Visions
"How much further till we stop?" Isabel moaned. "This van is beginning to not smell so pleasant."
"Beginning?" Maria rolled her eyes. "It has never smelled pleasant."
"Would you quit your yakking, I'm trying to drive here!" Michael turned around to yell at them.
"Watch the road, Space boy!" Maria shouted.
"Don't you guys ever stop fighting," Isabel shook her head.
"This is getting out of control," Liz was tired of listening to their bickering. "Everyone needs to just…"
"Shut up!" Michael interrupted. "Everyone needs to just shut up and let me drive, we'll be there soon."
"If you'd watch were your going," Maria pointed. "And slow down."
Michael swerved suddenly to make a sharp turn. "You almost made me miss the exit."
"Stop the car!" Max's voice commanded. "I'm driving."
"I can drive Maxwell."
"You all act like children," Isabel pushed her hair out of her face. "It's so irritating."
"This is all irritating." Liz huffed.
Their voices erupt into a sea of comments that became undistinguishable from the next. Their voices resounded through the van, causing the sound to echo as well. Each one, practically yelling to get their point across but hearing no one else. They all kept talking aimlessly except for Kyle who tried to ignore the scene while taking deep breathes. After a few minutes of this, he could no longer stand it.
"Buddha states in the face of adversity…" Kyle began quoting on of his proverbs over the sea of voices.
"Shut up Kyle!" Everyone burst into laughter.
It was much needed. They were all tired and on edge from being cramped inside. Michael followed the winding road and thirty minutes later they arrived in Maywood Park.
"It's on Glen Winding Drive," Max leaned back in the passenger seat, stretching.
"I can't wait to get out of this van." Isabel yawned, and leaned on Kyle's shoulder. He glanced down at her and smiled.
"That's it!" Maria knelled between the seats, pointing. "Make a right."
Michael complied, following the street till he saw the place they'd been looking for. He pulled into the Silver Cloud Inn and parked the van in the first spot he saw. Almost immediately they got out to stretch their legs, happy to be out of the vehicle they'd been confined to.
"Me and Space boy here will go get the rooms." Maria hopped out of the van, leaving Michael to follow.
"Exactly how many rooms are we getting?" Isabel stretched outside. "Cause I'm not sleeping on a couch this time."
"I figured we'd pair up," Max smiled at his new bride.
"I guess that means it'll be me and you," Kyle said nudging Isabel.
"Whateva," She shrugged. "I can't wait to get a shower and a decent night's sleep."
Michael and Maria stood at the counter, waiting for service. They looked around the reception area to find huge canopay windows, tables with decorative candles and potted plants. It was striking. The tables were polished so brightly, you could see your reflection in them. And the floor, tiled in a southwestern pattern, was a beautiful blend of beige, burnt orange, and a deep brick red.
"This is really nice," Maria said, taking the scene in. "Michael, look at this view."
"Welcome to the Silver Cloud Inn," a full figured woman with curly red hair walked up to the counter. "Can I help you with something?" She spoke with a southern accent.
"We were looking for three adjourning rooms." Michael replied.
"Well we have a deluxe suite with three rooms," the woman paused for a moment to pull out a pamphlet. "It's got a living room area, a kitchenette, and there's a bathroom off of each room." The woman spread out the paper in her hand, revealing the floor plan. "It's two single rooms and one double."
Maria's eyes were wide.
"Did you have a reservation?" the lady asked. "We don't usually take walk-ins."
"Yes, it should be under Dr. Love," Michael smiled.
"That's an interesting name." the woman behind the counter did not look amused. "I think ..."
"Were in a band," Maria blurted out. "They give us alias, trying to keep away crazed fans."
"Managers," Michael shrugged.
"Hmm." She begins typing on the computer. "I don't see anything here."
"Are you sure?" Michael places his hand on the back of the computer, it x-rayed for less than a second.
"Oh, here it is," She smiles. "And how would you like to pay for this?"
"Cash," Michael said as he handed the lady a large wade of money.
"Thank you," The lady was pleasantly surprised. "How many keys did you need?"
"We'll take three," Maria put her hand out to take the keys.
"Here's a map so you can get around and just call if you need anything," She gave a warm smile. "I'm Judy."
"Thank you so much Judy." Maria smiled back at the woman before turning to walk out. As they walked out the door, Maria nudged Michael. "Where did you get the money for this?"
"Isabel," Michael smirked. "She can turn twenties into hundreds."
Everyone quickly settled into their rooms. It had been days since they'd been out of the van longer than fifteen minutes. It felt like such a long time ago even though they'd barely been on the road for a month. The group settled for about a week in Wyoming when Liz picked up a newspaper…
Max stepped out of the bathroom, smiling to see his new bride. There was a towel wrapped around his waist, and one draped over his shoulders that he was using to dry his hair. She was sitting in a chair by the window, the sun filtering through the blinds to highlight her chestnut hair. Liz turned back to look at him, as he walked towards her to place a tender kiss on her forehead.
"Good morning Mrs. Evans," Max stroked her hair.
"Hey," Liz smiled sleepily. "Is everyone else up?"
"I don't think so," he began to walk towards the bathroom again. Max turned the water on and grabbed his toothbrush. "I've been thinking…"
"Oh," Liz reached for the newspaper on the table. "About what?"
"I was thinking we could go out today," Max began brushing again.
Suddenly he heard Liz gasp for air. Max ran out of the bathroom to her side as Liz stared blankly, one hand on her chest, the other gripping the newspaper.
"Liz!" Max placed his hands on the sides of her face. "What's happening?" Max's heart was racing as her felt her body shaking.
"What the hell is going on?" Michael burst through the door. "Maxwell!"
"I don't know." Max yelled, unsure of what to do. "Liz, talk to me."
"Max," Liz said breathlessly, her eyes blinking rapidly.
Max pulled Liz out of her seat, and she collapsed into him. Michael stood still, wondering what exactly had transpired. Max and Liz just held each other tightly while Michael looked on. There was a long beat before anyone spoke.
"Hey!" Michael's voice cut through the silence. "What the hell just happened?"
"I had a vision." Liz picked up the newspaper, opening it, and pointing to a small article. "We have to go here."
"To the Silver Cloud Inn?" Max raised his eyebrow, curious at the suggestion.
"Yes," Liz pointed again. "To Maywood Park in Oregon."
"Who's in Oregon?" Michael questioned.
"People who need our help," her eyes stared into them. "People who are going to die if we don't stop it."
As Max stepped into the bedroom he and Liz would be sharing and saw the look in her eyes, he knew she'd had yet another vision.
Tess walks around this strange room she's woken up in. It looks like a young girl's bedroom: there's a dollhouse, baby dolls, and pink knick-knacks everywhere. Tess walks over to a white dresser, it looks old. The paint is chipping but there are pretty pink flowers painted around the outside of the mirror.
She opens the door, creeping down the still hallway. The house smells like fresh cut wood and nutmeg, and the silence is almost deafening. Suddenly she feels a hand grab her shoulder from behind. Tess screams and passes out, still worn from all she'd been through.
"Earl," an older woman with silver hair called down the hall. "We've got a problem."
"What happened to her Aunt Estel?" Earl came from the other end of the hallway.
"I'm afraid I startled her," Estel huffed, almost escaping a laugh. "Get her to the bedroom."
Earl picked up the petite girl who was lying on the floor and carried her back to the bedroom she'd woken up in. He placed her on the bed; leaving her alone in the darkness.
Kyle walked in the room to find Isabel staring out of the window. She was so beautiful, he thought to himself. As he got closer, he noticed her demeanor. She was unlike herself; solemn, quiet, pensive.
"So I brought you some pizza," Kyle said carrying a plate to her.
"Thank you Kyle," Isabel forced a smile.
"Hey." Kyle looked concerned. "What's going on with you, is it Jesse?"
"I guess it's everything." She turned towards him. "Leaving Roswell, my Mom and Dad, leaving Jesse behind…"
"And being out of that cramped van gives you more time to think about it." Kyle sat down beside her.
"It's just," Isabel took a deep breath before continuing. "I'm always going to be alone. We can never let anyone else in, it's too dangerous. Max has got Liz, Michael's got Maria and I- I've got no one."
"You have me." Kyle reached over to hold her hand. "We have each other."
They both turned as they heard the door opening.
"Max has called a meeting," Maria poked her head through the door. "They're in the living room."
The three of them quickly joined Max, Liz and Michael in the living room, where they'd already begun talking.
"So in your vision, you saw a library?" Michael crossed his arms over his chest. "What, do they die from boring books?"
"I'm being serious Michael," Liz stood up. "This vision is different from the last, it's hazy, but I know something's there."
"What exactly did you see Liz?" Isabel leaned against the couch.
"There was a flash of the library, a sign," Liz paused, trying to sort out the jumbled pictures in her mind. "There were people chasing other people and then an explosion."
"Somebody's gonna blow up the library?" Maria squinted. "C'mon, why would someone blow up a library?"
"Look," Liz took a deep breath. "I just know there's something important there."
"Me and Michael will check it out," Max finally spoke. "Liz, try and remember anything else you can, and the rest of you, be ready."
"For what?" Isabel questioned.
Max looked at them all intensely. "For what ever we're up against." He turned back to look at Michael. "Be ready in fifteen." He headed out of the room, followed by Liz. She watched him grab a jacket from the empty closet, and put on his shoes.
"I should go with you and Michael." Liz walked towards him.
"No." Max's tone was firm, but gentle. "If we find anything, I'll let you know."
"You may not know what to find," Liz had a determined look on her face. "We decided to do this together."
"Liz, if anything ever happened to you," Max didn't have to finish.
"You won't let it." Liz touched his face and looked into his eyes.
Max pulled her into his arms, kissing her deep and passionately. She let herself fall into him, escaping into pure bliss before the outside world brought its trials and responsibilities to them. In this moment, it was only the two of them. They were together, and for now, that's all that mattered.
Max, Liz, and Michael roamed around the library, searching for anything that would point them in the right direction. Liz sat at a booth where there were archives of newspapers, searching for clues to help her with the vision.
"I don't like this Maxwell," Michael whispered to Max. "Have either of you considered this could be a trap, that she's getting the visions from something else?"
"They are real." Liz was still staring at the page. "Haven't I been right before?"
"You even said this was different," Michael paused. "I'm just saying…"
"We will consider all the possibilities but right now," Max lowered his tone. "Right now, we have to go on what we know to be true."
"This is it," Liz said. "This is the building that was burning."
"Do you remember anything else?" Max leaned in to take a closer look.
"Another newspaper with a future date," Liz replied. "We have maybe a week to stop this."
"Why the convention center?" Max questioned.
"The convention center," Michael repeated dully. He had a strange look on his face.
"What is it?" Max turned to look at Michael.
"I know this," Michael looked rapt in thought. "This building is behind the library. Maria and I went out for a little while." He answered before they could ask how he knew.
"You said someone was chasing someone else," Max paused.
"That's what it looked like," Liz replied.
"What if they were running together?" Michael uncrossed his arms. "What if they knew it was going to blow?"
"Because they caused it," Liz said thoughtfully. "We've got to find out the events being held there."
A voice came over the intercom. "The library will be closing in five minutes…"
"We'll check the convention center in the morning," Max spoke over the intercom. "Let's go."
Tess awoke in the strange room she'd seen before, only this time she heard voices. She slid off the bed and stretched, feeling more rested than the last time she'd arisen in this foreign place. Tess inched out of the bedroom, this time looking on all sides of her. She followed the voices to a living room. If they wanted a fight, she'd give it to them. Tess entered the room, hand up, and prepared for any contention that may arise.
"Well, hello." Estel rose up from the couch.
"Who are you?" Tess stood unmoved. "Where is my son?"
"There's no need to be frightened child," Estel gave a warm smile. "We found you unconscious, near our field. We didn't find anyone else."
"Me and Aunt Estel brought you in the house," the man turned around to look at Tess. "I'm Earl."
"Tess," she lowered her arm but remained skeptical.
"Hi Tess," Estel's face was gentle. "Where are you from?"
"What do you mean?" her voice heightened. "Where are you from?"
"We're from right here in Lubbock." Earl answered.
"Lubbock?" Tess questioned.
"You're in Lubbock, Texas." Estel replied. "How did you get here?"
"I don't know," Tess responded. She was disoriented and the actions that lead her here were still a bit blurry.
"Come and sit down," Estel pulled out a chair from the dining table. "Let me get you something to eat, I made stew." She went to the cabinet and pulled out a bowl to serve the stew. "You sleep a long time." The older woman sat the bowl in front of her guest.
"Thank you," Tess brought her chair closer to the table. "Can I have some Tabasco?"
After eating, Tess spoke with Estel and Earl, and decided she would trust them, at least to stay there for a while. Tess found out from them that she'd been there almost a month. She would go in and out of consciousness but never left the bed. Estel had taken care of her. After Estel went to bed, Tess retired back to the room she'd slept in and began to recall the events that lead her to this place.
Tess remembered arriving in Antar; to a ruined, desolate planet full of corrupted soldiers and rioting people. It was horrible, nothing like she'd imagined it, nothing like it was before.
At first, Kivar did accept Zan as the heir; he planned to mold "The great king's son" in his image. He kept Tess alive as his personal prisoner and little Zan would never know she was his mother. Kivar thought that having Max's son would make his followers accept the new government. It had done the exact opposite. More and more people rebelled, so Kivar decided to have a public execution of the baby heir. A woman, who knew her when she was Ava, helped her escape. Tess fled; bringing her son to the only person she'd ever been able to count on, Max.
She began to think about what it was like to come back, They all hated her, half of them were ready to turn her over to the government. Only one person's decision had surprised her. Tess began to think about her last conversation with Liz, and how she'd told her that Max loved her. She'd never really hated Liz, they both just happened to be in love with the same man. She often felt as if it weren't really her who betrayed Max, like something else was controlling her. Her mind wandered back to Liz dropping her off.
Tess entered the base fiercely, destroying anyone and anything she felt to be a threat to her baby. Tess created a force field around the military base and blew it up with her mind. She'd been injured from the crash, grazed by bullets, and drained by the power it took to detonate the building. She knew she had to get as far away as possible from Roswell as she could, at least for a little while. Tess hitched-hiked to the Texas border, and walked as far as she could, trying to stay out of sight, until she finally collapsed from exhaustion.
Tess stood up and walked over to the window, looking up at the stars. She wondered how her son was. She walked over to the wooden stool, which had a phone sitting on top of it. Tess picked up the receiver and began to dial Max's number. She had a panging feeling that Zan was in danger.
A recorded message began to play through the phone. "Were sorry, but you've reached a number that's been disconnected…"
Tess quickly hung up and dialed a different number. This time someone answered.
"Hello," a man's voice said. "Hello! Is anyone there?"
"Valenti?" Tess questioned.
"Yes," he answered curiously. "Who is this?"
"It's Tess," she spoke quickly. "Why is Max's phone disconnected?"
"I thought you died." Valenti whispered. "Max… everyone is gone."
"What?" Tess gripped the receiver tightly. "What do you mean, gone?"
"Not dead," Valenti sensed her concern. "They had to leave, people were coming for them."
"And Zan?" Tess inquired.
"Max wanted him to be safe…" Valenti trailed off. "He wanted him to live a normal life."
"He gave him up," a tear rolled down her cheek. "To who? Where?"
"I don't know," his tone was somber. He felt sorry for her but he couldn't risk being involved again. "I've done all that I can. I…I can't help you anymore."
"I understand. Thank you," she meant for everything.
"Goodbye."
Tess hung up the phone and slid to the floor sobbing in her hands. She had lost everyone: Nacedo, Kyle, Valenti, Max, and now Zan. She'd never felt so desolate. She had fought too hard to protect him and he needed her now. Tess pulled herself together, wiping the tears from her face she stood up, determined not to let this beat her.
"I will find my son," she said to herself. "I have to contact Max. He's the only one who can help me find Zan."
Being on Antar taught Tess more about her powers, and what she was capable of; what they all were capable of and the deep connections they shared. She stood completely still, hands slightly elevated at her sides, and closing her lids lightly, she began to concentrate on linking to Max….
Max stirred in his sleep. He was dreaming of Roswell, before things were complicated. Suddenly, everyone disappeared and he was in the dessert, where the pod chamber had been located. It felt as if he'd woken up in his own dream. Max looked around, seeing a figuring heading towards him. At first the image was hazy but it became clearer and clearer as it came closer.
"Tess," Max was confused to see her.
"Max," she stood directly in front of him. "Where is Zan?"
"This isn't real." He shook his head. "How are you here?"
"I've come for my son," Tess almost appeared to be floating. "Max, it's me." She sensed the concern on his face but was unable to read if her statement was reassuring to him or not.
"How is this possible?" Max was mystified. How could she be standing in front of him? Was this only a dream?
"We're connected." She held her hand up to cup his face but he backed away.
"Zan is safe," his words were quick. "He deserved to live a normal life, away from all of this, away from us."
"Did she make you do this?" Tess was becoming angry. "After what I told her!"
"Told who? Liz!" Max's voice was raised. "I did it to keep him safe."
"Fine Max," Tess huffed. She did not have time to argue with him. "Who is he with?"
"I don't know." His answer was somber.
"What do you mean?" Tess started to get upset again.
"I don't know!" Max yelled, and then became calmer. He hated not knowing where he son was but he knew it was for Zan's safety. "I had to make sure I stayed away. I'm a marked man."
"We have to find him," Tess pleaded. "He's in danger Max."
"How do you know that?" His eyes grew wide.
"I just do, I know it in my bones." Tess stared into him. "I can't hold on much longer." She could feel her powers becoming weak. "Find him, Max."
"Wait!" Max watched her body become transparent.
"I will find you again."
"Tess," Max reached out to grab her but she dissipated into the wind.
Suddenly Max's eyes popped open. He was awake now but he couldn't shake this unsettling feeling that his dream had been real. He climbed out of bed, careful not to disturb Liz, and crept out of the room. A shadowy figure on the balcony caught his eye, but when he got closer, he realized it was only Michael.
"Can't sleep?" Max came through the sliding glass door.
"You either?" Michael stood with his arms crossed. "Maxwell, what is it?"
"I think she's alive." Max leaned against the rail.
"Who?" Michael was confused.
"Tess."