Reunion (CC, Mature) Couples: L/M, M/M, I/K - Chapter 71 - Completed - 7/15/2018

[RoswellFan68]

I wonder if Elizabeth is going to crack and tell her parents and Uncle Max about Yale.

[keepsmiling7]

Oh boy........Jake and Grace are going to be in so much trouble!
And in a way it's funny to see turn about fair play for Max, Maria and Michael and all of their adventures.
I can just see Max go and apologize to his parents very soon.
Can't wait to see what happens when these two are found.....
Carolyn

[Parker1947]

“Roswell and aliens, wow.” Carrie was saying to her twin sister Alexandra that evening in Carrie’s bedroom in Madison, Connecticut. “That is a lot more interesting than mine and Frankie choice. We’re doing the Titanic.”

“The Titanic sounds interesting,” Alexandra said with a smile as she entered a search engine on her laptop that was on her lap as she sat on her sister’s bed as decided to check out Family tree web sites, so they could work on their History project. “I am sure you can find a lot out on that subject.”

“But it’s been done before,” Carrie complained as she sat at his desk and in front of her computer. “Frankie wanted to do something sports or disaster related. I wanted to something dance – romance related. So, we settled on a popular movie that fulfills the disaster yet romantic aspect so Titanic it is.”

“At least you can prove yours happened,” Alexandra smiled as she clicked on a site. “Mine will live on in myth. Like do aliens really exist?”

“Probably not but it’s still an interesting topic that hasn’t been done to death,” Carrie complained as she powered down her computer and focused on her sister. “What do you see?”

“A few web sites into family trees so I guess we should read up on them and then figure out how to go about it. You have swim and dance practice, tomorrow don’t you?” Alexandra asked as she saved a prominent site.

“Yup. They are both in the morning. I thought we could go to Jonathan’s game in the afternoon.” Carrie said as she stared at the site that her sister had found. “We can work on it on Sunday as I have nothing planned.”

“But how are we going to find out something for our class if Mom has no memory and we have no way of filling in those blanks,” Alexandra asked as she had no idea what she could do to prevent a failing grade and the lowering of her grade point average as the end of the semester was approaching. “This sucks’”

*****

“This sucks’” was what Beth heard as she walked past Carrie’s bedroom on the way to the bathroom. She had been home from work for 30 minutes and had just put dinner into the oven when she ready to have a shower. Stopping, she heard partial of the twins’ conversation. A family tree Carrie. This sucks’.”

A family tree, Beth thought. Uh oh, don’t tell me that the twins are working on one. The wish for a shower flew out of her mind and she knocked on Caroline’s bedroom door.

When the twins had turned 10; they both got their own bedroom for their birthday present. Beth had bought their current home the summer prior to the twins’ birthday. Until then they had rented a cottage on an old estate outside New Haven. But with her job at the hospital; Beth had raised enough to be able to buy a house for her and the twins. After moving in; the twins tried sharing a room but craved their own space so for a present she allowed them to have their own room with added permission to decorate anyway they wanted.

Carrie wanted a pink bedroom with a dance theme. Alexandra had wanted a red and black room.

Single beds had been transformed into double beds the prior year in both rooms. The decorations had grown older along with the girls. But the one thing that remained constant at least in Carrie’s room was pink paint and the dance posters and frame picture of ballet shoes, while Alexandra’s room had posters of scientists and great minds in literature and politics and a poster of both Yale and Harvard with the paint staying with red but going with some other prints of black as well.

“Mom,” Carrie looked up from shadowing Alexandra’s movement on Carrie’s computer. They each had a computer in their room set up with parental control that were very limited to what sites they could go to. Youtube, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram were off limits until they got older, but she knew they would probably be influenced by the sites at their friends’ homes but at least she could control what was seen in her own home. And because they were needed for school, they each had a laptop for class work and limited minutes’ internet access when outside the house. “Is dinner ready?”

“Nope as it just went into the oven so you both have forty-five minutes,” Beth said as she walked into Carrie’s room. “What did I just hear? Are you guys doing a family tree for school?”

“Yes,” Alexandra piped up as she shut down the computer on her lap and closed it up as she saw their mother come into the room. “We didn’t want to tell you because we know how delicate the subject is with you.”

“Girls I want you to be able to tell me anything,” Beth smiled as she sat down on the bed and looked at her daughters. “I am not ashamed of the fact that I can’t provide you the answers you two need for your history. I wish I could. But it’s just a blank.”

“Did you try to hire some private investigator or someone?” Carrie asked.

“Serena helped me when I got out of the hospital and had settled in the apartment we had when you were babies. But I could only give some clues as to my name and I am not even definitive that my name is the one I was born with.” Beth said. “It’s just two names that seemed familiar at the time. But nothing was able to enhance that information or could tell me I right or wrong about whom I believed I was….”

“I can’t imagine the reality of losing my memory,” Alexandra said as she spoke up. “It must be so frustrating?” she asked.

“It is,” Beth said honestly. “I wish I knew the answers. All I know is what the police report says. I was dumped outside New Haven. I was only conscious for a few minutes in the hospital before I went into a two-month coma. I wasn’t coherent enough to be able to tell them who I was before going unconscious and when I did wake up; I was still a blank. A Jane Doe they tell me, until I took the name I did.”

“I am sorry Mom,” Carrie said.

“I know both of you are,” Beth said as she stood up and faced the girls. “So, what is this assignment?”

“We have to do a family tree for our History class. We are supposed to go all the way back or as far back as we can.” Alexandra said. “We don’t know where to start.”

“I am sorry for both of you,” Beth said as she looked intensely at her girls and wondered just who their father was and who contributed to their genes. Who did they take after? One could say they could be carbon copies of who she was earlier in life. But then they had another contributor to their genes. She wished she knew more about her past life. “I wish I could be of help.”

“I know,” Alexandra nodded. “Have you ever used the internet to search for any information on any known Evans? Maybe you could connect the dots if you feel like the name Evans means something to you?” she asked.

“I tried sweetheart. Back after I woke up. In the months prior to you guys being born while hospitalized. Serena brought in a lap top for me to use. You know how many Evans there are all over this country. And the name Beth can come from any combination of name, or it could just be Beth. I wish I knew, but I don’t.”

“We didn’t want to tell you,” Carrie piped in as she hugged her mother while Alexandra stood in line. “Forget it. We’ll figure out somehow to complete the assignment without it upsetting the life we’ve created.”

“I love the two of you very much and both of you are so bright that I am sure you will find a way to get the assignment done. But if it does come to it, I can always talk to your teacher for you and explain the situation.” Beth said. “I am going to go have a shower before dinner. If one of you girls does want to help with dinner, then then you can set the table. We’re having lasagna,” she said as she headed for the shower while she left her daughters to ponder.

“We have to help Mom,” Carrie insisted as soon as their mother was out of ear shot. “There is got to be some way to get this assignment done without faking the information and help Mom too.” she said. “Since I know you would be against cheating and faking the information.”

“You’ve got that right,” Alexandra said as she smirked at her sister. “If I get an A I want it to because it was honest. Even if I could get an F in the process, so no faking information, no matter how tempting it is. And I don’t want to be put in the position to have Mom going to the teacher and explain why we couldn’t get the assignment done, even if it would be an easy pass to get out of the assignment.”

Carrie took that under consideration. She still was mystified about how they could find legit information on their family history. “Then we have to come up with something.” she said as she looked at the time. “I’ll set the table.”

“Go,” Alexandra said as she got up and walked out of Carrie’s room with her sister and went to her room. With her mother, still on her mind, she sighed. There must be something I can do for Mom that also allows for Carrie and me to get a decent grade on our assignment, she though as she put her laptop back in her book bag and went to sit down at her own computer and booted it up.

Muttering to herself that she couldn’t think of anything now, so she moved on to her next issue. She would work on her Research assignment. Roswell, and the Alien crash of 1947. Aliens! She decided to check up on the author Maria DeLuca Guerin whose book Shock and Awe inspired the idea. Going to her book shelf; she got out the prior books in the series, Destiny, Into the Woods, Busted with the fifth book titled Home expected the following year with “Shock and Awe” in stores now. She looked at the picture of the author. She read the book sleeve and learned the author lived with her five kids in Roswell, New Mexico. No wonder she has so many insights, Alexandra thought as she put the books down and went to the computer.

******

“What did that boy do now?” Isabel asked as she stormed into the Crashdown just as Max arrived. Maria and Michael were coming in another car. Realizing more troops were needed in this mission. A call was placed to Isabel who left her store in the care of a trusted employee to close while she headed to the Crashdown to check on the latest scheme by her god son and her niece. When Jake was born, both Liz and Isabel were appointed co-god mothers to Jake. Max was god father to Jake and the remaining children while Isabel was the god mother to Elizabeth, Colin, Liam and Belle. She took over the role of godmother to Jake and Elizabeth when Liz was lost to them and continued with the other kids. “Dear God Max!”

“I know Iz,” Max groaned. “Did you call Kyle?”

“Yes. He is finishing up the basketball practice and he said he’ll be here when he is finished” Isabel said quietly as during Basketball and Football seasons; Kyle was busy with the teams even though he was only assistant coach during the football season.

“Where are the kids? “Max asked.

“Kylie is at a sleepover birthday party. Michelle is still at swim practice. Jamie is at a sleepover at Mom and Dad’s. Kyle will pick up Michelle when he’s finished with practice. So, what is happening with Jake and Grace?” she asked.

“They skipped town. Jim traced Jake’s car to the Santa Fe airport. But he couldn’t find any known tickets anywhere under Grace or Jake’s names. All we can figure out is that they may be going to the East Coast. Apparently on a college scouting trip Jake wanted to take. Grace went with him as a companion. But the one friend we were able to break wasn’t forthcoming with any exact information.”

“Elizabeth wouldn’t break huh?” Isabel said. “And it must be an alias that is hiding them for now.”

“Of course, not, why be helpful? Even if though it might mean her brother and best friend could be in danger,” Maria muttered as she walked into the Crashdown and the meeting of their secret society with Michael steps behind his wife. “Is there any additional information since we left the high school?” Maria asked the room.

“Nope,” Max said as they took a seat in a nearby booth. “Jim has a bulletin out across the country. Hopefully something will yield from that.”

“That girl of mine knows something,” Maria groaned as she noticed her mother approaching with a platter of food. “It’s going to be hell getting anything out of her,” she muttered. “She’s getting too good at using her abilities and the most troubling part of it isn’t her unique gifts that would make her so stubborn. It’s the fact she’s my and Michael’s daughter, and is very much our daughter down to a tee.”

“What has Jake done now?” Amy asked as she placed the food in front of the group. “Do I even want to know,” she asked as the group started to fill her in on the newest escapade of Jake’s and now Grace. “That boy is going to get into a load of trouble one of these days. How can I help?”

“Do you know anything?” Max asked. “Did Grace give you any clues?”

“All she said is she needed tonight and tomorrow off from working here at the Crashdown because she had a paper she needed to write for Monday,” Amy said as she thought back to the conversation she had with the teenager. “Mrs. Valenti, I am stuck on this paper for class and therefore I feel like if I just buckle down this weekend and put some genuine effort into it, then I can I can get it done for Monday. If you need me to work extra hours, I can make it up once my party is over in a few weeks.”

“She offered to make it up?” Maria asked. “And, using your married name, she was feeling guilty. Yeah, she was planning on something. The Grace we all know doesn’t need to put extra effort into a paper. She probably already had it completed,” she said as she looked at Max who nodded. Amy was on first name basis with all the kids. So, for Grace to use it, she was feeling guilty about lying. “We have to find them.” she groaned as they tried to come up with a strategy to find the kids.

“I think I can help,” came a voice and they all looked to the door and saw that Jim Valenti was walking in. “I may have some information.”

********

On the flight to Boston; Grace was asleep in her seat while Jake kept an eye on her. He knew he was taking a significant risk and risked the wrath of the alien kingdom that was his father and Uncle Max. And his mother was no slouch either, but he felt they needed a break. Sure, going all the way to Boston and then Connecticut was overkill, but a guy had to make an impression and if you’ve been raised by Michael Guerin; you would know how to make an impression early.

Yale wasn’t for him. He had no intention of going to Yale. He still had no idea of which school he would end up at, but Yale was for Grace. An early birthday present as he felt she needed the exposure. Get out of Roswell. See the world. See that there was a chance to get out of their small town and reach for the stars. The scholarship was true. But it was more of a long-range goal for Grace to reach for and not him. He was more into engineering or architecture and not into medicine. Medicine was Grace’s goal in life. Just like her mother. Elizabeth Parker Evans had made an indent in her daughter’s life when she was lost so early. Growing up all Grace heard was how Liz loved the idea of science and ultimately had applied that love of science to medicine. Grace knew she didn’t have to follow her mother’s step if she didn’t want to. But she too had an aptitude for math and science and she was finding herself going down the path towards a career in medicine and Jake wanted to show that it was possible for her to reach for the stars.

Even if it meant that they did end up at different universities and on different coasts…

[RoswellFan68]

Loved Chapter 8. Hopefully Alexandra's research on the Roswell Aliens and Maria DeLuca Guerin leads her to Beth.

[keepsmiling7]

Things are really getting interesting......and a little tense.
The girls had a good questions for Beth, what about a private investigator?
That family tree is going to have the girls doing some special research.......
So they go to Maria's books, why not??
Mean while, Jake and Grace are on their way to Boston........and probably trouble sooner than later.
Thanks,
Carolyn

[Parker1947]

Aunt Serena,” Carrie asked the next morning after her dance rehearsal was finished and they drove to pick up Alexandra to be able to attend Jonathan’s basketball game.

“Yes sweetie,” Serena Rogers asked as they left the parking lot of the dance studio. She had been teaching dancing since she was a teenager. Even when she had gone into medicine; she had kept the dancing up and taught a few classes a week and Caroline had been taking the advance class for several years and Serena was proud of how talented Carrie was in the discipline. “What’s up?”

“Can Alexandra and I come see you in your office on Monday morning?” Carrie asked.

“Why?” Serena asked, and she wondered if there was some secret the twins were keeping from their mother. “Don’t you have school?”

“Teacher conference day,” Carrie said. “Alex and I have it off,” she said. “There is something we want to talk to you about and before you worry it’s not about us, it’s about Mom.” she said. “We feel like it’s important to talk to you in private.”

“Sure,” Serena said as she stared at the young teenager. She knew a plan when she saw one and could tell something was up with Carrie. The twins rarely came to her office unless it was a medical problem and they rarely had one. The twins despite their early birth were remarkably healthy. “But I hope you don’t two have a scheme because if you do than forget it, I am not coming along for the ride.”

“You don’t have to worry,” Carrie smiled ever so sweetly. “If there is a plan, Alexandra and I have no idea what it is. It’s purely about Mom and we wanted to talk to you about something.”

“Okay I’ll bite so be at my office by 9 a.m., okay,” Serena said as she looked wary at her goddaughter but knew she needed for Beth sake to hear the twins out. “I don’t have a patient until 9:45 on Monday. You have me curious.” she said as she pulled into the driveway of the Evans home and Alexandra came running out carrying her bag and a book. “What are you reading,” she asked Alexandra as she popped into the backseat.

“Shock and Awe by Maria Deluca Guerin,” Alexandra answered. “I went and bought it this morning with the money I saved up from my allowance. “I love these books.”

“Isn’t that the series of books on aliens?” Serena as they drove to the Madison Community Centre to meet up with her kids for Jonathan’s game.

“Yup. It’s about a group of aliens who once saved a human teenage girl from an attacker and soon there is an attraction between the head male alien and the human teenage girl as they fall in love and all kinds of havoc ensue. It’s so romantic. They love each other so much. It’s so Romeo and Juliet,” Alexandra gushed.

“Let us hope it has a better ending,” Serena smiled at the teenager in the back. Alexandra smiled agreement.

******

“I can’t believe you’re here and working on a Saturday Dr. Evans,” Lauren Daniels as she saw the pediatrics specialist come down to the Emergency Room to consult on a patient that had just been brought in. “I thought you were off today?”

“I am filling in for Kurt,” Beth smiled. “The life of a doctor doesn’t unfortunately have an off switch and especially not when there is someone who had a family emergency and needed the weekend off.”

“No, it doesn’t,” Nurse Daniels smiled as she handed the chart on a recent patient to the doctor. “Anyway, it’s always nice to see you again.”

“Thank you, Lauren,” Beth smiled as she went to see the patient.

*****

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Isabel asked as she sat at the Santa Fe airport. She had driven Max and Maria to the airport to their flight and she had manufactured a ticket with her powers to get through security to be able to be with her brother and Maria until they boarded their flight. Jim Valenti had come into the Crashdown the night before and let them know that they had tracked Jake and Grace to a rental car that was waiting for them in Boston. They still didn’t know whether they intended to stay in Boston or somewhere else, but it was a start and of course it had taken only those words of a concrete location to begin their search for Max and Maria to decide to track down their wayward kids. “I figure Jake and Grace will be home in time to go to school on Monday.”

“We don’t know that, do we?” Max muttered as they waited for the flight to be called. Michael was staying behind to care for the kids. Isabel and Kyle would help Michael out if he needed it until Maria got back. “We don’t know them as well as we thought we did I guess.”

“No, I guess we don’t,” Isabel said. “Just be careful okay. They may be doing something incredibly rash, but don’t compound it okay by equally doing something dumb.”

“I plan to be careful,” Max smiled. “I just want to find my daughter and bring her home. And ground her forever if I must. This is scary Isabel. I now feel like how Mom and Dad must have felt all the times when we would disappear for the night or longer on a moment’s notice or without explanation. It’s truly scary to know they could be in danger even if Grace has abilities, Jake doesn’t and if it comes down to it, it can help out, but it can’t eliminate all the danger that exists out there in the world for two teenagers especially since our abilities are supposed to be secret and stay that way.”

“I know. Mom was making that same observation to me earlier,” Maria said as she piped into the conversation that Max was having with Isabel. “And I agree wholeheartedly. I remember when Michael and I headed off to on that wayward weekend in Arizona during junior year. Mom was beside herself.” she smiled as she recalled the memory of the time with Michael even though they technically were broken up at the time. “It seemed harmless at the time. But I guess we all gave our parents a terrifying scare.”

“We did,” Max sighed. “Even if down deep I know this is just a weekend lark of a trip and they will be home at the end of it, but I just can’t take any chances and I want her home safe and sound because I have this nagging feeling.”

“She’ll be fine” Isabel said with confidence as the flight was being called. “Call me anytime. If you don’t; you just know I have a secret weapon in finding you. So, don’t be a stranger,” she said as she walked her brother and Maria to the flight gate.

Flight 2019 to Boston was being called for boarding so Isabel watched as her brother and friend walked onto the flight and hoped to god that everything would be fine when they finally found the kids.

*****

“You should be lucky,” Sue was telling Elizabeth at the Crashdown. Elizabeth was filling in for Grace for the day. With the Parkers still gone and Amy overwhelmed with the Saturday rush of patrons; she elected to help. It also got her out of the tension of the house. Dinner the night before had been hellish for the teenager since both parents were consumed with worry for both Jake and Grace. And they both knew their eldest daughter knew something about the whereabouts of her brother and best friend that she wasn’t telling either of her parents. She had escaped the dinner table the first moment she could and barred herself in her room the rest of the night and left the first moment she had a chance that morning. She was out of the house and away from the inquisitive eyes of her father. “Your parents did lay off you. They didn’t get on your case until you cracked,”

With her mother and Uncle on their way to Boston Elizabeth knew things could get bad quick. “You try living in that house last night. Colin, Liam and Belle were confused why Mom and Dad were looking at me like I was a traitor. And Jake didn’t come home, and they didn’t know why. At least you only knew what Grace told you; which is practically nothing. Only that they would be heading for the East Coast, I am the worst offender around here because I know, and I didn’t tell them. Especially since they are headed to Boston and I know they aren’t in Boston by a long shot” she muttered as she talked to Sue on a small break she was taking. “Grandma is also looking at me funny.”

“Let’s hope they don’t get in too much mischief,” Sue said as she checked her watched. “I have to go. I have a test in science on Monday for which I have to study so when do you get off?”

“4 p.m.,” Elizabeth sighed. “But I don’t think Dad is going to let me out of his sight tonight, so we might just have to talk on the phone or Skype.”

“I can work with that, so I’ll chat with you later, good luck with your father” Sue smiled as she got up from the booth and left the restaurant while Elizabeth muttered something unidentifiable to herself as she got back to work under the constant observation of her Grandma Amy as the door to the Crashdown opened and Jake’s old girlfriend walked into the restaurant.

“Elizabeth?” Camryn Lowell asked as she walked up the teenager. “I didn’t know you were working here?”

“Normally I am not but I am filling in for Grace.” Elizabeth remarked. “Do you want a booth? Are you meeting Robert?” she asked her brother’s ex-girlfriend. After two years, together, Jake had broken up with Camryn right after Christmas break and now Camryn was dating a football player and seemingly serious about him.

“Robert is at practice, so I am meeting some friends” Camryn said quietly as she looked at the younger sister of her former boyfriend. “Is it true about Jake?”

“What did you hear?” Elizabeth asked as she showed Camryn to a booth and handed a menu to the girl.

“It’s all over school that he skipped town with Grace Evans. Is it true?” Camryn asked.

“I guess in some manner of speaking yes,” Elizabeth said as she stood nervously and wondered of Camryn’s reaction. “They will be back on Monday.”

“Wow, Jake knows how to sweep a girl off her feet doesn’t he” Camryn said as she looked over the menu. “Wish he felt like that about me when we were dating.”

“He did Camryn” Elizabeth said as memories of the relationship between her brother and Camryn. “I know for a fact he did. It was pretty sick actually.”

“It was maybe that way in the beginning but after a while, it burnt out. Then it was about Grace. All about Grace. Especially after New Year’s Eve”

“Camryn,” Elizabeth sighed. “I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything,” Camryn said as she concentrated on her menu and watched as Elizabeth disappeared towards another patron. “New Year’s Eve changed a lot for all of us.”

*****

“This is incredible Jake,” Grace said as she walked around the campus of Yale University. They had driven to New Haven as soon as they landed in Boston and rented the car. They had gotten to New Haven in the middle of the night and, so they found an isolated place and fell asleep in the car. Waiting until the sun came up to find a motel; camping had been a lie. Grace was too tired to fight and plus the idea of camping in a foreign state was not exactly what she had been looking forward to, so they got a room with two double beds with both falling asleep in their clothes immediately after getting into their room. Waking up; they had found a cheap place to eat. Jake had taken out some cash from his bank account since he knew charging anything to his emergency credit card his parents got would be too easy to be tracked if their parents had noticed their disappearance. Although he had needed to use it at the car rental place, which is why unknowingly to the two teenagers; the parents had become wise to Boston.

“I am glad you’re having an exciting time,” Jake said as they walked around looking at the old buildings. “Which is why I wanted to come and wanted you to come.”

“You should come here if you get the chance,” Grace said with a huge grin that lit up her whole face. “I would love to come here or come and visit you sometime.”

“I lied,” Jake admitted.

“You did?” Grace asked. “Everything about this trip so far has been one lie after another so I shouldn’t be surprised if you lied once more. What is it?” she asked as they stopped by a bench.

“I have no interest in coming here to Yale” he said honestly. “I am sure I will land in Boston or at Stanford if I get accepted. Las Cruces as a last resort but Yale is about you.”

“Me?” Grace asked confused. “I don’t understand. You said there is a special scholarship and wanted to scout this place out.”

“I wanted you to see it. I know you dream of Harvard or here at Yale,” Jake said as he looked at Grace. “And I also know you worry about your father and what it means when you graduate,” Jake said.

“I don’t understand.” Grace asked. “Sure, I worry about my father. But he wants me to go to university and a good one if I get in.”

“He does but I know you. You will worry and ultimately settle for Las Cruces to stay close to your Dad. If you do and you want to, that is fine. But I want you to see the possibilities. I want you to see what is possible. I wanted to see you see this place and to know what it looks like so when you make the decision it is best for you,” Jake said.

“There is a scholarship and we can pick up a copy of it on our way back. And I was thinking of driving by Harvard tomorrow on the way to airport, so you can see what you could be missing.”

“Jake this is so sweet. But you didn’t have to go to expense of this just for me.” Grace said as they got up and started walking again. “You didn’t have to…”

“Call it an early birthday present”

*****

“You keep off that foot okay?” Beth was saying to a patient in the Emergency Room as she stood by the gurney. “And be careful on those skateboards. They can cause a lot of pain if you aren’t careful and you don’t want to be a regular visitor to the hospital. Okay?” she asked as got a nod from the patient, and she smiled and went out into the Emergency room and took a survey of the current flow of patients.

It had been a long day at the hospital. A lot of stupid accidents resulting in kids getting seriously injured. Beth just wanted to finish her shift and get home to the girls. And relax as it had been a long week.

“Thank you, Dr. Evans,” the young boy said as his mother watched as her son adapted to the crutches as they walked out from behind the counter and shared their good byes to the doctor before leaving the hospital.

Beth signed off on the discharge of the patient and handed the chart to the nearby nurse. Walking to the emergency room front desk, she checked to see if any new in-coming patients and found nothing for the moment.

“How much longer are you on?” Dahlia Winters asked. “You’ve been here since early this morning, haven’t you?”

“One more hour,” Beth said as she checked the clock. “I can’t wait to get home. It’s been a long day. Way too many stupid injuries involving kids, so I want to go home and make sure my own kids are not doing something stupid.”

“Yes, it has been a long day,” Dahlia said, and she surveyed the patient charts and handed one to Beth to handle. “And I can understand that sentiment completely; I always wonder what is going on at home with my son when I am on shift.”

*****

“Who though the first time I would be on an airplane in over eighteen years would be to rescue my son who I was carrying the last time I was on an airplane.” Maria muttered as they sat on the airplane as it flew towards Boston. “Only he would get me on a plane again,” she said with almost a smile.

Any trips she, Michael and the kids had taken were nearby Arizona or to Texas and they drove and, so she hadn’t had to fly since the last time she flew home to Roswell and any book related trips were drivable. Although she had been told her latest book tour may require flying, but details hadn’t been nailed down yet.

“The last time for me I guess it was when I went briefly to New York for that summit.” Max murmured as he didn’t wish that to remember or acknowledge that other time he had been on an airplane when he had been in Vermont and havoc had ensued in the long journey that had been him and Liz. The Alien Summit hadn’t been any better but going to New York hadn’t caused him to commit a felony, even if he hadn’t been in his right mind. The Alien Summit was a meeting to promote and ensure peace on their home planet and it hadn’t gone well but still it was better than the time in Vermont which had only changed his life for the better, yet it still had overtones of negativity for his life. At least in New York, Liz had to step in and save his butt. One of the many times she had stepped into his life and made it better. “No wait, didn’t we fly to Vegas?”

“Awe that summit,” Maria said. “I guess it’s true that we never as a group travelled much outside of New Mexico or the nearby regions. And yes, I believe we did end up on a plane on the way home from Vegas. I forget how we got there.”

“We didn’t travel much out of those stated places,” Max said. “I do hope our kids change that, but not on illicit weekend trips. I was thinking more along the lines of furthering her academic dreams. While I will miss Grace, but I do want the world for her.”

“She will get it,” Maria smiled. “Unless they go and wreck it all. They deserve the world, and they better get it.”

*****

“This place is beautiful,” Grace was telling herself as they took a bathroom break, and she waited outside for Jake to return to their tour of the campus. Grace was stretching her legs in a nearby diner. “Maybe it’s not so farfetched to think I could come here in a few years” she told herself. She and Jake had been having a wonderful time. They had stopped in for something to eat and now they were finished and had already paid the bill and while Jake was in the bathroom; Grace decided to walk outside.

Suddenly she felt a lot of discomfort. She knew it couldn’t be from lunch. They had burgers. Trying to settle herself, she took deep breaths and concentrated on the fresh air but suddenly she felt faint on her feet and before she knew she had collapsed just as Jake was coming out of the restaurant.

“Grace,” he yelled as he ran to his fallen friend.

[L-J-L 76]

Wow a lot of going on in this chapter. Wondering why Beth's daughters want to talk to Serena about. Poor Max and Maria they are so worried about their kids. Love the Surprise Jake did for Grace by taking her to see college. Wow Beth has been working a lot. Max, Maria remembering everything it happened while they were in school. Oh no Grace. Good thing Jake is by her side. Wondering if Beth will help Grace and Jake. And wonder if Max and Maria will meet Beth. Wondering if Beth will be in when Max and Maria get to the hospital. Wondering if Max and Maria will realize who Beth really is. Wondering what Carrie and Alexandra will talk to Serena about.

From:
L-J-L 76

[keepsmiling7]

I'm loving this so much........and can almost sense a reunion coming up, at least that's what I am hoping for.
Maria's book have made quite an impression on Beth's daughter.
And Max and Maria are on their way........while Jake is treating Grace to an early birthday tour.
Guess what, Grace is sick and needs to go to the hospital.......I can't wait.
Thanks,
Carolyn

[RoswellFan68]

Hopefully Grace can safely go to a hospital without exposing the alien secret. We know the kids have abilities but the question is whether their blood is more human than alien.

Looking forward to the next part.

[Parker1947]

“Daddy I am sorry,” Elizabeth tried telling her father as she came downstairs after taking some time away from her father’s eyes upon returning from working at the Crashdown. “I know you are very disappointed in me,” she asked as she sighed at the memory of her brother’s disappearance. “Did Mom get off alright?”

“Yes, she did,” Michael said as he chopped the tomatoes for the dinner he was preparing him and the kids. “And yes, I am disappointed in you, but I also know you were only doing what your brother asked, you to and I can’t say I disagree with that decision although one of these days you’re going to have to realize that giving up relevant information is only better in the long run. Your brother is eighteen and can take care of himself in most situations, but he also has rarely been out of Roswell on his own. And going alone with Grace is a big deal and we’re just worried for both. We know he wouldn’t hurt her, but one never knows what they would find out there on their own.”

“Look I know Dad. But it’s just Jake and Grace. I made a promise.” Elizabeth said as she helped her father chop the tomatoes. “But you’re right I guess I didn’t think of it like that.”

“No, you didn’t. You were caught up in the romance of it all. Two teenagers taking off for the weekend; away from the disapproving parents and the pressures of high school and blowing off some steam and just having some fun. But it’s the real-world Elizabeth and one of these days the fun will burn, and trouble will ensue.” Michael said as he threw the tomatoes in the big pot on the stove and not trying to remind himself of how hypocritical for him to be sprouting these words to his daughter when he, Max, Isabel, Liz and Maria rarely followed the same advice and had gotten in much more dangerous mayhem.

“Do you think Mom and Uncle Max will find them?” Elizabeth asked as she moved to getting the cheese out of the fridge.

“Hopefully but we do know that the chances that they are still in Boston are one in a million at this point. It’s pretty much finding a pin in a haystack at this point unless we know where to look. So, are you ready to tell me where they are going?” Michael asked as he looked up at his daughter and saw the conflict on her face. “Isn’t it better we find them?”

“They do plan to be back tomorrow night anyways,” Elizabeth said.

“Oh, I realize that because your brother is many things, but he isn’t that stupid, but wouldn’t it be better for your mother and Max to find them and make sure they are alright. You never know what might happen far away from home. They could get into trouble. We all know Grace has abilities and she is probably pretty powerful given she is Max’s daughter but that still doesn’t guarantee she won’t get into trouble and if that were to happen, your brother will only be able to help up to a point.”

“I don’t know where they are staying. And they probably have left already” Elizabeth warned.

“Just tell us Elizabeth. What do you know?” Michael asked as he transferred the pasta from the pot and into a dish for the oven. “Just tell me. Your mother needs all the information she can get even if they aren’t there anymore.”

“Fine, they were heading to Yale University.” Elizabeth blurted.

“Yale?” Michael asked astonished as he had no idea that his son was even interested in that university. It was more Grace’s speed than his son’s,” he asked as it dawned on him. “This is about Grace, isn’t it?”

“How did you know?” Elizabeth asked as she sat down at the kitchen table and looked at her father. “He wanted to surprise her with a glimpse of her future. To show that there is something out there. That getting out of Roswell was possible.”

“Only your brother would do something so ill advised,” Michael muttered. “There are other ways to show what she has waiting for her once she’s outside of Roswell.”

“But it is Jake and we all know that he couldn’t resist!”

“Thank you honey for telling me the truth,” Michael said as he hugged his daughter and went straight to the phone and goggled the location of the university as he waited to connect as he hoped Max and his wife will have landed in Boston; dialing Maria’s cell phone, he got no answer, so he left a message. “Check out Yale University because Elizabeth told me that is where they were headed. I googled it and it’s located in New Haven, Connecticut. Call me to let me know you got there safely. I love you.”

Hanging up, he turned to his daughter and hugged her once more “Thank you sweetheart.”

Elizabeth nodded and, so she left the kitchen as she prayed her delayed silence hadn’t done harm to her brother and best friend as she headed for her bedroom to call Sue.

*****

At the exact moment, Michael was making the call to Maria’s cell phone; the plane was landing at Logan Airport in Boston. “Are we ready?” Max asked as they took their bags and walked off the plane into the airport.

“Ready as we can be I guess.” Maria smiled as they went to the rental counter to get a car as Max had arranged for a reservation before they departed Roswell, so they walked up to the counter and Max spoke to the woman in charge as she went to work on the computer. “We’re here to pick up a car under the name Evans?”

“How long will you have the car as it doesn’t say on the reservation order?’ the woman asked.

“It’s hard to say,” Maria piped into the conversation. It could be a day or even longer. It’s an emergency.”

“Okay,” the woman said as she punched in the information and finished off the form. “Is this your credit card?” she asked Max.

“Yes,” Max said as he okayed the credit card information he had given over the phone. “We are curious. Were you working yesterday afternoon or evening?”

“Yesterday evening. Why?” the woman asked as she stared at both Max and Maria.

“Did you happen to see two teenagers come in here? It would be a boy and a girl?” Max asked. “The boy would have been renting the car.” he asked.

“Maybe. We often get teenagers in here” the woman said. “Can you describe them?”

“The girl is small in stature, long brunette hair. And the boy is slightly older and has dirty blonde hair.”

“Hmmm,” the woman though. “I don’t think so. But then I see so many teenagers come through here with families or even alone so it’s hard to say. I am sorry if that is no help. Why are you interested?”

“Our kids decided to take a weekend away from home without permission. So, we’re trying to find them.” Maria said. “Can you check if you have a certain credit card number on file? You always have them on file right if a car has been rented?”

“Yes”, the woman said. “In case there are any issues that arise over the time of the rental.”

“Can you check this number for me,” Maria asked as she recited Jake’s emergency credit card number. A credit card she and Michael had given Jake for his sixteenth birthday in case something happened, but they never imagined he would use it to finance his weekend getaway.

“Yes, that number is in the system.” the woman said after typing in the number.

“Is it possible to know where the car is heading? Did they give a destination?” Max asked the woman who shook her head. “Is there anything at all?”

“Just that the car would be returned at this rental agency tomorrow,” the woman said as she punched for more information. “Do you still want the car?”

“Yes please,” Max said as he signed for the rental as he silently cursed at the lack of information. “Thank you very much” he smiled as she he took the keys and headed off with Maria next to him.

*****

“Aren’t you out of here?” Dr. Alyssa Davis asked as she walked into the second trauma room. “Don’t you want to get out of here and spend some time with your kids?” she asked as she saw Beth was writing some notes in a chart.

“I have fifteen more minutes,” Beth said with a chuckle. “And anyways the kids are at a basketball game this afternoon.”

“Excuses, excuses.” Dr. Davis smiled as they walked out into the full emergency room just as a gurney with a teenager on it was wheeled into the emergency room. “Since you’re almost off, why burden yourself with a new admittance. Do you want me to take this one?”

“No, let me check on the patient and run the history and when I am off I’ll turn it over to you to handle,” Beth said as she rushed towards the gurney and asked the paramedic rushing into the room. “What’s wrong?”

“A teenage girl found unconscious on the campus of Yale University. She hasn’t been conscious enough to be able tell us her name,” the paramedic said. “When lucid, she’s complaining of stomach pains.”

“Are you with her,” Beth asked the teenage boy when was walking with concern on his face behind the gurney as it was wheeled to a bed.

“Yes,” Jake said.

“What’s her name?” Beth asked she took notes for the chart.

“Grace,” Jake said reluctantly. “She seemed fine. We were touring the campus and I went inside a building for a few minutes to go to the bathroom. She stayed outside and as I came out I noticed she collapsed. She woke up for a few minutes as paramedics arrived. But she hasn’t been able to speak.”

“How old is she?” Beth asked as she made notations and looked at the patients as she was moved onto a bed.

“Sixteen” Jake lied.

“Where are her parents?” Beth asked as she hooked the patient up to an IV and some preliminary machines while looking at the patient.

“It’s just her Dad,” Jake said as his face turned pale at seeing Grace unconscious. “And we’re just visiting as we’re from out of state.”

“Were there any drugs taken?” Beth asked.

“No. She’s not into that. She’s very healthy. She’s an overachiever you can say,” Jake said.

“Well overachievers have been known to take drugs, especially if they are faced with a lot of pressures and burdens within their family?”

“She’s very close to her father. He’s a great father. He doesn’t pressure her.” Jake said as he defended Max to the doctor.

“That maybe the case but your friend is unconscious after complaining of stomach pains,” Beth said as she had an intern take some blood. “How close are you two?” she asked.

“Are you her boyfriend?”

“No,” Jake said genuinely. “We’re just good friends.”

“Do you know if she is sexually active?” Beth asked as noticed her stomach was unusually tender.

“No” Jake said as he squirmed at the question as if he dreaded having to answer it. “Um, I don’t know. I don’t think so…um, well, maybe.” he said quietly as Beth looked at the boy as she assessed the situation. She could tell he was genuinely interested in the girl, but he was being honest that they were only friends.”

“Call her father?” Beth said as he scooted him out of the room, so she could make a more detailed examination of the patient as Dr. Davis came in. “Do you want to help me. A 16-year-old complaining of stomach pains. She’s been unconscious a total of twenty minutes after briefly waking up as they were loading her into the ambulance.”

“Sure,” Alyssa said.

“Be wary of the boy,” Beth said as she checked the patient over as Dr. Davis was taking notes for the chart. “He’s hiding something. Keep on him to call her father. Something tells me there is more to this situation.”

“You think they might be runaways?” Dr. Davis said as looked at the chart.

“You never know and oh, run a pregnancy test on the blood,” Beth advised as she completed the examination and turned the patient to Dr. Davis and was prepared to leave the room when the patient started muttering herself as her eyes opened as she came to… and piercing eyes stared right at Beth…

“Mommy,” Grace asked before falling asleep again.

*****

“Get out of here Tommy,” Sue said as she took a seat in the Crashdown. Elizabeth was no longer working but was at home being punished for lying to her father, so Sue was a free agent and was taking a break from studying. Although she immediately wondered if she should have stayed in her bedroom listening to music and pondering her homework as she wasn’t happy to see Tommy Ellis come into the restaurant and sit down at her booth. “I don’t want to talk to you.”

“Where is Grace?” Tommy Ellis a classmate in the same grade level as Sue and Grace. His father was a budding politician who would be announcing any month now he planned to seek a senate seat from New Mexico while his mother was the district attorney for Roswell and Tommy took on the fact that he was the current DA’s son to heart with his bad boy attitude in both life and school.

“She doesn’t want to talk to you,” Sue said as she looked at the menu even though she knew what she would have. “Get lost Tommy. Take the fact she’s staying away from you as an answer and leave her alone.”

“Did she really run away with Guerin?” Tommy asked.

“That is none of your business,” Sue said as she saw that Mrs. Deluca-Valenti was coming towards them.

“It is my business,” Tommy said. “We have a thing.”

“You don’t have a thing Tommy,” Sue said with a sigh. “Whatever you had with Grace that night was because you got her drunk.” she warned. “Leave her alone or I’ll go to the authorities or her family and tell them what you did.”

“They won’t do anything,” Tommy laughed. “She wanted it.”

“What is that Tommy,” Amy asked as she walked to the table. She knew her husband Jim felt Tommy was a punk and a criminal in training. And could be the one to derail any politician dreams his father had in the future with his actions. “Who wanted it?”

“Nothing Mrs. Valenti,” Tommy said before sinking away from the booth.

“Thanks Mrs. V,” Sue said as she gave her order. “He’s being a pest and has been giving Grace a lot of headaches lately, and he couldn’t help but question where she is…”

“He is?” Amy asked a little surprised as she eyed the boy as he was leaving the cafe. “I didn’t think Grace liked him.”

“She doesn’t,” Sue assured Amy. “It’s just he doesn’t take No for an answer. If she wasn’t going to extremes this weekend, I would think her little diversion this weekend was needed away to get away from the prying eyes of Ellis.”

“Really... well, that surprises me?” Amy said as she muttered to herself as she walked away to place the order.

******

Max was driving towards New Haven. Once they had gotten into their car; Maria had checked her cell messages and learned of the message from Michael and told Max that the kids were headed to Yale University.

“Only Jake would take Grace all the way from Roswell to Connecticut,” Maria muttered as Max paid attention to the road.

“I do know Yale is one of her dreams,” Max was saying.

“A dream come true I am sure,” Maria was saying just as she heard her cell phone in her bag ring. “Just a second” she said as she reached for her cell phone. Answering it, “Hello” she asked, and her blood pressure spiked when she heard who it was, “Jake.”

Max stopped driving at the mention of the caller and thought wise to pull off the highway and stop at the side of the road as Maria took the call.

******

“Mom” Jake was saying outside the front door to the emergency room. He had been resisting calling Grace’s father because he knew the reaction; hell fire. But immediately after seeing Grace, the new doctor on Grace’s case was insistent that Grace’s family needed to be called. Jake was unsure. But he also knew that Max needed to know so he elected to call the Evans home where he received no answer. So, he went with his gut, and decided he needed to call his mother. “Do you know where Max is?”

Squirming Jake looked through the window. Grace was in a room being observed. She wasn’t awake. The doctors were running tests to determine what was going on. Not knowing what was going on scared him. Coming out after a bathroom break and seeing Grace had collapsed on the campus of Yale had scared him to death. More so than the reaction he feared would come from both his parents and especially her father.

Knowing she was now in the hands of doctors given her secret status unnerved him. But focusing on the matter at hand, the call, “What?” he asked. “You and Max are coming towards New Haven?” he asked. I should have known they would be on the first flight to New Haven when given any information of where he and Grace were. Or maybe they’d gotten Elizabeth or Sue to crack. He couldn’t help but wonder which of them cracked. Sue, most likely. Elizabeth would have held out until she couldn’t any longer. So, it might have been both in some way or another.

“I am okay,” Jake insisted. “But it’s about Grace. She’s in the hospital. You must get Max here quickly. We are at the New Haven Medical Centre” he said. “Grace collapsed when we were at Yale today. I don’t know what is going on. They won’t tell me anything given I am not family, but the doctors are taking care of Grace right now.” he said.

“I am sorry,” he insisted. “Yes, I’ll stay here as I am not going anywhere until I know what is going on with Grace,” he said before hanging up after being assured that they were a couple of hours away.

******

“I am going to kill him,” Max muttered as he put the car in drive as he turned a brutal U-turn and headed back to the highway and picked up speed as they headed to New Haven. He had to be sure his little girl was okay.

To make sure he didn’t lose her too…

*****

“Mom,” Alexandra said as she and Carrie got in the car after Beth arrived at the auditorium to pick up her daughters so that Serena wouldn’t have to drive them home. “You missed a thrilling game. Jonathan scored fifteen points and was the winning point.”

“Wow,” Beth said with a smile at the twin’s enthusiasm as they drove out of the parking lot and headed for home as she marveled at how tight her kids were with Serena’s kids and she treasured that friendship as she treasured her own with Serena. She was grateful to have someone when she was in the hospital who understood her and was there as her ambassador while she recovered, and in the aftermath as she struggled to make a life for herself and her daughters “I’m sorry I missed it. But work did beckon.”

“How was the hospital?” Alexandra asked as she looked at her mother. She sometimes wondered if her mother worked too much. And had too much burden as a single mother and wondered what would have happened had the accident that now defined her mother hadn’t happened. But she also knew her mother loved her job and being a doctor was important work and a passion for her mother. Alexandra still didn’t know what she wanted to do when she was older, but she wished that it would be her passion like medicine was for her mother. She knew she still had time as anything could happen to entice her in one direction or another….

“Tiring,” Beth smiled. “There were plenty of patients and unfortunately I was working in the Emergency Room primarily for much of the day.”

“Aw...” Carrie said. “That’s a lot of death, isn’t it?”

“Fortunately, I didn’t have any patients die on me today. Although some unfortunate young people came in.” she said as she thought of the last patient she observed before turning it over to Alyssa at the end of her shift. When the teenager called her ‘Mommy’ and it had rattled her until Alyssa literally pushed her out of the room.

She told herself the reaction of the girl was some delusion due to whatever medical problem she was suffering from and not to take seriously. But it dug deeply in her subconscious and made her realized she did have a past of some kind, and she had no idea what it entailed. It scared her… Shuddering silently; she turned back to her kids. “Is that an enjoyable book?” Beth asked Alexandra.

Alexandra was reading Shock and Awe, as they drove home. Eying her mother, she nodded. “I know its fiction. But it’s so clever and fascinating. If only life had been this bizarre. It’s crazy to think of the FBI would have the nerve to disrupt a high school graduation on the grounds of finding aliens. But luckily they were too late as the aliens had caught onto the plan and escaped just in time.”

“Crazy,” Beth laughed. “But I am sure it sells books and hooks readers.”

“They should make a television show about this,” Alexandra observed as she closed her book and looked at Carrie who had fallen asleep having had a long day of swim and dance class and then the game.

“What’s for dinner?” Alexandra asked.

“Let’s order in so you guys pick what you want.” Beth said as she felt too tired to cook anything. And leftovers felt too ordinary for tonight. “We can order dinner and then watch a movie later. Does that intrigue you?”

“Sure,” Alexandra said. “Can we have Mexican? I want something spicy.”