Title: Rosmole (4/10)
Author: Kata
E-mail: Katayla@juno.com
Disclaimer: I know something you don't! The Mole and Roswell don't belong to me! Oh . . . you already knew that?
Rating: PG
Summary: The Roswellian version of The Mole continues . . . .
Author's Notes: I've decided to stop making promises about when this fic is coming out. Everytime I think I'm going to get a chance to work on it, real life interferes.
******
Ten friends playing for up to one million dollars. Among them a saboteur, a traitor, the mole. The winner? The one who answers the question, who is the mole?
By the next day, everyone was rested and ready for the next challenge. First, however, they had to suffer through a two hour car ride.
"Please, Maria," Isabel moaned. "No more singing!"
"Oh come on, Isabel. You can't tell you don't love all these camp songs."
"I never went to camp," Isabel said, "and now I know why!"
Maria pouted. "Fine, then you think of a way to pass the time."
"I was going to paint my nails, but *someone* couldn't take the smell." Isabel glared at Michael.
"I'm sorry, Izzy, but that stuff smells awful."
"What's the point of nail polish, anyway?" Alex asked. "Oooh, my nails are pink!"
Maria rolled her eyes. "It's a girl thing, Alex. You couldn't possibly understand."
Alex slumped back in his seat. "I hate it when she says that."
Just before they all completely lost their tempers, the van pulled up to a large building. They followed Anderson in to find themselves in a large library.
"Where are we?" Michael asked.
"It's a library." Maria explained. "I wouldn't expect you to recognize it."
Michael shot her a withering glance. "I know that! But what's our task?'
"It's simple," Anderson said. "It's a treasure hunt."
"A treasure hunt? Here?" Tess looked skeptically around the library.
Anderson smiled. "A book treasure hunt. Each clue will lead you to a book, where you'll find the next clue. You'll have an hour to complete the hunt."
"Problem," Alex said. "Won't all the books be written in German?"
Anderson laughed. "We're not that cruel! This library's connected with the US Embassy. All the books are written in English." Anderson handed a piece of paper to Alex. "Here's your first clue. Have fun."
"Read it, read it!" Maria urged, clutching to Alex's arm.
"If you let go of me, I might be able to!" Alex laughed. "Listen up, everyone. 'Another name for Odysseus, this book has been banned numerous times."
"Ulysses!" Michael immediately said, and started walking to a shelf.
"Michael's read Ulysses?" Alex hissed at Isabel. She shrugged, a puzzled expression on her face. Maria, however, merely smiled and followed Michael.
By the time everyone caught up to Michael, he was already unfolding the next clue. "A fantasy world found by going through a closet."
Kyle shook his head. "Sorry, my literary experience is limited to magazines."
"Yeah, dirty ones," Tess commented. Kyle glared at her. "Sorry, um, closet, right."
"We need Liz back," Maria moaned. "She's the bookworm in the group."
"Or Max," Michael agreed.
"Wait," Tess said. "Closet-- wardrobe-- The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe! Come on!" Tess reached off to another section of the library. "It should be over here." She grabbed a book off the shelf, and begin flipping through it. A piece of paper flew out. "I love the Narnia books. I used to pretend I was Lucy when I was younger, and Na-- my father told me we had to move again. I always hoped that our new home would have a wardrobe in it. Anyway, here's the next clue: a series of nine 'little' books loved by millions of children and based on the author's real life."
"Oh," Amy said. "Those must be the Little House books. Maria and I used to read those together."
Maria smiled at Tess. "I used to pretend I was Laura. Although, I had golden hair, not brown."
Tess smiled, understanding the reference, then turned her attention to the next clue, read by Amy.
"The novelization of a movie whose ratings never sank," Amy announced.
Isabel groaned. "I know what the answer is, but the pun is terrible!"
"What is it?" Kyle asked.
"Titanic!" Isabel called over her shoulder, already heading to the bookshelf.
Kyle made a face. "That is a pretty awful pun."
"Here's the next clue. 'This series is about a redhead who loves the letter "e." ' "
Maria burst out laughing. "What's so funny?" he asked.
Maria shook her head. "You'd have to read the books."
"I don't even know what the answer is!" Michael retorted.
"Anne of Green Gables, of course!" Tess said, with a flip of her hair and followed Maria to the bookshelves.
"What's up with all the chick books?" Kyle asked.
Alex winced. "You shouldn't have said that."
Maria whirled to face Kyle. "Chick books! That is so stereotypical! The Anne of Green Gables series are great books! For guys, too! I'll get you them for you next birthday."
"Maria? The game?" Michael said, when it seemed safe to talk.
"Oh, right." Maria smiled sweetly at Kyle and returned to the bookshelf.
Kyle looked stunned. "Please don't ever marry my dad," he begged Amy. "I don't think I could live with her."
Amy laughed. "If I can, anyone can!"
Maria ignored both of them. "I found the next clue! 'This classic tells the story of an 'extraordinary man.' " She frowned. "Huh?"
"Classic," Alex repeated. "So we've probably read it in school."
"You might have," Kyle said. "Personally, I've made it my mission in life to make in through high school without reading a single assigned book."
Maria made a face. "You're such a jock."
Kyle made a face back. "Now who's being stereotypical?"
Amy groaned. "They're already acting like siblings!"
Alex tried to bring everyone's attention back to the game. "Come on people. We're supposed to be thinking about the extraordinary man."
Michael snapped his fingers. "That's it! Crime and Punishment! We read it last semester in English, remember Isabel?"
Isabel blinked. "Oh, yeah. Raskolnikov."
Maria stared at Isabel. "You forgot a book? I thought you always did your homework?"
Isabel shrugged. "Even us perfect people forget something now and then." She and the rest of the contestants followed Michael to a bookshelf.
Michael had meanwhile found the book. "Found it!" he announced. "This wizard actually lives in England, not Germany."
"Harry Potter!" Maria exclaimed.
"Harry Potter?" Kyle asked.
Maria turned to face him, hands on hips. "Yes, I've read Harry Potter. Want to make an issue over it?"
Kyle held out his hands. "No way. I've learned my lesson. You can read whatever you want."
"Thank you." Maria beamed.
"You're a quick learner," Michael commented. Kyle merely shook his head and smiled.
Within minutes, Maria returned with the next clue. " 'This 18-year old girl solved more cases than most police officers.' "
Kyle laughed. "I know that one! Nancy Drew. My dad's always complaining about unrealistic mystery books. He would never let a teenager help out an investigation!"
Isabel gave Kyle an amused look. "You might want to think about that statement."
Kyle blinked. "Oh, not you guys. You're different."
Tess gave him an odd look. "Thanks. I think."
When the reached the collection of Nancy Drew books, Maria frowned. "I'd forgotten how many of these there were. This is going to take forever!"
"Not really," Michael contradicted. "There's seven of us. It won't take too long."
Michael was right. Isabel found the next clue within minutes. Michael grabbed it from her, and read, " 'One died; one wrote; one was an artist; and the oldest had twins: every little girl should know these four sisters."
"Little Women!" Amy, Tess, Maria, and Isabel yelled in unison.
Alex, Michael, and Kyle stared at each other. "Must be a girl thing," Kyle finally said. Fortunately for him, Maria was already out of earshot, running to find the book.
Before they could even reach the bookshelf, the boys heard squealing from the girls.
"We won!" Maria exclaimed. She bounced back to Michael. "Look! A fifty-thousand dollar bill!"
"You do know that's fake, right?" Michael asked, but couldn't help but smile.
Maria rolled her eyes. "Remind me again why I ever dated you."
"Because I'm so cute?" Michael suggested with an impish grin.
"I don't know about that, Michael," Anderson Cooper said wryly, as he walked up to join the group, "but you're definitely winners this time. That brings your group total to--" Anderson looked expectantly at Alex.
"$270,000," Alex answered immediately. "Which doesn't sound nearly as nice when you realize we had a chance for $530,000."
Maria stared. "That much? The mole is better than I thought."
Anderson laughed. "That is the point of the game, isn't it? Good job on this one guys! The next challenge is tomorrow at noon sharp. Until then, I think you've earned yourself a nice long, break."
"I might just stay here," Isabel said, looking at the shelves of books. "It's so nice to see English for a change."
Maria gasped. "Isabel! You're my shopping partner! You can't just abandon me like that."
"Take Tess," Isabel suggested. "I'll catch up with you later."
Maria looked questioningly at Tess. "Want to?"
Tess hesitated, examining the other girl's sincerity. "Do you want me to?"
Maria bit her lip. "I'm not Liz. Yes. I want you to."
Tess' face broke into a grin. "In that case, I'd love to. That is, if Buddha boy will be all right without me?"
"I'm sure I'll survive," Kyle said dryly.
"And all I want to do is nap," Amy said. "All this running around. You teenagers make feel so old!" She laughed.
"Ah, you're not old, Ms. DeLuca," Michael said, taking her arm. "Come on, I'll go back to the hotel with you."
Maria stared after her departing boyfriend and mother. "What's gotten into Michael?"
"Maybe he's just trying to get on your mother's good side?" Alex suggested.
"He is!" Maria responded. "Well, sort of. The whole finding him in bed with me sort of turned her off for a while." She shook her head. "Come on, Tess. Maybe with someone who speaks German along, I'll actually be able to find some decent clothes!"
Isabel had wandered off to browse, through the books, leaving Kyle and Alex standing alone. "Alex, my man!" Kyle exclaimed. "Just who I wanted to spend my afternoon with!"
"Uh-oh," Alex said. "It doesn't involve anything illegal, does it?"
Kyle laughed. "No, I just want to know what your latest suspicions are. You must have some idea who the mole is."
Alex shook his head. "Really, I don't," he said, walking towards the exit.
Kyle fell into step with him. "Clues? Hints? Suspicious activity?"
Alex shrugged. "The last couple of challenges have been pretty uneventful. My guess is the mole's playing it low for now." He paused. "Except for the obstacle course. That did have some pretty strange stuff going on."
"Like?" Kyle prompted.
"Maria's ankle seemed to heal suspiciously fast. Her mom's was strange, too, but the doctor treated it, so I guess it was real."
"Anything else?"
Alex shrugged. "Liz's finding our way out of the cave so quickly was pretty suspicious, but since she got executed . . ."
Kyle shuddered. "I hate that term."
"Executed?"
"Yeah. Makes me feel like I'm out to get hung."
Alex laughed. "I see your point." The two boys laughed and joked their way back to the hotel.
******
"You don't have to do this," Amy said to Michael. "I'm sure I can make it back to the hotel by myself."
Michael shrugged. "Of course you can. I just wanted to do it." He helped Amy into the waiting car.
"You've changed, haven't you?"
Michael looked uncomfortable. "How could anyone not, with Maria as a girlfriend?"
Amy looked at him. "No, it's more than that. Even last year, you didn't let her close to you. Trust me. I heard enough complaining about it! Now," her gaze turned thoughtful, "you turn to her even before Max or Isabel."
Michael laughed ruefully. "Don't tell Maria, but I think her plot to turn me into 'the perfect boyfriend' is working."
"Good. I want my daughter to have better than I did." Amy smiled. "Oh, and about the newspaper?"
"Yeah?"
"Sorry. But I'll do it again if I ever catch you near Maria's bedroom!"
"Of course, Ms. DeLuca."
*****
The day of the next challenge was much warmer than the past days had been.
"It's a good thing we found these shorts," Maria said to Tess. "I left all of mine back in Roswell."
"Me, too."
Isabel was teasing Alex unmercifully. "Come on, Alex, noon is early compared to when some of our tasks started."
Alex groaned. "Not if you got up at eleven." He leaned his head down on Isabel's shoulder. "Don't wake me up please."
Isabel shoved him. "Come on, Alex. We need your brains for this task."
At that point, Anderson Cooper walked in. "Late night?" he asked Alex with a grin.
Alex tried to stifle a yawn. "I had all these strange dreams about the mole chasing me."
"Really? Who was it?" Kyle asked with interest.
Alex shook his head. "I never saw who it was."
Anderson smiled. "Good. I wouldn't want the game ruined! Now, the next challenge is a bit more individually based. One by one, you'll each come into the next room and pick a card out of my bag here." Anderson held up a large, bright blue bag. "Each card has a 'dare' on it. You can exchange the card once, but after that you're stuck with your dare. You can refuse it, but," Anderson held up a finger, "four people need to complete their dares to win $50,000. Less than four, and you don't earn any money. And of course, you can't talk to anyone after your turn. Oh, and once someone sees a dare, its out of the game. No one will get the same dare as anyone else."
"There seven of us," Alex murmured. "So that's only a little more than half. Those dares must be harsh." He didn't even lift his head from Isabel's shoulder.
"You'll see," was Anderson's only response. "I don't want to interrupt your rest, Alex, but we're going in alphabetical order."
"Right," Alex said, not moving from his spot. "I'm coming."
Isabel shoved him up off their perch on the couch.
"Thanks." Alex followed Anderson into the next room.
"Ready?"
Alex shrugged. "Why not?" He reached into the bag. "Sing for ten strangers. That shouldn't be too hard." He walked out the door, followed my a camera man.
Anderson scratched his head. "I knew that one was too easy." He walked back to where the others were waiting. "Amy, you're next!"
"Wait, does that mean Alex accepted the dare?" Maria asked. "Since you're back so soon?"
"Either that or he completely refused," Michael muttered, as Anderson and Amy walked out of the room.
******
In the next room, Amy was already picking her dare. "Kiss ten strangers!" she exclaimed. "I don't think so! I just finally got Jim to commit to our relationship. No way am I kissing ten strangers on national TV!"
"Whoa! Calm down!" Anderson held out his hand. "Remember, you can pick again."
"Right." Amy reached into the bag and picked again. "Go blindfolded for a day." She took a deep breath. "Nope. Sorry, I just can't do it."
Anderson nodded slowly. "It's your choice."
******
Isabel was next. "Shave eyebrows! No way! I'm sorry, I know everyone out there in TV land will think I'm just a vain . . . whatever, but I can't shave my eyebrows!"
"TV land?" was Anderson's only comment as Isabel reached into the bag for another dare.
"Walk along ridge of hotel roof." Isabel bit her lip and shook her head. "I can't, Anderson, I just can't." she smiled wanly. "I hate to be a poor sport, but couldn't you guys give me a challenge that doesn't deal with heights for once?"
Anderson shrugged. "Sorry, Isabel. It does seem to have worked out that way."
******
Kyle walked into the room eagerly. "I always loved truth or dare." He reached into the bag. "Walk around in a Speed for the rest of the day." He scratched his head. "Why not? Let's see if all that weight lifting paid off?"
"All right!" Anderson congratulated him. "Go on into the next room. They have a Speed for you."
******
Maria walked into the room apprehensively. "Any chance you'll tell me how many people has taken their dares? Didn't think so. Okay, first dare is . . . ."
"Do you ever stop talking?" Anderson couldn't help but ask.
"Not according to Michael! Swim for five hours straight. Not unless you want to kill me!" Maria said cheerfully. "I have no endurance!" She reached into the bag again. "Of course, this one will probably be worse. Go without talking for the rest of the day." She shook her head, looking disappointed. "I've tried. I honestly can't." She spread her hands out in an apology. "I'm starting to understand the frustration last season's contestants went through." She walked out of the room.
******
Michael was next. "Did Maria talk your ear off?" he asked, with a wicked grin.
Anderson shook his head. "You two make the strangest couple I've ever seen."
"Wear a dress?" Michael said incredulously. "Michael Guerin does not do dresses. I don't care how much money you offer me. I'm picking again." He reached deep into the bag. "Wear a bikini! Trust me, if I'm not going to wear a dress, I'm not going to wear a bikini! I'm sorry if I'm costing the group this task, but . . . I don't dress like a girl!"
******
Tess was the final contestant. For her, the process was slightly different.
"Tess," Anderson said seriously. "Let me be honest with you. Alex and Kyle were the only ones who did their dares. No matter what you do, you won't earn the money." Tess looked disappointed. "Unless . . . ."
"Unless?" Tess questioned eagerly.
"If you do all the dares the others refused, not only will the group earn the money, but you'll earn immunity from the next execution."
Tess looked thoughtful. "I would love to earn that much money for the group . . . ." She shook her head. "But I can't do it. Accepting immunity would be like cheating and I don't want to jeopardize any of my friendships." Not when I'm finally becoming part of the group, Tess added silently to herself.
Anderson smiled. "As much as I like to have my contestants win, I think you're making the right decision. I'll let the others know the outcome of the task. See you at the execution tomorrow night."
Tess nodded. "See you then."
******
Soon after Tess' decision, an indignant group gathered in Michael's hotel room.
"What do you mean you couldn't have worn a dress?" Maria shouted at Michael. "It wouldn't be *that* embarrassing!"
"And what's so hard about swimming or going without talking?" Michael demanded. "Or were you just trying to sabotage the group, *mole*?"
Maria looked shocked. "Take that back!"
"Cool it, you two," Amy said.
Maria groaned. "Come on, Mom. It's not like you did your dares either. Kissing ten strangers wa harsh, I admit, but what's so hard about wearing a blindfold?"
Amy folded her arms across her chest. "What's so hard about going without talking?"
"Hey, stop it!" Kyle broke in. "Look, I'm not exactly happy about this either. I have to go through the whole day like this for no reason." He gestured down at his Speedo. "But we're in this together, right? We're supposed to be a team."
Isabel nodded. "Kyle has a point. I suppose we're all guilty. I refused to face my fears about heights, Maria didn't think she could go without talking-"
"She can't," Michael murmured.
Isabel shot him a look. "And it wouldn't have been that hard for you to wear women's clothes, Michael. Amy didn't want to go without seeing, and Tess . . . what were your dares, Tess?"
Tess looked uncomfortable. "Oh, Anderson let me off easy, since it was obvious we couldn't win."
"Well, anyway, my point is, we're all guilty. Except for Alex and Kyle."
"I guess so," Maria admitted. "But I want to win!"
Michael laughed. "No kidding. You cheat on Monopoly!"
"I do not!" Maria protested indignantly.
"Then how do you end up with Boardwalk and Park Place every single time we play?" Michael asked witheringly.
"Same way you always win without them!"
Amy shook her head at them. "Sorry, Isabel, but I don't think anything you could say would stop those two from arguing."
Isabel smiled ruefully. "That's all right. I'm used to it by now."
The group dispersed in a predictable fashion. Tess followed Kyle out of the room, teasing him unmercifully about his Speed and threatening to shove him into the pull. Isabel dragged Alex out of the room to go "shopping." She and Maria had made a goal of getting Alex into a ribbed shirt. Amy wandered off to do "research" as she put it, and Maria and Michael stayed in Michael's room, arguing, of course.
*******
"Trust me, Alex. It looks great," Isabel said for what seemed like the millionth time. "Very sexy."
"I don't know," Alex said doubtfully, staring at the ribbed shirt. "I think I'll stick to my old clothes."
Isabel groaned. "You're hopeless!" She glanced down at her watch. "And we have ten minutes until the execution. Come on, I'll buy the sweater."
"Go ahead, but I don't promise to wear it!" Alex followed Isabel as she paid for the shirt. The two raced down the street to the scheduled meeting place for the execution.
"Ah," Anderson said. "Our last contestants have arrived. We were beginning to get worried."
Alex smiled. "I've never skipped a test in my life. Wait a minute-- if I conveniently got 'lost' and didn't get to take the test, does that mean I can't get executed?"
Anderson burst out laughing. "No, but we might conveniently decide that meant you were forfeiting the game!"
Despite the joking, they soon became serious, as the thumbprints revealed the fourth victim: Amy.
Maria immediately gave her mom a hug. "I'm sorry, Mom. I really wanted you to stay longer."
Amy gave her daughter a small smile. "That's okay. I'm sure it will be a much more exciting game without the adult supervisor. Michael!"
"Yes ma'am?"
"Take care of Maria-- but stay away from her, too!"
Michael couldn't help but laugh at Amy's garbled instructions, but nevertheless made the promise. And with that, Amy departed, leaving six teenagers, composed of a mixture of aliens, humans, and, of course, the mole.
TBC. . .
Anyone know who the mole is yet?