[b]- Part Five - [/b]
Alex Whitman dug his fingers vehemently into his scalp, trying to banish away the acute pricks of pain that had been stabbing his head all afternoon, ever since hearing the Sheriff's cryptic words.
[I]It appears that Mr. Everett Hubble is still out there."[/I]
An hour ago, those words would have meant nothing to him. They wouldn't have inspired a panic attack, and there would be no reason for the tiny invisible hammer that seemed to take pleasure in attacking his brain. In fact, an hour ago he would have still been happily engaged in a state of ignorant mystification.
But now?
The quarry was eerily silent with the only sound that of the mounting anxiety ringing in their ears. Isabel was standing slightly askew from the rest of them, her brown eyes staring determinedly at the vast expanse of dusty sand before her. Her face wasn't as pale as it had been when the Sheriff dropped the bomb on them, but her complexion still lacked its usual luster. Alex swallowed hard while looking at her, remembering how terrified she seemed earlier, and how she wasn't getting any calmer. None of them were.
In fact, judging by the fierce way that Maria was pacing behind him, Alex was willing to bet that she was building up a dangerous steam of anger that was bound to let loose soon.
[I]God help Michael,[/I] Alex thought with a flicker of amusement as he watched the other boy glance at Maria warily.
They had all decided to meet up here after Liz and Maria finished up their shift, much to Michael's dismay. The surly, spiked haired boy had gone straight into the backroom to Max after the Sheriff had flipped back on his sunglasses and left, with Maria on his heels demanding hotly to know exactly whom Hubble was and informing him tersely that the backroom was for employees only. Max had emerged from the break room looking ashen, with Liz biting her lip behind him.
"We need to have a meeting," he had said flatly before starting for the door.
Michael had stared after his retreating back, looking utterly bewildered. "Max? Max! Didn't you hear what I just said?" Glancing uncomfortably around the room, Michael had inched closer and whispered, "About Hubble?"
Max had paused and turned around briefly. "Yeah. Which is why I need to go get something." His gaze had shifted from Michael towards Liz, who had been trying her best to look anywhere but Max. "After Liz and Maria finish up their shift, meet at the quarry."
Michael had stalked out soon after Max, mumbling something about being sick of sitting around doing nothing, leaving a hot, bothered Maria, a solemn, quiet Liz, and a bemused Alex behind. Isabel had tersely filled them in on why Hubble reappearance in their lives was such a seemingly impossibility, her body language oozing with taut worry, coaxing the rest of them into a state of frenzied apprehension. And now here they were. Trying their best not to jump to conclusions on why Max and Liz were late or how Hubble could possibly be alive.
The silence was getting too much for Alex. He needed to [I]do[/I] something before he went insane. Previous occasions had given him the strong conviction that it was best to wait for Maria to fizzle out when she was in such a state, so he started cautiously towards Isabel, his heart aching for her troubled expression and the tightness in her stance.
"I'm sure they're both fine, Isabel," he reassured her gently, the sound of his shoes crunching gravel filling his senses.
She turned towards him, her wide eyes sad. "You don't know that."
Ignoring the sting of her words, he quirked a grin at her. "Sure I do. I'm psychic, remember?"
She looked at him dubiously, but Alex thought he could detect a hint of a smile on her lips. [I]Score one for Cool Cucumber![/I]. "Oh really?"
He nodded seriously, trying hard not to grin like a dork. "Yep." He turned his sights towards Michael and Maria, who were dancing stiffly around each other. "For example, I can accurately predict that in, oh say, about five seconds, Maria will lay in on Michael and let him have it."
Isabel snorted lightly, the act sounding charmingly inelegant on her, yet she continued to watch the scene with him in earnest, all her worries and anxieties laid to rest for a few blissful moments of entertainment.
The two did not disappoint. After watching Maria discreetly out of his eye for the past ten minutes, Michael seemed to have finally reached his breaking point. "For God's sakes, would you stop pacing all over the place? You're giving me a headache just [I]looking[/I] at you."
Maria stopped mid-stride and whirled around slowly, green fire glittering in her narrowed eyes. "Excuse me for [I]caring[/I] about someone, something you obviously don't know anything about!"
Michael rolled his eyes, yet said nothing, which seemed to only fuel Maria on further. "Yeah, what's [I]that[/I] about? That eye roll thing. Get some eye drops or something." Huffing loudly, she stepped right up close to throw back his words in his face. "It gives me a headache just [I]looking[/I] at you do that."
"Then don't look at me."
Alex had to hide a smile at the way Maria swelled like a bullfrog. Daring a look at Isabel, he relaxed when he saw that she was regarding the little spat before them with a touch of levity. "So, uh, did I call that one or what?"
The tiny smile grew along her mouth. "I guess you did. But really, anyone knowing Michael and Maria would know that they can't be in the same vicinity together without either making out or blowing up."
"True." Alex's next words were cut off by the sound of Maria's voice cracking. Immediately, he started towards her with concern.
"I'm scared okay? I mean, Liz is late, and first of all, she's like [I]never[/I] late. And second of all, I don't really know if she knows what the deal is with Hubble. She was spacing when Isabel told Alex and me earlier, and she never spaces, so I don't even know if - "
"She knows." Michael cut her off, a flicker of emotion shining quickly through his eyes. "Believe me, she knows."
Alex stopped in his tracks, not sure if he liked the way Michael said that. "Whoa, whoa. Wait a minute. What do you mean by that?"
Michael shrugged. "You saw how she dragged Maxwell back into the break room. What did you think she was so mad about? That he left a bad tip?"
Swift comprehension dawned on Alex. "Ohhh."
Maria snorted indignantly yet looked more relieved. "Well it's about time she tore Max a new one for keeping her out of the loop." She glared pointedly at Michael, who regarded her statement with annoyance.
"Look, we shouldn't have to worry about reporting back to you twenty/four seven. This is OUR problem, all right? Not yours."
Alex groaned silently at Michael's statement. [I]It's times like these that you have to wonder if Michael actually enjoys getting yelled at.[/I] A ripple of disbelief circled through him as he shot a glance at Isabel, who was pursing her lips. Was that really how they felt? That he, Maria and Liz were just .butting in on their alien business?
Maria sputtered, clearly too appalled to speak right away. Her eyes were dangerous slits as she spat out her next words. "This is unbelievable. Do you know how many times I have helped save your ass? Or is that suddenly all forgotten now?" Alex winced as he detected a waver of hurt in her tone. "Allow me to remind you then." Maria's voice raised an octave, and she shoved her hand in Michael's face as she began to count off on her fingers. "How about the time when I helped get the Sheriff off your trail at the Festival? About the time I kept my mouth shut even when I half felt like I should have turned you all in! How about the time you stole my freaking car and dragged me up and down 285 South?" At this, Alex shot Isabel a confused look, and in reply she rolled her eyes and shook her head. [I]Since when did Michael steal Maria's car?[/I] He wondered briefly, before tuning back into Maria's rant.
"Or when I helped save your [I] life[/I] during the freaky sweat thing? Or how about the time Liz and I distracted the authorities while you went traipsing into the woods - for something, by the way, that I [I]still[/I] have no idea was about! Huh? Any of those ring a bell?"
Michael winced, almost as if her words were sending a guilty spear into his side.
Maria's voice lowered to a mere whisper; anguish beginning to line her countenance. "God, you think you can just pick me up and then drop me whenever it's convenient for you? Well let me tell you something Mudboy, I'm not going anywhere fast." Michael's head jerked up in surprise, his brow knitted together with some unnamable emotion. Maria locked eyes with him, and suddenly, Alex felt as if he was trespassing on a private moment. Shifting uneasily, he shared an awkward look with Isabel, both trying to discreetly move away from the heated argument.
Michael seemed to be at a loss for words as he opened and shut his mouth a few times. And despite his discomfort, Alex noticed that Maria was quickly loosing it.
Still talking in that unnaturally quiet tone, Maria inched backwards, her shoulders sagging with resignation. "Maybe if you took three seconds to cut the wounded loner act, you'd see that you're not as alone as you like to think. Like it or not, we are in this [I]together[/I]. I didn't ask to become apart of this secret club, but damn it, I'm here. So deal with it!"
The quarry lapsed back into its prior silence, leaving Michael to gape after Maria, who stared right back.
The stillness was broken by the roaring sound of the Jeep. Beside Alex, Isabel's shoulders sagged with relief. "Thank God," she whispered.
Alex was about to agree when he noticed that, even though she was sitting in the front next to him, Liz was inched as close to the door as possible - and as far away from Max Evans as she could get.
He blinked. Something about Liz not wanting to be near Max just didn't sound right, even in his head.
Max hopped out of the car, pocketing his keys and heading towards them. He eyed Michael before stopping next to his sister, and it was then that Alex realized that Max had a pale blue folder tucked under his arm.
Michael cleared his throat, almost as if he were trying to get together his bearings. "What's in the folder Maxwell?"
Max shifted the folder into plainer view, and darted an uneasy glance towards Liz. She seemed to communicate whatever he needed through the expression in her dark eyes, so Max snapped into focus. "Right. Um, before we get into that, I think that I should tell you guys some - "
Michael sighed loudly. "It's amazing what lengths you will go to to ignore what's happening." When everyone continued to stare blankly at him, Michael burst out, "Hubble! Jesus, are we going to do [I]nothing[/I] about this? Are we just going to ignore it, hoping that it will leave us alone so we can go back to our lives? Max! What are we going to [I]do[/I]?"
Max's stance slumped with a quiet acquiescence. "All right. All right. But I do have some .news after that." Sighing, he opened the folder and gave it to Isabel to pass around. Alex leaned over her shoulder to read, trying to ignore the way her fragrant shampoo was drifting up towards his nostrils.
Isabel perused the contents a minute before shooting a perplexed look at her brother. "The Silo murder? Max, what .?"
"It has everything to do with Hubble. Read on," Max said grimly.
At that cryptic statement, everyone else present gathered around in a tight circle to read, past grudges and scruples momentarily forgotten. That is, everyone gathered around except Liz and Max, who must have already gone over the new information together and whose problems weren't quite yet forgotten.
Michael's eyes rounded slightly upon reading a few lines. "Maxwell, where'd you find this stuff?"
Max shrugged. "I told you working at the UFO Center might have perks. The database Milton's acquired is outstanding. A little sad that he had nothing better to do, but still, outstanding."
"His wife was a silverhandprint victim too?" Maria wondered aloud while flipping a page.
Max grimaced. "Yeah. And Hubble thought I was the one who was responsible for that. Hence him trying to enact revenge."
Alex scratched his chin thoughtfully. Something didn't quite fit yet. "But what does that have to do with Hubble's, well, non-dead status?" [I]Non-dead status? Brilliant, Whitman, brilliant.[/I]
Max nodded. "Milton told me that Hubble was rumored to have what he called 'direct contact' with who I'm assuming to be Nacedo. He said that of all the UFO nuts out there, Hubble was the closest. Which got me to thinking, what if he was closer than anyone thought?"
Alex looked at him with eyes blank like marbles. Across from him, Maria had a similar expression etched on her features as she spoke. "Uh, care to translate Mr. Spock?"
Liz piped up for the first time. "What Max means is, what if Hubble was the Fourth Alien?"
The reaction was instantaneous. Isabel stiffened, Maria gasped, and Michael started with excitement until .
"You mean to say that the one you've been looking for tried to kill Max, one of his own?" Alex's brow knitted together with incredulity.
"That's insane," Isabel breathed.
"No, actually it's not," Max answered. "How else could Hubble have survived Valenti's bullet?"
"You think he healed himself?" Maria asked.
Liz nodded. "It's entirely possible. I mean, Valenti said he had only turned around for a minute for backup before noticing that Hubble had disappeared, right?"
Michael snorted. "That's what he said."
Alex arched an eyebrow. "You don't think he's telling the truth?"
Michael pondered that for a moment. "I'm not sure of anything anymore." He paused, letting that sink in for everyone before adding grittily, "So what are we going to do about this Max? Sit around and twiddle our thumbs?"
Max sighed. "We're not going to go looking for the man, or alien, that tried to kill me, no." Swallowing hard, Alex didn't miss the fearful glance that Max shot towards Liz. "There's no telling what, or who he'd go after to try and get to me."
Isabel inhaled deeply, her breath shaking slightly with ill repressed fear. "So what do we do, Max?"
"Iz, you, Michael, and I'll go back to the spot of the Silo murder, see if we can get a flash or find some clues as to who exactly this guy is," Max rejoined, wiping his hands over his face wearily. "Then we'll - "
Liz made a sound of disbelief in her throat and stalked up towards Max. [I]Round Two anyone?[/I] Alex thought tiredly, wondering what else could go wrong today.
"Excuse me?" Liz bit out. "Why are you only addressing Isabel and Michael? God, Max, don't do this!"
Max seemed just as riled up. "Do what? Try and keep you safe?!"
Liz's eyes glittered with a dark fire, lashing out simultaneously with her words. "I'm not some weak china doll, Max. I won't break!" Before Max could retort, and by the way his mouth opened furiously, Alex could tell that he was just about to do so, Liz continued, her voice rising in anger. "Max! How many times to we have to have this fight? Stop shutting everyone else out! You can't always take the entire world onto your shoulders, okay? You [I]made[/I] me apart of this, and - "
"That's just it though, Liz!" Max cried out, his voice strangled as he stared into her eyes, a mixture of longing and regret swimming in his eyes. "I don't [I]want[/I] you a part of this!"
A hush settled over the group, and suddenly Alex was wishing for the yelling to continue. Anything was better than this horrible quiet, anything was better than watching his best friend recoil back as if she had been slapped, her dark eyes filling to the brim with pain.
And also quite suddenly, Alex began to size up Max, wondering whether or not, alien powers or no alien powers, he'd be able to take Evans and pummel him into a green pulp.
"Liz," Max's voice was soft now, apologetic. Alex's gaze snapped up to take in Max's expression. The other boy's eyes were aghast and horrified, desperately trying to seek out Liz's. The urge to feed Max a knuckle sandwich started to fade, especially when Max continued to speak in that sorrowful tone. "Liz, I didn't mean it like that ."
Liz shook her head, biting her lip hard. Alex winced for her, as she seemed numb.
"I have to go," she mumbled quietly, not meeting anyone's gaze. Alex started towards her, but Max beat him to it. Or rather, he would have beat him to it had Maria not stepped in and blocked the both of them.
"Liz, don't," Max started.
Slowly, excruciatingly slowly, Liz raised her head to look at Max. The moment stretched out as she continued to stare at him sadly. "I won't trespass where I'm not welcome," she whispered before turning away.
Max bore a hole into her back, his forehead creased. Seeming to snap to his senses, he started forward. "Liz!" He spoke her name with such an aching longing that it sent a shiver down Alex's spine.
Maria stepped artfully in front of Max, barring his way. Her eyes were narrowed with furious precision, and the anger coming off of her in waves made everyone stand back. "Uh uh. Max, you stay [I]right[/I] there. I'm taking Liz home."
Max shook his head in denial, his eyes still haunted. "No, no I can't let her leave like - "
"Like what? Like you just tore out her heart and stomped on it?" Maria growled with frustration.
Max still put up a fight. "But - "
Maria shook her head fiercely. "NO. What Liz needs right now is a dish of ice cream and girl-time, NOT more of this. Okay?"
Max stepped back, his shoulders slumping. Before Maria was out of earshot, he called out to her suddenly. "Be safe, okay? Lay low, trust no one, and stay close." His words were quiet, anxious. Maria softened and nodded before slamming into her Jetta next to Liz and driving away. A swirl of dust trailed after the car, and Alex waited until it dissipated into the air before turning back towards the three Czechs. Ignoring the small, whiny voice in his head that squeaked that he should have gone with his best friends, he squared his shoulders, determined to stay. Liz and Maria would want to know what happened, despite their anger. He was sure of it.
The four of them stared at each other helplessly, each drowning in their personal pit of despair. Alex looked from Isabel to Max, from Max to Isabel, until finally he couldn't stand it anymore. By God, they all needed to laugh damn it! Or something. Vaguely, he wondered if the three in front of him had ever really laughed. And that was a sad thing indeed. So he cleared his throat and said the first thing that popped into his head.
"So, uh, Michael? You really stole Maria's car?"
Silently, he groaned. [I]What the hell Whitman! You were going for **funny.** Not lame.[/I]
Isabel let out a strangled cry. "God, Max! I can't take this anymore! We're all on a different page here, and it's tearing us apart!"
Alex smiled weakly, choosing to ignore how true that statement really was. "Actually, I don't think I'm even in the right book," he quipped.
Isabel gave a choked, short laugh that sounded anything but humorous. "You see? Everything is crazy right now because of this. No more half-truths! Either we let them in or we don't, Max. Frankly, I'm sick and tired of all the dancing back and forth you and Michael are doing. It's driving me insane! Are we letting them in or not?"
Alex stared at her, barely aware of the fact that his mouth was hanging slightly open. Something was beginning to click in his mind as to why Isabel was running hot and cold lately .
Max shifted uncomfortably and Michael shrugged, both seeming at a loss. Isabel's nostrils flared as her hand flew to her hip. "NO! Don't even pull that wishy washy stuff here. [I]Right now[/I], the both of you! Do you want them in your life or not?" She softened somewhat, her voice returning to its usual decibel. "We can't have it both ways. It [I]doesn't[/I] work."
Alex bit back the urge to ask if she knew that from experience. Instead, he contented himself with holding his breath for what Max and Michael would say, because by God, if he was wasting his time here, he wanted to know. Suddenly, a thought occurred to him.
"Would you go back?" At the bewildered look on their faces, Alex clarified. "If you could, would you go back to things the way they were? Before Liz was shot? Before anyone knew about you?" His blue eyes darkened, daring them to answer such a sensitive query.
A brief lull ensued, before Isabel looked at him. "I wouldn't," she confessed.
Alex's eyes rounded. The question had been intended for Max and Michael, but the fact that she answered, so confidently, so sure .it made his head spin. So much in fact, that he nearly missed Michael's and Max's quiet yet certain convictions that they wouldn't go back either. Not for the world - this one nor the one still unknown to them.
It was only the sound of Max beginning to talk that brought Alex out of the clouds and away from Isabel's compelling brown gaze.
"Um, on that note," Max was saying dismally, looking for all the world like he was about to be sick. "I have something to tell you guys."
Michael snorted. "That doesn't sound good."
Max sighed deeply, causing Isabel to glance at him with alarm. "It's not." Max paused, and for the second time that day, the hairs on the back of Alex's neck sprang to attention. "There's no other way to say this other than to just say it." Golden brown eyes meet each and every person present. "While I was talking to Liz, she cut herself. Pretty bad. I healed her, and .someone saw."
"What?" Isabel exclaimed. Michael's face was darkening dangerously.
Max scuffed his feet on the desert floor, looking every bit the part of a guilty child. "It was Kyle."
"Please tell me that this is your idea of a sick joke," Isabel pleaded, glaring at her brother.
Max stared helplessly back. "I wish it was, but - "
"God, Max! What is wrong with you? Didn't you learn your lesson the first time? How is it that the rules are just too good for you, huh?" Michael demanded hotly, clenching and unclenching his fists furiously.
Max started as if he was going to retort, but then his eyes fell, silently acknowledging that he was in the wrong. "I only told him about me, not you or Isabel."
"Well that was thoughtful of you," Michael spat out. "Don't you think that Valenti'll be able to figure it out? He's not the dumbass he appears to be!" His eyes rounded with realization. "Jesus, Maxwell! The Sheriff's son! You told the Sheriff's freaking son? What the hell is [I]wrong[/I] with you?"
"Michael, I really don't think that that is helping," Alex said quietly, his eyes on Max' stricken form, his heart constricting with the news. Michael responded with a scowl in his direction, which Alex shook off.
Isabel ran her fingers wildly through her long, blonde mane. "How'd he take it? I mean, is he going to tell anyone?" Her unspoken question hung like the humidity around them. [I]Would he tell his father and ruin everything?[/I]
Max swallowed painfully. "I don't know. Liz did most of the talking, and well ."
Alex couldn't take it. The skittish, petrified gleam in Isabel's eye was tearing up inside his chest, and her shrill voice grating on his mind. The words were out of his mouth before he could think.
"I'll talk to him."
Isabel's hands stopped mid-swipe through her hair. "What?"
Alex shrugged. "Hey, I only just found out about this wonderful alien life not too long ago. Maybe I can help him with some perspective." He paused, taking in Michael's dubious expression. "Kyle's not all bad." [I]Or so I hope,[/I] he added quietly to himself. [I]For everyone's sake.[/I]
"Alex, you don't have to - " Max started until Alex cut him off.
"I know. Didn't you hear [I]anything[/I] Liz said to you?" He stopped as Max flinched and moved onto a less sensitive reason. "I don't mind. Honestly. I want to."
Max smiled ruefully at him. "You didn't let me finish. You don't have to, but thank you. For wanting to do it." The two boys shared an understanding before Alex broke the moment.
"So uh, I guess I'd better head over there. Time is money, as they say."
Michael grunted. "Are we going over to Bitter Lake tonight?"
Max hesitated, and Isabel stepped up. "It's Pizza Night with Mom and Dad, Max. We can't."
Michael snorted, muttering 'typical' under his breath. "I'll go then."
Max quickly put his foot down. "No. Michael, it's not safe." After a pause, he quickly appeased his friend. "We'll go tomorrow night." Glancing pointedly at Alex, he added, "All of us."
Alex nodded, receiving Max's message. "I'll tell them."
"Come on," Isabel said to him with a look of unabashed gratitude and .was that awe he saw reflected in her gaze? Alex swallowed hard. She jerked her head towards the Jeep. "We'll give you a ride."
The three trudged towards the jeep, and Alex was willing to bet that all of their thoughts were centered in the same place. Honestly, how could things get any worse?
An unsettling chill settled along Alex's spine despite the hot sun, and suddenly he was afraid to discover the answer to that particular question.
It was later that he remembered the unspoken rule of thumb when it came to fate.
Whenever you thought you had hit rock bottom, someone always threw down a shovel in the cruelest, most bizarre way.
To be continued.
Alex Whitman dug his fingers vehemently into his scalp, trying to banish away the acute pricks of pain that had been stabbing his head all afternoon, ever since hearing the Sheriff's cryptic words.
[I]It appears that Mr. Everett Hubble is still out there."[/I]
An hour ago, those words would have meant nothing to him. They wouldn't have inspired a panic attack, and there would be no reason for the tiny invisible hammer that seemed to take pleasure in attacking his brain. In fact, an hour ago he would have still been happily engaged in a state of ignorant mystification.
But now?
The quarry was eerily silent with the only sound that of the mounting anxiety ringing in their ears. Isabel was standing slightly askew from the rest of them, her brown eyes staring determinedly at the vast expanse of dusty sand before her. Her face wasn't as pale as it had been when the Sheriff dropped the bomb on them, but her complexion still lacked its usual luster. Alex swallowed hard while looking at her, remembering how terrified she seemed earlier, and how she wasn't getting any calmer. None of them were.
In fact, judging by the fierce way that Maria was pacing behind him, Alex was willing to bet that she was building up a dangerous steam of anger that was bound to let loose soon.
[I]God help Michael,[/I] Alex thought with a flicker of amusement as he watched the other boy glance at Maria warily.
They had all decided to meet up here after Liz and Maria finished up their shift, much to Michael's dismay. The surly, spiked haired boy had gone straight into the backroom to Max after the Sheriff had flipped back on his sunglasses and left, with Maria on his heels demanding hotly to know exactly whom Hubble was and informing him tersely that the backroom was for employees only. Max had emerged from the break room looking ashen, with Liz biting her lip behind him.
"We need to have a meeting," he had said flatly before starting for the door.
Michael had stared after his retreating back, looking utterly bewildered. "Max? Max! Didn't you hear what I just said?" Glancing uncomfortably around the room, Michael had inched closer and whispered, "About Hubble?"
Max had paused and turned around briefly. "Yeah. Which is why I need to go get something." His gaze had shifted from Michael towards Liz, who had been trying her best to look anywhere but Max. "After Liz and Maria finish up their shift, meet at the quarry."
Michael had stalked out soon after Max, mumbling something about being sick of sitting around doing nothing, leaving a hot, bothered Maria, a solemn, quiet Liz, and a bemused Alex behind. Isabel had tersely filled them in on why Hubble reappearance in their lives was such a seemingly impossibility, her body language oozing with taut worry, coaxing the rest of them into a state of frenzied apprehension. And now here they were. Trying their best not to jump to conclusions on why Max and Liz were late or how Hubble could possibly be alive.
The silence was getting too much for Alex. He needed to [I]do[/I] something before he went insane. Previous occasions had given him the strong conviction that it was best to wait for Maria to fizzle out when she was in such a state, so he started cautiously towards Isabel, his heart aching for her troubled expression and the tightness in her stance.
"I'm sure they're both fine, Isabel," he reassured her gently, the sound of his shoes crunching gravel filling his senses.
She turned towards him, her wide eyes sad. "You don't know that."
Ignoring the sting of her words, he quirked a grin at her. "Sure I do. I'm psychic, remember?"
She looked at him dubiously, but Alex thought he could detect a hint of a smile on her lips. [I]Score one for Cool Cucumber![/I]. "Oh really?"
He nodded seriously, trying hard not to grin like a dork. "Yep." He turned his sights towards Michael and Maria, who were dancing stiffly around each other. "For example, I can accurately predict that in, oh say, about five seconds, Maria will lay in on Michael and let him have it."
Isabel snorted lightly, the act sounding charmingly inelegant on her, yet she continued to watch the scene with him in earnest, all her worries and anxieties laid to rest for a few blissful moments of entertainment.
The two did not disappoint. After watching Maria discreetly out of his eye for the past ten minutes, Michael seemed to have finally reached his breaking point. "For God's sakes, would you stop pacing all over the place? You're giving me a headache just [I]looking[/I] at you."
Maria stopped mid-stride and whirled around slowly, green fire glittering in her narrowed eyes. "Excuse me for [I]caring[/I] about someone, something you obviously don't know anything about!"
Michael rolled his eyes, yet said nothing, which seemed to only fuel Maria on further. "Yeah, what's [I]that[/I] about? That eye roll thing. Get some eye drops or something." Huffing loudly, she stepped right up close to throw back his words in his face. "It gives me a headache just [I]looking[/I] at you do that."
"Then don't look at me."
Alex had to hide a smile at the way Maria swelled like a bullfrog. Daring a look at Isabel, he relaxed when he saw that she was regarding the little spat before them with a touch of levity. "So, uh, did I call that one or what?"
The tiny smile grew along her mouth. "I guess you did. But really, anyone knowing Michael and Maria would know that they can't be in the same vicinity together without either making out or blowing up."
"True." Alex's next words were cut off by the sound of Maria's voice cracking. Immediately, he started towards her with concern.
"I'm scared okay? I mean, Liz is late, and first of all, she's like [I]never[/I] late. And second of all, I don't really know if she knows what the deal is with Hubble. She was spacing when Isabel told Alex and me earlier, and she never spaces, so I don't even know if - "
"She knows." Michael cut her off, a flicker of emotion shining quickly through his eyes. "Believe me, she knows."
Alex stopped in his tracks, not sure if he liked the way Michael said that. "Whoa, whoa. Wait a minute. What do you mean by that?"
Michael shrugged. "You saw how she dragged Maxwell back into the break room. What did you think she was so mad about? That he left a bad tip?"
Swift comprehension dawned on Alex. "Ohhh."
Maria snorted indignantly yet looked more relieved. "Well it's about time she tore Max a new one for keeping her out of the loop." She glared pointedly at Michael, who regarded her statement with annoyance.
"Look, we shouldn't have to worry about reporting back to you twenty/four seven. This is OUR problem, all right? Not yours."
Alex groaned silently at Michael's statement. [I]It's times like these that you have to wonder if Michael actually enjoys getting yelled at.[/I] A ripple of disbelief circled through him as he shot a glance at Isabel, who was pursing her lips. Was that really how they felt? That he, Maria and Liz were just .butting in on their alien business?
Maria sputtered, clearly too appalled to speak right away. Her eyes were dangerous slits as she spat out her next words. "This is unbelievable. Do you know how many times I have helped save your ass? Or is that suddenly all forgotten now?" Alex winced as he detected a waver of hurt in her tone. "Allow me to remind you then." Maria's voice raised an octave, and she shoved her hand in Michael's face as she began to count off on her fingers. "How about the time when I helped get the Sheriff off your trail at the Festival? About the time I kept my mouth shut even when I half felt like I should have turned you all in! How about the time you stole my freaking car and dragged me up and down 285 South?" At this, Alex shot Isabel a confused look, and in reply she rolled her eyes and shook her head. [I]Since when did Michael steal Maria's car?[/I] He wondered briefly, before tuning back into Maria's rant.
"Or when I helped save your [I] life[/I] during the freaky sweat thing? Or how about the time Liz and I distracted the authorities while you went traipsing into the woods - for something, by the way, that I [I]still[/I] have no idea was about! Huh? Any of those ring a bell?"
Michael winced, almost as if her words were sending a guilty spear into his side.
Maria's voice lowered to a mere whisper; anguish beginning to line her countenance. "God, you think you can just pick me up and then drop me whenever it's convenient for you? Well let me tell you something Mudboy, I'm not going anywhere fast." Michael's head jerked up in surprise, his brow knitted together with some unnamable emotion. Maria locked eyes with him, and suddenly, Alex felt as if he was trespassing on a private moment. Shifting uneasily, he shared an awkward look with Isabel, both trying to discreetly move away from the heated argument.
Michael seemed to be at a loss for words as he opened and shut his mouth a few times. And despite his discomfort, Alex noticed that Maria was quickly loosing it.
Still talking in that unnaturally quiet tone, Maria inched backwards, her shoulders sagging with resignation. "Maybe if you took three seconds to cut the wounded loner act, you'd see that you're not as alone as you like to think. Like it or not, we are in this [I]together[/I]. I didn't ask to become apart of this secret club, but damn it, I'm here. So deal with it!"
The quarry lapsed back into its prior silence, leaving Michael to gape after Maria, who stared right back.
The stillness was broken by the roaring sound of the Jeep. Beside Alex, Isabel's shoulders sagged with relief. "Thank God," she whispered.
Alex was about to agree when he noticed that, even though she was sitting in the front next to him, Liz was inched as close to the door as possible - and as far away from Max Evans as she could get.
He blinked. Something about Liz not wanting to be near Max just didn't sound right, even in his head.
Max hopped out of the car, pocketing his keys and heading towards them. He eyed Michael before stopping next to his sister, and it was then that Alex realized that Max had a pale blue folder tucked under his arm.
Michael cleared his throat, almost as if he were trying to get together his bearings. "What's in the folder Maxwell?"
Max shifted the folder into plainer view, and darted an uneasy glance towards Liz. She seemed to communicate whatever he needed through the expression in her dark eyes, so Max snapped into focus. "Right. Um, before we get into that, I think that I should tell you guys some - "
Michael sighed loudly. "It's amazing what lengths you will go to to ignore what's happening." When everyone continued to stare blankly at him, Michael burst out, "Hubble! Jesus, are we going to do [I]nothing[/I] about this? Are we just going to ignore it, hoping that it will leave us alone so we can go back to our lives? Max! What are we going to [I]do[/I]?"
Max's stance slumped with a quiet acquiescence. "All right. All right. But I do have some .news after that." Sighing, he opened the folder and gave it to Isabel to pass around. Alex leaned over her shoulder to read, trying to ignore the way her fragrant shampoo was drifting up towards his nostrils.
Isabel perused the contents a minute before shooting a perplexed look at her brother. "The Silo murder? Max, what .?"
"It has everything to do with Hubble. Read on," Max said grimly.
At that cryptic statement, everyone else present gathered around in a tight circle to read, past grudges and scruples momentarily forgotten. That is, everyone gathered around except Liz and Max, who must have already gone over the new information together and whose problems weren't quite yet forgotten.
Michael's eyes rounded slightly upon reading a few lines. "Maxwell, where'd you find this stuff?"
Max shrugged. "I told you working at the UFO Center might have perks. The database Milton's acquired is outstanding. A little sad that he had nothing better to do, but still, outstanding."
"His wife was a silverhandprint victim too?" Maria wondered aloud while flipping a page.
Max grimaced. "Yeah. And Hubble thought I was the one who was responsible for that. Hence him trying to enact revenge."
Alex scratched his chin thoughtfully. Something didn't quite fit yet. "But what does that have to do with Hubble's, well, non-dead status?" [I]Non-dead status? Brilliant, Whitman, brilliant.[/I]
Max nodded. "Milton told me that Hubble was rumored to have what he called 'direct contact' with who I'm assuming to be Nacedo. He said that of all the UFO nuts out there, Hubble was the closest. Which got me to thinking, what if he was closer than anyone thought?"
Alex looked at him with eyes blank like marbles. Across from him, Maria had a similar expression etched on her features as she spoke. "Uh, care to translate Mr. Spock?"
Liz piped up for the first time. "What Max means is, what if Hubble was the Fourth Alien?"
The reaction was instantaneous. Isabel stiffened, Maria gasped, and Michael started with excitement until .
"You mean to say that the one you've been looking for tried to kill Max, one of his own?" Alex's brow knitted together with incredulity.
"That's insane," Isabel breathed.
"No, actually it's not," Max answered. "How else could Hubble have survived Valenti's bullet?"
"You think he healed himself?" Maria asked.
Liz nodded. "It's entirely possible. I mean, Valenti said he had only turned around for a minute for backup before noticing that Hubble had disappeared, right?"
Michael snorted. "That's what he said."
Alex arched an eyebrow. "You don't think he's telling the truth?"
Michael pondered that for a moment. "I'm not sure of anything anymore." He paused, letting that sink in for everyone before adding grittily, "So what are we going to do about this Max? Sit around and twiddle our thumbs?"
Max sighed. "We're not going to go looking for the man, or alien, that tried to kill me, no." Swallowing hard, Alex didn't miss the fearful glance that Max shot towards Liz. "There's no telling what, or who he'd go after to try and get to me."
Isabel inhaled deeply, her breath shaking slightly with ill repressed fear. "So what do we do, Max?"
"Iz, you, Michael, and I'll go back to the spot of the Silo murder, see if we can get a flash or find some clues as to who exactly this guy is," Max rejoined, wiping his hands over his face wearily. "Then we'll - "
Liz made a sound of disbelief in her throat and stalked up towards Max. [I]Round Two anyone?[/I] Alex thought tiredly, wondering what else could go wrong today.
"Excuse me?" Liz bit out. "Why are you only addressing Isabel and Michael? God, Max, don't do this!"
Max seemed just as riled up. "Do what? Try and keep you safe?!"
Liz's eyes glittered with a dark fire, lashing out simultaneously with her words. "I'm not some weak china doll, Max. I won't break!" Before Max could retort, and by the way his mouth opened furiously, Alex could tell that he was just about to do so, Liz continued, her voice rising in anger. "Max! How many times to we have to have this fight? Stop shutting everyone else out! You can't always take the entire world onto your shoulders, okay? You [I]made[/I] me apart of this, and - "
"That's just it though, Liz!" Max cried out, his voice strangled as he stared into her eyes, a mixture of longing and regret swimming in his eyes. "I don't [I]want[/I] you a part of this!"
A hush settled over the group, and suddenly Alex was wishing for the yelling to continue. Anything was better than this horrible quiet, anything was better than watching his best friend recoil back as if she had been slapped, her dark eyes filling to the brim with pain.
And also quite suddenly, Alex began to size up Max, wondering whether or not, alien powers or no alien powers, he'd be able to take Evans and pummel him into a green pulp.
"Liz," Max's voice was soft now, apologetic. Alex's gaze snapped up to take in Max's expression. The other boy's eyes were aghast and horrified, desperately trying to seek out Liz's. The urge to feed Max a knuckle sandwich started to fade, especially when Max continued to speak in that sorrowful tone. "Liz, I didn't mean it like that ."
Liz shook her head, biting her lip hard. Alex winced for her, as she seemed numb.
"I have to go," she mumbled quietly, not meeting anyone's gaze. Alex started towards her, but Max beat him to it. Or rather, he would have beat him to it had Maria not stepped in and blocked the both of them.
"Liz, don't," Max started.
Slowly, excruciatingly slowly, Liz raised her head to look at Max. The moment stretched out as she continued to stare at him sadly. "I won't trespass where I'm not welcome," she whispered before turning away.
Max bore a hole into her back, his forehead creased. Seeming to snap to his senses, he started forward. "Liz!" He spoke her name with such an aching longing that it sent a shiver down Alex's spine.
Maria stepped artfully in front of Max, barring his way. Her eyes were narrowed with furious precision, and the anger coming off of her in waves made everyone stand back. "Uh uh. Max, you stay [I]right[/I] there. I'm taking Liz home."
Max shook his head in denial, his eyes still haunted. "No, no I can't let her leave like - "
"Like what? Like you just tore out her heart and stomped on it?" Maria growled with frustration.
Max still put up a fight. "But - "
Maria shook her head fiercely. "NO. What Liz needs right now is a dish of ice cream and girl-time, NOT more of this. Okay?"
Max stepped back, his shoulders slumping. Before Maria was out of earshot, he called out to her suddenly. "Be safe, okay? Lay low, trust no one, and stay close." His words were quiet, anxious. Maria softened and nodded before slamming into her Jetta next to Liz and driving away. A swirl of dust trailed after the car, and Alex waited until it dissipated into the air before turning back towards the three Czechs. Ignoring the small, whiny voice in his head that squeaked that he should have gone with his best friends, he squared his shoulders, determined to stay. Liz and Maria would want to know what happened, despite their anger. He was sure of it.
The four of them stared at each other helplessly, each drowning in their personal pit of despair. Alex looked from Isabel to Max, from Max to Isabel, until finally he couldn't stand it anymore. By God, they all needed to laugh damn it! Or something. Vaguely, he wondered if the three in front of him had ever really laughed. And that was a sad thing indeed. So he cleared his throat and said the first thing that popped into his head.
"So, uh, Michael? You really stole Maria's car?"
Silently, he groaned. [I]What the hell Whitman! You were going for **funny.** Not lame.[/I]
Isabel let out a strangled cry. "God, Max! I can't take this anymore! We're all on a different page here, and it's tearing us apart!"
Alex smiled weakly, choosing to ignore how true that statement really was. "Actually, I don't think I'm even in the right book," he quipped.
Isabel gave a choked, short laugh that sounded anything but humorous. "You see? Everything is crazy right now because of this. No more half-truths! Either we let them in or we don't, Max. Frankly, I'm sick and tired of all the dancing back and forth you and Michael are doing. It's driving me insane! Are we letting them in or not?"
Alex stared at her, barely aware of the fact that his mouth was hanging slightly open. Something was beginning to click in his mind as to why Isabel was running hot and cold lately .
Max shifted uncomfortably and Michael shrugged, both seeming at a loss. Isabel's nostrils flared as her hand flew to her hip. "NO! Don't even pull that wishy washy stuff here. [I]Right now[/I], the both of you! Do you want them in your life or not?" She softened somewhat, her voice returning to its usual decibel. "We can't have it both ways. It [I]doesn't[/I] work."
Alex bit back the urge to ask if she knew that from experience. Instead, he contented himself with holding his breath for what Max and Michael would say, because by God, if he was wasting his time here, he wanted to know. Suddenly, a thought occurred to him.
"Would you go back?" At the bewildered look on their faces, Alex clarified. "If you could, would you go back to things the way they were? Before Liz was shot? Before anyone knew about you?" His blue eyes darkened, daring them to answer such a sensitive query.
A brief lull ensued, before Isabel looked at him. "I wouldn't," she confessed.
Alex's eyes rounded. The question had been intended for Max and Michael, but the fact that she answered, so confidently, so sure .it made his head spin. So much in fact, that he nearly missed Michael's and Max's quiet yet certain convictions that they wouldn't go back either. Not for the world - this one nor the one still unknown to them.
It was only the sound of Max beginning to talk that brought Alex out of the clouds and away from Isabel's compelling brown gaze.
"Um, on that note," Max was saying dismally, looking for all the world like he was about to be sick. "I have something to tell you guys."
Michael snorted. "That doesn't sound good."
Max sighed deeply, causing Isabel to glance at him with alarm. "It's not." Max paused, and for the second time that day, the hairs on the back of Alex's neck sprang to attention. "There's no other way to say this other than to just say it." Golden brown eyes meet each and every person present. "While I was talking to Liz, she cut herself. Pretty bad. I healed her, and .someone saw."
"What?" Isabel exclaimed. Michael's face was darkening dangerously.
Max scuffed his feet on the desert floor, looking every bit the part of a guilty child. "It was Kyle."
"Please tell me that this is your idea of a sick joke," Isabel pleaded, glaring at her brother.
Max stared helplessly back. "I wish it was, but - "
"God, Max! What is wrong with you? Didn't you learn your lesson the first time? How is it that the rules are just too good for you, huh?" Michael demanded hotly, clenching and unclenching his fists furiously.
Max started as if he was going to retort, but then his eyes fell, silently acknowledging that he was in the wrong. "I only told him about me, not you or Isabel."
"Well that was thoughtful of you," Michael spat out. "Don't you think that Valenti'll be able to figure it out? He's not the dumbass he appears to be!" His eyes rounded with realization. "Jesus, Maxwell! The Sheriff's son! You told the Sheriff's freaking son? What the hell is [I]wrong[/I] with you?"
"Michael, I really don't think that that is helping," Alex said quietly, his eyes on Max' stricken form, his heart constricting with the news. Michael responded with a scowl in his direction, which Alex shook off.
Isabel ran her fingers wildly through her long, blonde mane. "How'd he take it? I mean, is he going to tell anyone?" Her unspoken question hung like the humidity around them. [I]Would he tell his father and ruin everything?[/I]
Max swallowed painfully. "I don't know. Liz did most of the talking, and well ."
Alex couldn't take it. The skittish, petrified gleam in Isabel's eye was tearing up inside his chest, and her shrill voice grating on his mind. The words were out of his mouth before he could think.
"I'll talk to him."
Isabel's hands stopped mid-swipe through her hair. "What?"
Alex shrugged. "Hey, I only just found out about this wonderful alien life not too long ago. Maybe I can help him with some perspective." He paused, taking in Michael's dubious expression. "Kyle's not all bad." [I]Or so I hope,[/I] he added quietly to himself. [I]For everyone's sake.[/I]
"Alex, you don't have to - " Max started until Alex cut him off.
"I know. Didn't you hear [I]anything[/I] Liz said to you?" He stopped as Max flinched and moved onto a less sensitive reason. "I don't mind. Honestly. I want to."
Max smiled ruefully at him. "You didn't let me finish. You don't have to, but thank you. For wanting to do it." The two boys shared an understanding before Alex broke the moment.
"So uh, I guess I'd better head over there. Time is money, as they say."
Michael grunted. "Are we going over to Bitter Lake tonight?"
Max hesitated, and Isabel stepped up. "It's Pizza Night with Mom and Dad, Max. We can't."
Michael snorted, muttering 'typical' under his breath. "I'll go then."
Max quickly put his foot down. "No. Michael, it's not safe." After a pause, he quickly appeased his friend. "We'll go tomorrow night." Glancing pointedly at Alex, he added, "All of us."
Alex nodded, receiving Max's message. "I'll tell them."
"Come on," Isabel said to him with a look of unabashed gratitude and .was that awe he saw reflected in her gaze? Alex swallowed hard. She jerked her head towards the Jeep. "We'll give you a ride."
The three trudged towards the jeep, and Alex was willing to bet that all of their thoughts were centered in the same place. Honestly, how could things get any worse?
An unsettling chill settled along Alex's spine despite the hot sun, and suddenly he was afraid to discover the answer to that particular question.
It was later that he remembered the unspoken rule of thumb when it came to fate.
Whenever you thought you had hit rock bottom, someone always threw down a shovel in the cruelest, most bizarre way.
To be continued.