The War

by domino84

Sequel to After the Cave, but works on its own. Future story with flashbacks to the past. M/M, M/L, A/I, K/T. College, Marriage, Babies, War...Surviving it all. COMPLETED!!!

4. Part 4

The War

by

Domino

Part Sixteen

2006
United States of America

It was the beginning of their fourth year in college when it happened. Maria was just starting her internship at a jewellery shop for her design course. Michael had completed a showing and was busy preparing for his next one. He no longer worked part time - his paintings supporting him a lot more than anything he previously did. Max and Liz were buried in work and the rest doing what normal college kids did. Alex had started marketing a computer program he had written over the summer and Isabel busy involved in the Student Political Activities.

It was the sheer normality of their lives - so unusual for them that made what happened such a shock, not just for them but for the world. It wasn't just unexpected but inconceivable. All their other worldly experience had left them unprepared to deal with an event of this magnitude. Their destiny said they would have to fight a war but it was something none of them really expected to do, least of all on earth.

Kivar, of course didn't consider the shock value of his move - or maybe he did and thought the surprise element would assist him. His first move, the attack that destroyed the world's belief, with the exception of a few in the know, that other life existed out there, was made on 4th of September 2006. Kivar didn't begin small but instead started out with a bang (excuse the pun). For his opening move, and to the relief of all, his worst to date he , in an attack strategy similar to the Nazi's Blitzkrieg only more technologically advanced, destroyed two cities.

In the space of an hour in the two fronts Kivar led, the Zarian Race, also known as skins due their propensity to shed their skins, flattened Washington DC and New York City. It was a war gambit to give an edge. With that one move, Kivar not only destroyed the seat of power but also the financial capital of America. In the process thousands died ,innocent casualties of a war that they never imagined, a battle they had no warning of.

The president, by pure chance although expected at the White House was with the Vice-President at the time in a helicopter headed for DC when the attack began. The resulting explosions, in close proximity caused the airborne vehicle to crash. The pilot and three agents were killed, but in light of the enormous casualties - the first family, the Cabinet, thousands of civilians, it wasn't something they had time to mourn.

After the initial bombing, Kivar led the way into the once proud capital city, one which now resemblance was to countries most Americans had previously only seen on the news. All survivors were rounded up. In New York, Nicholas did the same. Survivors from all over were taken, many by force. Those who resisted were killed on sight. The biggest areas were used to hold them. In New York, Madison Square Garden - a stadium once filled with dreams and children's joy became the sight of the first American concentration camp. In Washington, similar camps were set up.

The rest of America and the world watched in shock as news cameras reported events, their country falling apart, i.e. until the cameras were shut down, and screen emptied. For some this was worse, it left room to imagine the worst and Hollywood was cursed for its various alien movies, now preying on their imaginations. All over the country, everything shut down. Schools closed and parent arrived in mass to pick up their kids in panic. The raids began soon after and now the end of their existence in sight, many people with little to lose appeared on the streets. Others, fear driven hid in their homes.

Every security agency in America moved into action. Their leaders, mostly lost in Washington, seconds snapped into command. Emergency plans all over were activated, a little too late and despite their best efforts, control was slowly being lost. The lack of communication with two major cities and destruction of communication links over most of the Eastern Seaboard didn't help. The president and the vice-president were rushed to a new base, bruised and injured but alive. All over military units, the army and the marines were sent in to regain control.

It was official. America was now in a state of war.

End Part Sixteen

Part Seventeen

In Boston, all eight of them were on campus. It was lunch time and they had arranged to meet in the cafeteria. While usually, all of them didn't make it for this daily ritual, work deciding - today was a Monday. On Monday, it was a common occurrence that all of them showed up. The eight of them had just sat down when some noise on the other end of the café reached them. They looked up, to the crowd of students surrounding the television screens on that side of the room. It was the looks of fear and panic on their face that made them move over there. Without glancing at each other the eight got up and moved as a unit to the screens causing the panic.

The sight that met them was one of few that had the power to cause fear in a group of young adults that had been through too much already. Only twenty - two, there wasn't much that could scare them. This did. The televisions, all four of them, each on a different channel all showed scenes of a similar kind. A country in a state of a war can't be mistaken for much else. There's too much destruction and death for that. If it wasn't for the labels underneath the reports of terrified reporters, their usual togetherness and professionalism marred by the dirt on their faces and the chaos surrounding them, one might even be made to believe it wasn't an American city.

The scenes deteriorated progressively more with each passing second. The crowd in the cafeteria grew in size but it wasn't noticeable in sound. The silence was almost deafening as everyone stood there watching as Washington and New York fell to the ground, the panicked people in the streets falling like flies. Tears ran down the faces of the girls and even some of the guys.

Yet the worst scenes were still to come. The reporters had grown silent now as well - there was little to say. All that filled the screens were the sounds of people screaming and buildings collapsing. The Washington reports were the first to go. The last scene visible was the White House, where in one last scream of anguish it collapsed into rubble, the Capital building downed only minutes before. The screens filled with static after that and immediately everyone's full attention turned to the reports on New York. It was with a loss of hope, that the remainder of America watched as a symbol of peace and love for many, two of the greatest things in the US disappear. It's torch blown out the Statue of Liberty, cut of at the knees crumbled to the ground, followed immediately by a strike to the Empire State Building. A scene, once only seen in the movies was the last that they saw on the news report before all went black for tense filled seconds, and static took over.

The room was silent as the students took in the news, watched as their country fell, some of them homes destroyed. And it was silent after. No one dared to speak. The cafeteria, now full was in shock. People held on to each, their hands clasped tightly like they were holding on to lifelines. Many were crying and the sobs were the only sounds in the room. Maria had turned to Michael after the Statue fell and buried her face in his chest, blocking out the world and he buried his in her hair, drowning in guilt. Max and Liz held each others eyes and silent tears poured down Liz's cheeks - as they comforted and blamed themselves in the same breathe. Isabel held Alex tightly and he grabbed her waist with his arms in comfort while Tess held Kyle's hand in a near finger-breaking hold. Around them, friends and other students did the same.

The silence didn't last long. After the comfort, came the sadness, the fear and the anger. Yet, the next month almost passed in a complete blur. America went from being the land of dreams and the free to one of an oppressed society. In addition to New York and Washington, already considered part of the Zarian Empire 3 other cities were taken, its people placed in concentration camps or killed in the initial attacks.
The rest of the country lived in fear. Those that resisted were crushed immediately. What was left, in the hands of a beaten man, the president of the once most powerful nation on earth was a lost person, the death of his family and his injuries having taken a toll on him, was under strict control. Martial law and curfews were in place and the streets were empty except for the army patrolling.

All schools and colleges had been shut down, leaving the kids at home. Parents only worked if they were essential, that is a doctor or soldier. The shops, with the exception of necessary grocery shops, hardware and a few others had been closed.

The armed forces, under the Vice President and Chief of Armed Forces, one of the few generals still left after Washington was lost ran surveillance and tried, without much success to protect the remainder of their dwindling country. They were at a loss. Nothing seemed to work. Guns were useless and bombing not an option in the midst of civilians.

The president on the other hand, dealt with negotiations with the leaders of free world. It didn't go well. Britain and France, the first to take action were crushed in a single blow with nuclear weapons, controlled by the Zarians. The nuclear weapons lived up their threat and once again ended any war they might have once considered entering. No one else dared to interfere. Russia still suffering from the effects of the last, albeit Cold war they were in couldn't afford to help and no one else had the manpower or money to go to war, a rather expensive process in human resources, money, and damages.

The people of the United States used to being free, brought up with notion of independence - something almost ingrained in them didn't take well to the events occurring. But losing control everywhere else made the leaders wary of losing any more and what was left of the army was brought in to both prevent riots, keep the civilians indoors and protect them.

Not able to help, practically locked in their home, the eight decided to at least plan for the worst. They knew that the skins were not far behind in discovering them and though they were helpless for the moment in stopping the assault on earth by the Zarians under Kivar's command. They began, both in boredom with nothing to do and to dissolve a need to do something, to prepare.

End Part Seventeen

Part Eighteen

It wasn't vanity that made the eight expect an attack from the skins, or even experience - it was more than that. It was a certainty, a responsibility that they felt that they were the ultimate reason, or rather it was the Royal Four that the skins were after. But it had been a long time since any of them had thought in terms of human and Czechoslovakian. Whatever happened, it happened to all of them - that was a lesson they all had leant a long time ago.

In the five years since the first attack, a lot had occurred. Besides beating of many of the wasted, various, ineffectual attempts by the skins to recover the Royal Four, they had grown up, attended college, got degrees, suffered the trials and tribulations of living together, engagements and marriage. Still judging by the 8's relative safety for the moment, it appeared that their present location was still a secret, even if not for long.

But with the entire country in a lock down, martial law and curfew and the precariousness of their position, the 8 of them decided to use this time to prepare, to stockpile, and to build. With the colleges shut down in the chaos ensuing from the attacks, they had a lot of free time on their hands. They began by expanding their home to build an underground shelter.

Using a combination of alien powers to dig underneath and disintegrate huge areas of earth, research from Alex on the net on construction, some basic architecture from Michael, and on-the-job experience from Kyle and Max's previous summer construction jobs they built two underground floors. They began by strengthening the material forming the foundation of the basement before extending under. The sublevels could be accessed from the basement and a number of outside hidden entrances via tunnels leading from the shelter. The building process took about a month during which time 3 more cities were destroyed and added to the Zarian empire.

In addition, typical of any totalitarian military regime, both from the Zarians and the remainder of the American government, the gateways of communication were choked, isolating the citizens from knowledge that would challenge the strangleholds of oppression. Alex and Maria, with Tess managed to access one of the few lines still open and connect the modem to it. Using their hacking experience the two began to hook into the American government agency computers to find out more information on the attacks and whereabouts of Zarians, deaths and status of cities destroyed. With the news censored, very little truthful information was left and freedom of the press was a thing of the past, a luxury of free society.

The rest of them began to move the entire house down underneath to the sublevels as a precaution. The gym and practise area in the basement was left but everything else was transferred. Pipes and wires were re-routed underground. The entrance from the basement wasn't large enough for the beds and furniture to fit but after Liz had the brilliant idea to shrink everything and increase the size after, things went pretty fast. The sublevel layers were almost identical to the upstairs except for a few additions.

The war room was the main addition. It was the first room built and the largest. It contained maps, the computers, a conference table and a large screen linked to the computer and the televisions in the room. It also contained the first tunnel exit that they built. Next to the war room was the second important addition. It was the combination of the lab and storage room where they stored all the weapons they had collected over the years and had the necessary requirements for Liz to study them and rebuild ones that were more effective.

The only room that was not transferred was the downstairs sitting room and that was merely a precaution for any unexpected visitors. They removed the paintings on the walls in the room and anything sentimental but left the room intact. They couldn't afford to have anyone showing up unexpected and discover the secret rooms or the lack of living spaces above the ground.

Other precautions they took was the surveillance equipment they set up surrounding the perimeter of their homes. It would show anyone approaching for any reason and alert them to their presence. To prevent them being caught unawares they also did a fare bit of shopping. Having eight of them made it a little easier to shop. As in any war, rations were always the next step and they wanted to prepare before it got that point. During the limited period allowed for shopping, the eight separated and covered as many shops as possible - including grocery, hardware and chemists. They stockpiled whatever they thought they might need, filling up their storage room to capacity, covering everything on the lists Maria prepared for them. For the first time, since they bought the house, they used the money Nacedo left for such an emergency.

It was after the first month when Michael, who had been till now arguing for of breaking curfew, with only Maria's and Kyle's support when Roswell was attacked. Communication lines sketchy to say the least, with phone calls, email among other things practically impossible because of the skin's destruction of all communication methods, the news, a censored report was all that was generally available. Alex having just managed to work out a method to connect his modem to some lines only available to the authorities and was able to acquire more information.

The information revealed that Roswell, always a target on the Skins list because of their origins was attacked early one morning. The few army guards on patrol were quickly overcome and not able to use their guns on them made them easy conquests for the power enhanced Zarians. Roswell, a small town was also less protected than any of the bigger more valuable, highly populated towns still left and was easily captured.

It was with dread that the eight read this. Not being able to get much word from any of their parents wasn't something they took well. The uncertainty of the faith of the people that brought them up was what convinced Isabel and Tess to join Maria and Michael in supporting some sort of movement, action despite the strict lock down involved. It was also a simpler matter to convince Max and Liz, always more cautious than the rest, to do something.

None of them were happy about the situation and guilt was an emotion felt by all in varying degrees, guilt that the they were the reasons for the skins attack on earth. It wasn't that the eight disagreed that they had to fight, it was more of a question of how to go about it and when. To this matter it was somewhat of a compromise that they prepared first and then acted, a month more than enough time to sit and wait. Max and Liz may have argued for more time but the attack on Roswell convinced them that time was a luxury. It was with this, last bit of discussion in their secret lair to where they had all but moved completely in, leaving upstairs empty that they decided to leave Boston on a rescue mission.

The underground base had tunnels leading of in many direction, all built with Czechoslovakian powers to make movement easy and prevent detection from an army, or skin soldiers. This was to come in handy. The rescue was a success. Their years of working as a unit, their experience in defeating skins and knowledge of Roswell all contributed.

It was however with great sadness that they received the news of the death of Alex's parents, Liz's dad and Max and Isabel's father. Diane Evans and Amy Deluca were at the Crashdown when the attack occurred. It was Amy's quick thinking and the self defence class Maria made her take that saved their lives when she unknowingly hit the skin in the one place that would kill it, thereby saving her, Diane, and Nancy Parker who was with them at time.

Mr Parker, Mr Evans and the Whitman's were not as lucky. The sheriff, while on patrol at the time of the attack rushed to the CD to see if his wife was okay and prevented two other skins about to enter from killing them. Despite their quick thinking they were too late to save the others who were killed on sight. Mr Whitman died only two days later in the camp, holding on until Alex arrived with the others before dying in his arms.

The others were dragged out after killing all the guards and taken to the desert where, in a stolen vehicle, the eight escaped taking their parents and as many others as they could fit before racing out of Roswell.

After safely tucking away their parents in the care of the sheriff, the eight returned to Boston and began to plan further rescues. Two concentration camps later, with no deaths and injuries Max couldn't fix, Alex broke into the encrypted, secure files revealing the status of America from the authorities with Maria's assistance. After that it was easier to help, without detection form either side. Their efforts prevented the skins from moving too much further but didn't go unnoticed for to long.

End Part 18

Part Nineteen

2009, March
Rebel Territory

She poked her head around the corner, cautious, her breathing slow and even. No sign of the guards. She had timed it so that they would be on the other side when she made her run for it. Moving quickly she ran the short distance to duck behind the army truck. Maria stayed under cover moving silently to her aim. She was careful, knowing if she was caught, her life as she knew it would be over.

Suddenly she felt a tingle in her spine - the one that singled her husband was near. A smug voice in her ear spoke, "Busted," and she froze.

"Going somewhere Mrs Guerin?"

Maria stood up, cover now irrelevant and glared at her smirking husband.
"How did you find me? I blocked you."

Michael looked inordinately proud of himself as he announced to her disgust, "Aha. But you didn't block the baby." Knowing she was caught and going nowhere Maria stalked of towards the base, Michael trailing her. She looked furious and he looked smug, his smirk very much in evidence.

"You dirty rotten scum alien," she called behind her. He had the nerve to laugh. This was no laughing matter. They reached the base quickly having taken the direct route as opposed to the ducking and diving during her unsuccessful escape attempt.

"You can't keep me prisoner here," she told him indignantly.

"Maria"

"Don't you Maria me. I'm really not impressed by this. Its not fair," Maria changed tactics suddenly and whirled around, "I can't do anything. You, Kyle, Max, Alex, everyone in the damn army even the General that hates kids all of you won't let me do a thing."

"Maria - you're pregnant," Michael began.

"Only four months. I'm not even showing yet. And they won't even let me lift a plate. A PLATE, Michael," and her voice rose.

"Come on, honey. You're exaggerating,"

"Oh am I. Want me to prove it," Maria took of to the messhall without waiting for an answer, her husband trailing her again. She headed to the food - might as well eat, she was hungry anyway - and picked up a plate. She began to move down the buffet (it was how meals were served in the messhall). Immediately 3 soldiers, practically knocking each other down in their haste to get there, arrived by her side. One took her plate, giving her a disapproving look for lifting such a heavy object. Maria glared at him, and he visibly wilted. She felt bad and so she smiled her thanks and sent her husband an I-told-you-so look. When he burst into laughter the soldier started in surprise. Michael laughed very rarely and when he did, even if it occurred more often these days, it always shocked them.

His wife, on the other hand was not impressed. She picked up another plate and threw it at her husband before stalking of to a table, soldier carrying a plate laden with food in tow. Michael caught the missile aimed at his head, as she expected him too and added some food to it before following his wife. The soldiers used to their antics continued eating but watched curiously. If anything they were always entertaining and God knows they all needed entertaining.

Maria moved towards the usual table. It was on the far right of the hall. Isabel and Kyle were already there. One soldier rushed to the table and had her chair held out waiting for when she got there. Tempted as she was to yell at him, Maria contained herself and said thanks in a sugary sweet voice. The soldier didn't notice the slight insincerity and puffed out his chest proudly. Isabel and Kyle, however, who knew her better cringed, realising the danger of that voice - Kyle in particular, his experience with Deluca women in that particular area was vast.

Maria ignored them both. They were all, as far as she was concerned part of the vast conspiracy to keep her prisoner. 'No one lets me do anything,' she thought mutinously, 'I'm surprised they don't carry me around. It was damn ridiculous. There was a war going on and all the soldiers and her family seem to care about was that she was cacooned.'

Maybe that was a slight exaggeration but in many ways there was an element of truth to it. While the women in the army and Isabel, Liz and Tess were not as bad as the guys, they too made sure Maria wasn't doing anything and was never alone. 'I'm lucky mum isn't here or it might be even worse.'

Michael sat down next to his wife, who was giving him the silent treatment and proceeded to talk to Isabel and Kyle. When Kyle, after giving Maria several worried looks while she brooded was stupid enough to suggest that Michael make up to her because pregnant woman shouldn't stress, Maria threw a cup at him. Michael's hand, well trained and his quick reflexes reached out and plucked the cup from the air just before it made contact with Kyle's stunned face. He wasn't totally lucky however, the cup having turned during its trip through the air and not empty of contents left water to drip down his face, giving him a wet puppy look.

Soldiers in the room had the sense to hide their snickers, causing a large amount of strange coughing to erupt. Isabel burst out laughing and Michael smirked but Kyle was not deterred and with his next stupid remark - something about mood swings, Maria gave up and threatened to tell Tess, which shut him up, before she stood up to leave the people who, in her opinion, were beyond help. Her move had the soldiers moving into action again, and one her chair while another grabbed her plate out her hands. Maria didn't let them see her grimace or roll her eyes - not her soldiers. Only Michael saw those and he winked at her to her frustration.

The thing about it all was Maria was a patient person, an accommodating person (for the most part) but she was independent. Since the announcement of her pregnancy had been made, things had quickly spiralled out of her control. The men in her life who till now always accepted she could take care of herself suddenly changed into overprotective boars. Michael who had been overprotective before when she could control it, became 10 times worse. Worse, he not exactly known for his chivalrous behaviour - a fact Maria previously complained about in depth - shocked her by turning into the perfect gentlemen. And it was driving her nuts.

If that wasn't bad enough, the news leaked out and the army found out. Now normally that would have been fine, except the Rebellion - every single one of them apparently got it into there heads that their commander who till now was leading the damn war, was some fragile, helpless damsel in distress. Much to Maria's disgust, she now had, instead of 4 guys who in her opinion loved her too much and three girls who were trying to help, an entire population looking after her every move. The others, particular the girls found their men's behaviour amusing but then again, they weren't Maria.

Maria stopped leading the battles on the front and now ran strategy and co-ordinated home base. What that meant, ultimately was that Maria hadn't left the base since she returned from her little sojourn in the desert. Of course, it wasn't just the pregnancy that caused these Neatherthal tendencies, as she referred to them, to surface. Maria's first appearance when she recovered the emerald crystal haunted all those who saw her.

To the soldiers, Maria was Cleopatra, Princess Diana, Meg Ryan, Jackie Kennedy and Julia Roberts all rolled into one. They adored her and the baby being the first alien-human combination was important to all. The baby didn't just belong to her and Michael, to the 8 of them but it belonged to all of them - the people, and such they were going to do everything they could to protect it completely.

On some days Maria accepted this, but on others like today, it made her furious. Michael, lots of experience in dealing with this usually waited her out till she got over it or if he was in a playful mood he provoked her. She was fun to watch.

Maria reached the end of the hall and like a queen with her entourage, surveyed the room, while her soldier opened the door. Her frustration almost at the end - it had run its course, she gave her husband a smile, and a come hither look he couldn't mistake, before walking gracefully out the room. Michael smirked one last time at Kyle and to the room's amusement took of at a run after his wife. The last look the room saw before the door swung shut was Michael grabbing his wife's outreached hand and pulling her close, her muffled laughter sounding in the distance.

End Part Nineteen.

Part Twenty

2006
The former United States of America

They were all sitting in the WAR room, planning their next skin target when the intruder alarm went off, blaring loudly. A few seconds later the doorbell rang. Their expressions were shocked as they glanced at each other. Maria was the first to react. Before Alex could focus the outdoor cameras to the door, Maria was already out her chair and up the steps, followed directly by Michael, Kyle, Tess and Isabel.

It wasn't the fact that the intruder alarm went off that surprised them - that they were prepared for. But the doorbell was a shock. None of them had heard it for at least 3 months. Not since before the first attack.

Maria opened the door, slightly but not overly cautious - her common sense telling her if it was an attack, thy wouldn't knock first. Still her mouth dropped open in shock when she who was standing on her doorstep. She controlled the urge to shut the door, knowing the futileness of such an action and felt comforted when she felt the strong arms of her husband circle her waist.

He didn't know who the people standing there were but he felt her surprise and her fear. The others crowded around wanting to see but their view was blocked.

Despite the multitude of feelings in her at the moment, none was evident in Maria's voice when she stated calmly, "Agent Simms. She felt Michael stiffen behind her as he recognised the name.

The man in the front of the procession on the steps admired her calmness replied to her acknowledgement, "Agent Sandler or should I say Miss Deluca."

"Its Mrs Guerin now."

"Then I must congratulate on your marriage." He turned to look at Michael now, "You must be Michael."

Michael didn't bother to answer and the returned his attention back to Maria. "May we come in," he enquired.

She moved away from the doorway and led the way to the only furbished room in the upper floors - the sitting room. The procession followed Isabel, Kyle and Tess making up the rear. Everyone sat.

Maria broke the silence, I presume you're not here to arrest me for impersonating an FBI agent 6 years ago, Agent Simms. Not while we are in the middle of a war."

"You assume right, Maria. May I call you Maria?"

"Please do," she replied and a part of her was highly amused at the civility of their conversation. "Why are you here?" she asked outright.

"You always were very direct. One of the best I ever trained."

"You still haven't said why," Michael stated rather bluntly.

None of the others said anything, not quite sure what was going on. Max, Liz and Alex having witnessed it all on the security cameras came up the stairs and joined the rest in the lounge.

"Ahh, the rest of the gang," Agent Simms said when he saw them, "May I tell you a story?" and he continued without waiting for an answer.

End Part 20

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