Sorry about the delay. And many thanks to those following along this story.
RhondaAnn- Thanks as always. Yes a very useful talent. One that will become very important. Michael has a specific reason he can remember Liz. You will find that out in one of the next couple parts. As for Maria, she has forgotten her for the same reason Max has, the strength that her memory is supresses is inversely preportional to the amount that someone focused on them. Maria and Max and Alex loved Liz. Her parents loved her. None of them can remember her without prompting.
I didn't realize I was making her sound more formal. Not sure why I did that. Thanks for pointing it out. As for the TK and MM bond, it is still there. But it's loose, and Alex doesn't really know that it exists.
keepsmiling7- Thanks. There is a way. The question is whether the needed parties will work together to get it done in time.
AvalonRose- Thanks. Max and Vanessa's first date is covered in this part. Please remember that Liz has been destroyed for around five to six weeks. And as far as Max can tell, she never existed. The only reason he knows she did is vague feelings of emptiness and Isabel's constant prompts.
xmag- Thanks. No not Whittaker. Way back in Eidolon, I had to name Isabel's close friends. I came up with Claire and Vanessa. (There is a Stacy too, but she is not a friend.) Vanessa is the girl who tried to make a play on Max, and the part of Liz that is Emily disagreed.... vigourously.
Disclaimer- Roswell is not mine and no infringement is intended.
Redemption Part 10
Michael-
Michael slept soundly. It had been to long since he had been able to find time to be with Maria. A few stolen kisses simply were not enough. But now that school was back in session, now that he himself was actually trying to do well in school….
Time just wasn’t as easy to come by.
It was amazing how much his priorities had changed, now that he knew for certain that he wasn’t going to get swept up and taken home.
No. Earth was his home. More to the point, Maria was his home. And now he strove to be worthy of her. As he knew she did for him.
Together. Forever.
Michael shivered and felt for his beloved Maria. He still had the blanket she had woven from the molecules in the air. But it was not the same, not the same warmth as when her body was pressed next to his. He looked up. “Maria?“
She was standing in her glory staring at the Granolith. Intricate patterns of green and gold lightning worked across her bare skin.
Perhaps it was to keep her warm. Michael wasn’t sure, but there was something happening. Something… odd in the air.
Michael concentrated on the air surrounding his own body as he stood up in the chilly Granolith chamber. It never stayed warm, he was certain there were other hidden chambers somewhere.
There had to be!
“Maria? Baby? Talk to me.”
Maria simply stood there and touched the Granolith. It began to spin and spiral.
“NO! NO Maria, no!”
But it was too late.
Maria was inside.
Michael rushed to grab her, to join her, to do anything to be with her. He was never the same without her, never complete.
Michael saw as Maria’s eyes opened in shock. She looked out and saw Michael and pounded on the inside of the cylinder.
But she too was too late.
It spun and spun, the colors intensifying until it was too bright to see. To bright to see his beautiful Maria trapped inside the Granolith.
When the sound and the light subsided, Michael slumped to the ground.
And waited.
She would be back. Every time it had taken one of them somewhere they always came back. Even that other version of Maria had been pulled back to her own world.
Maria would be back.
But the Alex that had tried to kill Liz had not lived himself. These worlds could be dangerous.
She would be fine. For if she had taught him to be human, he had just as much taught her to be a warrior. She could take care of herself, his Maria could. He felt himself calm.
It would be dangerous, but she would be back.
And he would be waiting.
-------
Max-
Max sat there listening to the pinging of the engine and looking over at the beautiful young woman who sat across from him.
It had started with coffee after Tennis practice.
It turned out that not all of Isabel’s shallow friends were shallow.
It wasn’t the same, she wasn’t Liz. He couldn’t remember her, couldn’t even remember her face most of the time. But there had been a connection there. A Bond.
That wasn’t present here. Here he was just a normal teenage boy with a normal teenage girl. A girl who’d had a crush on him for years apparently.
She was just staring back at him. Her eyes glowing with happiness, happiness that Max had put there.
For as luck would have it, the coffee date had turned into an actual date. A double date to be exact, a friend of hers couldn’t see a movie with her boyfriend unless they had a chaperone.
Max had already finished his homework. He hadn’t minded at all.
The sheer normality of it all. Discussing normal boring teenage angst, all the annoyances of small town life.
Now the movie was over. All that remained was for him to escort her up the steps to her house. Where maybe, just maybe they would kiss.
He himself wasn’t sure what he would do. It had been a magical night, but would kissing her be going to far? Max would have to ask Isabel everything that made her friend tick.
Because if she didn’t quite fill the emptiness, didn’t quite fill the void, Max thought he could be happy with her. Happy with Vanessa.
A candle might not light the world like the sun, but it could push the darkness back just a little. Just enough to see by,
And Max needed something. Anything to fill that void.
Vanessa would do.
She shyly smiled at him. “I should go.”
“Let me escort you up to the house.”
She giggled, “Max, you don’t have to. Really.”
He smiled back at her.
Her laughter stopped and her eyes welled just a touch. She reached over and touched his cheek, “So very sad, Max. Why are you always so sad?”
Max just bravely smiled. “Let’s get you inside. It’s still kind of cold.”
Vanessa just shivered, “Yeah.” But the thoughtful expression did not fade from her face. “Thank you, Max. Thank you for tonight.”
“I was happy to.”
Vanessa smiled at him, opened the door, and walked up to her house.
Max followed her, still uncertain. Would he kiss her? It would mean that he had finally taken Michael’s advice. That he knew she was lost forever.
Max and Vanessa exchanged some small chit chat on the porch.
Her eyes were searching his.
And his mind was far away. Trying vainly to remember her. To remember his Liz. But the harder he tried, the harder it was for him to think of her.
He felt as a part of him broke.
She was gone.
Gone forever.
And he was still here.
Still here.
In the darkness. Could she blame him? Would she blame him for seizing a candle when she had left him in the dark?
Vanessa looked up at the stars, “Max, I was thinking. Could you be there for me on Friday? I have a match on Friday, and it would make me so happy if you were there.”
“I will be there.”
Vanessa turned her bright smile back towards him, “Thank you, and thanks for tonight.” She almost turned to go, but she looked up at him and bit her lip.
And he kissed her.
--------
Kyle
Kyle sighed as he watched another episode of Cops.
Tess wasn’t far and would be home soon. He could feel her about a mile away and closing.
He always felt better when she was near him. It wasn’t that she couldn’t protect herself. She had shown him exactly what she could do.
It was that so much of her abilities were so short ranged. If someone got the drop on her, they could hurt her before she was ready to act. There was still too much Ava in her, and Ava wouldn’t have hurt a fly.
Funny that he should be happy with the things Nasedo had taught her. But they could seriously save her life.
And someone was trying to kill her.
They had kept it quiet, but there had been another attempt not more than three weeks ago. A kid programmed to go berserk while robbing a convenience store while Tess was there.
Tess had noticed the shift in his mind and had calmed him down. To the point where the kid hadn’t even robbed the store. But still it had put them back on watch.
She had been so certain that her breaking with the Royal Four would have made most of her old enemies leave her alone.
Apparently not.
Of course, they might not be happy with what she was doing instead.
Tess was now working with Far Sight. Training its employees in basic defensive techniques that could shield them a little against Antaran attack.
Kyle had even talked to Michael and Maria about showing the Far Sight guys, well Alicia, Adam, and Pam anyway, how to defend themselves against physical attack.
Both of them had been fairly wary of the whole idea. Michael more out of general paranoia for what they might do to them, Maria more out of what they might use that knowledge to do to others.
Kyle knew quite well that Maria and Tess were now friends in an odd low key sort of way. They were linked but there was still a level of distrust that lingered from what Tess had done in the past.
Neither Maria nor Michael, had fully forgiven her for Alex. Let alone the fact that Tess had poisoned Maria. Tess had gone to each of her old friends and told them the complete unembellished truth.
It caused a bit of a strain to say the least.
And yet the Bond that had been forged in the Balance between them still lingered, despite Liz’s destruction.
Kyle shivered and got out the photo of Liz that he kept. And he stared at her and tried to remember what she had been like.
He did not like that someone or something was trying to erase her. He only had the memories that he still had from Tess. Whatever it was, whoever it was, did not effect her.
Her training in the Eidolon, only some of which she was willing or able to train him in. The defenses he got easily. The ways of sensing were somewhat trickier. He could do some of what she did in a slightly different way, one that he had shown her.
But right now he just wanted her safe. Just wanted them all to be safe. Lately he had been feeling a growing tension. A sense that things were happening off screen that could very well threaten his life.
Tess said that he had the slightest touch of Liz’s gifts at foresight. And to tell her if he ever saw or dreamed anything.
But he hadn’t. Just felt the ratcheting tension. Which right now was very bad. Because unlike the other times, the group was completely divided. It wasn’t that there was tension in the Group. There was practically no Group now.
Kyle turned off the TV and walked to the door. He opened it right as Tess got up to it, keys in hand.
She looked up at him, “It still amazes me that you can do that.”
He kissed her hello.
She kissed him much deeper, melting into his arms. When they parted, she said, “I didn’t see your father’s SUV.”
“He’ll be late tonight.” He caressed her arms and looked into her beautiful blue eyes. “Do you want me to heat up dinner and then we can….”
She leaned against him, “Dinner can wait. Just… hold me. Please.”
And so he did.
------
Isabel-
Isabel was dreaming. She knew that she was. But lately, ever since the sword had come into her life, her dreams had changed.
Oh she could still dream walk others, and did so from time to time. She was careful with her friends, because she knew full well how active the others often were on the Dream Plane. All of them could reach it now, if only to raid the dreams of their beloved.
And there was another reason her dreams had changed.
A little girl came skipping up to her. She was very young, probably not more than four. And yet she could not talk. But one look in the eyes and you could see a lively intelligence.
Sara.
Her Sara. Bright hazel eyes, with Isabel’s golden hair, and Alex’s easy smile. She was Isabel’s new companion on the Dream Plane. Sara followed her almost everywhere.
It was fine when Isabel met up with a laughing Maria and giggling Stephanie. Isabel was not surprised that the two dream children got along so well. Although there had been a small amount of tension at their initial meeting.
It had quickly gone. Now there were occasionally times when Isabel would find Stephanie and Sara together at the Dream Park playing. Sometimes one or another of the boys would stop by. But usually it was just Maria and Isabel.
Isabel never discussed Liz. She had learned that Maria simply didn’t remember. It was like with Max. The only reason he still remembered the love of his life was through Isabel’s making him remember.
It was almost like the more that someone had loved Liz, the harder the force trying to rub her out pushed.
Isabel shook her head. She looked down at Sara, “So where is your little friend?”
Sara looked sad and reached up, wanting to be held.
It was so strange. She knew this girl, she felt like she was part of her. But Alex had told her exactly who and what Sara was.
One of the many souls that Vilandra had saved before she had died on Antar. One that even now was being born in a Pod somewhere. A mix of Alex and her.
And Isabel could feel it. Could feel as she bonded with the little girl. It had seemed to happen so easily with Stephanie, but it was different here. Stephanie had felt familiar in a way that Sara did not. But Sara felt… Sara felt more like she was part of Isabel.
Flash
Isabel stood on the peak above the Pod Chamber with Tess and Maria. She lifted the sword and jabbed it firmly into the air right above the peak. Stabbed it firmly into the air as if she were jabbing it into someone’s chest.
Around them power wove and all three of them worked. A storm raged above, spilling lightning and rain about them.
And between them, between the three of them a whiteness began to form.
A girl. A small naked girl…
Liz formed from the white cloud, blade still stuck through her. The blood turning from dusty white to crimson red. It sprayed amongst them, covering all three girls with their friend’s hearts blood.
Liz pulled the blade from her chest, blood still pumping. And she reached out and she pulled something into her. Ripped a living soul from a living body and absorbed it. The wound on her chest began to heal.
And Liz pulled back her head and laughed amidst the thunder and lightning that surrounded her…..
End flash
Isabel shivered at the vision. It had felt so very real. That was always the scary thing about them. Now she knew why Liz had always seemed so distracted. She had been getting those flashes continuously, both past and present and future.
What should she do? Was Liz truly worth the danger that it would bring back into the world. Because Alex’s warnings still stood. Maybe it would be better, better for them all if she was not saved. If Isabel just let her go.
Let her die.
Isabel could still remember the milky white blood gushing from the wound, turning to dust and fading away before it even touched the ground. As Liz was turned to nothing.
Into less than nothing.
As her friend was completely destroyed, her very soul and essence torn and removed from the world. Even her memories were being erased.
Could she truly let that happen? Could she let someone who had been so important to them all, such an important part of their group simply disappear?
And then there was the sword. The sword that held what was left of her. The power and potential that she held.
If Isabel did let her go. What would she do with the Soul Razor.
Keeping it would grant her terrific powers, but she knew that others could feel it.
And it hungered. Hungered and desired to remove more from existence. To give the power and potential to her. Her friends and family could feel that hunger, just as easily as Isabel could.
It was why they were frightened of her. Just because the could not see the sword, didn’t mean they could not feel it.
Could Isabel trust herself with it? Or would it in time corrupt her, make her into what she was afraid Liz would become. Only worse.
But to let it go…. To let it go would allow it to return to its ultimate masters. Return with the remains of Liz’s soul. Perhaps allow them to craft something with that soul remnant.
Isabel shivered. Shivered and felt as the tiny part of her that remained Vilandra did as well, because of the ancient tales she had read in learning of the Eidolon.
Isabel cradled Sara to her chest, and felt as the little girl tried to comfort her with tiny kisses.
Isabel had to make her choice quickly. She didn’t have a lot of time. Because she had a feeling there was a tight window to save Liz.
And once that window was gone…..
So was Liz.
Forever.
IDS - Redemption (CC ALL, Teen/Mature) Epilogue - 01/30/11
Moderators: Anniepoo98, Rowedog, ISLANDGIRL5, Itzstacie, truelovepooh, FSU/MSW-94, Forum Moderators
Re: IDS - Redemption (CC ALL, Teen/Mature) Part 10 - 06/23/10
Thanks again to everyone following along this story.
keepsmiling7- Thanks. Remember, the more Liz meant to someone the harder the world surpresses her memory. So Maria and Max basically can't even think of her. So don't be too hard on Max. It will take a lot of work to recover Liz, but a plan is now in progress.
RhondaAnn- Thanks. Nope Vanessa is one of Isabel's friends. She is one of the two hangers on from first season that you can see Isabel with in early episodes. She was also in Eidolon (She made a play for Max, and Liz via Emily stomped on it. Hard.) And Maria will have a major part to play in the next couple of chapters. If they recover Liz, they will recover her as she was when she was destroyed. That will not change.
AvalonRose- You will find out about Maria in this part. As for Liz... I don't think they can get that Liz back. Not now.
Ti88- Thanks. I hope you continue to enjoy. If you have any questions please PM me or ask me in feedback... Either way.
Disclaimer- Roswell is not mine and no infringement is intended.
Redemption Part 11
Maria-
Maria felt as her sense of Michael dwindled to almost nothing. He was impossibly far away now.
She stepped out of the now insubstantial Granolith and walked into a different chamber entirely. One that she had been in before, but different yet again. Where once it had been cleared and somewhat functional, not it seemed like it was richly appointed. Like someone very wealthy lived here.
A dark haired girl peeked around some hand held electronic device. She lay curled on a couch of some sort.
Despite eyes that looked grey with small flecks of gold, she reminded Maria heavily of Liz. Liz her destroyed friend.
It was coming back to her now. Not the events that had destroyed her, but her memories of her friend. But not all of them. Some of them were gone, eaten away. Only now, here in this place could she notice their lack. Here she could feel the absence of her friend, the sense of the oppression that had weighed on her mind, crushing all active memory of a girl who had been her closest friend since near birth.
Maria fell to her knees and cried, her nakedness forgotten.
The girl set down her device and stared at her. She said softly, almost to herself, “Are you real?” She stood up and walked across the room and grabbed a blanket. She placed it over Maria. “Magister Valenti? Someone came out of the Granolith!”
Maria felt as the blanket lay on her back and she gripped it around her. The world felt so cold now. Isabel had been right. And Maria had laughed in her face. Had called the woman delusional.
It was impossible that Maria would have forgotten someone as important to her like Liz. Sure she had vaguely known someone was missing. That an important part of her life had been take from her. But the harder Isabel had tried to remind Maria of Liz, the harder it had been to take Isabel seriously.
Michael had just watched silently.
Did Michael remember her? Did he remember Liz?
Max hadn’t. Maria had cornered him one night and they had talked. Max had mentioned that Isabel had told him of some great love that he’d had. But that she had been taken from them.
All Max had felt was an absence, a terrible searing absence. But no memories of the girl at all.
All of it had been a lie. Something was pushing memories of her out.
Tess. It had to be Tess.
But why? Why would she do that? She had Kyle.
Or maybe…. Maybe Isabel’s wild story wasn’t so wild after all. Maybe someone from a different future, a Future Alex had come. Had come to kill Liz. Kill her before Liz became evil and Maria hadn’t really been listening too closely at that point. Isabel had seemed almost hysterical, definitely off kilter.
She owed Isabel an apology.
“Oh, Buddha wept. It’s Maria. Get your mother, Isabel.”
Maria looked up. An old man wearing what looked almost like ancient armor stood slightly in front of the girl. He looked vaguely familiar.
The girl, probably around twelve or so, peeked around the man. “But Lizzie said to call her and not bother Mom.”
“Trust me, dear, that Her Majesty will want to see this. Just tell her it’s Maria.” His mouth quirked into a grin, “That my dear is what Auntie Maria looked like when she was younger.”
“But she is so pretty and Auntie Maria is….”
“Old. Got it kiddo. Now go get your mom.” He absently ruffled the girl’s hair, much to the girls supreme annoyance.
The girl sprinted out, but stopped at the door, “Uncle Kyle…. You aren’t going to tell Aunt Maria that I called her old are you?”
Maria looked up. Of course, Kyle! But last she had seen of her older self, she had been in her fifties. Kyle had to be seventy at least. He looked vigorous, but old.
“Don’t worry, little Izzie, I wouldn’t want your life on my conscience. Now hurry.” His gaze clung to her. “She is right though. You are pretty. And wrapped in that blanket…. You look like you stepped out of one of your broken heart videos.”
Maria tried to use her powers to weave cloth out of the air. But it was difficult for some reason.
The air didn’t have as much carbon in it. Or much in the way of industrial contaminants at all. The air was clean.
Still she felt a tiny bit more confidence as the soft woven fabric slipped across her skin. She tried to tell herself that she was covered up more than she had been in that bikini she had worn last summer.
But she still wrapped the blanket around her. She looked up into Kyle’s blue grey eyes. The same eyes, but so much older. Hard years, he had suffered under many hard and difficult years.
And remained Kyle. Maria could feel the strong wrap of blue and green that made up his soul, little different than that of their own timelines Kyle. Did he have powers too?
Kyle smiled at her again, “So my dear, would you like something to eat or drink while we wait for Her Majesty?”
Maria’s stomach rumbled. She looked sheepishly at Kyle. “Um, yeah. If you can spare something.”
Which is how she found herself sitting at a small table nibbling at some bread and cheese. Kyle sat with her, amused grin on his face. She turned to him, “What is so funny?”
“You are, this whole situation. Alternate worlds. Evil aliens from beyond the stars. My dear, when Max came into our lives…. Everything got completely scrambled, but you will find like I have, that the shocks never stop. You are from what? 2000? 2001? Everyone still a happy family dedicated to keep the secret, before everything went bad.” His gaze darkened slightly with bad memories, “And then it all fell apart. Only I hear that in your world…. In your world things are different, that you all have a chance for happiness. That you love that old crazy warhorse Michael.” His words were light and wistful, “And I have Tess…..”
Maria looked across the table at him, “Only everything is not crazy. Liz has been destroyed, destroyed to the point I-I can’t even remember her. And our group…. Its all broken apart, shattered in a million pieces, and I don’t know how to fix it. Not anymore. And…..and I-I don’t even know if I am human anymore. I have been told that I-I am not totally. And, and its so very strange.”
Kyle touched her wrist, only she could feel him touch her… deeper than the skin. He was nodding slightly when he removed his hand. “It is funny. You are Maria. I can sense that. There is a Marianess about you, you know? If I wasn’t sure I wouldn’t be quite so casual. Not with what has been happening lately. But whoever told you that…. Well it’s true. I am not even sure what you are. And physically….. There are differences there too. Small but present.” He paused a moment, looking off into the distance. Thinking.
“Liz was changed too. There was something wrong with her. But I can’t remember exactly what. My memories have holes in them. Liz shaped holes.”
Maria could feel as Amy entered the room. She suspected anyone would. She had a presence that Isabel would envy.
Maria had met Amy before, but then she had been younger. In her twenties. She was older now. Older and so much more than she had been. There were flecks of white at her brow and her golden eyes showed a level of strain. She was flanked by two other girls. One had been Isabel, the girl who had greeted her. The other could only be her sister, older, perhaps a little older than Maria herself.
The older girl was talking quietly and quickly with Amy. The Queen place her hand on the older girls shoulder and shook her head. She turned to face Maria. And smiled. “Why am I not surprised that it would be you who would respond to my call?”
“Why did you call me hear? Where is my older self? Last I saw her she was ripped from my mother’s arms…. Is she okay?”
The older girl bridled and glared at Maria.
Amy patted her shoulder, “Elizabeth, this Maria is not our subject, nor does she know our ways.” Addressing Maria, “Maria, these are two of my daughters. The older one is Elizabeth, and the smaller is Isabel. As to your older self, our Maria…. She is leading Our forces on Antar.” Worry washed across her face, quickly and then it was gone.
Maria realized that it was like reading Liz. Liz had been good at hiding her emotions, and reading Amy was much like reading her friend. “Were you ever able to find out how to make Companions.”
Amy shook her head slightly. “No. We lost contact with your world, and it took me years before I could find it again. Years more before I could find out WHY your world, so intimately connected to Our own would be wrest away.”
“Liz was destroyed.”
“Yes. And fitting you should call it that. Because that is what was done to her. Her soul was ripped from Creation.”
Kyle interrupted, “The Dadonari can do that?”
Amy sighed, “No. No that is beyond them. But there are darker forces, forces that the Dadonari serve…. Or perhaps it goes deeper. But a device, a construct was sent to your world Maria, with the express intent of destroying her. And more. Because it destroyed her essence but kept her potential. With that they could likely build a weapon or artifact of great power to push their agenda.” Her voice was soft, “Moreover they would have a Seal to the Granolith. And with that…. “ Amy closed her eyes and shook.
Maria sighed. “That all may be true, but still…. Why am I here? I don’t see how I can change things.”
Amy opened her eyes. “And that is where you are wrong. Because you and your friends…. You can bring her back.” Her lips curled into a smile, a knowing and determined smile, “I have a plan Maria. Are you willing to sacrifice to bring your friend back?”
Maria looked at Amy, “Yes, because she would do the same for me…..”
Amy nodded. “Here is what you must do.”
------
Rebecca
Rebecca waltzed into her shared apartment. She slung the groceries onto the counter and glared at the still unwashed dishes.
Jennifer had promised!
Rebecca closed her eyes for just a minute to get herself under control. A couple of breathes later and she resolved to only main her friend. But first she had to put everything away. “JENNY! Where the hell are you! I have the groceries, mind giving me a hand?”
Silence.
Rebecca gritted her teeth. And put away the groceries herself. After she was done she glared at the dishes. She would probably have to do them herself before she could start dinner. Both of them had friends who would be coming over later, and Jenny blowing off her share of the work was not helping.
Rebecca preheated the oven and moved off to go find her missing roommate. The slacker was still in her pajamas staring at the computer screen, the printer softly printing beside her. “Jenny, what gives. You promised you would have the dishes done. We only have a couple of hours to….”
Jennifer Coleman looked up at her, “Oh, good, you’re back. Take a look at this.”
Rebecca looked at the print out. ‘You are the Royal Four. You were created from your alien predecessors and those of human subjects. You were given human form to….’ “Is this for real?”
“This is what Alex wanted us to translate. You remember he came one day with Tess and translated it himself. Told us not to worry anymore.” She snorted. “If this were just one little bit, maybe. But Becky, there are reams of if. Histories, hell, even a bit of so-called science and technology. Apparently they have ‘powers‘.”
“Let me see that!” Rebecca grabbed a stack of paper from Jennifer. The difference was that Rebecca wasn’t so sure that it was something funny. There were all those unanswered questions….. “Jenny, do you still have the key you used on this?”
“Yep, why? Know any other aliens?” Jenny giggled.
“Maybe,” she said under her breath. “No. Just I new I had seen some of this before. My dad has a page of these glyphs too. Let me go into my room and get it.” She walked to the door. “Um what about the party?”
Jenny didn’t even look up from the screen, “I already called everyone with a rain check.”
“Thanks….” Rebecca hurried and went to grab a note that her father had written to himself years ago. “Please don’t match, please…..”
Because it was beginning to look like her father was either working for the aliens. Or one himself.
------
Isabel-
Isabel lay down and stared at the ceiling. Did she dare close her eyes? Her dreams always brought visions now. And so many were unpleasant.
But she was so tired. Her eyes drifted shut.
Isabel used her powers to fling one of the enemy against the wall. Dead. Thank God. “Alex, how are things down there?”
Alex called back up, “We are holding on. But…. I can’t say the town will hold. I can already see some ships landing. Oh, Isabel…. I wish…..”
Isabel closed her eyes for just a moment, waiting. So many in the building could not defend themselves effectively against the Dadonari raiders.
She had expected the Dadonari to conquer the Earth. To place themselves in complete control. They did no such thing. They raided and stole people from wherever they could.
No place was truly safe. Nor anyone.
Max had died in the first attack. Died and more than died, his soul consumed by the invaders because he could not bring himself to use his powers. Not even to save his high school sweetheart and wife of twenty years.
At least the abilities had bred true. Now that Isabel was taking care of them, Max’s kids could protect themselves and others.
Isabel had tried to warn them. But she had been ignored. She had even gone so far as to contact Tess and her shadowing government contacts.
If they had done anything, Isabel wasn’t sure. It certainly hadn’t helped much if they had.
As to Michael and Maria…. She simply did not know. Larek had offered them a chance to strike at the invaders. And they had taken it.
Whether they were off world or dead, Isabel didn’t know.
Only that Earth was slowly being bled. Eight countries had signed treaties with the Dadonari for set number of sacrifices each year…..
Again that attacked. Again Isabel pulled on the power of the sword. The sword that contained all that was left of a friend. A friend she had left to more than die…..
Isabel shot up shaking and shuddering.
Her cell phone rang.
It was Alex. She could feel it. She picked up the call.
All he said was, “I am on the way.”
And she stopped shaking. Waiting for Alex. Waiting for her lover.
Isabel was running out of time. There had to be a way to save Liz. Save her and make her safe.
Isabel prepared for Alex’s coming.
-------
Michael-
Michael watched as Maria came out of the Granolith like a dream. She was wearing some intricately made dress.
Maria dropped a pouch of what seemed full of rocks next to the makeshift bed she had made. And she began to strip off her clothing.
Michael watched her with a smile. He loved her body. It was just right. “So what happened?”
Maria sighed, “God, it has been so long. Later, I will tell you later. Make love to me, Michael.” She clamped her lips on his.
Kissing her was wonderful. Both of them moved their hands and caressed the other. Each touch felt by both of them, both knowing almost instinctually where to touch, so in tune were they with each other.
He was halfway to climax before he realized that they had not used protection. Lately Maria had been insisting they use a condom in addition to her being on the pill.
Not this time.
He let the worry fade. It was a bit late and the extra contact felt so good. The feel of her, all of her just inflamed him more. He could feel the Bond pulling them on, moving them both closer.
And it happened, her muscles rippling to milk him dry. His answering explosion emptied himself into her.
A moment of shared exquisite ecstasy.
Both of them clung to each other. Maria was a very tactile person, always needing to be held. It had taken Michael a while to truly get a hang of it. He doubted he would ever let anyone get as close or hold onto him as long as he could let Maria.
She was part of him.
And he slept.
When he awoke Maria was no where to be seen. But the bag of crystals remained.
And a note.
I am sorry Michael. It had to be like this. I needed to go back. I hope you forgive me, but the sacrifice had to be made. And you could not come with me. The bag contains a set of crystals, each of them have implanted memories for specific people. You can view them all if you wish. But we have to do this to save our world and our chance for happiness.
Sincerely, Maria DeLuca.
keepsmiling7- Thanks. Remember, the more Liz meant to someone the harder the world surpresses her memory. So Maria and Max basically can't even think of her. So don't be too hard on Max. It will take a lot of work to recover Liz, but a plan is now in progress.
RhondaAnn- Thanks. Nope Vanessa is one of Isabel's friends. She is one of the two hangers on from first season that you can see Isabel with in early episodes. She was also in Eidolon (She made a play for Max, and Liz via Emily stomped on it. Hard.) And Maria will have a major part to play in the next couple of chapters. If they recover Liz, they will recover her as she was when she was destroyed. That will not change.
AvalonRose- You will find out about Maria in this part. As for Liz... I don't think they can get that Liz back. Not now.
Ti88- Thanks. I hope you continue to enjoy. If you have any questions please PM me or ask me in feedback... Either way.
Disclaimer- Roswell is not mine and no infringement is intended.
Redemption Part 11
Maria-
Maria felt as her sense of Michael dwindled to almost nothing. He was impossibly far away now.
She stepped out of the now insubstantial Granolith and walked into a different chamber entirely. One that she had been in before, but different yet again. Where once it had been cleared and somewhat functional, not it seemed like it was richly appointed. Like someone very wealthy lived here.
A dark haired girl peeked around some hand held electronic device. She lay curled on a couch of some sort.
Despite eyes that looked grey with small flecks of gold, she reminded Maria heavily of Liz. Liz her destroyed friend.
It was coming back to her now. Not the events that had destroyed her, but her memories of her friend. But not all of them. Some of them were gone, eaten away. Only now, here in this place could she notice their lack. Here she could feel the absence of her friend, the sense of the oppression that had weighed on her mind, crushing all active memory of a girl who had been her closest friend since near birth.
Maria fell to her knees and cried, her nakedness forgotten.
The girl set down her device and stared at her. She said softly, almost to herself, “Are you real?” She stood up and walked across the room and grabbed a blanket. She placed it over Maria. “Magister Valenti? Someone came out of the Granolith!”
Maria felt as the blanket lay on her back and she gripped it around her. The world felt so cold now. Isabel had been right. And Maria had laughed in her face. Had called the woman delusional.
It was impossible that Maria would have forgotten someone as important to her like Liz. Sure she had vaguely known someone was missing. That an important part of her life had been take from her. But the harder Isabel had tried to remind Maria of Liz, the harder it had been to take Isabel seriously.
Michael had just watched silently.
Did Michael remember her? Did he remember Liz?
Max hadn’t. Maria had cornered him one night and they had talked. Max had mentioned that Isabel had told him of some great love that he’d had. But that she had been taken from them.
All Max had felt was an absence, a terrible searing absence. But no memories of the girl at all.
All of it had been a lie. Something was pushing memories of her out.
Tess. It had to be Tess.
But why? Why would she do that? She had Kyle.
Or maybe…. Maybe Isabel’s wild story wasn’t so wild after all. Maybe someone from a different future, a Future Alex had come. Had come to kill Liz. Kill her before Liz became evil and Maria hadn’t really been listening too closely at that point. Isabel had seemed almost hysterical, definitely off kilter.
She owed Isabel an apology.
“Oh, Buddha wept. It’s Maria. Get your mother, Isabel.”
Maria looked up. An old man wearing what looked almost like ancient armor stood slightly in front of the girl. He looked vaguely familiar.
The girl, probably around twelve or so, peeked around the man. “But Lizzie said to call her and not bother Mom.”
“Trust me, dear, that Her Majesty will want to see this. Just tell her it’s Maria.” His mouth quirked into a grin, “That my dear is what Auntie Maria looked like when she was younger.”
“But she is so pretty and Auntie Maria is….”
“Old. Got it kiddo. Now go get your mom.” He absently ruffled the girl’s hair, much to the girls supreme annoyance.
The girl sprinted out, but stopped at the door, “Uncle Kyle…. You aren’t going to tell Aunt Maria that I called her old are you?”
Maria looked up. Of course, Kyle! But last she had seen of her older self, she had been in her fifties. Kyle had to be seventy at least. He looked vigorous, but old.
“Don’t worry, little Izzie, I wouldn’t want your life on my conscience. Now hurry.” His gaze clung to her. “She is right though. You are pretty. And wrapped in that blanket…. You look like you stepped out of one of your broken heart videos.”
Maria tried to use her powers to weave cloth out of the air. But it was difficult for some reason.
The air didn’t have as much carbon in it. Or much in the way of industrial contaminants at all. The air was clean.
Still she felt a tiny bit more confidence as the soft woven fabric slipped across her skin. She tried to tell herself that she was covered up more than she had been in that bikini she had worn last summer.
But she still wrapped the blanket around her. She looked up into Kyle’s blue grey eyes. The same eyes, but so much older. Hard years, he had suffered under many hard and difficult years.
And remained Kyle. Maria could feel the strong wrap of blue and green that made up his soul, little different than that of their own timelines Kyle. Did he have powers too?
Kyle smiled at her again, “So my dear, would you like something to eat or drink while we wait for Her Majesty?”
Maria’s stomach rumbled. She looked sheepishly at Kyle. “Um, yeah. If you can spare something.”
Which is how she found herself sitting at a small table nibbling at some bread and cheese. Kyle sat with her, amused grin on his face. She turned to him, “What is so funny?”
“You are, this whole situation. Alternate worlds. Evil aliens from beyond the stars. My dear, when Max came into our lives…. Everything got completely scrambled, but you will find like I have, that the shocks never stop. You are from what? 2000? 2001? Everyone still a happy family dedicated to keep the secret, before everything went bad.” His gaze darkened slightly with bad memories, “And then it all fell apart. Only I hear that in your world…. In your world things are different, that you all have a chance for happiness. That you love that old crazy warhorse Michael.” His words were light and wistful, “And I have Tess…..”
Maria looked across the table at him, “Only everything is not crazy. Liz has been destroyed, destroyed to the point I-I can’t even remember her. And our group…. Its all broken apart, shattered in a million pieces, and I don’t know how to fix it. Not anymore. And…..and I-I don’t even know if I am human anymore. I have been told that I-I am not totally. And, and its so very strange.”
Kyle touched her wrist, only she could feel him touch her… deeper than the skin. He was nodding slightly when he removed his hand. “It is funny. You are Maria. I can sense that. There is a Marianess about you, you know? If I wasn’t sure I wouldn’t be quite so casual. Not with what has been happening lately. But whoever told you that…. Well it’s true. I am not even sure what you are. And physically….. There are differences there too. Small but present.” He paused a moment, looking off into the distance. Thinking.
“Liz was changed too. There was something wrong with her. But I can’t remember exactly what. My memories have holes in them. Liz shaped holes.”
Maria could feel as Amy entered the room. She suspected anyone would. She had a presence that Isabel would envy.
Maria had met Amy before, but then she had been younger. In her twenties. She was older now. Older and so much more than she had been. There were flecks of white at her brow and her golden eyes showed a level of strain. She was flanked by two other girls. One had been Isabel, the girl who had greeted her. The other could only be her sister, older, perhaps a little older than Maria herself.
The older girl was talking quietly and quickly with Amy. The Queen place her hand on the older girls shoulder and shook her head. She turned to face Maria. And smiled. “Why am I not surprised that it would be you who would respond to my call?”
“Why did you call me hear? Where is my older self? Last I saw her she was ripped from my mother’s arms…. Is she okay?”
The older girl bridled and glared at Maria.
Amy patted her shoulder, “Elizabeth, this Maria is not our subject, nor does she know our ways.” Addressing Maria, “Maria, these are two of my daughters. The older one is Elizabeth, and the smaller is Isabel. As to your older self, our Maria…. She is leading Our forces on Antar.” Worry washed across her face, quickly and then it was gone.
Maria realized that it was like reading Liz. Liz had been good at hiding her emotions, and reading Amy was much like reading her friend. “Were you ever able to find out how to make Companions.”
Amy shook her head slightly. “No. We lost contact with your world, and it took me years before I could find it again. Years more before I could find out WHY your world, so intimately connected to Our own would be wrest away.”
“Liz was destroyed.”
“Yes. And fitting you should call it that. Because that is what was done to her. Her soul was ripped from Creation.”
Kyle interrupted, “The Dadonari can do that?”
Amy sighed, “No. No that is beyond them. But there are darker forces, forces that the Dadonari serve…. Or perhaps it goes deeper. But a device, a construct was sent to your world Maria, with the express intent of destroying her. And more. Because it destroyed her essence but kept her potential. With that they could likely build a weapon or artifact of great power to push their agenda.” Her voice was soft, “Moreover they would have a Seal to the Granolith. And with that…. “ Amy closed her eyes and shook.
Maria sighed. “That all may be true, but still…. Why am I here? I don’t see how I can change things.”
Amy opened her eyes. “And that is where you are wrong. Because you and your friends…. You can bring her back.” Her lips curled into a smile, a knowing and determined smile, “I have a plan Maria. Are you willing to sacrifice to bring your friend back?”
Maria looked at Amy, “Yes, because she would do the same for me…..”
Amy nodded. “Here is what you must do.”
------
Rebecca
Rebecca waltzed into her shared apartment. She slung the groceries onto the counter and glared at the still unwashed dishes.
Jennifer had promised!
Rebecca closed her eyes for just a minute to get herself under control. A couple of breathes later and she resolved to only main her friend. But first she had to put everything away. “JENNY! Where the hell are you! I have the groceries, mind giving me a hand?”
Silence.
Rebecca gritted her teeth. And put away the groceries herself. After she was done she glared at the dishes. She would probably have to do them herself before she could start dinner. Both of them had friends who would be coming over later, and Jenny blowing off her share of the work was not helping.
Rebecca preheated the oven and moved off to go find her missing roommate. The slacker was still in her pajamas staring at the computer screen, the printer softly printing beside her. “Jenny, what gives. You promised you would have the dishes done. We only have a couple of hours to….”
Jennifer Coleman looked up at her, “Oh, good, you’re back. Take a look at this.”
Rebecca looked at the print out. ‘You are the Royal Four. You were created from your alien predecessors and those of human subjects. You were given human form to….’ “Is this for real?”
“This is what Alex wanted us to translate. You remember he came one day with Tess and translated it himself. Told us not to worry anymore.” She snorted. “If this were just one little bit, maybe. But Becky, there are reams of if. Histories, hell, even a bit of so-called science and technology. Apparently they have ‘powers‘.”
“Let me see that!” Rebecca grabbed a stack of paper from Jennifer. The difference was that Rebecca wasn’t so sure that it was something funny. There were all those unanswered questions….. “Jenny, do you still have the key you used on this?”
“Yep, why? Know any other aliens?” Jenny giggled.
“Maybe,” she said under her breath. “No. Just I new I had seen some of this before. My dad has a page of these glyphs too. Let me go into my room and get it.” She walked to the door. “Um what about the party?”
Jenny didn’t even look up from the screen, “I already called everyone with a rain check.”
“Thanks….” Rebecca hurried and went to grab a note that her father had written to himself years ago. “Please don’t match, please…..”
Because it was beginning to look like her father was either working for the aliens. Or one himself.
------
Isabel-
Isabel lay down and stared at the ceiling. Did she dare close her eyes? Her dreams always brought visions now. And so many were unpleasant.
But she was so tired. Her eyes drifted shut.
Isabel used her powers to fling one of the enemy against the wall. Dead. Thank God. “Alex, how are things down there?”
Alex called back up, “We are holding on. But…. I can’t say the town will hold. I can already see some ships landing. Oh, Isabel…. I wish…..”
Isabel closed her eyes for just a moment, waiting. So many in the building could not defend themselves effectively against the Dadonari raiders.
She had expected the Dadonari to conquer the Earth. To place themselves in complete control. They did no such thing. They raided and stole people from wherever they could.
No place was truly safe. Nor anyone.
Max had died in the first attack. Died and more than died, his soul consumed by the invaders because he could not bring himself to use his powers. Not even to save his high school sweetheart and wife of twenty years.
At least the abilities had bred true. Now that Isabel was taking care of them, Max’s kids could protect themselves and others.
Isabel had tried to warn them. But she had been ignored. She had even gone so far as to contact Tess and her shadowing government contacts.
If they had done anything, Isabel wasn’t sure. It certainly hadn’t helped much if they had.
As to Michael and Maria…. She simply did not know. Larek had offered them a chance to strike at the invaders. And they had taken it.
Whether they were off world or dead, Isabel didn’t know.
Only that Earth was slowly being bled. Eight countries had signed treaties with the Dadonari for set number of sacrifices each year…..
Again that attacked. Again Isabel pulled on the power of the sword. The sword that contained all that was left of a friend. A friend she had left to more than die…..
Isabel shot up shaking and shuddering.
Her cell phone rang.
It was Alex. She could feel it. She picked up the call.
All he said was, “I am on the way.”
And she stopped shaking. Waiting for Alex. Waiting for her lover.
Isabel was running out of time. There had to be a way to save Liz. Save her and make her safe.
Isabel prepared for Alex’s coming.
-------
Michael-
Michael watched as Maria came out of the Granolith like a dream. She was wearing some intricately made dress.
Maria dropped a pouch of what seemed full of rocks next to the makeshift bed she had made. And she began to strip off her clothing.
Michael watched her with a smile. He loved her body. It was just right. “So what happened?”
Maria sighed, “God, it has been so long. Later, I will tell you later. Make love to me, Michael.” She clamped her lips on his.
Kissing her was wonderful. Both of them moved their hands and caressed the other. Each touch felt by both of them, both knowing almost instinctually where to touch, so in tune were they with each other.
He was halfway to climax before he realized that they had not used protection. Lately Maria had been insisting they use a condom in addition to her being on the pill.
Not this time.
He let the worry fade. It was a bit late and the extra contact felt so good. The feel of her, all of her just inflamed him more. He could feel the Bond pulling them on, moving them both closer.
And it happened, her muscles rippling to milk him dry. His answering explosion emptied himself into her.
A moment of shared exquisite ecstasy.
Both of them clung to each other. Maria was a very tactile person, always needing to be held. It had taken Michael a while to truly get a hang of it. He doubted he would ever let anyone get as close or hold onto him as long as he could let Maria.
She was part of him.
And he slept.
When he awoke Maria was no where to be seen. But the bag of crystals remained.
And a note.
I am sorry Michael. It had to be like this. I needed to go back. I hope you forgive me, but the sacrifice had to be made. And you could not come with me. The bag contains a set of crystals, each of them have implanted memories for specific people. You can view them all if you wish. But we have to do this to save our world and our chance for happiness.
Sincerely, Maria DeLuca.
Re: IDS - Redemption (CC ALL, Teen/Mature) Part 11 - 07/13/10
Thanks to everyone following along. Hopefully I can get this back to a bi monthly posting at least. still have a little ways more to go with this story.
keepsmiling7- Thanks. Essentially I am trying to weave as many of the plot points that happened earlier on in the story and finish them. So a lot is going to be happening soon. Right now, just setting up Liz's recovery.
RhondaAnn- Thanks. You are basically correct in your assumptions, although what Maria had to do was a bit more complex than merely get pregnant.
xmag- Thanks. In part yes. The reasons will follow in the next few parts.
AvalonRose- Thanks. Maria has somethings she has to learn in that timeline to do what she needs to do to save Liz. Nope, they need to work together if they are going to get through this.
Disclaimer- Roswell is not mine and no infringement is intended.
Redemption Part 12
Alex-
Alex clung to the still distraught Isabel.
It was those dreams. They never left her alone. Pulling her in one direction or another, never letting her have a moments peaceful sleep. Save in his arms. Somehow he damped it, made her feel safe.
Needless to say their parents would have a fit.
He didn’t want to think of what his father would think. Or either of Isabel’s parents. His mother would be angry, would disapprove. But maybe, just maybe she might understand.
They would have to tell her everything. And by that he meant everything. But his mom would take it like she did everything. Probably offer a cup of coffee and work out cooking do’s and don’ts for aliens.
He’d never seen her rattled. And how he wished he had her calm.
His father…. Well his father believed in a lot of the alien stuff. It had taken Alex years to realize that his father really did secretly believe. That he wasn’t just being a good Roswell citizen putting his time in on the festivals. Nope, the man believed in ET.
And Charles Whitman wasn’t sure they were here for the good of mankind. Quite the opposite. Read too much military and colonial history to think it would work smoothly.
Alex closed his eyes and drank in the warmth of his love.
Sooner or later the parents would have to know. All of them. Even his. The other parents might know, but his still were in the dark about the whole abyss factor.
Needless to say it was on his mind.
He was pretty sure his mom would be able to win his dad over in time. But then a case could be made that his father might be right in the long run.
Alex had read some of the same books at his father’s bequest.
And then there was the whole Liz matter.
Strange how a girl that supposedly had meant so much to him seemed so unreal. And yet in many of the flashes he got from Isabel he saw her. And he could see the trust and respect on his face directed at the strange girl. At Liz.
So much had changed. And he could not deny that some of those changes were good. Isabel trusted him now. She was open with him about so much now, so willing to trust him with her secrets and desires.
Alex felt as someone called him. Some of those changes were within as well as without. And this was one of them.
He knew when someone needed him now. It was strongest with Isabel, naturally. But it wasn’t just with her. And he could… feel… who it was usually. Everyone had a sense about them, not something you could see per se, but still somehow tangible to him.
It was Sara. His dream daughter, and perhaps daughter in truth. Certainly Isabel now loved her as much as he did.
She needed him.
So Alex calmed himself and went to her. She was a thing of possibilities and dreams still. So it naturally would be in a dream that he would meet her. As always he was struck by how young she usually appeared to him now, almost of an age with Maria’s Stephanie.
But not now. Now she stood before him as she first had. A girl just into her teens. She was blonde this time, with Isabel’s golden hair. And his eyes. The hair changed. Sometimes it was a mix of his and Isabel’s, sometimes his dark brown, but more often than not it was this golden sheen.
The eyes, the eyes had stayed the same since she had chosen to be reborn that fateful day. A dark hazel just kissed with golden flecks.
So beautiful his daughter. He would find her. Find the pod that held her now, and would care for her when she woke.
He and Isabel had talked about this. And they agreed. It would happen. They just needed to find her.
She was excited, her eyes lit with pleasure. “Father!” She ran to hold him.
He held her back, smiling. “Why did you need me honey? Is there something wrong?”
She smiled up at him. “No. It is almost time. A day is coming. A special day. And on that day, they will heed his Call. On the day when She returns you and the King need to be in the Granolith Chamber and Call them. It will give us all a chance. Give us all a chance at what we all so desperately need.” Tears of joy and wonder spilt out of her bright eyes. “I had hoped and dreamed…. But now, now it may be real!”
“What honey? What may be real?”
“Redemption.” And she cried harder.
And he held her there, held her in some strange dream plane, his daughter that he knew was his but had never met. A girl that as far as he could tell had never yet even been conceived. He held her and tried to pull the sorrow from her. To calm her tears and fears.
But those new senses told him that it was so much more. That her tears were tears not just of past sorrow, but also of wonder and joy. And hope.
He could feel it spread into him. Something he had not realized he had almost given up on. Hope that the future would be better than the past.
So many of the dreams and visions Isabel had had of late had been so dark. So much sorrow and grief. It had affected him as well, without his knowledge.
But now….
Now there was hope.
-------
Rebecca
Rebecca looked again at the sheet of paper that Jennifer had translated. Similar to those in the book, translated, they had a completely different message.
One that had torn her entire world view away from her.
Because if this was true…..
She looked again at the paper.
I write this message for any that may find this letter. Assuming that our rebellion against Khivar lasts and that the damned Cathians do not betray us.
Know that I was once one of you. Viat Mithar. But by a technique that obviously failed in all other cases, as I have met no other like me, I came to possess a human host. One that had suffered a massive amount of damage. Severe enough that the host personality had died, and yet the body lingered.
Likely this body would have succumbed soon in a coma, had I not been inserted. It took me years to get it in a reasonably functional condition, only to find myself drafted in this nations infantry.
My years as an insurgent on Antar came of ironic use as I hunted down insurgents for the nation I have since come to call my own.
Yes, we knew it was a fear for this program. That its subjects would inevitably become attached to their new form, and in time become more local in affection and affiliation that loyal to Antar.
And I have indeed become closer in affection to the humans. Tomorrow I marry the woman I love. One that doesn’t completely understand what I was once, but loves me anyway.
I plan to make a normal human life for myself. Fighting against the small contingent of Rhyajhaelians I have found here has proven to be pointless. They are as overwhelmed by the masses of ordinary humanity that surrounds them as I am. They merely have company.
I addition, they will never be safe here. I have studied their husks that they use, and I doubt they are for long term purposes. So they are not here forever, but only for a temporary mission.
There has been no sign of the Royals here. There are others here, in addition to the Rhyajhaelians. Travellers I think. The old shape shifters sent on their eternal search of the heavens.
I have found proof of no others. Perhaps the Royals were sent here, but if they did indeed land, they are well hidden.
The mission I was sent her for has no purpose that I can see. I can serve no value to the warfare that likely goes on even now at home. No. I will make my life here.
And I will try to see that my new people are ready for what will come for them someday. I have already made some contacts with a few groups already involved in the development of humanity. And it the planets defense should it become necessary.
But know, that despite my abandonment of my mission that I still consider myself Mithar. And I will serve to better both of my peoples as I can.
I sign this not as who I once was, but who I am.
Richard Williams
Jennifer looked up at her. “That has to be a prank of some sort. Some kind of joke, you know? You showed it to Alex. Yeah, you showed it to Alex one night and he switched it. Or, or……”
Rebecca looked up at her friend, “You don’t know my father. I wonder now if I do. But, I need answers. Dad hasn’t been answering his phone the last few days. Supposedly in some massive hush-hush business meeting of utter importance.”
Jenny got up and hugged her friend. “So what are you going to do? You can always call up Alex and….”
Rebecca shook her head. “I want to see him. I want answers from him, and I want to see if he tries to lie to me. I need to know, Jenny. I simply have got to know that this is just some sick joke. Because the rest of it, all the rest of the Book that we have translated…..”
“Is a bit much for a joke. Background material for a novel, hell a series of sci-fi novels. I am going with you.” She pursed her mouth. “Um, you do realize we both have school tomorrow, that test and….”
Rebecca pursed her lips. It would have to wait for this weekend. It killed her, but she had spent too much time working on her schooling to blow it now.
It could wait.
But come Friday night she would find Alex and Tess and Isabel and squeeze the information she needed out of them if necessary. Because she had to know.
Was she even human herself?
She had hid it from Jenny. But she had tried one of those basic exercises in the Book. Well in truth they both had. Neither of them had been serious at the time.
But now, after reading this letter…..
Rebecca had tried. Had focused her mind just so……
And for a moment, just for a split second she though she had felt the granular nature of the wood beneath her hand.
She was afraid to try it again. Afraid that it would work. Afraid that she was going nuts.
She had to know. She simply had to.
------
Laurie
Laurie did not like the men speaking with Serena. They reminded her of her keepers back at the institution. Their minds working in straight lines, never seeing what was really going on.
But the experiments had worked. Serena had taken the data and made a device that should provide some protection to whatever had happened last November.
Serena had been so excited about the breakthrough it had been all she had talked about for the last few days. Laurie had no clue exactly how it worked, although Serena had explained the principals to her enough that she remembered.
She knew that she was special, that she had gifts. But an advanced knowledge of high energy physics and how it could effect time? Not so much.
But her Serena knew. Laurie was so proud of her. Serena was going to get a Nobel Prize for this.
Assuming her contacts let her tell anyone or publish her findings.
Which brought her back to these men. It had not been enough for them to simply do the theory, the contacts Brody had given Serena had wanted a workable device. Serena still had a business partnership with him, and with his money and her genius they had done some impressive things.
Still. The boys from Wheeler Enterprises gave her the creeps. She walked closer to Serena to hear the last of their conversation.
The head thug, as Laurie had dubbed him, spoke, “But will they work?”
“In as much as any terrestrial equipment will. In theory it is simple, gentlemen. The field isolates those of a certain, hmm, lets call it a certain psychic threshold. It pushes them from real space for a time. How long it could be done, and exactly why it was developed I am not certain. There are some interesting ancillary aspects that may prove worthwhile to your superiors, things that may make them desire to get on board with Goodwin-Dupree enterprises from the start.”
“We will relay it to the Wheeler’s you may be sure. But for now, these devices…. Do they work. The idea that someone could use one of those devices and just walk through the front door….”
“They will alter your local space for a time, it is in part powered by the pulse emitted when the time device would be activated. I can not say if it would last out the entire time period. We have no clue exactly how long the aliens can keep these fields up. But probably at least an hour or two. Perhaps longer.”
“We will take a dozen.”
Serena stared at him. “These are prototypes. I only have six.”
“How long will the other six take, a few days, a few weeks?”
“I could perhaps have them done by the end of the week.” Serena looked at Laurie and nodded. “They are not cheap.”
“Prototypes usually are not, Ms. Goodwin. You may wish to consider using us as your manufacturer of choice in this regard. We are quite good in devices and services that require some discretion.” He made a gesture and his tiny group left.
Laurie looked at Serena. “Well?”
Serena smiled, “I think we are in business. Not only Wheeler, but Far Sight and even the Army was asking about them. I think I may have hit it rich.”
“Just have your lawyer look through any of the documents they have you sign.” Laurie admonished.
“Yes, yes, mother. The patent information has already been filed and accepted. And tomorrow we will both be working our asses off. But tonight, tonight we dine. Well, okay, this is Roswell. Tonight we find acceptable food for once. Come on. Let’s paint the town red.”
That sounded fine with Laurie.
She just wished that nagging feeling would go away.
--------
Tess-
Tess was sitting on her bed meditating. Kyle had a trick she was trying to emulate.
Sometimes when he was very calm he could completely sense his surroundings. It sounded similar to what she could do with peoples minds, but with him it included everything.
And now she was not buying it had anything to do with his Buddhist clap trap.
There was a knock at the door.
She would do this. She would just concentrate and….
The knocking grew louder.
Tess glared at her bedroom door. Kyle had left for school early for some jock thing. Jim was on the early shift this week. Which meant she should have several hours before school to practice this.
Damn it all to hell!
She quickly tossed on a set of shorts and stomped to the door. Hands firmly on hips she opened the door to see a tired and teary Michael.
The last bit had her take a step back. What would it take to make Michael show tears. In public.
She backed up, “Uh, Michael. What brings you here so early?”
“Maria needs you to do something. Something very important.” Michael rubbed his eyes and then massaged his forehead.
Tess looked at him impassively. She could still feel the link that bound her to him lightly. It used to be so much stronger, but so much of it had been through Liz.
There had been a time when Tess would have relished Liz’s destruction. The added fact that even her memory was being expunged would have made it only sweeter.
Things had changed. It had taken her talents to keep her own memories of what had happened. Thankfully those skills had been drilled deep within her.
The Path of the Eidolon was the path of truth.
Now she saw that Liz had been pivotal to holding the group together. She wasn’t the only pivot, but she was one of them. Tess was the outsider and always would be. But she thought that near the end, she and Liz could have formed a workable relationship.
It was too bad there was no way to save her.
“Sure, how can I help? As long as it doesn’t involve Isabel we are fine.”
Michael stilled at that. “Perhaps I should let Maria ask you.”
Tess tightened her eyes, “Okay. And when will she be by?”
Michael just handed her a stone. “Place it next to your forehead and you will get her message.”
Tess looked at it. It was not human technology. It looked… Mithar in make. “Michael, where did you get this?”
Michael sighed and rubbed his one eye brow ridge. “You know the other timeline? The one the Future Max came from? Well Maria went back. She said she had to. To be able to bring Liz back. And to do it, she well, just accept the flash. It will all be there.”
Tess took the stone. It flickered in her hands, glowing as if lit within. She tentatively set it to her head and….
Flash-
It wasn’t like a normal flash. Normally she was a person. Here she was just there watching. She could see and hear and feel the environment. But the emotional context was missing.
But then if this were for messages, you would want to damp the emotional context perhaps.
Maria stood before her walking through a graveyard. She stopped and looked at a grave.
Teresa Banning. Born 1983 Died 2003.
Maria looked directly at the point Tess felt herself to be. “I finally managed to track it down. You lived longer than I thought. Hiding as a waitress here in Colorado Springs.
Maria looked away. “We were mean to you in this world. Meaner than you deserved I think. You hadn’t pulled the stunt you pulled on Alex yet. Which I still think was wrong.
“But here we basically drove you out of town. And we fell apart. Not so much because of you, but because of what your represented. You represented all we wanted to escape.
Maria looked back at Tess, “Only it never really went away. It was still waiting for us. Just as it is today. And now with Liz gone, we are drifting apart again. I think we are all meant to stick together. “ Her mouth quirked to a grin, “What was that saying? We need to hang together or we will surely hang separately. Hah! See I remember my quotes. SO there Mr. Duncan!” Maria fist pumped.
She looked at Tess again, a bit of chagrin. “Sorry, but I studied for that test for so long last week. Anyway. What it is that I need you to do is to rebuild Liz’s mind.”
Tess thought, ‘Impossible. There is no way I could do that!”
Maria continued, “Amy, that is Liz’s daughter in this world, thinks that you should know the shape and composition it has from all of your warpings of her. I hope she is right.”
Tess continued to watch.
Maria shook her head. “Amy will man the Granolith from her side. Max could probably do it, but he simply doesn’t have the skill to do this. Isabel will release her potential. I will construct the body. Yeah.” Maria looked straight at Tess. “Me. No pressure right?”
Tess began to think. What had Liz’s mind felt like? Could she do her part?
Could she work with Isabel without Isabel trying to kill her again? Because they would have to work together seamlessly on this.
Maria sighed, “And what is worse is that there is a timeline involved. Friday night is our best shot. I will be stuck in this timeline learning to create Liz’s body until that morning. So if you could cover for me at school, that would be greatly appreciated.
“This whole task seems impossible. Trust me, when Amy first told me what I needed to do, I was certain it would fail. But the thing is, she did exist once. And the world, the world that is trying to cover up her existence should pull out all the stops to help us. So with the Granolith, you and me and Isabel.,,, It will have to be enough.”
Maria’s face turned grim. “I have included some of what may happen to us if we fail. The Enemy your people whisper about is very real, Tess. They are real and they are out there. In fact, they are here in this world too. I can show you what is left behind one of their raids if you need something to make you see why this risk has to be taken. I need you. Your world needs you, both Earth and Antar.”
“Moreover, Liz needs you. Without her you would have died. Time to pay her back.”
Flash ends
Tess put the stone down. She was going to do it. She knew that.
She also knew that she would view the other scenes anyway. Some part of her wanted to know it all. To know that the dark whispers were indeed true.
Michael looked at her bleary eyed. “Well?”
“I will do it.”
“Good,” Michael turned to leave.
Tess reached out and placed a hand o his arm to stop him. “Wait, what did she mean she was staying there for a while to learn how to make a body. I can’t think of anyone who could do that. Even with her strange new gifts.”
Michael glared at her, “You don’t get it do you? What is the one way that women have learned how to make people for all of history?”
Tess’s hand went to her mouth, “Oh my God. She is pregnant. With your child?”
Michael nodded, “Time passes fast there. The child could already be born. She will be alone in an alien universe. And, and I won’t be there for her!”
“Oh, Michael,” Tess held onto Michael, trying to sooth him.
He was stiff as a board for a moment. Before he broke and began to sob in Tess’s arms.
But even as she tried to comfort her friend, in the back of her mind she was already trying to remember what she could of Liz Parker’s mind.
Maybe. Just maybe this could be done.
At least her part.
------
Maria-
Maria was in agony.
“Come on, just one more push. I can see his head. Just one more push.”
Tired. She was so tired. She reached out to find the other part of her. The one who should be with her always.
‘You promised. You promised you would be there.’
She wearily pushed.
She was just so tired. So tired and alone. The spark that had been inside of her was gone now. That fitful life that she had studied and studied as it had slowly built itself inside of her.
A baby’s cry. And a sudden flare as the babes newborn mind fully woke to life of its own. No longer a part of her. Separate.
And yet still bound.
She stared at her son as the placed him in her arms. ‘Oh, Michael, how I wish you could be here…..”
keepsmiling7- Thanks. Essentially I am trying to weave as many of the plot points that happened earlier on in the story and finish them. So a lot is going to be happening soon. Right now, just setting up Liz's recovery.
RhondaAnn- Thanks. You are basically correct in your assumptions, although what Maria had to do was a bit more complex than merely get pregnant.
xmag- Thanks. In part yes. The reasons will follow in the next few parts.
AvalonRose- Thanks. Maria has somethings she has to learn in that timeline to do what she needs to do to save Liz. Nope, they need to work together if they are going to get through this.
Disclaimer- Roswell is not mine and no infringement is intended.
Redemption Part 12
Alex-
Alex clung to the still distraught Isabel.
It was those dreams. They never left her alone. Pulling her in one direction or another, never letting her have a moments peaceful sleep. Save in his arms. Somehow he damped it, made her feel safe.
Needless to say their parents would have a fit.
He didn’t want to think of what his father would think. Or either of Isabel’s parents. His mother would be angry, would disapprove. But maybe, just maybe she might understand.
They would have to tell her everything. And by that he meant everything. But his mom would take it like she did everything. Probably offer a cup of coffee and work out cooking do’s and don’ts for aliens.
He’d never seen her rattled. And how he wished he had her calm.
His father…. Well his father believed in a lot of the alien stuff. It had taken Alex years to realize that his father really did secretly believe. That he wasn’t just being a good Roswell citizen putting his time in on the festivals. Nope, the man believed in ET.
And Charles Whitman wasn’t sure they were here for the good of mankind. Quite the opposite. Read too much military and colonial history to think it would work smoothly.
Alex closed his eyes and drank in the warmth of his love.
Sooner or later the parents would have to know. All of them. Even his. The other parents might know, but his still were in the dark about the whole abyss factor.
Needless to say it was on his mind.
He was pretty sure his mom would be able to win his dad over in time. But then a case could be made that his father might be right in the long run.
Alex had read some of the same books at his father’s bequest.
And then there was the whole Liz matter.
Strange how a girl that supposedly had meant so much to him seemed so unreal. And yet in many of the flashes he got from Isabel he saw her. And he could see the trust and respect on his face directed at the strange girl. At Liz.
So much had changed. And he could not deny that some of those changes were good. Isabel trusted him now. She was open with him about so much now, so willing to trust him with her secrets and desires.
Alex felt as someone called him. Some of those changes were within as well as without. And this was one of them.
He knew when someone needed him now. It was strongest with Isabel, naturally. But it wasn’t just with her. And he could… feel… who it was usually. Everyone had a sense about them, not something you could see per se, but still somehow tangible to him.
It was Sara. His dream daughter, and perhaps daughter in truth. Certainly Isabel now loved her as much as he did.
She needed him.
So Alex calmed himself and went to her. She was a thing of possibilities and dreams still. So it naturally would be in a dream that he would meet her. As always he was struck by how young she usually appeared to him now, almost of an age with Maria’s Stephanie.
But not now. Now she stood before him as she first had. A girl just into her teens. She was blonde this time, with Isabel’s golden hair. And his eyes. The hair changed. Sometimes it was a mix of his and Isabel’s, sometimes his dark brown, but more often than not it was this golden sheen.
The eyes, the eyes had stayed the same since she had chosen to be reborn that fateful day. A dark hazel just kissed with golden flecks.
So beautiful his daughter. He would find her. Find the pod that held her now, and would care for her when she woke.
He and Isabel had talked about this. And they agreed. It would happen. They just needed to find her.
She was excited, her eyes lit with pleasure. “Father!” She ran to hold him.
He held her back, smiling. “Why did you need me honey? Is there something wrong?”
She smiled up at him. “No. It is almost time. A day is coming. A special day. And on that day, they will heed his Call. On the day when She returns you and the King need to be in the Granolith Chamber and Call them. It will give us all a chance. Give us all a chance at what we all so desperately need.” Tears of joy and wonder spilt out of her bright eyes. “I had hoped and dreamed…. But now, now it may be real!”
“What honey? What may be real?”
“Redemption.” And she cried harder.
And he held her there, held her in some strange dream plane, his daughter that he knew was his but had never met. A girl that as far as he could tell had never yet even been conceived. He held her and tried to pull the sorrow from her. To calm her tears and fears.
But those new senses told him that it was so much more. That her tears were tears not just of past sorrow, but also of wonder and joy. And hope.
He could feel it spread into him. Something he had not realized he had almost given up on. Hope that the future would be better than the past.
So many of the dreams and visions Isabel had had of late had been so dark. So much sorrow and grief. It had affected him as well, without his knowledge.
But now….
Now there was hope.
-------
Rebecca
Rebecca looked again at the sheet of paper that Jennifer had translated. Similar to those in the book, translated, they had a completely different message.
One that had torn her entire world view away from her.
Because if this was true…..
She looked again at the paper.
I write this message for any that may find this letter. Assuming that our rebellion against Khivar lasts and that the damned Cathians do not betray us.
Know that I was once one of you. Viat Mithar. But by a technique that obviously failed in all other cases, as I have met no other like me, I came to possess a human host. One that had suffered a massive amount of damage. Severe enough that the host personality had died, and yet the body lingered.
Likely this body would have succumbed soon in a coma, had I not been inserted. It took me years to get it in a reasonably functional condition, only to find myself drafted in this nations infantry.
My years as an insurgent on Antar came of ironic use as I hunted down insurgents for the nation I have since come to call my own.
Yes, we knew it was a fear for this program. That its subjects would inevitably become attached to their new form, and in time become more local in affection and affiliation that loyal to Antar.
And I have indeed become closer in affection to the humans. Tomorrow I marry the woman I love. One that doesn’t completely understand what I was once, but loves me anyway.
I plan to make a normal human life for myself. Fighting against the small contingent of Rhyajhaelians I have found here has proven to be pointless. They are as overwhelmed by the masses of ordinary humanity that surrounds them as I am. They merely have company.
I addition, they will never be safe here. I have studied their husks that they use, and I doubt they are for long term purposes. So they are not here forever, but only for a temporary mission.
There has been no sign of the Royals here. There are others here, in addition to the Rhyajhaelians. Travellers I think. The old shape shifters sent on their eternal search of the heavens.
I have found proof of no others. Perhaps the Royals were sent here, but if they did indeed land, they are well hidden.
The mission I was sent her for has no purpose that I can see. I can serve no value to the warfare that likely goes on even now at home. No. I will make my life here.
And I will try to see that my new people are ready for what will come for them someday. I have already made some contacts with a few groups already involved in the development of humanity. And it the planets defense should it become necessary.
But know, that despite my abandonment of my mission that I still consider myself Mithar. And I will serve to better both of my peoples as I can.
I sign this not as who I once was, but who I am.
Richard Williams
Jennifer looked up at her. “That has to be a prank of some sort. Some kind of joke, you know? You showed it to Alex. Yeah, you showed it to Alex one night and he switched it. Or, or……”
Rebecca looked up at her friend, “You don’t know my father. I wonder now if I do. But, I need answers. Dad hasn’t been answering his phone the last few days. Supposedly in some massive hush-hush business meeting of utter importance.”
Jenny got up and hugged her friend. “So what are you going to do? You can always call up Alex and….”
Rebecca shook her head. “I want to see him. I want answers from him, and I want to see if he tries to lie to me. I need to know, Jenny. I simply have got to know that this is just some sick joke. Because the rest of it, all the rest of the Book that we have translated…..”
“Is a bit much for a joke. Background material for a novel, hell a series of sci-fi novels. I am going with you.” She pursed her mouth. “Um, you do realize we both have school tomorrow, that test and….”
Rebecca pursed her lips. It would have to wait for this weekend. It killed her, but she had spent too much time working on her schooling to blow it now.
It could wait.
But come Friday night she would find Alex and Tess and Isabel and squeeze the information she needed out of them if necessary. Because she had to know.
Was she even human herself?
She had hid it from Jenny. But she had tried one of those basic exercises in the Book. Well in truth they both had. Neither of them had been serious at the time.
But now, after reading this letter…..
Rebecca had tried. Had focused her mind just so……
And for a moment, just for a split second she though she had felt the granular nature of the wood beneath her hand.
She was afraid to try it again. Afraid that it would work. Afraid that she was going nuts.
She had to know. She simply had to.
------
Laurie
Laurie did not like the men speaking with Serena. They reminded her of her keepers back at the institution. Their minds working in straight lines, never seeing what was really going on.
But the experiments had worked. Serena had taken the data and made a device that should provide some protection to whatever had happened last November.
Serena had been so excited about the breakthrough it had been all she had talked about for the last few days. Laurie had no clue exactly how it worked, although Serena had explained the principals to her enough that she remembered.
She knew that she was special, that she had gifts. But an advanced knowledge of high energy physics and how it could effect time? Not so much.
But her Serena knew. Laurie was so proud of her. Serena was going to get a Nobel Prize for this.
Assuming her contacts let her tell anyone or publish her findings.
Which brought her back to these men. It had not been enough for them to simply do the theory, the contacts Brody had given Serena had wanted a workable device. Serena still had a business partnership with him, and with his money and her genius they had done some impressive things.
Still. The boys from Wheeler Enterprises gave her the creeps. She walked closer to Serena to hear the last of their conversation.
The head thug, as Laurie had dubbed him, spoke, “But will they work?”
“In as much as any terrestrial equipment will. In theory it is simple, gentlemen. The field isolates those of a certain, hmm, lets call it a certain psychic threshold. It pushes them from real space for a time. How long it could be done, and exactly why it was developed I am not certain. There are some interesting ancillary aspects that may prove worthwhile to your superiors, things that may make them desire to get on board with Goodwin-Dupree enterprises from the start.”
“We will relay it to the Wheeler’s you may be sure. But for now, these devices…. Do they work. The idea that someone could use one of those devices and just walk through the front door….”
“They will alter your local space for a time, it is in part powered by the pulse emitted when the time device would be activated. I can not say if it would last out the entire time period. We have no clue exactly how long the aliens can keep these fields up. But probably at least an hour or two. Perhaps longer.”
“We will take a dozen.”
Serena stared at him. “These are prototypes. I only have six.”
“How long will the other six take, a few days, a few weeks?”
“I could perhaps have them done by the end of the week.” Serena looked at Laurie and nodded. “They are not cheap.”
“Prototypes usually are not, Ms. Goodwin. You may wish to consider using us as your manufacturer of choice in this regard. We are quite good in devices and services that require some discretion.” He made a gesture and his tiny group left.
Laurie looked at Serena. “Well?”
Serena smiled, “I think we are in business. Not only Wheeler, but Far Sight and even the Army was asking about them. I think I may have hit it rich.”
“Just have your lawyer look through any of the documents they have you sign.” Laurie admonished.
“Yes, yes, mother. The patent information has already been filed and accepted. And tomorrow we will both be working our asses off. But tonight, tonight we dine. Well, okay, this is Roswell. Tonight we find acceptable food for once. Come on. Let’s paint the town red.”
That sounded fine with Laurie.
She just wished that nagging feeling would go away.
--------
Tess-
Tess was sitting on her bed meditating. Kyle had a trick she was trying to emulate.
Sometimes when he was very calm he could completely sense his surroundings. It sounded similar to what she could do with peoples minds, but with him it included everything.
And now she was not buying it had anything to do with his Buddhist clap trap.
There was a knock at the door.
She would do this. She would just concentrate and….
The knocking grew louder.
Tess glared at her bedroom door. Kyle had left for school early for some jock thing. Jim was on the early shift this week. Which meant she should have several hours before school to practice this.
Damn it all to hell!
She quickly tossed on a set of shorts and stomped to the door. Hands firmly on hips she opened the door to see a tired and teary Michael.
The last bit had her take a step back. What would it take to make Michael show tears. In public.
She backed up, “Uh, Michael. What brings you here so early?”
“Maria needs you to do something. Something very important.” Michael rubbed his eyes and then massaged his forehead.
Tess looked at him impassively. She could still feel the link that bound her to him lightly. It used to be so much stronger, but so much of it had been through Liz.
There had been a time when Tess would have relished Liz’s destruction. The added fact that even her memory was being expunged would have made it only sweeter.
Things had changed. It had taken her talents to keep her own memories of what had happened. Thankfully those skills had been drilled deep within her.
The Path of the Eidolon was the path of truth.
Now she saw that Liz had been pivotal to holding the group together. She wasn’t the only pivot, but she was one of them. Tess was the outsider and always would be. But she thought that near the end, she and Liz could have formed a workable relationship.
It was too bad there was no way to save her.
“Sure, how can I help? As long as it doesn’t involve Isabel we are fine.”
Michael stilled at that. “Perhaps I should let Maria ask you.”
Tess tightened her eyes, “Okay. And when will she be by?”
Michael just handed her a stone. “Place it next to your forehead and you will get her message.”
Tess looked at it. It was not human technology. It looked… Mithar in make. “Michael, where did you get this?”
Michael sighed and rubbed his one eye brow ridge. “You know the other timeline? The one the Future Max came from? Well Maria went back. She said she had to. To be able to bring Liz back. And to do it, she well, just accept the flash. It will all be there.”
Tess took the stone. It flickered in her hands, glowing as if lit within. She tentatively set it to her head and….
Flash-
It wasn’t like a normal flash. Normally she was a person. Here she was just there watching. She could see and hear and feel the environment. But the emotional context was missing.
But then if this were for messages, you would want to damp the emotional context perhaps.
Maria stood before her walking through a graveyard. She stopped and looked at a grave.
Teresa Banning. Born 1983 Died 2003.
Maria looked directly at the point Tess felt herself to be. “I finally managed to track it down. You lived longer than I thought. Hiding as a waitress here in Colorado Springs.
Maria looked away. “We were mean to you in this world. Meaner than you deserved I think. You hadn’t pulled the stunt you pulled on Alex yet. Which I still think was wrong.
“But here we basically drove you out of town. And we fell apart. Not so much because of you, but because of what your represented. You represented all we wanted to escape.
Maria looked back at Tess, “Only it never really went away. It was still waiting for us. Just as it is today. And now with Liz gone, we are drifting apart again. I think we are all meant to stick together. “ Her mouth quirked to a grin, “What was that saying? We need to hang together or we will surely hang separately. Hah! See I remember my quotes. SO there Mr. Duncan!” Maria fist pumped.
She looked at Tess again, a bit of chagrin. “Sorry, but I studied for that test for so long last week. Anyway. What it is that I need you to do is to rebuild Liz’s mind.”
Tess thought, ‘Impossible. There is no way I could do that!”
Maria continued, “Amy, that is Liz’s daughter in this world, thinks that you should know the shape and composition it has from all of your warpings of her. I hope she is right.”
Tess continued to watch.
Maria shook her head. “Amy will man the Granolith from her side. Max could probably do it, but he simply doesn’t have the skill to do this. Isabel will release her potential. I will construct the body. Yeah.” Maria looked straight at Tess. “Me. No pressure right?”
Tess began to think. What had Liz’s mind felt like? Could she do her part?
Could she work with Isabel without Isabel trying to kill her again? Because they would have to work together seamlessly on this.
Maria sighed, “And what is worse is that there is a timeline involved. Friday night is our best shot. I will be stuck in this timeline learning to create Liz’s body until that morning. So if you could cover for me at school, that would be greatly appreciated.
“This whole task seems impossible. Trust me, when Amy first told me what I needed to do, I was certain it would fail. But the thing is, she did exist once. And the world, the world that is trying to cover up her existence should pull out all the stops to help us. So with the Granolith, you and me and Isabel.,,, It will have to be enough.”
Maria’s face turned grim. “I have included some of what may happen to us if we fail. The Enemy your people whisper about is very real, Tess. They are real and they are out there. In fact, they are here in this world too. I can show you what is left behind one of their raids if you need something to make you see why this risk has to be taken. I need you. Your world needs you, both Earth and Antar.”
“Moreover, Liz needs you. Without her you would have died. Time to pay her back.”
Flash ends
Tess put the stone down. She was going to do it. She knew that.
She also knew that she would view the other scenes anyway. Some part of her wanted to know it all. To know that the dark whispers were indeed true.
Michael looked at her bleary eyed. “Well?”
“I will do it.”
“Good,” Michael turned to leave.
Tess reached out and placed a hand o his arm to stop him. “Wait, what did she mean she was staying there for a while to learn how to make a body. I can’t think of anyone who could do that. Even with her strange new gifts.”
Michael glared at her, “You don’t get it do you? What is the one way that women have learned how to make people for all of history?”
Tess’s hand went to her mouth, “Oh my God. She is pregnant. With your child?”
Michael nodded, “Time passes fast there. The child could already be born. She will be alone in an alien universe. And, and I won’t be there for her!”
“Oh, Michael,” Tess held onto Michael, trying to sooth him.
He was stiff as a board for a moment. Before he broke and began to sob in Tess’s arms.
But even as she tried to comfort her friend, in the back of her mind she was already trying to remember what she could of Liz Parker’s mind.
Maybe. Just maybe this could be done.
At least her part.
------
Maria-
Maria was in agony.
“Come on, just one more push. I can see his head. Just one more push.”
Tired. She was so tired. She reached out to find the other part of her. The one who should be with her always.
‘You promised. You promised you would be there.’
She wearily pushed.
She was just so tired. So tired and alone. The spark that had been inside of her was gone now. That fitful life that she had studied and studied as it had slowly built itself inside of her.
A baby’s cry. And a sudden flare as the babes newborn mind fully woke to life of its own. No longer a part of her. Separate.
And yet still bound.
She stared at her son as the placed him in her arms. ‘Oh, Michael, how I wish you could be here…..”
Re: IDS - Redemption (CC ALL, Teen/Mature) Part 12 - 08/23/10
Finally, the last set up chapter. It was hard to do, as I am excited with what will be coming next. Not that nothing happens here, mind. Stuff does indeed happen.
Just don't kill me for it.
keepsmiling7- Thanks. This is Tess, but at this point in the story she has learned to be a better person. So yeah, she will help. She owes Liz a lot.
AvalonRose- Thanks. How will Max react after Liz is brought back. That will be quite interesting considering what will happen in this very chapter.
Timelord31- Thanks.
Disclaimer- Roswell is not mine and no infringement is intended.
Redemption Part 13
Maria
Maria stared down at the now sleeping infant. It was amazing how precious he was. She was no longer sure she could leave him.
She heard a voice behind her. Her own voice, albeit one that had aged. “So what do you call the little tyke?”
Maria stared at her older version. At this timeline’s Maria. “Marcus Evan Alexander Guerin Deluca.”
The older Maria walked up and looked down into the crib. “The name is longer than he is!” She reached out and touched on wrinkled finger against the baby’s cheek.
Marcus woke and looked up at the new face in confusion and wonder. Maria could feel his tiny mind trying to place the older Maria.
A woman whose aura was almost identical to her own.
Almost but not quite.
Marcus began to fuss a little at the internal confusion of someone who was and wasn’t his mother touching him.
Maria picked him up and held him, and she felt him calm. She looked up at the older Maria.
Her eyes were closed and she had begun to sob. The woman who had been instrumental in conquest of Earth. One of the premier military commanders remaining to the restored Kingdom. Broken and sobbing at the sight of a small child and his mother.
At what could have been.
Maria gathered her close and held her future self. And she and Marcus comforted her.
--------
Vanessa
Vanessa stared at herself in the mirror, making absolutely sure she looked perfect. That she had missed nothing shaving. Everywhere she touched was silky and smooth.
Today was the day. Maybe not this morning but by the end of the day she planned to stake permanent claim to Max Evans. At the very least she wanted his motor running and ready for her tonight.
In truth tonight would be the reasonable and rational choice. They would have more time for one. He’d already reserved a table at Chez Pierre for tonight. Dinner and a movie and then she could maneuver him easily to a make out that would turn out to be so much more.
But she couldn’t wait. His touches, his kisses…. Simply explosive.
She had never felt this way before, felt this pull.
No this morning they were meeting to have an early breakfast, maybe kiss a little. To talk over coffee.
Vanessa couldn’t help it she wanted him now! If his kisses were that good, if his caresses felt so miraculous, what would it feel like when he was inside of her?
Just the thought sent chills down her spine and a legion of butterflies careening through her stomach.
Oh she had it bad. She shook her freshly curled hair at the mirror. ‘Patience, Vanessa, you will get your man.’
She gave her body one more look and began applying strategic spots of perfume.
She looked up when she saw some movement out of the corner of her eyes. Vanessa looked around the room. She had the creepy feeling that someone was watching her. She nervously grabbed a robe and wrapped herself in it while she looked around.
Nothing.
“Hello Vanessa.”
“Who is there? What is going on?”
“I warned you my dear. I told you he was mine, and that I would have to hurt you if you tried to poach on my territory.” Vanessa felt a caress touch her cheeks, feather light.
“Stop this, please! I promise I will do whatever you say!” Vanessa could feel that touch caressing not just her cheek now, but running up and down her body. She tightened the robe, but it didn’t diminish the sensation.
“Oh, my dearest Vanessa, I know your plans today. And worse I can’t stop you. Not like I wish I could. So close, so very close.” A deep sigh. “Today you will stake a claim to something I have wanted so desperately but lacked the courage to take.”
Vanessa was thoroughly frightened now, “Show yourself! Stop this stupid prank!” A flash of moment caught her eye again and she looked at the mirror.
Only the mirror held two images now. And hers was not reflective of what she was doing. In the mirror the other girl was rubbing her hands along the still nude version of Vanessa. A Vanessa that was shaking with fear.
The other girl was also naked, but she was blond and had the most brilliant cobalt blue eyes. She smirked at Vanessa and deep inside a part of her remembered meeting with her before. “Emily.”
“See, you do remember. I warned you I would crush your cheekbones, ruin your pretty face.” Emily reached up and grabbed the Vanessa in the mirror’s face in two hands and began to mold it like clay.
Vanessa could feel as the bones in her face cracked and shattered, the pain…. And just as fast it was gone. Vanessa ran her hands along her cheek bones. Still there, still whole.
The Vanessa in the mirror was panting and whining slightly in fear.
Vanessa wasn’t sure she wasn’t doing the same.
Emily reached into the mirror Vanessa, right into her chest and pulled out a tiny ball of light, a flaming ball of green and blue light. Emily cupped it, rolling it from hand to hand.
And Vanessa could feel it. Could feel as the essence of her was toyed with by Emily. She fell to her knees, “Please! Have mercy!”
Emily cupped the flame and began to squeeze it. As she raised it to her lips and began to drink from those flames.
Vanessa could feel as it began to weaken and gutter out. As she began to fade. Her image in the mirror became fainter and fainter as Emily drank. Tiny rivulets of flame dribbled from one corner of Emily’s mouth.
Vanessa reached for the mirror, trying to grab those scraps, those parts of what had been her. And then it was all gone. For a brief moment Vanessa felt an aching hollowness.
And then nothing.
-------
Vanessa shook her head and continued to apply her make up. That had been…. Strange.
Twenty minutes later, and maybe a few minutes late for her breakfast date with Max, Vanessa rushed to the door.
Her mother stopped her and looked at her. “Oh, you are a marvel to look at! Max is a lucky guy.”
Vanessa preened slightly, “He certainly is!” She giggled, “You know what a hunk Isabel’s brother is. I can’t believe he really likes me.”
Her mother looked at her seriously, “You are really serious about this boy then.”
Vanessa grinned, “He’s my soul mate.”
“Oh honey, just be careful. Okay? I am not ready to be a grandmother.” She paused for a moment, “And invite him over for this weekend. If he is so important to you I should get to know him better.”
“Will do, got to go, I’m a little late.” She was just about out the door when her mother stopped her and looked her in the eyes.
Her mother’s tone was perplexed, “Honey what is wrong with your eyes.”
Vanessa smiled, “Well if I am stuck wearing contacts, why not try some colored ones. I think Max will be impressed.”
Her mother nodded, “Those are the bluest eyes I have ever seen. We will talk about this more tonight, you go to your young man. And remember, be careful!”
Vanessa smiled and hurried to Max. He wouldn’t even know what hit him.
------
Michael-
Michael walked up to the Evan’s house. He was a little disappointed that the Jeep was already gone. But it was still fairly early.
It was unlikely that Isabel had left already. She liked her sleep.
Michael wasn’t sure how hard this would be. From the visions that Maria had recorded for him, Isabel was much more powerful now because of the sword. And that part of her might wish to keep it.
Michael wasn’t so sure of that. Isabel was actually a very caring person, once you got through the protective ice. And she supposedly remembered Liz.
Surely she would jump at the chance to save her friend.
He knocked on the door. Mrs. Evans opened, it, “Michael. I wasn’t expecting you. Are you here for Max or Isabel?”
“Isabel if she’s available.”
“Yes, come in, I was just making breakfast for her and Alex. He’s taking her to school since Max had a breakfast date with Vanessa.” Diane looked at Michael and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Michael… what is wrong? Is something wrong with Maria?”
“No. She had some family business to attend to. Last minute.” Michael sighed and tried to keep his emotions in check. Out of the corner of his eyes, some of the lights flickered fitfully.
Diane noticed, “This business causing some trouble between you and Maria?”
“No, it’s…. It’s just complicated.”
Diane sighed, “With you kids it always is. Come on, I will make a few more pancakes for you.”
“Thanks, Mrs. Evans.”
He followed her to the kitchen where Isabel and Alex were sitting close together and chatting good naturedly. For a brief moment he saw a long blue crystalline sword leaning against the table. But then it was gone.
Both Alex and Isabel looked up at him. Both of their faces showed immediate worry.
Did his face look that grim? Had he lost his old stoic demeanor? Michael sighed and sat down.
Mrs. Evans placed a full glass of orange juice in front of him. She then turned back and began making another round of pancakes. And eggs. And bacon.
Isabel looked at him and took a drink of her own orange juice.
Alex was the one who broke the ice, “Man, please tell me Maria is okay.”
He growled, “She’s fine. Just fine.”
Isabel reached across the table. “Michael what is wrong?”
Michael just looked at her and kept repeating to himself that he would not cry. Not again. But he knew that she had needed him sometime in the night. He had felt it.
So instead he kept his face absolutely calm. And removed two of the memory stones and handed them to each of the others. “Maria went back to the first timeline. Said it was critically important. She needed to learn to manufacture a body.”
Alex crinkled his nose, “A body?”
Michael looked at him, “Yes, a body. Specifically Liz’s body. She will need you, Isabel to return as much of her essence from the sword that you can. Tess will recreate her mind.”
“I am not working with that mind warping bitch.”
“According to what Maria has learned, each of you must do your part or it will fail. You don’t have to like it, you don’t have to talk to her. You just need to work with her. Trust me the consequences of failure are too high not to.”
Isabel gave a disgruntled moan. “I have seen the future. Without Liz….” Isabel shivered.
Michael glared at her. “Yes. The Dadonar are out there. And they know of Earth. We need her.”
Isabel sighed, “You do know what she is don’t you? What she will become?”
“I don’t really care. As long as she helps us and makes us safe. As long as I get my Maria back.” Michael bit back what he was going to say.
Alex looked between the two of them. And said softly, “Tomorrow is a special day.” He looked at both of them. “I will make sure that Max is there. He probably won’t want to come, but I will make sure he is.”
Isabel ignored his quiet comment. “Everything has a price Michael. Everything. Alex came back in time to kill her just to prevent her from developing into a monster. If we save her, if we use her to protect us, she will still be a monster Michael. Maybe our monster, but still a monster.”
Michael stood, “I don’t see what the problem is. We will just make sure she doesn’t cause to much of a problem and we are set.”
Isabel stood up and waved a finger in front of him, anger etched across her beautiful face. “She EATS souls, Michael. That won’t change. We can’t gloss it over. Think about that. Understand what we will be bringing back.” She lifted the crystalline sword. “What you are asking isn’t easy Michael. Its not so simple and straightforward as you seem to think.”
“Price? You think I don’t understand what the price for all of this is? My Maria is bearing my child in a different universe simply to give us a fucking chance! That’s right Isabel. Part of the price of this is my first born child! So don’t go off saying how fucking hard this is going to be for you to decide.” Michael sat down heavily and cupped his head into his hands.
He could feel everyone looking at him. But in the kitchen there was utter silence and the smell of singing bacon. He felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up, a few tears having slipped from his guard.
Mrs. Evans set down the plate and sat next to him, one hand still on his shoulder. “Michael, I have said this before, but know that we consider you family. If you or Maria need any help, please let us know.”
Alex smiled and nodded, and Isabel reached across the table. “I will be there Michael. For everything, know that.” There were tears in her eyes too, “You’re my brother, you know? In our last life maybe you were something different, but in this one, you ARE part of my family. And I will be there for you and for her.”
Michael rubbed a few tears from his eyes and tried to stand up again.
Mrs. Evans stared at him mock-crossly. “Where do you think you are going young man?”
“I have one more person to tell. I was hoping to get it done before school starts.”
Alex quietly said, “Don’t worry, I will speak to Max for what he needs to do.”
Michael looked at him strangely, “I don’t need to talk to Max. Isabel, Maria, and Tess. That’s all they need.”
Alex simply nodded, “For Liz yes, but tomorrow will be so much more.”
Isabel squeezed his hand. “I will go with you, who else do you need to tell?”
Michael smiled, trying for his usual sardonic smile, but failing. It came out more half hearted than anything. “I think I should do it alone.” He shook his head, “It’s Amy I need to speak to. And I should do that alone.”
Mrs. Evans was firm, “After you eat. And I meant it, a teenage pregnancy…. Its going to be hard. School, the expenses.”
Michael softly said, “The child is already born. The world she is in now, time moves swiftly there. I hope Maria comes back while she is still young.” He looked down at his plate, “That will be hard. She will have lived so long without me.”
They all made platitudes telling him that it would all get better. But Michael knew better. It might not always get worse, but that was usually the safest bet.
So he ate his breakfast. Dealing with Amy would be hard.
------
Max
Max lay on the covers and stared up at the ceiling of the motel room he and Vanessa had shared the last few hours in.
This whole relationship had gone so very fast. It seemed mere days since he had been sitting above her watching her play tennis, working up his nerve.
And now….
Now he was tired. Happy but tired, his body aching a bit, but it had been worth it. School was going to be difficult today.
Vanessa came out of the bathroom, draped only in towels. Even now he could feel his body react to her trim well formed body. Her cobalt colored eyes all but blazing in her smiling face.
Vanessa shook her head, “Sorry, we need to get to school. Of course after school, if your still up to it….”
“Somehow I don’t think that will be a problem.”
Vanessa got dressed in long languid movements that Max watched avidly. There was something about her today. Something special. Something… more.
It was more than just the flashes that he had gotten, more than just those visions into her soul. No, it was like she resonated with him more today than she ever had before.
Max was beginning to think this was more than just hormones at work. Already he could feel her standing there, occasionally flirting with those luminous eyes. But why did he have the odd sensation that they were a dark chocolate color?
Vanessa’s normal color was hazel. These contact lenses, they somehow refined her face. Somehow made her even more striking than normal.
It had taken her mere minutes and a cup of coffee to persuade him to do this. And even then he would have refused, he liked Vanessa but this was too quick…. Only there had been a deep tug at his heart, demanding that he go. Demanding that he be with her.
The flashes, the memories, they were all bits and pieces that he had seen. But somehow her soul had felt… different. Deeper somehow.
Had she asked him anything, he doubted he would have been able to resist.
It was after she left that the guilt hit him. For while he knew all of her, she knew so little of the truth about him. How fair was it for her to drag someone who was safe into his crazy dangerous life. Who knew how much he might have already affected her simply be being with her.
He would have to tell her.
Tonight maybe. Tomorrow at the latest.
Explaining that to the rest of his friends was going to be tough as well.
Max groaned and pried himself off the bed. He might as well take a quick shower before facing the accusations he was fairly sure he would get from today.
-----
Ava-
Ava looked up at the water that surrounded the corridor that lead to the Medical Lab. She squeezed Sean’s hand tightly.
The last few months living here had been strange. She had never had good relations with the Rhyajhael when she had been Ava. Not according to any of her memories. She hadn’t hated them any more than any other Mithar, but Richard was right. Things were different now.
Greer was a free agent of sorts now. Antar was simply too far for him to be a true colony of.
Ava wasn’t sure that was really true. But for now it certainly seemed so.
Garet’s offer of medical facilities to aid Natalie had been very welcome. In exchange they had been helping with the new ark. They even had their own apartment.
Richard was setting up a branch of his business shore side, to help integrate them into the community. He said it would be a good business move.
Maybe so. But they were still looking for Nicholas’s hideout. And still preparing an embassy to meet with Max. And another to the government of the United States.
So much to do.
Sean pulled her close.
He could always sense when her mood was darkening, always there with a hug or some comment to make her smile.
And she was content.
-------
Alicia-
Alicia didn’t like to be called back to the New York office anymore. Sure most of her friends were still here. And there was a ton more to do here.
But her family now was in New Mexico. And she missed it. She was even thinking of starting over with Brody.
Maybe.
She liked him enough. But even knowing what she knew now, it didn’t stop him from being so focused on it that is drove her nuts. She just wasn’t sure it would work.
But her father calling her home…. That was ominous. Hopefully he was still in good health. Her uncles hadn’t told her anything about him being sick
One of her uncles greeted her at the door and ushered her in. He did not follow.
Seated there in his study was himself and Special Agent Samuel Byrnes. Both groups had been working to an understanding, particularly regarding Roswell. But why would it be escalated to this level without her knowledge?
John Ibanez was smoking as always. No matter how many times she had told him to quit, he still carried on.
.
Agent Byrnes was mulling over a cup of coffee.
Robert smiled, “My dear, you look lovely as ever. Did you bring Sydney?”
“Sorry, she had school. But I promise when I come up next weekend I will bring her with me.”
Her grandfather just nodded. “Please do. It is probably just as well you didn’t. You will likely need to head straight back to Roswell.”
Agent Byrnes said, “Something is going on in Roswell. Documents important to a case I am working on are disappearing.”
“A case?”
“Yes. I have been looking for the former SAC of the Special Unit, Daniel Pierce. I have reason to believe a Elizabeth Parker may have been involved in his disappearance. I had documents showing that I personally investigated her. The entire file disappeared. Not a single copy remains in any of the offices it was sent to. No one seems to have heard of Elizabeth Parker. Her own parents don’t remember her for goodness sakes.”
John raised a hand, “This is where I come in. Apparently this Liz Parker was off some importance to this office as well. One of the reasons I made the trip to Roswell myself a few months back. Supposedly I met with her at the same time I met with Max Evans to thank him for saving Sydney. I do not recall any such meeting, although I remember the young gentleman well.”
“Okay. The Roswell office will be happy to help the FBI in their investigations, but I still am at a loss to understand why you needed to call me back to New York.”
Agent Byrnes looked over at John. “One of my agents has notified me that you have an asset that may have some ability to cloud the memories of others.”
Alicia nodded, “Not truly an asset, more like a talented outsider who is working with us. But yes, Tess Harding does have some talent in that ability. But not on that scale.”
John looked over at her, “You are sure, honey?”
“Yes. She’s formidable, has taught the local office quite a bit. But, I doubt even she could lie to Adam.”
Agent Byrnes asked, “Do you think you could ask her if she would be willing to answer some questions for us. I know a lot of your people are nervous about those of us in the Special Unit….”
“Well if you know of Pierce, you will know why that is. We had little trouble with Summers. He just thought we were nuts.”
John leaned forward, “Alicia, I want you to do everything you can to find Liz Parker. Not just for Agent Byrnes.” His eyes closed, “Her mother was precious to me.”
“I can talk to Nancy Parker….”
He opened his eyes and handed a file to her. “No. Rose Troy. Find Miss Parker for me. I failed her mother. I don’t want to fail the daughter.”
Alicia began reading the file a whisper of ice moving along her spine. There was a part of her that thought it had known a Liz Parker. That they had met. She met the gazes of both men, “I will find her. I promise you that.”
Just don't kill me for it.
keepsmiling7- Thanks. This is Tess, but at this point in the story she has learned to be a better person. So yeah, she will help. She owes Liz a lot.
AvalonRose- Thanks. How will Max react after Liz is brought back. That will be quite interesting considering what will happen in this very chapter.
Timelord31- Thanks.
Disclaimer- Roswell is not mine and no infringement is intended.
Redemption Part 13
Maria
Maria stared down at the now sleeping infant. It was amazing how precious he was. She was no longer sure she could leave him.
She heard a voice behind her. Her own voice, albeit one that had aged. “So what do you call the little tyke?”
Maria stared at her older version. At this timeline’s Maria. “Marcus Evan Alexander Guerin Deluca.”
The older Maria walked up and looked down into the crib. “The name is longer than he is!” She reached out and touched on wrinkled finger against the baby’s cheek.
Marcus woke and looked up at the new face in confusion and wonder. Maria could feel his tiny mind trying to place the older Maria.
A woman whose aura was almost identical to her own.
Almost but not quite.
Marcus began to fuss a little at the internal confusion of someone who was and wasn’t his mother touching him.
Maria picked him up and held him, and she felt him calm. She looked up at the older Maria.
Her eyes were closed and she had begun to sob. The woman who had been instrumental in conquest of Earth. One of the premier military commanders remaining to the restored Kingdom. Broken and sobbing at the sight of a small child and his mother.
At what could have been.
Maria gathered her close and held her future self. And she and Marcus comforted her.
--------
Vanessa
Vanessa stared at herself in the mirror, making absolutely sure she looked perfect. That she had missed nothing shaving. Everywhere she touched was silky and smooth.
Today was the day. Maybe not this morning but by the end of the day she planned to stake permanent claim to Max Evans. At the very least she wanted his motor running and ready for her tonight.
In truth tonight would be the reasonable and rational choice. They would have more time for one. He’d already reserved a table at Chez Pierre for tonight. Dinner and a movie and then she could maneuver him easily to a make out that would turn out to be so much more.
But she couldn’t wait. His touches, his kisses…. Simply explosive.
She had never felt this way before, felt this pull.
No this morning they were meeting to have an early breakfast, maybe kiss a little. To talk over coffee.
Vanessa couldn’t help it she wanted him now! If his kisses were that good, if his caresses felt so miraculous, what would it feel like when he was inside of her?
Just the thought sent chills down her spine and a legion of butterflies careening through her stomach.
Oh she had it bad. She shook her freshly curled hair at the mirror. ‘Patience, Vanessa, you will get your man.’
She gave her body one more look and began applying strategic spots of perfume.
She looked up when she saw some movement out of the corner of her eyes. Vanessa looked around the room. She had the creepy feeling that someone was watching her. She nervously grabbed a robe and wrapped herself in it while she looked around.
Nothing.
“Hello Vanessa.”
“Who is there? What is going on?”
“I warned you my dear. I told you he was mine, and that I would have to hurt you if you tried to poach on my territory.” Vanessa felt a caress touch her cheeks, feather light.
“Stop this, please! I promise I will do whatever you say!” Vanessa could feel that touch caressing not just her cheek now, but running up and down her body. She tightened the robe, but it didn’t diminish the sensation.
“Oh, my dearest Vanessa, I know your plans today. And worse I can’t stop you. Not like I wish I could. So close, so very close.” A deep sigh. “Today you will stake a claim to something I have wanted so desperately but lacked the courage to take.”
Vanessa was thoroughly frightened now, “Show yourself! Stop this stupid prank!” A flash of moment caught her eye again and she looked at the mirror.
Only the mirror held two images now. And hers was not reflective of what she was doing. In the mirror the other girl was rubbing her hands along the still nude version of Vanessa. A Vanessa that was shaking with fear.
The other girl was also naked, but she was blond and had the most brilliant cobalt blue eyes. She smirked at Vanessa and deep inside a part of her remembered meeting with her before. “Emily.”
“See, you do remember. I warned you I would crush your cheekbones, ruin your pretty face.” Emily reached up and grabbed the Vanessa in the mirror’s face in two hands and began to mold it like clay.
Vanessa could feel as the bones in her face cracked and shattered, the pain…. And just as fast it was gone. Vanessa ran her hands along her cheek bones. Still there, still whole.
The Vanessa in the mirror was panting and whining slightly in fear.
Vanessa wasn’t sure she wasn’t doing the same.
Emily reached into the mirror Vanessa, right into her chest and pulled out a tiny ball of light, a flaming ball of green and blue light. Emily cupped it, rolling it from hand to hand.
And Vanessa could feel it. Could feel as the essence of her was toyed with by Emily. She fell to her knees, “Please! Have mercy!”
Emily cupped the flame and began to squeeze it. As she raised it to her lips and began to drink from those flames.
Vanessa could feel as it began to weaken and gutter out. As she began to fade. Her image in the mirror became fainter and fainter as Emily drank. Tiny rivulets of flame dribbled from one corner of Emily’s mouth.
Vanessa reached for the mirror, trying to grab those scraps, those parts of what had been her. And then it was all gone. For a brief moment Vanessa felt an aching hollowness.
And then nothing.
-------
Vanessa shook her head and continued to apply her make up. That had been…. Strange.
Twenty minutes later, and maybe a few minutes late for her breakfast date with Max, Vanessa rushed to the door.
Her mother stopped her and looked at her. “Oh, you are a marvel to look at! Max is a lucky guy.”
Vanessa preened slightly, “He certainly is!” She giggled, “You know what a hunk Isabel’s brother is. I can’t believe he really likes me.”
Her mother looked at her seriously, “You are really serious about this boy then.”
Vanessa grinned, “He’s my soul mate.”
“Oh honey, just be careful. Okay? I am not ready to be a grandmother.” She paused for a moment, “And invite him over for this weekend. If he is so important to you I should get to know him better.”
“Will do, got to go, I’m a little late.” She was just about out the door when her mother stopped her and looked her in the eyes.
Her mother’s tone was perplexed, “Honey what is wrong with your eyes.”
Vanessa smiled, “Well if I am stuck wearing contacts, why not try some colored ones. I think Max will be impressed.”
Her mother nodded, “Those are the bluest eyes I have ever seen. We will talk about this more tonight, you go to your young man. And remember, be careful!”
Vanessa smiled and hurried to Max. He wouldn’t even know what hit him.
------
Michael-
Michael walked up to the Evan’s house. He was a little disappointed that the Jeep was already gone. But it was still fairly early.
It was unlikely that Isabel had left already. She liked her sleep.
Michael wasn’t sure how hard this would be. From the visions that Maria had recorded for him, Isabel was much more powerful now because of the sword. And that part of her might wish to keep it.
Michael wasn’t so sure of that. Isabel was actually a very caring person, once you got through the protective ice. And she supposedly remembered Liz.
Surely she would jump at the chance to save her friend.
He knocked on the door. Mrs. Evans opened, it, “Michael. I wasn’t expecting you. Are you here for Max or Isabel?”
“Isabel if she’s available.”
“Yes, come in, I was just making breakfast for her and Alex. He’s taking her to school since Max had a breakfast date with Vanessa.” Diane looked at Michael and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Michael… what is wrong? Is something wrong with Maria?”
“No. She had some family business to attend to. Last minute.” Michael sighed and tried to keep his emotions in check. Out of the corner of his eyes, some of the lights flickered fitfully.
Diane noticed, “This business causing some trouble between you and Maria?”
“No, it’s…. It’s just complicated.”
Diane sighed, “With you kids it always is. Come on, I will make a few more pancakes for you.”
“Thanks, Mrs. Evans.”
He followed her to the kitchen where Isabel and Alex were sitting close together and chatting good naturedly. For a brief moment he saw a long blue crystalline sword leaning against the table. But then it was gone.
Both Alex and Isabel looked up at him. Both of their faces showed immediate worry.
Did his face look that grim? Had he lost his old stoic demeanor? Michael sighed and sat down.
Mrs. Evans placed a full glass of orange juice in front of him. She then turned back and began making another round of pancakes. And eggs. And bacon.
Isabel looked at him and took a drink of her own orange juice.
Alex was the one who broke the ice, “Man, please tell me Maria is okay.”
He growled, “She’s fine. Just fine.”
Isabel reached across the table. “Michael what is wrong?”
Michael just looked at her and kept repeating to himself that he would not cry. Not again. But he knew that she had needed him sometime in the night. He had felt it.
So instead he kept his face absolutely calm. And removed two of the memory stones and handed them to each of the others. “Maria went back to the first timeline. Said it was critically important. She needed to learn to manufacture a body.”
Alex crinkled his nose, “A body?”
Michael looked at him, “Yes, a body. Specifically Liz’s body. She will need you, Isabel to return as much of her essence from the sword that you can. Tess will recreate her mind.”
“I am not working with that mind warping bitch.”
“According to what Maria has learned, each of you must do your part or it will fail. You don’t have to like it, you don’t have to talk to her. You just need to work with her. Trust me the consequences of failure are too high not to.”
Isabel gave a disgruntled moan. “I have seen the future. Without Liz….” Isabel shivered.
Michael glared at her. “Yes. The Dadonar are out there. And they know of Earth. We need her.”
Isabel sighed, “You do know what she is don’t you? What she will become?”
“I don’t really care. As long as she helps us and makes us safe. As long as I get my Maria back.” Michael bit back what he was going to say.
Alex looked between the two of them. And said softly, “Tomorrow is a special day.” He looked at both of them. “I will make sure that Max is there. He probably won’t want to come, but I will make sure he is.”
Isabel ignored his quiet comment. “Everything has a price Michael. Everything. Alex came back in time to kill her just to prevent her from developing into a monster. If we save her, if we use her to protect us, she will still be a monster Michael. Maybe our monster, but still a monster.”
Michael stood, “I don’t see what the problem is. We will just make sure she doesn’t cause to much of a problem and we are set.”
Isabel stood up and waved a finger in front of him, anger etched across her beautiful face. “She EATS souls, Michael. That won’t change. We can’t gloss it over. Think about that. Understand what we will be bringing back.” She lifted the crystalline sword. “What you are asking isn’t easy Michael. Its not so simple and straightforward as you seem to think.”
“Price? You think I don’t understand what the price for all of this is? My Maria is bearing my child in a different universe simply to give us a fucking chance! That’s right Isabel. Part of the price of this is my first born child! So don’t go off saying how fucking hard this is going to be for you to decide.” Michael sat down heavily and cupped his head into his hands.
He could feel everyone looking at him. But in the kitchen there was utter silence and the smell of singing bacon. He felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up, a few tears having slipped from his guard.
Mrs. Evans set down the plate and sat next to him, one hand still on his shoulder. “Michael, I have said this before, but know that we consider you family. If you or Maria need any help, please let us know.”
Alex smiled and nodded, and Isabel reached across the table. “I will be there Michael. For everything, know that.” There were tears in her eyes too, “You’re my brother, you know? In our last life maybe you were something different, but in this one, you ARE part of my family. And I will be there for you and for her.”
Michael rubbed a few tears from his eyes and tried to stand up again.
Mrs. Evans stared at him mock-crossly. “Where do you think you are going young man?”
“I have one more person to tell. I was hoping to get it done before school starts.”
Alex quietly said, “Don’t worry, I will speak to Max for what he needs to do.”
Michael looked at him strangely, “I don’t need to talk to Max. Isabel, Maria, and Tess. That’s all they need.”
Alex simply nodded, “For Liz yes, but tomorrow will be so much more.”
Isabel squeezed his hand. “I will go with you, who else do you need to tell?”
Michael smiled, trying for his usual sardonic smile, but failing. It came out more half hearted than anything. “I think I should do it alone.” He shook his head, “It’s Amy I need to speak to. And I should do that alone.”
Mrs. Evans was firm, “After you eat. And I meant it, a teenage pregnancy…. Its going to be hard. School, the expenses.”
Michael softly said, “The child is already born. The world she is in now, time moves swiftly there. I hope Maria comes back while she is still young.” He looked down at his plate, “That will be hard. She will have lived so long without me.”
They all made platitudes telling him that it would all get better. But Michael knew better. It might not always get worse, but that was usually the safest bet.
So he ate his breakfast. Dealing with Amy would be hard.
------
Max
Max lay on the covers and stared up at the ceiling of the motel room he and Vanessa had shared the last few hours in.
This whole relationship had gone so very fast. It seemed mere days since he had been sitting above her watching her play tennis, working up his nerve.
And now….
Now he was tired. Happy but tired, his body aching a bit, but it had been worth it. School was going to be difficult today.
Vanessa came out of the bathroom, draped only in towels. Even now he could feel his body react to her trim well formed body. Her cobalt colored eyes all but blazing in her smiling face.
Vanessa shook her head, “Sorry, we need to get to school. Of course after school, if your still up to it….”
“Somehow I don’t think that will be a problem.”
Vanessa got dressed in long languid movements that Max watched avidly. There was something about her today. Something special. Something… more.
It was more than just the flashes that he had gotten, more than just those visions into her soul. No, it was like she resonated with him more today than she ever had before.
Max was beginning to think this was more than just hormones at work. Already he could feel her standing there, occasionally flirting with those luminous eyes. But why did he have the odd sensation that they were a dark chocolate color?
Vanessa’s normal color was hazel. These contact lenses, they somehow refined her face. Somehow made her even more striking than normal.
It had taken her mere minutes and a cup of coffee to persuade him to do this. And even then he would have refused, he liked Vanessa but this was too quick…. Only there had been a deep tug at his heart, demanding that he go. Demanding that he be with her.
The flashes, the memories, they were all bits and pieces that he had seen. But somehow her soul had felt… different. Deeper somehow.
Had she asked him anything, he doubted he would have been able to resist.
It was after she left that the guilt hit him. For while he knew all of her, she knew so little of the truth about him. How fair was it for her to drag someone who was safe into his crazy dangerous life. Who knew how much he might have already affected her simply be being with her.
He would have to tell her.
Tonight maybe. Tomorrow at the latest.
Explaining that to the rest of his friends was going to be tough as well.
Max groaned and pried himself off the bed. He might as well take a quick shower before facing the accusations he was fairly sure he would get from today.
-----
Ava-
Ava looked up at the water that surrounded the corridor that lead to the Medical Lab. She squeezed Sean’s hand tightly.
The last few months living here had been strange. She had never had good relations with the Rhyajhael when she had been Ava. Not according to any of her memories. She hadn’t hated them any more than any other Mithar, but Richard was right. Things were different now.
Greer was a free agent of sorts now. Antar was simply too far for him to be a true colony of.
Ava wasn’t sure that was really true. But for now it certainly seemed so.
Garet’s offer of medical facilities to aid Natalie had been very welcome. In exchange they had been helping with the new ark. They even had their own apartment.
Richard was setting up a branch of his business shore side, to help integrate them into the community. He said it would be a good business move.
Maybe so. But they were still looking for Nicholas’s hideout. And still preparing an embassy to meet with Max. And another to the government of the United States.
So much to do.
Sean pulled her close.
He could always sense when her mood was darkening, always there with a hug or some comment to make her smile.
And she was content.
-------
Alicia-
Alicia didn’t like to be called back to the New York office anymore. Sure most of her friends were still here. And there was a ton more to do here.
But her family now was in New Mexico. And she missed it. She was even thinking of starting over with Brody.
Maybe.
She liked him enough. But even knowing what she knew now, it didn’t stop him from being so focused on it that is drove her nuts. She just wasn’t sure it would work.
But her father calling her home…. That was ominous. Hopefully he was still in good health. Her uncles hadn’t told her anything about him being sick
One of her uncles greeted her at the door and ushered her in. He did not follow.
Seated there in his study was himself and Special Agent Samuel Byrnes. Both groups had been working to an understanding, particularly regarding Roswell. But why would it be escalated to this level without her knowledge?
John Ibanez was smoking as always. No matter how many times she had told him to quit, he still carried on.
.
Agent Byrnes was mulling over a cup of coffee.
Robert smiled, “My dear, you look lovely as ever. Did you bring Sydney?”
“Sorry, she had school. But I promise when I come up next weekend I will bring her with me.”
Her grandfather just nodded. “Please do. It is probably just as well you didn’t. You will likely need to head straight back to Roswell.”
Agent Byrnes said, “Something is going on in Roswell. Documents important to a case I am working on are disappearing.”
“A case?”
“Yes. I have been looking for the former SAC of the Special Unit, Daniel Pierce. I have reason to believe a Elizabeth Parker may have been involved in his disappearance. I had documents showing that I personally investigated her. The entire file disappeared. Not a single copy remains in any of the offices it was sent to. No one seems to have heard of Elizabeth Parker. Her own parents don’t remember her for goodness sakes.”
John raised a hand, “This is where I come in. Apparently this Liz Parker was off some importance to this office as well. One of the reasons I made the trip to Roswell myself a few months back. Supposedly I met with her at the same time I met with Max Evans to thank him for saving Sydney. I do not recall any such meeting, although I remember the young gentleman well.”
“Okay. The Roswell office will be happy to help the FBI in their investigations, but I still am at a loss to understand why you needed to call me back to New York.”
Agent Byrnes looked over at John. “One of my agents has notified me that you have an asset that may have some ability to cloud the memories of others.”
Alicia nodded, “Not truly an asset, more like a talented outsider who is working with us. But yes, Tess Harding does have some talent in that ability. But not on that scale.”
John looked over at her, “You are sure, honey?”
“Yes. She’s formidable, has taught the local office quite a bit. But, I doubt even she could lie to Adam.”
Agent Byrnes asked, “Do you think you could ask her if she would be willing to answer some questions for us. I know a lot of your people are nervous about those of us in the Special Unit….”
“Well if you know of Pierce, you will know why that is. We had little trouble with Summers. He just thought we were nuts.”
John leaned forward, “Alicia, I want you to do everything you can to find Liz Parker. Not just for Agent Byrnes.” His eyes closed, “Her mother was precious to me.”
“I can talk to Nancy Parker….”
He opened his eyes and handed a file to her. “No. Rose Troy. Find Miss Parker for me. I failed her mother. I don’t want to fail the daughter.”
Alicia began reading the file a whisper of ice moving along her spine. There was a part of her that thought it had known a Liz Parker. That they had met. She met the gazes of both men, “I will find her. I promise you that.”
Re: IDS - Redemption (CC ALL, Teen/Mature) Part 13 - 09/15/10
Thanks again to everyone reading this.
Timelord31- Thanks
keepsmiling7- Thanks. Yeah, but what will happen to her is tragic in its way.
skynet- Thanks. It will be something much worse than a cliff for poor Vanessa. In truth she was warned.....
Disclaimer- Roswell is not mine and no infringement is intended.
Redemption Part 14
Max-
The whole of Thursday flew by for Max. Because he would be meeting Vanessa after school. Where hopefully it would be a rematch of this mornings awkward and sweaty fun.
It was no wonder he had problems focusing on his school work. Lost in thoughts of his dream girl.
The problem was that the girl he kept seeing, kept imagining he was with the entire morning WASN’T Vanessa.
And that bothered him. Bothered him a lot.
The only constant in the dream girl were the eyes. That brilliant blue she had seen Vanessa wear this morning.
But Vanessa wasn’t blonde. And the few times the girl was a brunette, the hair was long and silky. The perfect hair for running his hands through.
Max awkwardly twisted in the coffee shop he was waiting for Vanessa in. She had suggested the Crashdown, but for some reason that felt wrong. He could remember eating there almost every afternoon last year. But he couldn’t remember why.
Max awkwardly shrugged/
He almost felt like he was cheating on his girlfriend with those dreams. And they had seemed so real.
In physics he’d been distracted from looking at the way Amanda Munoz’s hips seemed to rock slightly just for him. (He was pretty sure Vanessa had not kept quiet about this morning. Because the amount of female attention he’d been getting lately had skyrocketed.) But some how the mirror next to him had popped. And in it was his image of course, and another’s.
A bright blue eyed girl with dark hair with streaks of blonde stared at him from the mirror. “You are MINE Max. I won’t let her have you anymore than that hussy this morning.” And the image began to caress him. “Mine….”
Max wasn’t sure how much time he had lost when the teacher called his name asking him if he was okay. He had just shook his head and said he was fine.
When he looked in the mirror, he saw only himself.
So very strange.
The Vanessa who pulled into the seat across him looked like a completely different person than she had this morning. Her eyes were her usual hazel, and more washed out than usual. In fact all of her seemed oddly faded. As if there were somehow less of her than there had been this morning.
Vanessa wanly smiled and said tiredly, “Hi Max.”
Max reached across the table, “Are you okay, Vanessa?”
“I’m just tired Max. I am going to have to give you a rain check on tonight. I just feel… empty.”
Max risked a pulse of energy into Vanessa to see how she was doing.
Physically she was the epitome of health. But there was something wrong. Like something vital was missing. He looked at her. “Yeah, you look tired. Don’t worry about me. But, please. If you start feeling worse, call me.”
“I will.”
Both of them sat there for a while before Vanessa left.
The magic both of them had felt that morning completely gone.
Max canceled his reservations at Chez Pierre. He did his homework and went to bed early. Tomorrow would be a long day after all, and it seems like he would face it not as relaxed but much more well rested.
And his dreams were full of a girl with chocolate brown eyes. A girl he knew somehow and some when but he could not remember could not place her. But she held his heart in her tiny hands, just as he did hers.
From time to time eyes would change and flash bright cobalt blue. A blue he had seen this morning.
He woke up at five that morning with one single thought.
She was coming…..
-------
Michael-
Michael had dreaded going to Amy to tell her what had happened. To tell her where her daughter was and why.
It had broken the woman. She had just sat down on the couch and cried. The idea that her daughter was pregnant at 17 was one thing. That she had traveled to another world…. That she might never return, and if she did the child would stay forever behind her.
He had seen the memory gem Maria had given her mother, just as he had shared the one Maria had given him with Amy. And it had made him cry.
But Michael knew she would come back to him. He didn’t know how many years of her life he would lose. At least one year, maybe two or three. But she would come back.
But his son or daughter…. He might never know them.
And it HURT.
He found it only fitting that the skies should share their grief as they opened up and the rain began to fall.
‘Oh, Maria, I miss you so much. And little one, child I may never know…. Know that I love you. I love you and your mother so much.’
‘So very much….”
And Michael walked out into the storm and felt the cold fat raindrops fall on him and wash away his tears. He stood there arms upraised, feeling the world cry with him.
Is it any surprise that he wasn’t ready for the team of men who rapidly subdued him?
------
Maria-
Maria hefted the bag she would be taking with her. Amy had gifts for all of her friends on the other side of the gate.
She stared at the Granolith. Her old life seemed so very faint and distant to her now. The Crashdown and School, and Spaceboy.
She only missed Michael
No her life had become Marcus. And a large part of her wanted to stay. But she was beginning to fell… stretched. Distorted.
She didn’t belong here and this world was letting her know it.
Her son on the other hand…. He had been conceived here. That had been the whole point.
To have someone with ties to both worlds, to tie both worlds together. Without Marcus, according to Elizabeth’s calculations, Maria would never have been able to last more than a year out of her own universe let alone the nearly thirty she had spent here.
But she would have loved to have seen Marcus’s second birthday.
She could hear him behind her, babbling with his older ‘relatives’ as they played with him. She turned back to look at him once more. His hair was still strikingly blond, his eyes so close to Michael’s it made her heart burst.
His eyes lit up as he saw her. “Mama! Ma ma ma ma ma” He cried defiantly as his little legs carried him to her, expertly dodging his watchers. He slammed into her legs. “Up! Ma up!”
Maria was crying as she lifted her son into her arms.
He looked at her seriously and wiped a tear off here eyes. “Ma? Why cwy?”
It just made her cry harder and hug him to her. She took in his little boy scent, feeling as his body held to hers.
He could feel her sadness through their connection. It had never truly faded. And according to Amy, the device that Elizabeth had made for Maria it never would. It would bridge across the worlds, their souls intertwined.
She had made one for Michael too.
Amy, regal Queen of the Seven Worlds came to her and took Marcus. “You have to go, my dear. This world doesn’t have room for two Maria’s. No matter how much we love you both. You have stayed longer than you should have as is.”
“I know it’s just so hard….”
Amy nodded, “The time distortion between out two worlds will slow to a near stop between out two worlds once you go back. In a few months, you should be able to visit.”
Maria reached out and brushed Marcus’s cheek. “It won’t be the same. I will miss so much.”
“I am so sorry, I wish there were another way.”
Marcus began to fidget, feeling the tension in both the older women. Wondering if it wasn’t time for him to start crying too.
Maria nodded. Gave Marcus one last kiss and turned back towards the Granolith. She took the last few steps, turned and said, “Mommy loves you Marcus. Mommy loves you forever.” And she touched the Granolith and was inside.
She could feel the sudden shock and turmoil strike inside her son’s mind. She could hear him crying “Mama come back, ma ma……”
Maria was gone. She landed in the dusty Granolith chamber in her own world.
And cried.
She felt as one bond after another slapped back into place. Michael first and foremost. Than she felt the bond of her friends, bonds she hadn’t realized had been as strong as they truly were.
Stephanie. She could feel Stephanie again. Still faint, almost dreamlike. But somehow, real as well.
All of them rolled through her….. And still there in the pocket only he possessed was a frightened and worried Marcus.
She lay there, reveling in the bonds she still had, bonds in both worlds. And cried for the price she would always have to pay.
She stayed there for a long time.
Until her friends came to do what must be done.
To bring a friend out of darkness. And to teach another world how to fight a different darkness.
The price for all of them would be high.
Maria had already paid.
------
Isabel-
Isabel had slept poorly the night before.
Time after time she had heard whispers and moans coming from inside her dreams. Nightmare after nightmare followed. She was no longer sure whether what she saw was true or not.
But one thing she did know. They had to recover Liz. It might cause a blight upon the Earth or bring them total victory, but every timeline she did not save Liz ended badly.
They needed her.
Just as she would need them.
Without her friends, Liz would become a monster. With Max’s love and her friend’s support, she had a chance.
The Soul Razor would have to be dealt with as well. It would no longer have Liz’s essence if they succeeded today, but casting it aside filled Isabel with chills.
It was still capable of destroying souls. Casting it aside would still cause it to disappear back to whence it came. Liz’s soul wouldn’t be forged into some evil weapon like the Razor itself, but she knew it would find itself in someone’s hands somewhere in some universe.
And it would be given to someone who would want to use it.
No it was safer with her. But…. Carrying it around all the time was such a burden.
She simply didn’t know what to do with it.
Each time she woke, each time she had tears in her eyes, her phone would ring. Alex would sing and talk to her. Calm her fears and comfort her.
She wished he could simply come over and comfort her directly, but his mother had noted his absence the night before and was watching him like a hawk.
The hugs would have to wait until tomorrow. When they would meet up at the Pod Chamber.
He would be bringing Tess with him.
Isabel sighed and got up. There was little point in even trying to go back to sleep, there was only a half hour left before her alarm would ring anyway. As she walked to the bathroom, she saw that Max’s light was on. She rapped lightly on the door.
Max said, “Enter,” quietly. He was already dressed and ready to go. Staring at old photos of himself and Liz. He looked over at her as she entered, “Hey, Is. Couldn’t sleep either?”
Isabel shut the door behind her. There was no need to wake their parents. “What we are doing today is big Max. Perhaps the biggest thing we have ever done.”
“Yeah, I just can not believe that I could have forgotten someone who supposedly was so important to me.” He looked again at the photos.
“But she was Max. She was important to us all. You loved her.”
Max looked at the pictures and said softly, “Yeah.”
“How did your date go with Vanessa last night?” That was going to be a problem. If the memories of Liz came crashing down on Max, how would he feel about it all? And then there was Liz. Liz wasn’t the most vengeful of people, but Emily…. Emily, the alter-ego Ana had created when she had tried to brainwash Liz was a completely different matter. Emily had threatened Vanessa with violence last year if she even looked at Max.
Emily might be a problem.
“She was sick. It was really funny. Yesterday morning she had been so full of energy when we….” He looked up at Isabel, his cheeks heating. He shook his head and continued, “But last night she was so very pale. Almost a shadow of herself. I hope she’s not sick.”
“It’s probably just as well. Because I have every belief that your bond with Liz will return when we bring her back.”
Max reluctantly said, “Yeah, I suppose so.”
Isabel looked at Max and sighed. This whole thing was going to be a huge mess. She just knew it. “Why exactly are you coming with us anyway. It’s just going to be Maria, Tess, and I doing the work.”
“Alex didn’t tell me. Just that it was a big day. That Sara said it was important. Something about Redemption.” Max looked up at her, “You don’t suppose you know what he is talking about?”
Isabel shook her head and then thought about it. “There must be a way to help Liz somehow. To keep her from being too out of control. She will be dangerous when we bring her back.”
“Then why are we bringing her back? You keep bringing up how dangerous she will be, how we will have to watch out for her. What is the point if she’s only going to endanger us?”
Isabel laughed harshly and sat down heavily on Max’s desk chair. “Because you and most people have forgotten her. And I have the feeling that once she is back you will remember her. And she is nice and sweet. The ‘smallest of small town girls’ as she liked to place herself. Only she was bright and kind, and everyone liked her. And, and knowing us has been hard on our friends Max. So much happened last year, and she was in the middle of all of it. It changed her Max, not just your healing, but Ana had her….. And too many people have done to much to her. It is essential that we make sure she stays Liz. That she remains who she was, even as the changes set in, because the alternative…..”
Max opened his mouth.
Isabel glared at him, “Let me finish, Max. In the end, we need her. It is as simple as that. Without her we fail, one way or another. With her…. With her we add another risk, a potentially horrific risk. But not a big risk, because the Liz I knew loved us. Loved us and was loyal to a fault. If we can keep that, if we can keep Liz as Liz, then we have a good chance of succeeding.”
“Well I guess we have to try. If you say she helped us as much as she did….”
Isabel turned away. This had always been the hardest part. To see her brother, who had loved Liz since the third grade to not even remember her….. “I need to take a shower. We might as well get ready early.”
How life had changed without her friend. How much she missed her brothers goofy grin when talking about her.
Today they would bring her back.
Or die trying.
-------
Tess-
Tess sat quietly as Alex drove out to the Pod Chamber. She had agreed to this rather than drive her own spacious SUV because they wanted to keep the amount of cars heading there on a regular basis to a minimum.
How the US Air Force hadn’t found it already Tess wasn’t sure. She knew from her contacts in Far Sight that they were looking hard for some hidden device in the desert outside of Roswell. Alicia hadn’t asked her, but had looked directly at her when she had mentioned it.
Fishing for information.
Tess found herself both happy with and worried about her growing ties to Far Sight. In one way it was good because she now had people she could trust. And that was at a premium these days.
Ever since she had cut her ties to the Royal Four, only Michael would give her the time of day. Sure Kyle and the rest of the humans in the group were at the very least nice to her. But she had been brought up to consider Max her mate and Isabel her best friend by default.
Isabel at the very least hated her. And Tess was happy she didn’t have to make the trip with the taller blonde.
Still she was curious what Alex had planned for himself and Max outside of being chauffeurs
But while Alex was nice to her, just as he always had been. He now played close to the vest with her. She was no longer part of the close circle of friends he fully trusted and it hurt.
Alex concentrated on the road as the storm began to move in. The windshield wipers moving back and forth. “I seriously hope none of your enemies are out here this morning. Has Far Sight been able to find out who is hunting you?”
Tess winced at the memory of last time she had driven alone with Alex. Of Grant Sorenson shooting out their tires and trying to kill them both. “No. but then no one has tried anything since either. I don’t know. Maybe my cutting ties to the Royal Four did the trick.”
Alex glanced at her. “Would that be noticeable to them? I mean how would they know?”
“Yes, the bonds were noticeable. They had been made to be noticeable so they could just look and say, here is one of the Royal Four. Not specific enough to tell who is whom, but, still…”
“Yeah, not hard when there are only Four of you. Were only four of you.” There was a brief pause, “Do you regret it?”
“Breaking off from the Royal Four or what I did to you?”
“Both, either, I don‘t know. We don’t really talk anymore. You don’t really hang out with us anymore. It‘s almost like you aren‘t one of us anymore.” Alex shrugged uncomfortably in his seat.
“That’s because I am not. Not part of you anymore. It all hurts you know, I was brought up one way, and it seems my life has lead me in a completely different direction.” Tess laughed harshly at what Aric would have thought of her working with a human agency. She continued in a softer voice, “I do wish I hadn’t mind warped you though. I think, I think you would have helped me without it.”
Alex’s voice was kind and stern, “I would have. I just didn’t like lying to our friends. And you wouldn’t tell them about any of it. That’s where the warps started. I think Isabel is mad because you ended up warping not just me but her. She feels like you betrayed her.”
Tess nodded slowly, “I a way I guess I did. I found the friendship with all of you in Los Cruces so very important to me. But it was all built on a lie. And when that lie failed the friendship went with it. And the hatred began.”
Alex shook his head, “I don’t hate you, Tess. I never have. Isabel, well that is a different story. But I think more of it is simply that she trusted you. And she finds it so hard to trust people, Tess. It’s very hard for her. So when you betrayed her, when you lied to her. It hurt her so much more than you know. Her anger at you is more than just that you risked mine and to a lesser extent her life. It’s that you betrayed her trust.”
“But how do I get it back, Alex? I screwed everything up with you people. I started mind warping all of you the moment I set foot in town. I treated you humans with contempt. I… I was so wrong about so many things. But I don’t know how to start over. I want it back, I want to be your friends again, even Isabel’s if she would let me. But how? Alex? How do I do it?”
Alex was silent for a while. “I don’t know. But avoiding us isn’t helping. I guess you will just have to earn out trust. But I for one and more than willing to try.”
Tess couldn’t help a few tears sliding down her cheeks.
She had decided to help, to do this risky thing of rebuilding Liz’s mind to regain a friend. Who knew that she would find another on the drive there.
And they talked of small things. Neither of them were aware of the tail that was following them. Or that above them an Unmanned Craft was following them as well.
Timelord31- Thanks
keepsmiling7- Thanks. Yeah, but what will happen to her is tragic in its way.
skynet- Thanks. It will be something much worse than a cliff for poor Vanessa. In truth she was warned.....
Disclaimer- Roswell is not mine and no infringement is intended.
Redemption Part 14
Max-
The whole of Thursday flew by for Max. Because he would be meeting Vanessa after school. Where hopefully it would be a rematch of this mornings awkward and sweaty fun.
It was no wonder he had problems focusing on his school work. Lost in thoughts of his dream girl.
The problem was that the girl he kept seeing, kept imagining he was with the entire morning WASN’T Vanessa.
And that bothered him. Bothered him a lot.
The only constant in the dream girl were the eyes. That brilliant blue she had seen Vanessa wear this morning.
But Vanessa wasn’t blonde. And the few times the girl was a brunette, the hair was long and silky. The perfect hair for running his hands through.
Max awkwardly twisted in the coffee shop he was waiting for Vanessa in. She had suggested the Crashdown, but for some reason that felt wrong. He could remember eating there almost every afternoon last year. But he couldn’t remember why.
Max awkwardly shrugged/
He almost felt like he was cheating on his girlfriend with those dreams. And they had seemed so real.
In physics he’d been distracted from looking at the way Amanda Munoz’s hips seemed to rock slightly just for him. (He was pretty sure Vanessa had not kept quiet about this morning. Because the amount of female attention he’d been getting lately had skyrocketed.) But some how the mirror next to him had popped. And in it was his image of course, and another’s.
A bright blue eyed girl with dark hair with streaks of blonde stared at him from the mirror. “You are MINE Max. I won’t let her have you anymore than that hussy this morning.” And the image began to caress him. “Mine….”
Max wasn’t sure how much time he had lost when the teacher called his name asking him if he was okay. He had just shook his head and said he was fine.
When he looked in the mirror, he saw only himself.
So very strange.
The Vanessa who pulled into the seat across him looked like a completely different person than she had this morning. Her eyes were her usual hazel, and more washed out than usual. In fact all of her seemed oddly faded. As if there were somehow less of her than there had been this morning.
Vanessa wanly smiled and said tiredly, “Hi Max.”
Max reached across the table, “Are you okay, Vanessa?”
“I’m just tired Max. I am going to have to give you a rain check on tonight. I just feel… empty.”
Max risked a pulse of energy into Vanessa to see how she was doing.
Physically she was the epitome of health. But there was something wrong. Like something vital was missing. He looked at her. “Yeah, you look tired. Don’t worry about me. But, please. If you start feeling worse, call me.”
“I will.”
Both of them sat there for a while before Vanessa left.
The magic both of them had felt that morning completely gone.
Max canceled his reservations at Chez Pierre. He did his homework and went to bed early. Tomorrow would be a long day after all, and it seems like he would face it not as relaxed but much more well rested.
And his dreams were full of a girl with chocolate brown eyes. A girl he knew somehow and some when but he could not remember could not place her. But she held his heart in her tiny hands, just as he did hers.
From time to time eyes would change and flash bright cobalt blue. A blue he had seen this morning.
He woke up at five that morning with one single thought.
She was coming…..
-------
Michael-
Michael had dreaded going to Amy to tell her what had happened. To tell her where her daughter was and why.
It had broken the woman. She had just sat down on the couch and cried. The idea that her daughter was pregnant at 17 was one thing. That she had traveled to another world…. That she might never return, and if she did the child would stay forever behind her.
He had seen the memory gem Maria had given her mother, just as he had shared the one Maria had given him with Amy. And it had made him cry.
But Michael knew she would come back to him. He didn’t know how many years of her life he would lose. At least one year, maybe two or three. But she would come back.
But his son or daughter…. He might never know them.
And it HURT.
He found it only fitting that the skies should share their grief as they opened up and the rain began to fall.
‘Oh, Maria, I miss you so much. And little one, child I may never know…. Know that I love you. I love you and your mother so much.’
‘So very much….”
And Michael walked out into the storm and felt the cold fat raindrops fall on him and wash away his tears. He stood there arms upraised, feeling the world cry with him.
Is it any surprise that he wasn’t ready for the team of men who rapidly subdued him?
------
Maria-
Maria hefted the bag she would be taking with her. Amy had gifts for all of her friends on the other side of the gate.
She stared at the Granolith. Her old life seemed so very faint and distant to her now. The Crashdown and School, and Spaceboy.
She only missed Michael
No her life had become Marcus. And a large part of her wanted to stay. But she was beginning to fell… stretched. Distorted.
She didn’t belong here and this world was letting her know it.
Her son on the other hand…. He had been conceived here. That had been the whole point.
To have someone with ties to both worlds, to tie both worlds together. Without Marcus, according to Elizabeth’s calculations, Maria would never have been able to last more than a year out of her own universe let alone the nearly thirty she had spent here.
But she would have loved to have seen Marcus’s second birthday.
She could hear him behind her, babbling with his older ‘relatives’ as they played with him. She turned back to look at him once more. His hair was still strikingly blond, his eyes so close to Michael’s it made her heart burst.
His eyes lit up as he saw her. “Mama! Ma ma ma ma ma” He cried defiantly as his little legs carried him to her, expertly dodging his watchers. He slammed into her legs. “Up! Ma up!”
Maria was crying as she lifted her son into her arms.
He looked at her seriously and wiped a tear off here eyes. “Ma? Why cwy?”
It just made her cry harder and hug him to her. She took in his little boy scent, feeling as his body held to hers.
He could feel her sadness through their connection. It had never truly faded. And according to Amy, the device that Elizabeth had made for Maria it never would. It would bridge across the worlds, their souls intertwined.
She had made one for Michael too.
Amy, regal Queen of the Seven Worlds came to her and took Marcus. “You have to go, my dear. This world doesn’t have room for two Maria’s. No matter how much we love you both. You have stayed longer than you should have as is.”
“I know it’s just so hard….”
Amy nodded, “The time distortion between out two worlds will slow to a near stop between out two worlds once you go back. In a few months, you should be able to visit.”
Maria reached out and brushed Marcus’s cheek. “It won’t be the same. I will miss so much.”
“I am so sorry, I wish there were another way.”
Marcus began to fidget, feeling the tension in both the older women. Wondering if it wasn’t time for him to start crying too.
Maria nodded. Gave Marcus one last kiss and turned back towards the Granolith. She took the last few steps, turned and said, “Mommy loves you Marcus. Mommy loves you forever.” And she touched the Granolith and was inside.
She could feel the sudden shock and turmoil strike inside her son’s mind. She could hear him crying “Mama come back, ma ma……”
Maria was gone. She landed in the dusty Granolith chamber in her own world.
And cried.
She felt as one bond after another slapped back into place. Michael first and foremost. Than she felt the bond of her friends, bonds she hadn’t realized had been as strong as they truly were.
Stephanie. She could feel Stephanie again. Still faint, almost dreamlike. But somehow, real as well.
All of them rolled through her….. And still there in the pocket only he possessed was a frightened and worried Marcus.
She lay there, reveling in the bonds she still had, bonds in both worlds. And cried for the price she would always have to pay.
She stayed there for a long time.
Until her friends came to do what must be done.
To bring a friend out of darkness. And to teach another world how to fight a different darkness.
The price for all of them would be high.
Maria had already paid.
------
Isabel-
Isabel had slept poorly the night before.
Time after time she had heard whispers and moans coming from inside her dreams. Nightmare after nightmare followed. She was no longer sure whether what she saw was true or not.
But one thing she did know. They had to recover Liz. It might cause a blight upon the Earth or bring them total victory, but every timeline she did not save Liz ended badly.
They needed her.
Just as she would need them.
Without her friends, Liz would become a monster. With Max’s love and her friend’s support, she had a chance.
The Soul Razor would have to be dealt with as well. It would no longer have Liz’s essence if they succeeded today, but casting it aside filled Isabel with chills.
It was still capable of destroying souls. Casting it aside would still cause it to disappear back to whence it came. Liz’s soul wouldn’t be forged into some evil weapon like the Razor itself, but she knew it would find itself in someone’s hands somewhere in some universe.
And it would be given to someone who would want to use it.
No it was safer with her. But…. Carrying it around all the time was such a burden.
She simply didn’t know what to do with it.
Each time she woke, each time she had tears in her eyes, her phone would ring. Alex would sing and talk to her. Calm her fears and comfort her.
She wished he could simply come over and comfort her directly, but his mother had noted his absence the night before and was watching him like a hawk.
The hugs would have to wait until tomorrow. When they would meet up at the Pod Chamber.
He would be bringing Tess with him.
Isabel sighed and got up. There was little point in even trying to go back to sleep, there was only a half hour left before her alarm would ring anyway. As she walked to the bathroom, she saw that Max’s light was on. She rapped lightly on the door.
Max said, “Enter,” quietly. He was already dressed and ready to go. Staring at old photos of himself and Liz. He looked over at her as she entered, “Hey, Is. Couldn’t sleep either?”
Isabel shut the door behind her. There was no need to wake their parents. “What we are doing today is big Max. Perhaps the biggest thing we have ever done.”
“Yeah, I just can not believe that I could have forgotten someone who supposedly was so important to me.” He looked again at the photos.
“But she was Max. She was important to us all. You loved her.”
Max looked at the pictures and said softly, “Yeah.”
“How did your date go with Vanessa last night?” That was going to be a problem. If the memories of Liz came crashing down on Max, how would he feel about it all? And then there was Liz. Liz wasn’t the most vengeful of people, but Emily…. Emily, the alter-ego Ana had created when she had tried to brainwash Liz was a completely different matter. Emily had threatened Vanessa with violence last year if she even looked at Max.
Emily might be a problem.
“She was sick. It was really funny. Yesterday morning she had been so full of energy when we….” He looked up at Isabel, his cheeks heating. He shook his head and continued, “But last night she was so very pale. Almost a shadow of herself. I hope she’s not sick.”
“It’s probably just as well. Because I have every belief that your bond with Liz will return when we bring her back.”
Max reluctantly said, “Yeah, I suppose so.”
Isabel looked at Max and sighed. This whole thing was going to be a huge mess. She just knew it. “Why exactly are you coming with us anyway. It’s just going to be Maria, Tess, and I doing the work.”
“Alex didn’t tell me. Just that it was a big day. That Sara said it was important. Something about Redemption.” Max looked up at her, “You don’t suppose you know what he is talking about?”
Isabel shook her head and then thought about it. “There must be a way to help Liz somehow. To keep her from being too out of control. She will be dangerous when we bring her back.”
“Then why are we bringing her back? You keep bringing up how dangerous she will be, how we will have to watch out for her. What is the point if she’s only going to endanger us?”
Isabel laughed harshly and sat down heavily on Max’s desk chair. “Because you and most people have forgotten her. And I have the feeling that once she is back you will remember her. And she is nice and sweet. The ‘smallest of small town girls’ as she liked to place herself. Only she was bright and kind, and everyone liked her. And, and knowing us has been hard on our friends Max. So much happened last year, and she was in the middle of all of it. It changed her Max, not just your healing, but Ana had her….. And too many people have done to much to her. It is essential that we make sure she stays Liz. That she remains who she was, even as the changes set in, because the alternative…..”
Max opened his mouth.
Isabel glared at him, “Let me finish, Max. In the end, we need her. It is as simple as that. Without her we fail, one way or another. With her…. With her we add another risk, a potentially horrific risk. But not a big risk, because the Liz I knew loved us. Loved us and was loyal to a fault. If we can keep that, if we can keep Liz as Liz, then we have a good chance of succeeding.”
“Well I guess we have to try. If you say she helped us as much as she did….”
Isabel turned away. This had always been the hardest part. To see her brother, who had loved Liz since the third grade to not even remember her….. “I need to take a shower. We might as well get ready early.”
How life had changed without her friend. How much she missed her brothers goofy grin when talking about her.
Today they would bring her back.
Or die trying.
-------
Tess-
Tess sat quietly as Alex drove out to the Pod Chamber. She had agreed to this rather than drive her own spacious SUV because they wanted to keep the amount of cars heading there on a regular basis to a minimum.
How the US Air Force hadn’t found it already Tess wasn’t sure. She knew from her contacts in Far Sight that they were looking hard for some hidden device in the desert outside of Roswell. Alicia hadn’t asked her, but had looked directly at her when she had mentioned it.
Fishing for information.
Tess found herself both happy with and worried about her growing ties to Far Sight. In one way it was good because she now had people she could trust. And that was at a premium these days.
Ever since she had cut her ties to the Royal Four, only Michael would give her the time of day. Sure Kyle and the rest of the humans in the group were at the very least nice to her. But she had been brought up to consider Max her mate and Isabel her best friend by default.
Isabel at the very least hated her. And Tess was happy she didn’t have to make the trip with the taller blonde.
Still she was curious what Alex had planned for himself and Max outside of being chauffeurs
But while Alex was nice to her, just as he always had been. He now played close to the vest with her. She was no longer part of the close circle of friends he fully trusted and it hurt.
Alex concentrated on the road as the storm began to move in. The windshield wipers moving back and forth. “I seriously hope none of your enemies are out here this morning. Has Far Sight been able to find out who is hunting you?”
Tess winced at the memory of last time she had driven alone with Alex. Of Grant Sorenson shooting out their tires and trying to kill them both. “No. but then no one has tried anything since either. I don’t know. Maybe my cutting ties to the Royal Four did the trick.”
Alex glanced at her. “Would that be noticeable to them? I mean how would they know?”
“Yes, the bonds were noticeable. They had been made to be noticeable so they could just look and say, here is one of the Royal Four. Not specific enough to tell who is whom, but, still…”
“Yeah, not hard when there are only Four of you. Were only four of you.” There was a brief pause, “Do you regret it?”
“Breaking off from the Royal Four or what I did to you?”
“Both, either, I don‘t know. We don’t really talk anymore. You don’t really hang out with us anymore. It‘s almost like you aren‘t one of us anymore.” Alex shrugged uncomfortably in his seat.
“That’s because I am not. Not part of you anymore. It all hurts you know, I was brought up one way, and it seems my life has lead me in a completely different direction.” Tess laughed harshly at what Aric would have thought of her working with a human agency. She continued in a softer voice, “I do wish I hadn’t mind warped you though. I think, I think you would have helped me without it.”
Alex’s voice was kind and stern, “I would have. I just didn’t like lying to our friends. And you wouldn’t tell them about any of it. That’s where the warps started. I think Isabel is mad because you ended up warping not just me but her. She feels like you betrayed her.”
Tess nodded slowly, “I a way I guess I did. I found the friendship with all of you in Los Cruces so very important to me. But it was all built on a lie. And when that lie failed the friendship went with it. And the hatred began.”
Alex shook his head, “I don’t hate you, Tess. I never have. Isabel, well that is a different story. But I think more of it is simply that she trusted you. And she finds it so hard to trust people, Tess. It’s very hard for her. So when you betrayed her, when you lied to her. It hurt her so much more than you know. Her anger at you is more than just that you risked mine and to a lesser extent her life. It’s that you betrayed her trust.”
“But how do I get it back, Alex? I screwed everything up with you people. I started mind warping all of you the moment I set foot in town. I treated you humans with contempt. I… I was so wrong about so many things. But I don’t know how to start over. I want it back, I want to be your friends again, even Isabel’s if she would let me. But how? Alex? How do I do it?”
Alex was silent for a while. “I don’t know. But avoiding us isn’t helping. I guess you will just have to earn out trust. But I for one and more than willing to try.”
Tess couldn’t help a few tears sliding down her cheeks.
She had decided to help, to do this risky thing of rebuilding Liz’s mind to regain a friend. Who knew that she would find another on the drive there.
And they talked of small things. Neither of them were aware of the tail that was following them. Or that above them an Unmanned Craft was following them as well.
Re: IDS - Redemption (CC ALL, Teen/Mature) Part 14 - 10/02/10
Thanks to everyone following along.
Timelord31- Thanks
keepsmiling7- Thanks. By the end of this part Liz is back. And Vanessa regrets Max intensely. As you will see.
Disclaimer- Roswell is not mine and no infringement is intended.
Redemption Part 15
Tess-
Tess walked slowly up the hill. Max and Isabel were already higher up, although they had not yet gone in.
Max looked down at her. “You made good time. We just got here.”
Isabel just haughtily stared down at her.
Alex jogged past Tess and reached up to Isabel. He gave her a quick kiss, the frost melting away as they held each other.
Tess continued walking up. She let the rain fall softly upon her.
Isabel placed one hand on the rock and the door appeared and she and Alex entered.
Tess looked over at the other path that lead up the hill. So close to this one and yet so far.
Rose’s path. Liz’s birth mother.
It was up there, where Liz had been conceived that they would do their work.
For just a moment she thought she felt someone watching her. Just a split moment. And then it was gone.
She shook her head, just her nerves. She huddles closely and followed the others, sealing the rock behind her.
Tess saw Alex, Max, and Isabel talking together amiably. She didn’t want to ruin the spirit, so she walked on by. Through Isabel’s dusty pod and into the shiny Granolith Chamber.
Maria lay there crying on the floor.
Tess held back for just a second before rushing over to her. Maria hadn’t been happy with Tess for what she had done to Alex. And yet the bond they had formed in the Balance had always been there. Tying them together closer than sisters in some way.
She held the girl to her. Maria reached out to her and sobbed into her shoulder. And the emotion was so intense, Tess could feel the pressure as…..
Flash- A tired Maria having a small boy laid at her breast. Looking on him and feel a mix of awe and sorrow. “Marcus, his name is Marcus.”
Tess tried to resist the flood as it poured into her, as the girl in her arms leaked into her consciousness. But the knowledge of what Maria had given up, her first born son staggered her. Cause her own emotional turmoil.
And it flooded into her. Flash Flash Flash…….
Tess could have stopped it. There are disciplines to do so in the Eidolon.
But she CARED for Maria. She liked her. And Maria needed this. Needed Michael more, but she needed someone to simply hold her.
It had to have been but moments when Maria backed away. “Thank you, Tess. I needed that.”
Tess wiped her eyes. And said thickly, “What else are friends for?”
Maria wiped her own eyes and looked at Tess, “How much did you see?”
“I saw your son. Why, Maria? Why did you have to do that?”
“To stabilize the timelines. When Liz was alive, she did it herself. She had absorbed a bit of the other timelines Liz. So she was tied to both timelines. But until she returns….. Something had to be done. Amy trusts me. Both of me. So, it had to be my child. Plus…. I think she didn’t want the Deluca name to fully die in her world. My other self never did have any children.”
“Still, that had to be hard. And Michael….”
Maria nodded, “I just hope he can forgive me. Amy will be helping us from her side. She will channel power from the Granolith into us and that should dramatically improve out chances.”
Tess looked away. “I don’t know how that well help all of us. When I gave up the Royal Signet I gave up my link to the Granolith.” Tess sighed, “I would do anything to help this work, but I don’t think I will be able to be much help if we need the power of the Granolith to succeed.”
Maria touched her shoulder, “You would do anything?”
“Yes. You were right about Liz, I owe her. I owe her my life.” She stood up. “But what can I do at this point? It’s not like they are going to let me back into their club.” She shook her head, “And even if they did, I don’t want it. It is not who or what I am this life.”
“Max is here?”
Tess stood up, “Yeah, they are talking just beyond in the Pod Chamber. They will be her in a few moments I am sure.”
Maria smiled sadly at her, “There is another way, Tess. But it will hurt.”
Tess’s mind worked fast, and saw it. The way Maria herself had gained her powers.
Max had healed her.
Healed her from certain death. To make this work, Tess would have to be in imminent danger of death.
And Tess DID not want to die.
But she nodded slowly. She also owed Liz.
Maria sighed, “I just wish there was a better way.” And she blasted Tess with her lightning.
Tess felt pain along every fiber of her being as the lightning crackled along her limbs. There was a faint whiff of cooking meat. Of her.
Distantly she could hear Maria call for Max.
And she began to see the whole room. Only from a different perspective as if seeing it all from above her body. All the matter seemed almost translucent to her new sight. Behind her was an immense furnace of power. Of pure Light and goodness the likes of which made her soul cry.
Tess saw the Granolith unshod. It was merely a device, merely a tool. To Protect and Create. That was what it had been made to do.
It would be happy to help them. To help all of them. Because Tess could sense a focus and purpose. Today was a special day. A special time and place, merely waiting for the actors to do what they must to trigger it.
And beneath her was a room so full of possibility. She shuddered at the sheer hope of it all. At what this day could mean…..
“Tess, you need to look at me….”
And the pain returned, slowly fading as Max’s healing took hold. But still lingering. Tess coughed and spluttered, trying to regain somehow that crystal clear sight she had just had.
But it was gone.
Max looked over at Maria, “How could you DO that to her?”
“Because I had to. This all HAS to succeed Max. It has to. Enough that I left my baby boy in another world FOREVER because without Liz we are just screwed. Not just here, but in that world as well. Hell, for all I know, others to could be clinging to the balance waiting on us to do our damn jobs. “
Alex said tiredly, “But why?”
Tess sat up. “She had to. I need a connection to the Granolith.” Tess reached inside herself and once more felt a whisper of power stir. It wasn’t in quite the same place, but she had missed it. “We should get going.” She let Max help her up.
The room was still quiet, still unwilling to believe that Maria would kill Tess simply so Max could heal her. And that Tess would just accept it.
Tess continued, “And Alex…. Whatever you have planned for you and Max while we are gone?”
Alex looked at her warily, “Yes?”
“Please, make it happen. I don’t know what you are trying to do. But, it is as important in its own way as what we are about to do. Come on, girls. We have work to do.” Tess headed for the door.
She didn’t wait for the others. She knew they would follow her. Even Isabel.
And they would succeed.
The price for failure was simply too high.
-------
Kyle-
It was first period and he was already bored. He knew that this was the big day for Tess, Isabel, and Maria. But what did he have to do? Survive another boring day of school.
Only he could feel that something was wrong. Wrong about the whole day.
There was an assembly called for later in the day, some motivational speaker. But there was something funny going on here at school
He just couldn’t put his finger on it. It just worried him.
As did Vanessa a couple seats in front of him. They had never really been friends. But despite the fact she was a jock in her own way, you would never know it by who she hung out with. The stuck up popular crowd. Naturally she had been a good friend of Isabel’s.
But from where Kyle was sitting he was watching her slowly die. It was the strangest thing. She looked perfectly healthy.
In fact as far as Kyle could tell with his new abilities she was perfectly healthy. Physically.
Inside, to his other sight, it was a different story. Her mind was still intact, still trying to hold on. But she didn’t even have an aura. Every other member of the class had their aura’s lit from within. Vanessa’s soul was guttering out like a lamp running out of oil.
When it was gone she would just collapse. Dead.
But why and how?
And could he save her?
When the bell rang he followed her, trying to think of a reason he needed to talk to her. A way to get her to talk about what was happening to her.
Then she simply dropped like a puppet with the strings cut. Kyle watched as the tiny remnants of her soul were ripped out of her. And her mind began to fade.
Kyle rushed up and patted her on the arm, giving a portion of himself to save her. Kyle felt a sudden crushing weariness that fell on him as he saved her.
For a time. He had added oil to her lamp. But the lamp itself, somehow was broken.
She no longer had a soul of her own. He could sense where it had been. Could sense the wounds where it had been punctured. From where it had been drained from her.
Vanessa’s eyes were wide when she looked up at Kyle. “I felt myself die. I felt as she killed me. At first I had thought it had been a bad dream. A bit of lingering guilt at landing Max Evans. From that girl he used to love so much. But she didn’t forgive me. She told me she would hurt me. She warned me.”
“Vanessa, you are not making sense.” Kyle stood up and helped her to her feet. “Come on, I will take you to the school nurse.”
Vanessa let herself be dragged along until they got to a quiet area. “What did you do to me? I feel strange. Different.”
“I saw your soul go out. So I gave you a little of mine.” Kyle shook his head wearily, “It won’t last. I can see that already. I might have given you a day. No more.”
Vanessa wailed, “I don’t want to die Kyle.”
“Yeah, maybe there is a way we can help you.”
“We?”
“Me and my friends. Maybe there is something they can do.” Kyle slumped along the wall. He was so tired.
“Maybe….” Vanessa looked off into the distance. “And maybe I can get Liz to forgive me. Maybe she will give me back my soul.”
“Liz….” And he realized that there was nothing holding back his memories of her any longer. There were some holes and gaps. But he remembered her.
His friends had been successful.
But at what cost? He looked over at Vanessa. Sooner or later that fuel would go out and with it, she would just die.
“Wait…. You say that Liz did this to you?”
Vanessa shook her head, “Yes and no. It was Emily. But if what Isabel told me last year was right, Emily is just part of Liz and…. Emily will gloat as I die. But Liz. I always kind of liked Liz.”
Kyle closed his eyes. Tess had warned him of what the new Liz might be capable of. “Tell me everything, Vanessa. If we are going to save you, I need to know everything.”
She glared at him briefly.
Kyle said softly, “It’s your life.”
And Vanessa answered Kyle’s questions.
As he listened Kyle became progressively frightened. Because if Liz could do that while she didn’t even fully exist….
What could she do now?
--------
Isabel-
Isabel looked at the other two girls and sighed. It would be raining when the did this.
And it would have to be done now.
Below her she could feel the Granolith spinning, feel it drawing out immense amounts of power. And she felt as it began to flow into her, filling her.
She could feel her eyes change, could feel as Vilandra joined her.. Her voice was dual-toned as she spoke, “Let us begin.”
Isabel drew the sword and placed it in front of her willing the essence to leave the evil blade.
She watched as a cloud of stuff formed in front of them, greenish lightning crackling around it. Isabel could feel as Maria began to give it form.
Beside her, Tess was building a complex and subtle tracery of light.
And the Power flowed into her. The power to right another wrong. She simply let it flow through her. Let it flow into the shape in front of her.
In front of them spun a girl. She was in a fetal position as she spun and Isabel could feel immense power focusing on her.
Isabel felt as her sword cracked and the essence flew into the spinning girl.
She watched as the intricate traceries in front of Tess, which had only grown unbearably more complex over time drifted into the mass.
And there was the sound of a loud CRACK as the world recovered part of something it lost. The universe had not been created for things to be unmade. It was happy for the gap to be filled.
Even if the gap was not filled by entirely the same thing.
Maria and Tess slumped with weariness. But Isabel was full of elation and power. Isabel was more than a mere Companion. Once she had been Queen.
She could feel Max and Alex behind them as they began to Call.
And she shook her fist to the heavens and added her voice.
------
Alex
Alex smiled as he felt the power thrum about them.
Now was the time.
“Max. Now we come to the reason we are here.”
Max looked at him in askance. “Why?”
“You know how Vilandra died right?”
“Yeah, she broke those mirrors in the Hall of Justice. The ones they used to trap souls in.”
Alex smiled, “Underneath us is a chamber full of pods. I want you to call those souls, and offer them a second chance. To offer a form of redemption.”
“They were criminals and rebels. Traitors and killers.”
Alex nodded thoughtfully, “Some perhaps. We will have to watch them. But most of them were probably political prisoners that the government wanted to punish but not kill. Kill someone they are a martyr. Toss their soul into a mirror forever, and you can see what the fruits of rebellion are.” Alex shivered. How those people could have ever slept at night….
Max was thoughtful for a moment. “They will be like us? Hybrids?”
“Yes. And you will have an army to do with what you wish. Whether its going back to Antar or simply protecting us from invasion…. It will take a few years for them to develop. But… You will be ready.”
Max nodded. “What do I do?”
“My Sara was one of them. And she told me how to call to them.” He reached out a hand to Max.
And across space and time they called them.
-------
The air above Granolith Chamber was frothing with power. Power that only grew as first Isabel added her voice to the call. And then Tess and Maria.
And Liz.
Liz had been changed, profoundly changed by her non existence. Time and space had already become slightly loosened about her. That change was profound now.
In this time and place even more so. It was she who bridged the gap in time and space. They did not hear her voice, no they were listening to the King and to Vilandra and her consort. But she bridged the gap.
The mild little weather pattern rapidly was whipped into a massive thunderstorm that surrounded the hill top and swept across the desert.
And in the center of it all, through the heart of the storm a column of purest white light descended. And the chamber beneath the Granolith came to life. As one by one the pods lit up and began functioning.
An army of Companions.
It might take another twenty years to truly be felt, but the tide had turned for the soul of the Milky Way galaxy.
For now.
Timelord31- Thanks
keepsmiling7- Thanks. By the end of this part Liz is back. And Vanessa regrets Max intensely. As you will see.
Disclaimer- Roswell is not mine and no infringement is intended.
Redemption Part 15
Tess-
Tess walked slowly up the hill. Max and Isabel were already higher up, although they had not yet gone in.
Max looked down at her. “You made good time. We just got here.”
Isabel just haughtily stared down at her.
Alex jogged past Tess and reached up to Isabel. He gave her a quick kiss, the frost melting away as they held each other.
Tess continued walking up. She let the rain fall softly upon her.
Isabel placed one hand on the rock and the door appeared and she and Alex entered.
Tess looked over at the other path that lead up the hill. So close to this one and yet so far.
Rose’s path. Liz’s birth mother.
It was up there, where Liz had been conceived that they would do their work.
For just a moment she thought she felt someone watching her. Just a split moment. And then it was gone.
She shook her head, just her nerves. She huddles closely and followed the others, sealing the rock behind her.
Tess saw Alex, Max, and Isabel talking together amiably. She didn’t want to ruin the spirit, so she walked on by. Through Isabel’s dusty pod and into the shiny Granolith Chamber.
Maria lay there crying on the floor.
Tess held back for just a second before rushing over to her. Maria hadn’t been happy with Tess for what she had done to Alex. And yet the bond they had formed in the Balance had always been there. Tying them together closer than sisters in some way.
She held the girl to her. Maria reached out to her and sobbed into her shoulder. And the emotion was so intense, Tess could feel the pressure as…..
Flash- A tired Maria having a small boy laid at her breast. Looking on him and feel a mix of awe and sorrow. “Marcus, his name is Marcus.”
Tess tried to resist the flood as it poured into her, as the girl in her arms leaked into her consciousness. But the knowledge of what Maria had given up, her first born son staggered her. Cause her own emotional turmoil.
And it flooded into her. Flash Flash Flash…….
Tess could have stopped it. There are disciplines to do so in the Eidolon.
But she CARED for Maria. She liked her. And Maria needed this. Needed Michael more, but she needed someone to simply hold her.
It had to have been but moments when Maria backed away. “Thank you, Tess. I needed that.”
Tess wiped her eyes. And said thickly, “What else are friends for?”
Maria wiped her own eyes and looked at Tess, “How much did you see?”
“I saw your son. Why, Maria? Why did you have to do that?”
“To stabilize the timelines. When Liz was alive, she did it herself. She had absorbed a bit of the other timelines Liz. So she was tied to both timelines. But until she returns….. Something had to be done. Amy trusts me. Both of me. So, it had to be my child. Plus…. I think she didn’t want the Deluca name to fully die in her world. My other self never did have any children.”
“Still, that had to be hard. And Michael….”
Maria nodded, “I just hope he can forgive me. Amy will be helping us from her side. She will channel power from the Granolith into us and that should dramatically improve out chances.”
Tess looked away. “I don’t know how that well help all of us. When I gave up the Royal Signet I gave up my link to the Granolith.” Tess sighed, “I would do anything to help this work, but I don’t think I will be able to be much help if we need the power of the Granolith to succeed.”
Maria touched her shoulder, “You would do anything?”
“Yes. You were right about Liz, I owe her. I owe her my life.” She stood up. “But what can I do at this point? It’s not like they are going to let me back into their club.” She shook her head, “And even if they did, I don’t want it. It is not who or what I am this life.”
“Max is here?”
Tess stood up, “Yeah, they are talking just beyond in the Pod Chamber. They will be her in a few moments I am sure.”
Maria smiled sadly at her, “There is another way, Tess. But it will hurt.”
Tess’s mind worked fast, and saw it. The way Maria herself had gained her powers.
Max had healed her.
Healed her from certain death. To make this work, Tess would have to be in imminent danger of death.
And Tess DID not want to die.
But she nodded slowly. She also owed Liz.
Maria sighed, “I just wish there was a better way.” And she blasted Tess with her lightning.
Tess felt pain along every fiber of her being as the lightning crackled along her limbs. There was a faint whiff of cooking meat. Of her.
Distantly she could hear Maria call for Max.
And she began to see the whole room. Only from a different perspective as if seeing it all from above her body. All the matter seemed almost translucent to her new sight. Behind her was an immense furnace of power. Of pure Light and goodness the likes of which made her soul cry.
Tess saw the Granolith unshod. It was merely a device, merely a tool. To Protect and Create. That was what it had been made to do.
It would be happy to help them. To help all of them. Because Tess could sense a focus and purpose. Today was a special day. A special time and place, merely waiting for the actors to do what they must to trigger it.
And beneath her was a room so full of possibility. She shuddered at the sheer hope of it all. At what this day could mean…..
“Tess, you need to look at me….”
And the pain returned, slowly fading as Max’s healing took hold. But still lingering. Tess coughed and spluttered, trying to regain somehow that crystal clear sight she had just had.
But it was gone.
Max looked over at Maria, “How could you DO that to her?”
“Because I had to. This all HAS to succeed Max. It has to. Enough that I left my baby boy in another world FOREVER because without Liz we are just screwed. Not just here, but in that world as well. Hell, for all I know, others to could be clinging to the balance waiting on us to do our damn jobs. “
Alex said tiredly, “But why?”
Tess sat up. “She had to. I need a connection to the Granolith.” Tess reached inside herself and once more felt a whisper of power stir. It wasn’t in quite the same place, but she had missed it. “We should get going.” She let Max help her up.
The room was still quiet, still unwilling to believe that Maria would kill Tess simply so Max could heal her. And that Tess would just accept it.
Tess continued, “And Alex…. Whatever you have planned for you and Max while we are gone?”
Alex looked at her warily, “Yes?”
“Please, make it happen. I don’t know what you are trying to do. But, it is as important in its own way as what we are about to do. Come on, girls. We have work to do.” Tess headed for the door.
She didn’t wait for the others. She knew they would follow her. Even Isabel.
And they would succeed.
The price for failure was simply too high.
-------
Kyle-
It was first period and he was already bored. He knew that this was the big day for Tess, Isabel, and Maria. But what did he have to do? Survive another boring day of school.
Only he could feel that something was wrong. Wrong about the whole day.
There was an assembly called for later in the day, some motivational speaker. But there was something funny going on here at school
He just couldn’t put his finger on it. It just worried him.
As did Vanessa a couple seats in front of him. They had never really been friends. But despite the fact she was a jock in her own way, you would never know it by who she hung out with. The stuck up popular crowd. Naturally she had been a good friend of Isabel’s.
But from where Kyle was sitting he was watching her slowly die. It was the strangest thing. She looked perfectly healthy.
In fact as far as Kyle could tell with his new abilities she was perfectly healthy. Physically.
Inside, to his other sight, it was a different story. Her mind was still intact, still trying to hold on. But she didn’t even have an aura. Every other member of the class had their aura’s lit from within. Vanessa’s soul was guttering out like a lamp running out of oil.
When it was gone she would just collapse. Dead.
But why and how?
And could he save her?
When the bell rang he followed her, trying to think of a reason he needed to talk to her. A way to get her to talk about what was happening to her.
Then she simply dropped like a puppet with the strings cut. Kyle watched as the tiny remnants of her soul were ripped out of her. And her mind began to fade.
Kyle rushed up and patted her on the arm, giving a portion of himself to save her. Kyle felt a sudden crushing weariness that fell on him as he saved her.
For a time. He had added oil to her lamp. But the lamp itself, somehow was broken.
She no longer had a soul of her own. He could sense where it had been. Could sense the wounds where it had been punctured. From where it had been drained from her.
Vanessa’s eyes were wide when she looked up at Kyle. “I felt myself die. I felt as she killed me. At first I had thought it had been a bad dream. A bit of lingering guilt at landing Max Evans. From that girl he used to love so much. But she didn’t forgive me. She told me she would hurt me. She warned me.”
“Vanessa, you are not making sense.” Kyle stood up and helped her to her feet. “Come on, I will take you to the school nurse.”
Vanessa let herself be dragged along until they got to a quiet area. “What did you do to me? I feel strange. Different.”
“I saw your soul go out. So I gave you a little of mine.” Kyle shook his head wearily, “It won’t last. I can see that already. I might have given you a day. No more.”
Vanessa wailed, “I don’t want to die Kyle.”
“Yeah, maybe there is a way we can help you.”
“We?”
“Me and my friends. Maybe there is something they can do.” Kyle slumped along the wall. He was so tired.
“Maybe….” Vanessa looked off into the distance. “And maybe I can get Liz to forgive me. Maybe she will give me back my soul.”
“Liz….” And he realized that there was nothing holding back his memories of her any longer. There were some holes and gaps. But he remembered her.
His friends had been successful.
But at what cost? He looked over at Vanessa. Sooner or later that fuel would go out and with it, she would just die.
“Wait…. You say that Liz did this to you?”
Vanessa shook her head, “Yes and no. It was Emily. But if what Isabel told me last year was right, Emily is just part of Liz and…. Emily will gloat as I die. But Liz. I always kind of liked Liz.”
Kyle closed his eyes. Tess had warned him of what the new Liz might be capable of. “Tell me everything, Vanessa. If we are going to save you, I need to know everything.”
She glared at him briefly.
Kyle said softly, “It’s your life.”
And Vanessa answered Kyle’s questions.
As he listened Kyle became progressively frightened. Because if Liz could do that while she didn’t even fully exist….
What could she do now?
--------
Isabel-
Isabel looked at the other two girls and sighed. It would be raining when the did this.
And it would have to be done now.
Below her she could feel the Granolith spinning, feel it drawing out immense amounts of power. And she felt as it began to flow into her, filling her.
She could feel her eyes change, could feel as Vilandra joined her.. Her voice was dual-toned as she spoke, “Let us begin.”
Isabel drew the sword and placed it in front of her willing the essence to leave the evil blade.
She watched as a cloud of stuff formed in front of them, greenish lightning crackling around it. Isabel could feel as Maria began to give it form.
Beside her, Tess was building a complex and subtle tracery of light.
And the Power flowed into her. The power to right another wrong. She simply let it flow through her. Let it flow into the shape in front of her.
In front of them spun a girl. She was in a fetal position as she spun and Isabel could feel immense power focusing on her.
Isabel felt as her sword cracked and the essence flew into the spinning girl.
She watched as the intricate traceries in front of Tess, which had only grown unbearably more complex over time drifted into the mass.
And there was the sound of a loud CRACK as the world recovered part of something it lost. The universe had not been created for things to be unmade. It was happy for the gap to be filled.
Even if the gap was not filled by entirely the same thing.
Maria and Tess slumped with weariness. But Isabel was full of elation and power. Isabel was more than a mere Companion. Once she had been Queen.
She could feel Max and Alex behind them as they began to Call.
And she shook her fist to the heavens and added her voice.
------
Alex
Alex smiled as he felt the power thrum about them.
Now was the time.
“Max. Now we come to the reason we are here.”
Max looked at him in askance. “Why?”
“You know how Vilandra died right?”
“Yeah, she broke those mirrors in the Hall of Justice. The ones they used to trap souls in.”
Alex smiled, “Underneath us is a chamber full of pods. I want you to call those souls, and offer them a second chance. To offer a form of redemption.”
“They were criminals and rebels. Traitors and killers.”
Alex nodded thoughtfully, “Some perhaps. We will have to watch them. But most of them were probably political prisoners that the government wanted to punish but not kill. Kill someone they are a martyr. Toss their soul into a mirror forever, and you can see what the fruits of rebellion are.” Alex shivered. How those people could have ever slept at night….
Max was thoughtful for a moment. “They will be like us? Hybrids?”
“Yes. And you will have an army to do with what you wish. Whether its going back to Antar or simply protecting us from invasion…. It will take a few years for them to develop. But… You will be ready.”
Max nodded. “What do I do?”
“My Sara was one of them. And she told me how to call to them.” He reached out a hand to Max.
And across space and time they called them.
-------
The air above Granolith Chamber was frothing with power. Power that only grew as first Isabel added her voice to the call. And then Tess and Maria.
And Liz.
Liz had been changed, profoundly changed by her non existence. Time and space had already become slightly loosened about her. That change was profound now.
In this time and place even more so. It was she who bridged the gap in time and space. They did not hear her voice, no they were listening to the King and to Vilandra and her consort. But she bridged the gap.
The mild little weather pattern rapidly was whipped into a massive thunderstorm that surrounded the hill top and swept across the desert.
And in the center of it all, through the heart of the storm a column of purest white light descended. And the chamber beneath the Granolith came to life. As one by one the pods lit up and began functioning.
An army of Companions.
It might take another twenty years to truly be felt, but the tide had turned for the soul of the Milky Way galaxy.
For now.
Re: IDS - Redemption (CC ALL, Teen/Mature) A/N - 11/01/10
So here is what is going on. When I got back from writing Horizon, my mind on this story shifted. And trying to get it back into synch.... Well it was hard. Partly because this is a natural stopping point. It will mean that IDS is now going to be FIVE pieces long, well so be it. Hope you folks enjoy. I should have the first part of section five in a week or two.
Timelord31- Thanks.
GreginClearwater- Thanks. No it was the Air Force. Far Sight, the new Special Unit, and a division of the Air Force are all part of a knowledge sharing program.
keepsmiling7- Thanks. I basically spent several stories building it up to this point for Tess. She is now more likely to help one of the humans than her podmates. Long term consequences for what Liz has gone through.... They remain to be seen. But she is VERY different now.
Ti88- Thanks. No secret what Max and Alex were doing. That burst of light filled the thousands of pods beneath the pod chamber. Remember the momogram's admonision to practice their leadership? This is why. Max will have an army in about a decade or two.
AvalonRose- THanks. Vanessa is going to suffer for that, much more than she probably deserves I might add.
Disclaimer- Roswell is not mine and no infringement is intended.
Redemption Epilogue
Laurie Dupree-
Laurie staggered into the UFO Museum. It had taken all of her tiny tricks to escape from her apartment. The anguished whimpers coming from Serena’s throat as their attackers had tortured her for information would linger with her forever.
She would likely be joining Serena soon herself. But who could she trust if it was the police who had busted down the door and began interrogating them.
At least they had badges. It was too late when they got close enough for Laurie to sense they weren’t human. Too late.
They hadn’t know she could do the little she could though. All those tiny tricks that had gotten her out of Pinecrest. It had gotten her out of the hand cuffs, and had let her find something heavy enough to batter her guard.
But before he’d gone up in some weird cloud of flakes, he had thrown some bolt of yellow. And she could smell the scent of burnt flesh.
Pain had been one of those limiters the more sadistic folks at Pinecrest had used against her. She had long since learned to ignore pain. Even push herself past the first signs of shock.
Driving here had not been easy.
A cute little girl looked up at her, feet dangling off her chair. She had a alien ball cap and a small version of the workers outfit. Sydney Davis looked up at her. “Sorry, we’re still closed. We open at eleven today….”
Laurie just walked forward, “I need to talk to your father, need….” It was too much. She simply couldn’t stand up anymore.
“DADDY!” Two tiny arms shook her, “Don’t go to sleep. Stay awake.” Sydney turned her head again, “DADDY I NEED YOU!”
“What is it pumpkin, what is wrong…..” A larger set of hands lifted her up slightly and took a look at her wound, “Laurie, what is going on?”
“Safe room, you need to get to safe room. They will be coming here soon.”
“Who? Why?” He shook his head, “We need to get you to a doctor. Laurie this is bad. I’ve never seen anything like this before. What did they use? An acetylene torch?”
Laurie reached inside of herself for the strength she needed, “Listen, Brody. It was aliens, evil aliens. You have things they want. One of them is your daughter. The other is the research Serena was working on for you. Don’t let us die in vain!”
And the world went dark.
-------
Rachel Williams
Rebecca just stared at the light bulb in her hands.
Jenny glanced over at her. “Okay, do it again.”
Rebecca closed her eyes and concentrated. She followed the technique listed in the Book. It seemed to take forever, but there was what could only be thought of as a sense of liquid lighting inside of her.
It was a tiny bit easier to touch this time and she felt as the bulb grew warm in her hands. The light was fitful, flickering on and off.
But it was lit. She was causing a light bulb to glow with her mind.
She wasn’t sure whether the trembling was from the strain or the fear.
“What am I?” She whispered to herself. “Am I even human?”
“You are my friend. We just need to find Alex and get some answers about this Book. And, and…. Have you gotten in contact with your father?”
Rebecca shook her head. “His last message said he would be out of touch until Monday.”
“Does he do that often?”
Rebecca stopped concentrating and the bulb went dark. She set it down. “No, but he has a lot of shadowy contacts. I know he does business with the CIA and FBI and a bunch of others. But seriously half of his stuff just goes to health food stores or herbal shops. But these last couple of months… I don’t know its like there is a part of him I haven’t seen before. Did I tell you he is friends with Tess Harding? To the point that he kept her twin sister up for the winter at our home in Aspen?”
Jennifer shook her head. They drove past the now entering Roswell sign. There appeared to be a work crew assembling some device by the side of the road.
“Alex better have answers. And then I need to talk to Dad.”
Jennifer nodded.
The device the men were working on flashed green and the car suddenly stalled.
Jennifer was turning the keys to restart it, but the engine wouldn’t turn over.
One of the men that had been working on the device was grinning as he walked slowly over to their car. “Fancy running into candidates this close to the border.”
Rebecca turned to Jennifer, “We need to go….”
There was a bright flash and she knew no more.
-------
Deputy Hanson
Hanson couldn’t remember why he had come here. He looked up and saw the Crashdown. A good place to get a cup of coffee and maybe a donut.
He simply had to sit there for a few moments. His head hurt so very badly lately. He had thought about going to the doctor, but something held him back.
And the missing moments of time…..
Like driving here. He liked the Crashdown sure, but lately he’d been hitting the Starbucks closer to the Sheriff’s Office. It was a little pricy but he liked the taste.
Much better than what you got out of the pot back at the office. Hanson shuddered and then moaned from the pain.
A pretty Hispanic woman around his age rapped on his window, “Are you okay in there?”
Hanson looked up at the woman. She seemed familiar somehow. “Just a headache. Thanks.”
She smiled at him. It was not a nice smile. Predatory. “I think you are ready. Finally.” She took out and placed a small clear gem to one of his temples.
He felt as he was shunted into the back of his head. Part of him felt the need to sleep. Felt the need to go away. He could barely hear or see.
His body wasn’t his anymore.
But he clung on, if only for a moment.
The woman smiled, more genuine somehow. “Will this do, Nicholas? The gene pairing isn’t perfect. But something about this city…. Its much more common here.”
“It has been so long since I have had an adult body. You know what I need….”
She laughed, “We can use the bitch’s bed upstairs in her apartment. But first I need to collect what she stole from me.”
Hanson felt himself fading as his body got out of the patrol vehicle and walked into the Crashdown. He felt an odd twisting feeling and the sky took on a greenish hue.
And he was no more.
------
Adam
Adam walked onto the campus looking for Pam.
Life was so funny. He had scoured universities looking for likely candidates, and here in this dinky dusty town there was a high school full of them.
Most of them would be too weak to be useful, but the studies of the Gandarium mixed with dealing with the Hybrids…..
Adam smiled.
And then there was the Gandarium itself. It did show a few health risks, but it apparently opened a few doors inside the mind of the children who consumed some of it. And it was in the ground water in Roswell and the surrounding towns.
Must have leaked from the ship.
Then there were the aliens themselves. Sure he didn’t have much contact with the so called ‘Royals.’ But Tess was a font of information and technique.
He saw Kyle talking quietly in the corner with another girl. Adam’s eyebrows rose. Kyle seemed very loyal to Tess. But then you never knew.
He looked at the girl and gasped. The girl had no aura.
She was dead.
No. Not quite. There was a faint sheen of aura, but it was Kyle’s.
He gripped the girls arms, and used ever ounce of his gift to scan her.
He could feel her fear, could feel her despair. The body itself was perfectly fine. In fact when the bit of energy from Kyle that was keeping her animate failed, it would go on being perfectly healthy.
But to his powers, he could also see scars. Scars where soul connected to the body. Where the source of her aura had been cut away and taken.
Adam couldn’t help his eyes being very wide with shock, “What happened here? Do you know what has happened?”
Kyle rubbed his forehead, “It’s a long story.”
The girl whimpered, “She warned me. She warned me if I didn’t leave him alone I would be punished. But I never thought it would be like this.” She pulled her arms around her tightly, “I feel so cold inside. So empty.”
All the lights around them flickered and went out for a moment before most of them coming back on.
Adam felt as the world seemed to twist somehow around him. The girl moaned and Kyle suddenly stiffened.
Kyle said, “They are back. And if the others are still out in the desert.“ He closed his eyes for a moment, and nodded, “We are so screwed.”
Adam said, “What?”
Kyle gripped him on the arm, “Look, we have no time. They may already be here.”
“Who?”
“The Skins…..”
------
Garet (once known as Rath)
Garet pulled up his motorcycle to the Crashdown. He watched as a cop and some Latin chick walked in.
Something wasn’t right.
He felt the twisting as the Temporal Device was activated. He looked at the greenish sky.
Damn.
He had hoped he would have a little more time. Now he had to decide what to do.
The hybrids of Roswell were probably in school at this moment. Did he try to link up with them, and hope they weren’t in a shoot first ask questions later sort of mood?
Or did he try to ride out the storm.
He heard a small girl shriek in the Museum behind him.
Once he would have ignored it. In fact, given his current circumstances that would be the wisest course of action….. But the sigil burned into his cheek burned. Reminding of his past.
No. He had sworn he had turned over a new leaf.
Garet went off to be a damn hero.
------
General West.
General West stared at the screen at the increasingly rocky view of the light column. “How long has this been going on?”
The technician said, “About five minutes sir. We called you as soon as we could.”
“That’s alright, son. I want you to contact anything that might be able to get pictures on this. Contact anyone you need and pipe them through to me if they have any questions. I have an important phone call to make…..”
The General moved swiftly back to his office. And its secure line. He picked up the phone and dialed the correct number. He waited a few minutes, “Notify the President that we have an incident here in Roswell….. It will be pretty hard to hide this one….. I will send more information as it becomes available.”
He hung up the phone.
The lights in his office flickered and died. For a few seconds it remained pitch black before everything came back on.
Only when they did, they were joined by a security siren. One that had been rigged to activate if the mysterious signal they had been studying had gone off.
He pulled the gun out of the desk and checked it.
The aliens were not only real, had not only just made their presence known…. They were coming.
-------
Agent Hart.
Agent Hart, the Agent in Charge for the Roswell portion of the Special Unit stared up at the hill’s crest. A beam of solid light connected it and the sky. How high it went, Agent Hart wasn’t sure, because it cut straight through the clouds.
“We have to get up there somehow.”
One of his other agents shook his head, “I can’t seem to find the trail they must have used.”
The beam suddenly cut off. The whole area seemed darker and less hopeful somehow.
“Sir, on the trail!’ an agent called out.
There was a naked young woman walking down the trail. The light didn’t hold to her right somehow. Almost like you could see the back of her as well as the front.
She was beautiful and lithe, but there was something… wrong about her. And not just how the light lingered. Her movements were erratic, almost like someone remembering how to walk. Or a poorly animated puppet.
Worse she was moving faster than she looked. Like the distance she was walking was shorter than the distance he saw.
There was a cry from the top of the hill, a trio of blondes in pursuit of the young woman.
“Liz!”
“What are you doing?”
“Liz, your clothes!”
The woman stood there staring at the agents curiously and entirely without fear. When she looked at each of them, it was like she was looking deep into them. When she looked at him, he felt as if she were touching him somehow. A primal fear woke in him under that gaze. A desperate need to fight or run.
For he knew that she had been tasting him. Seeing if he would be good to consume.
He wasn’t the only one with a gun pointed at her.
“You are Liz Parker?”
She nodded, “Yes, I was called Liz Parker. Yes. Liz….. I am so hungry. Holding that wormhole open. I couldn’t eat one of them. And I shouldn’t, I really shouldn’t…..”
“Liz Parker you are wanted for questioning regarding the disappearance of Daniel Pierce.” Agent Hart noted the panting Tess Harding, Maria Deluca, and Isabel Evans.
Maria was handing clothes to Liz, who just stared at them quizzically. Maria began to mutter something about being as bad as her son. And began to dress Liz.
Tess was talking to Liz quietly but fiercely. Agent Hart couldn’t make it out. But Liz seemed to change. To somehow become more human the longer Tess spoke to her.
Isabel was standing off to the side, looking grim and holding what looked to be a cracked crystal sword. “Is she under arrest or something?
“No. We just have some questions. Just like we will….”
Liz suddenly pulled away, “NO! No, not yet! We aren’t there to help! They will be defenseless!” She stalked up to Agent Hart, “We all need to get to Roswell now! It is under attack.”
Agent Hart looked back towards the town. For a brief moment he saw what looked like a green web over the city. It then vanished.
Liz sobbed and said, “We are too late. We will just have to hope that they were able to pull through and survive.”
Maria and Tess looked worriedly into town.
Maria said, “Michael’s hurt. Just bruises, but….”
Tess nodded, “Kyle is okay. But he’s, I’ve never felt him like this before. Drained and depressed all at once.”
Liz suddenly seemed completely in control. In fact, Agent Hart had the feeling that if this girl told him to do something he would do it himself.
Liz said, “Maria and Isabel, go get Max and Alex. Find our friends and make sure everyone is alright down there. Our friends and parents….. I have a feeling this attack was personal.”
Maria looked over, “And Tess?”
Tess watched Liz cautiously, “I need to keep watch on her. She is going to need me.”
Agent Hart put up his hands, “Look I am only going to take Liz, Tess Harding works for Far Sight and….”
Liz put her hand on his. Only he could feel as something moved from her under his skin. Suddenly he was very frightened again.
Liz nodded, “Yes. You should be afraid. You won’t be taking Tess to protect me. You will be taking her to protect YOU.” And she absently walked over to his car.
Tess followed, keeping close to Liz and talking to her softly.
The other girls scurried off to a different section of the hill.
“Boss, what is going on?”
Agent Hart watched Liz, walking more like a human being now reach the car. “I don’t know, Carver, but things just got interesting. Lets go find out.”
Timelord31- Thanks.
GreginClearwater- Thanks. No it was the Air Force. Far Sight, the new Special Unit, and a division of the Air Force are all part of a knowledge sharing program.
keepsmiling7- Thanks. I basically spent several stories building it up to this point for Tess. She is now more likely to help one of the humans than her podmates. Long term consequences for what Liz has gone through.... They remain to be seen. But she is VERY different now.
Ti88- Thanks. No secret what Max and Alex were doing. That burst of light filled the thousands of pods beneath the pod chamber. Remember the momogram's admonision to practice their leadership? This is why. Max will have an army in about a decade or two.
AvalonRose- THanks. Vanessa is going to suffer for that, much more than she probably deserves I might add.
Disclaimer- Roswell is not mine and no infringement is intended.
Redemption Epilogue
Laurie Dupree-
Laurie staggered into the UFO Museum. It had taken all of her tiny tricks to escape from her apartment. The anguished whimpers coming from Serena’s throat as their attackers had tortured her for information would linger with her forever.
She would likely be joining Serena soon herself. But who could she trust if it was the police who had busted down the door and began interrogating them.
At least they had badges. It was too late when they got close enough for Laurie to sense they weren’t human. Too late.
They hadn’t know she could do the little she could though. All those tiny tricks that had gotten her out of Pinecrest. It had gotten her out of the hand cuffs, and had let her find something heavy enough to batter her guard.
But before he’d gone up in some weird cloud of flakes, he had thrown some bolt of yellow. And she could smell the scent of burnt flesh.
Pain had been one of those limiters the more sadistic folks at Pinecrest had used against her. She had long since learned to ignore pain. Even push herself past the first signs of shock.
Driving here had not been easy.
A cute little girl looked up at her, feet dangling off her chair. She had a alien ball cap and a small version of the workers outfit. Sydney Davis looked up at her. “Sorry, we’re still closed. We open at eleven today….”
Laurie just walked forward, “I need to talk to your father, need….” It was too much. She simply couldn’t stand up anymore.
“DADDY!” Two tiny arms shook her, “Don’t go to sleep. Stay awake.” Sydney turned her head again, “DADDY I NEED YOU!”
“What is it pumpkin, what is wrong…..” A larger set of hands lifted her up slightly and took a look at her wound, “Laurie, what is going on?”
“Safe room, you need to get to safe room. They will be coming here soon.”
“Who? Why?” He shook his head, “We need to get you to a doctor. Laurie this is bad. I’ve never seen anything like this before. What did they use? An acetylene torch?”
Laurie reached inside of herself for the strength she needed, “Listen, Brody. It was aliens, evil aliens. You have things they want. One of them is your daughter. The other is the research Serena was working on for you. Don’t let us die in vain!”
And the world went dark.
-------
Rachel Williams
Rebecca just stared at the light bulb in her hands.
Jenny glanced over at her. “Okay, do it again.”
Rebecca closed her eyes and concentrated. She followed the technique listed in the Book. It seemed to take forever, but there was what could only be thought of as a sense of liquid lighting inside of her.
It was a tiny bit easier to touch this time and she felt as the bulb grew warm in her hands. The light was fitful, flickering on and off.
But it was lit. She was causing a light bulb to glow with her mind.
She wasn’t sure whether the trembling was from the strain or the fear.
“What am I?” She whispered to herself. “Am I even human?”
“You are my friend. We just need to find Alex and get some answers about this Book. And, and…. Have you gotten in contact with your father?”
Rebecca shook her head. “His last message said he would be out of touch until Monday.”
“Does he do that often?”
Rebecca stopped concentrating and the bulb went dark. She set it down. “No, but he has a lot of shadowy contacts. I know he does business with the CIA and FBI and a bunch of others. But seriously half of his stuff just goes to health food stores or herbal shops. But these last couple of months… I don’t know its like there is a part of him I haven’t seen before. Did I tell you he is friends with Tess Harding? To the point that he kept her twin sister up for the winter at our home in Aspen?”
Jennifer shook her head. They drove past the now entering Roswell sign. There appeared to be a work crew assembling some device by the side of the road.
“Alex better have answers. And then I need to talk to Dad.”
Jennifer nodded.
The device the men were working on flashed green and the car suddenly stalled.
Jennifer was turning the keys to restart it, but the engine wouldn’t turn over.
One of the men that had been working on the device was grinning as he walked slowly over to their car. “Fancy running into candidates this close to the border.”
Rebecca turned to Jennifer, “We need to go….”
There was a bright flash and she knew no more.
-------
Deputy Hanson
Hanson couldn’t remember why he had come here. He looked up and saw the Crashdown. A good place to get a cup of coffee and maybe a donut.
He simply had to sit there for a few moments. His head hurt so very badly lately. He had thought about going to the doctor, but something held him back.
And the missing moments of time…..
Like driving here. He liked the Crashdown sure, but lately he’d been hitting the Starbucks closer to the Sheriff’s Office. It was a little pricy but he liked the taste.
Much better than what you got out of the pot back at the office. Hanson shuddered and then moaned from the pain.
A pretty Hispanic woman around his age rapped on his window, “Are you okay in there?”
Hanson looked up at the woman. She seemed familiar somehow. “Just a headache. Thanks.”
She smiled at him. It was not a nice smile. Predatory. “I think you are ready. Finally.” She took out and placed a small clear gem to one of his temples.
He felt as he was shunted into the back of his head. Part of him felt the need to sleep. Felt the need to go away. He could barely hear or see.
His body wasn’t his anymore.
But he clung on, if only for a moment.
The woman smiled, more genuine somehow. “Will this do, Nicholas? The gene pairing isn’t perfect. But something about this city…. Its much more common here.”
“It has been so long since I have had an adult body. You know what I need….”
She laughed, “We can use the bitch’s bed upstairs in her apartment. But first I need to collect what she stole from me.”
Hanson felt himself fading as his body got out of the patrol vehicle and walked into the Crashdown. He felt an odd twisting feeling and the sky took on a greenish hue.
And he was no more.
------
Adam
Adam walked onto the campus looking for Pam.
Life was so funny. He had scoured universities looking for likely candidates, and here in this dinky dusty town there was a high school full of them.
Most of them would be too weak to be useful, but the studies of the Gandarium mixed with dealing with the Hybrids…..
Adam smiled.
And then there was the Gandarium itself. It did show a few health risks, but it apparently opened a few doors inside the mind of the children who consumed some of it. And it was in the ground water in Roswell and the surrounding towns.
Must have leaked from the ship.
Then there were the aliens themselves. Sure he didn’t have much contact with the so called ‘Royals.’ But Tess was a font of information and technique.
He saw Kyle talking quietly in the corner with another girl. Adam’s eyebrows rose. Kyle seemed very loyal to Tess. But then you never knew.
He looked at the girl and gasped. The girl had no aura.
She was dead.
No. Not quite. There was a faint sheen of aura, but it was Kyle’s.
He gripped the girls arms, and used ever ounce of his gift to scan her.
He could feel her fear, could feel her despair. The body itself was perfectly fine. In fact when the bit of energy from Kyle that was keeping her animate failed, it would go on being perfectly healthy.
But to his powers, he could also see scars. Scars where soul connected to the body. Where the source of her aura had been cut away and taken.
Adam couldn’t help his eyes being very wide with shock, “What happened here? Do you know what has happened?”
Kyle rubbed his forehead, “It’s a long story.”
The girl whimpered, “She warned me. She warned me if I didn’t leave him alone I would be punished. But I never thought it would be like this.” She pulled her arms around her tightly, “I feel so cold inside. So empty.”
All the lights around them flickered and went out for a moment before most of them coming back on.
Adam felt as the world seemed to twist somehow around him. The girl moaned and Kyle suddenly stiffened.
Kyle said, “They are back. And if the others are still out in the desert.“ He closed his eyes for a moment, and nodded, “We are so screwed.”
Adam said, “What?”
Kyle gripped him on the arm, “Look, we have no time. They may already be here.”
“Who?”
“The Skins…..”
------
Garet (once known as Rath)
Garet pulled up his motorcycle to the Crashdown. He watched as a cop and some Latin chick walked in.
Something wasn’t right.
He felt the twisting as the Temporal Device was activated. He looked at the greenish sky.
Damn.
He had hoped he would have a little more time. Now he had to decide what to do.
The hybrids of Roswell were probably in school at this moment. Did he try to link up with them, and hope they weren’t in a shoot first ask questions later sort of mood?
Or did he try to ride out the storm.
He heard a small girl shriek in the Museum behind him.
Once he would have ignored it. In fact, given his current circumstances that would be the wisest course of action….. But the sigil burned into his cheek burned. Reminding of his past.
No. He had sworn he had turned over a new leaf.
Garet went off to be a damn hero.
------
General West.
General West stared at the screen at the increasingly rocky view of the light column. “How long has this been going on?”
The technician said, “About five minutes sir. We called you as soon as we could.”
“That’s alright, son. I want you to contact anything that might be able to get pictures on this. Contact anyone you need and pipe them through to me if they have any questions. I have an important phone call to make…..”
The General moved swiftly back to his office. And its secure line. He picked up the phone and dialed the correct number. He waited a few minutes, “Notify the President that we have an incident here in Roswell….. It will be pretty hard to hide this one….. I will send more information as it becomes available.”
He hung up the phone.
The lights in his office flickered and died. For a few seconds it remained pitch black before everything came back on.
Only when they did, they were joined by a security siren. One that had been rigged to activate if the mysterious signal they had been studying had gone off.
He pulled the gun out of the desk and checked it.
The aliens were not only real, had not only just made their presence known…. They were coming.
-------
Agent Hart.
Agent Hart, the Agent in Charge for the Roswell portion of the Special Unit stared up at the hill’s crest. A beam of solid light connected it and the sky. How high it went, Agent Hart wasn’t sure, because it cut straight through the clouds.
“We have to get up there somehow.”
One of his other agents shook his head, “I can’t seem to find the trail they must have used.”
The beam suddenly cut off. The whole area seemed darker and less hopeful somehow.
“Sir, on the trail!’ an agent called out.
There was a naked young woman walking down the trail. The light didn’t hold to her right somehow. Almost like you could see the back of her as well as the front.
She was beautiful and lithe, but there was something… wrong about her. And not just how the light lingered. Her movements were erratic, almost like someone remembering how to walk. Or a poorly animated puppet.
Worse she was moving faster than she looked. Like the distance she was walking was shorter than the distance he saw.
There was a cry from the top of the hill, a trio of blondes in pursuit of the young woman.
“Liz!”
“What are you doing?”
“Liz, your clothes!”
The woman stood there staring at the agents curiously and entirely without fear. When she looked at each of them, it was like she was looking deep into them. When she looked at him, he felt as if she were touching him somehow. A primal fear woke in him under that gaze. A desperate need to fight or run.
For he knew that she had been tasting him. Seeing if he would be good to consume.
He wasn’t the only one with a gun pointed at her.
“You are Liz Parker?”
She nodded, “Yes, I was called Liz Parker. Yes. Liz….. I am so hungry. Holding that wormhole open. I couldn’t eat one of them. And I shouldn’t, I really shouldn’t…..”
“Liz Parker you are wanted for questioning regarding the disappearance of Daniel Pierce.” Agent Hart noted the panting Tess Harding, Maria Deluca, and Isabel Evans.
Maria was handing clothes to Liz, who just stared at them quizzically. Maria began to mutter something about being as bad as her son. And began to dress Liz.
Tess was talking to Liz quietly but fiercely. Agent Hart couldn’t make it out. But Liz seemed to change. To somehow become more human the longer Tess spoke to her.
Isabel was standing off to the side, looking grim and holding what looked to be a cracked crystal sword. “Is she under arrest or something?
“No. We just have some questions. Just like we will….”
Liz suddenly pulled away, “NO! No, not yet! We aren’t there to help! They will be defenseless!” She stalked up to Agent Hart, “We all need to get to Roswell now! It is under attack.”
Agent Hart looked back towards the town. For a brief moment he saw what looked like a green web over the city. It then vanished.
Liz sobbed and said, “We are too late. We will just have to hope that they were able to pull through and survive.”
Maria and Tess looked worriedly into town.
Maria said, “Michael’s hurt. Just bruises, but….”
Tess nodded, “Kyle is okay. But he’s, I’ve never felt him like this before. Drained and depressed all at once.”
Liz suddenly seemed completely in control. In fact, Agent Hart had the feeling that if this girl told him to do something he would do it himself.
Liz said, “Maria and Isabel, go get Max and Alex. Find our friends and make sure everyone is alright down there. Our friends and parents….. I have a feeling this attack was personal.”
Maria looked over, “And Tess?”
Tess watched Liz cautiously, “I need to keep watch on her. She is going to need me.”
Agent Hart put up his hands, “Look I am only going to take Liz, Tess Harding works for Far Sight and….”
Liz put her hand on his. Only he could feel as something moved from her under his skin. Suddenly he was very frightened again.
Liz nodded, “Yes. You should be afraid. You won’t be taking Tess to protect me. You will be taking her to protect YOU.” And she absently walked over to his car.
Tess followed, keeping close to Liz and talking to her softly.
The other girls scurried off to a different section of the hill.
“Boss, what is going on?”
Agent Hart watched Liz, walking more like a human being now reach the car. “I don’t know, Carver, but things just got interesting. Lets go find out.”