Title: Strength of Mind
Author: Shadowheart
Category: CC
Rating: R
Spoilers: Everything up to and including 'Departure'
Summary: If a person dies, is that person really gone or does a part of them continue on.
Disclaimer: This is a fictional story using characters and events that belong to the creators of Roswell. I own nothing and make nothing from this story. In other words; Don't want them. Don't need them. Couldn't afforded them if I did.
Liz crawled out of her bedroom window and onto the roof of the cafe. With a book clutched to her chest, she made her way to one of the chairs that were set up there and sat down. After carefully opening the book to a page that was book marked by a thin pen, Liz got comfortable and started writing unaware of what was happening in the street below.
Max walked up to the Crashdown. He slowed to a stop along the side of the building and stared, for a second, at a ladder that led up to the roof over the diner. He was about to call up to Liz when he heard a familiar voice behind him.
"Hey Max."
Max turned around. "Alex, what are you doing here?"
"Oh, I was just walking around," Alex answered with a shrug. "After the sheriff let us go, me and Liz split up and I headed home. Of course with everything on my mind, I knew I wouldn't get to sleep so I decided to see if Liz wanted to talk some more."
"Talk?" Max asked, warily.
Alex's gaze followed the ladder up the side of the building. "She told me everything."
"She did?" Max's voice was neutral, not reflecting any emotion that he might be feeling. He watched Alex with a guarded expression.
"Yes Max."
Max took a deep breath and released it. "What are you going to do now?"
"Me?" Alex looked back at Max in surprise.
Max nodded.
"Right now I don't know," Alex answered with a shrug. "I just need to think about things."
"Alex-"
"Don't," Alex interrupted with a shake of his head. "You obviously came here to check up on Liz, not me, so I'm just gonna take off."
"But-"
"Max," Alex cut him off. "I just wanted you to know that I know that you can make Liz very happy but at the same time, you could hurt her very much." Alex's eyes narrowed as he gave Max a pointed look. "If you do hurt her, I will hurt you."
Then Alex started walking down the street, leaving Max standing by the side of the building. Alex paused and turned back to Max, sporting a half smile. "Oh hey, could you tell Isabel that I'm sorry about what I said at the party. Thanks."
Max just stared, dumbfounded, at the retreating form of an Alex Whitman that he didn't know.
Liz paused in her writing and cocked her head to the side, thinking that she had heard people talking.
She put the pen in her journal to mark the page and closed the book. She set that off to the side, got up and made her way to the edge of the roof. Looking down, she saw a familiar person looking off in the distance.
"Max?"
The dark haired young looked up at her. His face wore a troubled expression but that soon gave way to a shy smile that never failed to make her heart skip a beat.
"Liz," Max whispered. "Can I come up?"
"Yeah. Sure."
Liz backed away from the edge of the roof, watching Max as he climbed up the fire escape and stepped over the ledge. There was a guarded look in his face and that was when she realized that, somehow, Max knew that she had told Alex about his alien heritage.
"Max," Liz breathed, taking a half step closer. "I'm sorry but -"
"I know," Max cut her off. "I'm sure it was necessary to tell Alex but I hope you realize that this will complicate matters. That Isabel and Michael will be upset that yet another 'human' knows about us."
"I know but please trust me Max. They have nothing to worry about because Alex won't tell anyone." Liz spoke with conviction.
"I do trust you Liz," Max spoke softly as he unconsciously took a half step towards her. "But you do know that Michael and Isabel will not exactly be thrilled with what you did." Then Max remembered his conversation with Isabel about Alex as they waited outside the police station. His sister had wanted Alex to know about them. She believe that they might be better off if Alex was included in the group.
"Well, Michael will be angry anyway," Max amended dryly..
"Max?"
Liz's softly spoken question brought Max back to the present. "Sorry, I was just thinking about Isabel." At Liz's confused look, Max continued. "After you were arrested, we waited for you two outside the station. When everyone else was released except you and Alex, we got worried. That's when she told me that she thought that it would be a good idea to tell Alex."
"Really?" Liz exclaimed out loud.
A panicked look came over Liz as she remembered what time it was and deftly stuck her head inside her room, listening for any signs that her parents had heard her. When none came, Liz breathed a sigh of relief. She pulled herself out of the window and faced Max, who was sporting a small smile.
Liz glared at Max, daring him to laugh but then spoke in a soft voice. "She really said that?"
Max just nodded.
"Now what Alex was telling me about Isabel trying to 'seduce' him in order to find out what he told the Sheriff makes sense," Liz said with a thoughtful look.
"Seduce?" Max asked darkly, preparing to come to his sisters defense.
"No Max," Liz tried to calm him down. "That's only what Alex thought was happening but what if she was actually trying to tell him about you guys herself?"
Max closed his eyes and sighed. "I don't know. I probably should go talk to her." Max started to leave when Liz latched onto his arm.
"You don't have to go right now."
"I don't?" Max looked down at Liz's upturned face. Her warm eyes holding a pool of desire and want. That very same expression that he found in Liz's face was soon duplicated, unconsciously, on his own.
Liz caught that look and moved closer to Max. "No."
Max closed the remaining inches between them. "If I don't then everything will change. We will change."
"I know," Liz breathed.
Both leaned in and just before their lips touched, Max froze as Alex's words came back to him. 'If you do hurt her, I will hurt you.'
"Max?" Liz looked up at him with eyes full of concern and worry.
I would never hurt Liz. Max smiled tenderly at Liz which she returned shyly. Then Max raised both hands to her forehead and, with his fingers, lightly traced her hairline starting from the top of her head and followed down the sides where he stopped. He held her face in his hands and with a gentle tug, he brought her closer. He lightly brushed his lips against hers twice before giving in to a kiss both were desperate for. A kiss that conveyed several emotions between them including a longing that both felt deep in their hearts. After what felt like an eternity of bliss, Max pulled back slowly, gazing into Liz's hooded eyes.
"I should go," Max said softly.
Liz could only nod her head and watched as Max carefully made his way to the fire escape. He climbed over the edge, giving her one last smile before disappearing down the side of the building.
With a sigh, Liz fell backwards into the chair she was sitting in before. Her fingers lightly traced her lips as she replayed that kiss over and over in her mind.
Max was walking on cloud nine as he approached the front door of his home. He had finally kissed Liz Parker and it was better than he thought it would be.
"Max."
Jumping at the sound of his name, Max was pulled from his memories and warily watched as a familiar person stepped out of the shadows.
"Michael," Max breathed a sigh of relief but then tensed as the look on his friend's face came into view. Michael was livid. "What happened?"
"Whitman," was Michael's terse reply. "He hit me."
Max was stunned. "What? Why?"
"Just let me in, will ya," Michael said as he turned to go back around the house, in the direction of Max's bedroom window.
Max paused at the door for a second before heading in. he made his way through the house undisturbed until he reached his room. There he was met by his sister, who was dressed for bed.
"Well? What happened with Alex and Liz?" Isabel demanded.
Too tired to argue, Max simply gestured for her to enter his room and followed her in. He then moved to his window and opened it, letting Michael in.
Isabel briefly raised an eyebrow at Michael's presence before turning to her brother. "I'm waiting."
Max sat on his bed, sighing. "Liz told Alex about us."
"What?!" Michael exclaimed.
Isabel sat down heavily, next to her brother. Her expression was one of shock mixed with a little hope. "How did he take it?"
"More importantly, who has he told," Michael stated.
"It'll be okay," Max tried to placate his friend.
"Okay?" Michael shot to his feet and began pacing. "It is NOT okay Max. First Liz, then Maria, and now Alex. Who's next? Are you gonna take an ad out in the paper?"
"Calm down Michael," Max began.
"No!" Michael cut him off. "Too many people know about us. Maybe it's time to leave."
"Stop it Michael!" Isabel spoke up. "We are not leaving."
"Isabel's right," Max stood up and walked to his window. "After everything that's happened lately, leaving would only draw more attention to us."
Michael just threw his hands up in the air. "Fine but if Whitman hits me again I'll-"
"Wait!" Isabel interrupted. "What do you mean, hits you again?"
"Nothing." Michael grumbled.
"Michael!"
"Look Isabel," Michael turned to the blonde. "It was nothing, okay?"
"It must've been more than 'nothing' if Alex hit you." Isabel glared at Michael, feeling the need to defend Alex.
Michael just shrugged and turned away. "I bumped into Alex on the way here. He told me that I better not hurt Maria. I blew him off and then he clocked me."
'If you do hurt her, I will hurt you.' Max froze, then asked in a distant voice. "What did he do then?"
"He just turned and walked away."
Isabel was watching her brother intensely. She saw him pale slightly when Michael mentioned hurting Maria. "Max, what is it?"
"It's just that," Max began. "When I went to see Liz, Alex was there."
"Did he hit you too?" Michael asked.
"No," Max answered with a shake of his head. "But he did warn me against hurting Liz."
"See Max, we shouldn't have gotten involved with these humans. All they cause is trouble." Michael fumed.
"That doesn't make them our enemy," Isabel defended. "This could just be about Liz and Maria. It doesn't take a mind reader to know that Alex is deeply protective of them. He won't tell anyone about us"
Both boys stared hard at Isabel, Michael wondering why she was defending the humans while Max was wondering if his sister felt something more for Alex than friendship.
"I agree with Isabel." Max held up one hand to forestall Michael's objection. "Liz also believes that Alex can be trusted so we will wait and see."
"Whatever," Michael backed down with a grunt, knowing that this was one arguement that he wasn't going to win. "Can I?" he asked, motioning to the sleeping bag under the desk.
"Sure."
"Well, if you guys are going to sleep then I'm out of here." Isabel said before disappearing from the room.
"Night Iz." Max called after her.
Isabel breezed into her room and made a bee line for the school yearbook that was sitting by her bed. She flipped through the pages until she came to the one she was looking for.
Climbing into bed with the book, Isabel looked at the picture of Alex Whitman. Despite her earlier defense of Alex, she had to admit that he was acting very different from who she had be watching the past couple of days. Wanting to know what was going on in his mind, Isabel decided to dream walk him again.
Isabel found herself standing in a long, dark hallway. She walked down the hall, coming to a stop in front of a metal door adorned with an old fashion doorknob.
With a little hesitation, Isabel reached out to the doorknob and gently pulled. The door swung open easily revealing a dimly lit room. What light there was came from several computer screens lined against one wall, underneath what looked like a large, rectangular mirror. Below the screens, sat an impressive display of technology that looked like it came straight out of a sci fi movie.
Set into an inclined surface was a series of smaller screens that displayed information that ranged from what looked like computer code to a very sophisticated diagram of the human body to other information that she didn't understand.
Turning away, Isabel inspected the rest of the room. Against the back wall sat a plush couch but that was all. There was nothing else in the room. No hint to tell her what was going on. No clue as to where Alex was.
Moving back to the mirror, she gazed at her reflection, her face highlighted by the soft blue light of the computer screens in front of her. Sighing heavily, she asked, "Where are you Alex?"
As soon as the question left her lips, her image in the mirror faded away. In it's place, the school music room came into view. In the center of the room sat two chairs facing each other. Sitting in one chair was a dream version of herself while Alex sat in the other, playing his guitar.
Isabel couldn't hear what Alex was playing but the dream version of her obviously liked it, judging from the wide smile on her face.
"Hello Izzy."
Isabel jumped at the sound of that voice. She whirled around to find.. "ALEX?!"
Alex Whitman smiled mischievously as he raised a hand, showing her a small black box with a single red button. He pressed the button and the scene in the mirror disappeared to be replaced by her reflection.
"I wondered when you were gonna try this again."
"Again?" Isabel asked in confusion, then her eyes widened in realization. "Wait a minute Alex, how did you know?"
"You'll find out soon," Alex said with a small smile.
Suddenly the whole room disappeared, leaving Isabel and Alex facing each other in a sea of gray nothingness. Then Alex too, began to fade away.
"No Alex. Wait." Isabel said as she grabbed Alex's arm.
In that brief second of contact, Isabel's world changed. She saw an intense flash of light. She heard the loud screech of a car's brakes being applied. Then she felt pain. Indescribable pain. It felt like her whole body hurt and it kept getting worse and worse until....
Isabel woke up in a cold sweat. She sat in her bed, shaking but unable to get rid of this feeling of dread she had. Fear gripped her heart when the soft sound of knocking came from her bedroom door. She was unable breathe, much less answer, as she watched it open slightly. Only when the familiar head of her brother popped in, was she able to release the breath she was unknowingly holding.
"Isabel?"
Max's concerned look calmed Isabel down to the point where she could think clearly again. "I'm okay Max."
"Are you sure? I was getting a drink of water when I heard you yell," Max said, coming into the room.
"Did I wake Mom and Dad?"
"No, they're still asleep," Max answered. "So what happened?"
"I just had a bad dream is all," Isabel looked confused. "At least I think so, I don't really remember."
"What's this?" Max pointed to the book in her lap.
Isabel looked down. surprised for a second before remembering, "Oh, my yearbook. I was thinking about dream walking Alex tonight but I must have fallen asleep."
"Are you going to try?"
"No, not tonight. I'm too tired," Isabel yawned.
Max looked like he wanted to talk more but instead, gave her a smile. "All right. Night Isabel."
"G'night Max."
From deep in her mind, just before she fell asleep, Isabel thought she heard Alex say, "Sweet dreams."
tbc
