A/N: Well, I finally get around to posting Chapter 2. Here's where the
crossover starts. Bear with me for a while, okay? I know the Roswell milieu
isn't the most exciting, but... I'm working on stuff. And peterv, thanks
for the review... and no, i didn't see the last bit of Angel Season 4.
Assune that eith SKip isn't oen of the baddies, or at this point (still end
of Season 6 for BtVS), he hasn't had cause to reveal himself yet. Later,
and PLEASE review! Every little bit helps! This means you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A red, bloated sun hung in the midsummer sky over the New Mexico desert. Merciless rays beat down on the sand and sage. A hot, dry wind blew out of the south, carrying stinging sand into Max Evans eyes. He squinted and shaded his eyes with a hand, staring hard to the south.
Next to him in the classic convertible, his friend Liz squeaked and grabbed the wheel.
"What's wrong with you?!? Pay attention to the road!"
Max was inattentive. Liz continued to steer from the passenger seat while he searched the southern horizon.
"Something's out there, Liz. I saw it... and felt it."
"That's great, Max, but let's talk about it when the car is stopped, ok?"
The black-haired teen wordlessly applied the brakes and steered to the side of the road. Shifting the trasmission to park, he hopped out of the car and started walking across the road, towards the open desert to the south. Liz opened her door and ran out after him.
"What did you see?" She said breathlessly.
"Not sure. It was... bright. It's out there, somewhere."
"Was it a plane?"
"No."
Liz lowered her voice. "Was it... an alien?"
"I'm not sure, remember?"
Liz sighed. She leaned her head on Max's shoulder.
"I know you're anxious to find out about your son, but Tess just left a few weeks ago. He most likely hasn't even been born yet."
Max continued to stare wordlessly, but Liz could sense his silent consent.
He turned back to the car. "Let's go look."
Liz followed after him and got into the car. "Sorry, but this isn't the jeep."
"Doesn't matter." He gunned the engine and swung the car onto a small dirt road, tires throwing up clouds of dirt and rocks.
Liz gripped the door tightly as the convertible bounced across the rough terrain. Max dodged the larger potholes, but was still maintaining a speed that Liz was sure was less than safe.
In the three weeks since Tess' betrayal and departure, her relationship with Max had begun to change. They had both been pushing away over the last year, but for different reasons. She knew Max didn't accept his destiny with Tess. She didn't blame him - being told you are genetically predestined to be with someone really puts a damper on free will. She still had loved him, though... with a passion and power she hadn't thought possible. But, she reflected, she was always the responsible one... always the dutiful daughter. Who was she to interfere in the affairs of these beings? Max, the man she loved, and who returned her love, was a reincarnated alien king! Liz was a plain human from Roswell. No cosmic destiny there. Yet she kept being swept up in this alien insanity... extraterrestrial love triangles, alien babies, invasions... and Liz was square in the middle, with Max, Michael, Maria, and Isabel. Three years ago, when she caught a bullet in the diner, she had died... and Max revived her. Brought her back. And not with CPR. She hadn't realized then what the consequences would be. Neither, Liz thought, did Max.
Liz Parker was a straight-A student who was naturally driven and curious about things she didn't understand. Well, she sure as hell didn't understand how someone could heal a bullet wound with the laying of hands!
Max had told her. He brought her into the secret that him, his sister, anh their best friend had guarded with their lives for years. Because he loved her too much to let her die. He loved her too much to lie.
None of them could have guessed the consequences... the price they would all pay, the pain they would all share.
Because of a moment of weakness.
Liz stole a sideways glance at Max. His black hair snapped in the breeze. He drove with the singleminded intensity that he did everything else. Max, Liz mused, never did anything half-assed. It was either all the way - or not at all. Did he think it was a mistake? In hindsight, healing her had been dangerous... extremely risky and foolish. It had led to investigation, coverup, and discovery... the only reason he wasn't still in that white room was that Nasedo had killed or discredited everyone in the Special Unit.
And Alex died.
Liz felt the familiar lurch in her stomach when she thought about her friend. Dead at the hands of the woman who carried Maxs' child.
That, perhaps, was the greatest toll.
It wasn't even a noble death. Tess had warped his mind with her powers until something gave. Then she had psychically coerced Kyle, who had taken her into his home and loved her like a sister, into stuffing the body into a car, which she ran into a semi at seventy miles an hour. Tess deserved whatever she got.
As long as it was a fiery death.
Liz' breath whooshed out of her lungs after Max hit a particularly fierce pothole. Her thoughts returned to the present. The barren New Mexico desert rushed by, mile after mile of sand and sky. The late afternoon sun hung low over the horizon, casting an eerie glow over the flat, rocky desert. The rocks and sand shone a deep red.
Except for one that was yellow.
"Max? What's that?" Liz grabbed his arm and pointed. Max looked off to the right. His eyes narrowed. About thirty yards off the road, he saw...
The car skidded to a halt on the side of the road. Liz gave a little eep when her seatbelt dug into her shoulders. Max jumped out of the car. Liz unfastened her seatbelt and opened the door. Max was already running.
"Grab the first aid kit!"
Liz opened the trunk and dug out the small, red plastic box. Glancing up at the sky, she saw that the sun was setting. The desert would be cooling off rapidly soon. She also grabbed a blanket that Max kept in the trunk, and ran after him.
"What the f...?"
A woman, blond, in her early twenties, crumpled in a heap on the sandy ground. The sun made her hair shine with an internal light. She was very pretty, in a matronly sort of way - tall and solidly built. She looked as if she had never seen a moment of physical violence... except for a round, pink scar in the center of her chest. Wait. Her chest?
Liz did a double take. The woman lying on the ground was very, very naked.
Max was kneeling beside her, clasping her wrist with two fingers. He was looking at the watch on his other hand. Liz ran up and dropped to her knees. She shook out the blanket and draped it over the womans still form.
"Her pulse is strong, about seventy-five or so."
"Is she hurt?"
Max shook his head. "Doesn't look like it. She's not bleeding or bruised, and there's no sign of a head wound."
"You think she was... bit by something?"
"Sure. And it took her clothes." He half-smiled at her.
Liz made a face. "No, Max.... that's a seperate problem entirely."
"Well, she looks to be perfectly healthy... except for that scar. Like she is just... sleeping."
"So we wake her up." Liz opened the first aid kit and retrieved a bottle of smelling salts.
"Where'd that come from? I don't remember that coming in the kit."
"Maria's a wimp. Helps to be prepared."
"Oh."
Liz opened the bottle and waved it under the girls nose.
Nothing happened.
"Huh. Uh."
"Ma'am?" Max shook her shoulders gently. She didn't stir.
"So she's a deep sleeper?" Liz supplied.
"No... I'm not sure. We need to get her to a hospital."
"Max? That might not be the best idea. What if she's. well, not like me, or even like you? Doctors on this planet usually specialize in homo sapiens. We found her lying in the middle of the desert! And, the only reason we even came out here is because you felt something! Doesn't that kind of imply that something is not with the normal?"
"She's human. I'm sure of it."
"How?"
"I just do. It's. one of those things. Liz, she's hurt and needs medical attention - more than we can give her."
"Well, can't you just... you know... heal her?"
He looked at her. "I don't even know what's wrong with her. And we don't know who she is... we can't risk the exposure."
Liz sighed. "So hospital it is, then." She fished her cell phone out of a pocket and dialed 911. A few seconds passed, and then she frowned and looked at the phone.
"What's wrong?"
"No signal. Guess there's no cavalry."
"We'll have to move her, then."
Liz pursed her lips together and absently tucked her hair behind and ear.
"She looks to be stable. No obvious broken bones, swelling, or signs of head, neck, or spinal injuries. Can't rule out internal bleeding or contusions. but again, there's no sign of trauma."
"What do you think?"
She paused.
"Let's move her."
* * *
The black convertible roared up 285 South towards Roswell, New Mexico. Max was behind the wheel, while Liz was in the back seat with the mysterious girl's head in her lap. She was wrapped in the dark gray blanket. Her long blonde hair snapped and curled as the wind caught it. Max glanced back from the drivers seat.
"How's she doing?"
"I can't really tell - she's still sleeping. That could be good or bad, I guess."
"Sleeping or unconscious?"
"Hard to tell. I'm not a doctor."
"You're closer to one than me. Keep a close eye on her."
Liz nodded and returned her attention to the girl in her care. There was something about her... something she couldn't quite put a finger on.
Besides dropping out of the sky stark naked in the middle of the desert.
Liz gently brushed some loose strands of blonde hair out of the girls face. She really was quite pretty... and looked so peaceful, as if great weight had been lifted from her shoulders for the first time in a long while. Her mouth was curved into a gentle smile. The coarse gray blanket was wrapped around her tall frame, leaving only her face exposed.
Then she opened her eyes and looked directly at Liz.
Liz screamed and pulled her hands away. The girl's eyes opened wide and she drew a sharp breath, violently thrashing as she tried to free herself.
Max's head snapped around to look backward. The car swerved in the lane.
"Liz! What's wrong?"
And abruptly as it started, the girl went limp. Her eyes rolled into her head and closed.
"Max! Oh god, she woke up. She looked at me..."
"Is she okay? Are YOU okay?"
Liz put a hand to her thudding heart and took several deep breaths. Then she placed her fingers on the girls throat.
"Her heart is beating. I-I'm not sure what happened... we need to get her to the hospital quick."
"We'll be there in about five minutes. Will she be okay until then?"
Liz straightened her hair behind an ear.
"I'm really not sure. Max, that kinda looked like a seizure..."
"Three minutes, then." He downshifted and accelerated. The convertibles engine roared in response, and they sped down the highway towards Roswell.
Two and a half minutes later, they swung into the emergency lot at Roswell General. Max shut off the engine, set the brake, and leapt out of the vehicle in one smooth motion. He gathered the unconscious girl up in his arms and carried her towards the entrance of the hospital while Liz clambered out and followed close behind.
A large black boot crashed open the doors to the Roswell Emergency Clinic. The on duty nurse looked up, a shocked expression on her face as a young man with dark hair came in, carrying an unconscious young woman wrapped in a blanket. The nurses expression became one of concern as she came around the desk, pulling a bed up to them.
"What happened?"
"I don't know. We found her like this," The dark haired teen replied.
They laid her still form down gently on the hospital gurney.
"Doctor, I need some help over here!"
An older man in scrubs came at the nurses call. Seeing the womans prostrate form, he immediately started checking vital signs.
"What happened?" The doctor directed his questioning at Max.
"I'm not sure, sir. We found her like this."
"Found her? Where?" He turned quickly to the nurse. "Jen, get paperwork started."
"Yes, Doctor."
The doctor turned back and began to wheel the bed towards a room. He motioned for Max to follow. Max heard the door open behind him and glanced back to see Liz' slim form enter. He followed after the doctor.
"So where did you find her?"
"In the desert west of 285 South, about ten miles south of town."
"So you don't know her?"
"No, sir." Max felt Liz' comforting presence come up behind him. He reached back for her hand. The doctor parked the bed in a small room just down the hall.
"We'll have to notify the sheriff, then. She seems to be healthy... where are her personal effects?"
Max shook his head. "We found her just like that... without the blanket."
The doctor pursed his lips.
"We can't treat her if she has no insurance."
Liz came forward.
"You what?"
The doctor spread his arms helplessly. "I'm sorry, but it's the hospitals policy to withhold treatment until payment is secured, unless the patient requires immediate care."
Liz was mad. In fact, she was rather pissed. She pulled her hand free from Max and gripped the rail on the side of the bed. Her eyes narrowed when she spoke.
"That's ridiculous! How can you turn away a helpless girl?"
"I'm sorry, ma'am, but it's the rule. It protects the hospital and the patient by keeping costs down - things still have to be paid for, whether they were given in charity or not. Now, I suggest you wait in the lobby for the Sheriff."
Exasperated, Liz pulled out her wallet and withdrew a small blue card. She thrust it at the doctor as she dragged Max from the room.
"Liz?"
"What, Max?"
"Why did you just give him your insurance?"
She stopped and turned, glaring up at his greater height.
"Why did you give the door the commando boot?"
Max started to answer, then stopped when he realized what she had said. Liz smiled sweetly.
"Something less dramatic would have worked fine, you know."
"Well, I - "
"Royalty. Always making a show of things."
He shrugged as they sat down.
"So why did you give him your insurance?"
Liz shook her head, her long, dark hair flowing over her shoulders.
"I'm not sure. I'm really mad about this crazy rule they have, and she was just... I don't know. It seemed like the right thing to do."
"Will your parents agree?"
She sighed. "I hope so."
They sat in silence. Once again, her hand found his. Max squeezed her palm comfortingly. Liz, slouched back in her chair, smiled a long, lazy smile and snuggled up against Max's shoulder. Liz liked this... it made her feel whole. Max loved her with an intensity she had never experienced. He may be the king of an alien empire, but that was another life... this was here. This was now. This was real.
"What do you think her name is?"
"I don't know," Max replied.
"Well, guess."
He smiled and put his arm around her shoulder. pulling her closer to him. He squeezed her hand when he replied.
"Well, I don't think it's Joan."
Liz giggled and hit him on the chest.
"Max!"
"She doesn't look like a Joan," Max said defensively.
"So what does a Joan look like?"
"You know. Short, dark hair, always cranky."
Liz swatted him again. "I've got to go call my parents, let them know about the insurance fraud I'm commiting." She stood and reached into her pocket for her cell phone. "I'll be outside."
As Max watched Liz go, a torrent of conflicting thoughts and emotions filled his head that made his stomach uneasy. He didn't understand why she always made him feel like this. He loved her. That was simple. How incredibly complicated that his life had become since he saved her... that wasn't. He was torn - torn between his life's love and his life's work... and amazingly, Liz understood that. She tried to help him by taking the matter into her own hands. Her stunt with Kyle... well, he still wasn't sure exactly what had happened, and the memory of her naked body in bed with Kyle still turned his stomach.
That had led to his relationship with Tess. The conception of his son. And Alex' death.
His responsibility, his guilt, in the matter was clear. He had failed to see the threat that Tess presented, had been blinded by her golden hair and seductive curves, while his friends and family were drowning around him. The fault was his. It must never be allowed to happen again.
A tinkle of bells broke his reverie. Max looked up to see Liz enter, her lips pursed into a line. Her fine black hair hung like silk over her white shoulders, framing her delicate features in a dark halo. Max could tell she wasn't happy.
"How'd they take it?"
"Less than well." Liz sat heavily next to Max and put her head in her hands, rubbing her temples.
"It was a good thing to do."
"But not a cheap one. Dad is really, really pissed."
"I could understand why."
"Well, I couldn't just leave her! What was I supposed to do?"
"Don't worry. Everything will work out."
Liz sighed. "I hope so."
At that, the door opened again. Max and Liz looked up to see the deputy sherriff enter. The tall, dark Indian approached them.
"Parker. Evans."
"Evening, sir." Liz greeted him.
"So what's this I hear about you two causing trouble?" He folded his arms fixed the teenagers with a withering stare.
"No trouble, deputy. Just trying to help -"
The deputy cut Max off. "After all that business with Valenti, I'dve hoped you'd learned some sense."
"But we had nothing to do with that!" Liz protested.
The deputies glare fixed on her. "Costin' the man his job an' the respect of the community, you could at least have a bit of shame."
Max sensed Liz' temper flare. He saw her eyes narrow, felt her pulse quicken and her breath sharpen. He placed a hand on the small of her back, where he knew she liked to be touched, and reassured her.
"We don't mean any trouble, deputy. We just found the girl."
"Yeah, I hear you did. An' you say you don't know her?"
"No, we don't."
"Right." He took a pad from his back pocket and opened it. "Where'd you find her?"
Liz kept up her silent glower. Max spoke.
"A ways off of 285 South, about twenty miles south of town. There was a small dirt road near there. I don't know the name."
The deputy made notes on his pad. "Describe the scene."
"Lots of rocks and sand. Nothing else."
"Nothin?"
"Nothing."
"At all?"
"At all."
"That's funny." The deputy closed his pad. "Well, I'm gonna go see this girl. Don't you go nowhere."
"We won't."
The lawman disappeared into the emergency room. Liz promptly smacked Max on the shoulder.
"Why didn't you let ME talk to him?"
"Liz, he already doesn't like us. You don't need to give him any more reasons."
Liz made a face. Max decided to change the subject.
"What did your parents say, exactly?"
Liz sighed. " Well, there was some stuff about responsibility, and money, and not being stupid. And they're coming up here to see her."
"When?"
She checked her watch. "About 5 minutes."
"Oh."
"Yeah." She took his hand and stood. "Well, we should at least go see how she's doing."
***
The duty physician examined the bloodwork results he had just received. Nothing seemed unusual... red and white counts were normal, chemistry was normal for a woman in her early twenties. The toxicology report showed no foreign substances. Nothing seemed to indicate that she had been found unconscious and naked in the middle of the New Mexico desert.
The doctor shrugged and opened a Jane Doe file. He'd go drop the charts off and see this mystery woman for himself. After all, Roswell was a fairly small and sleepy town, despite the alien hubbub, and a comatose teen found in the desert wasn't something that happened very day.
The doctor picked up Jane Doe's file and went down the hall to the emergency ward. He was not expecting to find two other teens and a deputy sheriff arguing in her room.
"Evans, you forgot to tell me something real important."
"Whats that, sir?"
"She's naked."
The dark-haired teens face was impassive. "Why's that important?"
A dark cloud seemed to roll over the deputies features. "Cause I wouldn't want to think that there was anything... improper goin' on."
The black-haired girl spoke up. "Are you trying to accuse us of something? Cause if you are, why don't you just come out and say it!"
"Why is this girl unconscious? Have ya'll been takin' any drugs?"
To the doctor, it looked like the slim girl was about to hit the lawman. He decided it would be a good time to intervene.
"She's clean, officer. Nothing showed up on the blood test. I don't even think she drinks soda."
His expression was dark. "Be that as it may... somethin's funny about all this. I hope you're right, doc. I wouldn't want these kids to get in any trouble."
The dark haired girl got the glint of violence in her eye as the sheriff left. The other teen placed his hand on her hip, and she relaxed a bit.
The doctor extended his hand. "I'm Doctor Monroe."
The tall, serious looking teen shook it. "Max Evans. And this is Liz Parker." He indicated the girl next to him, who was still looking a bit put out by the sheriff.
Monroe crossed to the bed where the sleeping woman lay. The soft beep of a heart monitor kept rhythm with her pulse. He quickly glanced over her vitals, then sat down next to the bed. She looked so peaceful, he thought... or as peaceful as one could look hooked up to an IV and cardiac monitoring system.
The doctor considered the possibilities for a moment. Roswell was a small town, and he knew most of the families that lived there. This girl was not one of them. So, she wasn't local. Maybe an alien enthusiast that got lost in the desert? That was probably the most likely. Those crackpots did all kinds of dumb stuff.
"Doctor?"
Monroe shook off his reverie and looked up at the two teens, who wehe still in the room. The girl - Liz - was asking him something. "Yes?"
"Will she be alright?"
He sighed. "Yes, I believe so. She's in excellent physical condition. Her immune system is working fine, and nothing turned up in her bloodwork. She's just... asleep."
Liz bit her lip thoughtfully. Max spoke up.
"What about that scar?"
The doctor paused. "What scar?"
Liz indicated a point on her upper chest, between her breasts. "Right here."
Monroe rolled back the blanket that was draped over the woman to the top of her chest, exposing a round, pink scar right over her heart.
"That's odd," the doctor mused. "This looks like..." He slid a hand under her back, feeling for something.
Max stepped over to the bedside. "What? What do you think it is?"
Doctor Monroe stepped back from her bed, took off his glasses, and cleaned the lens with his shirt.
"Unless I am seriously mistaken, that's a bullet wound."
"A bullet?!?" Liz' eyes opened wide. "But - that's right over her heart! How is she alive?"
"Maybe it was deflected by a bone?" Max suggested.
The doctor shook his head. "No... there's an entry wound on her back in about the same spot. I'd like to take some X-rays and MRI's... this is really odd, because these scars look like they've had several years to heal. But, it looks like the bullet travelled right through her heart. I'm really not sure how she's alive."
"So is she in a... a coma, or something?" Liz asked.
"No, she's not comatose. The EEG shows beta and delta brainwave activity that is indicative of normal sleep." The doctor indicated one of the monitors at the bedside. "But, there's really no way to tell when she'll wake up. The fact that she hasn't yet... well, it means something isn't right."
Hurried footsteps rang out in the hallway, and the sound of muffled voices. Doctor Monroe looked up as an older man and woman entered the room. He noticed Liz take a small gulp. The man raised a finger and spoke in a quiet, terse voice.
"Elizabeth. Outside. Now."
"Dad, I -"
"Now, Liz!"
He squeezed her hand and let it go. Liz let out a defeated sigh. She looked at Max and gave him a tired smile. He squeezed her hand before letting her go. Liz' father, holding the door open for her, directed a withering stare at Max. It was apparent to the doctor that there was clearly no love lost between the two - or, at least, from the girls' father to her boyfriend. Liz walked primly towards the door, her head high.
And then a monitor started to beep.
The doctor spun, and everyone stopped and turned to the girl on the bed. Her eyelids fluttered, then snapped open, and she drew a deep, gasping breath.
"My God," the doctor said incredulously. "She's awake."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A red, bloated sun hung in the midsummer sky over the New Mexico desert. Merciless rays beat down on the sand and sage. A hot, dry wind blew out of the south, carrying stinging sand into Max Evans eyes. He squinted and shaded his eyes with a hand, staring hard to the south.
Next to him in the classic convertible, his friend Liz squeaked and grabbed the wheel.
"What's wrong with you?!? Pay attention to the road!"
Max was inattentive. Liz continued to steer from the passenger seat while he searched the southern horizon.
"Something's out there, Liz. I saw it... and felt it."
"That's great, Max, but let's talk about it when the car is stopped, ok?"
The black-haired teen wordlessly applied the brakes and steered to the side of the road. Shifting the trasmission to park, he hopped out of the car and started walking across the road, towards the open desert to the south. Liz opened her door and ran out after him.
"What did you see?" She said breathlessly.
"Not sure. It was... bright. It's out there, somewhere."
"Was it a plane?"
"No."
Liz lowered her voice. "Was it... an alien?"
"I'm not sure, remember?"
Liz sighed. She leaned her head on Max's shoulder.
"I know you're anxious to find out about your son, but Tess just left a few weeks ago. He most likely hasn't even been born yet."
Max continued to stare wordlessly, but Liz could sense his silent consent.
He turned back to the car. "Let's go look."
Liz followed after him and got into the car. "Sorry, but this isn't the jeep."
"Doesn't matter." He gunned the engine and swung the car onto a small dirt road, tires throwing up clouds of dirt and rocks.
Liz gripped the door tightly as the convertible bounced across the rough terrain. Max dodged the larger potholes, but was still maintaining a speed that Liz was sure was less than safe.
In the three weeks since Tess' betrayal and departure, her relationship with Max had begun to change. They had both been pushing away over the last year, but for different reasons. She knew Max didn't accept his destiny with Tess. She didn't blame him - being told you are genetically predestined to be with someone really puts a damper on free will. She still had loved him, though... with a passion and power she hadn't thought possible. But, she reflected, she was always the responsible one... always the dutiful daughter. Who was she to interfere in the affairs of these beings? Max, the man she loved, and who returned her love, was a reincarnated alien king! Liz was a plain human from Roswell. No cosmic destiny there. Yet she kept being swept up in this alien insanity... extraterrestrial love triangles, alien babies, invasions... and Liz was square in the middle, with Max, Michael, Maria, and Isabel. Three years ago, when she caught a bullet in the diner, she had died... and Max revived her. Brought her back. And not with CPR. She hadn't realized then what the consequences would be. Neither, Liz thought, did Max.
Liz Parker was a straight-A student who was naturally driven and curious about things she didn't understand. Well, she sure as hell didn't understand how someone could heal a bullet wound with the laying of hands!
Max had told her. He brought her into the secret that him, his sister, anh their best friend had guarded with their lives for years. Because he loved her too much to let her die. He loved her too much to lie.
None of them could have guessed the consequences... the price they would all pay, the pain they would all share.
Because of a moment of weakness.
Liz stole a sideways glance at Max. His black hair snapped in the breeze. He drove with the singleminded intensity that he did everything else. Max, Liz mused, never did anything half-assed. It was either all the way - or not at all. Did he think it was a mistake? In hindsight, healing her had been dangerous... extremely risky and foolish. It had led to investigation, coverup, and discovery... the only reason he wasn't still in that white room was that Nasedo had killed or discredited everyone in the Special Unit.
And Alex died.
Liz felt the familiar lurch in her stomach when she thought about her friend. Dead at the hands of the woman who carried Maxs' child.
That, perhaps, was the greatest toll.
It wasn't even a noble death. Tess had warped his mind with her powers until something gave. Then she had psychically coerced Kyle, who had taken her into his home and loved her like a sister, into stuffing the body into a car, which she ran into a semi at seventy miles an hour. Tess deserved whatever she got.
As long as it was a fiery death.
Liz' breath whooshed out of her lungs after Max hit a particularly fierce pothole. Her thoughts returned to the present. The barren New Mexico desert rushed by, mile after mile of sand and sky. The late afternoon sun hung low over the horizon, casting an eerie glow over the flat, rocky desert. The rocks and sand shone a deep red.
Except for one that was yellow.
"Max? What's that?" Liz grabbed his arm and pointed. Max looked off to the right. His eyes narrowed. About thirty yards off the road, he saw...
The car skidded to a halt on the side of the road. Liz gave a little eep when her seatbelt dug into her shoulders. Max jumped out of the car. Liz unfastened her seatbelt and opened the door. Max was already running.
"Grab the first aid kit!"
Liz opened the trunk and dug out the small, red plastic box. Glancing up at the sky, she saw that the sun was setting. The desert would be cooling off rapidly soon. She also grabbed a blanket that Max kept in the trunk, and ran after him.
"What the f...?"
A woman, blond, in her early twenties, crumpled in a heap on the sandy ground. The sun made her hair shine with an internal light. She was very pretty, in a matronly sort of way - tall and solidly built. She looked as if she had never seen a moment of physical violence... except for a round, pink scar in the center of her chest. Wait. Her chest?
Liz did a double take. The woman lying on the ground was very, very naked.
Max was kneeling beside her, clasping her wrist with two fingers. He was looking at the watch on his other hand. Liz ran up and dropped to her knees. She shook out the blanket and draped it over the womans still form.
"Her pulse is strong, about seventy-five or so."
"Is she hurt?"
Max shook his head. "Doesn't look like it. She's not bleeding or bruised, and there's no sign of a head wound."
"You think she was... bit by something?"
"Sure. And it took her clothes." He half-smiled at her.
Liz made a face. "No, Max.... that's a seperate problem entirely."
"Well, she looks to be perfectly healthy... except for that scar. Like she is just... sleeping."
"So we wake her up." Liz opened the first aid kit and retrieved a bottle of smelling salts.
"Where'd that come from? I don't remember that coming in the kit."
"Maria's a wimp. Helps to be prepared."
"Oh."
Liz opened the bottle and waved it under the girls nose.
Nothing happened.
"Huh. Uh."
"Ma'am?" Max shook her shoulders gently. She didn't stir.
"So she's a deep sleeper?" Liz supplied.
"No... I'm not sure. We need to get her to a hospital."
"Max? That might not be the best idea. What if she's. well, not like me, or even like you? Doctors on this planet usually specialize in homo sapiens. We found her lying in the middle of the desert! And, the only reason we even came out here is because you felt something! Doesn't that kind of imply that something is not with the normal?"
"She's human. I'm sure of it."
"How?"
"I just do. It's. one of those things. Liz, she's hurt and needs medical attention - more than we can give her."
"Well, can't you just... you know... heal her?"
He looked at her. "I don't even know what's wrong with her. And we don't know who she is... we can't risk the exposure."
Liz sighed. "So hospital it is, then." She fished her cell phone out of a pocket and dialed 911. A few seconds passed, and then she frowned and looked at the phone.
"What's wrong?"
"No signal. Guess there's no cavalry."
"We'll have to move her, then."
Liz pursed her lips together and absently tucked her hair behind and ear.
"She looks to be stable. No obvious broken bones, swelling, or signs of head, neck, or spinal injuries. Can't rule out internal bleeding or contusions. but again, there's no sign of trauma."
"What do you think?"
She paused.
"Let's move her."
* * *
The black convertible roared up 285 South towards Roswell, New Mexico. Max was behind the wheel, while Liz was in the back seat with the mysterious girl's head in her lap. She was wrapped in the dark gray blanket. Her long blonde hair snapped and curled as the wind caught it. Max glanced back from the drivers seat.
"How's she doing?"
"I can't really tell - she's still sleeping. That could be good or bad, I guess."
"Sleeping or unconscious?"
"Hard to tell. I'm not a doctor."
"You're closer to one than me. Keep a close eye on her."
Liz nodded and returned her attention to the girl in her care. There was something about her... something she couldn't quite put a finger on.
Besides dropping out of the sky stark naked in the middle of the desert.
Liz gently brushed some loose strands of blonde hair out of the girls face. She really was quite pretty... and looked so peaceful, as if great weight had been lifted from her shoulders for the first time in a long while. Her mouth was curved into a gentle smile. The coarse gray blanket was wrapped around her tall frame, leaving only her face exposed.
Then she opened her eyes and looked directly at Liz.
Liz screamed and pulled her hands away. The girl's eyes opened wide and she drew a sharp breath, violently thrashing as she tried to free herself.
Max's head snapped around to look backward. The car swerved in the lane.
"Liz! What's wrong?"
And abruptly as it started, the girl went limp. Her eyes rolled into her head and closed.
"Max! Oh god, she woke up. She looked at me..."
"Is she okay? Are YOU okay?"
Liz put a hand to her thudding heart and took several deep breaths. Then she placed her fingers on the girls throat.
"Her heart is beating. I-I'm not sure what happened... we need to get her to the hospital quick."
"We'll be there in about five minutes. Will she be okay until then?"
Liz straightened her hair behind an ear.
"I'm really not sure. Max, that kinda looked like a seizure..."
"Three minutes, then." He downshifted and accelerated. The convertibles engine roared in response, and they sped down the highway towards Roswell.
Two and a half minutes later, they swung into the emergency lot at Roswell General. Max shut off the engine, set the brake, and leapt out of the vehicle in one smooth motion. He gathered the unconscious girl up in his arms and carried her towards the entrance of the hospital while Liz clambered out and followed close behind.
A large black boot crashed open the doors to the Roswell Emergency Clinic. The on duty nurse looked up, a shocked expression on her face as a young man with dark hair came in, carrying an unconscious young woman wrapped in a blanket. The nurses expression became one of concern as she came around the desk, pulling a bed up to them.
"What happened?"
"I don't know. We found her like this," The dark haired teen replied.
They laid her still form down gently on the hospital gurney.
"Doctor, I need some help over here!"
An older man in scrubs came at the nurses call. Seeing the womans prostrate form, he immediately started checking vital signs.
"What happened?" The doctor directed his questioning at Max.
"I'm not sure, sir. We found her like this."
"Found her? Where?" He turned quickly to the nurse. "Jen, get paperwork started."
"Yes, Doctor."
The doctor turned back and began to wheel the bed towards a room. He motioned for Max to follow. Max heard the door open behind him and glanced back to see Liz' slim form enter. He followed after the doctor.
"So where did you find her?"
"In the desert west of 285 South, about ten miles south of town."
"So you don't know her?"
"No, sir." Max felt Liz' comforting presence come up behind him. He reached back for her hand. The doctor parked the bed in a small room just down the hall.
"We'll have to notify the sheriff, then. She seems to be healthy... where are her personal effects?"
Max shook his head. "We found her just like that... without the blanket."
The doctor pursed his lips.
"We can't treat her if she has no insurance."
Liz came forward.
"You what?"
The doctor spread his arms helplessly. "I'm sorry, but it's the hospitals policy to withhold treatment until payment is secured, unless the patient requires immediate care."
Liz was mad. In fact, she was rather pissed. She pulled her hand free from Max and gripped the rail on the side of the bed. Her eyes narrowed when she spoke.
"That's ridiculous! How can you turn away a helpless girl?"
"I'm sorry, ma'am, but it's the rule. It protects the hospital and the patient by keeping costs down - things still have to be paid for, whether they were given in charity or not. Now, I suggest you wait in the lobby for the Sheriff."
Exasperated, Liz pulled out her wallet and withdrew a small blue card. She thrust it at the doctor as she dragged Max from the room.
"Liz?"
"What, Max?"
"Why did you just give him your insurance?"
She stopped and turned, glaring up at his greater height.
"Why did you give the door the commando boot?"
Max started to answer, then stopped when he realized what she had said. Liz smiled sweetly.
"Something less dramatic would have worked fine, you know."
"Well, I - "
"Royalty. Always making a show of things."
He shrugged as they sat down.
"So why did you give him your insurance?"
Liz shook her head, her long, dark hair flowing over her shoulders.
"I'm not sure. I'm really mad about this crazy rule they have, and she was just... I don't know. It seemed like the right thing to do."
"Will your parents agree?"
She sighed. "I hope so."
They sat in silence. Once again, her hand found his. Max squeezed her palm comfortingly. Liz, slouched back in her chair, smiled a long, lazy smile and snuggled up against Max's shoulder. Liz liked this... it made her feel whole. Max loved her with an intensity she had never experienced. He may be the king of an alien empire, but that was another life... this was here. This was now. This was real.
"What do you think her name is?"
"I don't know," Max replied.
"Well, guess."
He smiled and put his arm around her shoulder. pulling her closer to him. He squeezed her hand when he replied.
"Well, I don't think it's Joan."
Liz giggled and hit him on the chest.
"Max!"
"She doesn't look like a Joan," Max said defensively.
"So what does a Joan look like?"
"You know. Short, dark hair, always cranky."
Liz swatted him again. "I've got to go call my parents, let them know about the insurance fraud I'm commiting." She stood and reached into her pocket for her cell phone. "I'll be outside."
As Max watched Liz go, a torrent of conflicting thoughts and emotions filled his head that made his stomach uneasy. He didn't understand why she always made him feel like this. He loved her. That was simple. How incredibly complicated that his life had become since he saved her... that wasn't. He was torn - torn between his life's love and his life's work... and amazingly, Liz understood that. She tried to help him by taking the matter into her own hands. Her stunt with Kyle... well, he still wasn't sure exactly what had happened, and the memory of her naked body in bed with Kyle still turned his stomach.
That had led to his relationship with Tess. The conception of his son. And Alex' death.
His responsibility, his guilt, in the matter was clear. He had failed to see the threat that Tess presented, had been blinded by her golden hair and seductive curves, while his friends and family were drowning around him. The fault was his. It must never be allowed to happen again.
A tinkle of bells broke his reverie. Max looked up to see Liz enter, her lips pursed into a line. Her fine black hair hung like silk over her white shoulders, framing her delicate features in a dark halo. Max could tell she wasn't happy.
"How'd they take it?"
"Less than well." Liz sat heavily next to Max and put her head in her hands, rubbing her temples.
"It was a good thing to do."
"But not a cheap one. Dad is really, really pissed."
"I could understand why."
"Well, I couldn't just leave her! What was I supposed to do?"
"Don't worry. Everything will work out."
Liz sighed. "I hope so."
At that, the door opened again. Max and Liz looked up to see the deputy sherriff enter. The tall, dark Indian approached them.
"Parker. Evans."
"Evening, sir." Liz greeted him.
"So what's this I hear about you two causing trouble?" He folded his arms fixed the teenagers with a withering stare.
"No trouble, deputy. Just trying to help -"
The deputy cut Max off. "After all that business with Valenti, I'dve hoped you'd learned some sense."
"But we had nothing to do with that!" Liz protested.
The deputies glare fixed on her. "Costin' the man his job an' the respect of the community, you could at least have a bit of shame."
Max sensed Liz' temper flare. He saw her eyes narrow, felt her pulse quicken and her breath sharpen. He placed a hand on the small of her back, where he knew she liked to be touched, and reassured her.
"We don't mean any trouble, deputy. We just found the girl."
"Yeah, I hear you did. An' you say you don't know her?"
"No, we don't."
"Right." He took a pad from his back pocket and opened it. "Where'd you find her?"
Liz kept up her silent glower. Max spoke.
"A ways off of 285 South, about twenty miles south of town. There was a small dirt road near there. I don't know the name."
The deputy made notes on his pad. "Describe the scene."
"Lots of rocks and sand. Nothing else."
"Nothin?"
"Nothing."
"At all?"
"At all."
"That's funny." The deputy closed his pad. "Well, I'm gonna go see this girl. Don't you go nowhere."
"We won't."
The lawman disappeared into the emergency room. Liz promptly smacked Max on the shoulder.
"Why didn't you let ME talk to him?"
"Liz, he already doesn't like us. You don't need to give him any more reasons."
Liz made a face. Max decided to change the subject.
"What did your parents say, exactly?"
Liz sighed. " Well, there was some stuff about responsibility, and money, and not being stupid. And they're coming up here to see her."
"When?"
She checked her watch. "About 5 minutes."
"Oh."
"Yeah." She took his hand and stood. "Well, we should at least go see how she's doing."
***
The duty physician examined the bloodwork results he had just received. Nothing seemed unusual... red and white counts were normal, chemistry was normal for a woman in her early twenties. The toxicology report showed no foreign substances. Nothing seemed to indicate that she had been found unconscious and naked in the middle of the New Mexico desert.
The doctor shrugged and opened a Jane Doe file. He'd go drop the charts off and see this mystery woman for himself. After all, Roswell was a fairly small and sleepy town, despite the alien hubbub, and a comatose teen found in the desert wasn't something that happened very day.
The doctor picked up Jane Doe's file and went down the hall to the emergency ward. He was not expecting to find two other teens and a deputy sheriff arguing in her room.
"Evans, you forgot to tell me something real important."
"Whats that, sir?"
"She's naked."
The dark-haired teens face was impassive. "Why's that important?"
A dark cloud seemed to roll over the deputies features. "Cause I wouldn't want to think that there was anything... improper goin' on."
The black-haired girl spoke up. "Are you trying to accuse us of something? Cause if you are, why don't you just come out and say it!"
"Why is this girl unconscious? Have ya'll been takin' any drugs?"
To the doctor, it looked like the slim girl was about to hit the lawman. He decided it would be a good time to intervene.
"She's clean, officer. Nothing showed up on the blood test. I don't even think she drinks soda."
His expression was dark. "Be that as it may... somethin's funny about all this. I hope you're right, doc. I wouldn't want these kids to get in any trouble."
The dark haired girl got the glint of violence in her eye as the sheriff left. The other teen placed his hand on her hip, and she relaxed a bit.
The doctor extended his hand. "I'm Doctor Monroe."
The tall, serious looking teen shook it. "Max Evans. And this is Liz Parker." He indicated the girl next to him, who was still looking a bit put out by the sheriff.
Monroe crossed to the bed where the sleeping woman lay. The soft beep of a heart monitor kept rhythm with her pulse. He quickly glanced over her vitals, then sat down next to the bed. She looked so peaceful, he thought... or as peaceful as one could look hooked up to an IV and cardiac monitoring system.
The doctor considered the possibilities for a moment. Roswell was a small town, and he knew most of the families that lived there. This girl was not one of them. So, she wasn't local. Maybe an alien enthusiast that got lost in the desert? That was probably the most likely. Those crackpots did all kinds of dumb stuff.
"Doctor?"
Monroe shook off his reverie and looked up at the two teens, who wehe still in the room. The girl - Liz - was asking him something. "Yes?"
"Will she be alright?"
He sighed. "Yes, I believe so. She's in excellent physical condition. Her immune system is working fine, and nothing turned up in her bloodwork. She's just... asleep."
Liz bit her lip thoughtfully. Max spoke up.
"What about that scar?"
The doctor paused. "What scar?"
Liz indicated a point on her upper chest, between her breasts. "Right here."
Monroe rolled back the blanket that was draped over the woman to the top of her chest, exposing a round, pink scar right over her heart.
"That's odd," the doctor mused. "This looks like..." He slid a hand under her back, feeling for something.
Max stepped over to the bedside. "What? What do you think it is?"
Doctor Monroe stepped back from her bed, took off his glasses, and cleaned the lens with his shirt.
"Unless I am seriously mistaken, that's a bullet wound."
"A bullet?!?" Liz' eyes opened wide. "But - that's right over her heart! How is she alive?"
"Maybe it was deflected by a bone?" Max suggested.
The doctor shook his head. "No... there's an entry wound on her back in about the same spot. I'd like to take some X-rays and MRI's... this is really odd, because these scars look like they've had several years to heal. But, it looks like the bullet travelled right through her heart. I'm really not sure how she's alive."
"So is she in a... a coma, or something?" Liz asked.
"No, she's not comatose. The EEG shows beta and delta brainwave activity that is indicative of normal sleep." The doctor indicated one of the monitors at the bedside. "But, there's really no way to tell when she'll wake up. The fact that she hasn't yet... well, it means something isn't right."
Hurried footsteps rang out in the hallway, and the sound of muffled voices. Doctor Monroe looked up as an older man and woman entered the room. He noticed Liz take a small gulp. The man raised a finger and spoke in a quiet, terse voice.
"Elizabeth. Outside. Now."
"Dad, I -"
"Now, Liz!"
He squeezed her hand and let it go. Liz let out a defeated sigh. She looked at Max and gave him a tired smile. He squeezed her hand before letting her go. Liz' father, holding the door open for her, directed a withering stare at Max. It was apparent to the doctor that there was clearly no love lost between the two - or, at least, from the girls' father to her boyfriend. Liz walked primly towards the door, her head high.
And then a monitor started to beep.
The doctor spun, and everyone stopped and turned to the girl on the bed. Her eyelids fluttered, then snapped open, and she drew a deep, gasping breath.
"My God," the doctor said incredulously. "She's awake."