Disclaimer: You know the drill…the characters aren't mine. A lot of stuff in the beginning is taken from End of the World. God knows THAT'S not mine. Anything that makes sense and makes it all better, now that's mine. Seriously, Roswell and all characters belong to Jason Katims, 20th Century Fox etc. I'm just borrowing them.

Rating: PG-13 – possibly to R

[b]Author's Note[/b]  I'm updating as quick as possible, and while I appreciate the fact that it isn't as fact as people would like, I am doing my best.  There is an annoying and pesky thing called Real Life that keeps getting in my way.  So thanks to everyone who is reading, and hang in there, this fic won't be abandoned, and it will be finished, someday.  In the mean time, here is another update for all of you, I hope you like it. ~ Majiklmoon

Love Changes Everything

Chapter Fifty-Eight Holding Out For a Hero

Maria climbed out of the Jetta and walked across the desert floor to the sandstone outcropping that hid the granolith. She passed a hand over the "lock" embedded in the rock, and the door slid open. She paused for a minute before she entered, enjoying the fact that she used her powers to open the door. She didn't need Michael, or Max or Isabelle. She, Maria Delucca Guerin did it herself.

"Hey, Che'koth," she yelled when she was securely locked inside the Granolith chamber. "Beam your ass down here, or whatever it is you do. I need to talk to you!"

She waited for several minutes, but nothing happened. "Stupid alien technology," she said. "Can't even make a stupid collect call or whatever." She waited a few minutes more, then sighed when she realized nothing was going to happen. She slipped out of the granolith chamber, and stopped to look at the pod that had at one time housed her husband. Suddenly, Maria gasped, and looked wildly about the chamber. She ran, and quickly wedged herself in behind the pods, and tried to calm her breathing. The chamber door slid open, and Rath, Tess and Lonnie walked in. Maria gasped softly and tried to remain calm. If she was lucky, they wouldn't see where she parked her car behind the boulders. If they did see it, well, she killed Rath once, and she wasn't opposed to doing it again if necessary.

"Why'd you bring us here, Queenie?" Rath asked, looking around the pod chamber.

"Because we need to talk, and this place is as safe as any," said Tess. "Max never comes out here, he's always so afraid the FBI and the Special Unit are tailing him. Stupid fool! He hasn't figured out yet that there is NO Special Unit, and the FBI could care less about a bunch of kids from Roswell. It's been me, all along. He is so easy to manipulate, it isn't even funny."

"Yeah, you da bomb, Queenie," said Rath. Now when can me you and Lonnie get the hell out of this Mayberry town and go back to Antar?"

"Yeah, Tess, I wanna get the hell outta here," said Lonnie. She leaned against the pod chamber and examined her nails. "You, me and Rath, we're better than this corn pone town. It's pure Hicksville."

"Don't worry," said Tess, "And don't rush me. They thought they could fool me, but I've got them right where I want them. After what I found out today, things couldn't be better. If Max won't go with us to Antar, that's fine. He can stay here and rot in this frigging town. We don't need him anymore. We can get something better. Now, I want you two to keep low for a while. No surprise visits as school. Just stick by the Tumbleweed. Things are going to start to happen now, and I don't need you messing things up."

"Sure thing, Queenie. You're the boss, after all. If we wanna go out on the town, it won't be in Roswell. Not that you got much of a town here anyhow," said Rath.

"And don't you forget it," said Tess.

"Like you'd ever let us," Lonnie muttered as the trio prepared to exit the chamber.

"That's right," Tess snapped. "I am in charge, and I won't let you forget it. Someone has to be in charge, and I'm the Queen. Don't you ever forget that!"

Maria peered out from behind the pod chamber and saw Tess, wrinkle up her face, like she was concentrating intently. Lonnie gave a low moan and clutched her head.

"You okay?" Rath asked as the door slid open and filled the chamber with hot desert air.

"Yeah, just a pain in my head. Nothin a few beers won't take care of."

"There's a couple of places in the next town," Tess said, solicitously. "Why don't you try one of them?"

"Yeah, great idea, Queenie," said Lonnie. "We wouldn't want anyone to see us or nuthin."

"I'm glad you are cooperating with me," said Tess. "It's better for all of us if you do. Now, let's get out of here. I hate this place. Every time I come here, it reminds me of how they left me here. They left without me. I would have come out of the pod too, I know it!" Tess' voice trailed off as she looked at the pod chamber. Maria tried to squeeze herself into a smaller ball. After one last look, Tess followed Rath and Lonnie out into the hot desert.

Maria waited for what seemed like hours before she climbed out from her hiding spot. She used her powers to open the door to the chamber, and looked cautiously around before she ran for her car and headed back to town.


As Maria drove back to town, she was unaware of the drama that was playing out with the rest of the pod squad and their partners.

"Damn it, Alex, I don't want you doing this, it's too risky!" shouted Isabelle.

"You know what Iz, it's not up to you. I think it's a good plan, and nothing, and nobody," he glared at her, "Is going to change my mind."

"Alex, you can't do it," Isabelle said again. "You're going to get hurt."

"It isn't your call Isabelle, it's mine! I'll do what I damn well please!"

Alex gathered up his books, and stormed out of the library, while Isabelle glared after him, her expression a confusion of hurt and anger.


Across town, at the Evans household, Max and Michael were having a violent argument as well.

"Maxwell, we can't sit around and wait for something to happen?" Michael yelled. "Something is happening. Liz fell apart today. I mean, she totally lost it, and you weren't there to help her. You were too busy chasing after Tess."

"Leave Liz out of it," Max said, trying to remain calm. "She knows what I'm doing and why."

"Don't be to sure," said Michael. "She was a mess today. She cried in my arms for a long time."

"I said 'leave my wife alone, Michael.' She doesn't need you to comfort her, she has me. I'm her husband, not you."

"Yeah, well maybe you'd better start acting like it before you loser her," said Michael. He grabbed his motorcycle helmet and stormed out of the Evans house and climbed on his bike. Without giving it much thought, he drove out into the desert towards the pod chamber. He say Tess and the dupes whiz by in her car, but didn't give it any thought, until he spied Maria, running out of the pod chamber, to her car.