Everywhere this love goes 1- 8 *(Teen-Mat./Adult)4/20 [WIP]
Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2006 1:58 pm
Title: Every where this love goes... I will follow... I will follow
Author:JRose
Disclaimer: I don't own anything pertaining to Roswell! All quotes are flashbacks from the actual series... I did not write them and do not intend for you to believe that I did. Any Roswellian fan will recognize them anyway .
Pairings: M/L, M/M, I/K ... L/R
Rating:Teen-Mature/Adult(Somewhere in there lol)
Summary: Life after Roswell. Just as the series finale ends, the story begins. The gang leaves and goes off in their separate directions to lead new lives, but what if a part of them never did? This story is basically a continuation of the series, so if you loved watching Roswell read on to see what should have happened next... There's alien craziness, plot twists and turns, and oh so many love nods...just like a real episode of the show =)Enjoy! =) *Disclaimer* I do not own anything pertaining to Roswell except my imagination* =)
*Side Note to summary: If you're about to read this...awesome! lol... but at least read till the end of episode 2 to see where its going... I promise it will be a different and refreshing take on what should have happened if the series had continued. So if you're into the love aspect with a big twist of adventure you've come to the right place! =)
Also, this is my VERY FIRST Roswell fan fic and I wouldn't have posted it if I didn't believe in it... so all I ask is that you take a chance on a new user and enjoy =)
Episode 1
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*Flashback* - Graduation Day
“When I sat down to write this speech... I was struck by the similarities... between what I do... and the situation that you find yourself in now.” Author Bryce McCain said into the microphone.
Max looked back at Liz, and she smiled bravely.
“…Believe in what could be. About having faith... okay, that life and the universe holds more than what we perceive. As you contemplate...”
Max suddenly gets up, works his way to the aisle, and walks toward the podium. Puzzled members of the crowd watch his progress.
Various members of the FBI began to speak to each other through their secret microphones.
“We've got movement. Target is active. Target is active.”
“ Bulldog, maintain target. Keep the kid in your sites.”
“ What the hell is he doing?”
Max steps up next to McCain and puts his hand over the microphone, interrupting him in mid-sentence. He talks in a low tone, just to McCain.]
“You need to leave the building right now…”
In a small Motel in a small town
Max Evans, Liz Parker-Evans and Maria Deluca sat around waiting for Michael Guerin to come back from his outing. His usual outings lately involved supernatural alien propaganda told by small town folk, but he sought it out like he always did, on the lamb or not. Neither of them had changed much. Sure hair might’ve gotten longer or shorter, but no one had changed much physically. Emotionally was another story.
Max and Liz were still newlyweds, enjoying each other all over again as if they were rediscovering each other… but how happy can one really be when they’ve abandoned their own home. The comfort they once had as a group was gone and while everyone knew it was for the best to leave Roswell a year ago, no one felt as safe as they thought they would. The fear of being caught was instilled in each of them regardless of location, and while most of the gang never spoke of it, they all knew it was there.
Maria had given into her feelings for Michael soon after they left Roswell, but it had never been the same between them. Even now, Michael was off on some crusade while she sat and waited for him, worried, and even though she was in a room with her best friend, she felt alone. Sure Liz was still her best friend, but her marriage to Max had shifted the best friend relationship a bit. Maria wasn’t bitter because it wasn’t their fault; it was what naturally happens when people get married. Still, with Michael so occupied and the whole group going through different things, Maria felt alone and less spirited as her old self.
“Maria?”
Maria came out of her dull stupor and turned towards the voice that called her.
“Sorry Liz, I’m just kind of out of it today I guess. What did you say?”
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, just tired, what did you say?”
“Oh… I just wanted to know if you knew what time Michael was coming back here? I wanted to make sure there was enough time for me to take a shower before we all go to Kyle’s.”
“Oh, he didn’t say. Hasn’t said much to me lately at all.”
Liz had felt a change come over everyone since they left Roswell, but Maria was definitely taking the whole thing pretty badly. She felt helpless that she couldn’t wrap her arms around her best friend and make everything ok again. This was the price they paid for being who they were. Her only remedy for the awkwardness was to try and ignore it, which was usually not easy.
“Ok, well I’m just gonna go take a quick one then… go lie down in my room and relax.” Liz replied with a sweet smile. Maria returned it with one of her own, and went into the bedroom.
“Is there room in that shower for one more?”
Liz turned to see Max standing behind her with a shy smile. She laughed.
“Why I don’t know Mr. Evans, is there?”
“I think there is.” He replied with a slight raise of his eyebrow. With that, he bent down and kissed her lips softly.
“I think I’ll find some room.”
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In an abandoned lot in a small town
Michael’s hair blew into his eyes as the wind began to pick up. He was discouraged by the lack of information today and walked slowly out of the large lot. He had been spending most of his time walking on trails to nowhere and listening to tales with no truth. He had always searched for information on his previous life, and about what his “home” would be like, but being in hiding had made him edgy. He never felt safe, and rarely felt happy. He could honestly say that his rare happy moments were all with Maria, but even he knew that things hadn’t been the same. He hated being so preoccupied that it affected their relationship, but he knew in his heart that without the upper hand on information, none of them would ever be safe. It was his burden that no one else seemed to have the insight that he did. If this searching of his meant keeping Maria safe then he was prepared to pay that price until his work was finished. No matter how far they went or how secretively they’d behave, they could never be safe without all knowledge of themselves and their planet.
A familiar face running in the distance caught his eye and snapped him out of his thoughts. He waited until she was close enough to hear him and called out to her.
“Isabel!”
The tall girl looked towards his direction abruptly, and if he hadn’t known better he almost thought he saw her wince. She jogged slowly over to where he was standing.
“Hi Michael” she said breathing heavily.
“You haven’t been jogging since I went out have you?”
She looked down and shook her head as if trying to buy time before answering.
“Uh yeah… had nothing else to do.”
“You look tired, you wanna walk back to the motel with me?”
She hesitated, “No I think I’m just gonna run a bit more… I’ll see you guys later, you’re all still coming by right?”
“Yeah…ok I’ll see you later then.”
“OK”
Michael watched as she began to run quickly away, and he started walking back to the motel where Max and Liz were staying.
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Isabel Evans ran quickly past the parking lot and once Michael was out of view she slowed her pace. She had been running every day since last month for many hours at a time. She had taken the leave from Roswell as well as could be expected but the glue that held her together was the thought of returning to Jesse one day.
She dreamt every night of meeting him in his new big city and surprising him. She pictured the two of them crying and hugging each other so tightly that they’d never let each other go again. She had grown tired of being legally and physically separated from her husband, and wanted to be in his arms. She loathed the fact that because of her circumstances that it was for the best that they parted ways for the time being.
Last month the dreaming became too much for her, and she told the others that she’d be gone for a few days to go meet Jesse. They were obviously worried for her safety but had let her go without a fight, knowing that she had every right to see the man she loved. Ever since leaving Roswell they felt a bit freer in what they did because they knew they had a whole vast country between themselves and the people who were after them. For once in their lives the odds were in their favor.
She wore a red top that fit her like a glove and a flowy skirt that accentuated her long legs. It was one of those days when you just feel beautiful and everything around you feels perfect. The sky was a little bit bluer and the sun shone a little bit brighter that day. The journey to his office was a blur of cabs and trains but eventually all of the traveling paid off and she was standing outside a tall law office building. She quickly waved her hand over her face, and with her powers transformed her “traveling-with-makeup-on-face” to perfect newly applied makeup. She blotted her shiny red lipstick and went inside following all signs to the elevator.
It felt as if someone got on or off on every floor making her journey seem endless. At each floor she was able to peek out and see different offices and it made her smile. One desk on the 4th floor was completely decorated with flowers and candy. The woman sitting at the desk was pretty and smiling from ear to ear as if she had just discovered her delivery of fresh flowers as the doors to the elevator shut and began to move up again. Another desk on the 12th floor was completely covered with paperwork while the one next to it was immaculate and organized. She again smiled to herself imagining that if that were Maria and Michael’s desk, Michaels would have looked like the messy one.
As if someone had tried to snap her out of her day dreaming, the elevator ding told her that she had finally arrived at the 14th floor. She didn’t have to walk far because to the very left of her was Jesse Ramirez smiling his perfect smile over the telephone. Isabelle almost had to lean against a wall to keep from falling but pulled herself together and walked over to him. His reaction was the first of many things that didn’t turn out as she’d planned.
He looked up with the phone still to his ear to see someone standing over him. Looking up to see who it was, he stared at her with no expression.
“I… uh… I’ll call you back.” He stammered and hung up slowly.
She smiled at him but his face was still blank. Not knowing what to do she went around his desk and hugged him tightly, but what she felt in return was limp and unfeeling.
“What… wh… what are you doing here?” he asked quietly into her hair.
His stuttering made her feel uneasy and she let go of him, letting part of her fantasy die in that moment. She looked at him.
“I came to see you. I couldn’t take it any longer being away from you… are you not happy to see me?”
“I… I don’t know what I’m feeling actually. I thought I’d never see you again… a part of me thought that since it’s been so long that maybe I’m just crazy and none of what happened actually did. Seeing… but seeing you in front of me throws …that makes it all true.”
“Jesse?”
“I can’t… I can’t see you right now… I can’t… I’m sorry.”
Tears began to fill her eyes but she refused to let him see her hurt so she quickly and indiscreetly waved them away with her hand.
“Jesse I’ve come a long way… can we talk later?” She said in her most important voice.
“Uh yeah… I’ll give you my address, it’s only a few bocks from here.” He said and began writing his information down on a yellow note pad.
When he was finished he handed her the paper, and with the slight touch of his hand she had a flash of images come whirling at her. She saw him smiling on the telephone and placing an order for something that she couldn’t make out. Just as quickly as the flash came, it was gone. It was by far the most seemingly unimportant vision she had ever received and shook it off quickly.
“Come by after 5… that’s when I get home.”
“I’ll see you then.”
She walked quickly to the elevator and pushed the button for the ground floor. A million things rushed through her head and by the 4th floor she had felt as if she was going to lose it. As the elevator reached the 4th floor she had another vision. She saw a room filled with flowers and soft candlelight. Although her better judgment told her that something was definitely wrong, she couldn’t help but hope that her last vision was a promise of her meeting later with Jesse. In fact it was a promise of what was to come, only not the way she had planned.
Arriving at 5:00, she knocked but there was no reply. After a few minutes, she used her powers to unlock it and saw the room in her vision. In the midst of all the flowers was a sign that said “Meet me upstairs for your real thank you.” Isabelle smiled to herself as every bad feeling she thought she had felt earlier washed away. She walked quickly up the stairs and went to the halfway open bedroom door.
“Jesse, you didn’t have to scare me like you did before just to surprise…”
What she saw stopped her dead in her tracks….
“Ahh!”
It had made her feel like falling down when it had happened, and just the thought of it now had made her trip over a rock and fall down on the dirt road. She couldn’t bring herself to get up so she just sat where she fell and began to cry. She remembered the horror of seeing a half naked woman on his bed…the flash that came over her making it all make sense…and what Jesse said when he came home just seconds later. The flash she had received showed the woman on the 4th floor that she had seen from the elevator with all of the flowers, and Jesse ordering them on the phone. The woman had then called him to thank him and it was her he was smiling to through the phone when she had arrived. The woman was obviously expecting him after work to properly thank him for the flowers he had sent her. The woman was embarrassed and confused, and Isabelle had been close to tears. When Jesse arrived he had said many things, but nothing that she would be able to retain. All she understood was that he had moved on, and had convinced himself that everything involving Isabel never happened. The whole “alien” thing was too much for him to take and although he had once loved her he couldn’t allow himself to go back to that place in his heart.
Isabel didn’t remember leaving or how she got home, all she knew was that it felt incredibly long. She sat there on the ground feeling the horrible feelings she had felt that day all over again for what seemed like months and the next thing she knew was that it had turned dark and the sky had begun to pour. There was something about the rain falling down on her at her most vulnerable state that pushed her over the edge into large sobs. She began running towards the motel that Kyle, Maria , Michael and herself had been staying at for the past two months. Max and Liz were going to be there for their discussion on where to move next, so without hesitation she began the everyday process she had been doing since last month, pulling herself together before seeing the gang, so that no one could see the pain she had been holding inside.
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At another small motel... in a small town
The doorbell rang loudly. Kyle Valenti got up from the couch in the dim lit room to answer it. He had been alone all day and the quiet was killing him. Michael was always off by himself and Maria always seemed to be where Liz was when Michael would leave for a long time. Isabel had been going out running for weeks and coming home just to sleep, which hurt him because they had begun to get really close before leaving Roswell. He missed having friends around, he would even settle for a couple of football jerks if that were an option. Being on the run was definitely lonely for him.
He opened up the door to see Max, Liz, Maria and Michael at the door.
“Where’s Isabel?” Kyle asked
“Hi to you too future step bro.” Maria replied sarcastically as they walked in.
“Sorry… where is she?”
“She’s right here.” Isabel said as she walked through the front door that Kyle was about to close.
Max walked over to where she was standing as she put down her wet jacket.
“Guess it’s raining pretty hard out there.” He said with a small smile
She looked up at him with a smirk. Waving her hand over her clothes, they instantly became dry.
“You’ve been out running a lot lately.” He stated in his big brother tone, which always sounded like a question.
“Yeah… so what’s up guys, where’s the new location gonna be?” She asked quickly before anyone could ask her anything else about her new jogging regimen.
“We didn’t start talking about it yet… anyone have any ideas?” Liz asked.
Everyone thought about it for a while. They had been having this meeting every month or two to figure out a new place to stay since they had left Roswell. Every time it was important because their location was key to their survival.
“I have an idea… I just don’t know how you’re all gonna take it.” Kyle chimed in.
Isabel walked over to his side.
“What’s your idea?” she asked.
“Well, I’ve been thinking… there’s nothing wrong with moving around in these crappy motels in these small towns, but why not a big city for once? I mean, what better place to hide out than a big city where you never see the same person twice. Somewhere like New York.”
“New York… as in where our duplicates live, New York?” Max asked. He wasn’t sure if that would be a plus or a minus.
“Yeah why not? We don’t have to go to their side of town or anything, but New York is perfect. Besides, there’s enough places to hide out in for years if we have to, that way we wouldn’t have to keep moving around so much.”
The wheels in Michaels head began to turn. New York could be a great place to gain access on actual credible info. Running into the dupes wouldn’t be so bad either considering that they knew so much more than they did. They were nothing that the gang couldn’t handle and if necessary could be pumped for information. Although a major negative of going to the big apple would be that freakin’ guy friend of Maria’s that she’d probably end up running into …
“I say we vote.” Isabel announced, interrupting Michaels jealous thoughts. “Everyone up for New York raise your hands.”
One by one all hands were raised.
“New York it is then, when should we leave?”
“I say the earlier the better, I’m so sick of these boring small towns.” Kyle said getting up and walking back over to the couch to get the remote.
“Me too.” Isabel added sitting down next to him.
The old Kyle would have been excited to have Isabel sitting so close to him, but with the way she was acting lately, he was just glad that she was still in the room at all. There was something inside him that always made him wonder what would have happened between them if she hadn’t met Jesse. This wondering happened pretty often, especially with so much time on his hands.
“Why not pack now and just get going, it’s gonna be a really long drive.” Max suggested as he put his arm around Liz’s waist.
“Yeah.” She agreed. “That way we can just leave in the morning.”
After a few minutes of discussion, Kyle and Isabel decided to go over Max and Liz’s motel to hang out and help them pack, while Maria and Michael stayed. With the door closed behind them, the group headed back to the motel. Lucky for them it had stopped raining.
“Hey guys, how come you two don’t wanna pack your stuff too?” Liz asked Kyle and Isabel.
“Those two looked like they needed some bonding time and I’m so not in the mood for that kind of encounter.” Isabel answered. “ What about you Kyle?”
“I just hate packing… I plan to procrastinate as long as possible.”
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Back at the Motel with Michael and Maria
Maria waited for Michael to speak so that she could know without question that if an argument came from this, that it was not her fault for starting it. She had been feeling lonely and rejected all day, but the worst part of it was that she had been feeling guilty for allowing herself to feel that way at all. She didn’t want to feel this way because she knew he wasn’t doing this on purpose, if anything he was doing it for her own good. He was actually immersing himself in his project to keep her safe. Again, she felt a pang of guilt.
“Maria?”
“Yes Michael?”
He walked over to where she was sitting on the couch and sat beside her.
“I’ve been doing a lot of thinking today… and I want to apologize… for everything. I’m sorry for how much I took you for granted in the past…”
“Michael it’s okay, we’ve gone through this before…”
“Please, let me finish.” He pleaded making eye contact. She nodded.
“Like I was saying… I hurt you in the past… I didn’t let you see who I really was and when I finally did… well…it was the best night of my life. But being myself, I messed things up between us pretty quickly after that. You were right to leave for New York to follow your dream… and as much as it hurts … you were right to leave me… and you were right to have kissed that guy…”
“Michael please…”
“No, I’m serious… If you hadn’t done it at that moment in your life, you might never have known that you were missing from me what you really needed from a man.” He added and then paused for a moment. “I want to thank you for leaving Roswell on graduation day because you know you didn’t have to. You weren’t in the kind of danger that we were in and you had Valenti there back in Roswell who would be on your side with an excuse for everything… but you came and I know that you came for me.”
Maria smiled softly at him, almost embarrassed by his sweet words.
“Also, since we’ve been in hiding, I’ve left you alone a lot. I’ve even gone on crazy missions without telling you where I was going, and I know you must have been worried. I can’t guarantee that things like that won’t happen again, but what I can guarantee is that I never ever mean to hurt you or shut you out of my life… I just want to protect you. My whole life it was all about Max and Isabel, and they can hold their own pretty damn well… but then there was you. You’re inside me… you’re a part of me… you are me. So if it is at all in your control, don’t let me see that look in your eyes that I saw when I came back today… it hurts me to see you in that much pain, especially when I’m the one who caused it.”
She moved towards him and hugged him gently.
“Thank you.” She whispered into his ear.
Hearing her voice that close to him always gave him shivers. He turned his head to see her face and brushed his lips lightly against hers. The gesture stunned both of them since they hadn’t had a moment like this in months. They quickly relived every passionate moment between them and fell into a long deep kiss. Every second that grew by felt like there wasn’t enough time for them to stay this close to one another, and the intensity grew quicker than it ever had before. Neither of them could breathe and neither of them cared.
“God I’ve missed this.” Maria said into his neck as he broke the contact between their lips to place soft kisses on every inch of her collarbone. Her hands ran down his back pulling him onto her as they laid back on the couch. The feeling of his weight distributed on her own was mind-blowing. She began unbuttoning his shirt as he continued to kiss her neck, quickly leading back up to her lips, urgently kissing her deeply. She moaned in his mouth and reached for the last button. He arched his back quickly taking off his shirt and threw his wifebeater over his head and onto the floor. He moved his body back towards hers and as she began to kiss his neck he felt a moan escape from his own lips. Then he felt something else…
“Maria…”
“…Mmm?”
“Were you prepared for something kinky or something?” he asked breathlessly
Maria fell out of her trance… “What?”
“I feel you vibrating… did you bring like …um … supplies?” He asked questioningly.
Maria laughed as she realized her cell phone that was still on the couch was left on vibrate. She picked it up and held it up to him and he laughed.
“Hello?” she asked into the tiny phone.
“Are you guys done arguing?” Isabelle asked.
“Huh? Who said we were arguing.”
“You guys have been acting so cold around each other lately that I thought it was inevitable.”
“No, we’re not arguing.”
“OK good, then Kyle and I are coming back now… the newlyweds are being all gushy and gross and I can’t take it anymore.”
Michael began kissing her exposed shoulders and neck making it hard for her to talk.
“Um…ok…uh…mmm… uh… when will you… uh… mmm… be here…” “Stop it” she whispered to Michael with absolutely no part of her wanting him to stop.
“Ding Dong!”
“You called me from your cell huh.” Maria asked sarcastically into the phone as Michael groaned and got up to answer the door.
“Yep.” Isabel answered as she walked in and closed her cell phone. Kyle walked in from behind her and his eyes quickly focused on the shirtless Michael and the two shirts lying on the floor.
Michael picked up his clothes and walked over to Maria.
“Another time and place.” He whispered in her ear. She nodded with a disappointed sigh.
“Hmm, no I don’t think they were arguing Izz.” He said as he made his usual flat-lipped smirk.
“Oh… sorry guys… go figure we leave the two love birds to find two more… come on Kyle lets start packing.”
“Yes maam.” He said with a salute. “Packing Nazi.” He muttered under his breath.
“What was that?!” She called out from the other room.
“Nothing!”
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The Next Morning
Max and Liz awoke in each others arms.
“Morning.” Liz said quietly.
“Morning,”
Max smiled and kissed her forehead. “This is how every day should start.”
“Mmm…Definitely… Max?”
“Mhm?” he asked muffled while kissing her cheek.
“I think one of the only good things to come from us leaving Roswell is being able to be alone together.”
“The only good thing?
“Well… I miss home, and I hate the rift that I see formed between all of us… but me and you… we’re finally together… like in normal couple territory… well normal as in under aged runaways hiding from the government…”
She couldn’t help but laugh at the thought and Max smiled.
“Well Liz, I must say you are the most beautiful fugitive who married an alien that I’ve ever met.”
“And you are the most handsome alien from outer space I’ve ever had a close encounter with.”
Max kissed her gently on the lips and then looked into her eyes. “So you’ve noticed it too huh? I was hoping I was just reading into things too much, but no one is truly happy here.”
“I don’t think so… but it’s better than being an experiment for alien hunters.”
“You’re not wrong.” He replied.
Suddenly she looked horrified. “What time is it?” Liz looked up with wide eyes. “We overslept! Come on we have to hurry over there so we can get going.”
Max and Liz dressed quickly and grabbed their belongings, running out the door to head off to the other motel. As they got settled in the van to go pick up the gang, Liz decided to quickly check their money stash. From what she could see, money was definitely becoming an issue. It had been hard to find quick jobs and when they finally did, it was time to get up and leave. She put the envelope back in her bag and fell asleep to the warm sun shining down on her face.
Everyone had loaded into the van quickly after that and were more than ready to rid themselves of the small town life and get into a big city. Without saying it out loud, they each had hopes that maybe this time they’d finally be happy.
Kyle volunteered to drive first and Isabel sat next to him. Max and Liz sat behind them and Michael and Maria sat in the very back.
End of episode...stay tuned for Episode 2!
Feedback is always welcome!
JRose @--->
theywalkbesideus@yahoo.com
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Author:JRose
Disclaimer: I don't own anything pertaining to Roswell! All quotes are flashbacks from the actual series... I did not write them and do not intend for you to believe that I did. Any Roswellian fan will recognize them anyway .
Pairings: M/L, M/M, I/K ... L/R
Rating:Teen-Mature/Adult(Somewhere in there lol)
Summary: Life after Roswell. Just as the series finale ends, the story begins. The gang leaves and goes off in their separate directions to lead new lives, but what if a part of them never did? This story is basically a continuation of the series, so if you loved watching Roswell read on to see what should have happened next... There's alien craziness, plot twists and turns, and oh so many love nods...just like a real episode of the show =)Enjoy! =) *Disclaimer* I do not own anything pertaining to Roswell except my imagination* =)
*Side Note to summary: If you're about to read this...awesome! lol... but at least read till the end of episode 2 to see where its going... I promise it will be a different and refreshing take on what should have happened if the series had continued. So if you're into the love aspect with a big twist of adventure you've come to the right place! =)
Also, this is my VERY FIRST Roswell fan fic and I wouldn't have posted it if I didn't believe in it... so all I ask is that you take a chance on a new user and enjoy =)
Episode 1
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*Flashback* - Graduation Day
“When I sat down to write this speech... I was struck by the similarities... between what I do... and the situation that you find yourself in now.” Author Bryce McCain said into the microphone.
Max looked back at Liz, and she smiled bravely.
“…Believe in what could be. About having faith... okay, that life and the universe holds more than what we perceive. As you contemplate...”
Max suddenly gets up, works his way to the aisle, and walks toward the podium. Puzzled members of the crowd watch his progress.
Various members of the FBI began to speak to each other through their secret microphones.
“We've got movement. Target is active. Target is active.”
“ Bulldog, maintain target. Keep the kid in your sites.”
“ What the hell is he doing?”
Max steps up next to McCain and puts his hand over the microphone, interrupting him in mid-sentence. He talks in a low tone, just to McCain.]
“You need to leave the building right now…”
In a small Motel in a small town
Max Evans, Liz Parker-Evans and Maria Deluca sat around waiting for Michael Guerin to come back from his outing. His usual outings lately involved supernatural alien propaganda told by small town folk, but he sought it out like he always did, on the lamb or not. Neither of them had changed much. Sure hair might’ve gotten longer or shorter, but no one had changed much physically. Emotionally was another story.
Max and Liz were still newlyweds, enjoying each other all over again as if they were rediscovering each other… but how happy can one really be when they’ve abandoned their own home. The comfort they once had as a group was gone and while everyone knew it was for the best to leave Roswell a year ago, no one felt as safe as they thought they would. The fear of being caught was instilled in each of them regardless of location, and while most of the gang never spoke of it, they all knew it was there.
Maria had given into her feelings for Michael soon after they left Roswell, but it had never been the same between them. Even now, Michael was off on some crusade while she sat and waited for him, worried, and even though she was in a room with her best friend, she felt alone. Sure Liz was still her best friend, but her marriage to Max had shifted the best friend relationship a bit. Maria wasn’t bitter because it wasn’t their fault; it was what naturally happens when people get married. Still, with Michael so occupied and the whole group going through different things, Maria felt alone and less spirited as her old self.
“Maria?”
Maria came out of her dull stupor and turned towards the voice that called her.
“Sorry Liz, I’m just kind of out of it today I guess. What did you say?”
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, just tired, what did you say?”
“Oh… I just wanted to know if you knew what time Michael was coming back here? I wanted to make sure there was enough time for me to take a shower before we all go to Kyle’s.”
“Oh, he didn’t say. Hasn’t said much to me lately at all.”
Liz had felt a change come over everyone since they left Roswell, but Maria was definitely taking the whole thing pretty badly. She felt helpless that she couldn’t wrap her arms around her best friend and make everything ok again. This was the price they paid for being who they were. Her only remedy for the awkwardness was to try and ignore it, which was usually not easy.
“Ok, well I’m just gonna go take a quick one then… go lie down in my room and relax.” Liz replied with a sweet smile. Maria returned it with one of her own, and went into the bedroom.
“Is there room in that shower for one more?”
Liz turned to see Max standing behind her with a shy smile. She laughed.
“Why I don’t know Mr. Evans, is there?”
“I think there is.” He replied with a slight raise of his eyebrow. With that, he bent down and kissed her lips softly.
“I think I’ll find some room.”
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In an abandoned lot in a small town
Michael’s hair blew into his eyes as the wind began to pick up. He was discouraged by the lack of information today and walked slowly out of the large lot. He had been spending most of his time walking on trails to nowhere and listening to tales with no truth. He had always searched for information on his previous life, and about what his “home” would be like, but being in hiding had made him edgy. He never felt safe, and rarely felt happy. He could honestly say that his rare happy moments were all with Maria, but even he knew that things hadn’t been the same. He hated being so preoccupied that it affected their relationship, but he knew in his heart that without the upper hand on information, none of them would ever be safe. It was his burden that no one else seemed to have the insight that he did. If this searching of his meant keeping Maria safe then he was prepared to pay that price until his work was finished. No matter how far they went or how secretively they’d behave, they could never be safe without all knowledge of themselves and their planet.
A familiar face running in the distance caught his eye and snapped him out of his thoughts. He waited until she was close enough to hear him and called out to her.
“Isabel!”
The tall girl looked towards his direction abruptly, and if he hadn’t known better he almost thought he saw her wince. She jogged slowly over to where he was standing.
“Hi Michael” she said breathing heavily.
“You haven’t been jogging since I went out have you?”
She looked down and shook her head as if trying to buy time before answering.
“Uh yeah… had nothing else to do.”
“You look tired, you wanna walk back to the motel with me?”
She hesitated, “No I think I’m just gonna run a bit more… I’ll see you guys later, you’re all still coming by right?”
“Yeah…ok I’ll see you later then.”
“OK”
Michael watched as she began to run quickly away, and he started walking back to the motel where Max and Liz were staying.
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Isabel Evans ran quickly past the parking lot and once Michael was out of view she slowed her pace. She had been running every day since last month for many hours at a time. She had taken the leave from Roswell as well as could be expected but the glue that held her together was the thought of returning to Jesse one day.
She dreamt every night of meeting him in his new big city and surprising him. She pictured the two of them crying and hugging each other so tightly that they’d never let each other go again. She had grown tired of being legally and physically separated from her husband, and wanted to be in his arms. She loathed the fact that because of her circumstances that it was for the best that they parted ways for the time being.
Last month the dreaming became too much for her, and she told the others that she’d be gone for a few days to go meet Jesse. They were obviously worried for her safety but had let her go without a fight, knowing that she had every right to see the man she loved. Ever since leaving Roswell they felt a bit freer in what they did because they knew they had a whole vast country between themselves and the people who were after them. For once in their lives the odds were in their favor.
She wore a red top that fit her like a glove and a flowy skirt that accentuated her long legs. It was one of those days when you just feel beautiful and everything around you feels perfect. The sky was a little bit bluer and the sun shone a little bit brighter that day. The journey to his office was a blur of cabs and trains but eventually all of the traveling paid off and she was standing outside a tall law office building. She quickly waved her hand over her face, and with her powers transformed her “traveling-with-makeup-on-face” to perfect newly applied makeup. She blotted her shiny red lipstick and went inside following all signs to the elevator.
It felt as if someone got on or off on every floor making her journey seem endless. At each floor she was able to peek out and see different offices and it made her smile. One desk on the 4th floor was completely decorated with flowers and candy. The woman sitting at the desk was pretty and smiling from ear to ear as if she had just discovered her delivery of fresh flowers as the doors to the elevator shut and began to move up again. Another desk on the 12th floor was completely covered with paperwork while the one next to it was immaculate and organized. She again smiled to herself imagining that if that were Maria and Michael’s desk, Michaels would have looked like the messy one.
As if someone had tried to snap her out of her day dreaming, the elevator ding told her that she had finally arrived at the 14th floor. She didn’t have to walk far because to the very left of her was Jesse Ramirez smiling his perfect smile over the telephone. Isabelle almost had to lean against a wall to keep from falling but pulled herself together and walked over to him. His reaction was the first of many things that didn’t turn out as she’d planned.
He looked up with the phone still to his ear to see someone standing over him. Looking up to see who it was, he stared at her with no expression.
“I… uh… I’ll call you back.” He stammered and hung up slowly.
She smiled at him but his face was still blank. Not knowing what to do she went around his desk and hugged him tightly, but what she felt in return was limp and unfeeling.
“What… wh… what are you doing here?” he asked quietly into her hair.
His stuttering made her feel uneasy and she let go of him, letting part of her fantasy die in that moment. She looked at him.
“I came to see you. I couldn’t take it any longer being away from you… are you not happy to see me?”
“I… I don’t know what I’m feeling actually. I thought I’d never see you again… a part of me thought that since it’s been so long that maybe I’m just crazy and none of what happened actually did. Seeing… but seeing you in front of me throws …that makes it all true.”
“Jesse?”
“I can’t… I can’t see you right now… I can’t… I’m sorry.”
Tears began to fill her eyes but she refused to let him see her hurt so she quickly and indiscreetly waved them away with her hand.
“Jesse I’ve come a long way… can we talk later?” She said in her most important voice.
“Uh yeah… I’ll give you my address, it’s only a few bocks from here.” He said and began writing his information down on a yellow note pad.
When he was finished he handed her the paper, and with the slight touch of his hand she had a flash of images come whirling at her. She saw him smiling on the telephone and placing an order for something that she couldn’t make out. Just as quickly as the flash came, it was gone. It was by far the most seemingly unimportant vision she had ever received and shook it off quickly.
“Come by after 5… that’s when I get home.”
“I’ll see you then.”
She walked quickly to the elevator and pushed the button for the ground floor. A million things rushed through her head and by the 4th floor she had felt as if she was going to lose it. As the elevator reached the 4th floor she had another vision. She saw a room filled with flowers and soft candlelight. Although her better judgment told her that something was definitely wrong, she couldn’t help but hope that her last vision was a promise of her meeting later with Jesse. In fact it was a promise of what was to come, only not the way she had planned.
Arriving at 5:00, she knocked but there was no reply. After a few minutes, she used her powers to unlock it and saw the room in her vision. In the midst of all the flowers was a sign that said “Meet me upstairs for your real thank you.” Isabelle smiled to herself as every bad feeling she thought she had felt earlier washed away. She walked quickly up the stairs and went to the halfway open bedroom door.
“Jesse, you didn’t have to scare me like you did before just to surprise…”
What she saw stopped her dead in her tracks….
“Ahh!”
It had made her feel like falling down when it had happened, and just the thought of it now had made her trip over a rock and fall down on the dirt road. She couldn’t bring herself to get up so she just sat where she fell and began to cry. She remembered the horror of seeing a half naked woman on his bed…the flash that came over her making it all make sense…and what Jesse said when he came home just seconds later. The flash she had received showed the woman on the 4th floor that she had seen from the elevator with all of the flowers, and Jesse ordering them on the phone. The woman had then called him to thank him and it was her he was smiling to through the phone when she had arrived. The woman was obviously expecting him after work to properly thank him for the flowers he had sent her. The woman was embarrassed and confused, and Isabelle had been close to tears. When Jesse arrived he had said many things, but nothing that she would be able to retain. All she understood was that he had moved on, and had convinced himself that everything involving Isabel never happened. The whole “alien” thing was too much for him to take and although he had once loved her he couldn’t allow himself to go back to that place in his heart.
Isabel didn’t remember leaving or how she got home, all she knew was that it felt incredibly long. She sat there on the ground feeling the horrible feelings she had felt that day all over again for what seemed like months and the next thing she knew was that it had turned dark and the sky had begun to pour. There was something about the rain falling down on her at her most vulnerable state that pushed her over the edge into large sobs. She began running towards the motel that Kyle, Maria , Michael and herself had been staying at for the past two months. Max and Liz were going to be there for their discussion on where to move next, so without hesitation she began the everyday process she had been doing since last month, pulling herself together before seeing the gang, so that no one could see the pain she had been holding inside.
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At another small motel... in a small town
The doorbell rang loudly. Kyle Valenti got up from the couch in the dim lit room to answer it. He had been alone all day and the quiet was killing him. Michael was always off by himself and Maria always seemed to be where Liz was when Michael would leave for a long time. Isabel had been going out running for weeks and coming home just to sleep, which hurt him because they had begun to get really close before leaving Roswell. He missed having friends around, he would even settle for a couple of football jerks if that were an option. Being on the run was definitely lonely for him.
He opened up the door to see Max, Liz, Maria and Michael at the door.
“Where’s Isabel?” Kyle asked
“Hi to you too future step bro.” Maria replied sarcastically as they walked in.
“Sorry… where is she?”
“She’s right here.” Isabel said as she walked through the front door that Kyle was about to close.
Max walked over to where she was standing as she put down her wet jacket.
“Guess it’s raining pretty hard out there.” He said with a small smile
She looked up at him with a smirk. Waving her hand over her clothes, they instantly became dry.
“You’ve been out running a lot lately.” He stated in his big brother tone, which always sounded like a question.
“Yeah… so what’s up guys, where’s the new location gonna be?” She asked quickly before anyone could ask her anything else about her new jogging regimen.
“We didn’t start talking about it yet… anyone have any ideas?” Liz asked.
Everyone thought about it for a while. They had been having this meeting every month or two to figure out a new place to stay since they had left Roswell. Every time it was important because their location was key to their survival.
“I have an idea… I just don’t know how you’re all gonna take it.” Kyle chimed in.
Isabel walked over to his side.
“What’s your idea?” she asked.
“Well, I’ve been thinking… there’s nothing wrong with moving around in these crappy motels in these small towns, but why not a big city for once? I mean, what better place to hide out than a big city where you never see the same person twice. Somewhere like New York.”
“New York… as in where our duplicates live, New York?” Max asked. He wasn’t sure if that would be a plus or a minus.
“Yeah why not? We don’t have to go to their side of town or anything, but New York is perfect. Besides, there’s enough places to hide out in for years if we have to, that way we wouldn’t have to keep moving around so much.”
The wheels in Michaels head began to turn. New York could be a great place to gain access on actual credible info. Running into the dupes wouldn’t be so bad either considering that they knew so much more than they did. They were nothing that the gang couldn’t handle and if necessary could be pumped for information. Although a major negative of going to the big apple would be that freakin’ guy friend of Maria’s that she’d probably end up running into …
“I say we vote.” Isabel announced, interrupting Michaels jealous thoughts. “Everyone up for New York raise your hands.”
One by one all hands were raised.
“New York it is then, when should we leave?”
“I say the earlier the better, I’m so sick of these boring small towns.” Kyle said getting up and walking back over to the couch to get the remote.
“Me too.” Isabel added sitting down next to him.
The old Kyle would have been excited to have Isabel sitting so close to him, but with the way she was acting lately, he was just glad that she was still in the room at all. There was something inside him that always made him wonder what would have happened between them if she hadn’t met Jesse. This wondering happened pretty often, especially with so much time on his hands.
“Why not pack now and just get going, it’s gonna be a really long drive.” Max suggested as he put his arm around Liz’s waist.
“Yeah.” She agreed. “That way we can just leave in the morning.”
After a few minutes of discussion, Kyle and Isabel decided to go over Max and Liz’s motel to hang out and help them pack, while Maria and Michael stayed. With the door closed behind them, the group headed back to the motel. Lucky for them it had stopped raining.
“Hey guys, how come you two don’t wanna pack your stuff too?” Liz asked Kyle and Isabel.
“Those two looked like they needed some bonding time and I’m so not in the mood for that kind of encounter.” Isabel answered. “ What about you Kyle?”
“I just hate packing… I plan to procrastinate as long as possible.”
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Back at the Motel with Michael and Maria
Maria waited for Michael to speak so that she could know without question that if an argument came from this, that it was not her fault for starting it. She had been feeling lonely and rejected all day, but the worst part of it was that she had been feeling guilty for allowing herself to feel that way at all. She didn’t want to feel this way because she knew he wasn’t doing this on purpose, if anything he was doing it for her own good. He was actually immersing himself in his project to keep her safe. Again, she felt a pang of guilt.
“Maria?”
“Yes Michael?”
He walked over to where she was sitting on the couch and sat beside her.
“I’ve been doing a lot of thinking today… and I want to apologize… for everything. I’m sorry for how much I took you for granted in the past…”
“Michael it’s okay, we’ve gone through this before…”
“Please, let me finish.” He pleaded making eye contact. She nodded.
“Like I was saying… I hurt you in the past… I didn’t let you see who I really was and when I finally did… well…it was the best night of my life. But being myself, I messed things up between us pretty quickly after that. You were right to leave for New York to follow your dream… and as much as it hurts … you were right to leave me… and you were right to have kissed that guy…”
“Michael please…”
“No, I’m serious… If you hadn’t done it at that moment in your life, you might never have known that you were missing from me what you really needed from a man.” He added and then paused for a moment. “I want to thank you for leaving Roswell on graduation day because you know you didn’t have to. You weren’t in the kind of danger that we were in and you had Valenti there back in Roswell who would be on your side with an excuse for everything… but you came and I know that you came for me.”
Maria smiled softly at him, almost embarrassed by his sweet words.
“Also, since we’ve been in hiding, I’ve left you alone a lot. I’ve even gone on crazy missions without telling you where I was going, and I know you must have been worried. I can’t guarantee that things like that won’t happen again, but what I can guarantee is that I never ever mean to hurt you or shut you out of my life… I just want to protect you. My whole life it was all about Max and Isabel, and they can hold their own pretty damn well… but then there was you. You’re inside me… you’re a part of me… you are me. So if it is at all in your control, don’t let me see that look in your eyes that I saw when I came back today… it hurts me to see you in that much pain, especially when I’m the one who caused it.”
She moved towards him and hugged him gently.
“Thank you.” She whispered into his ear.
Hearing her voice that close to him always gave him shivers. He turned his head to see her face and brushed his lips lightly against hers. The gesture stunned both of them since they hadn’t had a moment like this in months. They quickly relived every passionate moment between them and fell into a long deep kiss. Every second that grew by felt like there wasn’t enough time for them to stay this close to one another, and the intensity grew quicker than it ever had before. Neither of them could breathe and neither of them cared.
“God I’ve missed this.” Maria said into his neck as he broke the contact between their lips to place soft kisses on every inch of her collarbone. Her hands ran down his back pulling him onto her as they laid back on the couch. The feeling of his weight distributed on her own was mind-blowing. She began unbuttoning his shirt as he continued to kiss her neck, quickly leading back up to her lips, urgently kissing her deeply. She moaned in his mouth and reached for the last button. He arched his back quickly taking off his shirt and threw his wifebeater over his head and onto the floor. He moved his body back towards hers and as she began to kiss his neck he felt a moan escape from his own lips. Then he felt something else…
“Maria…”
“…Mmm?”
“Were you prepared for something kinky or something?” he asked breathlessly
Maria fell out of her trance… “What?”
“I feel you vibrating… did you bring like …um … supplies?” He asked questioningly.
Maria laughed as she realized her cell phone that was still on the couch was left on vibrate. She picked it up and held it up to him and he laughed.
“Hello?” she asked into the tiny phone.
“Are you guys done arguing?” Isabelle asked.
“Huh? Who said we were arguing.”
“You guys have been acting so cold around each other lately that I thought it was inevitable.”
“No, we’re not arguing.”
“OK good, then Kyle and I are coming back now… the newlyweds are being all gushy and gross and I can’t take it anymore.”
Michael began kissing her exposed shoulders and neck making it hard for her to talk.
“Um…ok…uh…mmm… uh… when will you… uh… mmm… be here…” “Stop it” she whispered to Michael with absolutely no part of her wanting him to stop.
“Ding Dong!”
“You called me from your cell huh.” Maria asked sarcastically into the phone as Michael groaned and got up to answer the door.
“Yep.” Isabel answered as she walked in and closed her cell phone. Kyle walked in from behind her and his eyes quickly focused on the shirtless Michael and the two shirts lying on the floor.
Michael picked up his clothes and walked over to Maria.
“Another time and place.” He whispered in her ear. She nodded with a disappointed sigh.
“Hmm, no I don’t think they were arguing Izz.” He said as he made his usual flat-lipped smirk.
“Oh… sorry guys… go figure we leave the two love birds to find two more… come on Kyle lets start packing.”
“Yes maam.” He said with a salute. “Packing Nazi.” He muttered under his breath.
“What was that?!” She called out from the other room.
“Nothing!”
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The Next Morning
Max and Liz awoke in each others arms.
“Morning.” Liz said quietly.
“Morning,”
Max smiled and kissed her forehead. “This is how every day should start.”
“Mmm…Definitely… Max?”
“Mhm?” he asked muffled while kissing her cheek.
“I think one of the only good things to come from us leaving Roswell is being able to be alone together.”
“The only good thing?
“Well… I miss home, and I hate the rift that I see formed between all of us… but me and you… we’re finally together… like in normal couple territory… well normal as in under aged runaways hiding from the government…”
She couldn’t help but laugh at the thought and Max smiled.
“Well Liz, I must say you are the most beautiful fugitive who married an alien that I’ve ever met.”
“And you are the most handsome alien from outer space I’ve ever had a close encounter with.”
Max kissed her gently on the lips and then looked into her eyes. “So you’ve noticed it too huh? I was hoping I was just reading into things too much, but no one is truly happy here.”
“I don’t think so… but it’s better than being an experiment for alien hunters.”
“You’re not wrong.” He replied.
Suddenly she looked horrified. “What time is it?” Liz looked up with wide eyes. “We overslept! Come on we have to hurry over there so we can get going.”
Max and Liz dressed quickly and grabbed their belongings, running out the door to head off to the other motel. As they got settled in the van to go pick up the gang, Liz decided to quickly check their money stash. From what she could see, money was definitely becoming an issue. It had been hard to find quick jobs and when they finally did, it was time to get up and leave. She put the envelope back in her bag and fell asleep to the warm sun shining down on her face.
Everyone had loaded into the van quickly after that and were more than ready to rid themselves of the small town life and get into a big city. Without saying it out loud, they each had hopes that maybe this time they’d finally be happy.
Kyle volunteered to drive first and Isabel sat next to him. Max and Liz sat behind them and Michael and Maria sat in the very back.
End of episode...stay tuned for Episode 2!
Feedback is always welcome!
JRose @--->
theywalkbesideus@yahoo.com
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