Chapter Eighteen
" This would really be romantic, " said Maria thinking about Isabel and Thaman. " I personally didn't see it coming but it sucks. I thought she really cared about Alex "
" Romantic? " asked Michael. " God knows how old he is "
" That's not the point Michael, " said Liz " Love is ageless "
" Whatever "
" It's true Space Boy "
" I know Isabel loved Alex. This whole thing has been really hard for her too " said Max
" It's hard for me to say this but I think that Thaman is meant for Isabel " said Liz.
Michael just shook his head. He wanted to know why Isabel was acting so funny. He didn't want her to get hurt again. It had nothing really to do with Thaman himself. " You agree with me don't you Max? " he asked looking across the table at Max.
Max looked at him and then at Liz. " I think we should just leave it up to Isabel "
" I think there's something going on that we don't know, " said Maria
" You think? " said Michael sarcastically.
" Excluding the obvious " she said rolling her eyes.
" Yeah I know, like they have this connection with each other, " said Liz. " Didn't you notice how different she's been acting since we met him? "
" I noticed nothing, " said Michael.
" What do you mean by connection? " asked Max. " Like she had a flash? "
" I would believe it, " said Liz looking at him. "I think they loved each other in your other life "
Max looked at Liz. He had thought about it. Seeing Isabel the past two weeks, it would make sense.
" Are you ok with that? " asked Liz trying to read his expression.
" At least he's not some loser who wants into our secrets, " said Michael sitting back in the booth putting his arm around Maria.
" We can trust Thaman, I don't think he'll hurt her " said Max.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
" Dad? " called Kyle walking into his house.
" Hey son, over here " called Valenti from Kyle's bedroom.
Kyle walked over to his bedroom. He still couldn't bring himself to go in because of Tess but his dad was scrambling through her left over stuff.
" Dad what are you doing? "
" I'm looking for something, any clues "
" Any clues for what? "
" Anything that she would have left behind without thinking " said Valenti opening all the drawers. He had already looking through the rest of the room. He was throwing her clothes over his shoulder. He was on the second drawer when he reached his hand to the bottom of the drawer just above it. He ripped the tape off and brought it out.
Kyle walked over to him. It was a very thin piece of metal shaped like a diamond with alien symbols on it. It was glowing.
" What is it doing? " asked Kyle.
" But how do you listen? " asked Valenti. Then the glow went away.
" What happened? "
" They still don't know that she's gone, " said Valenti. " They're trying to contact her "
" We should go tell the others, " said Kyle
" No, I think this ought to wait until tomorrow. I see you've already had a hard day son " he said looking at Kyle's ripped shirt and the mud stains on it.
" Hard doesn't quite describe it "
Valenti turned the alien communicator around and looked at the back. There was a Red Triangle engraved on it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Oh another night of mystery and suspense. Would anything just cool off for a day? Now that my dad has found this new thing in Tess' room, another mystery we have to look into. My life is turning into a non-stop sci fi flick. This was like X Files but with a group people, not just Scully and Mulder. Man if Scully and Mulder only knew the truth. They would flip. The things that I've seen lately would blow their minds, cause they were real. And now I too am a freak and have powers. This new girl Serena, why did Liz look at her like she was a ghost or something? I don't think Serena is an alien. I thought that Michael or Max could tell. Michael just seemed annoyed and Max didn't seem to care. Serena is different from other girls. Not only is she hot she's got this thing to her. I don't know what it is. As soon as we talk to the others about this alien thing I'm going to try
and find her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She was there again, in the lab below the Pepper's Café. She walked alone, silently through the lab. It was now destroyed and dark. She thought her heart was going to jump out she felt so scared. Why was she here again? This wasn't exactly the place she wanted to come back to. Zan, Max's dupe, had brought her here to show her, her dupe. Some lights were still working but barely. The green glow had died. She couldn't really see the things around her. She could only hear the loud cracking of the glass beneath her feet. She was terrified to see Zan's dead body laying there with that wound that she so desperately didn't want to see again. She wouldn't be able to bear it if that ever happened to Max. If anything Zan was Max in another form, but she could only see Max in his pain stricken face. Even in that last moment he only thought of her safety. He told Max to take care of her. How could he have loved her so much? He didn't even really know her. But he had gone through so much trouble for her, to try and save her. She walked forward. She didn't want to move forward but her body kept going.
Her legs were stepping forward one after another. The lights all went down and Liz could hear her breathing echo in the air. She was trembling. There was no light at all, only the faint light escaping near the couch she where she had been tied on the other side of the room. She didn't hear anything else but her breathing and the broken glass. She tried to strain her ears for the humming sound but nothing. She walked forward closing her eyes, trying to imagine her way around. She stretched her arms out in front of her as a guide. Something was leading her towards the spot she knew she didn't want to see but she had to see. She stopped and even though it was all dark in there, tried to look down. She looked up to see her dupe but then she could but she tried to look down where she knew Zan's body was. Then without warning all the lights came on nearly blinding her. She grabbed her eyes for protecting and stood there a minute rubbing her eyes. When her eyes had adjusted she looked down. Zan's body no longer lay there.
" AH! " she screamed as she sat up in her bed. She looked around gasping for air. She was alone in her room. Sweat was dripping down her face. She looked at the clock, 3:00am. Without even thinking she ran out of her bed, put on a jacket, climbed through her window and climbed down the ladder and started running.
~~~~~~~~~~
Max gasped as he sat up in his bed. He didn't have a nightmare but something shocked him out of his sleep. A flash of Liz in trouble caused his body to sit up before his mind could fully wake up.
" Liz " he gasped as he jumped out of his bed. He was scrambling for his jacket when he heard tapping on his window. Max rolled his eyes as he turned around. " Michael not " he said as he opened his curtain. He stepped back when he realized it wasn't Michael. " Liz? " he said quickly opening the window. Her eyes were tired and wide. There was something wrong.
" Are you going somewhere? " she asked looking at him holding his jacket. She had seen him running around the room.
" No I, was just coming to see you " he said looking at her. " Something was telling me to check on you " he looked at her shivering in the cold and put the jacket around her shoulders. He helped her climb in from outside.
When she had come inside his room she looked up at him like a lost girl. All she wanted to was hear his voice, telling her it would be ok.
" What's wrong Liz? " he said putting his hands on either side of her face.
" Max " she said touching his the back of his hand.
The connection was instantaneous. He was inside her head again. Flying through her thoughts. She was feeling so guilty and scared. Why was she scared? Was she worried about me again? Then he saw he was standing in the lab again. He could feel Liz's reaction when she saw her dupe. He didn't know whether to laugh when she thought about how neatly the jars were labeled. Then everything went dark and his vision went swirling. He tried to steady himself but the room was turning and then he saw it after the break down. He saw all the shattered glass on the floor and the smell of the tried chemicals. He couldn't tell what they were. Then he walked forward towards the area that Liz's dupe was. He couldn't see the dupe. He looked down and Zan's body was gone.
" Max! " said Liz taking his hands away from her face.
Max blinked a few times before he looked at her again.
" You didn't did you? "
" His body was gone Liz " he said looking at her. " Who would have taken his body? "
" I don't know, but something about it is bothering me Max. I think it means something "
He stepped back from her and looked at the floor thinking.
" Max, I think we should go back to the lab "
He looked at her surprised. He didn't expect her to want to go back there.
" I need to know if " she said
" I know, we'll go in the morning " he said.
Liz suddenly felt the time. Her body was still tired from everything that's been happening. She yawned softly. " Yeah we should go in the morning. I need to get back home "
" I'll drive you " he said walking over to his closet for another jacket.
" That's ok "
" No, I'm not going to have you walk around right now " he said grabbing his keys. He looked at her with that special look she loved so much. The look of concern and love. She smiled in relief as she kissed him.
~~~~~~~~~~
Sometimes I look at him and he's the most beautiful person I've ever seen. Then there are moments were I question my sanity for being with him. How could he be so important to me? How did it get this way? When I first got to know him, he was this freaky alien guy who was always watching us and was just creepy. Now I look and see him lying beside me sleeping peacefully. How do I feel about this guy now? Sometimes he's the most outstanding jerk you've ever met. But like at this moment you can see how fragile he really is. He's just scared about losing people that he cares about. He always pushed me away so that he wouldn't hurt me. Not realizing that it hurt me more to have him away from me. Last summer apart from him was so painful. I couldn't help myself as I called and left dozens of messages to which he never replied. He had this destiny on his mind all the time. He was the one who bossed people around and didn't really care about offending people. But I see something different inside. People don't see what I see. I don't even think Isabel or Max knew him like I know him. Under his tough exterior he's really caring and gentle. Michael Guerin gentle? She laughed to herself as she thought that. Definitely not the first thing you would think of when you thought of Michael. I really can't complain about him right now. He gave up his chance to go and he was now reluctantly getting involved in all the madness again. I can see his tired eyes saying he didn't really want to do this anymore. I know he just wants things back to normal but like me, he's stuck with his other destiny. Oh God how I hated that word.
Maria touched his face gently as she smiled. This was her Michael, he would always be hers no matter what he did or how he would hurt her. She knew he would always love her. She just had to keep reminding herself of that whenever he got into his moods. She prayed that they would all make it out of this alive. Even if she died, she prayed that at least Michael would go on.
~~~~~~~~~
I sit beside your bed as you sleep soundly. You do not know that I am here. Forgive me, my Princess, as I have to be invisible and see you without your knowledge. I just do not want anything to happen between us right now. How could this be happiness I am feeling right now? That I know that you, love me in this life and had loved me in the life before. That I know that, no matter what, you would love me in whatever life. It was very difficult for me to imagine. I had never dared to imagine that, but now I don't have to. I know that now we cannot be together but the fact that I can be with you again, in some way, makes me feel content. Knowing that you have been given another chance at life has given me strength. I hope you know that because of that thought, you being alive, I have been able to go through living on Earth this long. You helped me get over the death of Nathan without me having to tell you anything. You still do not know I lost him but I would rather you had nothing else to worry about. It is frustrating that you are so young now and it makes things more complicated for us. Things are going to be so challenging for me. It is taking all my will power to stop from touching your face. But I promise I will always protect you and be there for you no matter what you do or if you stop loving me. Because I will never stop loving you.
~~~~~~~~~~
" No! " screamed Serena sitting up in her bed. Sweat covered her whole body. She put her hand on her forehead and started breathing in and out forcing herself to concentrate. The dreams were getting worse and more vivid. She got up out of bed and walked over to the hotel sink. She splashed her face with water and looked at herself in the mirror. " You're going to get through this ". She looked over at the clock, 5:30. No use in sleeping in now, she thought. She tied her hair back, put on her biker shorts and her work out shirt. It was more of a sports bra than a shirt. She grabbed her walkman and turned the volume on high and went outside.
~~~~~~~~~
All I wanted to do was to stay with her on Earth. You know that, don't you? But now I have to face my written destiny again. But this time I won't push you away. This time I'm going to have you by my side always. I won't try to do this alone. All those times I tried to make you leave me alone were just a waste of time. I was only avoiding the inevitable. I hope you know that I can't live without you. That you know whatever happens I'll always be with you. I won't leave this planet without you and you won't be left alone. And if I die today or tomorrow you know that you were everything to me. I look into your face and even in your sleep you have this scared look on your face. I know you worry about me and what I'll put you through next. I never gave you any reason to think me solid and reliable. I've tried so hard so many times to make you happy but you never seemed to be happy with me. But if you want to forget everything else, just don't forget that I love you.
~~~~~~~~~~
Isabel was already on mile 3. She'd started jogging because of the guilt she carried on her. She had felt that, that was punishing herself. When she felt tired she pushed herself on more so the feelings of guilt would go away. For that half-hour or hour she felt free. She wanted to run the guilt away. But not today, she didn't feel guilty anymore. She was running for a different reason today. Today she felt so light and free that she thought she could run forever. The thought of Thaman and the happiness she felt. No they were not together now but the prospect of one-day being with her soul mate was bliss. Running had become of her now. Strangely, she felt she needed it. She loved the feeling of breathing the cold clear Roswell air as she ran through the streets. The refreshed feeling that she got after a shower was worth it. She ran past an alleyway but stopped when she heard a girl's voice shout
" Stay away from me ". She stopped and backed up a bit. She pepped her head to see what was going on.
" Come on now, we just want you phone number " said a guy.
Isabel knew who they were. They were some of Kyle's friends at school, Paulie and those dumb jocks. There were four of them. What were their names? God I don't remember, why don't I pay more attention to people?
" Just want my number ey? " said the girl they had surrounded, she didn't sound scared, just annoyed. " That's why you drag a girl into an alley? Just to get her number? "
" We called for you, but you didn't answer "
" Hello walkman " she said tapping her headphones. " That means do not disturb "
" You're just some spark ain't ya? "
" What am I in? The old South? Get out of my way " she said trying to push them aside. None of them noticed Isabel's presence.
" Get out of here Isabel, " her inner voice kept telling her. She shook her head " No, this girl is going to be in some trouble and I have to help her. Besides I can just use my powers with these guys "
" Wait a minute there " said one of the guys grabbing her by the arm.
Serena looked at him and then down at her arm where his hand was. " Let go "
" Come on now baby you know you want some attention "
" Baby? " she said squinting at him. Before he could say anything she grabbed his hand, snapped his wrist up and had twisted his arm around his back. He winced out in pain. " Call me baby again and I'll break you damn arm " she said pulling his arm higher up his back.
" Ow "
" Let go of him baby, " said Paulie tauntingly as another guy started coming towards her.
She squinted at him. She stepped on the back of the first guy's knee making him bent down, then she pushed his face towards the brick wall. As he collapsed she turned her attention to the approaching guy. As he ran towards her she grabbed his outstretched arm and twisted her body and flipped him over on his back. She kicked the second guy in the ribs continuous until she felt a crack and turned towards Paulie. She ran to him and he tried to punch her in the face. She grabbed his hand and twisted his wrist like she had with the first guy but she didn't pull his arm back behind him. When his arm reached towards his back half way she thrust her hand out forward and Paulie's elbow bent forward too. She didn't notice the third guy running towards her. Isabel saw the third guy coming from behind the girl. Isabel took this as her cue and ran forward. Isabel stretched out her hand and the guy flew to the wall. Serena looked at Isabel in surprise.
" Thanks " she said to her before she looked down at Paulie who was screaming in pain. His mind was registering to the pain he was looking at.
Isabel tried to close her eyes as she looked at Paulie's arm. His arm was majorly out of joint. His arm was bending in the opposite direction. She looked at the girl who had just done it. She didn't know whether to be impressed or scared.
Serena bent down and grabbed Paulie's hair, making him face her.
" Call me baby again and I will break your other arm. Got it? "
" Yeah " he barely managed to say before she threw his face down towards the concrete.
She looked at Isabel. Where did this girl come from? She thought that she had been alone.
" Thanks for getting that guy for me " she said as she started walking towards the street. Isabel looked down at the four guys who were wincing in pain.
" It doesn't look like you really needed me " she said following her.
" I would have managed but thanks, you saved me some energy " she said still walking.
" I've never met anyone that could do that " said Isabel admiringly.
" Thanks " said looking at her and stopping. " Going around from place to place you have to learn how to take care of yourself "
" So you don't live here? "
" No I'm just passing through "
" Aren't you going to report this to the police? "
" If they don't then I won't. I think they've learned their lesson. I doubt that they'll want to gang up on a girl after that " she laughed.
Isabel looked at her amazed. This girl had almost been beaten of worse, raped, and she was laughing about it like it was nothing.
" That was really incredible " said Isabel.
" Thanks " said Serena " You threw that guy pretty hard. You've got some moves of your own "
" I wouldn't call them moves. " said Isabel trying to look innocent. " What's your name? "
" Serena "
Isabel looked at her. " You're the girl that Kyle " Isabel stopped that sentence.
" Kyle what? " she asked looking at her.
" Kyle told me about you. I'm Isabel, Max's sister " said Isabel
" Max? " asked the girl looking at her confused. " Oh that guy that goes with, hmm, Liz? "
" Yeah "
" How come I didn't see you that day we went to the movies? "
" Oh I was busy that day "
" Hmm ok " she said. " It's nice to meet you Isabel "
" You too Serena " she said still walking beside her. " Do you wanna go get some coffee or something? " She was interested in getting to know Serena, she just seemed so neat. Definitely not like Liz or Maria who would have
just screamed for help. Not that, that was a bad thing, but this girl meant business. It was such a change to actually have a strong girl here.
Serena looked at her. " People here in Roswell are friendly aren't they "
~~~~~~~~
I lay awake beside you, hoping this moment will never end. You're holding me close to you so that our chests are touching. I can feel your heart beating. The feel of your arms around me is like magic, like I'm in a blissful dream. Why couldn't we just be like this? Just lay next to each other and hold each other while the world around us just disappears? Do you know how happy I feel now that you know the truth about everything and there is nothing stopping us from becoming one again? Do you know how happy you make me? How my heart feels at ease finally after so long of torture? Do you know that no matter what happens you will always be the love of my life? That no one will ever take your place? And how thankful I am that I am a part of your life? I hope you do know. If you knew that then anything could happen to me and I'll would be ok. I watch you now as you sleep and wonder what you're dreaming about. Your eyes are closed and your face is peaceful, almost happy. I'm so relieved you don't have that clouded, concerned, concentrated look on your face. You're always worrying about everyone except yourself. I see you smile as you moan softly. I hope its me that brings that smile to your face.
Liz looked over at her clock, 6:30 on a Saturday morning. Her parents were gone again, for the weekend, so she and Max could lay there without being disturbed. She didn't want to wake him just yet. She wanted to keep this wonderful, peaceful moment for a little longer.