Chapter 9
"Michael!" Isabelle cried running up and smothering him in a hug. "We weren't sure it would work!"
"Ca...can't breath." Michael gasped out, hugging her back. Michael could see Max slowly approaching, and when Isabelle backed up he and Max shared a hand shake that was quickly pulled into a brief hug.
"Good to see you, Man." Max told Michael with a smile crossing his face. "We were worried when you just disappeared."
"Yeah, good to see you too." Michael told Max, "Sorry that I didn't call or something. Didn't know I was going so far." Michael muttered his apology to Max and Iz. Stepping back, Michael began eyeing the other five teens that stood behind his two long lost friends.
"Who are they?" Isabelle spit out nervously, motioning towards his sisters. Michael then realized that his sister's had moved back a couple feet and were looking everywhere, but at the group.
"I could ask the same question." Michael responded sounding a bit more defensive than he intended. Stepping backwards a couple steps, he reached back and grabbed his sisters hands and brought them forward. They were in this too.
"You could," Isabelle smirked, "but I asked first."
Michael sighed in frustration, "These are my sisters. Elizabeth or Liz," Michael said motioning with his head to his left, then motioning to his right, he added, "and this is Shysie or Shy."
"What kind of name is Shysie?" Interrupted a short curly haired blonde girl.
"It's Native American," Shy whispered barely audible, "it means 'Silent Little One.'"
"You don't look Indian nor are you all that silent." the rude girl determined. Michael was about to tell her where to shove it, when he noticed the boy next to her grab her arm.
"Tess, SHUT IT!" The brown haired boy hissed. Looking to Shy he added, "You will have to excuse my sister, she has verbal diarrhea." The statement causing snickers from everyone, except Tess who stood there fuming.
"Hey!" Tess yelled out smacking her brother upside his head, "I am telling mom you said that, Joe."
"Zip it!" Joe yelled. Surprisingly enough, Tess listened.
'Uh hem," Max cleared his throat, throwing Tess a disapproving look. "The sister thing you will eventually have to explain, but first you should get some introductions."
"That's Alex," Max started pointing at the tall boy on the end, then continuing down the line, "Maria, Kyle, you've met Tess and Joe, Isabelle, and me. Max."
"Aliens?" Michael asked.
"Yes and no." Max said awkwardly, "Joe and Tess came out of pods like we did, but Maria, Kyle and Alex were human."
"What do you mean 'were'?" Asked Liz, "They woke up one day and found that they had become alien?"
"Not exactly." Max responded giving Liz a coy smile.
"Cut the crap, Maxwell." Michael snapped, immediately feeling guilty.
"Fine." Max relented, "They were dying. I healed them, and they changed."
"That's it? How is that even possible? You completely changed their genetic makeup? Their species?" Liz asked incredulously, only receiving a shrug from Max. "Ok then, why were they dieing? How is it that all three were dying? Exactly how long did it take for them to show powers?" Michael smiled at the shocked look Max was now giving her, she sure liked to ask questions.
"Um..It doesn't matter right now. We will go over everything later." Max said resolutely, Liz sighed despondently because she didn't get her answers. "What about the two of you?"
"We're both alien." Liz answered for both herself and Shy.
"We really need to get the info we came for, in case we lose the connection." Joe said quickly.
"Right," Isabelle agreed, looking at the Guerin teens she explained, "we were only able to contact you because all of us formed a connection. I have been trying to dream walk you for years, but you were always out of reach. It wasn't until Maria suggested this that we were finally able to get here."
Michael looked at the girl they called Maria who was smiling proudly. She had a beautiful smile and it made Michael smile a little himself. He remembered her now, she had sat in front of him in Ms. Mahoney's 3rd grade class. He always pulled her pig tails.
"We told our parents. My dad's a lawyer and he and the sheriff are working on the legalities to bring you home." Iz told him, "We need...."
Michael cut her off, "Your parent's? The sheriff? Holy crap, did you paint a billboard and announce it to the entire town?"
"My dad's a good guy!" Kyle ground out defensively. "He has been helping to bring YOU here."
"Not the whole town, Michael." Max assured him, "Just my parents, the sheriff, Amy Deluca, the Hardings who already knew from Tess and Joe. Oh yeah, and the Parker's know."
"Holy CRAP!" Liz yelped from his left side. Shy gasped as well.
"Don't worry, all of them can be trusted with our secret." Max shot out quickly, "They are all doing their best to bring you home to Roswell."
"I won't go." Michael ground out. Isabelle let out a shaky gasp. When Michael met her eye's he saw that she was near tears, and he felt guilty, but he wasn't going to just back down.
"I promise, Michael, our secret is safe." Max pleaded with Michael for reason.
"It's not that, although that bugs the crap out of me." Michael told them pointedly, "I am NOT leaving my sister's behind."
"Of course not, we will just have to move on to Plan B." Joe jumped in.
"What's 'Plan B'?" Maria whispered to Alex who just shrugged at her in response.
"We need to know if your last name has changed, where you live and so on." Isabelle rushed on, her eye's imploring Michael to show no more resistance.
Michael quickly answered all of their questions. They all three still remained Guerins, none having been re-adopted by new families. Suddenly he remembered that Shy hadn't lived with them for the last five years and he had really no idea where she was staying now.
"Where are you living now?" Michael asked Shy. Hearing a gasp, he looked up.
"I thought she lived with you?" Asked Isabelle.
"We got split up." Michael answered before turning back to Shy. "Where?"
"Well they said if I ran away again, it's back to the Big House for me." Shy joked quietly.
"Jail?" Tess blurted out.
"No, the Patrick O'Dell Memorial Orphanage. So that is where I will be." Shy told Michael.
'Again?' Michael questioned himself, looking at Shy. Had she become the Houdini of foster care in the last five years?
Michael hated the Orphanage. He had spent some time at POMO with Liz, but only a few days. They had move on pretty quickly to another foster home before long. Bad things happen there, he felt it in his bones and had made sure to keep a sharp eye on Liz the entire stay. The last thing he wanted to worry about was Shy spending time their alone.
"No worries, Michael." Shy whispered, squeezing his hand. "I have been there several times, I know how to be invisible. I will survive." Michael couldn't help but worry, that's what brother's do, right?
"Alright then, now we know where to look and exactly who to look for." Joe said flashing a smile at Shy. Not unnoticed by Michael.
What also didn't escape Michael's attention was the fact that Max had been staring at Liz since the moment he'd laid eye's on her. That fact that she was staring back, disturbed him even more. Max was like his brother, but he would kick some alien ass if he ever touched her.
The group had all begun talking amongst themselves. Everyone except Shy and Michael. While Shy seemed content to just watch the happenings of the group and listen to the banter, Michael was lost in thought.
He couldn't get over the idea that Max and possibly Joe were enamored with his sisters. He was a guy, he knew how guys thought. Were they thinking about Liz and Shy? What the hell was going on in their dirty little teenage minds? He'd kill them.
How could he let this continue? Nothing had happened yet, he knew that, but he had a feeling in his gut that was telling him that would eventually. What if they were all related? What if Liz, Shy, Tess, Joe, Max and Iz were his brothers and sisters? This thought disturbed him beyond rationality.
Michael could already picture the headline on Jerry Springer, 'My sister is pregnant with my alien baby.'
He was so engrossed in his delusion, that he barely noticed Shy laughing hysterically beside him. Looking at her quizzically, arching an eyebrow. Finally she laughed out, "Stop it, Mikey. Your killing me here!"
"Get out of my head." Michael whined loudly.
"Sorry," she whispered, "You were sending out weird vibes." Neither noticed that the group had also seen Shy laughing and began listening. She added, "Beside Mike, this isn't the Ozarks. We would know if we were all related. Liz and I are your only blood relations."
"How do you know that?" Asked Alex, alerting the two to the fact that they were being listened to.
"I just do." Shy whispered with a shrug. "You don't feel it, Joe? Tess?" She asked the two, then turning to Max and Iz, "You don't feel the bond between the two of you?"
"Well yeah, but there's something." Tess said looking away.
"Missing?" Shy asked, Tess and Joe nodded. "It's because you are missing one. Your brother."
"There is another out there like us?" Joe asked excitedly, looking at Tess who also looked happy. "We have a brother?"
Shy shifted uncomfortably, "You did, there were eight of us all together. He died, though, he died before he was even born. Riverdog and I buried him." Tess began to sob loudly, while Kyle comforted her. Joe just stood there looking brokenly towards the ground. Shy moved from Michael's side and went to Joe, grabbing his hand.
"Whoa whoa whoa!" Michael boomed out, everything that just happened finally sinking in. "You never told me any of this!"
Shy still stood holding on to Joe's hand, her back turned to Michael. He could barely hear her when she whispered, "You never asked."
"You never talked!" He shot back.
"Spoke." She looked at him.
"What?" Michael asked confused.
"I never spoke." She said again.
"Um, ok thanks for the English lesson, but that is COMPLETELY off topic. Why didn't you tell us?" Michael yelled about ready to strangle his sister. Why wouldn't she feel the need to ever bring this up?
"I didn't remember." She told him letting go of Joe's hand. "Lately I have been remembering things."
"What else do you remember?" Max asked.
"I remember everything from the time we were born until now." She started. "When I came out, the only ones left were Liz, Cheveyo, and me. I wasn't sure at the time, but I new he didn't look good. Now I look back and see that he had already passed away."
"Cheveyo?" Asked Iz.
Smiling slightly, "That's the name Riverdog gave him, it means 'Spirit Warrior'. It seemed very fitting. Anyways, I left the cave to see if I could find help, I guess. I got lost though, I came across Riverdog and I brought him with me, finally finding my way back to the cave."
"When I got there though, Liz had already gone. Cheveyo had fallen from his pod, apparently it wouldn't hold him any longer and he lay on the ground. Riverdog and I buried him just outside of the cave."
"Do you remember were the cave is?" Tess asked sadly, "Do you know where my brother is buried?"
"Not exactly where, but it's near the Mescalero Reservation. Go to Riverdog there, tell him Shysie sends you, he will remember. He will take you to our birth place. He can be trusted." Michael realized Shysie was sounding more broken and farther away. She was standing right next to him, but she appeared to be screaming and her words were getting lower and lower in volume. Suddenly she flickered out. Looking to the others, they too were losing their grip on this reality.
Suddenly Michael was thrown into a dream of his own. "Now back to your regularly scheduled programming, already in progress." Was the last thought Michael had before he was sucked into his dream completely.
"Michael!" Isabelle cried running up and smothering him in a hug. "We weren't sure it would work!"
"Ca...can't breath." Michael gasped out, hugging her back. Michael could see Max slowly approaching, and when Isabelle backed up he and Max shared a hand shake that was quickly pulled into a brief hug.
"Good to see you, Man." Max told Michael with a smile crossing his face. "We were worried when you just disappeared."
"Yeah, good to see you too." Michael told Max, "Sorry that I didn't call or something. Didn't know I was going so far." Michael muttered his apology to Max and Iz. Stepping back, Michael began eyeing the other five teens that stood behind his two long lost friends.
"Who are they?" Isabelle spit out nervously, motioning towards his sisters. Michael then realized that his sister's had moved back a couple feet and were looking everywhere, but at the group.
"I could ask the same question." Michael responded sounding a bit more defensive than he intended. Stepping backwards a couple steps, he reached back and grabbed his sisters hands and brought them forward. They were in this too.
"You could," Isabelle smirked, "but I asked first."
Michael sighed in frustration, "These are my sisters. Elizabeth or Liz," Michael said motioning with his head to his left, then motioning to his right, he added, "and this is Shysie or Shy."
"What kind of name is Shysie?" Interrupted a short curly haired blonde girl.
"It's Native American," Shy whispered barely audible, "it means 'Silent Little One.'"
"You don't look Indian nor are you all that silent." the rude girl determined. Michael was about to tell her where to shove it, when he noticed the boy next to her grab her arm.
"Tess, SHUT IT!" The brown haired boy hissed. Looking to Shy he added, "You will have to excuse my sister, she has verbal diarrhea." The statement causing snickers from everyone, except Tess who stood there fuming.
"Hey!" Tess yelled out smacking her brother upside his head, "I am telling mom you said that, Joe."
"Zip it!" Joe yelled. Surprisingly enough, Tess listened.
'Uh hem," Max cleared his throat, throwing Tess a disapproving look. "The sister thing you will eventually have to explain, but first you should get some introductions."
"That's Alex," Max started pointing at the tall boy on the end, then continuing down the line, "Maria, Kyle, you've met Tess and Joe, Isabelle, and me. Max."
"Aliens?" Michael asked.
"Yes and no." Max said awkwardly, "Joe and Tess came out of pods like we did, but Maria, Kyle and Alex were human."
"What do you mean 'were'?" Asked Liz, "They woke up one day and found that they had become alien?"
"Not exactly." Max responded giving Liz a coy smile.
"Cut the crap, Maxwell." Michael snapped, immediately feeling guilty.
"Fine." Max relented, "They were dying. I healed them, and they changed."
"That's it? How is that even possible? You completely changed their genetic makeup? Their species?" Liz asked incredulously, only receiving a shrug from Max. "Ok then, why were they dieing? How is it that all three were dying? Exactly how long did it take for them to show powers?" Michael smiled at the shocked look Max was now giving her, she sure liked to ask questions.
"Um..It doesn't matter right now. We will go over everything later." Max said resolutely, Liz sighed despondently because she didn't get her answers. "What about the two of you?"
"We're both alien." Liz answered for both herself and Shy.
"We really need to get the info we came for, in case we lose the connection." Joe said quickly.
"Right," Isabelle agreed, looking at the Guerin teens she explained, "we were only able to contact you because all of us formed a connection. I have been trying to dream walk you for years, but you were always out of reach. It wasn't until Maria suggested this that we were finally able to get here."
Michael looked at the girl they called Maria who was smiling proudly. She had a beautiful smile and it made Michael smile a little himself. He remembered her now, she had sat in front of him in Ms. Mahoney's 3rd grade class. He always pulled her pig tails.
"We told our parents. My dad's a lawyer and he and the sheriff are working on the legalities to bring you home." Iz told him, "We need...."
Michael cut her off, "Your parent's? The sheriff? Holy crap, did you paint a billboard and announce it to the entire town?"
"My dad's a good guy!" Kyle ground out defensively. "He has been helping to bring YOU here."
"Not the whole town, Michael." Max assured him, "Just my parents, the sheriff, Amy Deluca, the Hardings who already knew from Tess and Joe. Oh yeah, and the Parker's know."
"Holy CRAP!" Liz yelped from his left side. Shy gasped as well.
"Don't worry, all of them can be trusted with our secret." Max shot out quickly, "They are all doing their best to bring you home to Roswell."
"I won't go." Michael ground out. Isabelle let out a shaky gasp. When Michael met her eye's he saw that she was near tears, and he felt guilty, but he wasn't going to just back down.
"I promise, Michael, our secret is safe." Max pleaded with Michael for reason.
"It's not that, although that bugs the crap out of me." Michael told them pointedly, "I am NOT leaving my sister's behind."
"Of course not, we will just have to move on to Plan B." Joe jumped in.
"What's 'Plan B'?" Maria whispered to Alex who just shrugged at her in response.
"We need to know if your last name has changed, where you live and so on." Isabelle rushed on, her eye's imploring Michael to show no more resistance.
Michael quickly answered all of their questions. They all three still remained Guerins, none having been re-adopted by new families. Suddenly he remembered that Shy hadn't lived with them for the last five years and he had really no idea where she was staying now.
"Where are you living now?" Michael asked Shy. Hearing a gasp, he looked up.
"I thought she lived with you?" Asked Isabelle.
"We got split up." Michael answered before turning back to Shy. "Where?"
"Well they said if I ran away again, it's back to the Big House for me." Shy joked quietly.
"Jail?" Tess blurted out.
"No, the Patrick O'Dell Memorial Orphanage. So that is where I will be." Shy told Michael.
'Again?' Michael questioned himself, looking at Shy. Had she become the Houdini of foster care in the last five years?
Michael hated the Orphanage. He had spent some time at POMO with Liz, but only a few days. They had move on pretty quickly to another foster home before long. Bad things happen there, he felt it in his bones and had made sure to keep a sharp eye on Liz the entire stay. The last thing he wanted to worry about was Shy spending time their alone.
"No worries, Michael." Shy whispered, squeezing his hand. "I have been there several times, I know how to be invisible. I will survive." Michael couldn't help but worry, that's what brother's do, right?
"Alright then, now we know where to look and exactly who to look for." Joe said flashing a smile at Shy. Not unnoticed by Michael.
What also didn't escape Michael's attention was the fact that Max had been staring at Liz since the moment he'd laid eye's on her. That fact that she was staring back, disturbed him even more. Max was like his brother, but he would kick some alien ass if he ever touched her.
The group had all begun talking amongst themselves. Everyone except Shy and Michael. While Shy seemed content to just watch the happenings of the group and listen to the banter, Michael was lost in thought.
He couldn't get over the idea that Max and possibly Joe were enamored with his sisters. He was a guy, he knew how guys thought. Were they thinking about Liz and Shy? What the hell was going on in their dirty little teenage minds? He'd kill them.
How could he let this continue? Nothing had happened yet, he knew that, but he had a feeling in his gut that was telling him that would eventually. What if they were all related? What if Liz, Shy, Tess, Joe, Max and Iz were his brothers and sisters? This thought disturbed him beyond rationality.
Michael could already picture the headline on Jerry Springer, 'My sister is pregnant with my alien baby.'
He was so engrossed in his delusion, that he barely noticed Shy laughing hysterically beside him. Looking at her quizzically, arching an eyebrow. Finally she laughed out, "Stop it, Mikey. Your killing me here!"
"Get out of my head." Michael whined loudly.
"Sorry," she whispered, "You were sending out weird vibes." Neither noticed that the group had also seen Shy laughing and began listening. She added, "Beside Mike, this isn't the Ozarks. We would know if we were all related. Liz and I are your only blood relations."
"How do you know that?" Asked Alex, alerting the two to the fact that they were being listened to.
"I just do." Shy whispered with a shrug. "You don't feel it, Joe? Tess?" She asked the two, then turning to Max and Iz, "You don't feel the bond between the two of you?"
"Well yeah, but there's something." Tess said looking away.
"Missing?" Shy asked, Tess and Joe nodded. "It's because you are missing one. Your brother."
"There is another out there like us?" Joe asked excitedly, looking at Tess who also looked happy. "We have a brother?"
Shy shifted uncomfortably, "You did, there were eight of us all together. He died, though, he died before he was even born. Riverdog and I buried him." Tess began to sob loudly, while Kyle comforted her. Joe just stood there looking brokenly towards the ground. Shy moved from Michael's side and went to Joe, grabbing his hand.
"Whoa whoa whoa!" Michael boomed out, everything that just happened finally sinking in. "You never told me any of this!"
Shy still stood holding on to Joe's hand, her back turned to Michael. He could barely hear her when she whispered, "You never asked."
"You never talked!" He shot back.
"Spoke." She looked at him.
"What?" Michael asked confused.
"I never spoke." She said again.
"Um, ok thanks for the English lesson, but that is COMPLETELY off topic. Why didn't you tell us?" Michael yelled about ready to strangle his sister. Why wouldn't she feel the need to ever bring this up?
"I didn't remember." She told him letting go of Joe's hand. "Lately I have been remembering things."
"What else do you remember?" Max asked.
"I remember everything from the time we were born until now." She started. "When I came out, the only ones left were Liz, Cheveyo, and me. I wasn't sure at the time, but I new he didn't look good. Now I look back and see that he had already passed away."
"Cheveyo?" Asked Iz.
Smiling slightly, "That's the name Riverdog gave him, it means 'Spirit Warrior'. It seemed very fitting. Anyways, I left the cave to see if I could find help, I guess. I got lost though, I came across Riverdog and I brought him with me, finally finding my way back to the cave."
"When I got there though, Liz had already gone. Cheveyo had fallen from his pod, apparently it wouldn't hold him any longer and he lay on the ground. Riverdog and I buried him just outside of the cave."
"Do you remember were the cave is?" Tess asked sadly, "Do you know where my brother is buried?"
"Not exactly where, but it's near the Mescalero Reservation. Go to Riverdog there, tell him Shysie sends you, he will remember. He will take you to our birth place. He can be trusted." Michael realized Shysie was sounding more broken and farther away. She was standing right next to him, but she appeared to be screaming and her words were getting lower and lower in volume. Suddenly she flickered out. Looking to the others, they too were losing their grip on this reality.
Suddenly Michael was thrown into a dream of his own. "Now back to your regularly scheduled programming, already in progress." Was the last thought Michael had before he was sucked into his dream completely.