The Long & Winding Road: Book 1 - Dry Lightening (CC, Mature) Chapter 16 - 10/7/2021

This is the place to post all your General Roswell fanfiction. Any Canon fics, which pick up directly from any episode of the show and that focus on Max/Liz, Michael/Maria, Isabel/Alex or Isabel/Jesse, Kyle/Tess, or all the couples together! Rule of Thumb: If Max healed Liz in the Crashdown in September 1999, then your fic belongs here. If it picks up from the show in any way, it belongs here.

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KindredKandies
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The Long & Winding Road: Book 1 - Dry Lightening (CC, Mature) Chapter 16 - 10/7/2021

Post by KindredKandies »

The Long & Winding Road: Book 1 – Dry Lightening

Author(s): KindredKandies

Disclaimer: All characters and plot lines that appeared in the series or in the books are not ours. The concept of Roswell does not belong to us either. They all belong to Melinda Metz, UPN, yada, yada, yada…

Pairings: M&M and M&L… others to follow.

Rating: Rating: Mature – Some scenes will contain graphic violence.

Category: Canon

Summary: Post Departure. The hybrids did leave Earth. Michael never made the choice to stay on Earth and as a result, Liz, Maria and Kyle were unable to warn them of Tess’ betrayal. Fifteen years later circumstances have created a situation that will bring them back to Earth in an effort to make things right again.

Author’s Note: This story is the first installment of what is expected to be a trilogy.



Book One – Chapter 1

October 12, 2016 – Pete’s Liftoff Gas Station, Outskirts of Roswell, NM – 2147 Hours

The wind gusted momentarily, sending a barrage of trash and loose brush racing across the deserted parking lot. Dust rose from the dry earth, swirling around and blocking the moonlight for nearly a full minute before it began to settle. Somber eyes traveled over the area, unaffected by the desolate sight or the eerie quality the haze of settling dust lent to the scene.

His posture was poised, regal. There was no sign of nervousness, no hint of the uncertainty that had plagued him as a teenager. A man stood in the boy’s place. A man hardened by years of war fought on the soil of another world, no longer ruled by his emotions. His mind and body had been honed into that of a man who was now comfortable in his own skin. He knew who he was and he understood his purpose.

A sound from behind him let him know that his sister had succeeded in coaxing the ancient plumbing to cooperate. At one time the Liftoff had been a thriving business, its location on the outskirts of the small town advantageous. It had been a full service station back then, pulling in business from locals as well as the truck drivers that passed through the area. It hadn’t been much, but the offering of a place to stop for a rest, grab a quick bite to eat and a hot shower had been a profitable lure. But progress was a vicious cycle and the station had been abandoned as customers found their way to the station that was built when new access to the highway opened.

He didn’t look away from the barren landscape when movement suggested that she had paused in her endeavor to get clean.

“No sign?”

He shook his head but maintained his silence.

They had grown accustomed to speaking when necessary and keeping their words to a minimum. After a few moments she nodded and retraced her steps, desperately in need of a hot shower. Her eyes briefly rested on the third member of their party, but other than the acknowledgement of her presence no other response was given.

Words weren’t necessary to remind any of them that he was overdue. He should have been there three days ago. Earth wasn’t as hostile as what they had left behind on Antar, but it harbored enough threats to make their very presence a dangerous venture. He listened absently to the sound of water splashing against the tiles, his eyes scanning the dark horizon.

His body went taut when a pinpoint of light appeared in the distance. His eyes locked on it, not moving until it neared and became recognizable as a car. He stepped back out of sight while maintaining a visual on it at all times. The car wasn’t what he was expecting and all of his senses began to scream in response. His hand curled around the weapon at his side. He had grown so accustomed to it that its weight didn’t even register.

“Isabel, we’ve got company.”

The water stopped before the words had fully escaped his mouth and he smiled grimly. There was a time he wouldn’t have believed that to be possible. He barely spared a glance at his silent companion, but his words were directed at her when he spoke again, his voice low and controlled. “Stay back.”

He didn’t wait for a response, fully expecting her to obey his directive for no other reason than the fact that he had issued it. He was a figurehead, a man of authority, and as such, commanded the respect of those he ruled. It never occurred to him that his words might be questioned.

The sound of movements, quick and efficient, met his ears, and he knew Isabel would be ready to face whatever was coming at them before the car had even rolled to a stop. He studied the car as it approached, being driven well above the speed limit. One of the headlights was out and a closer look revealed the missing headlight to be damaged and hanging from its casing. The car braked to a rapid stop and dirt and gravel flew from under the tires to spew across the parking lot, bouncing over the warped wooden planks. The gravel slapped against the station’s door before falling to the ground and silence once again fell over them.

“Who is it?”

He shot a quick glance at her and shook his head, feeling her take up an offensive position in preparation for whatever was coming at them.

The silence was short-lived. Within seconds the driver’s side door was thrown open and the man they had been waiting for emerged, thumping one fisted hand against the roof of the car.

He gestured furiously at the garage that housed what had at one time been a small repair bay. “Get that door up!”

Max relaxed slightly at the familiar snarl, relieved that Michael was alive. He crossed the room and grabbed the chain from where it was secured next to the door and pulled it up. He didn’t so much as flinch when the engine was gunned and the car shot past him, coming within inches of his booted feet. The car came to an easy stop, a feat seemingly impossible, and he quickly lowered the door back into place and locked it.

“What happened to you?”

He whirled around when he heard Isabel’s question, quickly taking note of the blood that seemed to cover Michael from head to toe. It obviously wasn’t his because that amount of blood could only come from a fatal injury and he was not only standing, but moving around the car with a sense of urgency.

“Why’s he driving Amy’s car?”

Max turned when Liz spoke for the first time in hours. “What?” He shifted to look at his friend, his brother. “Michael?”

The silent man didn’t respond as his fingers hooked under the lid of the trunk and jerked it up. A blur of color flashed by as his captive was released and he moved back, giving her space as he met Max’s concerned gaze.

“I ran into a bit of trouble.”

The dark haired man looked at the woman, seeing the spirited teenager in spite of the years that had passed. There was a considerable amount of blood on her as well, garishly painted across her clothes and skin in a distinctive pattern. Arterial spray, he mused, having seen it so many times he could identify it without consciously thinking about it.

“Report,” he snapped.

Michael straightened imperceptibly. “Mission objective was terminated.”

Liz shivered at his tone. It lacked emotion and seemed so foreign coming from him. But he wasn’t the same person he had been fifteen years ago. None of them were. He never moved but she could feel his cold stare cutting into her as she moved closer to Maria. Her friend was in shock; her eyes staring into space, her body trembling uncontrollably, and completely unaware of her surroundings.

“I gave no order to terminate.”

Isabel’s eyes narrowed as she studied the Second’s demeanor. There was no missing the furtive glances he was sending in Maria’s direction and there was no question that whatever had gone down, it was bad.

“You were supposed to retrieve Valenti and Kyle.”

“I didn’t think you’d care to have me haul a couple of corpses back here,” he bit out.

“Kyle and his dad are…?” Liz swallowed hard as the scent of fresh blood suddenly seemed to become stronger and she fought to hold down what little dinner she had eaten earlier.

“Dead,” he snarled at her.

“You killed them too.”

All eyes turned to Maria when she spoke and her whispered words hung heavily in the stale air.

“No.” His voice was hard.

“You did. You killed them just like you killed her!”

Isabel moved slowly, cautiously approaching them. Maria hadn’t moved but she was agitated, unpredictable. She waved a hand over Michael and the blood soaking his clothes and staining his skin disappeared.

“Stay away from me!” Maria screamed when the tall blonde took a step in her direction. “You can’t erase their deaths simply because you can make the evidence disappear! You’re as guilty as he is if you hide what he’s done!” Her expression was grief-stricken but without warning it changed to one of fury and she charged him blindly, her scream of “Murderer!” echoing off of the station’s walls.

He was as solid as a rock, immovable, and it only fueled her anger. She’d thought she’d known hatred when she’d learned that Tess had killed Alex, but this burned even hotter as it raged through her veins and threatened to engulf her. Her fists impacted with his body, seeking to hurt him, to make him pay for what he’d done. Unbidden, the images flashed before her eyes and she struck out blindly, no longer seeing him as he stood in front of her, but seeing instead a man with crazed eyes crashing into the home she’d grown up in and doing the unimaginable.

Her back was turned to Mom as she shuffled the music on her iPod, searching for a piece Cameron had been working on. She felt at peace now that she’d settled things in her head and she was so thankful she had her mom to come to. It wasn’t just advice, it was having someone there who would just listen and then gently guide her in the right direction.

Liz was still her best friend after all these years but there were just some things a girl needed her mom for. And there were some things that, no matter how close the friendship, if the other person had never been in your shoes there was no way they could truly understand. Mom had been there and thankfully, they had a wonderful relationship that allowed them the freedom to be open and honest with each other.

She smiled when she recognized the track. “I’ve got it.” She reached for the stereo plug, connecting it to the iPod dock and shaking her head at the ancient system. “You really need to upgrade, Mom. You do realize the component system went out the door years ago, right?”

Amy met her daughter’s amused gaze and shrugged as she crossed the room to stand close, her eyes scanning over the younger woman. “What can I say? It’s an old system but it still has better sound than anything I’ve heard on the market today.”

“That’s because you still think the local discount store’s the place to shop for electronics.” She rolled her eyes affectionately and adjusted the volume. “Are you ready for this?” Without waiting for an affirmation she started the track and she was turning back around to watch Mom’s reaction when something crashed into the back door. Even without seeing what was happening, she could hear the wood splintering as it was forced away from the frame.

Her heart leapt into her throat and she scanned the room furiously, searching for her handbag and locating it on the couch. She dove for it, upending it and searching for the pepper spray she carried in case of emergency. And to think she’d laughed when Cameron suggested she carry it! Her hand wrapped around it just as the intruder appeared in the doorway and the small tube slipped from suddenly nerveless fingers when she recognized him.

“Michael.” She barely had time to breathe his name before it registered that while this man wore his face, it couldn’t possibly be him. This man was wild-eyed, dangerous… and armed. The boy she’d known had left Earth, taking off for the home he’d always wanted to find. She fumbled for the pepper spray and fear spiked through her when his hand jerked to the side and a moment later the tube flew across the room and well out of her reach.

“Michael?” She heard Mom call his name, watched as something so feral flared to life in the depths of his dark eyes.

Her eyes widened when she realized his eyes, cold and emotionless, had zeroed in on Mom. Her mom had always been so strong, so capable, and even faced with a threat she didn’t back down. She was proud of her mom, but so terrified that her bravery was going to get her killed. She didn’t want Mom to get hurt or worse trying to protect her, and she begged and pleaded with her to stop trying to reason with him.

She never had time to register him moving, she only knew that one second he was standing there, facing her mom, and the next he had been on her like some kind of wild animal taking down its prey. She froze, unable to comprehend what she was seeing, when the light gleamed against the blade of a knife and bile rose up in her throat when she heard the sickening sound of it being thrust into flesh that was warm and alive. Her ears rang with her mom’s screams, the agonized sounds unlike anything she’d ever heard imprinting themselves on her brain.

The abdominal wound forced her mom to stop talking as she doubled over and wrapped her arms around herself. She wanted to rush over and help, but still, she couldn’t move. It was like her feet had melded into the floor beneath them. She screamed when her Mom fought to bring herself upright and she saw him raise the knife, blade still dripping with her blood, and bring it down, slashing through the soft skin of her throat.

She felt something warm land against her skin and it took several long seconds before she realized it was her mom’s blood. She had never given any thought to what death sounded like but now that she’d heard it, she knew she would never forget it. She watched in horror as he continued to attack, every strike precise and yet… so pointless. Her mother was dead. His rage was being taken out against a lifeless body.

Something inside of her snapped and she couldn’t stop the hysterical laugh that bubbled up out of her throat. It was enough to draw his attention and she took a step back, her mind a jumbled mass of confusion that was incapable of questioning why she was suddenly able to move. She had to get away, had to call the police, she had to warn Liz, Kyle and the Sheriff that something had come for them.

But she never made it to the door. He was on her before she could make her escape, his size and strength easily overpowering her. She struggled in vain against the arms wrapped around her like bands of steel and pinning her arms to her sides. She felt sick at the realization that she could feel a mixture of sweat and blood soaking into her shirt where her back was pressed against his heaving chest. His breath was hot as he exhaled and she shuddered in revulsion when it gusted heavily against her neck. She fought harder when he half-carried, half-dragged her out through the door and down into the garage.

He opened the trunk and she knew her life depended on avoiding being trapped inside the confines of the vehicle. She didn’t know who he was, what he was… he couldn’t be Michael, not the same boy that had left Earth fifteen years ago. Michael would never have done what he had just done, never killed so mercilessly. She could remember what it had done to him to kill Pierce and that had been something altogether different. No way could he kill just for the sake of killing.

She suddenly lost the ability to fight against him. Her struggles ceased against her will and she knew whoever, whatever, he was, he had powers that weren’t of this earth. Panic reared up hard and fast when he pushed her into the trunk and slammed it shut.
Last edited by KindredKandies on Thu Oct 07, 2021 1:35 pm, edited 19 times in total.
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xilaj
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Re: The Long & Winding Road: Book 1 - Dry Lightening (CC, Mature) - 12/22/2017

Post by xilaj »

A second new story - and what an opening. Why are Max, Michael and Isabel back and what on earth happened to Amy? Was that really Michael? So many questions. I’m looking forward to seeing how this all unfolds...
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begonia9508
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Re: The Long & Winding Road: Book 1 - Dry Lightening (CC, Mature) - 12/22/2017

Post by begonia9508 »

Really great start! Even if I think killing Maria's mom wasn't the best thing to do, even if they suffered on Antar! We are on Earth now... Has he lost his mind?! :twisted:

Waiting impatiently for more! EVE :mrgreen:
- Les jouissances de l'esprit sont faites pour calmer les orages du coeur!
- On reconnaît le bonheur au bruit qu'il fait quand il s'en va!
- L'amour vous rend aveugle et le mariage vous redonne la vue!
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Parker1947
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Re: The Long & Winding Road: Book 1 - Dry Lightening (CC, Mature) - 12/22/2017

Post by Parker1947 »

I am curious at the opening. Still not sure where this is going, but it's unique and I can't wait to read more...
keepsmiling7
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Re: The Long & Winding Road: Book 1 - Dry Lightening (CC, Mature) - 12/22/2017

Post by keepsmiling7 »

Excited to see this new story........but very curious to see what is really happening.
Thanks,
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Re: The Long & Winding Road: Book 1 - Dry Lightening (CC, Mature) - 12/22/2017

Post by xmag »

Okay, ouah! Although knowing that Michael has gone through war... my god, did he really kill Amy? Why, for god's sake? in front of Maria? Does he want her to hate him??? Is he possessed? Has he forgotten Michael and has turned full Rath? Or is he the clone from New York?
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Michael : From day one, I knew you were the girl for me, I never wanted anyone else.
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KindredKandies
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The Long & Winding Road: Book 1 - Dry Lightening (CC, Mature) Chapter - 2- 1/13/2018

Post by KindredKandies »

Begonia9508 - Thank you for the compliment! "We are on Earth now... Has he lost his mind?!" Keep reading there will be clarification as we move forward Here's another part.


xilaj- Thanks for the compliment! What happened to them on Antar does directly relate to what just happened... as for whether or not he's lost his mind... there will be clarification on that point as we move forward.


Parker1947- Thank you. :) You've only read a small piece of a much larger story. We hope you'll continue to read more.


keepsmiling7- Thank you! Keep reading there is a lot going on in this story.


xmag- Yes, what happened to Michael on Antar directly relates to what happened. There are a lot of things going on and as the pieces come together the picture that is currently fractured will make more sense.



lBook One – Chapter 2

October 12, 2016 – Pete’s Liftoff Gas Station, Outskirts of Roswell, NM – 2213 Hours

Sympathy welled up inside of Isabel as she watched the scene playing out in front of them. Maria was hysterical but her strikes were beginning to weaken, evidence that the adrenaline was leaving her system. Michael was doing nothing to block her flailing fists or the wild kicks that were thankfully uncoordinated enough that they weren’t doing any major damage. She knew the verbal attack, however, was wounding him in ways a physical attack never would.

Venom laced every word that spewed from her mouth but as what she had witnessed was relived and her grief began to overrule the other emotions, her strength began to fail her.

“Maria,” Liz called, her voice calm and even as she reached out to her friend. She looked to Max for reassurance, for some sign that what Maria had witnessed wasn’t what it appeared to be. He gave a sharp shake of his head and she nodded. It had been so long since they’d seen each other, but even with time and distance having separated them for so many years, she believed he wouldn’t lie to her. “Maria, what you saw,” she shook her head, “it’s not what you think it was.”

Maria shook her off, unable to process the words. Her mom was dead. Her eyes locked on the drops of blood spattered on his left shoulder, missed when Isabel waved her hand over his torso, ridding him of the worst of it and erasing the proof of what he’d done.

“You killed her,” she whispered raggedly. “Like some kind of wild animal, some… some monster!”

“We’re not monsters,” Isabel denied heatedly.

Her eyes darted to the tall blond before nervously skittering away again. “You murdered her in cold blood.” She refused to be moved, needing him to admit what he had done. Her hands knotted in the material of his shirt, the sweat-dampened material feeling clammy and throwing her right back into her mom’s living room. “You…” her body started to shake in reaction and her insides knotted up. The memory of warm blood landing on her skin combined with the sickening smell of death and her mom’s screams echoed in her head, a scene that would forever play with Cameron’s music running as a soundtrack.

Michael didn’t so much as flinch when she bent over and whatever she’d had for lunch made an appearance and landed on his boots. His big hands clenched at his sides when Liz wrapped her arm around Maria, speaking softly to her as she helped her back to the station’s restrooms. His hand shot out to stop Isabel when she moved closer, her intent to get rid of the mess apparent.

“You smell bad enough without adding vomit to the mix,” Isabel bit out and jerked her arm free of his iron grip to clean up the mess.

“What happened?” Max asked, his tone making it clear he wasn’t making a request for information.

“I was almost too late,” Michael snapped. “I’d think that was obvious.”

Isabel could see that he was ready to snap so she diverted the conversation to give him a minute to pull himself together. “Michael, what happened to Valenti and Kyle?” It wasn’t much better as a topic, but she knew he’d be able to distance himself from their demise easier than he could from coming so close to seeing Maria killed.

“What we knew would happen if we didn’t get to them in time.” He reached up, wrapping one hand around the back of his neck, and squeezing the tense muscles there. “To local law enforcement it’ll look like a couple of bizarre murders. They’ll link them through the similarities and probably come to the conclusion that they’ve got a serial on their hands.”

Bizarre, Isabel thought. “They suffered.”

“Do the Skins kill their prey any other way?” He shook his head, wishing he could erase the images from his mind. No one deserved to die in that manner. It wasn’t just the fact that they had been killed; it was the manner in which they had died that bothered him. The Skins had evolved over the years, mutating into highly intelligent killing machines, capable of manipulating the minds of their enemies. They didn’t just kill out of necessity. They killed for the pure enjoyment of it. They took pleasure in their kills and they drew the suffering out for their prey, torturing them not only physically, but mentally and emotionally before finally ending it.

“It was too late for them so you went for Maria,” Max spoke up, drawing his attention.

Michael nodded wordlessly. He’d gone to her home in California, broken in with ease and taken a look around. There was evidence of a man in her life – clothing, shoes, personal things and a handful of items scattered in with her things in the bathroom. An unexpected surge of emotion had pulsed through him when he’d picked up a picture of her in the arms of that man and the glass had splintered into a giant spider web of cracks, distorting the smiling faces in the photo.

He’d put the frame back, not bothering to repair the glass, and continued his recon of her home. It was comfortable and very Maria. The second bedroom had been converted into a recording studio and he’d wondered briefly if she’d had the opportunity to follow her dream of becoming a singer. He’d shelved that thought before it could distract him, focusing on his reason for being in her home.

It hadn’t taken much time to realize she wasn’t there. It had taken a little work to learn where she’d gone and he’d wasted no time going after her. California to New Mexico wasn’t exactly a short drive but he’d pushed the speed limit the whole way and made it in record time. He hadn’t had much time when he’d arrived and as he’d peered through the window and seen the Skin moving in close to her, he’d lost it.

He’d felt the cold inside of him ignite into white hot fire as rage had flooded his veins, erupting into fury that could only been assuaged one way. He was no stranger to killing. He was no longer the boy that had killed in self defense and then felt the weight of guilt resting heavily on his young shoulders. Killing had become second nature over the years. The Skins had advanced over time, altering physically to protect themselves and remove the earlier vulnerability that had made them so easy to kill. He knew how to kill them, quickly and efficiently, but he’d had no interest in making a clean kill.

All of the rage he’d been burying for years had boiled over the moment he’d seen the Skin hovering behind Maria. It had been lurking there, cleverly disguised as Amy, and fully intent on killing her in such a way that she wouldn’t have been identifiable to anyone who knew her. It would’ve taken a professional time to identify the remains with any certainty. He’d lost Maria once and he’d be damned if he lost her a second time. Her survival was of the utmost importance.

“What about her mom?”

Isabel’s voice drew him out of his dark thoughts and he shook his head. “In all likelihood she’s already dead. It had obviously spent time observing her, enough time that it was able to fool Maria.” Survival had a way of altering a person’s perspective, making them look at everything through jaded eyes, and in time they lost the ability to be affected by much of anything.

She watched him, observing his features, his mannerisms, and without a word from him on the subject, she knew the scene Maria had witnessed had been horrific. He hadn’t held back when killing the Skin, taking it out not with precision, but with brute force. It had been a killing motivated by the desire to protect and underlined by strong emotions, a payment extracted as retribution.

“She’ll understand, Michael. Once we explain what’s happening, she’ll realize what you killed wasn’t her mother.”

He shifted and crossed his arms as he looked out into the desert. The sky was dark and clear, the stars scattered and twinkling brightly, as if nothing had changed. But everything had changed and if they didn’t make it right those changes would destroy everything they had fought so hard to preserve.

*****

Maria couldn’t decide which was worse: throwing up or the dry heaves that inevitably followed. She stumbled to her feet and over to the sink with Liz’s help, barely conscious of the sound of the toilet flushing a few moments later. She slumped against the cool porcelain, grateful that it was miraculously clean.

“Not so miraculous,” she muttered hoarsely as rational thought intruded to remind her that Isabel was there and no way in hell would the statuesque blond have used facilities that were less than pristine. She turned the tap on and cupped her hands under the faucet, gathering up the cold water and drawing some into her mouth. She swished it around a few times before spitting it back out, wishing it could rid the taste of bile completely.

“Here.”

She didn’t even look up, just automatically squeezed her left hand around the small bottle that Liz pushed into her palm. Her bleary eyes locked on the clear plastic bottle and she shook it, watching the light green liquid foam up before settling down again. “You’re a godsend, Liz.” She unscrewed the cap and took a mouthful, swishing it around and enjoying the slight burn as it brushed up against her raw throat.

She held her hair back as she leaned over and spit the mouthwash out, capping the bottle and setting it aside. She cupped her hands under the still running cold water, splashing it in her face and trying her best to not think about what she had witnessed but it was a wasted effort. Nothing could ever erase those images, those sounds from her mind.

“Maria, I don’t know what happened,” Liz started as she leaned against the wall next to her, pulling a few paper towels out of the dispenser and tossing them in the trash before pulling more out. “I don’t even know what’s going on.” She ran the towels under the water and wrung them out before reaching out to gently wipe her friend’s face. “But whatever it is, what you saw wasn’t what it appeared to be.”

Maria pushed her friend’s hands down and backed away from her. “You’re still defending them,” she said incredulously.

“I just think we need to listen to what they have to say.”

“You didn’t see him break into my mom’s house and…” the bile rose up in her throat again, threatening to choke her. “He murdered her, Liz. Murdered her in cold blood. He just tore into her body like some kind of wild animal. He was out of his mind, mad, crazy!”

“Because you were being threatened.”

That Liz could stand there and be calm and reasonable in the face of what she was trying to tell her made Maria angry. “How was my mom a threat to me? She was my mom, Liz!”

“Maybe she wasn’t. Maria, we’ve seen it before. Shapeshifters,” she said with a pointed look. “Yes, it’s been years since we’ve had any dealings with anything of an alien nature, but you know Michael Guerin. Okay,” she relented when the blond glared at her, “you knew him a long time ago. And he’s changed, but he’s not a cold-blooded killer.”

Her mom’s screams echoed in her head. “I beg to differ.”

“Then let’s go out there and get some answers.”

“If you don’t know what’s going on, why are you even here?”

Liz shrugged when Maria’s eyes bored into her, seeing the truth. “Because he’s Max.” It was a statement of fact. It was the truth.

“All these years and you still can’t let go.”

They’d never talked about it, they hadn’t needed to. Some things were just glaringly obvious without having to discuss them. “I don’t want to.”

“Fifteen years, Liz. You don’t know him anymore. You don’t know what he is or what he’s done. You don’t know what he’s capable of.”

“I know he’s Max.” She tossed the paper towels in the trash and shrugged. “And I know if we give him a chance, he’ll explain.”

“And you believe he’ll tell you the truth.” How could Liz still have such unwavering faith in him? He hadn’t just walked away; he’d left the damn planet for some destiny that hadn’t had a thing to do with her.

“Yeah,” she said slowly, “I do.”

“Why? He left you, left us, unprotected after Alex was killed. He left us with the very person who killed Alex and for all we know he fulfilled his destiny and married that murderer.”

“Maria, we can stand here and postulate until the sun comes up, but we’re never gonna get any answers until we ask the questions.”

“I hate that word. Postulate,” she mocked, her voice still wavering slightly, “it sounds like some kind of infection.”

Liz chuckled and pulled Maria into a hug. “We’ll get to the bottom of what’s going on, I promise. And whatever happened, you know Michael. You know the kind of person he is.”

“I know the person he was, Liz. He’s the guy who not only cheated on me but also chose another planet over me. He’s the guy who wanted some alien world he believed was his home. He’s the guy who wanted to embrace his alien side. Well, I guess he finally got everything he wanted, didn’t he? Because no human could ever do what I saw him do to my mom.”

The brunette nodded without putting up an argument. She wasn’t going to be the one to convince Maria that something more had to be going on than what she’d witnessed. Admittedly, the evidence was stacked against Michael, but she just couldn’t believe that there wasn’t another explanation. There had to be more to it. She didn’t believe he could do something like that. And she knew Max wouldn’t have allowed it.

Whatever was going on, Max was aware of it. He knew the full story and she trusted him to tell them the truth. She’d seen the looks passing back and forth between the three hybrids. There was so much more going on than they were aware of. They’d managed to get the truth out of them once before and she believed they could do it again. “C’mon, let’s get back out there and find out what’s really going on.”

Sometimes Maria really wondered why she let Liz take the lead in situations like this. Well, not exactly like this, she thought and felt the panic bubble up inside of her again. It wasn’t everyday her alien/human hybrid ex-boyfriend came back to Earth and murdered her mom. The morbid scene rose to the surface again and she slapped her hand over her mouth to stop the hysterical laughter that threatened to erupt.

“It’s gonna be okay, Maria,” Liz assured her, rubbing her arm and wishing there was more she could do. There is, she reminded herself. The truth will set you free. That’s all they needed. The truth.

The trio gathered out in front stopped talking when the women exited the restroom and joined them, painfully aware of Maria’s accusing gaze. Michael didn’t even flinch under her scalding stare but to Isabel it was obvious that Maria’s inability to look beyond the obvious cut him to the quick.

“We want to know everything,” Liz stated, looking directly at Max. “Everything,” she repeated emphatically.
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xmag
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Re: The Long & Winding Road: Book 1 - Dry Lightening (CC, Mature) Chapter - 2- 1/13/2018

Post by xmag »

God I Hope the story they'll tell won't be the first part of the fic because it's going to be hell to have to wait for weeks and weeks until we know the full story!

But I'm relieved that Michael didn't kill Amy. At least there's that. But Amy is dead. And Kyle and the sheriff. Also Alex. Meaning there's just Liz and Maria. That is so sad.

When is the story supposed to take place? Post Departure, or before? Maria said that Michael cheated on her and chose his home planet so it looks like just after the Courtney incident. But she also mentioned Alex's death so it's post CYN.

Anyway, I can't wait to read the next part, don't make us wait too long, please.

PS : I forgot to ask, the "man in Maria's life", skin or not skin?
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Michael : From day one, I knew you were the girl for me, I never wanted anyone else.
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Parker1947
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Re: The Long & Winding Road: Book 1 - Dry Lightening (CC, Mature) Chapter - 2- 1/13/2018

Post by Parker1947 »

Intriguing. I am curious. Well done, and can't wait for more of this journey...
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begonia9508
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Re: The Long & Winding Road: Book 1 - Dry Lightening (CC, Mature) Chapter - 2- 1/13/2018

Post by begonia9508 »

Great Story and I guess I understand Maria really well: her mother was killed by an Alien and even if it is not the Aliens we know, she obviously
had to do with a copycat aka Michael, who killed her mom!

Sad but really good Story! Thanks EVE :mrgreen:
- Les jouissances de l'esprit sont faites pour calmer les orages du coeur!
- On reconnaît le bonheur au bruit qu'il fait quand il s'en va!
- L'amour vous rend aveugle et le mariage vous redonne la vue!
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