Title: Tattoo

Author: Dontia

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

Spoilers: Up to "Heart of Mine" and including "Off The Menu". So Max and Tess kissed at the prom and he told Tess he remembers their former life, but nothing after happened.

Rating: PG

Summary: Tess and Michael meet up in a tattoo parlor.

Feedback: It’s the circle of life. I love to write, you love to read. Tell me you love reading, I’ll continue to love writing.

Dedication: To Brendan, who was talking about his tattoos at the FanForum party and gave me an idea.

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After a date with Maria, Michael’s wired and doesn’t want to go home. Instead, he gets on his bike and goes for a ride.

A while later, he ends up in Taos. He passes an all night tattoo parlor and stops on a whim. He’s surprised to see Tess looking through a tattoo book. "What are you doing here?"

Tess arches an eyebrow. "I’m in a tattoo parlor and I’m looking through a book of tattoos. What do you think?"

"Didn’t THINK it was your kind of thing."

"I’m in the mood for something different."

"Somethin’ happen?"

"Yes, no, maybe."

"That answers that."

"Max kissed me at the prom."

"I heard. Liz saw you guys and told Maria."

"Maybe that’s why Max is avoiding me. I mean, he tells me he remembers our past life, kisses me, then goes around acting like nothing happened."

"He’s probably trying to figure things out before you talk."

"Or he’s avoiding me and hoping I’ll forget about it. And then there’s Kyle’s newfound brotherly feelings toward me."

"His what?"

"He told me he thinks of me as a sister. So instead of being my friend the way he was, he’s going out of his way to show me he’s like a brother. Which apparently means playing pranks on me."

"Doesn’t explain why you’re in a tattoo parlor."

"I felt like something new, different. Why are you here?"

"Wanted to see if there were any new designs." Michael leans in to whisper in Tess’s ear. "You actually gonna let ‘em ink you? Or you gonna do it the alien way?"

Tess turns her head so her eyes meet Michael’s and her lips are an inch from his. "I’ll try it the human way."

"It hurts."

"So does almost everything human, even the good stuff."

"Just warning you," says Michael, putting space between them. "What are you gonna get?"

"This one I think," says Tess, pointing to the color drawing she keeps coming back to.

Michael takes one look and starts laughing.

The tattoo artist comes out. "Who’s next?"

"I am," says Tess. She gets up with her drawing and starts to follow the man. After a second, she bites her lip and turns back to Michael. "Would you come in with me?"

Michael nods and follows her.

"Where you want it?" asks the tattoo artist after putting up the drawing so he can see and copy it.

Tess smiles. Michael’s eyes widen as she unbuttons her jeans.

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An hour later, Michael and Tess are outside the tattoo parlor.

"Thanks for holding my hand," says Tess. "I’d have chickened out if you hadn’t been there."

"I still can’t believe you got that. If Max sees it, he’ll have a cow."

"If Max sees it, last thing he better be thinking of is the tattoo."

"If he asks, if ANYONE asks, I didn’t look."

"Even though you did. I’m gonna head home before Jim sends out the posse."

"Posse?"

"I like Westerns, sue me. See you tomorrow."

Tess gets in her car and drives off. Michael follows her back to Roswell until they split off to head to their homes.

As he’s drifting to sleep, Michael chuckles. He can’t stop imagining the look on Max’s face when he sees the green alien tattoo on Tess’s…

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THE END

No, I’m not gonna tell you where she got it. That’s better left to the imagination. Yes, that’s cruel of me. Later!