Big thank yous to my two reviewers! It makes it all worth while!
Chapter 10
A month later
Jesse yawned as he headed out the door of the apartment. This last month, he had barely slept. How could he? And it wasn't because he and Isabel were drifting along, not getting very far. No, it was because for the last month he had been receiving threats.
Ever since that first letter he had received them every single evening. They always carried a similar sentiment. "Stay away from Isabel".
Of course, the morning after receiving the first one, as soon as he heard Alex leave he had gone next door to prove it was him…
But he had found that his handwriting was entirely different. Jesse suspected for a while that maybe he was just writing differently on these notes…but now he wasn't so sure.
He was so close to confronting Alex once. He remembered that day well…
Jesse took a deep breath as he made to open his door when he heard Alex start to talk to Max.
"You've been spending a lot of time out." Max said, concern in his voice.
"Oh I've been hanging out with Tess" Alex replied.
Jesse looked through the keyhole to see Max looking…rather shocked.
"How does Isabel feel about this?" Max asked carefully.
"What do you mean? Isabel has Jesse. I'm glad she's happy" he told him.
Jesse had seen Alex's expression, he was really glad she was happy. He would much rather be with her…but his expression showed he really did want her to be happy. He cared that much to let her go.
Jesse doubted that Alex could have faked that emotion. So in his mind…he doubted it was Alex.
But who was sending these letters? And why?
Jesse hadn't been worried until recently. But now he was. Now the attacks were worse. Important documents about essays had mysteriously vanished…his favourite shirt had gone walkabouts…and last night he had lost his phone.
Jesse had to get to the bottom of this. He hadn't wanted to tell anyone else about this…besides, he only had two people to tell…Isabel and Tess.
He didn't really want to tell Isabel or she would panic, and may run away from him…and he hadn't want to tell Tess encase she told Isabel.
But Jesse was running out of choices.
He rang Tess's mobile number and asked her to meet up with him later. He hung up the phone as he walked into class. He saw Isabel and smiled. At least she would take his mind off things.
Isabel didn't notice Jesse until he had sat next to her and taken her hand. She had been too busy thinking. She couldn't help but think that…something wasn't right. Jesse and Isabel had been dating for a month now…and yet…she never quite felt comfortable. Whenever she tried to broach the subject with him…he just kissed her and told her that he would go as slow as she wanted….although to Isabel it was clear that was definitely not what he wanted to do.
Whenever he kissed her…it was…ok. That's it. Just…fine. Actually… sometimes it wasn't even that.
She gave Jesse a little smile as he started talking on about law again and she started to nod in all the right places…as much as she loved Law…she didn't want to spend her life doing nothing else but talk about it.
She sighed mentally as the professor came in and she paid attention to the class at hand.
As the doorbell rang Liz hurried to the door. She opened the door and immediately was greeted to the thing that brightened up her mornings…days…and well…everything.
Max smiled as he leant down to kiss her. Liz happily accepted the kiss and Max smiled.
"Morning beautiful"
Liz grinned. "Morning handsome" she replied as she went out into the hallway.
"Bye Maria!" Liz yelled.
She shut the door behind and Max raised an eyebrow.
"Doesn't she have class?" he asked.
"Yeah. She told me she wasn't feeling well. Wouldn't let me come in, so it probably means she's reaaaally not well, and won't let me in, in fear I send her to the doctors."
"Well you can be very fearful" Max said.
Liz gave his coat sleeve a playful tug as he started to wheel her out of the building to the car.
"So…let's guess what we will be learning about today" Liz said.
"Erm…could it be…Chemistry?" Max asked.
"Actually, I thought he might do some sort of rap and follow it by showing us how to knit"
Max laughed as he carefully put Liz into the car.
"Well…I have a better topic" he said playfully as he hopped in the drivers' seat.
"Oh yeah what's that?" Liz asked, gazing into his eyes.
Max quickly moved over to her and kissed her. Liz quickly wrapped her arms around his neck and began to play with the back of his hair.
"You are perfect Miss Parker" Max said huskily between kisses.
"What does that make you then? A perfect form of species, that's better than mankind"
Max stopped for a half second and quickly covered his tracks by giving her one last final kiss.
"We had better head to class" he said as he started the engine. He pulled out of his space and headed down the road.
"But I think we that conversation at a later date" Max said, trying hard to keep a grin off his face.
Liz smiled. "I agree…the earlier the better…because that conversation…seems rather important."
"I agree…so maybe I could pick you up at seven tonight, and we could go somewhere quiet to discuss that important matter."
"It seems a wise suggestion…but can it wait that long?" Liz asked. She then added quietly. "Or can you?"
Max had to bite his lip to remind himself to keep his eyes on the road and not look at her.
Liz grinned before turning to look out the window. She had never been happier. Tess had barely been at the apartment and she hadn't heard a word from her about dating Max, which she was very VERY happy about.
Max was having similar thoughts. He was surprised that Tess had let him go so easily. He was slightly worried about how much time she was spending with Alex…she had made it quite clear in Roswell that she saw humans as inferior creatures that should stay clear of her…and yet she was spending every day with him.
More importantly, he was worried about Alex. Why would Tess pick Alex? He had thought it was strange that Tess and Jesse were getting along…but Tess and Alex? It seemed very peculiar.
But at least she wasn't bothering him. And as long as Alex was safe…well maybe Tess had seen the light. He liked to believe the best in people…
But it was Tess…
Oh well…Alex could take care of himself. It's not like Tess was doing anything alien around him.
Tess watched as Alex typed away furiously at the keyboard. She hummed to herself as she watched his progress. Her humming would irritate him. He was completely focused and unaware.
Tess yawned. She had made many sacrifices this last month. She had barely slept…and she had let that whore get to her man. She had seen them…kissing and cuddling. It made her want to go up to her and tear every lock of hair from that head of hers, and use it to strangle her.
She often dreamt of the ways of killing her. She could have so much fun with it.
But there was no need to spoil her plans. Liz would have her comeuppance. Tess always had the last laugh.
She had planned things to perfection. The girl would never get out of the trap she was setting. Tess could sit back…watch her burn.
So that meant for the minute, letting her have her moment of happiness.
But she knew it would not last.
Tess was a VERY busy girl. Not only had she been sorting out that little plan…she was also working on another. One for the other girl. The other girl who had suddenly become part of destiny. The one that made destiny changed.
The one that would not live if Tess found her before the others.
And Tess was one huge step ahead of the others.
She watched as the symbols appeared on screen. She would discover there meaning. She would unravel the mystery of the book. She would work out who his other destiny is…and destroy her.
Maria's eyes were fixed on the ceiling. She had tried reading…but that hadn't worked. She had tried watching the TV. in the main room…but that hadn't worked.
And if she tried to move…well…that didn't end well either.
"Oh God" she muttered as she felt the nausea hit her again. Maria jumped up and dashed to the bathroom, her hand clasped firmly over her mouth.
She just made it.
Maria bent over the toilet bowl as she emptied her stomach once more. She was surprised she had anything left…she had been sick so many times this morning.
She couldn't understand it. She hadn't been drinking last night…actually she hadn't really gone drinking more than twice in the last month. Besides which, Maria never threw up the morning after…the night before was a different matter.
Maria couldn't remember being this sick before. She hadn't felt her usual self for the last few days. She didn't want to make a fuss or Liz would start going on about seeing the doctor. And Maria didn't want to do that. She had seen enough doctors with Liz to last her a lifetime.
She remembered the last time she saw a doctor. The last time a doctor saw Maria with Liz….when they told her that Liz would never walk again.
Maria slowly stood up as she cleaned herself up. Tears sparked in her eyes as she thought about the accident….how it had all been her fault…if she and Alex had been walking with Liz she wouldn't have jumped in to save her.
Or better yet…she should have pushed Alex out of the way, and she should be the one in the wheelchair.
She shook her head as she remembered the day that the doctors told them.
"Good morning Liz" the doctor had said as he entered her room. Her mother, Diane, and her father, Jeff, jumped awake when they heard him. Alex and Maria stood up.
"How are you feeling today?" he asked politely.
"I'm ok." Liz replied quietly.
The doctor gave her a small, pained smile.
"Mr and Mrs Parker, perhaps we can talk outside?" he asked.
"As it's to do with me, I'm sure that whatever you have to say can be said in front of me" Liz said.
Maria admired her courage.
"We'll just…" Maria said pointing at the door.
"No" Liz said quickly. "Please. I'd much rather you were here. You'll find out the news soon enough anyway."
The doctor looked at Jeff and Diane who nodded.
Maria and Alex sat back down as the doctor went by Liz's side.
"Liz…I'm going to be totally honest with you…when you were in your coma…we didn't think you would wake up. It's a miracle that you weren't killed."
The room went silent as they watched the doctor. Maria felt tears sting her eyes and she blinked them away, somehow knowing the worse was to come.
"Liz…you had brain damage that certainly looked unlikely you would ever get well from. But somehow…you have. I can't understand it. It really is…a miracle."
Liz gave her mother a smile to show she was ok and Maria saw as Diane tears rolled down her cheeks.
"Liz, I'm really sorry to tell you this…but…the crash pinned your lower spine against that wall. I'm sorry…but you'll never regain movement in your lower body."
She heard Alex gave a small intake of breath. Diane was sobbing. Jeff looked furious. Maria dissolved in to tears.
And yet when she looked in the bed, Liz looked back with an expressionless face.
"Ok. What do I do?"
Liz was definitely the bravest person she knew. And as nice as the doctor was…she was not going to see one.
Michael rolled his eyes as the lecture on sports psychology. "What a load of blah, blah and more blah" Michael thought to himself.
The classes had been going steeply down hill…and he hadn't thought it could get much worse that what it was before.
The essays he was turning in were…not good.
Passable…but still….not good.
And Michael knew exactly why he couldn't concentrate.
It wasn't because he was thinking about Max's destiny. It wasn't anything directly linked to alien business. It wasn't even to do with the fact that Michael and Max weren't getting on well lately…but to be fair they never really did.
No…Michael was thinking about Maria.
Michael had barely seen Maria in the last month. When they all went out together, they had travelled in separate cars…Maria in the Jetta and Michael with Jesse.
She wouldn't even talk to him. Not that he could blame her. He had been rather brutal.
He hated to say it but… he missed her.
Michael told himself he was losing it. That he just needed a girl to hook up with and that will make him feel better…
Michael smiled to himself as he decided. That's what he was going to do. He was going to back to the bar tonight and find the talent.
He didn't need Maria. He didn't. He just wanted to have a good time. He didn't need Maria for that.
Tess knocked on the apartment door and was immediately let in by Jesse.
"Jesse what's going on? Your phone call sounded urgent." Tess said.
Jesse nodded as he ushered her inside. The guys had all gone out. Jesse wasn't exactly sure where…it's not as if Max talked to him that much, and Alex sure as hell didn't.
Jesse sat down on the couch and Tess immediately followed suit.
"Tess…whatever I say now does not go further than you and I ok? Promise me."
"Sure" Tess nodded. "What's going on?"
Jesse swallowed. He took out of his pockets the collection of notes.
"Read them" he told her.
Tess looked at him before picking up the notes one by one and reading them. Jesse watched as her eyes opened wider and wider.
When she had finished she looked at him.
"Why?" she asked quietly.
"I have no idea" he said honestly. "Other than because this wants me to "Stay away from Isabel"
Tess nodded slowly.
Jesse continued. "The person has also taken my favourite shirt, some essay documents, and I'm pretty sure that last night they took my phone."
"Your phone?" Tess repeated incredulously.
Jesse nodded.
"You have to tell Max" she said simply.
Jesse's head snapped up, to look at her. "What? Why on Earth should I do that?" he asked. "Tell her brother that I'm receiving threatening letters because I won't stay away from her. Yeah that's going to go down real well" he said sarcastically.
"Jesse trust me. Max is good at this sort of thing. He would know what to do" she said.
"No Tess. I don't want anyone to know. I only told you because I felt I had to tell somebody." He said.
Tess was getting angry. This was not how things were supposed to work.
"Jesse, you owe me. I helped you with Isabel. Trust me on this. You need to tell Max."
"Tess no!" Jesse said. "Why would that help you? Why should I do that because I owe you?" he asked disbelievingly.
"Oops." Tess thought.
"Jesse…please" she repeated.
"I told you no Tess. I never should have told you."
He stood up. "I think you should go."
Tess looked at him, fire practically shooting from her eyes.
"You're making a mistake Jesse. You should tell Max." she said.
Jesse just crossed his arms. Tess got up from the couch and stormed out of the room, banging the door behind her.
Liz sat in Max's car, listening to Dido's "Here with Me" on the radio. God she loved this song.
Max smiled at Liz as he pulled into a quiet spot he had found whilst driving around. He liked to drive around when there was too much in his head…in other words when he thought about his non-human status and his supposed destinies.
Max put the handbrake up, but left the engine on. It was a cold November, and he didn't want Liz to be cold.
Liz looked up at the stars. "There so bright" she commented. "And to think that they say we're the only planet that has living creatures on it."
Max looked at her. "You…believe in…"
"Aliens?" Liz asked. "I would like to think that there are" she said. "I don't like to think that we're alone in the universe."
Max put an arm around her shoulder. "You'll never be alone Liz" he told her.
She gave him a smile.
"So…" she said, her eyes drifting between Max's amber eyes and his amazing lips.
"So…I believe we had a very important discussion to have" he said giving her a sneaky grin.
"I believe your correct Mr Evans. Would you like to continue from where we were before?"
Max didn't need telling twice. He quickly cupped her face and brought his lips to hers.
At first the kiss was soft…sweet.
But soon Max realised that he was kissing Liz Parker. Liz Parker was in his car.
Liz could practically feel the electricity between them. She wrapped her arms around his waist, drawing him closer to her.
Max wondered if this Goddess knew how much she affected him. Affected in him in a way that no other could. A way that made his belly rumble when he saw her. The way that made him feel on fire just thinking about her. The way he couldn't keep his hands off her.
Max ran his tongue gently along her bottom lip. Liz quickly opened her mouth, granting him entrance.
Max's tongue snaked into her mouth and Liz moaned quietly as there tongues touched each others. Max ran his fingers through her soft, silky hair.
Liz could kiss him forever. She wanted nothing more than to have him with her always.
So when Max finally pulled away, Liz was very disappointed.
"Liz…do you know what today is?" Max asked.
Liz looked at him in amazement. He had worked it out too?
"I'm presuming you don't mean the actual date so I'm going to say it's a month since our first date" Liz said smiling as she remembered that night.
"Yeah" Max said quietly.
He took a box out of his pocket and gave it to her.
"For you" he told her.
Liz looked at him, before looking at the box in her hands. It was larger than a ring box…but still looked elegant.
She opened it carefully and let out a little gasp as she saw the beauty the box contained.
"May I?" Max asked as he took the necklace out of the box.
Liz immediately held up her loose hair as Max put the necklace on her. Liz touched the small tear shaped diamond fondly.
"Oh Max it's beautiful" she said. "You shouldn't have."
Max grinned. "It's not as beautiful as you." He said. "And I didn't have to, but I wanted to…because I wanted to ask you something" he said.
Liz looked into his eyes, her heart fluttering.
"Liz…would you be my official girlfriend?" Max asked.
Liz looked at him and said. "I already feel like it" she admitted.
"Yeah, you do to me too…I just…wanted to make it official."
Liz smiled. "Yes Max. I would love to"
Max leaned in and stroked her cheek, before kissing her. Liz felt like she was on cloud nine. She could practically feel the electricity running between them. From her to him and back again.
Suddenly the street lamp near them made a large noise. The plastic covering shattered and the light went out.
Max and Liz broke apart in surprise.
Max looked at the lamppost in alarm…had he done that? Had he made it suddenly do that because of the way he was feeling or something?
"Wow…these lampposts are what they use to be" Max joked.
"Yeah" Liz said quietly.
Max carefully cupped her face and brought her gaze back to him.
"Now, where were we?" he said grinning as he kissed her again.
Liz kissed him back, but her mind stayed on the lamppost. She had never heard of a lamppost doing that…
Why would it just break like that?
Michael walked in to the bar and scanned the room. He came to the conclusion that…there were many hot chicks here.
Michael went over to the bar to have a beer when he spotted Courtney serving. She had flirted with him before…maybe having some fun with her would make him feel better. He walked over to that end of the bar and stood in front of her.
"Hey" he said giving her a smile.
Courtney looked at him and grinned there.
"Hey there. A beer right?" she said already pouring it. "How are you Mikey G?" she asked.
Michael was surprised. She had remembered his name?
"I'm good yeah" he replied. "What about you?"
"Still a little bummed you have a girlfriend" she said with a little smile. She placed the beer in front of him. "That's one fifty please" she said.
Michael gave her the money and said "She's not my girlfriend."
Courtney gave a little smile and leaned over to bar to say quietly "I get off in five minutes…how about we go have some fun?" she said huskily.
Michael gave a little smile and nodded.
Courtney hurried down the other end of the bar to serve her last few customers.
Michael meanwhile was thinking about Maria. Maria wasn't that forward, unlike Courtney. Maria didn't think she was perfect, unlike Courtney. Maria didn't act slutty, unlike Courtney.
Michael could see Courtney serve her last customer. He could see a smile playing on her lips.
Maria's smile was better. Maria didn't need to flaunt herself to be sexy. Maria was…great.
Courtney walked around the end of the bar and looked around.
Mikey G had gone.
Alex played the last chord of the song as Maria walked in.
"Maria Deluca ladies and gentlemen" Alex said ironically.
Maria rolled her eyes. "Sorry. Not feeling well" she said.
"Me neither, but I still came" Alex said immediately.
"Hey ladies, when you've stopped bickering maybe we can get back to playing!" the drummer complained. The lead guitarist nodded slowly.
Alex had formed "The Whites" about three weeks ago. He needed something to take his mind of Isabel…and Maria needed to stop thinking about Michael.
So Alex had come up with an idea of making a band. Maria would sing and he would play bass guitar.
But somehow, the plan hadn't worked out. Now Alex just wrote songs about…Isabel. There was always a blonde woman in them or a love that could never be. And on the odd occasion Maria wrote something…it was evidently about Michael.
Maria walked over to the mike. "I can't believe you're late when we've got our first gig soon." Alex complained.
"I said I'm sorry Alex" Maria said, slight anger in her voice. "Come on lets go. Not supposed to love anymore?" she asked.
Alex nodded as he started the bass riff to the song.
Jesse kissed Isabel gently at the doorway to her apartment. She smiled.
"Are you ok?" he asked. She had been somewhere else all night.
"Huh? Oh…yeah I'm fine. Just tired" she assured him.
"Ok." He said as he put his hands in his pockets.
"Well…Goodnight Isabel" he said kissing her again.
Isabel let him kiss her and when he pulled away she gave him a polite smile.
"Goodnight Jesse"
Jesse gave her a nod, before walking away to his car.
Isabel let herself in quietly. She saw Tess sitting on the couch. Isabel immediately walked into her room before she could strike up a conversation with her.
Isabel sighed as she lay on her bed. She had lied to Jesse. She wasn't tired. Or at least not tired as in sleep deprived. She was tired of…this. Feeling like this. Feeling like something was…missing.
Isabel knew she had to find out what it was. She had to.
Jesse sighed as he let himself into the apartment. Even seeing Isabel hadn't kept his mind off his problem. He kept thinking about Tess. Why was Tess acting so…weird?
He had really thought that she was a good friend. That she would understand…and yet all she wanted to do was tell Max Evans. As if Max was her king or something.
Jesse went over to the kitchen to get a beer. He opened the fridge and found a cold one at the back. He quickly opened it and headed for his room.
And why was Isabel acting so…cold?...distant? It was like she was pulling away from him.
And Jesse was not going to let her do that.
Jesse swung his bedroom door open and stopped.
"My God…" he muttered.
He looked at his bed. It had been slashed repeatedly. His pillows were slashed too, feathers all over the room.
Jesse walked slowly into the room and picked up the note.
"Keep away from Isabel. Or else. I mean it."