Title: April’s Fool

Author: Dontia

Disclaimer: I don’t own anything but the plot.

Spoilers: None

Rating: R for language.

Summary: Okay, doesn’t really make a connection to the holiday April Fool’s. But I felt like I owed you a story for the day, and Michael figures out he’s been a fool about Tess. I think that counts.

Notes: Sequel to "Waiting – Interlude # 3". In case you missed it, this is alternate reality. My timeline isn’t by the eps of Season 2, I have my own Season 2 going here. Just thought I’d make that clear, not that you can’t tell.

Feedback: It keeps me writing, so the choice is yours.

Dedication: To ________, who’s on this list but I never hear from.

***************************************

The Saturday evening after spring break starts, Isabel finds Kyle at the pizza place. "Do you know what’s going on between Tess, Michael, Liz, and Max?"

"I see all aliens are rude when they want somethin’," says Kyle. "No one told you?"

"When I ask Michael, he punches a wall and walks away. Tess cries and says men are jerks. Max avoids answering, saying he has to talk to Liz. And Liz, I can’t get near her."

"Well, from what I pieced together, Max asked for Tess’ help retrieving his memories."

"So?"

"Michael thinks it was a trick to get to Tess. See, Max insisted the connection be made through a kiss. I don’t think your brother counted on Michael knowing Max was at your place. Michael gave Liz a ride over there to see Max. They walked in on Max and Tess kissing."

"My brother’s officially an idiot. Wait, if Michael thinks Max tricked Tess, why is he mad at her?"

"Michael asked if Tess still has romantic feelings for Max. She was stupid enough to be honest."

"She still loves Max?"

"Let’s be fair. Tess has lots of memories of life with Max, of loving him. Plus Nasedo spent years drilling it in her head that she and Max are meant to be. How much must she love Michael to put all that aside?"

"I doubt Michael finds it comforting."

"Which is why Tess is staying with me and Dad again. Michael refused to stay at their apartment while she was there."

"This is totally messed up. Everything was starting to calm down when this happened."

***************************************

Tess is sitting on the sofa of the Valenti home watching movies. That’s all she’s done for two weeks, except go to school. She’s glad she won’t have to do that for another week. Seeing Michael and not being able to talk to him, to be with him, hurts.

She fingers the locket Michael gave her and forces herself not to cry again. She resolutely takes Gladiator out of the VCR, refusing to remember her dream, one she’s had every night for a week. Unable to help herself, she puts in Braveheart and watches it through watery eyes.

***************************************

At the Crashdown, Maria, Michael, and Liz are closing the restaurant for the night. Maria watches them walk around with sad, angry expressions and sighs defeatedly. She’d thought Max and Liz would patch things up by now. But Liz can’t or won’t forgive Max. And Max is getting tired of trying to get Liz to believe it meant nothing.

Then there’s Michael. Maria rubs the aching place in her chest as she acknowledges how miserable he’s been since he caught Tess with Max. She doesn’t know how it happened, or even why, but Michael really, truly loves Tess.

Maria realizes she has to fix the mess she made. She loves Liz and Michael too much to watch them be unhappy anymore.

She nervously clears her throat to get their attention, knowing they’ll be angry with her. "We have to talk."

"Can it wait?" asks Liz. "I have some homework to finish."

"We don’t go back to school for a week," says Michael.

"I want it outta the way so I can enjoy my time off."

"You need some serious help Parker. You’re supposed to wait until the last minute."

"Says who?"

"The ‘Normal Teen’ rulebook."

"Can I borrow your copy? I lost mine when I met some aliens."

"Guys, this is important," says Maria, drawing their attention back to her. "It’s about Max and Tess."

"I don’t wanna talk about them," says Michael.

"We have to."

"Don’t get involved Maria," says Liz.

"Let me get this out, okay? Um, after Michael and Tess got together, before that really, I was jealous. I was convinced Michael and I should be together and that Tess was using Michael to get to Max."

"You were right," says Michael. "Are you done yet."

"I’m not sure I was right. I was positive about what Tess was doing, I just needed to prove it. So I went to Max, convinced him to help me."

"How?" asks Liz.

"He was gonna come on to Tess, see if she took the bait. If she did, he was supposed to tell Michael. He didn’t know you were gonna be there to see it though."

"But you made sure I was," says Michael, turning away and gripping the counter.

"Why tell us?" asks Liz. "It doesn’t change anything. Even if Max wasn’t coming on to Tess because he wants her, he still did a horrible thing. You both did."

"It changes everything," says Maria. "I guilted Max into doing it, saying I couldn’t move on with my life until I knew Tess loved Michael. And she does Michael. Max told me she wasn’t interested at all. You should forgive them, both of you."

"You’re supposed to be my best friend Maria, yet you sent the man I love to the one person…I don’t know what to say to you. I’m so angry right now."

"I’m so sorry. I was hurt and jealous, and wasn’t thinking."

"I gotta go," says Michael, tossing off his apron and walking out.

"Lock up as you leave," says Liz, moving toward the stairs. "I need to think."

Maria locks up and makes her way to her car. Once she’s locked inside, she starts sobbing.

***************************************

At the Evan’s house, Isabel’s surprised to open the door to Michael. "Hi."

"Max here?" asks Michael.

Max walks up behind Isabel. "My parents aren’t here. We can do this outside or in the living room."

"Living room."

In the living room, Michael and Max eye each other, both feeling the gulf between them.

Isabel eyes them cautiously, knowing this conversation is crucial to their future. "Do you want me to leave?"

Michael shakes his head. "No, I might need you to explain why Max is such an ass."

"What’s this about?" asks Max.

"What the hell do you think? I had an enlightening chat with Maria."

"I see."

"That’s it? No ‘I’m sorry Michael’? No ‘I wish I could take it back’? Not even an ‘I’m supposed to be your best friend and I shouldn’t have done that to you’? You’re such a jerk."

"What’s going on?" asks Isabel. "What are you talking about?"

Michael turns to her. "Maria asked our hero here to come on to Tess. And Maxwell was more than happy to do it."

"What?"

"I could’ve almost understood if he’d really wanted her. He doesn’t, he just doesn’t want me to have her."

"Is this true Max?"

"Parts of it," admits Max.

"Which parts did I get wrong?" asks Michael.

"I did it for you and Tess. I didn’t want you getting closer if what you had was based on her feelings for me."

"Bullshit. You didn’t do it because you wanted us to be sure of our feelings, or even because Maria asked you to. You did it because I had something you thought of as yours and you wanted it back."

"That’s not true."

"Riiight. If it had been out of concern for Tess and me, you’d have said so two weeks ago. We’re supposed to be friends, no, brothers. That you could do this to me, to Tess…I don’t know what we are or can be anymore."

"Don’t say that," says Isabel. "Make this right Max."

"I don’t think I can," says Max.

"You can’t just leave it like this!"

"I don’t think there’s any going back Isabel," says Michael.

"Dammit, we’re family," says Isabel, tears tracing down her face.

"We’ll always be family and Max will always be my brother. He just won’t be my friend anymore."

"Michael wait," says Max and Michael starts to leave. "I am sorry I hurt you."

"Just tell me one thing. Maria said you told her Tess wasn’t interested when you came on to her. Is that true?"

"She wasn’t interested."

Michael nods and walks out.

Isabel looks Max in the eye for a few moments before slapping him hard, almost knocking him down.

"What was that for?" asks Max, cradling his cheek.

"For being a jerk. You’re the leader, you’re supposed to close the divisions in our ranks, not make them wider."

"I did what I thought was right, and I never asked to be leader."

"Well, boo hoo, poor Max. If you don’t like the hand life dealt you, tough. None of us is exactly thrilled with how things are."

"But it doesn’t rest on anyone else’s shoulders."

"Whatever. And don’t think I bought your explanation about why you did it."

"It’s true."

"Don’t get me wrong, I know you love Liz and wanna be with her. But you want Tess too. If you could get them to go for it, you’d prefer a threesome."

"Where do you get this stuff?"

"From knowing my brother really well. I’m going to my room. I suggest you prepare an apology to give Tess tomorrow. I doubt you can have your threesome, but you may want to keep SOME of your friends."

***************************************

Alex is walking by the Crashdown when he sees Maria crying in her car. He goes over and knocks on the window, waiting for her to roll it down. "You okay?"

"I was stupid," says Maria. "They hate me, they both hate me."

"Who? Nevermind. Slide over, I’ll drive you home."

"You’re still my friend, right Alex? Even when you find out what I did, you’ll still be my friend?"

"I can’t promise I won’t be angry, but we’ll always be friends. Now let’s get you home."

***************************************

At the Valenti house, there’s a knock on the door. Kyle comes out of his room and look at Tess, who’s sobbing at one of the happy scenes during Braveheart. He shakes his head and answers the door.

Kyle looks at Michael and scowls. "If you’re not here to make up with her and take her home, leave."

"I need to talk to her," says Michael, shifting from foot to foot. He stops moving and looks behind Kyle when he catches the sound of crying. "Is that Tess?"

"Yeah. You make it worse, I’ll kick your ass. I’ll be in my room."

Michael waits until he hears Kyle’s door close, takes a deep breath, and enters the living room. "I thought you hated this movie."

"Michael!" Tess turns around, hastily wiping at her face. "What are you doing here?"

"I needed to see you."

"Why? I thought you didn’t wanna see me."

"I always wanna see you. Just, every time I did, I got the image of Max kissing you. I couldn’t handle it."

"What changed?"

"I learned some stuff." Michael tells her what Maria and Max did. "I’m sorry Tess. I should’ve believed you when you said it didn’t mean anything. I should’ve taken your word for it."

"I can understand why it was hard for you. If it had been you and Maria or you and Isabel, I’d have had trouble too. And I didn’t help when I said I still had…"

"Feelings for Max. I thought about it on my way over here. I’ve thought about nothin’ but since that night. It hurts that part of you still wants him. What if one day that part wins and I lose you?"

"Michael, have you ever heard the Native American saying ‘The heart is a house with many rooms’? Just because part of me loves Max doesn’t mean he occupies the biggest room. Just like I know that though part of you still loves Maria and Isabel, it doesn’t mean you don’t love me. It means I’m who you choose and you’re who I choose."

"I’m scared that you chose me because you can’t have Max."

"You know me Michael. If I really wanted Max, do you think I’d let Liz Parker or the way he feels about her stop me? It didn’t before. You’re the one I want Michael."

"I don’t wanna lose you Tess."

"I’ll always love you Michael, you won’t lose that."

Michael gestures to the locket around Tess’ neck. "I’m surprised you kept that on."

"It makes me feel closer to you."

"Will you come home with me? I miss having you there."

"I miss being there. We’ll get my stuff in the morning."

"Okay." Michael leans down and gives her a soft, tentative kiss. "I’m sorry for not believing in us."

"Don’t let it happen again. Let’s go home."

Tess takes his hand and leads him outside.

Kyle opens his bedroom door, the phone attached to his ear. He watches Michael and Tess drive away through the living room window. "They made up, they just left."

"Thank God," says Isabel over the line. "Now how do we fix the rest of this mess?"

"I say we vote your brother and Maria off the island."

"I vote that way too, but we have the Skins after us. We have to be a group."

"You sure you weren’t the leader in that last life?"

"I’m sure. I have to go Kyle."

"Before you go, one thing."

"What?"

"What are you wearing?"

"A smile." Click.

***************************************

THE END

What? I like UC and some of the first Roswell fic I read was Isabel/Kyle but nothing new is written for them, at least that I’ve found.