ROSWELL on PLANET-SF

CHAPTER FIVE

Isabel waited on the front porch until after one in the morning, waiting for Michael to return home. Liz was still in the bedroom with Maria and Isabel was left out to deal with her own actions. She met the Tempo in the driveway and knew the news was bad when Michael got out.

"Liz is here and Maria's not speaking to me."

"Perfect end to a perfect night." Michael walked past her. "Have Liz take you home, okay? I need to be alone with Maria tonight." He walked down the hall and pushed open the bedroom door. "Liz, go home, Max is there. Please drop Iz off on your way. Thank you for staying."

Liz didn't question Michael, she hugged Maria and met Isabel on the porch, she was smoking. "You can't smoke in the jeep."

"Why not?"

"Because Max doesn't like smoke."

"Whatever." She flicked the butt into the street and climbed in. "How is she? Does she hate me?"

"She's pissed, but it'll pass."

* * *

Michael approached Maria and cupped her face in his hands crushing his lips against hers. Cautious at first, she relented and kissed him back. He wrapped his arms around her pulling her into him. "I love you Maria."

"Are you sure you can?" she whispered.

"Yes, more than anything." He brought her hand to his mouth and kissed it. "All I wanted was you to come back to me. I missed you."

"You know what happened."

"Yeah, I know. Did you really think that I wouldn't love you anymore?"

"I feel so dirty." She wiped away new tears. "So mortified."

"It wasn't your fault, Angel."

"How could I not tell? How could I ever think he was you?" she berated herself. "I'm so stupid. I should have known."

"That's what I keep saying. I should have known what happened. I was blind to it."

"Do you really still love me?" She looked up into his eyes. The eyes that she knew. The eyes that she loved.

"Believe me when I say yes." He kissed her again.

"Will you stay in here with me tonight? Every night?"

"Until the end of time."

"Just hold me?"

Michael put both guns in the dresser drawer and undressed. He pulled a pair of boxers out and put them on. Maria rolled the bassinet into the room and got into bed with Michael. He put his arm round her while she laid her head on his chest.

* * *

Max had the night off and was disappointed when Liz told him she had to work.

"I'm closing tonight, I switched with Morgan, remember?"

"Can you switch back, I'm off tonight."

"That's like Indian giving, I can't do it," she said to his reflection in the mirror as she finished getting ready for work. "We'll have time this weekend. Okay? Besides, aren't you going out with Michael tonight?"

"Oh, yeah. Take the jeep, I don't need it."

"How is he?"

"He's stressing. Big time."

"Wouldn't you be?"

"Yeah, I would. I hope we find Rath tonight and this can end for everyone. Once he's gone things can get back to normal."

"You do realise you're talking about killing someone, don't you? The taking of a life?" Liz spun around with her hands on her hips.

"It isn't a life worth saving."

"That's not a valid argument."

"It's the best one I have. Rath is nothing. He's a murderer and now a rapist. Do you really care what happens to him? Remember what he did to your best friend?"

"I know damn well what he did and it makes him sick. Do I care what happens to him personally? No, not really. I just wish you wouldn't talk so casually about taking another life."

Max apologised.

* * *

Liz locked the door to the Crashdown and sighed. It had been a very long night. Customers were hard to please and nothing was running smooth. One of the new cooks didn't like to make the items on the menu and was always trying new ideas. She was glad it was over. Tomorrow was her late day for class and she was relieved. She needed sleep. She walked the short distance to the jeep and looked over her shoulder, convinced someone was there. She got in and locked the doors before noticing an envelope taped to the steering wheel. She looked at her name scrawled across the front. The handwriting was familiar. She looked around and once she deemed it safe she turned on the light underneath the rearview mirror and opened the envelope. There were two pages stapled together in the corner:

Liz,

This is going to be strange, but I know you can handle it. Remember when you told me about my future self coming back to talk to you about changing the future?

"Oh God," she said out loud. A sickening feeling was seeping into her stomach.

Well, in so many words, I'm back. It's not the same me that you told me about. This is confusing. It's the me of the future that I've shared with you. I have to tell you things. Things that are so important now, in my time. I don't want to tell you everything because I know you wouldn't want to know. I'll give you the basics.

First off, I'm here by way of the Granilith. You'll not believe how much time I've spent over the years learning the secrets of this machine. Anyway, I'll go back to my time in the morning, that's why I have to get this to you tonight. I know the present me is out with Michael and we are hunting Rath. You have time to read this before you get home. If I remember correctly I won't be home until almost two. I'm here for a reason that is going to be so detrimental to everyone if you don't listen to what I'm saying. I know you're busy with school and working and planning our wedding. We had such big plans. There's something that I'll keep bugging you about and you have to listen to me.

On our wedding night, you get pregnant. I know you're not leaning that way now. And that doesn't matter, all the precautions you take won't matter. It is imperative that you get pregnant on our wedding night. An entire planet depends on it. This planet. Our planet. Earth. I'll try to explain without giving too much of the future away.

You get pregnant and we have a daughter. I won't tell you her name, but she is vital. She won't know it and we certainly didn't. As it turns out she is a great warrior. For years and years there was nothing from my home planet. Not a vision, not a peep. It was as if they were forgotten. Then one day, all hell breaks loose. There is a war, but they brought it down here. They brought the war to Earth to win. There are major plot holes I'm leaving out, but I think you'll get the idea. Because we had a female child, she is the actual heir to the throne of Antar. There is kind of a loophole that Kivar didn't know about. The Elders, once our daughter was born, told him. There can only be one true ruler of the planet and it falls to the first born daughter, not son.

I know it sounds out there, trust me, it does eighteen years from now, too. Kivar and Tess are here on Earth and they really know how to hold a grudge. Lantham, my son, is here and we have met. As troubling as it is to say, the only way to stop this war before it escalates to massacres is for our daughter to kill him. Blood kills blood. Once that happens, it's over, at least that's what I've been told. You have to understand I don't know how everything turns out yet, I left in the middle. I left the battle when we - you and I - watched our daughter's image begin to fade. It's like she's disappearing before our eyes. That's why I'm here.

It's known on Antar, almost like a legend, when she was conceived and that is in a couple of months. Apparently there are many stories about the Warrior. This has all been planned and there are going to be forces working against the conception of her. They've had years to think things up: you only have a couple of months to get through this. They'll work hard and make things difficult, but you have to conceive that night. Without the conception of our daughter, Earth has no future. The fact of the future is landing at your feet.

I know this is a lot to take in, and I know that yo might not believe what I'm saying. The handwriting is close to what it used to be, but if you need physical proof, come to the parking lot of the high school, closest to the bleachers. I'll be there for the next couple of hours.

Forever yours, Max.

"Oh God," she said again as she got to the end of the letter. "Not again. Why the fuck does the fate of the future always fall into my lap? Can't anyone else take responsibility for it?"

She slapped the steering wheel and started the engine. Part of her wanted to drive to the apartment and crawl under the blankets. The investigative part of her knew she had to go to the high school.

"Damn it" she yelled and drove towards the school. She cruised the parking lot and parked close to the bleachers. She rolled down her window and waited. If this was a trick...

"Liz," the voice came from the bleachers. She knew the voice, although it was somewhat different, move gravelly. A figure stepped out from underneath the bleachers but avoided the light. "Don't be afraid."

"Come out into the light."

"No, I don't want you to know everything the future holds." He turned his head and Liz saw what she thought was a small ponytail. "I guess you got my letter?"

"Yeah."

"Well, do you believe me?"

"I guess I have to. Can you tell me about this war?"

"I know it's for the throne of Antar. I know they brought it to Earth because of our daughter and us. The the one true way that Kivar can dictate and remain in control is by Lantham. I don't know everything about i. There are Edlers that are like the all-knowing. They've sent us several messages telling us what is happening."

"This sounds insane." She strained her eyes, trying to see him better. "I mean, I don't want to have a baby now. I'm on the pill, too."

"I know, the pill will fail."

"Then why the great urgency if you already know that? If it's already a done deal?"

"Like I said in the letter. Our daughter's birth became legend; the knowledge of her conception on our wedding night became readily available. Kivar and Tess know this and can work against us. They'll try everything they can to make sure we don't make love on our wedding night. Without our daughter, the planet is theirs and one's not enough. They and their armies will take over Earth, destroying it."

"This is crazy," Liz shook her head. "This doesn't make any sense."

"I know. The reason I'm here is because I know you, I know you're strong enough to handle this."

"I don't know if I can handle anything."

"You can Liz. You're the strongest person I've ever known."

"Okay, so let me get this straight." Liz shook her head. "We have a daughter and she grows into this great warrior to defeat Kivar. To keep Earth safe."

"Right. See here's the part that no one knew about. Kivar and Tess always believed that because they had Lantham, he would be the true heir to the throne. They were wrong, though. It's not the first born son, it's the first born daughter. If there is no daughter, then is goes to the son. But there is a daughter - ours."

"And she'll have to train to fight?"

"No, everything she needs is within her. We won't even know this is coming until it happens. The Elders sent us a message, like a warning about the war to come."

"This sounds like a movie."

"I know," he smiled as the clouds shifted over the moon. He stepped back in the shadows. "This is the only way I could think to make sure our daughter is born."

"What happens if they succeed in stopping us?"

"In eighteen years they'll take over and eventually kill Earth."

"And one little girl is going to stop it?"

"They can't go against the rules, for lack of a better word."

"She kills Lantham?"

"She'll have to before he kills her. She's the warrior. The one from your dreams."

"You remember?" she smiled.

"I remember everything, Liz."

"Can you tell me anything else?"

"No, that's all I know. I left in the middle."

"Can you tell me something else? Are we happy? What do we do?"

"We are happy, very happy. We have a wonderful marriage. I'm not telling you anything else, you'll choose your own path."

"Our parents?"

"Alive and well."

"Maria? Leia? Michael?"

"The Guerin/DeLuca household is still intact and they are fine."

"Isabel?"

"Isabel turns out good, she finds herself before she finds another true love."

"The Valentis? Kyle? Can you tell me if he and Morgan stay together? She makes him so happy."

"Man, you ask a lot of questions," he laughed. "Let's just say she's still keeping him on his toes."

"Thank you." Liz smiled, knowing that her friends and family were going to be okay. "Things change if our daughter isn't born, though. Right?"

"Right. She's fading in front of us now, not as strong. They think they're winning. They're going to make it hard on you, but you have to. The fact of our world is riding on this."

"Is she okay? Does she know what's going on?"

"She's adapted, she knows what she has to do. You'll be so proud of her."

Liz nodded and wanted to ask about the other framed picture from her dream, but decided against it. He was right, she didn't need to know everything. "Should I tell you? I mean the Max I'm getting ready to marry?"

"I don't think so, knowing me, I'll freak out," he laughed. "Can you keep this to yourself or will you have to unload it on someone? Michael?"

"Why do you say him first and not Maria?"

"Oh, well, over the years you and Michael have acquired this unique relationship that none of the rest of us understand." He looked down and shook his head. "You'll go to Michael, he'll get you through this. I think right now Maria has her own issues to work out."

"Will she recover?"

"You know Maria, she'll recover. I should go, I'm going back as soon as the sun begins to rise, back to my time."

"Thank you." Liz wasn't sure why she was thanking him, but did so nonetheless.

"Oh, one thing, before I go. There's going to come a time when you get a new car and you're going to love it. Try not to get too mad when I crush the front bumper, I swear it was an accident."

Liz opened her mouth to talk, but he was gone. She turned her headlights on and backed up, scanning underneath the bleachers for Max: it was like he had disappeared. "Why me?" she asked the skies. "Why does everything always fall onto me?"

She took a deep breath and drove to the apartment. She let herself in and saw a note on the card table from Max. He was telling her he'd be home late, not to worry.

"Yeah, I bet you get home right around two." She clutched the letter against her chest. She wanted to keep it, to read it again and try to understand. She thought she'd also show it to Michael. Michael. So they stay friends. She went to the bedroom and hid the letter in between the pages of one of her old journals. She lay on the bed and closed her eyes. "So, this is how it turns out, huh? I'm going to get pregnant in a couple of months and my baby is going to save the world."

* * *

"Is Maria alone tonight?" Max asked as Michael drove.

"No, I don't want them alone until this is over. Morgan and Jim are there."

"Do they know what happened?"

"They haven't been told directly, but I think they know. Jim said Kyle wanted to come home and help kick ass, he told him to stay put."

"That's probably a good idea," Max nodded. "So, where to now?"

"Back to the bars, he said he had friends who told him we were looking for him." Michael nodded and pulled into a parking lot. "We'll find him. I'll end this."

Max got out of the car and followed Michael inside. They scanned the darkened bar and Michael immediately picked out the one man who turned away from them. He approached him and looked in his face.

"Where is he?" Michael breathed into his face.

"I...I don't know what ou're talking about, man," the man stuttered.

"The guy who looks like me, says he's my brother." Michael backed away so the man could get a good look at his face. "I remember you in here from the other night. Whre is he?"

"He said he'd kill me if I told you," he whimpered.

"I'll kill you if you don't."

"Michael." Max put a hand on his friend's arm.

"Tell me," Michael demanded.

"He hasn't been here yet tonight, I swear. He's staying somewhere on the strip, one of those motels. I don't know which one." He shook his head. "I swear. He usually gets here after midnight, oh God, don't tell him I told you. He'll kill me, he scares me."

"You should be scared." Michael stood up tall. "Get out of here, don't come back." The man scurried away and was out the front door within seconds.

"Little harsh?"

"I wasn't really going to kill him." Michael smiled out of the corner of his mouth. "Let's wait."

"Inside?"

"No, the next parking lot over. We can see both the front and the back from there." Michael lead the way and Max followed. Once they were in position for the stakeout Michael let out a deep breath. "You don't have to be here for this, Max, you know that. Right?"

"I know. I'll stand with you Michael, always."

Michael nodded his appreciation and they waited. At twenty after midnight Michael saw Rath stroll across the street.

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ALL ROADS LEAD HOME

WRITTEN BY BECKY W

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