Fleeing Roswell (AU, CC, TEEN)

[magikhands]

Max

"Max. I'm here," Michael's voice finally breaks through the haze in my mind. I look up, a little surprised that Michael was there. I nod my acknowledgement to his words knowing that my throat was still clogged and sore from my crying.

He helps me to my feet, the water had be shut off. He dried me off quickly with a towel and wrapped it around my waist. I brace my arms on the sink, helping to support myself. Looking up at the mirror I see a stranger looking back. My hair was deshevled, eyes red, and darkness beneath them. But surprisingly, I feel stronger, like a cleansing had occurred in my system. Though I know Pierce and the white room will haunt my dreams, they are no longer on the front of my thoughts.

"You're going to be okay," Michael assures me. But I can hear a hint of doubt.

Before I could say anything Liz's voice echos off the walls. "Max!" She comes rushing across the room, worry etched on her face. "What happened, are you okay...?" Her hands frame my face.

"I'm fine" I say to her and take her hands in mine pulling them down. I glance at Michael and assure them both. "I'm better. I just needed....I'm sorry. It just all caught up with me. Everything that happened..."

Looking at Liz again, I feel my face heat as I realize that I'm standing before her in just a towel. "Let me get dressed and get on the road. We'll talk on the road."

I look over at Michael and silently plead to him not to tell the others of what had happened. I didn't want to worry them more than needed.


Alex

Kyle looks over at me. "These guys sure are a barrel of laughs, aren't they?"

I feel for Kyle. He was thrust into all the alien chaos just recently and was totally unprepared for it. At least I had a little heads up. Liz and Maria had acted too strangely for me not to notice that something was off. Then when they started hanging around Max, Michael, and Isabel...well, that drew my interest even more.

I know he's reaching out for something normal at the moment. Though he and I were not really friends before this, we tolerated each other. When he dated Liz, he had to take me with the package along with Maria though the four of us didn't hang out much. Liz spared us of that.

I shrug my shoulders not really knowing what to say, but wanting to set him at ease. "Just wait. The fun is only beginning." I give him a crooked smile and hope no one takes offense to my response.

[isabelle]

*Michael*

I turn sharply as Liz suddenly appears in the shower room. She doesn't belong here. Not because she doesn't have a ticket or because she's a girl. I just don't think Max wants her to see him like this. He's not ready.

Max talks to her gently, sending her on her way. I have a feeling he's said more than he meant to reveal, but it'll be okay. I've got his back, like always. I have less patience for Liz and my dismissal is more direct. "Go on. Give the guy some privacy, okay? We'll see you in a few minutes," I tell her, a bit gruffly. "He's fine," I add, trying to seem sympathetic to her.


*Kyle*

"Just wait. The fun is only beginning," Alex says. Somehow that doesn't re-assure me. My father is dead because of all this.

My father is dead and I'll never get a chance to say good-bye.

Will I ever see my mother again? She had promised to come for the last basketball game of the season and now I'm going to miss her. She won't even know what happened to me. Those FBI goons might even lie about me like they did about Dad. What are they going to say?

Am I trapped with these people for the rest of my life?

"Wonderful," I say, deadpanned. I scowl at my plate and then push it away. "Anyone object if I go take a little walk?" I ask, sarcastically.

[KatnotKath]

~Liz~

I reach for his face, cupping it in my hands as I look at him, almost scared at what I see. It's so unlike Max, I hate that they've done this to him...it's not fair, he does't deserve to suffer like this, why couldn't they just leave him alone, what harm had he done anyone...?

Answer - unlike Nacedo, Max had never hurt anyone...in fact, on the contrary he saved my life... He's one of the good guys...

"Are you okay...?" I repeat softly.

"I'm fine" He takes my hands in his and pulls them down, looking from me to Michael and attempting to reassure us both although I can't say I'm not still worried.

He says he's sorry, and I just wish there was something I could do to make this all go away. He has nothing to be sorry about...

Suddenly, he puls back slightly, basically asking me to go while he gets dressed and then we can go. I feel my cheeks flush slightly as the fact he's half naked begins to sink in and I realise I'm probably embaressing him.

"Go on. Give the guy some privacy, okay? We'll see you in a few minutes," Michael's clearly not too pleased with me, making little secret of the fact that I shouldn't be here, and I nod slightly.

"Y-yeah...sorry...of course...I was just worried...sorry..." I apologise awkwardly, chewing my lip, as I go to step away.

"He's fine..."

I look at Micheal in surprise as he says this, suddenly using a much more gentle tone and giving the impression of softening slightly. I nod, silently thanking him, with my look, for that, and then averting my eyes from both of them. "I'll...I'll be outside...waiting..." I hesitate a moment before looking to Michael once more. "You might want to try and dry off yourself too..." I hope he doesn't think I'm getting at him, but I don't know if I were him, if I would be aware of the fact me clothes were wet too... Having made this statement, I turn and walk away quickly, slipping out of the door and watching it swing shut again as I stand just outside waiting...

[isabelle]

*Michael*

"Damn," I swear under my breath at Liz's comment. She's right. I'm still soaking wet. If she's seen that, will she be able to figure out what happened? For Max's sake, I hope not.

She leaves and I do my best to keep up my stonewall. I can't let this rattle me. I hope I can do this without setting myself on fire... Keeping one hand on Max, I stoop slightly and run my hand up from my pant hem to my opposite shoulder, concentrating on controlling my powers.

It works. My clothes are dry. Keeping my stonewall up, I avoid any sigh of relief. I just turn to Max. I don't know if his powers are working or not, but that angry red wound on his chest leads me to think that they're not.

"I'll get ya," I say. With a similar motion, Max's body is dry he should be ready to be dressed. "How do you feel?" I ask him.

[magikhands]

Max

I watch Liz leave the bathroom and feel guilty for pushing her away some. I know she's only concerned for me and wants to help but...well, I'm finding that there is only so much a person could do for me.

I let out a sigh and watch as Michael dries himself them finishes off with me. I'm quite impressed with the control of his powers he's suddenly managed. I wonder if it has to do with his little time he spent with Nasedo.

I know my powers aren't back yet though the drug is finally cleared of my system, but then my body has been put through hell. I can feel my energy tingling inside of me, my body slowly healing itself. It will take another day or so...making me put my complete safety in Michael, Isabel, and Tess's hands.

"How do you feel?"

"Better thanks." I look at my friend. This is certainly a twist of the norm. I'm usually the one that is caring for Michael, looking out for his welfare, and making sure that he's ok. I'm grateful that he's here for me. "I'm sorry Michael. I don't know what really happened. I guess..." I couldn't finish the sentence and looked down. I didn't know what to say really. How do you explain that you had a breakdown. That all the stress from being under the thumb of a tortorous psycho finally came tumbling down and cracking my controlled shell.

I looked to the closed door Liz had exited from. "Don't be too harsh on Liz. I know she's not your favorite person, but she's just concerned. She wants to help, that's all."

[isabelle]

*Michael*

"I'm sorry Michael. I don't know what really happened. I guess..." Max starts, trailing off awkwardly.

"No trouble," I tell him, my voice sounds gruff as I try to hide the emotion behind it. Max is the one I'm most comfortable with but even he doesn't see what's inside me. At least, not most of the time. "You've been through Hell. It's okay."

Max's face takes on a wistful look as he glances at the door. "Don't be too harsh on Liz. I know she's not your favorite person, but she's just concerned. She wants to help, that's all."

"Yeah, I know," I say. I sound angry, I know. Hell, I feel a little angry. His feelings for her are what started this whole thing. Everything always seems to work out so well for Max -- except for being captured by the SU, of course. That sucked, I know. But he still has Liz. Me and Maria? I'm always sure I'm about to screw it up and she's going to walk out on me. What is it like for him to be so sure about Liz? I know that Max and Isabel will be there for me, even if I don't deserve it. No matter how bad I screw up, they're there. Does he have that in Liz, too?

I see the look he gives me so I try to focus. I pick up his underwear and pants. Isabel would use her powers to clean Max's clothes, but I'm not sure I want to try that just now. I'd probably set them on fire and then where would we be? "Here," I say, handing them over to him. "I'll be nicer to her," I promise. "We're all one big happy family, now."

Humans and aliens all thrust together. Our lives depend on them now as much as on ourselves. Even Kyle. He's the one I'm really worried about, not Liz.

.

[isabelle]

*bump*

[magikhands]

Max

"Here," Michael says handing me my clothing. "I'll be nicer to her. We're all one big happy family, now."

I can't help but chuckle and smile, shaking my head. "Yeah, I guess we are." I start putting on my clothing. Looking up at Michael I sigh. "Do you think this can work? I mean...the eight of us, on our own? We are all so different. Even you, Isabel and I have had our troubles through the years. Now we have five more to get along with."

[isabelle]

*Michael*

"I don't know. I guess we'll have to," I say, pinching my lips together as I watch Max get his clothes back on. He does seem a lot more steady than he was before but I'm ready to help if he shows any sign of losing his balance.

"I'm mostly worried about Kyle. He's not even a friend." He was closest to Liz but seeing as they broke up, I don't even know if that counts. This so sucks that she had to get him involved in this. The rest of us are going to have enough trouble. Living in close quarters will do that. I can try to deal with Maria and Liz and Alex. They've been helping in some way. But Kyle and even Tess ... They're not part of 'us.'

[aliensister]

are you guys looking for a tess? or are yous ok with the temping?

*hugs* mel aka aliensister