Notes from Outer Space (M/L), Teen, Ch. 17B 8/25

[terri25]

Thanks to pijeechinadoll for the truly awesome banner.

Author: terri25

Title: Notes from Outer Space

Category: M/L AU w/ aliens

Rating: Teen for now

Disclaimer: The characters of Roswell are not mine. The concept is my own idea.

Summary: One day, a five year-old girl finds a strange artifact in her backyard. Soon, she starts getting messages from a lonely little boy… from outer space.

Chapter One:

September 1992. Roswell, NM

Five year-old Liz Parker was traipsing disconsolately through her backyard. Her new puppy, Max, had just died. She was playing with him when he ran out into the street and was run over by a car. But she wouldn’t cry, she wouldn’t cry because she was a big girl.

She just wanted to be alone. She switched directions and started to go to her tree house. The boys in the neighborhood had built one, but they would not let her on it, so she convinced her daddy to build her one just for her. She would be alone there.

As she got closer to the tree house, she heard a strange beeping sound. She followed it and found a strange orb-like artifact with a glowing symbol.

Curious, she picked it up and it stopped beeping. Ever the scientist, she picked it up and took up to the tree house where she would examine it.

With all the (lack of) attention span of her five years, she set it down as soon as she got up to her tree house. She noticed some paper and her red crayon. She wanted to draw something to remember Max by.

She sat down and painstakingly drew a crude picture of her puppy and wrote his name under it in block letters: MAX.

She was just about to get down to bring some more crayons to color it, when a gust of wind almost blew the picture away, but she managed to hold it down just in time.

That is when she remembered the orb. She grabbed it and set it on top of her drawing to use as a paperweight.

She was about to get down again when she heard the strange beeping sound again. She turned around just in time to see a flash of light, and then there was the orb but the her drawing under it had disappeared.

The Royal Palace in Antar. Same time.

Six year-old Prince Zan of Antar was sulking in his room. His parents had grounded him because he cut off all the buds off of the rose bushes in the garden. He wanted to see if they were all alike on the inside.

He had always been a very curious child, but this time his curiosity got him a week in his room. The only times he was allowed out were for meals and lessons.

He was bored.

He was lying down on his bed, looking up at the ceiling, pouting, trying to come up with a way to entertain himself when he heard it: a beeping. A beeping coming from his communication orb.

He looked at it just as it flashed and a piece of paper appeared under it.

He jumped off of his bed to see what it was. He looked at it confused. It was a drawing, of what he did not know, and a name: MAX.

He wondered where it came from.

He would sneak off to the Granolith tomorrow after lessons and find out about the message, and maybe, maybe he would send one back.

After all, he was nothing if not curious

Tbc…

What do you think?

[terri25]

Chapter Two:

The Royal Palace in Antar. Next day.

Prince Zan finished his studies for the day, but he managed to add another two weeks to his punishment during playtime.

His parents had bought him a—very expensive—smoke-blowing train which he had promptly opened up; he wanted to know how it worked.

Unfortunately, he could not put it back together, and his parents were, needless to say, very upset.

He was on his way to sulk in his room when he remembered the message he had received the day before.

He looked back to make sure there was no one in the hall way and pulled the piece of paper out. He tucked it back into his pocket and took off running.

He only slowed down when he got close to his father’s offices. It would not have been a good time to bring attention to himself; not if he wanted to go into the Granolith.

He snuck into the chamber and closed the door.

“Granolith,” he called out.

“Prince Zan”

Zan pulled out the piece of paper from his pocket. “What can you tell me about this?”

“Well, it came from a planet in the Milky Way galaxy. We sent a team of explorers down there almost fifty years ago but we never heard back. That message must have come from one of the communication orbs we sent down with them.”

“What does it mean?” Zan asked, curious.

“Nothing, as far as I can tell, it appears to be a drawing done by a small child. One who is just beginning to learn how to write. Probably one of the local species, since he is using their alphabet, not one of our own. Looks like he signed it Max, maybe that’s his name.”

Zan turned to leave. “Where can I see more about them?”

“There is a book in the library about rudimentary cultures. I think there is a whole section on this planet, this earth. You could find more there.”

“Thanks.”

Zan walked over to the library and took the book off the shelf.

Antarians begin their schooling much earlier and intensively than earthlings, so Zan has already been reading for three years. However, much of the language is still too technical for him to make too much of it.

He flips to the chapter on language and alphabets. He decided to send something back.

Liz’s Tree House. Same time.

Liz was laying on her stomach doing her homework when she heard that beeping sound again.

She looked over to the orb. It flashed and then there was a piece of paper under it.

She picked it up

Dear Max,
I are Zan of Antar. I want friend. I got picture. I send one too.

ZAN

Under the note, there were some circles connected by squiggly lines.

Liz was confused. Why was someone sending notes to her dead puppy? How did the orb work?

Her scientific mind was fast at work: maybe she could ask this Zan.

She picked up a piece of paper and a crayon and started.

Dear Zan,
I am Liz of Roswell. Max was my puppy. I will be your friend.

LIZ

She picked up the orb and placed on top of the paper. She watched as it once again beeped, flashed and then the paper was gone.

How did it work?

She intuitively knew that it was best for her parents to not know about Zan, so who could she ask?

Tbc…

[terri25]

Chapter Three:

Roswell, NM. Liz’s room. A few days later.

Liz had yet to receive a message back from Zan.

She spent hours of the past few days looking at that orb, trying to figure it out. But try as she might, she couldn’t.

And she couldn’t think of anyone to ask. Zan immediately came to mind, but she did not know how to spell “message” or “disappear.”

She is lucky she can write as much as she could, and that is only because Grandma Claudia got her a grammar game when she was three.

She loved it. But she loved the science one better. She was going to be a famous scientist one day. Just like her grandma was a famous archeologist.

If only she could speak to Zan.

She wondered what he looked like. Was he blond like her new friend Maria? Or a brunette like her?

She wondered where Antar was. Was it in Europe? That’s where Grandma Claudia was in a conference.

Liz wished that grandma Claudia was there. She always understood, and she said that she could ask her anything.

Would she understand about Zan? Could she answer her questions?

As she pondered these thoughts, the orb came to life and a message came through.

Liz,
I am Zan. Are you girl? I think you called Max. What is puppy?
Are you little? I am six.

ZAN

Liz looked at the message. Zan seemed like he had a problem with writing. Maybe she could help.

She got started on her message back right away. There were some questions she wanted answered.

The Royal Palace in Antar. A few hours later.

Zan was laying on his bed when the orb starting beeping.

It flashed and he saw a box and a note on his desk under his orb.

Zan,
I am a girl. I am five. A puppy is a baby dog.
How do the notes come? Where is Antar?
I sent a game. It will help. My grandma Claudia gave it to me.

LIZ

Liz was a girl. The Granolith thought she might be. It said that Liz was a girl’s name.

Zan did not know what to make of that. He did not like girls. They were icky and prissy like his sister.

But Liz seemed nice enough, and she sent him a present.

He walked over to the desk and opened the box. Maybe the Granolith could help him figure out what to do with it.

And maybe later he could write Liz a thank-you note.

In the meantime, he had to think about how to answer her questions. The Granolith said that people on Earth did not know about there being life in other planets and that he should proceed with caution. People are always afraid of the unknown.

He did not know Liz but he was sure that she would be okay.

But he did not want to scare her off. He kind of liked getting notes from her.

What would she say of she knew that the notes she was receiving were coming from outer space?

Tbc…

[terri25]

Chapter Four:

Royal Palace in Antar. A few days later.

Zan had spent the past few days playing the game Liz had sent him. It appeared to be designed to help him write in English.

His mom had almost caught him playing it yesterday. He somehow just knew that it would not be good for his mom to learn of his friendship with Liz.

Maybe they would have to be each other’s secret. Maybe he could propose a pact in his next note suggesting that they both be secret friends unknown to all but each other.

He pulled out some paper and began.

LIZ,
This is Zan. I still want you as friend even if you are girl.
Girls are icky, but you are okay.
What is a dog?
Thank you for the game. Antar is far.
Notes come through orb.
I send picture.
We should be secret friends. Please do not tell no one of me.

ZAN

He attached the drawing he had made in art class. He had imagined himself showing Liz around the royal grounds. So there they were, Zan and Liz hiding behind some bushes as the evil art instructor came to find them and bring them to study.

Zan hoped she would like it.

He really wanted her as a friend. He did not have many friends; his parents did not let him meet many new people. They always said it was not safe.

But they couldn’t keep him from Liz. Not if they did not know about her.

Roswell, NM. Liz’s Tree House.

Liz was laying on her stomach drawing yet another picture of Max when the orb started beeping again.

She decided it was best to keep the orb here in the tree house, so that her mom wouldn’t find it and ask questions if she found it.

The tree house was her new “communications headquarters.” She heard that phrase on the news the other day when she was watching them with her dad. He explained how it is a place where messages come in and out.

She looked at the note. She saw several problems with it.

She could not believe that Zan had called her icky and because she was a girl. Everyone knows that it is boys that are icky and have cooties. Except for her dad, and maybe Alex—maybe they are immune.

She decided to let it go because icky boy or not, she still wanted to be his friend.

Which led her to the second problem, how could Zan not know what dogs were? Did they not have dogs in Antar? She tried to come up with a way to explain dogs when inspiration struck. She saw the picture Zan had drawn and decided to send a picture of a dog. She would send the picture of Max that was up on the tree house wall, it was taken a few days before he died.

She looked at the drawing Zan had sent again. Yes, the picture would have to do because she was not nearly as good an artist as Zan. Though she did wonder who the blond girl was, she assumed the boy in the drawing to be Zan himself.

Other than that, she had now learned that Zan was good at stating the obvious and beinf, at best, vague.

“Antar is far” indeed.

She wished she could have gotten more of an explanation than “the notes come through the orb,” but she guessed that he probably had the same problems finding the right terms that she had. It was kind of hard when there were no grown-ups to help out.

Which brought her to the last point, he wanted to keep their friendship a secret which was fine with her for the most part since she was not planning on telling her parents to begin with.

But she had wanted to tell Grandma Claudia, and now she wouldn’t be able to.

With that thought, she pulled out, a piece of a paper and started to write.

Dear Zan…

Tbc…

The next part will already be ten years later. These first few parts are just there establish how they met.

[terri25]

Chapter Five:

Eleven Years Later.

Dear Liz,
Can you believe that tomorrow makes eleven years since we started being friends? I wish you could be here with me. Or I there with you. You are my best friend.

My mother started lecturing me yesterday. She thinks I should start thinking about a bride. She even suggested Princess Ava from Litva. Can you believe that? That brat.

Besides, I am seventeen. I shouldn’t have to worry about taking a bride for at least two more years.

Zan paused in his writing as a thought came to him.

What do you think about me visiting you?

I really just must escape from this place. If I have to listen to my father speak to me one more time about my responsibility to produce an heir at this time of uncertainty or to my mother suggesting another ridiculous girl as a potential bride, I will not be responsible for my actions.

I could tell them that I need to get away, that I am going away on holiday and would not like to be disturbed. What do you think?

We have been friends for ages. Do you think that you might like to meet me?

Zan thought back to when Liz found out that he was not of her earth.

It was six years ago.

She had been in fifth grade and her scientific mind could no longer ignore the impossibility of the orb.

She wanted to know everything. Starting with where in the world Antar was?

Zan had had to explain to her that it was not in the world, at least not in hers.

She confessed to have been a little “freaked” by the notion, but, once again, her scientific mind came to the conclusion that had he wanted to harm her, he had already had five years to do so.

A knock on the door pulled him out his memories.

He hid his letter under his pillow just as Rath opened the door.

“Are you up for a match?” Rath asked.

Rath was to be his second-in-command, and as such seemed obsessed with all things regarding to weaponry and warfare.

His father had been killed in battle and Rath was determined not to meet the same fate.

So he praticed, and practiced, and practiced.

Unfortunately, he dragged Zan along for all that practice and Zan was not as fond of fighting as Rath was.

“I have to finish up some research,” Zan lied, “but I will meet you in half an hour.”

Rath nodded and left the room.

He was not at all interested in anything academic.

Zan pulled out his letter, and signed it and signed it as he always had.

ZAN

He then placed it under the orb, and left the room just as it flashed and sent the message across the galaxies into Liz’s balcony.

Tbc…

Thanks everyone for all the wonderful feedback. Sorry it took so long to get this out. My computer has been acting up and I have had to find an alternative way of getting this online. I hope to have the next part out as soon as possible.

[terri25]

Chapter Six A:

Liz saw the flash coming from her balcony when she was finishing up her homework from inside her room.

She had moved orb headquarters from her tree house to her balcony in eighth grade when her parents started asking too many questions about what she did spending too much time in her tree house alone.

She could hardly tell them that she was waiting for notes from her friend from outer space.

She remembered when she found out that he was from outer space in fifth grade. She had freaked for a grand total of two seconds, followed by five seconds of denial, and then acceptance.

He was her friend. They had been friends since she was five. She could not turn away from him or be afraid of him now.

Liz could not remember when it is that she started to have more than friendly feelings towards Zan. Is it weird that she is in love with someone that she has never seen? Someone that lives light years away and that for all she knows could have three eyes and antennae?

But she could not help it.

She tried dating within her species so to speak, but none of the boys around here do anything for her.

She dated star quarterback, every girl’s dream Kyle Valenti over the summer and she felt nothing. Her heart was already taken by a prince from a kingdom far, far away.

She tried to concentrate on her biology homework, but she knew that there was no way she could get anything done before she read what Zan had sent, so she got up and made her way to the balcony.

She crawled out through her window and squatted down to grab the note.

She read it, and immediately set off to write and send off a reply.

TBC…

I am hoping to be able to post the second half of this chapter soon.

[terri25]

Chapter Six B

Zan was about to make his way out the door to meet Rath when Liz’s note arrived, and he just knew he would not be able to concentrate in the match if he did not know her reply.

The last thing in Antar he needed was for the instructor to tell his father that he could not hold his own with the sword. Then instead of taking a vacation off to (hopefully) Earth, he would have to stay here and practice fending off blows and women.

So really, he needed to read it. For his sanity.

Zan,

I would love to meet you.

I can honestly say that I have thought of little else for years. I did not want to ask because I did not dare hope that it was possible. Which brings me to ask: are you sure it is?

How will you manage it? Is Antar very different than Earth? You know Earth has a very distinctive atmosphere; are you sure that you will be able to survive here? The last thing I want is for you to come only to lose you to a hostile environment?

I want you to be alive even more than I want you with me.

But if you can manage it, please, please come.

Hoping to see you soon.

LIZ

Good. Now he only had to make the arrangements with the Granolith. And maybe ask it a few questions only to be sure.

For now, though, he had to get down to the matches; his half an hour was almost up.

He got out of his rooms and raced through the halls almost bumping into his sister on his way out.

“Sorry, Vi,” he said without looking back.

When he got down to the matching fields, Rath was already in full protective gear.

“No extra abilities this time,” his instructor tells me as Zan put on the padded vest and head gear. “It’s important that you learn how to defend yourself without them.”

Zan didn’t know when it was that everyone around him started to think of him as some kind of weakling. He had been practicing swordplay practically since he could walk. He was also very familiar with all sorts of weaponless self-defense methods. He was not defenseless. He was not weak.

Just because he was not obsessive about fighting and did not live and breathe strategy did not make unprepared.

“Not a problem.”

He picked up his sword and went to meet Rath.

They went through three matches. Rath won two of them, which was to be expected since he would one day be his security expert, his second in command.

“You did good today, Zan,” Rath told him as he came up alongside him.

“Thanks. I had motivation.”

“What? You wanted to slash me to ribbons for interrupting your research?” Rath asked disbelievingly.

“No, I am going to try to talk my parents into letting me go on holiday. I think I should approach my mother about it instead of my father. What do you think?” Zan asked his childhood friend.

“I think you are out of your mind if you think either of them will let you leave with all of the uncertainty in the galaxy. There is no way.”

“We’ll see,” Zan said and walked away. Besides, he had to intention of taking no for an answer.

TBC…

[terri25]

Chapter Seven

Zan waited until the dead of night a few days later to sneak into the Granolith Chamber. The last thing he needed was for his parents to find out that he had been making clandestine trips to the Granolith in preparation for the trip they said he could not go on.

Rath was right. They said that there was way too much instability for him to be able to take a trip anywhere. He had not mentioned Earth, of course.

His parents would NEVER consider letting him go there.

He pleaded and insisted. He told him that he feared for his peace of mind if he had to sit through another inane gathering where all the local ladies kept trying to get his attention and making passes at him. They told him that he could fix that easily enough: by choosing a bride.

But there is no way that he would do that.

And there is no way that he would miss the chance to go to Earth.

On Earth, he would well and truly be beyond reach. No one on Antar (other than Zan, of course) knew anything at all about Earth. They never did hear back from those explorers sixty years ago.

No one knew about Liz. No one knew that he spoke the earthly language, English. They would NEVER think to look for him there.

And it wasn’t like he was abandoning his responsibilities. He would come back; he just needed sometime by himself. Somewhere where he wouldn’t have to worry about anyone recognizing him, somewhere where he could spend some quality time with his best friend.

Zan did not think that he was asking for too much. In fact, he thought that he was being fairly reasonable.

“Granolith,” he called out.

“Prince Zan”

“Now that you have gotten me some clothes that would pass muster down there, can you think of anything else that might give me away as being a visitor?”

“No, earthlings have evolved similarly to Antarians due to their similar atmospheres. You will not have to wear the skin suits that the Gruins would have to. You know their language and have listened to the audio tapes I provided you and were able to imitate their mode of speaking. I see no reason for anyone to identify you as a visitor.”

“Good,” Zan said relieved that preparations were over, “when do you think that I will be able to travel?”

“If you have been taking the vitamins that I gave you to prepare you for the trip, you should be ready to make the journey tomorrow. Though I feel that I must stress the necessity to have your origins remain hidden. As far as we know, the locals have had no interplanetary contact, and people everywhere tend to react to new peoples with suspicion and hostility. You are the Crown Prince of the Antarian throne; you must not allow yourself to become a casualty.”

“Not to worry. I understand; not all earthlings are like Liz.” Zan said with a smile.

“No not all earthlings are like your Liz.”

Zan left the chamber. By this time tomorrow, he would be traveling the galaxies on his way to Earth.

Now all he had to do was send off a few red hearings so that they would not find him before he was good and ready.


TBC…

[terri25]

Chapter Eight:

Prince Zan was pacing.

He was impatiently counting down the hours until he could leave. He had already made all preparations to go. He sent Liz a note telling her of his imminent arrival. He had planted some brochures about the exotic beaches of Velia in his desk. He arranged a false trail outside his window leading to the woods to throw off the guards. He made sure to hide the orb and all earthly things in a cubby under his bed no one knew about or would think to look for.

Now all he had to do was go.

But he couldn’t. Not just yet. He had to make sure that no one spotted him on the way to the Granolith Chamber.

He glanced at his watch. Ten more minutes. Ten more minutes and he should be good.

He picked up his duffel bag off the bed and kept pacing.

Nine…eight… seven… six… fi—

There was a knock on his door.

He hid the duffel bag underneath the bed and thanked God that he had opted to change into earth clothes inside the Granolith Chamber to escape detection. He mussed up his bed and hair and opened the door.

It was his mother.

“Zan,” she said, “I thought I heard you moving about in there. Are you okay, son?”

“Peachy, mother,” Zan said acerbically.

She just looked at him and he knew that she would not leave until she got an explanation. And if she did not leave, he could not leave.

“I couldn’t sleep. I have much on my mind. What, with having to deal with my impending death by matrimony and death by the rebels.”

“Those are not joking matters, Zan,” she began.

“Mother, I don’t think that this is the best time to discuss this. I really should think of getting back in bed and I know that of you don’t get back soon, Father will be wondering where you are.”

“You are right.” She paused, “but we will be discussing this soon.” She kissed the top of his forehead and left.

Zan waited another ten minutes, then picked up his duffel bag and also left.

He snuck through the halls making sure to check for anyone that might still be about, like his mother had been. That had been very close.

“Hello, Granolith.” He said as he closed the chamber doors.

“I will just change my clothes and then I can go.”

Zan stepped out of his royal robes and put on what we would recognize as a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. He put his robes carefully into the duffel bag along with a change of (earth clothing and some other things he thought he might need.

“Granolith, I want to keep this little trip of mine just between us, okay?”

“I will not be mentioning it, Prince Zan, unless asked directly.”

“All right,” Zan said, “I’m ready.”

A second later the Granolith Chamber flashed with a series of fluorescent lights and then Prince Zan was gone.

TBC…

[terri25]

Chapter Nine:

Zan blinked.

He was standing by a window that lead into a room. Maybe he should have asked where it was that he was going. Maybe he should have asked how he should go about finding Liz. Maybe he should have asked Liz for a picture. Maybe he should have told Liz the exact time of his arrival so that she would be expecting him. But he didn't.

And now he was standing in front of window in a foreign galaxy with no other option than to go in.

He went to the window. He found the latch and opened it.

He stepped inside and looked around.

It was a nice room. A bedroom. Rather small but cozy. There was a desk cluttered with textbooks and papers and pens. There was a bulletin board with notes and fliers and reminders. There was a nightstand with a lamp and a picture. And there was a bed.

An occupied bed.

He walked towards it.

There was a girl in the bed. A girl with long, dark hair. One of the girls in the picture.

He ran a finger down her cheek. It was so soft. And warm.

She sighed.

Zan noticed a legal pad on the ground by the bed. There were notes on it in a handwriting he recognized. The girl in the bed was Liz.

He had found her.

He laid down on the bed beside her and pulled her into his arms.

"Good night, Liz," he said. And somehow with Liz in his arms like this the world and the words did not feel as foreign.

****

Liz came awake slowly.

She noticed the unusual warmth and weight of an arm around her, but her sleep befuddled mind did not register it. Not until she blinked her eyes open and saw a teenage boy looking at her.

Abruptly, she came fully awake. Her eyes widened and she pulled away from him.

She opened her mouth. She tried to summon up a reaction. A scream, a question, anything.

And yet, all she could do is lie there and stare at him.

"Hello Liz," he said, his voice oddly accented, "I have been waiting to meet you a long time."

That snapped her out of her trance. "Who are you?" she asked, "why are you in my bed?"

He stared at her oddly. He could not understand how she did not know who he was. "I am Zan. I did not think you would mind sharing your bed, when I came in last night I was very tired."

"Zan," she all but croaked, "but you are..." hot, gorgeous, mesmerizing "human."

"Yes," he said, "the Granolith said that we evolved the same way, and that I should have no problem blending into your society." He broke off, "it did also say that I should not mention my origins."

"Yes, that is probably a good idea," she said, "especially around here. If you mention that, you'll probably end up on a dissection table or a loony bin."

He thought for a moment, "you do not think any less of me because I am not from around here, do you Liz?"

He seemed to need reassurance, "No Zan, of course not. Besides, I have known you were an alien for years. If I had had a problem, I would have stopped writing to you years ago. No. I just think that you are... amazing."

She stopped and stuttered, "I mean, from a scientific perspective. That is, the fact that aliens exist is amazing. Yes."

He grinned. "There is my little scientist. No weird urges to dissect me, right?" he said jokingly.

"None at all. I can think of many much more interesting things to do with you." She blushed.

He burst out laughing.

She covered his mouth with her hands and whispered "Shh! I did not mean that!" just as there was a knock on her door.

"Lizzie, are you okay in there?" her father called from outside the door and twisted the handle to come in.

TBC...