Okay. Sorry it has been a month for this chapter. Still not perfect, but well there you go. Hope you all still enjoy.
Thanks as always for following along.
chanks_girl- Thanks for the bump. It got me rolling again on this story.
Maria will be fine. But she is still confused. And that will take a little time to get over.
Isabel is pretty close to a breakdown at this point. Lots of the characters are. Liz's slap was calculated to bring Isabel's attention back to the situation they were in. In this story a lot of Liz's actions need to be seen through the filter that she is trying to select the best possible future for her and her children. And from her point of view Jimmy is and always will be hers. Also note that Liz's power is more limited than it seems. I'll explain in future parts.
As for Kyle and Ava... Well you will see.
Timelord31- Thanks
nibbles2- Thanks
begonia9508- Thanks. Remember that the folks back on Earth don't know that yet. To them, dead is dead. Don't worry this will have a happy ending in maybe ten-twenty parts.
Natalie36- Thanks.
Disclaimer- Roswell is not mine and no infringement is intended.
Unfinished Business part 10
Maria-
Maria woke up to a familiar voice singing slightly off key to a song that was popular a decade ago.
Liz?
She shook her head and opened her eyes. She lay on a soft but low couch. There was a small table nearby and few other odds and ends of furniture, but that is not what caught her eye.
There were no walls and no ceiling. She was seemingly in outer space. Every where she looked there were stars. Not the bright twinkling lights, but solid colored lights.
And in the center of the room, was a depiction of the sun. The light was bright but not blinding.
Then she saw the Earth. Spinning slowly along with the moon. Only it seemed like the moon kept moving. First a little closer, then further away.
She sat up. Tim was sleeping on another couch similar to hers.
“You’re awake.” A woman moved from a shadowed corner. She was wearing some kind of helmet and a uniform with a set of gossamer gloves that glittered as she approached the small sun at the center of the room. She made a small gesture with her hand and the stars went out.
The room was full of a soft non-directional light. There were book cases and worktables all along the walls. But it was the woman who drew the eye.
Her eyes were the same chocolate brown of her best friend, and her face animated with a smile. “Hi! It is a pleasure meeting you. I’m Serena. Sorry, I’ve almost got some of the problems I’ve been working on for years almost beat. And what with Tim bringing the good news…..”
“Serena? Are you…..”
“You know this is really hard. I have her memories, Liz’s memories of our childhood together. But I’m not really her. I know that too. It’s strange. Max will be harder.” She looked away.
“You have her memories? How many, I mean from how old.”
“My last memory was Max giving up Tim. That is who I was when I woke up six years ago. It was hard, you know. To know that I wasn’t her. That it wasn’t my life. That I was a copy.”
“That is my worry. Alex says that I’m Maria. But am I?”
“Yes you are. It was harder to do. Much harder than grabbing some DNA and copying the memories. There is an, I guess the best way to phrase it would be an energy pattern. Your soul so to speak. That is unique. Like fingerprints, although that isn’t quite it. As you no longer have your old fingerprints, but you do have your old soul. And memories. And for that matter we were able to remake your body. It’s mostly the same one you were born with. With a few… improvements.”
“I’m not human.”
Serena sighed. “This is an argument I get into all the time with Rain. Of course you are human. I am human. So is Rain. Or Alex. Or even Charles and Amanda. Or for that matter Michael, Isabel, and Max. They are human too. Engineered yes, but human never the less.”
“What about the green cells? Or the powers? Or, I mean I can list a million small details that are different….”
“Maria.”
“Yes?”
“Did you have children by Michael?”
“Yes.”
“You are the same species. Or close enough it doesn’t matter.”
“But they were Antaran and…..”
“And what? That the souls that are no inhabiting human bodies were once something other than human. Yep. Totally true. Also totally pointless. There is a reason they chose Earth. It certainly wasn’t for convenience. We’re pretty far from their civilization. But by a quirk of evolution, our brains are wired similarly. So what they did was possible. And lets be honest, the process changed them too. Maybe it was the differences in biology, the Antarans could have developed on Earth. But cut one open and you will see that they didn’t. There are similarities….. I can see I have lost you. Take me at my word, they are the souls of Antarans permanently lodged in a human host.”
“I think I understand…. Wait…. Could it be done in reverse?”
Serena smiled, “Yes. But there is a funny thing. Souls can’t be copied. Metaphysical snowflakes. But I guess you could do the same they did here in reverse. But for what ever reason, human biology is more clone friendly than there is. I don’t know why, but the last time I talked with Khivar, he was certain of it. I think he was trying to make a copy of Vilandra. And probably himself, who knows.”
“So Khivar is really dead?” Strange to think that their shadowy enemy had finally gone into that good night…..
“Yes. But then so are you. Or Tim. How do you feel?”
Maria blinked. How did she feel? Confused.
Confused but alive. She wasn’t entirely sure she was Maria, but she was certain she was alive.
Serena removed her helmet, a small smile on her face. “If you want to ask me, Khivar is probably on some tropical island, with a clone of Vilandra. Sitting back on the beach, sipping some fruit flavored alcoholic beverage with his lover.”
“You think Khivar is human!”
“Oh, yeah, no doubt. Antar is a wreck. Not entirely his fault either. I’ll open up the historical archives if you want to look at them. No if he wants a quiet peaceful life, it’ll probably be here. On Earth. It would explain why he was willing to help Alex with his improvements….”
Maria looked at Serena. She looked so much like Liz, except her hair. It was her mothers dark auburn hair. Liz hadn’t looked that much like either of her parents, but Maria could see it in Serena.
“Okay. So where does this leave us. I mean you have memories of me, but I…..”
“I would like to be your friend. I really would. But, Maria, think of me more as Liz’s sister. I’m not her. I look like her, I have similar memories. But I am not her. So what do you think?”
“I would like to be your friend.” Maria looked around, “What are you working on?”
“Terraforming the Moon.”
--------
Ava-
Ava nursed her damaged arm. Those plasma streams the Skins fired were deadly.
There wasn’t much left of her hand.
Liz had a couple of singes, and Isabel stood like a Valkyrie, proud and undamaged as she destroyed the enemy.
But really it was only a matter of time. They were pinned, not far from the control room. Claudia had healed Jimmy. But it had weakened her severely. And Jimmy was barely able to walk.
They were in trouble.
And yet Liz seemed calm. Through the link she shared with Liz, Claudia, and Isabel, it was the soothing calmness that radiated from Liz that kept them together.
Isabel fed them energy from her seemingly boundless stores.
I wonder what I provide? Do I add anything?
“We have to get out of here.”
Isabel didn’t even look at her. Not a single glance.
Did she suspect that she carried a torch for Kyle? That she had kissed him.
Isabel blasted another Skin to flakes.
Hopefully not.
Liz quietly said, “The cavalry is on the way. I can’t be sure, but most of us should live.” She looked at Jimmy and Claudia.
Liz would do anything to protect her kids.
Ava blinked back a tear. How she had wanted one. And now she was probably going to die.
Would she leave anything or anyone behind her? Anyone that loved or cared for her?
However did she wished she had met Kyle when she had visited Roswell all those years ago. How she wished she had stayed. Liz had offered her a place. Had said that they would find a way…..
The past was the past. And if it looked like that she would have no future……
Liz’s gift was not without its cost. And through the link that Ava now had with her, she shared a bit of that curse.
She was going to die.
Oh it was avoidable. But then the others would die. Liz would die. And Claudia. Jimmy would be crippled with no one to heal him all the way.
And Isabel would blame herself. For she would be untouched. Unharmed while those she loved died all around her.
Again.
No. There was a way to break the pattern. To stop this tangled fate that had haunted her friend.
Oh, Isabel would still mourn her, would still feel some of the pain…. But not as much. And Kyle would be able to help her through it. He always did.
Ava closed her eyes. Kyle…..
“Liz, you know what needs to be done. The two of you head for that stairwell behind us. Go into that room, it will be secure until Michael arrives.”
“No. Ava there had to be a way. I am sure that if I just keep looking…. Events are always in motion, noting is truly set until….”
“But it is the best way. If we stay here….” Isabel must not be able to follow the tau lines as far as Ava could. Maybe her powers were too different, maybe….
“What are you talking about? We just need to hold on here and I know we can.” Isabel said. “Michael? Michael is on the way?”
“Isabel there are at least four groups fighting over this building. Two groups of aliens, and two human groups. Well one human group, and the other a few minutes out. It is the human group we need to fear. The first group will capture us. And most of us will die when Michael tries to free us.”
Ava closed her eyes at the sight of the car in front of her exploding. How Jimmy would survive that Ava had no clue. But Liz and Claudia would not.
“Humans? Like with guns? That shouldn’t be a problem…..”
“They have children. Special children. Gifted children. You will not be able to bring yourself to fight them. And they WILL capture us. But I, I can hold them off…. For a little while anyway.”
Liz said, “Ava.” Her voice was full of grief. Mourning her already.
“Go on, they are almost here.”
Isabel looked between them. “Who, who is here?”
Ava looked straight ahead and answered her, “My sister’s children. Tess’s children.”
Liz was shouldering Jimmy, and crying now. “I didn’t know. I promise you Ava. I will free them. I won’t let them keep your family.”
“Thank you, Cornball. Now get going.”
Jimmy raised his head, how long he had been awake and how much he had heard Ava did not know. But he raised his too wise eyes and said, “Say hello to Rain for me.” And closed his eyes.
The three of them exchanged glances. Liz shrugged.
Jimmy could be as bad as Liz when it came to conversation.
Claudia struggled to get up. “I think I can heal your arm a little more Aunt Ava.”
“No need. Now get going all of you.”
“I am staying.” Isabel said.
“Isabel, they can mind warp. Against a physical threat, against most enemies you excel…. But here. Here is where I make my stand.”
Ava looked at Isabel. She could see a trace of guilt in her eyes as Isabel opened the path to the safe room. She half carried Claudia.
Liz followed with Jimmy. “I promise you. I will see them free.” And she left.
The Skins had stopped fighting to reach this room. But she could hear gunfire. And worse. She could feel the environment awash in psionic emanations. At least four or five separate sources.
Ava felt as the sense of certainty, the feeling of foreknowledge faded. Liz had gotten too far away. She was out of the link.
She began to warp the image of the door way and her presence. To make them think this was a dead end. To by her friends time.
But she knew it wouldn’t last. Knew it couldn’t last. She was wiser and older than they. And stronger than any individual.
But when the first blonde child stuck its head through the door. Followed by several heavily armed guards, she knew her time was up. It was a hard fight, made worse by the fact that she didn’t want to hurt the child.
Her nephew. Followed by a couple of younger nieces. Produced by rape or invetro-fertilization, Ava did not know. It didn’t matter. They were small children that didn’t really understand what they were being forced to do.
They tried to capture her. They tried to sing their siren song of mind warps, of a massive distortion of personal realities soaring through that corridor.
But she had held out long enough.
The building shook. Michael was here. He was here and the Others would be forced to leave.
Maybe she would live after all….. They couldn’t see her after all. And what they couldn’t see they couldn’t hit. Besides they wanted her alive.
A man in a heavy suit came around the corridor. He held a wand that was fitfully sprouting a tiny tongue of fire. He aimed the nozzle down the corridor.
Ava fired her heaviest warps at the man to no avail.
And Ava Smith died in wash of pain and fire.
-------
??????Max-
He woke and found himself floating. He could feel the systems of the pod.
Where am I? Is this a dream?
He tried to open his eyes, but they were much too heavy.
His mouth moved slowly in the viscous fluid.
Liz, where was Liz! And he felt for her.
So very far away.
Tired from the effort he closed his eyes and slept.
------
Michael-
The fight had been longer and tougher than he’d expected. The Institute didn’t have a lot of dedicated troops, those prepared for non-human conflict. But they did have some.
But they hadn’t expect a mix.
Mind warping had been a fairly uncommon talent on Antar. But it was a fool who didn’t go in prepared.
His troopers were wearing more than the standard service helmet. It wasn’t perfect, but it should keep anyone from killing each other under mental domination.
He had hoped.
The good news was that the helmets worked fairly well. The bad news that they had needed them. Some local police who had been called to help, ended up helping the enemy instead.
That was going to be a ticklish bit of PR.
“Sir, you need to see this.”
Hopefully not another cavern full of husks. They had killed at least five Skins after they had arrived. And it seemed like their human adversaries had been fighting them as well.
Michael walked past the scorched corridor that lead to a security vault of some sort.
Exactly the place a ton of husks would be hidden.
The hallway was scorched. The walls discolored under extreme heat. Michael could see where part of the wall was seared. There was a mostly charred woman laying there under the sprinklers. Michael paused a moment. She looked familiar.
Tess?
No she was dead. Michael shook his head and followed the waiting soldier. “Any way we can get these sprinklers off?”
“Sir, we are still checking to make sure all the fires are out. But seriously, sir, we might need your firepower if their hiding in there.”
He came to the door. Depleted Uranium. Something to heavy for him to molecular manipulate. But he could melt it. It would take some time and leave him tired. But there might not be a better option.
“Get this door open. Let me know if you can’t. I might be able to open it if there is no other way.”
“Yes sir.”
The door opened slightly. The five troopers lifted their rifles….
Michael’s jaw drop. A tearful Liz opened the door.
“Michael?”
“Liz?”
She rushed over to hug him. His troopers held their fire as he hugged her back.
Not paranoid enough. He would have to teach them about shape shifters next. He signaled for them to be at ease.
“Where is Max?”
“He’s, he’s dead Michael. Oh, God, he’s really dead.” And believing herself safe for the first time in several days Liz broke down in his arms.
He motioned his troopers to check out the room beyond.
He had a similar tearful reunion with Isabel.
Ava had saved them. Had given them enough time to figure out how to seal the room.
Their tired shattered family was together again. This had to stop. They had to find out who the enemy was and make them stop.
He was halfway to his ad-hoc communications area. Liz was going to contact Kyle to bring him in…..
Michael felt a searing pain that sent him to his knees.
Jack was dead.
The communications center was unable to raise the base.
All Michael could do is wait for a further hammer to fall. For Stephanie or Danny to, to….
Michael arranged for an immediate redeployment back to base.
He had failed. He had trusted that Trevor would be able and willing to help them. That his people, his Army would be able to do the same.
Whoever was responsible was going to die. He didn't truly care if they suffered. He just wanted this to stop.
It wouldn't bring Maria back. Or Max. Or, or Jack.....
But it had to end.
Unfinished Business (CC, Mature) Epilogue - 01/02/11
Moderators: Anniepoo98, Rowedog, ISLANDGIRL5, Itzstacie, truelovepooh, FSU/MSW-94, Forum Moderators
Re: Unfinished Business (CC, Mature) A/N - 11/21/09
And finally another part. Thanks to everyone following this story.
chanks_girl- Sure, Serena has it tough in a way. But she knows that no matter what she remembers, that she is not Liz. And she really isn't. She is Liz's twin, not Liz herself.
Begonia9508- Thanks. Just remember that continuity is the key. Was Max still Max after he took over Wheeler's body? This is the same only the body was made to be his alone. (The same applies to Maria and Ava and even Tim.)
Zanieri1- Abby is too young for her powers to express. Jimmy for example would also be very powerful. But he can't do most of what he is theoretically capable of. Michael's sons are in the same boat, although they will be able to use some of the more passive abilities they will possess.
DeDe PR- Thanks for the bump
Disclaimer- Roswell is not mine and no infringement is intended
Unfinished Business part 11
Maria-
Maria looked dumbfounded at Serena. “Terraform the Moon. And by terraform you mean….”
“Make the surface livable. Oh, the moon is too small for it to be self sustaining. It will require constant work to keep it viable. Mars would probably be easier, in fact it will be easier when we get to it. But the moon is so close to where we need to be. And well, the Antarans have settled their moons, why can’t we?”
Maria just blinked. How was that even possible?
Serena smiled. “Oh, it’s a little ambitious. But we have the tools here. All the forward technology originally meant to conquer the Earth.”
“But why?”
Serena’s face grew grim, “The Moon will be Earth’s shield. Now that Khivar is dead, or well believed to be dead, rebellion and civil war will wrack Antar. He tried to provide a legitimate successor to him, but he himself was never seen as legitimate, and so he failed. Khivar’s own children tried to overthrow him at one point. So there will be no unified invasion. But they know Earth is here. They knew when Tess flew the Granolith to the capital city of Antar. Trust Tess to be flashy when stealth is called for.” She shook her head, “You would think a woman whose whole power structure was based on deception…..”
“So if we aren’t going to be invaded, then why do we need protection?”
“Smaller groups, some of which will still be able to sneak by. A fact that Alex is well aware of. Sooner or later he is going to have to contact someone on Earth to let them know the score. They’ll breeze in, maybe take over a small nation. Maybe covertly, maybe not. I don’t really know how well prepared the nations of Earth are to fight a small scale invasion, even assuming you could get many of the separate factions to actually agree to do anything at all. Particularly if they’re covert.” Serena shrugged, “Who knows, maybe they’ve already subverted or suborned someplace already.”
“So they are already here?”
“Who do you think killed you? Mind you there are at least seven factions that we know of and undoubtedly others we are unaware of. Of course, Alex might know more. He usually does.”
“Is he actually Alex? I mean you say that I’m Maria, and I’ll admit I feel like it. I feel like it is my life. But you probably feel like Liz, too.” She cocked her head aside, “Why would they want me dead anyway?”
“Yes, Alex is Alex. It is complicated. As I said, it has to do with the continuity of the soul. Just because you have someone’s memories doesn’t make you them. Um, the mechanics involved with souls make quantum dynamics look simple.”
Maria still felt completely lost. Like there were a million things she needed to know and she knew just the tiniest bit. She’d been a good manager of her radio station. She’d loved music. But planetary level engineering? Technology capable of manipulating souls?
Her life used to be so much simpler.
Serena continued. “As to why they killed you, well your daughter might be the heir to the throne of Antar. Your little Steffie is hot property. One of the few people with a legitimate claim.”
“That doesn’t make any sense! Max was King, is King as far as I know…..”
Serena shook her head, “The Seal passed to him. When Max took it back he was effectively usurping Michael’s rightful rule. Good thing too. He wasn’t ready for the power. Neither was Max, but he at least was afraid of it.”
“I still don’t get it. Why would this make Stephanie heir?”
“When Michael had the Seal wrested away from him, he was no longer King. Max was, sort of. Not fully legitimate, but still he had the working Seal. Might have caused more of a problem if it had actually happened on Antar. But when Max died again, the Seal passed again. No one quite knew who would get it. Tim didn’t get it for the same reason Isabel didn’t. Conceived in treason. Their not technically brother and sister, but rather very close cousins. She was born of Zan’s father’s eldest sister.” Serena shook her head. “Seriously the political system on Antar is seriously messed up.
“Marrying her added legitimacy to Rath, who was I think a third cousin or something like that. And directly adopted into the family. He was Zan’s second and named heir until little Ava could pop out a few babies. The revolt happened first and the whole mess was overturned.”
“And so Khivar killed them all and they were sent to Earth.”
“God, I wish it were that simple. Khivar was just another opportunist. It took several years for him to end up on top of that screaming dog pile. I know what Michael told you about his confrontation with Khivar in San Diego, but he was wrong.”
“How do you know all of this? I mean have you been to Antar?”
“Nope, my whole life I’ve been cooped up here. I know all of this because of Alex. Because of what he became for Khivar.”
“Alex helped Khivar?”
Serena smiled sardonically, “Alex was the only one he could trust. They bonded over Isabel, and well you know Alex. Alex asked questions and when he realized just how damn lonely Khivar was he tried to help.”
Maria nodded. Alex would try to help just about anyone as long as they weren’t lying to him. As long as it didn’t hurt his friends. “So all of this was what he asked for in return? This whole place?”
“I don’t know. But I do know that Alex was one of the most important advisors that Khivar had. Exactly what he did, I’m not sure.”
Maria pondered for a few moments. “But Antar is some incredibly far off world. Even I know that!”
“Alex has a stabilized worm hole to Antar. It was Khivar’s greatest invention. It can’t fit a full body, but it can transmit the mind of the wearer, allow the user to control an avatar while there.”
“So Alex possessed some confused Antaran, sort of like Larek possessed Brody?”
“Pretty much. I never went there. Rain did on a couple of occasions. And I think Alex let Amanda visit her Antaran mother’s grave. I never wanted to go. I took all the information that came through the wormhole and tried to understand it.”
Maria’s lip quirked. “Been working on time travel.”
Serena was dead serious. “I have some ideas if it gets to that. The Antarans think it’s impossible, but I know that it happened, so…… Besides that was why I was recreated. Khivar wanted to understand Liz. Not only what made her tick, but also why she did some of what she did. He recreated Rain to understand Tess. And of course, Charles and Amanda….” Serena shook her head in wonder. “Although I do wonder about her, if he didn’t make her simply to filter out Isabel from Vilandra. God, he loved her.”
“Who? Khivar loved Vilandra?”
“The man had it all, and when he was on top, realized he’d made a mistake. He didn’t have anyone to share it with. That was why he tried to persuade Isabel to come with him. Part of her is Vilandra still.”
“Okay. I guess I can understand that. But if he was so powerful, if well, if he was able to leave enough to allow Alex to terraform the Moon, surely he could have persuaded one heartbroken girl to leave with him to Antar?”
“He tried. When she denied him, he left. He wanted her to be happy, Maria. He loved her, really loved her. And he’d already recovered Alex’s consciousness and soul, so he reconstructed him.”
“But why did he bring Alex back…. You said he had already made Charles and Amanda to understand Isabel. So why bring back the real Alex.”
“The Destiny Book. Alex is the only one who really understands what was in there. Who really understands how the Granolith actually works. The translation broke his mind, the ultimate in things man was not meant to know type stuff, but it is all still there. In his head, I mean.”
“But he wrote it all down. He left a copy in Las Cruces, we found it! You have Liz’s memories, you have to remember…..”
“That was a translation. In English. The real translation is in his head. And he has sworn not to release it until the real Royal Four arrive at the Granolith.”
“Okay, that’s going to be a long time, cause Tess is dead. And so is Max for that matter.”
“Actually Tess is alive. But even if you gathered them all together it wouldn’t count. They aren’t the real Royal Four. Alex said he’ll recognize them when he sees them. He is their Protector.”
“And Khivar was fine with this?”
“Alex won’t be gathering the Royal Four to rule. No there is some unfinished business he needs them to attend to. If they are called to rule, well then they are. On Antar they’d just be another faction, I don’t know. You should really ask Alex about this.”
“I think I will.”
--------
Kyle-
Kyle left the main room that Michael had given them all.
Leaving Jimmy there had been the hardest thing he’d ever had to do.
A son. His son.
He wanted to chew out Liz, wanted to yell at her. But seeing Jimmy in her arms, the love that was there. No she had done the best for his son. Both her and Max had done what they could do to shelter him, to protect him from the chaos that was his and Isabel’s life.
But Isabel had a lot to answer for.
Why had she given up Jimmy? Why had she never told him? She had known that he wanted kids. That someday he wanted to settle down and……
Her mission. Her damn mission to punish those who had killed her family.
They had been in what would be in retrospect the most dangerous period of their lives. The Unit was still strong and Kyle and Isabel still learning their strengths and weaknesses. The danger had been omnipresent.
Jimmy would have been in danger. But they could have tried. They could have settled down somewhere and tried….. Max and Liz had made it.
And then there was Ava. Kyle was torn up at her death. He hadn’t realized how much she had meant to him. Just one damn kiss.
No. Need to hold it together. Confront Isabel about Jimmy. I need to know why she never even mentioned his existence.
He walked into her room and found the vortex already well formed. Everything not nailed down was circling around her at breakneck speeds.
“I need to talk to you Isabel.”
She turned her gaze on him, her warm brown eyes begging him through the clutter of debris.
“Not this time Isabel. Not until we talk. Not until I understand why you kept him from me. Why you DIDN”T EVEN LET ME KNOW HE DAMN WELL EXISTED! A SON! MY SON!” He looked at the vortex in disgust. “Let me know when you are ready to talk.”
And he left. To see and hold his son.
The son he had never even known he’d had.
He let the sense of betrayal behind him as he walked into the main room. He saw Liz feeding a restless Abby.
“Uncle Kyle!”
“Indoor voice honey.”
“But its Uncle Kyle! He’s my protector.”
Kyle walked up to the girl squirming at the table. Jimmy was still sleeping.
Claudia was no where to be seen.
“Where is Claudia?”
“She asked Michael if she could help some of the troops. He promised to keep her from over exerting herself. He should be by later with her and Danny.”
“Have they found Stephanie?”
Liz sighed, “No. They think she was captured. Tess just never stops causing problems.”
There was an awkward moment. “Sorry, I know that at one time….”
“Liz, don’t worry. I got over her a long time ago. And all she did was cause trouble anyway, but there had been that one Christmas when I thought. I thought she had changed.”
“I’m sorry about Ava. I wish there had been some way to save her. She wanted me to say how much she loved you.”
“I doubt she said that with Isabel right there.”
“No, but she wanted to. She loved you Kyle. You would have been happy together.”
“Once again, I shoot and miss. I don’t think I will ever forgive Isabel.”
“You will, Kyle. Your relationship will change. But you will forgive her. She is after all the mother of your child.”
“You raised him.”
“And I expect to be a part of his life. I’m not going to let you take him away from me, I’ll be honest Kyle. But I will share him. I want you to be part of his life.”
Abby was just watching both of them, her large eyes serious. She slipped off her chair and run over to Jimmy. “No body is taking my big brother away.” She stood small but defiant between him and Jimmy.
FOOOOOM! Came from Isabel’s room.
Liz just quirked her eyes slightly.
Kyle shrugged.
The alien abyss was back with a vengeance. But although they had suffered losses, they were together again.
Family.
Kyle advanced on Abby to tickle the little girl into submission. And if he woke up, talk a little with his son.
His family.
Despite the pain and agony of his losses, of his regrets, Kyle Valenti knew that he was where he was supposed to be.
The room was filled with the laughter of a little girl and her protector.
-------
Michael-
Michael walked firmly through the compound. A place of safety.
Or so he had thought.
Safe from aliens, using the best anti-alien technology that he and the rest of the Institute could devise.
Not good enough against a well blended force of children and soldiers. It hadn’t been the aliens that had attacked him. It had been fellow Americans.
Another Institute or the like. One that had developed Mind warping children as weapons.
But how? How could they have done it?”
Claudia wearily followed him. He had let her look at some of the troops. Had let her partially heal a couple of the worst cases. Had let her save a couple of lives, a couple of his valiant troopers.
They loved this girl. She was developing a regal bearing, a mix of Liz’s serenity mixed with aura of responsibility Max used to exude when everything went wrong.
You would think they would resent a ten year old child walking among them as if one of them. But they didn’t. Some of them even unconsciously saluted her.
It was the Seal, of course. It radiated from her much stronger than it ever had from Max.
But then Max had spent his life trying to hide. Maybe if he’d just focused himself on helping people, on being available, maybe it would have been as noticeable.
Of course, he’d have ended up on a operating slab in no time, so maybe it was better this way. These men knew about him, knew that there were others. And they loved her.
He wondered idly what Stephanie would have thought of her. Or Maria.
But while Maria was gone forever, Stephanie was not. He knew where she was. There was no way they could hide her from him.
And nothing, absolutely nothing on Earth would stop him.
He would get her back and make those responsible pay!
Michael just needed to get Danny and take him to Liz. Liz would watch him for Michael. So that he would be safe while he fetched Stephanie.
But Danny would not leave Trevor. Trevor had almost died defending him and Jack. Jack’s death had shaken the boy.
Hell it had shaken him. So soon after Maria…. And Max… He took a deep breath.
One step at a time.
It was all he could do.
--------
Isabel-
Isabel just sat cross legged on her bed, the dust from all the items she had disintegrated in the vortex still slowly drifting to the ground.
Kyle hated her. Jimmy hated her.
Max was dead.
Her parents and Jesse had been long since slain. And if the Special Unit had only killed Jesse, it did bring her parents back to life.
On the contrary, it made her examine her life. Her cold and ruthless life. How exactly was she different from Lonnie?
Isabel had killed and broken scores of agents. She had used her powers to provide a nice living for herself and Kyle. Like Lonnie she was a thief and killer. The FBI listed her as a terrorist.
Maybe they were right. Maybe she was evil after all.
Maybe she too deserved to die.
She called upon her powers only stronger than before. The very air began to ripple and writhe as the energies began their dance. A dance that would end in her death.
Surely that would atone for at least some of her many sins.
She dug deeper and deeper into herself as she prepared to unravel her own existence, dug through all the armor she had walled her heart in. Let loose all of the bitterness she had housed and built up over the years.
And there at the center, at the absolute center of it all was the plaintive cry that she’d had to silence lest it destroy her. Had buried it so deep she had jumped the first man that had caught her eye after Alex had fallen.
It had been unfair to Jesse, but she had needed something to at least paper over the howling emptiness.
Why oh why did you have to die, Alex?
It was close now, oblivion so very near.
So the last thing she had expected was an answer to her cry.
“Just hold on a little longer, my dear. I will be with you soon.”
Just like that the energies were let go. Their passing shook the room, shook that section of the building truth to tell, but they were gone.
And for the first time in a long time, Isabel wept. Not tears of regret or bitterness. But deep wrenching sobs of sorrow and release.
Finally, at long last, Isabel began to heal from that ancient wound. It had never truly healed, because she had never truly faced it.
She could feel him, all around her. He was so distant, so far away. But he was real.
Alex was real. She still thought he was dead, and that she would likely be joining him soon. But she could wait a little while for him.
So she stared at the heavens (at the Moon actually, but she was still deep inside a building so there was no way she could know that) and prayed that she would be with him soon.
Perhaps some sort of Providence was indeed involved. Or maybe not. Hard to say.
But Isabel would get her prayer answered. As would her friends. If in a different form than any of them would ever expect.
-------
Stephanie-
Stephanie groggily woke up. Her head pounded and the room seemed to spin.
The room contained several small children and one adult. She must have been a beauty once. You could see it in her face, in the remnants of corn silk blonde hair amongst the grey. The blue eyes were still piercing and still bitter.
But now she had reason for her bitterness.
Stephanie didn’t know this, or for that matter know her. Know that she was in the room with one of the three other people her father had been sent to Earth with.
With Tess Harding.
Tess spoke, “So, you must be one of Michael’s. My children tell me you put up quite a fight.”
“Are you, are you the one that captured me?”
“No. Just another brood mare. They’ll probably kill me soon, now that my own children are getting old enough to be fertile themselves. But you, you’re young. How old are you?”
Stephanie looked at the bitter woman, a slight bit of fear creeping in to her. Her powers were gone. She could remember being young, of being powerless. But for the last few years she’d always had an extra angle to fall back on.
And now it was gone.
Tess continued, “They’ll probably send one of mine in to act as a stud. They figured out their powers work better if I carry them to term. Probably the only reason I’m still alive.”
“What are you talking about? My father will be here to save me. I know it.”
“Maybe. They all left me here to rot. Not that I didn’t give them reason.” Tess sighed, “I’m sorry, but your likely fate is to be breeding stock for these psychos. And to watch as they turn your sweet children into vicious killers.”
“Who are you?”
“My name is Tess Harding. I killed your mother’s best friend, slept with the boyfriend of her other best friend, and tried to betray them all. Really I’m not surprised they left me here. No real reason to love me. But I wish…..”
Stephanie hugged herself. Her mother had mentioned Tess in passing, and never in a good way. It was always closest she would come to say that someone was truly evil…..
“I’ll protect you as best I can. Won’t be much. But, if, if your father does come. Can you, can you try to get him to take at least my younger children with him? They don’t deserve this. They are my flesh and blood, but they don’t deserve this!”
Stephanie nodded and began to weep. She wasn’t entirely sure what was going to happen to her, just that it would not be good.
Not if they were going to use her for ‘breeding stock.’
How she wished her father were here! That he would appear as a knight in shining armor to save her!
And her mother. How she wished her mother could comfort her. Could hold her and tell her it would be alright.
These prayers too, would be answered.
In time.
chanks_girl- Sure, Serena has it tough in a way. But she knows that no matter what she remembers, that she is not Liz. And she really isn't. She is Liz's twin, not Liz herself.
Begonia9508- Thanks. Just remember that continuity is the key. Was Max still Max after he took over Wheeler's body? This is the same only the body was made to be his alone. (The same applies to Maria and Ava and even Tim.)
Zanieri1- Abby is too young for her powers to express. Jimmy for example would also be very powerful. But he can't do most of what he is theoretically capable of. Michael's sons are in the same boat, although they will be able to use some of the more passive abilities they will possess.
DeDe PR- Thanks for the bump
Disclaimer- Roswell is not mine and no infringement is intended
Unfinished Business part 11
Maria-
Maria looked dumbfounded at Serena. “Terraform the Moon. And by terraform you mean….”
“Make the surface livable. Oh, the moon is too small for it to be self sustaining. It will require constant work to keep it viable. Mars would probably be easier, in fact it will be easier when we get to it. But the moon is so close to where we need to be. And well, the Antarans have settled their moons, why can’t we?”
Maria just blinked. How was that even possible?
Serena smiled. “Oh, it’s a little ambitious. But we have the tools here. All the forward technology originally meant to conquer the Earth.”
“But why?”
Serena’s face grew grim, “The Moon will be Earth’s shield. Now that Khivar is dead, or well believed to be dead, rebellion and civil war will wrack Antar. He tried to provide a legitimate successor to him, but he himself was never seen as legitimate, and so he failed. Khivar’s own children tried to overthrow him at one point. So there will be no unified invasion. But they know Earth is here. They knew when Tess flew the Granolith to the capital city of Antar. Trust Tess to be flashy when stealth is called for.” She shook her head, “You would think a woman whose whole power structure was based on deception…..”
“So if we aren’t going to be invaded, then why do we need protection?”
“Smaller groups, some of which will still be able to sneak by. A fact that Alex is well aware of. Sooner or later he is going to have to contact someone on Earth to let them know the score. They’ll breeze in, maybe take over a small nation. Maybe covertly, maybe not. I don’t really know how well prepared the nations of Earth are to fight a small scale invasion, even assuming you could get many of the separate factions to actually agree to do anything at all. Particularly if they’re covert.” Serena shrugged, “Who knows, maybe they’ve already subverted or suborned someplace already.”
“So they are already here?”
“Who do you think killed you? Mind you there are at least seven factions that we know of and undoubtedly others we are unaware of. Of course, Alex might know more. He usually does.”
“Is he actually Alex? I mean you say that I’m Maria, and I’ll admit I feel like it. I feel like it is my life. But you probably feel like Liz, too.” She cocked her head aside, “Why would they want me dead anyway?”
“Yes, Alex is Alex. It is complicated. As I said, it has to do with the continuity of the soul. Just because you have someone’s memories doesn’t make you them. Um, the mechanics involved with souls make quantum dynamics look simple.”
Maria still felt completely lost. Like there were a million things she needed to know and she knew just the tiniest bit. She’d been a good manager of her radio station. She’d loved music. But planetary level engineering? Technology capable of manipulating souls?
Her life used to be so much simpler.
Serena continued. “As to why they killed you, well your daughter might be the heir to the throne of Antar. Your little Steffie is hot property. One of the few people with a legitimate claim.”
“That doesn’t make any sense! Max was King, is King as far as I know…..”
Serena shook her head, “The Seal passed to him. When Max took it back he was effectively usurping Michael’s rightful rule. Good thing too. He wasn’t ready for the power. Neither was Max, but he at least was afraid of it.”
“I still don’t get it. Why would this make Stephanie heir?”
“When Michael had the Seal wrested away from him, he was no longer King. Max was, sort of. Not fully legitimate, but still he had the working Seal. Might have caused more of a problem if it had actually happened on Antar. But when Max died again, the Seal passed again. No one quite knew who would get it. Tim didn’t get it for the same reason Isabel didn’t. Conceived in treason. Their not technically brother and sister, but rather very close cousins. She was born of Zan’s father’s eldest sister.” Serena shook her head. “Seriously the political system on Antar is seriously messed up.
“Marrying her added legitimacy to Rath, who was I think a third cousin or something like that. And directly adopted into the family. He was Zan’s second and named heir until little Ava could pop out a few babies. The revolt happened first and the whole mess was overturned.”
“And so Khivar killed them all and they were sent to Earth.”
“God, I wish it were that simple. Khivar was just another opportunist. It took several years for him to end up on top of that screaming dog pile. I know what Michael told you about his confrontation with Khivar in San Diego, but he was wrong.”
“How do you know all of this? I mean have you been to Antar?”
“Nope, my whole life I’ve been cooped up here. I know all of this because of Alex. Because of what he became for Khivar.”
“Alex helped Khivar?”
Serena smiled sardonically, “Alex was the only one he could trust. They bonded over Isabel, and well you know Alex. Alex asked questions and when he realized just how damn lonely Khivar was he tried to help.”
Maria nodded. Alex would try to help just about anyone as long as they weren’t lying to him. As long as it didn’t hurt his friends. “So all of this was what he asked for in return? This whole place?”
“I don’t know. But I do know that Alex was one of the most important advisors that Khivar had. Exactly what he did, I’m not sure.”
Maria pondered for a few moments. “But Antar is some incredibly far off world. Even I know that!”
“Alex has a stabilized worm hole to Antar. It was Khivar’s greatest invention. It can’t fit a full body, but it can transmit the mind of the wearer, allow the user to control an avatar while there.”
“So Alex possessed some confused Antaran, sort of like Larek possessed Brody?”
“Pretty much. I never went there. Rain did on a couple of occasions. And I think Alex let Amanda visit her Antaran mother’s grave. I never wanted to go. I took all the information that came through the wormhole and tried to understand it.”
Maria’s lip quirked. “Been working on time travel.”
Serena was dead serious. “I have some ideas if it gets to that. The Antarans think it’s impossible, but I know that it happened, so…… Besides that was why I was recreated. Khivar wanted to understand Liz. Not only what made her tick, but also why she did some of what she did. He recreated Rain to understand Tess. And of course, Charles and Amanda….” Serena shook her head in wonder. “Although I do wonder about her, if he didn’t make her simply to filter out Isabel from Vilandra. God, he loved her.”
“Who? Khivar loved Vilandra?”
“The man had it all, and when he was on top, realized he’d made a mistake. He didn’t have anyone to share it with. That was why he tried to persuade Isabel to come with him. Part of her is Vilandra still.”
“Okay. I guess I can understand that. But if he was so powerful, if well, if he was able to leave enough to allow Alex to terraform the Moon, surely he could have persuaded one heartbroken girl to leave with him to Antar?”
“He tried. When she denied him, he left. He wanted her to be happy, Maria. He loved her, really loved her. And he’d already recovered Alex’s consciousness and soul, so he reconstructed him.”
“But why did he bring Alex back…. You said he had already made Charles and Amanda to understand Isabel. So why bring back the real Alex.”
“The Destiny Book. Alex is the only one who really understands what was in there. Who really understands how the Granolith actually works. The translation broke his mind, the ultimate in things man was not meant to know type stuff, but it is all still there. In his head, I mean.”
“But he wrote it all down. He left a copy in Las Cruces, we found it! You have Liz’s memories, you have to remember…..”
“That was a translation. In English. The real translation is in his head. And he has sworn not to release it until the real Royal Four arrive at the Granolith.”
“Okay, that’s going to be a long time, cause Tess is dead. And so is Max for that matter.”
“Actually Tess is alive. But even if you gathered them all together it wouldn’t count. They aren’t the real Royal Four. Alex said he’ll recognize them when he sees them. He is their Protector.”
“And Khivar was fine with this?”
“Alex won’t be gathering the Royal Four to rule. No there is some unfinished business he needs them to attend to. If they are called to rule, well then they are. On Antar they’d just be another faction, I don’t know. You should really ask Alex about this.”
“I think I will.”
--------
Kyle-
Kyle left the main room that Michael had given them all.
Leaving Jimmy there had been the hardest thing he’d ever had to do.
A son. His son.
He wanted to chew out Liz, wanted to yell at her. But seeing Jimmy in her arms, the love that was there. No she had done the best for his son. Both her and Max had done what they could do to shelter him, to protect him from the chaos that was his and Isabel’s life.
But Isabel had a lot to answer for.
Why had she given up Jimmy? Why had she never told him? She had known that he wanted kids. That someday he wanted to settle down and……
Her mission. Her damn mission to punish those who had killed her family.
They had been in what would be in retrospect the most dangerous period of their lives. The Unit was still strong and Kyle and Isabel still learning their strengths and weaknesses. The danger had been omnipresent.
Jimmy would have been in danger. But they could have tried. They could have settled down somewhere and tried….. Max and Liz had made it.
And then there was Ava. Kyle was torn up at her death. He hadn’t realized how much she had meant to him. Just one damn kiss.
No. Need to hold it together. Confront Isabel about Jimmy. I need to know why she never even mentioned his existence.
He walked into her room and found the vortex already well formed. Everything not nailed down was circling around her at breakneck speeds.
“I need to talk to you Isabel.”
She turned her gaze on him, her warm brown eyes begging him through the clutter of debris.
“Not this time Isabel. Not until we talk. Not until I understand why you kept him from me. Why you DIDN”T EVEN LET ME KNOW HE DAMN WELL EXISTED! A SON! MY SON!” He looked at the vortex in disgust. “Let me know when you are ready to talk.”
And he left. To see and hold his son.
The son he had never even known he’d had.
He let the sense of betrayal behind him as he walked into the main room. He saw Liz feeding a restless Abby.
“Uncle Kyle!”
“Indoor voice honey.”
“But its Uncle Kyle! He’s my protector.”
Kyle walked up to the girl squirming at the table. Jimmy was still sleeping.
Claudia was no where to be seen.
“Where is Claudia?”
“She asked Michael if she could help some of the troops. He promised to keep her from over exerting herself. He should be by later with her and Danny.”
“Have they found Stephanie?”
Liz sighed, “No. They think she was captured. Tess just never stops causing problems.”
There was an awkward moment. “Sorry, I know that at one time….”
“Liz, don’t worry. I got over her a long time ago. And all she did was cause trouble anyway, but there had been that one Christmas when I thought. I thought she had changed.”
“I’m sorry about Ava. I wish there had been some way to save her. She wanted me to say how much she loved you.”
“I doubt she said that with Isabel right there.”
“No, but she wanted to. She loved you Kyle. You would have been happy together.”
“Once again, I shoot and miss. I don’t think I will ever forgive Isabel.”
“You will, Kyle. Your relationship will change. But you will forgive her. She is after all the mother of your child.”
“You raised him.”
“And I expect to be a part of his life. I’m not going to let you take him away from me, I’ll be honest Kyle. But I will share him. I want you to be part of his life.”
Abby was just watching both of them, her large eyes serious. She slipped off her chair and run over to Jimmy. “No body is taking my big brother away.” She stood small but defiant between him and Jimmy.
FOOOOOM! Came from Isabel’s room.
Liz just quirked her eyes slightly.
Kyle shrugged.
The alien abyss was back with a vengeance. But although they had suffered losses, they were together again.
Family.
Kyle advanced on Abby to tickle the little girl into submission. And if he woke up, talk a little with his son.
His family.
Despite the pain and agony of his losses, of his regrets, Kyle Valenti knew that he was where he was supposed to be.
The room was filled with the laughter of a little girl and her protector.
-------
Michael-
Michael walked firmly through the compound. A place of safety.
Or so he had thought.
Safe from aliens, using the best anti-alien technology that he and the rest of the Institute could devise.
Not good enough against a well blended force of children and soldiers. It hadn’t been the aliens that had attacked him. It had been fellow Americans.
Another Institute or the like. One that had developed Mind warping children as weapons.
But how? How could they have done it?”
Claudia wearily followed him. He had let her look at some of the troops. Had let her partially heal a couple of the worst cases. Had let her save a couple of lives, a couple of his valiant troopers.
They loved this girl. She was developing a regal bearing, a mix of Liz’s serenity mixed with aura of responsibility Max used to exude when everything went wrong.
You would think they would resent a ten year old child walking among them as if one of them. But they didn’t. Some of them even unconsciously saluted her.
It was the Seal, of course. It radiated from her much stronger than it ever had from Max.
But then Max had spent his life trying to hide. Maybe if he’d just focused himself on helping people, on being available, maybe it would have been as noticeable.
Of course, he’d have ended up on a operating slab in no time, so maybe it was better this way. These men knew about him, knew that there were others. And they loved her.
He wondered idly what Stephanie would have thought of her. Or Maria.
But while Maria was gone forever, Stephanie was not. He knew where she was. There was no way they could hide her from him.
And nothing, absolutely nothing on Earth would stop him.
He would get her back and make those responsible pay!
Michael just needed to get Danny and take him to Liz. Liz would watch him for Michael. So that he would be safe while he fetched Stephanie.
But Danny would not leave Trevor. Trevor had almost died defending him and Jack. Jack’s death had shaken the boy.
Hell it had shaken him. So soon after Maria…. And Max… He took a deep breath.
One step at a time.
It was all he could do.
--------
Isabel-
Isabel just sat cross legged on her bed, the dust from all the items she had disintegrated in the vortex still slowly drifting to the ground.
Kyle hated her. Jimmy hated her.
Max was dead.
Her parents and Jesse had been long since slain. And if the Special Unit had only killed Jesse, it did bring her parents back to life.
On the contrary, it made her examine her life. Her cold and ruthless life. How exactly was she different from Lonnie?
Isabel had killed and broken scores of agents. She had used her powers to provide a nice living for herself and Kyle. Like Lonnie she was a thief and killer. The FBI listed her as a terrorist.
Maybe they were right. Maybe she was evil after all.
Maybe she too deserved to die.
She called upon her powers only stronger than before. The very air began to ripple and writhe as the energies began their dance. A dance that would end in her death.
Surely that would atone for at least some of her many sins.
She dug deeper and deeper into herself as she prepared to unravel her own existence, dug through all the armor she had walled her heart in. Let loose all of the bitterness she had housed and built up over the years.
And there at the center, at the absolute center of it all was the plaintive cry that she’d had to silence lest it destroy her. Had buried it so deep she had jumped the first man that had caught her eye after Alex had fallen.
It had been unfair to Jesse, but she had needed something to at least paper over the howling emptiness.
Why oh why did you have to die, Alex?
It was close now, oblivion so very near.
So the last thing she had expected was an answer to her cry.
“Just hold on a little longer, my dear. I will be with you soon.”
Just like that the energies were let go. Their passing shook the room, shook that section of the building truth to tell, but they were gone.
And for the first time in a long time, Isabel wept. Not tears of regret or bitterness. But deep wrenching sobs of sorrow and release.
Finally, at long last, Isabel began to heal from that ancient wound. It had never truly healed, because she had never truly faced it.
She could feel him, all around her. He was so distant, so far away. But he was real.
Alex was real. She still thought he was dead, and that she would likely be joining him soon. But she could wait a little while for him.
So she stared at the heavens (at the Moon actually, but she was still deep inside a building so there was no way she could know that) and prayed that she would be with him soon.
Perhaps some sort of Providence was indeed involved. Or maybe not. Hard to say.
But Isabel would get her prayer answered. As would her friends. If in a different form than any of them would ever expect.
-------
Stephanie-
Stephanie groggily woke up. Her head pounded and the room seemed to spin.
The room contained several small children and one adult. She must have been a beauty once. You could see it in her face, in the remnants of corn silk blonde hair amongst the grey. The blue eyes were still piercing and still bitter.
But now she had reason for her bitterness.
Stephanie didn’t know this, or for that matter know her. Know that she was in the room with one of the three other people her father had been sent to Earth with.
With Tess Harding.
Tess spoke, “So, you must be one of Michael’s. My children tell me you put up quite a fight.”
“Are you, are you the one that captured me?”
“No. Just another brood mare. They’ll probably kill me soon, now that my own children are getting old enough to be fertile themselves. But you, you’re young. How old are you?”
Stephanie looked at the bitter woman, a slight bit of fear creeping in to her. Her powers were gone. She could remember being young, of being powerless. But for the last few years she’d always had an extra angle to fall back on.
And now it was gone.
Tess continued, “They’ll probably send one of mine in to act as a stud. They figured out their powers work better if I carry them to term. Probably the only reason I’m still alive.”
“What are you talking about? My father will be here to save me. I know it.”
“Maybe. They all left me here to rot. Not that I didn’t give them reason.” Tess sighed, “I’m sorry, but your likely fate is to be breeding stock for these psychos. And to watch as they turn your sweet children into vicious killers.”
“Who are you?”
“My name is Tess Harding. I killed your mother’s best friend, slept with the boyfriend of her other best friend, and tried to betray them all. Really I’m not surprised they left me here. No real reason to love me. But I wish…..”
Stephanie hugged herself. Her mother had mentioned Tess in passing, and never in a good way. It was always closest she would come to say that someone was truly evil…..
“I’ll protect you as best I can. Won’t be much. But, if, if your father does come. Can you, can you try to get him to take at least my younger children with him? They don’t deserve this. They are my flesh and blood, but they don’t deserve this!”
Stephanie nodded and began to weep. She wasn’t entirely sure what was going to happen to her, just that it would not be good.
Not if they were going to use her for ‘breeding stock.’
How she wished her father were here! That he would appear as a knight in shining armor to save her!
And her mother. How she wished her mother could comfort her. Could hold her and tell her it would be alright.
These prayers too, would be answered.
In time.
Re: Unfinished Business (CC, Mature) Part 11 - 12/10/09
Thanks to everyone following along this story.
chanks_girl- And you will find out more in future parts. Not much about it in this one however. Everyone is gearing up to recover Stephanie.
As for Maria, there is still so much she doesn't know. Kyle and Isabel.... It is a bit of a mess. Their old relationship will not survive. Kyle's trust has been broken. But they still care for each other.
keepsmiling7- Good things are coming. But not quite yet.
DeDe PR- Thanks.
Disclaimer- Roswell is not mine and no infringement is intended.
Unfinished Business part 12
Max-
Max opened his eyes and looked around. He was surrounded in some thick fluid a large and heavy cable attached to his navel.
He was in a pod. He looked at his hands. To see if this was some sort of dream or mockery of his past.
They were not small. They were the size her remembered them to be. The size they had been when he had killed Rath. Killed Rath and died.
I am dead.
Only I don’t feel dead. I feel alive. Tired. Exhausted but alive.
He closed his eyes and felt along the bond. Liz. The essence of Liz. It was there, strong as ever. But so very far away.
There was a rap on the outside of the pod.
It was Alex.
That was simply impossible. Alex was dead. Had been dead for years. Max had held the body, had tried to bring life back to him…..
And yet there he was standing outside the pod.
Go back to sleep. You’re not quite ready. Give it another day.
Max tried to speak, but his lungs were full of liquid. And those had not been spoken words.
How?
Sometimes your enemy repents of his actions, Max. Sometimes miracles do occur. They’re never free, but they are real.
Liz? The children?
They’re fine Max. Safe. Tim, you’d know him as Zan is here as well. He is the first of my charges. I will collecting the second in a day or two. But don’t worry your, children are under my protection as is Liz.
Your protection?
I swear to protect the Royal Four and their kin unto death. And beyond. Your generation failed Max. But the children’s Destiny can not be denied. Even Khivar understood that at the end. Now sleep. We will have much to discuss when you awaken.
No.
So. Many questions…..
But he could feel himself drift off. And dream.
--------
Maria
Maria was walking down the corridors with a mission. Serena was trailing behind It was hard to say whether or not the woman was wringing her hands over what Maria was about to do or if she was secretly amused.
The one time Maria looked back all Maria saw was a slightly amused but impassive face. She remembered seeing that look on Liz whenever she thought Maria was headed towards a fall but knew that Maria wouldn’t listen to her. Like the whole Aquabra incident.
In fact it was quite likely that Serena remembered that. Fascinating in one way, but creepy in another.
Maria shrugged and carried on. She had an Alex to find!
“Hey, wait up!” Tim caught up with them. “Is it dinner already?”
“Not quite. Maria is going to ask Alex about the Royal Four. Have anything to add.”
Tim got very quiet. “Supposedly I am one of them. That is why he saved me. Even though he, he hates my mother. If I weren‘t….” Tim shuddered.
Maria stopped and looked at Tim, who looked both ashamed and shaken. “You think he would have just let you die? Or is there more to your story?”
“There is more. But, but can I drop it? I really don’t like talking about it.”
“Okay. But someday, when you can, feel free to be honest with me. Don’t let it fester inside. I sometimes think that’s what happened to your mother. She had a world view and turned sour when it turned out it wasn’t what she’d been promised.”
Tim slowly nodded. “You should talk to Rain someday. Hear her side. Tess made so many mistakes. She remembers them.”
Maria swallowed. Hating Tess had been such a factor in her life for a long time. It had taken her years to truly let go of the hate.
But then Maria had thought the woman was dead. Now, knowing that she was alive. Well it confused her. So much of all of this confused her. Serena and Tim were nice. But she really wished she could talk this all out with Liz. Or better yet, with Michael.
“I’ll think about that. Come on, we need to find Alex.”
The three of them continued to walk along the pathway, past the pods. Another one was glowing.
Ava.
“Ava died?”
“We don’t have all the details yet. But apparently she sacrificed herself for Liz and her children.”
Maria could see Tim look longingly at the pod. Wishing it had been Ava who had bourn him most likely. “So Alex is bringing her back?”
“Yes.” Was all Serena said, eyes straight ahead.
The three of them stopped a room not far from the Garden. In face it had a large picture window. And there was a large table set for seven.
Alex and Rain were already in the room. Alex was impassive, looking stonily at Rain.
Rain on the other hand was impassioned. “…. Leaving them there is a crime, Alex. They are blameless! I could understand when we needed to remain hidden. But they are going to know that someone is here once you start the Plan.”
“She is not welcome here.”
“I understand you are still angry. That you can’t forgive Tess for what she had done…..”
“Rain, she destroyed my life. Just when everything was starting to get good, just when I had won her love….”
“You still love her. Even now.” Rain was beginning to cry. “Why? Why can’t I be enough?”
“It is who I am. I warned you that this day would come.”
“But I didn’t think it would hurt so much.”
Alex held her gently, kissing her softly on the forehead. “There will be someone for you, I promise. I won’t let you go through life alone.”
“Not even you can see that, love. I don’t know if I’ll ever…..”
“Hush.”
Maria started to feel a little uncomfortable about watching the scene, like she was interrupting something terribly personal.
Alex looked over Rain’s head and saw them. He was calm and unruffled. He gave Rain another kiss on the forehead. “Good you are here.”
Rain looked over her shoulder, her eyes blotchy from crying. She hugged Alex one more time before going over to hold Serena. “It looks like it’s just you and me babe.”
“He’s found her?” Serena’s voice was quiet, but there was a despairing note to it.
“Yes. And he plans on claiming her.”
Alex spoke up, “Soon. She needs me. I wish I hadn’t had to wait so long. She is so broken.”
“And what about us? Do you just sweep down and reclaim your old family and we are just tossed by the wayside?”
Maria could feel jealousy radiate off the woman. Some of it was directed at her. “What are you talking about?” And it dawned. “Isabel.”
“As long as we were in hiding I couldn’t go to her. But now. Now I can. Serena, you may begin the project.”
“Begin. You mean like start? Are you sure? I mean the calculations are good but what if I’m wrong and it causes calamities and disasters and…..”
“Didn’t you tell me you were ready the other night? Weren’t you demanding to ‘at least start the little stuff, like the mass injection’? The time for hiding is over. Start it up. All of it.”
Serena opened her mouth. And closed it. “All of it?”
Tim was jumping up and down, “This is going to be so cool.”
Rain looked at beamingly happy but startled Serena. “You do realize that everyone is going to notice this. Not just the factions, but the locals as well. Even assuming they miss the magnetic field, anyone who looks up is going to notice the moon moving further out.”
“Which is why I want you to get with Amanda and Charles and go over the shuttle I had them make today. You’ll be planetside tomorrow morning. I want you to raid the Compound.”
Rain looked confused. “But I thought….”
Maria certainly was. “What is going on? Serena told me you consider yourself the Royal Four’s Protector, what do you mean by that?”
“Just that, Maria. I have sworn to Protect the newest band of Royals and I shall. I doubt I will be able to place them on the throne. In fact I would advise against their trying at this time. Too chaotic.” Alex turned to Rain, “One of my charges has been captured by them. I want you to rescue her. And while you are there, gather as many of the children as you can. But Tess is not welcome here.”
“If you knew that you were going to do this, why did you argue with me?”
“Because I needed to know what you wanted, Rain. These children will be your responsibility. I needed to know if you wanted it enough.”
“Yes. Yes I do. They can help me in the Garden.”
Alex shrugged. “Maria, I will need you to go with them as well.”
“Me? Alex, I’m a sometime singer slash radio station manager. What could I possibly provide to you?”
“Stephanie is the second of the Royal Four I will be collecting. She needs you, her recent experiences are likely to have been… traumatic to say the least.”
Maria’s face flushed with anger. “Someone had hurt my little girl? What do I need to do.”
--------
Claudia
Claudia was a little tired as she followed her Uncle Michael through his base. He even let her heal some of the soldiers. The images she got when she healed them were a little scary, but it felt so good to help them. Even if it made her so very tired.
Michael walked through another door.
The man on the bed looked surprised to see her. “My Queen?”
A little boy left the bedside of the man and wrapped his arms around Michael. Michael lifted him up and began whispering into his ear. That must be her cousin Danny.
“Excuse me?”
“You must be Claudia, Max and Liz’s daughter. I can feel the Seal radiate off of you. You are the rightful Queen of Antar. My name is Trevor. It is an honor to meet you Your Majesty.”
Claudia looked up at Michael.
Michael just shrugged. “Can you heal him? He could be useful.”
Claudia walked over to Trevor and lay her hands on him. He felt different than the soldiers. Closer to how her family felt. “Is he one of us?”
“I guess so.” Michael turned to Trevor. “I am going to need you to protect the children while I rescue Stephanie.”
“You’ve found her?”
“Yes.”
Images flared through her mind as she healed Trevor. A man of complicated interests. But loyal to Michael. And now to her.
“I didn’t do such a good job last time.”
“This time you will have help. And we will be ready for anything.”
“I hope so.”
Claudia poured her power into Trevor’s many wounds and found herself growing light headed.
A frightened tech came in. “Sir, we have a problem.”
“Another attack?”
“No sir. It’s the Moon. It’s moving.”
Claudia began to feel dizzy as the last of her energy flooded into Trevor. She felt as her lids began to slide shut. She was so tired.
She couldn’t quite make out what the tech was telling Michael anymore. She felt as two arms lifted her up. She looked blearily up at Trevor.
And fell unconscious.
-------
Stephanie
Stephanie lay naked on the bed as they performed tests on her.
Tess had warned her what would happen, what they would do. But that still didn’t help the indignity of the whole process.
They were not treating her as a person. She was a dangerous human shaped animal to them. One they could get useful information out of.
Tess had warned her that they might torture her to find out information. But apparently they hadn’t bothered. They went straight for the physical tests.
And collected some of her eggs.
She wouldn’t have known what they were doing. But Tess had been frank with her, trying to steel her against what would be done to her.
Stephanie wished they would have let Tess be there to hold her hand. Or someone. Someone that treated her like a person. Who acknowledged her existence.
Or her right to exist.
Stephanie couldn’t stop the tears. She tried to hold them back, tried to be brave.
But this was too much.
And so Stephanie cried, not knowing the forces that were even now planning her rescue. Her rescue and vengeance on the group that had harmed her.
--------
Jimmy-
Jimmy lay back and watched Kyle play with Abby.
His father.
Somehow it seemed wrong to think of anyone other than Max as his real father. But Jimmy knew that they had not lied to him. That it was indeed the truth.
And that the day would come that he would be comfortable with it.
Besides it wasn’t his fault. He hadn’t known.
His mother on the other hand……..
He watched Abby. Something was about to happen to her. Exactly what he couldn’t quite see. That happened sometimes. Sometimes some of what he saw was masked by either random chance.
And he suspected that some people had a gift to hide themselves from his sight. Jimmy could confound Liz’s to some degree. It gave him a touch more freedom.
And he could see nothing about his Uncle Michael. Nothing that did not related directly to himself.
Kind of scary.
It was probably why he hadn’t realized how important Stephanie would be to him. He closed his eyes in pain. It would take her a long time to forget what those bastards were doing to her.
He personally didn’t bother hating the men who were harming a girl who he would consider a sister.
They would be dead. His family would see to it.
Even that was not fully clear. Something was clouding his sight on what exactly was going to happen. But in every vision he had, Stephanie was freed and the Compound was dust.
He felt rather than saw as Claudia was carried in. The silly girl had pushed herself to hard. It would be one of his jobs to keep her from killing herself to help others.
He loved his bossy older sister, but the girl needed to realize that she had limits. Selfless to the point of ridiculousness. Like her parents.
Jimmy closed his eyes in pain. There.
He had finally admitted it. Liz and Max were not his parents. Or rather not his only ones. But it hurt.
He opened his eyes and met Isabel’s standing across the room. Her gaze asked for forgiveness, but there was something odd about it. Like she wasn’t all there.
Jimmy didn’t understand it. And that worried him.
He would have spoken, would have called to her. Except there was an all but audible click in his head. The sound of a solid connection being formed. One that would last a life time.
And beyond.
He looked over at Abby. Who had stopped playing, a look of sublime joy on her young face. She patted Kyle on the arm and began to toddle over to Michael.
A Michael who held Danny. A very shocked but happy Danny.
“My God.”
“But they’re so young…..”
New lines of the future flashed through Jimmy’s brain. Poor Danny. Abby would lead him on a chase that would drive the poor stoic boy nuts. But in the end…..
Danny asked to be put down.
Abby reached over to grab his hand.
Danny took it and both of them wandered over to the couch.
Kyle just started chuckling.
Michael crossed his arms and said, “You have got to be kidding me.”
Trevor set down Claudia on an unoccupied couch. “The Evans curse, wouldn’t you say Liz.”
“Abby is only three.”
“And Max was nine. But trust me, from my studies, if he had met you earlier. It would have been the same.”
Jimmy smiled at Isabel, who seemed fully aware now. And she was beaming. Isabel believed fully in deathless true love. So would her husband.
A man who was not Kyle.
Why couldn’t he have a normal uncomplicated family?
Kyle noticed he was awake. And walked over to ruffle his hair and smile at him.
It didn’t matter in the end. Not really. His family was his family, complications and all.
And searching his real father’s face, he decided that it was a good thing.
-------
Liz-
Liz sat at a table with Michael and Isabel.
Kyle and Trevor were watching the kids.
Liz turned to Michael, “So do you have a plan to rescue Stephanie?”
“Yes, we’ve used some contacts in the government to discover the whereabouts of the Compound as it is called. Apparently Tess didn’t die. They’ve been using her to raise an army of psionic warriors.”
“I’m going.”
Michael looked at Liz. “I was hoping that you and Kyle would stay her to protect the kids.”
Isabel looked at Liz and nodded. “I would like to stay. I need to talk to Jimmy and, and I don’t want to go near Tess.”
“I would think you would be the first to be eager for vengeance on her.”
“I have given up on revenge. I will not become Lonnie. I’ve done so much Michael, please don’t ask this of me.”
Liz smiled as Michael looked over at Liz. “See? And no one is going to get through Kyle and Isabel. Trust me.”
“And why should I take you? Maybe having you here would make them even more safe.”
“I’m sure it would. But, I may not have Isabel’s firepower, but I can be very useful.”
A look of wonder passed across Isabel’s face. “She can Michael. I never would have believed it if I hadn’t experienced it myself.”
Michael glared at Liz, “If you are so good at predicting the future, how did Max get killed?”
Liz nodded, “There are some people I can not see or predict outside of what directly effects me. You are one of those people. Rath was likely another. Why do you think I never visit you? You shield everyone you care about too. The only reason I found Maria is because we had been friends for so long. And it was through her I could find Stephanie and the boys.”
“Can you find Stephanie now?”
“I can do better. Get me some paper and I can draw out detailed plans. Guard rotations, etc.”
Michael blinked.
Isabel just laughed softly. “Told you.”
Michael just shook his head and walked off to get some writing supplies for Liz.
Liz looked over at Isabel, “Thank you.”
“I really do need to talk with Jimmy. Ask for his forgiveness and, and try to make it up to him.”
“Please tread carefully. I know he seems tough, but he’s still just seven. Please don’t fight with Kyle over him.”
Isabel nodded sadly. “I promise. And I promise I will keep your kids safe.”
Liz just smiled. “I know you will. Just be yourself. Not the overpowered alien demigod, but just Isabel and everything will be okay.”
“I will. But if anyone comes calling…..”
“Smash’em flat.”
Isabel laughed and Liz joined her. It wasn’t really funny, but both of them needed something anything to break the winding tension that had slowly built up over the last few days since Maria’s death.
Michael returned with a laptop and some paper and pencils. He looked at both of them like they were crazy.
Liz got up and gave the man a hug. Michael was stiff but he softened after a moment. And began to sob on her shoulder.
“I miss her so much.”
And the pain of losing Max, never far from the surface, came to the fore. And both of them just held each other, trying to comfort the other for their loss.
She and Michael had never truly been close. There had always been a barrier there. Friends and allies, but never close.
But both of them had changed. And maybe it was time for that to change, too.
The moment passed and Michael began to dry his eyes. “Sorry about that.”
“No problem. If you need a shoulder to cry on, mine is always available. As long as you cover the dry cleaning costs.”
Michael snorted.
Liz smiled wanly up at him. “Okay, let’s figure out how to rescue your daughter…..”
chanks_girl- And you will find out more in future parts. Not much about it in this one however. Everyone is gearing up to recover Stephanie.
As for Maria, there is still so much she doesn't know. Kyle and Isabel.... It is a bit of a mess. Their old relationship will not survive. Kyle's trust has been broken. But they still care for each other.
keepsmiling7- Good things are coming. But not quite yet.
DeDe PR- Thanks.
Disclaimer- Roswell is not mine and no infringement is intended.
Unfinished Business part 12
Max-
Max opened his eyes and looked around. He was surrounded in some thick fluid a large and heavy cable attached to his navel.
He was in a pod. He looked at his hands. To see if this was some sort of dream or mockery of his past.
They were not small. They were the size her remembered them to be. The size they had been when he had killed Rath. Killed Rath and died.
I am dead.
Only I don’t feel dead. I feel alive. Tired. Exhausted but alive.
He closed his eyes and felt along the bond. Liz. The essence of Liz. It was there, strong as ever. But so very far away.
There was a rap on the outside of the pod.
It was Alex.
That was simply impossible. Alex was dead. Had been dead for years. Max had held the body, had tried to bring life back to him…..
And yet there he was standing outside the pod.
Go back to sleep. You’re not quite ready. Give it another day.
Max tried to speak, but his lungs were full of liquid. And those had not been spoken words.
How?
Sometimes your enemy repents of his actions, Max. Sometimes miracles do occur. They’re never free, but they are real.
Liz? The children?
They’re fine Max. Safe. Tim, you’d know him as Zan is here as well. He is the first of my charges. I will collecting the second in a day or two. But don’t worry your, children are under my protection as is Liz.
Your protection?
I swear to protect the Royal Four and their kin unto death. And beyond. Your generation failed Max. But the children’s Destiny can not be denied. Even Khivar understood that at the end. Now sleep. We will have much to discuss when you awaken.
No.
So. Many questions…..
But he could feel himself drift off. And dream.
--------
Maria
Maria was walking down the corridors with a mission. Serena was trailing behind It was hard to say whether or not the woman was wringing her hands over what Maria was about to do or if she was secretly amused.
The one time Maria looked back all Maria saw was a slightly amused but impassive face. She remembered seeing that look on Liz whenever she thought Maria was headed towards a fall but knew that Maria wouldn’t listen to her. Like the whole Aquabra incident.
In fact it was quite likely that Serena remembered that. Fascinating in one way, but creepy in another.
Maria shrugged and carried on. She had an Alex to find!
“Hey, wait up!” Tim caught up with them. “Is it dinner already?”
“Not quite. Maria is going to ask Alex about the Royal Four. Have anything to add.”
Tim got very quiet. “Supposedly I am one of them. That is why he saved me. Even though he, he hates my mother. If I weren‘t….” Tim shuddered.
Maria stopped and looked at Tim, who looked both ashamed and shaken. “You think he would have just let you die? Or is there more to your story?”
“There is more. But, but can I drop it? I really don’t like talking about it.”
“Okay. But someday, when you can, feel free to be honest with me. Don’t let it fester inside. I sometimes think that’s what happened to your mother. She had a world view and turned sour when it turned out it wasn’t what she’d been promised.”
Tim slowly nodded. “You should talk to Rain someday. Hear her side. Tess made so many mistakes. She remembers them.”
Maria swallowed. Hating Tess had been such a factor in her life for a long time. It had taken her years to truly let go of the hate.
But then Maria had thought the woman was dead. Now, knowing that she was alive. Well it confused her. So much of all of this confused her. Serena and Tim were nice. But she really wished she could talk this all out with Liz. Or better yet, with Michael.
“I’ll think about that. Come on, we need to find Alex.”
The three of them continued to walk along the pathway, past the pods. Another one was glowing.
Ava.
“Ava died?”
“We don’t have all the details yet. But apparently she sacrificed herself for Liz and her children.”
Maria could see Tim look longingly at the pod. Wishing it had been Ava who had bourn him most likely. “So Alex is bringing her back?”
“Yes.” Was all Serena said, eyes straight ahead.
The three of them stopped a room not far from the Garden. In face it had a large picture window. And there was a large table set for seven.
Alex and Rain were already in the room. Alex was impassive, looking stonily at Rain.
Rain on the other hand was impassioned. “…. Leaving them there is a crime, Alex. They are blameless! I could understand when we needed to remain hidden. But they are going to know that someone is here once you start the Plan.”
“She is not welcome here.”
“I understand you are still angry. That you can’t forgive Tess for what she had done…..”
“Rain, she destroyed my life. Just when everything was starting to get good, just when I had won her love….”
“You still love her. Even now.” Rain was beginning to cry. “Why? Why can’t I be enough?”
“It is who I am. I warned you that this day would come.”
“But I didn’t think it would hurt so much.”
Alex held her gently, kissing her softly on the forehead. “There will be someone for you, I promise. I won’t let you go through life alone.”
“Not even you can see that, love. I don’t know if I’ll ever…..”
“Hush.”
Maria started to feel a little uncomfortable about watching the scene, like she was interrupting something terribly personal.
Alex looked over Rain’s head and saw them. He was calm and unruffled. He gave Rain another kiss on the forehead. “Good you are here.”
Rain looked over her shoulder, her eyes blotchy from crying. She hugged Alex one more time before going over to hold Serena. “It looks like it’s just you and me babe.”
“He’s found her?” Serena’s voice was quiet, but there was a despairing note to it.
“Yes. And he plans on claiming her.”
Alex spoke up, “Soon. She needs me. I wish I hadn’t had to wait so long. She is so broken.”
“And what about us? Do you just sweep down and reclaim your old family and we are just tossed by the wayside?”
Maria could feel jealousy radiate off the woman. Some of it was directed at her. “What are you talking about?” And it dawned. “Isabel.”
“As long as we were in hiding I couldn’t go to her. But now. Now I can. Serena, you may begin the project.”
“Begin. You mean like start? Are you sure? I mean the calculations are good but what if I’m wrong and it causes calamities and disasters and…..”
“Didn’t you tell me you were ready the other night? Weren’t you demanding to ‘at least start the little stuff, like the mass injection’? The time for hiding is over. Start it up. All of it.”
Serena opened her mouth. And closed it. “All of it?”
Tim was jumping up and down, “This is going to be so cool.”
Rain looked at beamingly happy but startled Serena. “You do realize that everyone is going to notice this. Not just the factions, but the locals as well. Even assuming they miss the magnetic field, anyone who looks up is going to notice the moon moving further out.”
“Which is why I want you to get with Amanda and Charles and go over the shuttle I had them make today. You’ll be planetside tomorrow morning. I want you to raid the Compound.”
Rain looked confused. “But I thought….”
Maria certainly was. “What is going on? Serena told me you consider yourself the Royal Four’s Protector, what do you mean by that?”
“Just that, Maria. I have sworn to Protect the newest band of Royals and I shall. I doubt I will be able to place them on the throne. In fact I would advise against their trying at this time. Too chaotic.” Alex turned to Rain, “One of my charges has been captured by them. I want you to rescue her. And while you are there, gather as many of the children as you can. But Tess is not welcome here.”
“If you knew that you were going to do this, why did you argue with me?”
“Because I needed to know what you wanted, Rain. These children will be your responsibility. I needed to know if you wanted it enough.”
“Yes. Yes I do. They can help me in the Garden.”
Alex shrugged. “Maria, I will need you to go with them as well.”
“Me? Alex, I’m a sometime singer slash radio station manager. What could I possibly provide to you?”
“Stephanie is the second of the Royal Four I will be collecting. She needs you, her recent experiences are likely to have been… traumatic to say the least.”
Maria’s face flushed with anger. “Someone had hurt my little girl? What do I need to do.”
--------
Claudia
Claudia was a little tired as she followed her Uncle Michael through his base. He even let her heal some of the soldiers. The images she got when she healed them were a little scary, but it felt so good to help them. Even if it made her so very tired.
Michael walked through another door.
The man on the bed looked surprised to see her. “My Queen?”
A little boy left the bedside of the man and wrapped his arms around Michael. Michael lifted him up and began whispering into his ear. That must be her cousin Danny.
“Excuse me?”
“You must be Claudia, Max and Liz’s daughter. I can feel the Seal radiate off of you. You are the rightful Queen of Antar. My name is Trevor. It is an honor to meet you Your Majesty.”
Claudia looked up at Michael.
Michael just shrugged. “Can you heal him? He could be useful.”
Claudia walked over to Trevor and lay her hands on him. He felt different than the soldiers. Closer to how her family felt. “Is he one of us?”
“I guess so.” Michael turned to Trevor. “I am going to need you to protect the children while I rescue Stephanie.”
“You’ve found her?”
“Yes.”
Images flared through her mind as she healed Trevor. A man of complicated interests. But loyal to Michael. And now to her.
“I didn’t do such a good job last time.”
“This time you will have help. And we will be ready for anything.”
“I hope so.”
Claudia poured her power into Trevor’s many wounds and found herself growing light headed.
A frightened tech came in. “Sir, we have a problem.”
“Another attack?”
“No sir. It’s the Moon. It’s moving.”
Claudia began to feel dizzy as the last of her energy flooded into Trevor. She felt as her lids began to slide shut. She was so tired.
She couldn’t quite make out what the tech was telling Michael anymore. She felt as two arms lifted her up. She looked blearily up at Trevor.
And fell unconscious.
-------
Stephanie
Stephanie lay naked on the bed as they performed tests on her.
Tess had warned her what would happen, what they would do. But that still didn’t help the indignity of the whole process.
They were not treating her as a person. She was a dangerous human shaped animal to them. One they could get useful information out of.
Tess had warned her that they might torture her to find out information. But apparently they hadn’t bothered. They went straight for the physical tests.
And collected some of her eggs.
She wouldn’t have known what they were doing. But Tess had been frank with her, trying to steel her against what would be done to her.
Stephanie wished they would have let Tess be there to hold her hand. Or someone. Someone that treated her like a person. Who acknowledged her existence.
Or her right to exist.
Stephanie couldn’t stop the tears. She tried to hold them back, tried to be brave.
But this was too much.
And so Stephanie cried, not knowing the forces that were even now planning her rescue. Her rescue and vengeance on the group that had harmed her.
--------
Jimmy-
Jimmy lay back and watched Kyle play with Abby.
His father.
Somehow it seemed wrong to think of anyone other than Max as his real father. But Jimmy knew that they had not lied to him. That it was indeed the truth.
And that the day would come that he would be comfortable with it.
Besides it wasn’t his fault. He hadn’t known.
His mother on the other hand……..
He watched Abby. Something was about to happen to her. Exactly what he couldn’t quite see. That happened sometimes. Sometimes some of what he saw was masked by either random chance.
And he suspected that some people had a gift to hide themselves from his sight. Jimmy could confound Liz’s to some degree. It gave him a touch more freedom.
And he could see nothing about his Uncle Michael. Nothing that did not related directly to himself.
Kind of scary.
It was probably why he hadn’t realized how important Stephanie would be to him. He closed his eyes in pain. It would take her a long time to forget what those bastards were doing to her.
He personally didn’t bother hating the men who were harming a girl who he would consider a sister.
They would be dead. His family would see to it.
Even that was not fully clear. Something was clouding his sight on what exactly was going to happen. But in every vision he had, Stephanie was freed and the Compound was dust.
He felt rather than saw as Claudia was carried in. The silly girl had pushed herself to hard. It would be one of his jobs to keep her from killing herself to help others.
He loved his bossy older sister, but the girl needed to realize that she had limits. Selfless to the point of ridiculousness. Like her parents.
Jimmy closed his eyes in pain. There.
He had finally admitted it. Liz and Max were not his parents. Or rather not his only ones. But it hurt.
He opened his eyes and met Isabel’s standing across the room. Her gaze asked for forgiveness, but there was something odd about it. Like she wasn’t all there.
Jimmy didn’t understand it. And that worried him.
He would have spoken, would have called to her. Except there was an all but audible click in his head. The sound of a solid connection being formed. One that would last a life time.
And beyond.
He looked over at Abby. Who had stopped playing, a look of sublime joy on her young face. She patted Kyle on the arm and began to toddle over to Michael.
A Michael who held Danny. A very shocked but happy Danny.
“My God.”
“But they’re so young…..”
New lines of the future flashed through Jimmy’s brain. Poor Danny. Abby would lead him on a chase that would drive the poor stoic boy nuts. But in the end…..
Danny asked to be put down.
Abby reached over to grab his hand.
Danny took it and both of them wandered over to the couch.
Kyle just started chuckling.
Michael crossed his arms and said, “You have got to be kidding me.”
Trevor set down Claudia on an unoccupied couch. “The Evans curse, wouldn’t you say Liz.”
“Abby is only three.”
“And Max was nine. But trust me, from my studies, if he had met you earlier. It would have been the same.”
Jimmy smiled at Isabel, who seemed fully aware now. And she was beaming. Isabel believed fully in deathless true love. So would her husband.
A man who was not Kyle.
Why couldn’t he have a normal uncomplicated family?
Kyle noticed he was awake. And walked over to ruffle his hair and smile at him.
It didn’t matter in the end. Not really. His family was his family, complications and all.
And searching his real father’s face, he decided that it was a good thing.
-------
Liz-
Liz sat at a table with Michael and Isabel.
Kyle and Trevor were watching the kids.
Liz turned to Michael, “So do you have a plan to rescue Stephanie?”
“Yes, we’ve used some contacts in the government to discover the whereabouts of the Compound as it is called. Apparently Tess didn’t die. They’ve been using her to raise an army of psionic warriors.”
“I’m going.”
Michael looked at Liz. “I was hoping that you and Kyle would stay her to protect the kids.”
Isabel looked at Liz and nodded. “I would like to stay. I need to talk to Jimmy and, and I don’t want to go near Tess.”
“I would think you would be the first to be eager for vengeance on her.”
“I have given up on revenge. I will not become Lonnie. I’ve done so much Michael, please don’t ask this of me.”
Liz smiled as Michael looked over at Liz. “See? And no one is going to get through Kyle and Isabel. Trust me.”
“And why should I take you? Maybe having you here would make them even more safe.”
“I’m sure it would. But, I may not have Isabel’s firepower, but I can be very useful.”
A look of wonder passed across Isabel’s face. “She can Michael. I never would have believed it if I hadn’t experienced it myself.”
Michael glared at Liz, “If you are so good at predicting the future, how did Max get killed?”
Liz nodded, “There are some people I can not see or predict outside of what directly effects me. You are one of those people. Rath was likely another. Why do you think I never visit you? You shield everyone you care about too. The only reason I found Maria is because we had been friends for so long. And it was through her I could find Stephanie and the boys.”
“Can you find Stephanie now?”
“I can do better. Get me some paper and I can draw out detailed plans. Guard rotations, etc.”
Michael blinked.
Isabel just laughed softly. “Told you.”
Michael just shook his head and walked off to get some writing supplies for Liz.
Liz looked over at Isabel, “Thank you.”
“I really do need to talk with Jimmy. Ask for his forgiveness and, and try to make it up to him.”
“Please tread carefully. I know he seems tough, but he’s still just seven. Please don’t fight with Kyle over him.”
Isabel nodded sadly. “I promise. And I promise I will keep your kids safe.”
Liz just smiled. “I know you will. Just be yourself. Not the overpowered alien demigod, but just Isabel and everything will be okay.”
“I will. But if anyone comes calling…..”
“Smash’em flat.”
Isabel laughed and Liz joined her. It wasn’t really funny, but both of them needed something anything to break the winding tension that had slowly built up over the last few days since Maria’s death.
Michael returned with a laptop and some paper and pencils. He looked at both of them like they were crazy.
Liz got up and gave the man a hug. Michael was stiff but he softened after a moment. And began to sob on her shoulder.
“I miss her so much.”
And the pain of losing Max, never far from the surface, came to the fore. And both of them just held each other, trying to comfort the other for their loss.
She and Michael had never truly been close. There had always been a barrier there. Friends and allies, but never close.
But both of them had changed. And maybe it was time for that to change, too.
The moment passed and Michael began to dry his eyes. “Sorry about that.”
“No problem. If you need a shoulder to cry on, mine is always available. As long as you cover the dry cleaning costs.”
Michael snorted.
Liz smiled wanly up at him. “Okay, let’s figure out how to rescue your daughter…..”
Re: Unfinished Business (CC, Mature) Part 12 - 12/22/09
Thanks again to everyone reading this story.
chanks_girl- Thanks. Help for Stephanie is on the way. But there is a lot that is about to happen, and so its going to be split between this part and the next. Thanks for the well wishes, hope yours was spectacular as well.
Mary mary- Thanks. Hope your holidays were all the best. Help is on the way for Stephanie, from seveal corners.
DeDe PR- Thanks. Alex never stopped loving Isabel, but he has been living on the Moon for almost eight years. As for Abby, it is part of what I am calling the Evans' curse. All of Max's children will know at first sight their true love.
Disclaimer- Roswell is not mine and no infringement is intended.
Unfinished Business part 13
Stephanie-
How long she was experimented on, Stephanie wasn’t sure. And if she focused her mind just right, it didn’t hurt so much. She had spent much of her early life being the object of scientific study.
She was the first truly born hybrid after all.
Or so she had thought. Zan must have been first.
Funny she never would have thought of him had she not met his mother. Stephanie wandered what his life had been like. She really didn’t know. All she knew was what Tess had told her.
That Max had apparently given him up for adoption. And not directly through legal channels either. Their captors would have loved to have had him to experiment on, much like her father’s much kinder captors had experimented on her.
It wasn’t really the experiments that bothered her.
It was that they were treating her as an animal. A dangerous animal of uncertain temper and habits.
Stephanie was used to being treated like a person. Like a valued and special person whose potential gifts could bring true value to the human race. And she was considered human. A real human.
She had always wondered why her mother had always gotten nervous when she was given tests as a child. Now she knew.
Her parents had gotten lucky. She had gotten lucky.
From time to time she almost felt a presence hanging around her. With the drugs in her she couldn’t focus enough to sense more, but she sensed an dread anger.
Not focused at her. But at her captors.
Stephanie’s mother had always whispered to her that she had family and friends that would come for her if ever anything happened to her. Would move Heaven and Earth to save her. That her Aunts Liz or Isabel could find her anywhere.
She wasn’t sure which of her Aunts she was sensing. But she knew.
They were coming.
And her father. No drug could blind her to the connection she had held and cherished since birth. She could feel him get closer by the minute. Coming to save his Steffy.
Stephanie couldn’t help the smile that crossed her lips, despite the pain. Despite the embarrassment and the shame.
In her father’s parlance, these doctors were completely screwed.
And had it been just her father and her Aunts coming that would have been very true. But she could feel something special. Something she would have perhaps rationalized away if she were not drugged.
A bond that preexisted her father’s.
Her mother was coming.
-------
Perhaps the scientists wondered at Lab Experiment Theta Gamma One’s strange behavior. But then that was why they were studying it.
And they were excited at some of their preliminary findings, because while there were many basic similarities between the TG line and Alpha line there were also some very interesting differences.
The subject was completely undetectable to normal medical testing, testing like a human child. At the upper end of physical and mental capability, but almost human.
The other tests noted that the energies that she used were similar, but not the same as the Alpha line.
A possible breakthrough.
Of course, even if they had noted TG1’s behavior and wondered what it might be thinking. They certainly would not have considered that they would be attacked.
Or that every person in the compound over the age of thirteen had less than three hours to live.
--------
Liz-
Liz sat back and listened to the Osprey as it roared through the night.
There had been a time when she had feared these planes, they had figured in many a nightmare. A nightmare featuring a sudden attack on her home and family.
Funny how life could turn out, even for someone who had some ability to see the future.
No one ever seemed to realize how limited her gift really was. Useful yes, but sometimes just because you knew something might happen didn’t mean it would. Or wouldn’t.
Even now she knew that it was very likely that the FBI was moving on base that she had left her children at. Looking for Isabel and Kyle, but they wouldn’t mind using her babies as fodder for Special Unit experiments.
Liz had warned Isabel. She had off hand mentioned the possibility to the others, but she knew that they would over react if they knew. And that Isabel would make sure that their children were safe.
No matter the personal cost.
Liz closed her eyes. It would have been worse if she had stayed and Isabel had gone with Michael.
Both for the mission to save Stephanie and for her kids.
Liz had a good chance of dying either way. But this was one of those hard moments when you had to realize that another would be able to protect them better than you.
Liz had long since realized that she would often have to make the hard choices in her life, if only because she could see the results of what could happen.
“Are you alright, Liz?”
Liz opened her eyes and saw Michael. There had been a time when she had not realized the man’s true worth, had considered him a bad choice for her friend. But Maria had seen something inside of him that Liz had not. And Maria had seen true.
Michael was a good man. Not perfect, but who was.
“Just thinking how strange life can be.”
Michael smirked, “Yeah, I never expected to be a soldier. Not in this life.” His gaze turned serious. “I want to thank you for helping me plan this mission. If ever you need a job, I can definitely say that I am a believer.”
Liz closed her eyes again. Sometimes people’s belief in her weighed her down. All too often they only saw the success, and not the failure of when she was wrong. “Don’t thank me, I’m not infallible.”
“No one is. Do you want to talk about it?”
“Talk about what?”
“Max.”
Liz hissed in pain. “I didn’t see it coming. I really didn’t.”
“Does that happen often?”
“No. But my predictive ability is crankier than you know. It is personal. And some people block it.”
Michael’s voice was a little concerned, “Block it?”
Liz opened her eyes and looked at him, “Like you for instance. Why do you think I never visit you in projection when you were not with Maria?”
Michael shrugged. “I just thought you didn’t like me.”
Liz shook her head vigorously. “I can’t see you. I can’t predict you either. Or Rath. And it covers those you are near to and wish to protect.” Liz sighed. “I think that is why I didn’t sense the bomb earlier. Not until I could feel the effects on me.”
Michael’s voice was strained. “You could have saved her except for me?”
“Michael….” Liz sighed again, “It is complicated. The thing that everyone had a problem realizing is that my gift is personal. I only see the future from my stand point. The further away from what affects me and mine the blurrier it gets. And some of what I see is impossible.”
Michael absently wiped a single tear that had slipped through his stony façade. “Impossible how?”
Liz didn’t try to stop her own tears. “I still see Max giving Claudia away at her wedding. Maria is there too, making tear stains on your tux.”
“Liz, you are starting to worry me. I am placing a lot on your abilities here. Do they work or not?”
“They do, just lately…. Lately there have been a lot of strange things I have been seeing. Impossible things. Sitting on a porch swing, a beautiful green garden surrounding Max and I…. Staring up at the Earth. And I know it is the Earth, I can recognize the continents.” She gave a small embarrassed laugh. “Impossible. But I see them. And they grow clearer each day. But the details….. I can’t see them and I should be able to.” Liz shook her head, one hand wiping the tears from her face. “All I know is that the craziness starts when I hear that the Moon is moving from its orbit.”
Michael’s face became very pale. And he stared at her intently. Not worried in the same vein, but worried.
Very concerned.
“No really, Michael, I’m not cracking up. I’m okay, really.”
“You haven’t heard.”
“Heard what?”
“The Moon’s orbit is changing.”
Liz could only stare at him and listen to the sound of the engines as they took her ever closer to the Compound.
---------
Maria-
Maria tried to remain calm. Tim held one of her hands, Rain the other. Tim seemed as nervous as Maria was, but Rain, Rain seemed almost elated.
Alex had told her that she could claim any child under thirteen.
Amanda sat in the pilot seat with Charles operating a large amount of strange instruments.
Maria was going to save her daughter.
In a flying saucer.
And she had thought her life couldn’t get any stranger?
Maria also had something to give to Tess. Supposedly Tess would understand what the gift was.
It would be hard to see her, the real her. Because while Rain looked identical to her, Maria could attest that Rain was not Tess Harding. Tess had been all about Destiny, Rain was all about life.
Rain could remember killing Alex. Could remember so much of the fear and anxiety that had made Tess the villain that she had been. And had deliberately made herself not be like that. Not so much to be an anti-Tess, but to be someone completely different. A unique individual.
Somehow Maria thought Rain might have gone a little too far. She refused to wear shoes or boots even on a raid into an enemy compound.
Tim was sensibly armored. Why Alex thought it was important that he be along, Maria wasn’t sure. He was ordered to make sure that she and Stephanie were safe.
How Alex thought they would be safe in a compound full of scientists and soldiers with just the five of them, Maria wasn’t sure. But he seemed certain that they could handle it.
“We are not alone,” came Charles calm voice.
“What do you have?” asked Amanda.
“Four of the new Corsair UAV’s and a pair of F-22’s skulking about. They know we are up here.”
“Let them come.” Amanda turned to face them, “You folks might want to buckle up. Things are about to become a trifle… interesting.”
Maria closed her eyes. And concentrated on her daughter, on the bond that they shared.
They would save her. There simply was not other alternative.
-------
Kyle-
Kyle ran his hands through his hair. He hated this.
Sure, it made sense. If they were going to leave someone to hold off the Feds while the rest of them escaped, it almost certainly had to be Isabel.
Kyle was good, but his powers were defensive by nature. And Trevor apparently was only decent in a fight. He was not a combat god by any stretch of the imagination.
Isabel was ready to lay down her life for all of them. And that was what had him worried. Something had happened in the last day or so. She seemed… well broken was the wrong way to describe it. But like she had lost the savor in life.
Kyle had been afraid that his rejecting her alongside Jimmy had broken her. But when he apologized she had smiled and kissed him.
But their relationship was over. They both knew it. They would care for Jimmy, would be friends. But their days of being lovers was over.
Shame. She was damn good in bed.
His heart seized in pain as he thought of Ava. He had wasted so much time. And Ava would have taken anything she could have gotten from him. Would have shared him with Isabel.
Had in fact done that very thing.
That was one reason Isabel and Kyle were over. The realization that so much of Kyle’s needs had been catered to by Ava. Not the physical ones, but the emotional ones.
And he had never realized it.
Why was he always so damned blind when it came to women?
So he had made sure that everyone was buckled up and safe. Isabel would buy them time, but even she would have to withdraw at some point.
Withdraw or die.
Hopefully she would know that they would still need her. That this wasn’t the time to go out guns blazing.
They were two miles from the compound when he heard something that set his blood ice cold.
Claudia asked in a worried voice, “Where is Jimmy?”
“Didn’t he need to use the restroom? Check there.”
“The door was locked but he wasn’t there. We need to go back. We need to save my stupid brave brother before he gets himself hurt again.”
“We don’t have time. I’m sorry. But if I go back, we all will be captured. Or killed.”
Claudia, who had been so brave and tough back at the base. So strong for her siblings and cousin. Burst into tears.
Kyle wanted nothing more than to stop the car and hold her. Or better yet go back.
But he couldn’t. He had to protect his family.
His ever dwindling family.
He blinked away a tear. How long was this nightmare going to continue?
-------
Isabel-
Isabel had prepared her spot carefully.
The Feds would be prepared. Probably have riot gear, maybe some special weapons.
It would likely start with a gas barrage. Of course she could alter the chemical composition of the gas or even fling it away from her.
It never worked but they always tried. Same with those pesky flash bang grenades.
You would think they would learn.
Of course, she was still badly outnumbered, and she didn’t have Kyle’s shields to fall back on.
Liz had given her a fifty-fifty chance.
Only, Isabel did not fear death. Not any more. The opportunity to be reunited with Alex….
She almost relished the opportunity to die and join him.
Only the memory of Jimmy held her. She would do what she could to survive. But if she failed, it would not be so bad.
She was surprised by a soft voice behind her. “I am not going to let you die, Mom. Not now.”
“Jimmy!” Isabel’s eyes opened wide.
This was a complete disaster.
Jimmy coughed, still not fully recovered from his last brush with death. “You made me know you and love you. And I am not ready to let you go. Not even for him.”
“Jimmy! Why? Don’t you realize you could be killed!”
Isabel looked into the too wise and seeing eyes of her son. He smiled wryly at her.
“Trust me, I know the risks. But I have faith in you. If you want me to be safe, you will have to live.”
“Oh, Jimmy…..” Isabel held onto her son tightly. For what might be the last time.
No. No she would not let it be the last time.
The confidence that long supported her filled her now.
Death was something to happened to other people. To her enemies. Today was different in that she would let them run away. She wouldn’t hunt them down and destroy them all.
Not like she used to.
But if anything happened to her son……
The air began to fill with energy.
Jimmy hugged her tightly back. “That’s the spirit mom. I just wish I could help you. Some day…. But right now all I can do is see.”
“Can you project like Liz?”
Jimmy shook his head. “No. But I can see the future.”
Isabel looked down at her small son. Isabel could remember all the trouble, read fun, she had gotten into with her dream walking. What could she have done if she could see the future as a child.
“You are going to be a handful.”
“You are going to be thankful for Liz’s help. Won’t stop me from getting my way, but well we’ll get to that later. Now you need to save us.”
Isabel shook her head and looked around for a place for Jimmy to hide and be reasonably safe. She thought of something. “Jimmy can you link to me, like Liz did?”
Jimmy’s smile was genuine. “Thought you would never ask.” Their eyes met and they connected.
And that sense of godlike knowledge flowed into her.
They would never know what hit them. “Jimmy stay close to me.” The Feds would never expect her to attack…..
chanks_girl- Thanks. Help for Stephanie is on the way. But there is a lot that is about to happen, and so its going to be split between this part and the next. Thanks for the well wishes, hope yours was spectacular as well.
Mary mary- Thanks. Hope your holidays were all the best. Help is on the way for Stephanie, from seveal corners.
DeDe PR- Thanks. Alex never stopped loving Isabel, but he has been living on the Moon for almost eight years. As for Abby, it is part of what I am calling the Evans' curse. All of Max's children will know at first sight their true love.
Disclaimer- Roswell is not mine and no infringement is intended.
Unfinished Business part 13
Stephanie-
How long she was experimented on, Stephanie wasn’t sure. And if she focused her mind just right, it didn’t hurt so much. She had spent much of her early life being the object of scientific study.
She was the first truly born hybrid after all.
Or so she had thought. Zan must have been first.
Funny she never would have thought of him had she not met his mother. Stephanie wandered what his life had been like. She really didn’t know. All she knew was what Tess had told her.
That Max had apparently given him up for adoption. And not directly through legal channels either. Their captors would have loved to have had him to experiment on, much like her father’s much kinder captors had experimented on her.
It wasn’t really the experiments that bothered her.
It was that they were treating her as an animal. A dangerous animal of uncertain temper and habits.
Stephanie was used to being treated like a person. Like a valued and special person whose potential gifts could bring true value to the human race. And she was considered human. A real human.
She had always wondered why her mother had always gotten nervous when she was given tests as a child. Now she knew.
Her parents had gotten lucky. She had gotten lucky.
From time to time she almost felt a presence hanging around her. With the drugs in her she couldn’t focus enough to sense more, but she sensed an dread anger.
Not focused at her. But at her captors.
Stephanie’s mother had always whispered to her that she had family and friends that would come for her if ever anything happened to her. Would move Heaven and Earth to save her. That her Aunts Liz or Isabel could find her anywhere.
She wasn’t sure which of her Aunts she was sensing. But she knew.
They were coming.
And her father. No drug could blind her to the connection she had held and cherished since birth. She could feel him get closer by the minute. Coming to save his Steffy.
Stephanie couldn’t help the smile that crossed her lips, despite the pain. Despite the embarrassment and the shame.
In her father’s parlance, these doctors were completely screwed.
And had it been just her father and her Aunts coming that would have been very true. But she could feel something special. Something she would have perhaps rationalized away if she were not drugged.
A bond that preexisted her father’s.
Her mother was coming.
-------
Perhaps the scientists wondered at Lab Experiment Theta Gamma One’s strange behavior. But then that was why they were studying it.
And they were excited at some of their preliminary findings, because while there were many basic similarities between the TG line and Alpha line there were also some very interesting differences.
The subject was completely undetectable to normal medical testing, testing like a human child. At the upper end of physical and mental capability, but almost human.
The other tests noted that the energies that she used were similar, but not the same as the Alpha line.
A possible breakthrough.
Of course, even if they had noted TG1’s behavior and wondered what it might be thinking. They certainly would not have considered that they would be attacked.
Or that every person in the compound over the age of thirteen had less than three hours to live.
--------
Liz-
Liz sat back and listened to the Osprey as it roared through the night.
There had been a time when she had feared these planes, they had figured in many a nightmare. A nightmare featuring a sudden attack on her home and family.
Funny how life could turn out, even for someone who had some ability to see the future.
No one ever seemed to realize how limited her gift really was. Useful yes, but sometimes just because you knew something might happen didn’t mean it would. Or wouldn’t.
Even now she knew that it was very likely that the FBI was moving on base that she had left her children at. Looking for Isabel and Kyle, but they wouldn’t mind using her babies as fodder for Special Unit experiments.
Liz had warned Isabel. She had off hand mentioned the possibility to the others, but she knew that they would over react if they knew. And that Isabel would make sure that their children were safe.
No matter the personal cost.
Liz closed her eyes. It would have been worse if she had stayed and Isabel had gone with Michael.
Both for the mission to save Stephanie and for her kids.
Liz had a good chance of dying either way. But this was one of those hard moments when you had to realize that another would be able to protect them better than you.
Liz had long since realized that she would often have to make the hard choices in her life, if only because she could see the results of what could happen.
“Are you alright, Liz?”
Liz opened her eyes and saw Michael. There had been a time when she had not realized the man’s true worth, had considered him a bad choice for her friend. But Maria had seen something inside of him that Liz had not. And Maria had seen true.
Michael was a good man. Not perfect, but who was.
“Just thinking how strange life can be.”
Michael smirked, “Yeah, I never expected to be a soldier. Not in this life.” His gaze turned serious. “I want to thank you for helping me plan this mission. If ever you need a job, I can definitely say that I am a believer.”
Liz closed her eyes again. Sometimes people’s belief in her weighed her down. All too often they only saw the success, and not the failure of when she was wrong. “Don’t thank me, I’m not infallible.”
“No one is. Do you want to talk about it?”
“Talk about what?”
“Max.”
Liz hissed in pain. “I didn’t see it coming. I really didn’t.”
“Does that happen often?”
“No. But my predictive ability is crankier than you know. It is personal. And some people block it.”
Michael’s voice was a little concerned, “Block it?”
Liz opened her eyes and looked at him, “Like you for instance. Why do you think I never visit you in projection when you were not with Maria?”
Michael shrugged. “I just thought you didn’t like me.”
Liz shook her head vigorously. “I can’t see you. I can’t predict you either. Or Rath. And it covers those you are near to and wish to protect.” Liz sighed. “I think that is why I didn’t sense the bomb earlier. Not until I could feel the effects on me.”
Michael’s voice was strained. “You could have saved her except for me?”
“Michael….” Liz sighed again, “It is complicated. The thing that everyone had a problem realizing is that my gift is personal. I only see the future from my stand point. The further away from what affects me and mine the blurrier it gets. And some of what I see is impossible.”
Michael absently wiped a single tear that had slipped through his stony façade. “Impossible how?”
Liz didn’t try to stop her own tears. “I still see Max giving Claudia away at her wedding. Maria is there too, making tear stains on your tux.”
“Liz, you are starting to worry me. I am placing a lot on your abilities here. Do they work or not?”
“They do, just lately…. Lately there have been a lot of strange things I have been seeing. Impossible things. Sitting on a porch swing, a beautiful green garden surrounding Max and I…. Staring up at the Earth. And I know it is the Earth, I can recognize the continents.” She gave a small embarrassed laugh. “Impossible. But I see them. And they grow clearer each day. But the details….. I can’t see them and I should be able to.” Liz shook her head, one hand wiping the tears from her face. “All I know is that the craziness starts when I hear that the Moon is moving from its orbit.”
Michael’s face became very pale. And he stared at her intently. Not worried in the same vein, but worried.
Very concerned.
“No really, Michael, I’m not cracking up. I’m okay, really.”
“You haven’t heard.”
“Heard what?”
“The Moon’s orbit is changing.”
Liz could only stare at him and listen to the sound of the engines as they took her ever closer to the Compound.
---------
Maria-
Maria tried to remain calm. Tim held one of her hands, Rain the other. Tim seemed as nervous as Maria was, but Rain, Rain seemed almost elated.
Alex had told her that she could claim any child under thirteen.
Amanda sat in the pilot seat with Charles operating a large amount of strange instruments.
Maria was going to save her daughter.
In a flying saucer.
And she had thought her life couldn’t get any stranger?
Maria also had something to give to Tess. Supposedly Tess would understand what the gift was.
It would be hard to see her, the real her. Because while Rain looked identical to her, Maria could attest that Rain was not Tess Harding. Tess had been all about Destiny, Rain was all about life.
Rain could remember killing Alex. Could remember so much of the fear and anxiety that had made Tess the villain that she had been. And had deliberately made herself not be like that. Not so much to be an anti-Tess, but to be someone completely different. A unique individual.
Somehow Maria thought Rain might have gone a little too far. She refused to wear shoes or boots even on a raid into an enemy compound.
Tim was sensibly armored. Why Alex thought it was important that he be along, Maria wasn’t sure. He was ordered to make sure that she and Stephanie were safe.
How Alex thought they would be safe in a compound full of scientists and soldiers with just the five of them, Maria wasn’t sure. But he seemed certain that they could handle it.
“We are not alone,” came Charles calm voice.
“What do you have?” asked Amanda.
“Four of the new Corsair UAV’s and a pair of F-22’s skulking about. They know we are up here.”
“Let them come.” Amanda turned to face them, “You folks might want to buckle up. Things are about to become a trifle… interesting.”
Maria closed her eyes. And concentrated on her daughter, on the bond that they shared.
They would save her. There simply was not other alternative.
-------
Kyle-
Kyle ran his hands through his hair. He hated this.
Sure, it made sense. If they were going to leave someone to hold off the Feds while the rest of them escaped, it almost certainly had to be Isabel.
Kyle was good, but his powers were defensive by nature. And Trevor apparently was only decent in a fight. He was not a combat god by any stretch of the imagination.
Isabel was ready to lay down her life for all of them. And that was what had him worried. Something had happened in the last day or so. She seemed… well broken was the wrong way to describe it. But like she had lost the savor in life.
Kyle had been afraid that his rejecting her alongside Jimmy had broken her. But when he apologized she had smiled and kissed him.
But their relationship was over. They both knew it. They would care for Jimmy, would be friends. But their days of being lovers was over.
Shame. She was damn good in bed.
His heart seized in pain as he thought of Ava. He had wasted so much time. And Ava would have taken anything she could have gotten from him. Would have shared him with Isabel.
Had in fact done that very thing.
That was one reason Isabel and Kyle were over. The realization that so much of Kyle’s needs had been catered to by Ava. Not the physical ones, but the emotional ones.
And he had never realized it.
Why was he always so damned blind when it came to women?
So he had made sure that everyone was buckled up and safe. Isabel would buy them time, but even she would have to withdraw at some point.
Withdraw or die.
Hopefully she would know that they would still need her. That this wasn’t the time to go out guns blazing.
They were two miles from the compound when he heard something that set his blood ice cold.
Claudia asked in a worried voice, “Where is Jimmy?”
“Didn’t he need to use the restroom? Check there.”
“The door was locked but he wasn’t there. We need to go back. We need to save my stupid brave brother before he gets himself hurt again.”
“We don’t have time. I’m sorry. But if I go back, we all will be captured. Or killed.”
Claudia, who had been so brave and tough back at the base. So strong for her siblings and cousin. Burst into tears.
Kyle wanted nothing more than to stop the car and hold her. Or better yet go back.
But he couldn’t. He had to protect his family.
His ever dwindling family.
He blinked away a tear. How long was this nightmare going to continue?
-------
Isabel-
Isabel had prepared her spot carefully.
The Feds would be prepared. Probably have riot gear, maybe some special weapons.
It would likely start with a gas barrage. Of course she could alter the chemical composition of the gas or even fling it away from her.
It never worked but they always tried. Same with those pesky flash bang grenades.
You would think they would learn.
Of course, she was still badly outnumbered, and she didn’t have Kyle’s shields to fall back on.
Liz had given her a fifty-fifty chance.
Only, Isabel did not fear death. Not any more. The opportunity to be reunited with Alex….
She almost relished the opportunity to die and join him.
Only the memory of Jimmy held her. She would do what she could to survive. But if she failed, it would not be so bad.
She was surprised by a soft voice behind her. “I am not going to let you die, Mom. Not now.”
“Jimmy!” Isabel’s eyes opened wide.
This was a complete disaster.
Jimmy coughed, still not fully recovered from his last brush with death. “You made me know you and love you. And I am not ready to let you go. Not even for him.”
“Jimmy! Why? Don’t you realize you could be killed!”
Isabel looked into the too wise and seeing eyes of her son. He smiled wryly at her.
“Trust me, I know the risks. But I have faith in you. If you want me to be safe, you will have to live.”
“Oh, Jimmy…..” Isabel held onto her son tightly. For what might be the last time.
No. No she would not let it be the last time.
The confidence that long supported her filled her now.
Death was something to happened to other people. To her enemies. Today was different in that she would let them run away. She wouldn’t hunt them down and destroy them all.
Not like she used to.
But if anything happened to her son……
The air began to fill with energy.
Jimmy hugged her tightly back. “That’s the spirit mom. I just wish I could help you. Some day…. But right now all I can do is see.”
“Can you project like Liz?”
Jimmy shook his head. “No. But I can see the future.”
Isabel looked down at her small son. Isabel could remember all the trouble, read fun, she had gotten into with her dream walking. What could she have done if she could see the future as a child.
“You are going to be a handful.”
“You are going to be thankful for Liz’s help. Won’t stop me from getting my way, but well we’ll get to that later. Now you need to save us.”
Isabel shook her head and looked around for a place for Jimmy to hide and be reasonably safe. She thought of something. “Jimmy can you link to me, like Liz did?”
Jimmy’s smile was genuine. “Thought you would never ask.” Their eyes met and they connected.
And that sense of godlike knowledge flowed into her.
They would never know what hit them. “Jimmy stay close to me.” The Feds would never expect her to attack…..
Re: Unfinished Business (CC, Mature) Part 13 - 01/06/10
Thanks again to all those following along this story. Thanks for all the nominations and the runner ups for my various stories. I'll need to do a fuller acounting of what i got, but its really late here and I need my sleep. Sorry. But thank you!
DeDe PR- Thanks. Jimmy stayed because if he didn't Isabel would probably have gotten herself killed. Maternal instinct would prevent that. To save Jimmy, she has to save herself.....
mary mary- Thanks. There is, but its the sort of thing that would look good on the big screen, but gets tedious in a story. So we won't be seeing much of it.
begonia9508- Thanks
keepsmiling7- Thanks. Serena is making the Moon terraformable. It's complicated, and I'm sure that Serena will tell someone the details at some point. Please PM me if you want the details.
Disclaimer- Roswell is not mine and no infringment is intended.
Unfinished Business part 14
Liz-
Liz stared at Michael. What could it mean if the Moon was truly moving? “Michael, please tell me you are kidding. That this is some kind of sick joke.”
Michael’s face was still bearing a hint of shock, although that was disappearing behind the wall he usually hid his emotions behind. “No. The Moon is really moving. Its orbit is shifting and we don’t know why. Dr. Preston was going up to the Hill to give some testimony about the reality of alien involvement. Seems silly to hide it. I mean, everyone can see the Moon looking smaller.”
“But, Michael, the tides, the weather, this could effect everything! My God, if they are this strong, how can we protect ourselves?”
“We just do what we can, Liz. There’s nothing else we can do. And if worse comes to worse, we go down swinging.
A series of sharp flashes ran before her eyes. She didn’t completely understand them, but…. “Michael, we need to land. Right now.”
“Liz we are close, only around twenty miles…..”
“We won’t make it. Something is coming. Coming for Stephanie.”
“Then we have to hurry then!”
“Michael, if we don’t land in the next couple minutes I will cause a short in the plane and force us to land. If we don’t….. Michael, I only see blankness. Blankness Michael. Death. So we land the plane.”
“How long do we have?”
“One minute. Maybe two. No more than that.”
Michael tapped his comm, “Pilot, we need an alternate landing in sixty seconds. Get us as close as you can in that time without getting us killed. And then get us down.”
Liz did not hear the reply. But Michael’s face turned grim. “Well?”
“He’ll do it. Apparently there are some planes above us. And their dog fighting something. Something that is invisible to us.”
There was a loud boom and a huge flash not more than a mile distant. A plane crash.
Liz looked at Michael.
He simply looked at her stoically. “I guess the war has begun. That was one of ours. Well the Air Forces anyway.”
“What do we do?”
“We land and get my daughter. And then we try to find a way to save the world.”
The Osprey landed in an opening in the tree cover.
Liz consulted her tactical GPS. About three miles from the hidden Compound. Well within its defense perimeter. Already she could sense probabilities branching where the local defense force captured or killed them. Or was killed in return.
But what scared her most was the growing likelihood that they would not be intercepted.
There was a loud rumble above her. Her mouth dropped completely open.
It was a flying saucer. Well sort of. It looked more like a highly rounded flying wing. But unlike any of the planes Liz had ever seen, it had no visible engines.
Liz looked over at Michael. He shrugged, “That is what they look like…..”
He might have said something else. But it didn’t matter. A wave of green washed over everything.
A familiar wave of green.
All the humans suddenly disappeared. Wiped out once more by some arcane alien device.
Michael nodded. “Let’s go.”
Liz closed her eyes and said a couple quick prayers for her dead husband and her very living children.
And they left to tackle the Compound alone.
--------
Stephanie-
Stephanie could feel most of the weirdness from the drugs they had given her begin to fade. Still she clung to the warmth of Tess’s motherly embrace.
She looked up at Tess and whispered, “They are coming.”
“Who is coming dear?”
“Both of them. They are so strong, so very strong. Why do they feel so strong? Mommy? Daddy? Where are you? I need you? I…..”
Suddenly she was there. She could see her father and Liz cautiously approach the Compound. And she also saw her mother and some others getting out of what could only be a Hollywood prop version of some space craft.
And then she was back in her own body. She blinked back tears.
She had always wished for special powers, to be like her dad. Now she was not so sure. She was starting to get scared.
She wanted to go home.
She shuddered for a moment in Tess’s warm arms. And then stiffened. She wasn’t some small child.
She was twelve. She needed to pull herself together and help out.
So she tried to still her shuddering and looked up at Tess. “We need to gather all your kids. We are getting out of here. Something wiped out the humans. And whatever they were jamming us with…..”
Tess smiled, “Yes. Yes. I can feel it come back to me. Come on, we need to hurry. Some of my older kids won’t want to go. Some of them…..” Tess turned away.
“We’ll save all we can.” Stephanie looked at the door holding them in. It represented so much of how they had treated her, had treated Tess and her children.
Stephanie raised on hand and the door was gone. “Let’s go.”
She raced in one direction. She heard Tess give directions to the little kids in the room they had been in.
It felt so good be free. She was cautious, but it seemed as if all the normal humans were gone.
“You are mine. They promised I could have you.”
Stephanie looked over and saw a thirteen year old. He had Tess’s blond hair, but the eyes were grey and cold. She could feel a slight connection, as if he were something similar to what she needed, but not quite. “I own myself, so don’t get ahead of yourself buster.”
He just smiled and their eyes locked. She felt in horror as his mind rushed into hers and started to take control…..
“I didn’t get to see you that well while you were on the table. Why don’t you strip for me.”
“Please…..”
“Not so brave now are you girl.”
She fought against him, but he was too strong. With training he would never have stood a chance. But he was trained to mind warp and she had no real training at all.
Stephanie began to tear up as her hands reached the bottom of her shirt and began to pull it up.
Another voice sounding similar to the first boy said, “Leave the girl alone.”
“And who the hell do you think you are? The King of Antar?”
“Almost.”
Suddenly she felt as the first boy released her. She shivered and lowered her shirt back down. She watched as both boys squared off. The didn’t move one muscle, just locked eyes. But she could feel massive force passing between them.
She struck the first boy hard with a blast to the head, and watched with a smile as he crumpled to the ground. She turned to face the second boy. Her green eyes met his soft warm brown and she took a step back at the immense weight of emotion that flowed into her.
The sort when two minds meet and say MINE!
The Evans curse had struck again.
--------
Kyle-
Kyle adjusted the mirror. Checking just to be sure. “I think we lost them.”
“Good job.”
“Hey, it’s what I’ve been doing for a living.” Kyle switched the subject, “How is Claudia?”
Trevor said, “She’s pretty broken up. She loves that little guy.”
“Yeah, so do I. What could he have been thinking?”
“I don’t know. And Kyle?”
“What?”
“I am so sorry.”
Kyle felt something hit him and blackness.
---------
Maria
Maria was walking down the corridors searching for Stephanie. Her daughter was close and…. She caught sight of familiar blonde head. Maria made to call out to Rain, but something stopped her.
This one was wearing shoes.
Rain never wore shoes. Never.
Maria felt a shiver of fear rush through her. Tess. She was looking at Tess.
Tess looked at her. And blinked hard. “She said you were here, but then she also said you were dead.”
“Where is Stephanie?”
Tess’s voice was soft. “She was gathering up my children. I know you probably won’t help me, but my kids are innocent. The younger ones anyway. The older ones.” Tess’s eyes clenched in pain.
Maria had never expected to feel so much sympathy for the woman who was responsible for so much that had gone wrong in her life. But to watch your children turned into weapons….
Tess misunderstood her silence. She fell to her knees. “Please! You can do what you like with me, just save them!”
Maria walked over and offered a hand to Tess, “Get up and help me find my daughter. And of course we can take your children.”
Another voice filled in from the shadows, “But you are not welcome. Sorry, my sister.” Rain walked softly into the room. “I promise that I shall care for them like they were my own.”
Tess looked at Rain in confusion, “Ava? No, you feel… different.”
Rain’s smile was sad and soft, “You may call me Rain. Do you know where Stephanie is?”
“Mom?” came a shocked female voice.
Followed by an equally stunned male voice, “Mother?”
Maria looked over and saw Stephanie and Tim walking into the corridor hand in hand. Wonder on both of their faces. They looked at each other….. There was something there, something she would have to quiz Stephanie about later.
It uncomfortably reminded her of Liz and Max.
But after their quick soul gaze they ran into the arms of their waiting parent.
And did something she feared she would never do again, something this whole nightmare seemed to conspire to deny…..
She held her little baby again.
And life was good.
---------
Max-
Max felt pain. Lots and lots of pain.
There was bright and confusing light everywhere.
He had been pulled from a warm comforting dream, and from the pod that had recovered and sustained him. He felt a sharp pain as the umbilical cord was severed.
He began to flop around as his lungs suddenly scavenged for air, as he felt bereft.
“Alex, he is not ready! You said it yourself, he needs another twelve hours maybe a day.”
“We don’t have a choice. Someone needs to fetch Claudia. Everyone else is out of place.”
“I could go!”
“Serena, you can’t leave. If you’re calculations are off just a little, our little stunt with the Moon could cause untold misery on Earth. No, you need to stay.”
“Then what about you? What about you tough guy? Always willing to send the others but not willing to go yourself…..”
“That will be enough. I know that you are mad that I sent Tim and Maria with the others to save Stephanie. But you will have to trust me that I know what I am doing.”
“Do I have choice?”
“Not really. And I can’t leave for reasons similar to those that keep you here. That just leaves Max.”
“But how will Max know what to do? He’s never piloted a ship before.”
“No, but Zan has. And he is Zan reborn.”
“This is insane.”
“Its our only hope….. Do you hear me, Max? Your daughter is depending on you. You need to use your gifts on yourself so that I can tell you what you need to do.”
And Max felt himself drift and his consciousness was no longer strong enough to listen in.
But he could feel them. Could feel his family, so far away.
They needed him.
He had failed his family once, failed them badly. He would not fail them again.
And the flashes began.
DeDe PR- Thanks. Jimmy stayed because if he didn't Isabel would probably have gotten herself killed. Maternal instinct would prevent that. To save Jimmy, she has to save herself.....
mary mary- Thanks. There is, but its the sort of thing that would look good on the big screen, but gets tedious in a story. So we won't be seeing much of it.
begonia9508- Thanks
keepsmiling7- Thanks. Serena is making the Moon terraformable. It's complicated, and I'm sure that Serena will tell someone the details at some point. Please PM me if you want the details.
Disclaimer- Roswell is not mine and no infringment is intended.
Unfinished Business part 14
Liz-
Liz stared at Michael. What could it mean if the Moon was truly moving? “Michael, please tell me you are kidding. That this is some kind of sick joke.”
Michael’s face was still bearing a hint of shock, although that was disappearing behind the wall he usually hid his emotions behind. “No. The Moon is really moving. Its orbit is shifting and we don’t know why. Dr. Preston was going up to the Hill to give some testimony about the reality of alien involvement. Seems silly to hide it. I mean, everyone can see the Moon looking smaller.”
“But, Michael, the tides, the weather, this could effect everything! My God, if they are this strong, how can we protect ourselves?”
“We just do what we can, Liz. There’s nothing else we can do. And if worse comes to worse, we go down swinging.
A series of sharp flashes ran before her eyes. She didn’t completely understand them, but…. “Michael, we need to land. Right now.”
“Liz we are close, only around twenty miles…..”
“We won’t make it. Something is coming. Coming for Stephanie.”
“Then we have to hurry then!”
“Michael, if we don’t land in the next couple minutes I will cause a short in the plane and force us to land. If we don’t….. Michael, I only see blankness. Blankness Michael. Death. So we land the plane.”
“How long do we have?”
“One minute. Maybe two. No more than that.”
Michael tapped his comm, “Pilot, we need an alternate landing in sixty seconds. Get us as close as you can in that time without getting us killed. And then get us down.”
Liz did not hear the reply. But Michael’s face turned grim. “Well?”
“He’ll do it. Apparently there are some planes above us. And their dog fighting something. Something that is invisible to us.”
There was a loud boom and a huge flash not more than a mile distant. A plane crash.
Liz looked at Michael.
He simply looked at her stoically. “I guess the war has begun. That was one of ours. Well the Air Forces anyway.”
“What do we do?”
“We land and get my daughter. And then we try to find a way to save the world.”
The Osprey landed in an opening in the tree cover.
Liz consulted her tactical GPS. About three miles from the hidden Compound. Well within its defense perimeter. Already she could sense probabilities branching where the local defense force captured or killed them. Or was killed in return.
But what scared her most was the growing likelihood that they would not be intercepted.
There was a loud rumble above her. Her mouth dropped completely open.
It was a flying saucer. Well sort of. It looked more like a highly rounded flying wing. But unlike any of the planes Liz had ever seen, it had no visible engines.
Liz looked over at Michael. He shrugged, “That is what they look like…..”
He might have said something else. But it didn’t matter. A wave of green washed over everything.
A familiar wave of green.
All the humans suddenly disappeared. Wiped out once more by some arcane alien device.
Michael nodded. “Let’s go.”
Liz closed her eyes and said a couple quick prayers for her dead husband and her very living children.
And they left to tackle the Compound alone.
--------
Stephanie-
Stephanie could feel most of the weirdness from the drugs they had given her begin to fade. Still she clung to the warmth of Tess’s motherly embrace.
She looked up at Tess and whispered, “They are coming.”
“Who is coming dear?”
“Both of them. They are so strong, so very strong. Why do they feel so strong? Mommy? Daddy? Where are you? I need you? I…..”
Suddenly she was there. She could see her father and Liz cautiously approach the Compound. And she also saw her mother and some others getting out of what could only be a Hollywood prop version of some space craft.
And then she was back in her own body. She blinked back tears.
She had always wished for special powers, to be like her dad. Now she was not so sure. She was starting to get scared.
She wanted to go home.
She shuddered for a moment in Tess’s warm arms. And then stiffened. She wasn’t some small child.
She was twelve. She needed to pull herself together and help out.
So she tried to still her shuddering and looked up at Tess. “We need to gather all your kids. We are getting out of here. Something wiped out the humans. And whatever they were jamming us with…..”
Tess smiled, “Yes. Yes. I can feel it come back to me. Come on, we need to hurry. Some of my older kids won’t want to go. Some of them…..” Tess turned away.
“We’ll save all we can.” Stephanie looked at the door holding them in. It represented so much of how they had treated her, had treated Tess and her children.
Stephanie raised on hand and the door was gone. “Let’s go.”
She raced in one direction. She heard Tess give directions to the little kids in the room they had been in.
It felt so good be free. She was cautious, but it seemed as if all the normal humans were gone.
“You are mine. They promised I could have you.”
Stephanie looked over and saw a thirteen year old. He had Tess’s blond hair, but the eyes were grey and cold. She could feel a slight connection, as if he were something similar to what she needed, but not quite. “I own myself, so don’t get ahead of yourself buster.”
He just smiled and their eyes locked. She felt in horror as his mind rushed into hers and started to take control…..
“I didn’t get to see you that well while you were on the table. Why don’t you strip for me.”
“Please…..”
“Not so brave now are you girl.”
She fought against him, but he was too strong. With training he would never have stood a chance. But he was trained to mind warp and she had no real training at all.
Stephanie began to tear up as her hands reached the bottom of her shirt and began to pull it up.
Another voice sounding similar to the first boy said, “Leave the girl alone.”
“And who the hell do you think you are? The King of Antar?”
“Almost.”
Suddenly she felt as the first boy released her. She shivered and lowered her shirt back down. She watched as both boys squared off. The didn’t move one muscle, just locked eyes. But she could feel massive force passing between them.
She struck the first boy hard with a blast to the head, and watched with a smile as he crumpled to the ground. She turned to face the second boy. Her green eyes met his soft warm brown and she took a step back at the immense weight of emotion that flowed into her.
The sort when two minds meet and say MINE!
The Evans curse had struck again.
--------
Kyle-
Kyle adjusted the mirror. Checking just to be sure. “I think we lost them.”
“Good job.”
“Hey, it’s what I’ve been doing for a living.” Kyle switched the subject, “How is Claudia?”
Trevor said, “She’s pretty broken up. She loves that little guy.”
“Yeah, so do I. What could he have been thinking?”
“I don’t know. And Kyle?”
“What?”
“I am so sorry.”
Kyle felt something hit him and blackness.
---------
Maria
Maria was walking down the corridors searching for Stephanie. Her daughter was close and…. She caught sight of familiar blonde head. Maria made to call out to Rain, but something stopped her.
This one was wearing shoes.
Rain never wore shoes. Never.
Maria felt a shiver of fear rush through her. Tess. She was looking at Tess.
Tess looked at her. And blinked hard. “She said you were here, but then she also said you were dead.”
“Where is Stephanie?”
Tess’s voice was soft. “She was gathering up my children. I know you probably won’t help me, but my kids are innocent. The younger ones anyway. The older ones.” Tess’s eyes clenched in pain.
Maria had never expected to feel so much sympathy for the woman who was responsible for so much that had gone wrong in her life. But to watch your children turned into weapons….
Tess misunderstood her silence. She fell to her knees. “Please! You can do what you like with me, just save them!”
Maria walked over and offered a hand to Tess, “Get up and help me find my daughter. And of course we can take your children.”
Another voice filled in from the shadows, “But you are not welcome. Sorry, my sister.” Rain walked softly into the room. “I promise that I shall care for them like they were my own.”
Tess looked at Rain in confusion, “Ava? No, you feel… different.”
Rain’s smile was sad and soft, “You may call me Rain. Do you know where Stephanie is?”
“Mom?” came a shocked female voice.
Followed by an equally stunned male voice, “Mother?”
Maria looked over and saw Stephanie and Tim walking into the corridor hand in hand. Wonder on both of their faces. They looked at each other….. There was something there, something she would have to quiz Stephanie about later.
It uncomfortably reminded her of Liz and Max.
But after their quick soul gaze they ran into the arms of their waiting parent.
And did something she feared she would never do again, something this whole nightmare seemed to conspire to deny…..
She held her little baby again.
And life was good.
---------
Max-
Max felt pain. Lots and lots of pain.
There was bright and confusing light everywhere.
He had been pulled from a warm comforting dream, and from the pod that had recovered and sustained him. He felt a sharp pain as the umbilical cord was severed.
He began to flop around as his lungs suddenly scavenged for air, as he felt bereft.
“Alex, he is not ready! You said it yourself, he needs another twelve hours maybe a day.”
“We don’t have a choice. Someone needs to fetch Claudia. Everyone else is out of place.”
“I could go!”
“Serena, you can’t leave. If you’re calculations are off just a little, our little stunt with the Moon could cause untold misery on Earth. No, you need to stay.”
“Then what about you? What about you tough guy? Always willing to send the others but not willing to go yourself…..”
“That will be enough. I know that you are mad that I sent Tim and Maria with the others to save Stephanie. But you will have to trust me that I know what I am doing.”
“Do I have choice?”
“Not really. And I can’t leave for reasons similar to those that keep you here. That just leaves Max.”
“But how will Max know what to do? He’s never piloted a ship before.”
“No, but Zan has. And he is Zan reborn.”
“This is insane.”
“Its our only hope….. Do you hear me, Max? Your daughter is depending on you. You need to use your gifts on yourself so that I can tell you what you need to do.”
And Max felt himself drift and his consciousness was no longer strong enough to listen in.
But he could feel them. Could feel his family, so far away.
They needed him.
He had failed his family once, failed them badly. He would not fail them again.
And the flashes began.
Re: Unfinished Business (CC, Mature) Part 14 - 01/27/10
Thanks to everyone who has followed along.
keepsmiling7- Thanks. Poor Max.
mary mary- Thanks
nibbles2- Thank you.
zanieri1- Thanks. Yes, you pretty much have what is going on. As for Trevor, he is a good guy. He is just about to make a horrible mistake.
Disclaimer- Roswell is not mine and no infringement is intended.
Unfinished Business part 15
Michael-
Michael walked slowly down the corridor. It was strange to see all the checkpoints in a military installation quiet and empty. But he knew that there were no guards that would accost them.
He looked over at his ally, Liz. It was strange to be around her again. She was so different. Or was she? Had he simply never truly gotten to know her? There had always been a strain between them, and he knew that Liz had not always thought that he was good enough for her friend.
Now…. Now they were comrades. Close enough that she had formed a connection between them.
And that precognition gave him a heady sense of god like knowledge.
He paused. “You feel it?”
“Yes. I don’t understand it, but I feel it.”
“How can she be here too?”
“Michael, it’s not just Isabel’s form you must be cautious of.”
Michael was silent as the moved forward. Ever closer to the impossible.
Closer to Maria. To his dead wife.
Which was simply impossible.
“Halt right there!” came a voice he had not heard in decades. He didn’t look quite the same, had a slightly heavier build, as if he’d been working out in the last few years that he’d been dead.
Alex stood there before him, a slight smile on his face. “Well, what do we have here. Hey, Amanda, we have guests.”
A smiling Isabel appeared around the corner. She looked so similar to his sister it made Michael’s heart clench. But there were differences here too. The darkness that filled Isabel, the grief and rage that fueled her ever since her parents and husband had been slain…. They were not evident.
Amanda looked at Michael, “You’re really here. I thought I would first get to greet Max, try and help him through it all. I never thought.” She rushed at him.
He almost shot. If Liz hadn’t been there, had he not been certain of what was to happen next, he would have shot her. But he knew the girl did not mean him harm. That she wasn’t Isabel. No she was someone different.
Michael just stood there stunned as Amanda held him close. He could see out of the corner of his eye, the Alex clone talking softly to a crying Liz. Reassuring her somehow.
But nothing prepared him for what Amanda said next.
“Oh, Michael. Maria will be so happy to see you. Its been so hard for her. To know that you thought her lost…..”
Michael tried to stop it. But the tears began to flow once more.
Because he could feel her. Could feel his Maria.
Alive.
She was alive. She was with Steffy.
He needed to see her. He needed to be with her. To see if what he felt, if what he felt was actually true.
If by some miracle Maria was still alive.
He all but dragged a giggling Amanda behind him.
And there she was. Holding his Steffy. Her eyes lifted from Stephanie and met his. Green met brown and their souls rejoiced.
He did not remembering crossing the space between them. Only holding her. Holding Maria and his daughter.
------
Trevor-
Trevor watched as Kyle fell unconscious. This wasn’t something he had wanted to do.
It was something that needed to be done. If he had thought that Kyle would have been enough to protect Claudia, to protect her from all the enemies that were surely even now waiting to capture her, he would not have done it.
But Kyle was just one man. One human man. He would not be enough. Not even with Trevor’s aid.
No she would be safer with his compatriots. Trevor was sure he had some explaining of his own to do, but surely they would understand.
Protecting the Queen was paramount.
He closed his eyes and prayed that Michael and Stephanie understood. That they would forgive him.
Abby stared at him. “What is wrong with Kyle? What did you do to him?”
“He is fine, he will be fine. Its just not safe here. And he would never understand what needs to be done.”
Danny growled, “Traitor.”
Abby looked over at Danny, “What is a traitor?”
Danny just smiled and held her hand.
Somehow he must have told her. Because the look of condensed anger on that sweet little face, “Why?” Tears began to slip down Abby’s cheeks. “Why would you do this to us? We love you and you love us. Why?”
“You will be safer with them.”
“Safer without Kyle? Without my Protector? How could you?” And she began to bawl.
Danny held onto her grimly. His looks held more than simple anger. He hated Trevor. And more held him in contempt.
Why two small children’s opinions mattered to him he wasn’t sure. But they did.
So they sat there for around five minutes, and unconscious Kyle and Claudia unaware of their fates. Five minutes when his friends arrived. Four non descript men surrounded the vehicle.
“So this is her? It want through Max’s line after all?”
“Yes. This is Claudia. The little girl is Abby her sister. And the boy is Danny, one of Michael’s.”
“Good, the two youngest will provide good expendable hostages to keep them off our back. Come on, Trevor. A little late, but you still did good.”
“What about Kyle?”
“Kill him.”
“Wait, but why? He’s no threat to us.”
“Trevor, he’s only human.” One of the men presses a palm on Kyle’s forehead, rapidly heating up his body killing him.
Abby began to scream.
“Hey, shut that brat up or we’ll have to be rid of it, too.”
Trevor cradled a resisting Abby and tried desperately to calm her down. He whispered into her ears, “I’m so sorry, I’m sorry….. If I could undo it, I would. Please, please be quiet.”
“Bring them all.”
Trevor could not stop a tear forming at the corner of his eye.
This had seemed like the best action. But it had been a mistake. Once more he had failed.
No, there had to be a way. Somehow. Somehow he would fix this.
Trevor carried Abby, one hand laced with Danny’s as he followed the men who had once been his friends. Had once been his colleagues.
He had to fix this.
Somehow.
-------
Liz-
Liz stood there shocked. She had seen Maria, had seen her alive in the future. But Liz had always assumed that those had been wishful dreams. Or impossibilities she clung to for comfort.
She watched as Stephanie, Maria, and Michael all clung to each other. Stephanie stepped out of their clinch and said something to her parents. Maria blushed at whatever her daughter said, but looked hopefully at Michael.
Michael just turned to Liz, “I just need to speak with Maria for a few minutes alone. Do we have time.”
“I guess, do we?” Liz turned to face Amanda.
“Yes, we have a little time before the warp becomes unstable and we have to let it drop.”
Liz shook slightly, “Is Max…. Is Max here too?”
Amanda shook her head, “No. But he’s safe. Alex made sure of that. You have a decision to make.”
“What?”
“Do you come with us or do you stay. Either way it won’t be that long before you see him again. We’re not going to stay hidden for much longer. But if you come with us, you will see him when we get back.”
“Get back where?”
“I don’t think I can tell you yet. But if you come with us you will find out.”
“What about, what about Isabel or Kyle or the rest of my children.”
“It will be a little while before you can see them. Not too long, but you would have to disappear for a little while.”
“I, I can’t just leave them….”
Amanda put a hand on her arm, “Then you will have to stay for a little while. But not for much longer.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Well, I’ve never truly understood everything Alex has made us do, and I doubt I will anytime soon. But he’s never been wrong so far as I can see.”
“Alex is….”
“He is alive. The rest of us serve him.”
Liz was confused. She walked over to Stephanie, who seemed enamored with a slightly older boy. The boy was clinging to a small blonde woman who.
“Tess?”
Tess looked over at her. “Liz. Amazing. To think I’d get to meet almost everyone again before the end. I don’t know whether to scream in exaltation or just scream from frustration.”
“We didn’t know, Tess. Honestly, we didn’t know.”
“Would you have done anything differently?”
“You know we would have. Even for you. Certainly for your children.”
“They will be safe now. Will you be going with them?”
“I still have my own children to protect.”
Tess smiled angelically, her beaten and hardened face momentarily recovering its lost beauty, “Don’t worry about these monsters. I will take care of them, finish what I was too frightened to do in my youth.”
“You won’t be going with them?”
“They will not take me.”
“Then come with me. I am sure…..”
“No Liz, I have earned this. Earned the peace this will give me. But thank you. Thank you for being so kind all those years ago. I just wish…. I wish it could have been different.”
“Me, too.”
And the two spoke of their lives, and Liz of the futures that she saw for Tess’s children. For they would thrive under Rain.
Together they loaded up the ship in preparation of its return to its hidden base.
---------
Max
Max felt strange. Strange and powerful. Odd memories mingled with those he could rightly called his own.
For he remembered another world. A world where he had tried so hard to keep the peace. Tried and failed.
Failed and died.
The story of his lives.
He looked over at a familiar figure, only her hair was a rich burgundy color. Similar to her mother’s. He knew the answer even as he called out, knew that it wasn’t her. But his heart ached for his wife.
“Liz?”
The short woman turned and faced him, warm brown eyes, so very similar. So very similar, but not exactly the same. She smiled sadly at him, a trace of longing filling her eyes. “No, I’m not her I’m afraid. My name is Serena. Alex will be happy you are awake.
Max searched along his bond….. Liz was alive, but so very far away. His eyes began to water. He needed her. He had always needed her. Even in the old days on Antar, he had waited for her. But then he had been separated by years and light years, time and space.
How many souls could say that they truly found their true soul mate when all of the cosmos was so very large. But Max knew, he knew that he had.
And he missed her. He knew very well that he needed her more than she needed him. That she was tougher than him. Because without her he was so often lost, so often made the wrong choice.
She was his guiding light and pole star.
“Max. Its nice to see you again.”
Max’s voice was still hoarse, almost as if it had not been used much lately. “Alex? You look like him, but he is dead.”
“As were you. But very much like yourself, I got better.” He looked away for a moment. “I wish very much that I could give you the time you badly need, time to finish your development. But we have a problem.”
“A problem?”
“Your daughter, Claudia has been captured by some enemies.” Alex spoke quickly, “They do not mean to harm her, but they do not truly have her best interests at heart either.”
“And you do?”
“More so than the others. I am the protector of the Royal Four after all.”
“I haven’t seen you doing much protection. Are you a skin or a shape shifter.”
“Neither. I am the Alex you remember, at least in part. But I am more than that now. I am in essence the Governor of the Solar System, emplaced as such by Khivar upon his death.”
“Khivar!”
“Max, he is dead. At least in political terms. He is no longer a factor. Antar is in ruins, not entirely by his hands. There are many factions who will seek to control them, and through them the loyalty of the commons of Antar.”
“Them?”
“The Royal Four.”
“I am part of the Royal Four, Alex. You should know that. I am the King…..”
“You were, but you died. And the Seal passed. Passed to Claudia. She is now the rightful Queen of Antar. And there will be a new and different Four. And I will protect and guide them. And they will succeed this time. It has been too long.”
“So what do you plan to do? Cut a swath and place her on the throne? Become the power behind the throne.”
“No. If she listens to me, she will not seek to rule Antar at this time. They are not ready. Better that she instead holds herself back and provides what hope and help she can. Perhaps things will change in time. I can not say. I would like your help in guiding them and protecting them.”
“But, what about us? Me and Michael and Isabel…..”
“Simple. You failed. Although in truth, those who should have supported you, those who should have guided you failed. You simply did the best you could with the hand that was dealt to you. On the whole you did well. But, Max, it was not enough. Forces are moving, and if we do not stop them they will seek to either destroy or take over the Earth. It may already be too late to save Antar from them. But then, if it is we can always save them so long as we have a place to rally at. And I say we stand here and now. Here on the Moon, I can resist any attacker. And from here I can defend the Earth from any large scale attack. But I can’t stop them from slipping through in smaller ships, or making deals with the locals. The Earth will have to help itself, I will of course offer aid…..”
“You have this all planned out. Why do you need my help?”
“Because I have always valued you Max, just because you are no longer King does not mean you have no value. Or that you are not needed. It may very well be that you are more needed now than you ever were. Just not in the capacity you might have imagined.”
“So you need me to save my daughter?”
“Yes. How much do you remember?”
Max thought a moment. He remembered everything. And not just as Max.
He remembered Antar as well.
“Everything. I remember everything.”
“Good. You will need it. Come on and I will tell you what you need to do…..”
-------
Isabel-
Isabel smiled at Jimmy as they watched the Feds leave. She hadn’t even killed anyone.
She smiled up at the good doctor. “Thanks that could have gotten ugly.”
“Yes, well it would have been better if they hadn’t forced my hand. Now we need to find the others that fled.”
Isabel felt as her knees gave way. As a sudden weight fell on her.
Jimmy clung to her. “He’s dead isn’t he?”
Isabel looked at him and gave her son a kiss. “Yes. He is dead. Your father is dead.” And Isabel began to cry. “Can you see if the others……”
“They are alive. I would know if they, if they died.” Jimmy looked away.
When would this nightmare ever end?
---------
As the night wore on, US Space Command notice two anomalies.
One was an explosion of incredible force in North Dakota. No real radioactivity was detected when it was examined, although an UFO had been seen in the area.
This was naturally of great concern. The possibility of alien involvement was being bantered about at the highest levels of US Government at this point. The idea that they could sneak in and completely destroy a Federal installation sent waves of worry amongst military and civilian planners.
But there was another worry.
The Moon was under extreme scrutiny at the moment, otherwise it would never have been detected. In fact it was only through advanced optics that the body could be seen.
Something had launched from the Moon and was moving at high speed towards southern Maryland. Much too close to the US Capital for comfort.
It was judged enough of a threat that the government tried a low key withdrawal of high value officials from the area, lest another massive detonation destroy them.
Naturally this was noticed and only increased the level of panic that was already sweeping the world over the fact that the Moon was visibly moving. And according to scientists gaining mass somehow.
Something strange was happening and the pundits and preachers were having a field day.
There were those who claimed it was the end of the world. And they were naturally wrong. The world would continue to turn for many an epoch.
But wiser head claimed it was the end of an age, that the world as they knew it was changing. Some claimed for good and others for ill. But massive changes were on the way.
And in that they were right. But who could have predicted how major those changes would truly be?
keepsmiling7- Thanks. Poor Max.
mary mary- Thanks
nibbles2- Thank you.
zanieri1- Thanks. Yes, you pretty much have what is going on. As for Trevor, he is a good guy. He is just about to make a horrible mistake.
Disclaimer- Roswell is not mine and no infringement is intended.
Unfinished Business part 15
Michael-
Michael walked slowly down the corridor. It was strange to see all the checkpoints in a military installation quiet and empty. But he knew that there were no guards that would accost them.
He looked over at his ally, Liz. It was strange to be around her again. She was so different. Or was she? Had he simply never truly gotten to know her? There had always been a strain between them, and he knew that Liz had not always thought that he was good enough for her friend.
Now…. Now they were comrades. Close enough that she had formed a connection between them.
And that precognition gave him a heady sense of god like knowledge.
He paused. “You feel it?”
“Yes. I don’t understand it, but I feel it.”
“How can she be here too?”
“Michael, it’s not just Isabel’s form you must be cautious of.”
Michael was silent as the moved forward. Ever closer to the impossible.
Closer to Maria. To his dead wife.
Which was simply impossible.
“Halt right there!” came a voice he had not heard in decades. He didn’t look quite the same, had a slightly heavier build, as if he’d been working out in the last few years that he’d been dead.
Alex stood there before him, a slight smile on his face. “Well, what do we have here. Hey, Amanda, we have guests.”
A smiling Isabel appeared around the corner. She looked so similar to his sister it made Michael’s heart clench. But there were differences here too. The darkness that filled Isabel, the grief and rage that fueled her ever since her parents and husband had been slain…. They were not evident.
Amanda looked at Michael, “You’re really here. I thought I would first get to greet Max, try and help him through it all. I never thought.” She rushed at him.
He almost shot. If Liz hadn’t been there, had he not been certain of what was to happen next, he would have shot her. But he knew the girl did not mean him harm. That she wasn’t Isabel. No she was someone different.
Michael just stood there stunned as Amanda held him close. He could see out of the corner of his eye, the Alex clone talking softly to a crying Liz. Reassuring her somehow.
But nothing prepared him for what Amanda said next.
“Oh, Michael. Maria will be so happy to see you. Its been so hard for her. To know that you thought her lost…..”
Michael tried to stop it. But the tears began to flow once more.
Because he could feel her. Could feel his Maria.
Alive.
She was alive. She was with Steffy.
He needed to see her. He needed to be with her. To see if what he felt, if what he felt was actually true.
If by some miracle Maria was still alive.
He all but dragged a giggling Amanda behind him.
And there she was. Holding his Steffy. Her eyes lifted from Stephanie and met his. Green met brown and their souls rejoiced.
He did not remembering crossing the space between them. Only holding her. Holding Maria and his daughter.
------
Trevor-
Trevor watched as Kyle fell unconscious. This wasn’t something he had wanted to do.
It was something that needed to be done. If he had thought that Kyle would have been enough to protect Claudia, to protect her from all the enemies that were surely even now waiting to capture her, he would not have done it.
But Kyle was just one man. One human man. He would not be enough. Not even with Trevor’s aid.
No she would be safer with his compatriots. Trevor was sure he had some explaining of his own to do, but surely they would understand.
Protecting the Queen was paramount.
He closed his eyes and prayed that Michael and Stephanie understood. That they would forgive him.
Abby stared at him. “What is wrong with Kyle? What did you do to him?”
“He is fine, he will be fine. Its just not safe here. And he would never understand what needs to be done.”
Danny growled, “Traitor.”
Abby looked over at Danny, “What is a traitor?”
Danny just smiled and held her hand.
Somehow he must have told her. Because the look of condensed anger on that sweet little face, “Why?” Tears began to slip down Abby’s cheeks. “Why would you do this to us? We love you and you love us. Why?”
“You will be safer with them.”
“Safer without Kyle? Without my Protector? How could you?” And she began to bawl.
Danny held onto her grimly. His looks held more than simple anger. He hated Trevor. And more held him in contempt.
Why two small children’s opinions mattered to him he wasn’t sure. But they did.
So they sat there for around five minutes, and unconscious Kyle and Claudia unaware of their fates. Five minutes when his friends arrived. Four non descript men surrounded the vehicle.
“So this is her? It want through Max’s line after all?”
“Yes. This is Claudia. The little girl is Abby her sister. And the boy is Danny, one of Michael’s.”
“Good, the two youngest will provide good expendable hostages to keep them off our back. Come on, Trevor. A little late, but you still did good.”
“What about Kyle?”
“Kill him.”
“Wait, but why? He’s no threat to us.”
“Trevor, he’s only human.” One of the men presses a palm on Kyle’s forehead, rapidly heating up his body killing him.
Abby began to scream.
“Hey, shut that brat up or we’ll have to be rid of it, too.”
Trevor cradled a resisting Abby and tried desperately to calm her down. He whispered into her ears, “I’m so sorry, I’m sorry….. If I could undo it, I would. Please, please be quiet.”
“Bring them all.”
Trevor could not stop a tear forming at the corner of his eye.
This had seemed like the best action. But it had been a mistake. Once more he had failed.
No, there had to be a way. Somehow. Somehow he would fix this.
Trevor carried Abby, one hand laced with Danny’s as he followed the men who had once been his friends. Had once been his colleagues.
He had to fix this.
Somehow.
-------
Liz-
Liz stood there shocked. She had seen Maria, had seen her alive in the future. But Liz had always assumed that those had been wishful dreams. Or impossibilities she clung to for comfort.
She watched as Stephanie, Maria, and Michael all clung to each other. Stephanie stepped out of their clinch and said something to her parents. Maria blushed at whatever her daughter said, but looked hopefully at Michael.
Michael just turned to Liz, “I just need to speak with Maria for a few minutes alone. Do we have time.”
“I guess, do we?” Liz turned to face Amanda.
“Yes, we have a little time before the warp becomes unstable and we have to let it drop.”
Liz shook slightly, “Is Max…. Is Max here too?”
Amanda shook her head, “No. But he’s safe. Alex made sure of that. You have a decision to make.”
“What?”
“Do you come with us or do you stay. Either way it won’t be that long before you see him again. We’re not going to stay hidden for much longer. But if you come with us, you will see him when we get back.”
“Get back where?”
“I don’t think I can tell you yet. But if you come with us you will find out.”
“What about, what about Isabel or Kyle or the rest of my children.”
“It will be a little while before you can see them. Not too long, but you would have to disappear for a little while.”
“I, I can’t just leave them….”
Amanda put a hand on her arm, “Then you will have to stay for a little while. But not for much longer.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Well, I’ve never truly understood everything Alex has made us do, and I doubt I will anytime soon. But he’s never been wrong so far as I can see.”
“Alex is….”
“He is alive. The rest of us serve him.”
Liz was confused. She walked over to Stephanie, who seemed enamored with a slightly older boy. The boy was clinging to a small blonde woman who.
“Tess?”
Tess looked over at her. “Liz. Amazing. To think I’d get to meet almost everyone again before the end. I don’t know whether to scream in exaltation or just scream from frustration.”
“We didn’t know, Tess. Honestly, we didn’t know.”
“Would you have done anything differently?”
“You know we would have. Even for you. Certainly for your children.”
“They will be safe now. Will you be going with them?”
“I still have my own children to protect.”
Tess smiled angelically, her beaten and hardened face momentarily recovering its lost beauty, “Don’t worry about these monsters. I will take care of them, finish what I was too frightened to do in my youth.”
“You won’t be going with them?”
“They will not take me.”
“Then come with me. I am sure…..”
“No Liz, I have earned this. Earned the peace this will give me. But thank you. Thank you for being so kind all those years ago. I just wish…. I wish it could have been different.”
“Me, too.”
And the two spoke of their lives, and Liz of the futures that she saw for Tess’s children. For they would thrive under Rain.
Together they loaded up the ship in preparation of its return to its hidden base.
---------
Max
Max felt strange. Strange and powerful. Odd memories mingled with those he could rightly called his own.
For he remembered another world. A world where he had tried so hard to keep the peace. Tried and failed.
Failed and died.
The story of his lives.
He looked over at a familiar figure, only her hair was a rich burgundy color. Similar to her mother’s. He knew the answer even as he called out, knew that it wasn’t her. But his heart ached for his wife.
“Liz?”
The short woman turned and faced him, warm brown eyes, so very similar. So very similar, but not exactly the same. She smiled sadly at him, a trace of longing filling her eyes. “No, I’m not her I’m afraid. My name is Serena. Alex will be happy you are awake.
Max searched along his bond….. Liz was alive, but so very far away. His eyes began to water. He needed her. He had always needed her. Even in the old days on Antar, he had waited for her. But then he had been separated by years and light years, time and space.
How many souls could say that they truly found their true soul mate when all of the cosmos was so very large. But Max knew, he knew that he had.
And he missed her. He knew very well that he needed her more than she needed him. That she was tougher than him. Because without her he was so often lost, so often made the wrong choice.
She was his guiding light and pole star.
“Max. Its nice to see you again.”
Max’s voice was still hoarse, almost as if it had not been used much lately. “Alex? You look like him, but he is dead.”
“As were you. But very much like yourself, I got better.” He looked away for a moment. “I wish very much that I could give you the time you badly need, time to finish your development. But we have a problem.”
“A problem?”
“Your daughter, Claudia has been captured by some enemies.” Alex spoke quickly, “They do not mean to harm her, but they do not truly have her best interests at heart either.”
“And you do?”
“More so than the others. I am the protector of the Royal Four after all.”
“I haven’t seen you doing much protection. Are you a skin or a shape shifter.”
“Neither. I am the Alex you remember, at least in part. But I am more than that now. I am in essence the Governor of the Solar System, emplaced as such by Khivar upon his death.”
“Khivar!”
“Max, he is dead. At least in political terms. He is no longer a factor. Antar is in ruins, not entirely by his hands. There are many factions who will seek to control them, and through them the loyalty of the commons of Antar.”
“Them?”
“The Royal Four.”
“I am part of the Royal Four, Alex. You should know that. I am the King…..”
“You were, but you died. And the Seal passed. Passed to Claudia. She is now the rightful Queen of Antar. And there will be a new and different Four. And I will protect and guide them. And they will succeed this time. It has been too long.”
“So what do you plan to do? Cut a swath and place her on the throne? Become the power behind the throne.”
“No. If she listens to me, she will not seek to rule Antar at this time. They are not ready. Better that she instead holds herself back and provides what hope and help she can. Perhaps things will change in time. I can not say. I would like your help in guiding them and protecting them.”
“But, what about us? Me and Michael and Isabel…..”
“Simple. You failed. Although in truth, those who should have supported you, those who should have guided you failed. You simply did the best you could with the hand that was dealt to you. On the whole you did well. But, Max, it was not enough. Forces are moving, and if we do not stop them they will seek to either destroy or take over the Earth. It may already be too late to save Antar from them. But then, if it is we can always save them so long as we have a place to rally at. And I say we stand here and now. Here on the Moon, I can resist any attacker. And from here I can defend the Earth from any large scale attack. But I can’t stop them from slipping through in smaller ships, or making deals with the locals. The Earth will have to help itself, I will of course offer aid…..”
“You have this all planned out. Why do you need my help?”
“Because I have always valued you Max, just because you are no longer King does not mean you have no value. Or that you are not needed. It may very well be that you are more needed now than you ever were. Just not in the capacity you might have imagined.”
“So you need me to save my daughter?”
“Yes. How much do you remember?”
Max thought a moment. He remembered everything. And not just as Max.
He remembered Antar as well.
“Everything. I remember everything.”
“Good. You will need it. Come on and I will tell you what you need to do…..”
-------
Isabel-
Isabel smiled at Jimmy as they watched the Feds leave. She hadn’t even killed anyone.
She smiled up at the good doctor. “Thanks that could have gotten ugly.”
“Yes, well it would have been better if they hadn’t forced my hand. Now we need to find the others that fled.”
Isabel felt as her knees gave way. As a sudden weight fell on her.
Jimmy clung to her. “He’s dead isn’t he?”
Isabel looked at him and gave her son a kiss. “Yes. He is dead. Your father is dead.” And Isabel began to cry. “Can you see if the others……”
“They are alive. I would know if they, if they died.” Jimmy looked away.
When would this nightmare ever end?
---------
As the night wore on, US Space Command notice two anomalies.
One was an explosion of incredible force in North Dakota. No real radioactivity was detected when it was examined, although an UFO had been seen in the area.
This was naturally of great concern. The possibility of alien involvement was being bantered about at the highest levels of US Government at this point. The idea that they could sneak in and completely destroy a Federal installation sent waves of worry amongst military and civilian planners.
But there was another worry.
The Moon was under extreme scrutiny at the moment, otherwise it would never have been detected. In fact it was only through advanced optics that the body could be seen.
Something had launched from the Moon and was moving at high speed towards southern Maryland. Much too close to the US Capital for comfort.
It was judged enough of a threat that the government tried a low key withdrawal of high value officials from the area, lest another massive detonation destroy them.
Naturally this was noticed and only increased the level of panic that was already sweeping the world over the fact that the Moon was visibly moving. And according to scientists gaining mass somehow.
Something strange was happening and the pundits and preachers were having a field day.
There were those who claimed it was the end of the world. And they were naturally wrong. The world would continue to turn for many an epoch.
But wiser head claimed it was the end of an age, that the world as they knew it was changing. Some claimed for good and others for ill. But massive changes were on the way.
And in that they were right. But who could have predicted how major those changes would truly be?
Re: Unfinished Business (CC, Mature) Part 15 - 02/11/10
And finally at long last the next part. Thanks again to anyone who is following along.
keepsmiling7- Thanks. Yes, and that is how he is able to do what he is going to need to do. As well as allow him to remember some old... 'friends.'
DeDe PR- Thanks. This Liz and Tess are adults, and given what has happened to Tess, it is hard not to feel some sympathy for her.
zaneri1- Thanks. As to your question? I do not know. They sought to mine the dramatic potential of denied love, but only ended up ruining it in so many ways.
Disclaimer- Roswell is not mine and no infringement is intended
Unfinished Business part 16
Isabel-
Isabel was slightly self conscious as she was led into the teleconferencing chamber. Dr. Preston had come back from Washington and had asked to have all of them talk various members of the government.
A government that Isabel had until recently been fighting a very vicious war against. One that she was still not entirely comfortable.
But the document she held in her hand gave her a little comfort. It was a blanket pardon for her and Kyle Valenti if they would assist the US Government in this time of crisis.
There must be serious gnashing of teeth at the Special Unit.
She was also aware that it was only good if she did indeed help them. And this conversation was to be one of those discussions.
Her hand held tightly to Jimmy. She had been unwilling to let him go since Kyle had died.
Kyle had never been her true love, that would always be Alex. But she had never known how important he had been to her until he was suddenly gone.
An echo of the pain she had felt with Alex. Less sharp, but no less real.
She was not letting her son out of her sight until this insanity had calmed down.
Jimmy felt the same towards her. In some ways he seemed even more so. There was a look in his eye that told Isabel that he was nearing his breaking point. And that he could see it coming. Saw the straw that would break his reserve completely.
Isabel knew from talking to Liz that seeing the future was not always easy. Useful, but not easy.
She squeezed his hand and gave him a smile.
He looked up at her, his eyes brave but worried. Very worried.
“What do you see?”
He said softly, “Chaos. I see chaos. And things, things I want but know that I can not have. Things that I desperately want to stop but don’t know how. I just don’t understand what is going on right now, everything is in flux. And half of what I see….. Half of what I see is impossible.”
“Will they betray us?”
Jimmy shook his head. “No. No the traitors are elsewhere. For now, for now you and I are safe.”
Isabel’s voice was soft, “And the others?”
Jimmy looked away, “I don’t know.” He turned and gave her a hug. “It will be hard, mom. But you need to tell them everything. They need to know.”
“But they had Michael….”
“Michael told them only what they asked from him. They were more interested in him than in what he knew. You know more and I need you to tell it. All of it, even your pasts.”
“But, Jimmy….”
“Please. It might help.”
One of the screens lit up. The man wore an Army uniform. “My name is General West.” He looked at Dr. Preston. “I believe you said there would be others?”
“Lieutenant Guerin is currently on a mission to recover one of the children captured in the raid. Liz Parker is with him. Kyle Valenti, well he is on the run because of the Special Unit raid while I was off base.” Dr. Preston adjusted his glasses, “It would be a nice gesture if various members of our government would stop attacking my facility.”
Isabel squeezed Jimmy’s hand. “Sir, I might still be able to shed some light on the current events. They have been in a large part the story of my lives.”
“Excuse me, miss, did you say ‘lives’?”
“Yes, sir. As far as I have been able to learn, it all started on the far of world of Antar……”
--------
Trevor
Trevor watched with trepidation as Claudia was taken into a different room from him. The feelings he was getting from his comrades were decidedly disturbing.
They had the Queen in their possession. Why were they not more excited? This had been what they had been working toward for years.
Matheric in particular worried him. The man had long been the leader of the Earth expedition. Working tirelessly to put his cousins back on the throne. The man had fought against Khivar and all the other groups since the fall of Zan. Working in his words to clear his name and repent from the errors that had left Zan and his family in peril on that fateful day.
He felt Abby’s eyes on him as he continued to carry her down the corridor to his old rooms. They should be safe there. If they were indeed safe anywhere.
He looked down at her tiny amber colored eyes. There was anger there, but also desperation. And inside of his mind he heard her voice.
*You know what you have to do*
“What are you doing to me?”
*I am a frightened three year old girl. A gifted girl yes, but still very young. I have made a connection with you and am now using your brain better than you are. You know what is happening, you are just unwilling to admit it. To admit how badly you have failed us. Failed your brother. It has all been a set up. And you know it.*
“I….”
*Stop it Trevor! I am inside of your head, I know how you feel, and I know you did not mean for this to happen. But it has. And you need to fix it. Both I and Danny are too young and too weak to do much. We are just hostages that you have delivered to our enemy. And if you meant what you promised Claudia, they are your enemies now too.*
“I can not believe that they have all betrayed you, betrayed what they swore to protect. But you are right. I need to check on your sister. Stay here. I will be back.”
*Please be careful and make sure my sister is okay. I love her. And Trevor you owe me, owe us, much. I do not know if I will ever forgive you for my Protector’s death. But this will be a start on your debt.*
Trevor set Abby gently down on the bed. “I will do what I can.” He turned to Danny, “Keep her safe.”
“Yes sir. We are counting on you.” Danny looked over at Amy, “She sees something in you that I don’t. Don’t prove her wrong.” He reached out and grasped her hand.
Abby smiled back at him. She looked then at Trevor. “Please help Cloudy.”
Trevor nodded and left his room. Abby had been right. He’d been having misgivings over Matheric for a while. But old allegiances die hard, and as much as he had liked Kyle, things had seemed to be going from better to worse.
Not that had had personally helped anything. Not since they had gone to the military base with Michael. Since then all he had done was fail.
That was no longer an option.
He had to find Claudia soon. Before she was hurt.
---------
Michael-
His soldiers had been surprised when he had packed them all back onboard the Ospreys and headed home. But all it had taken was one look outside and they had understood.
A mushroom cloud climbed high into the sky. Tess’s final moments had been to destroy the Institute that had caused her such suffering over the years. And she had taken along some of her children. A dark moment to be sure, but a necessary one.
They had been corrupted by their handlers and were too dangerous to save. Likely one or more of the older children had escaped or not been present.
A problem for a future time.
Closing his eyes he could feel Maria and Stephanie grow further and further away. And he could not stop the occasional tear from falling.
His men more than understood. They thought she had died.
Michael wasn’t sure what to make of the fact that Maria was very much alive. They had stolen away a few moments to reacquaint themselves. It was a funny thing to think he had taken Maria’s virginity twice. He had done what he could, but she would likely still be sore.
A strange and wonderful thing that she lived, that all of them lived. He looked over at Liz, her eyes closed.
Thinking of Max, no doubt. Because seeing Maria, seeing her alive and well had given hope to the petit brunette.
He said, “So, what now?”
“Things are murky. Its almost like I can’t see much any more. Too much chaos and change going on. Too many people unsure of what they are going to do.”
“To many possibilities?”
“Yes. So I guess we just go back and gather everyone together and wait.”
“I suppose so…. What?”
Liz had suddenly shot up in her seat. “We have been betrayed. Something awful is happening back home.”
“What? Are the kids okay?”
“I don’t know! It has never failed me before. They are all drying up, Michael. All the possibilities that I can see!”
“Is something blocking you?”
“No, I, I. The only thing I can think of is if something is stopping me from seeing something inevitable. IF something were definatly going to happen and I couldn’t stop it. I’m worried, Michael.”
The plane shook violently as the left engine pod was struck with a missile.
Liz just said, “Of course. I can’t see past my death. I should have……”
The plane began to fall towards the Earth, spinning terribly.
“Michael, you must protect yourself. Wrap yourself in your shield, slow yourself down and save yourself!”
“But my men! And you!”
Some of the men had wrestled one of the doors open and were evacuating, scrambling to grab parachutes.
He grabbed a strangely calm Liz and rushed them to grab their own parachutes. With the plane spinning it would be hard to jump safely. But without a wing, the plane was not going to be gliding down anyway.
She placed the parachute on herself as he directed while struggling with his own.
And they jumped, following his men.
Not for the first time he was glad they had taken Ospreys. The tilt rotors allowed them to fly higher and faster. And that was the only thing that had given them all enough time.
Broken bones were almost a certainly for some of them. But most of them should live.
He popped his chute and watched as Liz popped hers. She wasn’t far from him and her face still had that serene look on it. A look that remained even after the drone shot her.
Michael wasn’t sure how many times she was hit with the minigun fire the antipersonnel drone had. But her face switched from a grimace of pain back to serenity.
Michael destroyed the drone moments later. And destroyed the five others that were attacking his little band. What about his other men? Where had the other Ospreys gone?
He looked up and saw as one of the Ospreys valiantly tried to fight off a couple other drones.
Michael frowned. It was miles away, way past his normal range.
He had to try. They were miles from anywhere. That Osprey might mean the difference between life and death for some of his men.
He reached deep inside and tried to connect to the feel of the radio that was directing the drone, the invisible waves that he could with some difficulty sense.
THERE! He had it! It was much to far for him to blast it, even knowing exactly where it was. So he simply took possession of it. The other two drones did not expect the sudden treachery of one of the number.
Michael smiled, he had always wanted to do this. But had always been afraid that it would get him in trouble….. He had knocked the second enemy drone right about the time the enemy had activated the self destruct sequence.
Michael tracked the ground station and tried to use the falling drone as a missile. It’s circuits were fried long before it reached them.
But Michael could still hope.
He looked down at the now rushing ground.
A few moments later he was on the ground and rushing to where Liz lay.
It was hard to miss. She was glowing. Tiny green flickers rolled along the visible parts of her body.
He remembered when this had happened to Isabel. When she had almost died. He tried to remember what he had done to save Isabel so very long ago.
But he no longer had the Seal, no longer had the link to the Granolith that had strengthened and broadened his powers.
He could no longer Heal serious injuries anymore. And Liz was badly injured. Mortally wounded.
Her eyes opened. There was a greenish tinge to her eyes, as if the lightning were happening on the inside to her as well. “I can see, Michael. I can see it all. You must save them…. They can not be allowed to die. Even if Alex saves them it will not be the same. It will take another generation to repair the damage. And it has gone on too long as it is. It must be done, and done soon.”
“Liz, come on, you have to hold on!”
“I can’t. I miss him too much. I need him, Michael. Without him, the world is gray. I know you understand, and I am sorry I’m too weak, but I need him Michael. Just as much as he needs me. Please protect the children. And we will meet again. No matter what. But do what you can, because that unfinished business will hang over our lives until it is fixed.”
“Liz…..”
She suddenly reached out and grabbed hold of him. “Tell them I left it on my balcony. That he left it there.” And she died.
-------
Claudia-
Claudia’s mind was a fog.
They had given her some clothes and when she asked for something to drink they had given her a golden sweet liquid. And it had filled her with such a sweet feeling. It had been almost sublime.
Only she couldn’t concentrate. Something was wrong. She shouldn’t be here. Where was everyone else?
She felt more than saw Trevor. She smiled vaguely up at him. He was an okay guy. Maybe a little strange, but he seemed loyal enough.
Trevor looked past her, “How much did you give her?”
A woman’s voice answered. “Not more than a liter.”
“She is just a child!”
“She is the Queen of Antar! She should be able to metabolize the drug. It should be hardwired into her DNA.”
Trevor looked down at her. “Claudia, you are going to have to focus here. They have given you a psychoactive drug. One that should increase your powers significantly. They need you to find the Granolith for them. At least that is what I assume.”
“Well this is just a test and…..”
“She might die.”
The other voice was quiet.
Trevor continued, “You hadn’t really thought about that. Or had you. Is this some sort of test? She has the Seal. Even you can feel that Livian.”
“Matheric says that…..”
“Yes, Matheric. The man who was responsible for Zan’s death if I remember. And, oh, lets see, did not inform me of the bomb in Maria’s car in time. A bomb that would have struck their whole family down. I was supposed to defend the Guerins after all.”
Claudia tried to turn her body, but it felt like it was made of lead. Something was wrong with her.
She had been poisoned!
Fear laced through her body and she felt as if the world were beginning to spin wildly out of control.
Trevor grabbed her shoulders. “Listen, honey, you need to calm down. They have tried to hurt you, I think, but there is a way out of it. They want you to fail, but you must be Queen. You must thrive when they expect you to fail.”
Claudia was frightened. And then something horrible happened.
She felt as Liz died.
Her mother was dead!
And they were trying to kill her, kill her little sister. Rage laced through her, covering her grief. Because she had been betrayed.
Like Claudia was being betrayed right now. She looked up at Trevor. Could she trust him?
Could she trust anyone?
“Where is Kyle?” Claudia did not like the slurring sound of her own voice.
“Dead. My fault. I did not kill him, but I accidentally set him up. If we get out of this I will willingly undertake any course of punishment for it. But your survival is paramount.” He looked away from her and toward the woman across the room. “Well, Livian it is time for you to choose. Matheric or the true ruling line of Antar?”
“You know what my choice is. It is why I am here, so far from home. I will serve the royal line. I am sure Matheric had his reasons.”
“Maybe, but they were bad ones.” He looked back at her.
Claudia looked up at his smile and tried to think of what she should do. She felt so full of power but she couldn’t find a way to use it! It was just pooling in her and making her feel sick.
That on top of Liz’s death threatened to overwhelm her.
“What do we need to do?” It was Livian, a pale woman. “There is no antidote. At least none that I know of. But she shouldn’t have that much trouble, I didn’t give her that much.”
“She is a child, Livian. A talented child, but still just a child. She came into her powers but days ago. She has the talent and I believe the will to survive, but she lacks the training. Even now it is killing her.” He sighed. “We must connect to her, we must let her use out knowledge, use us to survive.”
“But…. That is dangerous, untrained and full of Aspect, she could kill us!”
“Livian, I can use your help, but either way I am doing it.”
Claudia felt as her mind began to drift, to get swept away in the sudden surge of power swirling through her….
And she felt as one mind and then another joined her. And together they fought to weather the storm of chaos and power.
For Claudia was drawing power not only from the Granolith on Antar, the one that Tess had brought to Khivar in exchange for her life. But there was another, another somewhere in the Southwestern United States.
---------
Maria
Maria smiled as they left Earth and headed home. Funny that home had been Earth not that long ago. But in reality home had always been her family. And she had Claudia with her.
And Michael would soon follow. She was going to give Alex and earful about that. It was bad enough that they had to be separated again after so long.
She shifted slightly. Alex had warned her that her muscles were still somewhat untrained. But she hadn’t thought that would have included…..
Well, she was a little sore and stretched, but she had endured it before. She would survive.
Survive that anyway. Looking over at Stephanie talking animatedly with Tim…. Suddenly all the exploits she had done on her mother swelled into her head. Not her daughter wasn’t going to be doing any of that! Not this young!
Rain plumped down on the seat next to her, “Ah, young love. So wonderful in the idiocy of it all.” She turned to face Maria, “So feeling a little uncomfortable are you? I can heal that if you will just let me touch you.”
Maria just looked at the innocent faced woman. Some of the stories that Serena had told her about Rain….. Rain would likely find it funny to embarrass Maria in front of Stephanie.
It wasn’t like the woman was mean spirited. She simply had no shame. And was amused at what others found uncomfortable.
She had even propositioned Liz, since Max wasn’t there and anyone could see that Charles was exclusive and…..
And Maria had to admit that the look on Liz’s face had been priceless. But now the proverbial shoe might very well be on her foot.
And it wasn’t so funny.
“No, really, I just want to make sure you are comfortable. Michael’d kill me if I did more. Besides, I am going to need your help with my new herd. She pointed over at all the little kids that were firmly buckled into their seats.
Seventeen. They had seventeen children of Tess’s.
Anger surged through Maria. They must have strip-mined the poor woman! Seventeen out of twelve years? And they had left some of the older children.
They had been too dangerous.
It still hurt. To leave them. But Maria rationally understood. Some of these other children likely would have a hard enough time as it was…..
“Of course I will help you! Stephanie will too, I am sure. She was always good with her little brothers.”
“And so you will let me help you? Just a little?”
“Um, sure.”
Rain placed her hands on Maria’s belly, sending a warm pulse of energy through her.
Maria sighed in pleasure as the pain dissolved away.
Rain looked at her with a slight smirk.
But no matter how hard she pressed the infuriating woman Rain would not speak of what made her smile.
Not that it mattered, because they grew busy planning what to do with all the children. It would keep her busy until Alex let Michael join them.
And she still needed to speak with him about that.
--------
Max fired the retro jets on his suit. The panels that had shielded him from the reentry fell away.
He could feel his daughters below him.
Somehow he knew they were both in danger.
He had felt Liz die, but he had communicated with Alex, and he had reassured him that Liz would wake soon. But also that it would be much more traumatic for the children.
And so he was here. Using an old orbital insertion suit that Zan had trained on so very long ago.
When he was Zan, he had of course joined the military. It was tradition, even if he did not personally like hurting people. Even Zan had preferred healing to dealing death.
Zan had killed. Not often and he had never enjoyed it, but he had killed, both personally and because as a ruler you must judge criminals and send soldiers off to their deaths.
If he had to compare lives, he would happily live his quiet life as Max Evans every time.
Once the power and ability to control events would have swayed him to reluctantly follow his duty, but that duty had always been a cold mistress. And how could power or duty compare to his Liz?
Still in his heart of hearts, he had always considered himself King of Antar. It would be strange to know that it had passed from him. That it was his daughters turn.
And he would aide her however he could.
He activated the jet pack and felt its strident hum take over as the last of the drop pods engines fell away.
Two minutes to contact.
Hold on Claudia, I am coming.
keepsmiling7- Thanks. Yes, and that is how he is able to do what he is going to need to do. As well as allow him to remember some old... 'friends.'
DeDe PR- Thanks. This Liz and Tess are adults, and given what has happened to Tess, it is hard not to feel some sympathy for her.
zaneri1- Thanks. As to your question? I do not know. They sought to mine the dramatic potential of denied love, but only ended up ruining it in so many ways.
Disclaimer- Roswell is not mine and no infringement is intended
Unfinished Business part 16
Isabel-
Isabel was slightly self conscious as she was led into the teleconferencing chamber. Dr. Preston had come back from Washington and had asked to have all of them talk various members of the government.
A government that Isabel had until recently been fighting a very vicious war against. One that she was still not entirely comfortable.
But the document she held in her hand gave her a little comfort. It was a blanket pardon for her and Kyle Valenti if they would assist the US Government in this time of crisis.
There must be serious gnashing of teeth at the Special Unit.
She was also aware that it was only good if she did indeed help them. And this conversation was to be one of those discussions.
Her hand held tightly to Jimmy. She had been unwilling to let him go since Kyle had died.
Kyle had never been her true love, that would always be Alex. But she had never known how important he had been to her until he was suddenly gone.
An echo of the pain she had felt with Alex. Less sharp, but no less real.
She was not letting her son out of her sight until this insanity had calmed down.
Jimmy felt the same towards her. In some ways he seemed even more so. There was a look in his eye that told Isabel that he was nearing his breaking point. And that he could see it coming. Saw the straw that would break his reserve completely.
Isabel knew from talking to Liz that seeing the future was not always easy. Useful, but not easy.
She squeezed his hand and gave him a smile.
He looked up at her, his eyes brave but worried. Very worried.
“What do you see?”
He said softly, “Chaos. I see chaos. And things, things I want but know that I can not have. Things that I desperately want to stop but don’t know how. I just don’t understand what is going on right now, everything is in flux. And half of what I see….. Half of what I see is impossible.”
“Will they betray us?”
Jimmy shook his head. “No. No the traitors are elsewhere. For now, for now you and I are safe.”
Isabel’s voice was soft, “And the others?”
Jimmy looked away, “I don’t know.” He turned and gave her a hug. “It will be hard, mom. But you need to tell them everything. They need to know.”
“But they had Michael….”
“Michael told them only what they asked from him. They were more interested in him than in what he knew. You know more and I need you to tell it. All of it, even your pasts.”
“But, Jimmy….”
“Please. It might help.”
One of the screens lit up. The man wore an Army uniform. “My name is General West.” He looked at Dr. Preston. “I believe you said there would be others?”
“Lieutenant Guerin is currently on a mission to recover one of the children captured in the raid. Liz Parker is with him. Kyle Valenti, well he is on the run because of the Special Unit raid while I was off base.” Dr. Preston adjusted his glasses, “It would be a nice gesture if various members of our government would stop attacking my facility.”
Isabel squeezed Jimmy’s hand. “Sir, I might still be able to shed some light on the current events. They have been in a large part the story of my lives.”
“Excuse me, miss, did you say ‘lives’?”
“Yes, sir. As far as I have been able to learn, it all started on the far of world of Antar……”
--------
Trevor
Trevor watched with trepidation as Claudia was taken into a different room from him. The feelings he was getting from his comrades were decidedly disturbing.
They had the Queen in their possession. Why were they not more excited? This had been what they had been working toward for years.
Matheric in particular worried him. The man had long been the leader of the Earth expedition. Working tirelessly to put his cousins back on the throne. The man had fought against Khivar and all the other groups since the fall of Zan. Working in his words to clear his name and repent from the errors that had left Zan and his family in peril on that fateful day.
He felt Abby’s eyes on him as he continued to carry her down the corridor to his old rooms. They should be safe there. If they were indeed safe anywhere.
He looked down at her tiny amber colored eyes. There was anger there, but also desperation. And inside of his mind he heard her voice.
*You know what you have to do*
“What are you doing to me?”
*I am a frightened three year old girl. A gifted girl yes, but still very young. I have made a connection with you and am now using your brain better than you are. You know what is happening, you are just unwilling to admit it. To admit how badly you have failed us. Failed your brother. It has all been a set up. And you know it.*
“I….”
*Stop it Trevor! I am inside of your head, I know how you feel, and I know you did not mean for this to happen. But it has. And you need to fix it. Both I and Danny are too young and too weak to do much. We are just hostages that you have delivered to our enemy. And if you meant what you promised Claudia, they are your enemies now too.*
“I can not believe that they have all betrayed you, betrayed what they swore to protect. But you are right. I need to check on your sister. Stay here. I will be back.”
*Please be careful and make sure my sister is okay. I love her. And Trevor you owe me, owe us, much. I do not know if I will ever forgive you for my Protector’s death. But this will be a start on your debt.*
Trevor set Abby gently down on the bed. “I will do what I can.” He turned to Danny, “Keep her safe.”
“Yes sir. We are counting on you.” Danny looked over at Amy, “She sees something in you that I don’t. Don’t prove her wrong.” He reached out and grasped her hand.
Abby smiled back at him. She looked then at Trevor. “Please help Cloudy.”
Trevor nodded and left his room. Abby had been right. He’d been having misgivings over Matheric for a while. But old allegiances die hard, and as much as he had liked Kyle, things had seemed to be going from better to worse.
Not that had had personally helped anything. Not since they had gone to the military base with Michael. Since then all he had done was fail.
That was no longer an option.
He had to find Claudia soon. Before she was hurt.
---------
Michael-
His soldiers had been surprised when he had packed them all back onboard the Ospreys and headed home. But all it had taken was one look outside and they had understood.
A mushroom cloud climbed high into the sky. Tess’s final moments had been to destroy the Institute that had caused her such suffering over the years. And she had taken along some of her children. A dark moment to be sure, but a necessary one.
They had been corrupted by their handlers and were too dangerous to save. Likely one or more of the older children had escaped or not been present.
A problem for a future time.
Closing his eyes he could feel Maria and Stephanie grow further and further away. And he could not stop the occasional tear from falling.
His men more than understood. They thought she had died.
Michael wasn’t sure what to make of the fact that Maria was very much alive. They had stolen away a few moments to reacquaint themselves. It was a funny thing to think he had taken Maria’s virginity twice. He had done what he could, but she would likely still be sore.
A strange and wonderful thing that she lived, that all of them lived. He looked over at Liz, her eyes closed.
Thinking of Max, no doubt. Because seeing Maria, seeing her alive and well had given hope to the petit brunette.
He said, “So, what now?”
“Things are murky. Its almost like I can’t see much any more. Too much chaos and change going on. Too many people unsure of what they are going to do.”
“To many possibilities?”
“Yes. So I guess we just go back and gather everyone together and wait.”
“I suppose so…. What?”
Liz had suddenly shot up in her seat. “We have been betrayed. Something awful is happening back home.”
“What? Are the kids okay?”
“I don’t know! It has never failed me before. They are all drying up, Michael. All the possibilities that I can see!”
“Is something blocking you?”
“No, I, I. The only thing I can think of is if something is stopping me from seeing something inevitable. IF something were definatly going to happen and I couldn’t stop it. I’m worried, Michael.”
The plane shook violently as the left engine pod was struck with a missile.
Liz just said, “Of course. I can’t see past my death. I should have……”
The plane began to fall towards the Earth, spinning terribly.
“Michael, you must protect yourself. Wrap yourself in your shield, slow yourself down and save yourself!”
“But my men! And you!”
Some of the men had wrestled one of the doors open and were evacuating, scrambling to grab parachutes.
He grabbed a strangely calm Liz and rushed them to grab their own parachutes. With the plane spinning it would be hard to jump safely. But without a wing, the plane was not going to be gliding down anyway.
She placed the parachute on herself as he directed while struggling with his own.
And they jumped, following his men.
Not for the first time he was glad they had taken Ospreys. The tilt rotors allowed them to fly higher and faster. And that was the only thing that had given them all enough time.
Broken bones were almost a certainly for some of them. But most of them should live.
He popped his chute and watched as Liz popped hers. She wasn’t far from him and her face still had that serene look on it. A look that remained even after the drone shot her.
Michael wasn’t sure how many times she was hit with the minigun fire the antipersonnel drone had. But her face switched from a grimace of pain back to serenity.
Michael destroyed the drone moments later. And destroyed the five others that were attacking his little band. What about his other men? Where had the other Ospreys gone?
He looked up and saw as one of the Ospreys valiantly tried to fight off a couple other drones.
Michael frowned. It was miles away, way past his normal range.
He had to try. They were miles from anywhere. That Osprey might mean the difference between life and death for some of his men.
He reached deep inside and tried to connect to the feel of the radio that was directing the drone, the invisible waves that he could with some difficulty sense.
THERE! He had it! It was much to far for him to blast it, even knowing exactly where it was. So he simply took possession of it. The other two drones did not expect the sudden treachery of one of the number.
Michael smiled, he had always wanted to do this. But had always been afraid that it would get him in trouble….. He had knocked the second enemy drone right about the time the enemy had activated the self destruct sequence.
Michael tracked the ground station and tried to use the falling drone as a missile. It’s circuits were fried long before it reached them.
But Michael could still hope.
He looked down at the now rushing ground.
A few moments later he was on the ground and rushing to where Liz lay.
It was hard to miss. She was glowing. Tiny green flickers rolled along the visible parts of her body.
He remembered when this had happened to Isabel. When she had almost died. He tried to remember what he had done to save Isabel so very long ago.
But he no longer had the Seal, no longer had the link to the Granolith that had strengthened and broadened his powers.
He could no longer Heal serious injuries anymore. And Liz was badly injured. Mortally wounded.
Her eyes opened. There was a greenish tinge to her eyes, as if the lightning were happening on the inside to her as well. “I can see, Michael. I can see it all. You must save them…. They can not be allowed to die. Even if Alex saves them it will not be the same. It will take another generation to repair the damage. And it has gone on too long as it is. It must be done, and done soon.”
“Liz, come on, you have to hold on!”
“I can’t. I miss him too much. I need him, Michael. Without him, the world is gray. I know you understand, and I am sorry I’m too weak, but I need him Michael. Just as much as he needs me. Please protect the children. And we will meet again. No matter what. But do what you can, because that unfinished business will hang over our lives until it is fixed.”
“Liz…..”
She suddenly reached out and grabbed hold of him. “Tell them I left it on my balcony. That he left it there.” And she died.
-------
Claudia-
Claudia’s mind was a fog.
They had given her some clothes and when she asked for something to drink they had given her a golden sweet liquid. And it had filled her with such a sweet feeling. It had been almost sublime.
Only she couldn’t concentrate. Something was wrong. She shouldn’t be here. Where was everyone else?
She felt more than saw Trevor. She smiled vaguely up at him. He was an okay guy. Maybe a little strange, but he seemed loyal enough.
Trevor looked past her, “How much did you give her?”
A woman’s voice answered. “Not more than a liter.”
“She is just a child!”
“She is the Queen of Antar! She should be able to metabolize the drug. It should be hardwired into her DNA.”
Trevor looked down at her. “Claudia, you are going to have to focus here. They have given you a psychoactive drug. One that should increase your powers significantly. They need you to find the Granolith for them. At least that is what I assume.”
“Well this is just a test and…..”
“She might die.”
The other voice was quiet.
Trevor continued, “You hadn’t really thought about that. Or had you. Is this some sort of test? She has the Seal. Even you can feel that Livian.”
“Matheric says that…..”
“Yes, Matheric. The man who was responsible for Zan’s death if I remember. And, oh, lets see, did not inform me of the bomb in Maria’s car in time. A bomb that would have struck their whole family down. I was supposed to defend the Guerins after all.”
Claudia tried to turn her body, but it felt like it was made of lead. Something was wrong with her.
She had been poisoned!
Fear laced through her body and she felt as if the world were beginning to spin wildly out of control.
Trevor grabbed her shoulders. “Listen, honey, you need to calm down. They have tried to hurt you, I think, but there is a way out of it. They want you to fail, but you must be Queen. You must thrive when they expect you to fail.”
Claudia was frightened. And then something horrible happened.
She felt as Liz died.
Her mother was dead!
And they were trying to kill her, kill her little sister. Rage laced through her, covering her grief. Because she had been betrayed.
Like Claudia was being betrayed right now. She looked up at Trevor. Could she trust him?
Could she trust anyone?
“Where is Kyle?” Claudia did not like the slurring sound of her own voice.
“Dead. My fault. I did not kill him, but I accidentally set him up. If we get out of this I will willingly undertake any course of punishment for it. But your survival is paramount.” He looked away from her and toward the woman across the room. “Well, Livian it is time for you to choose. Matheric or the true ruling line of Antar?”
“You know what my choice is. It is why I am here, so far from home. I will serve the royal line. I am sure Matheric had his reasons.”
“Maybe, but they were bad ones.” He looked back at her.
Claudia looked up at his smile and tried to think of what she should do. She felt so full of power but she couldn’t find a way to use it! It was just pooling in her and making her feel sick.
That on top of Liz’s death threatened to overwhelm her.
“What do we need to do?” It was Livian, a pale woman. “There is no antidote. At least none that I know of. But she shouldn’t have that much trouble, I didn’t give her that much.”
“She is a child, Livian. A talented child, but still just a child. She came into her powers but days ago. She has the talent and I believe the will to survive, but she lacks the training. Even now it is killing her.” He sighed. “We must connect to her, we must let her use out knowledge, use us to survive.”
“But…. That is dangerous, untrained and full of Aspect, she could kill us!”
“Livian, I can use your help, but either way I am doing it.”
Claudia felt as her mind began to drift, to get swept away in the sudden surge of power swirling through her….
And she felt as one mind and then another joined her. And together they fought to weather the storm of chaos and power.
For Claudia was drawing power not only from the Granolith on Antar, the one that Tess had brought to Khivar in exchange for her life. But there was another, another somewhere in the Southwestern United States.
---------
Maria
Maria smiled as they left Earth and headed home. Funny that home had been Earth not that long ago. But in reality home had always been her family. And she had Claudia with her.
And Michael would soon follow. She was going to give Alex and earful about that. It was bad enough that they had to be separated again after so long.
She shifted slightly. Alex had warned her that her muscles were still somewhat untrained. But she hadn’t thought that would have included…..
Well, she was a little sore and stretched, but she had endured it before. She would survive.
Survive that anyway. Looking over at Stephanie talking animatedly with Tim…. Suddenly all the exploits she had done on her mother swelled into her head. Not her daughter wasn’t going to be doing any of that! Not this young!
Rain plumped down on the seat next to her, “Ah, young love. So wonderful in the idiocy of it all.” She turned to face Maria, “So feeling a little uncomfortable are you? I can heal that if you will just let me touch you.”
Maria just looked at the innocent faced woman. Some of the stories that Serena had told her about Rain….. Rain would likely find it funny to embarrass Maria in front of Stephanie.
It wasn’t like the woman was mean spirited. She simply had no shame. And was amused at what others found uncomfortable.
She had even propositioned Liz, since Max wasn’t there and anyone could see that Charles was exclusive and…..
And Maria had to admit that the look on Liz’s face had been priceless. But now the proverbial shoe might very well be on her foot.
And it wasn’t so funny.
“No, really, I just want to make sure you are comfortable. Michael’d kill me if I did more. Besides, I am going to need your help with my new herd. She pointed over at all the little kids that were firmly buckled into their seats.
Seventeen. They had seventeen children of Tess’s.
Anger surged through Maria. They must have strip-mined the poor woman! Seventeen out of twelve years? And they had left some of the older children.
They had been too dangerous.
It still hurt. To leave them. But Maria rationally understood. Some of these other children likely would have a hard enough time as it was…..
“Of course I will help you! Stephanie will too, I am sure. She was always good with her little brothers.”
“And so you will let me help you? Just a little?”
“Um, sure.”
Rain placed her hands on Maria’s belly, sending a warm pulse of energy through her.
Maria sighed in pleasure as the pain dissolved away.
Rain looked at her with a slight smirk.
But no matter how hard she pressed the infuriating woman Rain would not speak of what made her smile.
Not that it mattered, because they grew busy planning what to do with all the children. It would keep her busy until Alex let Michael join them.
And she still needed to speak with him about that.
--------
Max fired the retro jets on his suit. The panels that had shielded him from the reentry fell away.
He could feel his daughters below him.
Somehow he knew they were both in danger.
He had felt Liz die, but he had communicated with Alex, and he had reassured him that Liz would wake soon. But also that it would be much more traumatic for the children.
And so he was here. Using an old orbital insertion suit that Zan had trained on so very long ago.
When he was Zan, he had of course joined the military. It was tradition, even if he did not personally like hurting people. Even Zan had preferred healing to dealing death.
Zan had killed. Not often and he had never enjoyed it, but he had killed, both personally and because as a ruler you must judge criminals and send soldiers off to their deaths.
If he had to compare lives, he would happily live his quiet life as Max Evans every time.
Once the power and ability to control events would have swayed him to reluctantly follow his duty, but that duty had always been a cold mistress. And how could power or duty compare to his Liz?
Still in his heart of hearts, he had always considered himself King of Antar. It would be strange to know that it had passed from him. That it was his daughters turn.
And he would aide her however he could.
He activated the jet pack and felt its strident hum take over as the last of the drop pods engines fell away.
Two minutes to contact.
Hold on Claudia, I am coming.
Re: Unfinished Business (CC, Mature) Part 16 - 02/28/10
Thanks again as always for following along.
keepsmiling7- Thanks. Max is on the way. We will deal with Liz's somewhat cryptic statement next part when we meet up with Michael again.
mary mary- thanks.
chanks_girl- thanks. Alex and Isabel's reaction to each other should be interesting indeed. Just a couple parts away.
zanier1- Thanks. Things are about to get interesting for everyone shortly.
Disclaimer- Roswell is not mine and no infringement is intended.
Unfinished Business part 17
Max
Max hit the ground hard, cracking the pavement beneath his feet. The jetpacks engines slowly shutting down, the roaring sound dwindling to a distant whine.
He saw as a shocked driver in the car in front of him slammed on the brakes. There was no way the car could stop in time.
Max deployed his shield and the car halted a could of feet away from him, bumper only slightly compress.
Max didn’t pay the man any more attention. Any more than he paid the other people just going about their day. He was careful not to hurt them, but that was all.
He had to hurry. This close he could feel Abby’s fear and how close Claudia was to death. There was no force on Earth that could stop him. Not when his girl’s needed them.
He choked back an acid tang of emotion. He hadn’t been able to protect Liz after all.
Except he knew, he knew that Liz would live again. That Alex was reviving her even now. And that by the end of the week they would be together.
Even his children had that protection from death. But the thought of the trauma it would put them through…. No, he had to stop this tragedy before it happened.
He tore through the front door of the building the children were being housed in. They were separated and so he had to make a heart-rending choice. Abby or Claudia first.
He chose to go after Abby, she was too young to protect herself.
There was some resistance to his arrival. And not by normal humans. Blasts splashed ineffectually on his Antaran Guard Combat Armor. By the looks of horror, they knew that there was little or nothing they could do to stop him.
Likely they thought the enemy had found them and was prepared to destroy each and everyone of them.
If a hair were harmed on either of his daughter’s heads……
The last thing he expected was to face another set of Combat Armor. But in front of him there stood a man in such armor. A man that he had known as Zan. Known and admired. Respected and rewarded on multiple occasions. Zan had even given him the job of security of the Royal Household.
Matheric.
A cousin. A relative. A traitor?
Seated on a table in front of Matheric were a small boy that looked so much like Michael it hurt. And Abby. Abby’s hands were intertwined with the boys and her gaze held absolute trust in Max.
That Daddy could make it better.
How he wished it were that easy.
“Rath you are too late. Claudia has already been dosed with a heavy duty of Aspect. She will either rise as Queen or die the repugnant human vermin that she is. Oh, and I made sure that the dosage was suitable for her. Yes, once again, you fail your Royal Overlord. But then, you weren’t even able to hold onto the Seal when it was granted to you, so how can I expect you to be able to defend others? Zan was a fool to trust….”
Max touched the helmet and it became transparent.
Matheric blinked. “But, but you are dead!”
Max drolly said, “It’s hard to keep a good man down, isn’t it?”
“But the Seal passed…. You had to have died!”
“It was you, wasn’t it? You who let the rioters into the Palace? Khivar was always too full of bluster to have carried out such an effective assassination. He wanted to keep sleeping with my sister too much to have killed her. No, the events in the Palace have always bothered me.”
“Why won’t you die? Why do you bother your betters and not just move on to a better place?”
“That’s it isn’t it? You and a bunch of your friends trying to set up a coup. What was it? The power? Or were the changed, things I tried to enact to make the common man’s life better, just too limiting to you? Was it placing nobles under a unified code of law like the rest of the commons. What, what was your price?” Max used powers he hadn’t even known he had. Powers that let him compel the truth out of an enemy.
It wasn’t like Isabel’s. He couldn’t reach into the man’s head and pull. But any word out of the man’s mouth would be true. The smart ones simply shut up.
Matheric wasn’t so smart.
Max/Zan could feel a small crowd not far from him, listening to his words. Listening to Matheric as he confessed.
“I would have been King! I would have held our glorious nation together, regained the respect from the Colonies that we deserved! And the commons, bah. All they exist for is to support and entertain their betters.
“But we had to hurry. Ava was pregnant. Did you know that Zan? That your little wife was expecting? One of her doctors was ours, but we couldn’t poison the babe, you would have found out. You would have used your damned gift for healing, would have torn apart the kingdom looking for the culprit. No, we had to move before it was born.
And Khivar, Bah! The fool really had been willing to sign peace with you. If only to buy himself some time to solidify his base. To use your reforms and take over legally. And that damn bitch of your sister, if she hadn’t dragged him in, right then….. Antar would have been mine! It should have been MINE!”
“I, Max Evans, declare you under arrest for treason. I demand that you remand yourself into my custody until such time I can send you to the appropriate authority for judgment. And furthermore, I demand you release my children!”
“Ah, this will still be sweet, my dear fallen king. For over the last few years, so many have fallen in your name. I am next in line, after your children. And as Claudia is dying as we speak under Aspect, that just leaves these two little tykes between me and absolute power.” Matheric picked up Abby in one hand, cradling her head in his armored hand.
The sound Abby made as her hand was forced from Danny’s broke Max’s heart. He recognized that look. He’d seen it in his own eyes often enough in connections with Michael and Isabel, and then later with Liz.
Abby loved Danny. How this could be, and how a three year old could truly love another small child…… Well he had loved Liz as soon as he had seen her. Had known that she was meant for him at first sight. He’d known it could never be, and was ever so happy to be wrong about that.
Would he have fallen for Liz if he had met her earlier? If they had met when they were toddlers?
Yes.
Of course, this was a problem for the future. A future that they still might not share.
A future that Max HAD to protect.
“Just set them down.”
Matheric waved his other hand in front of Danny, and Danny’s head was incased in a bubble. A bubble with no air. The small boy stuggled to breathe, struggled to remove the force screen….
Max lifted his arm to try to shatter it…..
“Try it and watch as I crush her skull like an egg.”
Abby’s eyes were so huge and brown in her small face. So scared…..
Only to his eyes there was something strange going on. He couldn’t quite tell. But something wasn’t what he as seeing.
Matheric continued his gloating, “Oh Rath will love this. That you let his last living child die before your very eyes. Perhaps I will let you live just so that he can hunt you down like the pathetic dog that you are.”
And Max hesitated. He hated himself, but he hesitated. Could he break the shield in time? Could he somehow get Abby away from Matheric…..
Matheric laughed then. And crushed Abby’s skull. “You are still the worthless pathetic worm you ever were on Antar! So riddled with indecision!”
A tiny mental whimper crept into his mind. “Daddy, Abby have booboos.” And then it faded. It did not disappear.
Somehow Abby was still alive. Faintly Max could see Danny drag a comatose Abby away from Matheric.
Max still had a chance!
Matheric attacked then.
If he had been simply Max, crippled by his lack of training or knowledge, weakened by constantly supporting the dying body of Clayton Wheeler, he would have died instantly. Zan would have followed shortly after. Zan had been in many ways, gifted. But he’d been passionless. He’d done his military service that being Royal required, but he’d never really excelled. He’d had the knowledge, but not the drive.
But Matheric wasn’t fighting just Max or just Zan. He was fighting the composite, the thing that Zan’s mother had hoped would develop on Earth. Because, here and now, Zan provided the knowledge and Max provided the drive.
Because, to protect his children, Max was willing to do anything.
He knew that he couldn’t let himself die. He needed to be there to save Abby. To save Claudia. And to do that he needed to be alive.
Blasts and waves of powerful energies rippled between the two armored titans. Armored fighting on Antar was different from fighting without. The armor protected the wearer from the simpler connections, kept the enemy from killing with a touch.
But seldom had there been a battle with one so gifted in the arts of Healing, a rare and arcane branch even amongst the Antarans. For he had gone far beyond the limited skills that had bound the Antarans. He had brought others back to life from the very brink of death.
And he didn’t need to touch them. Not anymore.
His range was still limited. When he had been just Max, he’d had to actually touch Rath to kill him. But he was so much stronger now.
Matheric died when Max got within five feet. No one had ever built shielding against healing powers into the suits.
No one had ever had such a gift for giving life.
--------
Claudia-
Claudia could feel as the voices tried to call her back. As two other minds sought to help her against the sudden surge of sensation. She felt the call of not one but two sources of immense power.
And she felt as something inside of her changed. As she changed.
As she became Queen in more than just name.
She felt awe as she connected with the Granolith truly for the first time. Only there was something wrong. There were two sources, not just one.
How could that be? How could there be two?
The building shook. She opened her eyes. Livian bowed her head.
Trevor dropped to his knees. “Your Majesty.”
“Oh, get up Trevor. I figure out what to do with you later. We have too much to do for that now. Just don’t screw up again, okay?”
The building shook again. And Claudia felt a familiar presence, one that she thought that she would never feel again.
“Dad?”
“Excuse me, we need to get my sister and cousin.
Livian nodded, “Follow me, Your Majesty.”
Claudia followed after her, a shield ready to protect herself from attack. It had never been so easy to call on her powers. They flowed into her, where before it had just been a trickle.
It felt wonderful.
She continued to follow Livian, the shaking of the building growing louder. Also other people looked at her in shock. Some bowed their heads and others just stared.
She didn’t care. She needed to see Abby safe. She needed to see her father.
She rushed into a room that was partitioned by some men with devices that emitted a pale lavender shield in front of them.
On the other side of the shield two armored men fought. One of them was her father. She looked to see if there was some way to help….
Danny grabbed her arm and said, “Please, you have to help Abby. She saved my life. She, she ripped apart her own mind to do it, and now, now she’s dying. Please save her!”
Claudia ran over to her sister, who was being attended to by a woman trying to comfort the little girl. Blood was trickling from her nose and eyes.
The woman looked up and gasped. “Your Majesty?”
“Here, let me.” Claudia reached into her sister and began repairs. But it was just so very much!
She sent filament after filament to stabilize the child. And she did. Somewhat. But there was just so much damage and Abby was somewhere in all that chaos.
She needed her father. He could fix this. According to family lore, well her mom anyway, her father could heal just about anything.
As long as they were alive.
So she needed to keep her alive. Just long enough for her father to help her.
To help her, and perhaps to teach her.
For healing…. Healing was she would love to learn.
And so she waited. Waited for her father to come.
He had never failed her.
Never.
Now would be no different.
And together they healed Abby.
-------
Stephanie-
Stephanie was having a very good day. First finding her mother was still alive. How could you top that?
You couldn’t not really.
But finding Tim came close.
She traipsed through the wonders of this Moon hideaway. Her mom was distracted helping with all the kids. It gave her an opportunity to explore.
And maybe get a kiss.
Tim was a little bit older, but for some reason that didn’t bother her like it had at school. There was just something special about him.
And those lips looked very kissable.
Tim himself was acting a little giddy himself. He handed her a body suit and a belt. “Quick get this on.” He was stripping down.
She was watching him outside of the corner of her eyes. Just how much of his clothing was he going to shed? And did he expect the same of her? “Um, over my clothes?”
“No, silly! Just remove your…..” He turned to face her, his eyes gazing at her body.
She knew she wasn’t very developed, but she was not flat.
“Do you really think I am going to strip to my skin for a stranger?”
“No, I, I just to your underwear.” He noticeably didn’t remove his, that she noticed.
And she was curious. Just because she had two younger brothers didn’t count. Tim was bigger after all and.
Maybe she needed to talk to mom about all of this. She’d hate it, and it would embarrass Stephanie to death. But now, looking at him….
A slight smile quirked up. Poor Daddy. She should probably warn Tim about him.
But for now….
She slipped out of her clothes, careful to keep bra and panties on. She then donned the other suit. “What is this for?”
“I want to show you something.”
“Okay.”
The boots to the suit seemed a little over large. But when Tim showed her a button to press the suit fit her perfectly. There was also a little belt he slipped across her body before she suited up.
His touch made her feel a little strange. But a good strange. And very conscious of him standing there, so very close.
She could sense a moment coming. She closed her eyes and waited, could feel as his lips almost brushed against hers before he pulled away.
His face was a bright red as he placed a small helmet on his head. “Come on, let’s go.”
They walked into an elevator and for a moment they remained silent as it hummed along.
Stephanie’s heart was racing. He had almost kissed her! Why had he stopped?
He wasn’t ready.
It was that simple. He was older than her, but he’d spent years as the only kid up here on the Moon. He was unsure and uncertain.
This could be fun!
But for now, she would go slow. Not push him too far. She reached her hand to his.
He took it and smiled at her.
The elevator stopped and they moved to across a hallway. There was a small room, big enough to fit maybe four or five people.
An airlock.
Tim closed the other end and began depressurizing the room.
“Tim! What are you doing? We need more than this! It’s space out there! We’ll die!”
He held her for a moment before daring a peck on her cheek. “Relax. Those belts will shield us. Antaran space suits. The rest of this get up is just keep the lunar sand from touching our skin. It gets real cold at night and too hot during the day.”
“Won’t we freeze?”
“No air, nothing to take the heat from your body. If you lay down on the rock, well that could be bad. But as long as your careful and not reckless the suit will protect you.”
Stephanie watched as the outer door opened. She was in a vacuum and should be running out of air…..
Nothing. It felt like she was in the corridor.
“Come on, the pool is this way.” Tim’s voice sounded strange, distorted.
She wanted to get back inside, but she was unwilling to show how frightened she truly was until she got outside.
And saw the stars. They were so beautiful. Many colored hard points of light gleaming everywhere. But that was nothing compared to the sight of Earth. It took her breathe away.
“Oh, My God. It is so beautiful…..”
“Come on, the pool is over here.” Tim half dragged her as she just kept staring at the sky.
She almost didn’t want to enter the other air lock. But he dragged her in.
Here the air was moist. And sweet. She walked out and saw a huge pool. And above the doom was translucent. She stared up at the heavens.
She could hear as Tim was removing his suit. But she was too busy staring at the sky.
It was a different voice that brought her back to her senses. Familiar in a way, but also different. Stronger somehow.
“Yes, it is amazing isn’t it. They always make me think of her. I sometimes think I built it for her, for the time we could actually be together. And soon, hopefully soon…..” The man was tall and somewhat lanky. But there was power and poise in his demeanor.
“You’re,” Her mind went soaring through all the tales she’d been told of. And of those her mother told her of her more recent days. “You’re Alex!”
“Yes, my dear, I am.” He motioned over to some chairs.
Tim was watching him guardedly. Almost worriedly. He sat next to her. Their hands naturally met.
“You too, Tim. This regards you as well.” Alex looked at them both. “Ah, so you two already know. I thought it likely, but wasn’t sure. I do know that the other two will not be linked like you are.”
“Other two?”
“You two are part of the Royal Four. Not of the originals, those where your parents, and as predicted, all four bloodlines are represented or will be.”
“What, what are you talking about?”
Alex just smiled, “It all began a long time ago, on a planet far away……..”
keepsmiling7- Thanks. Max is on the way. We will deal with Liz's somewhat cryptic statement next part when we meet up with Michael again.
mary mary- thanks.
chanks_girl- thanks. Alex and Isabel's reaction to each other should be interesting indeed. Just a couple parts away.
zanier1- Thanks. Things are about to get interesting for everyone shortly.
Disclaimer- Roswell is not mine and no infringement is intended.
Unfinished Business part 17
Max
Max hit the ground hard, cracking the pavement beneath his feet. The jetpacks engines slowly shutting down, the roaring sound dwindling to a distant whine.
He saw as a shocked driver in the car in front of him slammed on the brakes. There was no way the car could stop in time.
Max deployed his shield and the car halted a could of feet away from him, bumper only slightly compress.
Max didn’t pay the man any more attention. Any more than he paid the other people just going about their day. He was careful not to hurt them, but that was all.
He had to hurry. This close he could feel Abby’s fear and how close Claudia was to death. There was no force on Earth that could stop him. Not when his girl’s needed them.
He choked back an acid tang of emotion. He hadn’t been able to protect Liz after all.
Except he knew, he knew that Liz would live again. That Alex was reviving her even now. And that by the end of the week they would be together.
Even his children had that protection from death. But the thought of the trauma it would put them through…. No, he had to stop this tragedy before it happened.
He tore through the front door of the building the children were being housed in. They were separated and so he had to make a heart-rending choice. Abby or Claudia first.
He chose to go after Abby, she was too young to protect herself.
There was some resistance to his arrival. And not by normal humans. Blasts splashed ineffectually on his Antaran Guard Combat Armor. By the looks of horror, they knew that there was little or nothing they could do to stop him.
Likely they thought the enemy had found them and was prepared to destroy each and everyone of them.
If a hair were harmed on either of his daughter’s heads……
The last thing he expected was to face another set of Combat Armor. But in front of him there stood a man in such armor. A man that he had known as Zan. Known and admired. Respected and rewarded on multiple occasions. Zan had even given him the job of security of the Royal Household.
Matheric.
A cousin. A relative. A traitor?
Seated on a table in front of Matheric were a small boy that looked so much like Michael it hurt. And Abby. Abby’s hands were intertwined with the boys and her gaze held absolute trust in Max.
That Daddy could make it better.
How he wished it were that easy.
“Rath you are too late. Claudia has already been dosed with a heavy duty of Aspect. She will either rise as Queen or die the repugnant human vermin that she is. Oh, and I made sure that the dosage was suitable for her. Yes, once again, you fail your Royal Overlord. But then, you weren’t even able to hold onto the Seal when it was granted to you, so how can I expect you to be able to defend others? Zan was a fool to trust….”
Max touched the helmet and it became transparent.
Matheric blinked. “But, but you are dead!”
Max drolly said, “It’s hard to keep a good man down, isn’t it?”
“But the Seal passed…. You had to have died!”
“It was you, wasn’t it? You who let the rioters into the Palace? Khivar was always too full of bluster to have carried out such an effective assassination. He wanted to keep sleeping with my sister too much to have killed her. No, the events in the Palace have always bothered me.”
“Why won’t you die? Why do you bother your betters and not just move on to a better place?”
“That’s it isn’t it? You and a bunch of your friends trying to set up a coup. What was it? The power? Or were the changed, things I tried to enact to make the common man’s life better, just too limiting to you? Was it placing nobles under a unified code of law like the rest of the commons. What, what was your price?” Max used powers he hadn’t even known he had. Powers that let him compel the truth out of an enemy.
It wasn’t like Isabel’s. He couldn’t reach into the man’s head and pull. But any word out of the man’s mouth would be true. The smart ones simply shut up.
Matheric wasn’t so smart.
Max/Zan could feel a small crowd not far from him, listening to his words. Listening to Matheric as he confessed.
“I would have been King! I would have held our glorious nation together, regained the respect from the Colonies that we deserved! And the commons, bah. All they exist for is to support and entertain their betters.
“But we had to hurry. Ava was pregnant. Did you know that Zan? That your little wife was expecting? One of her doctors was ours, but we couldn’t poison the babe, you would have found out. You would have used your damned gift for healing, would have torn apart the kingdom looking for the culprit. No, we had to move before it was born.
And Khivar, Bah! The fool really had been willing to sign peace with you. If only to buy himself some time to solidify his base. To use your reforms and take over legally. And that damn bitch of your sister, if she hadn’t dragged him in, right then….. Antar would have been mine! It should have been MINE!”
“I, Max Evans, declare you under arrest for treason. I demand that you remand yourself into my custody until such time I can send you to the appropriate authority for judgment. And furthermore, I demand you release my children!”
“Ah, this will still be sweet, my dear fallen king. For over the last few years, so many have fallen in your name. I am next in line, after your children. And as Claudia is dying as we speak under Aspect, that just leaves these two little tykes between me and absolute power.” Matheric picked up Abby in one hand, cradling her head in his armored hand.
The sound Abby made as her hand was forced from Danny’s broke Max’s heart. He recognized that look. He’d seen it in his own eyes often enough in connections with Michael and Isabel, and then later with Liz.
Abby loved Danny. How this could be, and how a three year old could truly love another small child…… Well he had loved Liz as soon as he had seen her. Had known that she was meant for him at first sight. He’d known it could never be, and was ever so happy to be wrong about that.
Would he have fallen for Liz if he had met her earlier? If they had met when they were toddlers?
Yes.
Of course, this was a problem for the future. A future that they still might not share.
A future that Max HAD to protect.
“Just set them down.”
Matheric waved his other hand in front of Danny, and Danny’s head was incased in a bubble. A bubble with no air. The small boy stuggled to breathe, struggled to remove the force screen….
Max lifted his arm to try to shatter it…..
“Try it and watch as I crush her skull like an egg.”
Abby’s eyes were so huge and brown in her small face. So scared…..
Only to his eyes there was something strange going on. He couldn’t quite tell. But something wasn’t what he as seeing.
Matheric continued his gloating, “Oh Rath will love this. That you let his last living child die before your very eyes. Perhaps I will let you live just so that he can hunt you down like the pathetic dog that you are.”
And Max hesitated. He hated himself, but he hesitated. Could he break the shield in time? Could he somehow get Abby away from Matheric…..
Matheric laughed then. And crushed Abby’s skull. “You are still the worthless pathetic worm you ever were on Antar! So riddled with indecision!”
A tiny mental whimper crept into his mind. “Daddy, Abby have booboos.” And then it faded. It did not disappear.
Somehow Abby was still alive. Faintly Max could see Danny drag a comatose Abby away from Matheric.
Max still had a chance!
Matheric attacked then.
If he had been simply Max, crippled by his lack of training or knowledge, weakened by constantly supporting the dying body of Clayton Wheeler, he would have died instantly. Zan would have followed shortly after. Zan had been in many ways, gifted. But he’d been passionless. He’d done his military service that being Royal required, but he’d never really excelled. He’d had the knowledge, but not the drive.
But Matheric wasn’t fighting just Max or just Zan. He was fighting the composite, the thing that Zan’s mother had hoped would develop on Earth. Because, here and now, Zan provided the knowledge and Max provided the drive.
Because, to protect his children, Max was willing to do anything.
He knew that he couldn’t let himself die. He needed to be there to save Abby. To save Claudia. And to do that he needed to be alive.
Blasts and waves of powerful energies rippled between the two armored titans. Armored fighting on Antar was different from fighting without. The armor protected the wearer from the simpler connections, kept the enemy from killing with a touch.
But seldom had there been a battle with one so gifted in the arts of Healing, a rare and arcane branch even amongst the Antarans. For he had gone far beyond the limited skills that had bound the Antarans. He had brought others back to life from the very brink of death.
And he didn’t need to touch them. Not anymore.
His range was still limited. When he had been just Max, he’d had to actually touch Rath to kill him. But he was so much stronger now.
Matheric died when Max got within five feet. No one had ever built shielding against healing powers into the suits.
No one had ever had such a gift for giving life.
--------
Claudia-
Claudia could feel as the voices tried to call her back. As two other minds sought to help her against the sudden surge of sensation. She felt the call of not one but two sources of immense power.
And she felt as something inside of her changed. As she changed.
As she became Queen in more than just name.
She felt awe as she connected with the Granolith truly for the first time. Only there was something wrong. There were two sources, not just one.
How could that be? How could there be two?
The building shook. She opened her eyes. Livian bowed her head.
Trevor dropped to his knees. “Your Majesty.”
“Oh, get up Trevor. I figure out what to do with you later. We have too much to do for that now. Just don’t screw up again, okay?”
The building shook again. And Claudia felt a familiar presence, one that she thought that she would never feel again.
“Dad?”
“Excuse me, we need to get my sister and cousin.
Livian nodded, “Follow me, Your Majesty.”
Claudia followed after her, a shield ready to protect herself from attack. It had never been so easy to call on her powers. They flowed into her, where before it had just been a trickle.
It felt wonderful.
She continued to follow Livian, the shaking of the building growing louder. Also other people looked at her in shock. Some bowed their heads and others just stared.
She didn’t care. She needed to see Abby safe. She needed to see her father.
She rushed into a room that was partitioned by some men with devices that emitted a pale lavender shield in front of them.
On the other side of the shield two armored men fought. One of them was her father. She looked to see if there was some way to help….
Danny grabbed her arm and said, “Please, you have to help Abby. She saved my life. She, she ripped apart her own mind to do it, and now, now she’s dying. Please save her!”
Claudia ran over to her sister, who was being attended to by a woman trying to comfort the little girl. Blood was trickling from her nose and eyes.
The woman looked up and gasped. “Your Majesty?”
“Here, let me.” Claudia reached into her sister and began repairs. But it was just so very much!
She sent filament after filament to stabilize the child. And she did. Somewhat. But there was just so much damage and Abby was somewhere in all that chaos.
She needed her father. He could fix this. According to family lore, well her mom anyway, her father could heal just about anything.
As long as they were alive.
So she needed to keep her alive. Just long enough for her father to help her.
To help her, and perhaps to teach her.
For healing…. Healing was she would love to learn.
And so she waited. Waited for her father to come.
He had never failed her.
Never.
Now would be no different.
And together they healed Abby.
-------
Stephanie-
Stephanie was having a very good day. First finding her mother was still alive. How could you top that?
You couldn’t not really.
But finding Tim came close.
She traipsed through the wonders of this Moon hideaway. Her mom was distracted helping with all the kids. It gave her an opportunity to explore.
And maybe get a kiss.
Tim was a little bit older, but for some reason that didn’t bother her like it had at school. There was just something special about him.
And those lips looked very kissable.
Tim himself was acting a little giddy himself. He handed her a body suit and a belt. “Quick get this on.” He was stripping down.
She was watching him outside of the corner of her eyes. Just how much of his clothing was he going to shed? And did he expect the same of her? “Um, over my clothes?”
“No, silly! Just remove your…..” He turned to face her, his eyes gazing at her body.
She knew she wasn’t very developed, but she was not flat.
“Do you really think I am going to strip to my skin for a stranger?”
“No, I, I just to your underwear.” He noticeably didn’t remove his, that she noticed.
And she was curious. Just because she had two younger brothers didn’t count. Tim was bigger after all and.
Maybe she needed to talk to mom about all of this. She’d hate it, and it would embarrass Stephanie to death. But now, looking at him….
A slight smile quirked up. Poor Daddy. She should probably warn Tim about him.
But for now….
She slipped out of her clothes, careful to keep bra and panties on. She then donned the other suit. “What is this for?”
“I want to show you something.”
“Okay.”
The boots to the suit seemed a little over large. But when Tim showed her a button to press the suit fit her perfectly. There was also a little belt he slipped across her body before she suited up.
His touch made her feel a little strange. But a good strange. And very conscious of him standing there, so very close.
She could sense a moment coming. She closed her eyes and waited, could feel as his lips almost brushed against hers before he pulled away.
His face was a bright red as he placed a small helmet on his head. “Come on, let’s go.”
They walked into an elevator and for a moment they remained silent as it hummed along.
Stephanie’s heart was racing. He had almost kissed her! Why had he stopped?
He wasn’t ready.
It was that simple. He was older than her, but he’d spent years as the only kid up here on the Moon. He was unsure and uncertain.
This could be fun!
But for now, she would go slow. Not push him too far. She reached her hand to his.
He took it and smiled at her.
The elevator stopped and they moved to across a hallway. There was a small room, big enough to fit maybe four or five people.
An airlock.
Tim closed the other end and began depressurizing the room.
“Tim! What are you doing? We need more than this! It’s space out there! We’ll die!”
He held her for a moment before daring a peck on her cheek. “Relax. Those belts will shield us. Antaran space suits. The rest of this get up is just keep the lunar sand from touching our skin. It gets real cold at night and too hot during the day.”
“Won’t we freeze?”
“No air, nothing to take the heat from your body. If you lay down on the rock, well that could be bad. But as long as your careful and not reckless the suit will protect you.”
Stephanie watched as the outer door opened. She was in a vacuum and should be running out of air…..
Nothing. It felt like she was in the corridor.
“Come on, the pool is this way.” Tim’s voice sounded strange, distorted.
She wanted to get back inside, but she was unwilling to show how frightened she truly was until she got outside.
And saw the stars. They were so beautiful. Many colored hard points of light gleaming everywhere. But that was nothing compared to the sight of Earth. It took her breathe away.
“Oh, My God. It is so beautiful…..”
“Come on, the pool is over here.” Tim half dragged her as she just kept staring at the sky.
She almost didn’t want to enter the other air lock. But he dragged her in.
Here the air was moist. And sweet. She walked out and saw a huge pool. And above the doom was translucent. She stared up at the heavens.
She could hear as Tim was removing his suit. But she was too busy staring at the sky.
It was a different voice that brought her back to her senses. Familiar in a way, but also different. Stronger somehow.
“Yes, it is amazing isn’t it. They always make me think of her. I sometimes think I built it for her, for the time we could actually be together. And soon, hopefully soon…..” The man was tall and somewhat lanky. But there was power and poise in his demeanor.
“You’re,” Her mind went soaring through all the tales she’d been told of. And of those her mother told her of her more recent days. “You’re Alex!”
“Yes, my dear, I am.” He motioned over to some chairs.
Tim was watching him guardedly. Almost worriedly. He sat next to her. Their hands naturally met.
“You too, Tim. This regards you as well.” Alex looked at them both. “Ah, so you two already know. I thought it likely, but wasn’t sure. I do know that the other two will not be linked like you are.”
“Other two?”
“You two are part of the Royal Four. Not of the originals, those where your parents, and as predicted, all four bloodlines are represented or will be.”
“What, what are you talking about?”
Alex just smiled, “It all began a long time ago, on a planet far away……..”
Re: Unfinished Business (CC, Mature) Part 17 - 03/13/10
Sorry about the wait. I will try to post this story more often, but Kiss has just been consuming most of my writing time. Thank you all for following along.
keepsmiling7- Thanks. Yes, it was very hard for Max to have to choose.
zanieri- I am glad you liked the Evan's curse. Family relationships are going to get complicated, with two Guerins married to two Evans, even if they did have different mothers. But this story had such dark parts, I had to add something happy. As for Isabel and Alex, their reunion begins next part.
DeDe Pr- Thanks. Its amazing how far someone can go to save someone they love.
Disclaimer- Roswell is not mine and no infringement is intended
Unfinished Business part 18
Jimmy-
Jimmy slept soundly. His mind drifted along the currents of time as it was want to do. He waited softly for a dream to find him.
But his mother was awake and Lonnie was dead. He did not truly expect anyone.
Only he felt as someone touched his dream. It was a familiar touch, but it was neither his mother or Lonnie. He would recognize them now no matter how much they wanted to hide.
Once more a playground unfolded. It was the same one he always saw when his mom invaded his dreams. A bit of her home.
Only there were two people there. One looked like his mom. Only younger. And she looked happy. So very happy. “This is him, Alex. This is her son.”
The man was tall and lanky. And his eyes saw too much. Jimmy shivered. There were only a couple of people he had ever seen with that look.
One had been one of his mother’s, Liz. The other he saw in dreams looking back at him.
His own image when he was older.
Jimmy looked up at him, “You can See, can’t you?”
“A little. Not like you. For me it’s not natural. I have ways that work in similar ways.”
Jimmy looked up at him, and then at the woman. “Something is wrong isn’t it?”
The woman looked away, her eyes bright.
Alex took his hand. “This is going to be a tough time for you, Jimmy.”
Jimmy’s heart began to beat quickly. “It’s mom isn’t it. You’re the one she calls for. The one she loved before she met dad.”
“”Yes, my name is Alex Whitman. And I love your mother. I always have, even when we were kids playing in this very playground.”
“This is our playground.”
“It’s a replica of the playground at Aldrin Elementary in Roswell. It’s where I first met your mother. She had a lot of fun here. Before she retreated into her shell. And in a real way she knew your father long before she knew me.”
“You knew him too?”
“Yes, they were both good friends to me. Isabel was my true love in my life. I think she was beginning to think the same…..”
“But you died.”
“Yes. And life became so much more complicated. But there was always a connection between us. I could always visit her. I am only here because Amanda, over there is helping me. But I don’t want you to lose your focus. Everything will be okay…..”
“She’s going to die. Mom is going to DIE! No, no I won’t let it happen. I need to wake up, I won’t let you take her from me! NO!” He began to hit Alex who just held him.
“I am sorry. So very sorry.”
“Let me go! Let me go save her! I’ve done it before. I will do it again!”
“I will. But Jimmy, it is not your fault. Remember. None of this is your fault.”
“Please, just let me go!”
“I will see you soon, Jimmy.” Alex touched his forehead. “Awaken.”
Jimmy woke with a sudden start.
That had been more than a dream. He frantically looked around the room they had been given for Isabel. But she was gone. He opened the door, and confronted the guards. “I need to see my mom. Its important.”
One of the guards looked over at the other. “Sorry kid, she had to go somewhere important to see some important people.”
“But they are going to kill her!”
“Relax kid, she has the best security we can provide. Now back to bed with you.”
Jimmy tried to get out of the door, but they stopped him. He tried to use his gifts to see a way out, to escape and warn her.
But the people they had put to guard him were good. Too strong for him, his own body to untrained and undeveloped to use the tactics that would let him escape. He knew it. He knew that he would fail.
That she would die.
And he would be alone. All of them were dead. He would be forever alone.
His soul searing cries did not help him one bit in his bid to escape, as he waited for the hammer blow to flow along his bond to his mother.
And it hurt as much as he had known it would.
--------
Stephanie-
Stephanie floated on her back in the cool water of the pool and looked into the depths of space.
So beautiful.
She slyly looked over at the other person in the pool at the other person swimming in the pool. His golden hair was darkened by the water, but her memory of it was still firmly in her mind. And those deep blue eyes.
So beautiful.
Part of her wanted to reach for him. To hold his hand. At the very least.
But they were not alone.
Alex lay sleeping on a chaise lounge. Amanda curled up with Charles on a hammock. She was sleeping, but she knew that Charles at least was watching them.
Protecting them. She shivered. She had known growing up that her past was different from others. That her family had gifts. She certainly had developed her own.
But to hear that you were fated to be born. That you had a Destiny…..
It was heady stuff. That she and her friends were important to this section of the galaxy, and that she had to learn how to protect it.
No pressure. She had thought that working towards a good college would be her hardest task in the future. No, now she not only had her fate riding on her but that of many others, both on Earth and on other worlds.
She just thanked God, that she was not the Queen. That she was one of the appointed counselors, chosen by birth and fate. The others would be here soon, to learn their part.
It would be hard. But it would be worth it. Because she would have her Tim. The boy who had not qualified as King, still had his place.
Her thoughts were broken by the sound of crying coming from Amanda. She and Tim swam to the side of the pool to see what was going on. Amanda had sat up and was being held by a grim faced Charles.
Charles looked at them and put his fingers to his lips.
There was a sound of creaking as Alex abruptly got off his chair. “Charles, if you will watch these two for a little longer? Thank you Amanda, I would not have been able to do that without you.”
She said thickly, “Was it really necessary?”
Alex nodded, “He needed to know he couldn’t stop it. Needed to be able to try. If she had died in his sleep he would never have forgiven himself. I need to go.” Alex turned to them, “Be good for them. I need to be elsewhere. Someone, someone will need me….” His voice ended with a mix of pain and anticipation.
Charles just cradled the sobbing Amanda, while Alex left.
Stephanie just looked over at Tim. They both looked at each other in wonderment. What could be going on to rattle Alex. They had known him for such a short time, but he had seemed a solid as stone.
And then she noticed the admiration in Tim’s eyes when he looked at her. There had been a time when she had been a little concerned about her looks. But she KNEW what he thought about her.
He wasn’t bad looking either.
She was about to touch him, just a feather light touch on his chest…..
“Stephanie Elizabeth Guerin! You get over her right this minute.” Her mother stamped on through the door that Alex used. “They told me you were out here.” She turned her furious glance over at Tim, “And you…. I thought better of you Tim. You can be sure that I will talk to Max about thtis when he comes back. And Alex. And Serena. I’d talk to Rain, but she’d just egg the two of you one. The nerve of that woman!”
“Mom!”
“I’m sorry, Maria.”
“Come with me, oh daughter of mine!” Maria proceeded to drag Stephanie away.
Stephanie shot a look of chagrin at Tim. She tried to ignore the open smile on Charles’ face, and the wan one on Amanda’s.
Her mother was muttering under her breath as they left the pool room and took the elevator down to the main section. There started to be a strange sound coming from her mother’s mouth.
They sounded almost like, like giggles.
“Mom? Are you okay?”
Maria just held her head back and laughed harder than Stephanie had ever heard her before.
Stephanie just stood there while the elevator made its long journey down. What was wrong with her mother?
Maria wiped her eyes and shook her head, recovering herself visibly. “Oh, that was so much fun. Just the looks on your faces…. Priceless..”
“You’re, you’re not mad?”
“A bit. I wish you had told me where you were going. And we have a lot to talk about it seems. But not a lot. Its not like I didn’t see you two on the trip back up to the Moon.”
“Mom!”
“Come on, lets go have some girl time together. They chipped all of your nail polish in that, that institution.” Maria’s face fell for a moment before she brightened up a bit. “We need to fix that.”
“Okay, I guess.”
And Maria dragged her daughter further into the complex. Where over ice cream they talked about many things.
-------
Isabel-
Isabel had told her story several times. But still they asked questions. Many were directed at what she knew about the aliens, but just as many about the actions that last year in Roswell.
Some people had seriously overstepped their authority. In ways that had lead to her private war with the Federal Government. She could feel the hatred of many of the people around her. She had killed so many agents, so many fairly neutral police officers….. And now she was forgiven because of her testimony and aid? For the very reasons she had been hunted down in the first place.
The information of what had gone on at the Institute, the use of Tess’s children as weapons…. That had sent a thrill of worry throughout the men she was dealing with. She wished she could have taken Jimmy with her this time, but he had been so tired.
So she had left him behind.
She didn’t want him to see that she was sick. She didn’t know exactly what was wrong with her. But she had started feeling weak only last night.
Isabel had even allowed them to test her. To use Michael’s profile to try to understand what was wrong with her.
It wasn’t her powers. Those seemed to be working just fine.
She had seriously impressed them with what she could do. She didn’t have the same tricks Michael apparently had developed, but her own had suddenly made her hot property.
Dr. Preston had promise that she could have the same deal that Michael had. That had worked well, so she accepted. They were working on an identity for her and Jimmy.
It would be nice to see Michael again.
Maybe it was the illness, such a different feeling for her, that had made her a little sloppy. But she was slow to pick up on the agent pulling a gun on her.
She felt as first one bullet and then another laced into her abdomen.
He died, of course.
She felt as her strength just seemed to leave her. As everything became so quiet and detached. She watched as a variety of guards fought over her. As Doctor Preston himself tried to save her.
‘I am sorry Jimmy. I tried. I wanted to get to know you better. To see you graduate, to meet the girl you keep gushing about that you will meet when you are twenty. But my lover beckons.’
She could feel her son’s frantic attempts to rush to her. It all seemed so strong and so hazy all at the same time.
From far away she hear the sounds of more gunshots. She felt as Dr. Preston’s body slumped on top of her. There was such surprise on his pained face.
She hoped there was someone waiting for him, like there was for her.
‘Alex, I am coming.’
I know love. I wish there could be another way.
‘I am sorry it took me so long.’
I’m not, my love. This would have happened soon regardless. The Gandarium in your blood is breaking down. Luckily all the kids, including Jimmy, don’t need it.
‘Are you real?’
I am waiting for you love.
A man took a gun and put it firmly on the bridge of her nose. He said something that she could not make out. And he spit on her.
He pulled the trigger.
And Isabel Amanda Ramirez was no more.
-----
Michael-
Michael lay on the bed of the field hospital they had taken him. The doctor working on him kept blinking at all of the once classified things he was being bombarded with over the net.
Something was wrong with him. That much he knew.
He had never been sick before, but not long after getting picked up by the surviving Osprey he had started to feel weak. It was part of his agreement that he would log any physical change. His altered biology was part of what his deal was based on.
“So, Doc, what is wrong.”
The doctor seemed nervous as he faced him. “Look, I am not an expert here. I, I have never seen cells like this. Human but not. You don’t even have all the same organelles!”
“Right, Doc, I am an alien human hybrid.”
The doctor shook his head at that.
“Yeah, I feel the same way about it myself. At least you don’t have to live it.”
The doctor nodded his head quickly. “Well, you are dying. We think.”
“I am dying? Can you be a little more specific?”
“It’s the extra organelles in your cells. We have isolated some, and like mitochondria they have their own style of DNA. Well they are dying. Not all at once, but even there most of the samples we have taken are showing a growing weakness in function. What we don’t quite understand is why you are dying from it. All the normal human organelles are functioning normally. In theory they should be able to take up whatever functions that your alien ones used to do.”
“So I am becoming human?”
“You ARE human. I have been told that you have three healthy children. If you were a true hybrid that would have been problematic at best. And recent tests by your friends tell me that your daughter at least has a healthy reproductive system. If anything more healthy than any they have seen. No, if anything your friends think you should become more like your daughters mix.”
“But I’m not.”
The doctor shook his head. “But we don’t know why. For some reason these organelles seem to be lowering the activity of the others.”
“I am dying.”
“Yes. But we will keep looking.”
Michael felt something rip from his mind.
Isabel. Isabel was dead.
“I am the last. God, why did I just know that this would happen. Look, Doc, you have your samples. Play around with them, see if you can save me. But I have to go take care of my family. They will need me.”
“But, Lieutenant Guerin, you are sick. You need medical attention.”
“Don’t worry. I’m headed home. There the people who have given you all your information. I just need get home.”
The doctor nodded.
“I will see what I can do. They did want me to transport you there as soon as possible.”
“Good. So do that.” Michael closed his eyes.
He was the last of them. And he had four children to protect.
“You better have save her Alex, or I swear, I don’t care if you are on the Moon, I will hunt you down.”
Max he knew had been recovered.
But it wasn’t the same. He could feel that in his bones. They were alive, but somehow they had failed.
Michael closed his eyes.
He was so very tired…..
keepsmiling7- Thanks. Yes, it was very hard for Max to have to choose.
zanieri- I am glad you liked the Evan's curse. Family relationships are going to get complicated, with two Guerins married to two Evans, even if they did have different mothers. But this story had such dark parts, I had to add something happy. As for Isabel and Alex, their reunion begins next part.
DeDe Pr- Thanks. Its amazing how far someone can go to save someone they love.
Disclaimer- Roswell is not mine and no infringement is intended
Unfinished Business part 18
Jimmy-
Jimmy slept soundly. His mind drifted along the currents of time as it was want to do. He waited softly for a dream to find him.
But his mother was awake and Lonnie was dead. He did not truly expect anyone.
Only he felt as someone touched his dream. It was a familiar touch, but it was neither his mother or Lonnie. He would recognize them now no matter how much they wanted to hide.
Once more a playground unfolded. It was the same one he always saw when his mom invaded his dreams. A bit of her home.
Only there were two people there. One looked like his mom. Only younger. And she looked happy. So very happy. “This is him, Alex. This is her son.”
The man was tall and lanky. And his eyes saw too much. Jimmy shivered. There were only a couple of people he had ever seen with that look.
One had been one of his mother’s, Liz. The other he saw in dreams looking back at him.
His own image when he was older.
Jimmy looked up at him, “You can See, can’t you?”
“A little. Not like you. For me it’s not natural. I have ways that work in similar ways.”
Jimmy looked up at him, and then at the woman. “Something is wrong isn’t it?”
The woman looked away, her eyes bright.
Alex took his hand. “This is going to be a tough time for you, Jimmy.”
Jimmy’s heart began to beat quickly. “It’s mom isn’t it. You’re the one she calls for. The one she loved before she met dad.”
“”Yes, my name is Alex Whitman. And I love your mother. I always have, even when we were kids playing in this very playground.”
“This is our playground.”
“It’s a replica of the playground at Aldrin Elementary in Roswell. It’s where I first met your mother. She had a lot of fun here. Before she retreated into her shell. And in a real way she knew your father long before she knew me.”
“You knew him too?”
“Yes, they were both good friends to me. Isabel was my true love in my life. I think she was beginning to think the same…..”
“But you died.”
“Yes. And life became so much more complicated. But there was always a connection between us. I could always visit her. I am only here because Amanda, over there is helping me. But I don’t want you to lose your focus. Everything will be okay…..”
“She’s going to die. Mom is going to DIE! No, no I won’t let it happen. I need to wake up, I won’t let you take her from me! NO!” He began to hit Alex who just held him.
“I am sorry. So very sorry.”
“Let me go! Let me go save her! I’ve done it before. I will do it again!”
“I will. But Jimmy, it is not your fault. Remember. None of this is your fault.”
“Please, just let me go!”
“I will see you soon, Jimmy.” Alex touched his forehead. “Awaken.”
Jimmy woke with a sudden start.
That had been more than a dream. He frantically looked around the room they had been given for Isabel. But she was gone. He opened the door, and confronted the guards. “I need to see my mom. Its important.”
One of the guards looked over at the other. “Sorry kid, she had to go somewhere important to see some important people.”
“But they are going to kill her!”
“Relax kid, she has the best security we can provide. Now back to bed with you.”
Jimmy tried to get out of the door, but they stopped him. He tried to use his gifts to see a way out, to escape and warn her.
But the people they had put to guard him were good. Too strong for him, his own body to untrained and undeveloped to use the tactics that would let him escape. He knew it. He knew that he would fail.
That she would die.
And he would be alone. All of them were dead. He would be forever alone.
His soul searing cries did not help him one bit in his bid to escape, as he waited for the hammer blow to flow along his bond to his mother.
And it hurt as much as he had known it would.
--------
Stephanie-
Stephanie floated on her back in the cool water of the pool and looked into the depths of space.
So beautiful.
She slyly looked over at the other person in the pool at the other person swimming in the pool. His golden hair was darkened by the water, but her memory of it was still firmly in her mind. And those deep blue eyes.
So beautiful.
Part of her wanted to reach for him. To hold his hand. At the very least.
But they were not alone.
Alex lay sleeping on a chaise lounge. Amanda curled up with Charles on a hammock. She was sleeping, but she knew that Charles at least was watching them.
Protecting them. She shivered. She had known growing up that her past was different from others. That her family had gifts. She certainly had developed her own.
But to hear that you were fated to be born. That you had a Destiny…..
It was heady stuff. That she and her friends were important to this section of the galaxy, and that she had to learn how to protect it.
No pressure. She had thought that working towards a good college would be her hardest task in the future. No, now she not only had her fate riding on her but that of many others, both on Earth and on other worlds.
She just thanked God, that she was not the Queen. That she was one of the appointed counselors, chosen by birth and fate. The others would be here soon, to learn their part.
It would be hard. But it would be worth it. Because she would have her Tim. The boy who had not qualified as King, still had his place.
Her thoughts were broken by the sound of crying coming from Amanda. She and Tim swam to the side of the pool to see what was going on. Amanda had sat up and was being held by a grim faced Charles.
Charles looked at them and put his fingers to his lips.
There was a sound of creaking as Alex abruptly got off his chair. “Charles, if you will watch these two for a little longer? Thank you Amanda, I would not have been able to do that without you.”
She said thickly, “Was it really necessary?”
Alex nodded, “He needed to know he couldn’t stop it. Needed to be able to try. If she had died in his sleep he would never have forgiven himself. I need to go.” Alex turned to them, “Be good for them. I need to be elsewhere. Someone, someone will need me….” His voice ended with a mix of pain and anticipation.
Charles just cradled the sobbing Amanda, while Alex left.
Stephanie just looked over at Tim. They both looked at each other in wonderment. What could be going on to rattle Alex. They had known him for such a short time, but he had seemed a solid as stone.
And then she noticed the admiration in Tim’s eyes when he looked at her. There had been a time when she had been a little concerned about her looks. But she KNEW what he thought about her.
He wasn’t bad looking either.
She was about to touch him, just a feather light touch on his chest…..
“Stephanie Elizabeth Guerin! You get over her right this minute.” Her mother stamped on through the door that Alex used. “They told me you were out here.” She turned her furious glance over at Tim, “And you…. I thought better of you Tim. You can be sure that I will talk to Max about thtis when he comes back. And Alex. And Serena. I’d talk to Rain, but she’d just egg the two of you one. The nerve of that woman!”
“Mom!”
“I’m sorry, Maria.”
“Come with me, oh daughter of mine!” Maria proceeded to drag Stephanie away.
Stephanie shot a look of chagrin at Tim. She tried to ignore the open smile on Charles’ face, and the wan one on Amanda’s.
Her mother was muttering under her breath as they left the pool room and took the elevator down to the main section. There started to be a strange sound coming from her mother’s mouth.
They sounded almost like, like giggles.
“Mom? Are you okay?”
Maria just held her head back and laughed harder than Stephanie had ever heard her before.
Stephanie just stood there while the elevator made its long journey down. What was wrong with her mother?
Maria wiped her eyes and shook her head, recovering herself visibly. “Oh, that was so much fun. Just the looks on your faces…. Priceless..”
“You’re, you’re not mad?”
“A bit. I wish you had told me where you were going. And we have a lot to talk about it seems. But not a lot. Its not like I didn’t see you two on the trip back up to the Moon.”
“Mom!”
“Come on, lets go have some girl time together. They chipped all of your nail polish in that, that institution.” Maria’s face fell for a moment before she brightened up a bit. “We need to fix that.”
“Okay, I guess.”
And Maria dragged her daughter further into the complex. Where over ice cream they talked about many things.
-------
Isabel-
Isabel had told her story several times. But still they asked questions. Many were directed at what she knew about the aliens, but just as many about the actions that last year in Roswell.
Some people had seriously overstepped their authority. In ways that had lead to her private war with the Federal Government. She could feel the hatred of many of the people around her. She had killed so many agents, so many fairly neutral police officers….. And now she was forgiven because of her testimony and aid? For the very reasons she had been hunted down in the first place.
The information of what had gone on at the Institute, the use of Tess’s children as weapons…. That had sent a thrill of worry throughout the men she was dealing with. She wished she could have taken Jimmy with her this time, but he had been so tired.
So she had left him behind.
She didn’t want him to see that she was sick. She didn’t know exactly what was wrong with her. But she had started feeling weak only last night.
Isabel had even allowed them to test her. To use Michael’s profile to try to understand what was wrong with her.
It wasn’t her powers. Those seemed to be working just fine.
She had seriously impressed them with what she could do. She didn’t have the same tricks Michael apparently had developed, but her own had suddenly made her hot property.
Dr. Preston had promise that she could have the same deal that Michael had. That had worked well, so she accepted. They were working on an identity for her and Jimmy.
It would be nice to see Michael again.
Maybe it was the illness, such a different feeling for her, that had made her a little sloppy. But she was slow to pick up on the agent pulling a gun on her.
She felt as first one bullet and then another laced into her abdomen.
He died, of course.
She felt as her strength just seemed to leave her. As everything became so quiet and detached. She watched as a variety of guards fought over her. As Doctor Preston himself tried to save her.
‘I am sorry Jimmy. I tried. I wanted to get to know you better. To see you graduate, to meet the girl you keep gushing about that you will meet when you are twenty. But my lover beckons.’
She could feel her son’s frantic attempts to rush to her. It all seemed so strong and so hazy all at the same time.
From far away she hear the sounds of more gunshots. She felt as Dr. Preston’s body slumped on top of her. There was such surprise on his pained face.
She hoped there was someone waiting for him, like there was for her.
‘Alex, I am coming.’
I know love. I wish there could be another way.
‘I am sorry it took me so long.’
I’m not, my love. This would have happened soon regardless. The Gandarium in your blood is breaking down. Luckily all the kids, including Jimmy, don’t need it.
‘Are you real?’
I am waiting for you love.
A man took a gun and put it firmly on the bridge of her nose. He said something that she could not make out. And he spit on her.
He pulled the trigger.
And Isabel Amanda Ramirez was no more.
-----
Michael-
Michael lay on the bed of the field hospital they had taken him. The doctor working on him kept blinking at all of the once classified things he was being bombarded with over the net.
Something was wrong with him. That much he knew.
He had never been sick before, but not long after getting picked up by the surviving Osprey he had started to feel weak. It was part of his agreement that he would log any physical change. His altered biology was part of what his deal was based on.
“So, Doc, what is wrong.”
The doctor seemed nervous as he faced him. “Look, I am not an expert here. I, I have never seen cells like this. Human but not. You don’t even have all the same organelles!”
“Right, Doc, I am an alien human hybrid.”
The doctor shook his head at that.
“Yeah, I feel the same way about it myself. At least you don’t have to live it.”
The doctor nodded his head quickly. “Well, you are dying. We think.”
“I am dying? Can you be a little more specific?”
“It’s the extra organelles in your cells. We have isolated some, and like mitochondria they have their own style of DNA. Well they are dying. Not all at once, but even there most of the samples we have taken are showing a growing weakness in function. What we don’t quite understand is why you are dying from it. All the normal human organelles are functioning normally. In theory they should be able to take up whatever functions that your alien ones used to do.”
“So I am becoming human?”
“You ARE human. I have been told that you have three healthy children. If you were a true hybrid that would have been problematic at best. And recent tests by your friends tell me that your daughter at least has a healthy reproductive system. If anything more healthy than any they have seen. No, if anything your friends think you should become more like your daughters mix.”
“But I’m not.”
The doctor shook his head. “But we don’t know why. For some reason these organelles seem to be lowering the activity of the others.”
“I am dying.”
“Yes. But we will keep looking.”
Michael felt something rip from his mind.
Isabel. Isabel was dead.
“I am the last. God, why did I just know that this would happen. Look, Doc, you have your samples. Play around with them, see if you can save me. But I have to go take care of my family. They will need me.”
“But, Lieutenant Guerin, you are sick. You need medical attention.”
“Don’t worry. I’m headed home. There the people who have given you all your information. I just need get home.”
The doctor nodded.
“I will see what I can do. They did want me to transport you there as soon as possible.”
“Good. So do that.” Michael closed his eyes.
He was the last of them. And he had four children to protect.
“You better have save her Alex, or I swear, I don’t care if you are on the Moon, I will hunt you down.”
Max he knew had been recovered.
But it wasn’t the same. He could feel that in his bones. They were alive, but somehow they had failed.
Michael closed his eyes.
He was so very tired…..
Re: Unfinished Business (CC, Mature) Part 18 - 04/19/10
And so finally I am able to get a part put together! Sorry it took so long.
chanks_girl- Thanks. Just a part or two away from the meeting of Alex and Isabel. I am looking forward to it myself. And don't worry about Jimmy, he is probably the most pragmatic of the younger generation. Picture Michael if he could see bits of the future.... You are right about Isabel. It was only a matter of time. As for Maria... that part was fun.
Keepsmiling7- Thanks. That part with Maria was a lot of fun.
zaneri1- Thanks.
Disclaimer- Roswell is not mine and no infringement is intended
Unfinished Business part 19
Jimmy-
Jimmy continued to sob and cry. His mother was dead. Both of them were dead.
He was all alone.
Only.
Only he wasn’t. The world hadn’t stopped at all. If anything this had opened pathways long closed to him.
That man, that man had loved his mother. Had loved him in a sort of distant way. Not because of who he was, but because he was Isabel’s son.
Alex. His name had been Alex. And he had known. Had known his mother was about to die.
When his mother died everything that he could see rippled. A vast well of possibilities that had been hidden from him became visible. So many. SO VERY MANY!
Jimmy’s crying became laughter. He had been so blind, so much of what he had been viewing in the long term had been so unlikely.
Because sooner or later they would have had to deal with Alex. With the first man Isabel had ever truly loved. The man she loved still, more than she ever had his real father.
But then Kyle had Ava.
Jimmy smirked and shook his head. His crazy parents. So different from the solemn and somber Uncle Max and Aunt Liz he had always thought were his.
One of the agents looked in on him from outside. They had wrestled and overpowered him, closed and locked the door.
Jimmy had been more than a little frantic at the time, desperate to rush to his mother’s side. To save her, somehow. But Alex had been right, there really hadn’t been a way.
And in the long run, it wouldn’t have mattered anyway. She had been coming down with the same disease that was killing his other uncle.
Jimmy smiled up at the agent. He couldn’t help the tears that were still flowing, “So, did you hear about my mother yet?”
The agent, Agent Donovan, frowned. “It’s kind of confused kid. Something happened, and we are supposed to keep you here and keep you safe. Back up is supposed to be on the way.”
Jimmy closed his eyes and let his powers roam. Alex was no longer blocking him anymore, too concerned about his mother. But he would remember that no matter what, his abilities could be blocked. Nothing was to be totally taken for granted. Not anymore.
But near things, near in time and place…. That he knew he could sense without interruption. And something was coming for him. It was blocking him somewhat, some sort of defensive mechanism. But Jimmy could still sense what would happen to himself, and it would be a good thing when it caught up to him.
Assuming it got there in time. Because the folks who had killed his mother were now on the way to kill him.
And for all that he could see, Jimmy was still just a seven year old boy. The powers that would be his later in life, the immense gifts that had been given to him by his parents….. Those wouldn’t develop for years.
Jimmy looked up at him. “They killed my mother. And now they are coming to kill me. Will you let them?”
Agent Donavan just looked at him. “Are you going to freak out on me again, kid?”
Jimmy shook his head. “No. How much do you know about why we are here?”
“Not much. Something important. I know that your mother was on the most wanted list for a while, and somehow she got a pardon.” He was quiet for a moment. “She killed a lot of agents, kid. I knew a couple.”
Jimmy looked up at him. “I am sorry. I won’t say she was in the right, but she wasn’t the only one in the wrong. And someday I will show you why. But it has to stop. Killing me will only cause trouble.”
Agent Donovan ruffled Jimmy’s hair, “No one is going to be killing anyone here, okay? You are safe with me.”
Jimmy sighed, “You will have a choice to make. And someone you trust will tell you to stand aside. He will tell you I am not human. That I need to die.”
Agent Donovan looked at him seriously, “Kid…. I heard rumors, rumors about your mother… Rumors that boggle the mind. But that doesn’t mean I am not going to protect you, kid. Not even if you are a little creepy.”
Jimmy knew that he might be safer simply keeping quiet, but he knew also that this conversation could reverberate across decades, that he could gain a worthy ally and teacher in this solid and somewhat stolid man.
If he wanted to reach him, now would be the best time. Risky, but the possible gain was worth it. No matter how freaked out he might make the man, he was solid enough, professional enough to protect him anyway.
Probably.
So Jimmy told him, “I can see the future. Agent Sanderson had a friend in the Unit, the organization that was trying to hunt down and exterminate my mother and her whole family. He will stand aside when they get here. And he will try to persuade you to do the same.”
Agent Donovan snorted. “Try another one, kid. Get some sleep. I’ll check on your mom.”
Jimmy wasn’t sure which path the agent would choose. It could still go either way.
But he had done what he could. Jimmy could only hope now. Hope and wait for the people would planned to kill him.
If he lived he would be visiting his mother’s old home.
Not long now.
Jimmy lay down and slept.
-------
Michael-
Michael tiredly stared out the window of the helicopter that was transporting him back to base.
It had all fallen apart. Dr. Preston was dead. Apparently there were people calling for his head because of the mission that had been sent to recover his daughter.
There was no answer as to why they had been attacked on their return. They had footage from the second helicopter of the Corsair attack. Why had US military hardware shot on their choppers?
No answer so far.
Michael no longer really cared. He had to find and protect those kids. He had to get them to safety before he died.
Because he was dying. And he doubted there would be a cure.
But that was okay. He would be with Maria again. He would be with his friends. He chuckled, His friends on the Moon.
That would be the best place for the kids too. They simply were not safe her on Earth. Not anymore.
So where did he go first? Did he go back to the base, where he was no longer sure that he was safe? Claudia, Abby, and Danny had been taken by Trevor. He needed to find them.
And he was so tired. So very tired.
Danny. He needed to see his son. One more time before he died.
He gave orders to the pilot. The pilot looked at him. He undoubtedly had orders too. Orders to bring him in.
But they had worked together for so many years. Some of the troopers that were with him now were from the squad that had been in Afghanistan.
Colonel Margot had known that he would need people that he could trust. He looked at Sergeant Nicholas Chen. The man who had truly defeated Nicholas with a single grenade. And smiled.
He knew and trusted these men.
“Men, there has been a change of plans. We need to make what I hope to be a quick stop. Now I don’t expect any threats to crop up here. But you all were there. You saw all those pods with human looking bodies. Aliens are real. And they are here.”
They looked amongst themselves. Surely they had talked about it, had been debriefed on it. All of them knew to keep their lips shut, but they had not been chosen because they were stupid. Quite the reverse.
“I know because I am partly one of them. After all this is over, I will talk with the General and get all of you up to speed.”
Sergeant Chen looked around at the rest of the squad, “Sir, Colonel Margot told us some of what is going on. And he told us to watch your back, that you are an important national asset. But to follow your lead. We have your back, Lieutenant Leduca.”
“I go by Guerin now. No need to hide who I am anymore. I might as well die as myself.” Michael shook his head, “We need to make a couple quick stops. Pick up a couple of people.”
“Yes, sir.”
Michael looked at the other four members of his old squad. They just looked back at him. One gave him a thumbs up.
Michael closed his eyes and concentrated. He pulled out his phone and used a GPS application to figure out where he was, the speed of the chopper, all the relevant information. He used his insight to make a rough guess as to where his son was.
He gave the instructions and the pilot flew to the destination. As they flew Michael fine tuned the directions.
He was not going to lose Danny. Not now.
--------
Maria-
Maria was still giggling with Stephanie. She was going to have to watch her daughter.
Now she knew what her own mother had felt watching her with Michael….
Maria stopped.
“Mom, are you okay?” Stephanie stopped painting her toe and looked at her mother worriedly. “Is something wrong? Is, is Dad okay?”
“No. No it’s nothing.” Why had she thought of Stephanie and Tim being like she and Michael had been. Because that relationship had been permanent. Stephanie was twelve!
Just twelve, too young to have such a bond.
The only one she had ever seen react like that that young had been Max. And Liz had never seen it. Maria had, although even she had not realized just how deeply the quiet boy had loved her friend.
Max had just fallen in love with her at first sight. Could Tim have….. Was it possible?
Liz had returned it as soon as she had realized the depth of love Max had had for her. They’d had problems, because a real relationship is work. And some mystical soul mate crap doesn’t change that.
But it had been real. Still was real from what she had seen.
Maria looked at her daughter, now concentrating on painting her little toe. “Honey, did you connect with Tim?”
Stephanie’s hand slipped and pink paint now streaked across her toe. “Connected? Um, uh, what do you mean?” Stephanie concentrated on her foot…. And a nearby pillow caught fire.
A few quiet moments later, after putting the pillow out and holding her now shaking daughter.
Michael’s child as well as hers. She needed to remember that. And Stephanie’s powers were working.
And from what Alex had told her, she was very strong. Very, very strong. That would only grow more pronounced as she got older.
It was his speculation that the first group of true natural hybrids would prove to be stronger than their parents.
This could be a problem. Would have been a problem on Earth.
Now at least she had her own talents as well. Maria reached down and felt at the nail polish. And changed it so that it flaked off her daughter’s toe.
Stephanie looked at her, “So you are different now too.”
“Yes. When they brought me back and….”
Stephanie burst into tears and clung to her mother. Maria could feel as Stephanie connected with her. There weren’t really any flashes. Just a sort of communing with the other as they held each other so very closely.
There was a knock at the door.
Maria kissed Stephanie’s forehead and wiped a couple of tears from her daughter’s eyes. “Let me get that.”
Stephanie just nodded and wiped away the rest of her tears, “I must look frightful.”
Maria laughed quietly. Not just Michael’s daughter, but very much hers as well.
She walked to the door and opened it.
Amanda stood there, looking worried. “Um, I know this may be a bad time, but we need you.”
“What is wrong? Is Jack or Liz…..”
“No it’s, it’s Alex. He won’t leave Isabel. He just stands there and calls to her. There are things he needs to do, things only he can do.”
“Surely you can give him a little time, its been almost a dozen years and…..”
“Maria, we are wide open. Defenseless. We need him to focus on his job. It is not fair, but he has to. We just need forty-eight hours and he can fall apart. Two days. Then everything should be done.”
“What makes you think I can make him see reason? You have all been here by his side for years.”
Amanda laughed, “We are just copies, Maria. We know that. Rain and Serena…. Maybe they have gone further than that. Me and Charles, we are just happy to still be alive. Khivar wanted us terminated when he finished with us…. Alex told him no. Alex, Alex was such a moderating influence on Khivar. Maybe he would listen to Rain, but she is herding all those wild kids in her Garden. And well, Serena… if Serena makes a mistake now it could be quite simply catastrophic. Not just for us, but for the whole of planet Earth. She can’t leave to yell at him.”
“But I can. And you seriously think he will listen to me?”
Amanda placed her hand on Maria’s shoulder, “He loves you. He loves all of us, but he loves you and Liz and Isabel more. You and Liz as sisters, Isabel as something more.”
“Okay, I will do it.” She turned to Stephanie, “You going to be okay pumpkin?”
Stephanie’s nose wrinkled at ‘pumpkin’, but she just said, “Yeah, I will be fine.”
Amanda placed her hand on Maria’s shoulder, “I will stay with her. I always did have a touch with makeovers.”
Maria looked at Amanda, finding the bits of her old friend Isabel in her. But there was more. Amanda was more than a copy, more than just a test model. She was a friend. “I will take care of it.”
Amanda smiled, “Thank you.”
------
Claudia
Claudia sat quietly in her room. A sleeping Danny lay next to a slightly snoring Abby. Their hands were clasped tightly.
Claudia had to smile. Her little bratty sister would do anything to protect that little boy. Had nearly ripped apart her own mind to make a connection with Matheric.
Her little three year old sister had then used Matheric’s own ability to mind warp against him. Hiding herself and Danny when Matheric had thought he was killing them.
Kind of scary that she could do that at three, but Claudia could only feel a sense of pride. Pride as well that her father had let her help heal Abby.
It had been so good to see her father again. So good to see him back. And to know that her mother too, would be back in time.
There was just so much she had to say to Mom. So much she hadn’t when she had thought she would always have the time.
Claudia knew better now. Time wouldn’t always wait.
There was a knock at the door.
“Come in.”
Trevor walked in, “We have cleaned up the office and sent everyone else home. It won’t hold forever. Someone had to have taken pictures.”
Claudia stood up and walked to the far side of the room. She said quietly, “We won’t be here long. We have some unfinished business to take care of.”
“Your Majesty?”
She turned away, “Tell Livian and the others you know for absolute certain we can trust that we are headed on a mission of utmost importance as soon as my father returns. Have the others pack up the office. We will be moving soon.”
“Where are we going?”
“To where it all began on this world. We need to reclaim the Granolith.”
“Your Majesty…. The Granolith was returned to Antar by the old Queen. I remember the videos, Khivar’s propaganda machine did its best to make sure we all knew.”
“Apparently there is more than one. And it is still in Roswell.” She turned to Trevor, “That last part you are to share only with Livian.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“And Trevor, I know protocol has to be followed to some degree. But when we are in private… call me Claudia.”
“Yes, Claudia.” He turned to go. He turned back, “We will not fail you. Not this time.”
“I know. Let me know if anything important happens. I will be trying to get a little sleep.”
Trevor smiled and left.
And Claudia lay down on the couch and closed her eyes. She doubted she would have a lot of time to rest, but she had a feeling she would need as much of it as she could scrounge.
Things were about to get hectic.
chanks_girl- Thanks. Just a part or two away from the meeting of Alex and Isabel. I am looking forward to it myself. And don't worry about Jimmy, he is probably the most pragmatic of the younger generation. Picture Michael if he could see bits of the future.... You are right about Isabel. It was only a matter of time. As for Maria... that part was fun.
Keepsmiling7- Thanks. That part with Maria was a lot of fun.
zaneri1- Thanks.
Disclaimer- Roswell is not mine and no infringement is intended
Unfinished Business part 19
Jimmy-
Jimmy continued to sob and cry. His mother was dead. Both of them were dead.
He was all alone.
Only.
Only he wasn’t. The world hadn’t stopped at all. If anything this had opened pathways long closed to him.
That man, that man had loved his mother. Had loved him in a sort of distant way. Not because of who he was, but because he was Isabel’s son.
Alex. His name had been Alex. And he had known. Had known his mother was about to die.
When his mother died everything that he could see rippled. A vast well of possibilities that had been hidden from him became visible. So many. SO VERY MANY!
Jimmy’s crying became laughter. He had been so blind, so much of what he had been viewing in the long term had been so unlikely.
Because sooner or later they would have had to deal with Alex. With the first man Isabel had ever truly loved. The man she loved still, more than she ever had his real father.
But then Kyle had Ava.
Jimmy smirked and shook his head. His crazy parents. So different from the solemn and somber Uncle Max and Aunt Liz he had always thought were his.
One of the agents looked in on him from outside. They had wrestled and overpowered him, closed and locked the door.
Jimmy had been more than a little frantic at the time, desperate to rush to his mother’s side. To save her, somehow. But Alex had been right, there really hadn’t been a way.
And in the long run, it wouldn’t have mattered anyway. She had been coming down with the same disease that was killing his other uncle.
Jimmy smiled up at the agent. He couldn’t help the tears that were still flowing, “So, did you hear about my mother yet?”
The agent, Agent Donovan, frowned. “It’s kind of confused kid. Something happened, and we are supposed to keep you here and keep you safe. Back up is supposed to be on the way.”
Jimmy closed his eyes and let his powers roam. Alex was no longer blocking him anymore, too concerned about his mother. But he would remember that no matter what, his abilities could be blocked. Nothing was to be totally taken for granted. Not anymore.
But near things, near in time and place…. That he knew he could sense without interruption. And something was coming for him. It was blocking him somewhat, some sort of defensive mechanism. But Jimmy could still sense what would happen to himself, and it would be a good thing when it caught up to him.
Assuming it got there in time. Because the folks who had killed his mother were now on the way to kill him.
And for all that he could see, Jimmy was still just a seven year old boy. The powers that would be his later in life, the immense gifts that had been given to him by his parents….. Those wouldn’t develop for years.
Jimmy looked up at him. “They killed my mother. And now they are coming to kill me. Will you let them?”
Agent Donavan just looked at him. “Are you going to freak out on me again, kid?”
Jimmy shook his head. “No. How much do you know about why we are here?”
“Not much. Something important. I know that your mother was on the most wanted list for a while, and somehow she got a pardon.” He was quiet for a moment. “She killed a lot of agents, kid. I knew a couple.”
Jimmy looked up at him. “I am sorry. I won’t say she was in the right, but she wasn’t the only one in the wrong. And someday I will show you why. But it has to stop. Killing me will only cause trouble.”
Agent Donovan ruffled Jimmy’s hair, “No one is going to be killing anyone here, okay? You are safe with me.”
Jimmy sighed, “You will have a choice to make. And someone you trust will tell you to stand aside. He will tell you I am not human. That I need to die.”
Agent Donovan looked at him seriously, “Kid…. I heard rumors, rumors about your mother… Rumors that boggle the mind. But that doesn’t mean I am not going to protect you, kid. Not even if you are a little creepy.”
Jimmy knew that he might be safer simply keeping quiet, but he knew also that this conversation could reverberate across decades, that he could gain a worthy ally and teacher in this solid and somewhat stolid man.
If he wanted to reach him, now would be the best time. Risky, but the possible gain was worth it. No matter how freaked out he might make the man, he was solid enough, professional enough to protect him anyway.
Probably.
So Jimmy told him, “I can see the future. Agent Sanderson had a friend in the Unit, the organization that was trying to hunt down and exterminate my mother and her whole family. He will stand aside when they get here. And he will try to persuade you to do the same.”
Agent Donovan snorted. “Try another one, kid. Get some sleep. I’ll check on your mom.”
Jimmy wasn’t sure which path the agent would choose. It could still go either way.
But he had done what he could. Jimmy could only hope now. Hope and wait for the people would planned to kill him.
If he lived he would be visiting his mother’s old home.
Not long now.
Jimmy lay down and slept.
-------
Michael-
Michael tiredly stared out the window of the helicopter that was transporting him back to base.
It had all fallen apart. Dr. Preston was dead. Apparently there were people calling for his head because of the mission that had been sent to recover his daughter.
There was no answer as to why they had been attacked on their return. They had footage from the second helicopter of the Corsair attack. Why had US military hardware shot on their choppers?
No answer so far.
Michael no longer really cared. He had to find and protect those kids. He had to get them to safety before he died.
Because he was dying. And he doubted there would be a cure.
But that was okay. He would be with Maria again. He would be with his friends. He chuckled, His friends on the Moon.
That would be the best place for the kids too. They simply were not safe her on Earth. Not anymore.
So where did he go first? Did he go back to the base, where he was no longer sure that he was safe? Claudia, Abby, and Danny had been taken by Trevor. He needed to find them.
And he was so tired. So very tired.
Danny. He needed to see his son. One more time before he died.
He gave orders to the pilot. The pilot looked at him. He undoubtedly had orders too. Orders to bring him in.
But they had worked together for so many years. Some of the troopers that were with him now were from the squad that had been in Afghanistan.
Colonel Margot had known that he would need people that he could trust. He looked at Sergeant Nicholas Chen. The man who had truly defeated Nicholas with a single grenade. And smiled.
He knew and trusted these men.
“Men, there has been a change of plans. We need to make what I hope to be a quick stop. Now I don’t expect any threats to crop up here. But you all were there. You saw all those pods with human looking bodies. Aliens are real. And they are here.”
They looked amongst themselves. Surely they had talked about it, had been debriefed on it. All of them knew to keep their lips shut, but they had not been chosen because they were stupid. Quite the reverse.
“I know because I am partly one of them. After all this is over, I will talk with the General and get all of you up to speed.”
Sergeant Chen looked around at the rest of the squad, “Sir, Colonel Margot told us some of what is going on. And he told us to watch your back, that you are an important national asset. But to follow your lead. We have your back, Lieutenant Leduca.”
“I go by Guerin now. No need to hide who I am anymore. I might as well die as myself.” Michael shook his head, “We need to make a couple quick stops. Pick up a couple of people.”
“Yes, sir.”
Michael looked at the other four members of his old squad. They just looked back at him. One gave him a thumbs up.
Michael closed his eyes and concentrated. He pulled out his phone and used a GPS application to figure out where he was, the speed of the chopper, all the relevant information. He used his insight to make a rough guess as to where his son was.
He gave the instructions and the pilot flew to the destination. As they flew Michael fine tuned the directions.
He was not going to lose Danny. Not now.
--------
Maria-
Maria was still giggling with Stephanie. She was going to have to watch her daughter.
Now she knew what her own mother had felt watching her with Michael….
Maria stopped.
“Mom, are you okay?” Stephanie stopped painting her toe and looked at her mother worriedly. “Is something wrong? Is, is Dad okay?”
“No. No it’s nothing.” Why had she thought of Stephanie and Tim being like she and Michael had been. Because that relationship had been permanent. Stephanie was twelve!
Just twelve, too young to have such a bond.
The only one she had ever seen react like that that young had been Max. And Liz had never seen it. Maria had, although even she had not realized just how deeply the quiet boy had loved her friend.
Max had just fallen in love with her at first sight. Could Tim have….. Was it possible?
Liz had returned it as soon as she had realized the depth of love Max had had for her. They’d had problems, because a real relationship is work. And some mystical soul mate crap doesn’t change that.
But it had been real. Still was real from what she had seen.
Maria looked at her daughter, now concentrating on painting her little toe. “Honey, did you connect with Tim?”
Stephanie’s hand slipped and pink paint now streaked across her toe. “Connected? Um, uh, what do you mean?” Stephanie concentrated on her foot…. And a nearby pillow caught fire.
A few quiet moments later, after putting the pillow out and holding her now shaking daughter.
Michael’s child as well as hers. She needed to remember that. And Stephanie’s powers were working.
And from what Alex had told her, she was very strong. Very, very strong. That would only grow more pronounced as she got older.
It was his speculation that the first group of true natural hybrids would prove to be stronger than their parents.
This could be a problem. Would have been a problem on Earth.
Now at least she had her own talents as well. Maria reached down and felt at the nail polish. And changed it so that it flaked off her daughter’s toe.
Stephanie looked at her, “So you are different now too.”
“Yes. When they brought me back and….”
Stephanie burst into tears and clung to her mother. Maria could feel as Stephanie connected with her. There weren’t really any flashes. Just a sort of communing with the other as they held each other so very closely.
There was a knock at the door.
Maria kissed Stephanie’s forehead and wiped a couple of tears from her daughter’s eyes. “Let me get that.”
Stephanie just nodded and wiped away the rest of her tears, “I must look frightful.”
Maria laughed quietly. Not just Michael’s daughter, but very much hers as well.
She walked to the door and opened it.
Amanda stood there, looking worried. “Um, I know this may be a bad time, but we need you.”
“What is wrong? Is Jack or Liz…..”
“No it’s, it’s Alex. He won’t leave Isabel. He just stands there and calls to her. There are things he needs to do, things only he can do.”
“Surely you can give him a little time, its been almost a dozen years and…..”
“Maria, we are wide open. Defenseless. We need him to focus on his job. It is not fair, but he has to. We just need forty-eight hours and he can fall apart. Two days. Then everything should be done.”
“What makes you think I can make him see reason? You have all been here by his side for years.”
Amanda laughed, “We are just copies, Maria. We know that. Rain and Serena…. Maybe they have gone further than that. Me and Charles, we are just happy to still be alive. Khivar wanted us terminated when he finished with us…. Alex told him no. Alex, Alex was such a moderating influence on Khivar. Maybe he would listen to Rain, but she is herding all those wild kids in her Garden. And well, Serena… if Serena makes a mistake now it could be quite simply catastrophic. Not just for us, but for the whole of planet Earth. She can’t leave to yell at him.”
“But I can. And you seriously think he will listen to me?”
Amanda placed her hand on Maria’s shoulder, “He loves you. He loves all of us, but he loves you and Liz and Isabel more. You and Liz as sisters, Isabel as something more.”
“Okay, I will do it.” She turned to Stephanie, “You going to be okay pumpkin?”
Stephanie’s nose wrinkled at ‘pumpkin’, but she just said, “Yeah, I will be fine.”
Amanda placed her hand on Maria’s shoulder, “I will stay with her. I always did have a touch with makeovers.”
Maria looked at Amanda, finding the bits of her old friend Isabel in her. But there was more. Amanda was more than a copy, more than just a test model. She was a friend. “I will take care of it.”
Amanda smiled, “Thank you.”
------
Claudia
Claudia sat quietly in her room. A sleeping Danny lay next to a slightly snoring Abby. Their hands were clasped tightly.
Claudia had to smile. Her little bratty sister would do anything to protect that little boy. Had nearly ripped apart her own mind to make a connection with Matheric.
Her little three year old sister had then used Matheric’s own ability to mind warp against him. Hiding herself and Danny when Matheric had thought he was killing them.
Kind of scary that she could do that at three, but Claudia could only feel a sense of pride. Pride as well that her father had let her help heal Abby.
It had been so good to see her father again. So good to see him back. And to know that her mother too, would be back in time.
There was just so much she had to say to Mom. So much she hadn’t when she had thought she would always have the time.
Claudia knew better now. Time wouldn’t always wait.
There was a knock at the door.
“Come in.”
Trevor walked in, “We have cleaned up the office and sent everyone else home. It won’t hold forever. Someone had to have taken pictures.”
Claudia stood up and walked to the far side of the room. She said quietly, “We won’t be here long. We have some unfinished business to take care of.”
“Your Majesty?”
She turned away, “Tell Livian and the others you know for absolute certain we can trust that we are headed on a mission of utmost importance as soon as my father returns. Have the others pack up the office. We will be moving soon.”
“Where are we going?”
“To where it all began on this world. We need to reclaim the Granolith.”
“Your Majesty…. The Granolith was returned to Antar by the old Queen. I remember the videos, Khivar’s propaganda machine did its best to make sure we all knew.”
“Apparently there is more than one. And it is still in Roswell.” She turned to Trevor, “That last part you are to share only with Livian.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“And Trevor, I know protocol has to be followed to some degree. But when we are in private… call me Claudia.”
“Yes, Claudia.” He turned to go. He turned back, “We will not fail you. Not this time.”
“I know. Let me know if anything important happens. I will be trying to get a little sleep.”
Trevor smiled and left.
And Claudia lay down on the couch and closed her eyes. She doubted she would have a lot of time to rest, but she had a feeling she would need as much of it as she could scrounge.
Things were about to get hectic.