Disclaimer: I don't own the series Roswell or the original characters. All I own is my imagination and the plot.
A/N: Well, finally (!) I wrote another chapter for this story. It took me a while because I temporarily forgot about this story; I was busy working on my Gilmore Girls fics one day when I remembered that this story also existed. :-) So, I apologize for that and I promise to order the mess in my head soon so I won't be able to forget anymore.
Wishing for the Familiar
Liz brought her hands down upon the door once again, not caring who she would wake with the sound of her frantic knocking. Panic streaked her features where normally rationality and calmness could be found. She kept throwing quick and nervous glances over her shoulder, afraid that someone might suddenly appear out of the nowhere that lurked behind the shadows. She was breathing rapidly because of how high her pace had been while she had been fleeing from the diner where no evidence remained of her crime, although at the moment she couldn't find the peace to care. She was aware that she had killed someone, but how she had done it still remained a mystery, though she had witnessed it with her own eyes.
Finally, she could hear footsteps behind the door and moments later she could feel it shift underneath her hands which she quickly removed and shoved in the pockets of her uniform. When the door opened it revealed a tired and frustrated looking Amy DeLuca, whom's eyes instinctively narrowed at the illumination of the streetlights. It took her longer than necessary to recognize the girl standing just outside the door. When she did, she opened the door completely.
''Liz, what are you doing here? And why are you still wearing your uniform?''
''I was closing up at The Crashdown,'' Liz explained.
''Well, that takes care of one question.''
''Yeah, I didn't mean to bother you, but my parents are out of town for a few days so when I heard something suspicious outside I didn't want to stay there.''
''Something suspicious?'' Amy asked now fully awake. ''Are you okay? Do you want me to call Valenti?''
Liz shook her head. ''No, I was just wondering if I could stay the night?''
''Of course you can. Come in.''
''Thank you,'' Liz said as she entered the kitchen.
''I think Maria's sleeping, but you can just go in anyway. There's a sleeping bag in her closet.''
Liz nodded and thanked Amy DeLuca once more before heading to Maria's room, making sure that Amy had gone back into her room before opening the door. She reached for the light switch and flicked it, not giving the darkness a chance to engulf her. When the room was bathing in light she slipped into the room and closed the door behind her, not trying to be quiet because she needed for Maria to wake up and be there for her, especially since she didn't know how to deal with what had happened because it was something alien. Liz walked over to Maria's bed and looked down at her. Maria didn't even so much as stir underneath the weight of Liz's eyes en impatience.
''Maria,'' Liz whispered, watching to see if there was any response. ''Maria.'' With a sigh she bend over a little and gave Maria's sleeping figure a gentle push. This time she did stir and her eyes cracked open, although they were on the verge of closing.
''Liz... go away,'' Maria murmured as she hid her face in her pillow.
''I need to talk to you.''
''About what?''
''Shapeshifters,'' was Liz's answer.
''You're insane.''
''Maria,'' Liz said as she gave her another gentle push. ''I was attacked by one tonight.''
Maria almost instantly lifted her head to look at Liz. ''Are you kidding me because this is not exactly the time for your why-did-the-alien-cross-the-universe-jokes.''
''I swear I'm not kidding.''
''Oh my God,'' Maria said as she pushed herself up into a sitting position. ''Are you okay?''
''I don't know; I'm still a little shaken.''
''You should be glad you weren't fried,'' Maria remarked.
''Maria...''
''Right, well, sit down.'' Maria moved to the other side of the bed so Liz could sit down next to her. ''Tell me what happened? Are you sure it was a shapeshifter?''
''Yeah, I mean, at first he looked like Max...''
''Max is a shapeshifter?'' Maria interrupted.
''No!''
''Hey, it's early and I'm confused; Most people would be when you're talking about shapeshifters.''
''The shapeshifter just looked like Max to get to me or something, but I knew something was wrong when Max started to act all weird...''
''You mean alien?''
''Maria,'' Liz said while throwing her friend a stern look.
''I'm sorry, continue. He was acting all weird...''
''Right. He was acting all weird and he was trying to convince me to go outside with him, but I refused and that's when he turned into his regular form.''
''But you said he attacked you, so how did you escape?''
''I pushed his powers away...''
''You pushed his powers away?'' Maria asked while giving Liz a look.
''I know it sounds strange, but I don't know how else to describe it. He attacked me with one of his powers and I just pushed them away.''
''With your hands?''
''Yeah, like I was creating like this invisible shield or something,'' Liz explained.
''You mean one of those things Max can put up?''
Liz nodded. ''Yeah, it protected me. It pushed his powers back towards him until it... burned him.''
''You killed the shapeshifter?''
Liz nodded while lowering her gaze as if she finally realized what she had done. ''Yeah, I killed him. I killed someone, Maria.''
''Hey,'' Maria started as she put her arm around Liz's waist and pulled her into a comforting hug. ''he deserved to be killed. He tried to kill you.''
''You believe me?''
Maria smiled. ''I'm your best friend, I have to believe you.''
''Thanks... What do we do now?''
''We should probably tell one of the Chekoslovakians,'' Maria answered.
''I'm not going to Max.''
Maria sighed. ''You don't have to. We'll go to Micheal.''
''Tomorrow?''
Maria nodded, knowing that Liz could use the rest. ''Tomorrow.''
-x-x-x-
The next morning, they arrived at Michael's apartment an hour before their first classes would start. Neither Liz or Maria had gotten any sleep last night, even though they had tried. Their minds had been too preoccupied with thoughts. Liz couldn't stop thinking about what had happened and Maria had been caught up in her worries about tomorrow's meeting with Michael and what he would think. But now it was too late for doubts and they couldn't turn back, otherwise they would never become any wiser so both Liz and Maria stayed, staring at the door nervously while Maria knocked.
''What?!'' was the first thing they heard, even before the door flew open. When Michael saw them his slight anger turned into frustration as he tried to think of a reason why they were here. ''What do you want?''
''Can we come in?'' Maria carefully asked, although her gaze never faltering from Michael's.
Michael looked at them a little longer before nodding. He held open the door and waited for them to pass before closing it again. He turned around to face the two girls, although his eyes were fixed on Maria as she curiously looked around the apartment, trying to see if anything had changed since she hadn't been in here for a while.
''So... is there a point to your little visit?''
''We wouldn't be here if there wasn't, space boy,'' Maria shot back.
''Actually we were wondering if we could talk?'' Liz cut in. ''See, something happened last night.''
Michael frowned at her words. ''Something happened?''
''Liz was attacked by a shapeshifter,'' Maria quickly said.
''Thank you,'' Liz mumbled, throwing Maria a look as she did this.
''A shapeshifter?'' Michael shifted his gaze over to Liz.
''Yeah, he looked like Max, but changed when I didn't want to leave with him.''
''He looked like Max?'' Michael asked while raising an eyebrow.
''Yeah, and he attacked me.''
''Here comes the freaky part,'' Maria said. ''When he attacked Liz, she didn't get hurt because she pushed his powers away with her own.''
''You have powers?''
Liz nodded. ''I know it sounds crazy, but it was as if I was putting up this shield or something to push his powers back so that they would backfire on him and burn him''
Michael sighed and ran a hand through his locks. ''Look, Liz, I know that you miss Max, but you can't just keep making up stories in the hope that he'll...''
''I'm not making this up,'' Liz said, her tone defensive.
''You have to accept that Tess is one of us and that he has a bond with her. Nothing you'll say or do will change that.''
Liz placed her hands in her pockets and fought the urge to cry as she looked up at Michael. ''Just tell the others, okay? I have to go.''
Maria crossed her arms and glared at Michael as soon as Liz closed the door behind her. ''What's your problem?''
''I could ask you the same.''
Maria shook her head while heading for the door. When she opened it she glanced at Michael once more. ''We used to be friends, all of us.'' With a soft click the door closed behind her.
-x-x-x-
''What do you think, Maxwell?'' Michael asked, pouring some Tabasco over his piece of pizza while casually looking around to see if anyone was near enough to hear them.
Max on the other hand, was just staring at his lunch, hardly paying any attention to his surroundings. His mind was too busy analyzing the situation and trying to come up with a reason and discover how Liz could have just developed powers like that. He knew how her story must have sounded to the others: unreal, but he knew that not everything was what it seemed and that sometimes, things that seemed so crazy and out there were the most real to him.
''Well, I think it's ridiculous,'' Tess said, hoping to say what was really on Max's mind. She had a tendency to do that a little too much, but he never said anything about it. ''She's just trying to find another way to get close to you again, Max.''
Max looked up to briefly meet Tess's eyes that could often convince him of her opinion, but this time he didn't know so he remained silent.
''Yeah, but on the other hand, Max, you and Liz do have a special bond so maybe...''
''Isabel, don't humor Liz,'' Michael said.
''I'm not. I'm just saying that if she did what she said she did then...''
''If,'' Tess interrupted. ''That's the correct word to use because we are obviously talking about something hypothetical and that is made up. We all know that she is human and that she will never be one of us.'' Tess locked eyes with Max. ''I say we let this rest.''
''I agree,'' Michael said. ''Iz?''
''I don't know. I don't think Liz is the kind of person to lie about something like that.''
Tess rolled her eyes. ''All people do foolish things for love, even lie.''
''Fine. We let this rest for now, but if anything else happens we will have no choice but to believe her,'' Max said as he threw a glance in the direction of where Liz was sitting, her hands clasped together in her lap. Tess followed his gaze, but before she could say anything he got up and walked away, letting them know that he had made his decision and that no one would be able to change his mind, not when it came to Liz.
-x-x-x-
Liz looked up from her Biology notes that were meant to take her mind off of things, when the bell rang. She had spent her entire lunch just staring at them, trying to look busy when really she just needed someone to talk to, but the person she wanted to talk to wasn't available. She closed her binder and glanced over at where Max had been sitting, but his seat was empty and instead, she ran into a pair of blue eyes that were looking right at her. Liz quickly lowered her eyes and reached for her bag, watching from the corner of her eye as Tess got up, expecting that she would head for the school, but she didn't. Instead, Tess started to walk over to where Liz was sitting, her eyes confident as she met Liz's once more. Before Tess reached her, Liz got up, wanting to hurry off now that she still had the chance, but Tess stopped her.
''Liz! Wait!''
Liz forced herself to turn around and face her, wondering if Michael had already told them about what had happened.
''I know what you're doing,'' Tess said, answering Liz's unasked question.
''What are you talking about?''
Tess narrowed her eyes. ''Don't act like you don't know. Michael told us about what you told him. No matter what other tricks you have up your sleeve, Max will stay with me.'' She glared at Liz once more before walking off.
Liz tightened her grip on her binder as she tried her hardest not to let herself become upset with Tess's words. After all, she had accepted the fact that she wasn't with Max anymore, but she couldn't deny that it hurt to hear her claim Max like that. With a defeated sigh she made an attempt to turn around, although someone stopped her by grabbing her roughly by the arm. Liz's eyes immediately flew to the person who had grabbed her and gasped when she saw her own reflection in the familiar pair of brown orbs.
''Max.''
Max, however didn't listen to her and pushed her up against the soda machine with one swift movement, his hold never faltering. Once he was satisfied with her position, he started to lean in an brought his mouth up to her ear.
''You should stop lying, Liz.''
As soon as those words escaped his lips, he let her go and headed for the school without looking back.
-x-x-x-
That night, Liz lay on her bed, her clad knees pulled up to her chest as she tried to make herself as small as possible. Trails of tears streaked her cheeks, although she had given up on crying a while ago, she just hadn't bothered to wipe away the evidence. There was no one around to discover it and for that she was grateful. She thought that crying would help her get rid of at least some of the frustration she was feeling, but it hadn't even cracked. The crying had just made it worse, just like the memories of this day had done. No one believed her. Everyone, except Maria, believed that she had made all of it up, even Max had said so. Tears sprung to her eyes as she thought about the fact that maybe, Max was indeed happy with Tess. And this time, she knew that crying wouldn't help at all, but it was the only thing she could do.
REVIEW! Please? :-) Okay, this chapter didn't even come close to good and that kinda sucks because I always try the best I can when I'm working on a chapter and apparently that wasn't enough for this one. I'll try really hard to work on that. I'm also taking a little time to develop the plot (if there even is one...) and that's why I had to put even more emphasis on the relationship between the humans and the Chekoslovakians :-) Tess is the key... Thanks for the reviews and I hope that did didn't suck too much.