e421

ROSWELL: THE FINAL CHAPTER

Episode 421

“Discovery”

Story by Shira

Written by Jeslyn, Cole, Simon, Kristin, and Shira

Edited by Lisa, Lizzy, Mark, and Tiff

Playlist:

1. “This is Your Life” by Switchfoot

2. “This Woman’s Work” by Kate Bush

3. “Today” by The Smashing Pumpkins

1.

Journal Entry: July 5,2003

My name is Liz Parker and recently my life has been riddled with discoveries. Discoveries not only of myself, but about others around me. I remember writing not so long ago about how I, just a small town girl, held such a large secret. Now, I see that I’ve only begun to realize just how many people hold these huge secrets themselves.

Serena’s new powers are another discovery which I’m not sure I am ready to deal with. I can only imagine how she feels, having something so powerful within just all of a sudden unleashed without any warning.

And then there’s Isabel with her mindwarp. I know she’s been unsettled since she’s used it last; such a powerful gift that also carries an incredible propensity to abuse. It’s a huge burden that she’ll have to carry, no matter which way it’s used, if ever again.

Amy’s discovery about Maria was more of a natural one. She knew that her daughter had to eventually grow up and become a woman . . . I guess it’s just harder for her to accept since she hasn’t been able to be there for Maria and help her along the way.

After thinking about all of these discoveries that we have been going through, I’m left with one lingering thought. Are discoveries something that we, as a human race create, or are discoveries something that creates us, as a human race?

~.~.~.~.~

Six hours earlier. . .

Kyle checked his watch for what seemed like the fiftieth time before he turned back to his Sports Illustrated magazine. He had the television on and his feet up on the coffee table in an effort to relax, but it wasn’t working. He threw down the magazine in protest and looked down the hall. Serena had been alone in the bedroom for some time now, without making so much as a peep.

“Hey son,” Jim said, walking in the room and interrupting Kyle’s concentration.

“Hey, Dad.”

“Serena ready to go?”

Kyle shrugged his shoulders. “Dunno, haven’t seen her for some time.”

“Are you two still avoiding each other? You know son, if you keep giving each other the cold shoulder much longer, I’ll have to light a fire in the living room . . .” Jim chuckled, gesturing towards the closed door.

“Such a comedian,” Kyle said, glaring at his father and denying his request. Jim took a seat on the couch beside him.

“Kyle,” Jim shook his head. “Haven’t you learned anything from this whole experience?”

Kyle crossed his arms and sighed. “Never trust an alien? What exactly am I supposed to learn, dad? Buddha is fresh out of alien wisdom at this point.”

“Life,” Jim said simply, trying to formulate words with his hands but no sound forthcoming.

“I don’t understand,” Kyle said, rubbing his face in his hands wearily.

“Life is about not letting it pass you by. Life is short, sometimes too short,” Jim said, looking down at the carpet. “You are letting it go,” he added simply.

“Dad, I know that. It’s just . . . she lied to me . . . She’s an alien and she didn’t even bother to mention it to me; I trusted her,” Kyle tried reasoning.

“Maybe she was scared that you would react just like this,” Jim said quietly.

“Easy for you to say . . . easy for everyone to say. Just forgive and forget . . . it wouldn’t be so easy if they were in my shoes.”

“Kyle,” Jim said, gently putting his hand on Kyle’s shoulder.

Kyle tried to shrug out of his father’s grasp but to no avail. “No, don’t ‘Kyle’ me. She’s an alien and she’s a liar and--”

“She’s not Tess,” Jim interrupted.

“I, I know that,” Kyle said shakily. He began fiddling with the remote, tossing it between his fingers absently.

“Do you?” Jim asked, getting up from the couch.

“I’m scared,” Kyle said, his eyes beginning to water. “I’m scared of losing her.”

“Tell her how you feel Kyle, before it’s too late.” Jim put a comforting hand on his shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly.

“She won’t listen.”

Jim glanced down at his son and then the closed door down the hall. “Then make her.”

~.~.~.~.~

2.

Serena checked her watch for the millionth time. Jim said he would be giving her a ride to the Deluca residence at seven for an official ‘girls’ night out, and it was almost time to leave. She had never had a girls’ night before and the whole idea of it almost frightened her. She loved everyone, Liz, Maria, Isabel . . . but all together . . . doing girly things? What exactly were girly things, anyway?

Kyle opened the door a crack, peering in. Serena was inside and rummaging through a pile of clothing atop the bed, articles strewn everywhere. He took the opportunity while it existed.

“You are only going for one night, right? No need to peruse the entire closet.”

Serena whirled around to see Kyle standing in the doorway, a small smile playing tentatively on his lips. Standing there, he looked incredibly handsome, but she forced herself back to reality: the reality where the man that she loved didn’t trust her any longer.

“Maybe I’ll never come back . . . maybe that would make you happy,” she said defiantly.

“Serena . . .”

“You know what . . . maybe it would make us both happier . . . I mean lets face it, things have been really tense around here lately.”

“Serena, can we put down the barbs for just a second? Fighting is not the answer.”

“Oh as you so wonderfully displayed earlier this week?” Serena spit out bitterly. “Then what is? Tell me Kyle, because I would love to hear it. You’re mad at me because I’m a so-called alien, but no matter what I do, I can’t change what I am. I’m mad that you can’t understand it’s a part of me and yet it still doesn’t change the way I feel about you.”

“You lied to me,” Kyle said, raising his voice but only slightly. “You just led me to believe you were--”

“What, normal?” Serena said, finishing his sentence for him. “Not a day goes by that I don’t wonder what life would be like if I were,” Serena said, grabbing her bag. She pushed past him and walked out into the living room, Kyle’s hopes crushed into bits.

~.~.~.~.~

“I’ve always loved this movie,” Amy sighed wistfully from her seat on the bed in the darkened room. “Look at him . . . how I’d like to grab his hulky form and grrrr!”

“Ms. D!” Liz cut in from the other side of the room where she sat, painting her nails by the light of the TV set. “That’s just disgusting! That guy must be sixty by now.”

“If I recall correctly, he’s only fifty-four,” Amy responded. “You girls just don’t understand, with all these pretty boys running around these days. Young people are so weird.”

“Mom, you don’t even know what his name is,” Maria cut in from behind, an amused tone edging her voice.

“Doesn’t matter, he’s still a hottie, so there,” Amy responded, sticking out her tongue. A wave of laughter spread through the group of girls assembled in the room. “Anyway, who’s the latest hottie these days? Anyone I should check out?”

“I don’t know . . .” Liz began thinking through a list of potential candidates as the movie droned on in the background.

“Orlando Bloom,” Raeve spoke up, keeping her eyes fixed on her toenails, which she was in the process of painting the blackest of black.

“For real?” Ava questioned. “He just don’t seem your type . . . in more ways than one,” she joked, laughter again spreading throughout the group. Raeve shot Ava an angry look but couldn’t help the smirk that broke through.

“What about you, Maria?” Amy asked, turning to face Maria. “Any celebs you’ve had your eye on?”

“Uh, I . . . don’t really know,” she spoke. “I haven’t really been paying attention to any TV or movies recently. Michael and I have been really wrapped up in each other I guess.” A slightly uncomfortable silence fell on the room as Maria stopped talking and descended into thought. A moment later she began talking again, looking around the room a little but being careful not to make eye contact with anyone and purposely avoiding Liz. “It feels strange without him; I mean, I’ve been with him almost every second since we moved out of Jesse’s; we haven’t spent a night apart since.”

“I know what you mean,” Isabel chimed in. “Jesse and I have been with each other every night. It feels so strange without him here.”

“Same with Max and I,” Liz added cautiously, noticing Maria’s refusal to look her way.

“Don’t we know it,” Ava joked. “You and him, hanging off each other like you’s joined at the hip or somethin’.”

Liz smiled, knowing it was true. She wouldn’t have it any other way, either. She looked around the room a bit and caught sight of Serena, seeming a bit distant as she watched the TV.

“Hey, you okay?” Liz questioned, trying to draw Serena’s attention away from whatever held it so firmly.

“Oh, uh, yeah.” Serena stumbled across her words, “Yeah, I was just thinking that it is sort of weird without . . . Kyle,” she smiled half-heartedly. “Not that we’d be a great pair to be around right now anyways.”

“You guys aren’t talking much?” Amy asked, trying to get Serena talking. “He didn’t take the news well?”

“You could put it that way,” Serena nodded. “He didn’t appreciate me not saying anything until now. I knew he would flip out, and that’s why I couldn’t tell him. I mean, what was I supposed to say? ‘Hi, I’m Serena, my mother was an alien, and how’s your day going?’ That just doesn’t seem the best way to start a relationship, and by the time introductions were over, it just didn’t feel as though it was the right time, you know? We just . . . clicked.”

“Good point,” Liz agreed. “I mean, I found out about Max and like Maria found out about three seconds after that,” she laughed. She cast a quick look over at Maria, who quickly averted her gaze, something that didn’t escape Amy’s attention. Liz carried on. “I guess it was easier for us to accept because . . . it seemed to make sense. I mean, Max never really seemed to have many friends even though he was, well, hot and all. He seemed to keep to himself; one of the things I thought was so alluring . . . but anyways. Apart from around Isabel and Michael of course and Maria, Alex and I got to know them as aliens from the start. Kyle found out after, a long time after, so it came as a huge shock to him. I guess he just didn’t expect to find out the same about you, you know?”

“Maybe . . . I should have told him, I know. But he didn’t have to get all angry about it, it wasn’t as if I betrayed him, or hurt him . . . I just didn’t have the courage to tell him because I knew what was going to happen.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Isabel spoke. “He’ll get over it. He just needs some time to get used to it . . .He always comes around or, almost always,” she laughed.

“Isabel’s right,” Liz agreed. “It won’t be long till you two are talking again. Besides, I’m probably part of why he reacted to badly. I mean, we meet you, just a girl from Fresno, and then you turn out to be my half-sister of all things. He’s bound to freak out about that alone,” she noted.

“Yeah, I can see how. But I hope you’re right about us working it out. That is, if I don’t bite his head off first,” Serena laughed back. “Thanks, though.”

“It’d be typical of him to say something like that, too.” Isabel laughed, “‘Argh, the aliens are coming! Evil beings from outer space!’”

“Yeah, he wasn’t exactly the first to leap into support when he found out,” Liz reflected. “But he definitely comes through, despite any paranoia. Speaking of paranoia . . .”

“Michael,” Isabel finished, nodding. “I know, he sure doesn’t like the idea of the FBI being so close, even if they’re gone for now. He’s always like that though. It’s either, ‘we can’t wait for them to find us’, or it’s ‘we have to take them out before they get us’. He needs to learn to relax.”

“I think he’s right to worry,” Maria spoke up in his defense. “I mean, we didn’t know that the FBI was onto us in Boston, so what’s to stop them from surprising us again here?”

“Me,” Raeve said simply. “If there’s anything to know about the FBI, I’ll know it. I mean, I have contacts in high places . . .” She reverted to painting her toes dutifully.

Maria threw Raeve a satirical glance. “I suppose . . . but even so, you can’t fault Michael for being so anxious about it,” Maria conceded. “Though maybe it would be nice to have a little time to relax,” she smiled.

“Duh, girl-time is now,” Ava said. “Besides, the FBI aroun’ here is gone . . . at least for the moment. Me and Iz made sure of that, remember? I mean, it took some doin’, but I think it worked out. Theys gonna be chasing their own tails for at least some weeks now.”

Serena laughed, remembering the two agents beating each other up. She also placed her hand on her chest, silently reflecting on the bullet she took.

“Yeah, it sure did take some doing alright,” Isabel agreed, her eyes turning downcast as she mulled it over in her brain.

The movie still droned on in the background. It was showing some woman lying unconscious in the arms of the big hero whom Amy liked so much.

“You okay about using your mind warp, right?” Ava asked. “’Cause you did great back there, ya know?”

“Yeah, I know . . .” Isabel said, though it was obvious she wasn’t so convinced. “It’s just . . . I don’t know, it’s just I swore to myself never to use it, ever. I mean, you know what Tess . . .” she paused as the name stumbled out of her mouth. Tess had been so important to Isabel, perhaps the first time she’d ever had a best friend and then she had turned out to be the typical murderous, clichéd evil alien. Isabel swallowed hard and continued. “You know what happened with Alex, and what the mind warp did to him . . .”

“You gotta let it go, girl. It ain’t a curse, Iz,” Ava said, becoming more serious. “It’s part of you now, an’ will be for the rest of your life. Don’t let what she did effect what you do wit’ it. It’s not an evil power. It mighta been used for bad, but it can be used for good, too. The same as all our powers, that ain’t no different.”

“She’s right, Isabel,” Amy spoke again, breaking the silence she had been under as she listened. “I mean, I’m not going to pretend to know what exactly happened with Alex or anything, because I wasn’t as aware as you guys were about what truly went on. But you used that power to get rid of the bad guys that threatened all of us . . .you can’t say that that isn’t a good thing.”

“And nobody got killed,” Ava added, nodding dutifully.

“Well almost no one,” Serena spoke up, the entire group chuckling somberly.

“I couldn’t have done it without ya, Isabel,” Ava assured her. “Besides, I haven’t turned out too bad, have I? I’m here to help out anytime if ya need it.” The rest of the group nodded in agreement, offering their support.

“Thanks Ava . . . and the rest of you, thanks,” Isabel smiled, “I really appreciate the support.”

A silence descended upon the group and the sound of the mushy music in the background droned on, filling the room.

“I love this movie,” Amy repeated.

“We’ve missed most of it,” Maria observed cynically, scratching her ear.

“Well, you want to rewind it then?” Amy spoke with a touch of sarcasm. “Anything else you’d like to add? How about a sniff of some eucalyptus?”

“NO,” Maria said shortly, irritated at the way Amy had just spoken to her. Part of her mind welcomed the familiar attitude Amy was giving her, but part of her disliked it with every fiber she had. She sighed, trying to block out the negative feelings. “No thanks, Mom, I’m fine. I’ve gone off the smells a little, anyway.”

Amy blinked. She knew people changed over time, but this was more than she had expected. Her Maria didn’t even look the same as she had just a few months ago. Maria had been known for coloring her hair and wearing clothes most would think unique, but . . .

“Well, that was . . . old,” Raeve stated cynically, interrupting Amy’s thoughts as the ending credits rolled up the screen. “Any more stunning films like that we can treat our nostalgia with?”

“Well, you girls can choose this next one, I’ve got an appointment with a certain high-ranking lawman from around these parts,” Amy informed gleefully. “But I want to hear everything about what goes on,” she added with a smirk. She got up and began making her way to the door. “Ah, youth, how I miss you.”

“See ya, Ms. D,” Liz said, followed by similar sayings from the others.

“See ya later, girls,” Amy spoke, closing the door behind her. It was so strange having them all back again, having Maria back home, even if she had changed. She sighed. It was just good to have everything the way it should be.

~.~.~.~.~

Max came into the room, carrying a large bowl of popcorn fresh from the kitchen. He sat on the couch in front of the television, which Michael just turned on.

“I can’t believe that my parents kept some of your stuff around, Michael,” Max said, eyeing the Playstation 2 and the foosball table curiously.

“No home is complete without the bare essentials,” Michael said with a smile, flipping through the channels happily. He wasted no time stretching out on the comfortable lazy-boy recliner, his feet perched up on the coffee table.

Max smiled at Michael’s remark . . . this home was plenty complete without them. His parent’s decorating style could definitely do without a foosball table as the lone eccentric eyesore. He chuckled, trying to picture his parents playing Playstation after work while listening to Michael’s Metallica CD’s, which sat alphabetized in their cases under the television. ‘Nope...’ he whispered to himself. ‘Definitely can’t picture that.’

“What’s that?” Michael asked, momentarily pausing from his channel surfing.

“Oh nothing,” Max said. “My parents . . . they must like you, or something.”

Michael smiled briefly. “Thanks Mr. and Mrs. Evans,” he said loudly before returning to his channel surfing, taking the bowl of popcorn with him.

“So what are we watching?” Kyle asked, jumping onto the couch and taking a seat next to Michael and Max.

“Hockey,” Michael said quickly, his eyes already glued to the screen, only briefly sharing the large popcorn bowl with the others.

“Might be the Three Stooges,” Max said with a smirk.

“Oh, wiseguy, eh? Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk!” Kyle played into it, but Max wasn’t going there. And neither was Michael, whose ironclad gaze could have stopped the Energizer Bunny dead in his tracks.

“And my dad says I’m cold, sheesh!” Kyle said, brushing Michael’s frigid gaze away.

“It’s Bewitched or nothing man, get it straight!” Michael joked.

Max took a moment to pause and reflect on the scene. This was so serene . . . a little too serene, Max realized as he sat back, observing. There he was sitting on the end of the couch, next to his most loyal friends . . . kicking back and relaxing. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back. He could totally get used to this . . . well if Liz was there then things would be perfect.

Somehow, he couldn’t help thinking that this was the calm before the storm. He shook his head of those thoughts quickly. This was not the time for bad thoughts. Tonight was about one thing and one thing only . . . hanging out and chillin’ with the guys. He opened his eyes to find Hanley and Jesse standing awkwardly in the doorway to the living room, watching the TV with blank stares.

“You guys just going to stand there all night, or are you going to join the fun?”

The two men slowly made their way over to the recliners which flanked the Evans’ huge sofa . . . both feeling a little outside the group.

“You guys need to relax,” Michael said, watching the two men sit down nervously as they stared at the television. “And here, have some Cheetos.”

Michael threw a freshly opened bag of snacks over to Jesse, some of the contents spilling out during their flight.

“I haven’t had a guys night out since college,” Jesse reminisced, still feeling a little uneasy about spending the whole night apart from his wife, especially with all of the drama that had unfolded. Still, it was a welcome change.

Jesse took a Cheeto out of the bag and examined it before taking a bite. “So, Kyle,.” he mumbled between chomps. “You okay with the whole Serena – alien thing?”

Jesse grabbed a handful of the snacks and tossed the bag to Hanley, who caught the parcel with the precision of a hawk.

“It is like Buddha says, the wind and the feather . . .”

“For the love of Pete, no more Buddha!” Max said, rolling his eyes. He grabbed the end chair pillow and launched it at Kyle, hitting him square in the chest.

“Fine!” Kyle retorted, scratching his head. “We had a talk, but we ended up fighting . . . she just doesn’t get it . . . I just feel conflicted, you know? I like her, but she lied to me. She’s an alien, and that’s that . . . So, how about some Playstation?”

Kyle walked over to the television and turned on the little black box, the screen going blue.

Michael loudly sighed. “Come on now, I was watching that!”

“Get over it,” Kyle said with a sly smile “You can catch the highlights on ESPN later.”

“That’s not the point . . . I want to watch it now!” Michael growled, eying Kyle dangerously. “What you need to do is apologize to Serena, move on, and let me watch the damn game!”

Max chuckled inwardly, trying not to let his amusement show. Kyle sighed and tried to bite his tongue, but to no avail.

“Like you did after you hurt Maria?” Kyle stated.

Michael turned to glare at Kyle and he immediately knew that he went too far. Michael sank back into the couch and crossed his arms. The once semi-happy Michael was now in full-time brooding mode.

“I’ll play,” Jesse said, moving closer to the television, trying to ease the newly created tension.

A cell phone rang shrilly, everyone checking their pockets.

“It’s mine,” Hanley said, answering it and quickly exiting the room.

“Wonder what that was all about?” Michael pondered.

Max shrugged his shoulders. “With him it could be anything from alien infestation to pizza delivery.”

Kyle put the Hockey disc into the Playstation and gave a short knowing chuckle. “Maybe Hanley is a bit of a player. At least someone should be getting some action around here.” He glanced back at Max’s expression. “Thought it was Liz, didn’t you Max?”

“I know we have only been away for each other for a few hours now, but we haven’t spent this much time apart in a long time . . . I just thought she would check in or something,” Max said quietly.

“Forget it,” Jesse said with a smile. “They’re too busy doing each other’s nails and gossiping about us, all giggly and what not.”

“Is that all girls really do at those things?” Kyle asked, staring off into space. “I always pictured slumber parties as being a bunch of half-naked girls all dressed in only their slinky, silky pajamas, having pillow fights and dancing around to cheesy 80’s music . . .”

The four other men looked off into the distance, each picturing their girls dancing around, deep in a pillow fight.

“Okay, okay . . . everyone needs to keep their eyes on the ball here,” Michael said, bringing everyone back into reality.

“Michael . . . give it a rest,” Max warned, only half paying attention to what he had said.

Michael pointed at the TV. “No, the game. You just lost Kyle, nice way to diss the Leafs like that . . .”

“Oh,” Max replied, scratching his eyebrow in confusion.

“But Hanley has been on that cell a lot lately . . . slinking off into other rooms to have his ‘private’ conversations. He knows something that he isn’t telling us,” Michael snuck in.

“That would be nothing new,” Max added.

“So what are you saying?” Jesse asked.

“That we need to be more prepared . . . instead of playing Playstation,” Michael paused to look at Kyle. “We need to be figuring out a plan.”

“What kind of plan?” Max asked. “Watching hockey?”

Michael glared at Max. “A contingency plan. I don’t know . . . I just know that the FBI isn’t just going to all of a sudden stop looking for us. I mean we’re here, back in Roswell, the most visible and obvious place on the planet. We’re out here, in the open, without a plan, like sitting ducks.”

“Everyone needs to relax,” Hanley said, making his entrance back into the room. “That is what tonight is about. Whether you believe me or not, this is what is best for all of us right now. I assure you my brother has everything under control.”

“Hanley is right,” Max said. “We are here to mellow out tonight.” He gave Michael a slight look, hoping he would understand.

“Yeah and after the last year we’ve had, we deserve a night to ourselves. After spending 24/7 straight with Isabel, Liz, and Maria always at our sides, need I mention the lack of bathroom space? Us guys deserve a night away,” Kyle said, trying to lighten the mood. “Man, Jesse, Max . . . I don’t know how you did it . . . sharing a bathroom with Isabel for so long . . . she is in there all the time.”

“But we need to know who we can trust and we need a plan if something happens,” Michael continued, completely ignoring Kyle’s efforts to lighten the atmosphere.

“No, what we need is to chill out tonight and think of a plan tomorrow. Michael, this is something on all of our minds, but we also need a break from the chaos, if only for one night,” Max pleaded as he wrung the pillow in his hands, silently pleading with Michael to drop it.

Michael nodded his head and got up from his position on the couch.

“Wait,” Max started, but Michael already beat him to it.

“Hey, make some room for me,” Michael said, sitting between Kyle and Jesse on the floor in front of the television.

“Maybe we should play some poker,” Jesse suggested.

“Maybe we should call the girls for some strip poker,” Kyle laughed, even Hanley managing a childish smile.

Max shook his head in disgust, once again throwing the pillow at Kyle and hitting him in the back of the head. “The last thing I want is to see my sister naked, you know how she is with card games,” he said firmly.

~.~.~.~.~

Liz lay quietly in her sleeping bag, using the light of a small flashlight to write in her journal. It was after the others had gone to sleep, and sleep was not becoming her without Max by her side. They had always slept next to each other ever since the night that they had left Roswell. One of the most calming things in life to Liz was the soft sound of Max’s rhythmic breathing beside her. Just knowing that Max was resting and peaceful was enough to calm Liz after any day, and not having that tonight was enough to leave her a little on edge. It was nice to have a break with the girls, to have her old friends around, but that didn’t ease her longing for Max.

Just as Liz was finishing up writing about her feelings, she heard a soft knock on the window above her head. Looking up slowly she was happy to see Max peering in. She motioned him to go to the front door so she wouldn’t wake the others in the room.

When Liz reached the front door, she immediately unlocked it, pulling Max inside and kissing him deeply.

“What are you doing here?” She asked as they finally separated.

“I missed you,” he whispered so as not to wake the rest of the sleeping household.

“I missed you too,” Liz admitted.

“I had a feeling,” Max said, with a smile hinting at their connection.

“Come on in . . . but be quiet,” Liz said, taking Max by the hand and pulling him with her onto the Deluca’s living room couch. Max fell softly on top of her, kissing her deeply. They continued kissing until both of them were out of breath, past memories of Utah and California flashing between them.

“Liz,” Max moaned deeply, pulling her closer. She closed her eyes, letting the feelings of the moment rush through and saturate her body, the sensations lifting and filling every pore. She felt a premonition starting to come on, and grabbed onto Max tightly, shuddering with each flash.

There he was, entering the Café . . . He stared at her longingly without even meaning to, every muscle, every hair screaming her name. He walked in slowly, enroute to their old familiar booth, the feelings and memories sending shivers of pleasure up her spine and all the way down to her fingertips. Nothing else mattered, all creation paled in comparison to this one moment. Time itself seemed to stop and the yield right-of-way to his Majesty, the royal King of Antar, who stood looking on her. Oh, how he could do that with just a simple glance . . . she could only hope he felt nearly the same way as she did.

As she opened her eyes, he was right there, looking into her radiant eyes with that same longing.

“Wha-” Max began, but Liz stopped him with a finger on his lips before he could ask. She wanted to cry from joy, but choked it down and instead engulfed him in a hug.

“I love you,” she managed simply, his confusion fading to understanding, his arms cuddling her in return. He didn’t have to ask what she saw; he could feel it.

They lay like that for some time, the seemingly unimportant and picayune dark living room and couch being the pinnacle of all sanctuaries as far as they were concerned.

Liz let up gently, motioning him to get up. “Thank you,” she said. “For everything. But you’d better be going before someone catches us here, and thinks we are copulating or something.”

Max smiled at her, placing one final kiss on her lips before slipping silently out the door.

After locking and shutting the door behind him, Liz slowly crept back into Maria’s old room where everyone else was still soundly asleep. Crawling back into her sleeping bag, she closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh of contentment. Now she would be able to sleep for sure.

~.~.~.~.~

When Maria opened her eyes the next morning, the entire ceiling was spinning. Not only was the ceiling spinning, but her stomach was matching it revolution for revolution.

“Oh god, not again,” she moaned as she fell out of bed and stumbled over to the bathroom. Pulling herself up to the counter, she opened the medicine cabinet in search of some Pamprin, thinking that the stomach pain and nausea were pre-menstrual like the previous days. That thought quickly vanished as she began to heave the contents of her stomach into the sink.

Hearing the sound from down the hall, Amy came upstairs and into the bathroom. “Maria honey, are you alright?” She asked, closing the door behind her. “Are you coming down with something?”

Pulling her hair up and to the side, Maria wiped her mouth with a wet washcloth and then plopped down onto the toilet. “Yeah, maybe so,” she said aloud. Or maybe it was another side effect from being . . . altered, she wasn’t sure. There were supposed to be changes, after all.

Kneeling down next to her, Amy rubbed a soothing hand over her back while resting Maria's head on her shoulder. While Amy loved having a moment to care for her daughter once again, she had to determine what was making her sick.

“What happened to you, Maria?” Amy asked, her voice full of worry. She took her daughter's face between her hands. “You're different somehow,” she said, getting a good look at her. “Your hair is darker than it’s ever been and your eyes . . .” She looked straight into them and didn't say anything.

“Yeah?” Maria prodded, her voice faraway and small.

Amy gave her a knowing look. “Maria, I birthed you, bathed you, the whole nine yards and so I think I know what color your eyes are supposed to be . . . and they're not this violet-green combo!” She cried. “Not to mention that you have absolutely no direction to anywhere or anyone save Michael. Do you even know what planet you are on?”

“Mom!” Maria complained. She started to rise and then plopped right back down, the nausea returning in force.

“Oh no, Maria. You're not getting away that easily . . . I want to know what's going on. You look like you're going to be sick again, let me get you a wet towel to put on your forehead,” Amy rattled. “It isn’t some alien bug, is it? If it is, I’m gonna kill that Guerin kid.”

“No mother . . .” Inhaling deep and then exhaling, Maria tried to explain. “Haven't you seen by now what it's like for us, all the anxiety and drama? Sheesh, we’d make a good soap opera. ‘The Young and the Alien,’ or how about ‘As the Worlds Churn,’ yeah that’s it. . .”

Amy shot her a disapproving look. “Well, Maria, honestly . . .none of it makes a whole lot of sense to me. All I know is that you’re sick, and I want to help.”

“Exactly,” Maria interrupted, leaning back as Amy laid a dampened towel across her forehead. “It makes no sense and sometimes it makes even less sense than no sense. It makes . . . non-sense, but the one thing through it all that does make any sense whatsoever is Michael.”

Amy gave her a disbelieving look. “Maria, that boy doesn't even make sense to himself half of the time.”

Maria gave a short laugh and a small smile. “Yes, I know. Can't you see that's why he needs me?”

“To help him make sense of himself?”

“Yes!”

“Alright,” Amy surrendered, sobering and asking seriously, “What's happened with you two anyways? You seem . . .” She searched for the right words. “Closer. Closer than ever.”

“Yeah, we are. We . . . we were living together in Boston. Alone, we had our own place, it was perfect,” Maria blurted out.

“You what?” Amy asked calmly, yet pointedly.

“We,” Maria gazed up, looking for the words, but her gaze suddenly fixated on a box of tampons on the shelf, all concentration lost.

“Hello?” Amy asked.

How long had it been? Calculations began to run through her mind. 7, 14, 21 days . . . it was all leading towards the one inevitable conclusion.

“I'm pregnant . . .” She breathed out wispily, standing up with eyes wide. Swallowing, she grabbed onto the sink for support. “Oh god, oh god, that's it... that's why I've been feeling sick, hungry, and crabby . . .”

Amy listened in dumb shock, trying mentally to keep up, mortal images of Michael flashing in her mind. Her jaw dropped open.

“And, god, I didn't even notice that I'm like two and a half months late, but with everything that's been going on . . .” She trailed off, slowly looking downward, gently placing her hands over her stomach. Suddenly, Maria started crying as she remembered from the dark and ever mysterious corners of her memory a time when she'd once felt and done the very same thing, at another time . . . in another place . . . on another planet.

It was a miracle.

And it was also a nightmare.

Maria looked up to her mother, her eyes swimming in tears. “What are we going to do Mom? I—We . . .”

“Oh, baby . . . it's going to be okay,” Amy breathed out as she came forward and pulled her daughter into her arms. She was surprisingly gentle now, when just seconds before, when she'd registered the words I'm pregnant from her daughter's lips, she'd been imagining how many different ways she could murder Michael Guerin.

“How long have you been sleeping together?” Amy suddenly asked.

Maria swallowed. “Do you really want to know?” She asked, somewhat meekly, still reeling from her discovery yet not completely aware of the implications.

“Yes, Maria, I really want to . . . no, never mind, I must be out of my mind. I don't want to know how long you've been lying to me.”

“I never lied to you,” Maria cried, pulling away. “Never,” She breathed. “And never once has it ever been just about sex between us. Never . . . it probably should have been at least once, but it never has been. And the first time . . .” She sighed. “If you must know, it wasn't even his idea.”

“Oh, Maria . . . don't tell me that!”

“He told me things . . . things he'd never told anyone . . . ever.” As Maria continued, she realized that she'd forgotten a lot of what she was now explaining. “And he made me Italian . . . although we never actually got around to eating any of it.” She stopped suddenly. “Never mind about that part, but it was a wonderful night. . . And you know what? I wouldn't change that memory for anything.”

Amy bit her tongue against the typical motherly saying, You're too young . . .Now, look what happened and simply said, “I'm happy that he's been treating you right, at least. But how could you let this happen . . . how did this happen, Maria?”

“Something happened to me and I can't really explain it,” Maria said, realizing that she didn't completely remember everything about how she'd gotten the way she was. She knew that it had been Michael, but that was about it. “I can't really explain it, because I don't remember everything. But, this . . .” She looked down towards her stomach. “Happened during that time. I wasn't myself . . . and I don't think Michael really was either, and it just must have happened.”

“What do you mean, you weren't yourself?” Amy asked suspiciously. “Were you drunk, or something? Was Michael drunk?”

“No,” Maria shook her head adamantly. “No, trust me . . . Michael has only gotten drunk once in his life and it ended up being, well a mess, and he was in a lot of pain . . . just trust that you'll never have to worry about Michael doing any more drinking.”

“Well then what happened, Maria?” Amy said, her patience quickly running thin.

Maria shook her head. “The best explanation I can give you . . . is that I don't know. But you can ask Michael, he knows. I need to ask him about a few things myself. I've just been putting it off, I guess.” She said with a shrug, looking up at her mother seriously. “But don't tell him about the . . . baby.”

“Are you going to?” Amy asked.

“Do I have a choice? Of course I will tell him. I just don’t know when or how,” Maria said, closing her eyes and laying her head to rest on her mother’s shoulder. Amy reached up and stroked her daughter’s hair, wondering what had happened to her baby.

~.~.~.~.~

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