Title: Rosmole (10/10)

Author: Kata

E-mail: Katayla@juno.com

Disclaimer: I only *think* they belong to me. In reality, I only own the story. Everything else belongs to TPTB.

Rating: PG

Summary: The Mole, with a Roswellian twist.

Author's notes: If I don't mention how long it's been for this story, will you ignore it too? This is the final part of Rosmole. I hope it was worth the wait. I'd really enjoy hearing what you thought of this fic, since I've spent so much time on it.

******

It had been nearly a month since they had gathered to begin the game and now it was nearly over. Anderson stood in the middle of the hotel's medieval-themed lobby, surrounded by the seven executed players.

"Welcome back," he greeted them. "I'm glad to see you all again. I'm sure you've all been anxious to know how your fellow contestants how done. I know Michael, Maria, and Isabel are also eagerly resulting their quiz results. First, however, we're interested in knowing how you think they've done."

Alex groaned. "Just tell us already, Anderson. I'm dying of suspense!"

Anderson grinned. "Why don't you tell us what you think, Alex? Who do you think is the mole and who do think won?"

Alex looked thoughtful. "Well, I know Isabel and Maria the best, so they'd have a harder time fooling me. So, I guess I'll say Michael is the mole. Which makes Maria the winner."

"No, no," Amy disagreed. "I don't think it's Michael. I would know if my daughter's boyfriend was lying to me. It's a gift. Which unfortunately doesn't extend to my daughter. I think Maria's the mole and Michael's the winner."

Jim, who was seated next to Amy, shook his head at that. "I don't know. I think Isabel might be the mole. I guess that would make Maria the winner then. Girls generally know when other girls are lying."

Anderson laughed. "You guys seem to have a hard time agreeing. What does everyone else think?"

Tess bit her lip. "I think Michael's the mole. And, like Alex said, that would probably make Maria the winner. I don't think he's very good at lying to her."

Kyle disagreed. "I think Maria's the mole. She's just wacky enough to pull it off. And Michael's the winner.

"What do you two think?" Anderson asked Liz and Max who were holding hands and looked much happier than when they left the game.

"I think it's Isabel," Liz said. "I don't think Maria was lying to me. It could be Michael, but I don't think so. And I think Maria won."

Max shrugged. "I was only in the game for three days, but I don't think Isabel or Michael were lying to me. Maria's probably the mole. And I think Michael won."

Anderson smiled. "We'll find out soon if anyone of you are right. Maria, Michael and Isabel are waiting in the next room. Should we bring them in?"

Alex rolled his eyes. "I assume this is another one of your famous rhetorical questions?"

Anderson shrugged. "Let's bring them in then." He opened a door in front of the executed contestants. "Ladies, Michael, please join us."

The three remaining contestants walked. Michael and Maria were clinging to each other's hands, while Isabel walked a little behind them.

"Well?" Maria asked.

Anderson raised his eyebrows. "Well?"

"Who's the mole? Did I win? Come on, Anderson!" Maria was nearly bouncing in her excitement.

Anderson smiled. "Did you really think I would just tell you? We have to give our audience some sort of ceremony." As Anderson finished speaking, three men, who the Roswell gang recognized as crew members rolled in three large boxes. On each box, a contestant's name was blazed in gold script. "I assume you're all familiar with the concept of the Jack-in-the-Box? You'll notice that each box has a handle on the side. Simply go to your box, turn the handle and eventually…well, you'll see for yourself."

Michael, Maria and Isabel went to their respective boxes. "Are you ready?" Anderson asked them. "Go!"

They began turning their handles. The Mole's theme music filled the air, until suddenly all three boxes exploded nearly simultaneously. The Roswellians sat in silence for a moment, taking in the results.

Jim exclaimed. "I knew it!"

Isabel looked sheepish; a furry, brown animal-- a mole -- had popped out of her box. Meanwhile, Maria shrieked.

"You won!" she exclaimed, hugging Michael, who couldn't seem to take his eyes off the large dollar bill that had popped out of his box. Maria seemed oblivious to the fact that her own box had revealed nothing.

"Congratulations, man," Max said, coming up to shake Michael's hand, "and you!" he continued, shaking his finger at Isabel, "you're not supposed to lie to your own brother!"

"Or to your…er…me," Alex said, coming up to stand next to Isabel. "And Michael! Maria always said you were smarter than you pretended."

The others, too, quickly added their congratulations.

Anderson stood a little apart, grinning at the tumult. "Would you all like to know how she did it?"

"I do!" Alex exclaimed. "I took so many notes and they all led no where! How did you do it?" he asked Isabel, who was now sitting beside him.

"Yeah, and how did you figure it out?" Kyle asked Michael. "I totally blew my last quiz."

Michael grinned. "I'm a genius, didn't you know?"

"Who better be buying his girlfriend some awfully nice presents," Maria said, snuggling in closer to the newest winner of The Mole.

Isabel smiled. "And I'm still not sure how I managed to pull it off."

"Isabel's being modest," Anderson said. "She was a brilliant mole, so subtle in her sabotage that few of you ever picked her as the mole. That is, of course, until the end. Maria, you might be interested to know that Michael only beat you by one question."

Maria shrugged. "That's alright. He'll buy me something nice."

"That's what she thinks!" Michael mouthed off. Maria swiftly retorted with a jab to his ribs.

Liz shook her head. "I missed you guys, but I sure didn't miss your bickering."

Maria suddenly took a good look at her best friend, who had resumed holding hands with Max, and let out another squeal. "Liz! Max! Are you guys--? That's so great! Now you can go out on double dates with Michael and me again!"

Max laughed. "Slow down, Maria. Liz and I talked, and decided to give it a try again."

"We kind of couldn't stand being apart," Liz said softly.

"That's so great!" Maria exclaimed. "Now we're all paired off!"

"We're not a couple!" Alex and Isabel said in unison.

"Yeah, and neither are we." Kyle's assertion was less than credible, considering the arm he had around Tess' shoulder.

"Well, we are!" Amy declared from her place besides Jim. Maria made a face at that.

Anderson cleared his throat. "Would it bother anyone if we got back to the game?"

"It doesn't matter, does it?" Michael asked. "The game's over. I won. It doesn't matter how Izzy messed with us."

"I want to know," Alex insisted.

Anderson smiled. "Let's start at the beginning. Isabel managed to pull off a successful sabotage during the very first challenge, when she let all the oil out of the van."

"That was you!" Kyle exclaimed. "I didn't know you knew anything about cars."

Isabel shrugged. "I don't. The producers told me what to do."

Anderson continued. "However, throughout most of the challenges, Isabel's sabotage was very subtle. Oh-- but there is one thing some of you picked up on. Isabel was constantly put into scenarios where she had to battle her fear of height."

"Yeah, but Izzy really is scared of heights." Michael protested.

Anderson smiled. "Which is exactly why the producers used that fact."

Alex shook his head. "I can't believe it. That was one of the reasons I didn't suspect Isabel. I was sure she wasn't faking her fear."

"I wasn't!" Isabel said. "But it was all for the good of the game."

"Isabel's next big sabotage came in eighth challenge, when you all had to draw dares. The producers set it up so Isabel would only draw dares that you all knew she wouldn't complete."

"This isn't fair!" Alex protested. "I thought we were just supposed to find out the mole's sabotage. Nobody told me the producers would be against us, too!"

"I told you to watch my tapes of the first Mole," Maria said smugly.

"Well, the producers were against you in the next challenge, too, when you all had to get past snipers to rescue Maria. Isabel was able to get by snipers when the rest of you were not, because they knew her. However, in the end, she was shot to complete her sabotage."

Max shook his head. "Wow. This game is a lot more complex than I thought. I'm kind of glad I was the first execution. I knew you were devious Iz, but this is incredible."

Isabel smiled. "Just doing my job."

Anderson continued. "Isabel lay low over the next few days, not wanting to arouse suspicion. However, remember the game where you all had to walk back to the hotel, dealing with various disabilities? In that game, Isabel performed what may have been her biggest deception. You all thought she sprained her ankle, but it wasn't actually hurt at all."

Tess's mouth dropped open. "I can't believe it! That's what made me stop suspecting you!"

"When Isabel fell, she decided to use it to her advantage and pretended to have hurt her ankle. She asked the doctor to bandage it up, so that none of you would suspect her."

Michael shook his head. "I was pretty sure you were the mole by then, but I had no idea the sprained ankle was fake."

"It may comfort you to know that the ankle was Isabel's last big sabotage. After that, she went back to her subtle ways, even helping you guys win some challenges."

Isabel smiled. "Well, I wanted them to win at least a little money."

"And they did," Anderson said. "Despite Isabel's sabotage, you guys-- or should I say, Michael-- ended up with a pot of $523,000."

"But I helped him," Maria said. "I should get some of that."

"I'll give you a couple of bucks." Michael offered.

Maria rolled her eyes. "You better give me a lot more than that, if you know what's good for you, Spaceboy!"

Anderson smiled. "What are you going to do with all that money, Michael?"

Michael shook his head. "I have no idea. Buy presents for Maria, apparently."

"Buy a car," Amy suggested.

Anderson smiled. "I'm sure you'll find plenty of uses for your winnings." To the viewing audience, Anderson said. "Thanks for watching everyone! I hope you enjoyed this edition of The Mole."

As soon as the cameras were turned off, the former contestants surrounded Isabel.

"Oh my gosh, Isabel!" Maria exclaimed. "I can't believe you were lying to me during all those shopping trips!"

"I thought you knew!" Isabel said. "I knew you'd probably know if it were Michael."

"What?" Michael protested. "I could have fooled her."

"No, you couldn't," Maria said, patting his cheek.

"I bet I could have figured it out," Max said. "After all, I am your brother."

Isabel smiled. "Sure, now you say that."

Max shrugged, and held up Liz's hands. "I got the best prize out of all of you."

Tess rolled her eyes. "You're such a sap, Max."

"At least he's my sap," Liz said, with a tentative grin at Tess.

Alex was still shaking his head in disbelief. "I can't believe you lied to m--all of us."

"It was my job! Besides, I'll make it up to you," she said, with a small smile, as she placed her hand in Alex's.

Jim and Amy had broken away from the teenagers and stood quietly holding hands and talking.

Maria looked over at them and sighed. "I'm afraid there's a good chance we'll have to end up living in the same house, Kyle."

"You can always come live with me," Michael suggested, slinging an arm around Maria's shoulders.

She rolled her eyes. "My mom would love that."

"It won't be that bad," Kyle admitted. "Besides, then Tess can steal your clothes instead of mine!"

"Oh, you!" Tess said, and began chasing Kyle, who had taken off as soon as he had completed his sentence.

"What happened with those two?" Liz asked.

"Nothing, yet," Maria said. "Or at least, nothing they'll admit to. Unlike you two!"

Liz blushed, but didn't take her hand out of Max's, who leaned down to whisper something in her ears.

Michael, perhaps following Max's lead, leaned down to Maria. "Maybe I will buy you something."

"Yeah?" Maria asked, leaning against him.

"Sure," he answered, putting his arms around her. "Pens, pencils, stuff like that…."

Maria struggled in his arms, trying to get away. "You better not!"

Michael looked down on her, a soft grin playing over his features. "Or maybe I'll buy something as beautiful as you are."

Maria stopped struggling. "Taking romance lessons from Max again?"

"Nope. I came up with that one all by myself."

"I don't really need anything, you know."

"I know."

Anderson stood a couple of feet away from the Roswellians, smiling as they inevitably paired off. During the course of the game all of the contestants found, or perhaps rediscovered, something much more valuable then money. Something gave him the feeling that these eight young people, along with the two adults, faced much greater trials than those presented in a game show. He only hoped that what they had discovered in this game would give them the strength to survive anything life threw their way.

The End

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