Title: Truth

Author: Dark Roswellian Angel

Elizabeth McDowell

Disclaimer: I don't own any of it. If I did, "Roswell" would still be airing.

Copying/Downloading/Posting: Please let me know first, and let me know where my work will be posted as I would love to come visit it. Make sure that it is put under my name, as I would love to hear how others feel about it. Thanks ;)

T due to some violence

This is part of at least a 2-fic series crossover. Possibly 3, depending on what kind of response I get.

A.U. that is still very loosely based on the series. It will eventually be mostly CC.

I actually started writing this quite a while ago, so if it seems a little disjointed it's probably because my writing style has changed a bit. I've gone over it and tried to change it to my current style, but I guess only time will tell. Or you could let me know through that little button down there (hint, hint) :)

Synopsis: The aliens tell their families the truth and think that everything will be okay. But they still have a prediction to prevent. And a bunch more secrets are about to get out.

A New Relation

As the days and weeks rolled by, Philip and Diane expected things to become easier. After all, they finally knew their children's secret and they had trusted friends and allies in whom they could confide. They hoped that things would start calming down and they could get busy making their children's lives as safe and comfortable as possible.

Needless to say, they were unhappily surprised when they saw their daughter and her best friend becoming more and more agitated. At first they wondered if it could perhaps be school-related- after all the group was about to graduate, and that alone could put enough pressure on the girls to explain their anxiety. Eventually, however, the parents realized that the girls' frustration seemed to be directed at Max and Michael- and that increased the probability that it was group-related.

This supposition was confirmed when they walked into their home one day to hear their Princess Isabel practically screaming, "Dammit Max! We leave in less than a month and they still don't know! We have got to tell them!!"

Philip and Diane stood in their doorway to witness the scene unfolding before them. Maria sat on their couch crying. Michael sat with his arms around her, trying to console her. Around her sobs she wept, "I can't stop it. It keeps happening! What if I get caught?! What if I get us all caught?! I couldn't stand it if they found out about all of you after all this time because of me. Because I can't control it… if they got proof on all of you-"

At Maria's words, and the feelings of pain emanating from her friend, Isabel seemed to crumple. Max crossed the room to put his comforting arms around his sister. He consoled her, "It's okay Izzy. We've been trying to wait for the right moment. But Kyle's getting pretty antsy too. I don't know what we'll do about Amy DeLuca, but we'll tell Mom and Dad and the Sheriff tonight-"

"You're darn right you will. What's going on here?!" Philip interrupted the room.

He was silenced though when a surprised Maria gasped. Her hands flew up as she tried unsuccessfully to stop an energy bolt from flying across the room and hitting a lamp next to where Philip stood. Max made a flying leap and knocked his parents out of the way as a second energy bolt flew at them. As they fell backwards, they could see Michael trying to shield them from Maria's view and hear her start weeping again as she cried, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry!"

Once Michael and Isabel were able to calm Maria down, Max helped a silent Philip and Diane stand up.

They sat on the couch across from Maria- the same couch they'd been sitting on for Max and Isabel's startling news.

"Maria, Honey? What happened just now? Did you make that happen?"

A subdued "Yes" was mumbled in their direction coming from Maria's downcast head, which was currently residing in Michael's chest.

Philip and Diane exchanged a nervous glance, looked at Max, Isabel, and Michael, and asked, "Are you like our kids? Are you an alien too?" They looked expectantly at this sweet usually energetic young girl whom they had thought they'd known her whole life.

Maria began to cry silently. Michael put one arm around her trembling shoulders. He put his other hand over her tightly clasped hands. Max, as usual, took over.

"It's kind of hard to explain. She's human, she's Amy DeLuca's daughter, but… she's been changed. It seems that there's some kind of side effect to saving someone's life. She's started taking on some of our traits."

"You mean she's becoming an alien?"

Maria looked up at her question and stopped crying. Diane tried to decipher the look on the girl's face- was it fear? Michael continued rubbing her back while he answered, "We don't know what it means exactly. We'd never saved anyone's life before, so we didn't know anything like this would happen. All we know is that some time during the past few months, she's started doing things. But, she can't control it yet- it's like when we were kids and had just barely been reunited- just barely getting our abilities switched back on."

"And you think it's because you saved her life?"

Michael almost looked guilty when he turned to look into Maria's eyes, "Yeah."

"But, that doesn't really make sense. I mean, you said you saved Kyle's life after he helped you get out of the White Room when that guy shot him." Philip paused a moment to put his hand over his wife's when he heard her make a very big gulping sound. "Wouldn't he be going through something like Mari-" he stopped when he saw something in Max's eyes.

"He is, Dad. He's been going through the beginning stages of the changes, too. He hasn't told anyone yet, not even us, so no one can bring it up with him."

"If he hasn't told you, how do you know, son?" Max looked around and saw that all eyes were on him. He realized that the fact that he was the only one who had known had been confirmed.

"Have you been dreamwalking him Max?" Isabel wondered out loud.

"Dreamwalking?" Diane was confused.

Isabel turned to look at her mother. "Yeah. How do I explain it? Do you remember that Christmas when I was 9? I really, really wanted that Barbie with-"

"With that convertible," Diane broke in. "Yeah, I was careful to put it on layaway and not bring it home until it was less than a week before Christmas. I was trying to be so careful about it that I didn't even put it under the tree until after you went to bed. I even checked on you to make sure you were really asleep. I was so sure you didn't know about it, but when you saw the presents under the tree you knew exactly which one was it. You went straight to it, and when you opened it you said-"

"I said 'You did get it! I knew you had.'"

"And you honestly seemed to have known, but I could never figure out how you possibly could have. I was so disappointed that the secret was ruined."

"I did. I did know." Isabel looked at the floor.

"But how could you? I'd been so careful."

"Do you remember how much you'd been dreaming about me receiving it? How I'd react?" She waited for Diane to nod her head. "Do you remember the dream you had Christmas Eve? (again a nod) Do you remember how it seemed different from the others? (Diane's eyes began to widen as she nodded her head again) Well, that night I'd been so excited. I wanted that Barbie and convertible so much- I couldn't wait to find out if you'd gotten it for me. I woke up around midnight and couldn't get back to sleep. I picked up your photo and wished really, really hard and I sort of fell asleep holding your photo like that. That night I dreamed that I went into the living room and found your gift and I was so excited. I started jumping up and down and ran and gave you and Daddy big hugs. Then I looked down at my present and said I wanted to name the Barbie Liz and the car Elizabeth."

"But that's exactly what you did in the dream I had that night. When you immediately began calling them Liz and Elizabeth, it was almost eerie." Diane's eyes were big with wonder.

"That's because I had dreamwalked you. I had entered your dream. Usually I'm an inactive observer, but sometimes I participate like I did that night. That was the first time I'd ever done that. At first I thought maybe I could tell the future. Max and Michael and I tried experimenting with that possibility. And even though I do have some ability with that, we eventually found that I can actually enter people's dreams. For a long time, I had to have someone's picture to be able to do it, but now all I have to do is picture them in my mind."

"And you can actually enter people's dreams? Can all of you do this, or just Is?" Philip asked.

"Well, I can do it, but I don't feel right when I do, so I usually don't. Michael can do it sometimes, but he seems to be better at it with certain people (at this an almost intimate look passed between Michael and Maria) and of course we don't know what Kyle and Maria will be capable of."

"I don't understand. You said that you don't dreamwalk people, so how did you know about Kyle?" Diane asked.

"Well, Is, Michael, and I have been living with our powers all our lives, but when we met again it was like a switch had been turned on- all of a sudden powers seemed to start rushing at us. We're still adapting and we're still developing new abilities even over ten years later."

"You mean you still don't know everything you'll be able to do?"

"Basically. We just know that new abilities seem to pop up just exactly when we need them-"

Isabel interrupted him, "One of those abilities is being able to sense each other. Where we are, sometimes what kind of mood we're in. Is that how you knew?"

Max continued on without acknowledging Is's question. "That's how I knew about Kyle. During the last few weeks, I've started being able to catch stray thoughts from people. Not too many and not very often. So far it seems to only be very emotional ones, and I've already learned how to block them. (At his last words he sent a pointed look to Maria and Michael who immediately looked relieved.) Kyle's were the first thoughts I came across. I guess becoming an alien is a very emotional subject for him."

"I don't blame him," Maria piped up.

"So Kyle doesn't know that you know?"

"I think he's suspicious of it. I've dropped a few hints and made a few open-ended remarks. I just want him to be able to announce it in his own timing, on his own terms."

"So, why did you tell us?"

"Well, for a couple of reasons. Partly because you seem to understandably have some difficulty with Maria's news. Partly to help you understand what's happening to Maria. But more importantly so that we can all be prepared. When Maria told us, some of us didn't handle it very well (here he shot an apologetic look to her. She responded with a small smile.) We don't want to make the same mistakes with him. He's going to need reassurance and support from all of us, possibly most of all from you Maria."

"Me?"

"Yeah, since you've already started going through this, you can kind of help to guide him through it." Maria nodded her agreement.

Philip and Diane had been told that Max had been a king and he was meant to be a great leader again, and even before that they had noticed that his friends seemed to look to him as their leader, but they were still amazed at how naturally he took his position. Since finding out the truth about his destiny, they had noticed it a lot more. He did it as though it were second nature, as though he did it without thinking about it. And they realized it probably was and he probably didn't. Once again they found themselves looking up to their son, and noticing the looks of loyalty in his friends' eyes. How could we be so blessed to have such a remarkable man for a son? was their shared query.

Then, they noticed again how distraught Maria was and how Max's second-in-command, the man they had long since considered their second son, held her protectively, gently rubbing her head and murmuring in her ear. They noticed her eyes as she gazed transfixed upon him. She was loyal to him- it was obvious. And dedicated. But they were surprised by the depth of love they saw shining from her eyes. It was such an intimate look on such a young face that it soon caused them to feel awkward. So, they chose to focus instead on easing her discomfort by taking the attention off of her.

"Who's hungry?"

All eyes looked to Max. After a quick but careful perusal of his friends' faces, Max shrugged and admitted, "I could definitely eat."

"Well, let's have dinner."

"Yeah, I'll make some pasta… with Tabasco sauce," Diane chimed in.

This illicited grins throughout the group. Even Maria smiled as she and Michael stood and began to gather their things.

"Wait a minute you two! Where do you think you're going?" Philip asked.

"We don't want to intrude on your family time," Michael said, his arm still around Maria's shoulders.

"We've already told you, Michael. You are family. And that means you too, Maria." At this Maria's face split into a wide grin and Isabel crossed the room to give her best friend a bear hug. And the whole family, all six of them, turned their attention to making dinner.