Disclaimer: I don't own Roswell or the Night World series, because if I did; Alex would be alive and we all would have seen the release of Strange Fate.

Author's Notes: So, I guess most people didn't like the cliff hanger I left? Well, how else was I suppose to get you guys to read the next chapter? Okay, I've decided to keep Thierry and Hannah their respective ages, so basically Hannah is one year older than Rashel, so she's 18 now, and Thierry very, very, very old. Liz and the rest of the Roswell gang are 16 going on 17 and I've decided to place this chapter between Monsters and Leaving Normal. Sorry , I have no beta-reader, so I apologize for the grammar errors you see.

Toya – Thanks for the review.  You were my only one; guess people don't like this fic so much.  Perhaps I should post it under the L. J. Smith section. 

Enjoy.

Chapter 1 -- Returning

It was a sad sight. The tall raven-haired teen standing in the cemetery alone, towering over her mother's grave for the very first time.

Linda Sarah Jordan
January 16, 1960 - May 29, 1986
Beloved Daughter, Wife, and Mother
You Will Be Missed

"I'm sorry; I should have come to see you sooner, Mommy." Rashel whispered before she knelt down to laid down the white lilies on the stone. "I miss you." she stated before bringing her hands to her lips, then pressing the kiss on the cold stone next to where her mother's name was engraved. The 17 year old then got up, and started to walk towards the convertible where two other teens were waiting for her. "Thanks, for letting me stop by." She told the boy at the driver's seat.

To the casual observer, the driver appeared to be a very handsome 18 year old boy with short blonde hair and dark brown eyes. However, upon closer inspection, one could notice certain qualities, about the lithe teen. Like how his movements were naturally very fluid, almost predatory, his ears seemed to pick up sounds which weren't there, and then there was his eyes. They glinted softly in the dimming light of the sunset, as a cat's would, and they seemed so old for one so young. However, to those familiar with the Night World, he wasn't an average teen. He was a vampire, the lord of the made vampires, and currently the oldest alive. "It wasn't a problem Rashel," Thierry told her; his eyes reflecting compassion and regret. To loose one's mother so early; and because of Hunter. He thought to himself. Although, Hunter was born thousands of years after Thierry changed over; the vampire lord felt partially responsible for the death of Rashel's mother along with the countless other sins the lamia committed.

"You can't beat yourself over Hunter, Thierry." Rashel told him softly correctly guessing the reason for his sadness. "You're not responsible for what Maya did then, and you certainly aren't responsible for the actions of her descendents."

Thierry shook his head, "If only I had stopped Maya back then. I could have prevented so much."

Rashel gave him a lopsided grin; Thierry always carried the burden of guilt too far. "Okay, for one thing Thierry, if you had stopped Maya, you may have never met Hana, you remember, your soulmate, the girl you fell hopeless in love with, whose current incarnation is standing beside you and will probably tell you the same thing. Do I wish that Hunter never existed?  Hell yes. However, if it wasn't for the bastard, I would have never met Quinn, or gotten involved with Circle Daybreak. I'm not saying that if given the choice, I would want to live through everything over again; I am just saying that considering everything, we all got something good out of Maya, crazy witch as she was."

The girl sitting next to Thierry nodded her agreement to Rashel's words. "She's right; you know. If it wasn't for her, we wouldn't have met." Hannah told him as she took her soulmate's hand into her own.

Thierry looked at the two women talking to him and nodded. Hannah gave him a soft smile, which made him smile back in return. Rashel rolled her eyes at the pair, those two and their PDA's were too much for her sometimes, yet she couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy. You could have that too if your soulmate wasn't so stubborn. But she squashed the voice before she got too bitter; too late to dwell on the past; she was back in Roswell with a specific purpose that required her to be focused. She got into the back seat of the car, "We probably should get this over with."

Hannah turned back to the girl, her gray eyes revealing concern, "Are you sure you want to do this? The letter stated that you have until your 18th birthday."

She shrugged, "It's not so much want, Hannah. I need to do this; they deserve some type of closure and so do I."

Hannah nodded. Rashel was pretty private and hid behind a tough exterior because of her past as The Cat, but underneath everything was still a very honorable yet vulnerable little girl. Not many saw that side of her because Rashel usually preferred to intimidate people and keep them at arm's length. Only a few people like Quinn and Hannah realized Rashel's tactics were her defense mechanism. She did it because deep down, loosing people close to her scared Rashel. It seemed to happen so many times because of who she was, and when she was younger it was necessary to be invisible to others. Hannah pulled out her small compact, not quite sure if she should use make-up to hide her birthmark, and to study the girl in the back seat some more. In all honesty, Hannah would miss Rashel's presence in her life. For the last 9 months, Rashe had been a constant in Hannah's life, as her unofficial bodyguard. She got to see Rashel in her unguarded moments, and the two had a fairly good understanding, along with a great deal of respect for each other. Right now, Rashel's eyes held a determined focus. Although not quite in her "hunter" mode as she called it; Hannah recognized that her friend's mind was currently assessing and planning different scenarios due to Poppy's distressed call.

"Did you want to go to the reservation and talk to River Dog and the others; or did you want to see your new apartment?" Thierry asked, stopping Hannah from her musings.

Hannah spoke before Rashel could say anything, "Actually, I'm not really sure about you Rashe, but I'm kind of hungry. Do you remember any place downtown where we could eat?"

Rashel pondered for a minute before giving the other girl a small smile, "Well, actually, there was this one place with the best malts and pies. It was called the Crashdown Café. I bet it's still up and running."

Thierry gave both girls a smile of his own, happy to see Rashel acting like a normal teen. "Okay, just tell me where to drive."

Liz couldn't help it. She just felt jumpy all day, and the feeling wouldn't go away no matter what she did or told herself. It wasn't really a bad feeling, just vauge awareness. Liz just knew that something, no, someone was coming, and she couldn't figure out for the life of her why she had this feeling. A very small voice in her told her that she was acting this way because Max did something to her when he healed her. Okay, that's just the paranoia talking. She forcefully told herself, silencing the small voice. She shook her head and began clearing dishes off of one of her tables at the Crashdown. As she pocketed the tip, she felt a tap on her shoulder. Turning quickly, she almost fell into Alex. "Alex! You scared me."

Alex gave her a small grin, "Sorry, but I wanted to see if we're still up for studying tonight. Arthur Miller just doesn't do it for me."

Liz smiled at her friend, "Yeah, my shift will be over in thirty minutes."

Maria walked by them at that moment, "Hey. Whatcha talking about?"

"Study session for our test on The Crucible this Friday."

"Why not just watch the movie? Daniel Day-Lewis is worth sitting through 124 minutes of Winona." Maria responded.

Liz grinned at her other best friend's observation. It was good to see Maria's mind on something else besides the "Czechs," especially after lying to the sheriff. As the two waitresses waited for their orders to come up, Alex took a seat at the counter to talk to his two friends since the Crashdown was fairly empty. The three were having a regular conversation, which was something that Liz missed since she learned Max's secret. She hated not being able to level with Alex, but understood the need to keep him in the dark. The three were interrupted by a fairly amused Mr. Parker.

"Maria, Lizzie, look at what your mother found in the attic."

The three crowded around him to see him holding a old picture frame. In the frame was a photo of three girls no older than four and each were in Halloween costumes. Alex quickly identified the princess as Maria; the fairy was Liz; but he didn't know the other girl. "So who's the little black cat?"

Staring at the little girl with emerald eyes and short black hair dressed in a furry cat outfit, Liz felt something ominous in the air. "Oh, that's Rashel Jordan. She left Roswell before you came, Alex," Mr. Parker explained. "She, Lizzie, and Maria use to be playmates. Look at how cute you three were back then."

"So why did her family leave Roswell, and why haven't I ever heard about this other girl from my girls?"

The three others froze, unsure of how to begin. Mr. Parker cleared his throat to gather himself, "Rashel's father died when she two; there was only Linda, her mother, and Rashel. On Rashel's fifth birthday, there was a carnival in town for the Memorial Weekend, and a whole bunch of us went." His eyes got a bit misty, "I don't know what happened, but suddenly someone finds a body in one of the empty tents, and it's Linda. Rashel's in one of the jungle gyms screaming about some stranger-"

"Wait a minute." Alex's face horrified by Mr. Parker's implication. "Are you saying that she saw someone kill her mother?"

"Yes," was the soft, sad reply.  Uncomfortable by the change of mood, Mr. Parker tried to change the subject.  "Anyway, that was about 12 years ago.  Social Services took Rashel away to an aunt who lived in Arizona.  I just wanted to show you guys the photo, thought you might find it amusing."

"We did Dad; I forgot all about that Halloween.  It's great really."  Liz instantly told him.  He smiled at his daughter, as she took the frame from him before he went back into the kitchen.

"Wow, Rashel Jordan, that's a name I haven't heard in a while."  Maria stated.

"So…what was she like?"  Alex asked after a pause.

Liz glanced over Maria as they walked back towards the front of the café, "I wish I could tell you something, but to be honest, I really can't remember that much Alex.  She left when both Maria and I were only four.  Anything that I remember is kind of vague."

"Her mother called her 'kitten.'"  Maria started.

"She liked the Saturn Rings, and strawberry malts."

"She loved my mother's apple pie, and she was afraid of my dog." The two girls stopped and smiled as the looked at the old photograph again. They were so engrossed that they didn't hear the door open. Nor did they notice the three teens entering the café and sitting at one of the booths until one of the spoke up.

"Excuse me, but we'd like to order now."

Liz looked back up and towards the booth. Her eyes widened, while Maria gasped, and Liz dropped the frame.

Thierry and Hannah stood in front of her as they stopped at the glass doors of the Crashdown Café. "Are you sure about this? I mean; I really don't mind having you at Utah State with me." Hannah asked.

Rashel sighed; she loved them, really she did, but Thierry and Hannah were taking this whole "Make sure that Rashel doesn't flip out in Roswell" thing too seriously. "Yes, for the hundredth time; I'm okay." She continued before either of them could argue with her. "I told you; I need to do this, and maybe what happened with Quinn made me decide to come earlier, but I still would have come once I turned 18 anyway. I know that you don't mind having me around your place at U State, Hannah, but if I stayed, I wouldn't be living my life. Besides, you'd be so worry about me that you wouldn't enjoy your second year at college."

"Well, maybe I like having you as my bodyguard. Thierry, don't you think that-"

Rashel interrupted her before the other girl could continue. "Hannah, Thierry has more guards on you than I think you even realize." She grinned. "Heck, I think you have more agents assigned to you than than the President. In fact, I bet that they're a full squad of his own personal bodyguards hiding in the shadows all around us."

Thierry started sharply at her words, "And what makes you think I brought others?" He asked her trying to cover for his gaffe.

She gave him a look, "Because you never go anywhere without someone following you after what happened with Maya or Lily. No matter how many times you tried to be on your own, something tends to happen to you. That and because you're an Elder; can you imagine the chaos that would ensue if something happened to you?"

He shook his head, "How long have you known?"

"Since we got out of Vegas." She told him with a confident smirk on her face.

Thierry just stared at her. There were times when he'd forget how well trained Rashel was, and then something like this would remind him how sharp she really was. It was true, though, he liked having her in Utah last year to watch over Hannah. It wasn't that his own guards were ineffective; it was just that Hannah felt more comfortable with a guard who was female and close to her own age, and Rashel was good. Rashel was great as Hannah's guard because she could blend in perfectly in human and Night World crowds. Granted there were plenty of people under his employ that fit the bill, yet there was something about Rashel which made Hannah feel safe. She had connections and often heard about threats towards Hannah before his own people because of them. Still, being Hannah's guard took it's toll on her as well. Rashel effectively gave up her own life, yet she didn't mind because she was with Quinn since they were both assigned to Hannah. Now Quinn was gone, and Rashel wasn't doing much better. She received a letter informing her about her inheritance about a month ago, so here they were standing at the entrance and once they stepped through the door, Rashel would officially be starting her new life. So a little hesitation was not uncalled for. He then gave her a sheepish smile, "We just worry, you know, and we'll keep worrying. You coming back is going to bring up the past for a while; people are going to talk."

"I know. Look, I'm not the same frightened five year old, when I left. Do I think I'm prepared for the possible hoopla, no, but I can't keep running either. And before you ask, yes, I realize that if Hunter gets wind that I've returned to Roswell, my life will be in danger again, but that's what having your name is there for, Thierry." It was something that Thierry insisted on when she became an emancipated minor two months ago. Instead of being Rashel Jordan, she now was Rashel Columbine Descouedres. He was adamant about her having his name after Quinn left and the incident in Utah, stating that since Rashel was now family, she should be able to have his name. Of course it would also serve as a deterrent to anyone in the Night World looking to harm Rashel for her association with Circle Daybreak. To any other outsider, it only appeared as Thierry adopting Rashel into his family.

"What about Poppy's dream?" Hannah asked her softly.

For the first time Rashel didn't have a ready reply nor did she look at her friend's eyes. She lifted her hands and shrugged before answering. "I don't know. We all know that Poppy's psychic abilities are growing; it's possible that what she saw is in the distant future. 'Sides she only saw me on the ground looking very pale, doesn't mean I'm dead. Her dreams of the future can be figurative, not just literal." Rashel placed a hand on the handle, "Come on, I just want to go eat at a restaurant and pretend that I'm a normal for once."

Her two friends looked at her for a moment before nodding. As they entered the diner, they didn't notice the two waitresses engrossed in a conversation with a customer. Thierry slid into the booth seat across from Hannah and Rashel, while grabbing a menu to look over. Clearly, Roswell was playing the whole 1947 crash to the hilt. He found himself chuckling at some of the items. If the humans only knew the truth, not just about the Night World, but that visitors from the stars exist. I wonder would they welcome aliens with open arms, or would they try to kill them like they would with the Night World. Oh well, not my problem, although it'll make Rashe's mission a bit harder. He gave himself a rueful smile. Rashel was pretty firm about what she wanted out of the next couple of days, no real thoughts about the Night World, aliens, or anything resembling something supernatural. It was suppose to be a time to focus on burying her past and moving on with a "normal" life. Deciding that he'd have a Will Smith, as rare as possible, he glanced over his menu to discover that the girls had also pretty much made up their minds. Turning his head around over the seat, he saw that the two waitresses were closer, but obviously still occupied in their conversation and staring at what appeared to be a picture in a picture frame. "Excuse me, but we'd like to order now." He stated hoping to catch their attention.

The petite brunette wearing a ponytail looked up and her eyes widened in recognition while the blonde with a short pixie haircut gasped, both girls had turned pale while the guy with them just kept looking at the picture and back at the booth. Turning, Thierry saw Rashel's eyes were cloudy as if she knew the two girls, but couldn't quite place their names or faces. Then he heard something drop and glass breaking. Well, there goes any chance of a "normal" reintroduction to Roswell.

Jadeling's Notes: Mostly set up information this chapter. Next chapter: Rashel meets our beloved aliens along with our favorite undercover FBI agent.