Roswell Fanatics

Special thanks to MsSilvermucki, spaceag05, NewYorker18 (x3), Norma Bates, calphysics, angeleyes, Killian, Asabetha and corialjay. And very special thanks to Norma Bates. And of course to Calinia, who I hope will grace us with her presence. (That is if RL isn't kicking it too badly to her.)

And apparently I have even more readers then I thought. Just for that revelation, here is Part 9. The problem is that it's shorter then the previous parts. Wait, you have nothing to worry about. I plan to post Part 10 next Friday, just so that you guys don't have to wait too long. So without any further delay...

Title: "Concept of Eternity"
Author: Bored to Mundane life
Disclaimer: They don't belong to me. If they did, Alex would have lived on and season 3 would have been a lot more different. The only character that belongs to me is Marcus Thorne. I also hope that Bruce Dickinson doesn't mind if I use him in this fic.
Synopsis: Liz Parker is having just a regular day at the Crashdown, when suddenly an argument between two customers gets out of hand, and she's shot. She is raced quickly to the hospital, but she dies en route. But before she is considered as a lost cause, her heart starts beating. Later on, her history teacher, Marcus Thorne, tells her that she's an Immortal. She'll be then pulled into the life of the Immortals, better known as 'The Game'. With no way out. But her apparent resurrection has raised other peoples attention as well. And Liz suddenly finds out that she isn't the only one harboring a considerably large secret. But how does Max Evans, his sister Isabel and Michael Guerin fit into this?
Category: Crossover, Roswell/Highlander, strictly CC.
Rating: PG-13, probably R at some point.
Feedback: Definitely appreciated. And definitely needed, so I know that my writing isn't going to waste. Afterall, this IS my first fic.

Part 9:

Claudia was in shock. Her grand-daughter had just said that she had died when she was shot. "Honey, I know that your heart stopped, but you didn't die. You are here now, aren't you?" she asked.

Liz nodded slightly. "Yeah, I'm here. Alive. Breathing. But it doesn't change the fact that I died. There was nothing Dr. Hills could have done to save me. I died that day, Grandma, but I also came back to life."

Claudia was both shocked and confused. By this time Nancy and Jeff had come to the room just in time to hear Claudia's question.

"What do you mean that Dr. Hills couldn't have done anything to save you?"

Both Nancy and Jeff were confused. What were they talking about? Claudia seemed to be shocked about something, and it seemed that Liz was the cause of it. But when they heard Liz's answer, they got a shock of their own.

"Grandma, Hills couldn't have been able to save me because I had lost too much blood. True, Marcus and Hills tried to do everything they could to keep me alive, but they ultimately failed," Liz said.

Both Nancy and Jeff asked simultaneously, "What?"

Liz sharply turned her head to the door and saw her parents standing there. She wanted to tell only to her grandmother, not her parents. But now it seemed that she had no choice.

Claudia answered to their question, "Liz here claims that she died when she was shot."

Both Nancy and Jeff shot a look at their daughter. What was she saying? Sure, her heart had stopped, but she came through. She survived. Then Nancy thought that she realized what Liz was talking about, "Honey, I know that you THINK that you died that day, and in a sense of a word, you did. Dr. Hills..." but Nancy was cut off by Liz.

"MOM! Hills couldn't do anything to save me. Not anymore than Marcus could, and Marcus had a reason to keep me alive. He knew that the moment I died, I would be changed...permanently. He knew that that change would put me at risk for the rest of my life."

Nancy looked just as confused as the other adults. Then Jeff asked, "Liz, what are you talking about?"

Liz pulled her shirt up, revealing the spot where she was shot. Then she said. "Look!! And tell me what you see?"

There was silence. Nancy and Jeff didn't know what Liz was talking about. Her stomach looked normal. There was nothing. But then Claudia realized something they didn't. The bullet wound. ["Where is the bullet wound? It couldn't have just disappeared,"] she thought.

Liz noticed her grandmother's realization, and explained, "There is no BULLET WOUND. Not even a smallest hint from it. And no one, NO ONE, heals that fast. Except maybe me."

Both Nancy's and Jeff's eyes widened. Now they noticed the lack of bullet wound. But how was that possible? Liz was right, no one healed that fast. They HAD heard from fast recoveries, but this was ridiculous. But then Liz anted up the shock factor. "You guys probably remember how Marcus left the hospital after Dr. Hills had told you I was going to be fine?"

They nodded, but saying that they were confused would have been an understatement. They had noticed that Marcus felt more guilty about what had happened than he should have been. But what they hadn't told Liz was that he was making his way to leave BEFORE the doctor had come in and told them about Liz's condition. Claudia then asked something that confused her son and his wife to no end. "Are you telling me that Marcus KNEW that you were going to be all right?"

Liz nodded. But Nancy then asked, "But how could he know this? It's not like he is psychic, now is he?"

Liz shook her head. "No. He's not psychic. Well, not in a sense of a word. He FELT that I was going to be all right."

Claudia's brow furrowed from confusion, as did Liz's parents. How could he feel it? When they thought about it, he HAD looked guilty for what had happened to Liz, but he didn't exactly look THAT concerned. Like he knew that no matter what, she would have survived. But they still couldn't shrug off the feeling that Marcus would have wanted her to survive a bit differently. But then Liz said something that shocked them even more.

"The reason he was able to feel that I was all right, was because I REALLY died and then resurrected was because he had done the same thing a long time ago," she said.

"So you are saying that Marcus had experienced something similar as you have?" Jeff said, or stated, depending the way you look at it.

Liz shook her head, "No, dad. He died just like I did, only from a different cause. Where I was shot by accident, he was deliberately murdered by poison."

Jeff, Nancy and Claudia all gasped when they heard this. But it didn't make sense. If Marcus would have been poisoned, he should have been dead. Yet they had known him for the past 8 years, and he seemed fine.

"Honey, who told you this? He couldn't have been murdered because he's obviously still alive," Claudia asked, thoroughly confused.

"Because he's like me, an Immortal. A person who can't die, no matter what. I was shot and he was poisoned, yet we both are alive and healthy now," Liz finally said.

Nancy and Jeff were dumbfounded. This was ridiculous! Nobody could survive from poisoning and live to tell the tale. Getting shot was different, as proven by Liz. But Claudia was deep in thought about what Liz had said. But she still didn't believe it. Marcus had always been cryptical about his past, but she never could shake off the feeling that Marcus always knew more about her grand-daughter then he let on. Then her eyes widened. "Liz, is Marcus your real father?" she asked.

Liz's eyes widened to this. "WHAT!? NO!!"

Claudia was taken back by Liz's answer. If that wasn't the case then what...

Liz shook her head and said, "You don't believe me. And I only have one way to prove it." With that, she walked out from the bedroom.

Jeff and Nancy followed suit, and Claudia wasn't that far behind. True, Dr. Hills had told her to stay in bed, but something was off. And she needed to find out what it was. She was at the bedroom door, when she heard Jeff's shout and Nancy's gasp. When she reached the kitchen entrance, her eyes widened from disbelief. Liz was standing there, holding a VERY sharp kitchen knife. And she held her left hand open under the blade. ["Surely she isn't thinking..."] but her thought was cut off when Liz cut her palm open.

"LIZ!! OH MY GOD, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!!" Nancy shouted, clearly shocked. She had ran to her daughter and took her bleeding hand to her own.

"Mom!" Liz's shout had pulled Nancy out from her rant. She then pointed at the gash in her hand and said, "Look."

And Nancy did. And then her eyes widened from shock. There was a electric spark in the wound. Then another. Few moments later there were multiple electric streaks running through the gash, closing it. Nancy was so shocked that she couldn't move. Just stare at the gash as it knitted itself together. Jeff was also watching this in disbelief. And Claudia had her hand over her mouth.

Then Nancy's head did only one thing it could do. It shut itself down and Nancy promptly fainted.

*************************************************************

Parker Household, 1 hour later, Living room

Liz stopped her speech. She had told them almost everything. After Nancy had woken up, which was about 20 minutes after she had fainted, she had told them about her newfound Immortality, Marcus' secret and the general existence of Immortals. But she hadn't mentioned the 'Game' yet. She was debating whether to tell them or not. What she already had told them was unbelievable, crazy even, as it is. Claudia, Nancy and Jeff had been quiet for her whole speech, and now they just sat there, mouths hanging open.

Claudia was the first to pull herself out from her shock. "So Marcus is like this...Immortal?" she asked, and Liz nodded. "And he's over 2000 years old?" she asked, being a bit pale. Again, Liz nodded.

Claudia was in shock. A man she had befriended 6 years ago was even older than she was. And she had always considered herself as an elder. But NOW, Marcus had proven her otherwise. Heck, Marcus was even older then all the Parker members age put together.

Jeff was still unable to speak. He then glanced at her daughters left hand, and noticed that the scar was fading. Fast. At the moment there was a tiny mark. And even that was fading as he held his gaze in it.

Nancy on the other hand looked even more paler then she did before. Her little girl would always look little and now she wouldn't be able to grow old at all. She would always look like 16. And THAT thought un-nerved her to no end.

Claudia then asked something to confirm what Liz had said earlier, "And since you died that day, you are this Immortal too, right?"

Liz nodded her head and said, "Yes."

Nancy was able to pull herself out from her dizziness and asked, "Did Marcus knew who you were even BEFORE this happened?"

Liz had a blank look on her face. She honestly didn't know. She had assumed that it was the buzz, but what he had said on Monday suddenly brought a question she never had asked him. That how did he know what she was even BEFORE she had died. Liz made a mental note to ask him. "I don't know. But I'm guessing it has something to do with the Quickening. I mean, I'm able to feel his presence NOW, but I wasn't able to feel him BEFORE the shooting."

Jeff then asked something else. "So, how many Immortals there are out there?"

"About 2000-3000 worldwide at the moment. He wasn't entirely sure," Liz answered.

"Wow. That's...wow," Jeff wasn't able to say anything else, his mind taxed by what her daughter had said.

Then Claudia asked something, "Liz. Did Marcus tell you WHO you really are? Like where you come from or anything?"

Liz shook her head. "No. Actually, even HE didn't have a clue where we come from. All he knows is that we come to this world as foundlings." Claudia's eyes widened from realization. So that's how Marcus had known that Liz was one of his kind. But she had noticed how adamant Marcus had always been to keep her grand-daughter out of a situation that could prove dangerous. And Liz had told them that Immortals stay as mortals untill they experience a violent First Death. A death that wasn't natural. And when Liz was shot, her Immortality activated, thus bringing her back to life. But Claudia still couldn't understand why Marcus had did everything he could to keep Liz as a mortal. So she asked about it.

Liz's face suddenly had a hint of sadness in it. Her gaze fell to the floor. This caught her parents attention as well. Nancy and Jeff both were concerned. "Liz?"

Liz then looked them all individually on to the eyes. There was sadness there. "I am an Immortal. I don't get sick anymore. I don't age. I can even heal any kind of injury inside an hour and look as fresh as a rose. God! I will live an eternity and you guys grow old and die! Everyone I have ever known will grow old and die. Maria and Alex. Kyle. Amy. Sheriff Valenti. Everyone! And all I can do is stand by and watch. I can't die. I won't stay dead. I can't permanently die from anything...except from decaputation." This earned gasps from her parents, and shocked look from Claudia.

Then the realization hit them. So THAT was the reason she was concerned that morning. She WAS worried about them, from losing them. But then it had turned to a certainty. She would live on, and they would eventually die. And then they realized that Marcus would be the only constant thing in her life. He was an Immortal as well. He wouldn't die. He would be there. Nancy and Jeff made a mental note to talk to him.

Claudia realized now what Liz had meant when she had said that time was a luxury she didn't have. Because she had ALL the time in the universe. But Claudia, Nancy and Jeff didn't have it. And this is what was tearing Liz's heart into pieces. The certainty that they just...die. It may not happen tomorrow, or next week, but it WOULD happen eventually. And that would be too soon to Liz.

Liz then said something that pulled them from their thoughts. "Look, the past days I've been spending time with Marcus, getting some answers to my Immortality. And I will be spending time with him for quite a while. I'm getting my questions answered. Believe me, he has answered to most of them, but right now I have some new questions that need's answers. So you have to forgive me if I show up late."

Jeff and Nancy nodded. Then they said, "Liz, tell Marcus to come by tomorrow. We have some questions of our own to him. And we want him to promise us something."

Liz's brow furrowed. "What?"

"That no matter what, he will not abandon you. That he will take care of you when we are finally laid to rest," Jeff said.

This earned a sob from Liz. She still didn't want to think about future. That someday they would be gone. She then ran to them and gave them a strong hug. She was holding on to them for her dear life. And she decided NOT to tell them about the 'Game'. It would complicate things TOO much. And Liz was fairly certain that Jeff would book her a spot at girl school in a convent and sent her there on a first available plane. She really didn't want to lie to them, but it was only one small fact. Yea, right. One BIG fact to be exact. One that could cost her her life one day. But if Marcus had survived to this day, then maybe with his teachings, she would live a long life. She then went to her grandmother and hugged her even more tightly. Because she would be the first to go. And that knowledge pained Liz even more then anything.

Claudia soothed her, "It's all right, Liz. I won't be leaving anytime soon. And I would LOVE to talk to Marcus. I can't wait to hear about the things he has seen." Then she grinned. "And I DEFINITELY want to hear about the Native Americans way of life with him. Especially about Navajo Indians."

Liz smiled and hugged Claudia even more.

*************************************************************

Parker Household, 21:57 p.m, Liz's balcony

Liz was sitting on the lawnchair, deep in thought. Her parents were dealing with this quite well. So was Claudia. The problem was, they wouldn't have been this calm if she would have told them everything about 'The Game,' and the Headhunters or her training to be able to fight and kill them. This thought unnerved Liz still. How could she take someone's life even if it was for self-defense? Marcus had said that the headhunters want nothing more but her Quickening. That's it. Nothing personal or anything. It was just because of the 'Game'. She didn't want to become a killer. Maybe if she thought about other options, she would be able to avoid the beheading part. But she didn't have enough information. So she was left with little choice but to ask. It had worked so far. And she also needed to warn Marcus about Grandma Claudia's 'third degree' concerning Native Americans.

Liz wasn't that tired yet. She had finished her homework 30 minutes ago, and before that, she had a conversation with Maria. She smiled. Maria was so concerned about Claudia. True, she was like a grandmother to Maria as well, but Claudia wasn't inclined to change that. Liz still wouldn't be able to tell Maria. Her parents had tried to convince her to tell about it, but Liz vetoed the idea for now. The problem at the moment was that for some reason her parents wouldn't leave her alone. Liz had an idea what that was about. They didn't want her to forget them. She finally had convinced them to leave it to her to talk to them when SHE was ready and willing. Not before. She still needed to convince them that she wouldn't forget them.

Then her thoughts drift to Max. He seemed agitated for some reason. And guilty for something. He had wanted to tell her something, but couldn't force himself to say it. He said he would talk to her tomorrow, but somehow Liz doubt that he would force himself to say anything.

Liz shook her head. There were too many questions running through her head now, and she needed something to do to focus. She first thought about going to bath, but decided not to. Her parents weren't ready to everything she could do, and finding their daughter underwater could definitely get them panicked. Even though she WAS able to breath underwater.

She then glanced at her bedroom, and thought occurred to her. She walked inside and went to her bed. She then kneeled to the floor and removed a loose board she had noticed about 2 years ago. She hadn't told her parents, because she figured she would need to hide something personal there someday. She then reached her hand to the hole and pulled her sword from there. She put the board back in its place and went to the balcony. She surveyed her surroundings a bit, assessing her options. She couldn't do what she was planning to do on her patio. The flower pots were too close and there wasn't enough space. She then glanced to the roof. There wasn't anything there, aside from the TV-antenna, and that could be easily avoided.

Making her mind, she then moved the lawn chair to the wall and then climbed onto it. She then used it as a leverage to reach the roof. It took her a couple of tries, but she made it. When she was up there, she couldn't do nothing but marvel the view. Even from her balcony, the view wasn't as breath taking as it was now. The stars were so bright up there, the moon glowing almost fully. She then took the sword and pulled it from its sheath. She dropped the sheath to the ground and held her sword there. Just watching it. Then she closed her eyes. Breathed. And then she started to move. The sword moving with the same grace as was the kendo stick back at the school gym. She performed the kata with the same accuracy and grace as she had done at school. It was like her body remembered how to move. She wasn't even focusing to do it. She just held her eyes closed and breathed. When she stopped 20 minutes later, she was exhausted. She didn't have any idea how intense this could be. She then sheathed the sword and came down to the balcony. She headed straight to her bedroom, hid the sword, stripped and put her pajamas on, and went to sleep.

But on the other side of the street, on the roof of the 'UFO Center', stood Adam Hills. With binoculars. He had been observing her for some time now, and when he saw her to perform that kata with unnatural grace, he was impressed. He wrote what he had seen to the chronicle, and then glanced around him. There was no one at sight. But then again, very few people walked around Roswell at this hour. Well, he was an exception, off course. He then put the chronicle away and climbed down to the alley. Tomorrow he would pay a visit to Ms. Topolski's apartment. And then assess the situation. But he had his orders. And he would follow them. True, the Watchers never interfered with the lives of Immortals. But when it came to their existence, they made DAMN sure that outsiders (mainly government) wouldn't find out about them. Usually Immortals revealed this information to the mortals themselves. But if someone THEY didn't know would find out, then the Watchers intervened. With more PERMANENT results.

TBC...

Special thanks to angeleyes, Norma Bates, Killian and NewYorker18. You guys are the best. And again, a very special thanks to Norma Bates. Your help is appreciated. And let's not forget Calinia.

Now, I know that I'm going to get a lot of negative feelings from this part. But you have nothing to worry about. Michael is just fine and he is not seriously injured. Feel free to ream me for putting him into this position if you want. I like the guy as much as you do, but the damn plot needed this. So here's part 10. Unfortunately next part won't be posted until next week.

Oops, I seemed to forget something. The equipment that Michael, Marcus and Liz used can be seen from the http://www.karatedepot.com. Just so that you can get the visual idea of the gear.

Title: "Concept of Eternity"
Author: Bored to Mundane life
Disclaimer: They don't belong to me. If they did, Alex would have lived on and season 3 would have been a lot more different. The only character that belongs to me is Marcus Thorne. I also hope that Bruce Dickinson doesn't mind if I use him in this fic.
Synopsis: Liz Parker is having just a regular day at the Crashdown, when suddenly an argument between two customers gets out of hand, and she's shot. She is raced quickly to the hospital, but she dies en route. But before she is considered as a lost cause, her heart starts beating. Later on, her history teacher, Marcus Thorne, tells her that she's an Immortal. She'll be then pulled into the life of the Immortals, better known as 'The Game'. With no way out. But her apparent resurrection has raised other peoples attention as well. And Liz suddenly finds out that she isn't the only one harboring a considerably large secret. But how does Max Evans, his sister Isabel and Michael Guerin fit into this?
Category: Crossover, Roswell/Highlander, strictly CC.
Rating: PG-13, probably R at some point.
Feedback: Definitely appreciated. And definitely needed, so I know that my writing isn't going to waste. Afterall, this IS my first fic.

Part 10:

Parker Household, Thursday, 21:30 p.m, Liz's balcony

'It's September 25th, and I'm confused. Max wanted to talk to me today about something, but for some reason he couldn't say what. Actually, he seemed to avoid me. But that must be my paranoia kicking in, even though it's a bit too soon. Well, it seems that I have to make an initiative tomorrow, because I'm curious. Yesterday, he wanted to talk to me. Today, he did everything he could to keep conversation at minimum. Well, we'll see tomorrow if I can open him up a bit. Especially about what I heard in the Thomas Ridger's gym.

As for Marcus, today we went through basic martial arts. Yeah, basic to him! I swear, I had a hard time getting a simple kick correctly. But I can't blame anyone but little old me, because I was too impatient, and distracted. When I usually set my mind to something, it gets DONE. Immediately, with no extra fuss to it. But noooo. This is something you have to focus. Keep a level head. Otherwise you mess up. Big time.

Luckily I was able to warn Marcus before he came to talk with my parents. He didn't like it when I didn't tell my parents about the 'Game' and the headhunters. I just couldn't. He agreed to not say anything. When he got there, wow! I swear, Grandma Claudia asked probably a million questions, and he wasn't able to answer all of them. Why? Well, according to him, he WAS friends with the Indians here, but he couldn't interact with them properly for obvious reasons. He also told me some new things about myself, and how he knew WHAT I was BEFORE I got shot. For some reason I can't get Dr. Hills out from my head. That tattoo got me curious. It wasn't exactly something you would see with a doctor, especially one that young. Even IF he got it when he was at school, he still doesn't look like a guy who would get a tattoo. Well, I better not dwell on it too much.

Kyle seems to be doing okay. We talked a bit, but not much. He's still hurt, I can tell. For some reason his team members don't seem that concerned. I wonder what that's about?

And then there's Ms. Topolski. She doesn't strike me as a good substitute teacher. She didn't make big mistakes today, but still Alex and I had to correct some flaws in her teaching. I wonder who is teaching there anyway? Alex and I or Ms. Topolski? I don't know.

I kinda feel sorry for Michael. He didn't have any idea how good Marcus was. Marcus was holding back when they went through Michael's 'punishment'. I hope he isn't seriously hurt. But if he was able to stand, I think he wasn't feeling that bad. Somehow I think that even Hank Guerin had never beaten Michael as bad Marcus did. Well, I'll see him tomorrow. Probably. I still don't understand what Michael meant when he asked Max to heal him. I know, I was eavesdropping, but I still can't understand it. And there was something else to it. The need to hide in plain sight. Reminds you of anyone?

I better go now. I'm tired from my jog and the exercise Marcus suggested. I don't feel any way different at the moment, but maybe in time. Like I said, I'm impatient. I'm going to take a shower and then I'm going to sleep.'

Liz stopped writing to her diary and put it to its hiding place. Then she went to the bathroom. About 20 minutes later, she emerged from there, clad in a towel. She dried herself and put on her pajamas. She glanced at the mirror for a moment. She didn't look different, but maybe if this would go on long enough, maybe she would. Later on, that is. She shrugged and went to bed, and her head started to process previous events.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

West Roswell High, Thursday, 7:30 a.m

"So they were okay with it?" Marcus asked, clearly dumbfounded.

Liz nodded, "Yeah. They took it pretty well. Aside from mom, she fainted when she saw the wound healing."

Marcus shook his head. Maybe he had underestimated the Parker's. When Liz had called him that morning and asked for him to drive her to school, he was worried. But she apparently only needed to talk about this. "I find that pretty hard to believe. I don't think most parents would react well if you tell them one day, 'Oh, Mom. Guess what? I'm an Immortal now, and I have to train myself to fight with a sword, because there are other Immortals there who would want to kill me because I exist.'" Marcus said, an edge of sarcasm in his voice. When Liz didn't answer, he stopped and looked behind him. Liz stood there, biting her lip.

Then it dawned to him, "You didn't tell them about THAT!?" Fortunately he had the brains to keep his voice down. Otherwise students would have stopped from curiosity. He then pulled her to an empty hall and continued in a low voice, "Why didn't you tell them?"

"I didn't want them to get worried about something they have no control about. And besides, I am positive that my dad would have sent me to a church to finish school," Liz said.

Marcus nodded, against his better judgment. Jeff was overprotective towards his daughter, and if that would help to keep her daughter alive, he would do it. But unfortunately things were never that simple. If a headhunter would find out that an Immortal was indeed living in a church, all they had to do was to wait. When Liz would be out from the holy ground, she would be open prey, and very dead one, as well. "I may not agree with your reasoning, but I know Jeff, and you're probably right about your assumption. But let the records show that I disagreed," he said.

Liz nodded. Then she remembered what her parents had said, "Marcus, my parents want to talk to you tonight. About the whole 'Immortality'."

"They want to talk to me?" he asked.

Liz nodded. "But I have to warn you. Grandma Claudia is going to ask about things you have seen over the centuries. And about Native Americans," she said.

Marcus' eyes widened. "WHAT!? I may be old, but I don't know much about Native Americans. True, I was friends with them, but I was never considered as a part of the tribe. So I may not have all the answers Claudia would want," he said.

"Just answer to those questions you can. I'm sure that Grandma will go easy on you," she said. ["Even though it's very unlikely,"] she thought.

Marcus snorted. "Yea, and the cows have sprouted wings and are flying around," he said sarcastically. Then he sighed. "All right. I'll talk to her. As much as I can, anyway. You better hurry to class," he said. Marcus said his goodbye for the morning and headed to the teacher's lounge.

*************************************************************

West Roswell High, same time, another hall

Isabel was fuming for an obvious reason. Mr. Thorne had given them so much homework, that she hadn't been able to finish it all, and they would be having his classes tomorrow. This seriously hindered her schedule and she knew just a person to blame from this.

"MICHAEL!!!" she hollered with enough voice that he wouldn't have missed if he had tried.

Both Michael and Max winced a bit. Isabel was VERY vocal when she was angry, and she had every right to be at the moment.

"Michael, you better walk to Mr. Thorne and give that pendant back," Isabel said, or more likely ordered.

Michael shook his head, "No way, Isabel. That pendant means something, and I'll be damned if..." but he was cut off by Isabel.

"NEWSFLASH, GUERIN!!" she hollered. Then she lowered her voice. "Didn't you hear what Thorne said yesterday? It is a memory from his daughter," she said.

"Do you really believe that? He could have lied. And he obviously knows it was me, otherwise he wouldn't have commented about it yesterday," Michael shot back.

Isabel glared at him. "Now you better listen, buster. You have two choices. You will go to Mr. Thorne and give that pendant back, or I'LL show up in your dreams and make you dream of elderly women clad in bikinis."

Michael gulped. THAT was an image he DEFINITELY didn't want to see, but he couldn't give the pendant back. He had seen how mad Thorne was, and he couldn't shrug off a feeling that he would probably maim him or cut him into tiny pieces. And he HAD to know something about THEM. He could have answers! Isabel's icy glare forced him to re-think his options, so he agreed.

"Ok, Isabel. I'll give him the pendant back. You happy?"

Isabel smiled. "I am, but I still feel sorry for you, Michael, because if I know Thorne, he'll be VERY resourceful with your punishment." With that, she walked off.

Michael shot a glare at Max. "You could have helped me, you know," he stated.

Max shook his head, "Not likely, Michael. She would have done the same thing to me if I would have backed you up. Which I won't, by the way."

Michael let out a disgusted grunt. Nobody defied Isabel 'Ice Queen' Evans will and live to tell the tale. Just because he was like a brother to her, that STILL didn't mean he was safe. He had to hurry, though. Otherwise Isabel would make her threat come true in a form of 'day dreaming'.

"By the way, I'm going to tell Liz," Max said as an afterthought.

This got Michael's attention. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"I'm going to tell Liz about us and about my feelings to her." Max said nonchalantly.

"ARE YOU NUTS, MAXWELL?!!!" Michael hollered. Then he lowered his voice, "What makes you think that you can trust her?"

Max shot a glare at Michael. "Michael, I love her. And as much as I hate to admit it, I can't keep this as a secret from her."

Michael ran his hands through his hair. "Maxwell, you better listen to me. If you tell Liz, you won't piss off just me, but Isabel as well. And I have a good hunch that she's going to give you a same kind of retribution if she finds out. Do you understand me?" Michael asked.

Max sighed. Michael was right. Isabel was so pissed at the moment that she might shoot some of her wrath on him. He still needed to tell Liz, but in a fear of 'The Ice Queen', he relented. Then Max asked, "When are you going to return that pendant?"

Michael shrugged. "Might just get over with it now. But I have a feeling that I'm going to be in so much trouble that Isabel's threat sounded good in comparison," he said.

And boy, he had NO idea how right he was.

*************************************************************

West Roswell High, 8:10 a.m, teacher's lounge

Marcus sighed. He wasn't tired, just weary. He always woke up around 4 a.m for his jog. Then, when he was finished with his exercises around 6:30, he would spend about 10 minutes meditating. Just being lazy didn't suit him. He needed to do something. Anything. He had neglected Liz's essay, even though he only had to read it for Friday's class. Since his lecture wouldn't start until 9:15, he decided to read Liz's essay now. He had managed to take it out from his briefcase when he noticed Michael at the doorway. He had a pretty good idea why.

"Mr. Guerin," Marcus said, trying to sound as neutral as possible.

Michael gulped. This wasn't going to be pretty. "I...uh...damn it, here you go!" he relented and tossed the pendant next to Marcus' briefcase.

Marcus raised an eyebrow to this, then addressed Michael, "Thank you, Mr. Guerin. I was afraid that I would be forced to call the sheriff."

Michael grunted. He was about to leave, when Marcus hollered, "Where do you think you're going!?"

Michael stopped, and then turned around. "To class," he said.

Marcus shook his head and said, "If you think to get away with this THAT easily, guess again."

Michael groaned. This HAD been too easy so far. So he just stood there, listening how Marcus planned to punish him.

Marcus was in deep thought at the moment. Then he said, "The way I see it, you're going to be having two choices. One, you will read your essay to the WHOLE class next Monday."

Michael's eyes bugged out when he heard this. "NO WAY!!" he said. "I'm NOT going to read that damn essay in front of a class. No matter WHAT you say."

Marcus grinned. He had anticipated this response. So the next option would sound a bit more appealing, but not by much. "Okay, option two. I don't suppose you know that I'm a Martial Arts teacher?" he asked. Michael's eyes widened in disbelief and he shook his head. "You see, I'm at the moment teaching someone special to me in the fine arts of self-defense, and I need a sparring partner to demonstrate her how to hone her skills. After your classes today, you'll show up to the Thomas Ridger's gym and be as an agressor. How about that?" he asked.

Michael was stunned. He was offering him a position as a sparring partner. Even though it was a position where HE would be getting the hits. But since he would be sparring against his student, he didn't have to worry about Marcus. Granted, this suggestion held some holes considering his well-being, but this option sounded a bit more appealing then reading in front of a class, so he agreed. "Ok, Mr. Thorne. I'll become a personal punching bag for your student, but just for the record. If I'll be playing a part as an agressor, I won't be holding back."

Marcus grinned which unnerved Michael. "I didn't expect anything less from you, Guerin. Just show up there around 15:45, and we're even about this."

Michael shrugged and left. And Marcus just kept grinning. ["If he thinks that he's going to get away with this just by getting some kicks and punches, he's wrong. Liz needs to hone her skills to the best, and granted, it's a bit too early. However, that doesn't mean that *I* can't show her how it's done."]

*************************************************************

West Roswell High, 9:15 a.m, Biology class

Liz was concerned. Max had wanted to talk to her today, but now that they were in the same room, albeit full of other students, he hadn't made even a small hint about what he had wanted to talk about. He hadn't even glanced at her with that longing look, which in itself was interesting enough.

When the class was over, Liz walked up to Max. And said, "Max, I thought that you wanted to talk about something?"

Max stopped and looked Liz. Then his gaze drifted to her eyes, and he was a goner. Every coherent thought drifted away and only thing he wanted was to kiss her. But when she called him for the third time, he was pulled back to the real world. Much to his displease. "What?" he asked.

"What?" Liz asked, confused. "Max, in case I have completely mistaken, YOU wanted to tell me something today. Or was I just imagining?"

Max shook his head, "I'm sorry, Liz. I...I can't..." with that, he walked away.

Liz was dumbfounded. ["Ok. Something is DEFINITELY wrong. He wanted to talk to me yesterday, and he DID say that he would talk to me today. But now...he just avoids me. What happened?"] she thought. But she didn't dwell on it. She had geometry coming next.

*************************************************************

West Roswell High, lunchtime, The Quaid

Liz was now thoroughly confused. Max had been avoiding her constantly, like he was afraid to tell her something. At first she thought to press him to tell her about it, but vetoed that idea. It would only push him away. She stole a glance at Max. He was in VERY deep conversation with Michael for some reason. But her thoughts were interrupted when Maria showed up.

"Chica, have you talked with Kyle today, 'cause he doesn't look too good?" Maria asked.

Liz nodded her head, "Yeah, I talked with him. He's dealing with our break up, but I can see that he's still hurt." Then her brow furrowed. "Somehow his team members aren't too worried about it. I wonder why?"

Maria shook her head. "They're just too filled with their certainty that you made a mistake and notice it eventually. Trust me, Chica. They'll see how wrong they are eventually," she said.

Liz shook her head. ["What is it with men, anyway?"] she thought. Then she asked, "Did you hear anything specific about it?"

Maria shook her head and said. "No, and I don't care. If they are too dumb to see that a girl can make a choice of her own, it's their loss." After that she started to dig in her lunch.

Liz rolled her eyes. Though she did agree with Maria. Jocks always thought that they were god's gift to girls, and they always chalked up women's opinion as a mis-judged decision. She then glanced to the table where Max was sitting. He was an enigma to Liz. Then her brow furrowed. Why Max had decided to avoid her all of a sudden. She shrugged and started to eat her luch.

*************************************************************

Michael had no worries at the moment. The punishment Mr. Thorne had put on him wasn't as bad as he had thought. Just a sparring match against Mr. Thorne's student. Nothing he couldn't handle. So why was it that Maxwell constantly kept saying that he should be careful.

"Maxwell, I'm not going to hurt the guy. Just give a few punches here and there and that's it. Nothing big," he said without a care in a world.

"Michael, you said it yourself that he was WAY too happy about this. And even though this is going to be a sparring match with his student, don't you think that he might have left out some details?" Max said.

"Besides," Isabel said. "Didn't you say that you saw a martial arts studio in his basement? That means that he knows stuff...and moves."

Michael waved them off. "The guy thinks too much from himself and from his student. Don't worry, I won't hurt him."

But Michael had NO idea how badly he would get pummeled today.

*************************************************************

Thomas Ridger's gym, 14:45 p.m, 3 blocks away from West Roswell High

It has been 15 minutes since Marcus and Liz had arrived to the gym. Marcus had been right about his assumption that Thomas would allow them to use the ring and the necessary equipment. Thomas was 56 years old, but his age hid very effectively his skill. He had a 4th degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do, and his age didn't even hinder his movements. Granted, he never really got used to the fact that his mother's father was as old as time, but he was coping with it.

At the moment Marcus and Liz were training with the basic punches. Marcus was holding the bag, and Liz kept giving best she got. She was wearing regular set of clothes, black wristwrap gloves, black foot guards and her hair was tied into a pony tail.

*thump*

"Not bad, Liz. Put more force to the punch, though. Put all the power in your body to the punch," he said. "Again!"

*THUMP*

Marcus raised an eyebrow. "Not bad. Now the left arm."

Liz started to give out small training punches, and she decided to use this moment to ask him something, "Why is it that you were grinning when we got here? You seemed TOO happy about something." Then she gave as good as she got.

*THUMP*

"Well, did you know that it was Mr. Guerin who stole my pendant?" he asked.

Liz's eyes widened. "WHAT!? He... And you let him get away with it?" she asked, clearly dumbfounded.

Marcus grinned and shook his head. "Nope. As a matter of fact, he'll be joining to our training session in about...oh, an hour or so."

Liz was confused. "I had the impression that Mr. Ryan was going to be my sparring partner," she said.

"I don't see any reason to start early. Besides, you'll be testing your punches and kicks on him, and then I'LL be showing you how it's done. That's when Mr. Guerin's punishment comes in," he said.

Liz raised her eyebrow. "So what you're basically saying is this. I will be testing out my own moves on him and then you will be showing me what I did wrong? You will probably give him a quite a good beating in the process as well. Am I right?" she asked finally.

Marcus nodded. "You got it in one. Although I seem to have forgotten to inform Mr. Guerin from this little fact," he said with a grin. Then he added, "Don't worry. He'll be wearing the regular set of protection equipment. Wouldn't want him to get broken bones, now do we?"

Liz just shook her head. Michael had no clue what was coming to him.

"Ok, Liz. Let's continue with the kicks," Marcus said.

*************************************************************

Thomas Ridger's gym, 15:35 p.m, Parking lot

The jeep stopped. Max had decided to tag along, just in case Michael decided to do something irrational. Like seriously hurt Mr. Thorne's student. Isabel on the other hand had decided to come along just to see that Michael wouldn't get hurt.

Michael on the other hand, he wasn't happy that Max had come along. "Maxwell, you have nothing to worry about. It's not like I'm going to get hurt or anything," he said.

"I know that," Max said. "I'm here to make sure that you don't hurt Mr. Thorne's student."

Michael shook his head. "You know, is it too much to ask that you could trust me on this? I'm not going to hurt him," he said.

Max didn't say anything, which irritated Michael. Max claimed to be always in control of the situation, but when Liz Parker got shot, all rational thought was shot to hell from his head. Sometimes Michael thought that Max was living in a world where he was right and everyone else was wrong.

Isabel said, "Okay, boys. Knock it off. Max, I'm sure that Michael is going to be all right, and I know that he isn't going to hurt Mr. Thorne's student."

"Thanks, Is, but I highly doubt that Maxwell here is going to give me that much credit," Michael said, but still smiling a bit for what Isabel had said.

Michael, Max and Isabel walked into the gym and were greeted by Mr. Ridger. "Mr. Guerin, according to Marcus, you'll be a sparring partner to his student for today. Am I correct?" he asked.

Michael nodded. "Yea. Look, just show my way to them and we can get this over with," he said, getting impatient.

Mr. Ridger shook his head. "Sorry, son, but that's something I can't do. You see, you have to wear the necessary protective equipment. After all, YOU are the one who's going to take most of the punches."

Michael shook his head, bu relented. He and Max then followed Mr. Ridger to the men's locker room. Isabel on the other hand just went straight to the gym area, and when she got there, she got a shock of her life. ["Max is going to faint when he sees THIS!"] she thought.

*************************************************************

Thomas Ridger's gym, 20 minutes later, men's locker room

Michael wasn't happy. The protective clothing made him look rather stupid. At least if Max's laugh was any indication. He was wearing his usual sweats, along with headgear, reversible TKD vest, leg protectors, forearm guards and a protective jock. Just on the safe side. Since he wasn't taking a more active part in this training, he wasn't wearing boxing glowes or foot guards. Mr. Ridger then gave him mouth guard, which would be put on in the ring. Michael shot a look at Max, who was still laughing. "Would you please tell me what's so damn funny?" he asked.

"I have to agree with Mr. Guerin here, Mr. Evans," Thomas said.

After Max heard Mr. Ridger to side with Michael, he stopped. Then he said, "Look at you, Michael. You look like you are going to a war."

Thomas sighed, "That statement isn't exactly too far off from the truth, Mr. Evans. Mr. Guerin here is being used as a breathing punching bag, so he needs all the protection he can get."

Michael rolled his eyes, and said, "With THIS equipment, I'll be amazed if someone can actually HURT me."

Thomas gave Michael a look, that un-nerved Michael, "Mr. Guerin, even if you'd be wearing RedMan XP suit, which in my opinion is one of the best protective suits in the market, against me you'd get bruises. Against Marcus, you'd probably end up into a hospital if he would decide not to hold back. Do you understand me?" he asked him.

Michael gulped, and nodded.

"You have nothing to worry about. Marcus's student is a beginner, so you shouldn't get too hurt in this," Thomas reassured Michael.

Michael released a breath he was holding. For a minute he thought that he was going to be pummeled into a bruised corpse.

Thomas did some last minute checks, and when he was satisfied, he let him go to the gym area. Michael was actually surprised how easily he could move with this equipment. Then he realized that they were designed to give the best mobility in a sparring fight.

When he, Max and Thomas arrived to the gym area, Michael's eyes widened from disbelief and Max seemed to pale completely white. Liz Parker was standing in the ring, along with Marcus. Liz was still wearing her regular clothes, along with the wristwrap gloves and her black Warrior Kick foot guards. Her hair was still tied to a pony tail. She wasn't wearing any other safety equipment, which suggested that she was the one doing the pummeling.

When Michael realized this, he relaxed. Liz Parker wasn't exactly a strong person, but with this clothing, Michael doupted that she could seriously hurt him. Marcus seemed to be having a conversation with her, and she was nodding. ["Probably giving her some advice or something,"] he thought.

He then glanced at Max, who was frozen on the spot, still looking as white as a sheet. Michael slapped him across his head, effectively bringing him back to the reality. Which probably was a mistake, because before Michael could register anything, Max turned downright hostile towards him.

"Did you know about this?" he asked, anger clearly visible from his expression.

Michael shook his head. "No, I didn't, and before you are going to threaten me here, you have to remember that I'm not going to take a active part in this," he said.

Max just shook his head. He noticed that Isabel was sitting on one of the benches, so he made his way there, when Michael walked to the ring along with Mr. Ridger. When Max got there, he could see that Isabel was trying to hold back her laughter. Max got irritated by this and asked, "What's so funny?"

Isabel was snickering when she answered, "I just wish I would have had a camera. Trust me, little brother, the look on your face was priceless." Then she erupted into a fit of laughter. All the while Max turned bright red. He then glanced to the ring, and noticed that they were ready to start. Max was now confused. He never thought that Liz would start training self-defense. Then again, when he thought about it, she had changed slightly after the incident at the Crashdown. ["Maybe she wants to protect herself,"] he thought. Then he shook his head. If he would have had the courage to tell her his feelings, he would do everything he could to protect her. He was pulled from his thoughts when he noticed that Thomas was leaving. Now Michael was alone in the ring with Marcus and Liz.

Marcus stole a glance to the benches, and addressed Michael, "I had the impression that you would show up alone."

Michael shrugged, and said, "They're my friends, though they are here to make sure that I don't do anything stupid. Like hurt your student here." He indicated Liz.

Marcus nodded. "Alright, Mr. Guerin. Set yourself into a fighting stance." Michael set himself into a classic boxing stance. Marcus nodded, though he wasn't that impressed. "Here are the rules. You are allowed to block Ms. Parker's attacks, but you aren't allowed to take offense, no matter what. Do you understand me?" he asked, and Michael nodded again.

Then Marcus walked to the ringside. "Now we shall start. Ms. Parker, could you give us a basic side kick?"

Liz nodded and settled herself into a fighting stance. Which wasn't that different from Michael's boxing stance. Though she was standing vertically towards Michael, her knees bent slightly. Michael was standing ready for anything. Then, Liz yelled and she sent a kick to Michael's left mid-section. Michael was surprised by this and he hadn't time to block it. Fortunately for him, the protective padding took the whole kick in, but he did feel something. Liz settled herself back to her fighting stance.

Marcus nodded, and said, "Now a kick to the chest."

Liz complied, and sent a straight kick with her left leg to Michael's chest, which pushed him slightly. Michael was surprised by the strenght of Liz's kicks. He could actually feel them connect. If this would have been a real fight, Michael would have probably been able to overpower her without effort, but now he just had to take this without fighting back.

"Now a high kick," Marcus said.

Michael's eyes widened, when he noticed that she was actually going to do it. He set his left hand up to block the kick, but instead of using her right leg, Liz used her left one and the kick connected to his helmet. Michael reeled back a bit, but he wasn't hurt. Headguard took the full brunt of the hit, leaving just the kicks connection to daze Michael. Liz got worried and asked, "Are you all right?"

Michael waved her off, "Yea, I'm fine. Just got me by surprise, that's all."

Then came the punches, and Michael could have sworn that they hit him with more force than the kicks. Liz on the other hand seemed concerned for Michael for some reason. The last punch for the moment had connected to Michael's jaw, and he was again surprised how much power Liz could put into a single punch. Luckily his jaw guard prevented him from biting his cheek and Liz's gloves were damping the punch a bit. Marcus called a break for the moment and beckoned Liz to approach him. Liz walked to him, while Michael walked to the ringside, where Max and Isabel were standing. Isabel had a dumbfounded look on her face, while Max just looked downright confused.

"Are you all right, Michael?" Isabel asked.

Michael nodded, and stole a glance to Liz. Then he said, "You know, if she's a rookie now, I don't even want to know how badly she could beat me if she would be an expert."

Max on the other hand just had a confused look on his face.

Michael noticed this and snapped his fingers in front of his face. He seemed to woke up from his daze. "You okay, Maxwell?" Michael asked.

Max shook his head, "No, I'm not. This is not like Liz. Why would she train herself to fight against someone?"

Michael just shook his head. "Maxwell, no one knows Liz better than Alex and Maria, and I have a feeling that even THEY don't know about this. My guess is that she wants to be able to react more faster if a something like last Saturday would happen again," he said.

Max just shook his head slightly, and said, "Even so, this just isn't Liz."

Both Isabel and Michael groaned.

On the other side of the ring, Marcus was talking with Liz. He was basically telling her what she did wrong with some of the kicks and some pointers to improve her punches. After this, Marcus glanced at his clock. It said 16:35, which meant that they had to stop this little sparring match soon. ["But not before I demonstrate the more accurate moves to Liz,"] he thought.

"Liz, could you step outside the ring and watch how those moves are really done," he said.

Liz got worried, but relented. She stepped out from the ring and started to remove her gloves. Marcus took his own gloves and foot guards and put them on. Then he walked to the middle of the ring. "Mr. Guerin, were ready to start," he said.

Michael stood up and he was about to make his way back to the center of the ring, when he noticed that Mr. Thorne was standing there. He glanced around and noticed that Liz was sitting on one of the benches near the ring, removing her foot guards. He then shot a look at Marcus, and his eyes widened in disbelief. He was standing there, clad in black jeans, gray t-shirt and naturally with wristwrapped gloves and foot guards. This wasn't what shocked Michael, though. What shocked him, was the fact that he could see quite muscular form underneath Mr. Thorne's t-shirt. Then he noticed that Marcus was grinning.

"Now Mr. Guerin, we'll be showing Ms. Parker how those kicks and punches are REALLY done," he said.

Michael's eyes widened and he gulped. This was the punishment Marcus had planned for him, not the previous one with Liz.

Then Marcus said something that surprised Michael. "However, there's a slight difference with this demonstration. Unlike with Ms. Parker, you can fight back. Just so that this wouldn't be TOO unfair. Now, shall we begin?" he said, beckoning Michael with his left hand.

On the side lines, Isabel and Max got more confused. They had heard what Marcus said, but they still couldn't believe it. Marcus wanted Michael to fight back. Then they saw Michael nod and settle himself to his fighting stance. He had agreed. Marcus settled himself to his own fighting stance, but this one was differend. His legs were set vertically, just like Liz had. Difference was, he wasn't tense. He was relaxed, his arms resting on his sides. When they had stood there for about half a minute, Marcus suddenly moved, giving a kick to Michael's chest with his left leg, and the only thing Michael had time to register was the pain. He was pushed backwards to the ground, holding his chest. "CHRIST!!" he exclaimed. ["That hurt!!"] he thought. He still managed to pull himself to upright position and back to the fighting stance, only to fall back on the ground again when Marcus gave him a side kick to his left mid-section, followed by a high kick to the head. Michael was on the ground, seeing stars. He thanked the god from the one who had designed these protective suits. Only problem was, that he still felt like he had been hit to the head with a sledgehammer.

When he finally pulled himself up, he was still seeing stars, but he was able to stand properly. He gave himself a firm slap to his face, clearing the cobwebs from his head. Then he made up his mind. He was going to fight back and come hell or high water, he was going to get at least one punch through. He settled back to his fighting stance, ready for anything. Marcus smirked, and settled back to his fighting stance. Then Michael moved, and let the punches fly. With not much of success. Max and Isabel were shocked to see how Marcus moved. Not a single one of Michael's punches found its mark. Michael gave an uppercut, Marcus leaned back. Michael gave a right hook, Marcus leaned to his right in the last minute. Michael gave a shot to the gut, but it was blocked by Marcus. Then Marcus gave a right hook of his own, and Michael reeled back. ["Damn, it felt like a mule would have kicked me to the face,"] he thought. He didn't have any more time to think, because he was doubled over when Marcus gave a shot to his gut. This didn't last too long, because almost immediately Marcus gave an uppercut to Michael, sending him staggering backwards. Michael was having a problem to maintain his balance, so he didn't see how Marcus gave him a quick kick to his left shin, which was followed by a powerful right hook. Michael promptly falled to the ground, groaning. His face had survived amazingly from Marcus's onslaught. There were some bruises, nothing major, but the bruises he had underneath that vest probably looked ten times more worse. Michael tried to get up, but was unable to do so because of the intense pain. Marcus walked to the other side of the ring, removing his gloves. Throughout the match, Liz had been completely dumbfounded by the sheer skill that Marcus hold. When she thought about it, she was terrified for the possibility to become even remotely as good as he was. Marcus stepped out from the ring and told her to change her clothes and take a quick shower. Liz nodded and took her gear and extra set of clothes, and headed to the women's locker room. Marcus took off his gloves and foot guards and walked to the private locker room he had.

*************************************************************

When Liz and Marcus had left the gym, Max had managed to drag Michael to the men's locker room. They allowed Isabel to join them, though Michael wasn't exactly thrilled to start changing his clothes. He being in intense pain and all. When Michael was finally sitting confortably, Isabel asked from Michael, "Are you all right?"

Michael shook his head, trying to clear up the dizziness without much of success. "No. I just hope that this room would stop spinning. Otherwise I'm not going to be walking on my own two feet for a while."

Max snorted. "You know, this wouldn't have happened if you would have thought things through," he said.

Michael shot a glare to Max, "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Max shook his head. "Michael, I don't know when Liz got into Martial Arts, and at the moment, I don't care," he said. Both Isabel and Michael rolled their eyes to this, saying without words that they didn't believe him. Max continued, "He used you as a test dummy against Liz, and then walked to the ring himself and pummeled you into a heap without an effort. I think that THAT was the part where you were punished."

Michael nodded in agreement. "Yeah, you're right, Maxwell. He gave me my punishment, but I still can't shrug off a feeling that tells me there's more to it than that."

Isabel put her hand on Michael's shoulder. "Michael. You stole his only memory from his daughter. If I would have been him, I would have been a LOT more violent with you. Though I have to admit it, he did a very thorough job with you."

Michael grimaced, and then winced. "Maxwell, couldn't you heal me from this?"

Max shook his head, "I'm not entirely sure if that's wise, Michael. It would get Mr. Thorne suspicious."

Michael growled, "Don't get me wrong Maxwell, but at the moment that is the least of my worries."

"Michael, you don't get it. This is similar situation with what happened at the Crashdown last Saturday. You stopped me from saving Liz with my powers, just to keep our cover intact. NOW you are asking ME to blow our cover because YOU got beaten up. True, only Liz and Marcus were the ones to witness it, but you said it yourself, we can't afford to blow our cover. Call me crazy if you want, but I'm not going to help you."

Michael glared at him. But when he thought about it, he couldn't shrug off a feeling that Max was paying him back for what he did last Saturday. True, he had wanted to help Liz, but the stakes were too high. And now, situation wasn't that different. He was the one who got pummeled badly, but he would have to heal normally, as much as he hated it. Then he said, "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

Max shook his head, "Not as much as I would like. I'm sorry, but I can't help you. For our own protection."

Michael nodded. Then he started to stand up. But he still was a bit out of it, so his balance wasn't at its best. Max moved in to give him some support. Michael chuckled a bit. "You know, when I signed up for this, I thought that I could get away with this without too much trouble."

Max nodded. "Understatement of the century, Michael. I was surprised that Liz was able to move you, but what Marcus did was beyond my comprehension."

Michael shook his head, "I wouldn't be too sure about that. I broke into his home and stole something he obviously held great value. And he DID give me TWO choices. And I picked the WRONG one. I should have just swallowed my damn pride and read the damn essay out loud."

Max nodded. Then said, "Let's get you off from these pads and take you to the hospital. You are in bad shape."

Michael agreed, and with the help from Max, he started to remove his protective gear. Isabel decided to wait in the jeep, so she walked off.

Isabel made her way to the front door, but if she would have looked behind her, she would have seen Liz appearing from women's locker room. She had wanted to ask from Max if Michael was all right, and she had walked to the men's locker room door right at the time when Michael had asked Max to 'heal' him. And what she had heard afterwards confused her even more. Max had wanted to help her when she got shot. Even if it blew 'their cover'. Liz was certain that Max, Isabel and Michael weren't Immortals. She couldn't feel the buzz. And she probably would have felt it by now. If not from the very day she arrived to the school. Now she had to know what Max was hiding. But she decided to wait for the tomorrow. But when Friday would come, Max would have only one option. Tell her, or have Marcus question him.

TBC...

Special thanks to Roswellmad, NewYorker18 (x2), Norma Bates, ofwolfandman408 and MCMANN. I was actually a bit worried with your reaction with the way I treated Michael, but now I'm not. And I still would like to give special thanks to Norma Bates for being a very helpful beta. And why don't we all give a big hand for Bordersinsanity for creating a really cool banner for this fic, don't you agree? The banner is at the first page, where it belongs, if you are interested. And let's not forget Calinia here.

Well, without further delay, here's part 11. FB is always needed. New part will be posted next week.

Title: "Concept of Eternity"
Author: Bored to Mundane life
Disclaimer: They don't belong to me. If they did, Alex would have lived on and season 3 would have been a lot more different. The only character that belongs to me is Marcus Thorne. I also hope that Bruce Dickinson doesn't mind if I use him in this fic.
Synopsis: Liz Parker is having just a regular day at the Crashdown, when suddenly an argument between two customers gets out of hand, and she's shot. She is raced quickly to the hospital, but she dies en route. But before she is considered as a lost cause, her heart starts beating. Later on, her history teacher, Marcus Thorne, tells her that she's an Immortal. She'll be then pulled into the life of the Immortals, better known as 'The Game'. With no way out. But her apparent resurrection has raised other peoples attention as well. And Liz suddenly finds out that she isn't the only one harboring a considerably large secret. But how does Max Evans, his sister Isabel and Michael Guerin fit into this?
Category: Crossover, Roswell/Highlander, strictly CC.
Rating: PG-13, probably R at some point.
Feedback: Definitely appreciated. And definitely needed, so I know that my writing isn't going to waste. Afterall, this IS my first fic.

Part 11:

Crashdown Café, 17:25 p.m, the alley

Marcus stepped out from his car and walked to the other side, opening the door for Liz. She had been silent for the whole journey back to the Crashdown. Granted, she had a lot of things to think about, but Marcus was worried. To make matters worse, Marcus didn't want to face the Parker's today because he had to lie to them. True, only about one subject, but 'The Game' was a VERY important subject. Liz's parents had a right to know. He knew they would try to do everything they could to keep her safe, but Marcus knew that THAT wouldn't work. He was pulled out from his thoughts when he heard Liz sighing.

Marcus asked, "Are you all right? You seem to be stuck in your own private world at the moment."

"Nothing. Just something I heard Max and Michael talk about," she said.

Marcus raised an eyebrow. "Okay. What was it about? If I have read Max correctly over the years, I think he was either scolding Michael from his reckless behavior or they were talking about you," he said.

Liz bit her lip. Then said, "Well, kinda both, actually."

Now Marcus got curious. "Liz, tell me. It doesn't do any good if you try to think this through alone. It'll only eat you up inside," he said.

Liz looked at Marcus. And said, "You know, you sound just like Grandma."

Marcus chuckled, "Yea, I guess I do. Truth be told, she gave me the same advice a while ago, though it took you getting shot and telling them about your Immortality to get me to talk to them in the open." Then he added quickly, "But not in public."

Liz laughed a bit and when she stopped, she still had a small smile on her lips.

"But we got off topic here. Tell me what Max and Michael were talking about," Marcus said.

"Well, for some reason Michael wanted Max to 'heal' him. Like making those bruises disappear. Kinda like when we heal from different injuries, except Max would do it himself," Liz said, which earned a raised eyebrow from Marcus. "Then Max said that he couldn't do it because it would raise too many questions. And that the situation was similar as it was in the Crashdown when I got shot."

Then realization hit Marcus. If Max indeed was able to heal someone with a touch, he would have probably been able to save Liz's life, but what was so important that Michael would have stopped him? Then he remembered the argument he had overheard at the Crashdown. They were hiding their capabilities for some reason. Actually the reason could be related to the Immortals in some way. Even now, people were paranoid and violent bastards, they weren't enlightened as they claimed they were. Individuals, maybe, but the masses, they were sheep, blinded by their narrow mindedness and their fear to the unknown, to something they couldn't understand. Marcus understood Michael's need to hide, but that would mean that Michael was different as well. Most likely Isabel Evans was, too, but they couldn't be Immortals, of that Marcus was certain. They must be something else entirely. They were afraid of the public, or more likely, the government. Just like the Immortals. "Did Max say anything about that he could have 'healed' you that day?" Marcus asked.

Liz nodded. "Yeah. He said that he would have saved me if Michael hadn't stopped him. Michael's reason was something about 'blowing their cover'. Whatever that meant," she said.

"Okay, I suggest that you talk to Max tomorrow and confront him about it. Try to find out what he is hiding, but try to keep your Immortality as a secret for now, anyway. If I'm right about my own thoughts, we can't tell them until we can trust them. Can you do that?" Marcus asked.

Liz thought it over, and then nodded. She was curious as well. "Yea, I can do that."

Marcus nodded. "Okay, now when that's settled, why don't we go inside. I still have to talk with your parents," he said.

Liz nodded, and they both made their way to Crashdown's backdoor.

*************************************************************

Liz and Marcus walked in to the Crashdown from the back door. She was still concerned about Michael's well-being and tomorrow Marcus would teach her to use a sword in both offense and defense. Liz still continued to surprise him, though she could easily get distracted when something was bothering her. Fortunately they were able to clear her head a bit. When they reached to the Parker's apartment, Marcus was greeted by Nancy Parker. She looked nervous for some reason.

"Mr. Thorne," she said, clearly unable to look him straight to his eyes.

"Nancy," Marcus said, acknowledging her precense. Since it seemed that Nancy was unable to start the conversation, Marcus decided to walk to the kitchen and sit down on the kitchen chair.

Claudia had showed up by now, and immediately walked to Marcus. "Glad you could join us, Mr. Thorne. I'm looking forward for our little 'talk'," she said.

Liz rolled her eyes to this. "God, Grandma! He is only a bit more older than the rest of us, that's it. I mean, you've known him for the past 6 years already, and you always called him by his first name. What changed that you had to start calling him by 'Mr. Thorne'?" she asked.

Claudia remained silent. She wasn't able to answer to that question. But she knew that Liz was right. Just because Marcus turned out to be older than she thought, it wasn't any reason to treat him differently. Then she noticed that Marcus was dangling something in front of his face. Was it a pendant? "What's that?" she asked, genuinely interested.

Marcus blinked, and Liz realized that he was probably remembering something related to that pendant. "It's a pendant that belonged to my late daughter," he said.

Both Claudia and Nancy were confused. They never knew that Marcus had had a daughter. Then Claudia asked something that got Marcus's attention, "What happened to her? And why is that pendant so important to you?"

Marcus sighed. It was a rough topic for him, especially because he hadn't made it in time to the hospital to say his goodbyes. "Claudia. This pendant is the only memory I have left from my daughter," he said, earning a gasp of shock from both Claudia and Nancy. "She was 76 years old when she died 10 years ago to a heart attack. I tried to make it in time to the hospital, but I was too late. She died about 30 minutes before I had got there and I was devastated to hear it. And the fact that the doctors kept thinking that I was her son didn't help any. I mean, I'm a great-grandfather to her children, and I still look 26. Life as an Immortal is constantly painful, especially if you have children and family."

By now both Claudia and Nancy were shocked. Marcus was a father. And whose daughter had died from a heart attack. Those kind of things happened in a very old age. Both Nancy and Claudia always had thought that a parent should never outlive their children. But obviously that rule was stretched to the extreme with Marcus. God only knew how many of his children he has witnessed to die for just simple aging. By now Marcus was glancing the pendant again, dangling it in his right hand.

Then Claudia put took Marcus' hand in her own. "Have you talked to Howard?" she asked.

Marcus nodded. "Yeah. I have. His grandchildren are a bit confused every time he keeps calling me 'father'. But I AM his father-in-law. And I do have two sons at the moment," he said the last comment absentmindedly.

Claudia's eyes widened. So did Nancy's. Jeff had arrived just in time to hear what Marcus had said, but since he had missed most of the stuff, he was just confused. Liz had went to her room to finish her homework only about ten minutes ago, leaving Marcus to answer her parents and her grandmother's questions.

"How...How old are they?" Nancy asked, worried what Marcus would answer.

Marcus thought about it for a moment. "Well, Benjamin is 49 at the moment. Mark is about 52. And Gabriel...would have been 48 this year," he said, a tear sliding down his cheek.

Jeff was startled to hear this. He still was trying to get used to the idea that the man who he thought was in his mid 40's was actually over 2000 years old. And NOW he heard that he had three sons, who were all around 50 years old. ["Wait a minute! Would have been?"] Jeff thought, then asked. "What do you mean 'would have been'?"

Marcus sighed. "All my sons were drafted to the Vietnam war," he snorted. "I disapproved of the idea, but they were adamant about serving their country. I personally didn't consider Uncle Sam as someone to serve. Especially when the whole war was nothing more then politics showing off their package," he said with a sneer. Then he glanced to the elderly Parker's, "Trust me. I've seen TOO many wars in my lifetime, and I didn't like any of them. And this one wasn't even connected to the U.S in anyway. They just sent their men there to die in a war that wasn't necessary."

Jeff nodded in understanding. He had refused to be drafted to that insane war, and he was glad he had. There were still POW's in the Vietnam forests, in god knows what condition. "What did you do?" he asked.

"What could I do? My sons were adamant to go, so in order to make sure that they all would come back in one piece, I drafted along with them. But I had to pretend to be their brother. If they would have called me 'dad', that would have raised TOO many questions," Marcus said.

Jeff nodded. Claudia and Nancy just were too stunned to make any reasonable questions. Liz had gone to her room to finish her homework, leaving the adults to talk among themselves, though now Liz's parents were just listening about the one aspect of Marcus Thorne's life. Then Nancy asked, "How did Gabriel die?"

Marcus put his face in his hands, pulling the details from his mind. It wasn't that hard, because he still had nightmares about it. "We were on a mission to find a Vietnamese base near Mâu Hòa when we were ambushed. Most of my unit was killed inside the first seconds. I called for immediate evac, but we were forced to wait an hour..."

~*Flashback*~

Mâu Hòa, Vietnam, 1969

"...Say that again!!" Marcus hollered to his field radio, staying down as the bullets flied around him. They were pinned down and he had lost already 4 men from his unit.

"You have to hold your own for at least one hour; we can't reach your location any faster. Do you understand, Lieutenant?!" Marcus heard his CO to tell him. Then there was a big explosion nearby.

"Damn it, sir!! They have mortars and at least 30 men hidden to the woods. We will be blown to pieces in that time!!!" he yelled to the radio.

"One hour, Lieutenant. That's the fastest time I can give you. Good luck!"

["Damn it!!! You'd think that they would have thought this through a bit more thoroughly?!!"] he thought. Then he glanced from his cover. His men had scattered around and were shooting blindly into the woods where the gunfire was coming. He hated this. He didn't like it in WW I and he sure as hell didn't like it any more during WW II. Then a bullet whished by him TOO close for his comfort. ["A damn sniper!! We are sitting ducks here."] He then assessed the situation thoroughly, then formed a plan. He crawled to his son Benjamin, who was wasting his ammo. "BEN!! STOP FIRING!!" he yelled.

Benjamin Pike stopped firing immediately, realizing that his father had come up with a plan. But he still answered him like the military requlations required. "Yes sir!"

"Benjamin, I want you to spread a word to the men to save their ammo. They are shooting blind and we don't have the ammunition to spare to shoot at shadows. Do you understand me?" Marcus said.

Ben nodded. "Yes sir."

"Now I'm going to take Mark, Gabriel and Williams and try to get the bastards off our backs. Keep them busy with short, controlled bursts of fire and keep moving around. That way the mortars don't have easy targets." Marcus then slapped Ben to his shoulder. "Move, soldier!!"

"Yes sir!!" Ben answered, relief etched on his face, and started crawling to his team members, telling them what to do.

Marcus then glanced around, trying to find his two other sons. He spotted them about 15 meters away. Marcus cursed under his breath. It would take too long to crawl over there. He then noticed Williams lying in his own cover, only 3 meters away. Marcus crawled to him and ordered him to follow him. Then they both started moving as fast as they could, reaching to Mark and Gabriel with only couple of close calls.

When the 4 men were safe, Marcus told them the situation as quickly as he could, "Ok, the choppers will arrive here in an hour, and we have to hold on until they arrive."

Mark was pissed. "Are they CRAZY!!? We're gonna be dead at least 45 minutes before they get here!!" he shouted. Gabriel nodded his agreement.

Marcus nodded. "That's why WE are going to buy us some time. Now listen, right now the Vietnamese are shooting us when we are ground, but I don't think they are concerned about their sides. So we 4 are going to sneak up on them from their left flank and keep them distracted until our rescue wagon arrives. Do you understand me?" he asked.

Mark and Gabriel nodded. "Yes sir!!" Private Williams on the other hand was worried. "Sir! We don't have enough ammo!" he pointed out.

Marcus growled in frustration. "Damn it, Williams!! When we run out of ammo, we use the opponent's weapons against them!! DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME!!?" Marcus was forced to yell when the mortar fire intensified.

Williams nodded. "Yes sir!!"

Marcus nodded and gestured silently them to move to the jungle. They all crawled to the tree line, the distance being agonizingly long when bullets kept flying above them. They finally reached their destination, and started to move. There was a pot hole in about 20 yard away when Marcus gestured them to stop. Marcus made a gesture to Williams and whispered, "Grenade."

Williams nodded and gave the grenade to Marcus. He calculated the distance, pulled the pin from the grenade, waited for 2 seconds and threw it to the pot hole. The resulting explosion killed everyone in the hole. Well, almost everyone. One of the Vietkong soldiers jumped up, gun readied, but Gabriel was faster. The soldier's life ended with a clean shot to the head. The small team then went to check the pot hole. Williams nearly puked when he saw charred flesh and pieces of corpses. Marcus jumped to the hole and started to gather AK-47's from there. He tested them first, just to make sure that they worked. He only found 2 that worked and an extra clip. He tossed them to Mark and then went to the last corpse. The dead Vietnamese had 3 more extra clips and a functioning AK-47 which Marcus took without hesitation. He also took two grenades from the corpse and made his way to the others. He gave the grenades to Williams, who was VERY cautious with them. He then gave to both his sons one AK-47 with an extra clip, and kept one for himself. "Mark, you seek out the sniper and finish him. If you find anymore bunkers, get rid of them as best as you can."

Mark nodded and went off and Marcus turned to Gabriel. "Gabriel, you search the mortars and get rid of them. We are in enough trouble as it is." Gabriel nodded and left.

Then Marcus turned to Williams. "And you and I are going to be dealing with the rest of the bastards here. Follow me."

*************************************************************

45 minutes later

There was an explosion. Another enemy bunker was blown to pieces. Marcus was satisfied with the results, but not relieved. Gabriel had showed up 10 minutes ago. He had been able to destroy the mortar nests, but the Vietnamese had been able to call in reinforcements, who were due to arrive in the next 9 minutes. There still were two bunkers left, and then Mark showed up. He was bleeding from a stab wound in his shoulder.

"Sir. I was able to eliminate the sniper and 1 bunker but one of the bastards got too close for my comfort," he said, wincing a bit.

Marcus nodded. "We have to get back to the others otherwise we'll all be dead when the reinforcements come storming through. Double time, move!!" he shouted.

It took them a while to get back to the tree line. Marcus was glad to notice that his men were still all right. But the remaining bunkers still kept firing at them. Marcus noticed that the closest one was about 30 yards distance. With a stretch he would get a grenade in, but it would leave him vulnerable. He turned back to his two sons and Williams and said, "You run to the others and tell them to get ready, then give me cover fire so I can get to you in time."

They nodded and went to the position. Marcus grabbed the last grenade he had and pulled the pin. He then started to run towards the bunker. One of the soldiers noticed him and alerted his companions. By then Marcus tossed the grenade and it flew right onto the hands of the same soldier. The soldier only had a second to realize what had happened when the grenade promptly exploded. There were some men coming from their cover, but Marcus' men were dispatching them quite effectively. Then he made beeline to the others, all the while bullets kept flying around him. He fired a couple of shots towards the bunker while he ran, but they only provided temporary distraction. Luckily their own sniper was dealing with the enemy troops.

Marcus promptly jumped to the closest cover and sighed in relief. Now they stood a lot better chance of survival. He then crawled to the communication officer. "Give me the radio."

"Yes sir!" the soldier answered.

"This is Lieutenant Pike, how long until the helicopters arrive?"

"T minus 11 minutes. Do you have any problems?"

"Well, not much, except maybe about 40 more Vietnamese soldiers who are going to be on top of us in the next 5 MINUTES!!!" he sarcastically commented.

"You have to hold them at bay, Lieutenant!! Good luck."

["I don't believe this!!"] Marcus thought. Then he started to hear gunfire. Apparently the vanguards of reinforcements were trying to keep them down and they were doing a good job at it. "OPEN FIRE!!!" he hollered loud enough for his men to hear. The resulting simultaneous burst of bullets killed the vanguard effectively. Then there were more gunfire coming in and more soldiers emerged from the forest. Marcus didn't shoot with bursts of bullets, he just focused on picking enemies one at a time.

Bullets kept flying around for excruciatingly long time. Five more of his men had been hit. They were wounded, but were still able to fight back. Then he heard it and glanced to his back. Sure enough, the Huey's were landing, the gunners providing cover fire to them. There were also 2 Apache's flying around, firing at the forest with all they got. Then he gave the order. "FALL BACK!!! RUN FOR THE HELICOPTERS!!!"

His men didn't need too much convincing. Gabriel was carrying one of the wounded with him. Marcus ran backwards to cover them, giving short bursts with his M-16 to the forest. Mark and Ben were doing the same thing, along with two others. But then something happened. Gabriel was shot. Blood sprouted out from three wounds that appeared to his chest. He cried out in agony. And fell on his knees. Marcus' eyes widened and he ran to his son. Mark also noticed this and followed him, all the while firing to the forest. The helicopters still provided some cover fire for them. Marcus placed Gabriel to his shoulders and started to carry him to the nearest Huey. Mark took the other soldier and followed suit.

When they reached the Huey, Marcus started to check through Gabriel's wounds. They were bad. Both his lungs had been hit, and one of the wounds was TOO close to the heart. Gabriel was shaking, his eyes wide open. He started to choke out, "I...I *gurgle* failed you."

Marcus shook his head, "No you didn't." When Gabriel started to lose his focus, Marcus cupped his head to his hands and looked him straight to his eyes. "Now LISTEN to me!! Don't you dare to die!! YOU HEAR ME!! DON'T YOU DARE DIE ON ME!!"

Mark was sitting on the other side of the Huey, his eyes watering. Gabriel choked blood, a clear sign how close to death he was. Then he whispered, "Dad, I *cough* am proud that *gurgle* I am your...son." When he said this, he stilled, and his eyes took a far away look, staring into nothingness.

Marcus started to shake him and yell. "DAMNIT, GABRIEL!!! DON'T GIVE UP!! DO YOU HEAR ME!!!! DON'T GIVE UP!!!" There were tears rolling from his cheeks. Now his voice was reduced to a whisper, "Please, don't give up. Please."

When Gabriel didn't respond, Marcus took him into a hug and cried out, deep from the very depths of his soul. He had lost a son. Mark couldn't keep the tears away anymore. He crouched to them and hugged his little brother's very still form with all he got. The other soldiers had grim looks on their faces as well. The wounded soldier who was being carried by Gabriel a few moments ago started to cry as well.

~*End flashback*~

There was a tear running down on Marcus' cheek. He swiped it away and said, "After that, Mark, Ben and I were put to an 'early retirement'. We were sent home along with Gabriel's body. He was buried to the Arlington National Cemetery in Washington. I still visit his grave once every year."

Nancy was sobbing and Jeff was hugging her for support. Claudia took Marcus' hand into her own. She didn't know what she would have done if she would ever lose Jeff and she never wanted to think about that possibility, but when she heard Marcus tell that he had lost his son in a war, it was hard for her not to cry. "I'm sorry," she said.

Marcus nodded. "Even though I had adopted him, I still loved him like he was my real son."

Claudia, Nancy and Jeff were shocked. Gabriel was his adopted son? Then Jeff asked, "If Gabriel was adopted, what about Mark and Ben?"

"Adopted as well. They are actually real brothers. Even Rebecca was adopted. All the children I have ever had were adopted. I just took care of them the best I could," Marcus answered.

"Don't you have children of your own?" Nancy asked.

Marcus shot a look to Nancy, and she flinched. The hurt in Marcus' eyes was crystal clear. "Gabriel WAS my own child. Granted, not genetically, but still my son in my heart and soul. But the thing is, I CAN'T have my OWN children," he said.

"What do you mean?" Jeff asked.

Marcus shook his head. "Jeff, Immortals are unable to have children of their own. I don't know why, we just can't. I can't get a woman pregnant, and Liz can't get pregnant. Ever," he answered, very sour look on his face.

Jeff and Nancy were shocked. Then Nancy managed to say, "Are you telling me that my daughter is...unable to have children of her own?"

Marcus just nodded. Then he said, "I haven't told her yet. And I'd like to keep it that way for a while." When he noticed that Nancy was about to protest, he interrupted her. "Think about it. She obviously loves children. True, she's too young to even consider about getting pregnant, but there will be a time when she WILL want children and she can't have them." Marcus looked straight to Nancy's eyes. "You know how it feels when there's life growing inside you. You were able to feel that moment. Liz will NEVER be able to feel that, the connection to the child that's growing inside her. I don't think she's ready to deal with THAT information yet." He then sighed. "If you want to tell her about it, go ahead, but think this through before you do. REALLY think about it."

The whole room was silent now. No one knew what to say. Jeff was trying to process the information in his head and Claudia seemed to be stricken for her grand-daughters fate. But Nancy was in really deep thought. Marcus had been right. She did know what it felt like to have a life growing inside her and she smiled to the memory, but she also knew how devastated she was when the pregnancy had ended to a miscarriage. Even with that negative event marring her memory, she still remembered how happy she was. Her daughter would never be able to feel a same kind of happiness. She made her mind and said, "We won't tell her. You're right; it would be too much for her to bear at the moment."

Jeff was shocked to his wife's decision, but Claudia wasn't. She nodded her understanding. Jeff was about to argue, but Nancy took him downstairs, talked to him and finally convinced him. Claudia then turned to Marcus.

"You did the right thing. Liz is too young to deal with this, but you better tell her later," Claudia said sternly.

Marcus nodded. "I intend to, Claudia. I intend to." Then he remembered something. "I understood that you had some questions for me?"

Claudia chuckled. "Try a LOT of questions from her parents and from me, but I think that I should take the advantage of the moment now, don't you think?"

Marcus smiled a bit. "True." But then he pointed out. "But don't get your hopes up. I may not have all the answers you want."

With that, Claudia started to ask about Marcus' experiences with the Native Americans.

*************************************************************

Parker Household, 20:15 p.m, Liz's bedroom

Liz was finally finished. Against her instincts, she had left the history homework a bit unfinished but she had a feeling that Marcus would make another uncharacteristic decision tomorrow and give them extra time. She put her books away and made her way to the kitchen. She could hear Marcus and Claudia in deep conversation. When she looked closer, she could see that Marcus was a bit overwhelmed by Claudia's questions and when it seemed that Claudia was about to make yet another question, Marcus interrupted her.

"Look, Claudia. I really don't know THAT much about Navajo's history but if you want to know as much as you can about the Native Americans, I could get you in touch with an Indian Immortal. He should be living in the Nevada at the moment," he said as an afterthought.

Liz's eyes shot wide open. ["Indian Immortal?"] she thought. She was about to make her presence known, when Claudia asked the same question. But Liz was shocked when she heard what Marcus answered.

"There aren't just American born Immortals out there, you know. I'm Scandinavian myself. There is practically any kind Immortals out there. African, Asian, Caucasian and Indian. Heck, there is even crossbreed Immortals out there. All different kind of human breed have turned out to have Immortals among them. Does that answer your question?" Marcus asked finally.

Jeff and Nancy had arrived from downstairs a good while ago, but even they were shocked to know that no matter what race one belonged, there was a chance that he was an Immortal. Albeit it was a very small chance, but then Claudia asked the question that was burning on everyone's mind. "This is the question that has been bugging from yesterday. How did you know that Liz was an Immortal? I mean, I have a feeling that you knew that even BEFORE she got shot."

"That's something I'd like to know too," Liz said, making her presence known.

Marcus wasn't exactly surprised to hear Liz's voice, unlike her parents, he had 'felt' her watching him. It had nothing to do with the buzz, just the survival instincts that kept him aware of everything around him.

Then Liz added, "Because I think that it has something to do with the Quickening."

Marcus nodded, "You're right. It has everything to do with the Quickening." Then he gestured the chair, "Please, take a seat."

Liz sat down on the kitchen chair, her interest peaked.

"I don't think I have to go through how the 'Buzz' works?" he asked. And when they all shook their head, Marcus continued. "The Quickening doesn't become active unless the person dies, but that doesn't mean that it isn't there." By now everyone was confused, even Liz. Marcus sighed, and continued. "Immortals are born with the Quickening. True, the Quickening doesn't become active until the person dies. BUT...the Quickening is STILL THERE."

Liz eyes widened in realization and said, "So you mean that since the Quickening was still there, you were able to know that I was an Immortal."

Marcus nodded, "Yes. Pre-immortals are unable to feel the presence of other Immortals, but Immortals are able to feel the presence of pre-immortals." Then he added, "But the Immortal has to be quite old to feel it."

Liz's brow furrowed from confusion. Marcus saw this, and elaborated, "A pre-immortal's Quickening is dormant, but still there. An Immortal who is old enough is able to feel it, but the younger ones aren't. The buzz that emanates from the pre-immortals is so faint, that you have to be at least 5-6 decades old to feel it. Preferably at least over 100 years old."

Liz nodded in understanding. It made sense. A lot of sense. Then her parents told Marcus something she didn't expect to hear. "Marcus, we are well aware of the fact that Liz feels a bit...guilty that she is going to outlive us. So there's something we would like you to do for us."

"Anything," Marcus answered.

"When we are finally laid to rest, I want you to be there for her. YOU are going to be the only stable thing in her life. We want you to promise us that you're going to be there for her when she needs 'parental' support. Something WE eventually can't give her anymore. I want you to take care of her for us. Can you do that?" Jeff said.

Marcus was dumbfounded. "Jeff, I would have done that no matter what. She's the closest thing to a daughter I have ever had. True, Rebecca was my daughter as well, but she had her own opinions that didn't mix well with my own. That kinda got us into fights more than once, and the fact that I was Immortal didn't help any."

When he noticed the worried looks on the Parker's face, he reassured them, "Hey, just because I'm over 2000 years old, it doesn't mean that I can't be overprotective to my children. I was only doing what I thought was best for her but sometimes you just have to let your children make their own choices, no matter where it leads them."

Jeff was dumbfounded to hear this, but Nancy wasn't. Everyone made mistakes. Even them. Apparently Immortals weren't that different. True, because of their lifespan, they would be able to learn from their mistakes a lot better, but when it came to parenthood, they were as equally stubborn for their children's future as mortals were.

"You know, both me and Jeff have some questions of our own for you," Nancy said.

Marcus groaned. It was bad enough that Claudia had bombarded him with questions about Native Americans, but now he had to deal with Liz's parent's questions and there was no doubt in his mind that they were regarding to Liz's Immortality. He was surprised, though, to hear what Nancy asked.

"How many times have you been married?" she asked.

Liz's eyes widened. Marcus just raised an eyebrow. Claudia just chuckled a bit. "I SO don't need to hear this right now. I'm going for a jog. See you guys later," Liz said, exasperated.

"For a JOG!?" Liz parents and Claudia exclaimed.

"Yea," Liz answered. "Look at Marcus. He has been exercising every day for the past 15 centuries. And I for sure as hell don't want to be the little weakling in the impending future, so if you excuse me, I'm going to start my rigorous training." With that, Liz walked to her room.

The senior Parker's shot a look at Marcus, who just raised his hands. "Hey, don't blame this on me. She needs to be in good physical condition to survive in the world and since she's going to be looking like 16 for the rest of her unnatural life now. Most of the people might try to take an advantage of that," he reasoned.

"And as for your question before, I have been married 6 times in my lifetime," Marcus answered.

"WHAT!?" Nancy said, shocked.

"Hey," he said sternly. "I loved each and every one of them and I was with them to the end." Then he stopped to think. "Well, Amanda was an exception."

Nancy blinked. She first thought that Marcus was a Mormon, but what he said suggested otherwise. "Are you telling me that all your 6 wives were...mortal? And that they died to an old age?" Nancy asked.

Marcus shook his head. "My first wife Kaisa died at the same time as I when I became an Immortal. You guys probably know that I was poisoned, right?" When they nodded their heads, he continued. "She died right along with me. Killed by the same poison that killed me."

Nancy put her hand to her mouth, shocked to hear this. Claudia sighed and shook her head, feeling sympathy to this man. Jeff just looked grim. Marcus pulled them out from their pitying feelings. "My second wife Netsume, a Japanese beauty, died of old age. Her father was a martial arts teacher, who also was a student to my mentor. My third wife Kaitlyn died during the Black Plague. Except that she asked me to kill her." Parker's gasped when they heard this. But Marcus continued, "She was in so much pain, the plague eating her inside-out. She...she just couldn't take it anymore and begged me to end her sufferings. So I did. Since Europe was dying around me, I had to leave. I had reached Siberia, when I met my fourth wife. Her name was Magda, and she was a gypsy. She died to a heart attack when she was 80. My fifth wife...she is special. Her name is Amanda."

This got the Parker's attention. They had heard so far how his wives had died, but only now did he mention one as a present tense, like she was still alive. "What are you talking about? I thought that..." but Nancy was cut off by Marcus.

"Amanda is an Immortal. Right now she's about 1000 years old. I met her in the end of the 16th century." He smiled to the memory. "We were married for almost 200 years but then we broke up. We were happy, but she found that something was missing. I liked the peace that was around us, but Amanda...she was always passionate. She needed to move, to do something dangerous. I didn't agree with that, so we divorced. Or more truthfully staged our death and went our separate ways." He took a deep breath, remembering how hurt Amanda sounded when he had called Duncan. Then again, when they had first met, it was in a challenge and Amanda had lost. But Marcus never took Immortals head's if it wasn't necessary. So he had left her there, alive. A few years later they had met again, and 4 months after that, they got married. He was pulled out from his memories by a cough from Claudia.

"Sorry, I space out quite often when I remember something. My sixth and latest wife was Rachel. I met her in San Francisco in the mid 19th century. You can probably guess how things were then," he said.

Parker's nodded. "How did she die?" Nancy asked.

Marcus got a sour look on his face. "She was killed by the buffalo hunters. She was trying to protect those magnificent animals." Then his face hardened. "Those bastards didn't live long enough to regret what they did. I used some of the techniques that I had learned from the Indians. I haven't been married since that day," he said, another tear rolling down his cheek.

There was silence in the Parker household after that. Then the Parker's asked some more of their own questions, but then Marcus had to leave. He had been gone already for 15 minutes before Liz came back from her jog. She noticed that her parents were trying to digest what they had heard from Marcus, so she went to her room, and continued on with her exercises.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Holiday Inn Express, 23:15 p.m, Topolski's room

The door opened. And a figure entered inside and turned the lights on. Adam Hills grinned. This was too easy. For some reason Topolski had left somewhere, but at the moment he couldn't care less. He was there to get information, and that was something he was going to get. He checked the interior. It was very sparsely decorated. There was a bed, a desk, a small cabinet with a TV on top and a bathroom. There was a mini-fridge as well. Now he studied the room a LOT more thoroughly. Then his eyes fell to the bed. It was a long shot, but considering the motels sparse amount of space, she could have hid something under the bed. He walked to it and kneeled. Then he moved the bed covers slightly, just enough so he could see underneath it. Then he smiled. There was a briefcase there. He reached for it and took it. Since he couldn't tell when Topolski would return, he decided to study the briefcases interior on site. He grimaced when he studied it. It had two locks, and both had three 'dials'. It would take TOO long to get the right combination to each lock, and time was something he didn't have. He pondered the situation for a moment. He could shoot the locks, but that would leave traces, not to mention the noise it would make. Picking the lock was out because there was no key. ["Damn it!! I don't have time for this! She could be back here any minute, and there might be something important in this briefcase,"] he thought.

He ran his hands through his hair in frustration. This wasn't as easy as it appeared. Then he heard something, a noise from the hallway. Then his instincts kicked in with full force. He put the briefcase back under the bed and adjusted the covers so that no one could see that someone had been there. Then he heard the noises getting closer. ["SHIT!! They're all ready here!!"] He checked the room frantically, then he saw it and made a last minute decision.

Topolski opened the door about 7 minutes later. And she noticed immediately that something was wrong. The lights were on. ["Hm. I could have sworn that I turned them off,"] she thought. She glanced around. Nothing seemed to be wrong. Then the man behind her asked, "Is there something wrong?"

"I turned the lights off when I left," Topolski answered.

The agent then entered the room and looked around. Everything seemed to be fine. He checked the bathroom. Nothing. He then walked to the window and opened it. They were on the second floor, but the agent didn't see anything wrong. He glanced up but he didn't see anything. He shrugged and closed the window. "Maybe the maid came by and forgot to turn the lights off?" he guessed.

By now Topolski had pulled her briefcase from its hiding place. It was still locked. She grimaced. This motel wasn't exactly ideal when it came to hide important documents. She opened the briefcase and took a file from there. She then handed it to the agent. "This is our possible suspect. Elizabeth Parker. She was shot 5 days ago, but she doesn't show any kind of discomfort from it. Normally people who get shot have to remain in the hospital for quite a while, but she was released home just a day after the incident," Topolski said.

Agent shot a look to her. "If she was in a hospital, don't you think that the doctors would have found that something was...wrong?" he said.

"I don't know how she pulled it off, but her recovery suggests that she has 'extra-ordinary' capabilities. I want YOU to check her medical reports. I want to know what tests they ran to her and I want to know their results. Can you do that?" she asked finally.

Agent thought about it for a minute. Then he said. "I'm not sure. It may take a while. I'll contact you when I have the necessary information. Do you really think she's 'him'? If what I've read about him is true, he wouldn't be THIS sloppy."

Topolski shook her head. "No, I don't think she's Nasedo. He wouldn't have made a mistake like this. But she may be another alien, and if that's true, we'll have to find a way to extract her."

Agent nodded. "All right. I'll contact you when I get the files, but I don't think I have to tell you to move to another location," he said.

Topolski sighed. "Please, even *I* can tell that this location is too risky. I'll sign off from here tomorrow and find myself a new apartment."

Agent nodded and started to make his leave. In the mean time, Topolski started to pack the belongings she had, but both of them had missed a small device under the desktop. It was a small microphone and it had relayed everything they had said to Adam who, at the moment, was hiding on the roof.

He pulled the receiver from his ear. ["That was TOO close for my comfort. I have to be more careful in the future,"] he thought. But then his brow furrowed. ["What the hell did they mean by aliens? As in REAL aliens, not some illegal aliens from Mexico."] Then he sighed from relief. ["At least they don't have any idea what she REALLY is. Otherwise things could get bad,"] he thought. But then his face hardened. ["Now I have to keep even closer eye on her. Topolski has no chance in hell to find out what she is with these methods, but if she WOULD find out..."] He would be forced to kill her and that agent. True, the Watchers had a specific unit for this kind of job, but at the moment it wasn't necessary. He got up and looked around. He noticed the fire-escape ladder and walked to it. Luckily the roof was more flat, but it still had a slight incline in it. Fortunately nothing that could hamper his movements. When he reached the ground, he was fast enough to hide behind the dumpster only 3 minutes before the agent drove by. Then he made his way to his car and drove off. On his way home, he was thinking what to do. He should contact Joe and tell him what he had heard, but if he knew Joe, he would order him to keep watch over Ms. Parker and forget about Topolski. But she WAS an FBI agent and there was a possibility that she COULD find out something. That was a risk he wasn't willing to take. He made up his mind. He would keep an eye on Topolski and deal with her if it became necessary. Then he suddenly grinned, and laughter followed close behind. ["Aliens! What a joke!"] he thought. And he just kept laughing as he drove away.

TBC...

Special thanks to LittleBit (x5), Asabetha, BaBee_ImaJyn, MsSilvermucki and NewYorker18. Thanks from the bumps, LittleBit. Special thanks to Norma Bates for the beta-work.

Here's part 12, so enjoy. Next part next week.

Title: "Concept of Eternity"
Author: Bored to Mundane life
Disclaimer: They don't belong to me. If they did, Alex would have lived on and season 3 would have been a lot more different. The only character that belongs to me is Marcus Thorne. I also hope that Bruce Dickinson doesn't mind if I use him in this fic.
Synopsis: Liz Parker is having just a regular day at the Crashdown, when suddenly an argument between two customers gets out of hand, and she's shot. She is raced quickly to the hospital, but she dies en route. But before she is considered as a lost cause, her heart starts beating. Later on, her history teacher, Marcus Thorne, tells her that she's an Immortal. She'll be then pulled into the life of the Immortals, better known as 'The Game'. With no way out. But her apparent resurrection has raised other peoples attention as well. And Liz suddenly finds out that she isn't the only one harboring a considerably large secret. But how does Max Evans, his sister Isabel and Michael Guerin fit into this?
Category: Crossover, Roswell/Highlander, strictly CC.
Rating: PG-13, probably R at some point.
Feedback: Definitely appreciated. And definitely needed, so I know that my writing isn't going to waste. Afterall, this IS my first fic.

PART 12a:

Parker household, Friday, 6:15 a.m, Liz's bedroom

Liz's clock-radio turned on, and the DJ was playing out something Liz had never thought she would hear.

As a young boy chasing Dragons
with your wooden sword so mighty.
You're St. George or you're David and you always killed the beast
Times change very quickly,
And you had to grow up early,
A house in smoking ruins and the bodies at your feet.

Liz's eyes widened. When had she set her radio to Metal-station? She glanced around. She was positively sure that she hadn't tampered with her own radio, which lead to a possibility that someone had been in her room. She just couldn't see anything wrong. Everything was at their rightful places. Then she started to listen to the music.

You'll die as you lived
In a flash of a blade,
In a corner forgotten by no-one.
You lived for the touch
For the feel of the steel,
One man, and his Honour.

The smell of resined leather
The steely iron mask
As you cut and thrust and parried at the fencing master's call.
He taught you all he never knew
To fear no mortal men.
And now you'll wreak your vengeance in the screams of evil men.

Liz's brow furrowed. The lyrics were too intense for her taste, probably something Michael would listen, but the previous six lines got her thinking. She decided to listen some more, against her better judgment.

You'll die as you lived
In a flash of a blade,
In a corner forgotten by no-one.
You lived for the touch
For the feel of the steel,
One man, and his Honour.

You'll die as you lived
In a flash of a blade,
In a corner forgotten by no-one.
You lived for the touch
For the feel of the steel,
One man, and his Honour.

The song reached its end, and the DJ's voice came out, "That was Iron Maiden's 'Touch of the Blade', a special morning request from Marcus Thorne. Good morning to you early riser's, its 6:20 a.m. now and it's a beautiful morning out there. Now we're going to hear Christina Aguilera's 'Genie In The Bottle', so without any furth..." DJ's voice was cut off when Liz promptly turned the radio off. Her mind was racing. ["Marcus gave a request to hear THAT kind of MUSIC?!"] she thought. She still couldn't shrug off her feeling from some of the lyrics. They somehow fit quite well to the 'Game', but why would Marcus request this kind of music? ["Unless there was more to it,"] she thought. Too many questions, so few answers, and she still needed to talk with Max today. She pulled herself up and headed to the shower. She was surprised that she wasn't hurting. Her jog and the exercise had taken a lot out from her and her muscles had ached a LOT last night, but now...she was fine. Actually, she was better than fine. Marcus had been right, Immortals healed even from muscle ache rather quickly. This indeed opened up some new possibilities. She decided to ignore her thoughts for a moment and focus on the shower. After all, she didn't have that much time before school started.

*************************************************************

West Roswell High, 7:45 a.m, Parking lot

Marcus parked his car, stepped out and glanced around. It was a very peaceful day, but he was fairly certain that it would change very quickly. He started to walk towards the school, and it didn't take too long for him to feel the 'buzz'. He smiled, because he knew she would be having questions, especially about his taste in music. True, Iron Maiden was a band that many people ignored, but Marcus had been a fan of the band from the very day they released their first album. He smiled at the memory. Then he noticed that Liz was making her way to him. He raised an eyebrow.

"You listen to Iron Maiden?!" Liz said, her face telling you how she couldn't believe it.

Marcus grinned, and said, "Yes, and against a public opinion, I think they are the best Metal-band out there."

Liz just shook her head, trying to sink in what Marcus just said. ["He's over 2000 years old and he listens to THAT kind of music? There just HAS to be more to it than that,"] she thought. She noticed that he was making his way to the teacher's lounge, so she raced after him and asked. "Why? I mean, considering that you are..." but Marcus cut her off.

"Liz, just because I'm over 2000 years old, doesn't mean that I wouldn't like Iron Maiden. Besides, I kinda envy Bruce to be able to walk around in public and avoid the headhunters," he said.

Liz's eyes widened. "WHAT!?" she exclaimed. She had expected to hear some kind of explanation but not this. If she was confused before, this clearly put a new kind of level to it. "WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN?!" she continued, but she was cut off by Marcus again.

"Liz, this is not the right place or the right time to answer your questions," he said. Then he glanced at his clock. "Hmm. Your class should start in few minutes, so I suggest that you hurry up. As for your questions, I'll answer to them during our training. Do we have a deal?" he asked.

Liz nodded, clearly not happy about the situation. She then headed to the lockers and took her books. When she closed her locker, she noticed that Max was looking at her. He then walked past Liz, his eyes still focused on her. He then averted his gaze and headed to Math class. Liz shook her head and glanced at her clock, only to sprint to her English class. She still had to confront Max today, and the best time to do it would be after her second class, History...

*************************************************************

West Roswell High, 11:45 p.m, History class

Marcus finished his lecture. It was about the Boxer Rebellion during the end of the 19th century. After his 6th wife died over 40 years prior, he had moved to Beijing, China and had stayed there throughout the fighting. He had been utterly devastated by his wife's murder. Even after all that time, he still hadn’t recovered. He felt empty, depressed. He had just...wandered around, not caring about anything at all. He was putting some papers back to his briefcase when his thoughts drifted to Bruce. Of all the Immortals who tried to pull him out from his self-induced 'not-caring-about-anything' attitude, Bruce was the only one who had succeeded. True, he had to rough him up a bit, but he got the message through, and ever since that day, Marcus Thorne had been as alive as he had been with Rachel.

When Marcus was able to pull himself back to the real world, the classroom was still full, and almost every student there looked shocked for some reason. Marcus's brow furrowed. He glanced at his clock. True, it was a bit early, but he hadn't kept any break between the lectures, so he didn't see anything wrong to cut the class 'short'. Then it dawned to him. They had expected homework, and they were still waiting for it.

Marcus smiled and said, "I'll be generous with you today and I won't be giving you any homework. Just finish the previous homework for the next week's class. And Mr. Guerin, I STILL expect to see your essay on my desk."

Michael just groaned and rolled his eyes. After the beating from yesterday, he was still a bit sore, but fortunately not much. He still had some slight bruises on his face, and since Marcus was the one who had given them to him, Max couldn't just make them disappear. This naturally raised some attention among the students and teachers, but Michael just shrugged it off. He got up and followed the students as they headed for the door, but before he got there, he noticed Liz walk to Marcus and told him something. Marcus just nodded, grabbed his suitcase and left the classroom. Michael also noticed how Max was lingering, like he was waiting for something. He also noticed that Liz was still standing in front of the desk. He got suspicious, but decided to ignore it. So he walked off to the Quad.

*************************************************************

Back at the classroom

Max looked up from his notes. He had been so focused that he had failed to notice that the lecture had ended. Truth be told, his thoughts were more focused on Liz, who was standing in front of the Marcus's desk at the moment, her eyes fixed on him. ["Wait?! What,"] he thought, when he finally came to his senses. Liz was still standing there, her eyes set on him. Then she tilted her head, like she was thinking something. Then she asked something that shocked Max wide-awake. "What are you?" he heard.

Max blinked, "What?"

Liz walked to him, and asked again, emphasizing each word, "What. Are. You?"

Max was in shock. Liz was SPECIFICALLY asking WHAT he was. This meant that she knew something. He was able to pull himself together. He got up, started to put his pens and papers into his backpack and said, "I don't know what you're talking about."

He was at the door when he heard Liz say, "I heard your talk with Michael yesterday," she said.

This stopped Max dead on his tracks. He then glanced at Liz and noticed that she was standing there, her arms folded on her chest, glaring at him. Max swallowed, because if she heard the conversation, it also meant that she had heard him mention last Saturday, and if that was the case... "What do you mean?" he finally asked.

Liz relaxed a bit. At least she had gotten his attention. "I heard that Michael wanted you to 'heal' him from the injuries Marcus had caused him, and that you refused," she said, but continued after a small pause. "I also heard that you couldn't do it because it was similar to the 'incident' at the Crashdown," she said, her eyes narrowing a bit.

Max swallowed. ["This is bad. She heard me say that. I just hope that she didn't..."] but his thoughts were cut off by Liz's angry question.

"You know what? I also heard that you could have 'healed' me when I got shot, but Michael stopped you because it would 'blow your cover'. What did he mean by that, Max? What are you?" she asked again.

Max turned a bit white. The look on Liz's eyes...it was a mixture of anger and...hurt. Hurt? Max hung his head low, thinking. Those eyes, they were practically accusing him for something, from what, he wasn't sure, but it was that look that got him resolved. He would tell her, no matter what. He owed her that much. He glanced at the door and noticed that it was wide open, so he decided to close it. When that was done, he turned back to Liz, who was still looking at him with a mixture of hurt and anger. "You heard that I can heal, right?" he asked.

Liz blinked. He was actually going to answer to her. She released a breath she didn't know she was holding and nodded. Max nodded, and continued, "Well, I've been able to heal wounds of various kinds for a while now, but the reason I'm able to do that, is because...I'm not from around here."

Liz raised an eyebrow. ["Not around here? What does THAT mean?"] she thought. She then asked, "Well, where are you from?"

Max averted his gaze, trying to find something interesting to look at, finding none. Then his eyes locked on to Liz's eyes, and he just couldn't pull his away from them. Then he pointed his index finger up.

Liz's brow furrowed and she asked, "From Canada?"

Max then points his finger higher.

Liz's eyes widened. ["No way!! This is not happening! I already have got my life been turned upside-down, I SO don't need this!"] she thought. She still was able to speak out, "You're...you're not an ALIEN, are you?"

Max chuckled a bit, but he didn't exactly smile, "Well, I'd prefer a term 'Not-from-this-Earth'."

Liz put her hands on her temples and groaned. ["This is not happening. This can't be happening. It's bad enough that there are people older than time out there, I SO don't need this!"] she thought.

Max on the other hand got a worried expression on his face. He noticed how Liz rubbed her temples, trying to alleviate her headache. Then she seemed to be able to pull herself together and she asked, "So, are you able to anything else besides...'heal' people?"

Max scratched the back of his head a bit. She seemed to be taking this well, though her reaction wasn't exactly something he had expected. ["What, would it be better if she was screaming bloody murder and running around?"] his inner voice asked. He shrugged it off and said, "Well, I can alter the molecular structure of various objects. Like this pencil." He was holding a pencil in his hands. He put it on the desk and waved his hand on top of it. Liz's eyes widened from disbelief. Where there had been a pencil, was now a piece of straw. Max then waved his hand over it again, turning it back to a pencil.

Liz was shocked and impressed all at once. She then pulled her hair behind her ear and asked, "So, is Michael an...alien?"

Max nodded, "So is Isabel."

Then something hit Liz, an epiphany of sorts and she asked, "Were you, Michael and Isabel at the...crash? I mean the Roswell Crash?"

"I'm not sure, but we think we were. We don't exactly remember anything about it. Just bits and pieces," Max answered.

Liz just shook her head. ["I'm talking with an alien, and the famous Roswell Alien at that. When did my life got so complicated?"] she thought. She was brought back to reality when Max said, "We are also able to get...flashes from other people."

Liz's brow furrowed from confusion, and she just said, "What?"

"We call them flashes. Mostly they are events from someone's past...from their point of view." Max struggled with his thought for a moment. He didn’t want to frighten her, he just wanted to try and help her understand. Maybe if she could see? "We can also give flashes to someone, but we normally block the connection, the flashes, because they might not understand what they see. It might frighten them and it would draw attention to us. They might find out we’re different and there are people who would want to take us, to take us apart, to experiment on us. They would ask questions that we don’t know the answers to and then think we’re lying to them. There is so much we don’t know about ourselves. There are so many questions that we have. Why are we here? Why did they leave us? Are there others like us? Who are THEY? We don’t know. People fear the unknown, they fear difference and frightened people sometimes try to destroy what they fear. I could...show you...how it works...the flashes," he said. "Maybe it will help you understand."

Liz was a bit confused, but she still was able to nod. Max then extended his hand, and Liz took it. The minute Max's hand touched hers, Max flinched slightly.

~*Flash*~

A 9 years old Liz standing at the school bus stop, wearing a cupcake dress.

~*Flash*~

Liz standing with Marcus in what looks like an abandoned warehouse. Marcus is holding a sheath with a sword in it in front of Liz, beckoning her to take it.

~*End flash*~

Max pulled his hand back, but not much. He looked confused for some reason. Liz got worried. Max then said, "I saw you as a 9 year old. You were wearing a cupcake dress and you were standing at the school bus stop, but you didn't look happy."

Liz's eyes widened for the realization, "I hated that dress, but Mom made it for me herself, and I didn't want to hurt her feelings." Then she shook her head, "Even Marcus didn't like it."

Max’s interest peaked for the reason why she mentioned Marcus, but Liz waved him off, "It's nothing, really. I've known him for the better part of my life now, and he said that he would NEVER dress his daughter like that." Liz smiled and laughed a bit to the memory.

Max on the other hand was still confused, but he still needed to show her something else. He extended his hand again and asked, "Now would you like to see about my past?"

Liz blinked, but complied. She took his hand again, but this time she flinched to the touch.

~*Flash*~

Max and Isabel walking down the road, and how the Evans's find them. Max walking at the school hallway. He notices Liz opening her locker, talking with Maria and his heartbeat quickens. He can't remove his eyes from her. In his eyes, she's the most beautiful creature God had created. An angel turned to flesh. But his heart hurt for the secret of what he is, so he walks away, the distance eating him up inside. He can't force himself to tell her his feelings, because he's different.

~*End flash*~

Liz blinked and looked at Max. The image she had seen surprised her. ["He thinks I'm beautiful? He...he LOVES me?"] she thought. She was so dumbfounded that she almost didn’t hear Max speak.

"Liz, you can't tell anyone about this. Isabel's, Michael's and my life is in your hands now. If you tell anyone...who knows what might happen."

The only thing Liz could do at the moment was just to stand there. Then she said, "Too late."

Max got confused. "What?" he asked.

Liz looked up at Max. "Marcus overheard your argument at the Crashdown when I was shot," she said.

"He heard that?" Max asked, getting a bit paler.

Liz nodded, and said, "Max, he doesn't know anything certain, but he has his suspicions. I also told him about the conversation I heard at the Ridger's gym."

Max was panicking. Marcus knew about that too? He had heard his argument with Michael at the Crashdown that day, and he knew about what Michael asked Max to do. "Why did you tell him in the first place?" he asked.

Liz shot a look at Max. "Simple. HE saved my life, not you. Besides, this was his idea."

Max blinked. "What?"

Liz sighed, and said. "It was Marcus who told me to confront you about this."

Max was stunned. Marcus had been the one who had suggested that Liz should confront him about this? Why would he do that? There were many thoughts running through his head, and Michael's suspicion about Marcus came back surface. That Marcus might know more than he led on, but if what Liz told Max was true, then he only suspected something. Then again, if Liz would tell him what she had found out, then he would know, and Max had no idea how he would react. Max then looked at Liz and pleaded, "Liz, don't tell him."

Liz shook her head, eyes downcast, "I'm sorry, Max, but I can't promise you that. He knows me too well and he will know if I lie to him. If I don't say anything, it's going to be more destructive than lying, because then he'll make assumptions, and the last thing I want him to do is to draw hasty conclusions."

Then Liz walked to the teacher's desk and took her backpack. Max had been so shocked that he didn't register her absence until she was at the door. He glanced at her and she said, "Max, don't do anything irrational. Marcus isn't a bad person, and he might take this information better than you think."

"It's the 'might' that's worrying me, Liz," Max said.

Liz kept her gaze on him for a while, and then she left the classroom. She still had some time before her next class, and she hoped that she would be able to finish her lunch.

*************************************************************

West Roswell High, 14:15 p.m, School gym

Marcus was getting ready for today's exercise. He was planning to teach Liz how to fight with a sword, but since REAL swords weren't exactly allowed inside school grounds, he had to use kendo sticks. True, there were safety regulations to consider, but he had the guards and pads to satisfy the rules. He had learned to fight without all the regulations but he had decided to teach swordsmanship with same way as it was taught to him anyway. Then his cell rang.

Marcus groaned and answered to it, "Thorne."

Then he got surprised when he realized whom the caller was. "Jim? Why did you decided to call me all of a sudden?" he asked.

Marcus's eyes widened when he heard what Valenti said. "WHAT!!? ARE YOU KIDDING ME??!" he asked. "Since WHEN there is a regulation that says that I have to register the warehouse I purchased at the Sheriff Station?" He rolled his eyes when he heard the answer. "Alright! Might as well get it over with. I should be there in about 35 minutes." Then he added as an afterthought, "You know what? You take your job TOO seriously sometimes." He then sighed, "Yea, yea, I'll see you later. 'Bye."

Then he started muttering, "I swear, mortals take bureaucracy way too seriously these days." He then shook his head and said by himself, "Whatever happened to that time when you could just buy a house and leave it at that?"

"I think that the city council would find it confusing if the building they were planning to tear down was owned by someone," Liz answered.

Marcus spun around and faced Liz, kendo stick held in an attack stance. When he noticed who it was, he relaxed. Then he shook his head. He had been so wrapped up in his disgust to the bureaucracy that he had completely ignored his surroundings, allowing Liz to surprise her. Liz on the other hand looked a bit frightened. Marcus noticed this and made a calming gesture, "It's all right. You just surprised me, that's all."

Liz relaxed a bit. She hadn't even seen Marcus move until he was standing there, kendo stick held up and ready to attack. True, it was a piece of wood, but Liz didn't hold any illusions that it could be equally deadly in Marcus's hands than the real one. She was about to tell him about Max, when he interrupted her.

"Liz, I'm sorry but we have to re-schedule today's sword-training. I have to go to the Sheriff Station to sign some damn papers so that I 'legally' own that warehouse. But that doesn't mean that we can't train later. I got a call this morning from the foreman and he told me that they are done with the renovations, so the only thing missing from there at the moment is the training equipment. So we can move the sword-training session there around...17:00 p.m?" he asked.

Liz thought about it, and nodded. She needed some time to process what Max had told her, and she still needed to figure out what to tell Marcus. The problem was that Marcus would know if she lied. He seemed to be able to tell what you were thinking just by a quick glance. Fortunately for Liz, he was now too busy to put things back together. "Well, if our training is postponed, I'll just head back home," Liz said.

Marcus nodded, took the gym bag and made his way to the exit. Then he glanced at Liz, and asked, "Were you able to find out about what Mr. Evans is hiding?"

Liz's eyes widened. She had hoped that Marcus would be too pre-occupied to ask her that, but obviously that wasn't the case. Liz hesitated, and then said, "Um, if you don't mind, I'd be more comfortable if we would talk during training."

Marcus raised his eyebrow to this, and then shrugged. "Alright. I can wait." He was about to walk out, when he asked, "Do you need a ride home?"

Liz nodded and they both walked to the parking lot.

Part 12b:

Sheriff Station, 14:58 p.m, Parking lot

Marcus parked his Firebird and stepped out. He glanced around. No police cars around, which meant that the deputies were on patrol. He DID notice Sheriff Valenti's personal squad car was still parked there, which told him that Jim was still there. He shook his head and walked to the Station. He noticed that there was only one deputy present. Marcus shrugged and headed toward the Sheriff's office, only to be stopped by the deputy present. Marcus glanced at him subtly. He was a Native American, around his 50's. "Can I help you?" Deputy asked.

Marcus rolled his eyes, and said, "Damn it, all I came here to do was to sign the damn registration papers, and if YOU..." Marcus poked the deputy with his index finger,"...are going to delay me any further, I'll lose the thin thread of patience I have left, and TRUST me, that's something you don't want to see."

Deputy was about to say something back, but stopped when he noticed Valenti leaning against his office door. "It's all right, Deputy. I was expecting him," Valenti said.

Deputy nodded, and went back to work, but still shot a menacing glare at Marcus. Instead of feeling intimated, Marcus shot a glare of his own. It was a glare that could easily break glass into a thousand pieces if given form, but it wasn't the glare that the Deputy suddenly found scary. It was the way Marcus's face remained unchanged. It was like...his eyes changed their tone. Then Marcus's posture turned back to normal and he headed to the Sheriff's office.

When he had reached the office, Valenti closed the door behind him and walked to his desk. He then opened a cabinet and pulled a file from there, placing it on the desk. He then gave Marcus a pen to use, and pointed out the places he needed Marcus's signature. Marcus just shook his head and started to put his name on the papers, all the while reading it through. ["I hate this!"] he thought. Then he decided to make some small talk. "How's your father, Jim?" Marcus asked.

Jim sighed and leaned back to his chair. "The same," he answered. "Though I haven't seen him in a while," he said.

Marcus turned his gaze back towards Jim, mulling over what he had said. "You know, you should pay a visit with him," Marcus said.

"He barely knows I'm there, and the times he does, he just seems so...lost," Jim said.

Marcus sighed. That was the thing with mortals when they came to old age. They lose their connection to the real world and become senile. He had seen it when Howard's father had died, and it wasn't pretty. Then he noticed something in his peripheral vision and glanced at it. It was a black and white photograph of a corpse. What caught his attention was the body’s build, and his eyes widened in realization. Valenti had a picture of HIM, from a morgue. Then he relaxed, when he noticed that the picture didn't show the victims face. Then he noticed the silver hand print on the corpse, right over the heart. He was able to hide his shudder when he remembered that day. Christ, he had just been walking out from a damn convenient store when he had heard noise behind him, and when he turned around; all he could feel was pain. His insides had boiled and he died quickly, but for him it felt like an eternity, and that was saying a lot for someone of his age. He was pulled out from his memory when he heard Jim cough. He blinked, and then looked back at Jim. Jim noticed him staring at the photo and promptly took the photo and put it in the desk drawer. Marcus raised an eyebrow and continued to sign the last two pages. Then he said, "You know, it was that kind of search that turned your father into the wreck he is now."

Valenti shot a glare at Marcus, who hadn't even glanced up from the papers. "I think it's my business what I do with my time, don't you agree?" Jim said.

Marcus nodded, signing up the last page. "Yeah, and it's also your business to lose the last piece of sanity you have left," he said without skipping a beat.

Jim growled under his breath, offended by Marcus's remark. Then he asked, "Are you finished?"

Marcus slammed the pencil down and nodded, sighing from relief. He just hated this. ["I swear, I DON'T know how Immortals can stand politics and bureaucracy?"] He was about to leave, when Jim called out, "Wait a minute."

Marcus stopped and turned around, irritation etched on his face. Jim decided to cut to the chase, "Look, I'd like to know how you stopped Mr. Madsen from fleeing the Crashdown after the..." he trailed off. Marcus rolled his eyes and sighed in exasperation. This was NOT the conversation he wanted to be at the moment. "Look Sheriff, I just tossed the damn ketchup bottle at him and it stopped him, end of discussion," he said, and opened the door.

"You're an enigma to me, Mr. Thorne. You seem passive most of the time, but sometimes you show a completely different side of you. A side, that holds something...primal. And just the fact how you were able to stop Mr. Madsen suggests that you have capabilities only trained soldiers have. Am I right?" Valenti said.

Marcus didn't move for a moment. Then he turned his head slightly to Sheriff and said, "Trust me, Sheriff. You DON'T want to know THAT side of me." After that, Marcus left, leaving a very confused Valenti behind.

*************************************************************

Outskirts of Roswell, 15:30 p.m, Drive-through Grill

Max, Michael and Isabel were eating a small snack at the moment. Michael was still feeling a bit uncomfortable because of the bruises, Max just sat there stoically, yet his eyes showed concern. Isabel was eating her hotdog. Then Michael groaned again, unable to get comfortable. Isabel rolled her eyes and said, "You know, you should have sat on the jeep if the bench is not comfortable enough."

Michael shot a look at Isabel, "Well, I wouldn't be having this problem if Maxwell here would have healed me."

Isabel groaned, "Do we have to go through this again? Max, would you PLEASE explain to Michael again WHY you can't heal him."

When Max didn't answer, Isabel got worried, "Max?"

Michael noticed this and decided to take a more direct route, so he promptly kicked the chair he was sitting. That woke him up. "What's wrong with you?!" he exclaimed.

"Nothing, except for the fact that you looked like you were a couple of light years away. Something bothering you?" Michael asked.

Max glanced back at the ground, and said, "Liz knows."

Michael’s and Isabel’s eyes widened from shock. "WHAT!?" they said at the same time.

"She heard our conversation yesterday after Marcus beat Michael. She also heard about the Crashdown," Max said.

"I hope that you had the brains to deny that," Michael shot back.

When Max didn't answer, they both got their answer. "You TOLD her!?" Isabel exclaimed, while Michael said, "Damn it, Maxwell!"

"Look, this changes nothing. Liz isn't going to tell anyone..." he stopped himself because he knew that there was a probability that Marcus would find out about them. Michael raised an eyebrow at this, and asked, "Is there something more you'd like to add, Maxwell?"

Max sighed, "There is a chance that Marcus might know soon."

Michael got angry when he heard this, "I knew it! That bastard knows about us. He knew from the start."

Max shook his head, "No. According to Liz, he suspected that we were hiding something when he heard our argument at the Crashdown."

Michael blinked, "He HEARD us?! How?"

"I don't know. The bottom line is, Liz knows and there's a possibility that Marcus will find out. Now we just have to keep low profile," Max said.

"Are you NUTS!? We have to leave Roswell, now," Michael said.

"What are you talking about, Michael?" Isabel asked.

"Look, now it's only a matter of time until we have the government hunting us, and we did prepare for this day, so now would be a good time to leave," Michael said.

"Michael, we can't just leave. This is our home. Besides, what makes you think that we are going to have government after us?" Isabel asked.

"Look, you can live in that perfect little fantasy-world, but Roswell is NOT our home. Our home is UP there, and I for one don't like to stick around to get hunted down by 'men in black'," Michael said.

"Michael..." Max was about to say, but he was cut off.

"Damn it, Maxwell. You got careless and we paid the prize. Now deal with it," Michael said.

Max glared at Michael. "*I* got CARELESS? You're the one who was pummeled to the ground and asked me to heal you in the first place. And why did that happen? Because YOU decided to break into Marcus's home, so don't you dare to blame this on me!" Max said.

They both shot daggers at each other, but Isabel was the one who was able to stop them. "Look, this isn't getting us nowhere. I say we go back to Roswell and deal with this after we find out if Marcus knows about us," she said.

Michael nodded his approval, "Fine."

Max nodded, "Alright."

They walked to the jeep and drove off. On their way back, Isabel suddenly asked, "What are we going to do if he knows?"

Michael answered to this, "We leave."

Max shot a look at Michael, but didn't argue.

*************************************************************

Crashdown café, 17:46 p.m

Marcus walked to the café. Liz hadn't shown up to the warehouse at the time he had agreed to, so he went to check out Crashdown. He knew that Liz was here, he could feel the 'buzz', but she wasn't hanging around with Maria. She seemed to be busy and annoyed for some reason, so he headed to the break room. Once he walked in, someone suddenly pushed him from behind and out from the backdoor. He stumbled a bit, but was able to regain his balance quickly. He turned around, only to see a fist heading towards his face, and it connected, sending him backwards again. He bumped into the dumpster, and again regaining his balance. The punch WAS strong, but Marcus had been beaten up various times in his lifetime and it would take more than that kind of punch to get him to the ground. He touched his lip and was relieved that there was no blood. ["No need to have a healing wound in front of this bastard,"] he thought. He then sharply turned around, and noticed Michael standing there ready to attack. Marcus chuckled. This was priceless. "You know something Guerin? If you want to knock someone unconscious, make sure you use more force."

Michael on the other hand wasn't feeling funny. He was angry, and all he wanted to do was to wipe the floor with Mr. Thorne. Then Max and Isabel walked behind him, as if backing him up. Marcus snorted. ["This is ridiculous,"] he thought. "What, are you going to have Max to back you up now, Guerin? Because I can tell that neither one of you are skilled enough to beat me. Even together," he said, adding a hostile tone to his last comment.

"You know what we are," Michael said.

Marcus raised an eyebrow, and said. "I know that you all are hiding something, but I don't know WHAT you are."

"LIAR!!" Michael yelled and tried to lunge at him, but Isabel’s voice stopped him. "Michael, don’t. Do you remember what happened to you yesterday?" she asked. Michael looked at Isabel with wide eyes, but nodded. "Then what do you think he’s going to do to you if you attack him now?" Isabel asked.

"I’d probably hurt him 10 times more than I did yesterday," Marcus said nonchalantly.

Michael shot a look at Marcus. "I got a punch through already. Do you think I can’t do it again?" Michael asked angrily.

Marcus glared at Michael. "You got a lucky shot, boy. Nothing else. You won’t get a second chance like that anymore. But feel free to try if you want," Marcus challenged.

"Fine by me," Michael said, and pulled his hand back, ready to throw a punch. Marcus got ready for it, but Max grabbed Michael’s hand gently, stopping him. "Michael, he’s going to hurt you and you don’t seem to care," Max said concerned.

"This is different, Maxwell. Now I know what he’s capable of, and I can fight back," Michael growled, yanking his arm free and tried to punch Marcus. Keyword would be ‘tried’.

Marcus just blocked the punch with his left hand, grabbing Michael’s into a vice-grip hold. Marcus’s voice was even when he said, "I warned you, Guerin." Then he added some pressure to his grip. Michael grimaced from pain, but that didn’t stop him from trying to hit Marcus with his left hand. Marcus saw this and blocked the oncoming punch as well. Then he threw Michael’s arms to his sides, grabbed Michael from his shirt collar and pushed him, hard. Max rushed behind Michael, trying to ease his landing. Unfortunately Michael was pushed with enough force that both teenagers fell to the ground with a grunt.

Just then, Liz walked to the alley and saw what happened. She asked, "What’s going on?"

"Ask them," Marcus said.

"That bastard knows about us. And he might even know where we are from," Michael said from the ground, getting off from Max.

Marcus just shook his head and rolled his eyes. Then he asked from Isabel, "Does Mr. Guerin ALWAYS jump to conclusions?"

"Usually," Isabel said. "But he had a good reason to do so."

"Okay, STOP IT RIGHT NOW!!" Liz hollered.

Michael, Max and Isabel looked at her with wide eyes. Little Lizzie Parker YELLED at them? Then she said, "Marcus doesn't know WHAT you are. The only thing he knows so far is what I have told him, and I HAVEN'T told him YET about YOU." She pointed at Max, Michael and Isabel individually.

Marcus just looked at them, amusement playing at his face. Then he chuckled a bit and shook his head. "I have to hand it to you, Ms. Parker. You definitely know how to get peoples attention," he said.

"Would you just shut up!" Michael yelled.

Max stood up, holding the back of his head. He noticed that Michael was rubbing his right hand and asked, "You all right, Michael?"

Michael looked at Max, then at Thorne and said, "You have one hell of a grip, I give you that. I think I broke something."

Max walked to Michael and put his hand over Michael’s right hand, and used his powers to heal any injury he could find. Marcus noticed the slight glow. ["That light. I remember it. It's fainter, but...it's still the same,"] he thought. Then he glanced at Liz. "Would you like to tell me what's going on?" he asked.

Isabel shot a glare at him, "There's nothing you need to know about us."

Marcus shot a glare of his own at her, which effectively silenced her. Then he addressed Liz with a raised eyebrow. Liz nodded. "They're aliens. REAL aliens. They think that they might have been in the ’47 crash," she said.

Marcus just folded his arms in front of his chest and leaned back at the dumpster. He then glanced at Michael. "How old are you?" he asked.

"16," Max answered.

"Now why do I have a hard time believing that? Especially if YOU were the ones at the famous 'Roswell Crash'?" he said.

"We WERE in that crash, but we were in some kind of incubation pods. We didn't come out from them until 1989, looking like 6 year olds," Max said.

Marcus then glanced at the Evans's and Mr. Guerin individually. ["If that's true, then who was that bastard who killed me back in 1959? Better keep THAT particular information myself, but I think I can tell them about the murder in general,"] he thought. "You know, you're not the only ones to survive that crash. Otherwise how were your pods able to avoid detection when the government was all over the crash site?" he said.

That silenced the aliens. They honestly didn't know. They never had really thought about it. Then Marcus asked something that got their attention, "Do you guys leave any kind of 'mark' behind when you use your powers?"

Max got interested. "What are you talking about?" he asked.

"Well, about 40 years ago, a mysterious murder took place. No signs of any kind of weapon, from that I'm certain. I don't know all the details..." ["Liar!"] he thought. "But there was a silver hand print on his chest. Nothing else," Marcus said.

The aliens were stunned to hear this. "What makes you so sure that whoever murdered that...man, would be one of us?" Max asked.

Marcus just shrugged. "Nothing particularly. Just the fact that you and the mysterious murder could be both consider as 'otherworldly' encounter. And I'm fairly certain that you would have left a similar hand print if you would have been able to heal Ms. Parker that day," he said.

Then Marcus noticed someone standing behind Liz. "Maria?" he said.

They all turned around, only to see a VERY bewildered looking Maria standing there. She seemed to be ready to scream, so Liz decided to pull her to the alley and Marcus quickly walked to the door and closed it. He then quickly glanced around to make sure that no one else would be watching. He then glanced at Maria, who was already hyperventilating. He heard Liz say, "Maria. Here, smell some of this."

Marcus just rolled his eyes. He was well aware of Ms. DeLuca's need to smell Cypress oil to calm her down. He then glanced at the aliens and saw that the Evans's were worried, but Mr. Guerin seemed to be angry.

Maria seemed to be able to calm herself enough to speak, but she was still able to stutter her words out, "L-L-Liz, t-th-they’re a-a-al-aliens."

"Maria, it's alright. They're not going to hurt you," Liz said.

"Okay, this is just great. Now we definitely have to leave," Michael said, exasperated.

Marcus shot a look at him, "Are you insane or just incredibly stupid, Michael? If you decide to disappear all of a sudden, you're going to rouse up TOO much attention to yourselves, and trust me on this, that's something you DON'T want."

Michael advanced at Marcus and pushed him. "Who the HELL do you think you are? You don't know a damn thing about our lives," he said, and shoved him again.

Only this time Marcus grabbed Michael's right arm and twisted it so that he had a vice-grip from his hand, Marcus standing behind him while Michael tried to shift his position without much success.

"Think about it, Guerin! What exactly have you done that you consider your cover being blown. HUH? So far it has been only Liz and me who suspected something. Now Ms. DeLuca and WE know, though THAT was probably the result of your own impatience. No one else knows. And YOU are willing to run just because of us. Call me crazy, but do you honestly think it's too much to ask to trust us to keep your secret?" Marcus said, still holding Michael in a tight grip.

Maria was now a bit calmer, but she was still feeling uncomfortable with the aliens. Liz seemed to be more interested about Michael's answer to Marcus's question. Maria didn't know Liz was thinking to reveal her secret to them as well. But when Liz looked at Maria, she vetoed that idea almost immediately. If she was downright hysterical now, she would panic even more if she revealed her secret to them. And it wasn't just her secret to tell. Marcus was also an Immortal, and he still didn't seem to trust the aliens enough to tell them.

Then Max said, "Michael, Marcus has a point. So far only the three of you know about us. If you promise not to tell anyone about us, we don't have to leave."

Liz already gave her answer, "I won't say anything." ["Shouldn't be too hard, considering that I have a secret of my own,"] she thought.

Marcus released Michael's arm, shoved him away and said, "What would I gain if I'd reveal your existence to the government, anyway? I'd be locked up just like you, so I'm going to keep my mouth shut."

Maria was still shaking a bit, but when she noticed that Marcus wasn't afraid of them, she was able to calm herself and said, "I won't tell to anyone, but I'm just going to say one thing." They all looked at her. "If YOU..." she indicated the aliens, "...try anything funny, I'm going to sic Mr. Thorne after you."

Marcus laughed out loud when he heard Maria's comment. Michael just glared at Maria, but let it slide. Marcus probably would do something really bad to him if he'd give Marcus enough reason.

Then Marcus stopped laughing. And then he said something that shocked the aliens, "Valenti knows that there are aliens out here, but he doesn't know anything about you. Valenti has photos from that murder victim we talked about."

Max looked at Marcus. "Are you sure that he doesn't suspect us?"

Marcus just waved him off, and said. "Nah, for some reason Valenti is more interested about me. Probably because of the way I stopped the man who had shot Liz. I still hope that you three reconsider about leaving."

The aliens nodded, and Isabel said, "You know, you seem to be taking this rather well, if I can say so."

Marcus nodded. "True, but let's just say that I have a bit more open mind about things. Besides, you three maybe are aliens, but that doesn't mean that you are necessarily bad. That fourth alien, he might be a problem. Especially since he has killed," he said.

Michael just shook his head. "Look, we don't know that. Besides, they might be able to answer to our questions about our origins. Which leads me to that pendant of yours," he said.

Marcus shot a look at him, "What are you talking about, Guerin?"

"That pendant I stole from your home, where did you get it?" Michael asked.

Marcus sighed, and lied, "I had it from a friend who had bought it from someone, I didn't get his name. I then gave it to my daughter and...well, you know the rest."

Liz just gave a look at Marcus. He had lied about the pendant, which meant that he wasn't going to reveal his Immortality to them. With that knowledge added to her original decision, she was more resolved to keep it as a secret. Then she heard Marcus to slap his hands together. "Now, I suggest that YOU three go home," he indicated the aliens, "while Ms. DeLuca goes back to finish her shift. I think you are responsible for the closing." Maria nodded and made her way back to the café. Isabel and Michael headed to the jeep, while Max walked to Liz. "Thank you," he said. Liz smiled to this, and Marcus just rolled his eyes. ["Damn, that boy is whipped so badly and he doesn't even know it,"] he thought. Then he called out to Michael, "Michael!! I still want that essay on Monday!"

This earned a laugh from all but Michael and Marcus. Max then headed to the jeep, but kept a lingering glance on Marcus. He eventually reached the jeep and drove off. Marcus then walked to Liz and asked, "Why didn't you show up to the warehouse?"

Liz sighed. "Marcus, I forgot. Besides, my parents wanted to have a family dinner today, so I was stuck there. I did feel you coming here, and since we were finished with our dinner, I headed downstairs to meet you. Well, the rest you probably know," she said.

Marcus nodded. "I'm not angry. As a matter of fact, try to spend as much time with your parents as you can. Though you probably noticed that I don't want to reveal our little 'secret' to them," he said.

"Yea, I noticed. But why?" she asked.

"You remember that murder victim I told you about?" Marcus asked. When he saw Liz nod, he continued. "Well, *I* was the victim."

Liz's eyes widened. "YOU!?"

Marcus nodded. "Trust me, Liz. That's an experience you DON'T want to go through. Anyway, I can't tell them that, simply because they would think that I would be like them, when I'm not."

"What about Valenti?" Liz asked.

"He doesn't have a full picture from that corpse, just the hand print. I would be worried if he had had a picture from my face. THEN I would be in trouble," Marcus said.

"Well, I better go back inside. Unless we aren't going to train tonight?" she asked.

Marcus shook his head. "No. I have a fair feeling that Maria needs someone to calm her down, though we are going to continue tomorrow with your sword training. When do you think you can come by at my home?" he asked.

Liz thought about it and said, "Maybe after one o'clock, probably after two. That's the best I can give you."

Marcus nodded. "Well talk tomorrow about this. While we train, of course. Have a good night, Liz," he said, and he started to walk to his own car.

Liz just headed back to the Crashdown to help Maria out with closing the café.

*************************************************************

Parker Household, 22:15 p.m, Liz's balcony

'It's September 26th. My name is Liz Parker. Today something really weird happened. Max Evans, who I thought to be just a normal teenager turned out to be an alien, along with Isabel and Michael. And to make the day even more interesting, Maria decided to stumble on us when we were talking about it. Marcus, Maria and I now know about the existence of aliens. And now I have a new secret to hide. I have to hide the fact that Max, Isabel and Michael are aliens from the rest of general public, and I also have to keep Marcus's and my Immortality as a secret from all of them. It's hard, you know? To keep your own secret from them and then their secret from everyone else.

And according to Marcus there's supposed to be a fourth alien out there. Someone, who has killed people. This alien has even killed Marcus, and Marcus is probably is the only survivor. Maria seemed to be a bit more relaxed...too relaxed, so I asked her about it. She just said that if they try anything funny, she was just going to ask Marcus to beat some sense to them. I have to agree with that; Marcus is clearly intimidating enough to prevent Michael from intimidating her. I wonder why Michael is so hostile?

Anyway, now I have two secrets to hold, and I wonder if that's going to break me eventually. I just hope that Marcus would be able to trust them enough to tell them eventually. Then again, he's old. I can't exactly force him to tell them. I'm tired, so I'm going to bed. But before I'm going to do that, I'm going to write a bit less 'detailed' version of tonight's events to my 'normal' journal.'

Liz put her journal down and placed it back in its hiding place. She then took her 'normal' journal and started writing to it. Leaving out the details about her Immortality.

TBC...

Special thanks to NewYorker18, angeleyes, LittleBit (x5), Norma Bates, Asabetha, katmcken (x3) and dearzy. It's good to see that I'm picking up new readers. It makes me feel appreciated. I'm glad. Extra thanks to Norma Bates for Beta-work.

dearzy Thanks. I mean it. I hope that you'll stick around. I hadn't planned to bring Connor in for a visit just yet, but you never know...

katmcken Welcome for the ride as well.

No more delays. Here's part 13. New part next week. Just remember to provide FB for me, 'cause I need to know what you think.

Title: "Concept of Eternity"
Author: Bored to Mundane life
Disclaimer: They don't belong to me. If they did, Alex would have lived on and season 3 would have been a lot more different. The only character that belongs to me is Marcus Thorne. I also hope that Bruce Dickinson doesn't mind if I use him in this fic.
Synopsis: Liz Parker is having just a regular day at the Crashdown, when suddenly an argument between two customers gets out of hand, and she's shot. She is raced quickly to the hospital, but she dies en route. But before she is considered as a lost cause, her heart starts beating. Later on, her history teacher, Marcus Thorne, tells her that she's an Immortal. She'll be then pulled into the life of the Immortals, better known as 'The Game'. With no way out. But her apparent resurrection has raised other peoples attention as well. And Liz suddenly finds out that she isn't the only one harboring a considerably large secret. But how does Max Evans, his sister Isabel and Michael Guerin fit into this?
Category: Crossover, Roswell/Highlander, strictly CC.
Rating: PG-13, probably R at some point.
Feedback: Definitely appreciated. And definitely needed, so I know that my writing isn't going to waste. Afterall, this IS my first fic.

Part 13:

Thorne Household, Saturday, 14:15 p.m, Basement/Gym

Marcus and Liz walked to the middle of the gym, and Liz looked around, stunned by the amount of various weapons and training equipment. That morning she had been slightly busy talking with Maria. She had still been a bit concerned when the aliens had showed up to eat breakfast at the Crashdown. Fortunately she was able to act casually, but she still had stolen glances at them. Michael had been a bit too hostile towards her, and Maria actually said that she was going to get Marcus to pound some common sense into his head. She shook her head from the morning events and she noticed that there was a speed bag, a punching bag, a chin up bar, a cylindrical bag she didn't recognize and a BOB, or 'Body Opponent Bag'. The floor was completely covered with mats, and there were different markings on them, all indicating a different purpose. There were also a training ring, an exercise ring and the works. Aside from that, the room was sparsely decorated. There were some benches on the left side of the wall, but that's it. Marcus walked to the far end of the wall, which held the weapons, real ones and wooden ones. Marcus then took two kendo sticks, the same ones he had used Wednesday when he had taught Liz his personal Tai Chi-routine. He handed the smaller one to Liz and walked to one of the mats with a drawn ring on it. Then he just stood there, waiting. Liz realized that he was waiting her to join him, so she walked to the other side of the ring. When she was standing against Marcus, he finally spoke.

"Now, we are going to focus on the basics of sword-fighting. As you can see, there are various selections for Immortal to choose his or hers weapon. Usually that decision is based on style, how the blade suits you. Now though, I chose a blade for you, and based on past experience, what I thought would be fitting for you. Is it safe for me to assume that the Wakizashi I gave to you is...suitable," he said.

Liz was a bit confused, but then it dawned to her. He was worried that the weapon he had given her wasn't right, when in fact it was perfect. This scared Liz a bit. She shook her head, and said, "No. It's...perfect."

Marcus smiled. Then he continued, "There is a certain rule which applies to the Martial Arts as well. When you master the basics, from there you can do anything. We have the time to reach the fancier movements and attacks, but basics ALWAYS come first. Do you understand me?"

Liz nodded.

"Good. Now, let's start with the defensive moves. We'll be doing this slowly, so that you can keep up. When you get the hang of this, we'll speed thing up a bit. Now, get ready," Marcus said.

Liz nodded, and settled herself into a stance that 'felt' natural. Then she saw Marcus shaking his head and walking to her. "Liz, you're tense. In a sword-fight, that's a mistake. If you are tense, your movements are slowed down. You have to be relaxed, yet still ready to move. That way you'll be able to fight back more efficiently. Now, let's just adjust your stance a bit..." he trailed off, adjusting Liz stance a bit. When he was finished, Liz was standing there. She was still tense, but not too much. Her legs were aligned vertically, but they weren't too far away. Her knees were bent slightly. She held the kendo stick that way that the tip was downcast, but barely touching the ground. Liz though felt a bit uneasy, but Marcus seemed to be pleased. He then walked to his own spot and settled to his own fighting stance. Liz frowned. He was just...standing there, his kendo stick being held by his right hand, the tip of the kendo touching the ground. Then he locked his eyes on hers. "Are you ready?" he asked.

Liz nodded. "Alright. Now, I'm going to attack slowly, and I want you to parry the attack the way YOU think it would be logical. Then I'll correct it. Now, here it comes," he said.

And then he moved, holding the kendo stick with his both hands and pulling it above his head, then dropping it with a wide arc. Even though it came slowly, Liz still had a hard time to figure out how to parry it. She decided to go by instinct, and parried the attack so, that the kendo stick was horizontally aligned against Marcus's kendo. Then the attack connected. Marcus raised an eyebrow, then moved to correct Liz's posture. He gave some pointers and told her what to do to take on a faster and stronger attack. Then he moved back to his original position and started to go through rest of the basic parries. When he was done with that, he stopped. "Alright, now you know the basic parries. NOW we are going to test them. I'm going to attack you now, but I'm going to be doing it a bit faster now, and I'll continue to increase the speed. Ready?" he asked.

Liz nodded, and they started. At first the pace wasn't too bad. Liz was able to parry each attack Marcus executed against her. Then he picked up the pace again, and now Liz had a bit harder time to maintain the speed, although she was still able to parry the attacks. Marcus stopped for a moment, then said, "Now here we come to your movement. Don't ever stay at one spot. Move. Dodging is usually the best way to defend yourself, because it will force your opponent change their position and, hopefully, where you can get the upper hand."

He moved back to his original spot, and Liz followed suit. When they were ready, Marcus continued. "Now I will attack you slowly, but instead of parrying, I want you to dodge the oncoming attack. Ready?" he asked.

Liz nodded. Marcus gave a thrust with his kendo stick, and Liz moved out from its way. Marcus frowned. "Liz, don't move that far away from the blade. First lean away from it and then move out of the way. Got that?" he said.

Liz nodded, and they tried again. This time Marcus was more pleased with the result, so they continued. They were done a short time later. "Very good, Liz. Now we increase the pace again, but now I want you to parry AND dodge. Which means that you can either parry or dodge the attack, or you can do both at the same time. I'll be moving a bit faster this time. Ready?" he said.

Liz nodded, and they started again. This time Liz did better than before. Marcus started to increase his pace more, and Liz was having a hard time keeping up. She was then forced to move around, avoiding Marcus's advances. Then something happened that she wasn't prepared for. Marcus suddenly moved his kendo stick in a horizontal wide arc, toward the back of her left knee joint, and when the attack connected, her leg shot upward and she lost her balance, dropping on the mat on her back. She exclaimed from the pain, but then her eyes widened when she felt the kendo's tip touching her throat. "Not bad, Liz. Though we still need to focus your awareness in the future," he said. He glanced at his watch and sighed. "We'll take a break and continue with your basic attacks." He then noticed that she was still on the ground. "Do you need help?" he asked.

Liz nodded slightly, and Marcus extended his right hand to her. She took it and Marcus pulled her up. She winced at the pain on her left leg, which felt like it had thousands of tiny needles pinned on to it. She rubbed her knee slightly, trying to alleviate the pain. Liz noticed that Marcus was still standing there, waiting. He sighed and lifted her onto his arms. Liz yelped from the sudden action, but relaxed when Marcus carried her to the benches. He landed her to them and sat down next to her. He then took her left leg to his lap and started to massage it. Liz sighed, it felt really good. True, her Quickening could have healed it, but since it was a more of a muscle strain, it wouldn't heal too quickly, so Marcus decided to take the next best solution. Liz relaxed herself to the bench and leaned onto the wall. ["God, he has skilled hands. I wonder if he seduces women this way,"] she thought. Then she suddenly moaned when Marcus massaged her knee strongly, yet still gently. Marcus gave her a look. Liz blushed and murmured, "Sorry."

Marcus chuckled slightly, "It's all right. I get that a lot when I give massages."

Liz's eyebrow rose from curiosity and she asked, "Who taught you to be THIS good?" Then she sighed again when Marcus continued to massage the area around her knee.

Marcus had a wistful smile on his lips, and he said, "My second wife, Netsume, taught me this. Actually, she had to use this particular massage technique a lot because my mentor could be a bit too...harsh with his training methods."

Liz's brow furrowed. If Marcus's mentor had been 'rough' during the time when Marcus was a beginner, that probably meant that Marcus was going easy on her. Then Marcus felt her knee and removed her leg from his lap. Liz moved it a bit, and it felt fine. She then glanced at Marcus, who now was in deep thought. ["Or more likely thinking about Netsume,"] she thought.

Marcus then glanced at Liz and noticed her worried expression. He just waved her off, and said, "Don't worry about me, I'm dealing. It's just that...every time I hear or smell something, it triggers this memory from one of my wives. Your comment brought back some memories from Netsume, but unfortunately that's what they are now, just memories. But sometimes that's enough to keep me grounded."

Liz bit her lip. She had wanted to ask him about certain issue, but the circumstances haven't been exactly good during the past few days. Then she made up her mind. She wanted answers, and she would get them. "You know, I've been thinking about your life in general, and..." she said, but was cut off by Marcus.

"Liz, trust me. You don't want to think about my life too much. Just do me a favor and live a life of your own," Marcus said.

"Let me finish," Liz said quickly. "It's when I heard that Rebecca was your adopted daughter. Why did you adopt her in the first place?" she asked.

Marcus sighed. "Liz, I'm not sure if you are ready to hear it," he said.

Liz was worried now. "Hear what?" she asked.

Marcus glanced at Liz, and noticed that she was concerned. Then he shook his head. This was something that could devastate her completely. Yet she wanted to know. Marcus put his hands over his face and groaned. Then he ran them through his hair. "Alright. Are you sure you want to hear this?" he asked.

Liz nodded, but truth be told, she was worried about what she was going to hear.

Marcus swallowed and said, "Liz, I had two reasons to adopt Rebecca. One, she didn't have anyone to take care of her. Second, I can't have children of my own."

Liz's eyes widened. "Are you telling me that you're...sterile?" she asked.

Marcus nodded, having a sad look in his eyes. He then glanced at Liz and said, "Liz, Immortals CAN'T have children. I don't know why, but that's the way it is. I can't impregnate a woman, and YOU can't get pregnant."

Liz blinked. And Marcus could have sworn that her face paled. She stood up quickly and started pacing, muttering something under her breath, though Marcus had a good idea what it was. She then stopped and looked at Marcus. Her eyes were swelling a bit, a clear sign that she was going to cry. She started to shake her head, and kept saying, "No," over and over. Then she started crying. Marcus stood up and walked to her and pulled her to an embrace. Liz struggled a bit, trying to get free, with out much success. Then she stopped and grabbed his shirt tightly, her sobs muffled by Marcus's shirt. Marcus just stood there, giving her what she needed now. Sympathy and support.

*************************************************************

Roswell General Hospital, 14:58 p.m

Adam Hills was busy at the moment. He had tons of paperwork to do and he STILL needed to monitor one of his patients. Then he saw something at the reception. The nurse was having an argument with a man in a black suit. ["Well, that didn't take too long,"] he thought. He walked to the reception and asked the nurse, "What's going on?"

Then the man addressed him, "Dr. Adam Hills?"

"Yes," Adam answered.

Then the man pulled a badge from his coat pocket. "Agent Stevens from the FBI. I'd like to have the medical records for a Ms. Elizabeth Parker," he said.

"Look, Agent, I don't care if you are the President of the US, but I can't give you those records. It's against the hospital policy," Adam said.

"It's a matter of national security," Agent Stevens said.

"Then show me some evidence about THAT, and I might comply. If you don't, there's the exit," Adam said, indicating the front entrance.

Agent Stevens seemed to ponder the situation for a minute, then he complied and walked away without saying a word. Adam just shook his head. ["He'll find a way to get those files. Fortunately they don't contain anything suspicious. Still, I won't be holding any illusions that Topolski is going stop because of that,"] he thought. He then said his goodbye to the nurse and walked off to check his patient. He WAS a doctor, after all.

*************************************************************

Thorne Household, 15:13 p.m, Basement/Gym

"Here, drink this," Marcus said, handing Liz a cup of tea. Liz had stopped crying, but she still looked devastated. She gave him a look, then glanced at the cup. She gave a short laugh, with an edge of sadness. She smelled strawberries, which meant that it was same tea as it was last Monday. She took the cup and drank some of it. She sighed and relaxed a bit. She then noticed that Marcus was sitting next to her, having a sympathetic look on his face. Liz swallowed. "W-when were you going to tell me?" she asked, her voice hitching a bit.

Marcus sighed. "Well, preferably inside a month. For a simple reason that you weren't ready to hear this," he said.

Liz snorted, and muttered, "Understatement of the millennium."

Marcus gave her a look of hurt. "Liz, if you think that I don't understand how this feels to you, you're wrong. I know what kind of bond a woman has with her child when it grows inside her, but do you honestly think that men don't have similar bond?" he said.

Liz glanced at Marcus and saw the hurt in his eyes. Then she remembered that her parents had pictures from Nancy when she was pregnant. She then remembered the look on Jeff face, which could be better described as pure happiness. Then she felt bad. There WAS a bond between a father and a child, even if the child was still inside mother's womb. When she realized this, she also realized that Marcus had NEVER felt that kind of bond in his life. She looked at the ground in shame and said, "I'm sorry."

Marcus sighed. "Liz, you have good reason to be upset because of this, but believe me when I say this, you weren't ready to hear it. I know you like children, but you are too young to think about it now anyway," he said softly.

Liz sniffled a bit, then asked, "So that's the reason why you adopt children?"

Marcus nodded. "Yes, that's the reason I adopt children. True, they aren't my flesh and blood, but when they grow up, it hurts as much as with real children when they don't need you anymore," he said with a smile. But then his face hardened. "But it hurts even more when you outlive them, no matter what," he said.

Liz nodded. She already found it terrifying that she was going to outlive her friends and family, but she couldn't even start to comprehend what it would feel like if you would outlive your own children. Even if they were adopted. She drank her tea. "Do my parents know about this?" she asked.

"Yes," Marcus answered.

"And they didn't tell me," she said sadly.

"For the same reason I didn't. Though I suggest that you take this to Nancy, if you want. She's the one who agreed with me. Besides, I have a good feeling I know how you feel at the moment," Marcus said.

Marcus's features softened a bit when he noticed that Liz was about to argue. "Liz, you are too young to think about parenthood. But nobody is ready for it until it happens. I truly know how you're feeling at the moment, because even I felt devastated when I heard that I can't have children. That still doesn't stop you from becoming a parent," he said.

Liz thought through what Marcus said, and she had to agree with it. She WAS too young to think about it, but that still didn't mean that it wouldn't hurt. She drank the rest of her tea, and put the cup away. Then Marcus suddenly said, "You know, right now we have two choises. One, we can brood here about our inability to have children, or you can ask one of those questions that is just itching to get out."

Liz laughed a bit, with a smile on her lips. She was still feeling a bit morose, but that still didn't stop her, and she DID have questions.

"Why Iron Maiden? Considering your age I would have thought that you are more into..." she said but her sentence was finished by Marcus.

"Classical music." He shook his head. "I prefer Iron Maiden any given day. I always found classical music boring. I even snored during one of Mozart's symphonies," he said, chuckling to the memory.

Liz had to put her hand over her mouth to cover the giggle that escaped from her lips. Then her shoulders shook from muffled laughter, when she pictured how Marcus was snoring during Mozart's symphony and him being kicked out.

"Besides, I've been a fan of Iron Maiden from the start, but when Bruce joined with them in 1982, I began to appreciate and admire Bruce's ability to live without a risk to lose his head," Marcus said.

Liz's brow furrowed. "I'm not exactly familiar with the band, but I'd like to know how you...um...when you met this Bruce character," she said.

Marcus leaned to the wall and scratched his head. Then he snapped his fingers. "It was around 1756, I had a fight with Amanda that day. One of the worst ones, to be accurate. When she gets angry, you don't want to be around. True, I could have taken her on in a fight, but I didn't want to hurt her, even if she is an Immortal. So I took a walk and allowed her to cool off, and that's when I met him..." he trailed off.

~*Flashback*~

London, England, 1756

Marcus sighed and glanced around. There was no one around. Then again, no one walked through London streets at this time of night unless they had a death wish. Muggers and thieves were a constant problem at this time of night. Marcus wasn't concerned, though. He just felt sorry for the poor bastards who would be stupid enough to try to mug him. Then he let out a frustrated grunt. ["Why does Amanda have to be so adamant to steal. Sure, she's a thief, but that doesn't mean that she has to steal every single day. Once a year would be fine,"] he thought. When he had prevented her to go to Buckingham palace and steal the Queens crown, she had flipped. Marcus had prevented the thrill she always got from the nightly ventures, and she released her frustration on him. This made Marcus frustrated. Even though he claimed otherwise, he was a gentleman, and he refused to hurt Amanda. True, he had impaled her heart with his katana a long time ago in a challenge, but still...he didn't like it, and since he refused to physically injure her, he left, letting Amanda to release her anger on the furniture. He was pulled out from his thoughts when he heard a noise behind him. He quickly turned around, only to see three men approaching him. Then he glanced back to the direction where he was originally heading, and saw three more men appear from the shadows. ["Muggers,"] he thought grimly. The leader addressed him, "Well, what do we 'ave here. One o' the rich folk walking around without protection. It seems to be our lucky day, don't ya agree mates?" There was a roar of laughter around Marcus. "Why don't ya be a good boy and give us your money and clothes. Or me and my mates are going to take them from your corpse," the leader said. Marcus snorted. ["Only six and unarmed?"] he thought. Then he glanced all of the muggers a bit more thoroughly. He noticed that one of the thugs was carrying a sword. Three others were armed with daggers. The rest, well, they were unarmed but in good physical condition. ["Alright, FOUR of them are armed."] He grinned, ["It'll just make this more fun then, doesn't it."]

"You know, if you six drunken idiots would have the brains to walk away, I might let you walk out of here alive," Marcus said, still grinning.

The muggers exchanged glances, confused by his comment. Usually aristocrats turned into shivering cowards when they were threatened. But this one threatened THEM, and that was something they weren't used to. The leader got angry. "Are ya insane or do ya 'ave a death wish, mate? Ya are all alone here, while we 'ave six men to beat ya to a bloody pile of flesh," he said.

Marcus just shrugged. "You know, I REALLY tried to reason with you here, but since you obviously don't like to listen to reason, I'll just have to beat you," he said. Then he beckoned them with his left hand. "Who would like to be first?" he asked.

One of the muggers advanced towards Marcus, who just sidestepped the mugger and backhanded his neck. The mugger howled from pain and collapsed onto the ground. Then another one decided to join in, pulling his knife out, and lashed at Marcus. Marcus just dodged every swing the second mugger made. After a few moments of this, Marcus had enough. He grabbed the muggers knife hand into a vice-grip hold and squeezed *hard*. The mugger's eyes widened and he screamed when his bones started to break under the grip. Then Marcus yanked the knife from the mugger hand and kneed him to the gut, which doubled the mugger over. Then Marcus smashed his left elbow to mugger's neck, promptly breaking it. The other muggers were starting to circle around him, though one of them was smart enough to run. Fourth mugger had pulled his sword out and advanced towards Marcus. Marcus just kept dodging the thrusts. One of the muggers, armed with a dagger, tried to sneak behind him. Marcus noticed this and spun around, grabbing the mugger's wrist and pulling him in front of himself. Then Marcus turned them both around and the sword wielder impaled his comrade with his blade. Marcus released the mugger he used as a shield and gave a high kick to the sword wielder, breaking his jaw in the process. Now there was only one left to fight. The leader. Marcus gave him a cold look, but the leader wasn't impressed. Instead of running, he pulled a musket and aimed it towards Marcus. "Ya can fight, I 'ave to hand it to ya. But I don't think ya can dodge a bullet," he said, grinning.

Then Marcus felt it. A 'buzz'. Another Immortal had reached to Marcus's own personal radar, and the 'buzz' was getting louder. He didn't hear anything, though. Which probably meant that whoever was approaching was good. Then he saw the other Immortal. He was standing behind the leader, who hadn't even noticed his presence. The Immortal just grabbed the leader around the head and twisted it, breaking his neck and a sick *crack* sounded. Then the Immortal released the corpse, letting it fall to the ground. Then the Immortal stared at Marcus, who still had his eyes locked on the stranger. They both sized each other up, both waiting the other to make the fist move. Neither moved for about 5 minutes. Marcus, against his better judgment, decided to glance around, knowing that there was an alley behind the other Immortal. His eyes locked to it for a moment, and the stranger noticed this also, and followed Marcus's gaze. Then he chuckled. After that followed a loud laughter. Marcus just raised an eyebrow to this. "Would you mind to explain to me what is so hilarious?" he asked the Immortal.

Stranger just shook his head, still chuckling. "You know, mate, you wouldn't stand a chance against me in a challenge," he said.

Marcus just folded his arms to his chest, and snorted. "You're young to my standards. I'd say you'd be about, what, 300 years old?" Marcus said.

The stranger stopped laughing. He seemed insulted. "I'm over 400 years old, mate. And believe me, YOU do know how to fight, but you STILL wouldn't stand a chance against me," he said with an edge of hostility.

Marcus just grinned. "I'm over 1800 years old, so I think that YOU, my friend, are at a disadvantage," he said.

Stranger seemed to be pondering the situation for a moment. Then he suddenly clapped his hands together and said, "What do you say if we go find a decent pub and have a couple of beers? I got to admit that I have never met anyone with YOUR skill. Could be interesting," he said. Then he snorted out a laugh, waved his left hand in the air in a dismissal gesture and said, "Hell, I don't even give a damn about the stupid 'Game'. I always prefer friends over enemies." He then turned his glance to Marcus. "What do you say, mate? Interested?" he asked.

Marcus thought it over. Physically the man looked a bit older than Marcus, but overall the stranger WAS younger compared to him. Besides, Marcus needed the distraction. He shrugged and said, "I have nothing better to do at the moment. Though I'd like to know your name before we go."

"True enough. It's hard to talk with a man without knowing his name," the stranger said. Then he bowed and said, "Bruce Callahan, at your service. And who might you be, mate?"

"Marcus. Marcus Williams," Marcus said politely.

"Well then, Mr. Williams. Shall we head to a pub and get drunk?" Bruce asked.

Marcus laughed at this. "Mr. Callahan, it'll take more than couple of glasses of beer to get me drunk these days. But that doesn't mean that I'd refuse the offer, so lead the way, if you know a good place," he said.

Bruce then started to laugh as well and lead the way. They completely ignored the two muggers who were groaning on the ground in pain.

*************************************************************

A nameless pub, an hour later

Marcus and Bruce just laughed out loud, getting the attention from the other customers. Bruce had just made a remark about the arrogance that always was connected to the British, and Marcus had no choice but to agree. But what got them laugh so loud was when Bruce told a joke about how the British soldiers were so dumb that they lose men just by walking to the battle. So far they had been left alone, but some of the patrons gave them cold looks. Marcus had to clamp his mouth with his hand to stop laughing, but didn't succeed too well. Bruce wasn't worried at all. Sure, he was British himself, but he never quite understood why the British military had to be so...impractical.

When Bruce finally stopped laughing, he asked from Marcus, "So, where are you from? For some reason you don't strike to me as a local."

"I'm from the northern regions," Marcus answered, being vague on purpose.

"Oh, come on, mate! I won't hold it against you if you're from Iceland," Bruce said in an effort to relax the older man.

"Fine. If it's so interesting at the moment, I'm from Finland. You happy?" Marcus asked finally.

Bruce had a confused expression on his face, which said that he didn't recognize the country. Marcus sighed. Basically that was because Finland was considered to be property of Sweden, and that knowledge irritated Marcus to no end. "Don't worry about it, most people on the world don't know about its existence. Let's just say that it's ruled by Sweden at the moment," Marcus said with a sigh.

There was a small hint of realization in Bruce's eyes. "So, you're from the countries where the Vikings came from?" he asked.

Marcus just nodded. "Yep. Though my country-men didn't exactly venture around too much. I haven't exactly visited my homeland during the past 4 centuries. Things might have changed from the last time I was there," he said.

Bruce just nodded. "You know, I have never seen anyone move like the way YOU did with those muggers. Who was your teacher, if I may ask?"

"Takashi Yashida. He taught me all about the Martial and Kendo Arts." He chuckled. "Have to hand it to him. He was way before his time when he taught me. But then again, he had been the student of Kamakura, a genius who made a very unique sword for Ramirez. Never met the Egyptian, though," Marcus said.

"I heard Kurgan chopped off his head about 200 years ago. Ramirez got close, though," Bruce said, but then he got a grim look on his face. "Not close enough."

Marcus eyes came up when he heard the name Kurgan. "I fought against that bastard 600 years ago in Italy. That time we were too evenly matched. I swear, we were destroying more landscape than causing injuries to one another. I decided to cut the fight short and jumped off the cliff," Marcus said. He chuckled. "He cursed me for running like that, but I didn't fancy getting caught by angry mob. Though I heard later that Kurgan slaughtered them all."

Bruce leaned back to his chair and sighed. "You're lucky to survive his clutches. My teacher didn't," Bruce said solemnly. Then he hears something and turns around. Marcus followed his gaze. There are 8 British soldiers drinking and one of them is harassing a waitress.

"Sir, I have work to do," the waitress says, but the soldier doesn't listen. "Look, milady, I'm a soldier of the crown and I'd like to have your lovely company for tonight," he says. There was a roar of laughter from the other soldiers. "Hey, why don't you share her with us?" one of the other soldier says, and they all seem to be slightly drunk.

The waitress slaps the offending soldier to the face and walks off. That didn't stop the soldier that was harassing her before. He grabbed her arm and says with a menacing tone, "You know, wench, I'd pay a bit more respect towards us."

Then a vice-grip hand hold descended on the soldier's arm. Bruce had walked to the waitress and the drunken fool and intervened. Bruce then says in a VERY low tone, "I believe that the lady would like to be left alone."

The soldier's eyes are widened from disbelief. Then he manages to pull himself together and swings at Bruce, who just dugs underneath it and knees the soldier to the groin. Soldier howls in pain and doubles over to the ground. By now, his comrades had gotten up and started to close in on Bruce. Then they stop dead on their tracks. Marcus stood in front of them, his eyes cold and menacing. He growls at them, "If you value your health, I suggest that you leave. NOW."

The soldiers all glance at each other. They out numbered the interlopers at least 3 to 1, not to mention other patrons at the pub who might join in the fight. Unfortunately the soldiers were too drunk to listen for reason or think clearly, so they attacked. Marcus sidestepped one of the soldiers and tripped him, letting him fall onto the counter head first. This erupted a chain of events, which lead to an all out brawl. People were fighting against each other. There were punches flying all around Marcus and Bruce. Bruce dodged a swing and kneed a patron in their gut. Then he gave a hard right to one of the soldiers who tried to sneak behind him, knocking him out cold. He stole a glance at Marcus, and his eyes widened from disbelief. Marcus was blocking and dodging punches from 3 soldiers at the same time. True, the soldiers WERE drunk, but they should have been able to land at least one or two punches. Then Marcus kicked one of the soldiers in the gut, and followed with a high side kick to the second soldier at his right. Then he spun around and backhanded the last soldier. Bruce was pulled back from his amazement when someone punched him. He was disoriented only for a second but he still couldn't prevent himself from hitting the table. He turned around and kicked his assailant in the gut, then he back-somersaulted over the table. Once on the other side, he grabbed a stool and hit the poor bastard in the head with it. He then grabbed one of the beer mugs and hit other patron to the back of his head. Then he glanced around, shrugged, and jumped to the fray.

*************************************************************

10 minutes later

Bruce stumbled to an unconscious man. He felt a bit disoriented for the multiple punches to his face. Hell, someone had hit him on his back with a chair. He wiped a bit of blood from the corner of his lip, and winced when he brushed his still open cut. He then glanced over at Marcus. He was standing there, holding one of the soldiers by the collar. Then Marcus just dropped him and started to adjust his suit, wiping some dust from his shoulders.

Bruce was stunned. The older Immortal hadn't received a single blow during the bar-fight, and now he just cleaned himself up like it was an every day occurrence to him. Bruce just shook his head. He had SERIOUSLY underestimated the older man. ["If I would ever challenge him, I'd be the one to lose my head,"] Bruce thought. Then he saw Marcus walk to the pub owner, who was gawking for the sheer mess. Tables were lying around, some upside-down and some broken. Most of the chairs were in pieces as well, and most of the glasses were broken into a thousand pieces. Marcus just took a pouch from the interior of his coat and gave it to the keeper. "This should cover the damage," he said. Then he just headed to the door, but stopped in front of it. He glanced at Bruce. "You coming?" he asked.

Bruce just shook his head and walked to him. Then they both left the pub-owner standing there alone, still holding the pouch. He then looked at it and decided to open it. When he was done, he emptied the content of the pouch to the counter. His eyes widened in disbelief when he saw 3 rubies on the counter. All of them were about a size of a peanut. Then he started laughing. He laughed so loud that both Marcus and Bruce heard him to the outside. Bruce looked at Marcus and asked, "What did you give him to make him so happy?"

Marcus just grinned. "Three rubies. Worth enough to buy an Inn," he said. "Two Inns, if you feel the need to squander," he said as an afterthought.

Bruce just laughed out loud and shook his head. They walked for a while, until Marcus said, "Thank you from an entertaining evening. I hope I'll see again in equally enjoyable situation." Then he extended his hand.

Bruce gave Marcus a firm handshake and said, "I wouldn't mind at all, but I'd gladly leave brawls out of it in the future."

Marcus thought it over and nodded his head. "How true." Then they started to walk to the opposite directions, when Marcus suddenly called out. "Bruce!!" Bruce stopped and glanced at Marcus. "Just make sure that you don't lose your head! You're one of the few Immortals I could consider as a friend!" Marcus said.

Bruce just grinned, and said, "I won't." Then they parted their ways.

~*End flashback*~

"So that's how you met him?" Liz asked.

Marcus nodded. "We met on and off throughout the past centuries. Though we had the tendency to start fights every where we went. I think the last time I saw him was during 'Ed Hunter' tour at Boston," he said. Marcus then glanced at the calendar behind him. "I think that he's in Barcelona at the moment. Oh, and he send me a letter last Tuesday."

"What did he have to say? Or was he just telling you how he's doing?" Liz asked.

"Actually, he said that the Iron Maiden is going to perform a surprise tour back here in Roswell about three days before the 'UFO Convention'. The general public of Roswell, New Mexico and the rest of the U.S. has NO idea that they're doing this," Marcus said, grinning. Then he said sternly. "And I'd like to keep it that way. So no telling to the others."

Liz nodded her head. "I think I can do that," she said.

Marcus smiled. "Good." Then he glanced at his clock. "What do you say we continue with our training, though we can stop now if you're not up to it," he said quickly.

"Let's continue," Liz said. Marcus gave her a worried look. Liz added, "Yea, I'm a bit upset by your revelation about my inability to have children, but what choice do I have? Brood?" Liz shook her head, "No, better just deal with this and move on. Maybe in the future it'll come back to bother me, but I'll deal with it then."

Marcus nodded empathically and stood up. He took his kendo stick and walked to the ring. Liz took her own and followed suit. Then Marcus proceeded with the days training by teaching Liz basic attack movements. Before they started, Liz decided to ask about something Marcus had mentioned briefly. "What about Kurgan? Should I be worried about him?" she asked.

Marcus shook his head. "No. You don't have to worry about Kurgan. He got a very 'deep' shave about 14 years ago by Connor MacLeod. I got to hand it to the Highlander, he pulled it through quite nicely. Something I couldn't do over 800 years ago," Marcus said.

Liz sighed in relief. She definitely wouldn't have wanted to face that particular headhunter if he had been alive. With that worry out from her mind, they continued with her training.

*************************************************************

Sheriff's Station, 15:56 p.m

Sheriff Valenti was NOT a happy camper. For some reason FBI agents were crawling around his office and were taking all the files even remotely regarding any strange happenings, including the incident at the Crashdown Café and to the mysterious murder in 1959. He tried to ask what was going on from one of the agents, but it would be easier to get an answer out from a brick-wall than these goons. "Sheriff Valenti," a voice called out behind him, so he turned around. "Agent Stevens from FBI. We'll be confiscating all the relevant material concerning the incident at the local café," he said.

"Listen, Agent. You told me to contact you if I'd see anything weird, but that hasn't happened yet. And if you don't mind, what are you finding so interesting about an argument between two thugs?" Valenti asked, getting annoyed.

"We understand that the café's waitress survived from the shooting and was released from the hospital the very next day. That kind of recovery isn't normal, so we are investigating it," Agent Stevens answered.

Valenti ran his hand through his hair, releasing a frustrated grunt. "There are miraculous recoveries reported all across the U.S. Why did THIS particular incident catch your attention?" he asked.

"That's 'need-to-know' information, and at the moment, YOU don't need to know. Have a nice day, Sheriff," Agent said, and headed to his car.

Valenti just looked dumbfounded at the agents when they filed themselves to their cars and drove off. He kicked a rock out of pure anger. ["God damn bastards! Good thing I hid that key in my thermos. Besides, why the hell did they show up here, anyway?"] Valenti thought. He then walked toward his patrol car, disgusted. He then drove off to his patrol. He growled silently to himself. He was feeling edgy and having the FBI agents to ransack his office didn't help.

*************************************************************

On the other side of the street, Adam Hills was hiding behind a tree. When he had seen an FBI agent disguised as a doctor taking copies from Liz Parker's medical records, he decided to keep an eye on him. He knew that those records wouldn't show anything unusual, but he had no idea why the agents practically emptied the sheriff's office. He glanced at his clock and decided to take a short tour of the Crashdown to check on Ms. Parker. Then he saw something else. He noticed how a young man was standing about a hundred yards away from him, walking away. He was carrying binoculars in his hand. Hills's brow furrowed from confusion. ["I wonder what that's about."] He made a mental note to find out who the kid was.

*************************************************************

Sheriff's Station, 19:30 p.m, Back alley

Michael glanced upward. The window to the Sheriff's office was barred. Nothing he couldn't handle. Ever since Marcus had told them about the possibility of another alien, he had become obsessed. And the fact that there was a photograph about it was a bonus. The problem was that it seemed that the FBI had taken most of the files out of there. He ignored the idea of a wild goose chase. Max and Isabel could have their 'normal' life if they wanted it. He didn't need it. This morning he had tried to be as nice as he could towards Maria, without much success. The problem was that Michael always was a bit too hostile to other people, but now he directed some of his anger to the wrong person. Maria was offended and she even made a threat that she would ask Marcus to 'pound some sense' into him. Michael had been quiet around Maria after that because he took Maria's threat literally, and Michael didn't like that idea one bit. He shook his head and started to climb to the window and opens the grate by using his powers. He then walks to the cabinets and starts browsing through the files. ["Damn it! There's nothing here!"] he thought angrily. He had been searching through file cabinets for about 15 minutes already and he wasn't getting anywhere. He then walks to Valenti's desk and opens one of the drawers. He notices the thermos and shakes it a bit. There's something loose hidden to it. Michael is opening the thermos when Max suddenly appears to the window. Michael jerks up a bit, dropping something on the desk. "Michael, Valenti is back! Isabel is keeping him distracted, but we have to go NOW!" Max says urgently.

Michael notices that it was a small key that was hidden in the thermos and he takes it. The minute he touches it, he gets a flash.

~*Flash*~

A dome of some kind, but the image is too fast to make out any details.

~*End flash*~

Michael stumbles after the flash ended and makes a loud noise in the process. Max helps Michael up and they both head out of the window. Max then closes the grate and locks it with his powers. Just before the Sheriff bursts through the door, they had jumped to the dumpster down below. "See, piece of cake," Michael says. Max just gives him a cold look. Both Max and Michael head to the jeep where Isabel was waiting for them and they leave.

*************************************************************

The sheriff had finished changing the tire and had walked back in to wash his hands when he heard a noise in his office. He didn’t see anyone in there so he went across the room and checked the gate. It was still locked. He shrugged and continued on to the bathroom.

*************************************************************

Unfortunately for Michael, Max and Isabel, someone had seen them. Adam Hills had followed Michael to the Sheriff's Station and he was curious why a kid from high-school would do something like this. He had seen how Mr. Guerin had entered to the Station, but he couldn’t figure out how he opened the gate. He also recognized the boy who got out of a jeep and climbed the pipe to the room and joined Guerin in the office. It was the same jeep that had tried to follow Marcus last Tuesday. If his interest in the kids hadn't peaked then, it did now. ["These three seem to be having various interests. I'm going to have to keep a closer eye on them in the future."] With that thought, he disappeared into the shadows.

*************************************************************

Parker Household, 21:15 p.m, Liz's balcony

Liz was writing on her 'normal' journal. She had already written that day's events in her 'special' journal, but she still needed to get the normal journal done. Liz sighed. Just when she thought that her world couldn't get anymore complicated, life decided to surprise her again. Then she remembered Marcus's words during her practice with attack-techniques.

"Normal life is always in some ways predictable. Immortal life isn't. It's always filled with surprises and unexpected events. The sole reason for that is simply this: 'You know that there's another world beyond the one that mortals see.' Even now, we have both learned something new entirely, something neither one of us expected. So life is going to be making cart-wheels the moment you least expect it."

And Liz had to agree with it. Her world-view had been changed the minute she got shot. She found out that there are beings that could live forever. Then, yesterday she finds out that there indeed is life out there, in the depth of space. She had spent most of her school-years right next to one. Namely Max Evans. Who was in love with HER. And to top THAT off, she today found out that she could never be able to have children. That knowledge hurt even more than anything Marcus had said to her so far. She was pulled out from her thoughts when she heard a noise coming from the fire-escape. Then she saw Max climbing over the ledge. Her brow furrowed. "Max?" she said.

Max just looked around a bit, then finally said, "Hi."

Liz blinked, but managed to say, "Hi." Then she asked, "What are you doing here?"

Max seemed to be uncomfortable for some reason. He looked around, trying to find something to focus on but failed miserably. He then glanced at Liz, who by now was worried. "I needed to see you," he said.

"Why?" Liz asked, clearly confused.

Max sighed. "Liz, if Michael didn't stop me that day, I would have healed you. No matter the consequences," he said.

"You would have saved me in spite of the danger?" she asked, completely dumbfounded by this particular revelation. When she saw Max nod his head, she asked, "Why?"

Max smiles. "It was you. That would have been reason enough for me," he said.

Liz is now completely thunderstruck. She averted her gaze from Max for a moment to ponder what he had just said. Then she looked back at him. Since he was taller than she was, Liz had to look up slightly to meet his eyes. His eyes seemed...lonely, filled with hope and...love. She took a small step back. "Max. I...I think you should...go," she said, her eyes downcast.

Max just nodded, taken back by her reaction. He was about to climb down the fire-escape, when he heard Liz call after him. He stopped.

"Max, I…I’m sorry...I just have so many things going on in my life at the moment," she said. Then she swallowed. "What I'm trying to say is...thank you."

Max turned his head to see her. She had a small smile on her lips. She continued. "Thank you for letting me know that someone else besides my family and Mr. Thorne cares about me," she said.

Max smiled and said, "You're welcome." Max lingered for a while. He wanted to ask about the flash he had seen yesterday. "Liz," he said softly.

"I...I saw something else yesterday. When I received a flash of you as a 9-year-old," he said.

Liz's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

Max looked at her. "I saw Marcus handing something that looked like a sword to you. You were both standing in a warehouse," he said.

Liz's eyes widened and she quickly averted her gaze from Max. Max said, "Liz. I don't know why Marcus did that, but something tells me that there is more to him than he lets other's see, but I don't understand how you are connected to him." Then Max pleaded, "Please, tell me."

Liz shook her head slightly. "I can't," she said. "Not yet and not without Marcus's consent."

"Why?" Max asked.

"Because that's something that doesn't involve just me, Max," Liz said.

"Liz, I told you that I'm an alien, and I didn't ask Isabel's or Michael's consent for it. What makes this different?" Max asked.

"There was three of you," Liz said plainly. "With me and Marcus...it's more than that."

Max thought what Liz had said to him through. "Liz, I won't push you. If I would do that, I would probably get into trouble with Marcus, but I hope you can tell me someday," Max said.

Liz nodded. "Maybe. Someday," she said with a smile. Max nodded and smiled slightly. Then he climbed down the fire-escape.

When he was gone, Liz slumped on to the lawn chair. She still had a smile on her lips, and she murmured, "Marcus was right. My life is completely unpredictable now."

TBC...

Special thanks to NewYorker18 (x3), angeleyes, Asabetha, LittleBit (x5), katmcken and poisonshock. Hey, a new reader! And yes, I received your email, as you probably know by now. Special thanks to Norma Bates for beta-work.

A tiny bit of information. Don't be confused when Richie is being adressed as either 'Mr. Ryan' or 'Mr. Redstone', because they are the same person. Richie was forced to make himself a new identity when he died in a motorcycle racing accident in episode 'Take Back The Night'. Hope that little info helped out. (And it was for those who hasn't seen Highlander TV-series).

Okay, I think I have been delaying long enough as it is. Here's part 14. Next part next week.

Title: "Concept of Eternity"
Author: Bored to Mundane life
Disclaimer: They don't belong to me. If they did, Alex would have lived on and season 3 would have been a lot more different. The only character that belongs to me is Marcus Thorne. I also hope that Bruce Dickinson doesn't mind if I use him in this fic.
Synopsis: Liz Parker is having just a regular day at the Crashdown, when suddenly an argument between two customers gets out of hand, and she's shot. She is raced quickly to the hospital, but she dies en route. But before she is considered as a lost cause, her heart starts beating. Later on, her history teacher, Marcus Thorne, tells her that she's an Immortal. She'll be then pulled into the life of the Immortals, better known as 'The Game'. With no way out. But her apparent resurrection has raised other peoples attention as well. And Liz suddenly finds out that she isn't the only one harboring a considerably large secret. But how does Max Evans, his sister Isabel and Michael Guerin fit into this?
Category: Crossover, Roswell/Highlander, strictly CC.
Rating: PG-13, probably R at some point.
Feedback: Definitely appreciated. And definitely needed, so I know that my writing isn't going to waste. Afterall, this IS my first fic.

Part 14:

Parker's Household, Sunday, 8:15 a.m, Liz's bedroom

The clock-radio turned on and the annoying voice of the DJ blared out. Liz groggily hit the radio off-button. Sure, she usually was a morning person, but her jogs and exercises had taken a lot out from her. And it didn't help that she had been up at least 'till 1 a.m. She just felt more awake after the exercise so she couldn't sleep. When she finally did fall sleep, it was quite late. Liz got up and headed straight to the bathroom. When she got out, she put on fresh clothes and walked to the kitchen. Then she noticed something weird. There was some luggage lying on the living room floor, and Claudia was packing another one on her room. Liz blinked for the image. "Grandma?" she called out.

Claudia stopped her packing when she noticed Liz standing in the bedroom door way. "Oh, good morning, Liz. You're up early," Claudia said.

"Grandma, what are you doing?" Liz asked, confusion etched in her voice.

"Honey bear, I'm going to see the Indian Immortal Marcus talked about. Marcus called me yesterday and told me that Daniel Gray Eagle had moved to Ganado, Arizona. According to Marcus, he's teaching Native American history at Diné College. Marcus pulled some strings and was able to get me an appointment," Claudia said. When she glanced at Liz, Claudia noticed that Liz had a dumbfounded look on her face.

Claudia's brow furrowed. "What is it, Liz?" she asked.

Liz smiled and said, "You called me 'Honey bear'. You haven't done that for a while."

"I know. It's just that..." Claudia sighed. "Liz, I always knew that you're going to live longer than me, but now that you're going to live forever, and that I'm no longer the oldest person in your life, I find myself...obsolete," Claudia said.

Liz shook her head and walked to hug her tightly. "Grandma, there's never going to anyone who would be able to replace you. True, Marcus is older than you, but he wasn't the one who found me from that dumpster," Liz said. Then she pouted. "Do you really have to go?"

Claudia chuckled. "Honey bear, Marcus can't provide me answers about Native Americans. Mr. Gray Eagle can. Besides, I won't be gone more than a month or so. So I'll be back before you even miss me," Claudia said.

"So, when are you going to leave?" Liz asked, sadness coloring her voice.

"Well, my bus will leave at 13:15 p.m, so we still have time to spend together. I'd like to talk with Marcus before I'll leave, though," Claudia said.

"It's still too soon," Liz pouted.

Claudia gave Liz a disapproving look, "Elizabeth Ann Parker, that tactic won't work with me anymore. Besides, you should have grown out of it by now."

Liz relented, "I know. I just don't want you to leave. I know you're anxious to find out about the Navajo history, and I also know that you're very stubborn when it comes to this."

They both laughed out loud to this, and Liz started to help out with the packing.

*************************************************************

Martial Arts Studio, 10:45 a.m, 4 blocks away from Crashdown

Marcus nodded in approval. The gym looked perfect. Most of the equipment had already been brought in when he got there, and the rest was on the way. He still had to get the weapons from his basement delivered here, but that wouldn't take too long. The only problem was to get the items loaded in the truck without causing too much curiosity from his neighbors. Time was going to be tight. He had to talk with Claudia. He still needed to teach basic defensive moves to Liz, and he needed to be ready when Mr. Ryan arrived. Marcus was confused about why Claudia wanted to talk to him today before she left to visit Daniel Grey Eagle. He had been able to find out where Gray Eagle lived, which wasn't an easy task, considering that when Marcus had called the Shamans home in Ash Springs, Marcus had found out that Shaman had moved to Ganado. Grey Eagle had decided to teach history about Native Americans. Marcus had laughed out loud about that, especially since Gray Eagle had thought that Marcus was insane to teach history to the current generation. Apparently the 800 year old Shaman had changed his mind. Marcus's train of thought was cut off by one of the workers.

"Excuse me, sir, but we're pretty much done here in a few moments and the rest of the stuff should arrive in half an hour or so. Do you want us to go get whatever it is you need from your home?" the worker asked.

Marcus nodded. "How long do you think it'll take?" he asked from the worker.

"Well, I'd say about 20 minutes to load the stuff and another 20 minutes to unload. Drive from here and back should take about 30 minutes," worker estimated.

"Good. Then let's not waste any more time by talking," Marcus said quickly and headed outside.

*************************************************************

Roswell Bus Station, 12:55 p.m.

The Parkers and Marcus were saying their good byes to Claudia, who just rolled her eyes at her son's and grand-daughter's concerns. "Jeff, this isn't the first time I've taken a trip to some place, so why are you suddenly fussing like that?" Claudia asked.

"Mom, am I suddenly not allowed to worry about you? And since you had that..." Jeff was about to say, but Claudia cut him off.

"If you are referring to my coughing fit, you have nothing to worry about. All I'm going to do for a month is talk with someone who knows more about Navajo's history than any of the older generation Navajo's alive at the moment," Claudia said, trying to get his stubborn son to stop treating her like a 10-year-old.

Then Claudia looked at Marcus. "Marcus, if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to speak with you in private," she said.

Marcus raised an eyebrow in confusion, but agreed. They walked out of earshot and then Claudia asked Marcus a question he didn't expect to hear. "All right, Marcus. What is really going on?"

"What do you mean, Claudia?" Marcus asked, though he had a fairly good idea what this was about.

"Why is Liz suddenly into physical exercise? If I remember correctly, she doesn't like sports that much and this happened shortly AFTER you revealed to her what she is," Claudia said. Then her face hardened. "Is Liz in danger?" she asked evenly.

Marcus sighed. This was bad in an epic scale. "Claudia, I promised Liz that I wouldn't tell," Marcus said.

Claudia folded her arms over her chest and raised her eyebrow. If Marcus wasn't so uneasy about the topic of this discussion, he would have laughed at the image Claudia was making. But he ignored that particular feeling, and Marcus knew that Claudia wouldn't relent if he didn't tell her something. Marcus shook his head. "Liz left out quite a big detail about Immortal's life when she told you about them," he said plainly.

Claudia relaxed her posture slightly. "How big?" she asked.

"Big. Really big. Something that I don't think you would want to hear," Marcus said, his eyes locked on to Claudia's.

Claudia just cocked her eyebrow, and Marcus grunted, but he said, "Do you promise me that you won't tell Jeff or Nancy about this? Because if you do, they are going to cause more trouble for your grand-daughter than I am." Then his eyes hardened. "And when I mean trouble, I mean deadly trouble."

"Is she in danger of some kind?" Claudia asked, concerned. She quickly looked at Liz, who was talking with her parents, without care in the world. But if what Marcus had said so far was true, it was a facade. An elaborate one at that.

"Yes, she is. That fact won't change unless I train her," Marcus said.

Claudia gave him a look. "What do you mean?"

"Claudia, did you ever bother to think why there aren't more Immortals out there?" Marcus asked.

Claudia shook her head, because that thought never actually crossed her mind. She just chalked that up to the fact that just the existence of the Immortals was overwhelming enough.

"You see, Immortal life is something we call 'The Game'. I don't have time to tell all the details, but let's just say that to better understand it, you have to think about the idea of 'last man standing'. We play the 'Game' until there's only one left," Marcus said.

"And when you mean only one left, you mean..." Claudia trailed off.

"The rest of the Immortals are going to be headless corpses," Marcus said without missing a beat.

"So there are other Immortals out there who would kill her?" Claudia asked and Marcus nodded. "Why?" she asked.

"Because of the 'Prize', but mostly because of her 'Quickening.' There are rules, though," Marcus said.

"Like what?" Claudia asked.

Marcus then listed out the rules, the general idea of the 'Game' and about the headhunters, and Claudia's eyes lit up when Marcus mentioned the Holy Ground-rule. "Claudia, if you are thinking that sending Liz into a convent to study is going to keep her safe, you are wrong," Marcus said.

"And how is that, exactly? You said that Immortals can't fight on Holy Ground," Claudia shot back.

"And they don't, but the very minute Liz leaves Holy Ground, she would be open prey to any headhunter who felt her presence there. And besides, do you honestly think that Liz would accept your decision to send her to a convent? I can tell you that answer already, and it's 'no'," Marcus said.

"How do you know that?" Claudia asked.

"Because that was an option I presented to her when I talked with her last Monday, and she said no. Do you think that YOU would be able to live inside a convent for unnaturally long time and not move outside without the fear of getting beheaded?" Marcus shook his head. "Claudia, headhunters aren't exactly patient people, but some are, and they would wait for Liz to walk outside from the area that's Holy, and then they would cut off her head and take her Quickening," Marcus said.

"So what other options she has? I'll tell you an answer to that. Nothing," Claudia said.

Marcus shook his head. "No, there's another option, and that's to teach her how to fight the headhunters. I have already started doing that," he said.

Claudia was about to argue but Marcus stopped her, "Claudia, if I don't train her, she's going to die simply because of your over protectiveness. If I train her, she has a chance to survive and live without the need of living constantly on Holy Ground. Do you think I've maintained a passive life throughout the 'Game'? Well, I haven't."

"What are you talking about?" Claudia asked.

"Claudia, I have been challenged 967 times over the past 2000 years, and I have taken 693 heads in that time. Most of the Immortals don't want to fight, but there are too many Immortals out there who just don't know better than that. So if I can teach Liz to fight, I'll ensure that there's a chance she'll live long enough to experience the future," Marcus said.

Claudia's brow furrowed. "You said that you have been challenged 967 times?" Marcus nodded. "Then why have you killed only 693 Immortals?" Claudia asked.

"Because I don't play the 'Game' by the rules. I kill only when it's necessary, and unfortunately that's happened too many times already. I always give my opponents a chance to back away, and only 274 Immortals have been wise enough to leave and never come back. The only exception was Kurgan, and I had to run away from him," Marcus said.

"Why do you leave those Immortals alive? The way I see it, you are making yourself vulnerable," Claudia said.

"Claudia, I'm that good that no one has been able to defeat me so far, and some of the best have already tried and failed. Only one I couldn't beat was Kurgan, but he was killed by Connor MacLeod 14 years ago. There are still too many Immortals out there who don't know better than to fight to the death, no matter how pointless it is. And I'm going to teach Liz to be able to fight them with the same skill as I have been fighting most of my life," Marcus said.

"Is that you want to do? To turn Liz into a killer?" Claudia asked, completely stricken by this.

Marcus shook his head. "No. I'm turning her into a warrior so that she can live. There's a difference," Marcus said.

"I don't like this," Claudia said.

"And you think I do?" Marcus shot back.

"Sure looks like it," Claudia said.

"Claudia, the reason I tried to make sure that Liz would live long enough as a mortal was because I wanted her to live a normal life. A life that doesn't require her to change her identity so often. I wanted her to grow old. Now she doesn't have that luxury. Answer me this; do you want to tell Liz how she should live her life?" Marcus said.

Claudia's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that do you want to sent Liz away to a school she doesn't want to go to AND put her into a situation where she'll surely lose her head, or do you allow her to make her own decision and live a life where she doesn't have to be so afraid every time she walks the streets at night?" Marcus asked, worry to Liz crystal clear in his voice.

Claudia pondered the situation for a while. If she told Jeff, he would send Liz into a convent to finish her studies, but if Marcus was correct, these headhunters would just wait until Liz would leave the Holy Ground. If she let Liz make her own decision, and it seemed that Liz had already done that, she would live a life where she would have relative freedom of movement, yet she would still be fighting against the headhunters. Neither of the situations sounded good for Claudia, but she had to agree with Marcus's reasoning. Liz wouldn't stay forever in the convent, and the minute she was away from that safety, she would be dead. Claudia sighed, looked Marcus to his eyes and said, "Alright. I won't tell Jeff anything about this, but I hope that Liz will tell him and Nancy."

Marcus nodded. "I hope so too, but at the moment that's not an option. My guess is that she'll tell them when she's 18, but I highly doubt that Jeff will take it too well," Marcus said.

"Secrets are bad, because they'll eventually be revealed, and people get hurt. You of all people should know that," Claudia said sternly.

"It was Liz's choice, no one else's. I actually encouraged her to tell you the truth from the start, but she vetoed that idea. It's up to her to tell Jeff and Nancy. But seriously, you know how overprotective Jeff is, and even if it is a 100% death sentence, he'll send Liz into a convent because HE thinks it's best for her safety. So I understand Liz's reasons for stay silent. I just hope YOU do as well," Marcus said.

Claudia raised her hand to calm Marcus down. "Yes, I understand Liz's reasons, but I just don't like it," she said, defeated.

Marcus nodded. "Neither do I," he said honestly. "But if you want to know more about the 'Game', ask Gray Eagle. He's 800 years old, and he's very experienced, though he avoids the 'Game' as much as I do."

Claudia nodded. "I will, though I don't think he will answer me," she said.

"He will, if you tell that I asked him to," Marcus said.

With that settled, Marcus and Claudia walked back to the Parkers. They then picked Claudia's luggage and headed to the busses. This entire interaction didn't go unnoticed, though. Adam Hills had been keeping an eye on them for a while, and he had heard every word Marcus and Claudia exchanged. He wrote in the chronicle and sighed. ["So she told them about her Immortality, but not about the 'Game.' Now Claudia knows about the 'Game,' courtesy of Marcus. Fortunately I don't have to interfere,"] he thought. He then glanced at his clock. He still needed to keep an eye on 'Agent' Topolski, not to mention Agent Stevens. Plus Adam was still confused about those three teenagers, whom he now had names for their faces. Max and Isabel Evans and Michael Guerin. None of the kids had medical records, which in itself was odd. He had followed Mr. Guerin around, but the boy didn't seem to be doing anything remotely suspicious at the moment. Ms. Topolski seemed to be having some slight interest towards Guerin, since Adam had seen her to stop by Hank Guerin's trailer. Adam suspected that it was more like a cover job to hide her true motives for her presence in Roswell. He made his way to leave and when reached outside, his cell phone rang. He answered it, "Hills."

Then confusion colored his face. "What? Mr. Ryan is heading this way? Why didn't you tell me this sooner?"

When he heard Joe's answer, Adam rolled his eyes. "I know that you like MacLeod, but last time I checked, YOU weren't his Watcher, Simon is."

Adam's face got confused look on it. "What do you mean you haven't heard from him? I know he is working as an FBI agent but that hasn't stopped him from reporting before," Adam said.

Then Adam sighed. "Alright, Joe. I'll keep an eye on Mr. Ryan as well, but I don't make any promises. I'm having enough trouble with Ms. Parker already. Hey, I know how to do my job, I don't need any help. Good bye, Joe," Adam said.

Adam put his cell phone away and walked to his car. He cursed under his breath, because his workload just multiplied, and he still had a regular job. He just wondered what happened to Simon. He was even more punctual with his reports than Adam was, but slacking off wasn't something he would do. Adam shrugged and drove off to keep an eye on Agent Stevens.

*************************************************************

Highway 285, 14:45 p.m, 13 miles from Roswell

Richie Ryan had been on the road for nearly a week now, and he loved every minute of it. Well, almost every minute of it. He had bumped into 4 Immortals during this trip to Roswell. First one was in Boise, but fortunately this Immortal was more into a drinking contest than sword fighting. Second was in Salt Lake City, and leaving a headless corpse behind roused up the local authority's attention in a grand scale, because that place was just so quiet most of the time. Third was in Denver, and he was a real tough guy. Or he thought he was. Fourth was in Santa Fe, and she wasn't into fighting either. She turned out to be 300 years old, so Richie was left with no other options than to be a gentleman and buy her a drink. Now he was finally closing in on the famous Roswell, New Mexico. Truth be told, he was anxious to meet the legendary Marcus. Richie had asked Mac about him, but Duncan didn't know that much about him. Sure, they had met, but only through Connor, and he didn’t give the Scotsman much information. Then Richie had talked to Joe, but even Joe didn't know that much about him since Marcus was so elusive. Marcus would lose any Watcher assigned to him. Amanda had been quite informative about Marcus, and Richie still found it hard to believe that Amanda had been married to the guy, but what Richie found really hard to believe was that they had first met in a challenge, and Amanda had lost. Richie was simply dumbfounded by the fact that Amanda still had her head on her shoulders, and Amanda had said that Marcus always gave a chance to back away from a fight after he had *killed* them once. 'If you are dumb enough to continue fighting against him, you'll be headless,' Amanda had said to Richie, but she also said that Marcus had just...left when he defeated her. It was about four months later; they had gotten married, which in itself was still unbelievable to Richie. After Richie had talked to Amanda, he had gone to talk to Cassandra, who didn't know Marcus that well at all. Cassandra told Richie that Marcus was the only immortal or mortal in the planet that was able to resist her 'voice', which also impressed Richie. Cassandra said that Marcus had practiced shamanism in his homeland and had created a charm that countered any 'magical' capabilities Cassandra had. After Richie had talked with her, he had gone to Methos, and the Old Man had a bit more to tell about Marcus. Methos knew how old Marcus was and how good fighter he was, but he didn't know him as a person. Amanda did somewhat, but not completely. When Richie was satisfied with the information, he had left Seattle. He had three reasons to do so. One, he was still a bit afraid to hang around Duncan when he had tried to cut off his head in Paris. Second, he wanted to meet this legendary Immortal who was number one along with Methos on the 'most wanted heads' list. Mainly because of his superior fighting skills. Methos was number one because of his age, and Marcus was number one because of his skill. Third was to see this newbie Immortal. Richie was hoping that he could have a thing going on with this girl, but Duncan had warned Richie that Marcus would make sure that she would be able to beat him into pulp. Richie wasn't that concerned. Then he heard something behind him. A siren? He quickly glanced at the side mirror and noticed a police car behind him, signaling to pull over. Richie groaned and checked the speedometer. He wasn't speeding, and he was positive that this couldn't be about that Immortal from Salt Lake City or Denver. Richie had made sure that he hadn't been spotted. He pulled over and stopped.

Valenti stepped out of the patrol car. He walked to the young man, who seemed to be driving a black Yamaha Royal Star. There was a sleeping bag on the back seat. The biker was wearing jeans, boots, shirt, leather jacket and glasses, but he wasn't wearing a helmet, although he seemed to have one. When he walked closer, he noticed that the biker didn't look older than 20, which surprised Valenti a bit. "License and registration, please," Valenti said.

Richie fished out his wallet from his back pocket and said, "You know, I'd like to know the reason you pulled me over."

"You're someone I don't know and you aren't wearing a helmet," Valenti said, when he checked the drivers license.

"Well, you could have pointed out THAT fact the minute you walked to me, so I'm guessing that this has something to do with the fact that I'm a stranger," Richie said, already reaching for his helmet.

"Mr. Redstone, what I'm doing at the moment is not your concern, though I would like to know what your business is in Roswell, New Mexico," Valenti said.

"Personal," Richie said plainly, and it wasn't a total lie.

"Anything I should be worried about?" Valenti asked.

Richie cocks his eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Valenti shakes his head. "Nothing. Just keep your helmet on and we'll get along just fine. Have a nice ride," he said, giving Richie back his license and registration.

Richie just shook his head and muttered, "Small town Sheriff's. Get their kicks by harassing strangers." He then started his Yamaha and put his helmet on. Then he drove off.

Valenti lingered a bit. That sleeping bag looked weird for some reason. Or more likely whatever was wrapped inside it. Valenti couldn't be 100% sure, but he could have sworn it looked like a sword.

*************************************************************

Martial Arts Studio, 15:00 p.m

Marcus glanced at his clock quickly and called a break. He had been teaching Liz basic blocks in un-armed combat and some throws and counter-moves for the past hour and a half. Liz had been able to learn the theoretical aspect of them all, but practical use was causing difficulty with the throws. "Do you want to quit for the day? Mr. Ryan should arrive soon," he said.

Liz glanced at the clock. Tomorrow would be school day and she had to work at the Crashdown, so that left little, if any time at all for training. So she shook her head and said, "Let's continue for another hour. After today, it'll be harder to train because of work."

Marcus nodded. "Alright, we'll continue with the throws and then..." he stopped suddenly. He felt a buzz, which could mean two things. Mr. Ryan had reached Marcus's personal radar or another Immortal he wasn't aware of had arrived. But the latter option didn't sound too probable, so that left Mr. Ryan. He smirked and said, "It seems that Mr. Ryan has finally arrived."

"Already?" Liz asked.

"Probably, he's rather young for an Immortal, so his Quickening isn't exactly that powerful. He's probably reached Crashdown by now," Marcus said, then looked at Liz. "Do you want to meet him now or after our training?" he asked.

"After our training, please. I'd like to get this right," Liz said, indicating the throwing techniques.

Marcus nodded, and they continued Liz's training.

*************************************************************

Crashdown, 15:55 p.m

Richie had been sitting on the booth for about 30 minutes by now. He didn't really mind, because the place was interesting, although for some reason a waitress called Maria hadn't left him alone for one minute. The food was good, but for some reason a spiky haired kid was eyeing him suspiciously. Richie just shrugged it off, not really concerned. Then he felt it. The 'buzz,' and a really powerful one, too. Richie glanced cautiously at the door, and noticed a man in his mid 30's and a young girl walk in. Richie assumed that the man was Marcus, and his assumption wasn't wrong, because Marcus immediately turned his gaze to him, along with the girl's. Which meant that she was the Immortal Richie would be sparring with. Richie had to admit that the girl looked really beautiful. Long brown hair, chocolate brown eyes and a petite form. He shakes his head slightly to clear his head, and notices that Marcus is already sitting in front of him and the girl is no where in sight.

"Welcome to Roswell, New Mexico, Mr. Ryan. I hope that the trip was pleasant," Marcus said.

Richie shrugs. "I've had worse. I did bump into few Immortals on my way here, though. Not to mention the local Sheriff," Richie said.

"I wouldn't be too worried about Valenti. He just pulls young people over all the time, and your physical look might have warranted him to do just that," Marcus said.

"Please, I'm nearly 40 years old. Save me from the teenager speech," Richie said.

Marcus shrugs. "Fine. Have you thought about where you'll be staying?" he asked.

Richie shook his head. "Not really. Just got into town and I would need a job if I get an apartment here," he said.

"I'll tell you what. You'll live at my place for the time being, until you get a job and your own apartment. Do we have a deal?" Marcus asked.

"Hey, just as long as I have a roof over my head, I'm not complaining," Richie said and they shake their hands.

"Now, I'd like to know how you could tolerate Amanda for almost..." Richie was about to ask when Marcus cuts him off by putting his hand over Richie's mouth.

"Rule number one. Do NOT bring that up here. Do you understand me?" Marcus asks evenly. Richie nods.

Marcus stands up, beckoning Richie to do the same. Richie pays the bill and follows Marcus to the break room. This didn't go unnoticed by Michael, who raises an eyebrow at what he's seen.

*************************************************************

Parker Household, 3 minutes later, Living room

"What kind of sword do you use, if I may ask?" Marcus said.

"Gothic Bastard," Richie said.

Marcus raises an eyebrow. "How come? It's not exactly an elegant weapon," Marcus said.

"Well, it actually works quite well for me. Haven't lost yet," Richie said nonchalantly.

Marcus just shakes his head. Just then, Liz walks to the view and Marcus introduces Richie to her. Richie just gives some of his best flirting routines, but fails miserably, making Marcus and Liz laugh full-heartily. Richie just blushes from embarrassment. They talk about the sparring hours for the future and do some small talk for an hour or so. Then Marcus and Richie take their leave. Before they go, Marcus asks from Liz one last time, "Are you going to tell your parents about the 'Game'?"

Liz shakes her head. "No, and I don't think I will for a while," she said.

Marcus nodded. He wanted to tell her that Claudia knew, but decided not to. Liz would find out when Claudia returned. Marcus said his good byes for the day and walked to his car, driving straight home. Richie followed with his motorcycle.

*************************************************************

Parker Household, 22:12 p.m, Liz's balcony

'It's September 28th, and I finally met Richie Ryan. I have to admit it, he's quite handsome, but not my type, and let's not forget that he's too old as well. Maria told me her own opinion about him, and she thinks he's a 'hottie'. I said that if she want's to have a relationship with an over 18 year old, she can go ahead. That kinda stopped her.

Anyway, I'll be sparring against him tomorrow, but Marcus has been working on a training schedule for me. I just hope that it'll pay off in the end.

Marcus still asked if I would tell my parents about the 'Game', but I refused. They aren't ready to understand it.

Anyway, I'm off to bed. The jog and exercise was quite tiring this time, instead of keeping me awake. I wonder what the future will have in store for me now. I can only guess.'

Liz closes her journal and puts it in its hiding place. She then puts on her pajamas and goes to sleep.

*************************************************************

Meanwhile, In Topolski's new apartment

"That can't be right," Topolski insisted.

"I'm sorry, Topolski, but the lab confirmed it. She's 100% human, the test results prove it," Agent Stevens said.

"No, I don't believe it. Nasedo must have forged the records or something," Topolski reasoned.

"I thought about that possibility as well, but Ms. Parker has been making frequent visits to the hospital. If she was different, why risk exposure like that?" Stevens said.

"Damn it!! And I thought we were getting somewhere," Topolski fumed.

"Anyway, the files we confiscated from Sheriff Valenti doesn't tell us anything new at the moment, but I'll look into our own records for more details," Stevens said.

Topolski sighed from frustration. "Fine, you do that. But I'm not going to leave yet," Topolski said. "Ms. Parker may be human, but she can't be normal."

*************************************************************

Meanwhile, Parking lot

Adam Hills had been listening to the whole conversation through the microphone he had planted earlier. It was a relatively easy job to do, considering that Topolski was gone for a while. He still didn't have enough time to get to the briefcase, but at the moment, it didn't matter. He wouldn't be able to keep an eye on Stevens if he would leave for a while. Stevens didn't believe that anything was different with Ms. Parker, but Topolski seemed to be stubborn. Adam pulled receiver from his ear and drove off. He had phone calls to make. Namely to find out where Mr. Ryan's Watcher had disappeared to.

TBC...

Special thanks to NewYorker18 (x3), LittleBit (x7), girlie_girl, Asabetha, Calinia, poisonshock (x5), angeleyes, amstellive02 (x2) and Mukumataru. Special thanks to Norma Bates for beta work. Okay, I'm really happy that people like my work . New readers are always welcome.

NewYorker18 Topolski is getting no where with Liz for a while, but wait what the future parts have to offer...

amstellive02 There is a (secret) organization called 'Watchers' who record the history and lives of other Immortals, never interfering with their lives. Joe Dawson is the head of the North American branch of Watchers, and a good friend of Duncan. In the series the organization was first introduced through Joe in the first ep in S2, 'The Watchers'. (Probably, I'm having a lousy memory when it comes to eps this old.)

Mukumataru Well, we won't be looking into Liz's training TOO much for a while. There IS a slight mishap going to happen in todays session. What? You have to wait for the next part.

Okay, enough with the delay. Here's part 15. Next part next week.

*NOTE* () is Japanese language in English in the dream scene. Mostly because I have NO idea how to write it. You understand what's going on, but Isabel doesn't.

Title: "Concept of Eternity"
Author: Bored to Mundane life
Disclaimer: They don't belong to me. If they did, Alex would have lived on and season 3 would have been a lot more different. The only character that belongs to me is Marcus Thorne. I also hope that Bruce Dickinson doesn't mind if I use him in this fic.
Synopsis: Liz Parker is having just a regular day at the Crashdown, when suddenly an argument between two customers gets out of hand, and she's shot. She is raced quickly to the hospital, but she dies en route. But before she is considered as a lost cause, her heart starts beating. Later on, her history teacher, Marcus Thorne, tells her that she's an Immortal. She'll be then pulled into the life of the Immortals, better known as 'The Game'. With no way out. But her apparent resurrection has raised other peoples attention as well. And Liz suddenly finds out that she isn't the only one harboring a considerably large secret. But how does Max Evans, his sister Isabel and Michael Guerin fit into this?
Category: Crossover, Roswell/Highlander, strictly CC.
Rating: PG-13, probably R at some point.
Feedback: Definitely appreciated. And definitely needed, so I know that my writing isn't going to waste. Afterall, this IS my first fic.

PART 15:

West Roswell High, 8th October, Wednesday, 9:30 a.m, Topolski's classroom

Liz Parker was sitting at the class room, deep in thought. Ms. Topolski had turned out to be a guidance counselor, but Liz had her own suspicions about her, especially after she and Max had heard her talking with someone in a suit. She shrugged that thought away for a moment, so she could focus to the class.

"What will the future bring? In the ancient times, man looked to the heavens for an answer to this question. Today our methods are a little more scientific, more personal. What will the future bring for you? As the millennium nears, all eyes are on you. There are so many opportunities out there for young people today, and I want to help you discover exactly what's right for you, because the most important ingredient for success is always preparation. You can't become something until you can dream it first. What will the future bring for you?" Topolski lectured.

Maria rolled her eyes and nudged Liz slightly, and said, "I can help her out with that one." She then points to various students in the class. "Tasty Freeze, Denny's, Gas World and Prison."

Liz smiled and was able to stifle a giggle, but truth be told, Topolski's lecture was quite interesting. What will future bring for her? ["Future is something I already have, but I still have to learn to live in the present to experience it,"] Liz thought, her thoughts being darkened by the headhunters and the 'Game'. Then her brow furrowed. ["Did Marcus have dreams before he became Immortal? I have to ask him about that,"] Liz thought, then she focused on Topolski's lecture again.

"That's where I come in, getting to know your dreams and your goals. So over the next few days you all will be coming to my office for some interviews. I'm going to be asking series of questions to determine where your strengths lie, and as you all are aware that I'm new here, it'll help me to get to know you better," Topolski said, finishing the lecture.

Liz and Maria filed out from the classroom, and Liz noticed that Maria was troubled by something. "Maria, what's wrong?" she asked.

Maria looked at her quickly and said, "Oh, nothing much. Gave Isabel a lift and I rear ended Sheriff Valenti's car. No biggie."

"What?" Liz said, worried. "Are you all right?"

"Me? Oh, I'm just peachy. The car is fine too, it wasn't a big deal," Maria said quickly.

Liz's brow furrowed. "Are you sure?" she asked.

Maria waved Liz off. "Oh yeah, it was nothing but a fender bender, minor damage and it probably wouldn't have happened at all if Miss Isabel 'Ice Princess' hadn't been playing with my head, let alone with my mom's car," she said.

Liz shook her head, held up her hand and asked, "Wait, back up for a minute. What do you mean Isabel was playing with your head?"

Maria was exasperated and said, "She was like deliberately trying to freak me out, and I can say that she did a good job with that."

Liz was confused. "How?" she asked.

"Okay, she like, made my air conditioner blow like a hurricane for starters," Maria said.

Liz had to ask, "Okay, what did you do to make her do that?"

Maria looked at Liz. "What did *I* do? Hey, I was extending myself. You remember, I gave her a lift? Trying to reach out and give her the old 'I come in peace' thing. Look Liz, it takes two for tango, and how can I tango with the girl if she keeps freaking me out, you know?" she asked.

Liz held up her hands, trying to calm Maria down. "Okay, I'll talk to Max and ask him to talk to Isabel, but I want you to stay in control. I know that Sheriff isn't suspecting them, but just try to stay calm. Okay?" she asked.

Maria nodded empathically. "Hey, I'm in control. You know, I'm like, totally in control," she says with conviction.

"In control about what?" Marcus asked, causing Maria to yelp in surprise. She has her hand over her heart and she practically yells, "GOD! Don't DO that!"

Marcus just raised an eyebrow, looked at Liz and asked, "What's her problem?"

Liz scratches the back of her head and said sheepishly, "Isabel kinda freaked her out."

Marcus folded his arms. "In what way, exactly?" he asked calmly, and Liz told him what Maria had told her. Marcus just stifled a laugh, but he was unable to hide his amusement, which irritated Maria to no end. Marcus managed to pull himself together and said, "You know, I would have been grateful to Isabel if she would have been able to crank up the air conditioner in my car. It was hot out there yesterday."

Maria shook her head and huffed, heading to her class. Marcus just looked after her and asked from Liz, "What did I do?"

Liz shook her head. "Marcus, she's 'normal'. Maria is just dealing with the existence of aliens, and now she gets a first hand experience to their powers and she isn't allowed to freak out?" Liz asked and gave Marcus a look.

"Yea, I kinda understand that. Problem is that she has to deal with it. I just hope she'll be able to do that," Marcus said thoughtfully. Then he looked at Liz and asked, "Do you feel sorry for not telling her?"

Liz leaned to the lockers, and sighed, "Yes and no." She quickly glances around to make sure that no one was within earshot range, and continued, "I mean, if she's taking THIS that dramatically, I wonder how she would react if she would find out that I'm Immortal? She'd probably freak out 10 times more, because I'm her friend." Then Liz groaned, "God, I just want to tell her, and my head is telling me that she would never be able to deal with it properly. She would probably think I'm a freak, and that's something *I* can't take."

Marcus nodded. "True, I can understand that, but think about it this way. If Ms. DeLuca can be at ease with the aliens, I think that you'll be considerably closer for being able to tell her about your own 'specialty'," Marcus said. "But if she isn't..." he trailed off.

Liz held up her hand, "...I won't tell her." Liz shook her head sadly, "I still don't like it."

"None of us does," Marcus said matter-of-factly. "I'll see you later during our training," he said and made his way to History class.

*************************************************************

West Roswell High, 10:55 a.m, Topolski's office

Topolski had been interviewing students and now Liz was the last one. Liz took a seat and waited for the questions to start. Topolski was making some notes, and she put them aside and looked at Liz. "Why don't you start by telling me what your dream job would be?" she asked from Liz.

Liz smiled. "Molecular biologist. Or my real dream, dream, dream would be a head of molecular biology research at Harvard," she said, but left out the fact that she would be skipping from school to school every 5 years or so, changing identities.

Topolski raised an eyebrow and smiled. "That's fantastic. Now what kind of job do you think you'll actually have in ten years?"

Liz thought about it and said without hesitation, "Molecular biologist."

Topolski looked at Liz and said, "Confident, aren't you?"

Liz smiled and said, "It's what I want to do."

Topolski nodded and then showed a picture of a family in a park to Liz. Two parents and two kids where hand in hand and one kid was hiding behind a tree. "Alright, let's play a relationship game. Tell me which character in this picture most like, and tell me what they're doing at the park."

Liz's brow furrowed. When she really thought about it, she would have said the kid behind the tree, because she had secrets she couldn't share. But saying that probably would get Topolski suspicious, so she went for the second best option, "The girl with her family."

Topolski looked at the picture and nodded. "Are you close with your family?" she asked.

Liz nodded. "As close as I can be, but that doesn't mean that I tell them everything," Liz said.

"Why not?" Topolski inquired.

Liz gave her a puzzled look. "Did YOU tell your parents EVERYTHING when you were sixteen years old?" she asked from Topolski, who shook her head as an answer. "Then there you have your answer."

"So, you want to be a scientist? That's exciting," Topolski said.

"Yeah, it is," Liz said empathically.

"You seem very sure of yourself," Topolski said.

Liz chuckled slightly. "Well, you know, the first time I walked into a chemistry lab, I just knew. There's this smell of...sulfur. When I smelled it, I knew I was home," she said with a smile.

Topolski was deep in thought. "What makes you think that the world of science is a place for you? Other than the smell, that is," she asked.

Liz thought about it. "The world is incredibly mysterious place, and science is a way to figure it out. With science, there are answers to everything. Facts. When you're conducting an experiment, you're in control," she said.

Topolski's eyes lit up. "So you like being in control," she stated.

Liz nodded. "Of course," she said with conviction.

"You make a lot of plans, right?" Topolski asked.

"You've got to have a plan," Liz agreed.

Topolski frowned. "How about taking the life as it comes?" she queried.

Liz was about to say 'no', but she stopped herself before she did that. If she'd say 'no', she would be a hypocrite, because she couldn't be able to make plans that would work now. Her immortality would see to it. Sure, she could make plans how to change her identity and keep an illusion that she was aging slightly, but she had no control to the unexpected events, like headhunters. If that would happen, she would just have to deal with it the best way she could, and that required taking life as it came, to accept it. "You know, about a half a month ago I would have said 'no', but after I got...shot," Liz forced the word out, "I've come to a realization that life is something you can't fully control," she said truthfully.

Topolski nodded in agreement. "Exactly. Life is something you have no control over and you just have to accept it, but it CAN be redirected," she said.

Liz glanced at the clock. "Oh, look at the time. If you'll excuse me, I have to go," Liz said while she stood up, and headed to the door. She glanced quickly towards Topolski, who was making notes. Liz shrugged and left.

Topolski on the other hand was busy. Max Evans had given her a feeling that he was hiding something, but Ms. Parker...she wasn't. Sure, she had secrets, but apparently not something that would consume her completely. She shook her head and started to look through her notes. All the while she had no idea how wrong she was.

*************************************************************

West Roswell High, 11:19 a.m, school hallway

Liz noticed that Max had been waiting for her to come out from the Topolski's office. How long, she wasn't sure, but that didn't matter at the moment. She needed to talk to him about Isabel. Unfortunately that sounded better in theory, because all she could say was, "Hey."

"Oh, hey," Max said quickly. "So, how's it going?"

"Good, it's going good," Liz said, though she was really thinking ["Not really. My sparring matches with Richie are so intense that I always end up bruised really badly, but you wouldn't know anything about it because I heal over night and the bruises are gone."]

"Good," Max said. "That's good."

There was an awkward silence between them now, and neither of them knew what to say.

"Okay," Liz said finally. "Max, is everything okay?" she asked.

Max scratches his head slightly. "Yeah, I just wanted to say hi. Just stepping out from behind the tree," he said.

Liz's blinked. "What tree?" she asked.

Max waved her off. "Oh, forget it, it's just..." he was about to say, but Liz interrupted him.

"Max, do you about the whole Maria/Isabel thing that's going on at the moment?" Liz asked quickly.

"Yeah, I heard about it," Max said.

"Well, I kinda promised to Maria that I would mention it. You see, Isabel sort of makes Maria a little..." Liz said, and Max finished for her.

"...Nervous?" he inquired.

Liz shook her head quickly. "No, it's not nervous. Not like that," she said.

"Because Isabel has that kind of effect on people," Max said.

"Maria told me Isabel did some...things," Liz said uncomfortably.

Max's brow furrowed, "Things?"

Liz nodded. "Yea, like things to her car. Could you...you know, talk to Isabel, so we don't let this situation get out of control," she said.

"Right," Max nodded. "Well, I better go now."

Liz nodded. "Okay," she said. When Max made his way to the quad, Liz called out, "Max."

He stopped and looked at her. "You know, it kinda seemed that you wanted to say something before," Liz said.

Max averted his gaze and said, "No."

Liz nodded. "Okay. Bye, Max," she said, and made her way to the teacher's lounge. She had things to ask Marcus.

*************************************************************

Crashdown Café, 15:03 p.m

Richie Ryan walked inside. He was beat and frustrated, 'cause he had a hard time finding a good job. True, he had plenty of work experience, but he didn't exactly have any good way to prove that particular fact. He cursed under his breath. He thought that when he would get out from Mac's apartment, he would have been able to sleep a little longer, but that idea was shot straight to hell when he found out that Marcus woke up even MORE early than Mac did. That's a problem when you are living with someone else. You wake up when the other one does. Sure, Mac woke up around 5:30 in the morning, which wasn't too bad, but waking up at 4 a.m. was just too much, and Marcus had been doing that from day 1. First he had thought that Marcus was trying to drive him away faster, but that was wishful thinking on his part. Liz had told Richie the other day that Marcus exercised DAILY, and he ALWAYS woke up exactly 4 a.m, and he even DOUBLED the training during weekends, which Richie realized on his own in a particularly annoying way when Marcus woke up at same time on Saturday. Now he had been spending his day going through places that had job openings. He hadn't visited all of them yet, but so far things didn't look too promising. He slumped to the stool at the counter and grunted from exhaustion. He needed coffee, and FAST. He noticed that Maria was coming from the break room, but for some reason went back in there. Richie's brow furrowed from confusion. ["I wonder what that was all about. I know that she isn't afraid of me, and she definitely stopped making moves on me when she realized I'm over 18,"] he thought. He tried to remember where Maria's gaze was before she turned back to the break room and followed it, his eyes falling to a curvy blonde sitting at one of the booths. Richie tilted his head slightly, then turned his head back to the counter.

Then he heard Maria re-emerging back from the break room and turned his head slightly. He noticed that she was taking an order from the blonde, but for some reason Maria looked uncomfortable. Then he heard the door open and he noticed that Sheriff Valenti had arrived. Richie groaned and shook his head. At his current state of mind, he wasn't exactly pleasant company to anyone, so he just hoped that Valenti would ignore him and that Maria would just come by and get his order of really strong coffee. Richie noticed that Sheriff was waiting at the counter for his drink. Probably Coke if he heard correctly. Sheriff then turned his gaze to Richie and greeted him politely. Unfortunately Richie just grunted.

Valenti raised an eyebrow. "Is there something wrong, Mr. Redstone?" he asked.

"Let's just say that I haven't been able to get a decent night's sleep over the past week," Richie said gruffly.

"How come?" Valenti queried.

Richie pondered the question for a while, then decided to take a careful route. "My roommate is an early riser. He wakes up around 4 a.m. or something, and when I wake up along with him, I can't get back to sleep. Did that make any sense to you?" Richie said.

"Why don't you move out?" Valenti asked, genuinely interested.

"Well, if you happen to know a decent job somewhere that'll let me pay for the rent on a new apartment, I'd appreciate it. If not, moving away is out of the question," Richie said plainly.

"I'll see what I can do about it. I can clearly see that you aren't a morning person," Valenti said.

Richie looked at Valenti and shrugged. "Don't get me wrong, it's not a problem to wake up around 5:30, but 4 a.m. is way too early for me. I'd appreciate it if you could figure something out," he said, honestly feeling better for the Sheriff's suggestion.

Valenti nodded. "No problem. I'll see you here tomorrow at the same time. I might have something then," Valenti said.

"Yeah, no problem. I just hope that I'll find a job on my own," Richie admitted and shook hands with Valenti. Maria then walked up to them, carrying the Coke the Sheriff had ordered.

"Anything else I could tell you today, Sheriff?" Maria said, but quickly corrected. "Get you today, Sheriff? Anything?"

Sheriff gave her an odd look, but ignored it. "Actually, I need your insurance information for that fender bender that we had," he said calmly, though Richie was utterly confused by Maria's nervousness.

"Right," Maria answers.

"City regulations," Valenti said, but he notices that Maria is uncomfortable for some reason. "You all right?" he asked.

Maria answered quickly, "Yes, totally all right. Happy as a clam."

Isabel was watching this exchange with rapt interest. She had seen Mr. Redstone shake hands with the Sheriff, but she hadn't been that interested about their conversation. Now she just kept vigil watch over Maria.

Liz had approached Sheriff and Maria and interrupted their conversation. "Um, Maria, it's time for that can inventory. Can I ring this up for you, Sheriff?" she asked from Valenti. "Keep the change," he said and exited the café. Maria sighed from relief and made her way to the break room, while Liz lingered a bit. She had felt Richie arrive, but she was busy at the kitchen and wanted to see how Maria would act near Isabel. "What can I get you, Richie?" she asked politely.

Richie sighed from relief and thought, ["Finally!"] "Some extra strong coffee would be nice," he said, and Liz nodded, heading to the coffee maker. Isabel's brow furrowed at this. She had heard how Michael had been talking about this stranger who seemed to be friends with Marcus, but this man seemed to be a bit too young to be a 'friend'. More like a child of a relative, but he seemed to be near his twenties. Isabel had noticed how easy Liz was with the stranger, and suspected that she had got to know him through Marcus, which annoyed her little brother to no end. Max had turned slightly red when he had finally seen this mysterious man at the Crashdown, giving Liz a ride somewhere on his motorcycle. The look on Max's face had been a Polaroid moment for Isabel. She DID find it odd that Liz trusted this man without much suspicion.

Liz handed the cup of coffee for Richie, who immediately took a sip from it. "Would you mind telling me why you're suddenly having a very sullen look?" Liz asked.

Richie shook his head. "I swear, it's easier to find a needle in a haystack than find a job here," he said.

Liz's brow furrowed and she looked at the clock. "Doesn't our so called 'date' usually start at four p.m?" she asked, confused. Although she said the word 'date' in a sarcastic tone.

Richie nodded. "Yea, it would, but I was scouting for jobs and I didn't get enough coffee to drink back at Marcus's apartment, so I came here," he answered. He then drank the rest of the coffee and paid for it. Liz then said, "I'll do my homework now, and we can go to the warehouse after that. Would you like to wait at my apartment?"

Richie nodded. "Don't exactly have anything better to do at the moment," he said, and followed Liz to the break room and to her apartment upstairs.

Isabel just had a confused look on her face. ["Did Liz say a 'date'? What's that all about?"] she thought.

*************************************************************

Martial Arts Studio, 16:15 p.m.

Marcus cursed slightly under his breath. He was late and he just hoped that Liz and Richie were smart enough to warm up before they sparred against each other. Marcus had to admit that Mr. Ryan was fairly good with martial arts, but in the long run Liz would catch him quickly. Marcus had felt both their Quickenings, which meant that they were here. ["What do you expect, old timer? Just because you're late, it doesn't mean that they would be late,"] he thought. He walked inside and noticed that Liz was doing sit-ups while Richie was making practice swings with his sword. "Everything fine here?" he asked.

Liz didn't say anything, and Richie just shrugged. Marcus's brow furrowed. "Okay, what is it?" he asked, sighing.

Liz stopped her workout and stood up. She had asked Richie and she hadn't liked the answer he had given her, so she wanted to ask what Marcus thought about it. "Did you have dreams before you became an Immortal?" she asked.

"What?" Marcus asked, confused.

"Today Topolski asked us some questions about our dreams and goals, and I was wondering if you had any before you were...poisoned," she said.

Richie rolled his eyes, while Marcus looked at Liz thoughtfully. "Yea, I had dreams," he said plainly, and walked to the rack of swords.

"What kind of dreams?" Liz queried.

Marcus sighed. "Liz, back then people didn't really think too much about the future. You just lived one day at a time, working hard so you would have something to eat. What I wanted was a family, something I had briefly with Kaisa. That is until I got poisoned, so that dream went down the drain. I was also an apprentice for the village Shaman, and I would have taken his place when the Shaman died, but his son had other plans for me," Marcus said.

"What do you mean?" Liz asked, suddenly both curious and confused.

Marcus looked at Liz sadly. "Liz, I was found by the Shaman of my village, and he was more like a father to me than the father who took me into his family. But Shaman's son was jealous for my progress and he decided to make sure that I wouldn't threaten his position as the next Shaman. So he poisoned me and my wife to make sure of that," Marcus said.

Liz suddenly found the floor quite interesting. "I'm sorry to hear that," she said.

"Liz, I have never made plans for the future, I just live one day at a time. That's pretty much the only thing you can do when you reach to the age I'm at. That doesn't mean that you should forget your dreams because I had bad experiences with them," Marcus said, then smiled. "I suggest you try to fulfill your dream and try in the process to keep your Immortality as a secret. I just hope that the burden won't be too much. I had a family with Netsume a long time ago, a family I couldn't have with Kaisa. People and places changed over the time, but only with Netsume I've had the feeling that I belonged somewhere."

Liz smiled and nodded. Marcus then looked at Richie, who had been listening to the exchange with interest. Marcus locked his eyes to Richie's bastard sword and asked, "Isn't that Graham Ashe's sword?"

"Yea, it is. Why?" Richie asked.

Marcus folded his arms. "Well, I'd like to know where you got it," he said.

"Duncan gave it to me when my saber was broken in a fight with Haresh Clay," Richie said.

Marcus's eyebrows got up. "YOU fought against Haresh and you're still alive?" he asked, dumbfounded.

Richie made a face. "I wasn't exactly good company to anyone at the time. I beheaded Carter Wellan, who was a friend of Haresh, so he kinda had a good reason to shorten me," Richie said.

Marcus snorted and Richie gives him an odd look. "Duncan wanted Haresh dead with a vengeance for killing Graham, so I'm not going to shed any tears for him. As for the sword, did Duncan take it after Wellan and Clay had left Ashe's corpse rotting on the ground?" Marcus asked.

Richie nodded. "Yea, he did. After Duncan had beheaded Haresh, he gave this sword to me as a peace offering," Richie said. He noticed that Marcus was going to ask something, but Richie stopped him. "Look, that was a long time ago, and frankly I don't want to think about it too much. Too many bad memories from it."

Marcus nodded and clapped his hands together. "What do you say we continue with the training?" he asked, and both Liz and Richie nodded.

"You two have been sparring against each other with kendo sticks, so now we'll be trying something new," Marcus announced. Then he looked at Liz, "Did you bring your sword as I asked?"

Liz nodded and walked to her duffel bag, pulling her Wakizashi from it. Marcus looked at Richie and his sword. Bastard swords were quite durable, so it probably wouldn't get too much damaged from a blade forged of titanium. Richie gave a worried look at Marcus and asked, "Do you think she's ready? I know we can't get killed permanently, but I highly doubt that she would take it too well if she killed me by accident."

"Don't worry. We won't be doing anything serious with the weapons. Let's just give her the feeling of what it's like to fight with a real sword," Marcus said.

*************************************************************

Evans' household, 22:47 p.m, Isabel's bedroom

Isabel came out from the dreamscape. What she had said to Max a while ago had been true; she didn't want to get exposed. So she did some sightseeing in Maria's dream and found out if she would break. She had made an estimate about that earlier in the quad, but she never really put that much thought to the fact that Maria would break until she had seen Maria stammer in front of the Sheriff. Now Isabel just hoped that her talk with Maria had been sufficient enough to keep the other blonde quiet. True, she had found out by accident, but that still didn't change the facts that Maria knew, along with Liz and Marcus. ["Marcus,"] Isabel thought. Isabel was fairly good at reading people, but Marcus was someone who was an enigma even to Isabel. Most of the time he was a fairly decent teacher who liked his work, but when she had seen him beat Michael at Ridger's gym nearly two weeks ago, she had to re-evaluate the situation completely. And the fact that Marcus didn't mind about the fact that she, Max and Michael were aliens unnerved her even more. Marcus was TOO calm, but even that was better than have him as an enemy. Isabel had said to Max that she wanted to know what they were up against when she tried to convince him to let her dream walk Maria. She hadn't mentioned Marcus, but if she really wanted to find out about why Marcus was acting the way he was, she would have to enter Marcus's dreams instead of Maria's. Making up her mind, she browsed through the yearbook, trying to find a picture from Marcus. When she finds it, her brow furrowed from confusion. The picture WAS from Marcus, but it seemed like it had been taken without him being aware of it at all. In the picture he was heading to the school in a hurry, carrying his briefcase. Isabel noticed a small article under the picture. It said.

<center>'Since Mr. Thorne refused to be photographed, I took the liberty to take a picture of him without him being aware of it.'</center>

Isabel shrugged and placed her finger to the picture, the distortion wave running through it, and she entered to the dream of Marcus Thorne. Later she would be wishing that she wouldn't have done that.

*************************************************************

The Dream State

Isabel looked around. Her face was colored from confusion, because she was standing in a meadow of some sort, but she couldn't figure out where it was. She looked to the horizon, noticing the mountains in the distance. Isabel had a nagging feeling that it looked familiar for some reason. Like she had seen it before, but she couldn't figure out where. Then her eyes widened. It was the Fuji-mountain in Japan. ["I'm in JAPAN!?"] Isabel thought. She never would have imagined that Marcus would have lived there, but she knew that dreams weren't based on logic. She reasoned that he was probably dreaming about being in Japan. Maybe because he wasn't able to travel there. She decided to look around a bit more closely. The flowers were blossoming and Isabel noticed that the air was filled with their scent. Then she shook her head. ["How is he able to connect that particular scent of the flowers? Has he really been in Japan before?"] Isabel thought, but her thoughts were interrupted when she noticed two men standing further ahead of the meadow. They were both wearing a jacket of sorts. Isabel couldn't identify it. The pant legs were substantially wider than you would normally expect to see, and the shirt sleeves were slightly shorter than average. They were both carrying something that looked like a stick to Isabel. She walked nearer as quietly as she could, because she didn't want to alert the attention of the dreamer to herself. Then her eyes widened as she studied the two combatants closer. One was an oriental male in his early 30's, but the other one...was Marcus Thorne, but he looked slightly younger than the man she knew as her history teacher. They were both standing in a battle stance, awaiting something. Then they both moved, and they moved with such a grace that Isabel had never seen before. Every time the oriental man would make a move, Marcus would counter it and vice versa. They were evenly matched and the fight lasted for a while, until the dream set changed slightly. The sun moved visibly higher, and the two combatants still kept fighting, neither getting an advantage. Then she heard a feminine voice calling out for them, and both of the males stopped, glancing at the woman who was calling them. Isabel also shifted her gaze towards the oriental woman, noticing that she was wearing a brightly colored kimono, sandals and her hair was held with a stick behind her head. Unfortunately Isabel was unable to understand what they were talking about. But Marcus's reaction was clear, since he walked to the woman, took her into a warm embrace and gave her a passionate kiss. Isabel blushed for the sight in front of her, though the oriental male just shook his head and said something.

Marcus seemed to release his hold of the woman slightly and said, ("Kashida, if you would find a woman of your own one day, you wouldn't make such comments about me and Netsume.")

Isabel was still unable to understand what they were talking about, but she was able to make out the names for the two Japanese people. The man was Kashida and the woman was Netsume. Isabel quickly glanced around and noticed that there weren't any modern day skyscrapers in sight.

("At least my wife would be more civilized than you, Barbarian,") Kashida said.

Netsume seemed to glare at Kashida for some reason, and was about to say something but Marcus intervened, ("Just because I wasn't born in this land, it doesn't mean that I wouldn't be your equal. Besides, if my memory serves me correctly, you both are not truly children to Takashi Yashida.")

Kashida gave Marcus a hurt look. ("I know that, but I don't care what my brother thinks about me. All I care about is you,") Netsume said, trailing her index finger along Marcus's jaw line.

Kashida bowed and said apparently to Marcus, ("I apologize. I shouldn't have called you a 'Barbarian'.")

Marcus returned the gesture, and then addressed Netsume. ("Why did you come here?")

("Dinner is served, my love. Or were you so deep in training with my brother that you ignored it completely?") Netsume said.

Marcus chuckled and glanced up. He then shrugged. ("I was completely oblivious for the loss of time, but if I have you to wake me up from my revenue constantly, I won't complain. But let's worry about that later,") Marcus said, and he wrapped his right hand around Netsume's shoulder, walking with her to a house in the distance. Kashida just rolled his eyes and shook his head. He grunted something incomprehensible, but followed the two.

Then the dream scene changed abruptly, leaving Isabel more confused than she already was. She had no idea what Marcus and those other two had been talking about, but Isabel was fairly certain that the woman Netsume was someone important to Marcus. She quickly looked around and noticed that she was inside what appeared to be a bedroom. The bed was quite...low, to say the least. There were parchments with drawings in them, and the door looked like it was mostly made from paper. Then Isabel noticed two shadows approaching the door. She quickly looked around again, trying to find a place to hide, finding none. She walked to corner and pressed herself into the wall, trying to hide in the shadow. The door opened and both Marcus and Netsume stumbled inside, both still kissing each other passionately, Netsume's hand roaming through Marcus's neck and back. Marcus had cupped Netsume's face with his hands, and now was moving them down to her waist. Netsume started kissing Marcus's neck when he lifted her to his lap; Netsume instinctively wrapped her legs around Marcus's waist. Marcus then pushed her to the wall, earning a yelp of surprise from her when she looked at him with wild eyes. Marcus just grinned and kissed her teasingly, trailing his hands through her body. Netsume moaned to his mouth, and cupped Marcus's cheek with her slender hand.

Isabel was by now blushing furiously and she felt embarrassed. This was NOT what she had expected to see, not by a long shot. She just had wanted to find out why Marcus had been so casual about their existence, but this was getting to be too much to see. She gulped audibly when Marcus was about to open Netsume's kimono, and he suddenly stopped. Isabel's brow furrowed along with Netsume's when Marcus pulled slightly away from Netsume and listened. ("What's wrong, love?") Netsume said something, but Isabel guessed it had something to do with Marcus's sudden 'cooling off'. Then Netsume disappeared, along with the dream scene. The only thing Isabel could see was a blackness that surrounded both of them. Then Marcus turned around, looking straight at Isabel with anger burning in his eyes. Isabel quickly looked behind her, because no one could see her unless she allowed it, or if someone had heard her, which wasn't possible.

Marcus walked to her quickly, invading her personal space. His face was etched with anger and he growled, "What are you doing here?"

Isabel was taken back by this. He was talking directly at her, and if his voice was any indication, he was really angry.

"Damn it, answer to me! What are you doing in my head?" Marcus yelled.

Isabel was at a complete loss of words, now. Marcus had just blown up at her face, and she had no idea how to react.

Then Marcus's eyes widened and he asked angrily, "How much did you see?"

Isabel was unable to answer, all she could do was to open and close her mouth like a fish.

Marcus's expression darkened and it looked like shadows were beginning to cover his face. "Well talk about this later at school, but now...GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!!!" he growled first and finally yelled so that the dream scape tremored, and suddenly Isabel felt like she was being stretched away forcefully.

*************************************************************

Evans's household, 22:59 p.m, Isabel's bedroom

Isabel woke up with a start and gasped for breath, but then groaned from the headache. Marcus had literally kicked her out of his dream, and it had left Isabel with a mighty headache that made a hangover pale in comparison. She then tried to think why he had gotten so angry, but was unable to find a reasonable answer. Though she was interested to find out how he had spotted her. He had been rather 'busy' with that oriental woman.

["Well, hopefully he doesn't realize it was me to begin with,"] Isabel thought and hoped, but Marcus's tone had suggested completely opposite.

*************************************************************

Meanwhile, Thorne's household

Marcus woke up with a start and his face was etched from anger. He had agreed to keep the Evans's and Guerin's alien status as a secret, but now Ms. Evans had somehow entered his dreams. He didn't know how long she had been there or what she had seen, but Marcus wasn't going to let her get away with it this easily. ["If she thinks that I wouldn't remember her presence, she's seriously mistaken,"] Marcus thought angrily. His memories were one thing that he had left from his past, and he'd be damned if anyone would come messing with his head in a quest to find information.

*************************************************************

Crashdown Café, Thursday, 15:15 p.m.

Richie walked inside the Crashdown Café. He was slightly late, but he didn't see Sheriff Valenti at sight, so he sat to the stool at the counter. He didn't have any luck finding a job. He took a quick look around and noticed that Maria was active waitress at the moment. It was quiet, so Richie didn't have to wait too long. "What can I get to you, Mr. Redstone?" Maria asked.

"Well, I'll go for a cup of coffee and a piece of Men in Blackberry pie, if you don't mind," Richie said.

Maria smiled. "Coming right up," she said cheerfully, or at least tried to.

Richie's brow furrowed from confusion. Why was Maria so edgy all of a sudden? Richie shrugged it off for now. It wasn't his concern. Then he head the door open and true enough, Sheriff Valenti walked in. Richie gave him a nod, acknowledging his presence. Valenti cocked his stetson slightly, returning the gesture. Valenti took a seat next to Richie and ordered some coffee to his thermos. While both men waited for their orders, Valenti turned to Richie. "I might have a job that you would find satisfying," he said.

Richie cocked an eyebrow to this. "I'm listening," he said.

"Police Impound garage is short handed and they need a mechanic. The pay is more than enough for your rent if you take an apartment from the Missouri area. They're cheap and still in good condition. Do you have any mechanical skills?" Valenti asked finally.

Richie nodded and said, "Yea, I do. I have to admit that I'm intrigued by the offer. Who do I contact to get an appointment?"

"Well, that would be me. What do you say you come by tomorrow around 2 p.m.? We could work on the details then," Valenti said.

Richie smiled broadly. "That's fine with me, Sheriff. Just hope that I'm worthy enough for the job," he said.

"Well, you have to prove your mechanical skills, but I think you'll do just fine. See you tomorrow, Mr. Redstone," Valenti said, and stood up when Maria walked to them with Valenti's coffee. He paid for it and made his way outside.

"Thanks, Sheriff," Richie called out, and Valenti nodded his head as an answer. Then he left. Richie turned back to the counter, still having a smile on his face. There was a possibility for a good job and a new apartment in the future, which meant sleeping-in for Richie. Life just got a bit easier to the younger Immortal.

*************************************************************

West Roswell High, Friday, 10:09 a.m, school hallway

Isabel was pleased. Maria hadn't freaked with the sheriff, though Valenti hadn't exactly made any indication that he suspected them to be aliens to begin with. During their drive to school, Maria and Isabel were able to clear up some of the air between them, and now she was heading to her class with Max. Then they both noticed Mr. Thorne leaning on the lockers, his arms folded in front of his chest. He turned his gaze straight towards Isabel, his eyes cold and angry. Max got worried and asked what was wrong. He knew that Isabel had dream walked Maria, but he didn't know that Isabel had dream walked Marcus as well, and Isabel didn't feel the need to tell Max what she had seen. Not that Max wouldn't find the details entertaining or anything. She said, "Yea, I'm fine, Max. Could you just go to your own class?"

Max nodded and passed Marcus, who didn't even acknowledge his presence. Isabel tried to ignore Marcus as well, but found that impossible when he stepped in her way, his expression still angry. Isabel sighed and asked, "What have I done to earn this kind of treatment?"

Marcus grimaced and said, "Don't play innocent with me, Ms. Evans. You somehow were able to enter to my dreams, thus violating my privacy." He folded his arms. "Care to explain to me why you did that?" he asked.

Isabel shook her head. "I don't know what you are talking about," she said, and tried to move past Marcus, who just moved in front of her again.

"Let me make one thing straight here, Isabel. You, Max and Michael were victims of circumstances, which forced you to reveal your identity to us, but *I* am keeping your secret because of trust. I trusted you because Liz convinced me to trust you," Marcus said, then he leaned close to her face and whispered angrily. "Now you have shot that trust straight to hell, and you just made an enemy out of me. Nice job indeed, Ms. Evans," he said, and pulled away from her. "I won't reveal your unique 'status' to anyone, but I won't make any guarantees either. Have a nice day," he said gruffly and made his way to his classroom, leaving a very dumbfounded and scared Isabel behind.

TBC...

Special thanks to NewYorker18, LittleBit (x3), girlie_girl, angeleyes, amstellive02 (x2), Asabetha, poisonshock (x2), katmcken and dearzy. Special thanks to Norma Bates for beta work.

Okay folks, this is it. I REALLY wanted to give some EXTRA beating to Max than they gave him in the series, but alas, that would have probably tossed him into hospital too soon, so I had to go 'easy' on him. Heh, I didn't go THAT easy on him. Just enough to give him a REAL taste for pain.

Well, there's also something else that will happen here, but nothing that didn't happen in the series. It has everything to do with Claudia. Nuff said.

Well, here's part 16.

Title: "Concept of Eternity"
Author: Bored to Mundane life
Disclaimer: They don't belong to me. If they did, Alex would have lived on and season 3 would have been a lot more different. The only character that belongs to me is Marcus Thorne. I also hope that Bruce Dickinson doesn't mind if I use him in this fic.
Synopsis: Liz Parker is having just a regular day at the Crashdown, when suddenly an argument between two customers gets out of hand, and she's shot. She is raced quickly to the hospital, but she dies en route. But before she is considered as a lost cause, her heart starts beating. Later on, her history teacher, Marcus Thorne, tells her that she's an Immortal. She'll be then pulled into the life of the Immortals, better known as 'The Game'. With no way out. But her apparent resurrection has raised other peoples attention as well. And Liz suddenly finds out that she isn't the only one harboring a considerably large secret. But how does Max Evans, his sister Isabel and Michael Guerin fit into this?
Category: Crossover, Roswell/Highlander, strictly CC.
Rating: PG-13, probably R at some point.
Feedback: Definitely appreciated. And definitely needed, so I know that my writing isn't going to waste. Afterall, this IS my first fic.

PART 16a:

Crashdown Café, 15th October, Wednesday, 17:15 p.m, restroom

Liz was standing in front of the mirror in the Crashdown's rest room. Even though she knew she was petty, she was looking any changes in herself. It has been over a month now when she had started her training with Marcus in Martial Arts and swordsmanship, along with physical exercise. There were some slight changes because of that. Her jogs had improved her stamina slightly and even had given her firm legs. Her agility had been improved as well, thanks to the stretching and Tai Chi-routines Marcus had been doing with her. She was also stronger than she was before and her arms were slightly more muscular than before, her stomach was now smoother, and there was a small sight of muscles there as well. Then Liz bit her lip when she remembered what had happened when she and Richie had sparred against each other with real swords. The reason they had done that was to give Liz some idea how it felt like to fight with a real sword, and Liz had to admit that it was completely different when fighting with kendo sticks. She and Richie had been making their regular sparring routine with the swords, but unfortunately Liz was so deep into the routine that she actually forgot that she had real sword at hand. Liz made one of her disarming and finishing moves she had been perfecting with Marcus, and it resulted in Richie's disarming and getting a slash from Liz's Wakizashi across his chest. It was supposed to be a move that would force the opponent on the ground without killing them, but Liz's Wakizashi was so sharp that it even cut Richie's bones slightly. The wound had started from the left side of Richie's chest, running diagonally to his right shoulder, and the amount of blood had been, well, flowing to say the least. Liz had been white as a sheet for about half an hour before she was able to calm down, though she had been constantly apologizing to Richie after that. Richie hadn't lost consciousness from the blow and he was able to recover rather quickly from it, but he thanked God that he hadn't lost his head. After that incident, Marcus was keeping Liz's mind in focus when it came to training with real swords, and so far things have been smoother with no near fatal incidents. Liz knew that Richie couldn't have really 'died' from that wound, but she hadn't fully grasped the idea to REALLY use that method to incapacitate her future opponents. Luckily she had eaten only light and nutritious food that day, 'cause she had completely lost the content of her stomach. She had made a personal note to keep more attention during real sword training, 'cause that particular incident was something she didn't want to repeat, but Marcus had other ideas. True, he had sternly told both Richie and Liz to pay more attention and to be more careful during training, but he had also allowed them both to inflict wounds on one another, which meant that Richie was now using his own sword to cause injuries to Liz, and vice versa. She didn't like it one bit. True, the wounds healed quickly, and she was able to give Richie some slight injuries as well, but she wasn't able to do anything similar like she had done over a week ago.

She was pulled out from her thoughts when Maria impatiently knocked the rest room door.

"Liz, what is taking you so long? I need help here," Maria asked, growing annoyed.

"Give me a sec, Maria," Liz answered and splashed some water on her face slightly. She dried and took a deep breath, and walked outside. Crashdown was packed with people, or specifically, dentists. Maria just shook her head and grunted, "This is crazy."

Liz looked at Maria and said, "It's just an orthodontist convention."

Maria looked at Liz with exasperation. "Why would orthodontists want to hold a convention in Roswell?" she asked.

Liz's brow furrowed. "Good question," she commented.

They had walked to the order window and Maria looked at the small counter, and it didn't have a single order in it. Maria looked at Jose, their cook and said, "Uh, Jose. If table 3 doesn't get their order soon, I swear they're going to attack."

Jose just glanced back at Maria and said, "Busy ladies, very busy."

Then Liz's eyes widened. "Oh my God. I forgot to tell you. Grandma Claudia is coming on Friday," she said. She had heard her father on the phone with Claudia about 3 days ago and Jeff had said that she would arrive this Friday. Liz had been all giddy after that, which had gotten Marcus curious as well.

Maria smiled broadly. "I have been going through Grandma withdrawal. I just love Grandma Claudia," she said. "God, I can't believe it has been only over a month that she's been gone."

Liz nodded in agreement. "I know. She's like the basis of my existence," Liz said, and that sentiment applied to her in more ways than one. Without Claudia, she might have never been found.

Jose decided to interrupt their talk. "Table 6," he said.

Liz blinked slightly. "Oh, great...thank you," she said when she took the order.

Maria just leaned on the counter and said, "Jose, what about me?"

Jose looked at her and blew her a kiss, and Maria rolled her eyes in disgust.

Meanwhile, Liz was taking the order to the table 6, which held some of the orthodontists from the convention. One of the orthodontists said, "Here she is."

Liz walked to the table and started to put out their orders to the table. "Ok, gentlemen, I've got one Venus Meatloaf Platter," she said, and looked at the table for the right customer. "There you go. And two Trekkie specials," she said, and put the rest of the orders to the right customers. "Enjoy the dinner. Oh, and your space fries should be ready in a moment," she said politely.

By now Max had entered the café and sat down to one of the booths. Liz also noticed that Richie was sitting next to the counter and was eating a hamburger along with Coke. She also noticed that Max shot what could be considered murderous glares at Richie. Liz wondered what that was all about, but her thoughts were interrupted when one of the orthodontists talked to her. "Uh, miss...my colleagues and I was just appreciating your wonderful overbite."

Liz was completely stunned by that. "Oh...well, thank you...that's a first actually," she stammered.

"Would you mind if we just take a look at your bite...for medical purposes," another orthodontist asked.

Liz was a bit perplexed by this but agreed, "Okay." She then showed them her overbite, though she hardly found it wonderful.

"Magnificent," third orthodontist said.

"Enjoy your dinner, gentlemen," Liz said, and headed to the booth where Max was sitting.

When she got there, she noticed how Max was still glaring at Richie, but she ignored it for now. "It's an orthodontist convention," she said, referring to her display of teeth earlier.

Max was slightly stunned to notice her there, but managed to maintain somewhat calm composure. "Apparently," he commented.

Liz felt a bit uneasy at the moment. "So, are you waiting for Michael or...?" she trailed off.

Max shook his head quickly. "No, no," he said. He then takes the menu and looks it through and said, "I'll just have an Alien Blast."

Liz had a dreamy look in her eyes and she said, "Me, too."

Max looked at her with a stunned expression and asked, "What?"

Liz shook her head slightly and corrected herself quickly. "Nothing...one Alien Blast, coming up," she said and made her way behind the counter. Richie noticed her uneasiness and a slight blush on her face, and he arched his eyebrow. Then he glanced behind him and noticed that someone was glaring at him, but he had quickly averted his gaze to Liz. Richie just shook his head and continued to eat his food. Then he overhead something like, "That's the guy."

Richie glanced to his left and noticed three jocks sitting on one of the tables, giving looks at Max. Then the jocks stand up and walk outside. ["Now what was that about?"] Richie thought. He glanced at the boy at the booth, then at the jocks. He had a bad feeling about this, and he decided to keep an eye on the boy, just in case he got himself into trouble. Richie finished his dinner and drank his Coke quickly. Then he stood up and pulled out his wallet. Luckily it was Liz who walked to him with a bill and when Richie paid the bill, he said, "Liz, I think you should go by yourself to the warehouse. I have something to do at the moment."

Liz blinked but then nodded. "Okay. Anything I should be worried about?" she asked.

Richie shook his head, and walked outside. Max hadn't stopped glaring at him through Liz's and Richie's conversation. A while later Liz came to him with his Alien Blast and Max paid for it. He really wanted to ask her who the guy was, but for some reason he couldn't make himself ask. Michael had said that this guy was living with Marcus for some reason, and Max found it odd. Liz was also going with him some where on the guys motorcycle, which annoyed Max to no end. Isabel had seen him talking with Sheriff Valenti and knew that his last name was Redstone. That was pretty much it. Both Michael and Isabel had grown tired of Max's silent seething about the guy, and had given him two options. Either ask Liz about him directly, or beat the guy into a pulp, and Max had yet to choose which to do.

*************************************************************

Crashdown Café, closing time

Max was walking down the street. He still hadn't found the courage to ask Liz who this Redstone guy was. For all he knew, they were complete strangers, but still were talking together like old friends. This was impossible, 'cause Max was 100% certain that he had never seen this guy in Roswell. Max's thoughts were interrupted when he noticed three jocks standing in front of him. His brow furrowed from confusion. Usually the jocks didn't bother with the 'regulars' like Max, and he couldn't think of a reason for them to be waiting for him for any reason. He decides to take a polite routine. "What's going on, guys?" he asked.

"You're Evans, right?" one of the jocks asked.

Max nodded. "Yeah."

"Stay away from her," the same jock said.

Max's brow furrowed. What were they talking about? "Who?" he asked. The only answer Max got was a punch to his gut from one of the jocks. Two other jocks grabbed Max by the shoulders and dragged him to the alley, and pushed him to the brick wall, holding him in place. The jock who had punched Max to his gut came forth and punched Max in his face. The jock also gave two more punches to Max's ribs, a knee to his guts, an uppercut to his jaw, and a left hook. The two other jocks didn't let him fall down and the jock that had done the beating trade places with one of the jocks who were holding Max still. This one walked to the dumpster and grabbed a two-by-four from the ground. He then walked to Max and the other jocks and hit Max to his chest with the board. Max was gasping for breath and his chest hurt like hell. There was blood dripping from his split lip and his right eyebrow had opened. Then the jock with the board kicked him in his stomach, and the ones who were holding Max let him fall on the ground. The jock with the board kicked Max in his stomach again, and Max felt like his insides were being pulled out. He thanked anyone who was responsible for his existence to make him more resilient to physical punishment than average human, 'cause average Joe would have probably died from these punches by now. Then the jock who had kicked him gave the board to the jock that, so far, had been only holding Max still. Max was struggling to get up, but so far was kneeling on the pavement, holding his gut. The jock smashed the board on his back and Max cried out from pain. He was starting to lose his consciousness, but he managed to hear someone yell, "Alright, what the hell is going on here?!"

Richie was standing at the entrance to the alley, and he was pissed. These three idiots were pummeling this guy who Liz seemed to be attracted to into a pulp and it seemed that they were trying to make a point. It was a good thing for Max that Richie had decided to keep an eye on him, otherwise Max wouldn't have probably survived to see tomorrow. What really got Richie angry was the fact that these jerks weren't even giving Max a fighting chance. "Get lost, fool. Or else you're going to end up like this loser here," one of the jocks said, pointing at Max.

Richie laughed out loud, amused by the threat. "You three idiots think you're the kings of the world, am I right? Well, hate to break it to ya, but I've met tougher people than you," Richie said, which was true. Three jocks from high school weren't exactly people who Richie would consider dangerous. He DID know that he should be careful with them. He didn't want to get arrested, but these runts were asking for time in jail already. Then one of the jocks pointed at him and said, "Hey, ain't that the guy who's been hanging around Parker at the Crashdown as much as this Evans fool does at school?"

Other jock nodded in agreement. "Yea, he's been giving her more than one ride with his peace of junk motorcycle. I say we give him the same message as we gave this fool," he said, indicating Max's slumped form.

Max had a hard time concentrating, his body and head hurt like hell and his sight was blurry, but he did recognize the voice from the alley entrance. It was that Redstone guy and it seemed that he was trying to help Max. Unfortunately that plan seemed to backfire, 'cause the jocks were making their way towards Redstone, and if Max heard correctly, the jocks were going to give Redstone the same beating Max had endured just a moment ago.

Richie backed up slightly, giving himself some room. The jock on Richie's right ran at him in a classic football rush, but Richie sidestepped and tripped the guy, making him stumble into the parked jeep. The jock with the two-by-four tried to swing at Richie's head, but Richie ducked underneath the swing and gave two HEAVY punches to the jocks gut, making him grunt and double over from pain. The third jock had managed to sneak behind Richie and caught him in a Full-Nelson. Richie struggled slightly, but not much. The jock who had rammed into the jeep got up and shook his head slightly. He then notices that his friend had a hold on the guy who dared to stop them and rushed at Richie. Richie, the jock who had the hold and the rusher rammed into the wall behind them. The jock who had Richie in a Full-Nelson howled from the pain, but didn't release his grip. The jock who rushed both Richie and his friend now started to pound Richie in the gut. Richie grunted from the pain, but wasn't even near to being beaten. He kneed the jock in front of him to his groin, effectively forcing him to quit. Then Richie starts to drag himself, along his captor away from the brick wall. He just wanted to incapacitate these guys, not to kill them. When he was at good distance away from the wall, he pulled his head even further forward and then pulled it back quickly, hitting the jock behind him to the face with the back of his head. The jock cried out in pain and released Richie from the Full-Nelson, holding his nose with his right hand. Richie had a hold from the jocks left hand and he kicked the jock to his stomach, doubling him over. Then Richie twisted the jock's arm to the right and immediately twisted to the opposite direction, adding his whole body-strength to the move, creating enough momentum to make the jock somersault where he stood and hit the pavement. Richie sighed from relief and wiped the sweat from his brow, but then was forced on his knees when the jock with the board slammed Richie in the back of his head. Richie was on his knees now, holding the back of his head and the jock pulled the board over his head, attempting to slam it hard to Richie's head again. Richie wasn't completely out of it, though. He kicked the legs out from underneath the jock in a wide sweep with his right leg, causing the jock to lose his balance and fall on the ground. Richie got up and pulled the jock up from his letter jacket collar and gave the jock a head butt to the face, knocking the jock out. Richie took a deep breath and looked around. The jocks were all sprawled out on the pavement and none of them seemed to be ready for a re-match for a while. Richie dusted his jacket and jeans and walked to the slumped form of Max Evans. Richie kneeled next to him and nudged him gently, eliciting a groan from Max. "Sorry about that, just wanted to make sure that you were still with the land of the living," Richie said. "You all right?" he finally asked.

Max was unable to shake his head as an answer, 'cause he had a one major headache. "No," he was able to rasp out.

Richie shook his head and pulled Max's left hand over his shoulder, providing some leverage and support for Max. Max grimaced from pain, which was really unbearable at the moment. When Max was up and leaning to Richie, Richie said, "I should take you to the hospital."

Max shook his head. "No hospital," he said.

"Look, man! You have at least a concussion, a split lip and eyebrow, maybe some broken bones, but I doubt it, and let's not forget the possible internal injury. Now either you go to the hospital WILLINGLY or I'm gonna knock you out cold and carry you there. Which one it's gonna be?" Richie asked, his tone giving a clear message that there was no option for refusal.

Max sighed. "Fine, but I don't think I need to stay at the hospital overnight," he said, his voice straining a bit.

Richie looked at the teenager who was leaning on him for support and shook his head. "You're either really dumb or insane person, you know that," he said to Max.

Max tried to give a disapproving look to this guy who had helped him out, but was unable to do so. He then shook his head and asked, "Why did you help me out, anyway? If you have a thing going on with Liz, you could have just let those jocks to beat me senseless. Then you would have nothing to worry about with me."

Richie looked at Max with confusion. "What the hell are you talking about?" he asked. "Liz and I aren't together."

This got Max off guard. They weren't together? Then what were they doing every time Liz and this guy left the Crashdown at the exact same time? Max was about to ask, but what Richie said got him off guard again. "Truth be told, I think she has feelings for you, but she's afraid to show them," Richie said while he was walking with Max to Richie's Yamaha.

Max didn't say a word after what Richie had said to him, his mind completely wrapped up in a one single thought. ["She has feelings for me?"] Richie put a helmet on to Max and revved the motorcycle. He them glanced behind him and said, "Better hold on tight, 'cause otherwise you're gonna make an unwanted connection with the pavement if you don't."

Max was pulled out from his thoughts and he took a hold of Richie's shoulders. He just hoped that he wasn't giving any 'gay' vibes with this, but Richie was feeling equally uncomfortable. He decided to drive slowly which would make sure that this Max guy didn't have to hold on to him for his dear life. With that thought in mind, Richie drove off and headed to the Roswell General.

*************************************************************

The Quarry, Thursday, 6:50 a.m.

Max and Michael were having their private meeting at the Quarry. Max had been lucky with the hospital, 'cause they had just patched him up and sent him home. Apparently the injuries he had sustained weren't that dangerous to his health, but to Max it still had felt like he had been ripped apart. The cut in his eyebrow had been put together with small Band-Aids and the cut in his lip had closed already. He still had really nasty looking bruises on his back, chest, face, and stomach area, making him even more sore than Michael had been when Marcus had mopped the floor with him. Max still couldn't figure out the reason why Richie Redstone, had helped him, and what he had said about Liz's feelings toward Max confused him even more. Max was pulled out from his thoughts by an angry Michael.

"It's those jocks from the football team, right? Kyle and his friends?" Michael asked angrily.

Max shook his head. "Kyle wasn't there. Besides, Liz broke up with him over a month ago, why would he have done this now?" Max said.

"I've seen them giving you those looks. It was them, wasn't it?" Michael asked. "And I know that Liz broke up with Kyle, but you weren't exactly making moves on Liz until recently, right?"

"It doesn't matter who it was, and Kyle haven't been making any indication that he would have negative feelings toward me," Max said, still thinking about Richie's part in Liz's life.

Michael shook his head. "I'm going to kill them," he said through his clenched teeth, anger coloring his voice.

Max shot a look at Michael and shook his head. "Michael...no," he said evenly.

Michael was exasperated by this. "So what are we going to do?" he asked.

Max had a sullen look. "Nothing," was his answer.

Michael was dumbfounded now. "What do you mean 'nothing'?" he asked.

Max looked at Michael. "Listen to me, Michael. This is bad. Kyle does something to us, we do something back to him. This kind of thing gets all over the school, all over the town and rumors start flying. We can't bring attention to ourselves," Max said to Michael.

"That's exactly what I'm saying. We go and we shut those guys up right now," Michael said, barely able to restrain his anger.

Max shook his head. "Michael, there's no need to that. When Richie helped me out, he beat them equally senseless as they did me. We don't have to go after the jocks for revenge. We have to stick together and hide in our shells for the time being. I have to stay away from Liz," he said, though the last sentence made him wince inwardly. The reason Max even had a clue what Richie's first name was simply that they had made some small talk at the hospital. Richie had even offered to give Max a ride home, but Max had insisted that he'd walk. When Max had started heading home, he had heard Richie mutter something that sounded like, "It's official, he's a nutcase."

Michael relented for the time being. If this Richie character had pummeled the jocks that good, he didn't have to take them down himself, but he'd be damned if he let those three idiots to get away with it THAT easily. He also made a mental note to cause some trouble for Kyle. Max didn't think he had anything to do with this, but Michael thought differently. Then he asked a question that had been nagging him for a while. "Why did Richie help you?"

Max shook his head. "I don't know. He didn't have any reason to do it, but he still did it. Though I think he did it for Liz's sake," Max said.

Michael wasn't convinced, but at the moment he didn't have any info on this guy at all, even less than what he had on Marcus. Michael still made a mental note to keep eyes on this guy in the future, and he was fairly certain that Marcus was the key. Michael had no idea at the moment how right he was.

*************************************************************

West Roswell High, 9:50 a.m, school hallway

Liz was looking through the school's calendar of athletic events, and she had two reasons for it. First was that she wanted to keep up her physical training at school, and the best way to do that was if she'd sign up for them. Second was that she was looking for the particular PE what Max had. Liz had started to have really embarrassing feelings about him, but she still didn't want to follow them. She could say that it was because of her Immortality, but that would have been a lie. No, she was afraid. Afraid how Max would react to her Immortality, which was something she still couldn't tell him. Marcus had been really adamant to NOT reveal their secret to them, and he didn't even bother to explain why. Marcus had said that now he had absolutely zero reason to trust those three, and when he'd allow their own 'specialty' to be revealed would be the day when Hell would freeze over. Liz had been utterly confused by his reasons, but she was unable to get a straight answer. That was one topic he didn't want to talk about, no matter what. Without Liz being aware of it, Maria had walked to her and said, "Hey."

Liz was startled slightly, but managed to keep herself calm. "Hey."

Maria looked at the calendar what Liz had been looking and asked, "So, catching up on upcoming athletic events?"

Liz was taken back by her question, but nodded. "Uh-huh."

Maria gave a look that said 'Yea, right'. "Uh-huh. It couldn't be that Max has PE 4th period and you're conveniently positioning yourself to just to run into him?"

Liz blushed and said "Goodbye," quickly and made her way to her next class. Maria just looked dumbfounded and said, "Bye."

Liz nearly bumped right onto Max, and Max was thankful that she hadn't. The bruises hurt like hell and he couldn't heal them. Well, not fully anyway. He had healed them slightly that they were bearable, but he still had to give an impression that he was healing normally. Max's brow furrowed when he noticed a slight blush on Liz's face. Liz then managed to say, "Hey, Max."

Max nodded. "Hey."

Liz finally noticed Max's face and got really concerned. "God, what happened to your face?" she asked, reaching her hand to Max's split eyebrow.

Max brushed her hand away quickly, but the contact made his heart skip a beat. Hell, he suddenly felt like he had run a marathon. "I fell," he lied.

Liz swallowed the lump that had appeared to her throat when Max's hand briefly touched hers. She still was able to give a look of disbelief to Max, 'cause she didn’t think that falling would cause that kind of injury. Getting a beating did. She shook her head and asked, "Are you all right?"

Max nodded, "Yeah."

"When did this happen? It looks REALLY bad," she said, adding a certain tone to the 'really' part, which said clearly that she didn't believe that Max had fallen or something.

Max looked a bit uncomfortable, but said, "Yesterday." Then he looked at nothing in particular behind Liz. "Uh, I got to go. I have an English midterm. Bye," he said, and headed to the class.

Liz looked completely lost for a moment. Did Max just try to avoid her? Before Max disappeared completely, she was able to say, "Bye."

Kyle walked to Liz, but remained quiet for a while. He had seen that Evans was badly hurt, but he couldn't muster any sympathy to the guy. It seemed that Evans was finally able to come out from his shell when it came to Liz, but now for some reason he was avoiding her. Kyle ignored Evans for now and made his presence known. "Hey Liz," he said.

Liz turned around and saw Kyle. Her brow furrowed from confusion and the possible reason why he was there. "Oh, hey Kyle," she said.

It was now Kyle's turn to be confused. "Don't you remember? Video night?" he asked. True, he and Liz weren't dating, but Liz had refused to let something like a breakup to prevent them spending time with one another.

Liz groaned, which clearly said that she had forgotten about it. "Oh God, I'm sorry, Kyle. I forgot about it, but I don't see any reason to not keep it," she said.

Kyle nodded. "Well, if the night is still a go, are we gonna meet at video store at 6?" Kyle asked.

Liz thought about it for a moment. It was a good thing that Richie's new job didn't allow him to train at their regular time, so her video night with Kyle hadn't been interrupted so far. She nodded and said, "Sounds great."

Kyle smiled slightly. Now when he and Liz weren't a couple, he actually found it nice to be able to just hang out with her. He did wonder on occasion, though, who that guy with the motorcycle was. He kept taking Liz somewhere, but he hadn't brought it up yet. "Alright. I'll see you then," he said, and made his way to his own class.

Liz just shook her head at the events that just took place. Her grandmother was coming, she still needed to spar with Richie, Max was suddenly avoiding her AND she had completely forgotten the video night with Kyle. To top THAT off, she hadn't been able to talk with Alex for a while and she hadn't seen him recently. ["Probably wrapped up with computers at the moment,"] she thought, and sprinted quickly to her class when the bell rang.

*************************************************************

Meanwhile, outside:

Michael was walking up the stairs and he noticed that the jocks were coming down. One of the jocks had a band aide over his nose and he had a bruise that marred the area around his nose. Michael bumped into that guy and put his hand above his chest, and it glowed red briefly. Jock looked at him angrily and growled, "Hey, watch where you're going."

Michael raised his hands quickly and said, "Sorry, dude."

The jock pushed past Michael and walked to a pretty girl leaning at the tree. He tried to flirt with her, but he had a sudden need to scratch his chest. He still tried his moves on the girl, who now was looking at him with disgust and decided to leave. The jock called after her, but he still had an intense urge to scratch himself and the other students started to point at him and laugh.

Michael grinned at the scene below. He was giving these idiots some payback and so far nothing bad had happened. He made his way to the class and thought what to do with the two remaining bastards.

*************************************************************

Richie's new apartment, 24th Missouri Avenue, 10:34 a.m, bedroom

Richie started to stir slightly when the random ray from the sun hit him to his face. He groggily opened his right eye. Then he sat up and groaned. He checked the clock and chuckled. It was a bit over 10:30 in the morning, and he had been sound asleep ever since he had returned to his new home last night. The job interview had gone fine with the Sheriff and he was now a mechanic at the Police Impound. The money was good and it really was more than enough to cover the rent. Good thing that Joe had been gracious with Richie's new identity that it cleared Sheriff's check-up. Sure, Richie had been able to name himself, but Joe had provided the other stuff, like birthday, social security number and the works. Richie got up and took a quick shower. Thursdays and Fridays were work days and Richie's shift would start from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. It forced Marcus to re-schedule his and Liz's sparring and training sessions for the Thursday and Friday, which would start around 8 p.m. Richie didn't mind. He now had the leisure to sleep in as much as he wanted during the weekends. Now he just had to eat something quickly and make it to work in time. He put on his regular clothes and ran outside so quickly that he nearly forgot to lock the door. He then got on his motorcycle and rode off.

On the other side of the street was Adam Hills, watching over Mr. Ryan's new apartment. Since Topolski was getting nowhere with her research anytime soon, Adam didn't see her as a threat at the moment. Now he had been able to keep an eye on Mr. Ryan for the past week. Adam wrote to chronicle dedicated to Mr. Ryan about the events he had witnessed so far. Mr. Ryan had gotten himself a job and was now living in an apartment of his own. Adam remembered clearly how tired he had been when he was living with Marcus. Adam put the chronicle away and drove off to the hospital. His shift would start at 3 p.m. but since Adam had nothing important to do, he decided to use that time at the hospital. He still wasn't able to track down Mr. Ryan's regular Watcher and on some occasions someone had tried to trace his calls. Adam kept pondering the complex web that had suddenly formed around Marcus and Liz Parker.

PART 16b:

Crashdown Café, 15:25 p.m.

Claudia Parker got out from the cab and paid the driver. The man was so kind that he even helped her to remove her bags from the trunk. Claudia was happy to be back home, but also concerned for Liz's safety. Mr. Gray Eagle had been really informative about the Navajo history, much for Claudia's overwhelming excitement. She had gotten almost all the questions that had been unanswered about the Navajo beliefs and mythology answered, but she had to promise the Immortal that she wouldn't reveal ALL the information she had in her book. Gray Eagle had said that when he taught history at Diné, he mixed it with fact and fiction. His reason for this was to keep the Navajo culture intact, but still to keep it as a mystery to the 'palefaces'. Claudia had agreed to this arrangement, but only if Gray Eagle would tell her all about the 'Game', 'The Prize' and the headhunters. Gray Eagle had shown signs that he wouldn't reveal anything about that, but when Claudia mentioned that Marcus had requested it, he had relented. Claudia had been knocked senseless about the 'Game' alone, but what she heard about 'The Prize' and from the headhunters nearly gave her a heart attack. Marcus had been right when he had said that headhunters wanted to kill Liz simply because of what Marcus had called the 'Quickening'. Since Marcus hadn't had the time to tell her about it with more detail, Gray Eagle had provided her with necessary answers. The 'Quickening' was the very thing that granted the whole immortality to the Immortals. It healed them from minor to lethal wounds and even brought them back to life from any death that didn't include decapitation. It also protected them from poisons and diseases as well. When one Immortal killed another, he or she would absorb the 'Quickening' inside them and would gain their knowledge and skills, and they would be able to heal faster from the injuries. Claudia was shocked to say the least when Gray Eagle told her that headhunters wanted as many Quickenings as possible to become stronger for the 'Gathering', which according to both Marcus and Gray Eagle, would take place too far in the future for her to be worried about. Unfortunately Gray Eagle was unable to provide answers about the 'Prize', but he made a logical guess. Since there could be only one, that one would hold ALL the power of the Immortals. Their knowledge, strength and skills. With that power, the last Immortal left standing could easily rule the planet, and that was something what the headhunters were after. Absolute power. Some headhunters even ganged up together to achieve this, but ultimately the members of the group would turn against one another. Claudia even found it hard to believe that four Immortals even started out the concept that could be found in the bible. The Four Horsemen. Kronos was known as War, Silas was known as Famine and Caspian was known as Pestilence. Unfortunately no one knew who Death had been. Gray Eagle had heard some time that the elusive Methos was Death, but he had broken away from the group. Others said Methos was nothing more than a myth. Supposedly he was the oldest Immortal alive. Gray Eagle assured Claudia that she didn't have to worry about these Immortals anymore. Kronos, Silas and Caspian were all beheaded over 2 years ago and no one had seen Death over the past 3000 years. Claudia had been relieved to hear that, since she had started to re-think her decision regarding Liz's training. Now she knew more about the 'Game' in general, and she still didn't like it one bit. She even had witnessed a fight between Gray Eagle and another Immortal over 2 weeks ago. Gray Eagle was armed with two tomahawk axes and the other Immortal had been armed with something that looked like a scimitar. The fight had been intense to say the least, but what really took Claudia's breath away, was the 'Quickening' Gray Eagle absorbed inside him. A surreally beautiful display of lightenings striking at the Indian Immortal and decimating every single electronic machine in the 20 yard radius. Claudia shook her head to clear her thoughts. She needed to talk to Marcus and make sure that Liz understood fully what she was getting into. She walked inside the Crashdown and found it rather...empty. There were only few regulars she knew at the moment, and just to make sure that she didn't look like a complete fool, she made her way to the apartment upstairs, the cab driver dropping her bags at the break room. Then Claudia heard Jeff singing along with an old song. She chuckled slightly and entered to the apartment. Liz noticed her immediately and ran to her. "Grandma!" she exclaimed and hugged her.

Claudia smiled and responded to the hug with equal emotion. "Honey bear!" She then glanced at Jeff, who had stopped singing. "Oh, hello Jeffrey...and I see that you're still listening to them. You're dating yourself," Claudia said, smiling.

Jeff shrugged and smiled. "Well, you know, some things defy time," he said.

Claudia looked at Liz now more closely and gasped from surprise. "Oh, look at you!"

Liz's brow furrowed from confusion. "What?" she asked.

"I'm gone for one month, and when I come back, I see a completely different Liz. I swear, you've turned even more beautiful and, oh my, there seem to be even slight improvements," Claudia said, smiling mischievously.

Liz's eyes widened from shock and she exclaimed, "Grandma!!"

Jeff's brow furrowed from confusion and Claudia just snickered to her grand-daughters shock. When Liz was able to pull herself out from her initial shock, she said, "Let me help you to get your stuff up here."

Claudia waved her off. "Oh, Jeffrey will take care of it, won't you, dear?" she asked.

Jeff nodded and made his way downstairs. Liz and Claudia headed to Liz's room and Liz started to bombard Claudia with questions. "I thought you weren't supposed to be here until Friday so please tell me what's going on. Did you finish that book you have been working on?"

Claudia waved her hand dismissively. "Oh, book, schmook. Let's dish," Claudia said.

Just then Nancy Parker walked by with basket full of laundry. She stopped when she noticed Claudia. "Oh, hey Claudia," she greeted.

"Nancy, it's so good to see you," she said, but wasn't exactly able to give Nancy a hug. "Hey, come with us. We're going to catch up," Claudia said cheerfully, but hoped that Nancy would say 'no', mainly because she needed to talk to Liz privately.

Nancy looked at Liz. "Really? Should I?" she asked.

Liz nodded empathically. "Yeah, definitely. C'mon mom," she said, though she had similar idea than Claudia did. That Nancy would say 'no'.

Nancy shook her head. "I don't think so...I have a lot of laundry to do, so..." she trailed off.

Claudia smiled. "We'll be right back just as soon as Liz has told me all about the boys who are head over heels in love with her," she said, and Liz rolled her eyes to this.

Nancy had a doubtful look on her face. "Don't waste your time, because she never talks about that stuff," she said and made her way downstairs.

*************************************************************

Claudia and Liz were now in Liz's room. Liz was sitting on her bed and Claudia was leaning to the drawers. "Anyway, I don't think I told you this, but Kyle and I...we're not together anymore. In reality, it's been over a month now," Liz said.

Claudia raised a surprised eyebrow to this. "This happened over a month ago and you didn't tell me? Why?" she inquired.

Liz looked a bit embarrassed now. "Well, that happened shortly after the...you know...the 'incident'," she said sheepishly.

Claudia made a silent "Oh," when she realized what Liz was talking about. She was talking about the shooting that literally changed her life. "Why did you break up with him?" she asked thoughtfully.

Liz thought about it. "That shooting got me thinking. My relationship with Kyle was actually already close to breaking up, but it took me getting shot to see it. I broke up with him, but we're still friends," she said.

Claudia shook her head. "Honey bear, not a single male can be 'friends' with you after you have broken up with them. It's a universal rule," Claudia said.

Liz smiled. "Well, that particular rule must be wrong, 'cause me and Kyle are still spending time together, and so far there hasn't been any hint that he would like to start dating me again," she said.

Claudia was surprised to hear this. She would have to talk with Kyle to hear his side of the story, and maybe prove her own point, but so far she needed to find out something else. She arched her eyebrow and smiled mischievously. "So, any new 'soul mate' in the horizon?" she asked.

Liz blushed involuntarily and Claudia chuckled. "It's a shame I was only a bus trip distant, 'cause I would have gladly paid up the airfare to hear this," she said.

Liz's blush deepened a bit. "What if there was someone else who could be my...soul mate?" she asked.

Claudia arched her eyebrow again. "Is there?" she asked, getting even more interested.

Liz continued, but her tone had changed slightly. "What if things were really complicated...like incredibly, incredibly complicated?" she asked.

Claudia's brow furrowed. "You're asking this because of your...Immortality?" Claudia inquired.

Liz shrugged sheepishly. "Well, there's that too, but also a bit more than that," she said as honestly as she could.

Claudia thought about it for a moment. "Well, there's one thing I can tell you. If it's not complicated, he probably isn't your soul mate," she said.

Just then, Maria decided to walk in. Liz was slightly worried that she might have heard the 'I' word, but sighed in relief when Maria exclaimed, "Grandma!"

Claudia smiled. "Oh, Maria! Look at you. Another beauty," she said. She then shook her head slightly and said, "God help this poor little town with you two running around."

Maria looked at Liz, smiling broadly. "Ok, it's now definitely official. I love this woman," she said.

Liz grabbed the book she had looked through slightly before Claudia had started to ask her about boys. "Look at this. Claudia received a letter from the publisher of American Journal of Archaeology. They will publish Claudia's 'Lost Treasures' in the next three months or so," she said, though she had wanted to ask Claudia why she suddenly had changed the subject of her book, but now when Maria was here, that was pretty much impossible.

Maria looked at the book with mild interest. "That's so cool," she said, but quickly changed the subject. "Okay, let's talk about my hair. Does it work for you? I kinda see it as a Meg Ryan style after an electric storm."

Claudia seemed to think about it for a moment and then answered plainly, "I think it's you."

Maria looked at Liz with a smile and said, "She's good." Then she clapped her hands together and asked, "Okay, what are you guys talking about?"

Liz said "Nothing," when Claudia said "Boys."

Maria's eyebrows got up with interest. "Oh...Max or the older boy you've been going with? You remember, the same guy who YOU said was over 18."

Liz paled and gave a look that clearly said "You're gonna pay for this." Claudia's interest reached completely new heights with this information. Liz growled a "Thank you," to Maria, but Claudia had none of it.

"Max and a rebel?" Claudia asked, her eyes brightening all of a sudden.

Liz shook her head. "Nononono...Max...he's SO not possible. He's just like this whole different..." she said, but Maria intervened.

"Life form?" she suggested.

"Type," Liz said plainly.

Claudia was smiling broadly now. "Interesting. You're seeing TWO guys?" she asked.

Liz's eyes widened from shock. "NO!! Richie and I...we're NOT dating!" she said convincingly. "And Max...well..." she trailed off.

"Another mystery man?" Claudia suggested.

"Spacey man," Maria quipped.

"Definitely a mystery man then," Claudia said with a smile.

Liz shook her head and groaned from disgust. "Okay, you two are SO out of control," she said.

"Okay, what are we going to do tonight?" Claudia asked, changing the subject.

Liz was stunned now. "Tonight..." she tried to speak, but couldn't. She had a video night with Kyle, but that had been reduced to one video due to recent events and after that she would have to go to her training. This NOW would be impossible because of her grandmother and Maria. Claudia noticed that Liz was a bit uneasy about something and realized that it had something to do with her Immortality. "Maria, why don't you go fetch me a glass of water?" she asked from the blonde.

Maria nodded. "Sure, I'll be just a sec," she said.

When Maria was away, Claudia said something that shocked Liz completely. "Liz, I know that Marcus is teaching you how to fight against these...'headhunters', so you better tell me quickly what you're planning to do today," she said.

Liz was about to ask how she knew, but Claudia answered to that question, "Liz, I confronted Marcus before I left, and he told me what you have been doing."

"Well, Richie is another Immortal who has been sparring with me for the past month, and I have a training session with Marcus at 8," Liz said honestly.

Claudia was surprised to hear this. "Another Immortal?" she said, confused. Liz nodded to this. "How old is he?" Claudia asked.

Liz was feeling embarrassed at the moment, but was able to answer, "Almost as old as dad is."

Any remark Claudia was going to make was stopped when Maria came back with Claudia's water. Claudia now definitely needed to talk with Marcus. Unfortunately she didn't know that THAT choice was now no longer in her hands.

*************************************************************

Main street, 18:19 p.m, 2 blocks away from Crashdown

Liz was looking at the movie Kyle had rented with distaste. "I can't believe you actually rented this. It looks like the worst movie in history," she said.

Kyle seemed to be offended by that remark. "Okay, for your information, 'Massacre at Sunset Village' is a modern day classic, and the serial killer homes in on this retirement community, so it's got something for your grandmother," Kyle said.

Liz looked at Kyle in shock. "I SO am not gonna show THIS to my grandmother," Liz said, but she couldn't possibly know that Claudia had already witnessed one beheading already, with even better detail than what they have in the movies.

Kyle shrugged. "Well, twenty minutes of 'Wings of Boringness' and we'll all be ready for some action," Kyle said.

They were getting closer to the Crashdown Café, but Liz noticed even from this distance that there was an ambulance there, along with curious by-standers. Liz stopped dead on her tracks and dropped the video she was carrying when she noticed that Grandma Claudia was wheeled inside the ambulance. Kyle also had a concerned look on his face.

*************************************************************

Thorne household, 18:23 p.m, living room

Marcus was reading a book when his cell phone rang. His brow furrowed and he walked to his coat and took it from the interior pocket. It was Liz. "Hello," he answered.

After he heard what Liz had said, he grabbed the coat and headed outside. "I'll be there as fast as I can," he said as he ran to his car. He backed up the car quickly and elicited a lot of smoke from the tires when he sped off to the hospital.

*************************************************************

Roswell General Hospital, 18:27 p.m.

Adam Hills noticed that the paramedics were wheeling a patient through the hall and his eyes widened when he recognized the patient. It was Claudia Parker. He walked to the nurses and asked, "What do we have?"

One of the paramedics answered, "Patient complained of weakness in her left side and her family members noticed slurred speech before she lost consciousness. BP 160, pulse 100 and respiration 20."

Adam checked Claudia's eyes and they were losing their focus. "Give me an EKG," he said, then he noticed the Parkers following them closely and said to one of the nurses. "Keep them out of here, please."

One of the nurses stopped Jeff and the rest stopped behind him. "I'm sorry, but you have to wait here," the nurse said.

Jeff looked at the nurse with a hurt look and said, "That's my mother."

The nurse nodded but still wouldn't let them pass. "I understand that, but I need you to wait out here," the nurse said gently.

*************************************************************

30 minutes later, Hospitals lobby

Marcus made his way to the lobby in a hurry. He had called Richie and cancelled the training sessions until further notice. Richie didn't exactly complain, but he was curious why. Marcus had explained his reason, and Richie said that he'd pay a visit to give some support to Liz. Marcus didn't like that idea one bit, and now he had to come up a plausible cover story for Richie. Good thing he wasn't here yet. Marcus saw that the Parkers were all sitting in the waiting room, Jeff and Liz both looked more devastated than Nancy did, though she had a worried look as well. Marcus was confused by the fact that Kyle was there, but didn't put too much thought to it. He walked to Liz. "Anything?" he asked. Liz just shook her head, unable to answer.

Then Adam Hills walked to the lobby and the Parker's got up. Liz was still sitting on the bench and Marcus was standing next to her. "Dr. Hills," Jeff said.

"Jeff. Hi, Nancy," Adam said, giving both of them a sympathetic look.

"Thank you for coming...we're so glad you're able to be here," Nancy said.

"Of course," Adam said. He still needed to monitor Claudia but he knew he had to say something to the Parkers.

"How is she?" Jeff asked.

Adam sighed. "Jeff, your mother had a stroke. A serious one, but so far she has been responding really well. Her vital signs are good and she's stabilized," he said.

"Is she going to be all right?" Nancy asked.

"It's still too early to tell, but I think that she'll pull through. We're just going to need more time to determine the possible repercussions," Adam said.

Jeff had a hurt look, and Nancy said, "Thank you."

Adam nodded and assured them with a smile, "We have reason to be positive here." When the Parkers walked back to the lobby, Adam's smile disappeared. That was only his professional opinion, but his personal opinion told him that Claudia Parker only had few more days to live. He walked back to Claudia's room to re-check everything.

Suddenly Max appeared to the lobby. Liz had called him when she had bought a soft drink for herself. When Max's shift at the UFO Center had ended, he had checked his messages and had heard Liz's request. He really wanted to follow Liz's request to not come here, but he needed to give her his support, no matter what. Max noticed that the Parker's, Marcus and Kyle were there as well, and Liz made her way straight to him.

Liz had a surprised look on her face. She didn't expect Max to come, not after what she had said on the message. "Max," she said.

Max looked at Liz. "Hey."

Liz had slightly watery eyes. "My grandmother just had a stroke," she said.

Max was silent for a moment. "I'm sorry...how are you doing? You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, thanks," she said, trying to hold back her sorrow. She turned around and addressed everyone. "Everyone, this is Max," she said.

"I'm well aware who you are, Mr. Evans," Marcus said, though the glare he send at him suggested that he was far from happy with this turn of events.

Jeff ignored Marcus's jibe. "Hi there," he said politely.

"Hi," Max said to Mr. Parker.

"So, what are YOU doing here?" Kyle asked, clearly annoyed.

Max was a bit uneasy for a moment, then came up with an excuse. "My cousin was in a car accident," he said.

"I'm sorry," Liz said, though she knew that it was a lie.

Richie then suddenly rushed from the corner and everyone looked at him with confusion. Well, all expect Marcus. "How did you get here so fast?" Marcus asked from him.

"I broke the speed limit in a big way," Richie answered. "Any news?" he asked.

Marcus had an irritated look. "Nothing positive, in my opinion," he admitted. "But we're hoping."

Richie nodded his head and looked at Liz. "You okay?" he asked.

Liz was dumbfounded by the fact that Richie was concerned about her, but at the moment she didn't complain. "Not too good, to be honest," she admitted.

Both Max and Kyle gave an odd look to Richie. Kyle didn't know him at all and Max was wondering how he had heard about this, but he suspected that Marcus had been the one to inform him, which raised a whole new set of questions for Max. Who was Richie Redstone, and what kind of connection did he have with Liz and Marcus? Jeff Parker had walked to the man who seemed to be in his early 20's, when in truth he was almost as old as Jeff was. They shook hands and Richie gave Jeff his condolences.

Max then decides to leave to see his cousin who'd supposedly been in the car accident and left. Kyle kept his gaze locked on to Max for a while, then he turned his gaze to this guy he didn't know at all. He did hear Marcus saying that he was a cousin who was paying a visit for the time being, but Kyle suspected that it wasn't the truth.

*************************************************************

Later, Hospital parking lot

Max was heading to his jeep, when he notices that Kyle is leaning on it, apparently waiting for him. Max sighed. He really didn't need Kyle to start same kind of talk as his friends had given him. He walked pass Kyle and climbed to the jeep, starting it. "So, how was your cousin?" Kyle asked, starting the conversation.

Max gave a puzzled look to Kyle, and said, "He's going to be fine."

Kyle shook his head and looked Max straight to his eyes. "Your cousin wasn't in a car accident, was he?" he asked, but it sounded more like a statement.

Max got a bit uncomfortable. "It was a mistake," he said.

"Look Max, I don't know what is going on with you and Liz, and I really don't think it's none of my business now when we aren't together anymore, but I still CARE about Liz. Deeply," he said. "I know she was shaken up by that shooting at the Crashdown and you helped her to calm down. I appreciate that. But what I DON'T like is the way you're now all of a sudden all over her. I see it, Max. My friends see it and the whole school sees it," Kyle said. Then he gave Max a serious look. "I may be over-reacting here, but I swear that if you hurt her in any way, I'll personally kick your ass so hard that you'll be spending the rest of your life in a coma. Do you understand me?"

Max nodded, though he found it odd that he didn't realize that his message had already gone through to him yesterday. "Yea, I understand," he said. Then he drove off, leaving Kyle to stand at the parking lot. He then made his way back to the hospital, intending to give Liz his support. He stopped when he noticed Marcus and...what was his name?...Richie something having a heated conversation. He got curious, but there was no way he could get near them without giving away his presence, so he shrugged it off and walked into the hospital.

*************************************************************

West Roswell High, Friday, 10:02 a.m, Max's locker

Liz was heading to Max's locker, intending to speak with him. He had left way too quickly, and the hostility that Marcus had showed to Max was troubling enough as it was. She just needed to talk to him. "Max, hey," she called out, getting his attention.

Max looked to his left and noticed Liz heading his way. "Hey, how's your grandmother?" he asked.

Liz stopped in front of him, worried look on her face. "We're waiting at the moment, but I think she's going to be okay. I mean, if anyone can pull through this, it's her. She's so full of life," she said. Then she averted her gaze to hide her embarrassment. "Well, I was thinking that when she gets better, I'd really like you to meet her."

Max had a surprised look for a moment, but said, "I hope she gets better."

Liz nodded, but decided to bring up her original topic. "So, about last night..." she started.

Max raised his hand. "I shouldn't have come. You told me not to," he said.

Liz shook her head. "No, I'm glad you did. It really meant a lot to me. I'm just really sorry that things got so awkward," she said.

Max got a sullen look. "It was a mistake. I mean, you had your family, Mr. Thorne, Kyle and...Richie," he said.

Liz looked at Max to the eyes and noticed his hurt. "Marcus called Richie, not me. As for you, I know I shouldn't have called..." she was about to say, but Max stopped her.

"Yeah, you probably shouldn't have. We said we agreed to...see you later, Liz," Max said, and made a quick dash to the men's room, a bit frustrated.

Liz just looked at his disappearing form in confusion. ["What is going on?"] she thought.

*************************************************************

West Roswell High, few minutes later, men's restroom

Max felt like hell, and not from the bruises. His heart ached. All he wanted was to be close to Liz, but he couldn't, mainly because of those jocks. Max was certain that she had an equally big secret to hide as he had had. Then again, if she HAD that kind of secret, she would have kept even bigger distance from him, which she wasn't doing. He punched the stall wall in frustration and grunts from the slight pain in his arm. Michael had walked in a few seconds ago, and he decided to bring his own comment to this. "Ouch. Gandhi feeling frustrated?" he asked, though it was pretty obvious.

Max just glared at Michael and growled, "Shut up."

Michael leaned at the sink. "Let me guess...you're in love with a girl and she's with another guy," Michael suggested.

"Not exactly. She's not with anyone, but I can't be close to her either," Max said with a defeated sigh.

Michael chuckled out loud. "Who would have thought? You finally get close to the love of your life, and you can't be with her. Talk about a weird twist of fate," he said with a smirk.

Max glared at Michael again, and this time more intensively. "You DO realize that you're really annoying, right?" he asked sarcastically.

Michael grinned at him. "I think I have something that'll cheer you up," he said mysteriously and Max was suddenly interested.

They walked to the hallway where Kyle's locker was and Max noticed that Kyle was unable to open his locker. He gave a look at Michael and asked, "What the HELL are you doing?"

Michael looked at Max with confusion. "What am I doing?" he said back.

Max gave a look of disbelief and asked again, "What are you doing?"

Michael still had a confused look on his face. "I'm helping you out," he admitted.

Max shook his head. "No, you're NOT helping me. You promised me that you wouldn't do anything to those guys, especially Kyle," Max said.

Michael glared at Max. "I promised I wouldn't hurt them, Max," he said.

"You're putting us in danger, Michael," Max said angrily, yet in hushed tone.

"No, YOU'RE the one who got US in danger when you told Liz," Michael said angrily.

"And THAT wouldn't have happened if YOU hadn't stolen Mr. Thorne's pendant in the first place," Max shot back, which shut Michael up for a while.

Michael averted his gaze from Max and grumbled, "Let's hope we can trust her."

"We CAN trust her," Max said with conviction.

Michael gave Max a look and said, "Well, I don't trust anyone these days." Then he walked away, all the while Kyle was trying to open the locker. Unbeknownsed to both Max and Michael, Marcus had been listening to their quiet talking. Michael was a troubled individual to say the least, but Marcus understood. They were slightly alike. Both were adopted, or more likely, pushed to a place neither wanted to be in the first place. Michael was now living with Hank, and Marcus had lived with a bastard who probably was even a worse father than Hank. And now neither Michael nor Marcus trusted each other. Michael didn't trust Liz, and Marcus didn't trust the aliens. Actually, if anything, for the first time Marcus started to understand Michael's reasons for paranoia. He had nothing else to keep him moving. Marcus made a mental note to talk with him about it discreetly. He might be able to understand the aliens, but he sure as hell wasn't able to trust them again. Not yet, anyway.

*************************************************************

Roswell General Hospital, 14:45 p.m, lobby

Maria made her way to Liz. She had heard the news that Claudia's heart had stopped for a while and she wanted to re-assure Liz that Claudia would be all right. Liz was sitting at the bench, her eyes tearing. Maria sat next to her and said, "She could still come out of it."

Liz looked at Maria. "Hills doesn't think so. I saw it in his eyes. He didn't believe it from the start," Liz said, a single tear gliding down her cheek. She shook her head. "I can't believe this. I mean, you saw her yesterday, remember? She was so full of life."

Maria nodded sadly. "I know," she said.

There were more tears coming now. "I can't believe I went out. I was out all day. I wasted all that time in the video store, when I could have spent my time with her. What was I thinking?" she said, her voice breaking.

Then she wiped her tears away and shook her head. "God, I'm being irrational," she scolded to herself.

Maria shook her head and put her hand on Liz's shoulder. "No, Liz. I'm glad you're being irrational. I mean, it's hard. This is really, really hard. Are you sure you don't want me to stay?" she asked.

Liz nodded sadly. "Yeah, it's fine, but thank you anyway," she said.

Maria hugged Liz and Liz hugged her back. "I love you," Maria said, and Liz responded, "I love you, too." Then they parted and Maria left. Liz called out, "Are you going to be okay at the Crashdown?" Maria turned and grinned, "Don't worry. I have Isabel covering your shift." Liz mouthed a "What," in confusion but couldn't ask any more details before Maria disappeared. Then Liz felt a specific buzz, which told her that Marcus was coming. She had gotten quite good at identifying the buzz with different people, and she had both Richie and Marcus as people to compare. Though now she couldn't care less. Her grandmother was dying way too soon, and she hadn't been able to talk with her properly. Claudia had found out about the headhunters and the real reason why Liz was hanging out with Marcus these days. She just wanted Claudia to be all right. She looked to her right and noticed that Marcus was sitting next to her. He had a sad expression as well, and Liz could have sworn that he had some tears in his eyes. "How is she?" he asked.

Liz shook her head. "Not good. Hills doesn't think she has that much time left," she said. Then she looked at Marcus straight to the eyes. "You told her, right?" she asked. Marcus nodded his answer. "I'm glad you did," Liz admitted.

Marcus wasn't exactly surprised by this. "You really want to tell your parents, but you're still worried about their reaction," Marcus stated.

Liz nodded. "My dad is SO over protective, and if Claudia dies, he's going to be even more impossible with me," she said. Then she looked at Marcus with hope in her eyes. "Do you think that...you know...our blood could...heal her?" she asked.

Marcus rubbed his temples. "Liz, we would have to have EXACT same blood type as she has, and even then I don't know how she would react to it," Marcus said. He looked Liz straight to her eyes. "It might even kill her right on the spot," he admitted. "Besides, even if it WOULD work, you would only delay the inevitable. She's dying, and she will probably die sooner than you think. I suggest that you find some way to say goodbye to her, otherwise you'll be more devastated than you are now," Marcus said.

Liz tried to prevent her tears from flowing, but she just couldn't. Marcus pulled her into a gentle hug and just held her, allowing her sobs to die out.

Adam had been listening their conversation for a while. He knew that neither one of them had the right blood type to help Claudia, but it wasn't impossible to get the right type. The problem was that it would take too long. Besides, he agreed with Marcus completely when he had said that Liz would have been delaying the inevitable. He prayed that the young immortal would find some way to say her goodbyes, because if she didn't, there was no telling what her sorrow could do to her.

*************************************************************

West Roswell High, 15:15 p.m, parking lot

Kyle had just finished with the foot ball practices, but he still didn't know what had happened to his locker. The janitor had said that the lock had melted, but that was impossible. He was talking about it with his jock friends. Kyle was curious how they had gotten so many bruises, but he had a more pressing question. "How the hell did that lock just melted? I mean, metal has to be like 500 degrees to melt," he said to the jock with a Band Aided nose.

"Maybe it was that Max guy getting back at us," he said.

"Or that guy who helped him out," the jock who Richie had kneed in the groin said.

Kyle was now completely confused and looked at the three jocks. "Getting back at us for what?" he asked.

"We beat the crap out from that bastard, Max, and we would have done the same thing to that guy who helped him out, but he got the better of us," third jock with a light bruise on his forehead said.

Kyle stopped dead on his tracks. "What?" he asked.

The jock with a band aid looked at Kyle oddly and said, "You're the one who said he was making moves on Liz."

Kyle looked at them like they were retards. "Yea, but we're not together anymore, you idiots! SHIT!!" he exclaimed and headed to his car, intending to apologize to Liz, but first he needed to find that Richie guy and get some answers from him. If what Kyle's so called friends had said was true, it had been Richie who had pummeled them into their current condition.

The three jocks just looked at him leave in confusion.

*************************************************************

Roswell General Hospital, 19:10 p.m, outside Claudia's room

Marcus had left about 5 minutes ago. He had kept Claudia company when Liz had gone to see Max and ask him to heal Claudia. Marcus doubted that it would work. Mr. Evans might be many things, but he wasn't a god. When Liz had returned to the hospital, her defeated look told him more than he needed. He had spent some time there and then left, and now Liz felt even lonelier than she did before. Then she noticed that Kyle was there and he asked the most common question so far. "How's she doing?"

"At the moment, ok," Liz answered plainly. She wanted Claudia to awaken so badly that it hurt.

Kyle looked slightly uncomfortable now, and he said, "Listen, we need to talk."

Liz's brow furrowed from confusion. "Alright," she said.

Kyle shook his head. "Not here, outside," he said.

*************************************************************

Hospital Parking Lot, few minutes later

Kyle had led Liz to his car and now he was apologizing from her. "Liz, I'm SO sorry. I know that you have other things in mind at the moment, but I wanted to tell you that I had nothing do with what happened to Max," he said.

Liz was confused now. "What happened to Max?" she asked.

"You know...Tommy, Paulie and Rick, those guys. They're degenerates and I had NO idea they were going to do that," Kyle said, though he was surprised that Liz had no idea what he was talking about.

"Do what?" Liz asked again, completely lost for a moment.

Now Kyle was positively surprised. "You know, beat him up. You didn't know?" he asked.

Liz was exasperated now. "Why would they do something like that?" she asked, getting slightly angry.

Kyle scratched the back of his head. "I don't know. They said they were trying to help out," he said honestly. He never could lie to Liz.

Liz was completely dumbstruck and angry now. "Help out? How would beating Max up help out?" she asked.

Kyle made a 'calm down' gesture. "I told them it was wrong, Liz. Besides, your other male 'friend' Richie something beat THEM up when he helped Max out," Kyle said.

"What is going on? First you tell me that your idiotic friends beat up Max because they were trying to help YOU out, and then you say that Richie beat THEM up when he tried to help out Max," she said. Then she shook her head. "Never mind, don't try to answer that. I thought that you told them that we weren't together anymore?" she asked.

"I did. Apparently they thought that you just made a mistake and that you would come around. Then Max stepped into the picture..." Kyle said, but Liz cut him off.

"No. Nonononono NO! Don't even try to put this onto Max, 'cause YOU must have said something to let your friends that encouraged them to attack him. How you can even spend time with them is something I don't understand," Liz said.

"Hey, I'm trying to apologize here. True, we're not together anymore, but that still doesn't mean that I don't care about you. Max is trouble, and they are good guys. They just over-reacted a bit," Kyle said.

Liz shook her head. "Kyle, they are NOT good guys, and Max isn't trouble. Not anymore than I am at the moment," Liz said, but realized too late that she had let a small hint that she was different slip.

Kyle was confused. "What do you mean, Liz?" he asked.

Liz shook her head. "Nothing, but let me tell you this Kyle, if you don't realize how wrong it was what your 'friends' did to Max, then I can't spend time with you anymore," she said, and started to make her way back to the hospital.

"What, so this is suddenly MY fault?!" Kyle exclaimed.

Liz stopped and turned around. "No. Just think REALLY hard about whom your real friends are, and then come talk to me," she said, and made her way back to the hospital, leaving a very sullen Kyle behind. He kicked the tire of his car in anger for what was happening now with Liz, and what his friends had done to Max.

*************************************************************

Back at the hospital, 20:58 p.m, Claudia's room

Liz walked to her grandmother's room with two cups of coffee. She walked to Nancy and gave her one and the other to her dad. "How are you guys doing?" she asked.

Jeff shook his head. "Not so good, to be honest. This waiting is killing me," he said. Nancy nodded in agreement while she took a sip from her coffee.

Liz nodded. "Why don't you guys go outside and get some air?" she suggested.

Jeff looked at Liz and asked, "You sure?"

Liz nodded. "Yeah, I'll be fine, ok?" she said, and sat next to Claudia's bed. Jeff and Nancy exchanged looks and made their way to the parking lot.

Liz took Claudia's hand to her own and begged her to wake up, but there was nothing. Liz's eyes started to tear again, and then she hears something from the door. She turns around and sees Max at the door. "Hey. I may not be able to stop what is happening, but I might be able to help you to say goodbye," he said.

Liz watched Max walk to Claudia and tried to revive her so that she and Liz could talk. Unfortunately nothing seemed to happen. Max looked at Liz with sad expression, "I'm sorry."

Liz managed to give a small smile, albeit it was a sad one. "Thank you for trying," she said.

"Honey bear," someone said. Liz spun around, and saw Claudia standing at the corner of the room. She looks back at the bed, and Claudia is still lying there. Liz looks back at the Claudia standing in the corner. Even Max seemed a bit surprised by this.

"Let me guess...Max," Claudia said.

Liz's eyes started to tear more. "Grandma, I...I guess what I wanted to say to you more than anything else is just how much you mean to me, and somehow you just always manage to make me feel really special, and I...I just don't know what I'm going to do without you," she said, tears were falling down her cheek.

Claudia smiled. "You're going to do just fine, and I want to tell you something. When I look at you being so excited about life, I see myself, and that's a gift. A gift that I will take with me, and that I'll always treasure, even if you aren't my granddaughter in flesh," she said. Max was surprised to hear this, but both Liz and Claudia were ignoring him now. "Just promise me two things," Claudia said. "Anything," Liz said, more tears falling. "That you'll follow your heart where ever it takes you. Trust it. Can you do that?" Claudia asked. Liz nodded, barely able to restrain a sob. Then Claudia's features turned sadder. "This one might be a bit harder to follow, but just do it for me, Liz. Live," Claudia said, letting a tear fall down her cheek. Liz stifled a sob and nodded. "I will," she said.

With that, Claudia smiled one last time, and disappeared. The heart monitor started to give out an alarm sound, indicating that Claudia's heart had stopped.

*************************************************************

In front of Crashdown Café, 21:23 p.m.

Max walked Liz to the Crashdown entrance. She had cried when Dr. Hills had rushed to the room with two nurses, but nothing they did wouldn't have mattered. Claudia was dead, and nothing would bring her back now. Max was confused about the fact that Claudia had said that Liz wasn't her granddaughter in flesh, which probably meant that she was adopted, but it was what Claudia wanted Liz to promise to her that confused him more. That she would live. Just...live. Max had the urge to ask her about it, but put aside that particular question for the moment. Liz was in such a raw emotional state that it might push Liz away completely from him. They both had stopped in front of the Crashdown now and Liz was looking at him straight to his eyes. "Max, thank you for..." she tried to speak up, but her voice was strained. Besides, Max was glad that he was able to help.

He put his index finger to her lip and said, "Sssh. Its ok."

"Good night," Liz said, barely audible to hear, but Max did hear it.

"Good night," he said back.

Liz now had turned to the door and was about to open it, when she suddenly turned around and hugged Max, placing all her emotions in that one hug. Max hugs her back, although more gently, and they stand there for a while, Max providing comfort to Liz.

TBC...

Special thanks to NewYorker18, ofwolfandman408, girlie_girl, kittens, angeleyes, LittleBit and dearzy. Special thanks to Norma Bates for beta work. Hmm, apparently people are taking some R&R from fanfiction or RL is a total pain. Well, I don't mind, just as long as people actually read my stuff.

kittens Now that's an interesting statement, but if you think I'm going to make alien immortals, guess again. Just the measly earthlings. Regarding the future with Liz and Max...well, that would definitely spoil the end if I'd tell you, now wouldn't it?

angeleyes Not yet, anyway. Have some patience.

LittleBit CoE will be focusing completely on S1. Of course with the smaller and bigger 'ad-ons' regarding Liz's immortality, Marcus's past, Adam Hills's own Watcher duty when trying to protect Liz's immortality from Topolski and let's not forget Richie's friends either. Connor will be making an appearance as well. I have planned to make a sequel for S2, with some headhunters tossed into the mix and a bit beyond that, and a sort of a long epilogue deep into the future. I COULD cut some eps from S1 out from the story, but then it wouldn't be...detailed.

Well, here's part 17. Sorry, but you probably have to wait for a while for an update. I have couple of school papers to finish and get them to teach, so I won't be focusing on this story (or DAA) for a while.

Title: "Concept of Eternity"
Author: Bored to Mundane life
Disclaimer: They don't belong to me. If they did, Alex would have lived on and season 3 would have been a lot more different. The only character that belongs to me is Marcus Thorne. I also hope that Bruce Dickinson doesn't mind if I use him in this fic.
Synopsis: Liz Parker is having just a regular day at the Crashdown, when suddenly an argument between two customers gets out of hand, and she's shot. She is raced quickly to the hospital, but she dies en route. But before she is considered as a lost cause, her heart starts beating. Later on, her history teacher, Marcus Thorne, tells her that she's an Immortal. She'll be then pulled into the life of the Immortals, better known as 'The Game'. With no way out. But her apparent resurrection has raised other peoples attention as well. And Liz suddenly finds out that she isn't the only one harboring a considerably large secret. But how does Max Evans, his sister Isabel and Michael Guerin fit into this?
Category: Crossover, Roswell/Highlander, strictly CC.
Rating: PG-13, probably R at some point.
Feedback: Definitely appreciated. And definitely needed, so I know that my writing isn't going to waste. Afterall, this IS my first fic.

Part 17:

Martial Arts studio, 25th October, Sunday, 19:15 p.m.

Liz settled into her battle stance on the other side of the ring. She was wearing a regular set of clothing, something you would normally wear for school or at home. Then again, it WAS agreed that Liz would wear normal clothes during sparring matches to provide better control for Liz in the future. Her eyes held a very intense stare, though. A calculative stare. Richie followed suit and settled to his own battle stance on his own side of the mat. Marcus was standing outside the mat, arms crossed and observing for a while. His brow was furrowed from thought when he assessed Liz's posture. Then he blew the whistle, and Liz and Richie moved. Today was one of those days when Liz and Richie would go at it with all they got. After Liz's grandmothers funeral, Marcus had been surprised, to say the least, that Liz wanted to intensify her Martial Arts training. Marcus had got worried and asked why she wanted it, and Liz's answer was quite interesting. She had said that if she wanted to live, she needed to forget her fears of harming someone seriously. Otherwise SHE would be the one ending up dead. Marcus actually found himself agreeing to Liz's reasoning, but still questioned her motives. Pushing yourself to your limits WAS acceptable, but not in the cost of rational thinking. You push yourself too far and start to show signs of progress, you get cocky and don't think straight. In a challenge, THAT kind of thinking had caused more than one person to lose their head. Marcus didn't argue, but made his point clear about it, and Liz understood why Marcus was worried, but she had no intentions to become too confident about her skills. Not when it came to this, 'cause that would effectively destroy her promise to her grandmother...to live. Marcus shook his head and continued to follow the on going fight.

Liz started with a sweep with her right leg and Richie countered by jumping up to avoid getting tripped. When Liz used her momentum to get back up, she immediately followed with a full round house kick with her left leg to Richie's head, which connected the minute Richie landed. Richie reeled to his right from the impact, and shook his head slightly. This gave Liz an opening, and she exploited it fully. She slid to Richie's legs and gave a scissor kick, forcing Richie to the mat. When Richie hit the mat, he immediately rolled away from Liz and got up, only to see Liz coming straight at him. He started to block the punches and kicks she gave at him. This went on for a while, until Richie saw an opening himself, and gave a right hook to Liz's jaw. The impact forced Liz to back away, giving Richie more space to operate. He followed with a kick to Liz's gut, which doubled Liz over, then gave an uppercut, forcing Liz back up again. Richie continued his assault with series of punches, but Liz managed to block them all, even when her vision was bit blurred. That didn't last long, thanks to Immortal's faster healing rate. Liz realized that Richie was close enough to get him KO'd rather easily. She noticed an opening and kneed Richie to his groin. Richie cried out and doubled over, his hands covering his balls. Liz then followed with a kick to his head, which pulled him back up again, much to his discomfort. She then continued with series of punches and jabs, forcing Richie to back away. Liz then backed away slightly and made a spinning jump kick, which connected cleanly to Richie's head. Richie hit the mat, his right side of the face housing a nasty looking bruise. If he would have a few minutes, he could get up. Unfortunately those were the few minutes he didn't have, and he heard Marcus blowing the whistle, which meant that the fight was over. Richie groaned from pain on the ground, and then felt that he was being pulled back up. Marcus was now giving Richie some support and led him to the benches. Liz was walking next to them, but jogged ahead of them to open the first aid kit and taking an ice bag from its interior. She folded the bag and shook it a bit, and stopped when it started to cool. She handed it over to Richie, who pressed it onto the side of his head, wincing slightly in the process. Liz looked at Marcus, who was in deep thought. "Penny for your thoughts?" Liz queried.

Marcus looked at Liz and said, "You did good, Liz, but there are some slight details we still need to go through. Now let's call it a day and head back home. Richie, think you can close up?"

Richie gave a glance at Marcus and shrugged. "I ain't going no where for a while, so yea, I can close up," he said.

Marcus nodded and started to make his way outside. "I'll take a quick shower and then leave," Liz said, and made her way to her own changing room with a shower. Richie got up with some slight difficulty and started to limp his way to his own changing room.

Marcus had reached his car, when he felt like someone was watching him. He surveyed the parking lot, but found nothing suspicious. His brow furrowed and he started to walk to the street, looking a bit more thoroughly around him. He still couldn't see anything even remotely suspicious, but if anyone knew that looks can be deceiving, it was Marcus. He had more than once found mortals following him, carrying some kind of a book with them. They called themselves 'Watchers', if he remembered correctly. Last time he met one was 300 years ago, and Marcus had been able to elude them ever since. Marcus WAS certain about one thing. If there was a Watcher in Roswell, who ever he or she was, they weren't following HIM. Marcus would have known about it immediately. No, that meant that they were following either Richie or Liz. Richie would have been a more probable candidate, but Marcus dismissed that idea. He hadn't seen anything suspicious when Richie had arrived, and if what Richie said was true, he should have been able to tell if someone was following him, and Marcus had to agree. That left one option: that there was a Watcher in Roswell from the start, which meant that Marcus had been recognized. Then his brow furrowed. Then why hadn't they been keeping a closer eye on him? Then he came up with another theory, which sounded more plausible. This Watcher was keeping an eye on Liz, and probably had been for a while. Marcus thought about his options. He COULD try to find this Watcher now and get him or her to leave town, or he could use the Watcher in some way. Then he grinned. What a better way to teach Liz to be more aware of her surroundings then having a Watcher following her around. Though Marcus had to admit that who ever he or she was, they were really good, considering that it took THIS long for Marcus to figure out something was wrong. Marcus took a final glance to his surroundings and headed back to his car, got in and drove home.

Adam Hills released a breath he was holding. Then he cursed silently. ["Damn it!! You overconfident fool!! Now Marcus definitely knows something's up,"] he scolded himself. Then his brow furrowed. ["Why didn't he try to find me? He could have, I know that, but he didn't even bother to try. What is he up to?"] Adam thought grimly, but didn't move from his spot. He had a job to do, but now he had to make a choice. Follow Mr. Ryan to his own apartment, or follow Liz Parker. There wasn't exactly too much of a choice there. Adam chose to follow Liz.

*************************************************************

Crashdown Café, 19.52 p.m, break room

Liz entered the café through the back door and sighed from relief. She didn't know why she was feeling edgy, but ever since she walked away from the warehouse, now a Martial Arts studio, she had a feeling that she was being watched. Then again, she had that particular feeling for some time now, ever since Marcus told her about her destiny now come to life, and again when she found out that Max was an alien. She felt like everywhere she went, there was something lurking in the shadows. Then again, her view for the world had been drastically changed since that day at the Crashdown. The world was now far BIGGER and deadlier than she originally had thought. Fortunately her mind was working properly, and it told her that what ever was out there, it wasn't a headhunter. She would have felt a buzz if there would have been. Still, there WAS something, but what, she couldn't tell. Liz shook her head and climbed up the stairs, and headed to her bedroom. Her parents were still worried about her coming late home, but Roswell wasn't exactly a city where something violent happened. Only thing remotely close to that was 1 1/2 months ago. "Is everything all right, dear?" Nancy asked from Liz.

Liz smiled slightly. "Yea, everything's fine, mom," she answered, though she still had some bruises. Luckily she only got mild ones from her match with Richie to her face, otherwise her parents would have freaked big time.

Nancy nodded and went back to the kitchen. Jeff was going through the accounts, sipping coffee absentmindedly as he progressed. His brow was furrowed into a scowl and he didn't seem to make any indications that he knew that his daughter was there.

Liz shook her head and headed to her room. Once there, she removed her jacket and looked at her stomach. She winced at the sight of the bruise there, but that was replaced with scientific wonder when it kept disappearing. Liz had been taking some time to observe the way her wounds kept closing with speed that shouldn't be possible, always finding it a breathtaking event. She tenderly touched the bruise that was fading away, and felt a slight tingling sensation from it. ["Some form of electricity,"] she thought. She walked away from the mirror and started to search for her 'normal' journal. She always wrote into it first, then into her 'special' journal. She opened the drawer where the normal journal was, but it wasn't there. Liz's brow furrowed from confusion, and she started to search through the room more thoroughly, but still not finding the journal. She then checked her 'special' journal, and sighed from relief when she saw it where it was supposed to be. Then her eyes widened. Her 'normal' journal was gone, and that journal held details... She grabbed her jacket and went out the window to the patio, and from there down to the alley. She practically ran to Maria's house.

*************************************************************

DeLuca Household, 20:13 p.m, living room

Maria was sitting on the sofa, watching a soap opera. She constantly made remarks about the female characters, how they were blind, and she kept complaining about the males inability to express their feelings. Her thoughts were stopped when she heard knocking on the kitchen door. ["What the..."] she thought first, but then realized it was probably Alex or Liz. Maria got up and made her way to the kitchen, and opened the door. She was greeted by a very frantic looking Liz.

"Liz, what's wrong?" she asked from the brunette.

"My journal is missing," Liz said plainly, but her tone was etched from worry.

Maria's brow furrowed from confusion. "And..." she queried.

Liz was exasperated. "Maria, I write everything in that journal," she said. ["Ok, that's a lie,"] she told herself.

Maria arched her eyebrow. "Everything?" she asked.

Liz had a guilty look in her face. "Things about Max," she said.

Maria's eyes lit up slightly. "Personal things about Max?" she asked.

"Everything," Liz said evenly.

Maria's eyes widened. "What?!! You mean like where his from, what he is," she shook her head, "what he ISN'T?" she asked.

Liz nodded. "I mean EVERYTHING," she said.

*************************************************************

West Roswell High, Monday, 10:58 a.m, school hallway

"Okay, what we need to do now is to reconstruct the crime," Maria said.

["What?"] Liz thought, and suddenly found herself thinking that maybe it wasn't a good idea to tell Maria that her journal was missing. "Reconstruct the crime?" she asked, puzzled.

"Motive and opportunity, Liz. That's the key. I mean, this is Roswell. You can't ignore things like this," Maria said.

Liz sighed in exasperation. "Look, I told you there was nothing unusual. I was studying with Alex yesterday and..." Liz said, but was cut off by Maria.

"Alex? Alright, we have opportunity," Maria said.

Liz looked Maria with puzzlement. "Yeah, well, we were in my room and then he left and went home and...and...wait a second," Liz said, thinking.

Maria's interest had peaked by now. "Hmmmm?" she queried.

Liz looked at Maria with slight hint of accusation. "Why am I reconstructing a crime when there is no crime to reconstruct?" she asked from Maria. "It's misplaced, Maria. It's not stolen."

Maria looked at Liz with a frown. "Yeah, until we ask ourselves, 'why would Alex want the diary?' Has he been feeling ignored, curious, asking questions we don't answer, seeking explanations we don't give?" Maria asked. "Come on. And what better way to find those answers than in your journal? Now THAT'S a motive. Was he alone in your room?"

Liz shook her head. "This is ridiculous," she said.

Maria put her hand on Liz's shoulder. "Liz, I'm your friend, ok? I'm just trying to help you out here," she said reassuringly, but continued with her 'interrogation.' "Ok, so was he alone at any time?"

Liz shrugged. "Well, yeah he was. I went to get some soda," she said.

Maria's eyebrows rose. "So he was alone..." she was stopped when Alex suddenly made his presence known.

"Ladies..." he started.

Liz turned around quickly, her eyes wide open. "Hi, Alex," she said quickly.

"Alex!" Maria exclaimed.

Alex's brow furrowed. "Okay, what are we talking about?" he queried.

Liz shook her head. "Nothing really important," she said, and Maria agreed.

Alex nodded his head in mild annoyance. "Ah, nothing game again. Ok. Well, I just wanted to remind you about the McCarthy thing we have to do," Alex said.

Liz's brow furrowed from confusion. "McCarthy?" she asked.

Alex's eyebrows rose. "The oral report," he clarified.

Liz smacked her forehead. "Oh, that," she said, slightly annoyed to herself.

Alex shrugged his confusion off. "So we should get together and talk about that," she said slowly.

Liz nodded empathically. "Yeah, sure," she said.

Alex nodded. "Okay, so I'm off to gym. Dodge ball. Ok, so...wish me luck," he said.

"Good luck!" Liz rather too loudly.

Alex was a bit confused. "Thank you very much," he said and made his way to the school gym.

Liz looked at Maria with slight panic. "How am I going to tell Max?" she asked.

"My advice...over drinks," Maria said. Then she noticed Marcus heading their way and Maria took that as her cue to leave. "See you later, right?" she asked from Liz. Liz nodded and turned to look at Marcus.

"How are you doing?" Marcus asked.

Liz's brow furrowed. "I'm fine. Why?" she asked, confused by the question.

Marcus's brow furrowed. "Okay, what is it?" he asked, looking slightly annoyed.

"What are you talking about?" Liz asked, still confused.

Marcus sighed. "Liz, I know you, and I also know when something is troubling you. So what is it?" he said.

Liz groaned. "God, am I THAT predictable?" she asked.

Marcus shrugged. "Well, not on the mat, but when it comes to keeping something from someone who has known you for the better part of your life...well, then you are," Marcus admitted.

Liz shook her head. "My journal is missing," she said.

Liz now had Marcus's full attention. "Journal? Which one?" he asked.

"The one that doesn't tell details about my...you know," Liz said.

Marcus nodded. "Then what's the problem?" he asked.

Liz suddenly felt uneasy. "Well, it has certain...details...about Max," she said.

Marcus was confused. "What kind of details?" he asked. Then he raised his hands and said quickly, "If it's anything PERSONAL details about him, I don't want to know."

Liz's eyes widened and she shook her head. "No, nothing like that, but..." Liz quickly glanced around before continuing, "it has details about what he isn't," she said.

Marcus's eyebrows rose. "You mean..." he trailed off.

Liz mouthed, "Alien." and nodded.

Marcus had a thoughtful look, then he looked at Liz. "To them, this is bad. Personally I don't trust them that much, but you care about them, so I suggest that you find it," he said. Then his brow furrowed. "Any idea who took it?" he asked.

Liz shook her head. "No, not a clue," she admitted. "Maria now thinks that Alex might have taken it. He had a motive and opportunity to take it," she said and rolled her eyes.

Marcus had a doubtful look. "I hardly think that Mr. Whitman would have THAT much courage, especially if there would be a possibility to suffer the rage of 'Hurricane' DeLuca," Marcus said matter of factly.

Liz agreed with that. Maria would probably yell Alex's ears off if it was him who took her journal. She shook her head. "God, this is bad," she said quietly.

Marcus didn't exactly agree with that, but didn't say anything. "Good luck with the search," he said and headed to teacher's lounge. His next class would only start after lunch.

Liz nodded absentmindedly and then started to search Max. She needed to tell him about this.

*************************************************************

Few minutes later, cafeteria

Max was lightly pounding the vending machine. He wasn't exactly hungry, just in a need of snack, and the machine refused to release it, even if he had paid the right amount. He glanced around to make sure that no one was staring, and he used his powers to shake the machine. He then reached to the slot and took the snack. Then he heard Liz's soft voice and stopped. "You hungry?" she asked.

Max shook his head and pointed the machine. "Uh, no. It's this machine, it's always acting up," he said.

He noticed that Liz had a troubled look and wondered what she was worried about. "Can I ask you something?" she said.

Max shrugged. "Sure, but I have to be honest with you, Liz. At the moment, I don't think I have any secrets left," he said, smiling slightly.

["Yea, you don't have any secrets left, Max, but I still have my own,"] Liz thought grimly. Her look probably gave something away when she heard Max repeat her name in a questioning tone. ["Damn it!! I REALLY have to consider getting a poker face. I'm WAY too predictable,"] she thought angrily.

"Look, Max...there's something that you should know, because something happened..." she said, but was cut off by Michael.

"Hope I'm not interrupting," Michael said, almost deliberately cutting in.

"No, you're not," Liz said evenly, though she felt a bit on the edge by the way Michael interrupted her.

Max was confused. ["That's strange. She gave an impression that she had something important to say,"] he thought. "Liz?" he asked, trying to encourage her to continue.

Liz shook her head. "Um, it's nothing, Max. It's nothing important," she said. Then she addressed Michael. "We...we just bumped into each other because I was walking this way from...and then he was going that way, and we just..." she trailed off, but her thoughts cleared a bit. ["Why am I babbling all of a sudden? Michael is NOT as intimidating as he wants other people to think. Even Richie could take him on, and *I* can take Richie on without too much difficulty now. So why am I babbling?"] she asked from herself.

Michael had an uninterested look in his face. "Interesting...bye," he said curtly.

Liz narrowed her eyes and gave a cold glare at Michael. ["If you think that I'll be taking that kind of treatment from YOU every time we meet, you'll be seriously mistaken, Michael,"] she thought angrily. She was sick off the way Michael talked to her like she was some kind of insect. Sure, he was an alien, but that didn't make him better. Liz knew that on an emotional level she was more tolerant than Michael ever was, but now she started to feel like she was reverting to Michael's level. She clenched her jaw. The sudden urge to kick him was becoming unbearable, and she had NO idea where THAT particular emotion was coming from. She shook her head and brushed past Michael, giving a slight shove to his side, which Michael actually felt. He watched after her with surprised expression, while he rubbed his side gently.

Max smacked Michael to his shoulder and hissed, "You said you'd be nicer to her."

Michael looked at Max. "You said you'd stay away from her. Let's call it even," he said, but shifted his gaze back to Liz's disappearing form. "She's surprisingly strong, though," he said under his breath, but Max heard him.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, confused.

Michael looked at Max. "Maxwell, she shoved my side with enough force that she might as well have given me a punch," Michael said.

Max's eyebrow rose from confusion. "Liz isn't that strong," he insisted.

Michael glared at Max. "That's what you THINK, Maxwell. *I* was on the receiving end. Even when I was a living punching bag for her a month ago, she didn't hit me that hard, and she SHOVED me now, and I really felt it," he said. Then he shook his head. "Whatever. I have art class to go to. See ya later," he said and left, still gently massaging his side.

Max looked after Michael, frowned, and then turned to look at Liz, who had disappeared out of his sight by then. ["Liz isn't that strong. Then again, she does look more...muscular than before. Not by much, but still. I just wish she would tell me what she's doing,"] Max thought, then headed to the quad. His lunch was now and he had promised to talk with Isabel.

*************************************************************

Empty classroom, ten minutes later

["What was I thinking?"] she asked from herself. Then she rolled her eyes and put her face in her hands. ["No, I WASN'T thinking. It was an urge. A need to show Michael to NOT push me."] Then she groaned from frustration. ["God, what am I gonna do now? Max is bound to ask questions now, and things are bad enough as it is. I suddenly develop a need to physically injure Michael only because of his damn indifferent tone towards me AND Max had to see that. To top that off, I STILL need to find my journal before it falls into wrong hands,"] she thought. Her thoughts were interrupted by Topolski.

"Liz?" she called gently.

Liz was surprised, to say the least. "Ms. Topolski?" Liz got up abruptly and started to pick up her backpack. "Oh, um...yeah, I was just leaving," she said nervously.

Topolski held her hand. "Hopefully not on my account," she said, having a smile on her lips.

Liz shook her head. "Oh, no, not at all. I was...I'm just...late from something," she said and headed to the door.

Topolski stopped her by saying, "Liz, I'm sure you have a good reason to sit alone in a dark classroom, but I wouldn't be much of a guidance counselor if I didn't ask what that reason is."

"Oh, it's nothing. Everything's great," Liz said.

Topolski frowned. "Sometimes we think we're all alone, but we're not. There are people all around us willing to help. Maybe I'm not the first person you'd turn to in a moment like this, but I want you to know I'm not only a guidance counselor," she said gently.

Liz's eyebrows shot up. "You're not?" she asked.

Topolski smiled. "No. I'm also a friend," she said. "Does that make it any easier?" she queried.

Liz nodded. "Yea, it does," she lied.

Topolski smiled, "Good." Then she asked, trying to sound concerned and doing a good job at it, "Is everything really alright, Liz?"

["No, it's not,"] Liz thought, but nodded. "Everything's great. Thank you," she said and left the classroom.

["If there's one person I can REALLY trust with this, its Marcus,"] she thought and made her way to teacher's lounge.

*************************************************************

West Roswell High, 11:24 p.m, Marcus's office

Liz was dumbfounded by the fact that Marcus had his own office though it did look like it hadn't been used in a CONSIDERABLE amount of time. Marcus admitted that he hadn't stepped into this room at all ever since he had enlisted as a teacher. Marcus opened the window to provide some clean air to replace the dusty air in the office. When Liz had wanted to talk to Marcus, she had insisted that it was a private matter, and the gym and the football field were now being used by the students. This was the only place with a little privacy. Marcus WAS intrigued by the reason Liz suddenly wanted to talk to him again, even though they had talked only about 20 minutes ago. Marcus leaned to the dusty desk and indicated Liz to talk.

Liz took a breath, but sneezed when she did that. She pulled herself together. "Did you ever have an overwhelming urge to really hurt someone during your training?" she asked bluntly. It always worked best, because nothing she had so far said to Marcus had surprised him. Well, not counting her suggestion after Claudia's funeral.

Marcus raised an eyebrow to this. "In what way?" he queried. It had been a long time since he had gotten the urge to REALLY hurt someone. When he pummeled Michael in Ridger's gym, he only wanted to make the infant think TWICE before breaking into his apartment. He never genuinely wanted to hurt him. True, he had been a bit unfocused when Yashida had started to train him, and he DID have some urges to really hurt people who even looked at him wrongly. Then he realized something. ["Is she really showing that kind of behavior?"] he asked himself. ["If she is..."] his thought was cut off by Liz's answer.

"I was talking with Max when Michael interrupted us, and his attitude just REALLY got into me. I swear, if I wouldn't have willed myself to calm down, I would have pounded him to the ground on the spot. Instead I shoved him with enough force to give him a really nasty bruise, and now I'm really feeling guilty about it and..." Liz babbled and Marcus held up his hand to stop her tirade.

"Wait a minute, you SHOVED Michael?" he asked. When Liz nodded, he asked, "How? 'Cause I'm fairly sure that the rumor mill would have really started to spin if you used as much force as I THINK you used."

Liz looked on the ground, suddenly finding her shoes interesting. "I used that technique you taught me. You know, how to put a lot of power into a very subtle motion and release it into a very small area. That way," she answered.

Marcus was surprised. He had only taught that particular technique to Liz about three day after Claudia had died, but he didn't realize she had been practicing privately. "I didn't think you could control the technique already," he said.

Liz sighed in exasperation. "That's the thing. I WASN'T thinking. I just let it go, but luckily I had some sort of rational thought in my head that I didn't damage Michael's liver in the process," she exclaimed. "Still, he DOES have a strong build," she said as an afterthought.

"Be that as it may, you STILL could have caused serious injury to him, and as appealing as the idea sounds at the moment, I think I know what the problem is," Marcus said. He now had Liz's full attention, if her wide eyed look had any indication. "I completely forgot to figure out WHO you are, Liz. I know it's my fault, but still..." Marcus said, but was cut off by Liz.

"Wait a minute. What are you talking about?" she asked, confused.

Marcus locked his eyes to Liz's. "Liz, you now have enough skill that will put you into a par with people who have a black belt in any form of Martial Arts, but you don't know WHO YOU are," he said evenly.

Liz blinked. "I know who I am, Marcus," she said, glaring at him.

Marcus shook his head. "No, you don't," he said. He crossed his hands over his chest and continued. "The way I see it, you're struggling with yourself. There are two things you are trying to be at once." He unfolded his left hand and held it like a cup of a scale. "This is the Liz who everyone sees at the moment," he said. Then he did the same with his right hand. "This is the Liz Richie and I are familiar with." He held both hands in a way which resembled a balanced scale. "These two forms of you are balancing fairly evenly at the moment, but this balance is gradually fading. You have other issues to deal with, and you have no proper way to release the stress. So far the only way you have been able to release the tension has been through fighting, but that isn't exactly helping right now. It's only pushing the need into your common life," Marcus said, when he refolded his arms over his chest.

Liz thought it over. "How do I control this?" she asked.

"Meditation works, but it only helps you to calm down. I thought that you had a hold on the stress level, but apparently Claudia's death," Liz winced, "is causing some extra amount of stress to deal with, and the fact that your journal disappeared isn't helping any," Marcus said.

"So what can I do about it? Other than meditate, that is," Liz asked.

"The best way would be that you admit it to yourself that there is no turning back. You try to maintain an image that you haven't changed, when in truth is...you are. You wouldn't be troubled if you weren't worried about your parents and friends reaction to this. And since you haven't told them yet..." Marcus said, but was cut off.

"I can't tell them about this! They wouldn't undestand!" Liz exclaimed.

Marcus made a 'calm down' gesture. Liz calmed down. "That's what you are worried, but in the long run, it doesn't matter. When it comes to the aliens, as far as I'm concerned, they can stay out from the loop. Though my gut tells me that you aren't worried about their reaction to this," he said.

Liz nodded. He was right. If Max, Michael or Isabel found out, it wouldn't be that bad, because they were different as well. Her parents knew WHAT she was, but they didn't know what she was doing. Alex and Maria on the other hand...they were the ones she was worried about, or more likely to the way they would react.

Marcus coughed slightly to get Liz's attention. "Today I'm going to teach you how to meditate and how to find your 'center' that'll allow you to focus," he said. "But so that you know, you can't meditate properly if you don't know who you are. So I suggest that you try to figure it out before you try to meditate alone."

Liz nodded. "I'll try," she said.

Marcus gave a half-smile, then glanced at the clock. "I suggest that you try to eat something before your lunch ends," he said.

Liz looked at the clock and raced to the cafeteria, but not before thanking Marcus.

*************************************************************

UFO Center, 14:42 p.m.

Max was looking through some books his employer had in his library. Milton Ross might be a bit too wrapped up with the conspiracy theories and maybe less than genuine leads, but he did have a large variety of information, which might or might not be true. Max didn't see anything wrong in finding genuine information to help him, though. His thoughts were interrupted when the man in question made his presence known. "That's a good read."

Max was got off guard and he stammered slightly. "Yeah, you know...I was just looking..." he said, but Milton cut him off.

"Of course, Szcerbiak's theory that the military cover-up of the 1947 landing was financed by an international consortium lacks credible evidence to support it. Still, it debunks several fallacies that have long troubled me," he said. Then he raised his hand in a gesture that said, 'pay attention.' "But, if you're going to be working here, these are the books to read," he said, and started to look through some of the books.

"Walton...garbage," he said with disgust. Then he noticed the book he was looking for. "Ah, yes. Atherton," he said as he handed it to Max.

Max looked at the title and read it out loud, "Among Us."

"A bit on the alternative side. Atherton had an underground following...never truly embraced by the mainstream, but it may be of some interest to a true believer like yourself. Take a look and let me know what you think. I know you want answers, Max," Milton said with a gleam in his eyes.

Max nodded. "Yeah, I will," he said. Then he noticed that Liz had appeared there at some point and he completely lost his focus to the topic. Milton followed his gaze and smirked. "Well, go ahead. We BOTH know she's more interesting than I am," he said.

Max nodded and walked to Liz. "Hi."

Liz felt a bit uncomfortable. "Hi...um, listen, can I talk with you for a second?" she asked.

"Sure," Max said.

Liz glanced around nervously and said, "Not here."

Max was puzzled by this but didn't push. "Ok."

He led her to another room and closed the door. He had noticed that Liz was nervous, it was a feeling that hadn't changed since he had talked with her few hours earlier. "So, what's going on?" he asked.

Liz thought about it for a while, "Um...nothing much, really. What about you?"

"Not much," he said. Then he chuckled slightly, "You know, we probably could have had this conversation out front."

Liz smiled a bit. That was true. "Yeah, we probably could have. Uh...there's actually one thing...what I didn't tell you before, Max. I...um...I keep this diary," she said.

Max was puzzled. "Still not exactly back-room conversation, Liz," he said.

Liz corrected herself. "Well, it's more like a journal. That's what scientists call their diaries. Anyway, in this journal, I generally write everything that happened to me." ["Liar,"] she scolded herself. "Well, everything important, that is, and lately that seems to include quite a few things," she said.

Max then realized something. "And one of those things would be..." he trailed off and pointed himself.

Liz nodded. "Exactly. So that kind of leads us to the problem...the problem is that the journal with the stuff about...the stuff about you, Michael, Isabel and everything after that day you told me about your...you know...is kind of...missing," she said.

"Missing?" Max asked, a bit thrown off by her explanation.

Liz shook her head. "No, not missing. Misplaced," she said.

"Misplaced?" Max asked, making him a bit more confused.

Liz nodded. "Yeah, temporarily misplaced. You know, like in some stupid place like under my bed or something," she said.

"Liz, what exactly did you put in this thing? How bad is it?" Max asked.

"Look Max, I'll find it. Give me one day and I'll find it and then we'll have a good laugh at this whole thing. Just...just don't tell anybody about this, ok? I'll take care of it," she reassured Max. Max just nodded, though he was curious what else she had written on the journal. Liz picked up her backpack and left.

*************************************************************

Parker Household, 15:36 p.m, Liz's bedroom

"Where is it?" she asked out loud, though she didn't expect to hear an answer. She had looked through everywhere she could, even from the place where she had hidden her Wakizashi, but there was no sign of it, and she was running out of places to look. And Richie was going to arrive shortly to take her to the warehouse. Her search was interrupted when Nancy appeared to the door.

"Oh, there you are. Alex just called. Although I'm quite sure that you were in no great rush to speak with him," Nancy said.

Liz looked up to her in confusion. Then she thought about something. "How would you know that?" she asked.

Nancy was puzzled. "How would I know what?" she asked.

"That I might not want to speak with Alex. Why would you say that, mom? I've never even told you that," Liz explained.

Nancy thought about it. "No, I guess you didn't," she admitted.

"Mom, that's personal and private. I mean, have I ever even said anything to you about Alex or...or Alex and me?" Liz continued.

Nancy shook her head and agreed, "No, I don't recall you saying anything. You're right."

"I'm just saying, Mom, that it seems a little strange that you would say something like that...that you would conclude something that I've never even told you, and that something that I've only even written..." Liz trailed off, trying to figure out if her mom had taken her journal, though she doubted it.

Nancy was more puzzled now. Her brow furrowed when she asked, "Is everything all right with you?"

Liz blinked. "Oh...um, yeah. Sorry...I, I've just been edgy all day. Sorry," she said, scolding herself for even thinking that Nancy would have taken her journal.

Nancy was still confused, but shrugged it off. "I'll see you later," she said gently.

Liz nodded. "Ok,"

["She has been awfully edgy ever since Claudia died. I just hope everything is all right with her,"] Nancy thought when she headed to store to buy groceries. Liz still continued to search for her journal, but reminded herself that she needed to get ready for today's training session as well.

*************************************************************

Crashdown Café, 15:52 p.m.

Michael, Isabel and Max were sitting in one of the booths. Michael was drawing the dome he had seen in his flashes, and he was finally getting it a bit clearer, but he was doing it in public, which made Isabel nervous. She wanted Max to point out to Michael that it was dangerous, but Max was still reading the book Milton had given him. Isabel sighed from frustration and then she noticed how Kyle and some his friends walked in to the Crashdown. Kyle walked up to Max and whispered angrily, "I'm on to you, Evans." Then he walked to his friends.

Isabel was confused now. "Okay, what was that about?" she asked from Max.

Max shook his head. "I have no idea," he admitted.

Few moments later Richie walked in, and sat himself down on a stool by the counter. Max knew he was there to pick up Liz, though he still had no idea where she went with him every time. Then he thought over what Kyle said to him and his eyes widened. ["Did Kyle somehow get the hold of Liz's journal?"] he thought. He got up and made his way to the Parker's residence. He headed to the hall where Liz's and her parent's bedrooms were and almost bumped into her. She was clearly surprised to see him. "Max, what are you doing in here?" she asked.

"It was Kyle. Kyle stole your journal," Max said, slightly panicking.

Liz shook her head. "What? No, no, don't go Maria on me, Max. It's not stolen, it's just...misplaced," she insisted, though she still hadn't been able to find the damn thing.

"Just a few moments ago, he walked up to me and said, 'I'm on to you, Evans.' That means that he read your journal, Liz. He knows what I am," Max said, worried.

"No, Max. It's about us. Kyle doesn't trust you one bit, and he got mad when I cut off our friendship because his friends beat you up. He's more than willing to vent his anger on you. Besides, Kyle is not a thief. My journal has only been missing for ONE day, Kyle hasn't been in my house for over a week," Liz explained, slightly hurt that Max would suggest such a thing.

Max wasn't convinced. "What about at the Crashdown?" he asked.

Liz shook her head. "No, not there either," she said.

Then the door opens and Nancy walks in. Liz's eyes widen and she pulls Max to her bedroom and closes the door, but not completely. Nancy calls out, and when she doesn't hear anything, she starts to put the groceries in the fridge.

Max looked around. "Your room?" he asked quietly.

Liz nodded absently, not exactly paying much attention to him. Max walks to the table and notices a CD and takes it. "Good album," he commented, and then he gets a flash.

~*Flash*~

Kyle puts the CD on to the table and looks around him.

~*End flash*~

He looks at Liz. "He was here," he said.

Liz's brow furrowed and he looked at him. "Who was here?" she asked.

"Kyle," he said plainly.

Liz sighed. "Max, I told you, Kyle hasn't been here for over a week," she said.

"Liz, I saw him," Max said, which earned a surprised look from Liz.

"You SAW him?" she asked.

"I had a flash. When things get intense, heightened, sometimes we feel things...see things. He was here, Liz," Max explained.

Liz's brow furrowed. "Where did you get that flash?" she asked.

Max blinked. "From this CD," he said, and Liz walked to him. She noticed the CD and her eyebrows got up from amazement. "Oh, he returned it," she said to herself.

"What?" Max asked, confused.

"Kyle borrowed this CD a while ago. It seems that now when we aren't together anymore, he decided to give it back," she said, but her brow furrowed. "I wonder why he didn't return it sooner?" she asked from herself.

Max was about to say something, but he was interrupted when Richie walked in. All three of them were surprised, to say the least, to see him there. Richie's brow furrowed. "Hope I didn't interrupt anything," he said.

Both Max and Liz said simultaneously, "No!"

Richie shrugged and looked at Liz. "Were late," he said. "Or is today's session cancelled?" he asked.

Liz looked at the clock and groaned. It said 16:10, and even though Marcus was occasionally late himself, he made it perfectly clear that he didn't like to wait. "What session?" Max asked, clearly confused.

Richie glared at Max. "Last time I checked, that wasn't your concern," he said evenly.

Before Max could say anything back, Liz exclaimed, "Stop it!" She then glared at Richie. "Both of you," she said sternly.

Max and Richie calmed down, though Richie folded his arms over his chest and leaned to the wall, tapping his foot. Liz turned to Max. "Max, I'll talk to Kyle, but now I have to go. I'll see you later," she said and took the duffel bag she had prepared. Good thing she had packed it already, but Max's sudden appearance to her home had surprised her. Her brow furrowed from confusion and she looked at Richie. "How did you get in?" she asked.

"Nancy let me in. She didn't know that you were home and told me to wait in your room. She did ask why I was here, but I told her that it was up to you to tell her," Richie said.

Liz groaned and shook her head. She SO did not need this right now. She had enough problems to deal with. She turned her head to talk to Max. "Leave from the window, I don't want my mom see you coming from my room," she said. Max nodded, walked to the window and opened it. He moved through it to the patio and from there, to the alley.

*************************************************************

Valenti household, 18:56 p.m.

Liz took a deep breath and knocked the door. She didn't believe that Kyle would have taken her journal, but it was a possibility. She was surprised to see Sheriff Valenti in front of her all of a sudden, though he seemed to be equally surprised. "Ms. Parker. Haven't seen you in a while," he said.

"Yeah, been a while, Sheriff," Liz admitted.

"Jim," Valenti corrected. "I'm off duty now," he said.

"Jim," Liz said, and he nodded in approval. "Is Kyle home?" Liz asked.

"Yea, hold on a sec. KYLE!!" he hollered.

"What?" he asked.

"It's Liz," Valenti said.

Kyle walked to the door, surprised look in his face. "Hi," he said.

Liz smiled slightly. "Hi."

"I'll leave you two alone," Valenti said, and walked to the living room.

Kyle walked outside and closed the door. He was surprised, but it was a pleasant surprise for him. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I got the CD, Kyle. Thanks," Liz said.

Kyle's eyebrows rose. "Oh, that. Well, that's great. Your dad let me in," he said.

Liz took a deep breath. "Kyle, did you...um...do anything else there?" she asked.

Kyle's brow furrowed from confusion. "Like what?" he asked.

Liz shook her head and muttered, "This isn't easy." She sighed and let it out. "Kyle, my journal is missing and I was wondering..." she was cut off by Kyle.

"Wait, wait a minute. Do you think that *I* took your journal?" Kyle asked, clearly shocked by this.

Liz shook her head. "NO! God, no, Kyle. I just...I just can't find it, and...well...you were there, and..." Liz stammered, but Kyle stopped her.

"Liz, I didn't take your journal," he said. "Hell, I don't even know where you keep the thing, and while it would have probably given me some answers about your recent behavior, you broke up with me BEFORE Evans started to make his moves on you."

He looked her into the eyes and said it again. "Liz, I did NOT take your journal. You have to believe me."

Liz let out a breath she didn't know she was holding and smiled. "I know," she said simply. Then she groaned and rubbed her temples, "Where is it?!"

Kyle shrugged. "Sorry, but I can't help you with that," he said. Then he thought about something for a minute. "Liz, I know you were upset about what my friends did to Max, and I was..." he started, but Liz stopped him.

"Kyle, don't. I don't want to hear how you didn't know that your friends were going to do that to Max. All I want to hear is that you admit to me that what they did was wrong," Liz said, looking Kyle into eyes.

Kyle sighed and shook his head. "I can't. That guy is trouble," he said simply.

"I'm sorry that you still think that. Goodbye," Liz said and walked away. Kyle shook his head and walked back inside. It WAS his opinion, and Max WAS trouble. He was just worried about Liz, and now his loyalty to his team members and his jealousy of Max cost him his friendship with Liz.

*************************************************************

West Roswell High, Tuesday, 13:03 p.m, art display

Michael had been working on his drawing in the art class and tried to get it a bit clearer with paint. So he had just started experimenting with different colors and went purely on instinct. Mr. Cowan, his art teacher, had noticed the painting and told him that it was really good. He then convinced Michael to finish it and put it in the school's art class display. Now Michael's painting from the dome he had seen in his vision was on public display, which worried Isabel to no end. She, Michael and Max were at the display, looking at Michael's work.

"Michael, this isn't right," Isabel hissed at him.

Michael looked at her with confusion. "What isn't?" he asked.

Isabel had an exasperated look on her face. "A public display...with your...thing...just sitting here," she said.

Michael was offended. "It's not a thing, all right. It's...well...I'm not exactly sure WHAT it is, but..." Michael said, but Max cut him off.

"What Isabel is trying to say, is that it's not a good idea. It could be dangerous," he said.

Michael looked at Max like he was a retard. "Dangerous? How can it be dangerous when even *I* don't have a clue WHAT it is?" he asked.

Max shook his head. "That's not the point. The point is that we shouldn't be taking chances like this," he said.

Michael snorted. "You did when you told Liz," he pointed out.

Max didn't even bother to deny it. "That's right."

Michael had an indignant look in his face. "So...what? You can take chances and I can't? You can roll the dice with our lives, and if anyone else does that...God forbid?" he asked.

"I owed her that much for nearly letting her die," Max said.

Michael let out a disgusted snort. "That's bullshit and you know it, Maxwell," he said and stalked off, beyond angry to Max. He was so angry that he didn't pay attention to his surroundings. When he turned a corner, he bumped into Marcus. Marcus grunted from the impact, but didn't move, whereas Michael almost fell to the ground. He looked at Marcus with curiosity. "How the HELL do you do that?" he asked.

"Do what?" Marcus asked, annoyed that he had been bumped into by Mr. Guerin of all people.

"How can you be like a frickin' statue, that's what? I mean, people usually aren't that dense, but then again, you're so dense that you could be categorized into metals," Michael said angrily, venting some of his frustration from Max to Marcus. Dumb move.

"What the hell is your problem, Guerin?" Marcus asked through his clenched teeth. "And while were at it, why don't you tell Ms. Evans to stay as far away from my dreams as possible, or I'll get more angry at you three then I already am," Marcus said angrily and pushed past Michael, who had a confused expression.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, cooled off a little by now from confusion.

Marcus gave him a cold glare and growled. "Ms. Evans invaded my dreams over two weeks ago and violated my privacy. You three think you can do what ever you want, but trust me on this. If she tries to do that again or if YOU try to break in to my home, there's no telling WHAT I will do. Have a nice day, Mr. Guerin." With that, he stormed off.

Michael blinked. ["Iz dream walked the guy? Why didn't she tell us?"] he thought first, but then confusion was replaced with concern. ["Damn it! No wonder Thorne has been so mad at us."] He ran his hands through his hair and cursed. Having Marcus as an enemy was NOT healthy. Now Michael had to find out what she had seen.

*************************************************************

Somewhere in the desert, 15:34 p.m.

Topolski was leaning to her car, waiting for the agent to arrive. When she had talked with Mr. Whitman, she had found out that Liz Parker had lost her diary, which might contain some solid information about the aliens. She was also hoping that the diary could provide some answers WHAT Ms. Parker really was. So far Topolski hadn't had any luck trying to figure that out. She noticed that there was a car approaching, and she straightened herself. A black Lexus stopped about a few yards away and a man in his early 30's stepped out, wearing a similar black suit as Topolski was. He walked to her, and Topolski handed him a file. The Agent looked through it while Topolski explained the situation.

"I think our original suspects, Liz Parker's, diary provides us one of the most compelling leads I've ever encountered since joining the unit," she said.

Agent looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Wait a minute? Are you telling me that I cut my vacation short because of some diary?" he asked, but Topolski's serious face told him that she wasn't kidding.

Topolski narrowed her eyes to him. "This is not just a diary, agent. This is a potential proof of alien contact, or even a possible way to identify an alien. This isn't some crackpot farmer or a drunk somewhere. This is coming from a straight A student. Treasurer of the Roswell Science Club. There also might be a possibility to find out what Ms. Parker really is," she said.

Agent nodded. "So...any idea where this diary might be?" he asked.

"I think I do. This is where we should get started. She's been having a problem with her boyfriend," Topolski said and gave the Valenti's address to the agent. She had no idea that Liz and Kyle haven't been together for a while.

*************************************************************

Meanwhile, about 600 yards away from the meeting point

Adam Hills was listening Topolski's and the unknown agent's conversation with crystal clarity. He was aiming at the two with a device that looked like a rifle, but it wasn't. It was a rifle-mike, a best and most expensive model in the market. It was one of the perks of being a Watcher. The tip of the thing was aimed at the target, and it relayed any sound from that direction to the headphones, which Adam was wearing at the moment. Not a single syllable had escaped from his ears. When it seemed that they were departing, Adam took the headphones away and headed to his own car. He now had to follow that agent around and neutralize him if he did find something.

["How come they are so wrapped up with the idea of aliens?"] he thought, but dismissed it. ["Doesn't matter now. Topolski knows something is different with Liz, and that diary probably contains information about her Immortality and them as a whole. I just hope that the agent won't find what he's looking for,"] he thought grimly and started his car. From here, there was only one way to get to Roswell, which allowed Adam to drive ahead of the agent and then follow him from there.

*************************************************************

West Roswell High, Wednesday, 10:51, the quad

Max was heading to a picnic table where Michael and Isabel were sitting. He was worried. Liz had talked with Kyle and Liz, amazingly, had been blunt and had asked directly if he had taken her journal. Kyle had denied it, of course, but Liz believed him. Max didn't, even when Liz tried to reassure him about it. He had gone and searched Kyle's bedroom himself, but he didn't find anything that even remotely looked like a journal. He DID find a picture from Liz and Kyle when they were together, and Max felt a pang of jealousy when he saw it. Then again, he felt same way when that Redstone guy had showed up into Liz's bedroom suddenly. He DID have a very small idea what Liz was doing, but he just couldn't confirm it. They were training, that's for sure, but for what? He made a mental note to ask Liz about it, but now he had more pressing matters to deal with. Someone else had been at the Valenti's, and Max couldn't be positive about it, but he guessed that who ever it was, was after the journal. He sat next to Michael, who just grunted his greeting for him.

He decided to be as blunt as Liz had been with Kyle. "Michael's painting isn't our biggest problem at the moment," he said.

Both Michael and Isabel looked at him. "Does that imply that there's a problem I'm not aware of?" Isabel asked.

Michael snorted at her. "Yea, well, if it has anything to do with Thorne's current attitude, you can blame it on Isabel," Michael said. Isabel looked at him, shocked.

Max was confused. "What are you talking about?" he asked.

Michael looked at Max. "Isabel decided to dream walk Marcus over two weeks ago and managed to piss him off in a grand scale, Max. And she didn't even bothered to tell us about it," he said.

Max looked at Isabel, who was glaring at Michael now. "Is that true?" he asked, and Isabel nodded. "Why didn't you tell me?" he asked.

"US, Maxwell. US," Michael pointed out.

"I didn't see anything that would make any difference for us. The main reason he's angry at us is because, well...I saw some really 'personal' stuff in his dreams," Isabel said, blushing slightly.

Both Max and Michael raised an eyebrow at this. Isabel looked at them and shook his head to their silent question. "No, I won't tell you. It's bad enough that Marcus is mad at ALL three of us, I don't want to aggravate him by telling you what I saw," she said.

"That personal?" Max queried.

Isabel shook her head. "That and a lot more, that's all I'm saying."

"Anyway, no, what I have to tell you involves Liz, but you have to understand that it's not her fault. You see, Liz keeps a journal. Everything that happens to her, she writes it down. Including what we are. Well, what we aren't. You can't blame her for this, all right? You have to promise me..." Max pleaded, but Michael stopped him.

"Blame her for what?" he asked.

Max eyes were downcast. "For losing her journal..." he trailed off.

"Oh, my God," Isabel sailed, suddenly looking like a deer caught in front of the headlights.

"I know it sounds bad, but it'll turn up. I know it will, but until then, I'm handling it," he reassured Isabel, then glanced at Michael, who looked like he hadn't been listening. "Michael, did you hear what I said?" Max asked, but didn't get a respond. "Michael?"

Michael seemed to come out from it and excused himself. ["Shit! I should have returned it sooner!"] he thought angrily.

*************************************************************

Crashdown Café, 19:24 p.m.

Liz was cleaning the counter, though her mind was going through myriad of thoughts at once. Her journal was still missing, which annoyed her to no end. Luckily the meditation she had done with Marcus at the warehouse had helped her to calm down. She still felt uneasy inside. Marcus had said that the two parts of her life, the ones she was trying to balance, were conflicting. Though she thought that statement itself was not exactly true, mainly because Marcus had two aliases, and he didn't seem to lose his control. Marcus did point out that THAT wasn't true, and that even he had bad days, but the main reason why he was in control of himself was that he had people who WEREN'T Immortal to go through things. Liz protested that her parents were that kind of people, but then Marcus pointed out that she didn't talk with them, so it wasn't the same. Marcus was right. She didn't talk with her parents, because of her need to protect them; to protect herself. She couldn't talk to Maria or Alex, because that would pull them into a world that was probably even more dangerous than knowing about the aliens. And the aliens in question, well, they had their own problems to deal with, no need to heat things up more than they already were. Her thoughts were interrupted when someone entered. "Sorry, we're closed!" she said, and was surprised to see Michael walking to her. "Michael? Sorry, but the kitchen is closed," she said.

"That's okay, I just ate," Michael said.

Liz was slightly confused. "You know, this is for employees only," she said.

Michael, lacking tact, went straight to the point, "Max told me what happened."

"Oh...he did?" Liz asked, her eyes a bit wide.

"He said you wrote it all down, Liz," Michael said.

"He said that?" Liz asked, a bit worried. "What do you want?" she asked, pulling herself together. She was starting to feel the irritation towards Michael's attitude to build.

Michael was surprised by her change of tone, but ignored it. "I just want you to know that it wasn't smart to write all those things down, Liz," he said.

"Yea, I know that now," Liz said, with a bit more edge than necessary.

"I knew it a week ago," Michael said, which got Liz off guard.

"Excuse me?" she asked, completely puzzled.

"It was the night when I sat on the first booth. Maybe you remember it. It was late like tonight and you were at the counter...writing," he said. "Homework?" he asked.

Liz blinked. "Uh, yeah, a little bit," she admitted.

"But it wasn't homework, was it?" he asked, or more like stated.

Liz shook her head. "No, it wasn't," she said.

"You could have put us in an awful spot, Liz. Roswell isn't exactly the town where you want to be unique, if you know what I mean. You have to know who your friends are," he said. "I had to know the risk...so I had to know what your journal said."

Then it made sense to Liz. "You took it..." she started, but Michael continued.

"Look, I never meant for things to get out of hand...it's nice to know we have at least one friend in this town," Michael said in a tone that sounded like a apology, and he gave Liz back her journal.

Liz was stunned to say the least. Michael was the one who took her journal, and now he (almost) apologized for taking it. Liz looked at him straight to the eyes. "Does Max know that you..." she started.

Michael shook his head. "No, he doesn't. And I'd like to keep it that way. He's giving me a hard time as it is, and I really don't want him to start lecturing me about this," he said.

Liz raised her eyebrow. "If you think you can get out of this without a lecture, Michael, you're seriously wrong," she said with a challenging tone. Then her brow furrowed. "Why didn't you destroy this, Michael? Because anyone who would read this would know all about you," she asked.

Michael shook his head. "No, they'd know all about you," he said. Then he gave a half-smile to her. "Thanks for giving me one more reason to envy Max Evans."

Liz was surprised, to say the least. Michael started to leave, but stopped and turned around. "By the way, you might want to get better window locks...for when your criminals happen to be humans," he said. Then he made his way to leave.

"You DO realize how big a risk you just took, do you, Michael?" Liz asked from Michael, who stopped and looked at her with puzzlement. "When you broke into my room?" she clarified.

"I didn't think that I would have gotten into big trouble," he said, though he was curious what Liz's point was.

"You don't know me, Michael. Even if you read this journal," Liz admitted. "If Marcus would have found out..." she trailed off.

Michael shook his head. "I hope that he doesn't, 'cause I don't want to know what he would do to me," he said.

Liz gave a hard look at Michael, and for the first time he felt like he was being intimated. "Think of this as a warning, Michael. You ever break into my room again, *I* WILL hurt you," she said, then smirked. "You know I could, don't you?"

Michael absently rubbed his side where Liz had shoved him two days ago. It had hurt, really hurt. He looked for any sign that would say that she was bluffing, but found none. She was serious. Whatever it was that Marcus was teaching her, it had seriously changed her, and it showed. She wasn't that girl he had intimated in the school cafeteria. She was something more now. Michael nodded in agreement. "Yea, I know. Don't worry, I won't do it again," he reassured her, and he suddenly realized that he might even keep up his word.

He saw Liz nod in approval and brushed past him, giving him a shove on her way to UFO Center. This time with a bit more force than two days ago, but not with the technique she had used before. Michael grunted and looked at her frame when she eventually reached UFO Center and went inside. ["Damn, that girl IS strong. She didn't shove me like last time, but I'm glad she didn't,"] Michael thought. Then he left the Crashdown and headed home, or whatever you want to call it.

*************************************************************