Chapter 16

The night air was warm and the stars were shining bright in the dark sky. The moon was full, and seemed to be creating a spotlight around me while also revealing the tear tracks on my cheeks…

"Liz?"

Even before I turn my eyes away from the sky, I know somehow that this is a dream. Shifting a little, I notice that I am sitting on a recliner on my balcony and I can just see the sign for the UFO Centre across the street. Still not looking at the person who called my name, I return my gaze to the stars, and the Whirlwind Galaxy… A matching recliner appears next to me, before he sits in it and mimics my position.

Sitting quietly for a while, we just stare up at the heavens. "Why are you here?"

Out of the corner of my eye, I see the shrug. "This is your dream… Only you will be able to answer that."

Turning to face him, I ask again. "Why you? Why not Max?"

Facing me, he places his feet on the floor, leans his elbows on his knees and clasps his hands. "Maybe it's because you know that I'm the only one that you can talk to."

Staring at him for a while, I acknowledge his words with a nod. The only subjective person that I had been able to talk to had been Alex, and now with him gone, there was no-one else, except apparently, Future Max…

Sighing, I focus my attention on the stars again. "I don't know what to do." Glancing at him, I find him quietly watching me, obviously waiting for me to go on. "I thought that I was doing the right thing… You can't build a relationship based on secrets and half-truths, and I figured that if I came clean about everything, then we could move forward. Did I move too fast?" Hoping for some indication, I stare at Max and see a blank stare. "I didn't even tell him about my powers and how I've changed. I mean, I know he saw…" Stopping, I gaze intently at him. "What do you think he saw? The blast? The aftermath? He definitely saw something, right?"

"Does it matter what he saw?"

I shrug. "No. I suppose it doesn't. I've already explained a lot… But…" Reaching up, I push my hair behind my ears. "I don't know if I'll get the chance to show him anything or tell him the rest." Once again, hoping for an answer, I ask. "Do you think that I've scared him away? That I've freaked him out so much that he won't be coming back?"

"I'm not the one who can answer that question, Liz. That's for Clark to answer. But I will tell you that it was the right thing to do, whether he can handle it or not. At least this way you start on a clean slate – no secrets between you."

"And if he doesn't handle it?" And that was my biggest fear – putting myself out there and getting rejected…

"Then aren't you better off without him?"

"But then will I ever be able to find anyone who will accept me as I am – freaky powers and all?"

"Of course you will, Liz."

I blow out a breath at the answer. "Maybe he thinks I'm insane… What normal person talks about aliens as if they were her next door neighbours? And he doesn't even know the full extent of our relationship, or anything about our connection." As the thought comes into my head, I sit up straight. "Hey, do you think that the connection is still there? I used to be able to tell when Max… when you were near. It even sometimes worked with the other aliens, if I concentrated hard enough. Do you think that it still exists?"

"Why should that have changed, Liz? Just because you and this Max are not in an intimate relationship anymore? There's always been something different about you, Liz… Even before Max healed you… And deep down, you know that."

"But why, I don't understand. What's so different about me?"

Reaching out, he holds my hand. "When you are ready, you will figure it out."

Pulling my hand out of his grasp, I frown at him. "I hate when people say that."

Smiling at me, he tries to placate. "Liz, all I am is a sounding board for you. I can't answer questions that you are not prepared to know the answers to." Taking my hand again, he asks. "Why else can you create a shield, or feel the aliens? Not all of them can do that and they are the ones with the powers."

"Yes, but Michael was told that their powers are human, not alien." I wasn't prepared to give in.

"That's right, but not every human can do what you can… You have the blast, you have the shield, you can project, you have premonitions, you have flashes that show you the future and also the past, you can manipulate molecular structure…"

"No, I can't"

"Yes, you can. You just need practice. And I'll tell you what else; you will be able to dream-walk and mind-warp too…"

Frustrated, I pull away from him again and walk to the balcony wall. "This is ridiculous. We are going round and round in circles, and not getting anywhere. Telling me what I can do, and what you think I can do doesn't help me answer the question why. In any case, when Max healed me he apparently accessed that part of my brain and woke it up. That's been the basis of all of our theories, wasn't it?"

"Liz, I'm not disagreeing. But, if Max was able to do that why then are you more powerful than they are?"

"I'm not –"

"Yes, you are. Why are you so dead set against this? You can see it yourself. Look at your blast the other day; you practically levelled a forest…"

"Huh. Hardly a forest. Just a few trees."

"…and look at your control."

Turning around, I shout at him. "I had no control. Did you see what I did? That wasn't control. I couldn't keep that power inside me."

"But you did, and only once it was safe did you let go."

The words completely deflate my anger. "But, I'm not sure I want that type of power inside me…" My whisper carries across the air.

"Liz. Have you ever thought that it might be there for a reason?"

"Like what? Am I supposed to don a costume and go out and save the world?" I laugh, but there's no humour in the sound. "Didn't I do that once already? Without the costume…?"

"Or maybe the reason might just be to save the life of one person…"

Thinking about Clark and the flash, my heart jumps in my chest. If his is the life that I'm meant to save then it would be worth it, wouldn't it? Even if I had to give up mine for his… Because whether he comes back to me or not, that was one flash that I absolutely had to prevent…

"Liz? I'm hoping that it won't come to that."

Confused, I look at him.

"I didn't save your life so that you could give it up so easily. So, I'm counting on you to come through this alive, which means that you hone those powers so that you will be prepared when the time comes."

"Max. What if something happens to me? I won't be able to go to the hospital…"

"Liz, didn't you just create a shield today? You are capable of protecting yourself and others. Don't doubt yourself."

Holding up my hand, I signal him to stop, unaware that he has already done so. I can feel a ripple in the air, a wave of energy flowing over me and I turn to the point where I can feel it coming from. Staring at the upper handles of the ladder, I watch as a hazy apparition appears. A few seconds later, Isabel is standing in front of the ladder and looks just as shocked to see me watching her as I am to actually see her. Relieved that Max had disappeared, I stand up and walk over to Isabel, weariness in every step.

Lifting a hand in greeting, she smiles nervously. "Um… Hi, Liz. How are you doing?"

Suspicious at her attitude, I just stare at her. "What do you want, Isabel? I'm far away from Max. You have your family all to yourself, no distractions in the form of Liz Parker. Can you please just leave me alone?" Looking into her eyes, I ask. "Do you remember what you said to me the last time we spoke? You said that you wanted nothing to do with me. That I was the one who caused all the trouble that you guys went through… That I was the bitch who had broken up your family… That it was my fault that Max was captured by the FBI… Remember that, Isabel?"

She nods her head, the smile fading. As she starts to speak, I hold up my hand to stop her.

"Do you want to know something else, I'm really too tired to fight with you right now. So, let's consider this one your only free pass into my head, okay? I have other things I need to deal with, and don't need any more accusations."

"I just wanted to see how you were, Liz."

Sighing, I sit on my recliner. "That's bullshit, Isabel. You were bored and decided to take a journey through my dreams for your amusement."

"That's not the way it is." She tentatively walks over to the other recliner and sits facing me.

"Really? Then how is it?"

"Honestly, Max and I were talking about you and how we missed you in Roswell…"

"Just stop! That's complete crap. If Max was wondering, which I sincerely doubt, he can use the telephone. As for you, you couldn't give two hoots about me, just barely tolerated me because of Max, and when that was over, out came your true colours."

"That's because you betrayed my brother…" She retorted. And there came the Ice-Queen…

"Shut up! I'm not listening to one more second of this. Max and I are over it, you are the only one who seems to have a problem with it, and you know what, it's none of your business, so butt out."

"Liz. I don't get why you are so hostile."

"What?! Is all that blonde dye sinking into your head? Isabel, I was trying to be civil, but you are a complete idiot. GET. OUT. OF. MY. DREAM." Giving her a shove, I watch as she falls off the recliner before her image quickly fades.

Waking up abruptly, I sit up and look around at all the furnishings in my room at Aunt Nell's house. Reaching for my phone, I immediately dial Isabel's number. I hear a ringing on the other side… once… twice… thrice… And the ringing suddenly stops. Looking at my phone, I see that the call had been disconnected. What the hell?! That coward! Standing up, I start pacing trying my best to calm down. Stopping in front of the window, I close my eyes and force myself to breathe deeply. I couldn't believe her… How dare she think that she can just pop in and out of my head as she pleases? And then doesn't even give me a chance to crap all over her for doing it… Spoilt Cow! I'm so tempted to call the damn house phone – why should I care if I wake them all up? But then, won't I be bringing Max into the whole thing, and by extension, Tess? But dammit, I want to have my say. And what's worse, she managed to ruin my discussion just when we were getting to the bare bones of it.

Realising that my reaction is a bit over the top, I open my eyes, then the window and lean against the sill. Looking outside, I continue trying to breathe deeply, but it wasn't working… Claustrophobia was starting to set in… Putting on a jacket, I quietly make my way through the house to the front porch. Sitting on the stairs, I look up. "What am I going to do?" My whisper sounds anything but in the silence, and thinking once more about him running out of the house and away from me, I feel the urge to cry again.

&*&*&*&

On Friday morning, I wake up with gritty eyes and a hoarse voice. After brushing my teeth and taking a blistering hot shower, I change into jeans and a blue halter neck top. Making my way into the kitchen, I see Aunt Nell drinking coffee at the table.

"Morning, Aunt Nell."

"Morning, Liz. You're up early."

"Yeah, I need to get to school early – do some work on my Bio project."

"Oh, I see. Well, if you want, I'll be leaving in five minutes so you can get a lift with me."

Hearing my phone ring, I apologise and reach to answer it.

"Hell."
Good Morning, Miss Parker. How are you doing?
I Smile. "Hi, Sheriff." Missing the look of surprise on Aunt Nell's face, I continue speaking. "I'm doing well, thank you. And yourself?"
I'm good. We're just missing you around here.
Sighing, I reply. "Yeah, me too. How is everyone?"
They're all good. Your parents haven't hired anyone new at the Crashdown yet. I think they're still hoping you're going to come back soon.
I laugh at that. "Oh no, Sheriff. I think I'm done with the Crashdown, although they will surely put me to work when I come home for the holidays."
Yeah, you're probably right. But then you could run the place by yourself without breaking a sweat.
"That's because I've been doing it all my life."
So Liz, you're probably wondering why I called and so early.
Trying not to sound too serious, aware that Aunt Nell was listening, I respond. "Actually, I was already awake. My Aunt Nell and I are having breakfast, and then I have a project to do at the library."
Okay. Well, I've had someone new come into town asking questions about you. But, I'll give you a call later on with more details.
"I see. Like what?"
Like, who your friends are? Where you and your friends hang out? What you did to occupy your time?
There were butterflies in my stomach. "Okay."
Do you know who this guy is, or where he comes from?
"Yes, sort of."
Okay, well please give me a call when you get the chance. Hang on, Liz…
I hear muffled noises on the other side, before his voice comes on the line again. Liz, I have to go. Something has come up. I'll speak to you later.
"Thanks Sheriff."

Disconnecting my phone, I return to the table, deep in thought.

"Who was that, Liz?"

"Oh. That was Sheriff Valenti from Roswell."

"Why would the sheriff call you?"

"I used to date his son, and he sort of feels the need to check up on me every once in a while."

"Oh. Well, I'm on my way. Are you sure you don't want a lift?"

"No, thanks. I'm fine." Watching her walk out of the house, I sit back and wonder about the guy in Roswell…

&*&*&*&

Watching the scenery out the window of the school bus, I try to figure out how I'm going to react when I see Clark today. He's probably going to want to avoid me completely and spend all of his time with Chloe and Pete at the Torch. The three musketeers, part two!

But more worrying than that, the 'investigator' in Roswell could be a problem, especially if Michael gets wind of it. He will feel the need to investigate it and probably draw unnecessary attention to himself and the others. I need to call the Sheriff when I get to school…

"Hi." Turning, I see a guy take a seat next to me and hold out his hand. "I'm Sam Granger." As he was wearing a Crows jacket, I assume that he must be a football player, but he looks more like a California beach bum with his big green eyes and streaky blond hair. I almost expect him to be carrying a surf board…

"Hi. I'm Liz Parker." Taking his hand, I give it a brief shake and try to take it back but he holds tight.

Giving me a wide smile, he kisses the back of my hand. "So, Liz. You're the new girl, huh?"

Pulling my hand away, I respond. "That's right."

"And I hear you're staying with Lana."

What did this guy want? "Yes."

"She used to be the head cheerleader. Are you going to try out?"

"No." Did he just shift closer to me?

"Why not, you certainly have the body for it." His eyes travel the length of my body.

Shivering with disgust, I move closer to the window. "It's not my thing."

"I'm on the football team."

So what… "That's nice."

"I was named MVP last season."

I don't care… "Good for you."

Moving, he places his arm across the back of the seat, and turns his body into mine. "So, you want to go out with me sometime?"

Hell no… "No, thanks."

Hi arm moves down and I feel his hand rubbing across my neck. "I promise you will have a great time. No other girl has complained."

Grabbing his hand, I shove it and him away from me. "I don't want to go out with you."

He seems completely unphased by my rejection. "Come on, Liz. Wouldn't you like to be seen on the arm of the most eligible bachelor at Smallville?"

I almost laugh at him. There's no way in hell this guy could compare to Clark Kent. "No thanks." Taking his hand, I move it away from its position near my thigh. Feeling him grab my hand and hold on, I hear his voice. "Of course you want to go out with me. You can't imagine anything you would want more."

Shocked I watch him. His lips haven't moved but I heard the words. I open my mouth to deny it when I hear myself say instead. "I can't imagine anything…" Stop! What the hell are you saying? You don't want to go out with this guy. You want Clark…

"You would love to go out with Sam Granger. He is everything you have ever dreamed of." I feel the heaviness of the thoughts settle on my mind again, and I open my mouth. He is still smiling at me.

"I… I would…" Seeing him nod his head, I frown at him before finally coming to the realisation that Sam Granger is trying to force his will on me. That's when the bad memories come back – Tess Harding's mind warping and forcing her will on me, on us, back in Roswell… Making me see things that weren't there… Feel things that I didn't feel… What the hell is so attractive inside my head that everyone wants to get in there! First Tess, then Isabel and now this asshole! Feeling the strain, the pressure on my subconscious, I panic and start to fight back. I will not be used like that again. Not sure how I know what to do, I gather all of my strength and with all of my might, I forcefully push him out of my mind.

When the bus comes to a stop a few seconds later, I open my eyes to see Sam sitting on the floor in a daze, slowly shaking his head. Oh shit, I hope nothing I did was noticeable… Looking around, I see everyone looking between the two of us, and then it registers that the girls are all laughing and pointing at Sam. The football players at the back of the bus are shaking their heads, but I can see that some are definitely fighting the urge to laugh as well. Ignoring them, I lean down and whisper quietly to. "Don't ever do that to me again, asshole. I guarantee that you will pay for it dearly." Standing, I hold my head high as I step over Sam and make my way into the school. Riding high over my successful attempt at resisting Sam's invasion into my mind, I forget to wonder how he could possibly do that in the first place.

Opening the doors, I head over to my locker.

"Hey. Liz."

Turning away from my locker, I see the three musketeers walking toward me. Chloe and Pete are smiling at me, but Clark wasn't even looking at me. Clearing my throat, I greet them quietly. My giddiness from fighting off Sam was completely gone. "Hi guys."

"Liz?" A red-haired girl comes to a stop next to me.

Frowning at her, I respond. "Yeah?"

She smiles at me, her green eyes sparkling. "My name is Melody, and I just wanted to say well done with Sam."

"Uh, thanks Melody." As she walks off, I glimpse at Clark to see him sporting a dark frown while both Pete and Chloe look curious.

Chloe steps closer. "Sam Granger?"

"Liz." Another girl walking down the hall calls out. "I like your style."

I wave at her in acknowledgment before turning to find Clark staring at me intently, his jaw clenched. "What happened with Sam Granger? That guy is a dog!"

"Clark, he's not that bad." Chloe shoves Clark aside. "Liz, what happened with Sam Granger? Are you going out with him? Did he ask you out? You know every girl wants to land him, and I think he's gone out with all the cheerleaders…"

Here she goes again…

"When is the date? Where are you going? It's too bad we don't have a gossip column. Maybe we should start one… The new girl and the eligible bachelor… Has he finally been caught?"

"Chloe!" The shout startles us all.

"Hey Liz." Sighing, I turn away from Clark who is glaring at Chloe to find a bespectacled girl standing next to me carrying a lot of books. "Nice move with Sam. Wish I had thought of it the first time."

Smiling weakly at her, I am aware that Clark's glare has now turned on the girl. This is getting completely out of hand. All of the girls walking down the hall are giggling and pointing to me, and while a couple of the guys are smiling at me, more than a few are giving me a wide berth. Surely all these people were not on the bus…? Watching the girl walk away, I once again face the three standing in front of me.

"Liz, details. When is the date?"

"Liz, you can't go out on a date with this guy." Clark sounds… Staring at him, I realise that over and above the anger, he sounded jealous. Experiencing a little thrill at the thought, I smile sincerely for the first time since seeing him.

"What moves are they talking about? Did you make out with him?"

"What? Liz, you made out with Sam Granger?" Clark's fists are clenched and his eyes have gone completely black.

"No!"

"Oh." Chloe sounded disappointed. "So, when are you going out with him?"

"Actually, I'm not. He asked, and I said no." I sneak a peek at Clark whose lips have curved up a little at the corners.

Chloe's mouth is hanging open. "But Liz, he is so cute. Why not give it a chance?"

I glance at Clark and shrug, not sure how to answer the question. I can't tell her that I'm interested in someone else, can I? Clark broke up with me. Didn't he? So realistically, I could go out with anyone I please. "I'm not ready, that's all."

Watching the frown return to Clark's face, I continue. "Besides, he's not my type."

And the little smirk is now back on his face. What the hell! I glare at him. He can't have it both ways. He's either with me or not. He walked out on me, so how can he have a problem with someone else asking me out? When the bell rings, I breathe a sigh of relief before quickly walking away from them, not once realising that though Pete had not said a word, he hadn't missed either mine or Clark's reactions to each other.