Who I Am, What I'll Become Fic 12: Living in Danger (1/1)
Title: Living in Danger (1/1): Story 12 of the "Who I Am, What I'll Become" Series
Author: X_tremeroswellian
Email: faithboscorelli1@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: The Roswellians belong to Melinda Metz and Jason Katims. Cordelia belongs to Joss Whedon.
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Up through and including, "Destiny" and the first 11 stories in this series, especially the first one, "Illusions."
Timeline: The events in this story occur at around the same time as the events of story 11, "Fear" took place.
Summary: When Liz is nearly wounded in an accident, the group wonders how "accidental" the incident actually was.
Distribution: Anyone with previous permission to archive the series may have it; anyone else may take it but drop me a line.
Category: Story
Subcategories: Suspense/friendship/romance/sci-fi
Feedback: Is always appreciated.
Dedication: This one is for Windsor and Jessi.
Author's Note: In the "Who I Am" universe, nothing in Roswell season 2 has happened. No "skins," no granilith, no Volandra, etc. The only thing that's the same is that Tess is living with the Valenti's.
Living in Danger (Part 1/1)
"Hello?"
"Isabel? Hi, it's Liz." She glanced at Maria, who was currently perched on the edge of Liz's desk.
"Oh. Hi, Liz. Hang on, I'll get Max."
"No. Actually, I was calling to talk to you."
"Me?" The surprise in Isabel's voice was evident.
"Yeah. Listen, Maria's going to spend the night tomorrow. We're going to do the usual ice-cream, movie fest. Anyway, we were wondering, you know, if you weren't busy, maybe you'd like to join us?" Liz asked hopefully.
Maria gave her a questioning look and Liz just shrugged and waited for a response.
"You want me to come to a sleepover?" Isabel repeated doubtfully.
"Well, yeah. If you don't already have plans."
"I don't have plans."
"Then you'll come?" Liz pressed, grinning at Maria.
There was a brief pause. "Sure. Yeah. Um, what should I bring?"
"A sleeping bag and pajamas. Oh, and if you have any movies that you want to bring over to watch, you can bring those, too."
"Okay."
"Oh, and I sort of went ahead and bought a carton of Moosetracks ice cream for you."
"Really?"
Liz smiled at the surprise in her voice. "Yeah."
"Thanks."
"No problem. So then I'll see you tomorrow in p.e.?"
"Yeah. Are you sure you don't want to talk to Max?"
"I'm sure. I just called to talk to you."
"Okay, then. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Bye, Isabel."
"Bye, Liz."
She hung up the phone and grinned at Maria again.
"She's coming?" Maria asked.
Liz nodded. "She even sounded sort of excited about it."
"Good." Maria slid off the desk. "Well, I have to get home. Mom wanted me back by nine."
"Okay. Be careful. Do you have your cross?"
Maria produced a silver crucifix from her jeans pocket and held it up for Liz to see. So far they hadn't had any vampire activity in Roswell--at least none that they knew of--but it never hurt to be on the safe side.
"See ya tomorrow, Lizzie." Maria gave her a quick hug and hurried out the door.
Liz smiled after her. Since her conversation with Cordelia a few weeks ago, she and Maria had been sitting with Isabel at lunch and trying to make her feel more comfortable around them. Isabel still seemed somewhat hesitant to open up to them, but Liz had made up her mind to become a trustworthy friend for the girl. And once she had an idea in her head, she couldn't be talked out of it.
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Isabel sat and stared at the phone after she hung up the receiver.
"Did I hear right? Is my sister going to a slumber party?"
She looked up at the doorway where Max was standing, amusement in his eyes. She glared at him. "Maybe."
"Liz didn't want to talk to me?"
Isabel smiled sweetly. "Nope. She called *me*."
To her surprise, Max smiled back. "Okay." He started to leave.
A sudden thought crossed her mind. "You didn't put her up to this, did you?"
"What? Calling you?"
"No, asking me over. Hanging out with me at lunch. Writing me notes in study hall." She studied him suspiciously.
Max shook his head. "I have nothing to do with that, Iz." When she continued to stare, he held up his hands. "I swear."
Isabel believed him. She had always been able to tell when he and Michael were lying. "Okay." A smile tugged at her lips as Max left. She liked Liz. Maria, too. She just didn't know how to open up to them. Funny how a lifetime of secrets and lies could do that to a person.
Isabel bit her lip and reached for the phone again.
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Alex frowned as he stared down at his chemistry assignment. He'd been trying to figure it out for the last half-hour. When the telephone rang, he snatched it up. "I don't know who this is, but God bless you."
There was a moment of silence. "Alex?"
"Isabel?" Oh, god. He buried his face in one hand. I am such a dork, he thought.
"Yeah. Everything okay?"
"Oh, yeah. Yeah, everything's fine. I've just been trying to figure out this chemistry homework."
"Oh. Well, I guess I'll let you go, then," she said, sounding disappointed.
"No! I need a break," he said quickly. "Otherwise my brain's just going to turn into a bunch of mush."
"We can't have that," she said with a laugh.
He grinned. "So, what's up?"
"Liz just called me."
Alex waited for her to finish.
"She invited me to a sleepover with her and Maria tomorrow night."
"What did you tell her?"
"That I'd be there."
"I'm sensing a but."
"I've never been to a sleepover with them before. Actually, I've never been to a sleepover. Ever. I mean, except for when we all crashed at Cordelia's that one night, but that doesn't count."
"Oh. Well, you don't have anything to be nervous about. Liz and Maria are great."
"Yeah. It's just...I don't know how to talk to them. What if they don't like me?" she asked softly.
"Isabel, just be yourself. They already like you."
"Only because of you and Max and Michael."
"That's not true. Liz and Maria--they're just not that way. They're making an effort because they want to get to know you, Isabel. If they didn't like you, they wouldn't take the time. Trust me, I've known them forever."
"Come on, Alex. They're not mean to people even if they dislike them."
"No, they're not. They just don't talk to them." Alex paused. "Don't tell her I told you this, but Liz is just as afraid of you not liking her."
"Really?"
"Really. And she wants to be your friend. So does Maria. I wouldn't tell you that if it wasn't true," he said sincerely.
"So tell me about them. What movies do they like? What kind of music do they listen to?" Isabel asked anxiously.
Alex smiled.
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"So Isabel's going to sleep over at Liz's?" Michael stared dubiously at Max as they stood at his locker the next morning.
"Yep." Max closed his locker door as they walked towards first period history.
"What exactly do girls do at those things, anyway?"
Max shrugged. "Ask Maria."
"Nevermind," he grumbled.
"Trouble in paradise again?"
"Hey, not everyone has the perfect relationship, Maxwell."
"Liz and I don't have the perfect relationship, Michael. There's no such thing." Max glanced at him. "So what's the problem?"
"She wants me to take her to that dumb dance next week."
"The Snowflake Ball?"
"Yeah."
"And your response was--?"
"There's a game on that night."
"And you told her that?"
"Well, yeah."
Max snorted. "And you wonder why you're in the doghouse? Michael, you basically told her that you'd rather stay home and watch a bunch of 250 pound guys run around tackling each other and fighting over a dead pig then spend time with her."
Michael stared at him. "I didn't mean that. I just don't like dances. I never go to dances. Ever."
"Well, maybe you should try making an exception," Max said as they walked into the history room. "Oh, and Michael? Flowers and candy tend to go hand-in-hand with groveling."
Michael groaned and sank into his seat.
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"So Cordelia hasn't been answering her phone? That's weird," Maria said as she and Liz changed into their p.e. uniforms
"Yeah. She hasn't responded to email, either. I'm getting kind of worried about her." Liz frowned and pulled on her gym shoes.
"Worried about who?"
Liz and Maria looked up and saw Tess standing at her locker. The girls exchanged a glance.
"Cordelia," Liz answered as she stooped down to tie her shoelaces.
"The girl you all stayed with in L.A.?"
"Same girl," Maria responded. She looked away. "Liz, you ready?"
Liz stood up. "Archery here we come," she said with forced enthusiasm. "See ya later, Tess."
"See ya," she echoed.
Liz and Maria walked through the gymnasium and outside towards the archery field where some of their classmates were already gathered.
"I feel kind of bad for her," Liz said quietly.
"Who? Cordelia?"
"No. Tess."
Maria raised an eyebrow. "I have a hard time feeling sorry for someone who's wreaked havoc on the lives of everyone I care about."
"Maybe she didn't mean to. I mean, I don't think Nasedo could have been that great of a father, and he was all she ever had growing up. No friends, no family, no one to talk to. That couldn't have been easy for her."
"You have a big heart, Lizzie," Maria said gently. "But don't forget all the stuff she's pulled since she came here. Granted, she may have had a difficult life, but at some point she has to take responsibility for her own actions."
"I know. And I haven't forgotten. I just think maybe we should give her a chance. Everyone deserves a chance, Maria. I mean, look at Isabel. She wasn't exactly the nicest person to be around when we first found out about her."
"Yes, but Isabel never manipulated our minds to make us see things that weren't there, and she never tried to seduce our boyfriends, and she never lied about who she was once we knew the truth," Maria pointed out.
Liz didn't answer.
She sighed. "Liz, I'm just saying that you should be careful. I don't trust her."
"I don't, either. And neither does Max. I'm not saying it's going to be easy, or that we should just blindly jump in and start telling her all of our secrets. I just think that everyone deserves a second chance and maybe we haven't even give Tess a fair first one."
Maria shrugged and they headed over to the back of the archery lines.
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"Hi, Liz. Hi, Maria." Isabel smiled at them as they waited in consecutive lines to have their turn with the bow and arrows.
"Hey, Isabel," the girls said in unison. They looked at each other and grinned.
"What movies are you guys renting?" she asked curiously.
"Well, Liz is going to try and get a copy of Frequency. I was thinking of Return to Me--you know, that one with David Duchovny. He is so hot." Maria smiled. "Did you have any in mind?"
"I was thinking Titanic. I know it's been out for quite awhile, but--"
"Are you kidding? Leo's great anytime!"
Isabel and Liz laughed.
"Retrieve!" the gym teacher shouted to the students. The people who just had their turn at the target moved down the field to get their arrows.
"Hey, Isabel."
Isabel turned around to see Tess standing behind her. "Hi." She glanced at Maria and Liz.
"Next!" the teacher called out, signaling to the next students that they could fire when ready.
Isabel stood in awkward silence as the line moved slowly forward. She felt torn between wanting to talk to Liz and Maria, and feeling guilty because she knew how they felt about Tess. She wasn't really close to Tess, but there was a connection between them. They were alike in a way that Isabel could never be like Liz and Maria, no matter how much she wanted to be sometimes. Even so, she felt a weariness towards Tess. She had manipulated Isabel's mind more than once, and caused her and Michael to have dreams of one another. And she had manipulated Max on more than one occasion, as well.
"Retrieve!"
Isabel wished there was some way to know for sure what Tess's intentions were.
"Next!"
The girl in front of her turned and handed her the bow and three arrows. "Thanks," Isabel said. She pulled the string back and lined the arrow up with the target. She concentrated and let it go. Bullseye.
Her eyes widened.
"Isabel! That's great!" Liz said excitedly.
"Good job," Maria agreed, smiling.
She grinned. Her next two arrows weren't bullseyes, but they were close.
"Retrieve!"
Isabel walked towards the target. When she was halfway there, a distant, odd feeling suddenly tugged at the back of her mind, followed by a very familiar, closer one. Before she could even process what it was, she heard Maria scream.
"Liz!"
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Liz had just finished removing her arrows from the target when she was shoved to the ground. An arrow slammed into the target a second later, right in the spot she'd been standing in front of.
"Liz!" Maria screamed.
She looked up to see who had pushed her out of the way. There was no one there.
Maria, Isabel and Tess all raced towards her.
"Oh, my God! Are you all right?" Maria demanded, kneeling down next to her.
Liz stared up at the arrow that had nearly hit her and nodded slowly. Then she moved her gaze to Isabel. "You saved my life."
Isabel shook her head. "No, I didn't even see what was happening."
They all looked at Tess in shock.
"Parker!" the gym coach barked. "You okay?"
Liz allowed Maria and Isabel to help her to her feet. "I'm okay," she called back shakily.
"Who shot that arrow?" the teacher demanded.
The students all looked around at each other, but no one spoke up.
"No one shoots until I say next! That's it! Everyone has ten laps around the gym!" she shouted angrily.
Liz held onto Maria's arm and the four girls exchanged looks.
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Alex was sitting on a picnic table at lunch, practicing his guitar when he caught sight of one of his best friends walking towards him. "Hey, Liz," he said with a smile. She didn't return the gesture. That's when he noticed how pale she was. "You all right?"
Liz shook her head and sat next to him.
Alex set down his guitar and put one arm around her shoulders, worry settling into his stomach. "You're shaking."
"Something happened last hour."
"Tell me."
Liz quickly filled him in. "We're meeting at Buckley Point after school. Can you make it?"
Alex nodded. "Yeah, of course." He hugged her. "Are you sure you're okay?"
She nodded. "I think so. Just a little shaken up."
"Near death experiences always freak me out, too," he told her and she grinned. "Have you talked to Max?"
"Isabel was going to tell him to meet at Buckley Point. No details."
He nodded in understanding. "And Maria was going to talk to Michael?"
"Well, he was going to ride home with Max and Isabel after school, so..."
"Ah. The Snowflake Ball feud is still in effect." He paused. "What about Kyle? And Sheriff Valenti?"
"Tess is going to talk to Kyle. I guess he'll talk to his dad."
Alex looked up as Maria approached, looking just as pale as Liz. She sat down on the other side of him and he put his other arm around her. She leaned against him for support. The three of them sat without speaking until the bell rang.
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"Does someone want to tell me what's going on?" Max looked from Isabel to Liz to Tess.
"Something happened in p.e. today. We were playing archery and after the three of us shot our arrows and the teacher called retrieve, we went to go get the arrows from the targets," Maria began.
"I felt two jolts of power, Max," Isabel cut in quietly. "One that seemed unfamiliar and distant. The other one was from Tess."
Max and Michael exchanged a glance. "We felt it, too. What happened?"
"An arrow was shot. We don't know who shot it. It was like it came out of nowhere," Isabel told him.
"Liz was standing at the target," Maria added.
"And I felt like someone pushed me onto the ground. A second later the arrow was embedded into the target right where I'd been standing," Liz said, gazing at him. "Tess saved my life."
Max stared at her. Then he slowly turned his gaze to Tess, who was staring at the ground. He looked back at Liz again. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," she assured him.
He closed his eyes and pulled her to him, hugging her tightly. Keeping one arm around Liz's waist, he glanced around the group.
"I have a question," Kyle spoke up.
"Go ahead, Kyle."
"Are you guys saying there's another one of you here in Roswell?"
Max and Michael exchanged looks.
"I think what they're saying is that one of their enemies just made their presence known," Sheriff Valenti said quietly. He looked at Max.
He nodded. "I think that's accurate."
Isabel closed her eyes and Alex reached out and took her hand. "God, Max. What do we do now?"
Max took a deep breath. "We don't know who this enemy is. We felt them use their powers, but it wasn't enough to alert anyone of us to their identity. Except for Tess today, none of us have been using our powers, so I think it's safe to assume that if we don't know who they are, they don't know who we are, either. Just that we're here somewhere." He looked at each of them in turn. "Michael?"
Michael met his gaze. "I don't think there's anything we can do. We don't know who they are and it's too dangerous to try and use our powers right now. We can't leave town because there's no guarantee they wouldn't go after Maria, Liz, Alex, Kyle and Sheriff Valenti to get to us if by chance they do know who we are."
Max nodded in agreement. "Isabel?"
"I agree."
"Tess?"
She looked up. "We wait."
"Okay. We're all in agreement." Max took a deep breath. "Everyone, just act normal. Pretend you don't know anything. But be careful. We don't know who's after us. It could be anyone." He kissed Liz's forehead as the group splintered off. "I'll be right back."
She nodded.
Max walked over to where Tess was standing. "Thank you," he said quietly. "For saving Liz's life."
Tess nodded, but didn't say anything.
"You put yourself in danger to save her."
"I would have done it for anyone here," she told him softly.
"I believe that." He smiled at her and she returned the smile.
Max walked towards Liz and motioned to the jeep. "Do you need a ride home?" he asked Liz.
Liz smiled. "That'd be great. Can you wait for a minute?"
"Sure." He turned and watched as she walked over to Tess.
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"Tess?" Liz said quietly.
The girl turned to face her, caution etched into her features.
"Thank you."
Tess nodded. "You're welcome." She turned to go.
"Wait. Isabel and Maria are coming over tonight to watch movies and eat ice cream. Why don't you come?" Liz suggested.
Tess's eyes widened. "Okay."
Liz smiled at her and Tess smiled back tentatively. She walked over to where Maria and Alex were standing. "Maria, I'll see you tonight. Alex, see you in the morning?"
"10 a.m." He grinned. He always came to the Crashdown on Saturday mornings for breakfast, and had for as long as she could remember.
She watched as her two best friends climbed into Maria's Jetta. Then she walked back to Max. He took her hand and kissed it. "Liz Parker, have I ever mentioned that I think you're incredible?"
Liz gazed into his dark eyes. "A few times. But a girl never minds hearing things like that," she added with a smile. They weren't exactly back together but they got closer to it each day. They were just taking things slowly. And that was okay with her.
"Well, then I'll be sure I keep mentioning it," he said softly.
Yep. That was definitely okay with her.
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Maria hefted her duffle bag onto her shoulder and grabbed her keys off the coffee table. She was already a few minutes late, but Liz wouldn't mind. After 15 years of friendship, she was used to Maria being late. She opened the door, surprised to see Michael standing in front of her, hands behind his back. "What are you doing here?" she asked, annoyed that she was glad to see him even though they were fighting.
Michael shifted uncomfortably and then held out an individual sized bag of M&M's in one hand and a plastic floral basket arrangement in the other. "I came to apologize. I didn't mean that I'd rather watch football than spend time with you."
She stared at the M&M's and basket of flowers and then looked at Michael, who looked more than a tad uncomfortable. Her face broke out into a wide smile. He smiled back after a moment. "Come in."
He stepped inside. "Where do you want these?" he asked, glancing around.
Maria gestured to the table and waited for him to turn and face her. When he did so, she smiled again. "Thank you."
Michael nodded and relief was evident on his face. "So, we're okay now, right?"
Her smile slipped a little. "That depends." She waited.
He stared at her in confusion. "On--?"
"Snowflake Ball. I still need a date."
Michael looked pained at the mention of the dance.
"Or I could just ask someone else. Maybe Kyle would go with me," she said with a shrug.
His eyes widened. "I'll be your date."
"So you're asking me?" Maria asked, amused by his expression.
"Yeah. I'm asking."
"All right. Then it's a date." She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him. "Now I have to get to Liz's."
"Right now?" Michael groaned. He kissed her again.
"Well...maybe not right now. Liz can wait."
The End
Author: X_tremeroswellian
Email: faithboscorelli1@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: The Roswellians belong to Melinda Metz and Jason Katims. Cordelia belongs to Joss Whedon.
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Up through and including, "Destiny" and the first 11 stories in this series, especially the first one, "Illusions."
Timeline: The events in this story occur at around the same time as the events of story 11, "Fear" took place.
Summary: When Liz is nearly wounded in an accident, the group wonders how "accidental" the incident actually was.
Distribution: Anyone with previous permission to archive the series may have it; anyone else may take it but drop me a line.
Category: Story
Subcategories: Suspense/friendship/romance/sci-fi
Feedback: Is always appreciated.
Dedication: This one is for Windsor and Jessi.
Author's Note: In the "Who I Am" universe, nothing in Roswell season 2 has happened. No "skins," no granilith, no Volandra, etc. The only thing that's the same is that Tess is living with the Valenti's.
Living in Danger (Part 1/1)
"Hello?"
"Isabel? Hi, it's Liz." She glanced at Maria, who was currently perched on the edge of Liz's desk.
"Oh. Hi, Liz. Hang on, I'll get Max."
"No. Actually, I was calling to talk to you."
"Me?" The surprise in Isabel's voice was evident.
"Yeah. Listen, Maria's going to spend the night tomorrow. We're going to do the usual ice-cream, movie fest. Anyway, we were wondering, you know, if you weren't busy, maybe you'd like to join us?" Liz asked hopefully.
Maria gave her a questioning look and Liz just shrugged and waited for a response.
"You want me to come to a sleepover?" Isabel repeated doubtfully.
"Well, yeah. If you don't already have plans."
"I don't have plans."
"Then you'll come?" Liz pressed, grinning at Maria.
There was a brief pause. "Sure. Yeah. Um, what should I bring?"
"A sleeping bag and pajamas. Oh, and if you have any movies that you want to bring over to watch, you can bring those, too."
"Okay."
"Oh, and I sort of went ahead and bought a carton of Moosetracks ice cream for you."
"Really?"
Liz smiled at the surprise in her voice. "Yeah."
"Thanks."
"No problem. So then I'll see you tomorrow in p.e.?"
"Yeah. Are you sure you don't want to talk to Max?"
"I'm sure. I just called to talk to you."
"Okay, then. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Bye, Isabel."
"Bye, Liz."
She hung up the phone and grinned at Maria again.
"She's coming?" Maria asked.
Liz nodded. "She even sounded sort of excited about it."
"Good." Maria slid off the desk. "Well, I have to get home. Mom wanted me back by nine."
"Okay. Be careful. Do you have your cross?"
Maria produced a silver crucifix from her jeans pocket and held it up for Liz to see. So far they hadn't had any vampire activity in Roswell--at least none that they knew of--but it never hurt to be on the safe side.
"See ya tomorrow, Lizzie." Maria gave her a quick hug and hurried out the door.
Liz smiled after her. Since her conversation with Cordelia a few weeks ago, she and Maria had been sitting with Isabel at lunch and trying to make her feel more comfortable around them. Isabel still seemed somewhat hesitant to open up to them, but Liz had made up her mind to become a trustworthy friend for the girl. And once she had an idea in her head, she couldn't be talked out of it.
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Isabel sat and stared at the phone after she hung up the receiver.
"Did I hear right? Is my sister going to a slumber party?"
She looked up at the doorway where Max was standing, amusement in his eyes. She glared at him. "Maybe."
"Liz didn't want to talk to me?"
Isabel smiled sweetly. "Nope. She called *me*."
To her surprise, Max smiled back. "Okay." He started to leave.
A sudden thought crossed her mind. "You didn't put her up to this, did you?"
"What? Calling you?"
"No, asking me over. Hanging out with me at lunch. Writing me notes in study hall." She studied him suspiciously.
Max shook his head. "I have nothing to do with that, Iz." When she continued to stare, he held up his hands. "I swear."
Isabel believed him. She had always been able to tell when he and Michael were lying. "Okay." A smile tugged at her lips as Max left. She liked Liz. Maria, too. She just didn't know how to open up to them. Funny how a lifetime of secrets and lies could do that to a person.
Isabel bit her lip and reached for the phone again.
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Alex frowned as he stared down at his chemistry assignment. He'd been trying to figure it out for the last half-hour. When the telephone rang, he snatched it up. "I don't know who this is, but God bless you."
There was a moment of silence. "Alex?"
"Isabel?" Oh, god. He buried his face in one hand. I am such a dork, he thought.
"Yeah. Everything okay?"
"Oh, yeah. Yeah, everything's fine. I've just been trying to figure out this chemistry homework."
"Oh. Well, I guess I'll let you go, then," she said, sounding disappointed.
"No! I need a break," he said quickly. "Otherwise my brain's just going to turn into a bunch of mush."
"We can't have that," she said with a laugh.
He grinned. "So, what's up?"
"Liz just called me."
Alex waited for her to finish.
"She invited me to a sleepover with her and Maria tomorrow night."
"What did you tell her?"
"That I'd be there."
"I'm sensing a but."
"I've never been to a sleepover with them before. Actually, I've never been to a sleepover. Ever. I mean, except for when we all crashed at Cordelia's that one night, but that doesn't count."
"Oh. Well, you don't have anything to be nervous about. Liz and Maria are great."
"Yeah. It's just...I don't know how to talk to them. What if they don't like me?" she asked softly.
"Isabel, just be yourself. They already like you."
"Only because of you and Max and Michael."
"That's not true. Liz and Maria--they're just not that way. They're making an effort because they want to get to know you, Isabel. If they didn't like you, they wouldn't take the time. Trust me, I've known them forever."
"Come on, Alex. They're not mean to people even if they dislike them."
"No, they're not. They just don't talk to them." Alex paused. "Don't tell her I told you this, but Liz is just as afraid of you not liking her."
"Really?"
"Really. And she wants to be your friend. So does Maria. I wouldn't tell you that if it wasn't true," he said sincerely.
"So tell me about them. What movies do they like? What kind of music do they listen to?" Isabel asked anxiously.
Alex smiled.
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"So Isabel's going to sleep over at Liz's?" Michael stared dubiously at Max as they stood at his locker the next morning.
"Yep." Max closed his locker door as they walked towards first period history.
"What exactly do girls do at those things, anyway?"
Max shrugged. "Ask Maria."
"Nevermind," he grumbled.
"Trouble in paradise again?"
"Hey, not everyone has the perfect relationship, Maxwell."
"Liz and I don't have the perfect relationship, Michael. There's no such thing." Max glanced at him. "So what's the problem?"
"She wants me to take her to that dumb dance next week."
"The Snowflake Ball?"
"Yeah."
"And your response was--?"
"There's a game on that night."
"And you told her that?"
"Well, yeah."
Max snorted. "And you wonder why you're in the doghouse? Michael, you basically told her that you'd rather stay home and watch a bunch of 250 pound guys run around tackling each other and fighting over a dead pig then spend time with her."
Michael stared at him. "I didn't mean that. I just don't like dances. I never go to dances. Ever."
"Well, maybe you should try making an exception," Max said as they walked into the history room. "Oh, and Michael? Flowers and candy tend to go hand-in-hand with groveling."
Michael groaned and sank into his seat.
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"So Cordelia hasn't been answering her phone? That's weird," Maria said as she and Liz changed into their p.e. uniforms
"Yeah. She hasn't responded to email, either. I'm getting kind of worried about her." Liz frowned and pulled on her gym shoes.
"Worried about who?"
Liz and Maria looked up and saw Tess standing at her locker. The girls exchanged a glance.
"Cordelia," Liz answered as she stooped down to tie her shoelaces.
"The girl you all stayed with in L.A.?"
"Same girl," Maria responded. She looked away. "Liz, you ready?"
Liz stood up. "Archery here we come," she said with forced enthusiasm. "See ya later, Tess."
"See ya," she echoed.
Liz and Maria walked through the gymnasium and outside towards the archery field where some of their classmates were already gathered.
"I feel kind of bad for her," Liz said quietly.
"Who? Cordelia?"
"No. Tess."
Maria raised an eyebrow. "I have a hard time feeling sorry for someone who's wreaked havoc on the lives of everyone I care about."
"Maybe she didn't mean to. I mean, I don't think Nasedo could have been that great of a father, and he was all she ever had growing up. No friends, no family, no one to talk to. That couldn't have been easy for her."
"You have a big heart, Lizzie," Maria said gently. "But don't forget all the stuff she's pulled since she came here. Granted, she may have had a difficult life, but at some point she has to take responsibility for her own actions."
"I know. And I haven't forgotten. I just think maybe we should give her a chance. Everyone deserves a chance, Maria. I mean, look at Isabel. She wasn't exactly the nicest person to be around when we first found out about her."
"Yes, but Isabel never manipulated our minds to make us see things that weren't there, and she never tried to seduce our boyfriends, and she never lied about who she was once we knew the truth," Maria pointed out.
Liz didn't answer.
She sighed. "Liz, I'm just saying that you should be careful. I don't trust her."
"I don't, either. And neither does Max. I'm not saying it's going to be easy, or that we should just blindly jump in and start telling her all of our secrets. I just think that everyone deserves a second chance and maybe we haven't even give Tess a fair first one."
Maria shrugged and they headed over to the back of the archery lines.
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"Hi, Liz. Hi, Maria." Isabel smiled at them as they waited in consecutive lines to have their turn with the bow and arrows.
"Hey, Isabel," the girls said in unison. They looked at each other and grinned.
"What movies are you guys renting?" she asked curiously.
"Well, Liz is going to try and get a copy of Frequency. I was thinking of Return to Me--you know, that one with David Duchovny. He is so hot." Maria smiled. "Did you have any in mind?"
"I was thinking Titanic. I know it's been out for quite awhile, but--"
"Are you kidding? Leo's great anytime!"
Isabel and Liz laughed.
"Retrieve!" the gym teacher shouted to the students. The people who just had their turn at the target moved down the field to get their arrows.
"Hey, Isabel."
Isabel turned around to see Tess standing behind her. "Hi." She glanced at Maria and Liz.
"Next!" the teacher called out, signaling to the next students that they could fire when ready.
Isabel stood in awkward silence as the line moved slowly forward. She felt torn between wanting to talk to Liz and Maria, and feeling guilty because she knew how they felt about Tess. She wasn't really close to Tess, but there was a connection between them. They were alike in a way that Isabel could never be like Liz and Maria, no matter how much she wanted to be sometimes. Even so, she felt a weariness towards Tess. She had manipulated Isabel's mind more than once, and caused her and Michael to have dreams of one another. And she had manipulated Max on more than one occasion, as well.
"Retrieve!"
Isabel wished there was some way to know for sure what Tess's intentions were.
"Next!"
The girl in front of her turned and handed her the bow and three arrows. "Thanks," Isabel said. She pulled the string back and lined the arrow up with the target. She concentrated and let it go. Bullseye.
Her eyes widened.
"Isabel! That's great!" Liz said excitedly.
"Good job," Maria agreed, smiling.
She grinned. Her next two arrows weren't bullseyes, but they were close.
"Retrieve!"
Isabel walked towards the target. When she was halfway there, a distant, odd feeling suddenly tugged at the back of her mind, followed by a very familiar, closer one. Before she could even process what it was, she heard Maria scream.
"Liz!"
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Liz had just finished removing her arrows from the target when she was shoved to the ground. An arrow slammed into the target a second later, right in the spot she'd been standing in front of.
"Liz!" Maria screamed.
She looked up to see who had pushed her out of the way. There was no one there.
Maria, Isabel and Tess all raced towards her.
"Oh, my God! Are you all right?" Maria demanded, kneeling down next to her.
Liz stared up at the arrow that had nearly hit her and nodded slowly. Then she moved her gaze to Isabel. "You saved my life."
Isabel shook her head. "No, I didn't even see what was happening."
They all looked at Tess in shock.
"Parker!" the gym coach barked. "You okay?"
Liz allowed Maria and Isabel to help her to her feet. "I'm okay," she called back shakily.
"Who shot that arrow?" the teacher demanded.
The students all looked around at each other, but no one spoke up.
"No one shoots until I say next! That's it! Everyone has ten laps around the gym!" she shouted angrily.
Liz held onto Maria's arm and the four girls exchanged looks.
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Alex was sitting on a picnic table at lunch, practicing his guitar when he caught sight of one of his best friends walking towards him. "Hey, Liz," he said with a smile. She didn't return the gesture. That's when he noticed how pale she was. "You all right?"
Liz shook her head and sat next to him.
Alex set down his guitar and put one arm around her shoulders, worry settling into his stomach. "You're shaking."
"Something happened last hour."
"Tell me."
Liz quickly filled him in. "We're meeting at Buckley Point after school. Can you make it?"
Alex nodded. "Yeah, of course." He hugged her. "Are you sure you're okay?"
She nodded. "I think so. Just a little shaken up."
"Near death experiences always freak me out, too," he told her and she grinned. "Have you talked to Max?"
"Isabel was going to tell him to meet at Buckley Point. No details."
He nodded in understanding. "And Maria was going to talk to Michael?"
"Well, he was going to ride home with Max and Isabel after school, so..."
"Ah. The Snowflake Ball feud is still in effect." He paused. "What about Kyle? And Sheriff Valenti?"
"Tess is going to talk to Kyle. I guess he'll talk to his dad."
Alex looked up as Maria approached, looking just as pale as Liz. She sat down on the other side of him and he put his other arm around her. She leaned against him for support. The three of them sat without speaking until the bell rang.
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"Does someone want to tell me what's going on?" Max looked from Isabel to Liz to Tess.
"Something happened in p.e. today. We were playing archery and after the three of us shot our arrows and the teacher called retrieve, we went to go get the arrows from the targets," Maria began.
"I felt two jolts of power, Max," Isabel cut in quietly. "One that seemed unfamiliar and distant. The other one was from Tess."
Max and Michael exchanged a glance. "We felt it, too. What happened?"
"An arrow was shot. We don't know who shot it. It was like it came out of nowhere," Isabel told him.
"Liz was standing at the target," Maria added.
"And I felt like someone pushed me onto the ground. A second later the arrow was embedded into the target right where I'd been standing," Liz said, gazing at him. "Tess saved my life."
Max stared at her. Then he slowly turned his gaze to Tess, who was staring at the ground. He looked back at Liz again. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," she assured him.
He closed his eyes and pulled her to him, hugging her tightly. Keeping one arm around Liz's waist, he glanced around the group.
"I have a question," Kyle spoke up.
"Go ahead, Kyle."
"Are you guys saying there's another one of you here in Roswell?"
Max and Michael exchanged looks.
"I think what they're saying is that one of their enemies just made their presence known," Sheriff Valenti said quietly. He looked at Max.
He nodded. "I think that's accurate."
Isabel closed her eyes and Alex reached out and took her hand. "God, Max. What do we do now?"
Max took a deep breath. "We don't know who this enemy is. We felt them use their powers, but it wasn't enough to alert anyone of us to their identity. Except for Tess today, none of us have been using our powers, so I think it's safe to assume that if we don't know who they are, they don't know who we are, either. Just that we're here somewhere." He looked at each of them in turn. "Michael?"
Michael met his gaze. "I don't think there's anything we can do. We don't know who they are and it's too dangerous to try and use our powers right now. We can't leave town because there's no guarantee they wouldn't go after Maria, Liz, Alex, Kyle and Sheriff Valenti to get to us if by chance they do know who we are."
Max nodded in agreement. "Isabel?"
"I agree."
"Tess?"
She looked up. "We wait."
"Okay. We're all in agreement." Max took a deep breath. "Everyone, just act normal. Pretend you don't know anything. But be careful. We don't know who's after us. It could be anyone." He kissed Liz's forehead as the group splintered off. "I'll be right back."
She nodded.
Max walked over to where Tess was standing. "Thank you," he said quietly. "For saving Liz's life."
Tess nodded, but didn't say anything.
"You put yourself in danger to save her."
"I would have done it for anyone here," she told him softly.
"I believe that." He smiled at her and she returned the smile.
Max walked towards Liz and motioned to the jeep. "Do you need a ride home?" he asked Liz.
Liz smiled. "That'd be great. Can you wait for a minute?"
"Sure." He turned and watched as she walked over to Tess.
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"Tess?" Liz said quietly.
The girl turned to face her, caution etched into her features.
"Thank you."
Tess nodded. "You're welcome." She turned to go.
"Wait. Isabel and Maria are coming over tonight to watch movies and eat ice cream. Why don't you come?" Liz suggested.
Tess's eyes widened. "Okay."
Liz smiled at her and Tess smiled back tentatively. She walked over to where Maria and Alex were standing. "Maria, I'll see you tonight. Alex, see you in the morning?"
"10 a.m." He grinned. He always came to the Crashdown on Saturday mornings for breakfast, and had for as long as she could remember.
She watched as her two best friends climbed into Maria's Jetta. Then she walked back to Max. He took her hand and kissed it. "Liz Parker, have I ever mentioned that I think you're incredible?"
Liz gazed into his dark eyes. "A few times. But a girl never minds hearing things like that," she added with a smile. They weren't exactly back together but they got closer to it each day. They were just taking things slowly. And that was okay with her.
"Well, then I'll be sure I keep mentioning it," he said softly.
Yep. That was definitely okay with her.
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Maria hefted her duffle bag onto her shoulder and grabbed her keys off the coffee table. She was already a few minutes late, but Liz wouldn't mind. After 15 years of friendship, she was used to Maria being late. She opened the door, surprised to see Michael standing in front of her, hands behind his back. "What are you doing here?" she asked, annoyed that she was glad to see him even though they were fighting.
Michael shifted uncomfortably and then held out an individual sized bag of M&M's in one hand and a plastic floral basket arrangement in the other. "I came to apologize. I didn't mean that I'd rather watch football than spend time with you."
She stared at the M&M's and basket of flowers and then looked at Michael, who looked more than a tad uncomfortable. Her face broke out into a wide smile. He smiled back after a moment. "Come in."
He stepped inside. "Where do you want these?" he asked, glancing around.
Maria gestured to the table and waited for him to turn and face her. When he did so, she smiled again. "Thank you."
Michael nodded and relief was evident on his face. "So, we're okay now, right?"
Her smile slipped a little. "That depends." She waited.
He stared at her in confusion. "On--?"
"Snowflake Ball. I still need a date."
Michael looked pained at the mention of the dance.
"Or I could just ask someone else. Maybe Kyle would go with me," she said with a shrug.
His eyes widened. "I'll be your date."
"So you're asking me?" Maria asked, amused by his expression.
"Yeah. I'm asking."
"All right. Then it's a date." She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him. "Now I have to get to Liz's."
"Right now?" Michael groaned. He kissed her again.
"Well...maybe not right now. Liz can wait."
The End