A/N: hey guys. Sorry I haven't added a chapter for such a long while life's
been busy! This isn't my best work but I've been ill so It's the best I
could manage I hope it's OK.
Chapter 22
Adam walked wearily across the room to where Serena sat. Her eyelids were heavy and her face grey.
'Here,' he sighed, holding out a cup. 'Drink this, it'll make you feel better.'
'Thanks,' she muttered, not meeting his eyes.
How did she manage to do this? Why was it every time she tried to do something right it just blew up in her face? It just wasn't fair. All she had wanted to do was help Adam find his brother; and now she'd pretty much killed him! She must be cursed!
'What can we try now?' asked Adam.
'I don't know,' she said hopelessly.
'There's gotta be something! Some alien power that can snap him out of this.'
'There isn't! or if there is I don't have it.'
'You have to do something!' said Adam incredulously.
'You think I don't know that?' shouted Serena, her temper flaring. 'But what can I do? That blast knocked the power out of me. I can't even open a portal in the state I'm in, let alone try to heal him. I'm not a very good healer Adam, you know that! And even if I could heal him I still don't know whether he's being mind warped! He could try to kill us both again.'
'But-' Adam stopped himself. She was right. Neither of them could do a damn thing. And he'd never even got a chance to talked to his brother properly, not even to explain!
Serena reached out to feel for Alex' pulse for the one hundredth time that hour. She winced as she felt the cold skin beneath her fingers. This was bad, this was so bad!
Adam reached across Serena, his arm grazing hers as he picked up Alex' limp hand. The last thing he heard before darkness covered him was Serena's scream.
***
Adam struggled to pull his eyes open. Man! What was going on with his head? it felt like someone was playing a drum solo on his forehead. He groaned in pain. What had happened? One minute he was sitting with Serena and then BAM! Here he was with an ear splitting headache. It must've been one hell of a party to give a hangover this bad. Maybe someone had spiked his coffee. or maybe they'd been found. By the FBI!! Adam sat bolt upright, shooting his eyes open.
OK so this was weird. Adam tried to open his eyes again. Hmmm, looked like he'd lost all control of his eye lid muscles. He reached up a hand to do it manually.
'OW!' he squeaked as he poked himself in the eye.
Right so his eyes were open which left only one option. It was dark! So that was plausible. Perhaps he'd got drunk and passed out in the broom cupboard. In that case, getting up would be a good idea.
Adam stood up slowly, trying to ignore the never ending drum concert in his head. He reached out his arms and felt around him for the walls. His hands swept through air, air and a little more air.
Hmmmm, this was a pretty big cupboard, he thought as he began to walk, groping as he went. Suddenly out of nowhere there was a shot.
'Hello? Anyone out there?'
[I]'Well, it says right here that shots were fired but no one was injured.'
'Then where's Liz?? I mean, why is she avoiding me?? Okay, first of all, Liz is never late right? She walks into homeroom today, and goes and sits next to Pam Troy. She like, hates Pam Troy and you know like, goes around admitting it openly...and...Alex are you listening to me??'
'Yea, yea, Maria I'm listening to you. But this is just you being you. All right? Liz is fine, nothing happened it's all right here in black and white.'[/I]
'Hello?!?' shouted Adam. 'Alex? That you?'
[I]'Ok, all right. You are going to tell me exactly what has been going on with Max and Topolsky and the actual FBI or I swear, Liz, this is the end of you and me being friends.'
'No Alex, don't say things...'
'What? Something that I won't go through with? Liz, I'm not kidding. All right? Now either you tell me the truth, or I walk.'
'Alex, I can't.'[/I]
Adam stopped moving, his eyes frantically searching the darkness. What the heck was going on?
[I]'It's amazing. You wanna know what? A couple weeks ago, if someone were to ask me who I would trust with my life other than my parents, I would have said you without skipping a beat. And now...now I feel like I don't even know who you are.'[/I]
Adam froze completely as he heard Alex' voice. He trusted his parents that much? He was happy with his parents? What was he doing? All he was doing was destroying Alex' normal, happy life just so he'd have his little brother back! 'Hello? Please if someone's out there, just answer me!'
[I]'I think that underneath that beautiful exterior is an even more beautiful interior. But I have a feeling that not too many people get to see that interior, do they?'[/I]
Adam stapped his foot in frustration; where was he? What the hell was going on?
[I]'Liz, what are you talking about?
'God, there isn't any way for me to say this, but to just...but to just say this, ok? Look, Alex...they think they were in the 1947 crash. Ok, they were like in these incubation pods for a really long time...like 40 years, and they came out in like the form of humans...and now all of these people suspect them. That's why Topolsky's here, and that's why Valenti arrested us, and that's why we're here because he knows that I'm involved. I'm really sorry, Alex, but...you're involved, too.'[/I]
Aliens? So he and Serena had been right. Alex was involved with aliens.
[I]'Alex, I'm sorry. You know it's not you. It's just that with everything that's happening, everything on my mind, I can't think about being with a guy right now. You know, any guy.[/I]
.
[I]' I did a striptease in front of her mother! Are you listening to me?'
'One nipple does not constitute a striptease, Alex.'
'She saw my nipple? Oh, God.' [/I]
Adam let out a small smirk as he continued to walk around. This was almost entertaining, almost.
[I]' You're getting delirious, is that it?'
'Nah, take...take a step away from your life, Kyle. You know, I mean, you're part of this...this amazing thing. This...amazing knowledge that you HAVE that 6 BILLION people on this planet don't. You really want to step out of this cave if it meant that you were gonna be another dumb jock?'[/I]
Adam paused as he listened to this, somewhere deep down he felt this was important somewhere. That at sometime soon he should listen to his brother's wisdom.
[I]'Alex, sweetie, can we talk to you a minute.'
'Sure, Mom. What's up?'
'Listen son, there's no easy way for us to say this. It's gonna be a shock and you'll probably hates us for it after wards but-'
'Just remember that we love you and only want the best for you! And whatever you choose to do after this will be OK with us.'
'OK, Mom, Dad, you're scaring me now!'
'It's just that, well. You're not our natural child son. We adopted you.'
'What?'[/I]
Oh crap. Thought Adam. So it looked like his existence wasn't gonna be such big news to Alex as he'd thought. 'Alex? Come on answer me!'
[I]'Hey! Liz, Ria wait up!'
'Hey Alex. What's wrong?'
'I just wanted to tell you guys something. I'm really messed up about it and I needed some help.'
'Sure. Spill girlfriend!'
'I spoke to my parents yesterday. And uhhh, well I'm ad-'[/i]
Adam held his breath as silence once again filled the darkness.
[I]'Hey Alex! You OK?'
'Alex? Alex! You-hooo!'
'Huh?'
'You were half way through telling us something!'
'Oh right, yeah.' Alex' voice took on a cheery tone. 'I'm going to Sweden!'
'You're what?' gasped Liz' voice.
'Exchange trip! Cool huh!'[/I]
What the hell happened there? He was about to tell them he was adopted! Why didn't he?
[I]'So Alex. What are you gonna do while you're at Las Cruces then?'
'I'm going to translate the book for you, my queen.'
'And what are you not going to do?'
'I'm not going to talk to anyone about the book.'
'Good boy.'[/I]
Adam felt bile rising up in his throat. Who would talk to someone like that? Like they were just a dog? A toy! Something to be controlled!
[I]'I'm gonna miss you girlfriend!' said a teary voice.
'Hey, be happy Lizzie! I'll be back! Besides I'll be missing all the fun of the alien abyss. You know green jellyfish, clones, skin peeling psychopaths. Think of all the fun you'll be having without me![/I]
It was weird. Adam could almost here another voice, just faintly. A whisper. Perhaps just the impression of a voice.
'Please don't let me go.'
[I]'So do my two best girls have a hug for me?'[/I]
'I don't want to go!'
[I]'Bring us back a couple of Swedish guys yeah Alex.'
'Sure Ria.'
'Just make sure these ones are pure, thoroughbred humans yeah. I don't think I could manage another spaceboy!'
'I'll miss you Alex.'[/I]
'Liz1 No! Make me stay! Surely you can tell this isn't me!'
[I]'You too Liz. Come on girls! I'll miss my plane! Just one last little bit of sugar!'
'Bring it on!'[/I]
'No!'
[I]'Bye Alex!'
'Bye!!!'[/I]
'NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!'
Adam was flung back by the sheer force of the voice. He landed with a thud, his head slamming into the ground.
***
'Adam! Come on! Wake up! Wake up damn you!' screamed Serena, shaking his limp body. She felt like screaming in frustration, this wasn't happening. This so wasn't happening! One minute she had one brother unconscious and now both were! Just bam and there he was flat out on the floor! Unconscious! Not a movement, barely breathing, just like his brother. She was right! She was cursed!
'Ow! Serena, quit it!'
'You're alive!!! You're alive!' she screamed, yanking him away from the ground into her arms.
'OW! Careful!'
'You're alive! I didn't kill you! YES!'
'Yeah but if you're not careful you will!'
'What happened?' she whispered sobering slightly.
'I think I went into his head.'
'What? How?'
'I don't know do I! You're the alien! You should!'
'But I-'
'You're my brother.'
Adam swung his head sharply round, coming face to face with the person he'd been searching for for so long. Alex Whitman.
Chapter 22
Adam walked wearily across the room to where Serena sat. Her eyelids were heavy and her face grey.
'Here,' he sighed, holding out a cup. 'Drink this, it'll make you feel better.'
'Thanks,' she muttered, not meeting his eyes.
How did she manage to do this? Why was it every time she tried to do something right it just blew up in her face? It just wasn't fair. All she had wanted to do was help Adam find his brother; and now she'd pretty much killed him! She must be cursed!
'What can we try now?' asked Adam.
'I don't know,' she said hopelessly.
'There's gotta be something! Some alien power that can snap him out of this.'
'There isn't! or if there is I don't have it.'
'You have to do something!' said Adam incredulously.
'You think I don't know that?' shouted Serena, her temper flaring. 'But what can I do? That blast knocked the power out of me. I can't even open a portal in the state I'm in, let alone try to heal him. I'm not a very good healer Adam, you know that! And even if I could heal him I still don't know whether he's being mind warped! He could try to kill us both again.'
'But-' Adam stopped himself. She was right. Neither of them could do a damn thing. And he'd never even got a chance to talked to his brother properly, not even to explain!
Serena reached out to feel for Alex' pulse for the one hundredth time that hour. She winced as she felt the cold skin beneath her fingers. This was bad, this was so bad!
Adam reached across Serena, his arm grazing hers as he picked up Alex' limp hand. The last thing he heard before darkness covered him was Serena's scream.
***
Adam struggled to pull his eyes open. Man! What was going on with his head? it felt like someone was playing a drum solo on his forehead. He groaned in pain. What had happened? One minute he was sitting with Serena and then BAM! Here he was with an ear splitting headache. It must've been one hell of a party to give a hangover this bad. Maybe someone had spiked his coffee. or maybe they'd been found. By the FBI!! Adam sat bolt upright, shooting his eyes open.
OK so this was weird. Adam tried to open his eyes again. Hmmm, looked like he'd lost all control of his eye lid muscles. He reached up a hand to do it manually.
'OW!' he squeaked as he poked himself in the eye.
Right so his eyes were open which left only one option. It was dark! So that was plausible. Perhaps he'd got drunk and passed out in the broom cupboard. In that case, getting up would be a good idea.
Adam stood up slowly, trying to ignore the never ending drum concert in his head. He reached out his arms and felt around him for the walls. His hands swept through air, air and a little more air.
Hmmmm, this was a pretty big cupboard, he thought as he began to walk, groping as he went. Suddenly out of nowhere there was a shot.
'Hello? Anyone out there?'
[I]'Well, it says right here that shots were fired but no one was injured.'
'Then where's Liz?? I mean, why is she avoiding me?? Okay, first of all, Liz is never late right? She walks into homeroom today, and goes and sits next to Pam Troy. She like, hates Pam Troy and you know like, goes around admitting it openly...and...Alex are you listening to me??'
'Yea, yea, Maria I'm listening to you. But this is just you being you. All right? Liz is fine, nothing happened it's all right here in black and white.'[/I]
'Hello?!?' shouted Adam. 'Alex? That you?'
[I]'Ok, all right. You are going to tell me exactly what has been going on with Max and Topolsky and the actual FBI or I swear, Liz, this is the end of you and me being friends.'
'No Alex, don't say things...'
'What? Something that I won't go through with? Liz, I'm not kidding. All right? Now either you tell me the truth, or I walk.'
'Alex, I can't.'[/I]
Adam stopped moving, his eyes frantically searching the darkness. What the heck was going on?
[I]'It's amazing. You wanna know what? A couple weeks ago, if someone were to ask me who I would trust with my life other than my parents, I would have said you without skipping a beat. And now...now I feel like I don't even know who you are.'[/I]
Adam froze completely as he heard Alex' voice. He trusted his parents that much? He was happy with his parents? What was he doing? All he was doing was destroying Alex' normal, happy life just so he'd have his little brother back! 'Hello? Please if someone's out there, just answer me!'
[I]'I think that underneath that beautiful exterior is an even more beautiful interior. But I have a feeling that not too many people get to see that interior, do they?'[/I]
Adam stapped his foot in frustration; where was he? What the hell was going on?
[I]'Liz, what are you talking about?
'God, there isn't any way for me to say this, but to just...but to just say this, ok? Look, Alex...they think they were in the 1947 crash. Ok, they were like in these incubation pods for a really long time...like 40 years, and they came out in like the form of humans...and now all of these people suspect them. That's why Topolsky's here, and that's why Valenti arrested us, and that's why we're here because he knows that I'm involved. I'm really sorry, Alex, but...you're involved, too.'[/I]
Aliens? So he and Serena had been right. Alex was involved with aliens.
[I]'Alex, I'm sorry. You know it's not you. It's just that with everything that's happening, everything on my mind, I can't think about being with a guy right now. You know, any guy.[/I]
.
[I]' I did a striptease in front of her mother! Are you listening to me?'
'One nipple does not constitute a striptease, Alex.'
'She saw my nipple? Oh, God.' [/I]
Adam let out a small smirk as he continued to walk around. This was almost entertaining, almost.
[I]' You're getting delirious, is that it?'
'Nah, take...take a step away from your life, Kyle. You know, I mean, you're part of this...this amazing thing. This...amazing knowledge that you HAVE that 6 BILLION people on this planet don't. You really want to step out of this cave if it meant that you were gonna be another dumb jock?'[/I]
Adam paused as he listened to this, somewhere deep down he felt this was important somewhere. That at sometime soon he should listen to his brother's wisdom.
[I]'Alex, sweetie, can we talk to you a minute.'
'Sure, Mom. What's up?'
'Listen son, there's no easy way for us to say this. It's gonna be a shock and you'll probably hates us for it after wards but-'
'Just remember that we love you and only want the best for you! And whatever you choose to do after this will be OK with us.'
'OK, Mom, Dad, you're scaring me now!'
'It's just that, well. You're not our natural child son. We adopted you.'
'What?'[/I]
Oh crap. Thought Adam. So it looked like his existence wasn't gonna be such big news to Alex as he'd thought. 'Alex? Come on answer me!'
[I]'Hey! Liz, Ria wait up!'
'Hey Alex. What's wrong?'
'I just wanted to tell you guys something. I'm really messed up about it and I needed some help.'
'Sure. Spill girlfriend!'
'I spoke to my parents yesterday. And uhhh, well I'm ad-'[/i]
Adam held his breath as silence once again filled the darkness.
[I]'Hey Alex! You OK?'
'Alex? Alex! You-hooo!'
'Huh?'
'You were half way through telling us something!'
'Oh right, yeah.' Alex' voice took on a cheery tone. 'I'm going to Sweden!'
'You're what?' gasped Liz' voice.
'Exchange trip! Cool huh!'[/I]
What the hell happened there? He was about to tell them he was adopted! Why didn't he?
[I]'So Alex. What are you gonna do while you're at Las Cruces then?'
'I'm going to translate the book for you, my queen.'
'And what are you not going to do?'
'I'm not going to talk to anyone about the book.'
'Good boy.'[/I]
Adam felt bile rising up in his throat. Who would talk to someone like that? Like they were just a dog? A toy! Something to be controlled!
[I]'I'm gonna miss you girlfriend!' said a teary voice.
'Hey, be happy Lizzie! I'll be back! Besides I'll be missing all the fun of the alien abyss. You know green jellyfish, clones, skin peeling psychopaths. Think of all the fun you'll be having without me![/I]
It was weird. Adam could almost here another voice, just faintly. A whisper. Perhaps just the impression of a voice.
'Please don't let me go.'
[I]'So do my two best girls have a hug for me?'[/I]
'I don't want to go!'
[I]'Bring us back a couple of Swedish guys yeah Alex.'
'Sure Ria.'
'Just make sure these ones are pure, thoroughbred humans yeah. I don't think I could manage another spaceboy!'
'I'll miss you Alex.'[/I]
'Liz1 No! Make me stay! Surely you can tell this isn't me!'
[I]'You too Liz. Come on girls! I'll miss my plane! Just one last little bit of sugar!'
'Bring it on!'[/I]
'No!'
[I]'Bye Alex!'
'Bye!!!'[/I]
'NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!'
Adam was flung back by the sheer force of the voice. He landed with a thud, his head slamming into the ground.
***
'Adam! Come on! Wake up! Wake up damn you!' screamed Serena, shaking his limp body. She felt like screaming in frustration, this wasn't happening. This so wasn't happening! One minute she had one brother unconscious and now both were! Just bam and there he was flat out on the floor! Unconscious! Not a movement, barely breathing, just like his brother. She was right! She was cursed!
'Ow! Serena, quit it!'
'You're alive!!! You're alive!' she screamed, yanking him away from the ground into her arms.
'OW! Careful!'
'You're alive! I didn't kill you! YES!'
'Yeah but if you're not careful you will!'
'What happened?' she whispered sobering slightly.
'I think I went into his head.'
'What? How?'
'I don't know do I! You're the alien! You should!'
'But I-'
'You're my brother.'
Adam swung his head sharply round, coming face to face with the person he'd been searching for for so long. Alex Whitman.