First
Wave: "The Lost Prophesies"
Chapter Four – Twice
Blessed
Summary: A prophesy of the Royal Four is uncovered. The Sheriff gets proof that Michael, Isabel and Max are aliens.
Disclaimer: See Chapter One
"All great things are simple, and many can be expressed in single words: freedom, justice, honor, duty, mercy, hope."
Winston Churchill
"It's You!"
Alex looked around, confusion written all over his face, and to make matters even more weird, apart from the crazy hot chick there were two other people and they were also starring at him in amazement.
Briefly he wondered if he had just stepped into the twilight zone "excuse me?" He croaked, nervous with the attention, especially since the attention was coming from such a beautiful girl.
Under no normal circumstances would a girl like that be paying so much attention to him, so he concluded that he was still at home and dreaming, which meant that he was going to be late to pick his sister up, so he had better wake up.
Just five more minutes he promised himself as a small smile broke out on his face.
Isabel
watched as his expression turned from one of confusion to one of
contentment. Clearly he was weird, but that was not the issue
here.
As she stood on the sidewalk outside of the Gym, her mind
worked overtime as she began to realize the significance of who Alex
was. If this guy was Maria's brother, and if this guy was the
adoptive brother of her sister, that made Maria her missing sister.
Isabel's eyes flooded with tears as she stumbled to Maria's side and pulled her into a hug. She knew that she was probably frightening the poor girl, but at this point it was her emotions that were controlling her and she was incapable of pulling away from the sister she had spent the past couple of years searching for.
"I can't believe we found you; do you have any idea how long we've been searching for you?" Sobbed Isabel as her friends watched on in amazement.
Alex decided that he was definitely not dreaming 'cos only life could be so cruel as to have the woman of his dreams fawning all over his sister.
"Hello! Anybody care to explain what's going on here?"
Maria pushed herself out of Isabel's embrace repeating her brother's question. A look of wariness on her face as she slowly backed away a few steps.
Liz who had come to the same conclusion as Isabel decided to explain, mostly because Isabel was in no state to speak and Michael was still staring in shock at Maria. "This is going to be difficult to explain..."
Alex looked at her then at Isabel and Michael, clearly waiting for some explanation no matter how hard it was.
"Maria is…uh…Isabel's sister." She began, unsure of how to continue.
Alex gave her a look of disbelief "how do you figure?"
"We were separated when we were six; we also have a brother who's been missing for the last three years" explained Isabel.
"Look, I'm sorry about your missing brother and sister it must be really hard, but that doesn't explain why you think I'm your sister" spoke up Maria in sympathy.
Maria made as if to leave but Michael stopped her with a hand to her arm "hear us out... please."
Maria looked at his pleading face before sighing and crossing her arms "fine, speak fast or I'm outta here."
"Do you remember anything from your childhood? Before you were six?" Prompted Liz, hoping to jar a memory within Maria.
"Not much. Just that I was found wondering around when I was five, nothing before that" she answered, feeling a shiver up her spine at the direction of the question. How could these people know about what happened thirteen years previously?
"You were found by my adoptive parents...outside of our house." Said Isabel
Maria felt herself growing scared. "That doesn't prove anything, how can you be sure it was even me?"
"We've done the research believe me, and I've also had visions about you Maria."
"Visions? Okay I wasn't sure before, but now I'm convinced you guys are crazy, goodbye, see you in another life" she said turning around towards the jetta.
Isabel felt herself growing desperate "wait! Have you ever noticed something different about yourself, like special powers?"
Maria's eyes narrowed "you work for Aaron don't you? I can't believe I almost fell for your story, how did you find me?" She demanded furiously.
"Aaron was your foster father wasn't he? How did he find out about you?" Asked Michael.
Alex felt himself becoming more and more confused by the second. "Find out what?"
Maria looked close to tears "please, I just want to be left alone to lead a normal life, why can't you people understand that?"
Isabel gave her a look full of pain "we know, we're just like you trying to live a normal life, but we can't because we're different, and it's because of those differences that Max, our brother was kidnapped" cried Isabel.
"What differences? Kidnapped?" Demanded Alex, still at a loss to what was transpiring around him.
"I know you remember something, I can see if in your face" continued Isabel, ignoring the questions from Alex.
Just then all Maria's long buried memories came unbidden to the surface and she remembered, she remembered everything.
But it couldn't be real could it? It had all just been the fantasy of a lonely child...or had it?
The memories...fantasies, whatever you wanted to call it felt so real. Could Isabel really be her missing family? Something inside her tugged at her heart, and she felt as if she knew the answer - had always known from the moment she first met Isabel over a month ago.
Closing her eyes, Maria let her memories come to the surface...the memories that she'd kept locked up for so long.
She remembered a sac of some sort, she remembered climbing out of it only to find they'd already left and she was all alone and very frightened.
Without thinking, Maria began to talk, "I was so scared, but I could feel you, I walked for two days until I reached this house and I just knew you were inside, hoping you'd come outside and find me. But these people came and took me away, and I...I tried to tell them but they just kept telling me it was a dream...and I eventually came to believe them." Maria's body shook as she sobbed; Alex put his arms protectively around her keeping everyone else at bay.
Tears poured down Isabel's face "Maria please!" She begged as she reached out a hand to Maria imploring her only to be stopped by an angry look from Alex.
"Don't you people think you've done enough already?"
Isabel looked helplessly at Liz and Michael as Maria pulled herself out of Alex's arms. "I need some time alone, to think. Do you think we could all meet at my place tomorrow for dinner to talk about it?"
Isabel smiled gratefully and nodded, Liz grabbed Isabel's hand for support and Michael put an arm around her. Alex obviously wasn't pleased but kept his thoughts to himself, instead he grabbed Maria's hand and helped her into the Jetta, Maria's tear streaked face looked out at the trio as the car pulled away.
Liz, Michael and Isabel hugged each other, joy evident on their faces.
Still grinning, Michael pulled away from his friends and began walking towards their car, turning to look at the girls he lifted his eyebrows and asked "well are you two coming or not?"
Isabel and Liz looked at each other and smiled, things were finally starting to look good.
Isabel had woken up that morning for the first time in many years with a smile on her face. Finally life was starting to go right, and she couldn't help feeling optimistic about finding Max and reuniting her family.
When the phone rang, startling her out of her thoughts she snatched it up quickly "Hello?"
"Izzy is that you sweetheart?" Came the question from the other end of the line.
Isabel felt her smile spreading "yeah, hi dad."
"How are things going up there?"
"It's going really well, we found my sister - can you believe it?" She exclaimed excitedly, unable to hold the news in for a second longer.
"Oh Is, I'm so happy for you honey."
"We're having dinner with her tonight."
"Well good luck, I'll be thinking of you. I just wanted to let you know that I've sent up all the information on the Eagle Rock Military Base for you, but it's not much I didn't want anyone getting suspicious."
"Oh daddy thank you, I'm sure it will be enough."
"What makes you think that that's where they're holding Max?"
"We've basically ruled out everywhere else."
"Well okay, but please honey be careful, I couldn't handle losing you too."
"We will, and we'll bring Max back to you."
"I know you will. Good bye honey, remember we love you Isabel."
"I Love you too dad, bye." Isabel put down the phone and walked into the kitchen "hmmm, what smells so good?" She sniffed the air in appreciation.
Michael turned around and grinned "Tabasco flavored pancakes."
Walking into the kitchen in time to hear the offerings for breakfast, Liz pretended to gag at the mention of pancakes that tasted of Tabasco.
"Don't worry Liz; I've got bland flavored pancakes for you too." He said, waving the spatula in the air for emphasis.
"Well that's a relief, but how long is it gonna take? I have to be at work in an hour."
"Speaking of which, how is work going?" Asked Isabel as she poured herself a glass of orange juice.
"Not too bad, it's not the Molecular Biologist stuff I wanted to do, but at least I'm working in a lab environment. Anyway it's only temporary until we find Max, then I'll go back to college."
"Stop chitchatting girls, grubs up and I didn't slave over a hot stove all morning for you two to stand there and have a gab fest" interrupted Michael as he placed the pancake loaded plates on the kitchen table.
Liz smiled as she took her place at the table "someone's in a good mood this morning."
"Yeah, I think you may have climbed out of the wrong side of the bed this morning" added Isabel as she too took a place at the table.
"Maybe you should go back to bed and climb out the other side" suggested Liz, a full out grin spreading across her face "this happy you is beginning to freak me out."
"You two are a barrel of laughs" scowled Michael as he dished up his plate of food "you've missed your calling as a couple of clowns in the circus."
"Did he just call me a clown?" Questioned Isabel.
Liz gave her friend a nod as she put on her 'serious' face "I believe he did."
"Very brave of him" growled Isabel.
Liz swallowed her mouthful of food before responding "or very stupid."
Michael glared at both girls as he pointed his fork at them "just eat your food."
Alex handed his subdued sister a mug of hot chocolate. Something their mother had made for them whenever they were sad.
"Feel like talking about it?" He asked as he sat down beside her.
She shrugged "i'm not sure how to put what i'm feeling right now into words."
Alex gave her a long look before continuing "Ria, have you considered that these people are a bunch of crazies, picking up from where Aaron left off?"
Maria nodded "It's possible."
He watched her take a tentative sip of hot chocolate, testing to see if it was cool enough to drink "but you don't think so?"
Maria placed her mug on the coffee table and turned to face her brother. "Alex, we've never really talked about why Aaron spent all those years chasing us."
"I don't remember much from those days Ria, but I do have one clear memory of mom and dad packing our bags into the car, I think we were in Seattle at the time. Anyway, mom was talking about what Aaron would do to you if he got hold of you. She was scared that he would go public with your 'specialness'. That's what she called it."
Alex paused.
"When we were kids, strange things always happened when you were around. Floating toys...all my toy cars miraculously turning pink. I always knew there was something different with you. I guess when we got older and the strange things stopped happening I chose to put those occurrences behind us, but i've never forgotten."
Maria nodded.
"I think I stopped using my powers, or whatever you want to call them when I realised that it wasn't normal. And more than anything else in the world I wanted to be normal, because maybe then, Araon would leave us alone. But the thing is Alex, it's still a part of me. I don't know what it is, or where it comes from and I have all these questions burning inside me, and maybe now, I can finally get the answers. Michael, Isabel and Liz have the answers to those questions. I need to know Alex...I need to know why i'm different."
"I don't care why you're different. I just want you to stay safe and i'm scared these people are going to hurt you."
Maria blinked away tears. "Alex, even though I haven't used my powers in years, they're still there inside of me. Last night when I let all my memories surface, so did those dormant powers...I could feel a connection to Isabel. Like an invisible link. I believe she's telling the truth, that she's my sister."
Alex nodded reluctantly "I'll agree to hear them out, other than that, I can't promise anything."
ROSWELL SHERIFF'S STATION
As Cade Foster walked into the Sheriffs office he couldn't get over the irony of him a wanted man freely walking into a Sheriffs office, but this had to be done and it seemed that the only person who was capable of helping him was Sheriff Jim Valenti.
Wiping his perspiring hands on his jeans, he followed the deputy into the Sheriff's office.
Jim Valenti reached out and shook the mans hand before seating himself back in his chair and indicating the other chair for Cade to sit in.
"Mister...?" Began the Sheriff, clueless as to why the out-of-towner had insisted on speaking to him.
Cade felt himself momentarily unable to come up with an alias, "uh…Jackson, Cade Jackson."
"Well Mister Jackson, what can I do for you?"
"Sheriff, look, I don't want to mince words, it's imperative I find Max and Isabel Evans and I was hoping that you knew where they were."
The Sheriff leaned back in his chair silently looking over the man in front of him. "Maxwell Evans disappeared over three years ago Mister Jackson."
Cade sighed and rubbed the back of his head as if he'd just experienced an immediate headache from the news, "I was hoping that was just a ruse, you know so that the Gua wouldn't find him."
Sheriff Valenti had no idea what he was talking about, but decided to play along; maybe he would finally get the information he had been looking for.
Cade continued, "this complicates things, obviously the Gua don't have him or they would've done something already, that must mean the FBI know about him and are holding him somewhere."
He looked at Valenti who nodded in reply.
"We have to find him and reunite him with the other three before the Gua find him, because if that happens we're all dead."
Cade had come there presuming the Sheriff was in the Aliens confidence.
Eddie, his partner had come to this conclusion because of how much the Sheriff obviously knew and because he hadn't gone to the Feds with the information, he had no idea that the Sheriff was keeping the information he knew to himself for personal reasons until had found more proof.
So now he sat, unwittingly giving the Sheriff all the proof he needed to pursue his obsession with Max Evans.
Jim Valenti smiled, encouraging the stranger to continue his story.
