Roswell Fanatics

Chapter XXVII

To see and feel one's beloved naked for the first time is one of life's pure, irreducible epiphanies. If there is a true religion in the universe, it must include that truth of contact or be forever hollow.

~Dan Simmons, ("Rise of Endymion", 1997)


Maria was the first to reach the mouth of the long tunnel. Peering over the edge this new room looked much "busier" than the other ship’s passages they were used to.

The walls and ceilings were still composed of the same strange sickly flesh-metal like the rest of the ship, but this room was much more alive, tiny green lights winked and blinked from every surface, large control panels were spaced at regular intervals across the walls. One of the largest walls was transparent, like a window, and presented the tiny human with the a view of the universe like she had never before seen on earth.

The bright light was blanketing them from a corner. Squinting against the glare she began to make out two embracing forms at the center. Her heart melted at the romance of it all, she recognized the pair who had finally found each other.

Movement caught the corner of her eye and she ducked. Several grotesque figures that she hadn’t noticed earlier were stumbling groggily to their feet. Their interest seemed focused on Max and Liz as they gestured and pointed, talking animatedly amongst themselves. Finally they retrieved small tube like objects and advanced on the glowing pair.

"Hey, your pixie-ness, get out of the way!" Michael shouted from below, his shaggy-haired head rising up from behind her

"Shut UP Michael" the frightened blonde hissed at him.. Afraid his big mouth would draw attention she put a hand on his scalp and shoved his head back down. "Would you be quiet?!?" she demanded at his protestations. "There is serious ship going on up here!"

As the aliens approached the glowing pair a seething black gas escaped from Max. The dark black mist drifted sharply towards the extra-terrestrials, coalescing into a humanesque form and snapping it’s long fearsome tendrils at the other aliens.

Cautiously, Maria’s favorite rebel and their remaining friends poked their heads up from the edge of the hollow. Michael glared at Maria as she put her finger to her lips, warming him to be quiet for the third time in a row.

As the quartet watched, the looming ebon mist backed the frightened aliens into a corner. Its sadistic glee was almost palpable as it crept through the air, swallowing them into itself. Their distorted faces choked and wheezed as if their breath was being sucked from their chests. Maria didn’t know whom to root for.

Then a voice rang out sharply, echoing in the tight enclosure.

"Zan. Zan!" it commanded.

A bright golden mist escaped from Liz now, moving like a cloud it wafted closer to the black shade choking the homunculus aliens. The black cloud pulsed and twitched at the sound of its name but did not move.

"This is beneath you Zan" the golden voice spoke. It’s tone scolding, motherly.

Resignedly the dark mist floated away. It’s victims falling to the ground, gasping for breath.

"It is not our place to interfere Zan, only to guide" scolded the gold vapor.

"You interfered" hissed the dark cloud. "You took on the aspect of the ship, and gave my descendant the strength to reach his intended" it accused.

"There is a difference between aiding our charges and seeking personal vengeance Zan" the golden light sighed. "These poor creatures barely bear the blood line of the people who betrayed you."

"Irrelevant. Hypocritical" the dark specter accused.

"Even the humans have a saying Zan, ‘The best revenge is living well’ with our guidance your charge will displace the usurper, and with mine at his side the balance of the universe will be restored. What can be gained by ending the lights of such pitiful creatures?"

"Parasites." The Zan shade spat. "Their sensors picked up great energy and they immediately swarmed here to exploit it, taking it for a natural resource, like Antar."

"Speaking of such, don’t we have one final task to perform? Before we leave these two to their devices?" the bright shade asked.

The black form seemed to nod placidly for a moment and, after a final glare at the gasping aliens, fused itself back into Max’s body.

The golden entity made a similar retreat giving the silently watching podsters a wink before flying back into Liz.

"Did anybody else just hear that?" Isabelle asked shaken.

"Not a thing sweetie" Alex teased, slipping a hand into her back pocket where the others couldn’t see.

Max and Liz had lifted off the floor, to hover several meters from the floor. They began to spin faster and faster. The golden hue of their light drained away, leaving a bleaching white aura. The pair began to spin so fast they became a blur and their white aura centrifuged out into a ring of energy and exploded in all directions.

The king and his irrepressible darling came to a slow, spinning stop on the floor of the bridge. Max’s clothes had changed to the princely rainments he was entitled to and the love in his eyes was undeniable.

"Hello my princess" he intoned, taking in her radiant beauty.

"Hello my prince" Liz blushed back. Noticing their clothes she crawled over to him and straightened his collar. He had big ruffled one, like prince charming.

"Liz I.." Max began. "Liz I.. UH." Max doubled over, feeling a wrenching pain in his stomach. His eyes, nose and mouth flared blue light. "LIZ!" he cried, frightened, as the blue light ejected itself in a stream of blue energy, passing through the transparent viewing window and shooting deep into space.

His darling was instantly at his side, cradling him. She planted quick, sweet kisses over his face and forehead.

Michael glanced over at ugly, humanoid aliens. They were bowing.

(((INTERLUDE))



"Let us cast our minds back in time and far, far away from the green hills that we call home. Far across the endless reaches of the universe to a small colony of five inhabited planets in the horse-head nebula.

Now look down, down, down through azure clouds. Across endless barrens and forests of bent and crocked trees.

See a farmer pulling a skiff of trees behind him. They are not birch or fur or any known variety of plant life native to our tiny blue globe, but for our purposes, and the purposes of our small friend here, they are trees.

Grunt, yes let us call him “Grunt”, for his true name is, of course, unfathomable to human ears, and unpronounceable to human tongues. Grunt is one of many, one of millions. He works to support his small family. “Farming” in the Antarian fashion, he has to travel farther and father each day to find useable wood. The ‘trees’ do not grow back you see, not since Kivar came into power, not since Kivar spoiled the land.

Grunt is one of the few who remember the golden years, the times of the Zan dynasty. Before the land grew painful and bitter. Yes, Grunt remembers what it was like when the land was lush and no, not green children but it was verdant in it’s own Antarian way with fruits and nuts and ...

Yes, Grunt remembers, but there is nothing he can do. Years of hard living have stripped him of what little fire burned in his heart. Years of oppression, living day to day, watching the world he once loved becoming a wasteland.

Watch, children, as he pulls his makeshift sleigh through the cold. Observe his emotionlessness, his eyes are shallow, unfeeling, uncaring, save for the meager tasks he can perform for his offspring.

Now children watch, lift your gazes to the dusky Antarian sky. A blue meteor is breaking through the lavender haze. Though singular in origin it is visible to all those who care to look up and see. Watch it explode now children, blazing in the sky it illuminates a world long lost to darkness.

Watch a sigil now form children from the oddments of cerulean light.

Watch Grunt, the man of Antar look up and see the whirlwind symbol in the sky. The family symbol of their lost prince flaring all around him.

Anger, Grunt is feeling anger as the rays of this new light fall upon him. Grunt scrambles for and finds what on earth would be referred to has a hoe, or a rake, in his rag-tag skiff.

On the horizon he sees the blackish outline of a building. One of the factories owned by the current rulership. Grunt begins running towards it, a fanatical blood cry on his lips.

Calm yourselves children, now center your view from above the aforementioned factory. See Grunt, now a speck in the periphery race closer. Look there, and there to the east, and there to the west, and there, and there..

More sentients it seems remember. More PEOPLE it seem would rather their world the way it was, the way it was meant to be, before Kivar. Many would like to wipe all trace of his scourge from their planet. Many do. Many will."


-Taken from a recording of Prof. DorogAya White’s third grade history class, one hundred and sixty years after the second Antarian revolution)

Chapter XXVIII

"There exists no separation between gods and men
one blends softly casual to the other."

Proverbs of Muad'Dib
Dune Messiah


Liz stretched and mumbled in her sleep. Her lovely arm drew out and reached out unconsciously for him.

Liz snapped upright, quickly finding several things amiss. Firstly her darling boy wasn’t there. That irked her. After spending an eternity apart she had been looking forward to spending several balmy quality-time nights wrapped in each other’s arms.

Also, if she didn’t keep an eye him, he was likely to get lost and abducted by aliens and crowned king of France and a hundred score of other things she didn’t like.

Also she seemed to be lying out in the open, which was unusual as she/they, usually slept bed-wise.

Liz sat up, shielding her eyes from the blinding light coming from all around her. The grass beneath her felt real; in fact she could swear she was standing on a grassy knoll overlooking an Elysium wilderness.

As she rose her fancy princess rainment swished and swirled. Her majesty looked down and smiled, inwardly breathing a sigh of relief; wondrously she hadn’t woken up naked again.

There he was, standing on a hill, just a few steps away with his back towards her, overlooking the resplendent valley below.

Feeling mischievous she crept up slowly behind him. "Guess who?" she giggled, covering his eyes.

"Aphrodite?" Max smirked.

"Uh-uh" his darling responded, her tongue licking out and doing naughty things to his earlobe.

"Venus de Milo?" he tried, twitching from what she was doing.

‘Nope" answered Liz slyly.

"Are you my dream girl?" he queried, turning around and pulling his beloved into his arms.

"Always" she whispered.

Sunrise could not have been more timely for the two lovers standing on the grassy knoll. As their lips touched it’s brilliance embraced them, encompassing them in dazzling orange and lavender.

Max smiled his special smile at her. That special smile he saved for his special darling. His arm wound around her.

"This is the place in my dreams I’ve always saved for you, my love," he said.

Liz hugged him tighter. "We’re dreaming"

Max nodded. "We’re all dreaming, together."

Liz squinted against the shadows. Were her friends truly down there? It all seemed so surreal.

Max pointed and Alex and Isabelle were visible in the distance, walking hand and hand between the trees. Michael and Maria were closer, arguing by the lake.

"This is a big dream" she noted.

"Time and distance are relative" he said.

"Hey, when did you get so cerebral?" she teased.

"Oh ... my girlfriend’s a brain" he sighed, seriously, earning him an sharp elbow in the ribs from his sweetheart

"MAXWELL?" Michael called, waving from below.

********

"Hello Nancy, Jeff. Have you seen Max and Isabelle?" Mrs. Evans strolled into the Crashdown, depositing her shopping bag on a nearby stool.

Liz’s mother spun past her, carrying a tray of foodstuffs to a nearby table.

"Diane! No. Hi. I haven’t seen any of yours". Nancy finished asking her customers if there was anything else they needed and turned back to her friend.

"Actually, I was just going to call you. I wanted to ask you if you’ve seen either Liz or Maria. Maria’s mother was just in here looking.."

Nancy’s speech was cut off as the aforementioned matriarch jangled into the diner. "Oh, there you two are, good, listen. I was thinking we could start putting posters up all over the neighborhood. We could offer some kind of a reward, it couldn’t be much, but we won’t have to put that on the posters.

Maria’s mother smirked and began digging frantically through her huge floral purse. "Ah, see look I still have some left over Alien-smackdown figurines from last year. They’re a little moldy but hey, I bet they’re still good, she continued.

Diane and Nancy stared at the moldy action-figure. What had Amy made it out of? Cottage cheese?

"Now Amy, don’t you think that’s a little premature? For wall we know they all could have stayed over night at Michael's"

Mrs. Deluca prickled at the comment. "Not MY daughter". She thought. The customers gasping and pointing at the diner's TV set interrupted their discussion however. Nancy ducked behind the counter and used the remote to raise the volume.

"We interrupt your listening pleasure for a special report. Meteorological facilities in the area have reported a massive disturbance heading north, north east at an alarming rate. Citizens of Roswell New Mexico and surrounding areas are advised to batten down their hatches and prepare for blackout conditions.

The Professor of Meteorology and Weather Research at Cambridge University, is calling this storm unbelievable, an unnatural occurrence. Once again all residents of ROSWELL, NEW MEXICO are urged to seek cover as this storm is threatening to touch down in just twelve hour-" The pleasant newsman was cut off in a burst of static. Nancy flipped though the channels but found nothing but snow.

Thunderous silence gripped the Crashdown for a moment, then chaos erupted as the diner’s patrons screamed and ran for the exit.

Diane and Amy screamed and dodged, nearly trampled by fleeing customers. Outside, tires squealed and horns honked as people began to flee their homes. In the sky, tiny flakelets began to fall.

"Snow?"

"Oh my God."

"Where are the kids?"

*********

Max laid his cards on the table. "Four kings, Ha strip!" he commanded, pointing.

"Maxwell, for the last F*&^ing time, we are NOT playing STRIP POKER!" Mike growled.

Their king burst out laughing and Liz beamed at him, trying to hold in her giggles.

Michael, Isabelle, Maria and Alex exchanged a glance; they KNEW this table hadn’t been here before, they knew the CARDS hadn’t been here before, they knew that Max’s stupid green visor hadn’t been there before, hell they knew they hadn’t even been sitting at this table before.

"Where are we?!" Isabelle burst out, half screeching.

‘Huh, what? Dream." Max grinned and winked at Liz across the table.

"H-h-hWha-Cumma?" their friends exclaimed.

"We’re all sharing a dream" Liz explained matter-of-factly.

"They’re not ready". Max half remarked, he really wasn’t paying attention, it was his turn to shuffle.

"Ready for what?" asked Maria suspiciously.

Max and Liz smirked.

"Re-entry".

Chapter XXVIV

But who shall dwell in these worlds if they be inhabited?

Are we or they Lords of the World?

And how are all things made for man?

-KEPLER (quoted in The Anatomy of Melancholy)


“Okay, do you want the long version, or the short version?” asked Max

Max and Liz looked very “couply” sitting on their side of the table. Liz had abandoned her seat in favor of Max’s lap and she busied herself tickling her hair above his ears and whispering giggling play advice in his ears.

“How much time do we have?” Alex quipped quickly. None in the quartet seemed to know what to make of the new Max and Liz.

Max got up and started pacing, Liz floated gently through the air and back into her seat. Her hands folded under her chin and she gazed at her paramour saccharinely.

“Okay, a long long time ago", their king began. “I was a very lonely alien monarch, we had a big secret we couldn’t talk to anyone about, the government was always on our back, and for some reason I could never get up the cojones to ask out the most beautiful, resplendent female at West Roswell High”.

Max made the unnecessary indicative gestures at his beloved, who only smirked and wiggled her fingers at him cutely.

Maria took note of their darling behavior and swatted her boyfriend in the arm for good measure. Michael looked at her like she’d grown an extra eyeball and rubbed his arm vulnerably.

“A-a-a-a-nyway”, Max continued. “This all went on for an excruciatingly long period of time until last week when we all went to the magic show. Remember? Remember?”

There was a general chorus of agreement and nodding.

“So we thought maybe the magician guy could help us out and he gave us ..this....ring”

Max gestured with his hand and a shimmering image appeared behind him. The cheesy, green, plastic novelty seemed to hover there behind his head, magnified ten times its natural size.

“Okay, unbeknownst to me, Ti-i-i-i-ny artificial parasites had been planted in the ring”

The vision of the ring magnified up to four hundred times showing tiny lumpy worm-things inch-worming around between the molecules of the verdant plastic.

“I put the ring on see, and the parasites begin to amplify my antarian D.N.A, stimulating my alien cells, causing them to grow. Of course being the hot blooded prince that I am, the first thing this new alien aspect of me does is trigger a mating instinct.”

As Max said the word ‘instinct’ the group watched as he spun around with a little flourish and presented his sweetheart like the spokesmodels on “The Price is Right”.

Liz crinkled her nose and squinted at his antics. Max smiled and winked back before continuing with is story. “So, like a typical cave-person, I want to be alone with my woman, so I whisk he away to a secluded l-o-o-o-ve nest and seduced her pants off very competently”.

Ms. Parker raised her eyebrows at this and made patronizing motions with her head.

{Sure you did sweetie, very competent} Liz thought.

{“Thank you darling”}, Max responded, pretending to be totally oblivious to her sarcasm.

{“They’re doing it again”}, Isabelle grumped, wresting her bored chin in her hand. {How long can two people just stare at each other? Don’t they realize how creep-some that is? Are they talking telepathically or what?”}

Max and Liz broke out of their mini-trance and Max smirked knowingly at his sister from across the table. Isabelle blanched. {Did he hear that? He couldn’t’ have heard that. Did he hear that?”}

Max gestured at his shimmering display which, in the interim, had been bubbling with sweet valentines hearts. It changed to show a bird’s eye view of the Eagle Rock Military base.

“So, blah-blah-blah we get captured by the military... we escape and I’m using my powers a lot right? Back on Antar there’s a severe resource shortage, basically the place has gone to butt-pot since they gave us “the axe”.”

Max made little quotation signs in the air with his fingers.

“They mistakenly think I’m a new empowering energy source, spend all the time and money warping over here, and all they get is first class seat to myself and Liz’s “joining ceremony”.

Alex raised his hand, at the last comment, earning him a collective groan from the assembly.

“On a side note, the “joining ceremony”” Max continued, answering Alex’s question before it was asked.

“Is like an earth marriage.” Max winked. “On Antar they call it... “Ancestor’s Dance”. Something about your ancestors being called up to observe, protect and preside over the union”. Max shook his head, as if shucking off a dusty memory.

“Anyway, it’s all very nice and special and since, on Antar, they regard marriage as a formal declaration of your intentions toward the throne, the “great sigil of Antar” shot a light beam out of my brain, across space an into the skies of Antar. Now our impoverished people know I’m alive and are probably causing a major uprising all over Antar.”

Everyone blinked as Max fell silent.

“Phew, that was exhausting.. a-a-aa-nd now I need a break.“ Max opened his arms.

{“Care to show a king a good time?”} Max thought to his beloved.

“Always” Liz whispered stepping into his embrace and planting a little kiss on his regal chin. The royal pair began to fade out.

“HOLD ON!” Maria shrieked, bolting up, nearly upending the table. Whatthefudgeisitwiththosealiens? Wherearewenow? Whyiswithmi-chicawiththepowersnow? AreyouMarriednow?” When? f-a?”

Maria’s tirade was cut off as her masculine immorato swept her into his arms and sealed her lips in a fiery kiss.

The prince put his hand down and the half-faded couple clapped politely.

“Be good” Max mouthed. “See you soon” and faded out.

Chapter 30


(only) He who loves the world as his body may be entrusted with the empire.
~Lao-tzu, The Way of Lao-tzu


The primary avatar of Max Evans paused in mid-earth orbit. A shimmering shell crackled around him as he held his family’s escape pods by tethers of energy. As he floated, the extraterrestrial lord mentally checked on the progress of his other incarnations.

His second was striding regally down the boulevards of Vilondra city. Where fighting had broken out between the royal army and the rebels it suddenly stopped as he approached.

Cloaked in shimmering robes of golden energy his highness froze projectiles in mid-flight and snatched weapons from trembling hands.

All bowed as he strode through the causeway. Blue fire snapped from his eyes as he climbed the one hundred steps leading to the old royal palace.

The primary Max smiled a close eyed smile as he watched/felt his secondary self ascend the plaza. The ranks of citizenry closed behind him, rebels and foot soldiers alike following him up the stone steps.

Max smiled —yet another smile— as his third self crawled up the dream bed towards his dream beloved. Her eyes held their own kind of fire as she bit her bottom lip and beckoned him seductively with one timid finger. Kissing a burning path down her creamy shoulder, his teeth closed on the silken strap of her dress, tugging it impatiently downward. Liz giggled and squirmed as his hot breath tickled her underarms, he growled in frenzy at her newly exposed and aroused flesh.

Descending to earth wasn’t difficult thought primary Max, just time consuming. Antarian escape pods weren’t designed to descend in thick atmosphere, so they had to go slow. “Any Antarian caught without a skin on a world like ours was dead anyway, so why make their hulls thicker?” he mused.

Though I imagine they could bring their suits with them, Max thought. No, they take so long to put on they’ve probably added escape pod capability to the newest line. Yes, these were still here from my ancestors day. Probably left for nostalgia, or emergency purposes, the king thought. Max thought about what emergency purposes he was putting them to now as they slowly descended in a cloud of azure light.

The Max Evans on Antar marched purposefully through the hallways and passageways of his youth. No, not his youth he reminded himself, this was Zan’s home, the royal palace. Exuding golden light guards that threatened to stop him bowed their heads and joined the growing throng behind him. Defense systems shut down, booby traps failed to spring. The doors to the throne room glided open noiselessly before him. Striding forward he stopped twenty feet from throne. The royal sigil at his feet, marred and defaced, scratched and painted over by Kivar flashed and shone anew again. Turning his eyes to the being sitting on his throne Max was reminded of Darth-Vader from Lucas’s Star Wars. Not by the darkness of evil but by the slow hum of machinery that sustained it’s existence. This was not the same sentient that Max’s predecessor remembered. There was a resemblance but this semblance had merged with the machines that kept it alive. The Antarian version of wrinkles crawled over it’s flesh and it seemed barely conscious.

This is what time and selfishness and paranoia do to a ruler, thought Max. There will be no great battle here today, only laying to rest old debts and the finding of peace.

The varied citizens of Antar watched as their monarch walked up the final steps to the dais. They saw him turn and sit upon the ancient throne. Despot and tyrant vanished as their king sat. The crippled form and the acre of machines that sustained it puffed into white smoke that swirled and vanished around their new king.

"My name is Max Evans," Max said, "and yes, once, I was known as Zan of Antar. I am sorry I have been gone for so long. I had my death to get over, another life to lead, and I needed to wait for a time, Max paused, a time when my people would welcome me back. Am I welcome here? He asked the silence filling the throne room.


*****

Liz’s tiny body hummed with desire as her eyes moved over Max’s straining manhood…a small gasp of a whimper escaped her pouty lips.

Crawling slowly up her snuggle bunny’s body, she kissed his royal belly, nibbling and sucking lightly. Her tongue dipped playfully into his navel, teasing her love.

More hot kisses, here, here and here and her tongue was swirling around a princely hard nipple. Kissing and sucking and nibbling, she moved to give the other the same treatment.

Crouching over, Liz looked down into her paramour’s eyes, their lips meeting in a hungry kiss. Pulling away slowly, she leaned down to kiss his forehead, his nose, nuzzling, giving Eskimo kisses, licking his chin.

Frantic kisses here and here and there, all over her love’s body. As their bodies brush teasing together the inflamed princess gasps as she slips lower, kneeling between open thighs.

Kissing each thigh, careful not to touch “his mightiness” Liz teases, but then softly reaches for him.

Stroking gently over his hard shaft the sweet innocent princess licks her lips, swirling her tongue over the bulbous head, before covering him, and taking him into her hot mouth.

Her hand teasing and stroking, she pulls away, running her hot tongue up the underside of his throbbing shaft. Her mouth closing over again, taunting him, she pulls away…moving lower. She kisses, and licks, and sucks his legs as her hand strokes in time.

Hair clinging to her damp face, form vibrating with need, she moves back to his pulsing shaft, her mouth engulfing all, her head bobs slowly…then faster.

Brushing hair away from her face Liz moves to straddle her darling. Looking into his lidded eyes, she leans down and kisses him, as she reaches between their bodies. Caressing his hard member, she feels him slide deep inside her.

They whimper together in passion as waves of completion fill them. Bodies rock slowly, hands caress everywhere, moans and whimpers fill the room, faster… so close, their arms wrap around, thrusting hips up, hips pushing down, none can hold back… walls tighten, and then each hot spurt sends the lovers over the edge. Hips continue to rock slowly as they lie together, covering each other’s faces with kisses.

Chapter 31

"All human actions have one or more of these seven causes: chance, nature, compulsion, habit, reason, passion, and desire." - Aristotle

Life is short-
-but the years are long
Not while the evil days come not.
Source: Identifying slogan of the Howard Families in Methuselah's Children (Robert A. Heinlein)

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

Liz: “How long have you been awake?”

Max: “Not long.”

Liz: “What are you doing?”

Max: “Just watching you.”

Liz: “Watching me?”

Max: “Watching you sleep.”

Liz: <blushing>

Max: “Have I told you how beautiful you are today?”

Liz: <pretending to ponder it> “Uh, Umm.. not today.”

Max: <watching her giggle> “You’re beautiful.”

Liz: <gives an “oh really?” innocent face>

Max: <licking his lips> “Uh-huh. “

Max and Liz: <Good Morning Kisses>

Max: <stroking stray hairs away> “Time to get up?”

Liz: <languidly stretching> “Mmmm, I could stay like this all day ... But I suppose we have to face the world some time.”

Max: <smirking> “No time like the present.”

Max bends his head down and captures an up-thrust nipple in his lips but before his lovely paramour can squeak she’s not where she was before.

Liz: wakes up in a cylindrical coffin. Light filters in through snow on top of its transparent lid. She is frightened for a moment but then a hand wipes a circle of snow from the lid and her lover’s face peeks in at her. With a wave of his hand the capsule opens and his arms are around her.

Max and Liz: <”Hello” kisses>

Liz: <breathlessly> “Hey”

Max: <smirking cutely> “Hey.”

Liz: <looking around> “Where are we?”

Max: “Roswell.”

Liz: <looking at the blizzard> “Roswell!?!?”

Max: <walking off> “Ya.”

His Royalness trudges through the lightening snow to another capsule. With a wave of his hand it opens.

Liz: <walking over, she sees Michael and Maria snuggled together in the capsule> “Awwwwww!”

Max: <shaking Michael and Maria lightly> “Wakey-wakey sleepies.”

Michael: <smacking lips, stretches> <looks down and sees Maria cuddled next to him,> <sees Liz smirking at them> <his eyes go wide with embarrassment>

Liz: <giggles>

Maria: <asleep, snuggles Michael closer>

Michael <trapped under Maria in a position that threatens to undermine his macho-ness> <jiggles Maria gently> “C’mon move it!”

Liz: <follows Max to the other pod>

Max waves the other pod open. Sleeping, Alex has his head on Isabelle’s chest. Her dormant hand is tangled in his hair, holding him close.

Max and Liz: “AWWWWW!!!!”

Izzy and Alex: <waking sleepily> <smiling at each other> <realizing what position they’re in> <realizing they have company> <jump apart blushing>

Max and Liz : <smirk> <kiss each other>

Michael: <stumbling up sleepily, hair crazy/messy, yawning> “Where are we Maxwell?”

Liz: “Earth.” <giggles>

Michael: <glares at Liz darkly>

Max: <blowing a stray snowflake out of his hair> “Roswell. The snow was necessary for cover.”

As Isabelle and Alex crawl out of their pod Max turns his hand palm down. The lids of the three capsules close. Max turns his hand palm up and the receptacles sail upward disappearing from sight. The young king flourishes with his arm and the snow vanishes.

Max: “Where did we leave the jeep?”

Maria: <half her hair sticking straight up, the other half matted to her scalp> <yawning groggily> “Goog morning, I thought it was just snowing?”

Isabelle: <hair perfectly coifed, as if she just stepped out of a salon> “It was, but Max .. made it go away.”

Max <smiling>

Maria: <still groggy> “Oh.”

Max, Liz, Isabelle and Alex: <SMIRK>

Michael: <hidden macho smirk>

Maria: <sleepy/suspiciously> “Wha?”

Max: <holding Liz close with one hand, looking around> “That place looks open.”

Isabelle: <looking at the red flashing sign, wrinkling her nose in distaste> “Reggies?”

Max: <pressing his forehead against his paramour’s> “Food?”

Liz: <kisses> “Uh-huh”

The passionate prince and his darling princess turn and walk across the flooded Roswellian street, arms around each other. Max turns his neck and motions with it for his friends to follow.

Maria; realizing they are going some place public reaches up to smooth Michael’s hair. Michael doesn’t comprehend and backs away from her hands. Maria, annoyed, smacks him in the arm and points to her head. Michael smirks at her mad bed-head.

Alex and Isabelle share a private snicker at the other couple’s antics and follow the moonstruck prince and princess into “Reggie’s”.

Max: <walking up to the bar> “You Reggie?”

Older Man: “Reggie was my father son, I’m Reg.”

Max: “Do you have chicken wings Reg?”

Reg: <keeping an eye on the other young customers entering> “Honey Garlic, Mild..”

Max: <interrupting> “As spicy as you can make them, and some ice cream…“ <glances at Liz> “…strawberry if you have it.”

Reg: <eyeing Max suspiciously> “Who’s paying?”

Max: <flashing twenties> “Three dozen?”

Reg: “Mmmrupth.” <opening the kitchen door> “Wings! Insane! Three!”

The six sit at a nondescript, dingy table in the empty bar. Liz sits beside Max and they hold hands under the table.

Max: “I know things have been wild lately...”

Michael: <snort of indignation>

Max: “…but hopefully things will be better from now on, I’d like to start teaching you, I have plans ...”

Isabelle: “Teaching?”

Max: “I’d like to teach you what I’ve learned, even, Alex and Maria, everybody.”

Alex and Maria: <suddenly interested>

Max: “But right now, I think we should celebrate. The girls could dance, the boys could drool,” Max smirked boyishly and kissed Liz, “I think we won this first battle, we should party.”

The six exchange glances. The wings arrive.

Max: “Hey Reg, does your Jukebox work?”

Reg: <cleaning glasses> “Not for years.”

Max: <smirking knowingly> “Mind if I take a look.?”

Reg: “Mrmmahgf.”

Max, about to wave his hand, notices the jukebox is unplugged. Plugging it in and wiggling the cord, the jukebox hums to life. Max sits back down at the table

Max: “Guys, I plan on taking over the world.”

The guys stare at Max, food near mouths.

Max:: “But, for now, the girls were about to dance.”

Girls: “We were?”

Isabelle: “You, can’t be serious.”

Maria: “Dance? With you ogling us?”

Max: <smirking, nodding>

Liz: <shrugging> “I guess we were.”

Liz gets up, and the ladies, what the hell, get up and move nearer to the jukebox. The guy’s eyes follow them like steaming magnets.

As a new song plays the girls begin to move, hesitantly at first then, as they feel the eyes of their men on them, with more passion, with confidence

Michael: (who can’t take his eyes off Maria) thinking: What kind of dance is that? Is that a belly dance? She knows she’s driving me crazy. <Michael lustily eats a chicken wing>

Isabelle: thinking: He’s watching isn’t he? Okay buddy boy, watch this move <giggle> wings getting a little hot for you baby?

Max and Liz: I love you, I love you, You’re more graceful than anything I’ve ever seen, (Liz blushes), You’re sweating, we both are, I can’t wait to get you home.

The girls finish their dance and flounce happily back to their seats.

Isabelle: “Why do I suddenly feel so much better?”

Maria: “Endorphins”

Isabelle: <leaning in, challengingly> “The guys dance now right? Fair’s fair.”

Alex and Michael sneak panicked looks at Max

Max: “How about we sing instead?”

Alex and Michael shoot nasty looks at Max.

Max: “Hey Reg, mind if we sing?”

Reg: “Mrmmahgf”

Max: <getting up> “I’ll go first.”

Alex and Michael: <visibly relax>

Maria and Isabelle shoot “you’re not off the hook just yet” looks at their beaux.

Max: <smiling> “That old black magic has me in its spell, that old black magic that you weave so well ..”

Liz: <sigh>

Isabelle: thinking: I had now idea my little brother could sing.

Maria: thinking: Maybe I should ask him if he wants to go on tour

Reg: <paused in mid scrub> Hey, the kid can sing.

Michael: thinking: Did he say he planned to take over the world?

Max, out of breath, sits down “Whoo, who’s next?”

Liz grabs Max by the collar and pulls him into a fiery smooch.

Max wobbles and the rest of the friends stare at Liz.

Liz: <smirking> “Reward.”

Rest of the guys: <rolling eyes>

Michael: “What’s this about ruling the world Maxwell?”

Max: “Just what I said, what do you think?”

Alex, Isabelle, Maria, Liz: He’s asking someone what they THINK, he’s asking for INPUT?, for ADVICE?

Michael: looks down at the table, contemplative, he’s waited so long for this, “I’m in”

Max: smiling: “And the rest of you?”

Isabelle: torn between visions of the super-villains you see on TV and the kind and gentle man she knows her brother is. She makes a decision. “Me too”.

Alex: following the example of the stunning, blonde, intelligent, sexy super-model who somehow by the very grace of every god has attached herself to him pipes: “ME TOO!”

Maria: “I want a country.”

Max: laughs

Maria: “I’ve always thought Maria-land is the perfect name for a nation, one of my songs could be the national anthem, I could pick out the uniform colors ...”

Max: <laughing harder> “Deal, the first new country is yours. Are you with me honey bottom?”

Everybody else: <falling out of their seats laughing>

Liz: “Always.”

Max and Liz: <kisses>


The End