Author Note: OK guys, in the two week period, I got a lot of reviews and pleas to continue. Sorry I didn't write more after that, had finals, brief summer vacation, came back to school for summer classes, life in general and all that. I told myself to get my ass in gear and write when I got a review, this review stuck out because most of the time, and I'll admit, I do this too, reviews consist of "great, update soon," but this one person was so into this story they sent me a long review begging me to continue. This person said they're not the type to review, so for them to come out of reviewer-troglodyte-ness to leave me a comment meant I just had to continue for you guys, my loyal readers. Anyway, thanks guys for giving me hope in my writing. (I plan on making a living out of my writing ability some day, so for you all to really like it means a lot.) Thanks. :-D

If the beginning of Sierra's memory looks familiar, it's because I mention it in her dream a few chapters ago.

Also, sorry that this chapter is so short, kind of got stuck and I figured I should give you guys something since you've been waiting for so long.

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The next morning everyone piled up into Valenti's car and drove back to Roswell. Isabel opted to sit in the passenger seat, leaving Sierra, Max, Michael, Kyle, Ava, Liz and Maria to sit in the back. Sierra sat in one of the rows with Michael and Maria while Liz, Max, Kyle and Ava sat in the other. Maria had fallen asleep on Michael's shoulder an hour into the ride while Max and Liz where sleeping together, Liz's shoulder against Max's chest and Max's head resting on her head. Next to them, Sierra noticed, was Kyle, sleeping soundly with his head against the window. Sierra couldn't help smirk at seeing Ava, asleep next to Kyle. When Ava had fallen asleep a little after Maria, the motion of the car made Ava lay against Kyle. Sierra saw Kyle stare at her for a little while before shifting his arm and putting it around her shoulders, letting her lay comfortably against him, her head resting by his chest. Sierra slightly jabbed Michael in the ribs, careful not to jar him so as not to wake Maria in the process. Michael looked at her. Sierra smirked and tilted her head towards Kyle and Ava, giving him a look that said "told ya!" Michael looked over and then back at her. He rolled his eyes and faced forward. Sierra gave a triumphant smile before leaning her head against the window and letting the humming from the motor of the car lull her deep into her thoughts.

"I'm sorry." Alex said. He and Sierra were sitting in the woods by the lake their parents used to take them to when they were younger. They were sitting on a blanket. Sierra was staring at the lake, she felt numb. She hadn't spoken in a few days. Alex had taken her to the lake, hoping she'd open up. "I know that's not going to make things better, but I really am sorry." He said. He held her hand. "I just want you to know that I'm going to take care of you." He said. "Me, my mom and dad, Uncle Max and Aunt Liz, all of us, I mean." He said. "You're not alone."

"Al..." She said softly, her voice hoarse from not speaking. She turned to him. "You're not going to leave me, right?" She asked. Her eyes held sadness and desperation in them. Alex quickly pulled her to him and hugged her closely.

"No, I'm not going anywhere." He said. Something inside Sierra broke and she began to cry on his shoulder. Alex tightened his hold on her and whispered soft soothing words into her ear. "OK, it's OK. Let it out, let it all out. I'm here, I'm here. I'll always be here." He said. Sierra let his words sink in as she continued to cry. After a while, she pulled away.

"I'm so stupid." She said as she tried to force her self to stop crying. "This is all my fault……"

"No, no it's not." Alex said softly.

"Yes it is." Sierra said. "It's my fault." She wiped at her cheeks. "I should've listened to you in the very beginning……I should've stopped it……" She got up to her feet and began pacing frantically. "Then none of this would've happened…….Annie would be alive…….Ava……Kyle……" She stopped and faced a tree. Alex jumped a bit when she started beating at it with her fists. He jumped up to his feet and went to her as her assault on the tree became more crazed. "Damnit!" She screamed. "It's all my fault! It's all my fault!" Alex grabbed her by her shoulders and spun her towards him. He quickly crushed her to him, holding her tightly as she tried to fight out of his embrace.

"It's not your fault!" Alex told her. "You had no way of knowing things would turn out this way. Besides, who's to say none of this would've happened if you had stayed away from him?" Alex asked. He pulled back, holding her at arms length. "It wasn't your fault." He told her softly, trying his damnest to convince her. He cupped her face gently, wiping away her tears with his thumbs. Sierra looked up at him, her eyes red and shinning with still unshed tears. The two of them just stood there, staring into each other's eyes. Sierra's eyes averted to his lips, and before she knew it, she leaned in and kissed him slowly and deeply. Alex was taken aback slightly, but then realized that he was being kissed by the one girl he had ever wanted, so he pulled her closer and deepened the kiss. After a while, his senses returned and he put his hands on her shoulders and pulled away. "Whoa……whoa…." He said softly. He looked at her. "We shouldn't…….I mean…..You don't want to do this, you're just…." Sierra's eyes darkened. She smacked his hands away.

"Oh, so because I found my parents dead in their bed, it means I'm crazy?"

"You're not crazy, that's the last thing I'd ever use to describe you." Alex said, giving a nervous chuckle. "You're upset, we all are. You're just searching for contact."

"God, and I thought your aunt was the one who felt the need to over analyze everything." Sierra sighed.

"Hey." Alex said, a little defensively. "Forgive me for not wanting to take advantage of you in this state."

"What state?" Sierra asked, frustrated.

"Oh, I don't know….the state of sadness, grief, pain, depression, just general not good things. Definite mood killers, ya know?" He said. Sierra looked down. The two were silent for a while and then it started to rain. It started as a slow drizzle but it quickly escalated to full blown pour. Alex sighed. "Maybe I should take you home." He said.

"Home? I don't have a home." Sierra said. She sat down by the tree she had previously beating on and wrapped her arms around her waist as the rain soaked through her clothes. Alex sighed and wiped some rain off his face. "And you know, it is all my fault." Sierra said. Alex looked at her. She slowly looked up at him. "It was my fault for not picking you."

"What are you talking about?" Alex asked. "Picking me for what?" Sierra slowly stood up and walked up to him.

"You're not the only one who slowly developed strong feelings while being in this friendship for so many years." Sierra replied. Alex stared at her with an expression that was somewhere between shock and confusion.

"What? But why didn't you ever say anything?" Alex asked, not believing her.

"The same reason you never said anything to me until after Travis and I were together…..Fear of rejection, fear of ruining a good friendship like ours…And……I don't know, part of me thought it was bad to have feelings for you."

"How so?"

"Because all of us were like a family, I thought it'd be like……non-biological incest or something….." Sierra said, letting her voice trail off. "Why did you wait until I was 'attached' before you said something, anyway?" She asked. Alex looked down.

"Because I thought I was loosing you. I thought maybe…..If I told you how I felt, you'd drop that loser like a hot potato." Sierra stepped closer to him and bent her head. She took his face in her hands and lifted it slightly.

"I wish I had…..Not just because of what's happened with every one else, but because I should've been with you." She whispered. Alex looked at her and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her close. Sierra lost her balance and fell against him, causing him to fall backwards. He landed on top of the blanket that they had been sitting on before and she on top of him. Sierra lifted herself slightly to look at him. Alex reached up and softly swept a piece of wet hair from her forehead. After that, time seemed to slow down and move like crashing waves. They kissed, they slowly undressed one another, and they slowly made the sweetest purest love Sierra had ever imagined.

Sierra closed her eyes as she also remembered that was the last contact she ever had with Alex. He had gone off while she slept, and ended up running into Travis. Sierra didn't know what actually transpired, all she knew was when she awoke, he wasn't beside her on the blanket and his boxers were missing. She figured he went off to do his 'business' or something and waited. She waited for over twenty minutes and he still didn't return. She got up, not giving herself time to get dressed; she just grabbed the blanket from the ground and wrapped it around her body. She walked around, calling his name, and then found him, a mile away from where they had lay together, lying by the lake, his eyes staring up at the sky, his throat slashed. Sierra remembered seeing something on his chest. She got closer and saw that there was something carved on his chest. One thing. One letter. "T". Sierra slowly crawled and lay on her side, next to Alex. She just looked at him as she brought her hand up and passed it over his eyes, closing them. Her chin quivered as her sobs broke free. She put her arm across his chest and buried her head her head in his shoulder as she sobbed.