emotions to wrap themselves into knots, but this time he found a measure of calm. She rested a palm on his cheek and he held it there, savoring the feel of her skin against his again. A warm glow raced through his body, chasing away the nausea. And then he knew what to do.

Rising to his feet, he nodded at Michael and Isabel. Isabel slowly got up, but the look in her eyes...she would take pride in her work this day. Before Michael could stand, Kyle did. He and Max looked at each other for a long moment, before Max waved Michael down. Kyle needed to be there. Kyle and Isabel both grabbed an arm of the Skin, pulling it up. Max walked in front, blocking It from the rest of the patrons. They took the Skin around back. Isabel yanked It from Kyle's grip and threw It against the Dumpster. She stood over it and found herself trembling with emotion. Possibilities ran through her mind, things she could do, things she wanted to do. The Skin stared up at her through familiar blue eyes and she wanted to smash that mask. Yet something held her back. She didn't know who was in the driver's seat. Vilandra or Isabel?

Kyle wiped a hand over his face, hating the smell of garbage that filled his lungs. He watched as Max pulled Isabel back and knelt before the small figure, connecting with It. Part of him was still trying to wrap his mind around what was happening. The woman he'd kissed at the Prom, the sister who made his favorite foods, the female who comforted him at night when he woke up in a sweat, sure he'd been shot...that person didn't exist. Not really. He brought an image of the other Tess to mind. Kyle could remember the hint of hope among the wariness in her eyes. His body had reacted to that look, and he felt as he did when he first saw her prancing around in his Jersey. This was his vulnerable, sexy kitten. How could he ever think _that_ was her? Kyle didn't normally hit girls, but he still felt a vicious pleasure when the memory of hitting the Skin surfaced. Tess had been shrinking as It spoke; she'd been curling into a tiny ball, huddling against Alex, who didn't look much better. If he was going to be honest, his reaction had been more due to the fact that Rath had...used her than the pain It was causing. Tess was his.

Max rose to his feet, sweat beaded on his forehead. The Skin was screaming at him, awful words. Tears were streaming down Its face, proving that loss crossed all racial boundaries. Max stared down at the pathetic thing at his feet, flexing his hand absently. Then he looked at Isabel and Kyle, before turning his back and walking a few paces away. Kyle pulled the Skin up, turning It around to face Isabel. The blonde alien drew her hand back, but then something shifted in her eyes. Instead, she placed an
almost-gentle hand on the Skin's shoulder, her fingers glowing lightly. Kyle felt It jerk in his hands, as whatever Isabel did kicked in. Horrible sounds escaped Its lips, mewling sounds, like those of a newborn kitten.

The sounds began to increase in intensity and Kyle knew that It soon would be screaming. Isabel leaned forward and whispered something in Its ear. The trembling in the Skin's body was becoming violent and It started to talk. Everything from the number of soldiers on Earth, to the locations of bases, and even betraying some other spies. A few names would have been a surprise if they were still capable of feeling. Max turned around and issued a command. He stood and watched as Kyle turned the Skin around. Isabel lifted Its shirt and searched for the release switch. Finding it, she crossed over to the dumpster. Morphing a piece of cardboard into a pipe, Isabel stood back behind the It. She swung at Its back, missing the switch several times. Moans of pain floated throughout the alley and finally, Isabel sobbed once, landing the pipe squarely on the release switch.

Kyle's hands were suddenly empty, flakes drifting through the air, reminding him of the fake snow in waterglobes. They lazily fell, some caught by the wind, others pulled by gravity, to rest at their feet. This wasn't the first time he'd seen a Skin dead. It was the first time it had been someone he loved. Sprinting over to the Dumpster, he vomited, emptying his body of everything. His throat burned and tears came to his eyes. He wished it was only this easy to cleanse his mind.

Isabel and Max had hugged, each needing the other's comfort. They had done things today, things they had thought existed only in nightmares. There had been blood on their hands before, but now it meant something. No longer could they just defend. Now they could kill. Even their own flesh and blood. Isabel let her brother go and went to Kyle, pulling him gently away from the Dumpster. She used her powers to clean him up and then thanked him. He nodded silently at her in acknowledgement.

The trio returned to their table, somber expressions on their faces. Two lives had been reclaimed on this day, and two lives had been lost. Was it justice? The past had been told, and now the present needed to be planned..


Ten of Hearts: The Group

"So what do we do now, Max?"

"Why does everyone always ask _me_ that?"

"Maybe because you're the King?"

"Very funny, Kyle."

"Wasn't trying to be funny."

"Look, let's just calm down and examine our priorities."

"Okay, what's with you?"

"What are you talking about, spaceboy?"

"Priorities? That's a Liz word. You don't use Liz words. You're Maria."

"I think I've just been insulted."

"God, Michael! Liz and Max have enough to deal with right now. Excuse me for trying to be the sane one."

"Since when are we the sane ones?"

"It's just not natural! You're supposed to be the blonde ditzy one. Liz is the brain, Isabel is the Prom Queen and Tess is the mysterious other woman. You're the airbrained cheerleader."

"Now I _know_ I've been insulted."

"ARGH!"

"I can't believe you just chucked your water glass in his face. Go Maria."

"Maria-"

"Don't start with me, Max. I'm sure Izzy wouldn't mind if I used hers too."

"Um, not to interrupt, but, uh, we'd just like to go home."

"Home?"

"Alex-"

"You can't."

"Oh, honey."

"Isabel? What are they talking about?"

"Alex...everyone thinks you're dead."

"I know, but...oh. There was a funeral?"

"Yeah."

"A lot of people showed up. Maria sang."

"I think somebody videotaped it if you wanna see."

"Kyle!"

"Ow, Liz! I was just saying, 'cause you know if I came back from the dead, I'd wanna see who bothered to show up at my sendoff."

"Kyle, you are such a dipwad."

"My parents?"

"Your mother requested a transfer to another post. It came through last week. They're moving back east. So far they've left your room alone. They let me sit in it, whenever it got...bad."

"Oh, God, Izzy..."

"Shhh...it'll be okay. We'll think of something."

"Ahem. Tess will come home with us, of course."

"D-do you mean that, Sheriff?"

"It's just Jim now, Tess. I'm not the Sheriff anymore."

"Oh. I don't think he told me this story. Can he, um, come with us?"

"Who? Alex?"

"Geez, Kyle, you're gonna end up sleeping in the bathtub."

"Max, can you please tell your dorkbrained second-in-command to be quiet?"

"Michael, be quiet."

"Thanks, girlfriend."

"You are so whipped, Maxwell."

"Actually, it would probably make the most sense for Alex to stay with the Valentis."

"What do you mean, Liz?"

"Well, we can't bring Alex back to Roswell as Alex. So we need some kind of explanation. Like passing him off as a distant cousin or something. Since the Sheri-since Jim is the only adult who knows the truth..."

"No, I think he should stay with Michael."

"What?"

"With Michael?"

"With Guerin?"

"What are you cooking up, cheesehead?"

"Alex moves in with Michael, we don't need to pass him off as somebody's cousin, which hello, we already have one annoying permanant houseguest in Roswell. Since Michael can cover the rent alone, they should both be able to cover half of the expenses. And if one of the few people outside our little group who can stand to talk to Michael asks about Alex, spaceboy should have enough brains to remember that Alex is an old friend that he knew before he moved to Roswell."

"Wow, Maria, that's..."

"Are you feeling okay, because now that I think about it, Michael did have a point-"

"Li-izzz!"

"But-but, then, I'll be alone..."

"No, you won't, Tess. Dad and I will both be there. We'll protect you."

"But..."

"Um, maybe...maybe she could stay with me. Just for a couple of nights. Until we, uh, readjust."

"Alex? Tell us."

"Isabel...you can't understand. You weren't there, you don't know. What the Skin said about those videos...both of us-I mean, it's just that-"

"It's not just what they did to us. It's what we did, too. Sometimes...sometimes if they wanted people punished or-or disposed of, they put us in a room with them and we'd...I killed a human once. Nicholas had been so rough with him that day and I was just so furious, I didn't...I didn't know until-until it was too late. I could barely look at him when they brought me back..."

"She wakes up in the night gagging because she thinks she can still smell the burning...It's not easy. What they did to us, it's changed us. We're-we're darker now. We just need a little time-"

"-to get used to living in the light again."

"Okay. Okay. Here's what we're gonna do. We're gonna pay this bill, leaving our poor waitress a very big tip. Then we're going to go out to the cars. We're driving back to the Quarry. Once we get there, Isabel is going to--fix Alex's appearance. When that's done, we're splitting up and heading back to Roswell. Alex and Tess are going back with the Valentis. Get all the school stuff, clothes and everything. Liz, Isabel, and I will, um, pick up some things for Alex. Maria, take Michael back to his place and start making it liveable again."

"Hey! My place is clean."

"Yeah, the roaches recommend it to all their friends."

"Cheesehead."

"Dorkbutt."

"If you want people to stop asking you what to do, you're going to have to stop being so smart."

"Oh, gag me. They're doing it again."

"To think I actually missed those sugary sweet looks."

"Well, it's better than them sniping at each other."

"We can hear you, you know."

"That's never stopped you before, now has it, Maxwell?"

"Maria, it's bad enough when Michael calls me that..."

"It's really over, isn't it?"

"Yeah, babe. It's really over."


The Draw

They paid the check, with the Sheriff covering the lion's share, since both Isabel and Liz didn't have their wallets. The sun was creeping higher in the sky, as they had spent two hours in the dingy diner. They divided up into the groups Max had assigned them. There was a brief moment of amusement as Maria and Michael started scuffling with each other over possession of the Jetta keys. Michael had been winning until Maria used the three inch heels on her platforms on Michael's foot. With victory firmly in her grasp, she sprinted to the car and slid into the driver's seat, seconds ahead of Michael's retalitatory strike.

Tess and Alex discussed something quietly for a moment before climbing into the Sheriff's truck. Alex took the front passenger seat, leaving Tess and Kyle in the back. Both Alex and Tess rolled their windows all the way down, luxurating in the feel of warm sunlight. Isabel wistfully watched them go, wishing she didn't have to ride with the cooing lovebirds. Per Max's instructions, she clicked on the cell phone and dialed up Alex's parents. She'd gotten quite close to them over the last month. They'd both lost someone they loved. When she explained her reason for calling, they were almost pathetically grateful. They'd been saving Alex's room for last to pack up. The thickness in his mom's voice- it was one of those times she wished more than anything she'd been born human.

She was curled up against the side of the car, but she was facing him, which was all he needed right now. Kyle wished he could touch her, but he didn't think she'd be ready for that for a while. So he just looked at her. It was alarming how much he felt in such a short time. He hadn't known this girl for months; the last time he'd kissed her had been so long ago, he'd nearly forgotten what she tasted like. Yet, oh God, he wanted her, but it was also more than that. It went deeper. Soul deep. Dammit, he'd been hanging around with Max too long. It was a good thing he and Liz were back together, because this time Kyle planned on fighting. The next child she had would be his. Whoa. Whoa. Wait a sec. That was very...yeah. His brain was definitely on overload. As he blinked in astonishment at his own thoughts, he almost missed the hesitant look in Tess's eyes. But he didn't. He very slowly smiled at her and quirked an eyebrow. She flushed again, that dusky rose he found so appealing, and inched her hand over so it was touching his. Carefully, he linked their fingers together and felt like a King himself when she didn't pull away. Oh yeah, he was definitely going to explode. Through the steam building up in his head, he heard Alex whistling. But, damn, it felt good.

Michael and Maria would be the first to admit that they had relationship issues. Their off-again, on-again, method had its own chapter in the Roswell High handbook. Yet, it was practically a given that no matter how many times they were off, they'd always end up back in the on position. Kyle and Max had both cracked up when Liz used that phrase. She'd just huffed and called them both horndogs. Michael and Maria were currently heading towards an off phase. Michael was convinced something was up with Maria and Maria was becoming highly aggravated with his relentless questions. So what if she knew stuff? Since when was that a crime? Michael reminded her that it wasn't so much the stuff she was saying as the way she was saying it. Maria had done a pretty good job of putting up with what she considered grevious insults, but when Michael raised the possibility that _she_ was a Skin, the Jetta immediately swerved over to the side of the road. Michael never did figure out how she managed to get him out of the car, but the next thing, he knew he was staring at the tail lights as she sped away. Luckily for him, the Jeep pulled over once Max became aware of his predictament.

When they finally arrived at the Quarry, Maria had worked herself into a fine tiff and Michael had his hands full, calming his ruffled pixie. Isabel and Alex went off to the side, behind the cars. Tess was still holding Kyle's hand and was watching the Guerin-DeLuca brawl, fascinated. Max and Liz were talking quietly, leaning against the Jeep. The Sheriff was thinking that he spent way too much time with the kids and planned on calling Amy later that night.

Every good tale has a beginning, middle and end. The past had been brought to light, the present was in motion, but what about the future? As the group waited for Isabel to finish altering Alex's appearance, their tale began to draw to a close.


Ace of Spades: Maria


"Don't talk to me, Michael! Insufferable jerk! I don't even know why I bother putting up with you. You know what you are? You're a man! Yeah. That's it. That's exactly what you are. A man. Don't roll your eyes at me! You are an egotistical, chauvenstic, thinks-with-his-dick MAN!"

"Thank you."

"ARGH! You listen to me, Michael Guerin, because I am only going to say this one more time. I am not now nor have I ever been a Skin."

"It was just a possible explanation-"

"Possible explanation? Possible explanation for what? Your rampant paranoia? You really have a problem when you suspect your own girlfriend of being one of the enemy. You've been in my bedroom, you've seen my furniture. Do I have a cabinet of moisturizer like Bottled Blonde did? Have I started buying loofas in the bulk? No. Do you ever find icky skin peelings lying around? No. Because I AM. NOT. A. SKIN."

"I was just sayin'-"

"Um, excuse me. I know I've missed a lot, but I, uh, have a question. You and Michael, um, y'know?"

"Um...Well, kinda, yeah. But trust me, Tess, it was obviously an error in judgement that doesn't bear repeating."

"Awww, c'mon, Maria. Don't be hasty here. I was just sayin'-"

"He told me this story. About the Bonding."

"He? You mean Alex? And what's this bonding thing? It sounds too much like cementing for...Oh shit. Tess, tell me I'm wrong. Tell me it's not like cementing."

"I don't know what cementing is."

"Maria, what's goin-"

"So tell me what the bonding is."

"It's a ceremony for our people. Like a wedding. Except there's no equivalent of a divorce for us. It's for life. He read all about this in the book."

"Ohmigod. Oh my GOD. I need air. I need to breathe. Dammit, Michael! My mother was right! Do you know how annoying it is to admit she was RIGHT? I cannot _believe_ this is happening. Michael, would you say something already? It takes the two of us for this, you know. C'mon, spaceboy, let's hear your two cents on this. Michael? Mich-HEY! Where the HELL do you think you're going? Don't you dare walk away from me, Guerin!

Dammit. The next time I go traisiping through the desert on a rescue mission, I'm wearing sneakers. Michael, will you slow _down_ for God's sake? Didn't you hear what Tess just said? We're mated. FOR LIFE. There's no way you can leave me behind now, Michael. Anywhere you run to, I'll still be there. I'm in you now. Just like you're in me. That's where all this stuff is coming from, y'know. From you. Because I'm saying what you can't. Dammit, spaceboy. Can't...can't you just _tell_ me?"

"Oh, what, are you graciously allowing me time to speak now?"

"God. Now I really need to catch my breath. Michael, please, just tell me."

"I thought you knew everything that's going around inside my head now, huh?"

"Tell me."

"...I knew."

"You knew? Before we...you had the translated copy of the book. You knew and didn't tell me? Why...I mean, how...no, I mean, why?"

"I sorta knew even before I read the translation. Y'know we've come pretty close before, and then, I knew on sort of an instinctual level. That you...that you were it for me. But you, you're human. So I figured..."

"You figured what I didn't know wouldn't hurt me. God. I don't even know what to say. Could you really just let me walk away like that? You'd just let me go, knowing-"

"I wasn't exactly planning on losing you, you know. On letting you just _go_. But if something happened, or if...you weren't happy...I wasn't gonna hold you back."

"Oh God. Oh Michael."

"Aw, baby, don't cry. You know I hate it when you do that."

"Tough."

"Are you still mad at me?"

"I wasn't mad, per say. More like highly miffed. It's a big adjustment. But I kinda knew, you were it for me too."

"So you still...?"

"I still. Always. You?"

"Ditto."

"After we get back, we have to work on expanding your vocabularly."

"Heh. I think Kyle's trying to wave us back. Either that or he's doing weirdass jumping jacks."

"With Kyle, you never know."

"True."

"There's still so much we all need to discuss. We haven't even started to talk about the Granilith."

"It'll keep."

"We can't just leave a potential weapon of destruction lying around!"

"You know, you do sound a _lot_ like Liz. Are you sure you're not a Skin?"

"Ooooh! You better run, Guerin, because when I get my hands on you, you're sooo in trouble."

"It's nice to see that some things don't ever change."


The Revelation



Once Max and Liz managed to pry Maria and Michael apart, Isabel led Alex into the group. The world fell silent as they tried to reconcile the two images of Alex in their minds. This new Alex was red-haired, with clear green eyes. Isabel had even altered his skin pigment, causing him to appear very fair and there was now a light dusting of freckles on his cheeks. His cheekbones were more pronouced and she'd managed to make him appear more muscular. It was quite a stunning change. Then, amused at the expressions on his friends' faces, he grinned. Despite all the physical alterations, the magic in that grin was still all Alex.

Tess shakily stepped forward and his grin faded. With the ease born of long familiarity, he reached out his hands and she slipped hers into them. Their eyes closed and the others in the group recognized the slight stiffening in their bodies as a connection being formed. Moments dragged by and suddenly tears began slipping down Tess's face. Seconds later, the connection broke and she threw herself into his arms.

Max watched the pair hug and felt something twist inside of him. It wasn't so much that he was jealous of the closeness between the two as it was that...that he was envious because they had each other. When Pierce took him, when he suffered in the hands of the FBI, there had been no one to share the experience with. Not that he wished what he'd been through on anyone else, but still...it would have been nice to have someone else who understood. Something brushed his hand and he tore his gaze away from Tess and Alex. Looking down, he watched as Liz's fingers curled around his palm, their warmth sinking beneath his skin. She'd seen what they'd done to him. It had been revealed to her by flashes when they kissed. Maybe she couldn't understand the pain, but she would gladly take some of the burden away if it would help him. Max knew he'd never let her do it, but to know that she would? It was enough.

She slowly pulled away from him, leaving the comfort of his arms. It had finally begun to sink in, she'd finally started to grasp the fact that they were free now. She wasn't the Tess she had been and he was now no longer the Alex he'd been. This moment, this second, everything irrevocably changed. They'd no longer be as close as they were because they had others now. This was what made her cry, the realization that the bond they had would be altered. And, and, Oh God, it hurt. But as she stepped back to her place next to Kyle, she knew that she would survive it. It might take a long time for the memories to stop haunting her, but they wouldn't keep her from moving forward. If she let them, then Nicholas and Lonnie and Rath really would've won. Hesitantly, Kyle put an arm around her shoulders and she turned her face up to him, smiling. She would survive.

His gaze traveled from Tess and Kyle around the group until it landed on Isabel. The girl was trying futily to hide the anxiety in her eyes. He grinned at her and she smiled back, a brilliant, radiant smile, that reminded him of when he stepped out of the compound into the sunlight for the first time in a month. His senses were dazzled and he felt vaguely cleansed as if all the dirt from his time in captivity had been bathed away. A lesser man might have re-fallen in love with Isabel Evans in that moment. However, his time in the hands of the Skins had honed him, forged an inner core of steel. He was stronger now than he'd ever been and as much as he wanted to collect on the promises in that smile, he knew they both had doubts. Doubts about who she really wanted, Kivar or Alex. He would sit down with his princess and they would talk. The doubts might fade and he would heal and then? Who knows? But there were possibilities again. And that was all he needed.

Alex, or rather, Andrew Maines as he would now be called, took a few steps back and all the teenagers were now standing in a loose circle, Valenti looking on. The words had been spoken, the tale was finished. Isabel, Liz and Max would drive to the Whitman house and pack up Alex's old room, on the pretext of donating it all. They would bring some of Alex's cherished possession to Michael's apartment, the only way they could give him back some of what he lost. The Valentis and Tess would drive back to their house. Tess would stand in her room and immediately change all the wood paneling to a cotton-candy pink. Kyle would come to the door, pretending disgust, and then toss her his jersey over his shoulder as he beat a retreat. Michael and Maria would drive back to Roswell in silence, each lost in their own thoughts about the new status of their relationship, but their hands would be resting on the console, fingers entwined.

They did not live happily ever after, because this is not a fairy tale. Happiness comes and goes, based on the whims of life. However, they did live, despite all odds, and this indeed is the moral of our tale. There is no greater strength than the desire to live and no greater gift than the freedom to live. This tale may be at an end, but life, the greatest story of them all, will continue on.