Author: SpiderGirl
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Roswell belongs to Fox.
Rating: This is mature. If this isn't your thing then don't read it.
Summary: Things go wrong. They go about as wrong as they possible could and it takes someone with hindsight to try and make things right.
Pairing: Future Max/Future Liz, Mi/Maria, Isabel/Alex, Future-Present Liz/Max. I know that last one sounds odd but trust me all will be explained.
A Note: That's ok Eve. I found it funny more than anything!
Chapter Nine
Michael got home and it was quiet, he'd learnt so much today and even though it had been scary it had opened his eyes. Maria and him were now together and he was going to do everything to make her happy, he was going to give her his world just like she'd said. But now that he was back home at his trailer and his world was so small and it wasn't a happy one, how could he give that to Maria? He needed to make himself better so he could make her happy, he needed a job and needed to get out of this place. He didn't want Maria to see this dump
“Where were you?” Hank demanded, he looked up and was surprised to see him standing there. He was even more surprised to see a trendy woman just reaching her forties standing right next to Hank
“Oh, is this your son?” she asked warmly
“Yeah... my son Mickey”
“My name's Michael” he answered roughly “Lady, what are you doing with a drunk, child abusing, lazy slob like him?”
“Michael! That's a laugh...” he chuckled nervously “The kid's got a great sense of humour”
“Hank was telling me about he looks after you and how he encourages you to do your best in school”
“What's going on? Who are you? Hank doesn't do any of that stuff. I don't know what tales he's been spinning to you but that's absolute crap”
“Michael... why don't you go to your room so me and this nice lady can talk. You can do your homework before dinner”
“Are you going to throw ingredients at me and demand me to make you a meal again?”
“You threw stuff at him?” she gasped incredulously, Hank laughed and shook his head before a little too roughly playfully rubbed Michael's hair
“He's got a real funny sense of humour. I've never thrown stuff at him” he announced
“It was last night!” he protested
“Mr Whitmore" began the woman “I don't think that this home is a suitable environment for Michael”
“No it is. It is, he's just messing” he said trying to back track
“Michael, my name is Annie Brooks. I'm a social worker and I'm coming to check up on some complaints neighbours made. I think that it'd be best if you were removed from this home and taken back into care”
“What? No! I don't want to go into care! I'll be separated from all my friends and family! I don't want to leave my brother and sister!”
“Brother and sister? My records show that you're an only child here” she said as she picked up a folder and flipped through it
“Max and Isabel, they're my brother and sister” he announced “When I was found in the desert they were found a week before. I was out there for a full week... I remember them. I remember walking around holding their hands. We're triplets”
“That is something I have to check on... but for now I think you better get your stuff and come with me”
“Where are you taking me?” he asked
“Back to the care home. There should be an available bed tonight and tomorrow we'll discuss what we're going to do” she said, Michael grabbed all his stuff and shoved it in his backpack
“Fine, I'm ready to go. I want to get the ball rolling on becoming emancipated tomorrow” he said “I need to turn my life around. I want to get a job to better myself and support myself”
“That's good Michael”
“Wait! What about me?” asked Hank “Will I still be getting the cheque each month?”
“No. You won't... and if we find out that the money wasn't spent on giving Michael and good and happy life then you'd have to pay it back”
“You can't do that” he cried
“Oh we can and will. You'll be hearing from us Mr Guerin, let's go Michael” she said then ushered him out of the trailer to her car. Michael stared at the car before grinning widely, suddenly everything clicked into place.
Michael slid into the passenger seat as Annie Brooks climbed into the driver's side and started the car. After five minutes Michael couldn't help it, he'd kept the charade up long enough
“So where are we really going Langley?”
“How did you know it was me?” asked 'Annie' with a smirk
“That car. It was the same one you were driving before, I remembered”
“Smart. We're going to my hotel room and tomorrow... we'll look for a place for you. I hear Liz is looking to move out. Maybe you could get a place with her since she is your sister in law?”
“Sounds like a plan... and Langley?”
“Yeah?”
“Thanks” said Michael warmly. He never imagined how fast things would change for the better, he was glad that Max healed Liz... he was glad that she'd brought so much hope in his life.
*
She looked round the place and nodded in appreciation, she tested all the doors for thickness and sturdiness. She checked the windows to see how easy they were to open and lastly she made sure that there was another way to get out if people were coming in the front; there was a fire escape at the back of the building. Liz nodded
“This place is good” she told the realtor, her dad was standing by the doorway and despite agreeing to his he was still upset that she wanted to move out of her childhood home “I'll start moving my stuff in after school”
“After school?” he gasped “Don't you want to wait a bit?”
“Why?” she asked him blankly “I need to be free to come and go whenever I want... and I need to tell Michael... he needs to get out of that place” she wandered off talking to herself, making plans
“Michael?”
“Yeah, I want Michael to come and live here with me”
“But what about Max?” he asked incredulously, the realtor just watched the two of them with interested eyes.
“What about him? Michael's my brother, I'm not leaving him to Hank anymore. I don't want that monster using my brother as a punching bag or target practice. Besides, I have no chance with Michael... he's madly in love with Maria”
“Okay... I'll sign for this place and you better get to school” he said finally before a smile played on his lips, he added “You have a lot more people relying on you now than me and your mother... your highness” Liz was smiling as she left the building and went downstairs to find Max waiting for her in his jeep
“Morning!” he couldn't believe she was so cheerful when she'd been close to breaking down the night before. She climbed into the jeep and startled him by learning over invading his space. Their lips touched and his eyes fluttered close, his hand rose up to tangle in her hair and hold her there, the kiss deepened and he lost all sense of time and place. Stars exploded behind his eyes and he got brief flashes of all the times from her line that they'd made out.
She pulled away and he just sat there dazed, she couldn't help but giggle at how he rubbed his fingertips over his mouth “You want me to drive?”
“Oh uhh... yeah, school, yeah” he stumbled as he started his car and drove them both to school.
Without a second thought Liz climbed out of the jeep, grabbed her bag and held out her hand for Max. He just stared at her in disbelief
“Are you coming?”
“No, I want to talk to you first...” he began she could tell he was nervous so she quickly slid back into the passenger seat
“Is it about last night?”
“No. Yes.... Look Liz, I really care about you... a lot. You know this... but you're married”
“Yes I am... I'm married to you” she answered him but he firmly shook his head
“No, not to me. To the Max from your time line... I'm not him Liz and as much as I love you I don't want you to be with me just because we're the same person. He's got all these years on me and knowledge I don't. Can you really be happy with me? I'm not the guy you married, I don't want you to have to settle”
“Max... whether you're forty three years or sixteen years old you'll always be my husband. I fell in love with you when we were both sixteen and nothing can change that. Yes I am married but that's in the future... it hasn't happened yet”
“But it has for you... I don't want you to hate me for not being the same...”
“Max” she whispered stopping from talking “I got married to you when I was nineteen. I love you... all versions of you, no matter what. For now... we're not married, I guess we'd have to start over... that's if you'll have me. I'd like to be your girlfriend”
“I'd like that too. Of course I'd have you, I'd be crazy not too” he replied slowly leaning in to brush his mouth against hers “Now let's go to class”
“One day Max... one day we'll be married” she said as he helped her down from the jeep
“Yeah... one day. Just not today” he linked fingers with her and walked into school.
*
He paced the floor of his room, he'd been up all night pretty much pacing... his mind was too full for him to get any rest. He'd seen through her eyes, he'd seen everything and how Max had saved his life when he got shot. He saw the death of his father... hell even his own death! He saw how close he became with Isabel when they were on the road, he even saw how Alex died and what Tess made him do. As soon as he got in and saw his room he had to hit the bathroom to throw up... someone died in his room. No, he thought... someone will die... he shook his head. The worst part about it was he felt like he lived it, like it had already happened. He felt every emotion, every thought she felt and it was driving him crazy; he didn't want this knowledge in his head!
His alarm rang and he glared at it, it stopped abruptly and slowly began to melt. He backed away and wanted to curl up in the corner but someone knocked at his door
“Kyle?”
“Dad” he greeted him as his dad came in
“How you doing?”
“I couldn't sleep... been awake all night” he replied and Jim nodded, Kyle flopped down on the bed brushing his hair back with his fingers
“Me too” said Jim “Do you want to talk about it?”
“No” his son shook his head “I don't. Dad... is all that really going to happen?”
“I hope not” he said with a sigh “That's why she came back though, that's why she used the Granolith to come back here so all that wouldn't happen. I'm going to help her, whatever she needs me to do in order for that crap... to stop it then I'm there”
“Dad...” he began “I'm there too... I would have died if it weren't for them... I will die if things don't get changed... all of Earth. Whatever she needs me to do then I'll be there to help her”
“Good, I think you should get ready for school now” he said finally and Kyle sighed
“It's insane to be thinking about school... I feel like I should be training or building my powers up to fight so we have a better chance”
“Powers? You haven't got them yet, you're not been healed” he pointed out, Kyle just pointed at his alarm clock
“I don't know how it happened but I have powers now. You think that Liz did something to me during that connection thing yesterday?”
“I don't know... I don't know how this works, you can ask her when you see her at school. Does it bother you?”
“No, I thought it would but it doesn't. It just means I can protect myself and the people I care about like Isabel and... oh my God. Alex!”
“That wasn't your fault, she mindwarped you”
“But still... how am I going to face him? How can I even hang around with him knowing that I was the one who carried out his body?”
“Kyle... it wasn't your fault. You were being controlled”
“But I knew what she could do! I should have fought against her! I shouldn't have let her do that to me!” he was becoming hysterical
“Son, it wasn't your fault” Jim grabbed him by the shoulders and tried to make him believe it. Kyle started to cry and all Jim could do was hold him as he sobbed
“I'm sorry dad. I'm sorry that I did that”
“Hey... shhh. If you want I'll call the school and we'll both just stay here and talk about it today, if you want”
“No, dad, that's okay” he sniffed and wiped his nose with the back of his hand “I need to talk to Max and Liz... I'm going to ask if I can go with Langley, now that I know I have powers I want him to help me strengthen them so I can protect my family”
“Okay” he said with a nod, Jim said nothing about Alex going too and that Kyle would be around him most of the time; he figured that his son had realised that and bringing it up would only upset him more.
Kyle drove to school just in time to see Max and Liz walking in holding hands, he wasn't surprised to say the least and the anger and jealousy he'd felt over Liz dumping him had gone away; he knew that they were meant to be together and they'd end up together no matter what he did. From what he saw in the future he'd gotten close to Isabel but there wasn't really anyone in his life; he'd died a single and lonely guy
“That's not going to happen to me. I'm not dying without someone to love and miss me” he said to himself.
*
“Yes, hello is this Laurie DuPree?” asked Kal as he sat in his hotel room. Michael had stayed with him last night and he'd gone on and on about how he wanted to rescue Laurie because she was like a sister to him. Much to his annoyance Kal found himself on the phone to her aunt and uncle in Tucson
“She's not here at the moment... who can I say is calling” asked the woman, presumably Meredith
“I'm a old family friend of her grandpa's... I was just wondering if I could talk to her?”
“I'm sorry but Laurie isn't well. She's staying at Pinecrest Psychiatric Institute until she gets better” said Meredith intent on that being the last of it and he could tell she was about to hang up
“Meredith isn't it? My name is Kal Langley and I have a few bits of information that you might find interesting”
“Are you trying to black mail me Mr Langley?”
“You're lucky that I'm doing just that because if I had my way I'd remove you from the picture entirely. Now, I know that you're paying the good people at Pinecrest to say that Laurie is crazy so you can stay at her grandfathers house which was willed to her after Charles DuPree passed away”
“That's nonsense”
“I have all the details in front of me. I want you out of that house by five pm this afternoon and I want Laurie DuPree released and on a place to Roswell New Mexico as soon as possible. If either of those terms fails to come to pass then I'll go to the authorities with what you've done then I'll be coming after you”
“And what do you get out of it?” she asked coldly
“All I want is it get Laurie away from people like you. My original offer stands, I'll be sending my people to make sure you're gone” he said then hung up.
He sighed deeply then lit up a cigar, it was all he needed! Another person to look after, he'd have to let her stay at his place until she was well enough to move back home. With Michael being there, he could look after her, she was related to him after all. She could be Michael's problem.
He got up and shifted into a button down white collar business man, grabbed his brief case and headed to West Roswell. He was going to sort out a training program for gifted students; mainly Michael, Maria and Alex... he wouldn't be surprised if some of the others wanted to come too but he was only going to have space for four people now that Laurie would probably be staying with him for a short time. He was quickly running out of rooms in his big Los Angeles house that he'd prided himself for maintaining; God only knew how those 'kids' were going to ruin it on him.
*
Jeff quietly shut the door to their apartment behind him and crept in. He didn't want to disturb Nancy, she'd been so upset about Liz moving out; she'd be furious knowing that he'd put down the deposit for a place for her. At least it was only a few blocks down the street and if she ever needed her parents then they wouldn't be too far away... but if was the key word there.
“You found her a place didn't you” he stopped short and saw Nancy sitting on Liz's bed folding her clothes that had been scattered round “Jeff, are we doing the right thing?”
“I don't know, Nancy, I don't know. But what alternative do we have? If we don't support her on this then she could make a big mistake and this is much bigger than missing a rent payment or forgetting to pay a bill”
“I know. It's still not fair that our little girl has the weight of two worlds on her shoulders! How can she handle the pressure?”
“Because she's our daughter and we raised her to do just that. I'm proud of her Nancy, so very proud of her and I think we did a really good job” he said as he sat down next to her “Not only does she become end up marrying a king but she works hard in trying to save the planet. She's mastered time travel and travelled to another world... she's given so much and if that isn't worth of being proud of then I don't know what is”
“But she shouldn't have to do those things. It's not fair on her”
“I know but it's her choice. Some things were out of her hands but I have a feeling she wouldn't have traded the bad times because then she'd have to trade everything and the good outweighed the bad. She had a happy life and she had people who loved her and now... she's got the chance to make everything right. She's got another chance to turn the bad things around and have nothing but good. That's what you want for her isn't it?”
“Yes it is. After what she's been through she deserves it... the only thing that bothers me is that if she succeeds then she'll still remember all the bad stuff”
“We can't do anything about that. We can only support her and make her memories happy instead of bad”
“Okay” she nodded
“I think I better tell you this now... after Michael is all trained up she wants him to live with her”
“What about Max?”
“What about him? She said Michael was her brother and wanted to protect him from Hank his foster father. Besides from what I saw last night when we saw her memories Michael is a pretty stand up guy... if he's the one to make Maria Deluca an honest woman then he's got more than bravery needed”
“You're right there. I'm going to miss Maria when she's away... when they come back we have to hire Michael to work in the kitchen. He's going to need money to support Maria and the twins” she said “God! They haven't even got together yet and I'm already talking about their kids!”
“I know. It feels like all that's happened doesn't it, even though none of it's even started I feel like I've been through all those years. I hope that this time I get to give my little girl away when she gets married”
“You will do” she said finally with a warm smile “Now why don't you go and keep an eye on the cafe so I can actually get this folding done” he took the hint and headed back downstairs.
TBC...
... so I'm going to try and do my best and finish these off from memory. 