Hey again! Well, here's the second chapter all ready to go. Though I basically have the action to the rest of the story figured out (it should only be about five or six chapters total), I really don't know when I will update next. The thing is, I'll be out of town from Sunday, the 29th of June to Saturday, the 26th of July. Though I hope to write while I'm away, I'm not sure if I will be able to post anything, though I will definitely try.
I know I say this a lot (lol!), but please remember to review after you read this chapter, even if you've already reviewed the first one. All comments, suggestions, constructive criticisms etc are eagerly accepted!
*************
Kyle rejoined his slowly-awakening friends without ceremony. No one questioned where he'd been except Max, but it was his job, and the group respected that. When Kyle responded truthfully that he had been out on the van, the matter was dropped. They all understood the importance of a little space sometimes—Everyone had their own demons to work through and their own troubles to escape.
As they made their way out of the motel and into a new day, Kyle couldn't help but wonder if the sun was shining a little brighter than usual. Something about the morning had him feeling invigorated in a way he hadn't felt in a long time. Perhaps the abnormality of the night before was exciting him, but he suspected it was more than just the break from boredom.
Last night had happened to him. Not Max, not Liz, not anybody else. Him. Maybe it was stupid of him to get all worked up over it, but he couldn't help it. For once, he was involved with something having to do with aliens, and the rest of the group was clueless. He had to admit: it was quite a rush. He wouldn't keep the truth from them if he thought they were in danger of course, but Ava was no threat, so for now, she was his little secret.
So there may have been an extra spring in his step when he climbed into the van, even when he claimed his uncomfortable seat in the back. A tired-looking Maria crawled into the seat beside him, leaned her head against the window, and shut her eyes with a groan. Van-life clearly wasn't her thing. Not that is was anybody's "thing." Now that Kyle thought about it, none of them looked that much better than she did. Dark circles and pale faces plagued each member of the group.
But Max and Michael were in agreement on one front: They weren't stopping til they hit the east coast. Bound and determined, there was no arguing with the alien men. Neither of them were willing to put their loved ones in danger until they were sure the FBI wasn't waiting to pounce around some hidden corner. Kyle wasn't even sure why they thought the East Coast would somehow offer them more protection than anywhere else, but apparently the plan was to disappear into some tiny New England hamlet, take on new identities, and settle down for a while. If that was the goal, he sure couldn't blame the aliens for being stubborn about getting side-tracked.
Watching early morning lethargy creep over the group, however, was just too much for Kyle to bear.
"We should do something fun," he exclaimed.
"Wanna know something fun Kyle?" Michael replied sarcastically, turning in his shot-gun seat, "Fun is not being captured and dissected. That's what I call fun, okay? This is our life now. Deal with it."
"Michael, stop being such a pain in the ass," his previously restful girlfriend cried, whacking him on the back of the head. "Kyle's right. I'm sick of this damn van, and if I don't get out of it til nighttime again, I swear I will hurt someone."
Liz nodded her agreement, and, surprisingly, Isabel did too. The two guys in the front seats exchanged exasperated looks, but knew that they were outnumbered.
"Look," Kyle continued, "We're not talking something big here. All we need is a break from driving for a day."
"And where do you suggest, if you have so many ideas?" Michael questioned, still smarting over his last rebuttal.
"If we want to be seen in public as little as possible, we obviously shouldn't all parade into a diner somewhere, right, especially if we're going to hang out there for a while. So why not have a picnic? There're plenty of open fields and parks around here. We could even explore a little and find a place that isn't visible from the road if you thought that'd be better."
Following Kyle's suggestion there was something of a stunned silence, as everyone absorbed the fact that he had clearly been thinking this through. Even Max couldn't seem to find much wrong with the plan.
"Alright, that sounds fine," the former king pronounced as though he were passing a more weighty judgment.
His approval gave rise to excited squeals from the girls and a look of relief from Kyle. Even Michael got into the spirit of things after Maria whispered a suggestive promise of "quality time together." When Max overheard this, he immediately looked to Liz through the rear-view mirror and was apparently sufficiently encouraged by his wife that he too began scouring the road-side for a good place to turn off.
After a few minutes they passed a decent looking café, so Kyle and Maria darted inside to purchase the large order of sandwiches, chips, and soda. If the FBI was looking for them, they surely had a picture of all van members, but regardless, the mostly-human pair were accustomed to being the ones to venture out into public. None of them wanted to tempt fate by sending the aliens out and about too often.
They returned to the car after a few minutes, their arms piled high with bags, cartons, and cans to divide up among themselves. As Max continued down the highway in search of an isolated spot for lunch, Kyle couldn't resist peeking over his shoulder to cast surreptitious glances at the road behind them. Sure enough, there was only one other vehicle on the desolate stretch of asphalt, and it hadn't turned off at any of the scattered exits.
Kyle grinned to himself when he realized Ava had changed her white Civic into the flashy hotrod from the night before. It felt nice to share an inside joke with her. He wondered what she would do when they stopped, since pulling up beside them would draw a great deal of attention to herself. Deciding to let Ava worry about her own plans, however, he shifted in his seat once more and concentrated on helping his friends find the ideal location.
Moments later, Liz gasped, pointing to a small lake they had nearly missed. It was perfect, shielded from passing traffic by a thick clump of pine trees, its rolling green shores a lovely place for a picnic. This was immediately agreed upon, and Max turned left onto a narrow dirt road that led to a parking area on the other side of the trees. Not wanting to alert anyone to Ava's presence, Kyle refrained from watching which way her car went. He'd just have to ask her later what she had done.
Situating themselves on a grassy knoll beside the calm water and utterly protected from the outside world, the six friends could feel the tension that had been growing with every driven mile begin to slip away. The air was filled with the pleasant sound of hearty laughter, something that had been notably absent from their lives of late. Liz and Maria leaned back easily into the arms of their significant others, who held them comfortably, but with a visible degree of security.
Isabel had reclined back into the grass and was now resting with her eyes closed, basking in the mid-afternoon sunlight. So far she hadn't given Kyle any reason to believe that she was aware of what he had done for her the night before, and for that he was grateful. He was just glad that she was able to sleep peacefully now.
His gaze shifted back to the happy couples. Liz made some comment with a grin, and in response came an outraged shriek from Maria.
Moving closer, Kyle heard Michael join in with mock sincerity, "Yeah, she does have a big mouth, but I've gotten used to it."
This elicited another angry gasp from the girl in question, who replied with a mere, "Jerk!", naturally accompanied by a good slap on the arm.
"Aww, it's okay sweetie," Michael added with a wicked grin, "Sometimes big mouths can be a good thing…"
Max and Liz exploded with laughter as Maria's face turned from white to beet red. Just as it seemed Michael was in for his worst beating so far, the slim girl twisted in his grasp and planted a heavy kiss on his unsuspecting lips.
Now it was Michael's turn to flush crimson, but he soon recovered well enough to return her embrace. With hurried promises of returning in time for dinner, the giddy lovers nearly skipped down the small hill and scampered to the far side of the lake, which was fortunately lined with a dense row of foliage.
Kyle laughed outright at their retreating forms. "All I know is, they better be far away from me before starting anything noisy. It's hard enough having them horny in the van."
The remaining member of the group chuckled along with him, but Max and Liz were already beginning to fade out.
"Oh geez," Kyle stage-whispered to Isabel, "Once they start that 'stare-deep-into-my-eyes' thing, it's all over. They're goners." Raising his voice so that the married twosome could hear clearly, he continued, "Look, we all know that you guys are just as anxious as Michael and Maria to, uh, have some privacy. Please, save Isabel and I from this gag-worthy show, find some comfortable little area, and take care of your needs! I think we'll all be better off for it."
Liz rolled her eyes at this but accepted Max's outstretched hand nonetheless and rose to her feet to follow her husband. Soon they too had disappeared from sight, and Kyle and Isabel were left alone in silence.
"I think I'm going to try to get back to sleep Kyle," she murmured softly, and he noted the bags under her eyes.
"Okay Iz. Here, let me get the blanket." He draped the light cloth over her body as her eyes fluttered shut once more. Just before drifting into dreamland, she uttered a faint, "Thank you." He just nodded, knowing she wouldn't hear him if he spoke, and made his way down to the edge of the water.
Nodding somewhat self-consciously, Kyle's gaze swept the lake and its surrounding countryside. He was alone. It should have been a nice feeling, he supposed, and for a minute or so he did revel in it. Though he was thankful that the couples had hidden themselves from sight, he couldn't help but feel a tad abandoned. More than ever he was aware of his 'outcast' status, and it stung.
It wasn't their fault, of course. They couldn't help the fact that they were in love, and naturally they were drawn to each other more than they were to others. They assumed he had Isabel, and he certainly wasn't upset with her company. She was one of his best friends, and he loved to hang out with her.
But lately she had been distant and withdrawn, something that Kyle could hardly blame her for. Leaving her husband must have been more difficult than any of them fully understood. He knew it was Jesse she wept for when she didn't think anyone could see.
'But she has Max,' a tiny, annoying part of Kyle's mind reasoned. He hated himself for being so selfish, but it was true, wasn't it? Though she had left her lover behind, she did have family along for support. Not to mention Michael, who was practically her brother as well. Already she was one up on Kyle.
He mentally berated himself for turning it into some sort competition: Who's the odd one out? They were in this together. All six of them were linked with an unbreakable bond of both knowledge and loyalty. Not only did the humans know the secret, but they had pledged to keep it as such, even if they paid for it with their lives. And the aliens had had to put their trust in these friends completely. No one belonged to the group any 'more' than anyone else, and Kyle repeated this to himself as he strolled along the narrow beach.
At least he was with people who knew who he was and what he might become. A deep sympathy welled up inside of Kyle when he considered Ava's situation. She had lost the one person she could most relate to and had been subsequently mistreated by her remaining 'family.' Now she was alone and frightened to approach those few persons to whom she might actually belong. Maybe he should count his blessings.
He nearly jumped when a voice called out to him from the thicket of trees. "Psst! Kyle!" the hissed whisper carried to his ears across the strip of grass that separated them.
Casually glancing to his left and right to make sure no one was watching, he made his way to where she stood.
"Hey," Ava started, looking suddenly worried that he might not want to talk to her.
"Hey yourself," he replied as he took in her appearance now that it was daytime. She was clad in a pair of close-fitting navy blue jeans with a sleeveless white blouse…clearly a change of style from her punk days. A glint of silver alerted him to the metal loop still attached to her eyebrow. Being the only piercing she now displayed, however, it gave her an air of 'funky chic', as opposed to her previous 'all-out rebel' persona. Her brunette hair was tugged into a perky ponytail that reminded him of the kind Tess used to sport.
Kyle gulped before speaking again. This was going to take some getting used to. "So what are you up to? You haven't seen Max and Liz, have you?"
"Nope, I just got here. Had to park my car at the end of the road so you all wouldn't see it. Where's everyone at?"
"Well, we're all kinda split up. Isabel's resting over there," he said pointing in the direction he had come from. "I'm, uh, not sure where the others are exactly."
A look of understanding flashed in her eyes, and she nodded slowly, looking a little helpless.
"But, hey, that means I can hang out here with you for a while, if that's okay," he suggested carefully.
Ava cast him a genuine smile and invited him to sit beside her under the looming evergreen. She had her legs stretched out in front of her, crossed at the ankles, and he couldn't help but admire their lovely curves.
"So Kyle," she began cheerfully, "Now that you know my life story, tell me how you got into all this crap. You with Lonnie's dupe…what's her name again?"
"Isabel? No, we're not together, not like that."
"Then what're you doin' here?"
Kyle took a deep breath and decided all he could do was start at the beginning. Ava had opened up to him, after all. She deserved the same in return.
"See, it all started about two years ago, when we were all in our sophomore year. I was sort of going out with Liz at the time-"
"You and Lizzie? Wow, somehow I always pictured her joined at the hip with Max."
"Well yeah, I'll get to that. You know about the shooting right?"
"Yeah, yeah. Max to the rescue and all."
Kyle smiled. "That's right. Well, that's when Liz found out about the whole alien thing. Then she told Maria. And a while later Alex found out."
"Alex?"
He felt a familiar pain twist his stomach. "Uh, yeah, I'll tell you about him later too."
"Okay. So, Liz, Maria, and this Alex dude know. When do you find out? And what's with my Dupe? Where's she?"
Accepting the fact that getting the whole story out would probably take a while, Kyle plunged in nonetheless, beginning with Tess's arrival and going from there.
He could sense Ava's stunned reactions as she came to understand everything they'd been through. She gasped at the news of the Skin attacks, clearly having little understood Lonnie and Rath's involvement with Nicholas. Disbelief overtook her when he explained his role in the Future Max fiasco, and how persistently Tess had worked to win Max over. She seemed unfazed, however, when Kyle told her how the aliens had discovered their true nature as hybrids, and he gathered that her foursome had already been informed of this one way or another.
Kyle did pause before going any further, both for her sake and his own. Only when Ava urged him on did he continue. Repeating the story of Tess's pregnancy, Alex's death, the aliens' near-departure from earth, and the discovery of Tess's betrayal was painful beyond belief.
It affected the woman beside him as well. As she wept quietly, he could well-imagine the tumult of emotions she must feel. Horror, certainly, that the one she was supposedly identical to had done such things. Guilt, perhaps? Did she wonder whether she possessed a similar capacity for evil? He wanted to comfort her, but he felt awkward and had no idea where to begin or what to say.
"I'm okay," she whispered, rubbing the tears from her cheeks. "I just never thought…I never imagined how hard everything's been for you all. There was something about her, when I saw her that day, but I never-I never-"
Kyle hushed her gently. "It's okay, Ava. You're not Tess. You can't be responsible for her actions."
"I know, I know. It's just scary, ya know?"
"Yeah," he answered, his voice thick with emotion, "Do you want me to keep going?"
She nodded, and he re-gathered his thoughts. He then ran through the past year's events, from Max's search for his son, to Isabel's marriage, to the changes Liz began to undergo.
She interrupted when he got to that part. "I knew it. That's what happens. It'll only get worse now that she and Max are…physically connected. Hey Kyle, it's almost your turn, huh?"
He gave a weak smile at this, but shuddered when he considered it. He was not looking forward to that at all.
"So what next?"
And so he spun into more recent history, describing Max's 'death' and subsequent reappearance and Tess's return to earth. Ava was visibly shaken when she heard this, especially when Kyle explained the damage she had wrought at the government base and the massive search that had erupted. By the time he broke the news of Tess's ultimate sacrifice, Ava's eyes had flooded once more.
"So what happened to the baby?"
"Max put him up for adoption, since he was fully human."
"Wow." She waited a beat and added, "When did you guys finally take off?"
He told her then of Liz's premonitions and their plan to escape one by one to avoid being killed. Finally he arrived to the end of the events they had experienced thus far, describing their final flight from Roswell, packed together in the old VW van, and explaining how they'd been on the road since then, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible, never knowing how far behind the FBI really were.
He allowed Ava to sit a moment in silence to absorb the huge amount of information he'd just handed her. Kyle could only imagine what she was thinking.
Her next words surprised him somewhat. "I feel real sorry for that Isabel. I know how it feels to have to be separated from someone you love." She shot Kyle a meaningful glance then, as if to suggest that perhaps he knew what she felt too?
He remained silent, but had a feeling that his eyes were giving him away.
"Kyle," she began slowly, but deliberately, "You and Tess…you were friends right?"
"Yeah, we were friends. She lived in my house. My dad and I…We trusted her. She was like part of the family."
"Part of the family?" Ava asked, clearly a tad confused. "Nothing else?"
"What do you mean, nothing else?"
"I mean, you two weren't, ya know, together?"
He paled at this. 'Okay, keep your cool Valenti.' "What?" he responded, trying his best to sound incredulous, "No, Ava, remember, Tess was pressed on Max."
"Okay. You're right, I forgot about that for a second. It's just this weird feeling I had when you were talking. I'm sorry, forget I said anything."
She looked so chagrined that he almost confessed, but managed to stop himself. Yes, it would be nice to talk to someone about what he was going through, but that someone could not be Ava. Since she was Tess's dupe, it would make things between them way too awkward, and Kyle didn't want to jeopardize what seemed like a budding friendship. He was hoping that one day he could get to know Ava well enough that he would stop feeling for her what he felt for Tess simply because of their physical similarities.
A voice started each of them violently out of their own mind wanderings.
"Kyle?" Isabel called from their picnic area.
"Well, I better go. Wouldn't want them to find me here with you."
"Yeah," she replied, still lost in her thoughts. Shaking herself, she stood up slowly and said, "Thanks, Kyle. For everything. For telling me all that. And for, well, you know."
"Sure. Look anytime, you want to, you know, find me and talk or whatever, that's cool. I like being with you."
She grinned, and his heart warmed against his will. 'Stop it, Kyle!' he shouted to himself mentally, 'She's not Tess!' But somehow it felt like his body already knew. And that scared Kyle even more.
"Look," he finished hurriedly, "I really gotta go. You better get out of sight before anyone comes looking for me."
She nodded and quickly turned on her heels, retreating back into the trees.
He watched her disappear, then jogged back into the open. As he made his way back to their blanket, he noticed that Michael and Maria had returned, looking flushed and satisfied. Kyle shot them a cheeky grin and raised his eyebrow at Michael while Isabel questioned him.
"Where were you off to Kyle?"
"Just answering nature's call," he shot back, "Didn't realize I had to report in."
Isabel sent him worried glance, then smiled when she noticed the teasing glint in his eyes. "Sorry, I was just…a little out of sorts after I woke up."
"No prob. So, anyway, I'm ready for leftovers! I see Max and Liz are still MIA, but does anyone think we should wait?" Hardly pausing, he ploughed on, "Good! Hey, Iz, are there any of those roast beef's left?"
And so the foursome enjoyed their second pleasant meal of the day. Kyle noticed that Michael and Maria were stuffing themselves with especial fervor, and slyly pointed this out to Isabel, who giggled softly in response. She looked more rested, but Kyle still noted with concern the faraway tint to her gaze. He was glad he could make her smile and even laugh on occasion, but unfortunately the good humor rarely reached her eyes.
Just as they were finishing up, the sheepish husband and wife re-emerged into their clearing, clasping hands and looking for all the world like those proverbial cream-eating cats.
A witty jest rested on the tip of Kyle's tongue, but he refrained, for once, deciding that perhaps he had hassled the couples enough that day. Max and Liz quickly devoured the remaining food, and afterwards all six of them pitched in to clean up.
Night had fallen by the time they reluctantly headed back to their van. Maria suggested they camp out for the night, but as tempting as it sounded, Max vetoed the idea, citing the danger of being caught unaware and unprotected. She nodded, knowing how useless it was to argue once he made up his mind, and ran her hand through her hair, which had recently returned to its natural blonde. Wearily she climbed back into the van and onto the lap of her equally-exhausted boyfriend.
Still, despite the temporary fatigue that had descended upon them all, the respite had not been in vain. Each felt refreshed and prepared for whatever their next step might be, though a good night's sleep beforehand might be in order.
For his part, Kyle certainly felt a good deal of this renewed spirit and potential energy. Unlike the others, though, he didn't wish he could stay at the lake forever. For the first time in ages, Kyle was looking forward to the future, and the reasons for this change in attitude baffled even himself.
He had left his home, after all, and with every hour on the road, they drew further and further into unknown territory. Alien powers lurked somewhere on the horizon, waiting to change him when he least expected it, he was sure. He hadn't been even able to communicate with his father since the night they had escaped. Truly, pessimism and a certain level of nostalgia would have been expected.
Yet, there was that twinge in the back of his mind, that spark that set his foot tapping with nervous anticipation.
A thought occurred to him then, or rather unearthed itself, for Kyle had buried the idea the first time it had hit him. But he dismissed it just as quickly as it had come, humming a tune aloud to drown out its soft whisper of suggestion.
He turned to Isabel and started to discuss their next destination, which at the moment was vague and basically depended on when and where they ran out of gas. Still, the small spark had been lit indeed and slowly began flaming to life within Kyle's subconscious. It was only a matter of time before it consumed its way into his heart.
*************
Thanks for continuing up to this point! My tentative goal is to have Chapter 3 out later this week…It should get a little more exciting then!
Remember to send me some feedback no matter what your opinion is so far. While long reviews are great, just a short sentence is fine as well. Hopefully more chapters will be up soon!