Chapter 8

Alec watched after her as she hurried back up the driveway. Her mud covered back and butt disappeared around the corner only adding to his confusion. If she lived there why would she go in through the back door? Perplexed he shook his head but didn't think much about it.

Loud child screams filled the gloomy air outside. He backed up a couple steps and stared at the house for a few seconds. The child inside continued to scream when the front door opened and out stepped a heavily tattooed, pierced man wearing grungy clothes and a scowl on his face.

Curious Alec stepped further onto the property. "Everything all right?"

The man turned his attention toward him. "Yea. Chick's kid screamin' his fuckin' head off."

Could the girl he bumped into be dating this guy? Alec nodded and left the yard; if she was taken he wasn't going to bother getting involved. Last thing he needed was to get in the middle of another relationship. Max already purposely put him in the middle of her and Logan, a place he never wished to be.

Ros&DA&Ros&DA&Ros&DA

In the backyard Liz listened to the guy she bumped into and Rath's brief exchange. Once she heard Rath groan loudly in frustration before heading back inside to the still screaming bloody murder child she breathed a sigh of relief and pushed away from the wall of her home.

Liz scanned the area, no one around or looking out their windows. Waving her hand over her clothes she used her alien mojo to get rid of the mud bath covering her outfit and hands. Checking her watch she raced down the driveway and ran to the street.

Driving had been an option but she loved walking. In Roswell she walked everywhere, sometimes she'd take the bus or got a ride but she was a constant pedestrian. She enjoyed taking in the sounds and smells of the city.

Making her way down the street she felt the difference in the air. In Roswell the air wasn't as humid, it was hot but dry. Her clothes hadn't felt like they stuck to her skin and were soaking up gallons of sweat. Seattle on the other hand, it felt like she had just stepped out of a hot shower, the big difference was she felt clean after a shower.

She walked down another street, each step bringing her closer to her destination. Liz took in the various sights of vendors lined up on the street selling a multitude of items, a couple down by the corner arguing…one mentioned money and how the guy short changed her. Maybe they weren't a couple.

Liz wondered how Rath was doing with Jeremy. If someone had told her four years ago that she'd be trusting Rath with her child she would have laughed in the persons face. Trust Rath with her baby, no way. Rath was the man that tried to kill Max and kidnapped Tess. In other words a man that couldn't be trusted to watch a pet let alone her own flesh and blood.

However when Rath came to her for help beaten and bloody shortly after she arrived back in Roswell pregnant she couldn't turn him away. Maybe it was because he was Michael's dupe, the double of her child's father, or the fact that she hated to see anyone hurt. Whatever the reason was she set him up in a hotel room and took care of him while he healed.

During the weeks they spent together in the hotel room she found out he had been brainwashed by Lonnie to push Zan in front of that semi truck. Lonnie had been adamant about being with Kivar and had agreed to do whatever Nikolas wanted to acquire her rightful place.

When Max and Tess left New York and Nikolas nor Kivar had the Granolith after that fateful meeting, Nikolas told Lonnie that since they didn't have the Granolith, she didn't get to go home. According to Rath that pissed Lonnie off but he couldn't remember what happened after that. The memory was gone, he's sure either Lonnie or Nikolas took what happened out of his brain.

Rath had been under the brainwash for three years before he finally broke out of it. Unfortunately for him when Lonnie figured it out she had the guy she was screwing beat him up. Now Rath was no push over, he gave as good as he got for five minutes, until Lonnie's boyfriend's buddies saw their friend losing and jumped into the fray.

Rath's good in a fight but when it's one against three or more you're no longer a good fighter instead you're just a punching bag, which was what Rath became. However fortune smiled on Rath for that moment in time. Lonnie and Rath had been in Roswell when the skirmish went down, so once the guys were done beating him up he knew a place where he could go.

Liz didn't realize Rath knew where she lived. When he was first there with Lonnie and Ava he apparently was interested in her and followed her after she left the meeting that had been held at the UFO Center. He was going to climb up her ladder and try to get with her but Lonnie put the kibosh on that. Lonnie told Rath that she needed to screw him that night. Although normally he would be gung ho about it, after all why pass up a sure thing, but because he knew what Lonnie made him to do Zan he wasn't that interested at the time. However Lonnie "convinced" him using her powers to stay with her instead of seeking Liz out.

Liz turned the corner and passed by more street vendors. The shouts of goods and prices filled her ears. Most of the goods being sold were food and drink but there were also so other vendors that were selling toys, cheap jewelry, and parts for various appliances.

As she walked by one jewelry vendor she spotted something that looked familiar. She stopped and went to take a closer look at it.

"Ah, the beautiful lady is interested in a beautiful necklace." The Native American woman smiled at her warmly hoping for a sale.

Liz smiled and did her best to hide her obvious interest in the piece. "I saw the design and thought it was interesting. Where did you get it?"

"My grandfather had it in a box of trinkets." She explained. More like a box of junk, the only thing she found that could be of value was this and a paper weight with the same symbol. Everything else was bills and notes scribbled on pieces of paper.

"How much are you asking for it?" Liz asked. She didn't want to seem over eager but she also didn't want to seem too disinterested.

The vendor thought it over for a bit then stated her price. "Twenty dollars."

Liz mulled it over. Did she want to pay twenty dollars for it? The symbol was clearly alien. She remembered seeing it in the cave with Max and River Dog. It looked like a crooked egg with two small squares inside near both ends. To that day she still didn't know what it meant but it was alien. It was from Antar.

"Do you have anything else with this symbol or something similar?" Liz asked.

"Just one thing. It was in the same box of stuff." She bent down and opened up a box that held doubles of some things and a few other items she didn't have room for up top.

Liz breathed in deeply at the second item the vendor had. It was a flat hexagon shaped disc with the same symbol as the necklace. Two items, same alien symbol. "How much for both of them?" She knew she was going to buy the items; it was just a matter of how much she was going to pay for them.

"For both—forty-five."

"Mmm, how about thirty-five?" Liz countered.

The woman thought it over. She'd had the necklace on display for nearly a year and no one had expressed interest in the item, let alone both items. Thirty-five might be the best she could get for it. "How about we split the difference. Forty."

Liz smiled at the woman and nodded. "You got yourself a deal." She reached into her purse and pulled out four tens and handed them to her and the vendor handed her the items.

"Thank you for your business. Have a good one."

"You too." Liz walked away while putting the items in her purse. Rath would definitely be interested in the items. Although he wasn't as curious as Michael had been he still wanted to know some things about Antar. These might hold some answers or lead him to answers.

She checked her watch. Although she had ten minutes to go before she'd be late to the job interview she picked up her pace. Buying the items put her a bit behind schedule but thankfully she could see the big sign that was over the clothing store just a couple blocks away.

Five minutes later she was entering the store and telling the employee up front who she was and what she was doing there. A moment later the manager came out and they started the interview. Within a half-hour she had the job and began to start work immediately until the next shift.

TBC