Summary: (AU) Liz meets another alien while trying to escape from Roswell and the events of the end of Season 1 (the cave - you all know what I mean!)

Could this stranger, friend or foe, hold the key the Liz's own destiny?

Disclaimer: I don't own Roswell so I'm not taking any of the credit from the creators for this fantastic show. Pity: I'd soo love to be mega-rich by now - and better yet, hold creative license over Tess' head (behave, vixen!) :D The OC's are mine, and I will fight viciously to keep them!

Chapter One: "Sullen in San Francisco"

The blind snapped shut with a loud click, hiding the bright reflection of the setting sun against the clouds below. The leather of the seat beside her creaked as her mother looked up from her magazine to give her a concerned glance, but Liz Parker barely gave her a glance of her own before shutting her eyes and shoving the earphones provided further into her ears as she huddled into her seat. The petite brunette knew she was acting petulant, and that she should try to make at least some sort of conversation, but she was just too tired of charades.

The last couple of days in Roswell had been exhausting for Liz. After what had been revealed in the cave, she had been strenuous in avoiding Max, certain that he would only try to assure her that his destiny wasn't important, that she was the only one that mattered to him. Liz knew Max well enough to know what he would say; their connection was still there even though Liz had tried so hard to fight against it. Sometimes the pull was so great she just wanted to give in and listen to him speak the words she wanted so hard to believe; but she also knew the truth. There was no future for them - there never had been. He was so different from her; too different. He had tried to tell her that from the first, but she hadn't believed him, and hadn't let him believe it either; but his destiny found them anyway. And she couldn't face him now with the knowledge that he could never be hers.

So here she was, on a flight to San Francisco, and she was beginning to regret it. When her mother had asked Liz to go with her to a business-related conference, she had jumped at the chance to get out of Roswell for a while. But now, as the plane bought her seconds closer to another city, a part of her insisted that this was the last place she wanted to be, and she was ready to listen to it. Even if she couldn't be near Max without her heart breaking all over again, at least she had Maria and Alex to depend on. But that was part of the problem; she had thrown her friends into this otherworldly mess as well as herself, and they were just as involved in "Czechoslovakian" matters as she had been. Telling herself that where Maria was, Michael was, and Max equally not far behind, wasn't as consoling as it should have been; and Liz pushed up the volume control, hoping the loud music would work to drown out her brooding thoughts.

With a sigh, Nancy dropped the magazine in her lap, reaching a decision to find out what had happened to her daughter to make her behave so strangely. As if some higher being was determined to keep the woman in the dark for a little longer, the seat-belt light flashed on with a chime and the pilot began a spiel to inform the passengers that the plane was reaching San Francisco as he spoke, and they were approaching their vector to land the plane. Nancy ignored the falsely cheerful welcome, instead leaning over to pull the earphones out of her daughter's ears and motioned to her before the teenager could make any complaints that they were arriving in San Francisco. Liz didn't respond, but moved with a sullen grace to tighten her seat belt before turning back to the closed window, avoiding her mother's gaze.

Both women sat rigidly in their chairs, lost in their own thoughts and taking no notice of the air stewardess who made her way down the walkway ensuring that all seat belts were correctly secured as the plane lowered its nose undetectably and descended quietly into the dark runway below.

Next Chapter:

Chapter Two: Down the Barrel of a Gun

Even the sullen can't stay cooped up forever, but out on the streets of San Francisco, where her feet know their way before Liz has gotten herself a map, an old acquaintance is just waiting around the next corner for a re-introduction.

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AN: Hey guys and dolls, what did you think? Loved it or hated it: just drop me a line to let me know! This story does have a plan and I'm already working on Chapter Six, but if no one wants to read it, then I won't bother posting it!

Either way, I'm still gonna love ya! Ciao!