"Until the shooting at the Crashdown, I never realized just how hard it can be to keep a secret. How blissfully normal your life can be until you know something that no one else can know. Before we told Alex, I wanted to tell him the truth about what happened more than anything else in the world. But I couldn't - because Max, Isabel, and Michael didn't want even me to know... because if that shooting had never occured, I would never have known, and who knows where I would be today... because it would do more harm than good.
And in the end, it did."
-from the later journals of Elizabeth Parker
A buzzer went off in the kitchen, calling Tess away from the baseball game. She got up and pulled the cookies out of the oven, a bottle of Tabasco sauce in hand.
"Don't even think about pouring that shit on all the cookies!" she heard Kyle yell from the living room. "Just because you're a hot alien with super powers doesn't mean I won't kill you in your sleep!" She laughed and took the pan into the living room.
"Why bother when I already went to the trouble of baking the Tabasco right into them," Tess stated as convincingly as possible. Kyle's eyes widened and he put down the cookie that was halfway in his mouth, his glare a mix of skepticism and fear.
"You wouldn't."
Tess grinned mischievously. "Oh I would." He grimaced, then realized her jokeas he saw the look on her face. As their grins became too large to contain, the two burst into a fit of laughs that seemed almost unable to be contained. The doorbell rang and Kyle grabbed the cookie he had set down as Tess went to see who was there. It was Michael. 'What could he want?' Tess wondered. He looked like he'd been up all night.
"Hey Tess. Uh Kyle, can I talk to you for a minute?" Kyle mumbled a confused and uncomfortable "sure", and Tess had a feeling this wasn't a conversation she was to be included in.
"Why don't you guys use my room?" Tess asked politely.
"Uh, don't you mean MY room?" Kyle cleared his throat, butTessmerely rolled her eyes.
"Oh please Kyle, like you'd really want it back after I'm finished with it." He grumbled in response as he led Michael through the living room and shut the door behind them. Kyle's old room had definitely become Tess'. The magazines, make-up, and overall pink of the room confirmed her statement to Kyle earlier, Michael thought. Kyle made an inhumanly guttural sound, and he suggested they go in his dad's room instead. Michael hastily agreed.
"So what did you want to talk to me about?" Kyle asked as they entered the sheriff's room. Plaques adorned the room's crème walls and on the bed in the center was a worn comforter his grandfather had as a child. Kyle sat on the edge of the bed and absently toyed with one of its frayed corners.
"I think you know why I'm here," Michael stated, not unkindly. Kyle turned slowlyand faced him.
"What do you want me to say?"
"I want to know the truth Kyle. The gang is falling apart. I don't know who's right or wrong anymore!" Michael cried, exasperated. Kyle's shoulders slumped and he sighed.
"Look, Liz hasn't told me anything okay? I am as in the dark as you are when it comes to her."
"Yeah everyone is, except Maria. And even she has brought up Liz's lack of expressing her emotions and opinions. It's like Liz has closed off a part of herself. I do believe that you don't know Liz's motives, but I think that you know something and you're not telling us."
"That may be true Michael. But if it is, there's I could say or do to explain it to you" Kyle worded carefully. He had to tip toe around this conversation, or else he might accidentally say more than he should. Michael scowled. Kyle saw this though,and felt bad. 'Whatever Lizis trying to hide, itisn't worth all of this.' He decided to lend a push in a possibly right direction. "Look, I know one thing." Michael's head snapped up. "Liz leaves town every Friday night and drives to this coffee shop club thing right outside of Phoenix. I don't know why she goes there, but I've got a feeling that it isn't for the coffee... or the dancing. If you want to check it out, follow her. Just don't let her know that you're doing it."
Michael nodded and began to walk out the door. He stopped suddenly and turned around. "What will I find?"
"I don't know," Kyle answered honestly. "I followed her there, but I never had the guts to walk through the door. I just had this feeling like I would be better off if I didn't know.Sure,I'm curious as hell to know now that I'm not there anymore... but... I don't know" he trailed off in thought.
Michael nodded, understanding. "Thanks Kyle. You've been more of a help than you know."
"Yeah," Kyle said, shooing him out. "Just don't make me regret it okay? In other words, don't get caught. I don't want to have to explain to Liz why I even knew let alone why I told you about her secret escapades out of town."
"You're a decent guy Kyle."
Kyle raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Aw Guerin, you're making me blush."
Michael left the Valenti residence knowing he had found some valuable information there. It meant everything and yet nothing. It was both disastrous and the key to salvation. Michael decided to talk to Max after work. Speaking of which, he was going to be late.
