Surprise…..

“What the hell are you wearing?”

“Clothes.” Maria said moving plates to a better place. “Why?”

Michael frowned looking her over. She looked…damn. “I can see your stomach.”

“Uh-huh. And like you never seen it before? What are you saying?”

“Your skirt is damn short.”

“Michael, you big teddy bear, get the cake done. I know I look good, so stop paying me compliments. It’ll give me a big head.”

“Oh sure, blame that one on me.” Michael said crossly forgetting what he already put in the cake. This was the last time he was going to let Maria convince him to make a cake. It was a stupid idea for a present anyway.

“Hurry! I think she’s coming!” Maria rushed around. “Places, everybody! Places!”

Isabel entered the Crashdown wearing a party dress. She was ambushed.

“Surprise!” screamed everybody.

“Oh, happy birthday, sweetheart!” Mrs. Evans said as Isabel blinked owlishly, disoriented for a second.

“Oh, my God!” Turning to look at people she knew and the happy birthday banner, she smiled big. “Oh! I could kill you all.”

“Kill your brother.” Diane Evans told her daughter. “He's the one who planned the entire thing.”

“Happy birthday, old lady.” Max said kissing Isabel’s cheek.

“Max, I can't believe you did this with everything that's happening.”

“It's still your birthday.” Max said simply while Michael rolled his eyes. Sure, Max did it all… not. Thanks to Maria’s overactive party genes, they had to cancel a live music date tonight.

“Max, you're the worst, really. I don't know what to say.”

“Say that you're surprised, 'cause he was totally, totally stressing that you'd figure it out.” Maria told Isabel.

“I had no idea.”

“Really?” Max asked, uncertain that Isabel wasn’t just being polite.

Michael rolled his eyes. “Alex told you to come by so he could give you back a book. I mean, what a lame excuse. How could you not figure that out?”

Isabel looked around, searching for her friend. “Where is Alex, anyway?”

Maria bit her lip, her eyes shining as she held back suppressed laughter. “He's, um, he's still getting dressed.” Michael pinched her side making her give a little yelp, as she turned and hit his shoulder.

“Can you believe your brother did all of this in, like, three days' time?” Mrs. Evans asked Isabel.

“No.” Isabel was jostled by the waitress, Courtney offering her a drink.

“Happy birthday to you.”

“Oh, thank you.” Isabel said uncertain who the girl was.

“Mm-hmm.” Courtney walked off.

“Oh, honey.” Diane said leading Isabel around the room. “You know, your dad is beside himself that he's still stuck in Minneapolis .”

“That's ok. Poor guy.”

Diane looked at her daughter critically. “By the way, honey, why are you wearing that dress?”

“Um, oh ... ” Isabel suddenly seemed embarrassed by her dress which was far too formal for a trip to the Crashdown to pick up a book.

“Yeah,” said Michael who still couldn’t believe that Isabel couldn’t figure it out. “If you really didn't know about the party, then how'd you know to dress up?”

“I ... I didn't. I ... actually, I had, um, other plans.” The front door of the Crashdown opened as Grant Sorenson came inside. He looked around and immediately spotted Isabel.

“Isabel. Sorry I'm late. I didn't know there was going to be a party.” Grant handed her a bouquet of roses.

“Neither did I.” Isabel assured him as she stared at the roses. “Purple are my favorite.”

“So I heard.” Grant told her, smiling.

Michael made a face. “No, wait. Who's ever heard of purple roses? What, did you, like, dye them or something?”

“They're sterling roses, Michael.” Isabel informed him. “They're … they're really rare and expensive.” Michael pulled another face. Of course they are, why else would they be Isabel’s favorite? Only the best. Uh-huh.

“Well, I'm impressed.” Grant said looking around the room. “No one's ever given me a surprise party.”

A worried Diane Evans looked the older man over. “Oh, when's your birthday?”

“December 7th.”

“And what year might that be?”

Isabel looked at her mother horrified. “Mom!” She noticed some blood on the back of Grant's neck distracting her from her embarrassment. “Oh, you … you're bleeding on your … ” She reached to touch him.

“I am?

Isabel grabbed a napkin to press to the wound. “Oh, here. Let me.” She pushed her drink into her mother’s hand. “Here, mom. Will you … ”

“Must have happened when I slipped down the ravine on the dig today.” Grant told her, holding still under her administration. Isabel suddenly startled as a vision hit her. Unable to discern the images, she was visibly shaken.

“What?” Grant asked catching her for a moment.

Isabel stepped back plastering a smile on her face. “Nothing. No, nothing.”

Grant noticed her reaction and suddenly aware of all those around him watching the interaction, he became aware that he was out of place among the teenagers. “Well, this obviously isn't a good time for a date.”

“Well, you're welcome to stay.” Isabel assured him.

“Or go.” Michael suggested quickly. Maria pinched his back.

“Actually, I have some samples I should drop off at the lab tonight anyway.” Grant smiled at Isabel, finding a quick excuse to leave. “I'll call you.”

“Ok.” Isabel answered, unhappy to see him going. As Grant left, Diane Evans approached her daughter, visibly upset.

“You know, honey, not now and not tonight, but pretty soon you and I are gonna have to have a little talk.”

“Ditto,” said Max, his eyes still looking after the now gone Grant. Isabel wasn’t paying attention to the others. Sipping her drink she suddenly had a vision of Tess in an accident. Startled, she dropped her drink.

“Oh, God.”

Diane was at Isabel’s side immediately. “Are you all right?”

“I'm just so clumsy tonight.” Isabel said looking at the spilt drink.

“I'll get that.” The waitress Courtney was back, and Isabel frowned at the girl who seemed to be hovering around her all night.

“Are you sure? I can … I can get it.”

Courtney smiled shaking her head at Isabel. “This is your night.”

Maria made a face at the incident and pulled a certain pissy alien boy into the back room. Michael suddenly seemed to remember his cake and quickly took off towards the kitchen with Maria on his heels.

“Okay, so what has a bee in your bonnet?” Maria asked.

“What you talking about?” Michael frowned at the cooking cake. Was it supposed to be dark like that on the edges?

“Grant. Isabel’s date with Grant, and how rude you were. Maybe you could just challenge him to a duel or something. Tell him that she’s your destined mate?”

Michael made a face at Maria. “You know I don’t believe in that crap.” Michael waved his oven mitt at her. “I will tell you one thing though. He’s another stranger suddenly finding a way into our group. A little too close, don’t you think?”

“You mean like Corky-the wonder dog licking your ass every chance she gets?”

“Who?”

“Pan face.”

Michael made a face. “Oh her. Yeah, whatever. I think there are too many new people around here. We never got to investigate old man Grant, and here he is making time with a teenager. It is majorly creepy, and if you ask me…”

“Which I didn’t.”

“…it’s highly suspicious.”

“So is your baking. What did you do to that cake?” Maria asked peering into the oven with Michael. “Is it supposed to be that lumpy and one side high and the other side low?”

“You’re asking me?” Michael looked at Maria. “I’m blaming you for this failure.”

“Me? What did I do?”

“Made me make a cake.”

“Hey! Mr. Too Cheap to Buy a Present, it was just a suggestion since you weren’t getting her anything else.”

“I spent all my extra cash on our concert tickets in Albuquerque next month.”

Maria seemed to think about it. “Okay, maybe we can cover up the lumps with icing.”

Michael seemed to think about it. “Icing is good.”

~~~

Isabel disconnected her cell phone after calling Grant to leave a message, turning to find Max eavesdropping on her call. “Listening to my private conversations?”

“I was going to talk to Michael and Maria, but as usual they are in the middle of a private conversation, and their conversations scare me.” Max pointed at the phone. “Why are you calling him? He just left.”

“Uh, I was just leaving him a message to thank him for the flowers.”

“You already thanked him.”

Isabel made a face. “Yeah, and you guys made him feel really welcome.”

“He wasn't invited.” Max pointed out.

“I invited him before I ever knew there was a party.”

“Don't do it again.” Max ordered Isabel.

“Excuse me?” Isabel’s face infused with color. “Are you forbidding me?”

“You can't let anyone new in.” Max informed her. “It's too dangerous.”

“Like it was too dangerous to let Liz Parker in.” Isabel said, suddenly she was seeing things from a different view … Michael’s, the view that Michael had argued for an entire year while she supported Max.

“That's different,” Max said, tired of the argument. It was done. There was no going back, but they could stop anything new happening.

“Yeah, it was.” The cloying double standard was sticking Isabel in a place she never felt, one that Michael always complained about. “You want to know how? Because I can date someone and keep my mouth shut at the same time. You couldn't.”

“That was the past.” Max said hurrying to get over the point, and on to the next one. “We've got to think about the future, the one our mother talked about.”

“Right, right.” Isabel made a face. “The king. I'm sorry. How could I forget? All I know is … Max, you may be the king, but I am not bowing down to you, not in this lifetime.”  Isabel suddenly put her hand to her head as visions ran through her mind, among them a "RED'S" sign. “Uhh.”

“What is it?” Max asked going to her in concern.

“Had this headache on and off all day.”

“You're sweating.”

“I'm fine. It's… ”

Maria interrupted them. She had hung back during the argument, but it was time.

“Ahem. Isabel, you better come out. There's a policeman here to see you.”

“A policeman?” Isabel moved away from Max, her face suddenly worried. “What's going on?”

“He's asking for you.” Maria urged, struggling to keep a serious face.

“You better go.” Max told Isabel, his eyes meeting Maria’s. He quickly gave her a stern look as a hint of a smile pulled at Maria’s mouth. She crossed her eyes and stuck her tongue out at him.

Isabel entered the main Crashdown area, followed by Max and Maria. Alex was there dressed up in a policeman uniform. He hit the music and started removing his uniform preparing to perform a full Monty. The crowd went wild and Isabel laughed as she watched, her face a colorful red.

“You love that!” Alex said, dancing up to the birthday girl. Mrs. Evans appalled by the striptease walked up to Alex, who hadn’t realized she was there.

Alex turned a nice shade of red. “Hi, Ms. Evans. Great party.”

In one of the back rooms, Courtney walked in as Michael was trying to finish making Isabel's cake. He was in a hurry once he heard the music. Poor Alex, the sap didn’t know how to avoid DeLuca persuasion. The girl was too smart to approach him to do it. For a moment, Michael paused, slightly upset that Maria hadn’t tried to con him into humiliating himself.

“So, did you, uh, make that all by yourself?” Michael glanced up at the waitress, and then returned to his task.

“No. Betty Crocker came on by and whipped it up.”

Courtney looked at the strange cake. “Betty Crocker would've used eggs.”

“Eggs.” Michael said more to himself. Okay, so now he knew where he got lost on the instructions.

“Sorry.”

“My first cake.” Michael said. Hell, Maria’s cake had been easy. Her mother did it for him and all he had to do was take her out on his bike across the desert and across Texas to Corpus Christi to a special event she had wanted to see.

“Well, guys don't make cakes for just anybody.” Michael had to agree with that, and as soon as he found a certain annoying blonde human girl, he was going to mention that fact. This suggestion sucked. “In fact, guys don't make cakes at all.” Courtney reached over and put her finger in the left over cake batter tasting it.

“Hey...” Michael moved the bowl away from her.

“What flavor is this anyway?”

“It's a combination of a few things.”

“It tastes like Tabasco .” Courtney lifted a brow. “Did you put Tabasco in a cake?”

“Well, what if I did?” Michael asked defensively.

“I like that.”

Michael pushed her out of his way. “Just move.”

“So, what's a chick got to do to get a cake out of a guy like you?”

“Nothing you could handle.”

 “That's too bad.” Courtney tasted the frosting. “Mmm. You gonna frost it or what?”

“Yeah, I'm gonna frost it.” Michael said snatching the bowl of frosting from the waitress. Maria walked in to see how Michael was doing when she saw the other waitress. She lifted a brow to Michael.

“How's the cake coming?”

“It's coming.” Courtney said coyly to Maria as her eyes went to devour Michael, her meaning obviously not about the cake. Michael made a face shoving the bowl of frosting at Courtney.

“Maybe you should finish it.” Michael went to leave the room, he made a gesture to Maria to follow, but she nodded to him to go on.

“Think you could be a little more obvious?” Maria asked.

“What do you mean?”

“Why don’t you just strip naked and spread out on a table for him, maybe he’ll catch your intent. Obviously all your ‘piercing’ and sexual come-ons aren’t getting you anywhere too fast.”

Courtney made a face. “If you can’t keep him, then who am I to care?”

“Keep him? Michael?” Maria laughed. “He’s taken. Or haven't you noticed?” Nope she wouldn’t notice, but then again, Courtney wouldn’t know what Maria was talking about. The man was taken by his need to find his world, and understand his past. He had little tolerance or need for a distraction like Courtney, or any thing resembling a romantic entanglement. The man had a one way ticket off this planet, and he was impatiently waiting to have it punched.

“I noticed he didn't make this cake for you.”

“It's not my birthday.” Maria looked at the sad cake. Note to self, help the boy practice before her birthday came around.

“Small detail.”

Maria laughed. “Actually, large detail. He actually knows when my birthday is. Has he even bother to get your name right, Connie?”

Courtney’s eyes narrowed dangerously as anger moved over her face. Michael never called her by name, and when he did, it was usually wrong. Alex walked in before the two girls could come to blows, he started lamenting about how his striptease dance turned out.

“You know, I can't believe I let you talk me into that!” Alex told Maria, who was busy.

“You obviously aren’t very observant, and have no idea about what’s what, but here’s a clue for you. Me and Michael go way back. You could strip down, rub yourself all over him, and he would still be closer to me.” Maria sneered at the bottle blonde waitress.

“That was the most humiliating experience of my life!” Alex complained to Maria, too caught up in his own embarrassment to notice that Maria wasn’t paying attention.

“You sew your name into the back of his jeans?”

“Actually, it’s tattooed on his body.” Maria informed the girl, not going into detail about how that came about, or where his name was on her body.

“I did a striptease in front of her mother!” Alex said emphasizing his humiliation. “Are you listening to me?”

Maria glanced at her friend. Oh, he was in major meltdown. “One nipple does not constitute a striptease, Alex.”

“She saw my nipple?” Alex put his hands over his eyes. “Oh, God.”

“Chill out, NYPD Blue.” Courtney said to Alex, her face trying to concentrate on the idea that Michael had Maria’s name tattooed on his body. They were close, that she knew. Maria spent nights over at Michael’s place, but the waitress hadn’t noticed them kissing or holding hands. Then again, she suspected they shared a bed. Their relationship was confusing. It was close, but at times, it seemed to lack romantic involvement, and at other times, it was utterly intimate.

“Chill out? Chill out?” Alex flopped his hands about in anxiety. “I spent $150 to rent this costume. And do you have any idea how it feels to walk around all day with a thong up your ass?”

“Yes!” Maria and Courtney said at the same time.

~~~

Michael had escaped the suffocating attentions of Courtney by going to the party. He watched for Maria, but she was still in the back. Sitting at a table with Kyle and a few other guys, Michael kept an eye out for her. Kyle was complaining to his buddies about Tess while Michael listened, sipping on his Tabasco laced cherry coke.

“Seriously. So, she's got her underwear and her bras and her girlie things all over the bathroom.” Michael made a face. Yeah, the bathroom was the first place always taken over by chicks. His bathroom was Maria’s private nesting ground. “Every time I go in to shave, I feel like I'm walking into Victoria 's Secret.”

Michael lifted a brow. “So what's not to like?” The new fall line just came out, and far as Michael could tell, it was hot. That scrap of filmy see-thru black teddy Maria had hung to dry kept him fascinated for an entire week and beyond.

Isabel came up to the group of boys. “Kyle, where is Tess?”

“She went to Jensen's to get your present.” Kyle told Isabel before turning back to the guys. “Anyway, she's taken over the television, the computer, my phone. If some chick's gonna be yelling at me about keeping the toilet seat down, she better at least be doing me.”  Mrs. Evans walked by at that exact moment, reacting to Kyle's last words, as the striptease was still large in her mind. “Doing me … a favor.” Kyle quickly amended as Michael punched him in the ribs.

“Hi.” Diane said to Kyle, looking him over critically. She really needed to look into her daughter’s friendships, especially with boys. One too old, one stripping, and the other … “I'm, uh … I'm Isabel's mom.” Michael was laughing at the look on Kyle’s face being confronted by Mrs. Evans when Max grabbed him.

“I need to talk to you.”

Michael shrugged off Max’s hand. He was sick of the boy King. “We have nothing to talk about.”

“I need you to back me up on something.”

Sure he did. “You make decisions without asking my opinion, and now you expect me to back you up?”

“I think Isabel's getting serious with that Sorenson guy.” Michael sighed, making a face. He didn’t have enough time running after those two, but given Max’s indiscretions with Liz, it was best to head Isabel off at the pass. Michael went to trap Isabel into a conversation. Maybe Maria would rescue him?

~~~

Michael and Isabel were sitting at a booth. “He gave you an order.”

“I don't take orders from Max.” Isabel informed Michael, her eyes narrowing at his turn about face.

“He's our leader. He's right.” Michael almost choked on that, but for once, he actually agreed with Max.

“Since when?” Isabel’s face fused with color, angered by the obvious alliance between Max and Michael against her. “You two are barely speaking. And when you do talk, you don't even agree.”

Michael shrugged. He picked his fights, and in this instant, he and Max agreed. “Well, we agree on this.”

“I bet you do.” Isabel said cryptically.

“What's that supposed to mean?” Michael’s eyes narrowed, hating that she was going to accuse him of having the same double standards that governed all of Max’s waking days.

“Am I supposed to be alone for the rest of my … of my life…?” Isabel asked. Sure, it was easy for Max and Michael who had Liz and Maria in their lives.

“Isabel, you are not alone.”

“Not even talk to other guys?”

“Works for me.” Michael said. What was she complaining about? She dumped Alex without a backwards glance, and he knew her, knew about her, and now, she was wanting to add a stranger to the mix.

“I don't think so.”

“Isabel, you do not belong with him.” Hell, they hadn’t even investigated the man, and she was all but ready to marry the man. He could be a Skin, an enemy.

“No. I belong with you.” Isabel said nastily, liking the irritated look on Michael’s face, the one that usually appeared when any of them talked about Destiny. “But I don't think either one of us wants to think about that too much.” Isabel suddenly winced as she got another vision of Tess. “Unh!”

“What's going on?” Michael asked, frowning at the movement of pain across her face.

“Nothing. Nothing. It's just my headache.”

Michael looked over and saw Maria. She made a gesture to him. It was nearly time for the cake. Michael glanced back at Isabel. “Look, I know this whole destiny crap is hard, being told that we’re supposed to be together, but not wanting that. Maybe it makes it hard to know what’s right, and what’s not. But if ever I felt anything towards you more than a sister, you would’ve known it, and I would expect you to tell me if your feelings changed too.”

“They haven’t.”

Michael scoffed. “I know that. I am, and always will be a source of irritation to you.”

“That’s not true, Michael.”

“Sure it is. I don’t do sterling roses, and could care less if you love them. I wouldn’t even bother to find out. I never do what you want me to do, when you want me to do it, but you know what? You don’t either. I spent years fighting against you and Max, your tyranny over me, jointly deciding everything regardless of what my life was like. Well now, you’re getting a little taste of what it’s been like for me, having the two of you order me about, decide what I can and cannot do.”

“So this is payback?”

“No. This is a reality check, Isabel. You sided with Max naturally all these years, and since we learned he was King. Now you suddenly don’t like it when he orders you around. A little consistency, a little less double standard on all our parts would be nice, don’t you think? I only side with him now because I know our enemies are out there. For once, he is actually taking a pro-active position on our situation … so actually my stance hasn’t changed, Max’s has. His motivation? Well, that you’ll have to ask him. I just know that Nasedo is dead. The Skins are near. Just how many strangers can we allow into our private space before we end up like Nasedo?” Michael stood up at Maria’s violent gesture. Sighing, Michael went back to work. “C’mon. It’s party time.”

The cake was brought out. Everyone started singing "Happy Birthday", but during the song, Isabel kept getting visions of Tess repeatedly asking her for help. The latest visions were different. As soon as she could, Isabel got both Max and Michael into the back room telling them about the visions.

“It was like she was really here. She was hurt and crying for help.”

“Who was the last person to see her?” Max asked Isabel.

Michael knew that. “Kyle said she went to Jensen's to buy a present.”

“She's in danger.” Isabel told her brothers.

“Yeah. It's got to be Nasedo's killer.” Isabel stopped herself from scoffing at Michael for once. He had killers on the brain, but in this instance, he might be right. “He's after Tess.”

“Trust me,” Courtney said coming into the room unnoticed by them, “nobody's after Tess. All that blond hair and eye shadow? She's like Dolly Parton without the jugs.”

Michael looked at the waitress Corky in irritation. “Could you just go refill the ketchups or something?” Courtney frowned at Michael’s tone, quickly leaving the room.

Isabel ignored the waitress. “We've got to find her.”

“I think we should start with Sorenson.” Max told Michael. “He showed up here bleeding. Could've been struggling with someone.”

“Grant has nothing to do with this, Max.” She couldn’t believe him. He was determined to have Grant be a bad person.

“I'll be the judge of that.” Max said as Liz and Maria entered the back room. Liz had been working, but she finally got off as Congresswoman Whitaker found a way to invite herself to the party.

“We've got a problem.” Liz told the others.

“I know.” Max said. “Tess is missing.”

“Oh, boo-hoo.” Maria said, seeing the others’ serious faces, she stopped. “Sorry.”

“She's missing?” Liz asked. That wasn’t the problem she was talking about, but still it was a problem.

Michael nodded pulling Maria over close to him. “Isabel had a vision that she was in trouble.”

“That's weird.” Maria said looking up at Michael. He rarely showed concern, but his face was a study of it.

“Here's something else weird - Whitaker has been taping my phone conversations at work. I found a CD.” Liz told them. “But the thing is, how come she hasn't busted me yet?” Liz made a face at Maria, who had the chagrin to look guilty remembering all the times she called Liz at work trying to incite her to leave work for the afternoon.

“Maybe because she hasn't given up alien-hunting after all.” Michael suggested. How could they forget the jonesing Whitaker had for the Special Unit and a certain leader of that unit?

“She's out there right now.” Liz informed them.

Isabel bit her lip. “At my party?”

“Yeah … um, she sort of invited herself.” Liz and the others looked at the door as Courtney came into the back room again.

“So, the real party's in here.” Courtney said.

Maria looked at the other waitress in irritation. Was she like everywhere at once? “Could you, like, go refill the ketchups or something?”

“Done.” Courtney said, hating that Maria gave her the same order that Michael did, her eyes not missing how close Michael and Maria were standing.

“Sugars, then.” Maria ordered shooing the waitress off.

Michael didn’t bother to glance at Courtney, his mind on more important things. He wasn’t much into the way of multitasking. “Maybe Whitaker's got something to do with this Tess thing.”

Max thought it through. “Michael, you go to her office…see what you can find. I'm going to get Valenti. We'll check out Sorenson.”

“What should I do?” Isabel asked them.

“Make sure Whitaker stays here so Michael can search her office.” Max said.

“I can't just stay here knowing everything that's happening.” Isabel said, her face fused with worry as she hated being pushed out of the loop.

“We'll handle it.” Max told her. “Just … just try to enjoy your party.”

“Like I can, Max. I'm the one who saw the visions. I'm going after her.”

Max pushed Isabel towards the party. “Let me take care of it.”

Maria looked at Michael. “You need a lookout?”

Michael’s eyes were following Isabel. “No. I’ll be okay. I think I need you to keep an eye on Isabel. She’s not very good at this sort of thing.”

“Dating Sorenson doesn’t mean she’ll mess up or betray you.”

“Max did with Liz. What makes you think Isabel won’t do the same?” Michael asked.

“Because she wouldn’t.” Maria pushed Michael towards the outside door. “Go. Be the little B&E bunny I know you can be. Bring back the dirt!”

“Right.” Michael pointed a finger at Maria, his partner in crime. “Keep your eye on the prize. Don’t let her trip up or run off.”

“Right.”

Michael stopped for a moment. “Hey, Maria?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you have a dress that looks like Isabel’s?”

Maria frowned at the question. No, she wasn’t big on standard prom dress fare. “Not really. I like things a little looser and flowing, or body tight.”

“Good.” Michael went through the door happy at the thought he wouldn’t some day walk into his bathroom and find some kind of prom grown hanging there. There was only so much a guy could handle. Skimpy underwear he could forgive, because in truth, it was really did something for the both of them.

~~~

Isabel and her mother met the Congresswoman. They opened the presents, and except for a strange alien figure, everything was pretty normal until Isabel had another vision of Tess. The headache was killing her, so she excused herself to find aspirin as Liz and Maria followed her into the back room.

“Did you have another vision?” Liz asked Isabel.

Isabel ignored her. She turned to Maria holding out her hand. “Give me your keys.”

“No way.” Oh god, Michael would kill her if she let Isabel go off on her own. “Last time I lent out the Jetta, an Uzi took out the back window.”

“Then drive me.”

“Where?” Maria asked already hearing Michael’s pissy tirade.

“To look for Tess. I saw a sign - RED'S.”

Liz shook her head. “There's no "RED'S" in Roswell .”

Isabel looked at Liz. “I know Tess isn't your favorite person. We've all treated her pretty badly. I'm not proud of the way I've acted.”

“I can't help it, Isabel.” Liz told Isabel. “I don't trust her.” Maria added an amen under her breath.

“Then trust me.” Isabel begged them.

Maria sighed. If she refused, Isabel would find another way. Keep her eye on the prize. Right. “Ok. I think I know where it is. Let's go.”

“No.” Liz told them. “Max said not to leave.”

“Max isn't here.” Isabel pointed out.

Liz looked at Maria and Isabel, both of them almost out the door. “Ok. Fine. I'll go with you.”

“No.” Isabel told her, looking at the swinging door that went back to her party. “No. You have to cover for me.”

Maria gave Liz one last look before leaving with Isabel. Oh god, she was going to rot in alien hell with the demonic Michael Guerin shooting poniards at her.

~~~

Michael easily broke into Whitaker's office. Looking around, he flipped through files and folders until he found one of interest. Whitaker had a file for Courtney. Michael took a picture from the file staring at the new waitress, who as Maria termed it, was more than a little interested in him. Michael glanced up when he heard Whitaker unlocking the office door. Quickly putting away the file, but keeping the picture, he made a hasty retreat just before she entered. That was close. Times like these, Maria was sorely missed.

~~~

Maria drove Isabel to a rundown restaurant called Fred's. The "F" on the neon sign wasn't lit up. “There's your "RED'S".” The place made a mean taco platter that got a certain alien boy all excited. How could she miss remembering that sign?

“That's it.” Isabel said. They continued driving until Isabel saw Tess' car, which had been damaged. It was on the side of the road, partially in a ditch. It had been abandoned.

Isabel rushed to look inside, but there was no Tess. “Shoot. Where is she?”

Maria circled the car. “Maybe she was thrown out of the car.”

“I don't think so.” Isabel looked down the dark lonely road.

Maria studied the dark quiet place, its deserted feel was starting to scare her, as she and Isabel stood there. “Um, maybe the paramedics already came.”

“No.” Isabel frowned as she leaned forward to pick up something off Tess’s car. It was a piece of skin that disintegrated in her hand.

“No. She was taken.”

Maria had enough. She needed Spaceboy, and she needed him now. Punching in a phone number for the Crashdown, she needed to contact Liz to get Michael. “Ahh, I can't get a signal this far out.”

“I see some tracks. Two sets of tires, see?” Isabel pointed to the tracks, and Maria looked at them with a hollowing of her stomach, already knowing where this was leading. “But look here. They swerve near Tess' car … then go out in that direction.”

“Straight into nowhere.”

“Nowhere's where we're going.” Isabel told Maria going to get back into the Jetta.

Maria sighed quickly following. Damn her hide, she left the keys in the ignition, and knowing alien-kind, they had no compunction not to just take what they needed. Maria made a face as the Jetta bumped over the uneven ground as they drove off into the darkness of nowhere. “Note to self -- get four-wheel drive.”

Maria and Isabel arrived at Chavez County Electric Power Facility -- Plant #2.

“She's in there.” Isabel told Maria.

“Oh, no.” God, how did she get into these situations? “No. No. Now, you don't know that.”

“I feel it.”

Maria looked around desperately, biting her lip. “We need to get Max and Michael.”

“Then go get them.” Isabel told Maria as she got out of the Jetta.

“No. No.” Maria got out of the driver’s side calling to Isabel. “No. You're not going in there by yourself.”

“I have to.” Isabel said. The visions. They were calling to her. She had to go.

“No.” Maria quickly went around the Jetta stopping Isabel with a hand on her arm. “I'm not gonna leave you.”

Isabel looked at the smaller human girl, and for a moment, she envied Michael, understanding what made him so attached to Maria. Maria was a good friend. Devoted. Isabel caught that over the summer while they bonded, but her connection to Maria couldn’t come anywhere as close as the one between Michael and Maria, and that she regretted. “Look. Go get Max and Michael, all right? Just go.” Isabel looked at the power plant. “But I can't wait. I have to go in.”

“All right,” Maria bit her lip hard, trying to reason through what had to be done, and what she could do. “Here. Take the flashlight.” Maria reached into the Jetta and gave Isabel the light. God, Michael was going to kill her.

“Ok.” Isabel took the light and went to the fence as Maria drove off in a spray of gravel, driving too fast for the light and road conditions. Isabel ripped her dress as she climbed through the fence. Unable to walk on the uneven ground in her high heels, she took off her shoes.

~~~

After searching Tess’s belongings, Max and Sheriff Valenti broke into Grant Sorenson's motel room and start searching for anything that might give them a hint as to Tess' whereabouts.

“Stop right there!” Valenti said when Grant entered this hotel room.

“Whoa!” Grant held up his hands. “Whoa. Sheriff, what are you doing in my room?”

Jim put down the gun. “When was the last time you saw Tess Harding?”

“Who?”

“Tess Harding.” Jim repeated. “And don't lie to me.”

Grant glanced at Max, his eyes narrowing. “I barely know the girl.”

“Then why'd you call her cell phone today?” Max asked.

“She's a friend of Isabel's.” Grant told them. “I wanted to ask her advice on a birthday present.”

“And what did she tell you?”

“She said she was going to Jensen's to pick something up.”

Max looked over at Jim. “That's what Kyle said.”

“I knew I'd be on the dig all day and was pressed for time, when she suggested flowers.” Grant told them. “She said purple roses were Isabel's favorite.”

“Sorry.” The Sheriff said. “Procedure.”

“Procedure?” Grant looked at the Sheriff in disbelief. “You break into my room and stick a gun in my face?”

“Tess Harding is missing.” Jim told the man as if it justified everything.

“Well, then maybe you should be out looking for her instead of harassing innocent people.”

“Look, Mr. Sorenson...”

“No. You look, Sheriff. There's obviously no evidence.” Grant stared at Max Evans, a knowing look coming over his face. It was obvious, the younger man didn’t want him near his sister. “I don't appreciate you and Deputy Dog here accusing me.”

“Nobody's accusing you of anything.” The Sheriff told him.

“You got a search warrant?”

“I can get one.”

“Then get it,” Grant said opening his door, “but until then, get out.”

“If you hear from her, you call me.”

“Right.” Grant slammed the door behind them.

~~~

Courtney walked outside to smoke a cigarette when Michael found her. He took the cigarette and tossed it on the ground, his back stiffening.

“Worried about my health?” Courtney asked, her eyes gleaming.

“Who are you?” Michael asked.

Courtney seemed taken aback. “What?”

“You know what I'm talking about.”

Courtney moved further down the back wall. “Are you, like, high or something?” Michael shoved the picture of her he found in Whitaker's office in front of her face. “Where'd you get that?” She asked snatching the picture from Michael.

“From your file in Whitaker's office.”

Courtney pushed him aside, trying to walk around him. “Get out of my face.”

Michael refused to budge. “You're gonna tell me exactly what's going on.”

“No, I don't have to tell you anything.”

“So, you’re working with her?” Michael asked, his voice rising, as suspicion moved over him. “You spying on us? Is that what you're doing?”

“You're a big man, aren't you?” Courtney said trying another tactic to move him.

“Don't jerk me around.” Michael said rolling his eyes at her attempt to seduce him. “If you're not working with Whitaker, then why does she have photos of you … documents, huh? Why is she watching you? Why is a U.S. Congresswoman interested in a waitress from Roswell ?”

“Because I was sleeping with her stepson, that's why!” Courtney snarled, pushing him away from her.

“Stepson?”

“That's right. He screwed his life up with drugs, and I screwed my life up with him. When we got busted, do you know who went down for that?” Courtney spit at him, her face twisting in anger. “I spent two years in Buckman, and the only reason why I got out of there is because I promised that bitch that I would never see him again. So I guess that she's just making sure I keep that promise.”

“All right.” Michael knew when to back away. A Congresswoman was going to relocate to Roswell to keep an eye on a trashy waitress? Uh-huh. Michael backed away before he gave up too much of his own interest. “Thanks.”

“Thanks?” She slapped Michael. “Jerk!”

Michael lost his patience and his anger. No one hit him! No one. Not now. Never again. Maria pulled up in the Jetta just as Michael had his hands on Courtney's shoulders.

“Michael, we’ve gotta go!” Maria called to Michael. “Isabel's in trouble!”

Michael pushed Courtney away from him, already forgetting her as he went to get into the Jetta.

Maria glanced at Michael, his jaw was firm, and anger was still etched on his face. “What was that all about? I almost thought for a moment you were going to kiss her.”

“Or hit her.” Michael looked at Maria. “She slapped me.”

“What? No! Really?” Maria looked at him seeing the slight tinge of color on his face. “That bitch! Why? I know you didn’t hit on her or try to abuse her in any way. What happened? You say no?”

“I found a file on her in Whitaker’s office. She says that she was doing Whitaker’s stepson when he got in trouble with drugs, she took a small trip up to the big house, and to get free, she made a deal with Whitaker to stay clear of the Prince. Whitaker is keeping tabs on her to make sure she keeps her deal.”

“Uh-huh.” Maria glanced at him. “And what bridge is she trying to sell us in what damn country?”

“Yeah, I thought so too. Why would a US Congresswoman care about a waitress in Roswell , nowhere near her crowned heir apparent?” Michael had more than enough of socializing with the disenfranchised. “What the hell is up with Isabel? I thought you were keeping an eye on her.”

“As I did. Hence the reason I know she is in trouble.”

“You were supposed to keep her out of trouble, Maria.”

“Hey, back off, Sweet pea! I tried, okay? She wanted my car, and being alien, she is very able to start it without a key. I drove, okay?”

“You should’ve stopped her.”

“Oh? In case you haven’t noticed, I am smaller than the Amazonian alien Queen by about three inches and twenty pounds. Add in that she has powers, and duh…I don’t. What exactly did you expect me to do, except come and get you, saving you from macking on a creepy trailer trash bottle job?”

“More like forty pounds. You’re small boned, and I wasn’t macking on no one!”

Maria pointed a finger at him. “First, you better amend that weight estimation or swear you never voice it to Isabel, or you will be singing soprano. Second, do I care if you were making a scary mack attack on the very wrong side of the tracks? No! I care that Isabel made me leave her, and we need to find Max and Valenti.”

Maria and Michael were on the way to the power plant and the darkness was suddenly sinking into Michael how alone they were and how deserted the road was. They could be walking into trap. Glancing at Maria, he frowned.

“I can't believe you let her go after Tess alone.”

“She didn't give me a choice.” Maria reminded him again.

“Well, where's the phone? I'm gonna call Valenti. Get him and Max to meet us there.”

Maria tossed him her phone. “You better hurry. I lost my signal out here last time.”

~~~

At the power plant, Isabel found a sobbing Tess who was wounded, half unconscious. Helping her as best she could, she tried to get Tess out of there, looking over her shoulder searching for their enemies. She could feel them, hear them…their enemies, and like a prey to the hunt, Isabel could feel it as an approaching doom. Isabel moved Tess to an empty room, and bolted the door.

“There. Tess. Tess, stay with me. Stay with me, Tess. Damn it. Don't die on me now!” Isabel said her voice rising in hysteria.

The bolts on the door slide over by themselves. Someone was opening them from the other side. Isabel stared at them in horror. That would take alien powers to open the bolts. The door swung open to Congresswoman Whitaker.

“It's you.”

Congress Whitaker entered the room unhindered. “Impressive.”

“What?”

“You. Coming here like this.” Vanessa Whitaker said. “I see my mistake. It wasn't her I was looking for.” She had been so sure when little Parker talked about the other woman in her ex-boyfriend’s life … the one he shared a past with.

“Then why did you take her?”

“Thought she was you. But neither of you looks like you did in the other life.” The Congresswoman smiled. “I knew I needed one of the female hybrids. It was a 50/50 chance.”

“Oh, God.” Isabel pulled Tess back with her as Whitaker approached. “What is it you want from us?”

“Where's the Granilith?”

“The what?”

“The Granilith.” Whitaker repeated. “Don't pretend you don't know. We've been looking for it. We can't exist here like you … not in our natural state. We don't have the DNA. All we have are these … uh, skins. Our limit is fifty years. My time is almost up. I need to find the Granilith if it's the last thing I do.”

“I don't know what you're talking about.”

“You're hiding it. The four of you.” Whitaker scoffed. “The royalty they tried to save by sending you here. You're gonna help us.”

“Never.” Isabel screamed keeping Tess with her.

“You did before. You will again.”

“You killed Nasedo, didn't you?” Isabel said as it all came clear. Nasedo was in an intimate relationship with the Congresswoman. She must have figured out who he was, and Nasedo led her to them.

“To save you.” Vanessa assured Isabel.

“From what?”

“The other three. You belong with us, our race. We're in charge now. Your kind doesn't rule anymore.”

“I'm not one of you.”

“You don't remember, do you?” Vanessa laughed, amused by the stupidity to re-engineer them as children giving them nothing, not even their memories. “Let me give you a piece of history about your planet. Your name was Vilandra, and you were beautiful … even more beautiful than you are now. You had a great love … and for him … for us … you betrayed your brother, your race.”

“No.” Isabel shook her head. She couldn’t believe that. She couldn’t. Her people. Her mother. Her brother. Never.

“You sacrificed him. You sacrificed everyone … even yourself. And history, my dear, always repeats itself.”

“God, you liar!” Isabel screamed at the woman. She reached down to help Tess stand. “We're leaving. Tess, come on. Come on.”

“Not until you tell me where you're hiding the Granilith.” Vanessa said barring Isabel’s path.

“I told you before, I don't know what you're talking about.”

“Well, maybe this will help jog your memory.” Whitaker raised her hand and an invisible force tossed Tess into the air. She landed with a thud and a cry of pain.

“Uhh! Unh!” Tess moaned as her body reflexively curled into a protective position.

“Stop it! Stop hurting her!”

“I'll stop when you tell me what I want to know.” The Congresswoman lifted her hand to hurt Tess again.

Isabel helped Tess to her and feet. They jumped with her through the window to the platform below. Panting, Isabel helped Tess as they made their way to the exit. Isabel kept looking over her shoulder knowing Whitaker wouldn’t stop, that she would give chase.

“Come on.” Isabel said to Tess, helping her. They limped out of the power plant. As they were trying to make it to where Isabel came through the fence, Whitaker found them, and once again she barred their way. She tore off an electrical cable holding it threateningly at Isabel. Max and the other arrived, and Max ran to the gate seeing them from the gate to the power facility.

“Isabel!” Max yelled to his sister.

“Where's the Granilith?” Whitaker asked, her hand holding the live wire.

“Get away from us!” Isabel pushed Tess behind her, holding her hand up defensively.

“I'll destroy y