"Whitman Residence," a soft voice answered. A female voice.
"Liz?"
"Oh, Maria, I've been waiting for you to call," Liz rushed to say. "Alex had to go but he asked me to stay."
"Must've been pretty important," she was a little hurt.
"Michael and Max want him for some hacking into the musuem files."
Maria scowled, "I told them to leave Brody out of this."
"I think they're feeling threatened by you. I think the expression is, "sister's doin' it for herself."
"Welcome to it. Life's rough out here on the front."
Liz's voice tinged with worry. "Are you okay? We worried-"
"Hey, babe, I'm about to hit the sack. Tonight was...intense."
"Intense?"
"He told me about the granolith today. Seems we got a purty special rock out there." Maria retold Larek's 'fairy tale.'
"Time travel," Liz's voice trembled.
"Oh, Larek thinks that's pretty ridiculous."
"Oh, of course-"
"Something big's going down tomorrow. I wonder who he's meeting? He's got super serious face. It's only about a six on the annoyance-meter, but packs a big wallop on the scare-me scare. Maybe I should tail him?"
"Maybe not so good an idea. What if he catches you?"
"Point," Maria yawned.
"You need to sleep. I'll tell Alex you called?"
"Send him my smoochies."
"What am I, chopped liver?"
"Sorry, sister, I'm sending some Zen hugs your straightaway."
"Sweet dreams, Maria. Be safe."
"That's what I keep telling myself. And funny, I seem to be hearing it from a lot of other people, too."
Larek turned the television off when the various carrot juicer and psychic hotline infomercials changed into syndicated reruns. He unlocked his side of the adjoining door and felt a momentary anger when he found the girl's side unlocked. He pushed the door open silently until he saw that she was still sleeping.
She was scrunched into the lower corner of the bed, the pillows long forgotten and untouched. Knees to her chest, hands clasped over knees. She looked like a lump with long yellow hair fanned around her.
More to pass the time than anything, he wrote on the hotel stationary reminding her to lock her side of the door. He found tape and stuck it to her forehead, using enough tape to cover her eyebrows.
Well, at least she wouldn't miss it. He inspected his masterwork and, nodding to himself, decided it was quite adequate.
Next he pulled several bills from his pocket and lay them on the nightstand. He was sure she'd need some sort of cash. It was Brody's money anyway. He looked about the room once more before returning to his own room. He went to the elevator, stopping only to hang a "Do Not Disturb" sign on the girl's door.
***
He took a cab to the Holiday Inn Express and asked the desk what room Nicholas Crawford was staying in.
"Mr. Crawford?" The clerk said, plucking a post-it from her computer monitor. "Mr. Crawford transferred hotels this morning. Are you Mr. Larek?"
"Yes." He gritted his teeth, Nicholas was playing games.
"Mr. Crawford left you a note." She handed him an envelope.
Larek,
Unfortunately the Holiday Inn Express just could not meet my needs. I've been forced to move to accomodations more suited to my lifestyle. Please be so kind as to meet me at the Hilton, Penthouse.
Yours,
Nicholas
***
Maria rubbed her head, then scratched at it. Pulling eyebrows away with tape, she screamed herself awake.
"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" She read the note and cursed the alien. So much for tailing him, Larek had already left for his mysterious appointment. "Pointy-eared, fox-nosed stupid alien!"
Then she spotted the money and remembered the local shops just outside her door. I've gone greedy, she shook her head but pocketed the cash. It'd be rude to return the money now. Who knows what he might do? I might be interfering with some weird Sa-Larekon-onian-y-whatever custom. Can't do that -it would be undiplomatic.
Maria DeLuca, Queen of Rationalization and Alibis.
She dialed room service for a breakfast of eggs, bacon, and buttered toast. When the tray arrived, she dug in. Predictably, in the middle of perfectly salted eggs over easy, the phone rang.
"Hullo," she hesitated.
"Hey Maria," returned Alex.
"Dude, you sound...hungover," she tried not to be offensive. "How'd you get this number?"
"Caller ID. The desk clerk patched me through to your extension. You know you really should use an assumed name or something if you're undercover."
"Huh. I never thought of that. Kinda figured, nobody important knows who I am, anyway. You know, none of the Skins anyhow."
"What about your mom?"
"Ah, but I didn't call my mom. Thus no caller ID, thus no problem."
"Yeah, by the way, about your mom..."
"She's okay and everything?"
"You could say she's under police protection. Twenty-four seven police protection."
"Cryptic."
"Sheriff Valenti took her for a romantic getaway."
"Stop. Gross. Too many details."
"Yeah, well, the man has his uses. But Kyle's got a little too vivid a fantasy life to be comfortable with the idea of...twenty-four idea police protection. He's got a bone to pick with you."
"Oh, god, just stop before my head explodes from the visual cues. And tell Kyle I'll bring him back a T-shirt of something."
"But what about me!" Alex whined.
Maria laughed, "A snowglobe tailored to your specifications."
"Much better," he approved.
"Hey, I'm kinda scared to ask but...what funny stuff were you up to last night? I thought you were gonna keep the kids in check. Sorta in loco parentis."
"You ask too much, lady." He groaned and sighed. "Hey, I gotta go. The pod squad's meeting to form contingency plans."
"Wow, you say that last part with gusto."
"I think the word is repulsion. Anyhow, I gotta check in and do damage control or the next thing you know Isabel'll be dream walking you and-"
"Gotcha. You hustle. Tell them okay. Liz tell you about the granolith."
"Yeah, heavy. Another good reason I need to go. I'd hate for them to start experimenting with it."
"Big boom?"
"Something like that. Tonight?"
"Most definitely."
"Be-"
"Safe? Yeah, I know. You, too." Maria hung up the phone.
***
Two large men met Larek at the elevator landing. He noted that both were armed. He produced Nicholas' invitation and they showed into a sitting room.
Nicholas sat in front of a big screen television, sunglasses perches atop his head. He nodded faintly without removing his eyes from the screen.
"Love that Sailor Moon. She's so feisty," he turned the television off and turned to Larek.
Nicholas gestured to the couch. "Have a seat."
Larek warily complied and waited for Nicholas to make all the moves.
***
Maria happily wandered the streets of Chapel Hill, her brand new purple-tinted shades matching her violet and white outfit. The sunglasses had only been first blood, now she was getting down to serious shopping.
Mentally she made a list of definitely/maybe/because I have-to's. She would definitely get Alex, Liz, and Max gifts. She'd get Kyle a gift because she promised. She might get Isabel a gift just because she was easy to shop for and she liked to see people smile. Tess might rate because it'd be like a psychic cue. Whenever Tess saw her gift, it'd be like Maria saying, "Nyah, nyah, I went on the holy fact-finding mission and you didn't!" Michael. Now Michael wasn't exactly one to appreciate souvenirs but it just didn't seem fair to leave him out when everyone else was getting a gift-
She wondered if they sold asbestos.
***
"I like New York," Nicholas said casually. "Do you like New York?"
Larek shrugged noncommitally.
"I love how the whole city's just in shadow. All those tall buildings. Shadow," he nodded approvingly. "That's the last time we saw it each other, Larek. It was a regular reunion in the Big Apple. Me, you, Kathana, Hanar, and Sero. All those memories! Good times, good times."
"Indeed."
"You know the only one missing was...Zan! But then we had his...replacement, Max Evans," Nicholas rolled his neck to look at Larek. "You two seemed quite chummy. But then again you and Zan were always the best of friends, weren't you?'
Nicholas tapped his fingertips on the leather couch. "Now what did you tell him then? Ah, that you were at his father's funeral, coronation, and wedding."
"So were you."
Nicholas made a face.
Larek continued, "And if you recall, I also told him that it was all anicent history."
Nicholas wagged his finger in the way only a teenage boy can, "Uh, uh, Larek. Not ancient history. Not until Kivar has the granolith -that's when the new age can begin."
Larek oppressed the urge to grind his teeth, Earth was getting to the Skin leader. He sounded like a bad movie. "So what would you call the last fifty years, Nicholas?"
"An intermission."
"I thought you'd call it exile."
"I'm not being punished with this body, Larek. I have a comission. What is life after all without purpose?" Nicholas smiled slyly. "But enough philosophizing. Kivar wants the granolith."
"Yes," Larek agreed. He would let Nicholas play his games but he would not ask any of the question Nicholas wanted him to. He would not be manipulated.
"You're going to get it for him."
Larek, shocked, said nothing. Did nothing.
"It's been confirmed that Max Evans holds the granolith. He's holding it. Go to him. Build a bond based on your friendship with Zan. Make him trust you."
"Do you honestly think it will be that easy?"
"Max is young," Nicholas said. "He's a lost, little lamb. He's turning to humans for help. He even trusted Nasedo. Surely you, Larek, his oldest friend will be trusted." Nicholas flicked the television back on and turned away. "And if you don't, the only thing left on your planet will be the nemriaw."
Larek knew it for a dismissal. He stood stiffly but left silently.
"Follow him," Nicholas ordered, still not turning away from the television. "She really is feisty. And such short skirts, too."
***
Maria returned to the hotel room laden down with shopping bags. Most of the items featured a mean-looking goat-thing. A Tarheel they called it? She wasn't sure but Liz, Tess, and Isabel were now the proud owners of plush goat-thing stuffed animals. She'd gotten Alex his snowglobe and Kyle a poster of the UNC Women's soccer team. Max rated a school sweater and she'd gotten Michael a highlighter.
But it was a blue highlighter. With stripes!
She'd had a lot of fun. Several of the stores carried school supplies and pads of paper to test pens on. She'd written, "Go Duke" on every single one.
She felt very naughty.
And satisfied.
She'd even bought Larek a gift. Several in fact.
She struggled with her bags to get her key out of her jeans and into the door slot when someone relieved her of the packages.
"Let me get that."
"Hey, Larek, I didn't even hear you." She opened her door.
"Yes, I noticed. What if I'd been someone else?" He said sharply.
She closed the door behind them while he deposited the bags on the bed. "Yeah about these vague warnings. Who is this mysterious someone I'm someone to be so scared of?" she said scornfully, her bright mood deflated. "I thought you were supposed to protect me and whatnot."
He grabbed her shoulders and shook her, "Look at me. This body is human. There are some things I cannot even protect myself against."
"Wait," she said. "So no lasers shooting out of your eyes or super strenth or faster than a speeding bullet?"
"Not even a Vulcan death grip."
"But-"
"Brody Davis' body is a vessel. I can do small things. Very small," he said a little wearily.
"Oh. Wow," Maria sat, feeling a little bad. "So, uh, bad meeting?"
He looked at her coldly and Maria felt her world begin to shift.
"Do not take this out on me," she said, backing away to the far side of the bed.
The cruel glint faded and only weariness remained. "Let's get out of here."
Larek and Maria ate at Spanky's again. Maria'd gotten no choice, Larek had once again strong-armed her. It wasn't the restaurant that she had a problem with, it was the dragging. Would Max heal her a new arm if Larek pulled it off? That couldn't be too hard. And then she'd be like a starfish-
"What?" Maria realized that Larek talking.
"I haven't finished my business yet. You will be accompanying me tomorrow." Larek still had the nagging feeling that he should not leave her alone. Stronger, in fact. He looked at her purple and white polka dot halter and jeans. "We'll find something suitable for you to wear tonight."
"Suitable?" She said scathingly. "This ain't Rodeo Drive and I ain't Julia Roberts. And you are definitely not Richard Gere so -oh, I'm going with you. Okay." What luck! What total luck, she'd be getting information from the source. No, not luck. Karma. She had been such a good girl. Okay, he might want to dress her in tin foil or something but it was for a good cause, right. And it wasn't like anyone was going to see her but Larek.
He speared a piece of steak and continued, "You are not to speak. While I enjoy your puny attempts at wit, others of my kind are not so accepting.of unsophisticated jesting."
"Unsophisticated!"
"Why, oh, that word too long? How about 'vulgar,' that only has six letters. You really should try to extend your vocabulary seeing how it is your language."
Maria glared but was relieved that he felt mellow enough to banter.
"So are you getting new duds, too?"
"Perhaps."
She clapped her hands, "Cool, it's a group project. A makeover, we'll be like best friends."
"Only if I get to paint your toenails."
"Well, sure since I won't be letting you near my eyebrows."
"Like that?" He smirked.
"Oh, yeah," she made it sound like a threat.
"I did tell you to lock your side of the door," he said smugly.
***
Larek looked at Maria critically. "You've got big hips. Are you sure you're a human female? You could be a cow."
"Moo," she said before executing a catwalk turn. She loved the way this skirt swished around her calves. It was a deep crimson silk. Silk, she sighed. Just like the black silk top and everything item she'd tried on. Even the pantyhose. Larek had dragged her (again) into a small women's shop named Babette's Hanger and asked Maria her size. Once given, Larek had picked out a mountain of clothing and thrown her into the dressing room.
Maria squashed down her inner cry for funk and color. Sure, she felt like Country Club Barbie but at least there was no poodle accessory and she wasn't dressed as Country Club Barbie's dowdy dowager Aunt Louisa.
Did she mention it was all silk?
"That'll do." Larek nodded. Only two other outfits had been approved of, a navy shirtdress and a cream and chocolate painsuit. He'd already picked out the appropriate shoes. He asked the saleswoman for the name of a nearby jeweler's.
Outside and dressed in the shirtdress, Maria said, "Did I say that I wasn't Julia Roberts? Cause I was way wrong. Where'd you learn so much about fashion?"
"Fashion," he looked at her. "It's strategy. I'm outfitting you for war. And now for the ammunitition." He pointed out the jeweler's to her.
It was like Tiffany's or something. There were women with frou-frou hats and the frou-frou hair to match. Saleswomen were serving champagne on silver platters.
There were open boxes of Godiva chocolate everywhere!
"Close your mouth," Larek whispered. "Act like you belong here."
"There isn't a place close to this in Roswell. I thought these stores only existed in movies." She picked up a chocolate truffle and popped the meltingly delicious morsel into her mouth. "Oh, yeah, I belong here. Baby, I belong."
A saleswoman came to assist them but when she could not tell Larek the origin and complete history of a ruby torque, he imperiously waved her away.
"You know about gems, too?"
"I watch a lot of television," he said with a straight face.
"I told you I'm from a mining planet. I know rocks."
The manager appeared then, obviously eager to please. He sold them the ruby torque, a rope of black pearls, a white pearl necklet and matching pearl earrings, and a gold bracelet with jade inlay.
"There is jade on Antar," he offered. "No pearls, you need oceans for that."
"What about on Sa-Larekon," she said. Maria had dollar signs spinning around her head. She was gonna wear this stuff? And silk. Oh, my.
"Diamonds," he said. "Like that."
Her eyes followed his pointed finger to an exquisite tiara of silver worked to look like leaves. Diamonds like chunks of pink ice were carved to form blossoms. Unconsciously she moved towards it. She almost said, "Ooh, shiny," but just stopped herself.
"You don't need anything like that, of course." Larek interrupted her worship.
She wanted to stomp her foot. "Can't we return all that other junk and just get this?"
"The point is to make you look elegant and refined enough to be my companion. Not to make you look like Queen of Tottto."
"Totto? What is that? The dog planet?"
He ignored her. "You are to be an ornament. Not a flashing neon sign."
She pouted, "You really have stuff like that on your planet."
"Oh, ours are much, much bigger."
Her eyes become round with acquisitiveness, "Can I come visit?"
He laughed a little. The girl was very entertaining.
"Are we gonna dress you up now?"
"No."
"But you said-"
"Do put away that face. It doesn't affect me. My clothes don't matter. I am not an ornament, I am wholly acceptable in and of myself."
She seemed to hesitate. "Could we wash them? Just a little?"
"Beg your pardon."
"You've been wearing them for three days. At least. You are grody."
"Maybe a change of clothes would be in order."
"And dinner?"
"You are forever eating."
"Hey, being this pretty and charming and all around perfect expends a lot of energy. I've got metabolism like you wouldn't believe."
"Pig."
"Thought I was cow."
"You're a hybrid."
***
Bushed from shopping, Maria decided to order room service. Brody followed her into her room. He looked around while she made the call. Their rooms were very similar only she had luggage.
She turned to him, "Larek, you want for anything?"
"No."
She turned back to the phone, "Twenty minutes? Neat."
"What did you buy?" Larek lifted one of her shopping bags.
"Gifts, souvenirs. Touristy things." She grinned, "I got you something."
"Me?"
She smiled shyly, "Well, I saw them and I thought of you. Here." She thrust a bag at him.
Smiling back, he opened the bag and pulled out several books. "Hmm, How to Get Your Way with a Smile. Courtesy for Dummies. Emily Post's Manners. Nobody Likes Mean People."
"It's a theme gift."
"You set me up." His eyes lit with delight.
"Take that, Eyebrow Guy."
"Thank you, I will," he patted the stack of books fondly. "I might get cold tonight, this will make excellent kindling."
"Promise to choke on the smoke?"
***
Maria and Larek lay comfortably on the floor watching television.
"So when you do this whole body-snatcher gig, what happens to your bod?"
"My bod, as you call it, stays on Sa-Larekon."
"Well, yeah, but is it under guard or is it just sitting on a toilet somewhere?"
"It's under guard," he said shortly.
"Good because the toilet thought was disturbing even to me," she shook her head. "Okay, so why don't you just come to earth. You said you have big zoomy, zippity spaceships."
"We're not exactly neighbors, you know. It'd take years to get here."
"Oh," she said. "So these people you're meeting or whatever, I thought they were in your solar system. You're neighbors, why don't you just hop on over to their pad?"
"Because they wouldn't answer the bell."
"You mean they're not at home? Which means, they're here. So they made the long drive to Earth, but you won't? I don't get it."
"I told you I'm using Brody's body as a vessel? Well, they have their own. Husks, they're called."
"Like skins?"
He looked at her sharply.
"Like corn?" She said desperately.
"No, not like corn. You were right the first time, like skins."
"Why don't you have a skin?"
"Because I have no desire to stay on Earth. But there are pros and cons. The skins can use their extra-, their Superman like abilities. But they can never return home. Then again, they can endure Earth longer than someone like me."
"Whatcha mean?"
"The control of a human body is difficult. It takes days of preparation and even longer to fully recover."
She pursed their lips. "Is that the only difference? Mode of transportation? You took the sub, they took a plane."
"There are political differences."
Knew that, she nodded. It's a planetary like division. "So there's body snatchers, corn huskers, and- is that it?"
"Then there are the hybrids."
"Oooh, like me? Cow slash hog."
"Sort of."
Larek and Maria continued in their easy conversation until Maria fell asleep. He looked at her peaceful face and debated doing something nasty. No, not tonight, he'd learned about a lot about humans. She'd been useful. Let her sleep.
Tomorrow she would meet Nicholas.
Maria took extra pains shaving her legs and applying her make-up the next day. Larek was all hyper about taking her to the meeting and she didn't want him to channel the hype into kabloo-ey-sized anger.
She twirled for him when he entered, also wearing his new clothes. Brooks Brothers all they way, but he hadn't taken out Brody's earring.
"You look like a pirate."
He shrugged, "You'll do."
She pouted.
He bent one knee, "You are ravishing beyond my eloquence. You are blinding in your beauty. The brilliance of your eyes and the fairness of your complexion but compliment your dimpled knees."
"Very nice," she nodded.
"I watch the Spanish soaps."
"You know Spanish?"
"Don't you? Oh, yes, you can barely mangle English." He raised his hand, "Now where was I? Ah, yes. Your hair outshines the stars. Your nose is pert and pulchritudinous."
"Pulchritudinous!"
"Masterpiece Theater was on last night, too."
"Sure, it was. Now go on."
"Your arms are of equal length and have little need for electrolysis?"
"Little?"
"Slim to none?"
***
They took a cab to the Hilton.
Maria nodded approvingly in the elevator, "Lush digs? Have you been slumming it?"
He leered down at her, "In more ways than one."
"I'm truly stung." She put her hand on her heart and a wounded expression on her face.
"Now remember what are you supposed to do?"
"Shut my mouth and look cute?"
"Good girl." Her patted her on the head.
She narrowed her eyes, "Maybe I could bark, too? Or bring them their newspaper?"
"No need to go overachieving. I appreciate the thought, though."
***
The armed men met them in the elevator lobby.
"There's no invitation for the human."
"She's my guest," Larek interpposed smoothly.
"As you are Nicholas' guest."
Larek decided it was better than letting her wander the city alone. At least he'd be in the next room. He missed the paleness of her face. It disappeared before he shot her a look that she was to obey.
She nodded awkwardly and sat down on the divan one of the men pointed at. She'd mentally named him Burly Man One. No, not man, Skin. He was a Skin if Nicholas was here.
Nicholas. Oh, god, oh, god. Isabel had identified him as slime -dangerous, methodical, creepy slime.
She'd never met him in their creepy cult town. That was good. Or in Roswell.
But he was related to that bitch, the Congresswoman. She winced. Nicholas had never actually met her but what if Vanessa Whitaker had told him about Liz's best friend.
She began to tremble, remembering Larek's voice, There are some things I cannot even protect myself against.
Burly Man One looked at her trembling form and smiled.
Oh, this was bad. This was Mission to Mars, Wild Wild West, Battlefield Earth, Batman Forever, the Spice Girls movie bad.
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