Replica (AUwA, CC, M/L) A/N 20/05/09 [WIP]

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Replica (AUwA, CC, M/L) A/N 20/05/09 [WIP]

Post by SpiderGirl »

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Title: Replica
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: Maxwell Evans is abducted from a camp site near his home in California while camping out with his big brother Michael Evans. On the same night on the other side of the country in Boston Liz Parker is driving home after visiting her best friend Maria Deluca when she is abducted as well. They are missing for three months, their family and friends begin to suspect that they will never been seen again. The two family get their children back but something has happened to them to change them. The two returnees feel a strange pull towards the unknown other but try and deny it because of the memories that they have from the time they were abducted.
Pairing: All CC, mainly focusing on Max(Zan)/Liz(Ava).
Notes: Liz is the only child of the Parkers, her best friend is Maria Deluca and her ex-boyfriend is Sean Deluca. The Evans have three children; Isabel, Michael and Max. Only Max is their biological son, Isabel and Michael were adopted when they were four years old and they are twins three years older than Max. The Crash never happened in Roswell and the world isn't aware of the possibility of alien existence that dawned from the 'supposed' Crash in 1947. This is an idea spawning from an original story I wrote years ago and the idea of cloning I wrote about in Hindsight.

Prologue


The ship hovered in orbit in the atmosphere high above California, it was being piloted by five Antarian geneticist shape shifters who were the last of their kind. The ship was carrying DNA samples of every being from the five planets; they had been ordered to try and create hybrids in order for their race to live on

“Have you found any compatible Earth creatures that could be hybridised with the genetic material of King Zan?” asked Nasero as he stood over the control panel looking at the read outs

“We have found a few but there is one that appears promising” answered Kaatori who opened the information and displayed it on the screen in front of them

“Transport all of them up here, test if their blood is compatible. Start with him” he said pointing a long grey finger at a dark haired amber eyed boy in his late teenage years “I will contact the other ship and see if they have located any females that could be hybridised with Queen Ava's genetic material”

“Yes sir” Kaatori replied, he closed down the information files and began setting up the location locks on their possible subjects to beam them up.

Chapter One


Max smiled happily as he set the fish he'd caught earlier that day up on the grill to cook, Michael was busy setting up the tent just as sun was starting to go down. It had been a while since they'd come out here to camp because Michael had been away at college studying Art and Archaeology at UCLA.

Max was the baby of the family at nineteen and he looked up to his big brother and sister who happened to be twins. He pretty much followed them around like a little puppy when they came home to visit, Isabel would have been on this trip as well but she couldn't get away from her studying to be a doctor so she told them to go and have a good time without her.

“Little brother, how are the fish doing?” Michael called once he'd finally erected the tent

“I just put them on, I take it the tents are up then?” he replied as his big brother came and dropped himself down on a log near the fire then grunted his answer “Good coz I have to go pee. Would you look after them while I'm gone... make sure they don't burn”

“Yeah, yeah” he nodded then looked up as Max walked off towards the trees. He was proud of Max who had graduated at the top of his class and had been valedictorian, he was a bit miffed that his little bro would be following in the footsteps of their sister by training to become a paediatrician but he was still proud non the less. He turned back to the fire and cursed when he saw the fish starting to produce black smoke.

Max walked some distance from the camp site towards the trees because they were close to the lake so they could get in good fishing while they were here. He looked around briefly making sure no one was around, assured that he was alone he unzipped his fly and let loose into the bushes with a relieved sigh. He zipped up when he was done and turned round to go back to the tent when a bright blinding light shone down on him; he felt like he was being with a strange force and he froze with fright

“Michael! Michael! Help me!” he cried out in fear as he felt weightless all of a sudden and his feet left the ground.

Michael dropped the fish when he heard his baby brother calling him for help. He stood up sharply as he heard the voice in the distance

“Max?” he mumbled looking at the trees, he could see the bright light shining through the trees but he couldn't see the cause of it

“Oh God! Michael! Heelp Mee...” Max's scream was cut off and the light vanished with a roaring whoosh

“Max!” he shouted as he rushed towards the trees looking for his baby brother. He reached the area that Max had been standing in and found the trees charred and smoking and his brother was no where in sight...

***
“Oh you be careful driving home” said Maria as she hugged her best and oldest friend goodbye, Liz Parker had spent the past two weeks with her before she went back to Harvard. She'd been at college getting things set up and decided to visit her friend who was attending Juilliard to study music

“I will” she replied as she hugged her back “You know me”

“Yeah you drive like you're eighty. At least I'll never have to worry about you crashing!” she chuckled

“I can't believe we're not going to be at the same college” said Liz sadly “We've always done everything together”

“Yeah I know. But I just don't have the brains to be a molecule thingy-ma-jig and you're tone deaf” she pointed out making Liz smile

“I'm going to miss you” she stated finally “I'll email you when I get home and let you know I'm okay”

“You better!”

“Bye”

“Bye Chica” said Maria, she watched Liz leave her dormitory before shutting the door.

She climbed into her old beat up Beetle and got on the road to go home. She would miss her friend but they could still email and Maria had promised to come out to Boston when she had her next break. Several hours later found Liz switching on the radio hoping to fill the silence as she reached a lonely road going through some trees near a large canyon and her heart began to race as she travelled the dark stretch alone. Her mind conjured up all sorts of strange twisted nightmares that could happen while she was driving

“Get a grip, Parker, nothings going to happen to you. You're just freaking out” she told herself as she focused on the road. Suddenly a bright blinding light filled her senses and she felt like she being ripped backwards through the car until she was standing in the middle of the road. She watched her car continue onwards down the road without her “My car!” she cried not realising the situation she was in then the weightlessness hit her and she felt herself rising up off the ground before the light vanished leaving a circle of melted asphalt behind.

The car continued on the road until it reached a safety rail, it crashed through it then went over the edge into the canyon below where it exploded on impact.

***

Diane woke up the loud brisk knocking at her front door, it was the early hours of the morning and she and her husband, Philip had both been in bed. She grabbed her robe then quickly padded down the carpeted stairs to see who on earth could be knocking at this time of night.

Opening the door she was faced with her worst nightmare, there were two police officers standing on her porch while behind them she could see Michael sat in the back of a cruising crying into his hands

“What? What is it? What's happened?” she demanded as her face fell

“Are you Diane Evans? Mother of Michael and Max Evans?”

“Yes I am. Where's Max? Where's my baby?” she took a step out hoping to see him sat next to Michael but he was no where in sight. Michael looked up and rubbed the last few tears from his eyes then got out of the back of the car

“Your youngest son is missing. We believe he may have been kidnapped” explained one of the officers. Michael hurried over to help his mother as she collapsed against the door frame

“Mom!” he cried as he rushed over to help her

“Who would have wanted to kidnap him? He was just a kid!” she shouted

“We're following every lead. It's very likely we'll find whoever took him because his brother raised the alarm promptly. An officer is going to stay with you and we'll keep you informed of any update” said the other officer. Philip came down to see what was going when his wife hadn't returned to bed and saw the drama unfolding on his front porch

“What's going on?”

“Max is missing” said Diane as she began to cry. Michael helped his mother inside and an officer followed them, she was nice with warm sympathetic eyes

“Michael? What happened?” he asked firmly

“Someone took him. He went to the... toilet and the next thing I know there's this bright light and he's calling for my help” he looked up shaking his head as tears filled his eyes “He sounded so scared. When I got there he was gone... I don't know who took him or how they managed to get him so quickly. I-I tried to find him, I must have run all over those damn woods looking for him before I called the Park Ranger”

“It's going to be okay. I'm sure he probably just wandered off” said the young police officer; her name tag read Banks “Is there anyone you'd like me to call?”

“Isabel... she doesn't know. Philip call her and tell her to come home right away!” she cried and he did as she asked, she wanted her children here where she could see them. She needed to know that Isabel was okay “What if something has happened to her too? What if someone is targeting us?”

“Mom, they would have taken me too. If they had I wouldn't have been able to raise the alarm” Michael pointed out “I'm sorry mom, I'm sorry I let this happen. I should have been watching him I should have known that someone was there!”

“Oh Michael it's not your fault” she answered him, pulling him close “I don't blame you. I'm just glad you're safe”

“I'm sorry mommy. I'm so sorry” he started crying as she held him.

“Isabel's coming home. She's okay... I asked if anyone had been hanging around her and she said no. Michael? Are you okay?”

“Shhh” Diane said glancing up at him as she rocking her eldest son while he cried.

*

“Do we know who was driving?” asked the officer standing near the broken rail guard looking at what was left of the smoking, charred Beetle

“The plate was registered to a Liz Parker. We did some back tracking... she left her friends' place three hours ago. I wonder what happened to her...” the man in charge replied “What have you got on the melted asphalt back there?”

“No clue... whatever caused it to melt like that must have been hot. I had to look up how hot is has to be to melt like that”

“How hot?”

“300 degrees Fahrenheit” he replied as the two of them walked to the puddle of bubbling liquid “Detective... do they... do they look like footprints to you?”

“They do. Can we find out what Miss Parker was wearing before she disappeared? If those are her shoe prints then how on earth was she standing on 300 degrees asphalt without hurting herself? Surely if she had been standing there she would have left marks on the dry road around the circle”

“This is a mystery. Do you want me to notify the parents?”

“No, no. I'll do it... her parents will probably know something's wrong since she hasn't arrived home yet”

*

Detective Mathis pulled up outside a large bustling restaurant, it took him ten minutes to find the place and fifteen minutes to drive there. The sun had come up and it was a new day, one that the parents of this girl would have to face with worry; he always hated this part of his job.

The restaurant turned out to be a short order diner and it was busy with the morning rush, a brown haired man in his early forties stood behind the counter serving people. It was clear to see that he was Liz's father, and if not then he was very closely related to her

“Mr Parker? Mr Jeff Parker?”

“Yes” replied the man looking up blinking in surprise at being addressed like this

“Detective Samuel Mathis of the Boston PD. I'm afraid there's been an accident, sir” he explained as he flashed his badge

“An accident? Who? Nancy? Liz?” he began to shake and went pale. Mathis figured that Nancy was the man's wife

“Your daughter, Liz, she was involved in a car accident”

“Is she okay?” he whispered fearfully

“I think it's best that we talk in private. There are some strange circumstances surrounding your daughter's accident”

“Yes, yes of course... we can talk in my office” he said as he took off his apron and led Mathis into the back room which doubled as an office “Tell me, is my daughter alive?”

“Honestly, sir, we don't know. We believe so but she very well may be badly injured and confused”

“What happened?”

“Her car went through a safety rail down a steep drop and exploded. Now we suspect that something may have happened because she wasn't in the car when it went over, we did find evidence that she might have been standing on the road but no further evidence to suggest she might have walked off. Tell me, Mr Parker, did your daughter have any enemies? Anyone who would want to cause her harm?”

“What? No! No! No one would want to hurt her, she is a good kid... she graduated valedictorian and got into Harvard. Everyone around here adored her”

“She was well known?”

“She worked here and was known and loved by all the regulars and she worked for several charities”

“There wasn't anyone who could have been jealous of her? Any jilted ex boyfriends?”

“She broke up with Sean because she was going to college, he didn't take it too well... um that's Sean Deluca. He was her best friend's cousin”

“Do you have his address?” he asked as he opened up his little note pad

“I don't have it. But Maria might... that's Liz's best friend... give me a sec and I'll find her address”

“We already have it. Maria was the one who reported in that her friend hadn't checked in, we connected the dots and found the crash”

“She can't have wandered far from it could she?” he asked desperately “Oh god what am I going to tell Nancy?”

“If you want we can have an officer come by for you both to talk to and keep you updated on any information we get”

“Yes, yes that would be good” he nodded as he reached for the phone to let Nancy know that Liz was missing.

TBC...
Last edited by SpiderGirl on Wed May 20, 2009 8:12 am, edited 9 times in total.
"Would it be okay if I ride home with you after school?"
"Sure you can ride me home... I mean ride you home..." he trailed off feeling deeply embarrassed
"I'd like that" she said feeling unlike herself, he grinned and they began working although not really paying attention. - Max & Liz in Where I Follow.
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Re: Replica (AUwA, CC, M/L) Pro + Chap1 17/04/09

Post by SpiderGirl »

Title: Replica
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: Maxwell Evans is abducted from a camp site near his home in California while camping out with his big brother Michael Evans. On the same night on the other side of the country in Boston Liz Parker is driving home after visiting her best friend Maria Deluca when she is abducted as well. They are missing for three months, their family and friends begin to suspect that they will never been seen again. The two family get their children back but something has happened to them to change them. The two returnees feel a strange pull towards the unknown other but try and deny it because of the memories that they have from the time they were abducted.
Pairing: All CC, mainly focusing on Max(Zan)/Liz(Ava).
Notes: Liz is the only child of the Parkers, her best friend is Maria Deluca and her ex-boyfriend is Sean Deluca. The Evans have three children; Isabel, Michael and Max. Only Max is their biological son, Isabel and Michael were adopted when they were four years old and they are twins three years older than Max. The Crash never happened in Roswell and the world isn't aware of the possibility of alien existence that dawned from the 'supposed' Crash in 1947. This is an idea spawning from an original story I wrote years ago and the idea of cloning I wrote about in Hindsight.
mirae01 wrote:Interesting. Isabel and Michael, are they aliens too?
Isabel and Michael aren't aliens, the Evans decided to adopt since they were having a hard time having kids. They adopted twins Isabel and Michael when they were four years old. Max is the Evans biological son, he was born when Isabel and Michael were seven. The basic premise of this story is that Max and Liz are abducted and what is returned is completely different that what was taken. Thanks for the feedback! Here's the next part! Enjoy!
Chapter Two


3 Months Later

She stumbled forward, her bare feet slapped against the road, she almost fell over but managed to stop herself at the last minute. As she stood there she realised several things; it was dark but she could see clearly, it was cold and she didn't know exactly where she was.

“Where's my car?” she mumbled to herself then looked down and her eyes went wide “Where's my clothes!” she took off towards the lights she could see hoping she could find a phone or someone to help her.

There were several people milling around in the early evening and with luck she managed to get directed to the local police station. She stopped at the desk and looked around, she couldn't really do anything about the fact that she was naked but she was very embarrassed

“I help you, miss?” asked the young deputy manning the desk

“Um, yes you can. You can get me a t-shirt or a blanket or something and stop staring at my breasts!” she ordered him and he hurried off to get a blanket from the supply cupboard. When he came back she wrapped it around herself then explained what happened “I was driving home when there was this light. The next thing I know my car is gone, my clothes are gone and I have no idea where I am”

“You're in Medfield, miss...”

“Parker... my name is Liz Parker” she replied “I'd like to call my parents. Maybe they could come and get me” he nodded then pushed the phone over to her. She called them up and her mom answered

“Hello?” Nancy asked, she sounded like she'd been crying

“Mom...”

“Liz! Is that you? Oh my God! Where are you?!” she demanded interrupting her with a barrage of questions.

“I'm in a place called Medfield. Could you come and get me I'm at the the Sheriff's office, I don't know where my car is” she explained and then her mother began to sob and cry once more “Mom? Mom, what's wrong?”

“I'm just so happy that I can hear your voice. I'll be there as soon as I can” she promised then hung up.

“She's coming to get me” she said with a smile then sat down

“So... uhh you must have been out partying a little too heartily last night” said the deputy “I'm Kyle by the way”

“No, I was driving home. College starts next week and I needed to be back at my dormitory in time for Freshers Fair”

“College semesters started three months ago, it's mid November” Kyle pointed out making Liz scowl

“No it's not it's the last week of August” she corrected him, he shook his head and tossed her the newspaper he'd been reading before she came in. The date on it was the 15th of November “I've been gone for three months? What the hell happened to me?”

She strained to remember, she was on the hill in her car and then there was a light and then she was outside the car. How did I get outside my car? She thought to herself, then she pushed further and saw several hands and pain exploded in her mind. Deputy Kyle glanced up in time to see her eyes roll back in her head and her body slumped backwards

“Help! Someone call an ambulance!” he shouted as he moved round the counter desk to lay her down on the floor and begin CPR.

*

Nancy put the phone down then called up the stairs to the apartment above the restaurant to her husband. He came rushing down the stairs

“What? What is it?”

“That was Liz. She was on the phone... she's alive Jeff! She's alive and she called me, she's in Medfield. I'm going to pick her up”

“I'm coming with you” he said grabbing his coat. All the leads and appeals for information had been nothing but duds and dead ends and they were close to giving up hope

“I can't believe she's alive!” she cried as she rushed out to the car and got in “I wonder if she's been there the entire time? So close to home!”

“If she was so close then why now? Did she sound hurt?”

“She sounded fine... but she said about her car being gone. I don't think she knows she was in an accident”

“Well we can take her to the hospital to make sure she's okay. I can't believe we've got our baby back!”

***

Isabel and Michael got out of the jeep and looked around before Isabel reached for her twin brother's hand and the two of them walked into the hospital. They followed the signs until they reached the destination

“I don't think I can do this” she whispered as she stood in front of the double doors that said morgue

“It's not him. We'll go in there and it won't be him, he's still out there... I know it” said Michael who was equally as pale as her “No one would want to hurt Max... he's just a baby. No one would hurt him”

“Someone did” Isabel whispered “Someone hurt him to take our baby brother from us”

“Oh God, what if it is him Isabel? What if he's lying there and I won't be able to make this better... it's my fault that he was taken... I should have...”

“What? Offered yourself up in his place?” she snapped , before shaking her head“I have to know”

Michael followed her through the double doors to the small reception that was on the other side, she cleared her throat and spoke to the technician sat behind the counter; he was a tall, thin guy wearing glasses on his head

“Can I help you two?”

“Yes, we're here to identify a body. The detective in charge said it was a John Doe brought in last night”

“Yeah... this way” he got up off his computer chair and came out through a door then led them down the hall to the cold storage unit. He grabbed a pair of rubber gloves from a side table then opened a draw pulling out a shelf. Michael gripped Isabel's hand for dear life as the tall technician lifted back the thin sheet and revealed their little brother. There were strange markings over his face and shoulders but it was definitely him

“Oh God” she gasped as her legs gave out and she tumbled against her younger twin

“Th-that's him. That's our brother Maxwell Evans” said Michael as tears filled his eyes “I'm so sorry little brother, I'm sorry I let this happen to you” the technician put the sheet back over Max's body and pushed the shelf back into the wall and closed the door then helped Michael lead Isabel to the waiting room.

“Michael... promise me, promise Max, that you'll find out who killed our baby brother and make him suffer”

“I promise” he nodded coldly. They'd have to tell their parents, Diane had been so traumatised about coming down here that she'd asked the two of them to do it.

*

Diane paced back and forth waiting for her twins to get back from the hospital, she didn't want to hear bad news. It had been three months since Max had disappeared and there had been not a word of who had taken him or why until this morning when the officer in charge of Max's case had called saying that a John Doe had been found. Philip had been immersing himself in his work at the office and hardly coming home at all because he was beginning to believe that Max really was dead and gone.

She scowled then her heart fell into her stomach as she heard someone on the porch. Michael and Isabel were back! She gripped her hands then flung open the door expecting to see their sad faces but there was no one there.

“Michael? Isabel” she whispered as she slowly crept out and looked to her right down the path but no one was there and the jeep was nowhere in sight. She shook her head thinking that she'd imagined what she'd heard and was about to go back inside when she saw him sitting crouched between the little bench and the wall of the house “Max?”

He jumped when he heard her voice but didn't come out from his hiding space, he was biting his thumb nail and staring off into the distance. She slowly walked forward then knelt down in front of him “Max? It's mom...” she held out her hand hoping he would take it but he didn't. A few minutes passed before his searching eyes swung around to meet her wondering ones

“M-mom?” he blinked then practically shot forward into her arms, she wrapped her arms tight around and smiled for the first time in months

“It's okay, baby, it's okay you're home” said Diane soothingly as she gathered him up and led him inside. She set him down on the couch then wrapped the Afghan blanket around him then went to the stairs and called for her husband “Philip! Come down here! Quick!”

“Mom? What happened?” he mumbled “I wish with Michael then that light and... OH GOD! Those hands!” he leapt from the couch and the blanket fell away from him. Diane hurried back to her youngest son and tried to stop him from hurting himself as Philip came jogging down the stairs, he stopped halfway when she saw Max trying to fight unknown attackers

“Max?”

“Philip! Help me!” cried Diane as Max pulled away and tried to hide underneath a table in the corner. Philip came running down and the two of them stooped near the table trying to coax him out when Michael and Isabel came home. He led his big sister in through the open door and saw his parents crouched looking at something under the table

“Mom? Dad?” Michael tried to look past them to see what they were staring at, they stood up stepping apart to turn around and his eyes went wide. Isabel screamed when she saw what was under the table “Oh My God!”

“You're dead! You're dead!” Isabel shrieked “I saw you! You're dead!” Max clapped his hands over his ears and started rocking

“Isabel! Isabel! Shut up!” Michael shouted at her, in the end because she wouldn't stop screaming he dragged her into the kitchen

“That's not Max! That can't be Max!”

“Stay here. I'll find out what's going on!” he said then went back into the living room to see what the hell was going on. He came over and stood near his mom “Mom, Max was at the morgue. It was him, he was dead” he whispered “Both Isabel and I saw it. This has to be some sick joke or something”

Philip knelt down and looked at the terrified boy hiding under the old table covered with photos, he held out his hand

“Will you come out? It's okay” he said then Michael knelt down and gasped at the realness of it all, who ever was pulling this prank was very good

“Who are you? Why are you pretending to be my brother?” he demanded, Max looked up and Michael had to bite his lip; this was too real to be a joke... it was too perfect and too alike his baby brother

“Michael?” he slid forward at little bit so the light hit his hair “I called and called, why didn't you come and help me. I was scared... so scared! And those hands, they grabbed me...They GRABBED Me!”

Isabel came out of the kitchen and saw Michael kneeling in front of Max and she gasped loudly as she moved forward and Diane grabbed her daughter's hand to give her support

“It's okay now little brother, you're safe. They're not going to grab you anymore” she said softly “We're not going to let anyone hurt you ever again”

“I'm tired... I didn't know where I was. I had to walk here; it was dark and it was a long walk. I kept... getting lost” he explained, his feet were dirty and caked with mud

“We'll let's clean you up and get you into bed” said Diane as she gathered him up and helped him down the hall to his bedroom. Isabel followed them making a short detour into the bathroom to grab several clothes to wash his feet with, by the time she got to his bedroom Diane had put some shorts on him and was hugging him, rocking back and forth to sooth his fears

“Will you stay mamie? I don't want the bad monsters to get me” he confessed, in that instance they knew it had to be Max because when they were kids and scared of the dark they always cried mamie instead of mom or mama.

“Of course I'll stay. I won't let anything happen to you, I promise” she said as Isabel washed his feet and then they tucked him into bed, he fell asleep almost instantly.

TBC...
"Would it be okay if I ride home with you after school?"
"Sure you can ride me home... I mean ride you home..." he trailed off feeling deeply embarrassed
"I'd like that" she said feeling unlike herself, he grinned and they began working although not really paying attention. - Max & Liz in Where I Follow.
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Re: Replica (AUwA, CC, M/L) Chap 2 20/04/09

Post by SpiderGirl »

Title: Replica
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: Maxwell Evans is abducted from a camp site near his home in California while camping out with his big brother Michael Evans. On the same night on the other side of the country in Boston Liz Parker is driving home after visiting her best friend Maria Deluca when she is abducted as well. They are missing for three months, their family and friends begin to suspect that they will never been seen again. The two family get their children back but something has happened to them to change them. The two returnees feel a strange pull towards the unknown other but try and deny it because of the memories that they have from the time they were abducted.
Pairing: All CC, mainly focusing on Max(Zan)/Liz(Ava).
Notes: Liz is the only child of the Parkers, her best friend is Maria Deluca and her ex-boyfriend is Sean Deluca. The Evans have three children; Isabel, Michael and Max. Only Max is their biological son, Isabel and Michael were adopted when they were four years old and they are twins three years older than Max. The Crash never happened in Roswell and the world isn't aware of the possibility of alien existence that dawned from the 'supposed' Crash in 1947. This is an idea spawning from an original story I wrote years ago and the idea of cloning I wrote about in Hindsight.

Chapter Three


Nancy and Jeff arrived at the station and looked around expecting to see Liz but she was nowhere in sight

“Excuse me? We're here to pick up Liz Parker, where is she?”

“They took her to the hospital, she had a seizure and passed out” explained the deputy “Are you her parents? Do you want me to take you there?”

“Is she okay?”

“One of the deputies in this department went with her and she was still in the ER last time he checked in. I'll just go tell the Sheriff then I'll drive you folks over” he said then quickly went into the back

“Nancy, a seizure?” Jeff repeated sharing a worried glance with his wife; she knew exactly what he meant. Liz had never had any kind of seizure before, she was in the perfect of health.

“Okay, you folks ready to go” asked the deputy before ushering them both out to his cruiser. The drive to the hospital was quiet, the Parkers were tense and nervous about whatever had caused Liz's apparent seizure. It was clear that something must have been done to her while she was missing, but who would have wanted to harm her?

They got to the hospital and the deputy led them past the main reception down a winding corridor until the three of them came to a curtained cubicle, the deputy looked round the edge of the curtain then pushed it aside and gestured for the Parkers to go in. They didn't need to be told twice and they hurried in to see Deputy Kyle sat by their sleeping daughter's side reading a magazine

“Oh My God” gasped Jeff as he saw his daughter for the first time in three months, she was hooked up to several machines and there was a drip attached to her arm “Lizzie?”

Her eyelids fluttered and she woke up looking round wildly to get her bearings then she saw her parents standing there

“Mom” she smiled “Dad”

“Liz!” Nancy rushed over and pulled her into a hug. Kyle looked up then smiled at the reunion; it was clear that they'd been missing her for quite some time

“Where have you been?” Jeff inquired “We were so worried about you, we thought you were hurt or... or worse”

“I didn't know I was gone. All I remember is being in my car and the next thing I'm standing outside it and then there was this... light. Then the next thing I know I'm standing on the road naked and the lights gone. I walked and walked until I got to the Sheriff Station in Medfield and Deputy Kyle here says three months have passed”

“You don't remember where you've been all this time?” her mother repeated “You don't think you hit your head, maybe that's what caused your seizure? I'm going to find a doctor” she stood up then stroked her daughter's hair back before leaving the cubicle

“I'm glad to have you back Lizzie, I was so worried that we'd never see you again. When the detective came to the house saying there'd been an accident I swear it took ten years off my life”

“What happened to my car? I remember watching it go over the safety rail” she explained as she remembered the moments before she was abducted

“It fell down the drop and exploded... what do you mean you watched it? Why weren't you in it driving in?” Jeff asked as he held her hand that wasn't loaded with wires

“I was and then... I wasn't” she said scrunching her face up “I remember being in it listening to the radio and then there was that light and it's like I felt like I was being pulled back through the car. Almost like the light wanted me... I watched it go over and then the next thing I know I'm naked and the light was gone and three months have passed”

“Can you try and remember what happened?” he suggested “Maybe we could find out if someone did something to you... to cause the seizure you had?”

“I think I had the seizure by trying to remember” she told him “I knew I was missing time so I tried to... all I saw were hands, they were reaching out for me... grabbing me and... holding me down” she held up her hand as she stared into space then folded her little finger down against her palm “They all only had four long fingers on each hand. I don't feel well” she groaned clutching her stomach. Deputy Kyle grabbed a little cardboard dish and she threw up in it before lying back down and falling unconscious, the machines began to beep erratically and several doctors and nurses came rushing in pushing Kyle and Jeff back to resuscitate her.

Nancy quickly followed the doctor she'd been talking to about Liz's strange new condition and her unusual blood work when the beeping alerted the staff that one of their patients had lost consciousness. When she saw them working on her little girl she clapped both hands over her mouth in fear, Jeff came over and wrapped his arms around his wife

“She's not responding and we don't have a heartbeat! She's going into cardiac arrest! Defib! Charging at 150! Clear!” everyone moved back as she was shocked with the paddles “No response! Continue CPR! Charging 200!” shouted the doctor then the entire department when black as the power shut down. A strange incandescent light seemed to fill the cubicle until it was blindingly bright and there was a strange buzzing as these strange creatures appeared from the light, the people who had been in the cubicle watching as the thin four fingered grey beings moved their hands over Liz's body making her body arch up and then the power was back on, the beings were gone and she was slowly regaining consciousness “Pulse is holding steady and pupils are responding”

“What the hell just happened?” Deputy Kyle demanded

***
They'd taken turns watching him sleep while Philip had called up the Sheriff's department to find out what the hell was going on. The police came out and were baffled, they even brought pictures proving that there was a body in the morgue that looked exactly like his son. Diane refused to see them and the officers in charge said that they'd run more tests to find out how such a odd thing had occurred.

It was Michael's turn watching Max sleep when he woke up and sat up in bed with a jolt, surprised to be home in his bed

“Ava!” shouted Max upon waking then he sank back and put his hand to his head. Michael jumped up from Max's chair in the corner and rushed over to sit next to him on the bed

“Take it easy... it's okay” he said soothingly “It was just a dream”

“But it was so real... I was on Antar and Ava was ill, she was dying! Michael! My wife is dying!” he protested, he moved to get up but Michael put his hands on his little brothers shoulders and laid back down on the bed

“Shh, it was a dream. You don't have a wife... you're barely old enough to get married”

“But Ava...” he began clearly remembering her lying in bed full of the fever

“You were dreaming, we've been taking turns watching you. Honestly I don't think any of us are willing to let you out of our sight” he chuckled

“Where's mom?”

“In the kitchen... she's probably cooking up enough food to feed an army!” he said with a smile, then it slowly disappeared “Where did you go Max. Who took you?”

“I don't know where I went, but it was dark and I was so scared. The people... they weren't like you or me, they... did things to me. I was sick, the stuff they did to me made me sick and then I... I remembered different things”

“Hey, look whose awake” smiled Isabel as she came into the room “It was supposed to be my turn to watch you, but since you're awake do you feel like coming down and having something to eat?”

“I'd like to get a shower... I feel like I haven't had one in months” he said and Isabel stared at him wide eyed

“Isabel” Michael called her name getting her attention “Go get some towels from the cupboard” she nodded mutely then left the room to get them.

He got out of bed then padded to his bathroom with Michael trailing behind him, he shook his head at his big brother

“I can shower by myself” he said as he began to feel more and more like himself once more

“Yeah, sorry, man... I just... I lost you once. Don't want it to happen again” he confessed contritely. Isabel came back into the room, handed her youngest brother the towels then sat down on his bed when he went into the bathroom and shut the door locking it.

Max sighed with relief as he stripped off his shorts and started the shower turning it on hot to sooth his aching muscles and wash away the strange dreams he'd had. He stood in front of the mirror as the room steamed up

“It's good to be home” he mumbled to himself as he stepped into the shower and enjoyed the feel of the hot water crashing over his skin.

Diane came up to see what was going on and found the bed empty with Isabel sat on the end of it while Michael was sitting in Max's old chair

“Where is he?”

“He's in the shower. Just went in” he explained and she nodded

“I made all your favourites, he's probably hungry... who ever had him... it looks like they didn't feed him. He's lost a lot of weight” she said sadly, she was hurt that someone could treat one of her babies like that.

She sat down next to Isabel on the bed and smiled at her only daughter who smiled back at her, the elder woman reached out to stroke her hair as she remembered when her children were younger

“Remember when Max was born? You two were so angry that the new baby was going to take up a lot of my time”

“Yeah... I remember. I thought that you wouldn't love me anymore and you'd be like our real parents. For three years we were both your entire world and then when you found out that you were going to have Max I was so angry”

“Do you remember what I told you both?”

“I remember” said Michael jumping into the conversation suddenly; talk of their adoption and their parents before had always been such a hard thing to talk about “You told us that the new baby would need us two like we need you and dad”

“I didn't know what that meant until he was born” Isabel confessed “Dad brought us to the hospital and I saw how little Max was and I knew there and then that when you adopted me and Michael you'd gave us a chance to know what family was and when Max was born our family was complete. I saw how much he needed me and I promised that I'd look after him”

“So did I. I told myself that I had to look after the new baby because he couldn't do it himself. I remember when he started school and Jim Jones tried to bully him because he was wearing that shirt... you remember the one that had Ninja Turtles on it!”

“We both came in and saved the day” laughed Isabel “Then we shared cookies and you spun us on the round-about!”

“I know that he's not biologically your brother but I hope that you will always look out for him”

“We will” Michael nodded promising this

“It doesn't matter that he isn't blood related to us. He is our brother and you are our parents, you always have been... not Hank and Sheila Whitmore. You don't have ask us to look out for him, we'd protect him willingly” she stated and Diane smiled then pulled her daughter into a hug.

Back in the bathroom Max was reaching for the shampoo when he felt a burning sensation shoot up his shin stopping at the base of his skull; it was so powerful he stumbled against the wall for support

“What the hell?” he groaned reaching behind him to feel his back, when he brought his hand back there was blood on his fingers that washed away under the spray of the shower “Blood?” he mumbled then the shooting pain happened again rocketing up his spin making his squeeze his eyes shut and cry out in agony. Michael started knocking on the door when he heard his baby brother shouting in pain

“Max? What's wrong?” he called through the door before jiggling the handle “Open the door! Max open the door!”

He could feel something piercing his skin from inside his body several spikes shot out along his spine and he roared out as the leathery spikes formed. He reached back to feel them then they collapsed downwards against his skin, the top of the spikes matched his skin tone and it looked like they had never been there at all. Max collapsed down onto the floor as the blood washed down the drain, he panted harshly as he lifted both hands and could see extra layers of skin had formed between his fingers making his hands webbed

“What the hell is happening to me?” he gasped as the layers of skin retracted making his hands look normal. The door burst open and Michael came charging in to see the younger boy unconscious on the floor of the shower with blood mixing with the water and going down the drain

“Max! Oh God!” he cried as he turned off the shower and lifted Max from the floor and carried him out of the crowded space back into his bedroom “Isabel! Get your first aid kit!” she rushed from the room to get it

“What is it? What's happened?”

“I think he must have cut himself... there's so much blood but I can't find where it's coming from!” he shouted as he dropped Max down on the bed

“Max, what did you do?” cried Diane desperately as Isabel came back in carrying the first aid kit, she opened it up and pulled on rubber gloves as Michael rolled Max onto his front because most of the blood was coming from his back. Isabel grabbed surgical tweezers and cotton swabs and started to clean his back. Once it was cleaned there was no sign of any cut or wound and they were completely at a loss from where the blood had come from.

Max jerked awake and Isabel fell back off the bed with a yelp of surprise, they watched as he felt his back then looked at his hands

“My back, my hands... what the hell is happening to me? The dreams and now this? What is wrong with me? Help me”

“I think we should take him to the hospital” suggested Isabel as she peeled off her gloves “That blood had to have come from somewhere and if you're loosing consciousness then we should get you checked out”

“No! Please, no hospitals! No doctors” he begged “I already feel like a freak... please I just want all this to go away”

“But you could be hurt...” protested his mother

“I'm fine. Please... don't take me there. I don't want them to poke and prod me anymore, I don't want them to test and grab me... please don't let them do that to me!” he begged

“But what if you are hurt Max” Isabel pointed out speaking softly to him “We just want to make sure that you're okay”

“I am okay. I feel fine... there isn't anything wrong with me!” he said desperately trying to make them believe him “The only thing wrong with me is that I'm hungry”

“Okay, why don't we go downstairs and have some lunch then take a trip to Doctor Kenso just to give you the once over?” suggested Michael “We'll go with you and make sure he doesn't do anything you don't want him to”

“Alright” he sighed in defeat as his stomach growled; he didn't know what they would find when he would get given the once over. He didn't want them to know about the strange spikes or his newly webbed hands; Max didn't want his family to hate him for coming back different.

*

Max sat on the table and swung his legs back and forth nervously while Michael sat with him, Diane and Isabel were sat in the waiting room giving him his privacy.

“So...” the older boy began, trying to fill the silence “What's happening between you and that Tess chick?”

“She seemed kinda interested before I... before I disappeared. But I don't know, she's not really my type” he answered honestly as his mind sent several flashes of a petite brunette he knew as Ava

“I thought you liked blondes”

“I do... I just... it's just that ever since that dream I had before I've been thinking about Ava. It felt so real and I know that she's real... I think she might have been there with me when I was with whoever took me”

“The kidnappers took someone else?” he gasped

“Yeah I think they did. I remember sitting next to her bed, she was very sick... she was dying, and all I could do was watch and then...”

“Then...? What happened?”

“I don't know. She was very beautiful and I loved her very much” he confessed quietly “I want to find her, it's like I can feel her and I know she's alive”

“I thought you said she was dying?”

“It's strange, I know she died but I also know that she's alive somewhere. I can feel it” he was going to say more about her but Doctor Kenso came in

“Ah! Young, young man Evans. Glad to see you back safe and sound!” he greeted the teenager, Kenso had been their doctor since before Diane and Philip were married

“What's the bad news, doc? How bad is it?” Max joked

“We run your blood. There is some... odd substances in your blood. All we do is give you pills to increase your white blood cells and you come back in one week, see if they working” said Kenso cheerfully as he handed him the prescription

“Thanks, doc” said Max finally. Maybe whatever was in his blood was causing these weird side effects and he hoped that the pills would make that go away.

***

“Maria came back, she and Amy helped us try and find you... she's staying with us”

“What about Juilliard? I thought that was her dream” Liz gasped, she was fastening her shoes while Jeff was getting the car.

“She arranged to take a year out, she devoted herself to finding you. She blamed herself that you were missing, a week after you disappeared she said that it might have been her cousin who took you”

“Sean? We may have had our differences but I knew him well enough to know he'd never hurt me” she said as she reached for her coat. She was finally getting out of the hospital; the doctors wanted to keep her in after the strange episode but she put her foot down after they'd given her a once over and said she was healthy apart from some abnormalities in her blood work

“So it wasn't him?” Nancy asked, Liz sat down on the bed and folded her coat between her hands

“No...” she sighed then looked up at her mother “There was someone else”

“Do you remember what happened? Did someone take you?”

“Yes. No. I don't know... all I know was that I remember someone else being there, I was ill and he was sat by my side” she stared off into space as she lived through the memory and it brought a smile to her lips

“Was he the one keeping you from us?” she inquired cautiously, seeing the happy loving smile on her daughter's face worried her

“No, he wasn't. Zan was like me” she explained, her eyes fell to the floor “I was ill and I was lying in bed, he was ill too but he wasn't as far gone as I was. He held my hand and stayed with me... I was so scared, mom, but with him sitting there I felt safe”

“Can you remember what he looked like? Do you think you'd be able to identify him? If he was the one who kept you from us for all this time then he might be taking other girls”

“He didn't take me... I can't describe it but he wasn't keeping me locked up, he didn't kidnap me or anything and I don't think that they're going to take anyone else for a while” she searched her mind then shook her head

“So someone did take you?”

“Yes, they came here. You saw them, when the doctors were in here trying to bring me back. They were here and they made me better”

“I don't know what I saw; you're saying that those strange things were what had you?” she asked her daughter who just shrugged

“I'd like to go home now, it feels like no time at all has passed but I know it has and I just want to get my life back on track. I want things to be normal”

“You two ready to leave?” asked Jeff as he and Deputy Kyle came back

“Yeah!” Liz nodded happily, glad to finally be getting out of the hospital

“Could I talk to your daughter before you leave?” asked Kyle as he played with his Stetson nervously. Nancy nodded and ushered Jeff out to the car

“What did you want to talk to me about?”

“A date” he said without looking up “I was wondering since we don't live that far apart that maybe you might like to have dinner with me, I'd pay of course! It's just I uhh... I think you're pretty cute and...”

“I'd like that” she said with a smile, she grabbed his hand and wrote down her phone number “Thanks for watching over me and for saving my life when I had that seizure. I'll see you round, Kyle” Then she went to catch up with her parents who were waiting for her in the car.

*

It was strange because it felt like she hadn't been gone for three months, the café was busy and there was traffic going up and down the street like normal. The weather was warm despite it being November and there was a gentle breeze that made her smile.

“It's going to be a bit of a surprise for Maria, I didn't tell her that we'd found you only that she had to watch the shop while we were gone” explained Jeff

“She's managing the restaurant” Liz mumbled in disbelief “Is she okay? I guess it must have tore her up thinking Sean did something to me”

“Maria's missed you, all of us have... we were getting to the stage when we were beginning to thin we'd never see you again” Nancy looked out the window as Jeff pulled up. The three of them got out and went into the café.

Maria was delivering a glass of water to one of the tables when she turned and spotted Liz standing there holding her brown jacket under one arm; the glass slipped from her fingers as her grasp softened and it crashed to the floor. Liz took a step forward when the glass hit the floor and her best friend clapped a hand over her mouth

“Liz?” she whispered as shock and joy filled her, she darted forward skipping over the broken glass and practically dived at her best friend “Oh My God! You're alive! You're alive! I didn't think I'd ever see you again!”

“'Ria, Maria! Maria!” she had to pretty much shout over Maria's sobbing “It's okay, I'm okay”

“I think you two should go into the back while I clear this up” Nancy suggested, Liz nodded and ushered her best friend into the back office.

Several hours later after Maria had calmed down and the café had closed for the night the two girls were sat in Liz's room on the bed wearing their pyjamas and eating Ben and Jerry's ice cream from the carton

“I thought Sean did something, I asked him and he denied it. I told him if he didn't let you go I'd go to the police” she said quietly

“It wasn't Sean, he was innocent”

“He hates me now” the blonde girl said quietly as she dipped her spoon once more “As soon as I said that you'd had a bad break up the police jumped on it and kept him for seventy hours. They kept trying to find evidence on him. I just wanted my best friend back”

“I'm sorry you had to do that, do you think you can patch it up between you two?”

“I don't know. I hope so... maybe if you talked to him”

“If I'm the reason then I doubt it'd do much good but I'll try for you. Promise... now... I may have been gone for three months but my parents said you came back here, did you and Billy get to spend some time together?”

“Not really. Well... a little, he comforted me” she blushed as Liz dipped her spoon and nodded

“Come on girl! Details! Details!”

“We got to third, that was it. It was nice that he wanted to make me feel better but I felt guilty that I was doing that while you were out there somewhere” she confessed “So... I think Mr P said something about that cop flirting with you?”

“Yeah, he asked me out to dinner and I said yes. I wrote my number on his hand so the ball is in his court; it'd be nice if we did spend some time together but I wouldn't be heartbroken if he didn't call. I've been thinking about someone else”

“Who? Are you holding out on me girl?” she chuckled and Liz shook her head

“You don't know him... hm, even I don't know him but I... I love him” she whispered “I can't explain it”

“Who is it? Now you've got to tell me who it is” she said as she got more ice cream

“His name is Zan and he's tall, black hair and dark brown eyes that are almost like honey...” she said dreamily

“Where did you two meet? Was he at Harvard? If I knew that they made them like that then I'd have come with you!”

“You are so bad” Liz pushed Maria playfully who just giggled “No, he wasn't at Harvard. I think who ever kept me from coming home had him as well”

“So you were both prisoners?” she asked quietly “Do you think they let him go?”

“They let me go” Liz pointed out with a shrug “I want to try and find him Maria, I need to find him. I can feel this pull and it's like a slow burning sensation underneath my skin. Maria, I'm burning up”

“Okay well then we'll see if we can find him”

“No 'Ria, I'm burning up” she gasped before she dropped the spoon on the bed then fell backward as pain shot up her spine. Her fingers gripped the bed spread as she arched up feeling like her skin was being shredded by something from the inside. She rolled over onto her stomach just in time for strange spikes to come shooting out of her body along her spine, they looked black and leathery from Maria's spot at the end of the bed but when Liz looked over her shoulder she could see the spikes from the top and they matched her skin tone. After shooting out they flattened down like they'd never been there and she felt the skin between her fingers thicken then her hands were back to normal.

The other girl in the room had watched in absolute horror as these strange things happened to her friend, she had no idea what to do so she just sat there and watched in shock. When it was over she rushed to her friend's side

“What the hell was that?”

“I-I don't know... Maria... I need to find Zan. He'll be able to help me, I know it... will you help me find him”

“Sure” she nodded “I'm going to get your parents”

“No!” Liz grabbed her by her arms and stopped her “I don't want my parents to know, they'd just take me back to hospital. I'm going to go get a shower and then we'll go”

“Go? Go where? You just got back” she snapped in disbelief

“Maria I need this and I need your help. You will help me find him won't you”

“Of course I will I just think leaving in the middle of the night isn't the best course of action. What are you going to do? Leave your parents a note?”

“Yes, I'm going to tell them that I've got to find the other person who was held captive with me and I'll call and check in regularly and that you're with me”

“This is crazy!” she shook her head then smiled “Do you know if he has a brother?”

“Maria! I love you!” she grinned then dived into the bathroom as Maria got changed into her regular clothes and pulled on her shoes.

She stood in the bathroom after washing away all the blood and tossing her ripped pyjamas into the bed and stared at herself in the mirror, she didn't recognise herself but she knew that it was her face she was looking at “Who are you?”

Grabbing a towel to dry off her hair she paused before reaching up to touch her hair and it began to dry in a matter of seconds, she pulled her hand away and stared at it then shook her hand and reached for the brush. Liz tied her hair back then went out to get dressed. Ten minutes later both girls were climbing down the fire escape and heading to Maria's car.

“I'm going to drive, I saw what you did to the last car you were in” she said jokingly but Liz sighed, she had worked hard to raise the money to buy that car and she missed it greatly.

TBC...
"Would it be okay if I ride home with you after school?"
"Sure you can ride me home... I mean ride you home..." he trailed off feeling deeply embarrassed
"I'd like that" she said feeling unlike herself, he grinned and they began working although not really paying attention. - Max & Liz in Where I Follow.
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Re: Replica (AUwA, CC, M/L) Chap 3 25/04/09

Post by SpiderGirl »

Title: Replica
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: Maxwell Evans is abducted from a camp site near his home in California while camping out with his big brother Michael Evans. On the same night on the other side of the country in Boston Liz Parker is driving home after visiting her best friend Maria Deluca when she is abducted as well. They are missing for three months, their family and friends begin to suspect that they will never been seen again. The two family get their children back but something has happened to them to change them. The two returnees feel a strange pull towards the unknown other but try and deny it because of the memories that they have from the time they were abducted.
Pairing: All CC, mainly focusing on Max(Zan)/Liz(Ava).
Notes: Liz is the only child of the Parkers, her best friend is Maria Deluca and her ex-boyfriend is Sean Deluca. The Evans have three children; Isabel, Michael and Max. Only Max is their biological son, Isabel and Michael were adopted when they were four years old and they are twins three years older than Max. The Crash never happened in Roswell and the world isn't aware of the possibility of alien existence that dawned from the 'supposed' Crash in 1947. This is an idea spawning from an original story I wrote years ago and the idea of cloning I wrote about in Hindsight.

Chapter Four


After he was checked out by Kenso he went home and life began to feel normal again; he spent time with his family and his friends all called surprised to hear that he was back safe and sound. Max even called up his old boss to see if his job was still available; Milton was delighted that he was back and willing to come back to work.

His family were disapproving, saying he needed more time to recover but all he wanted to do was to forget the frightening images that were hounding his mind and pretend that everything was normal. Max just wanted to get on with his life; since college was out until September he decided that it was best for him to work as much as possible and save money for going to UCLA.

“Alright” he said finally, rising from the couch “I'm going to go to bed”

“Are you feeling okay? Do you want me to come with you? Tuck you in?” asked Diane which made him smile

“Mom, you haven't tucked me in since I was twelve”

“I know” she said looking down almost apologetically, he instantly felt guilty for lightly telling her off so he put his hand on her shoulder

“Maybe just this one, okay mom?” he asked and she looked up, her brown eyes shining bright and she smiled warmly and patted his hand resting on her shoulder.

“Okay then, I'll be up in a minute” she said then he left the living room and went to his bedroom. As soon as he shut the door he sank against it in the dark.

Max sucked in a breathe before moving forward pulling off his shirt as he went and quickly kicking off his pants. He stood in his shorts as he rolled his shoulders stretching before focusing and the spikes rose up from their hidden line against his spine and he finally felt normal. This time there was no pain as they appeared and he happily scratched at the one nearest his neck, he jumped and they contacted back against his spine when he heard a knock at the door.

He dived for the bed just in time for Diane to come in and switch the light on, she smiled when she saw he was lying in bed

“Hey” he smiled warmly as she came over and sat down on the edge of the bed

“I'm glad that you're letting me do this. I keep feeling that you're going to disappear on me again”

“I'm not going anywhere. I have work in the morning”

“Are you sure you're up to it? You don't have to go in if you don't feel well”

“I'm fine, mom... I just want things to get back to normal”

“Hm, we're probably making it worse by going on and on about you disappearing, aren't we?”

“I don't blame you, mom, I was missing for three months” he pointed out then shook his head “But I'm back now... I don't want to be treated any differently”

“Okay, I'll do my best to pretend nothing happened and I'll ask the others if they'd do the same. But if you need anything or... or have a bad dream you come and wake me up okay?” she asked and he nodded his promise. She got up and moved to the door

“Goodnight mom”

“Goodnight Max, I'm glad you're back” she said before turning off the light and closing the door behind her. He sighed in relief as he sat up in the now dark room and let his spikes up again and letting the webbing appear on his hands; he had no idea why but it felt more comfortable like this. It was scary at first but now he was enjoying it, it made him feel more alive. His senses had been increased and he felt healthier than he had before but there was something missing, something that wasn't quite right and it made him feel like he was incomplete.

“What am I missing?” he mumbled to himself as he laid back down, his newly formed spikes adjusting to his movements on the bed then he realised what it was he was lacking “Ava...”

He drifted off to sleep dreaming about her, trying to find her and holding her safe in his arms when he did. She was sitting in a car being driven by another girl with blonde hair and he was sitting in the back, she turned in her seat and smiled at him

“You're him, aren't you? You're Zan, right?” she asked, she had doe eyes and long flowing brown hair

“Yes I'm Zan. My name is Max, you're Ava... what's your name?” he asked her and she smiled

“It's Liz”

“Uhh, Liz? Who are you talking to?” asked the blonde girl in the driver's seat

“Oh, Max, this is my best friend Maria Deluca”

“Nice to meet you”

“Liz, Chica, there's no one there”

“You can't see him?”

“No” she responded, then Liz turned back to Max

“She can't see you. I'm trying to find you, where are you?”

“I'm in California” he said as he reached forward and put his hand over hers “Are you coming here? Am I going to see you? In person?”

“You mean you're not really sat in the back seat?” she whispered as her eyes filled with tears “You're not really here?”

“I'm asleep in bed, I'm dreaming of you... I don't even know if this is a dream or not” he told her, she turned back so she was looking out of the window

“It's got to be official! I'm losing it, I'm going crazy... I was in an accident then kidnapped and they did something to me!” she buried a hand in her hair and stared at the glove box

“You're not going crazy” said Maria and Max at the same time, Max glanced at Maria before she continued “You've just had a lot to deal with”

“She's right” Max nodded

“But I can see him, as clear as I can see you and that weird thing with the spikes that happened back in my room. I'm doing my best to remain calm about all of this but honestly it's starting to freak me out!”

“Liz, I can't handle it if you go crazy because I'd have to be the sane one! And please, do I look like I'm capable of being smart and sane like you? We'll find this Zan guy and he'll help you, he'll make you better and we'll have the answers. All you have to do is hang on, okay, can you do that for me? If not then I'll turn the car around and get you medical help”

“Okay, 'Ria” she nodded then glanced over her shoulder to see Max still sat there “Where abouts are you in California? How can I find you?”

“I'm about thirty miles from UCLA” he told her “I'll give you my cell phone number so you can call me. I don't know why I can talk to you like this but I think it has something to do with me dreaming and you really needing to see me. I don't have all the answers you know, I'm just as confused about all this as you are but I'm beginning to accept it and find it enjoyable”

“Enjoyable?” she snapped “How can you find it enjoyable? You were taken for 3 months like I was right, do you remember what happened? I have god damn spikes coming out of my back and I'm having seizures when I try and remember where I was”

“I hate that part too, not knowing where I was or who had me but I feel stronger and I can see in the dark. I feel more whole that I did before and I'm pretty sure that you will too after you've slept”

“I don't want to enjoy this or grow to enjoy it! I just want it to stop”

“So did I” he said “It was scary at first and it still is but it's beginning to feel like it's meant to be and I'm more than grateful for it”

“Why? How can you like the changes so much?”

“Because I got to meet you” he answered honestly and that made her pause “I have a feeling that when we meet properly we'll both be complete and the reason behind this will all be revealed”

“Do you really think so?” she asked and he nodded then paused like he was listening for something

“You've seen them. You've seen the ones who took us” he gasped, she looked away before nodding once slowly

“I was in the hospital and they came to save me. What were they, Zan? I've never seen anything like them”

“Do you want me to see if I can go to them like I could go to you?”

“I don't think it'd work, I think I brought you here not the other way around. I should try and bring one of them after you've gone. They won't harm us will they?”

“No, I don't think so. You said they saved you, whatever they're doing they want us alive” he guessed

“What about the people helping us?” she spared at glance at Maria “They won't hurt her will they? Do you have people helping you”

“No one knows about the weird changed that's been happening to me... I'm a little scared for them to reject me”

“There's something else, isn't there? You're not telling me everything, I can feel it”

“Before I came home there was a body in the morgue, it looked exactly like me and my brother and sister identified it as me... I don't know who it was or why he looked like me but I'm afraid that that was the real Max and I'm just a copy”

“If that's true then that means I could be a copy too”

“I wish I could see and hear this guy too” said Maria suddenly “It's annoying listening to a one sided conversation”

Liz paused then reached over putting her hand on Maria's shoulder and pulled her into the strange connection she had with Max. The blonde glanced in the rear view mirror then shrieked when she saw Max sitting there in just his boxer shorts “Oh my God! Oh my God! It's real! He's real!”

“Yes I'm real, would you calm down or we might end up crashing... well you'll end up crashing. I would like to see you both before you accidentally kill yourselves” she nodded and started to focus.

“So what's going on? Are you freaky like Liz is becoming?”

“Yeah I am. So your name is Maria? Hm, I know my brother would go absolutely crazy if he ever met you. You're just his type”

“You have a brother? Is he cute?” she asked with a smirk, Liz grinned then shook her head

“His name is Michael and as far as guys go he is fairly good lucking” he replied

“Maria, time and place” Liz stated “Save it for when we get there. I'm sure Michael would love to flirt with you”

“You think so? Sorry, so what is exactly happening with you two?”

“I think we might be clones of our original selves” Max confessed nervously “And that we've been enhanced somehow with the weird spikes and webbed hands”

“So I'm not really Liz?” whispered Liz fearfully “If I'm not then where is the real me? How come I have all her memories? How can I feel like her if I'm not her?”

“I don't know but I feel the same, if it weren't for that body in the morgue then I'd believe I was Max”

“Body?” gasped Maria, her eyes went wide “You're saying that you could be clones and your original self is dead? That means if there is an original Liz she could be hurt or dead too. We should try and find her”

“I think we should continue on to California. If there is an original Liz then I doubt we'd be able to help her” she said quietly “Why do you think that the body in the morgue was the original?”

“Because I have spikes and webbed hands, he didn't” he answered her and she looked away out the window as her hand wound through her hair again. After that silence filled the car, none of them wanted to talk about it because deep down it scared them.

“What's it like where you live? Do you have have any brothers or sisters?”

“Shouldn't you know?” Maria asked “I thought you were supposed to have this... connection”

“I'm an only child, I lived with my parents. I was heading back to finalising things at college when I disappeared” she told him, briefly ignoring her friend “Maria is like a sister to me. She's my best friend and has been for my entire life”

“So you trust her”

“Of course she trusts me. Do you trust your brother... what's his name? If you were driving to find Liz would he be with you”

“I... I don't know” he said sadly “I'm scared to tell Michael. I don't think he'd understand”

“You should ask him, he's your brother right?” Maria pointed out taking control of the conversation “He loves you, he'll understand...”

“I think I'm waking up. Quickly, find a pen and paper so I can give you my cell phone number” he said desperately. Liz rooted through the glove box and found an old envelope and a pencil and quickly scrawled down his number. When she looked up back over her shoulder he was gone.

“That was so weird” her friend said before looking at the clock “He might be awake but I think it's best if we find somewhere to sleep. It's late and if we're going to California then we have a hell of a lot of ground to cover; I do not think that it's a good idea to do it in one stretch.

“Agreed, I'll get some money out. Since I'm not going to college for a while then I guess I could splurge some of the money I've saved up”

“Are you sure? I mean I could...”

“Maria, I have nearly two and half thousand dollars from babysitting, tips and wages from the café. Come on, let's find a motel and get some sleep. I'll take my turn driving tomorrow” she said with a smile.

*

Kaatori glanced at the readouts on the screen and smiled faintly, Ava's hybrid clone and her human friend were travelling to the location of Zan's hybrid clone. Things were progressing nicely and much faster than he'd ever anticipated; if Zan and Ava's clones copulated and produced a child then they would progress with the other DNA samples they had of their people. Their sole goal was to resurrect their race that had been wiped out by that damn virus, of all the planets they'd encountered and tested so far only Earth was immune.

He thought back to the family he'd belonged to back on Antar, they were fairly high up in the government but they treated him right and he loved all of them dearly. It had destroyed him to watch them dying slowly one by one until there was no one left. He smiled hoping that one day he would see them again

“What are you smiling about?” asked Nasero as he strolled into the room cockily almost as if he owned the place

“Ava's clone is using the connection formed before they died to travel to Zan, that means the cloning went better than expected if they can remember that bond! In a month or so they might be in a stage to produce an heir” explained Kaatori happily, his smile faded when Nasero scowled darkly “What? What's wrong?”

“Those filthy disgusting humans is what's up! Kivar was right! The Antarians were a mighty race and we're just defiling them by mixing them with those primitive savages”

“Oh no, Nasero, no! You're one of Kivar's activists! You don't honestly believe that we should try and save them instead of letting them just fade into dust?”

“I do, it's a crime what we're doing here!”

“Kivar was wrong! He murdered his own kind thinking that would stop this order going ahead!” Kaatori shouted back “Besides, there's nothing you can do to stop the go ahead of this ark program. We know who you are and where your allegiances lie now, we can stop you!”

“No you can't, I'm stronger than you and the other pilots. If I destroy the samples then Antar will finally rest in peace instead of becoming some twisted sick science experiment!”

“That's genocide!” he shouted, their yelling brought the other members of the ship

“What the hell is going on in here?” Feikeyor demanded, Nasero turned and sent a blast towards the coolers with all the samples in

“NO!” Kaatori yelled jumping in front of the bolt and stopping it from reaching it's target, while they were distracted Nasero dove for the control panel. His hands flew swiftly over the buttons arranging the ship to crash into this disgusting planet and for one transport to the other Antarian ship that was floating above Earth's atmosphere “Stop him” Kaatori begged as he panted for breathe, the three surviving pilots tackled Nasero before he could transport from the ship.

Shan looked through the programming that Nasero had input into the the flight command and saw how hopeless it was, he could change the angle to the impact wouldn't destroy the ship completely but it still would be a bad crash

“We're going to crash, there's no stopping it” he explained as Feikeyor and Kiel tied up Nasero, once he was bound Kiel went to Kaatori while Feikeyor joined him at the screen “We can't teleport out, the command is locked apart from one transport to the other ship”

“Send the samples” Kaatori said from Kiel's lap, he looked up into her eyes and smiled “I had liked to see my family again, I loved my owners as much as I loved you my beautiful Kiel”

“Hush yourself Kaatori! I don't want to hear such talk, you're going to be fine” she said as she put her hand over the blast wound

“Save your energy, you have to protect the samples and the King and Queen on Earth. I'm done for, save your healing energy for the others who'll need it after that crash. Send the samples to the cargo dock of the other ship”

“I'm doing that now” said Feikeyor, Kaatori was like a friend and a brother to him and he'd fulfil his dying wish. The samples were transported to the other ship, the pilots were surprised that they'd been sent and tried to get in touch with them but could only watch in horror as the ship lost altitude and headed towards the surface “It's done”

“He's gone” cried Kiel, Feikeyor glared over at Nasero before coming to sit down next to his best friends. Kiel took his hand while she still cradled her dead lover's head in her lap. They leaned their heads together as the ship began beeping and humming as it sped down through the atmosphere towards Earth.

*

The next morning the sun was peeking through the curtains and it woke Maria up, she rose out of bed then stood over the other bed watching it's occupant; was this a copy of her best friend? If so then why had someone done it... more importantly how and why had they messed around adding weird things to her? Could this copy be trusted? If the real version of her friend was dead then was the clone somewhat responsible? Was she in danger, by trusting and helping them? She watched her friend sleep for a moment before deciding that even if it meant that whoever behind this hurt her or even killed her she would go along with Liz or clone Liz; whatever happened in the end that'd be her decision and what she wanted. She knew that her Liz would have done the same if the situation was reversed.

“Liz, Liz... it's time to wake up” she said as she shook her friend awake, she jumped in fright when Liz sat up and those strange spikes shot up on her back like it was something that they did every morning when she woke up. Even thought she knew they were there, it didn't mean she was comfortable or used to seeing them appear

“You scared me” the brunette said as her shoulders sank “I was dreaming about when I was in the palace just after I'd met Zan”

“You're spiking” she pointed to her back and she looked over her shoulder before turning back to her and shrugged “Aren't you going to put them away? I mean, it looks a bit weird and honestly it's freaking me out a little”

“Can I put them away when we leave?” she asked quietly, Max had been right... she had grown accustomed to them and putting them down felt like loosing a limb

“Please Liz... I'm not used to them even if you appear to be” she begged, Liz nodded then silently folded them back against her spine. Maria was doing her a really big favour by being here and helping her in her quest, she had more than earned the right to normalcy.

“You're right. I'm sorry, why don't you take the first shower while I call my parents and try that number Max gave me”

“Will you get something for breakfast as well- that isn't out of the vending machine” she added the last bit quickly when her friend opened her mouth and raised her hand. Liz just chuckled as Maria grabbed her shower stuff and headed into the bathroom.

She stared at the phone wondering who to call first... Max would be excited to hear from her but her parents would be frantic and calling every cop in the state to get her back, she knew that it wasn't a very nice thing to do running off like she had and leaving just a note especially after they had just got her back after her three month disappearance. Picking up the phone she called Max first hoping that it would give her strength to deal with talking to her parents; they'd probably think she'd gone mad running off to find some man she had never met but dreamt about ever since she came back.

The phone rang and she held her breathe thinking for a second that she was in fact crazy and the person on the other end wouldn't have a clue what she was on about

“Hello?” came a soft and very female voice on the other end of the line. Hearing that voice she temporarily froze before gaining the courage, she had after all come this far, and began to speak

“Hello is Max there?”

“Yeah, I'll just go get him. Who should I say is calling?”

“Tell him it's Liz” she replied then there was a noise like the phone being put down and silence. A few minutes passed before a sleepy voice came onto the line

“Hello”

“Zan” she breathed then quickly corrected herself “I meant Max. It's um... it's me Liz”

“Liz” he drawled her name, his tone made her shiver and she knew that he was smiling brightly “I was hoping you would call last night. I didn't know if what I'd dreamt was real...”

“I thought the same when I was waiting for the someone to pick up” she said honestly

“Where are you?”

“Maria and I stopped at a motel for the night, she's in the shower and I'm on breakfast duty. It's my turn to drive today, it'll probably take a while for us to get there. I'm even contemplating just getting a plane out there but there is the Jetta to deal with... Maria would go crazy if anything happened to her car”

“I'd love it if you could come here... could you catch a plane? I'm sure that airports have long stay car parks...”

“Hm maybe... I still have to call my parents. They don't know I'm where I am, I left a note saying there was something important I needed to do before I got back into the normality of my life. I said that I needed to find you”

“Yeah my parents would be crazy too if I did that. After you call them can you catch a plane, I don't want to have to wait a week to see you. A lot could happen in a week, I have no idea what else might pop up”

“Like what? I never thought about anything else weird happening. I saw the things that did this to us, you don't think we're becoming like them do you?”

“It's possible. What did they look like?”

“Thin, grey... oh they didn't have spikes or webbed hands... so it doesn't look like we're going to turn into them. I wish I didn't feel like a science experiment, you were right about getting use to the spikes. I had to put them down because they were freaking Maria out but it feels weird not having them up, makes me feel like I'm missing something important. What are you going to do today?”

“I'm going to work. My boss runs a bar... my brother Michael did some of the art work on the sign above the door”

“Really? Michael's an artist? Hm, Maria is going to love that when I tell her! You should tell him about her, she's a musician... she's an amazing singer”

“I'll be sure to tell him” he said then fell into nervous heavy breathing before saying “I love you”

“I love you too” she replied, it was easy and it was natural and it was what she felt. She heard some commotion in the background on the other end of the phone and smirked “I should go, I'm going to call my parents now. Wish me luck”

“Good luck” he said then she rung off. She steeled herself for the disaster of the conversation she knew she was about to have with her parents. The phone only rung once before it was picked up quickly

“Hello?”

“Mom?”

“Oh my God! Liz thank god! Where are you? Why on earth did you leave in the middle of the night? We've been out of our minds with worry!”

“I'm sorry, I left a note... I'm with Maria. Mom, there's something I need to do, it's very important that I do this. When it's all over I'll come home”

“What is it you're doing?”

“I can't tell you, but we're both being careful and staying safe” she said hoping that this would reassure her mother

“Why can't you tell me? What are you involved in? Is it drugs? You're not a drug mule are you, what have they done to my baby girl? Please, Liz, just come home”

“I can't!” she said firmly, her anger rising strangely “Not until I've done this. I will come home when this is over but for now I have to go, I have to get breakfast. I'll call you later tonight, bye”

“Liz, wait...” she heard her mom calling her but she hung up. That could have been worse, she thought to herself as she sat back on the bed sighing deeply. Breakfast. She grabbed her jacket and left the room to find a diner or a store.

***

When he heard the phone ring he just knew it was her calling, but despite his knowing he didn't get to the phone first. Isabel answered it looking annoyed at whoever was calling so early in the morning. It was a few minutes past six and he was surprised to see his sister wide awake and coherent at this time of the morning

“Hello?” she said into the phone, she waited patiently until there was a reply. Max crept out of the shadows of the hallway and into the kitchen “Yes I'll just go get him. Who should I say it calling?” she put the phone down on the table before turning round to get him, she jumped in shock when she saw him standing there “It's Liz” he couldn't help the large grin that spread across his face as he hurried to the phone

“Hello” he said into the receiver as he rubbed his tired eyes,

“Zan” her voice was soft and sweet like honey “I meant Max. It's um... it's me Liz”

“Liz” her name rolled off his tongue like he'd said it a thousand times before, if it was possible his smile had gotten even bigger. He saw Isabel pottering round the kitchen pretending she wasn't listening to his half of the conversation “I was hoping you would call last night. I didn't know if what I'd dreamt was real...”

“I thought the same when I was waiting for the someone to pick up” he felt instantly relieved that she thought the same.

“Where are you?” he couldn't help but ask, he wondered if she'd gotten any closer to California since he'd last dreamt of her in the car

“Maria and I stopped at a motel for the night, she's in the shower and I'm on breakfast duty. It's my turn to drive today, it'll probably take a while for us to get there. I'm even contemplating just getting a plane out there but there is the Jetta to deal with... Maria would go crazy if anything happened to her car”

“I'd love it if you could come here... could you catch a plane? I'm sure that airports have long stay car parks...” his heart raced at the thought of a few hours passing and her being here where he could hold her in his arms and never let her go.

“Hm maybe... I still have to call my parents. They don't know I'm where I am, I left a note saying there was something important I needed to do before I got back into the normality of my life. I said that I needed to find you” he glanced at his sister who was making breakfast rather slowly

“Yeah my parents would be crazy too if I did that. After you call them can you catch a plane, I don't want to have to wait a week to see you. A lot could happen in a week, I have no idea what else might pop up” he said turning his attention back to the weird things that seemed to be occurring to the both of them

“Like what? I never thought about anything else weird happening. I saw the things that did this to us, you don't think we're becoming like them do you?” she sounded a little scared by the idea of it

“It's possible. What did they look like?” asked Max wondering if that could be a possibility, if he changed completely to look like the creatures she saw then he wouldn't be able to stay with his family. He'd have to leave and go somewhere were no one would ever find him

“Thin, grey... oh they didn't have spikes or webbed hands... so it doesn't look like we're going to turn into them. I wish I didn't feel like a science experiment, you were right about getting use to the spikes. I had to put them down because they were freaking Maria out but it feels weird not having them up, makes me feel like I'm missing something important. What are you going to do today?” he couldn't help but grin when she told him she was getting used to her new appendages; it made him feel less alone in the world. There was someone out there exactly like him, going through the exact same things.

“I'm going to work. My boss runs a bar... my brother Michael did some of the art work on the sign above the door”

“Really? Michael's an artist? Hm, Maria is going to love that when I tell her! You should tell him about her, she's a musician... she's an amazing singer”

“I'll be sure to tell him” he said before glancing at Isabel, she was still listening in on his side of the phone call and it made him nervous. All he could think about was how Zan had felt about Ava, he was Zan and this was Ava “I love you”

“I love you too” she replied naturally, he watched the eggs his sister had been holding fall to the floor and she glared at him in shock and disbelief “I should go, I'm going to call my parents now. Wish me luck”

“Good luck” he said then she was gone. Isabel was busying cleaning up the eggs that had cracked when she dropped the carton on the floor

“Who was that? I've never heard you mention a Liz before, and you're in love with her, hm? That's stupid! You're too young to know what love is” she demanded to know as he crouched down to help her wiping up the spilt eggs

“I'm eighteen Isabel, only three years younger than you!” he protested, getting annoyed with her “I know what love is and I'm in love with Liz!”

“Well how come none of us have ever met her? Where's she from? What school does she go too?” she shot question after question out at him until he reached his breaking point and dropped the kitchen towels down on the floor and walked out of the room.

He stalked along the hall to his room, Michael was coming down the hall and smiled when he saw his little brother heading his way

“Morning Max”

“Go to hell!” Max snapped back, he brushed roughly passed him and slammed his bedroom door shut. Michael blinked, he'd never seen that reaction out of his baby brother before and wondered what had caused it.

He continued down the hall and found Isabel cleaning broken eggs up off the floor, she looked deeply upset

“What's up with Max?”

“He's in love with some tramp, I have no idea who she is and he got prissy with me! Completely ignored me and walked out of the room. Something is seriously up with him”

“Hm” he grunted eyeing her warily, he had a feeling there was more to this story than met the eye “You didn't happen to interrogate him about this... tramp, did you?”

“So what if I did?” she snapped as she rose to her feet and dumped the eggs and kitchen towels into the bin

“God, Isabel! We're pushing him too far, I know he likes spending time with us because we're his big brother and sister but if we're around twenty four seven pulling on the strings of every detail of his life then he's bound to get annoyed. He's told us time and time again that he wants to get back to normal and we keep treating him with kid gloves; I don't want you asking anymore questions about this girl who ever she is”

“But Michael...”

“No. We've been around him his whole life and he was starting to get used to us not being around, now we're back while he's recovering from being taken and it'll seem like we're in his face. If we really do get in his face it could push him away”

“You're right. I'm sorry” she apologised “I should apologise to Max too shouldn't I? I still want to meet her”

“If I know Max it won't be long before he drags her round her to show her off. You can case her then”

“Oh I will” she said firmly then both of them started chuckling

“Need help with breakfast?” he asked and she nodded, the two of them worked in comfortable silence.

Max slammed his bedroom door then paced back and forth before kicking his bed, there was a flash of light and the mattress crashed into his chair. He scowled at it before pulling the mattress back to his bed

“I need to swim” he mumbled to himself, he got changed into his swimming shorts and went out to the pool. He could see his brother and sister through the kitchen window making breakfast but chose to ignore the fact that they were so close.

The water was cold on his skin but it was soothing, as he lowered himself into the pool he could feel his hands revealing the webbing in anticipation; Max kept lowering himself until her was completely submerged and he felt his spikes lift up from their camouflaged hiding spot. He opened his eyes and was surprised to see that he could see clearly without goggles and he could breathe under water with ease. He began to swim back and forth blowing off steam that his argument with Isabel had produced

Liz was Ava and Ava was Liz. He could feel the feelings of Zan and in love with Liz, it was like there was no line to be drawn; they were one and the same. How dare Isabel question her! He'd crossed stars to be with her! He felt his spikes altering to become more streamlined to the water, it was lighter and thinner here than it was on Antar and it felt odd to him even though he'd learnt to swim in this pool

“Ava... Liz...” he sank to the bottom as the memories came.

“Zan!” called Vilandra as she ran into the room “It's Ava! She caught the virus from her one of her aides”

“Ava? No, no not Ava!” he gasped as he turned away from the table where he had been discussing strategies about the growing lethal epidemic “Where is she?”

“I got Balthar to carry her to your bedroom” she answered, he paused in the corridor and took hold of his sister's hand

“I know you care deeply for Balthar, make sure that he's gone through decontamination. As long as we can keep our people from contracting the virus we should be okay. I have to go to Ava... get Rath to take over my duties for today”

“I understand” she replied, she took a few steps back as tears filled her eyes“I'm so Zan, I'm so sorry”

“Me too” he said then he went down the hall and up the stairs to his bedroom.

Ava was lying on the bed and it was dark in the room, he crept towards the bed fearing the worst as he saw her there on the bed still as stone. His heart stopped in his chest and only started beating again when she slowly turned to look at him, her eyes met his and she forced a smile “Oh love, you don't have to smile. I know how painful this damn virus is”

“But... I... am happy to... see you” she said slowly drawing her breathe then her face contorted in pain “Zan, it hurts”

“Let me take away the pain” he reached out towards her but she shook her head

“No! You know as well as I that connections spread the virus! You're even more susceptible to this damn thing because of the heir” she reached out and put her hands over her stomach “I am scared, my love, I do not want our son to die”

“He won't... we're working on a cure. I have all my advisors working as hard as they can to find a cure” he sat down in a chair next to her and took hold of her hand “But until they do I'm going to stay with you”

“No...” she groaned “Zan, you will catch the virus too. You'll get sick and die”

“I don't care. If that happens then I will be with you. I will be with our son” he answered her and tears filled her eyes “I am not leaving you”


He could feel the sadness filling him as the memories of her dying slowly repeated through his mind, he could tell that they weren't from him... if these memories weren't his then who did they belong to? Why did he have them? Would they go away? Would the feelings this Zan felt for Ava stop? It scared him to think that those feelings might end.

“Max!” he heard someone calling his voice, it echoed through the water making him remember where he was. He willed his spikes to lay drown flat against his spine before lifting his head so far out of the water that only his eyes were visible he was tempted to see who it was, tell them to go away and go back under so he could try bring up more memories of Ava

Michael was standing on the side of the pool near the steps he was looking at him disbelief and fear, the look on his brother's face strengthened the decision not to tell his family what was really happening to him

“I've been calling you for the past few minutes, if it weren't for the fact I could see you moving around I would have swore that you'd drowned. How did you stay under for so long?” he rose up more out of the water so he could answer him

“Practice... I was thinking about joining the swim team before I disappeared” he lied, Michael didn't look convinced

“Huh” he mumbled as he patted the hand rail before glancing towards the house “Well breakfast is ready. Come and get it before you go to work”

Diane could sense how tense the atmosphere was when she came into the kitchen following the smell of a well cooked breakfast. Max was glaring at Isabel while she was exchanging sympathetic looks with her twin

“Morning, kids” she said as she headed for the coffee and received a chorus of 'morning's' “What are you all up to today?”

“Are you just curious about my day or do you want to pry into my life?” Max asked coldly, staring pointedly at his sister who was now doing her best not to cry

“Maxwell Philip Evans! Apologise to me right now and apologise to your sister!”

“You'll never guess what I saw on the TV!” said Philip as he came into the room interrupting the argument in progress “There's been a crash”

“I'm going to get changed for work” Max averted his eyes, dismissing the demand for an apology

“Now you wait just a minute, young man” Diane began

“Mom, leave it. It's fine, I don't care” Isabel said trying to diffuse the situation

“No it's not. Max!” she replied quickly and he paused in the doorway near his father who just glanced back and forth between them

“Are you guys done squabbling? You have to see this for yourself!” Philip stated excitedly as he turned on the small television on the kitchen counter “I couldn't believe it when I saw it! It has to be a hoax!”

Max turned round curious what his father was rambling on about and saw the reactions of his family to the event on the TV, he would hardly believe it himself if he didn't know that they existed. There on the screen there was live footage of a space ship wedged half in the earth half sticking out, it was clear to see how damaged it was and he knew that whoever had been piloting it needed help. His people needed help! The little banner on the news report said it crashed in Roswell, New Mexico

“Oh my god” gasped Isabel as she clapped her hand over her mouth

“I have to go there” Max announced, everyone turned to stare at him in astonishment

“What? Why?” Michael inquired “It could be dangerous”

“I don't care. I need to go; look Isabel, mom I'm sorry for being so rude about being mean to Isabel but I need to go there. You don't understand”

“Apology accepted little bro, but Michael's right. We don't know what that thing is or who sent it, its dangerous” he looked round them fearfully before taking a few steps closer, turning round slowly and let some of his spikes rise up to poke through his shirt. He held out his webbed hands for them

“They have the answers, they're the things responsible for doing this to me” he whispered, Diane blinked back the tears as she saw how vulnerable and frightened her son looked and it wasn't because of the things that had done this to him, it was because he thought they would turn him away

“Oh my baby” she sobbed as she rushed forward and pulled him into a hug, he sighed against her and fought back his sobs

“What the hell did they do to you?” growled Michael angry at the changes that those monsters had caused to his brother

“Does it hurt?” Isabel questioned as she moved forward and touched one of his spikes, she jumped back when they moved compressing back against his spine

“No” he said “Whatever they did to me, they made me part of them. They have the answers I need...” he shot a glance at his father whose expression was dark and frightening, out of all of them he was the only one who hadn't spoken to him yet “Dad?”

“You're one of them aren't you?” he hissed “That body in the morgue that looked exactly like you. That was our Max wasn't it? You're someone else, you're something else... aren't you?” his eyes filled with tears and he looked down ashamed of his very existence

“Philip! Stop it! It's Max!”

“No, mom... he's right. I figured it out, I'm not your Max” he explained “When I came back before my spikes appeared I-I thought that I was... but the other memories I have. It's like whoever I am, I was made from your son and from one of them” he pointed at the spaceship on the scream

“You mean to tell me you're not my brother?”

“I am and I'm not all at the same time; I remember and think and feel things like he must have done but I think that the original Max is the one in the morgue” he couldn't bring himself to look up “I'm sorry. I never meant to deceive you”

“No” Michael grabbed his arm “I look at you and I can see you, all the mannerisms and quirks that my brother had. That person in the morgue might not be the original, as you put it... just because you have those things, it doesn't change anything”

“Are you mad?! Of course it changes things! He's one of them! Those things!” cried Philip

“He's my brother!” Isabel cried, despite what he'd told them all she could see was Max standing there scared and looking wounded

“He is not your brother!” he shouted back angrily, Max stepped closer to Michael for protection; he had grown up knowing that Michael and Isabel would always protect him from bullies and bad things. Isabel blinked when she saw Max step closer to her twin and take hold of his hand; she'd seen him do that a thousand times

“Yes he is, if this Max standing here is an alien pretending to be my youngest brother he's very damn good. I'm coming with you to New Mexico, I want answers too and I am your big sister... someone has to look out for you”

“I'm coming too, I let you down once... it's not happening again” said Michael flashing his trademark smirk. They turned to their mother, with knowing where their father stood on this they were half expecting her to be just as mad and angry

“This is hard for me” she began slowly “I'm not sure what to believe. When I look at you I can see my little boy, how can you prove to me you're not some alien monster who stole my son away and killed him?”

“You can't” replied Max as he felt those damn tears coming again “I have no way of proving that I am me, I'm your son and you're my mamie” he bit his lip and looked down

“Oh God, I lost you once. I can't loose you again” she rushed over to him pulling him into her arms “We'll all go”

“This is a mistake” cried Philip “We should call someone!”

“You're made your decision” she said “We'll see you when we get back. Let's pack up some things and go”

TBC...
"Would it be okay if I ride home with you after school?"
"Sure you can ride me home... I mean ride you home..." he trailed off feeling deeply embarrassed
"I'd like that" she said feeling unlike herself, he grinned and they began working although not really paying attention. - Max & Liz in Where I Follow.
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Re: Replica (AUwA, CC, M/L) Chap 4 29/04/09

Post by SpiderGirl »

Title: Replica
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: Maxwell Evans is abducted from a camp site near his home in California while camping out with his big brother Michael Evans. On the same night on the other side of the country in Boston Liz Parker is driving home after visiting her best friend Maria Deluca when she is abducted as well. They are missing for three months, their family and friends begin to suspect that they will never been seen again. The two family get their children back but something has happened to them to change them. The two returnees feel a strange pull towards the unknown other but try and deny it because of the memories that they have from the time they were abducted.
Pairing: All CC, mainly focusing on Max(Zan)/Liz(Ava).
Notes: Liz is the only child of the Parkers, her best friend is Maria Deluca and her ex-boyfriend is Sean Deluca. The Evans have three children; Isabel, Michael and Max. Only Max is their biological son, Isabel and Michael were adopted when they were four years old and they are twins three years older than Max. The Crash never happened in Roswell and the world isn't aware of the possibility of alien existence that dawned from the 'supposed' Crash in 1947. This is an idea spawning from an original story I wrote years ago and the idea of cloning I wrote about in Hindsight.

Chapter Five


Kiel opened her eyes and found herself on the floor it was night time or all the power was out. She glanced to the back wall were the samples had been, they were on the other ship now safe and sound in the cargo bay. Kaatori was dead and she couldn't see Feikeyor or Nasero anywhere.

She climbed to her feet closing her eyes when she saw her lover's dead body and made her way to the main control command to get power back up. She checked the crystals, replaced two, before she turned them in sequence to get the control command running again, light came on and she spotted Feikeyor slumped against a wall with his arm at an unusual angle. Looking in the direction they had left Nasero she found it empty and his bindings were on the floor, no surprise there!

“Feikeyor, Feikeyor wake up. We've landed” she shook him awake he jerked sharply, his eyes roamed before they settled on her “We've landed”

“Where?” he groaned trying to stand up but she stopped him

“That can come later. I need to heal your arm because we have a problem, Nasero is loose. I don't think he's on the ship anymore... he might have gone to find Zan's clone”

“Then we'll go after him, we're stuck here now aren't we? We can't fly this ship without three pilots and Nasero has to be stopped”

“We'll deal about being stuck here later” she said as she began to heal his arm “We're stuck in the ground and we've been out long enough to draw attention. The cloak was destroyed when we crashed into something before we crashed down completely, we're a big cargo ship with her ass in the air and humans are crawling all over the hull trying to get in”

“They can't get in as long as we've got power running” he said when she sank back after healing his arm and shook her head

“Several of the crystals are broken. Whatever power we have will run out soon” Kiel sat down next to him and he put his arm around her shoulder “When they get in they'll be so freaked out by us they'll most likely kill us and study us”

“If they get in they'll I'll protect you as long as possible. We could steal their shapes, knock them out then make a run for it. If we get far enough away maybe we could contact the King or Queen, maybe they would help us?”

“Maybe, we need a plan. I think we should check to see if Nasero is hiding on the ship somewhere, if he isn't we gather what we need open the ship and wait until some humans come in. We knock them out... hm if we turn off the power we can lock the command room door with them inside; that would buy us time to make an escape and with the power off they could cut through the doors to get them out”

“What would we do? Where would we go? This ship is our home!” she protested

“I'm sorry, Kiel, all it is now is junk metal. I'll do the scan and then we'll pack our things up and get ready to leave” he said as he rose up and went to the command panel and began the scan. The ship was empty of life apart from the two of them; Nasero had escaped not long after the crash and was probably miles away by now.

Kiel looked at her lover lying dead on the floor and her hearts twisted in agony, she didn't want to leave him but she knew that she had to

“Feikeyor, will you help me carry Kaatori to his room. I don't want those monsters to come in and be locked in here with him. I know what they will do to him and I want to give him as much peace as possible before they have him”

“Of course” he nodded, he was nervous about walking through the crowds and if helping move his oldest friend to his bed delayed walking past those scary tall humans he would willingly do it.

“Wait” said Kiel looking round surprised “Can't you sense that? The King is nearby... King Zan is here”

“I can sense him! Let's take Kaatori to bed and then see if we can reach the King telepathically” he said and she nodded. She couldn't believe the King was nearby, how long had it been since they'd crashed?

***

The clock in the little store said it was half eleven so it surprised her that the little shop was so busy, there were several people crowded round the counter watching something on a portable TV. What's going on? Liz thought to herself as she carefully pushed through the crowd so she could see what they were looking at; her heart almost stopped when she saw that large spaceship sticking out of the ground at an awkward angle with soldiers crawling all over it.

“Oh My God!” she gasped aloud and a woman standing next to her nodded as if in agreement

“They say it crashed last night, down in New Mexico” the woman told her, enjoying the chance to gossip

“Did any of them survive?” the words fell from her mouth before she could stop them, the woman looked at her curiously

“Any of what, dear, the aliens? We don't know. All reports since it crashed said there's been no activity from it. You don't think they're invading do you?”

“No” she shook her head “It's not an invasion”

“What makes you so sure?” the guy behind the counter snarled “Who made you the expect? We've got those freaky things coming to our planet to do God knows what to us! Who knows how many are up there now! If this isn't an invasion then what the hell is it?”

She scowled at him but remained quiet, if she said anything she would give herself away. She gathered up some things for breakfast, paid for them and left quickly so she could get back to Maria and tell her that they had to get a flight out to New Mexico immediately.

She was out of the shower and drying her hair by the time Liz got back to their room, she dropped the things she'd got for breakfast on the bed

“There's been a crash. We need to go to Roswell New Mexico” she stated and Maria blinked before looking across the room at her best friend

“Where? And more importantly why? I thought we were going to California to see that Max guy” she put down her towel and stopped rubbing her hair

“Their ship crashed, Maria, the beings that did this to me. They've crashed and if we get a plane there then I might get answers in return for helping them, I know Max will be going there”

“Have you even stopped to look at yourself, you're obsessed and you look ill... it's not been that long since you got out of the hospital and now you want to get on a plane and what? Demand that they tell you why they did this?”she threw the towel down angrily “This is ridiculous, we should just go back home and you should get on with your life... pretend that this never happened!”

“Oh really? Is that what you think I should do?” she ripped off the coat she was wearing and pulled her shirt off angrily and let her spikes rise up “How can I pretend that they don't exist? How am I going to be live a normal life with them? Maybe they'll be able to reverse what they did to me! I at least have to try”

“It could be dangerous, we could get hurt or worse. This is real, there are aliens out there and so far it doesn't seem like they're friendly if this is what they're doing to us humans”

“If you're scared then go home, I'll understand if you do that. I'll just go by myself”

“And get yourself killed? No way, I'm not letting you out of my sight. Did that once and we both know how bad that was!” she said as she picked up the towel and continued to rub her hair “Put those things away, go get a shower then have breakfast. Promise me that you'll eat and get some sleep on the plane”

“I promise” she said then gathered up her things for a shower.

*

Agent Matthew Byrnes and Agent Daniel Pierce sat in the car watching the hotel room the two girls were sharing, they'd been following Liz Parker ever since the doctors reported those strange figures appearing then disappearing at the hospital. This had become one of the highest priorities since the ship crashed and was discovered, other agents were busy in the field trying to find other people who matched her criteria.

“I wonder how the other agents are doing with that other abductee” Pierce mused aloud, Matthew shook his head

“Who knows” he replied with a vague shrug of his shoulders “God it really makes you think, all this time they've been up there! They could have taken anyone... you or me, or someone official like the president. They could have done, but they took that Parker chick and that other kid who lives in California”

“Hm, those are the ones we know about so far”

“Do you think there's others?”

“Two kids, roughly the same age go missing at the same time and exactly the same amount time and are returned at exactly the same time... there is no way that that is a coincidence. I wonder if there are others? Other people taken?”

“Maybe” he said then the door opened and the two girls hurried out carrying their things. They dumped their luggage in the back seat of the car and drove off “It's about time they did something” he said as he started the car and tailed them.

The two agents followed the girls to the airport only to watch them gather up their things, lock the car securely then head into the terminal

“Call it in. Get a team to come and get that car, I want those tech guys to go over it bit by bit” said Pierce “Then we might as well catch the same flight as them”

“I don't know, boss man, if they leave don't they become someone else's problem?” asked Matthew

“I'm not letting that girl give me the slip. There's something weird about all this, those things take her and drop her back all safe and sound? No, I don't buy that” he said as he climbed out of the car.

Matthew scowled but called it all the same as he followed his partner and boss into the airport to catch whatever flight the two girls were going to catch.

***

It didn't take them long to drive down to New Mexico from their home in sunny California, they took turns driving but had to pull over because Max forgot to let his boss know that he wasn't going to come in today.

The family, minus Philip, arrived a little after lunch and found the place crawling with tourists who wanted to see the crash site, it was like a zoo!

“God, look at this place” scowled Isabel as the four of them got out of the people carrier and wandered round

“This... there's something in the air. I can smell it” mumbled Max as he looked round. The air force had cordoned off the area but that didn't stop people gathering near the blockades, they could easily see the site from where they were standing. The ship looked huge and impressive from what they could see sticking out of the ground

“It's real” whispered Isabel as she reached for her twin's hand for comfort then she glanced at her youngest brother “Are you okay Max?”

“I want to go there. I want to see it... it's like there's something calling me. Trying to reach me” he took a step forward then there were loud gasps and the feelings he was feeling grew stronger

“Help us” cried two voices and he pictured a brown haired woman with bright blue eyes and a tanned dark blonde man begging for his help. There were several cries as part of the ship opened and the air force privates began running round like ants at a picnic, shouting orders and pushing back the barricade.

Max walked up the barricade, with Diane, Michael and Isabel trailing after him, then ducked under it and slowly moved towards the ship. The privates running round stopped to watch him walk, for some reason they weren't stopping him. He stopped halfway there and nodded at the privates who were ready to go into the ship; it was like he was giving the orders. They moved when he nodded and went inside then everyone waited while nothing happened for fifteen minutes.

Two of the soldiers that had gone in came out then reported to their captain before walking away into the hubbub of the crowd, Max craned his neck to see where they had gone but with them all wearing similar uniforms he'd lost them

“I'm sorry, sir, but you're a civilian. You're going to have to get back behind the barricade”

“No, I need to get inside the ship. I need to see it!” he protested, the private made harsh eye contact with him as he laid his hands on Max's shoulders

“No... Zan... you need to get back behind the perimeter. It isn't safe” he said quietly as he ushered a shocked Max back behind the perimeter. Once back on that side Diane pulled him into a hug

“I'm sorry” she whispered, he'd come so close and yet been so far away from it

“No... he was one of them” he told them when he pulled back away from her “I think we should get out of here. They'll find me” he said

“Good, that thing scares me. Who knows what they did to you, I'm not sure I want them to find us” said Michael as he ushered his family back to the car.

*

Kiel and Feikeyor held hands as they walked into the little diner named Pete's bar and grill and found the King and his family inside waiting for them. They had changed their shapes after taking a hummer to get into the little town.

Max looked up as they approached the booth they were sat in and Isabel went pale when she realised who they could be, she grabbed for Michael's hand again out of hear at the same time Diane put her hand on her youngest son's shoulder

“May we join you?” asked Feikeyor politely

“You speak English” gasped Michael in surprise, he wasn't sure what he'd been expecting but he certainly didn't expect that

“Yes you can join us” Diane said taking control of the situation “I'm Diane, these are my children Isabel, Michael and Max” Kiel sat down first with Feikeyor sliding in next to her

“You have such odd names” he pointed out

“I'm sure that your names would be odd to us” Isabel pointed out as she gathered courage, she was sitting in a café talking with aliens

“I suppose that's true. My name is Kiel and this is my friend and co-pilot Feikeyor” she introduced herself “There were more of us... but...” she looked away and Feikeyor put his hand over hers for support

“What happened? If you don't mind me asking?” began Max, Isabel shot him a surprised look

“Shouldn't you be asking what the hell they did to you?” she asked him, of all the answers he wanted he was certainly skirting the issue

“We understand that you have questions... you are a very important person now” said Kiel “We know we should have asked your permission before what we did but you must understand that we were trying to save our race”

“You took my son from me, I thought I was never going to see him again!”

“We apologise, but the world we come from... the world we know is dead. All the people we loved and cared about died; it was our job to come here and make sure that our race lived on through hybridisation”

“You... hybridised my brother? How? That kind of genetic technology...” Isabel flitted through all the medical studying she'd done towards genetics so far in her mind and knew what they had done was fairly incredible

“Through the same technology used to grow us. You see we are a different form of creature than the Antarians, we are grown genetically to serve as assassins, servants, pets... any task really, we are Antarian but we are made with manipulated genetics through gandarium”

“Gandarium is a binary, you can use it to tie species together or alter them” Max whispered as a memory appeared in his head “Vilandra was in love with a shapeshifter named Balthar even though she was betrothed to Rath”

“Incredible! Genetic memory through a sample!” Feikeyor gasped

“What does that mean?” demanded Michael, Kiel and Feikeyor had been pretty much assessing Max from the second they got here “Who is Zan? Why does my brother think he's someone he's not?”

“You think you are Zan because he is part of you now” said Kiel addressing Max directly, Diane wanted to grab all her children and run far, far away; what she was being told made her feel sick.

“So I have his memories because he's the alien you used to hybridise me? Why him? Have you done it to any else apart from me and Ava?”

“Zan... he was the Antarian King. He was the King of our Galaxy and he gave us the order to take the samples we had and travel to the nearest planet that could sustain life. You are King Zan and you should carry the seal he carried. I cannot say I'm not pleased that you know of Ava”

“So he's half alien now? Can it be undone?” Diane asked “Can you make him normal again?”

“I'm sorry, no, we can't” Feikeyor looked down ashamed “When we brought Max onto the ship we did intend to return him unharmed and take the hybridised clone with us back to Antar. We wanted to create as many Antarians from the samples we had then return home to live in peace”

“Why did the Antarians die out?” inquired Isabel leaning forward, this was scary but interesting all the same time and she didn't know if she should play twenty questions or run to the hill

“There was a virus, one that we found humans immune to” she replied, Michael scowled as he realised something

“You said that you were going to take the hybridised clone back and return the original unharmed, what happened? The original, our brother, Max died didn't he? He's dead and this is the hybrid you created from him, isn't he?”

“Yes”

Max gasped, his whole world was crumbling down around him; he wasn't the real Max, the real version of him was dead. Tears filled his eyes as he looked up at the real Max's family

“I'm sorry” he apologised “I-I... oh God”

“We're the ones who should apologise” said Kiel as her eyes became glassy “On Antar there was a faction that opposed the plans for the race to live on through hybridisation, one of the members of that faction called Nasero managed to make it onto our ship. When Max began to get sick we thought that he'd contracted a mutated strain of the virus and I did my best to heal him but it was no good, he died so we had no choice but to send back the hybrid for the time being while we discovered what caused him to pass. We found no cause for that until late last night, Nasero revealed himself and it's clear that he was the one behind your son's death and Ava's hybrid too since he went back and forth overseeing the process. The reason the ship crashed was because he got control and tried to kill us all, Kaatori gave his life...” she sobbed and Feikeyor put his arm around her “Kaatori was my life partner. Nasero killed him and will probably try and kill you and Ava”

“What does it matter? I'm not their son or brother, I'm nothing, I'm a gollum... Nasero should just get the job over and done with” he spat

“No” Michael shook his head “You're not a gollum, you're still my brother”

“Michael! How can you say that? Dad was right, Max is dead and we need to go home so we can give him the honour of burying him” Isabel yanked her hand away from him

“He may not be Max completely but he was made from him, so that means part of him is our brother”

“Which part?” she sneered “The memories he has of us or the spikes that come out of his back every once in a while?”

“He's still my brother, even if you're turning your back on him”

“Don't make me the bad guy! He's an alien!” she snapped a little too loudly and all the patrons stared at them “What? Not got anything better to do than look at me all day?” they turned back to their meals but glanced back at them every once in a while.

“I'm not making you the bad guy Isabel, I made a promise that I would always look after him because he needed me to be there for him and while there is still a part of Max alive I'm going to do that. You can go do whatever you want but I'm staying with him”

“I'm going home, I'm not sticking around this insanity! There's a funeral to plan” she shoved Michael out of the booth so she could get up. Kiel and Feikeyor watched the whole argument in silence. Diane looked up at her daughter then at Max and Michael before shaking her head

“I'm sorry but I need to go home and bury my son” she slid out of the booth leaving Max and Michael to watch them go. He couldn't help the tears that came and he started to cry, Kiel tentatively reached out and put her hand on his shoulder then took it away when Michael slid in and pulled his little brother into a hug

“I hope you're happy with what you've done” he growled at the aliens “We're all in this together now”

“Then can I recommend we leave here? We've drawn too much attention to ourselves and Nasero could be nearby waiting for his chance to strike against the King. We need to contact Ava somehow to warn her of the danger”

“Where are we going?” asked Max as he wiped his tears away with his sleeve

“We have a house not far from here” Kiel replied as the two of them rose from the booth ushering Max to come with them

“I can't believe mom and Isabel left” Michael whispered to himself, Feikeyor heard it and could easily understand their decisions even though it must have been a hard one to make.

Max was still reeling from the news and he wondered how he was going to break the news to Liz when they met; nice to meet you in person, Liz, oh by the way you're an alien clone and your original self is dead. He shook his head knowing how well that could only go!

They drove for a few minutes until they got to a fairly nice house on the edge of a lake, it was obviously a summer house that wasn't been used since it was mid November.

“We're staying here until we find somewhere we can get settled” said Kiel “Please feel free to use any room you wish. Zan... Max I was wondering if I could see your... spikes?”

“Why do you want to see them?” he asked nervously

“Well I want to see if everything is in working order, maybe after that, if you'll let me we could see how strong your powers are”

“You're not going to turn him into a guinea pig again!” Michael protested, she bowed her head ashamed of what she asked for but Max stepped forward

“It's okay. I don't mind, it's just if feels weird showing other people, even though I know you're more alien than I am” he said as he pulled off his shirt and let them rise up. She gasped then moved forward

“So prominent! Even more prominent than I remembered, your personality must be even more greater and powerful than Zan's was!” she ran her hand down them and it made him shiver “They're beautiful”

Michael flopped down on the couch and watched as Kiel circled Max examining his hands and back, he glanced over his shoulder and saw Feikeyor in the kitchen making something. He jumped up and jogged into the kitchen to see what the alien was doing

“It's astounding to see an alien make pasta” he couldn't help but say Feikeyor looked up at him and smirked proudly

“We have been aware of your planet for a very long time, Michael, long before you were born and long before the virus started wiping us out. That knowledge has kept us alive for a very long time, we crashed here last night and we've already got a place to hide and be ourselves and food”

“What about the ship?” he asked and the alien faltered

“It was our home for a very long time but we've had to abandon it” he looked up “We're alive and we have each other and that's what matters. But to honest I will miss that old heap of junk and I'll miss Kaatori”

“Kiel mentioned him before. I get who he must have been to her but what was he to you?” Michael inquired, he was curious about alien relationships

“He was my friend” he said as tears filled his eyes “We were born on the same day and were in the same nursery growing up, all my life he's been there and it, well honestly it hurts more than you could imagine now that he's gone”

“I'm sorry” he apologised “You must have loved him very much then”

“Of course I did” he nodded as he put the sauce into the pan and started cooking it “We won't be able to stay here for that long. I think it would be best if we plan what to do when we leave”

“Wherever Max goes, I go” he stated firmly “That's a given”

“I understand”

"Is there a way that you could..." Michael began but trailed off. Feikeyor leaned forward and nodded his head urging him to continue "The process that made Max part alien... could it be done to me too?"

"Yes, it can" he replied quietly. The wheels began turning in Michael's head as he came up with a plan that would make him of the same species as his brother, if he was like that then he could be stronger and more powerful to protect him. Feikeyor scowled, which went unnoticed by Michael, this wasn't what he wanted! This wasn't his plan! Everything was coming apart! But... if he managed to convince Kiel to activate the orbs to genetically alter Michael then that would get him back on the other ship!

TBC...
"Would it be okay if I ride home with you after school?"
"Sure you can ride me home... I mean ride you home..." he trailed off feeling deeply embarrassed
"I'd like that" she said feeling unlike herself, he grinned and they began working although not really paying attention. - Max & Liz in Where I Follow.
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Re: Replica (AUwA, CC, M/L) Chap 5 05/05/09

Post by SpiderGirl »

Hey All

Just a quick note to say that all stories I have or am working on are on hiatus. I wasn't really have the best time at uni and I ended up doing something really silly and had to go to hospital. So that means I'm going back home to Liverpool for the summer and when I return in September I'll devote more time to writing etc. I might be able to find time to write and post during the Summer but it's a case of finding the time because I'm going to be busy with Counselling, Work and Family stuff. So watch this space! Thanks everyone!

Becca
Spidey
x
"Would it be okay if I ride home with you after school?"
"Sure you can ride me home... I mean ride you home..." he trailed off feeling deeply embarrassed
"I'd like that" she said feeling unlike herself, he grinned and they began working although not really paying attention. - Max & Liz in Where I Follow.
My Roswell Music Videos
My Published Works So Far
User avatar
SpiderGirl
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Posts: 468
Joined: Wed May 26, 2004 2:52 am
Location: Back and forth between Liverpool and Leicester
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Re: Replica (AUwA, CC, M/L) A/N 20/05/09

Post by SpiderGirl »

Janetfl wrote:OMG Spidey I'm so sorry that you are having such a tough time at Uni but let me know what Liverpool is like now would ya!!! I miss it!! Haven't been back there in years.

I hope that your counselling goes well and you get better soon. We will all be waiting for your return after the summer so please just take care of yourself.

JAN :mrgreen:
Thanks :oops: everything has changed... there's the One Centre and the Met Quarter... a lot of stuff is changed... did you see that thing with the giant mechanical spider? On the news? You should come back and visit... Lime Street Station is being done up and there's one of those ground fountains in that big square next to St Johns. That area's really nice now...

Becca
x
"Would it be okay if I ride home with you after school?"
"Sure you can ride me home... I mean ride you home..." he trailed off feeling deeply embarrassed
"I'd like that" she said feeling unlike herself, he grinned and they began working although not really paying attention. - Max & Liz in Where I Follow.
My Roswell Music Videos
My Published Works So Far
Locked