The next morning went by normally, Anne was just visiting her family. Started with breakfast, hanging around, and no one letting Anne help around the cafe or the house. Anne hung in the back of the cafe while Maria and Liz were working for a few hours in the afternoon. Maria looked over at Anne who had a sad look on her face, "What's wrong chica?"
Anne snapped out of her self contemplation, "Oh just thinking. It's weird I kind of half expect Alex come bounding through those doors. I guess it didn't hit me till I got here and then it became real."
"Yeah we have all had time to deal with it, I never thought about how it could be hard for you coming back and not having lived through it but still having it effect you."
"Just something else I have to deal with coming back here," Anne didn't think as she said this and immediately regretted saying it.
"What do you mean something else?" Maria caught it and got suspicious.
Before Anne had to answer Michael called, "Maria, order up."
"Okay coming," Maria looked back at Anne who looked upset but, innocent so Maria dropped it.
The Crashdown closed that day around four between the lunch and dinner rushes. Liz and Maria were upstairs changing and once Michael was cleaned up and done in the kitchen he came into the dining room where Anne was sitting. Michael walked with his head down and his hands in his pockets. Seeing him Anne flashed back to the last time she had seen Michael when they were kids. It was exactly the same, Michael came over and slid into the booth across from Anne and kept his head down. His fingers tapped lightly on the table and finally he looked up at her. Anne let out a small chuckle because at the same time she was seeing Michael in present day she could see him years ago as a child.
"What?" He was slightly perturbed.
"Sorry. Do you remember me know Michael? Because I was just flashing to when we were little and you did the same thing."
"I kind of remember you."
"Do you remember the first time you and I actually talk, I mean mutually exchanged words."
"No, not really."
"Well it was my last day in Roswell that summer and we were her in the Crashdown. I was sitting in tis exact booth and you came over and sat down. You held my hand and . . ."
"I told you I knew who you were and I trusted you. You were the first person I had ever trusted besides Max and Iz. It's weird but back then I just knew that you were a good person and different than every one else. I just can't remember how."
"Right now that doesn't matter, you will find out soon enough. Just remember that you do trust me will you Michael."
"Okay I'll try," Michael was suspicious and Anne couldn't blame him but she still wished that it didn't have to be that way.
Michael looked at Anne, he thought she was hot but there was something about her that was strange, yet familiar. All he knew for certain was that every time he looked at her he felt anxious. Before either of them could say anything else Maria and Liz came down from upstairs in regular clothes, rather than their uniforms, and Liz was a little dressed up. 'Perhaps for Max.' Anne thought.
Anne had been munching on fries with lots of ketchup and tabasco, and Michael without thinking had been snatching a couple here and there since he sat down. The way they were looking at each other made Maria feel weird, not jealous but like there was a connection there that she didn't understand. If only she knew what was about to happen she wouldn't be upset by it. The girls ignored the slightly weird situation of Michael apparently bonding with Anne and sat with them and began to chat. When Kyle arrived he joined in and about five minutes later Max arrived with Isabel. Max and Isabel said hi to the group and Max smiled widely at Anne.
Liz noticed but then Max also smiled at Liz and it didn't sting so much. She then remembered why they were all together and stood up out of the booth and turned to Anne, "Oh Anne we kind of have some personal stuff to talk about so if you wouldn't mind going upstairs or for a walk or something and I will call you when we are set. Sorry."
Anne played along she had to let Max invite her in so she started to scoot over and get out of the booth. Max watched and because he wanted her by him and Iz during the meeting he let her get all the way out, stand up and start walking toward the door (toward him) before he said, "No Anne can stay." There was a general surprised look and what's from everyone except Isabel. "She is actually why I called this meeting. Anne has something important to tell us." He looked to her and she turned back to face the group and Max took her hand.
"What? What's going on? Anne?" It was Liz with all the questions. She didn't like Max holding her hand, she didn't like that it seemed that her cousin was brought into the alien conspiracy without her knowledge.
Anne was all of a sudden very freaked out. It's okay Anne I'm right here with you and you know we are all friends. Max was communicating with her telepathically and it did help with Anne's jitters. A deep breath and "Well, everybody, um, I know the secret. Not because Max told me but because I'm part of it. God how do I say this? There's a coming war wether you want to admit it or not there is, and we have to fight it. Now with Tess gone Max, Liz and Michael are going to need help. Even with Tess here the caregivers for the royals made plans for them to have help from the humans and we were all chosen and changed. The plan has to be altered now though."
"Whoa, stop rewind what are you talking about?" Kyle said and everyone else was thinking the same thing.
"Okay let me start over, I know you guys don't believe me. so if you would all pull out the crystals I know you brought. The ones that are on a leather rope. You have all had them for years and probably don't remember where you got them from." Right then Liz, Maria, Michael and Kyle all reached in their pockets or in their shirts to pull out their crystal necklaces with shocked look on their faces. Max and Isabel pulled out theirs and so did Anne.
"She's an alien, a shapeshifter posing as Anne, and she has some mind control power," Maria accused.
"No she doesn't. She is Anne and she is telling the truth just not very well," Max defended.
"It's okay Max, they are right to be suspicious I would be if I wasn't so sure of the truth. Liz if you want you can take a sample of my blood, you'll see it is human just a little different. The thing is if you look at your blood too you'll see that yours isn't normal either. I know you have all been remembering that summer I came and spent a month here. If you guys remember Max gave us each a necklace the day I left, so we would always be connected. Tonight we will all have a dream about that summer so that we all remember what happened, it will be your own memories just come back. Remembering that summer is important to what we have ahead."
"What? What is going on?" Liz asked almost demanded.
"Well I can't go into all the details it would take too long but the break down is: Maria, Liz, Kyle and Alex were changed when they were babies by the alien who was supposed to be the Royal Four's teacher, Brom. A full unit on Antar is eight they had hoped that both sets of Royal's would do but Brom realized that the other set was evil, they carried all the bad traits of their past selves and the memories corrupted them. Except Ava she seemed to carry the good parts of her past life and well Zan had so few bad characteristics they barely made a smudge. Anyway, the important thing is Brom made a complete unit here on earth using human children, he could sense would have a close relationship with the role four, this was the back up plan he and Zan had come up with just before Zan died and they were coming up with this whole reincarnation plan. Once on earth Brom determined what children to change because he was able to read souls and connections between them. Brom changed each of you slightly so that you would be able to tap into natural powers all humans carry. Basically he sped up you evolution a little. Although Liz and Kyle will be stronger than Maria because of Max healing them that would have changed them, in and of itself, but with what Brom already did years ago it will be interesting to see what you'll be capable of. I know you are all wondering what about me what is the deal with me?
Before I continue you should all know that the crew of the ship consisted of eight aliens who were genetically adapted to the atmosphere that's why Nasedo and the others could survive here but the skins can't, Brom was the genius behind that and the transferring of souls and genes to the sets of Royals. The crew on the ship was two pilots, two protectors (Nasedo and Kal), two caregivers and two teachers (one of which was Brom). The two protectors and Brom were the only survivors of the crash besides the babies in their pods."
Here Anne paused and squeezed Max's hand in comfort. "Well Brom had been hurt in the crash and as soon as the pod's were safe Brom put himself in stasis to heal with his pod programmed to wake him up two years before the babies so that he could work on his mission, one he didn't tell the protectors about because he didn't trust them. The protectors had been brought in as last minute substitutions and Brom wasn't sure of their allegiance especially Nasedo's who had worked for Ava's family on Antar. He awoke not fully healed but couldn't risk going in for any longer and maybe running out of time for his procedure to go through. He knew it would take time for the human bodies to adapt and be able to handle the powers he wanted to awaken and even then all of you would need guidance. Brom had been so hoping that he would be around long enough to perform his job and be your teachers, he would have taken on the task of raising Max, Isabel and Michael or at least acting like a relative who wanted to be involved in their lives if not raise them, but he was wound was too great and the atmosphere began to affect him. Brom knew he wouldn't survive and that's were I come in, he had been hoping to find the other protector and persuading him to take over but just before he went to look for Kall he sensed me I was visiting Liz I, was six and," turning to Max and Iz "you guys were getting ready to hatch. Apparently I have strong genetics, a very strong soul and an even stronger connection to the pod squad here. I'll have to explain the whole connection thing later. What Brom did when he finally found me was something he never thought he would do but at the moment he did was glad he was able to. Basically instead of genetically changing me and awakening genes in me like he did with the other humans he melded himself with me. His body still existed and so did his consciousness, he died in the desert shortly after changing me, but he put all his memories and knowledge plus genetic material and melded it with mine. He made is so the abilities would slowly develop until I turned 18 which happened five months ago and then the dreams started with the memories. About a month ago Brom's voice started in my head like a guardian angel letting me know what to do."
Looking from Maria, to Liz and Kyle, "I know it sounds crazy but with everything else you guys have been through you have to see some sense in it. I now have the roll of teacher but also more. Brom also never expected Tess to kill Alex. The possibility of Tess turning on you yes but not losing Alex. I can take Tess's place I have more powers than that bitch could ever possibly hope to have and I haven't even developed half of them yet. In the end Maria will be twice as powerful as Tess and she will be the weakest of us without having been brought back from the brink of death by Max. It would be great to have someone to replace Alex," a look at Isabel, "but it isn't 100 necessary, we can manage with seven of us. Well that's the short version. I know you probably all have questions, Max and Isabel did. Well Isabel didn't get a chance to ask any. So anyone ask."
Anne could sense everyone starting to remember and starting to trust. It was part of the genetic programming for them Brom knew that it wouldn't be easy to just drop it on them but at the same time it would be necessary to do so. Maria was the one to ask a question, "So what's with the crystals? You didn't mention them in you diatribe."
"Yeah the pieces of crystal we all have are small pieces of a larger crystal, it is called the mother crystal and is alive. It is a computer in a way. A living storage of knowledge. The crystals are made to send out signals that will only effect the person that that crystal is geared for. The signals are supposed to help the genes that were changed in you awake fully and start taking effect, release certain memories to you, and teach you to use your soon to be developing powers."
"What memories is it supposed to release and what do you mean geared for?" Liz was asking questions now.
"When Max first took the crystals from the mother crystal and gave one to each of us it read our genetic map and made it's signal so it would only 'talk' to us. The memories, to start with are the ones of that summer I came to visit and everything that happened then, because a lot of important things did happen. After that it will be certain things you need to know about our enemies and Antar and also memories of our past lives together."
"Wait past lives? On Antar?" Isabel was scared of that.
"No Isabel not really those have been deeply buried for you three and are not meant to come back except for certain things you need to know. The past lives that are going to come up are from before that. We all lived lives together before but now is not the time to go into that. What is important is that you all sleep with the crystals close to you tonight and tomorrow morning we should all meet back here for breakfast so we can discuss what you all remember. then as soon as possible we have to began training. I'm warning you all now it is going to go fast with the training, it has to. The first battle is coming soon I can sense it. So once we start I'm going to need every single one of you to give it your full effort and practice. Sorry that was Brom. Anyway anything else?"
"I think we'll be okay, everything you say makes sense. As much as any of this alien stuff does," Kyle jumped in.
"Max, Isabel, you two believe her?" Liz asked.
"Yes some of my memories started coming back already and she knew things no one else could," Max said.
"So do I. I knew her when we were little on instinct, and trusted her then and still do," Isabel said.
"I trust her too," Michael said to everyone's surprise.
"Okay with all three of the aliens believing her I think we humans should too. It's not like she's a stranger coming in. We have all known her for a long time," Maria said.
One step overcome, she had everyone in and won over. Things would just fall in to place a tiny bit easier for Anne now. It wouldn't be easy by any means but having them convinced of the truth after one discussion makes the next step closer.