The Missing Piece (CC, MATURE/ADULT accepted)

[KatnotKath]

~Liz~

Kyle inches closer, pulling me towards him as he slips his arm around my shoulder. I lean into his chest, resting my head there for a moment, seeking the safety and comfort I always find there.

I guess you could say that sometimes the relationship between us seems more like that between siblings than friends… That’s how close I am to Kyle…

“Hey, it’s okay. It’s going to be okay…” He promises me softly.

And no matter how crazy, how unlikely that might sound, I believe him… It’s like an older brother providing reassurance to a younger sister, and I, as the younger sister, am only too happy to accept that reassurance.

It doesn’t matter that I’m the one with the powers, or that he’s just human… I think the most important thing is that I know he’s there for me, and that means more than most people will ever know…

I smile and look up as I feel his hand smoothing my hair.

“Maybe it can go back to normal…” Kyle tells me. My eyes widen in protest, but I don’t get a chance to say anything as he continues. “You can just tell them to go away…”

Tell them to go away…how I wish it were that simple… I can’t do that though… Even if I wish it hasn’t, what Max told me yesterday, and the day before, changed things… He and the others are offering me the answers I’ve searched for all my life. I actually know who I am, and even if it’s not exactly what I imagined, I guess I am relieved…

The answers I’m getting might not be what I was hoping for, but at least they’re answers, and that’s a whole lot better than all the unanswered questions I’ve had throughout my life.

“Or I’ll tell them to get lost for you, if you like…”

As Kyle makes this suggestion, I can see that he would probably like very much to do this. Unfortunately it’s just not an option.

“Tell them you don’t want to be married yet. You’re sixteen. It’s probably not even legal!”

I pull back, shaking my head. “I can’t Kyle…you know that…I need to know the truth, I need answers…” I swallow as his words bring the things I’ve been trying hard not to think about right back to the front of my mind… Not that they were far from it anyway… Marriage…bonding… I’m SIXTEEN for goodness sake…

Chewing my lip, I look down at my lap and reach up, running my fingers through my hair. How am I going to get through this afternoon…? I thought by getting a day without having to see them, I might actually be able to forget about all of this for a little while, but I guess that’s really not going to happen…

And to top it all off, I have to spend the afternoon, come evening, dressed in a minidress that barely covers my backside, and with an antennae hairband on my head. Two days ago I hated the uniform of the Crashdown sure, and I thought the whole thing was rather tacky, but now, I have to admit it’s a little disturbing…

Of course my need for money hasn’t changed, alien princess or unwanted freak, I still have rent to pay, and this is my job… I sigh and shake my head again, looking over at Kyle. “We should probably be getting inside…”

[isabelle]

*Kyle*

I try not to frown as Liz rejects my suggestion to send Max and his friends packing. I just hate the way this is tearing her apart. I understand she needs answers. I do. I just wish there was an easier way. That these answers didn’t seem to come with such a heavy burden. Suddenly, she has to make a decision about the rest of her life and she’s had no time at all to prepare for it.

“Okay, then,” I tell her, soothingly. “We’ll talk to them first. Just don’t let them rush you.” I wonder how long we can string them along. Get them to tell her all the things she needs to know and then we can tell them to move on. She says Max is letting her decide. She says he’s giving her time. We’ll see how true that is. How much time is he going to allow her before he starts putting on the pressure?

Liz fidgets in her seat, twisting her hands together and playing with her hair. Suddenly, she shakes her head, giving a sigh as she ends whatever internal debate she’s been fighting. “We should probably go inside, she says as she meets my eyes again.

I reach over, rubbing her arm once more as I search her face. Her cheeks are dry and her eyes are clear, although still troubled as a false smile starts across her face. I know this is far from over. “Yeah,” I agree. “I’m here for you, okay? Don’t forget that. You’re not in this alone. You can come to me any time.” I this doesn’t affect me as directly as it does her, but I’m going to help her as much as possible. Let her talk, let her cry … or not talk. Whatever she needs. I want to give it to her.

She nods, her shaky smile growing a bit more firm. I give her hand a squeeze and climb out of the car. I meet her on the curb and we head inside, together.

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

*Max*

I find myself staring at my phone as Alex comes in. It’s not that I’m expecting her to call any second. Truthfully, I don’t expect her to call until the end of the evening, if at all. It’ll be late when she gets off of work, and of course, she’ll have homework, too. She might call then, or she might wait until tomorrow… it all depends on how her great her fear is compared to her curiosity. She might call telepathically but based on her limited experience with that, I suspect she’ll be using the phone.

Still, even ‘though I don’t expect it to ring, I do find myself looking at the phone. It’s the most tangible link I have to her right now. I need that link. We’ve been searching for her for two years. We’ve been waiting to meet her for even longer than that. Now we’re finally here and all the planning is over. Now, we’re in the unknown. It all depends on Liz and I have no way to predict what’s going to happen.

What will she say when she does call? What will I say to her? So much of our future depends on this and there are so very many ways for it to go wrong…

“She’s not going to call any sooner if you do that you know…” Alex laughs at me and then immediately apologizes. “Look, how about we go for a swim and try and forget about all this for now, worst thing that can happen is that she calls and you’re not here, and if that happens, you can call her back when we’re done…ok…?”

“Sure,” I tell Alex as I pick up the towels and get to my feet. Of course I can call her back, but what will I say? It depends on what she says. What she’s feeling…

I shake my head, banishing this endless cycle of worry. Alex has the right idea. Get my mind off of it. Try to do something different and think about that for a while. Brooding won’t help. It’ll only make me more nervous, I know. I just can’t seem to help it.

Pasting a smile on my face that I hope seems care-free, I stroll to the door. “Let’s go.”



.

[KatnotKath]

~Alex~

“Sure…” Max agrees verbally, but somehow I’m certain that he’s got an internal debate continuing inside his head. He shakes his head, as though putting an end to it for now though, and a smile, albeit a somewhat forced one, appears on his face.

He’s not fooling me, but I’m not going to say anything. He’s trying to forget about all this for a little while, and that’s not going to be simple. It is needed though… A little bit of normal…

I nod as he walks towards the door and I follow him out quickly. Isabel still doesn’t seem to be back, but I still lock the door, taking the key with us, because it’s not like a locked door is much of an obstacle to her…

Walking round the path, walking alongside Max, I look over at him. “Well I’ll say one thing, Roswell’s definitely different from any other place we’ve been…” I comment, searching for something pretty normal to say.

It might sound silly, or lame, but whatever it is, it’s general, normal conversation. Nothing that’s going to refer to why we’re here, or thoughts of the future, just basic conversation…and that’s what I think he needs right now…

I hope that he knows that he can talk to me if he wants, I’ll always listen, and if there’s anything I can do to help him – within reason of course – I’ll willingly do so. He’s my friend, and that’s what friends are for… Right now though, I’m going to leave it to him to decide if and when he wants to talk…

**********

~Liz~

“Yeah…I’m here for you, okay? Don’t forget that. You’re not in this alone. You can come to me any time…”

I smile as Kyle reaches over to rub my arm. It’s strange isn’t it…? With someone else, doing that might make me feel uncomfortable, or tense, but with Kyle I always feel fine. His touch is comforting, and his presence reassuring. When he’s around, I always feel safe. “Thanks Kyle…” I tell him softly.

His mention of not letting them rush me strikes a cord. I want to believe that I have as much time as I need, just as Max’s literal words seem to mean, but I know that’s not completely true. Although he hasn’t said it at the moment, there’s going to be an underlying timeframe, and eventually he is going to want a decision…

Right now I don’t know what my answer is going to be…I don’t want to even think about it… But eventually…I’m going to have to decide…and the decision I make, whatever it might be, is going to affect the rest of my life…

I nod and take a breath, focusing on the here and now, and giving Kyle a little more of a smile as he squeezes my hand. I reach over and open the door, climbing out and closing it behind me.

Kyle joins me a moment later. We walk across the road and round to the back enterence. Kyle holds the door open for me, motioning for me to go first and I walk inside, going over to my locker and opening it quickly. We’re cutting it fine I know, the rush will be starting in a few minutes, and Mr Brook always likes us to be there to deal. Shoving my bag inside, I pull out my uniform and head into the bathroom to get changed.

Just as I’m opening the door, Mr Brook sticks his head through the door. “Ah, you are here…I was beginning to wonder…” He comments.

It doesn’t look like he’s mad or anything, but the tone of his voice is definitely enough to know we should hurry now. I nod slightly and give him a smile. “We’re here, sorry…there was a little more traffic than normal…” I tell him, grimacing inwardly at the weak excuse. I just hope that he didn’t see us sitting outside before…

“Alright, well I’ll leave you to get changed then…come straight out when you’re ready…”

I nod again. “Sure, will do…”

He seems satisfied enough, and I slip into the bathroom, closing and locking the door behind me as I pull my top over my head, unbutton my jeans and slip them down, removing my trainers for a moment to step out of them, and then putting them back on as I step into my uniform and slide my arms through the holes. Fastening it up quickly, I smooth the skirt before taking the apron and tying it round my waist.

There’s one more thing to add, but at least I’m decent now. Grabbing my clothes, I head back out into the main staff room, knowing that Kyle should be sorted by now too and walk back over to my locker. My clothes I fold and put on top of my bag, and I pick up the headband which is lying on the top shelf inside. Walking over to the mirror which sits on the wall at the far side of the room, I smooth and tidy my hair before settling the alien antennae on my head. As usual, the sight which greets me makes me grimace – this uniform absolutely sucks! – but I simply remind myself of the fact that I need the money, and fix a smile on my face. I turn round to look at Kyle. “Okay, how do I look?” I ask him with a wry smile.

[isabelle]

*Kyle*

I shake my head as Liz asks how she looks. ‘Like an alien,’ I’m tempted to joke, but I know it’s not funny. Not any more. After all, we now both know she is an alien and she’s standing there dressed in green with bouncing silver antennae on her head. At least I’m spared the antennae on my uniform, although I haven’t any idea why. I guess Mr. Brooks thinks it looks ‘cute’ on the girls. And, well, actually, it does. She’s extremely cute, always, even in that unstylish waitress uniform.

“You look fine,” I tell her as I pull an order pad off the shelf. “You’ll be raking in the tips, today,” I add with a grin. “You should compensate me, since I can’t parlay my good looks and toned body into money like you can.” My uniform isn’t exactly attractive, but at least it doesn’t show off large amounts of skin, like hers does.

Liz wrinkles her nose at me and this old joke, then, she sticks out her tongue.

“Seriously, ‘though,” I say, stopping her before we step out into diner. “What do you really think of this Max guy? Is he a creep?” I haven’t really had a chance to talk to him myself and frankly, he un-nerves me. I mean, he’s an actual alien. Yeah, Liz is too, but she’s my friend. And she’s not making demands on anyone-else’s life. I know she says she needs this guy to find out about who she is. I guess I understand that. But I’d like to know what she’s really thinking. I’d like to keep him at arm’s length, if possible, because I won't let him hurt Liz.

[isabelle]

*Max*

Alex and I fall into silence as we walk down the concrete path towards the community buildings at the center of the complex. It’s nice to be comfortable enough with someone that you don’t have to fill up the air with empty words. He’s been pretty much behind me ever since he’s found out about Isabel and our whole pre-ordained future and I’ve really appreciated his support. More than he could ever guess, I’m sure.

We step out into the dry New Mexico heat with the sun shining brightly into our eyes. Everything looks cheerful and brimming with great possibilities. It’s not quite enough to lift the burdens from my shoulders, but I force a smile to my face hoping to encourage that feeling to come for real.

"Well I'll say one thing, Roswell's definitely different from any other place we've been…" Alex says, cheerfully, his steps lightening as we walk.

“Yeah,” I agree. “It’s a lot warmer than New York, but at least it’s not as humid. It’s kinda pretty, ‘though,” I allow. The ground between the paths is bright and green from artificial watering, but I know that only a few miles away there’s nothing but desert stretching as far as the eye can see. I scan the rows of stucco-covered townhouses, imagining the dull browns and sparse greens of the landscape not far on the other side. Somewhere out there is our pod-chamber and the granolith. If I don’t hear from Liz, maybe I should start focusing on that. No matter how things turn out with Liz, we still need that…

“Maybe I should sign up with those hucksters who take the tourists out to see the supposed crash site,” I think aloud. I’ve already heard that depending on the ‘tour guide’ chosen, there are three different sites for the 1947 crash one could see. Undoubtedly they’re all false, but maybe between them all I can at least get a notion of where to start on our search for the pod chamber.

[KatnotKath]

OOC: I'll format tomorrow

~Liz~

Kyle shakes his head at my question, and it looks to me as though he’s about to say something. I get the feeling that whatever he was about to say, he thinks twice about though. He looks at me for a moment, although not in the way that most guys would… He’s not taking the fact that my skirt it so short, or that the neckline is low, on it’s own. It probably does register, but he’s a friend, and he’d never say anything about it I know…

After a few minutes, he goes to pick up an order pad. “You look fine.” I smile and take the second which he offers to me. “Thanks…” I stick it in the front of my apron and smooth the front, checking the appearance over in the mirror once more.

Kyle grins at me. “You'll be raking in the tips today...You should compensate me, since I can’t parlay my good looks and toned body into money like you can…”

It’s an old joke between us… Kyle’s uniform is just as tacky as mine, just not as revealing… The only thing he does have to be thankful for is the fact that Mr Brooks apparently doesn’t think that the antennae which are a compulsory part of my own uniform would work as well… Why he thinks it works with the girls I don’t know…well, no, that’s not true – they work because they’re ‘cute’ sooooo embaressing… I wrinkle my nose and stick my tongue out at me. “Well you know, there have to be some advantages…” I tell him winking.

I step towards the door, about to push it open and step out into the diner – to face the crowds – but suddenly Kyle grabs my arm, pulling me back gently. I look at him, confused, but the look on his face can’t fail to make me worry…

He’s definitely not joking now…

”Seriously, though…” His words confirm this, and he seems to pause for just a moment, as though hesitating… “What do you really think of this Max guy? Is he a creep?”

The question makes me start… It’s not what I expected… I chew my lip for a moment before shaking my head. “H-he doesn’t seem like it…” I shake my head. “But honestly Kyle, how can I know what I think of him… I’ve met him for less than a day in total…” I swallow and try to take a few deep breaths in order to maintain my composure. “How am I supposed to know what to think about any of this Kyle…I just don’t know…”

[KatnotKath]

OOC: I'm practically ready for work, so I don't have time to format, will do that later though. For now, hope this works for you Isabelle, tell me if you want me to change anything...

~Alex~

It’s not difficult to see that Max’s smile is somewhat forced… I can’t say I blame him though… Even if he did know this was going to happen eventually, he, Michael and Isabel expected Liz to know a whole lot more than she did, and that extra burden of having to try and explain can’t be easy…

He looks around, and starts to respond to what I just said, but the fact is that I don’t think his mind is really focused on that… He’s looking out at the lawns, yet I get the feeling that his mind is far from that… I watch him for a moment, and am about to ask if he’s okay, when he makes a somewhat surprising suggestion. “Maybe I should sign up with those hucksters who take the tourists out to see the supposed Crash site…”

Of all the things I might have expected, that is not one of them… I know how difficult that would be for him. He hates the way that ‘aliens’ have been popularised into green men with big heads… On the outside, he’s just a normal guy, but on the inside, well that’s another matter…

I think for a moment, but in truth I’m not completely certain. I hesitate to bring Liz up again, because I guess he’s probably trying to keep her mind off her, but in this case, I think just make it’s worth the risk…

I look back at Max. “I-I’m not so sure that’s a good idea…” I comment to him, stopping just outside the main building so that we can continue our conversation for a few minutes more before being obliged to drop it for now. “Liz and Kyle will probably know the sites you know – having grown up here… Maybe it would be a better idea to ask them if they’ll take us all out…”

I trail off, wondering if that is a massively bad idea… I just hope not… I take a breath and continue, knowing that Max is likely to object. “Seriously…it’s not like you’re going to get an objective prospective going on a tour…each one is going to insist they’re right…”

I know what he’s doing, or trying to anyway… He, Isabel and Michael, had been hoping that Liz would already know where the cave and granolith is. Since she didn’t know who she was, somehow I very much doubt that would be the case, and so I guess he’s trying to ‘triangulate’ the site to some extent…

I look at Max. “Kyle and Liz are going to know all the sights you know… They might even know if there’s an area that’s most likely…” I suggest, groaning inwardly at my weak explanation. I’m not just introducing them into all this without a reason, and in my head it sounds convincing… I just hope Max doesn’t get the idea that I’m trying to force them together as Michael had no quarms with telling them…

[isabelle]

*Max*

I’m a bit surprised when Alex objects to my idea of taking the alien crash-site tours. Ever since Nacado died, taking our secrets with him, we’ve always known that we had two searches ahead of us. One for Liz, one for the Granolith. When we eventually found that Liz was here, in Roswell, there was a lot of hope that both puzzles would be solved at once, that Liz would know a lot more about the location of the pod-chamber than we do. Maybe she’d remember it even if Nacedo hadn’t actually told her any of the details. Since that’s not the case, finding the pod-chamber is still a separate issue and one I hoped might occupy me a bit while waiting on Liz to decide if she’s even going to give us a chance.

I’m sure the real site has been closed down and hidden by the military decades ago, and even if we knew where it was, that site could be miles away from the pod-chamber. Still, getting out there anywhere near the right area could help us. Maybe something would look familiar. Or if we’re really lucky, we might even get a flash on where to go…

“Kyle and Liz are going to know all the sights you know… They might even know if there’s an area that’s most likely…” Alex explains.

“I’m not so sure about that,” I tell him slowly. “After all, we grew up less than 25 miles from Niagara Falls and probably three-quarters of people in town had never even been there. This crash happened something like 30 or 40 miles from here. I’m guessing most of the locals here don’t bother with it. Liz didn’t know what she was before we got here. She may have had no reason to investigate any of that at all…”

I shake my head, not sure what I’m feeling. I just need to do something to keep myself busy. I don’t have a job yet. Liz isn’t calling. The least I could do is try to sort out how to get home. Working on the puzzle with Liz would be great, if she wanted to. It would only help to have an extra set of senses out there trying to sort it out. But I don’t want to push her into the alien freakiness yet. Based on the way she shied away from all that last night, I just don’t think she’s ready for it.

If we do have to go to the hucksters, I’m sure they’ll be filled with uncomfortable stories that I don’t want to subject Liz to. Not when she’s still getting used to the idea, herself. We’ve grown up knowing about movies like ‘Alien’ and ‘E.T.,’ sometimes even watching them behind Nacedo’s back although they frequently gave us all nightmares – not of the aliens, but of the humans and they way they treated the unknown among them. How they might see us, if they ever knew… Of course, that was before Alex and Maria were brought into our circle and were so surprisingly accepting and supportive. But we still know better than to think everyone would react that way…

“Speaking of investigating,” I say trying to change the subject. “What did you find out about Kyle?”

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

*Kyle*

I frown at Liz’s response. Part of me would like it better if she did say Max was a creep. Then I could put him solidly in the ‘enemy’ category and I’d know how to treat him. This uncertainty isn’t helping. I don’t know how to watch out for Liz if I don’t know what the situation really is. Which, I suppose, means that Liz is right. We do need to talk to the guy and find out all of what he has to say. Until then, he’s still an unknown. A potential creep. A potential … friend? Would he still be a friend to Liz if she doesn’t go for his ‘alien queen’ plan?

Hell, maybe I’m wrong for even thinking that it’s a bad idea. She could be an actual Queen. That’s obviously better than working in a diner. Probably even better than going to Harvard and becoming a biologist, or whatever she’s usually talking about. Am I just being selfish, because I don’t want to lose her?

I see Liz’s lip quivering and I know I’ve upset her by bring this question back to her when she’s trying to put it out of her mind for at least a few hours. She bites her bottom lip and looks up at me through her eyelashes.

“Hey. Hey, I’m sorry,” I tell her, pulling Liz close for a hug. “I shouldn’t have mentioned it.” I rub her back for a moment, wishing I could un-ask my question, or at least have some time to really let her sort herself out. Unfortunately, we are needed on the floor right away.

“You wanna just sit here another moment or two? I’ll go handle the customers,” I promise her.

[KatnotKath]

~Alex~

As soon as I’ve made the suggestion, I can see from the look on Max’s face that it wasn’t what he wanted to hear… His point about Niagara Falls isn’t a bad one, and he’s right… I’ve never been there, and nor has Maria…although I seem to remember Isabel mentioning going with Nacedo when they were younger… Somehow I think it’s different here though… Even if Liz never had any idea that she was an alien, she grew up around Roswell, and I get the feeling that hearing the stories over and over again would be pretty hard to ignore…

Trips to the Niagara Falls would be way costly, and it’s not like kids are known for their appreciation of sights, but the Crash…now that could be another story… The tours aren’t that expensive from what I’ve seen… Enough to mean they make a lot of money of course, but not so much that it would be too much for two teenagers, or kids to go…

The stories might spark interest… It’s the sort of thing that kids are into, aliens and spaceships… I just think that they will know the details…and I though, maybe it would be a way of getting them involved…

Of course there is the fact that Liz might not be ready for that I guess…we don’t want to push too much, but I guess I thought that if we involved Kyle, that might make her more likely to agree…

I nod at Max’s comments. “Okay, sorry…it was just a suggestion…I thought maybe getting them involved might help…”

“Speaking of investigating,” Max says as he looks back at me. It doesn’t take much to see that he wants to change the mind…probably to stop thinking about Liz for now… That was what we were supposed to be doing… With this in mind, I’m not about to push him, and look over, waiting to see what he’ll say next.

“What did you find out about Kyle?”

Ah…the question I knew was coming at some time, although I half expected it to be Michael who asked it first… After all, he was the one that insisted on me doing it… I didn’t want to, especially after Liz’s reaction to our ‘researching’…

Searching for information on her to confirm she was who we thought was one thing, but investigating her friends…that’s a complete other… I wanted to refuse…in fact I did at first, but then Michael suggested that maybe he should do some of his own…

I think that he wanted Isabel to try dreamwalking him too – although that would require a picture…

I’m not saying that I don’t understand the fact he wants to be safe, but still, sticking my nose into his business… I don’t like it… I’ve done it because if I didn’t there really would be trouble, but I’m not happy about it…

Looking over at Max, I sigh. “I’ll tell you in a minute…’kay..?”

By now we’ve reached the doors to the centre see, and this isn’t exactly a conversation we can have in public…

I push open the door and head inside, walking over to the desk where a young woman is seated. “Hi…we just moved into one of the units, and were wondering about trying out the pool…?” I tell her, giving the number of the house we’re renting, and handing over the door key as proof.

“Sure…” She gives a bright smile and taps a few things into the computer. After handing us a few leaflets, she then directs us to the guys’ locker room and after thanking her, we head on over.

The room seems deserted, but always pays to be careful… We do a quick check, and when I’m convinced we’re alone, while getting changed, I begin to explain what I’ve found out. “To be honest Max, there’s not that much about him… Kyle Valenti… I mean he’s sixteen, coming up to seventeen, from what I’ve seen in the yearbooks I’m guessing he’s a jock but I don’t know that for certain…”

I look over at him, wondering whether to say the next. “I don’t know if you want to know, but I haven’t found any hint of a romantic interest between Liz and Kyle…” I felt I should find out, but still, I’m not certain if Max even wants to know at the moment… Does it make it easier?

It’s not changing the main facts about this… Liz is sixteen, and Max is twenty… Up until a few days ago, they had never met, yet regardless of how they might feel, about each other, or about anyone else, they’re supposed to ‘bond’…to marry…

Michael always makes it sound so simple of course, but somehow I can’t see it that way, and I don’t imagine that Max does either…

Trailing off, I busy myself with getting changed and folding my clothes to put into the locker for a moment. The silence seems practically deafening though, and I know Max is waiting for more…

Not that there is much more… I haven’t done a lot, and nor do I intend to… My feeling is that if we want to find out about him, we should get to know him…the traditional way…

I would like to leave it at that, but instead decide to move onto the last bit of information I have found out. “His dad’s the Sherriff around here – Jim Valenti…” That’s not going to go down well with Michael I know, and I’m guessing that Michael won’t be delighted either. “There’s some mention of an ‘incident’ involving another Valenti years ago too, but I haven’t been able to find out too much about that as yet…” I pause a moment and look at Max.

There is one more thing, but this very final part I’m not sure I want to pass on… From what I’ve been able to gather, it looks like his mom walked out when he was a lot younger… I don’t see how that helps us though, I didn’t exactly expect to find something like that. I certainly didn’t go looking for that, and it is private… I don’t know Kyle, but this is his life…what right do we have to go poking around in his background…digging up things I’m guessing he’s trying not to think about… From everything that Liz said, it sounds like he’s a good friend to her, and isn’t that the most important thing…?

~Liz~

Just when I think that I’ve got a hold of myself, that one question sends me spiralling back to where I was a little while ago… So confused… Everything’s so complicated…

This isn’t some game we’re talking about, this is all real… And when I make a decision, when I decide I’m ready to do that, it’s going to affect the rest of my life…

Swallowing, I chew my lower lip a little nervously and look back at him. I meant what I said before…to some extent I do…I wish things could go back to normal… But then I also want to know the truth…I want to know what happened…

I can feel tears beginning to well up in the corner of my eyes again and I close my eyes for a moment in an attempt to stop the flow before it starts. I can’t lose it like this, especially not here, not now…

“Hey, hey…I’m sorry…I shouldn’t have mentioned it…” Kyle tells me, reaching for my arm and pulling me close.

For a moment, I relax into his arms willingly. Even after everything that’s happened, everything that’s been said…at least I still have Kyle. He’s a constant, my rock as such I guess… I feel safe with him…it’s about the only place I do at the moment…

Maybe that’s one of the things that scares me so much about all this… If I give the answer I want, I gain a family, a husband even…

My chest tightens at that thought… A husband…who would imagine I would be thinking about something like this at my age… Sixteen…

I shake my head mentally, just not wanting to think about it. The whole idea scares me, but perhaps what scares me more, is the fact that if I give that answer, I also lose something… I lose Kyle…I leave him, and that…that I’m terrified of…

Kyle rubs my back, but the noises I can hear coming through the door from the floor remind me that we really don’t have time for this. We were a couple of minutes later than usual – thanks to the little conversation in the car, and we should be out there right now…

From the look on Kyle’s face, I can see that he’s thinking the same, and his next question confirms it. “You wanna just sit here another moment or two…?” He asks me. “I’ll go handle the customers…”

It’s a nice offer, but being here alone isn’t exactly going to help me right now… I shake my head and pull back from him, smoothing my skirt and swallowing. A second of attention to my eye-makeup and hair, and hopefully I’m looking fine again. I offer Kyle a grateful smile. “Thanks…but I’ll be ok…” I tell him softly, moving towards the door and pushing it open, looking back at him one more time before stepping out onto the floor.

It looks busy…guess it’s going to be a long shift…

[isabelle]

Sorry for the delay, Kat. Hope this is okay by you.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

*Kyle*

Liz puts on a brave face and proceeds me out onto the dining floor. Resisting the urge to frown, I follow, watching her carefully. She seems okay at the moment, but I know how much she’s dealing with and I’m sure that under that calm exterior she’s in a storm of confusion. Hopefully, the demands of the customers can help her put it out of her mind for a little while, and not the other way around. Liz is a damn good waitress and she needs this job. I resolve to keep an eye on her and her customers to make sure that Mr. Brook doesn’t see anything unusual.

“Another day of fun at the Crashdown,” I whisper to her with a wink as she stops at a table of new customers to take an order. I see there’s a family waiting at the register for a seat. We have three empty booths but all are still filled with the leavings of the previous customers. “Welcome to the Crashdown,” I tell them. “I’ll clear a table for you and you can sit in just a moment.”

With that, I immediately start the clean-up as promised, noting a group of kids from school walking up the street. Yup. Even with real aliens arriving in Roswell, some things always remain the same…

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



*Max*

“To be honest Max, there’s not that much about him” Alex apologies. I know he wasn’t real happy about doing any more searching, but Michael was almost ballistic about this potential hole in our secrecy. I definitely think he was overly concerned, since I’m sure Liz was just as careful with him as we had been with Maria and Alex. Still, he did have a point. A cursitory look did seem like a good idea. I’d assured Alex that a search as deep as his school records would not be required.

I shake my head. “I didn’t expect a lot. Alex.” Kyle’s only sixteen. Unless he was in foster care, I wouldn’t expect there to be much to find. Even if he was a juvenile delinquent his records would be sealed. Alex would probably be able to get into them, if he’d found a clue that they existed, but I didn’t expect that. I hate to judge by appearances, but he didn’t seem like the kind for that. Although it would be interesting if Alex had found a blog or something we could read…

Alex goes on to suggest that Kyle seems to be a jock and that he’s not involved with Liz, romantically although I don’t have any idea how his computer search would have turned up anything about that. “Yeah, Liz told me,” I say. I’m completely sure that she’s been honest with me so far. As honest as I’ve tried to be. There’s still so many details she doesn’t know, but I’m glad that she’s aware of all the major parts of this story.

His next words cause my eyebrows to shoot up in surprise. “The Sheriff?” Damn. I know Michael won’t like to hear that. Briefly, I consider keeping that tidbit from him, but I know it won’t work, but I’m glad to have the information first so I can deflect the impact. Still, if Liz trusts him then I have to trust her to have taken proper precautions. She never mentioned telling Kyle’s dad, so I’ll assume that neither she nor Kyle did either, unless she tells me otherwise…

Another Sheriff Valenti years ago might be Kyle’s uncle or grandfather… Doing the math in my head, I realize there’s at least a slim chance that he could have been Sheriff at the time of the crash. I don’t remember ever reading the Sheriff’s name in the reports although I’ll certainly check into it when we get back to the house … Still, that’s not really pertinent at the moment.

“That could be a problem,” I say slowly, thinking not of the previous incident but the current Sheriff. We’ve generally done our best to steer clear of law enforcement and military authority for fear of being discovered. We’ll have to break that to Michael carefully.” I close the locker on our street clothes, realizing that we didn’t actually bring a lock. I raise my hand and use a bit of power to seal it shut. “Thanks for looking, Alex. I know you didn’t really want to and I appreciate the effort. I’m sure that if Liz trusts him, then we can trust her judgment.”

I pick up my towel again and drape it over my shoulder. “Shall we go swim, then?”