Roswell Fanatics

OOC: hope this works for everyone.

~LIz~

The first thing that hits me as I enter the connection is the overwhelming fear I feel coming from Michael. It’s so strong in my head it’s almost painful, but I don’t pull away… He’s my friend, I have to help…

I close my eyes, and can’t help drawing in a sharp breath as I’m bombarded by stream of images, one after the other. I don’t know where they’re coming from, but I feel myself losing focus and have to try and push through…

*Max! Please help me! I'm in Roswell New Mexico. A room with no windows. There ... guards in grey ... scientists. I can't see their faces... There's ... looks like a sheriff ... cowboy h... dark glasses --*

*MICHAEL!* I cry out silently, but he’s gone…

Suddenly the connection is gone. I find myself looking at Max, and see his gaze on my hand. I pull back awkwardly.

“Did you hear that…?”

He doesn’t wait for my answer, turning away to address his friends, but that doesn’t stop me nodding silently. Not only did I hear it, I felt it… I struggle to take a deep breath, trying to deal with all the emotions that I’m feeling. That connection threw me right open, needed me to completely lower my blocks, and now I’m sat in a room full of rampant emotions…at least half of which are coming from the people I'm closest to in the world...

~Alex~

I’m really not sure what to think as the conversation continues while the picture is handed round. Isabel’s response, revealing what they are sounds amazing, but then again I’m sat in a room with three aliens, so I guess that witches aren’t too far away…

Max agrees to try and send a message back, and I can see a torn look on Liz’s face as Isabel suggests she could help. After a few minutes, she nods however, going over to Max who’s already got his eyes closed and resting her hand on his arm.

From looking at the two of them, you could think they were the only ones in the room…I’m certain that they’re not hearing anything that’s being said at the moment that’s for certain…

A strange silence seems to fall over the room, and it seems as though all eyes in the room are fixed on them…watching and waiting…

Suddenly I see Max blink, and even before he speaks I know that he’s back. He tells us something of what Michael has apparently told him, but I have to admit, right now my attention is focused elsewhere…

Liz doesn’t look good… Her breathing is heavy, and her lip trembling. I don’t know what’s going on, and it’s not like I really know her, but still…

I look from her, to her cousins who are sat around… “Not to try and make something out of nothing, but is Liz okay…?” I ask a little awkwardly.

~Isabel~

I'm silent as I watch Liz carefully, knowing that this could have an effect on her that it wouldn't on the rest of us. Still, I know that with her doing this, we'd have more of a chance to know what was going on. I can't help but look around at the others and observe them now in silence while trying not to let things be too obvious about what I feel.

As my father was, I am a lone wolf, capable of hiding more from the family then any of the others. I'd taught myself how to block everything from them. As I gaze at Tess, I see her color getting better, but only slightly. Looking at the girl Maria, I can see that she seems a bit shocked about what was happening and looking at Kyle I can see that he seems uncertain.

His aura was human, much as Serena's was, but the other's that I'd observed had different type of aura's. I finally look over to the one that has been the quietest and notice that he too has a human, normal human aura. Tess and Maria's could have been because of some fae like abilities that even they didn't know they had, but I had a feeling that maybe they were like Max.

Thinking on Max, I again turn to look at Liz and note the change, the connection had been made. Now, it would be a test of a hypothesis that I hoped proved positive. As I watch, I nod, sighting the instant the contact must have ended because both of them open their eyes.

Max is the first to speak, "Did you hear that?" He asks Liz, then looks at his friend Kyle and adds, "Michael said he was being held by a sheriff."

Liz is obviously having troubles and I stand up, walking over to her and place my hand on her shoulders, letting only emptiness be felt from me. Doing this in the past had helped and I could only hope it would now. *Concentrate only on me, Liz. I'll help if I can.* I tell her silently as I listen to the others, wondering why it seemed significant that the person holding Michael was a Sheriff.

~Liz~

Fear, worry…guilt and concern… These are only a few of the feelings that are hammering in my head. There have been times in the past when it’s been bad, but this is something else… I never knew their feelings could seem so strong…

Biting down on my lip, I try to tune out of the conversation for a moment, searching for a handle on this. I know I can do it, I just need to put back up some of those blocks… Concentrate, calm…easy… I tell myself over and over, closing my eyes again.

Suddenly I feel a hand on my shoulder though, followed by an almost heavenly sense of…nothing…

*Concentrate only on me, Liz. I’ll help you if I can*

Isabel… I let out a breath I didn’t realise I was holding and look up at her, opening my eyes slowly. Isabel…only Isabel… *Thanks…* I send back to her carefully. It’s an effort, and as much as I can manage at the moment…

Closing off my mind, one person at a time, I narrow my field selectively until only Isabel is left.

I know this isn’t a long term solution of course…I need to feel the others, I need to have that connection, but first of all I need to rebuild my blocks…

They’re not complete, my blocks…but they dampen out the intensity…keep my head from feeling as though it’s going to explode…

I close my eyes again, picturing a wall in my mind, imagining building it up to something around knee-height… Piece by piece I put each in place before slowly opening myself up again. I can still feel all those emotions, but now I can deal with it… I look up at Isabel. *Thanks Izzy…I needed that…*

“He broke off, part way through…something happened, something wasn’t right…” I shake my head. Nothing about what’s happening to him is right, but there was something about that even more than any of the other… The way his ‘voice’ seemed to just disappear… I want to know what’s happening, I’m so worried…he’s being hurt, and right now, there’s nothing we can do…

OOC: Ok- this is incredibly long but I had a crazy amount to catch up on! I hope it’s ok- I’m really worried now that I’m going to mess something up, so please tell me if it’s wrong

I guessed that Tess didn’t get flashes when Cameron did (I figured that was a safer guess)- if she did, again, I’ll edit.

Is- if you don’t like the stuff with Kyle at the end please tell me and I’ll change it. I’m sorry if I’m messing stuff up, I just seem to be off recently.

Anyway…

~*TESS*~

Isabel is so nice, and seems so unthreatening that when she both offers a drink again and says we should join them it seems silly as well as rude to refuse.

Of course we don't mind. In fact, if you all would like to join us, we can get you something to drink while you rest for a few moments.

I feel dumb when her cousin Adam joins in Of course you should sit and relax. It wouldn't be any sort of imposition.

Maria comes up behind me and puts a supportive arm around my shoulders. I know that she is probably feeling it too, but she has always been as tough as nails and I always seem to be the pansy of the group- at least that’s what Kyle says when he’s teasing me.

*You guys what's going on with this Michael guy? Tess Babe you ok?* Maria sends to me.

We walk towards the porch at Isabel’s urging and I send a reassuring thought to Maria that I’ll be fine. I can’t answer her other question because I’m as in the dark as she is about Michael and I have no idea what to say.

I sit on the swing, grateful to be in the shade. I’m actually mostly feeling better, but it is a scorcher today, and it would look really weird if I was perfectly fine all of a sudden. I’m starting to relax and even allow myself a few appreciative glances in Adams direction, when Max drops the bottom out. I wouldn't think Isabel is that unusual a name, although I guess you don't hear it every day. I guess that's why I thought to mention it, since I did hear it earlier today from a guy named Michael, but I don't think he was from around here.

What the hell is he thinking? I don’t understand- normally Max is careful, he is always telling Alex and Kyle why he can’t use his powers to play tricks on people in gym. He’s the most cautious of all of us. So what is this about. I want to chastise him, but before I can Isabel surprises me more by responding. When did you talk to Michael? What have you done to him? Where is he? Then, for seemingly no reason she turns and glares at Adam as if he said something to her, before turning back and threatening You'd better not have hurt him or I swear...

I marvel as Max responds- it seems he really knew what he was doing after all. I remind myself to bite my tongue and trust him the next time I think he’s doing something crazy. We haven't done anything to him, but somebody is hurting him. We're trying to find him. If you're his friends, maybe you can help.

Just then a dark hair girl about my height walks up to us- she seems like she belongs here and immediately I wonder if she is another cousin, or Adam’s love interest. Come on Harding! Get with it and stop wondering about cute new boys in the neighborhood- mini crisis- remember?

Isabel greets her as Liz and then introduces all of us before turning back fiercely to Max Max just said that they are trying to find Michael. How the hell do you know about Michael and how did you talk to him? If you didn't do anything, then who has him?

Max, still perfectly in control takes the time to smile at the new girl before calmly suggesting we go inside to discuss things further. I’m following the others into the house when the pain (which has become too familiar for my liking) comes again. It’s accompanied by Michael, obviously in pain, and trying to reach out for any form of comfort. *Oh God! Trevor? Somebody help me!*

Between the pain and the shock I nearly fall over, but Kyle has one arm and Alex has the other and between them I manage to stay upright.
Max glances back worriedly over his shoulder and I know he has heard it too and is coming to same conclusion I am. Does this have anything to do with our Trevor?

After we all are seated in the living room Isabel continues the inquisition, but I’m having a hard time paying attention as Adam lights the weirdest fire I’ve ever seen in the fireplace before rejoining the conversation.

And again- Max does the unthinkable- he mentions the A-word. The word that we took a pact at the age of 11 to never speak out loud, not even amongst ourselves- let alone with strangers.

And my day gets weirder as Liz, the new girl, puts out the fire with a wave of her hand and then says the A-word again!

Kyle voices what I know I’m thinking Then -- How did you do that?

My brain is spinning and I think I may be getting the first Alien migraine ever (it’s ok to say the A-word in my head- just not out loud, see? Out loud it gives me the heebee jeebees- telling Alex and Kyle was really hard when I couldn't actually use the word) when Cameron decides to both take control and freak me out, just a little bit more. Without touching them, or a remote, or anything she closes all the blinds and the curtains and just shouts Digression!

It has the intended effect as everything halts immediately.

“Nice Catcher reference” I say as I try to smile.

Thanks, I know we all have questions about each other, and we can get to the answers later. But there’s something more pressing. We’re not aliens
Could they just stop with it already?

We have powers, just let that be enough for now. We have to try and get Michael, and free him from whatever—whoever—has him and is hurting him. Everyone just take a seat, breathe, and calm down. Here, Tess. she says while handing me a glass of water. Her fingers brush mine lightly and she seems to space out for a second. I watch her as she suddenly seems in pain for no reason- I mean I don’t burn. It’s weird though that she’s still touching me and I’m trying to figure out what she’s doing when she pulls back and looks at me with wide eyes.
I study her face for a moment, half paying attention as Liz draws something and hands it to Max, but I’m brought to attention as I hear Max in my head. *Tess,* he says, before sending me an image that is spot on for the boy I saw earlier. As soon as he said my name I knew his intention so I don’t say anything other then “That’s him”, before going back to worrying about what Cameron is doing. She just sits on the floor next to me, contempletative, but then she smiles, like she’s talking to someone. And my head starts to hurt again. She closes her eyes like she is trying to remember something so I give up and tune back into the conversation just in time to hear Isabel say …simply say we are witches

Max echoes my thoughts as he says Witches? But then he gets it together and becomes the sweet boy he usually is. I'll try to contact Michael. I don't think he was sending his thoughts on purpose and I'm not sure what he'll think of receiving a message. I hope I'm not going frighten him more. He looks at me, but I shake my head lightly- I can’t help with the state I’m in- worried about Cameron, and trying to understand about Trevor, as well as still having some residual pain from earlier. I really want to help, but I know I would only drain his energy and not be able to contribute.

Maria passes me the drawing of Michael and this time I study it in more detail, noting the quality of the drawing, as well as differences in expression. She has pictured him neutral, or slightly happy, when the boy I saw was frightened and in pain. He is handsome in an unconventional way and I look for similarities and differences to Max, Maria and myself, before passing it on to Kyle and Alex.

All of a sudden I feel a feeling of fear, but nowhere near as intense as earlier, and I don’t hear words at all. All the emotions must be being channeled and although I can feel a sort of after-glow, it’s not like it was before. I look up to see Liz and Max standing together, probably working together somehow to form a connection. Did you hear that? he says before turning to Kyle, Michael said he was being held by a sheriff.

I have a sharp intake of breath, and before I can stop it the words just slip out of my mouth “Oh Kyle!”
Then my gaze is focused on Kyle’s face as it crumbles slightly. Aware of how he feels about this issue I quickly move to him and hug him tightly, knowing there is nothing I can say that will make this better.
Kyle’s father is one of the major reasons for the A-word ban. Although we don’t know anything, there have been little clues that he is more interested in… our kind… then many others in Roswell, and not just because of the tourist revenue. Kyle has worried about it ever since we came clean and he and I have had a few discussions about his relationship with his father. If the Sheriff really is a part of this I know it will devestate him, and I really don’t know what to say

Totally ignoring everything else around us I pull back so I can see him and place a hand on his cheek. “Kyle- we don’t know anything, so let’s not jump to conclusions” I whisper. Holding his hand I sit back down on the sofa, pulling him with me. Maria sits on the arm on his other side.

*Max, straight up, was it his dad? *

“So what now?” I ask aloud, mostly so I can look at him without Kyle knowing that I’m also speaking telepathically.

*Kyle*

At Max's words, I feel my stomach dropping out. Michael said he was being held by a sheriff.

There's only one sheriff in this county and that's my Dad. Could he be involved in this? Maybe it's only someone who looks like a sheriff. Maybe they're not in Roswell anymore but are in another county. It could be...

I look from Max's face to Isabel and then Tess and back to Max. I don't know what to say. My grandfather was paranoid about aliens. Seeing them everywhere and he has dozens of stories -- most of which are rubbish. My dad's always been much more quiet on the subject. I thought he had dismissed grandpa's tales as crazy rants, too. Still, I knew I'd never dare reveal what my friends were to him. We never told any adult, but I was extra careful with him. They were so afraid of the military and law authorities. It was part of why they were so slow to trust me, to tell me...

But my dad couldn't be doing this. He can't be the one hurting Michael. He's not a torturer. Is he?

“Kyle- we don’t know anything, so let’s not jump to conclusions” Tess says, gently touching my cheek.

I nod, meeting her eyes again. She's worried about me just as much as she's is about Michael.

"Maybe I should call him," I suggest, although I'm a bit afraid to do it. What if I'm wrong? What if he is an alien-hunter just like my grandfather was?


*Max*

I look to Kyle, not sure what to think, but my attention is immediately drawn back to Liz as I hear Alex's comment. He's right. She looks shakey. Did I do that? Something about me? Is she afraid of me?

Isabel comes to Liz and puts her hands on her shoulders. I watch as Liz seems to catch her breath. She tells them a bit more about what we felt and heard. It is alarming, the way his voice seemed to fade, but there was no sense of pain. I don't know what's going on.

*Max, straight up, was it his dad?*

"I didn't see anything this time. I only heard him. Michael said it looked like a sheriff. Cowboy hat and dark glasses. It might be someone-else," I said aloud so everyone could hear it.

"Maybe I should call him," Kyle says.

I nod. "That might be a good idea," I say. I don't expect Sheriff Valenti to be honest about where he is, if he is with Michael, but maybe it's not him. Maybe he's really somewhere-else.

Maria hands him a cell phone and I can see Kyle hesitating for just a moment before he steels himself and starts to dial his father's cell phone number.

~Valenti~


I'm enjoying watching this kid struggle with the pain and knowing that soon I would have more then enough to prove that aliens not only existed but that they needed to be eradicated. "Please no!" listen as the boy begs and can't help but smile at the thought. "I haven't done anything. I don't know anything. Please!" The panic is truly a sound that I was glad to hear. I rather doubted that he was acting this frightened which meant that at least these aliens had some emotion. Fear was one I enjoyed.

My men grab at him and begin working to restrain him as he begs yet again, "Stop! Don't do this!" As they were trained to, they ignore him and I watch as the shackles are put in place and settle him in the center of the room. Turning my chair around, I straddle the chair and watch, grinning.

One scientist moved forward with the syringe and I watch the boys reaction. I smiled as the needle was injected and waited for the serum to take effect. Let's see how he reacted when I used the next level of our plan once all the blood and other things were taken for testing.

Waiting for the serum to take effect, I watched as the boys eyes seemed to glaze over and smiled. "Now, Michael. Where are you from?" I asked him, not meaning where I found him of course. The serum wasn't a truth thing, but it was something that would cause him to be unable to move because his muscles would be far too numbed. He could speak, he could even try to move, but it would take effort. Lots of it.

While I waited for his response, I motioned to one of the men who exited the room only to return moments later with my specialized remote. I'm about to say something when my cell begins ringing and I look to see that it's my sons friends number. Sighing, I stand and walk out of the cell, "Keep an eye on him and let me know his answer." I say before closing the door behind me and lifting the flip phone, "Hello." I respond, wondering if something had happened to Kyle that I needed to know.

~Trevor~

I'm waiting, my breath held as I hope that Michael can get through to me again. My brother had to make it through this, I had to locate him. I felt an overwhelming sense of panic rush through me and felt fear for what Michael was going through. Damn it! I have to help him and if I can't help him alone, maybe I should contact Max and the others.. I'm in the midst of this thought when I feel contact before I hear the broken message from Michael.

*Max! Please help me! I'm in Roswell New Mexico. A room with no windows. There are guards in grey uniforms and scientists. I can't see their faces... They're drugging me!* I feel some drifting in the contact. *There's guy who looks like a sheriff with a cowboy hat -- dark glasses...*

Suddenly the contact is broken and I scream in frustration.

Sighing, I try to listen for him, for more of something. *Michael! Michael!* I try sending out but I feel as though something is going to keep me from hearing him. What had they drugged him with? The Sheriff? How did Michael know Max's name? Damn!

Shaking my head, I decided it was time to take the initiative and reached out to Max through the telepathy, *Max, It's Trevor. I know you have had contact with Michael and I need to know what's going on. I've hidden alot, I don't expect acceptance, only that I need to save Michael. Where are you? Can we meet?* I had to do this and soon.

~LIz~

Max finishes relating what Michael said, and I don’t stop him… Now that I have my barriers back in place, I concentrate, carefully sifting through the multiple emotions I feel coming from each person in the room.

From Max, Maria, Tess, Kyle, and Alex, I feel a certain sense of trepidation, worry and tension… I can’t literally read their minds, but although it is related in some way, I know this isn’t all because of Michael… Those feelings peaked as Max mentioned a sheriff… *They’re worried…* I send to my cousins and Serena, searching for anything that might indicate to me exactly why this worries them. *Not about Michael though…or rather not just about him…there’s something more…*

As Kyle mentions calling someone, I feel his tension and fear. I look over at Max. “Who’s he calling…?” I ask him softly, moving to sit down on the sofa, taking the free spot next to him.

At the same time, I also focus on Isabel. *Isabel…we should try the scrying again…maybe with the three of us…Max seems to be able to get through to Michael, maybe you and I can use that to locate him as well…?* It might be a long shot, but maybe…just maybe it will work… What else do we have right now…?

OOC: not as long as I would like, but just keeping him active

~Alex~

A sheriff… As I see Isabel go over to Liz, Max’s words begin to sink in and I look over at Kyle. He doesn’t look good…but then who can blame him…? There could be many other explanations of course, that simple label is by no means conclusive, but it could point to his father being part of this…he knows it, and so do the rest of us…

As Tess tries to assure him we don’t know for certain, I nod slightly although don’t really know what to say. Everything seems to have already been said in truth, I would just be repeating…

Kyle suggests calling ‘him’, and of course I know who he’s talking about. Maria seems to agree it’s a good idea and passes him a phone. From here we’re just waiting now…waiting for a response…