Roswell Fanatics

*Michael*

I can't believe this. The girls are trying to sweet-talk Kyle into understanding and Max, Max is actually suggesting that Kyle comes with us. And all of this is just eating up time that we need to make ourselves memories in this town.

"Forget it," I say, not sure if I should be arguing with Kyle or Max. "He ain't coming with us. I know Liz and Maria and Alex are part of this now, but we don't need to bring in someone new. We can't tell him about this, you know that. He won't be able to tell anyone where we are if he's not with us, because he won't know. I say we lock him up here. By the time the Feds find him, we'll be long gone."

~Liz~

Michael starts yelling now, responding that Kyle isn’t going with us, and further, that we should lock him up here and leave him for the FBI to find… I know that’s not actually literally his words, but that’s what the result would be…

If Kyle won’t go home, we can’t leave him here… The FBI find him here, they’ll know he was in contact with us, and that combined with what his dad did, I think is going to put him in major danger…

In fact who am I kidding… Jim was killed helping Max to escape… There’s no way they’re going to leave Kyle alone… They’re probably going to want to know how his dad knew us, and anything else they can find out… I don’t imagine they’re going to really believe Kyle if he says he knows nothing…

A chilling realisation settles over me as I stand there. Roswell isn’t safe anymore for us – we knew that, but the truth is, it’s not safe for Kyle either… He’s involved in this, not knowingly perhaps, but it doesn’t change the fact he’s almost definitely already on ‘their’ radar…

I swallow and shake my head at Michael. “NO!” My response comes out sharp and clear. Kyle isn’t my boyfriend anymore…I don’t love him like I love Max, but I do care about him…a friend… I’m scared for myself, for Max, for the others, and I’m scared for Kyle too… We can’t just leave him here to deal with this…we can’t just leave him here alone…

Looking up at Max, I just hope that he isn’t going to take this the wrong way… I don’t remove my hand from his though, hoping this might be enough to make my feelings clear…

Then, I look over at Kyle. “It’s not safe here Kyle…it’s not safe in Roswell for me, Maria, Max, Michael…or for you… Maria’s right, we’re not your enemies, and I know I’m probably the last person you want to believe after what I did this morning in lying to you, but I did what I thought I had to, to keep the people I care about safe…and that’s why I’m saying this now…” I take a breath. “Come with us Kyle…” I ask of him softly, averting my gaze from Michael, knowing full well he isn’t going to like this one bit.

~Maria~

I stand next to Michael, still holding onto him and wait for the shit to hit the fan. Michael's so not going to like this. But Liz's right. Kyle can't stay here. It isn't safe for him. It isn't safe for any of us. If the FBI got ahold of him, they had ways they could make him talk even if he didn't want to. I look up at Michael and wait for his reaction.

*Kyle*

I stare at Liz, not sure what to make of what she's saying. "Not safe for me? Why? I haven't done anything. The FBI isn't after me." Okay, yeah. I know that Max said they hadn't done anything illegal either, obviously discounting his threat of kidnapping and Michael's for imprisonment. But can I believe that? Why would they be running if they hadn't done anything? Unless they were witnesses to something?

I run through the things Liz has told me so far, trying to make sense of it but there's no answers. Nobody has even told me what the hell happened to Evans. Michael doesn't want me just because that would mean he'd have to tell me. Tell me what, I'd like to know.

I look at Liz hard. So far, she's the one giving the most information, even if it is too sketchy to be of any real use. And she wants me to come. Because I'm in 'danger.'

"You really want me to come." I state. "Why am I in 'danger'?"

.

~Liz~

At first Kyle disputes what I’ve said, protesting that he hasn’t done anything, so why should the FBI be after him. Then though, he falls silent for a moment and I have a feeling he’s really beginning to process the things that I have said…

He looks back at me, pretty much ignoring everyone else as he asks the next question which I guess I knew was coming… He accepts that I am telling the truth perhaps, but he wants to know ‘why’…

It’s a reasonable question, and I know I would probably be asking the same in his position, but we’re getting to the point here where I really feel this should be Michael, Max, Tess or Isabel explaining…

I swallow and look away, shaking my head as I step slightly closer to Max and even rest my head on his shoulder. I need him…

Drawing strength from this contact, just from him being there, I look up at Max, and then over to Michael, before forcing myself to meet Kyle’s gaze again. “Your dad helped us Kyle…they might not believe you don’t know where we are…” I struggle, trying to explain without giving the details that aren’t mine to reveal.

*Kyle*

"Guilt by association, is that it?" I say. It's not fair. I don't know anything but the FBI is going to think I'm involved just because my dad was and because one of these is my ex-girlfriend. Dad had been after them, but he changed his mind and decided to help them. For his trouble, he got killed, if what Michael says is true. So why? What are they doing? Why did my father help them?

Truthfully, I don't have anything in Roswell just now except the FBI waiting in my livingroom. Will they believe that I came and found these guys by accident? Will they think I knew what was going on already? They'll figure out where I was 'though. They're the FBI... Damn.

My mom is out of state, my dad is dead. The FBI won't believe I don't know anything. I know they won't. It's wny they refused to talk to me this morning already. At least that much makes sense. All I have is these fugitives who won't even tell me what's going on...

"Okay, I'm going with you for now. You tell me what the hell is going on," I say. I keep the rest to myself. But if I find out that Liz is being co-ereced in any way, or even lied to, I'm going to get her the hell away from these crack-pots.

*Michael*

I can't believe it when Liz starts to urge Kyle to come with us. I need Max to think a little and then he'll realize that my idea is the best one. But he says nothing while Kyle and Liz talk about it. Meanwhile, I'm just standing here, keeping Max vertical, as time slips away. We gotta get the hell out of here and that includes getting away from Kyle and his little FBI baby-sitters.

Maria says nothing, which isn't surprising. But Kyle actually goes and decides to come along after all.

"NO WAY!" I say, through gritted teeth. "Your FBI friends are probably already following you. We gotta get out of here and we don't need you to be part of this."

I look to Max, hoping he'll say something. I know he already said that Kyle could come, but surely he's seen that this is wrong by now. We can't afford to be standing here talking about it any longer.

With that in mind, I start up the stairs again, ignoring Kyle. I'll walk right through him if I need to but I am going to get Max away from here. That's for certain.

~Liz~

I can see Kyle thinking, and then when he agrees to go with us I feel a wave of relief wash over me. As he again demands to know what’s going on though, I know that I can’t do anymore…

I look up at Kyle and then over at Michael. I know neither of them are going to like this, but we owe Kyle… His dad died helping to save Max…we can’t just leave his son here for the FBI…

Of course there’s more to it than that… I don’t love Kyle… I never felt the way I feel about Max about him…but I do care for him… I’ve known him pretty much all my life, Roswell being a small place, and he used to be a friend…

I know we’ve been more distant since that day at the Crashdown…but it doesn’t mean I can just forget about him…leave him here to face what will happen…

That’s exactly what Michael expects us to do though. He talks about the FBI being Kyle’s friends, and then again speaks of leaving, heading straight for the stairs.

I move again to help Max, who still hardly looks at his best, but look over at Michael again. “Michael get it through your head, the FBI are no more Kyle’s friends than they are ours…we have to get out of here as you keep reminding us…and Kyle should come with us…” I take a breath but continue before he has a chance to respond. “Jim helped Max, he risked everything, and he died for it…how can you even think about leaving his son here…?” I shake my head in disbelief.

*Michael*

"Fine!" I growl, hardly caring any more. "If he's coming, he's coming, but there ain't room in the Jetta for five. You ride with Valenti and make sure he doesn't do anything stupid. Maria will drive Max and me."

I continue up the short flight of stairs, as Kyle moves out of the way. Max still hasn't said anything, which I take to be a very bad sign. Normally, he'd be the one trying to call the shots. He ain't arguing with me and I think he's got to be a lot more exhausted than he's let on. Or maybe it's the drugs. I don't know...

~Maria~

Smiling at Kyle and Liz as Michael, Max and I head up the stairs, I can't help but feel a great sense of relief. I was so worried about Kyle staying behind. It just wouldn't have been safe for him. Now I don't have to worry about it anymore. I know Michael's mad, but I really think that in time, he'll see that it was the right decision. I hope so anyway.

"I'm glad you're coming Kyle." Averting my eyes to Liz, I take a deep breath. "Show time chica. Time to say goodbye to Roswell." I give a half smile as I follow the others up the stairs.