Tomorrows Yet to Come (CC ALL,YTEEN/MATURE) [COMPLETE]

[majiklmoon]

Disclaimer: Roswell, and its characters do not belong to me. Melinda Metz, Jason Katims and 20th Century Fox have that particular pleasure. I’m simply borrowing them until the Season 2 DVD’s get released.

Tomorrow’s Yet to Come

Chapter Ten Familiar Stranger

Isabel walked down the street, looking in the windows of the various department stores, admiring the clothes that were displayed there. One particularly beautiful outfit caught her eye, and she stopped to look at it, trying to decide if it was a good style for her. As she looked, she became aware of someone standing beside her. She pulled her focus away from the clothing display, and tried to find the person’s reflection in the glass. She put her hand to her mouth to hold back the screams that threatened to erupt. Standing next to her in the reflection was Max. She looked out of the corner of her eye to where the stranger stood, but it wasn’t Max. She knew it wouldn’t be, but she had to check. She turned slightly preparing to take flight, when the stranger looked directly at her. It was the man in the Armani suit that had bumped into her the week before.

“We meet again,” said the man.

“Ex-excuse me,” said Isabel. “I’m late for an appointment.” She started to walk away, but the stranger grabbed her.

“Lonnie,” he said.

Isabel felt the blood leave her face when she heard that hateful name. “I’m sorry, you made a mistake,” she said. She pulled her hand away, and ran down the street. She jumped into a miraculously empty taxi, and gave her home address. As soon as the taxi began to move, she got her cell phone and called Alex.

“Come home, right now,” she said. “I need you!” She hung up the phone and wrapped on the glass separating her from the driver. “Turn down here,” she instructed.

“Lady, that ain’t the way to the address you gave me,” he complained.

“I know,” said Isabel. “I forgot, I have an errand to run.”

The taxi made the turn, and drove down the street for several blocks. Again Isabel knocked on the glass, and asked the driver to pull over. She paid the fare, and included a healthy tip, and disappeared into the crowd that was headed down to the subway.


Alex arrived home before Isabel in a complete panic. He ran through the empty apartment calling her name. After he realized that she wasn’t there, he went back to the living room and saw the package waiting on the couch. “Here is your surprise. If things get bad, go to the picture,” he read.

He knew he should wait for Isabel, but he pulled the wrappings off to reveal the picture.

“Oh wow,” he said. “Oh wow.” He turned to the sound of the door behind him opening, and Isabel rushed in.

“Isabel, what’s wrong, what happened?” he demanded, before she even made it into the apartment.

“We have to go, we have to leave here,” she said. “Alex, someone is after us, and it’s someone who knows who we are, who I am.”

“Slow down, Sweetie, and tell me what happened,” said Alex.

“I was looking in a store window,” began Isabel, “And I became aware of someone standing beside me.” She took a deep breath, and tried to calm herself before continuing. “Alex,” she said, her voice shaking. “When I looked at his reflection in the window, it was Max, but I knew it couldn’t be him. So I turned to look, and it was that guy from the other night, the one in the Armani suit. He reached out and grabbed my hand. Alex, he called me Lonnie,” she cried.”

“Fine, we’re out of here,” said Alex. “And I already know where we’re going.” He picked up the picture and handed it to Isabel. “Michael was here, and he left us something.” He gave her the note, and she read it with a small smile.

“What do you know,” she said softly. “The General has a plan.” She put the picture back on the sofa. She walked to the bedroom and pulled out a suitcase and began to pack methodically.

“What do you want to do about our stuff?” asked Alex. “We don’t want to leave anything important here, do we?”

“We’ll take what we can pack,” said Isabel, “Including our laptops. The rest, we’ll destroy.

“Destroy?” said Alex. “Isabel, you worked so hard picking out the stuff for this apartment. Are you sure that’s what you want to do?”

“They’re only things,” said Isabel, unexpectedly. “Things can be replaced. But the picture’s coming with us.”

Alex stopped walking towards the door, and stopped in amazement. “Everything else can be destroyed, but the picture comes?”

“Yes,” said Isabel, her voice resolute.

“Okay,” said Alex. “But, maybe we could ship it to your parents, or mine, rather than try and lug it cross country?”

“Okay,” Isabel conceded, “But before we ship it, I want to go over it with a fine tooth comb.”


Michael led Maria down the bustling street to the building that housed his makeshift studio.

“I don’t understand why you couldn’t just do this at home?” she said. “Why rent a whole other space?”

“It’s hard to explain,” said Michael. “But home is our space with our energy. Painting comes from inside me, and I kind of needed my space to figure out what I was going to make and how I was going to make it. I’m sure that bugs you.”

“No, actually, it doesn’t,” said Maria. “I get it totally. I’m not crazy about the fact that you couldn’t tell me about it right away, but you’ve opened up so much in so many ways already Space Boy, I’m not going to complain about anything.”

Michael looked at Maria in amazement. The Maria of a few years ago would have been bugging him to let her in, and open himself up to her. Maybe they had both changed, for the better.

“Come on, let’s go inside,” he said, wrapping his arm around her waist. They walked into the building and stepped into the elevator. When the elevator ground to a halt, they climbed out and the couple walked down the hallway. Michael stopped at the doorway located at the end of the hall, and used his powers to unlock the door.

”Security,” he said to Maria. “Nobody’s getting in here without my knowing about it. They’d have to take the door off the hinges to get in.”

“Michael, don’t you think you’re being just a tad over protective,” said Maria as Michael pushed the door open. Michael flipped on the light switch and the couple walked into the room. “Or, not,” continued Maria, after she looked at the vandalized room.

“Shit,” said Michael. He spun around, looking at the overturned easels, the pushed in ceiling tiles, and the paint strewn over the floor. “Who the hell did this?” he asked.

“I don’t know, but I think they know you,” said Maria, pointing to one of the walls that wasn’t covered by windows.

Why, Rath Why? was painted in blood red letters on the wall.

“That’s it, we’re out of here,” said Michael. He grabbed Maria by the hand, and the two ran.

[majiklmoon]

Sorry about the lack of updates yesterday, but birthday time takes precedence over fanfic time

Disclaimer: Roswell, and its characters do not belong to me. Melinda Metz, Jason Katims and 20th Century Fox have that particular pleasure. I’m simply borrowing them until the Season 2 DVD’s get released.

Tomorrow’s Yet to Come

Chapter Eleven Ready to Run

“Damn it Michael, stop pulling me!” demanded Maria. She wrapped her free arm around a lamppost and held on tightly, practically jerking Michael off his feet.


“Maria, we so don’t have time for this independent crap,” said Michael. “We have to get out of here.”

“Yeah, I get that,” said Maria. “And I know where we’re going. But we are not just going to take off with out some semblance of a plan.”

“We have a plan, Maria,” said Michael, his voice tinged with fear and frustration. “Our plan is to get the hell out of here.”

“Great, fine, that’s your plan. My plan involves going home, packing some clothes, and figuring out how we’re getting the hell out of her.”

“Maria, we don’t need,” began Michael, but Maria interrupted him.

“No, we do need!” she shouted. “If I’m going to be running for my life, I am going to need a few of the creature comforts! We are not the Dixie Chicks, and we are not ready to run.”

“Look, I don’t exactly think we’re running for our lives, or anything,” said Michael. “But I don’t think we should stick around, either. Wait, did just call me a Dixie Chick? Never mind”

“Great, if we’re not running for our lives, we have time to go home and pack,” said Maria, a smile playing on her lips. Michael realized that he was caught in a nice neat Maria trap, and smiled.

“Fine, but we have to move fast. I don’t want to stick around any longer than necessary.”

“Agreed,” said Maria, and the two climbed on the back of Michael’s bike and took off down the street.


“Are you sure you don’t mind heading back to Roswell so soon?” Ava asked Kyle.

“No way, this trip is for you, Ava. You get to call the shots, and if you want to head home for a while, then we head home.”

“Well, Colorado is really beautiful, all the trees, and mountains and all. It’s just that I never really had a home,” said Ava. “Just Zan and Rath and Lonnie.”

“You never really talk about Zan,” said Kyle. “You’ve told us how he died but that’s about it. Was he like them, all mean and nasty, or was he more like Max?”

“A little of both,” said Ava. He was kinda mean, but not Rath and Lonnie mean. He tended to think about things. Rath and Lonnie were more about reacting. Don’t get me wrong, he wasn’t anywhere near as nice as Max or Michael, but he wasn’t totally evil either.”

“You know, I’ve never asked, and you don’t have to answer, but were you and he, like together?”

Ava looked out the car to the woods that lined either side of the road. Twilight had filled them with sinister shapes and shadows. Ava thought for a few minutes before she answered.

“Once,” she said. “Just the one time. We knew we were supposed to be together, but it never felt right. But he was my best friend Kyle. It was so hard after he was gone. Rath and Lonnie were very, very cruel.”

“It must have been so hard, seeing him die like that,” Kyle said, compassionately, covering her hand with his.

“Can I tell you something, Kyle?” Tess asked nervously.

“You know you can tell me anything,” said Kyle, squeezing her hand gently.

“Zan’s not dead.”

“What!” shouted Kyle. He turned his head towards Ava in shock. His hand jerked on the steering wheel, and the car jumped off the road and onto the shoulder. Kyle tried to jerk it back, but the right front wheel hit a rock, or a hole, and the car went careening off the road into the woods.


“Max, we have to stop,” said Liz. “Something’s wrong with Kyle, I know it.”

“How do you know it?” Max asked, reasonably. “We haven’t heard anything from them.”

“I just know, Max. “You have to trust me.”

“Fine,” said Max. “Where do we go?”

Liz thought for a minute, and said “North. We need to go north.”

“Fine, then north it is,” said Max. He changed lanes, and drove for several miles before he came to an onramp for highway headed north. “Liz, not to be difficult or anything, but do you have any clue where we’re headed?” he asked.

“Colorado,” said Liz, softly. “We need to go to Colorado.”

“It’s a pretty big state, Sweetie,” said Max. “Do you think you can narrow it down for us a bit?”


“Not yet,” said Liz, leaning her head against the glass of the window. “I just know that something’s wrong, and their in Colorado.”

“Okay, look, I’m beat,” said Max. “How about if we pull over, and grab something to eat, and then you take a turn driving. Maybe if you’re focusing on where your driving, you’ll get a sense of where we need to go.”

“You believe me, Max?” asked Liz. “Really?”

“Look, Liz. We’ve really only begun to understand our powers, and Che’koth told us that it’s only that our brains are more developed, well maybe you and Kyle have linked up somehow because I healed you both. Damn, I don’t know,” he continued, hitting his hand on the steering wheel. “But you’re certain they’re in danger, and that’s good enough for me.”

“Thank you for believing me, Max.” said Liz. “It means a lot to me.”

“Liz, you believed me, and kept my secret, and put yourself in danger countless times,” said Max. “I think, an unscheduled road trip to Colorado doesn’t even begin to compare.” He pulled off at the exit, and followed the signs to a nearby restaurant. “Do you want eat in, or take out?” he asked.

“Take out,” said Liz. “I know you’re tired, but I can’t help but think time is of the essence here. We need to keep moving.” She unconsciously gnawed on her thumbnail as she thought. “Grab me something while you’re in there. I want to wait out here and think for a bit.”

“Okay,” said Max. He climbed out of the car and walked up the stairs to the small roadside diner they’d found. Liz climbed out of the car, and walked around for several minutes, stretching her cramped muscles. She got back in the car, this time behind the wheel, and leaned back and closed her eyes.

Where are you, Kyle? she thought. I know you’re in trouble, but I don’t know what’s wrong. I only know we need to find you, and fast. Liz forced her mind to focus on Kyle and Ava, trying to get some idea of where they were. Suddenly, she found herself standing on a winding road that climbed up into the mountains. Dense trees lined each side of the road. She looked up and saw a sign that said Lake City 15 miles. She looked past the sign, and saw skid marks on the road. Her eyes followed the path the skid marks took off the road, and she saw Kyle’s car. She could barely make out two figures slumped over the dashboard in the thickening twilight.

“Liz! Liz, come on, Liz! Wake up!” Max shouted. Liz felt a jerk in her stomach, and she sat up.

“God, Liz, I was so worried. It was like you were dead or something. I couldn’t wake you up,” said Max, his fear and worry evident in his voice as well as his face.

“I wasn’t sleeping Max. I think I was astral projecting. Like I did that time you were in New York, remember? I found Kyle and Ava. They had a car accident. They’re on some mountain road 15 miles outside of a place called Lake City.”

“Are they okay?” Max asked.

“I don’t know, they were both unconscious, I think,” said Liz. She bit her lip in an unconscious gesture as she tried to recall as much as she could about what she had seen.

“I’m going to call the Colorado State Police,” said Max. “They may be hurt, and it’s going to take us at least another two days to get there. Did you see a route number or anything?

Liz closed her eyes, and tried to recreate the scene in her mind. She saw the road sign, and the skid marks, and a sign for the A & A Ranch.

“They’re not too far from the A & A Ranch,” she said, triumphantly. She opened her eyes and looked at Max.

“I’ll go make the call, and then we’ll head out,” he said. He walked away from the car, stopped and turned back. He leaned in the open window and kissed Liz, fully on the lips. “You are wonderful,” he said. He spun on his heel, and walked across the parking lot to the empty phone booth near the diner.

[majiklmoon]

Disclaimer: Roswell, and its characters do not belong to me. Melinda Metz, Jason Katims and 20th Century Fox have that particular pleasure. I’m simply borrowing them until the Season 2 DVD’s get released.

Tomorrow’s Yet to Come

Chapter Twelve Rocky Mountain Meeting

Liz, Liz, help us. Help!

“Sir, sir, can you hear me?” a voice called, penetrating Kyle’s mind through the layers of unconsciousness. “We’re going to get out of here, just hang on a second.”

“Ava,” Kyle said, weakly. “Where’s Ava?”

“We’ve got the young lady out already, she’s in the ambulance, on her way to the hospital,” said the voice.

“No blood work,” said Kyle, struggling to open his eyes. “None.”

“Sir, let’s not worry about that right now,” said the voice. “We need to get you out of here.” Kyle opened his eyes, squinting against the bright light that filled the car. He saw the face of a concerned fire fighter leaning over him. “Okay, we’re going to try and lift you out now, sir, okay?” Hands reached in and started to ease Kyle from the crumpled car, and he screamed.

“No! Stop! My leg is stuck!” shouted Kyle.

“Hold up!” shouted the fire fighter. He looked down into the car and tried to ease Kyle’s foot out. “You’re stuck but good, son. Someone grab me the Jaws of Life,” he yelled. The fire fighter turned back to Kyle and patted his shoulder. “Don’t worry, sir, we’ll get you out. Just hang on for a second.”

“Screw me,” Kyle shouted. “Where’s my wife? Where’s Ava?”

“She’s in the ambulance, sir. We’re preparing to evacuate her to the hospital now.”

“Do not, give her any blood,” demanded Kyle. “Do not test her blood, nothing. Do you understand me?”

“Yes sir,” said his rescuer, reaching for his radio. He relayed the message to the departing ambulance, and then turned back to Kyle. “Okay, I told them, now I just want you to relax. We’ll get you out of there and a minute.”

“I’m sorry, sir,” said Kyle, trying to control his fear and his temper. “It’s just that transfusions are against our religion. I didn’t mean any disrespect.”

“That’s okay, son,” said the fire fighter. “Now, I just want you to lay back, and put on these goggles, and I’m going to cover you with this blanket. Stay covered, as soon at the jaws get here, we’ll get you out.” The fire fighter turned his back to retrieve the Jaws of Life, and Kyle slipped his hand down near his foot, and used his powers to free his foot from the twisted wreckage of his car.

“Hey! Hey!” shouted Kyle. “I got my foot out.” The fire fighter turned back to Kyle and looked into the car.

“Well, I’ll be damned,” he said. “How the hell did that happen?”

“I don’t know,” said Kyle. “I just kept wiggling my foot, and there it was. Can I get to the hospital to be with my wife, now?”

“You got it,” said the fire fighter. Two EMT’s wheeled a gurney over to the car, and lifted Kyle out and onto the stretcher. They carried the stretcher over the bumpy ground and placed it into the ambulance. One of the EMT’s climbed into the back beside Kyle, while the other started the ambulance and drove off towards the hospital.

“What’s you’re name?” asked the EMT.

“Kyle Valenti, and my wife Ava is in the other ambulance,” answered Kyle. “What day is this?”

“Today is Thursday,” answered the EMT as he checked Kyle’s pulse and temperature and respiration. “Do you have any idea how long you were down there?”

“We were driving through Tuesday night, around dusk,” said Kyle. “We stopped for dinner a couple of towns back. I forget the name of the place, but Ava grabbed one of their take out menus. It’s probably still in the car.”

“Take out menu?” queried the EMT. “Are you two planning on settling down around here?”

“No, we’re on our way back home to New Mexico. Ava just likes to collect the take out menus from the places we’ve eaten,” said Kyle. “It’s a bit weird, but it makes her happy.”

“Don’t feel bad,” laughed the EMT. “My girlfriend collects those itty bitty teaspoons. I mean, what’s the point in those, you can’t use them for anything.”

Kyle laughed, then winced in pain. “Ouch, that smarts,” he said. “I think I broke a couple of ribs or something.”

“You’ve had broken ribs before?” asked the EMT, lifting Kyle’s shirt to examine him.

“Yeah, I played football in high school,” explained Kyle. “Ow, hey, watch it, will you,” he shouted when the EMT touched a particularly tender area.

“Sorry,” said the EMT. “I understand that you won’t authorize any transfusions or blood work to be done, is that correct?”

“Uh, yeah, they go against our religious beliefs,” said Kyle. “Just get me to the hospital, let me get my wife, and we’ll rent a car and be on our way.”

“Let’s just get you to the hospital, Kyle. That’s all we’re focusing on here,” said the EMT, as he continued to examine Kyle’s abdomen and chest area.


“Mr. Valenti,” said the doctor, pushing back the curtain to the cubicle in the emergency room. “I’m Dr. Wilson, and I’m just going to check you out, and then we’ll talk.”

“No, we’ll talk now,” said Kyle, struggling to sit up on the emergency room table. “I want to know how my wife is.”

“Your wife is still unconscious,” said the doctor. “That’s one of the things we’ll talk about after I take a look at you.”

“I’m fine. Just take me to see my wife!” shouted Kyle.

“Mr. Valenti, I’m going to insist that you calm down,” said Dr. Wilson. “I’m afraid you are more seriously injured than you realize, and unless you let me examine you, you could be in serious danger. You won’t do your wife any good if you don’t take care of yourself.”

“Fine, let’s get this over with,” said Kyle. He leaned back on the gurney, and glared resentfully at the doctor.

“Okay, we’re going to need a few x-rays,” said the doctor, stepping back from the table. “Someone will be down in a few minutes to take you to radiology.”

“Yeah, thanks,” muttered Kyle.

“Excuse me,” said a voice from the other side of the curtain. “I’m looking for a Kyle Valenti. He was brought in from an accident a short time ago.”

“Right this way, Sheriff,” said a female voice. “ I believe the doctor is done with him.”

“Dad?” whispered Kyle incredulously. He looked expectantly at the curtain, and felt his hopes crash down around his feet when a tall blond man entered the room.

“Mr. Valenti?” said the man. “I’m Sheriff Nickerson.” He held out his hand to Kyle. Kyle reached out and shook his hand, and groaned at the pain the exertion caused.

“You’ll pardon me if I don’t get up, Sheriff,” said Kyle, with another groan. “You’re here about the accident?”

“Yes, I am, but before I get to that, can I just say, you looked incredibly disappointed when I walked in here. Were you expecting someone else?”

“Expecting? No, not really. My dad is the sheriff in Roswell, New Mexico, and when I heard someone say sheriff out there, I,”

“You figured that by some miracle, it was your father,” continued Sheriff Nickerson.

“Yeah,” said Kyle, a bit sheepishly.

“Well, I’m not him, but I can get word to him right away, how would that be?”

“That would be great,” said Kyle. “I didn’t even thing about contacting him yet.”

“Well, I’ll take care of that,” said the Sheriff. “But for now, I have a few questions for you about the accident. Do you feel up to talking?”

“Sure, if we make it quick, I guess they want to take me up to x-ray or something,” said Kyle.

“What happened out there, last night, Kyle?” asked the Sheriff. He took out a notebook, and waited for Kyle to answer.

“Happened? Nothing really,” said Kyle. “We were just driving and talking.”

“How did the accident occur?” asked the sheriff. “Did you see what the other car looked like?”

Kyle looked at the sheriff, his confusion apparent. “What other car? We were talking.” Kyle paused and thought for a moment, he didn’t want to tell the Sheriff that he had taken his eyes off the road to look at Ava. “An animal ran in front of the car, I think it was a deer. Anyhow, I swerved to try and avoid it, and my car went onto the shoulder. I started to get control again, when it hit a rut, or a rock or something. We went crashing down into the brush, and that’s the last thing I remember. There wasn’t any other car involved, Sheriff.”

“You’re sure?” questioned the sheriff.

“Absolutely,” answered Kyle. “Why?”

“Well, we received an anonymous tip about your car,” the sheriff responded.

“Maybe somebody saw it from the road and called it in,” said Kyle.

“Except for your car was so far into the woods, it couldn’t be seen from the road.

“I’m sorry,” interrupted a nurse. “We need to get this man up to radiology. You’ll have to finish this later.”

“No need, we’re done here,” said the sheriff. “Kyle, I’ll contact your father for you right away.”

“Thanks, Sheriff,” said Kyle. “His name is Jim Valenti, and it’s the Roswell, New Mexico Sheriff’s Department.”

“You take care,” said the sheriff. He stepped out of the cubicle, and the nurse pushed the gurney out of the cubicle, and into the quiet emergency room.

“Can you tell me where my wife is?” asked Kyle.

“She’s up getting x-rayed right now,” said the nurse. “The doctor will explain everything to you as soon as possible. Just lay back and relax.”


“Mr. Valenti,” said Dr. Wilson. “I’m going to be very frank with you. You do have some fractured ribs, which we are going to tape up for you. You’re going to need to take it easy for the next several days.”

“Yeah, fine, great,” said Kyle. “What about Ava?”

“Your wife is still unconscious,” said the doctor. “The x-rays have shown that she has a fractured skull, and there is some swelling. We need to operate to relive the swelling.”

“NO!” shouted Kyle. “No operating. I refuse to sign the consent forms.”

“Mr. Valenti, if we don’t operate, your wife could die.”

And if you do operate, Kyle thought to himself. You may find out that my wife is an alien, and then you’ll dissect her. No freaking way.

“I understand that, sir. But do you understand that our religious beliefs forbid the use of any invasive procedures? Now I demand that you take me to where you have my wife.”

“Damn religious nuts,” said Dr. Wilson, under his breath. “Fine, I’ll have the nurse wheel you to your wife’s room.” He stormed out of the room, paused at the nurse’s station long enough to get someone to take Kyle to Ava’s room, then went to the Doctor’s Lounge. In the lounge, he picked up a phone, and called the hospital’s chief administrator, and began to explain the problem.


Liz and Max walked into the crowded café in Lake City, and sat at the crowded counter. Max passed Liz a menu. They scanned the menu, made their choices, and listened to the snippets of conversations that echoed around them.

“Damned fool religious nuts,” said one man. “Man’s wife is going to die, and he won’t let the doc’s operate. Its nuts.”

“Maybe nuts, Charlie, but it’s religious freedom, and that’s what this country was founded upon,” said the man’s companion.

“I hear they were stuck in their car for a couple of days,” said the first man. “Could be that the husband isn’t in his right mind.”

“Doesn’t matter,” said the other man. “Doc Wilson got the hospital to file some injunction or something, giving them the right to operate.”

Max looked at Liz and squeezed her hand. The slid off the stools and rushed out of the café.

“Now what do you suppose wastheir problem?” said the man, watching them run to their car.


Liz walked up to the information booth in the hospital, and smiled brightly. “Hi, I was wondering if you could tell me what room Kyle Valenti is in?”

The elderly woman at the desk looked up the information and smiled at Liz. “Of course, dear. Are you family?”

“Family? Oh, yeah, family. I’m his sister-in-law,” she improvised.

“Now that’s nice. Mr. Valenti is in 406.”

“Thank you,” said Liz. She and Max ran to the elevator and pushed the button for the fourth floor. When the elevator stopped, the rushed out, and looked for the signs to point them in the right direction. Max tugged Liz by the arm as the two ran down the hall. He pushed open the door to 406, and found Kyle, struggling to get dressed.

“Max, thank God,” he said. “You have to find Ava, before it’s too late. They want to operate on her. She has a fractured skull. Max, they can’t operate.”

“What room is she in?” Max asked.

“She’s down the hall, in 417,” answered Kyle. “

Max rushed out of Kyle’s room, and ran down the hall to Ava’s room. He pushed open the door and stepped inside, taking care to make sure he wasn’t observed. He walked over to Ava’s bed and stared down at the small blond girl who lay there silently, as if sleeping. He put his hands on her head, and closed his eyes, and focused. Images of the life Ava led flashed through his mind. He saw the abuse she suffered at the hands of Lonnie and Rath. He saw Zan, his doppelganger protecting her. He saw Lonnie subdue Ava, while Rath shoved Zan into the path of the oncoming truck. He saw Zan get up, wave to Ava and run, while Rath and Lonnie laughed and congratulated themselves on the success of their plan.

“Max?” said Ava. “What’s going on. Where am I, and why are you here?

“Shh,” said Max. “You were in an accident, and you were hurt. I just healed you.”

“Kyle, is Kyle okay?” said Ava, struggling to sit up.

“Kyle’s fine. Look, give me a minute to get out of here, then call the nurse. Let them see that you’re fine.”

“Thanks Max,” said Ava, smiling at him.

“Your welcome,” said Max, but he didn’t smile back. He slipped out into the hallway, and walked back down to Kyle’s room.

“She’s okay,” said Max. “She’s awake, but we have another problem.”

“God, now what?” said Liz, rubbing her hand over her face.

“You know how when I healed you,” said Max. “I saw you. I got flashes of you?”

“Yeah, so?” said Liz.

“Well I got flashes from Ava too.”

“Okay, you got flashes, so what?” said Liz, confused.

“He found out that Zan’s alive,” said Kyle.

[majiklmoon]

Disclaimer: Roswell, and its characters do not belong to me. Melinda Metz, Jason Katims and 20th Century Fox have that particular pleasure. I’m simply borrowing them until the Season 2 DVD’s get released.

Tomorrow’s Yet to Come

Chapter 13 Ava Tells All

“Look, we can’t stick around the hospital,” said Max. “We’ll hook up later. Are you hurt, Kyle?”

“Just some fractured ribs,” said Kyle with a grimace. “Believe me, I’ll let you fix me up later, but right now, you do need to get out of here before the find out that Ava’s okay.”

“Listen, I’m not going anywhere until someone explains all of this to me,” said Liz.

“We’ve all got some explaining to do,” said Max. “But this isn’t the time, or the place. There’s a small bed and breakfast on the main street. We’ll check in there. Call us when you can get released, and we’ll come get you.”

“Actually, the sheriff here contacted my dad, and I’ll bet you anything he’s already on his way out here. I’ll get him to bring us to you.”

Max and Liz were walking to the door when Kyle called out to them.

“How’d you guys know?” he asked.

“It wasn’t me,” said Max. “Liz knew somehow. She had a feeling or something.”

“Liz?” asked Kyle. “How did you….?”

“You called?” she said simply, to her friend.

“And you came,” he responded. “Cool, our own personal alien alert system. I like it. Now get out of here.”

Max and Liz left the hospital room and walked down the quiet hallway. They waited in silence for the elevator to arrive. The doors slid open, and out stepped Jim Valenti. Max smiled, and slightly shook his head, and climbed into the now empty elevator. Liz slipped her hand into the sheriff’s and squeezed it gently, then followed her husband into the elevator. The two turned, and watched as the door closed on the sheriff’s surprised expression.


Max and Liz sat on the bed in the charming room they were given and ate the take out pizza that Max had picked up. There was a knock on the door, and Max opened it, assuming it was the desk clerk with the extra blanket they has requested. Instead he found Jim Valenti.

“Come in, Sheriff,” said Max, stepping back, and opening the door wider.

“Max, what the hell is going on here?” demanded Jim. “I get a cryptic phone call from you saying you and Liz are on your way home, and need a place to hide. Kyle and Ava decide to come home unexpectedly, and I get not one, but three overnight packages from New York. Then I get a phone call telling me my son and daughter-in-law were in an accident, and it’s not looking too good for her. I get here, and amazingly, she’s completely healed. You’ll have to excuse me if I’m just the littlest bit confused.”

“Sit down, Sheriff, and we’ll try and fill in some of the gaps,” said Liz. “We don’t have all the answers you want, but maybe if we pool our information, some things will begin to make sense.”

“Fine,” said the Sheriff. He pulled up a chair, and accepted the piece of pizza Max handed him. “Thanks,” he said. “I haven’t eaten since I got the call from the sheriff here in town. Roswell search and rescue used their helicopter to get me here. I went and saw Kyle, and he told me where you were staying. They wouldn’t let me in to see Ava, but the doctors said she’s doing remarkably well.”

Liz and Max explained about their friend Fred, and how he had died and about the surveillance equipment they had found in his apartment.

“So you just left?” asked the Sheriff.

“There’s more, Sheriff,” said Max.

“Don’t you think it’s time to call me Jim?” said Valenti. “We’ve been through kind of a lot already.”

“Yeah,” agreed Max, with a grin. “Anyhow, Michael sent us this picture. At first we kind of just thought it was beautiful, and Liz brought it with us when we ran. She found a phone number on the back, and managed to get through to Maria, who told us it wasn’t safe, and to go to the picture.”

“And the picture was of Colorado?” queried Jim.

“No, the picture is of the Granolith. We were on our way home, when Liz got this vision or something. She had the feeling that Michael and the others were in danger,” explained Max.

“So were Kyle and Ava,” continued Liz. “But it was a different kind of danger. With Michael, and Isabel, I kept feeling as if someone was watching them, and that he was a danger. But I knew that Kyle and Ava weren’t in that kind of danger. I saw their accident, and was able to figure out where they were.”

“And you called the state troopers,” said Jim. “Smart, very smart. But what about Michael and the others, could you see who was following them?”

“That’s where it gets strange, well, stranger, anyhow,” said Liz. “I kept seeing Max. He was the one following them, but that made no sense. At least not until today.”

“Why not until today, what made it make sense?” asked Jim.

“When I heal people,’ said Max, “I get flashes of their lives. When I healed Liz, I saw her growing up. Kyle too, I saw him playing T-ball the year you were his coach. Well, when I healed Ava, I got flashes too, but they weren’t as nice as the snippets of Kyle and Liz’s lives. Ava lived through hell, with Rath and Lonnie. They were always tormenting her. Zan did what he could, but it wasn’t enough.”


“And then, Zan was killed by Rath and Lonnie,” said Jim.

“Well, that’s what we thought,” said Max. “But I saw a flash of the accident, and Zan survived. He waved to Ava, and ran, while Lonnie and Rath congratulated themselves on a job well done.”

“She mind warped them into thinking that their plan worked,” said Jim in awe. “But why didn’t she ever tell us?”

“She told Kyle,” said Max. “He knew, as soon as I told him I got flashes off of her, he knew what I had seen.”

“Kyle couldn’t have known,” said Jim. “He would never keep something like that from all of you. It’s too important.”

“He knew, Jim. There’s no doubt about it. But we didn’t get a chance to talk to him about it. We didn’t think it was a great idea to stick around the hospital, what with Ava’s miracle healing, and all,” said Max.

“Look, Kyle’s discharging himself against the doctors wishes,” said Jim. “I’m supposed to go pick him up at 5:00 p.m. I’ll bring him back here, and we can hash this out. I can’t believe that Kyle would deceive you like that.”

“Jim, he wasn’t deceiving us,” said Liz. “Neither was Ava for that matter. There had to be a reason why she never told us about Zan. I’m not going to pass judgment on her, or Kyle.”

“Me either,” said Max. “Go get him, and bring him back, and I’ll heal his ribs, and then we’ll talk. There isn’t any point in trying to figure out the whys and wherefores now.”

“I’m going to head out now to the impound lot. That’s where the put Kyle’s car after the accident. I’ll get their luggage and anything else I think they’ll need. Then I’ll bring Kyle, and Ava, if possible, back tonight,” said Jim.

“We’ll go and get some more food,” said Liz, happy to have something constructive to do.


Several hours later, a knock on the door of Max and Liz’s room heralded the arrival of Jim and Kyle. Liz threw open the door, and squealed in surprise at the sight of Ava, along with the others.

“They let you out!” she exclaimed.

“Well, they didn’t have a choice, since there’s nothing wrong with me,” the petite blond answered with a small smile. “But I’m more than willing to guess that isn’t what we need to talk about, is it?”

“Well, there are a few things we should probably cover,” said Max, “But first, I think I should take care of Kyle’s ribs.”

“That would probably be a good thing,” gasped Kyle, holding his side, gingerly. Max led him over to the bed, and Kyle laid down carefully, trying not to jostle himself in any way. Max closed his eyes, and focused, picturing Kyle’s ribs. He could see them in his mind, with tiny cracks running through several of them. He focused, and imagined the cracks knitting together and becoming whole. As he did, he received more flashes from Kyle. This time he saw Kyle crying as he read the note his mother left him when she left their family. He saw Kyle and Ava laughing and running through the ocean together, and he saw the accident that brought them here; the car careening off the road and down into the woods, and he saw Liz, appear near the car.

Max pulled his hands away and looked at Kyle, trying to hide the anger and resentment he felt at the connection that Kyle seemed to have with is wife. “How’s that?” he said, a bit gruffly.

“Great, Man,” said Kyle. “I wish I could do that. I know Che’koth told us we could all do the same things if we worked on it, but I just haven’t been able to manage it yet.”

“Look, can we just get this over with?” asked Ava, her voice trembling. “I know you all want to know about Zan, and I just want to do it now, before I lose my nerve.”

“Look, why don’t we eat, while we’re talking,” said Liz. “Sometimes, it’s easier to talk about something difficult if you’re doing something else at the same time.” She offered sodas and the leftover pizza, as well as chips and other snacks to the others, then sat on the bed next to Ava and waited for her to begin.

“Well, you know Rath and Lonnie were really jazzed, cause Zan wouldn’t meet with the delegation. We both heard them talkin’ about doin sumptin to make Zan see it there way,” Ava began, subconsciously slipping into the street language she used while living in New York. “We decided we was gonna get the hell outta New York. Zan wanted to try and find the other Zan,” she nodded at Max, “And try and warn him.”

“He never made it,” said Max.

“No, I know,” said Ava. “Anyhow, we was gonna split together, but Lonnie and Rath acted sooner than we thought, and I barely had time to mind warp those two losers, so that Zan could escape. He got out of the way of that truck just in time. He got outta the way, and stood up on the other side of the street, and waved to me. I think I knew then that he wasn’t gonna come back for me. Then Rath and Lonnie decided that we should find the other Zan, and we hooked up with youse guys. None of youse ever said anything about Zan showin’ up, so I knew he never made it. I just figured he was either dead, or just didn’t give a shit no more and wasn’t ever gonna show up.”

Ava looked up at the others. Her eyes sparkled with unshed tears. Liz reached out and ran her hand across Ava’s back in a gesture of support.

“You gotta believe me,” she whispered. I wasn’t trying to deceive you or anything. I just figured it didn’t matter.”

“We know, Ava,” Max said. He smiled at her, trying to reassure her. “You’re our friend, and you would never intentionally hurt any of us, or put us in any danger.”

“I don’t get why it’s so important all of a sudden,” said Ava. “I mean, it’s been like two years, and I’ve never even heard from him. He must be dead.”

“He’s not,” said Max. “At least, not if Liz’s vision is anything to go by.”

[majiklmoon]

Disclaimer: Roswell, and its characters do not belong to me. Melinda Metz, Jason Katims and 20th Century Fox have that particular pleasure. I’m simply borrowing them until the Season 2 DVD’s get released.

Tomorrow’s Yet to Come

Chapter Fourteen – Ticket to Ride

Isabel and Alex rushed through the terminal, racing against time as they tried to make their flight. Gasping for breath, they stopped at the security gate waiting anxiously for their turn to pass through the metal detectors. Alex went successfully through the metal detector first. He stopped on the other side to gather up his wallet, watch and cell phone, and put his shoes back on, and watch while Isabel had her turn. She stepped through the detector, and alarms sounded.

“Please pass back through, ma’am,” said the airport security official. Isabel smiled wanly, but complied, and stepped through the device again, and again, the alarms sounded. Isabel flushed, and looked apologetic as the security guard motioned for her to step to one side.

Alex looked at his watch, and at the large screen that noted arrivals and departures. They had five minutes to make their flight. He scanned the crowed, and waited while a female security guard used a hand held metal detector to scan Isabel’s body. Again, and again, the alarm sounded, but each time it did, the wand passed over a different part of Isabel’s body.

“Maybe there’s something wrong with it?” Isabel offered hopefully.

“That’s doubtful, ma’am,” said the guard. “The equipment is checked and calibrated daily.”

“Why is this happening, then?” she asked. “Do I look like the terrorist type to you?”

“We can’t be too careful,” said the guard.

“No, you can’t be too careful,” whispered Isabel. She looked around, and spied the Armani suit guy watching her intently. She surreptitiously pressed her hand against her shirt and pants and metal studs popped up in various places on her clothes. “Wait,” she said. “Do you think it could be the studs on my clothes? It’s a new look for me, and I forgot about them.”

“It’s possible,” said the guard. “Let me scan you again.” She passed the wand over Isabel’s body. Isabel shot a beam of energy at the wand, and it remained silent.

“Look’s like you’re all set,” said the guard. “Sorry for the inconvenience.”

“You can’t be too safe in this day and age,” replied Isabel. “I’m just sorry I didn’t think about the clothes. You have a very nice day.” She smiled politely at the security agent, gathered her belongings from the tray, and joined Alex. “He’s here,” she whispered. “Armani guy.”

“Where,” said Alex, as he took her arm protectively.

“Over there, by that planter,” she said. She turned to point, but the man was gone. “Never mind,” she said, her voice laced with disappointment. “He’s gone. God, Alex, am I losing my mind?”

“Come on, let’s go board the plane. We’ll talk about it more later, I don’t want to take the chance of being overheard.”

They raced to the gate, and presented their tickets and boarded the plane with seconds to spare. The flight attendant directed them to their seats, and as the made their way down the aisle, they were shocked to see Michael and Maria sitting in two of the plane’s seats. Isabel opened her mouth to greet them, but caught the imperceptible shake of Michael’s head. Instead, she continued down the aisle, and took her seat, while Alex stowed their carry on bags in the overhead compartment.

“What do you suppose is going on?” Isabel whispered to Alex after he had taken his seat.

“I don’t know,” he answered. “I’m guessing that something happened to freak them out too, and they just took off, like we did.”

“I wonder why they didn’t call us?” Isabel queried.

“Probably for the same reason we didn’t call them,” answered Alex, reasonably. “The game plan had already been set. We knew where to go if there was a problem.”

“I’m being unreasonable, aren’t I?” asked Isabel.

“Well, yeah, but we can blame it on a by-product of being totally freaked out,” said Alex. He looked up and saw that the flight crew had finished their pre-flight instructions to the passengers, and had buckled themselves in for takeoff. He reached over and took Isabel’s hand in his, and brought it to his lips. “We’re going to be okay, you know that, right?” he asked. Isabel nodded, and he continued. “After take off, we’ll find some way to get a message to Michael and Maria. Will that make you feel better?”

“Yeah, thank you Alex. You are far more understanding than I deserve,” said Isabel. I’m going to write them a note, right now, telling them what’s going on.” She reached into her bag, and the ever-organized Isabel pulled out a small notebook and a pen.

“How do you do that?” Alex asked in amazement. “Even after all these years, you still amaze me with your ability to find just what you want within seconds in your bag. Maria and Liz couldn’t do that if their lives depended upon it.”

“Being a control freak and being so organized was always my way of coping, you know, before.”

“Before what?” asked Alex as the plane began to taxi down the runway.

“Before you Liz and Maria became a part of our lives. I coped with our giant secret by being super organized. Max was Mr. Stoic, and Michael, well, Michael was Michael, explained Isabel. “Plus he had a hell of a lot more to cope with than Max and I did.” She thought back to that horrific encounter in Michael’s trailer with his foster father, Hank. “We all had our little idiosyncrasies; our coping mechanisms. Then we found you, and we didn’t need them anymore. However, I like being ultra organized, so I’ve kept that one,” she laughed.

The seatbelt sign went off, and the flight attendants came around, taking orders for beverages. Alex ordered soda’s for them both, while Isabel hastily scribbled the events that occurred that led to them being on the flight to New Mexico.

“How do we get it to them?” asked Isabel. “We’re a little bit past the passing notes stage.”

“Give it to me,” said Alex. He got up and walked to the bathroom, the folded piece of paper visible in his hand. He went into the restroom, and placed the note in a visible spot, and exited the cramped bathroom. He gave Michael a pointed look as he returned to his seat. Michael correctly interpreted the look, and went to the restroom himself.

He returned to his seat, took the folded up piece of paper out of his pocket, and passed it to Maria so that she could read it along with him. When she finished, she looked at Michael. “What the hell is going on?” she asked. “Someone trashes your studio, and calls you Rath, and Isabel is seeing Max, but it isn’t Max. God, Michael, I thought our worries were over when we got rid of Tess.”

“No, I’m afraid they’re just beginning,” said Michael. He reached into Maria’s bag and pulled out a pen, and started to scribble a reply.

“Hey, you’re supposed to ask before you go into a woman’s bag!” said Maria. “In fact, it’s wise to never ever do that again. Especially when the woman in question can fry the hair right off of our head. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yeah, yeah, sorry,” said Michael, clearly unrepentant, as he continued scribbling. “Look, take this to the john, and leave it in there. Alex or Isabel will pick it up.”

“You forgot to tell me to fetch,” snapped Maria, but she took the note from his hand. “You know, if I didn’t love you so much, I’d kill you. In fact, I may just do that anyhow.”

“Well, can you at least do it after you deliver the freaking note, Maria?” snapped Michael.

Maria didn’t say anything, she glared at Michael and stood up, stepping hard on his foot as she passed by him.

“Ouch! You did that on purpose,” said Michael.

Maria smiled and raised her eyebrow, and walked up the narrow aisle to he bathroom. She spent several minutes in there, fixing her hair, and make up. She left the note on the side of the sink, and opened the door. She choked back a scream when she saw Isabel standing right outside the door, waiting to go in.

“Are you two okay?” she whispered as she stepped aside to give Isabel access to the restroom.

“Yeah. How about you two? How are you doing?”

“Surviving, but barely. He’s driving me nuts,” whispered Maria.

“Hang in there, Maria. He needs you, and you know how he gets,” said Isabel.

“Yeah, I know. Listen, we’ll hook up when we land, okay? I better get back before the general has a hemorrhage or something,” said Maria. She reached out and gave Isabel’s hand a quick squeeze and returned to her seat.

“What the hell was that all about?” demanded Michael after she sat down. “Talk about drawing attention to yourself. Jesus, Maria, what were you thinking?”

“I was thinking that I love you, Space Boy,” said Maria. She leaned over and kissed him briefly on the cheek, then turned to look out the window to watch the clouds fly by.

[majiklmoon]

Disclaimer: Roswell, and its characters do not belong to me. Melinda Metz, Jason Katims and 20th Century Fox have that particular pleasure. I’m simply borrowing them until the Season 2 DVD’s get released.

Tomorrow’s Yet to Come

Chapter Fifteen – Let’s Take a Meeting

“Yeah, I need to rent a car, please,” the blond man said to the clerk at the rental agency in the airport. “I’ll need it for about a week.”

“I’ll need to see a drivers license, credit card, and proof of insurance sir,” said the clerk. “Unless you wish to pay for our insurance.”

“I’ll pay for the insurance,” said the man. “And here is my license, and my credit card.” He passed two small plastic cards across to the clerk, and waited while he typed the necessary information into the computer.

“Very well, Mr. Milton,” said the clerk. “Thank you very much. Here is your card, and your license, and the keys. Your car is a red Dodge Intrepid, and it’s located in the lot directly outside this door, in slot number 17.”

“Thank you very much,” said the man. He slid his license and credit card back into his wallet, pocketed the keys and picked up his bag. “You have a great day,” he told the clerk.

“You too, Mr. Milton, enjoy your stay in New Mexico,” responded the clerk.

“I will,” said Mr. Milton. He turned and walked across the airport lobby. The sliding doors opened, and he was hit by a hot blast of desert air. “Damn,” he said. “I forgot how hot it was here.” He located the car, put his suitcase in the trunk, climbed in, and turned the air conditioner on full blast. He put the car in gear, and eased out of the parking space, and drove to the Delta terminal. He pulled up to the passenger pick up/drop off area and waited. Within seconds, the passenger door opened, and a red headed man climbed in beside him, clutching an overnight case in his hand

“Man, it’s hot,” he complained, as he buckled his seatbelt.

“I hear you,” said Mr. Milton. He pulled out of the loading area and drove around the airport to the Southwest Airlines terminal, and repeated the procedure. A petite woman with short curly brown hair scrambled into the back seat, dragging her bag along behind her.

”Thank God you have the air conditioner on,” she gasped. “I thought I was going to die out there.”

“No problem,” said the driver. “One more stop, and we’re done.” He eased the car out into the flow of airport traffic and pulled in at the US Airways terminal. The man in the passenger seat jumped out, and grabbed the suitcase that sat on the pavement next to a stunning woman with long black hair. He through the bag into the trunk, and the woman climbed into the back.

“Damn, there isn’t enough moisturizer in the world to make up for the damage that air can do to my skin,” she said as she rummaged through her overnight bag.

“Here, maybe this will help,” said the petite brunette. She passed a bottle of moisturizer to the other woman and smiled. “Isabel, you look great with black hair. You should think about keeping it that way.”

“Your both beauty queens,” said the driver. “Let’s just get out of here, okay?” He put the car in drive and eased back into the flow of traffic.

“Michael, will you chill with all the cloak and dagger stuff,” said Maria from the back seat. “There is no way somebody managed to follow us all the way from New York, and to four different terminals in the airport.

“Yeah, well, we can’t be too cautious,” said Michael, changing lanes. “Whoever this guy is, he seems to know a hell of a lot more about us than we do about him.”

“Yeah, but you’re making me seasick back here, changing lanes so much,” snapped Maria.

Michael ignored her as he deftly changed lanes again, and then eased onto the highway. He merged into the stream of traffic, and relaxed marginally.

“I don’t think we were followed,” he said, finally.

“I don’t think so either,” said Alex. I’ve been watching ever since you picked me up, and I think we’re good. All the same, as soon as you can, we should pull off the highway, and either change the color of this car, or rent another one.”

“That’s not a bad idea,” said Isabel from the back seat. “The convention center is about 4 exits down. There’s bound to be a rental place near there.”

“And a restaurant,” added Maria. “I haven’t eaten anything of substance since last night.”

The got off at the exit for the convention center, and Michael drove around the city until he located a rental agency. He pulled over and Isabel climbed out and went in to rent another car. She came out quickly, keys in hand, and climbed into a blue Chevy Lumina. She followed Michael down the street to another car rental agency. The drove past it, and quickly transferred the luggage into the Chevy, and waited while Alex, carrying a license that identified him as Mr. Milton, returned the Intrepid.

“This cloak and dagger stuff really sucks,” said Maria later over a plate of spaghetti. “Mmm, this is good, but no where near as good as yours, Isabel.”

“Thanks, Maria,” Isabel said, glad for the chance of normalcy. “I try to use fresh herbs.”

“You’ll have to give me the recipe sometime,” said Maria, dipping a piece of bread into some olive oil.

“Excuse me, Betty Crocker, and Julia Child. We do have other things to discuss,” said Michael. “Like who the hell is stalking us. I mean, obviously, he’s,” he paused and Maria spoke up.

“Czechoslovakian,” she said with a smile.

“Yeah,” Michael continued with a grimace. “Czechoslovakian. We need to get to the chamber, and get a hold of Che’koth and figure out what’s going on.”

“Are we going to see anyone when we get to Roswell?” Isabel asked.

“Anyone, meaning your parents?” asked Alex. “Do you think that’s a good idea, Isabel? I mean, then we’ll have to explain why we’re there and everything.”

“No, I suppose not,” agreed Isabel. “How long will it take us to get there?”

“If we drive straight through the night, we’ll probably get there right around noon time. We can swing by the Valenti’s and change before we head out to the pod chamber,” said Michael.


The Valenti house was deserted when they pulled up in front. Alex killed the ignition, and climbed out and retrieved their bags from the trunk. Michael used his powers to unlock the door, and the four went inside. Alex flopped on the couch, and put his feet up on the coffee table, on top of an empty pizza box.

“You know,” he said. “It’s nice to see that some things never change. Sheriff Valenti is not, and never will be a housekeeper.

“Oh, that’s disgusting!” screamed Maria, from the bedroom where she had gone to change. She walked into the living room, clad in jeans, and a green tank top holding a picture frame in her hand. She wordlessly turned the picture around to show it to Michael and Alex who burst out laughing. The picture, which she found in the Sheriff’s room, was of her mother.

After everyone had showered and changed, they prepared to leave. Isabel scribbled a quick note to the Sheriff, explaining the presence, and she propped it up on the kitchen table. Thinking again, she taped it to the television screen, knowing it would definitely be seen that way. She stepped out onto the porch where Alex was waiting, carefully locking the door behind her.

“All set?” asked Alex.

“As I’ll ever be,” she replied. She reached over, and slid her hand into Alex’s, and they walked to the car where Michael and Maria sat, waiting. They drove out to the pod chamber, passing several cars driving towards Roswell.

“Hey, wasn’t that the sheriff?” asked Maria, pointing to a car that passed them in the opposite lane.

“Yeah, but that wasn’t his truck,” said Alex. “In fact, it kind of looked like Max’s car.”

“Whatever,” said Michael. “It doesn’t matter. If it was the sheriff, he’ll get our note, let’s not waste time worrying about it.” He pulled off the road, and parked the car behind the giant sandstone outcropping that housed the pod chamber and the Granolith.

Together, the four climbed up the path, and Michael activated the mechanism that opened the door. It slid open, and one by one, they stepped into the cool recesses of the pod chamber.

“It sure took you long enough,” said a voice. Michael spun around, his hand raised in a protective gesture. He peered into the darkened room, dropped his hand and smiled.

“Maxwell,” he said. “I see you got my message.”

[majiklmoon]

Disclaimer: Roswell, and its characters do not belong to me. Melinda Metz, Jason Katims and 20th Century Fox have that particular pleasure. I’m simply borrowing them until the Season 2 DVD’s get released.

Tomorrow’s Yet to Come

Chapter Sixteen – Mystery Man

“Message received,” said Max. “Nice painting by the way. So, did you guys manage to get away from Zan?”

“What?” shouted Michael. “Zan’s dead, remember?”

“No he isn’t,” said Ava. “I mind warped Rath and Lonnie into thinking they’d killed him, but he got away. This is all my fault.”

“Ava, we’ve been over this a thousand times,” said Liz. “It isn’t your fault, and nobody blames you.” She turned to look at Maria and the others. “Zan was supposed to come back and get her after he got away from Rath and Lonnie. When he never did, she figured he really was dead.”

“Okay, we know why we’re here, and you know why we’re here, but why are you here. Couldn’t you have just phoned in that little bombshell.”

“It’s going to get really complicated,” said Max, “And this isn’t the most comfortable place in the world. Why don’t we go somewhere else and talk?”

“Because all eight of us can’t fit into a Chevy Lumina,” said Maria, pertly. She activated the door , and they all stepped out into the dry desert sun. “I suppose we could go back in shifts,” she said.

The walked down the path and around the rocks to where the Lumina was parked, and next to it, was Max’s car, with the Sheriff at the wheel.

“I saw you drive past me on the road,” he said to Michael. “I turned around and tried to catch up with you, but got stuck behind a slow moving truck. I figured this was not the place to hold your big summit meeting. Why don’t we all head back to my place, and then you can figure out what’s going on?”


Max, Liz, Kyle, Ava and Jim drove back to the Valenti house, followed by Michael and the others. They all trooped into the house, and Jim ducked into his bedroom and quickly changed into his uniform.

“I have to get to work, kids, but you’re welcomed to stay here for as long as you like. We’ll figure out the sleeping arrangements later.”

“Thanks Jim,” said Max. “You’ve helped us so much already, and here we are again. We couldn’t have gotten through any of this with out you.”

“Yeah, well,” Jim said, ducking his head in an unexpected gesture of bashfulness. “I’ve been thinking, you guys had better lay low. Stick around here, and whatever you do, don’t go into town. I’d hate to have to try and explain to your parents why you’re here, and not where you’re supposed to be.”

“And what about any lady friend’s you might have, Sheriff?” Isabel asked, shooting a mischievous look at Maria.

“Erm, don’t worry about that,” answered Jim. “I’ll see you kids later on.”

After Jim left, the group discussed the whys and wherefores of what brought them back to Roswell.

“So you’re telling me that you saw all of this happening?” asked Michael asked Liz.

“Yeah, but it was in a dream, it wasn’t in real time, if you know what I mean. I couldn’t like warn you or anything. Not that anything I saw made any sense at all. It was more like images,” explained Liz. She curled up in the plaid recliner that sat in the corner and waited for the barrage of questions that she assumed would follow. When none came, she relaxed.

“So it’s safe to assume that it was Zan following us in New York,” said Isabel. “But what about California. There isn’t any way it could have been him. Even if we could teleport, or whatever, there is no way he could turn himself into a girl, and you guys think it was a woman that killed your friend.”

“Fred said her name was Glenarra,” said Max. “And he was positive that she was a woman. In fact, he really had a thing for her.”

“So, it’s safe to assume that we have two separate enemies,” said Michael.

“Zan isn’t our enemy!” cried Ava. “He wouldn’t do anything to hurt me!”

“He left you with Rath and Lonnie,” said Michael, coldly. “And besides, it wasn’t you he was stalking, it was me, and Isabel.

“He must have had a good reason for that,” said Ava. “He wouldn’t,”

“Well, he did,” said Michael. “Now if you don’t mind, I don’t want to hear chapter and verse on what a wonderful guy Zan is. He destroyed some of my stuff, and he stalked my best friends, as well as my wife. The man is not high on my list of favorite people.”

“Listen, you don’t know what it was like!” shouted Ava. “You weren’t there. You were here. You think you had it so bad, living with your foster father, well let me tell you Michael, compared to the way I had to live, your life was a freaking party!”

Ava stood up and ran out the door, slamming it behind her. The room filled with an awkward silence, before Max finally spoke up.

“Maybe you were a bit hard on her, Michael. I saw some of her life with Rath and Lonnie. They were brutal to her. I don’t know how she survived it. I know I couldn’t have.”

“Yeah, well, if it was so horrible, why didn’t he save her?” Michael shouted. “If Zan was so fucking incredible, why did he leave my sister there with those two monsters?” Michael took the glass that he held in his hand, and threw it across the room. The glass hit the wall, and shattered into pieces, and cherry cola cascaded down the living room wall. He grabbed his jacket, and walked out the front door, slamming it so hard, two pictures of Kyle in his football uniform fell off the living room wall.

“This is going so well,” said Kyle. “It’s good to see that some things never change.”

“Shut up Kyle,” said Max, but the smile on his face took the sting out of his words. Michael feels bad enough about Ava being stuck with that pack of losers. He hates knowing that he wasn’t there to protect her while they were growing up.”

“No shit, your majesty,” said Kyle, his tone sarcastic. “You don’t think I know that. That’s the only reason I didn’t kill him for talking to my wife that way. Ava kind of feels the same way about him. She knows he didn’t live in Leave it to Beaver land, and she feels bad that she wasn’t there for him.”

“Maria, you’ve remained uncharacteristically calm during all of this,” said Alex. “Are you okay?”

“Actually, I am. A very smart person helped me to remember how Michael acts when he’s stressed out.” She smiled at Isabel, who simply raised one eyebrow. “Besides, that was nothing. Want to see him really freak, tell him you hate my singing.” She sat back against the faded sofa, secure in the knowledge that her husband loved her, deeply.

“Well, as exciting as this has all been,” said Alex. “Shouldn’t we be doing something more productive, like figure out what crazed alien is running around killing people?”


“Hey,” Michael said as he walked across the yard towards Ava.

“Hey yourself,” Ava said, looking at the ground. She scuffed the dirt with the toe of her shoe, and small puffs of dust rose up and dissipated in the soft breeze.

“Look, I was a real jerk in there,” said Michael.

“Yeah, you were,” Ava agreed. “You didn’t know him, Michael. He wasn’t noble like Max, but he wasn’t evil like Rath. If he didn’t come back, there was a reason.”

“Yeah, but,” began Michael

“No,” Ava said, firmly. “You’re wrong. Zan was my friend, Michael, he was, and there isn’t anything you can say that will convince me otherwise.”

“Fine,” said Michael, his voice tinged with a bit of resentment. “I just don’t like knowing you had to live with them, and you didn’t have any protection.”

“But I did, Michael, I did. Zan looked out for me as best he could, right up until the end. We took off for Roswell shortly after Lonnie and Rath tried to kill him. Now can we just forget about this, please? Michael, I don’t want to fight with you anymore, so let’s just drop it.”

Michael agreed, and he and Ava walked back to the house, together. Before they went inside, Michael held out his hand to stop Ava.
“If you and Maria ever ganged up on me, I’d be in a world of hurt, wouldn’t I?”

“You know it,” Ava replied as she pushed open the door.


Jim Valenti drove down the streets of Roswell, his eyes scanning the streets for any potential trouble situations. As he drove, his mind wandered to the group of kids that sat, even now, in his living room, fighting for their lives once again.

“Aw, hell!” he said, slamming his hand against the steering wheel. “What the hell is going on? I told them not to come to town.” Jim pulled the truck over into a nearby parking space, and climbed out. He jogged quickly across the sidewalk, hoping to reach his prey before anyone else noticed him.

“Going somewhere, Mr. Evans?” he said, grabbing Max by the arm. “I could have sworn I told you not to come into Roswell.”

“Yeah, well, you know how it is. I got a little crazy. I needed to stretch my legs.”

“You know Max, I expect this kind of stunt from Michael, but not from you. Now, come on, get in the truck. I’m taking you back to the house before anybody notices you.”

Jim practically dragged Max to the truck, opened the door, and waited for him to climb in. When Max was seated, he climbed in the drivers’ side, started the truck, and eased back out onto the road.

“Keep your head down,” cautioned Jim. “I hope to hell nobody saw you. I can explain Kyle and Ava being back in town, but you, no way.”

“Ava?” asked Max.

“Yes, Ava,” said Jim, shooting Max a confused look. “You remember, you and Liz went to Colorado after she and Kyle had that accident. You healed her, and we all came back together. Max, are you alright?”

“Yeah, I’m uh, just a little tired, that’s all. The past few days are catching up with me, I guess.”

“Well, just relax, I have you home, and back with the others in just a few minutes,” said Jim. They rode in silence for a several miles, until Jim pulled into his driveway. “Here you go, Max. I’m just going to let you out here. I need to get back to work. I’ll see all of you tonight. I’ll bring back some takeout from Senor Chow’s.”

“Yeah, great, see you later,” said Max. He turned and walked up the driveway. He climbed the steps, and knocked on the door, a feral smile on his face.

[majiklmoon]

Disclaimer: Roswell, and its characters do not belong to me. Melinda Metz, Jason Katims and 20th Century Fox have that particular pleasure. I’m simply borrowing them until the Season 2 DVD’s get released.

Tomorrow’s Yet to Come

Chapter Seventeen – Seeing Double

Ava heard the knock at the door, and ran to open it while the others tried to make sense of everything that had happened. She threw open the door with a smile, assuming that it was Jim, and screamed.

“Zan!” She started to reach out to him, but was held back by both Michael and Kyle who ran to her side when they heard her scream.

“Michael, Kyle, let me go!” she shouted. It’s Zan.”

“So, you’re siding with Rath now, Ava?” said the Max doppelganger in the doorway.

“He’s not Rath, Zan. Rath is dead, but so will he if he doesn’t let me go,” Ava said, with a slight edge to her voice.

“Ava, this bastard stalked Isabel and I in New York. There is no way in hell I’m letting you near him,” said Michael.”

“I never thought you’d turn on me Ava,” said Zan.

“Zan, listen to me,” pleaded Ava. “I didn’t turn on you. These people are our friends. You have to believe me.”

“Why, why should I believe you? I went back for you, and you were gone,” said Zan.”

“Let him in Michael,” said Max, from the living room. “If Ava says he’s all right, we need to trust her judgment.”

Michael and Kyle relaxed their grip on Ava’s arms, and she pulled away and threw her arms around Zan. She took him by the hand, and pulled him into the living room. “Zan, you need to meet everybody,” she said. “And you need to tell me what happened to you. I tried to wait for you, but Lonnie and Rath insisted on coming here, and trying to find Max. They said if I didn’t go with them, they’d kill me, and I knew they’d do it.”

“Holy shit,” said Zan. “It’s really true, there are two of us.” He looked at Max, an expression of awe on his face. “You’re really not Rath and Lonnie?” he continued, turning towards Michael, and Isabel.

“No, I’m Isabel Whitman,” said Isabel. “And this is my husband Alex.” Alex just nodded, trying to deal with the figure in front of him. “And this is Michael Guerin, and his wife, Maria,” continued Isabel, pointing to where Michael sat on the sofa, his arm protectively around Maria.”

“I think you’d better sit down,” said Max. “You look about as freaked as I feel.”

“It’s weird,” said Zan. “More than weird, actually.”


“Um, how come you’re not all into the punk stuff like Rath and Lonnie were?” Max asked, taking in Zan’s jeans, sneakers and polo shirt.

“I was,” said Zan. “But let’s save that for later? I’m still trying to accept the fact that you guys are real.”

“What do you mean, we’re real?” demanded Michael.

“Our protector told us about you, but I never believed it. I thought it was just some stupid thing he told us.”

“So that’s why, when you saw us in New York, you thought we were Rath and Lonnie,” interjected Isabel.

“Yeah, I’m sorry for that,” said Zan. “I never would have freaked you like that if I had known.”

“Well, what finally made you figure it out, Einstein?” said Michael.

Zan had the grace to flush at Michael’s comment. “I went back to our old crib,” he said. “Only this time, I tore it apart, and I found this. He reached into his backpack and pulled out a West Roswell High yearbook. “Part of me thought it was just something Rath and Lonnie came up with, but I just wasn’t sure.”

“Well why that stunt at the airport?” asked Isabel. “That was you setting off the metal detectors, wasn’t it?”

“Yeah, it was,” said Zan, looking sheepish. “I was trying to stop you from getting on the plane, so I could find out what the hell was going on. At that point, I still didn’t quite realize you were like me, with powers, you know. But when you used your powers to stop the metal detectors, I knew. Look, this is hard for me, you know? I’ve hated Rath and Lonnie for the past three years. They tried to kill me. What did you want me to do, walk up to you and say hey, here I am, wanna take another shot at it?”

“I suppose not,” said Michael, albeit grudgingly.

“So where have you been?” said Liz. “Why didn’t you ever try to find Ava?”

“Zan, this is Liz, Max’s wife. She was my first real friend here in Roswell,” said Ava. “And before you go on, I want you to meet Kyle, my husband.” Ava proudly pulled Kyle by the hand to stand in front of Zan.

“No shit, you’re married!” exclaimed Zan. “That’s pretty cool. How’d that happen?”

“Another really long story,” said Max. “We’d really rather hear about you. How did you get here, to Kyle’s house?”

“I was walking around Roswell, and some sheriff guy pulls over and starts yelling at me for being in town, and dragging me to his truck. He seemed to know me, so I just kept quiet. Then he started talking about Ava, and I figured he could take me to her,” said Zan. “I screwed up a couple of times, and he kinda started to wonder about me, but I mind warped him, and made him forget.”

“You can mind warp now?” asked Ava.

“Yeah, nothing like you, but I just kept working at it, and I can sort of do it a little bit,” said Zan.

“Ava, remember, Che’koth said we all have the same talents and abilities, it’s just that some are more developed than others,” said Liz. “Alex can mind warp too, and so can I, but just a little,” she explained to Zan.

“Wait, you’re Antarian too?” he asked, clearly puzzled.

“Another part of that really long story,” said Maria. “We want to know about you.”

“Hey, you’re the one that was singing in that club,” said Zan. “I was there one night, listening to the band, and that’s where I saw Rath. Well, I thought it was Rath,” he amended. “Yeah, I knew you were out there,” said Maria. “But I couldn’t see you. But can we please get back to the story. What happened to you after Rath and Lonnie tried to kill you?”

“I got away, with Ava’s help,” said Zan. “Only problem was, I ran right into the middle of a gang fight. I got whacked on the head with a pipe or something. I woke up three days later in the hospital. By the time I got back to our crib, Ava was gone. I looked for months. I figured they killed her too. I didn’t want to leave New York. It was the only home I’d ever known, so I decided to make a new life there. I lost most of the piercings, shaved, started dressing way more boring, and got a job. I paid attention to how people talked, and I tried to talk like them. I was just living life, until that day I saw Rath, Michael,” he corrected himself, “In that club. After that, everything changed.”

Ava looked at the others, and read the unspoken messages that passed between them.

“Zan, why don’t you come for a walk, and I’ll tell you about Rath and Lonnie,” she said. She stood up and held out her hand to him. He reached out and took it, and the two walked outside, while Kyle looked on, jealously.

“What do you think?” Max asked the room in general.

“I believe him,” said Isabel.

“So do I,” said Liz.

“I don’t,” said Alex.

“Let’s kill the bastard,” said Kyle, still looking out the window, watching Ava and Zan, talk.

“Michael, what about you?” asked Max.

“I don’t know,” he said. “I don’t want to believe him. In fact, I’m with Kyle on this one, I want to kill him for what he did. But Ava trusts him, so I guess I have to, also. Maria, what about you?”

“Well, other than scaring the shit out of us in New York, he didn’t actually do anything. So I guess I’m saying give him the benefit of the doubt, for now. But I reserve the right to change my answer at a later date.”

“I’m with Michael,” said Max. “I don’t trust him either, but I do trust Ava, and if she says he’s okay, than I guess we believe him. And we can be pretty sure he isn’t behind what happened in California. So that means we’re down to one mystery.”

“In which case, we need to get to the Granolith, and try and contact Che’koth,” said Liz. “And even though I trust him,” she paused.

“You don’t think we should tell him about the Granolith,” finished Maria.

“No, not yet,” said Liz softly. “I guess it’s kind of hedging our bets.” She went and stood next to Kyle who was staring out the window at Zan and Ava. “I just hope Ava doesn’t tell him either.”

[majiklmoon]

Disclaimer: Roswell, and its characters do not belong to me. Melinda Metz, Jason Katims and 20th Century Fox have that particular pleasure. I’m simply borrowing them until the Season 2 DVD’s get released.

Tomorrow’s Yet to Come

Chapter Eighteen – Stories to Tell

“I never told them about you,” said Ava to Zan. “At least not until the other day. Max had to heal me, and he got a flash of what happened that day. I had to tell them.”

“So what’s the deal with all of you?” asked Zan. “Are they all Antarian too?”

“No,” said Ava. “It’s really complicated, but there was another set of pods, and Max, Michael, Isabel and Tess were in them. Max, Michael and Isabel all came out together. A wonderful family adopted Max and Isabel, but Michael went into foster care. He had it really rough. Oh, and did you know he’s my brother? Zan, I have a family too. I used to be so jealous of you and Lonnie. I wanted someone to be my family too, and now I have Michael, and Kyle.”

“Yeah, what’s his deal?” asked Zan. “I’m getting the feeling he doesn’t like me too much.”

“Probably not,” said Ava. “But he will. Just give him time. He’s a wonderful person, and he loves me so much, and I love him.”

“How’d you hook up with a guy like that, anyhow?” asked Zan. He leaned against a fence, and looked down at the blond girl. “I kind of always figured we’d end up together, you know?”

“We didn’t belong together Zan, not here on Earth. You know it as well as I do. You were my friend, my only friend, but nothing more.”

“Yeah, I know, blondie, I know. So tell me more. How’d you all hook up, and how’d you find out Rath, I mean, Michael was your brother. Man, this gets confusing. I guess Rath really was your brother too, then, huh?”

“Yeah, I guess,” said Ava, darkly. “Though I’m not to anxious to claim him, that’s for sure. Rath, Lonnie and I came here, they were looking for Max, to try and get him to go to the summit. Him and Tess went back to New York with them, and I stayed here.”

“Tess? Who’s Tess. I didn’t meet her, did I?” asked Zan, confused.

“Tess is the other me,” said Ava. “Damn, this is getting complicated. Okay, first there are two destiny books, we had our copy, and they had their copy. But while each book makes sense by itself, if you read them together, it tells a completely different story. Alex figured it out.”

“Alex, he’s the one with Lonnie, I mean Isabel. The one that can mind warp. How can he do that, anyhow. You still haven’t explained that,” said Zan.

Ava paused, unsure of how much she should reveal. She thought for a minute more, then continued. “Liz was shot in the restaurant her parents own. Max healed her, at great risk to himself, and the others. As a result, Liz developed powers like ours. It seems our powers are centered in our brains. We use more of our brains than the average human. When Max healed Liz, it bumped up the development or something in her brain, and she got powers.”

“And Max, he healed the others, too?” asked Zan.

“Yeah, Kyle got shot, too, and I forget what happened to Alex and Maria, but Max healed them,” Ava lied. She was unwilling to tell Zan about the Granolith, and it’s role in activating Alex and Maria’s powers.”

“Where are Rath and Lonnie, and this Tess character, now?” asked Zan.

“Rath and Lonnie are dead,” said Ava. “Alex and Maria killed them when they found out Rath and Lonnie were going to kill Michael and Isabel, and take their place. They, along with Tess were going to kidnap Max, and try and get back to Antar.”

“No shit, there’s a way to get home. How?” asked Zan, excitedly.

“I don’t know,” said Ava, turning her head away from him to hide the fact that she was lying.

“What about this Tess chick, what happened to her?”

Ava climbed up onto the top bar of the fence, and hooked her feet over the lower rung. She looked off into the distance for a moment before she answered. “Tess is dead, she killed her, but in the fight, Liz lost the baby boy she was carrying.” A tear trickled down Ava’s face, and Zan reached over to wipe it away.

“Man, that’s harsh,” he said. “She must have been broken up about it.”

“Yeah, well, lets just drop it,” said Ava. “It’s not my story to tell. Besides, I want to hear about you. You got a job? I can’t see you in the nine to five world, Zan.”

“It’s a nothing job. I was fixing cars in a Mercedes dealership. The pay was pretty good.”

“You fixed cars?” laughed Ava. “Zan, you don’t even know how to drive a car.”

“I managed,” said Zan. “And if you count stealing them, then yeah, I knew how to drive a car. But let’s not talk about me. I want to know more about what’s been going on with you. How’d you hook up with this Kyle guy, and is he treating you okay?”

“Kyle’s great Zan, and I’m really lucky to have him and the others in my life.”

“And a brother too. That’s cool,” added Zan. “So, what else did the books tell you?” He tried to hide his interest in the information.

“Oh, Zan, I don’t know,” Ava said helplessly. “Do we have to go into all of that now? I mean, you’re here, finally. Can’t we just be happy about that?”

“Man, there sure is a lot of nothing around here,” said Zan, looking up at the vast expanse of blue sky. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much nothing.”

“It is kind of weird,” said Ava. “But it’s nice too. There’s a whole world out there Zan, and Kyle and I are going to explore it.”

“Yeah, and how are you planning on this little venture? Did you jaunt back to Antar and make a withdrawal out of the royal treasury?”

Ava flushed and looked at the ground in embarrassment. “Actually,” she said. “We made a little trip to Vegas one time, and well, we kind of made a bundle.”

Zan laughed, and threw an arm around Ava and gave her a quick hug. “That’s my girl,” he said. “I’ve been known to do the same thing a time or two in Atlantic City. Too bad, I like the idea of going back to Antar and helping ourselves to all that royal treasure.”

Ava laughed uneasily. She was disturbed at the way Zan kept redirecting the conversation to going back to Antar. It wasn’t something he ever really cared about before. In fact, it was his lack of interest in going back to Antar, which lead to Rath and Lonnie wanting to kill him. “Oh look,” she said gratefully. “Here come Liz and Max.” She jumped down off the fence, and ran over to them, glad to escape Zan’s prodding questions.

“You okay,” Liz whispered to Ava when the two couples met up. Ava surreptitiously shook her head, and shot Liz a look that clearly begged for help. “Ava, you have a phone call, it’s Pam Troy. She heard you were back in town, and is dying to talk with you,” Liz improvised.

“Hun? Oh,” said Ava, when she realized what Liz was doing. “Pam. I’ve been dying to talk to her. Zan, I have to take this call. I’ll be out in a few minutes, okay?”

She didn’t wait for an answer, and walked towards the house, Liz trailing after her. Liz raced along, struggling to keep up with the fast pace the other girl had set.

“Ava, slow up, will you?” said Liz. “It’s not like she’s really on the phone. The day Pam Troy would talk to one of us is the day Michael and Maria don’t fight about something.”

“Liz, lets just go inside. I need to talk to you,” said Ava, clearly distraught.

“Is it about Zan?” Liz asked. “Never mind, that’s stupid question. Of course it’s about Zan. Come on, we can go talk in Kyle’s room.”

The two girls entered the house, and went straight to Kyle’s room, ignoring their friends who sat in the living room.

“Okay, spill, what’s up?” asked Liz, sitting on the bed next to Ava. She looked around the room, while Ava formed her response. Her gaze paused when it came to the bulletin board Kyle kept in his room. It was decorated with pictures of their small group of friends, after they had discovered Tess’ duplicity. Every picture of her showed a girl with a smile that never quite reached her eyes.

“Liz, did you hear me?” Ava asked. “I just said that I’m not really sure if that’s Zan.”

[majiklmoon]

Disclaimer: Roswell, and its characters do not belong to me. Melinda Metz, Jason Katims and 20th Century Fox have that particular pleasure. I’m simply borrowing them until the Season 2 DVD’s get released.

A.N. Title comes from a class I took way back in my undergrad days. Dr. Reagan, you rock!

Tomorrow’s Yet to Come

Chapter Nineteen – Tests and Measures

“Wh-what do you mean, you’re not sure he’s Zan,” said Liz.

“He looks like Zan, he acts like Zan, but he doesn’t talk like Zan, and some of the things he’s saying, they’re just not very Zan like,” said Ava, worriedly.

“You don’t sound like you did when you first came here,” said Liz, trying to remain calm.

“Yeah, but I made a concentrated effort to not talk like that,” said Ava. She picked up a pillow off the bed, and clasped it to her stomach. “Liz, I’m afraid.”

“Maybe he made an effort not to sound like Rath and Lonnie either,” said Liz, reasonably. “I mean if he had a job and everything, maybe he had to sound better educated. You did what you had to do to fit in here, maybe he did the same.”

“It’s possible,” Ava said, doubtfully. “But he kept asking about how Tess was planning on going back to Antar. He was like obsessed about it or something.”

Liz struggled to keep the fear out of her voice. “Did you tell him?” she asked.

“No, I didn’t tell him anything about the Granolith,” said Ava. “I lied to him and said that Max healed all of you, and that was how you developed your powers.”

Liz let out a small sigh of relief. “Good,” she said. “We didn’t want to tell him too much. Not right away, anyhow,” she added. “Zan never cared about getting back to Antar before?”

“No, he was always saying this was our home now. If they had wanted us on Antar, they would have found a way to keep us safe. He also never believed you guys existed. I mean, he played along when our protector told us about you, but when it was just him and me, he’d always go on about how you weren’t real. That you were just some story the protector concocted to keep us in line.”

“Well, he was telling the truth about that, anyhow,” said Liz, recalling the earlier conversation in the Valenti living room. “Have you noticed anything else? I mean, I know you only talked with him for like fifteen minutes, but was there anything else that made you question his identity?”

“I’d really need to spend some more time with him to get a better idea,” admitted Ava. “Maybe get him talking about stuff only he and I would know about. But I’m worried about Kyle. He’s not going to like the idea of me spending too much time with Zan.”

“Tell me about it,” said Liz, wryly. “He saw Zan touch your face, and put his arm around you, and it took Michael and Alex to hold him back. If he could have raised his hand up, he would have killed him.”

“Gee, I’m so feeling the testosterone,” said Ava. “It’s so sweet that he’s jealous.”

“Well maybe you could go talk to the jealous Buddha, and let him know that he doesn’t have anything to worry about,” suggested Liz. “And we have to figure out a way to have a planning session without letting Zan know what’s going on, at least until we’re certain he is who he says he is.”

“Liz, I love him so much,” said Ava. “Part of me can’t even believe he’d waste time being jealous. I’ve never loved anybody but him, and I can’t see myself ever loving anybody else.”

“Yeah, I’m familiar with that feeling,” said Liz. “I’ve never really loved anybody but Max, and I know, that for me, there will never be anybody but him.”

“I’m going to go talk to Kyle, now,” said Ava. “Maybe you could fill the others in on Zan, while Max is still outside with him?”

“Sounds like a plan,” said Liz. “And Ava? I hope he is your Zan. I know you really cared about him a lot.”

“Thanks,” Ava said gratefully. She watched while Liz slid off the bed and walked to the door.

“Why don’t I send Kyle in here to you,” she said. “That way you’ll have some privacy.”

Liz crossed the threshold and walked into the small living room. “Kyle, Ava needs to talk to you,” she said. She looked at Michael, Maria, Isabel and Alex, who all watched her expectantly. “Yes, Houston, we do have a problem.”


“Freaky, isn’t it,” said Zan, staring at Max.

“Yeah,” agreed Max. “It was weird seeing Rath and Lonnie and Ava standing next to Michael, Isabel and Tess, but let me tell you, that was no way as weird as this.”

“I never thought you were real,” said Zan. “I thought you were some fairy tale our protector made up to keep us in line. You know, something to threaten us with.”

“And I never knew you existed,” said Max. “And then I thought you were dead.”

“Well, here I am, brother,” said Zan, spreading his arms out.

“Which leads us to the question of why?” asked Max. “You said you didn’t believe we were real, why come find us?”

“I told you, I that Michael and Isabel were Rath and Lonnie. When I tried tracking them down at our crib, I found that yearbook, and here I am.”

“You’ll have to excuse me if I say that seems a bit to simplistic,” said Max. “You tormented my family, and now you want us to welcome you with open arms. Sorry, it isn’t going to happen that way.’

“You’re suspicious of me,” said Zan. “I don’t blame you. I would be too if the situation was reversed.”

“This is getting us no where,” said Max. “Jim’s going to be back with dinner soon, why don’t we head inside and see what the others are up to?”

“This, as you call it, isn’t going to end until you either believe I’m telling the truth, or you kill me,” said Zan.

“That can be arranged,” said Max.


“Pass the fried rice,” said Kyle, to the room in general. “I’ll tell you, Ava and I have been to a lot of places these past few months, but we never found any place that had Chinese food like this.” He heaped his plate with fried rice, and then poured soy sauce all over it.

“Geez, Valenti, that is totally disgusting,” said Michael. “Even for me.”

“Yeah, well, at least I won’t have to share,” retorted Kyle. “I have so missed this,” he added, shoveling a fork full of rice into his mouth.

Liz brought the conversation around to the different Chinese restaurants they’d all discovered since they left Roswell, and they all agreed that they hadn’t tasted anything better than what was on the coffee table in front of them.

“I don’t know,” said Ava. “Zan, do you remember that one place we used to go to? The Emperor’s Dragon, or something.”

“Oh yeah,” said Zan, without hesitation. “We’d call in this huge order, and then Ava would go in and warp the hell out of whoever was working the counter, and poof, great meal, no cost.”

“We, uh, didn’t have a lot of money in those days,” said Ava, her face red embarrassment. Not only had Zan remembered the restaurant, he had recalled a less than savory piece of her own history.

“What else did you guys used to do?” Maria asked Zan, trying to deflect the attention away from Ava. “We never really got a chance to have like a normal conversation with Rath and Lonnie, what with having to kill them and all. And poor Ava never gets to play when we play let’s remember. We’ve all known each other since elementary school, you know?”

“Let’s remember?” asked Zan.

“Yeah, you know someone says, do you remember blah blah blah, and then someone else remembers something else. Okay, it’s a stupid game,” said Maria, her voice trailing off.

“No, I get ya,” said Zan. “I guess if you had a great life, it would be fun to play, but living the way we did, well, it was kind of rough.”

“Not all the time, Zan,” said Ava. “Remember that one time we stole some skates and went skating at Rockefeller Center? That was fun.”

“Even the part where Rath used his powers to send you flying into the wall?” asked Zan.

“Well, that part was less than fun,” admitted Ava. “But after they left, it wasn’t too bad. Especially that little kid. Do you remember Zan?”

“The one with the broken leg, yeah, sure I do,” said Zan. “This little girl, she couldn’t have been more than like four or five. She got separated from her parents, and fell. Then some big buffoon fell right on top of her. She ended up breaking her leg. But Ava was so cool, she got right in that jerk’s face, and red him the riot act, and took all the attention off the little girl so I could heal her leg.”

“That’s right,” said Ava with a laugh. “Then Zan put her up on his shoulders, and we skated around calling out her parent’s name until we found them. They were hysterical.”

“Not after we gave them back their kid,” said Zan. “They even bought us hot chocolate and roasted chestnuts to thank us. How freaking Mayberry was that?”

“What?” said Max, suddenly. He flashed back in his mind to an encounter with Lonnie, Ava and Rath, and how Rath said everything in Roswell was Mayberry. “What did you just say?”

“Abut the hot chocolate? I said it was Mayberry, why?”

“Why would you say that?” demanded Max. “That particular phrase I mean.”

“I don’t know,” said Zan, clearly puzzled. “It was something Zan used to say. He used to talk all the time about finding you. He used to say you were probably living in some back woods Mayberry kind of town. It got to be kind of a code for us, I guess.”

“That’s right,” said Liz. “Remember, Ava used to say it all the time when she first started hanging out with us. Especially when she got he first glimpse of Isabel, the Christmas Nazi.”

“There’s no need to go into that,” said Isabel, dumping some Hon Sue Gai on Liz’s plate. “Eat something Liz, you look hungry.”

Everyone laughed as the front door opened, and Jim Valenti walked inside. “I hope you saved me some,” he said. “And if you didn’t, I’ll hold the sodas hostage.” He hefted the bag full of soda in his hands. “I can’t believe I didn’t think to pick some up while I was getting dinner. Of course, I also didn’t think the three cases I bought the other day would go quite so quickly, either.”

“Sorry, Dad,” said Kyle jumping up. “Come on into the kitchen. I’ll get the glasses, and you can get the plate of food Ava left in the microwave for you.

“Ava, I love you,” said Jim with a smile. “If Kyle hadn’t snapped you up already, I’d be pretty tempted.

“What about your lady friend?” asked Isabel, shooting a mischievous look at both the Sheriff and Maria.

“Shut up, Isabel,” the said in unison, and Kyle and his father exited the room amid the sounds of laughter.

“What did you find?” Kyle asked softly as he banged glasses around to cover the sounds of his conversation with his father.

“Everything checks out,” said Jim. “I even got a hold of someone at the place that he works, and they faxed me a picture of the employees, and he was in the photo, Son. I know you don’t like it, but it looks like he is who he says he is.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Kyle said glumly, watching his wife laugh at something Zan had said.